Mar 25 2011 25-40

INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY,MARCh 25, 2011 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

25 Indo American News • Friday, March 25, 2011ONLINE EDITION: www.indoamerican-news.com

STOCKS • FINANCE • SOUTH ASIAN MARKETS • TECHNOLOGY

IndoAmerican News

BusinessFriday, March 25, 2011 www.indoamerican-news.com

Starbucks and Dunkin’ to Enter IndiaBANGALORE (ET): A story

of initiation told by Santhosh Unni, CEO of Costa Coffee India , captures the window of opportunity in India’s cafe business. Last June, India’s third-largest coffee chain opened a cafe next to an outlet of market leader Cafe Coffee Day on a Bangalore high street. “They were doing Rs 18,000 per day ($391). We started doing Rs 18,000 in a month,” says Unni. “The market just doubled.”

There’s the addition of two American heavyweights, Starbucks

and Dunkin’ Donuts, to what is currently a three-horse race between Cafe Coffee Day (CCD), Barista and Costa Coffee. There’s a three-

year plan by CCD to

double its outlet count, aided by a Rs 960 crore investment chest from private equity. “We took 14 years to reach the 1,000 mark,” says K Ramakrishnan, president,

marketing, at CCD. “We want to reach 2,000 cafes by 2014.” Elsewhere, smaller players like Costa Coffee (73 outlets), Gloria Jean’s Coffee (15 outlets), and

Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf (13 outlets) are also looking to double their presence i n t h e n e x t 1 2 months.

Harish Bijoor, a veteran of the coffee

industry, doesn’t see a crowd. He sees catalysts for the cafe business, which currently stands at 1,926 outlets. “India can absorb 5,400 cafes,” says Bijoor, whose

marketing consultancy has done research across 180 cafes.

The Indian market is estimated to be between Rs 650 crore and Rs 1,100 crore ($15- 25 Billion). “The pie will get bigger now,” says Tony White, regional GM for Australian chain Gloria Jean’s Coffee, citing its experience in its home market.

Bijoor feels the time for expansion for existing players is now. “The window for them is around three years,” he says in light of the impending onslaught by cash-rich Starbucks and Dunkin’. Starbucks is the world’s largest coffee chain, with 17,000 cafes in 55 countries, and revenues of $10.7 billion in

2010. Dunkin’ has 9,760 cafes in over 30 countries. “They, typically, announce 30 outlets in the first year, and then 400 outlets in the next two years,” says Bijoor.

Expansion, especially of the rapid variety, poses its own challenges for companies. Of paying top rental in upmarket locales. Of managing coffee prices, which are at a 17-year high and showing no sign of receding. Of handling a young and restless workforce. Of handling the Indian consumer, who is gaining affluence but remains price-conscious. How companies manage these pressures holds the key to their profitability.

INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, MARCh 25, 2011• ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

26 Indo American News • Friday. March 25, 2011 ONLINE EDITION: www.indoamerican-news.comB U S I N E S S I N d I A

German Energy Company hits headwinds in IndiaBy JACK EWING &

VIKAS BAJAJFRANKFURT (NYT): For

foreign companies dreaming of making money in India, with its fast growth and 1.2 billion consumers, the experience of one German manufacturer offers a cautionary tale.

Enercon, one of the largest wind turbine makers in the world, says it has lost its entire Indian subsidiary, a major operation with annual sales of more than €400 million, or $566 million, after a dispute with a local partner and a run-in with the Mumbai law enforcement authorities.

Enercon is on the sidelines in India just as the nuclear accident in Japan is raising new concerns about atomic energy and turmoil in the Middle East is pushing oil prices up again.

The case also has caused diplomatic tension and — at least in Germany — clouded the image of what is still considered by many companies to be a market that could eventually rival China for growth.

Enercon faces “loss of its Indian investment, complete exclusion from the Indian market and theft of intellectual property acquired at great cost,” Rainer Brüderle, the German economics minister, complained in a letter to the Indian government in January.

“We a re obse rv ing th i s development with concern,” Brüderle wrote to Anand Sharma, the Indian minister of commerce and industry. “It has the potential to

affect the German-Indian economic relationship far beyond this single case.”

Brüderle has not received a response, a spokesman said.

German exports to India rose 14 percent last year, to €9.3 billion, or $13.1 billion, part of a surge in trade that has made Asia a more important market for German machinery and other products than North and South America combined. India also is the world’s fifth-largest user of user of wind power, and is adding capacity fast. The country’s biggest wind supplier by far is the domestic company Suzlon, but others, including General Electric, are also present.

Enercon, which is based in Aurich, near Germany’s windswept North Sea coast, portrays the episode as a government-abetted theft of its joint venture with an Indian partner. That account is strenuously disputed by a lawyer for the partner, Yogesh Mehra, who is also an executive member of the Indian Wind Turbine Manufacturers Association.

Enercon founded the Indian unit with Mehra in 1994, and did well until the problems arose. In the financial year that ended in 2010, the company recorded sales in India of €413 million, or about 11 percent of the company’s total.

Around 2005, according to Enercon, the partners started to argue about company strategy. The Germans wanted to move cautiously and invest profits in the business, while Mehra wanted to

seek fast growth with an eye toward a stock market listing, according to Enercon.

“One of our fundamental business development principles has always been to grow in a sustained, measured way and to reinvest profits,” said Stefan Knottnerus-Meyer, legal counsel for the German company. “Mehra was going for high risk expansion.”

In Sep tember 2008 , the

authorities in Mumbai summoned two Enercon executives to police headquarters and questioned them for at least five hours. The police told the executives that they were suspected of conspiring against their Indian partners.

“We had to answer a lot of questions,” said Wolfgang Juilfs, Enercon’s chief risk officer. “They were very friendly, but the police officers attempted to distort our answers and put words in our

mouths.”Ene rcon execu t ive s s ay

that Mehra, though a minority shareholder, progressively cut the German executives off from information and shut them out of management decisions. They believe they have been effectively banished from India.

“We have completely written off our investment in Enercon India,” Knottnerus-Meyer said. “We do not have any form of control, and we do not have any financial information.” Mehra did not return several phone calls and e-mails seeking comment. But a lawyer who represents Enercon India said the dispute had begun when the two sides began negotiating a new licensing agreement to replace a contract that expired in 2004.

The lawyer, Parthasarathy R., said the agreement had not been finished before the two sides fell out over a dispute about the ownership of the company. In late 2006, Aloys Wobben, the founder of Enercon, offered €40 million to buy a 6 percent stake in the Indian firm from Mehra, but a few weeks later he amended his proposal to €40 million for a 12 percent stake, according to Parthasarathy.

The case has received extensive media coverage in Germany, all the more so because Germans see Enercon as an entrepreneurial success story and a source of pride. Wobben, an engineer who founded Enercon in 1984, is a wind energy pioneer and something of a business legend in Germany.

Enercon sued in Indian courts, but said that delaying tactics by Mehra and the slow pace of the Indian judiciary had so far not produced any meaningful results. Settlement talks also fell apart.

The Indian justice system did move fairly quickly to rule against Enercon in a patent dispute. The Intellectual Property Appellate Board, based in Chennai, decided in a little more than a year to nullify 12 Enercon patents.

Prashant Reddy, an Indian intellectual property law researcher and blogger, said the invalidation of the Enercon Germany patents should free any company in India to use the technology.

Parthasarathy, the lawyer for Mehra, dismissed suggestions by Enercon Germany executives that Mehra had improperly influenced judges or other officials. Parthasarathy said the Appellate Board had acted quickly because the Madras High Court, a higher court, had instructed it to deliver a judgment in three months.

To be sure, Enercon has something of a history of misadventure abroad. The company has never exported to the United States after losing a court dispute there in the mid-1990s, in which a now-defunct turbine maker accused Enercon of infringing on its patents. As a result, Enercon was barred from the United States for several years. The ban was later lifted, but the experience soured Wobben on the U.S. market, Knottnerus-Meyer said.


27 Indo American News • Friday, March 25, 2011ONLINE EDITION: www.indoamerican-news.com B U S I N E S S I N d I A

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India’s Gold Demand may Fall 16 % in 2011: Morgan Stanley

MUMBAI (ET): Gold appetite in India, which imported a record quantity of the metal last year, is likely to fall in 2011 by 16 per cent, as near-record prices dent demand in the world’s largest consumer, resulting in a positive impact on banks’ deposit growth, Morgan Stanley said.

“We believe that the current account deficit can surprise on the downside with positive implications on growth,” said Ridham Desai, Head of India Research at Morgan Stanley, in a report on Tuesday. The current account deficit can fall by 12 basis points to 59 basis points purely due to the fall in gold consumption, Morgan Stanley said. India imported a record of a little over 900 tonnes in 2010 as consumers expected a further rise in prices. The yellow metal has gained

about 1 per cent so far in the year, building on the previous year’s 25 per cent gains. The report noted that strong demand for gold since 2003 has coincided with negative real interest rates, which is the gap between the wholesale price index inflation and 91-days yield. Gold, which gave a yearly return of 25 per cent, outperformed other asset classes, including equities with just 7 per cent returns. Deposit growth in India, Asia’s third-largest economy, is expected to be roughly at 20 per cent in the next fiscal year to April 2012 as the Reserve Bank of India has taken steps to make the saving instrument more attractive, it said. Gold currently accounts for 10 per cent of Indian household saving, and the consumption accounted for 2.3 per cent of the Gross Domestic Product in 2010.

India’s Entertainment and Media Biz Could Touch $120 b: Murdoch

(ET): News Corporation for Europe and Asia Chairman & Chief Executive James Murdoch, on Wednesday, called for digitisation of infrastructure to unlock the potential of India’s media and entertainment sector that could grow from $15 billion to $120 billion.

Delivering the key note at Ficci Frames 2 0 1 1 , M u r d o c h described India’s media and entertainment sector as the creative sector which could grow in propotion to its size in o the r advanced economies. This would create millions of new jobs and revolutionize sectors such as education and health care, while ensuring that India has a voice of commensurate with her importance in global affairs.

Murdoch called for the digitisation of Indian media infrastructure, and liberalisation to “bring Indian storytellers and journalists to the world”, and at the same time, criticized the lack of digitization saying that it allows vested interests to hold consumers captive, and lack of funding makes Indian media

uncompetitive globally. Murdoch-owned News Corp owns Star channels in India and has a stake in DTH operator Tata Sky.

Transparent, deregulated, market-

based and addressable digitisation will unleash a content revolution in India, he said and pointed out “Viewers deserve choice. In a vast and diverse country like India, no channel can try to be everything to

everyone, and yet the prevailing regulatory system forces channels to adopt a uniform ad-dependant business model.”

Expressing surprise at the almost exclusively domestic focus of news coverage, he said that India’s 1.2 billion people all too often have to rely on foreigners for on-the-ground reporting. “The fundamental problem in news is the same as in entertainment as government policies prevent the industry f rom deve lop ing a business model that will reward initiative and investment,” he said. For the creative sector, digital infrastructure will allow the right incentives for a more diverse and dynamic industry. This can be done through the market by accelerating the liberalisation of rules with respect to investment, content, distribution and innovation.

He also said that digitization of infrastructure is key to growth and gives the industry the incentive to create. Of 250 million homes in India, only 30 million are digital (i.e. have Digital Television).


28 Indo American News • Friday. March 25, 2011 ONLINE EDITION: www.indoamerican-news.com

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30 Indo American News • Friday. March 25, 2011 ONLINE EDITION: www.indoamerican-news.comIndo American News • Friday. March 25, 2011

Indo American News South Asia

News of the Diaspora - South Asians around the World

Japanese Quake has Limited Effect on Southeast Asia EconomiesBy Dy Dy ANIEl Sl Sl ChEAhEAh rfEArfEA

BANGKOK (VOA News): The disaster in Japan is expected to affect economies in Southeast Asia, but economists say the damage is likely to be limited. They say the region may even see increased investments from Japan as companies seek to diversify away from areas at higher risk from natural disasters.

Japan supplies Southeast Asia factories with components and parts put into cars, electronics, and other products for export, including back to Japan. That supply chain was disrupted when the earthquake and tsunami hit Japan’s northeast, damaging a nuclear plant and forcing many factories to stop production. Many Southeast Asian countries export to Japan. The Japanese market accounts for about 20 percent of Indonesia’s exports and 17 percent of what the Philippines sends abroad, down to smaller amounts from countries including Cambodia, Laos, and Singapore. Regional economists say exports may suffer this year. But with Japanese damage assessments and the situation at the nuclear plant uncertain, estimates of the cost to trade are tentative.

Tim Condon, the chief Asia economist for ING Financial

Markets in Singapore, said a worst-case scenario would be similar to the 2008 global financial crisis, when Japan’s imports dropped by nearly half.

“If the earthquake damage is that severe we could see damage on the order of 0.7 percent of GDP in Indonesia, about half that in the case of Philippines, and then something even lower than that in the rest of the Southeast Asian economies. So, it ranges from a chunky number in the case of Indonesia, to kind of a negligible figure in the others.”

Condon said the best-case scenario would be damage similar to the 1995 Kobe earthquake, which cost Japan about 2 percent of its GDP but saw regional trade recover quickly. The World Bank said this week that earthquake and tsunami reconstruction could cost Japan up to $235 billion and take up to five years. But Japan’s economic growth is expected to pick up in the second half of this year as reconstruction gets underway. Lei Lei Song, a senior economist with the Asian Development Bank, said that barring any major nuclear contamination, Japan’s economy should rebound relatively quickly, and along with it, the trade with Southeast Asia. “We’re still assessing the impact in terms of

the GDP growth. But, I guess it’s very modest. It would not change the robust growth we are currently expecting for Southeast Asian economies,” said Song.

Southeast Asia’s economies grew by about 7 percent last year.

Song said Thailand is one of the countries in Southeast Asia most exposed to economic effects from Japan, partly because of its flourishing auto industry. Thailand is referred to as the Detroit of Southeast Asia because major car companies have factories here.

Condon said Thailand’s auto factories could have some short-term problems obtaining parts from Japan, but that the disaster would not seriously hurt the industry.

“My thinking is that it will probably be the reverse,” he said. “They will look to diversify their production sites and move things to cheaper and less earthquake-prone destinations.” Thailand also is tied closely to Japan’s economy through debt. More than 60 percent of Thailand’s foreign debt is in Japanese yen and any appreciation raises the costs for paying it back. Economists say even if the yen appreciates, though, it will not be difficult for Thailand to deal with it because its external debt is not high.

Japan’s quake will not affect Southeast Asian economies largely eventhough it supplies various factories with components and parts for cars, electronics, and other products for export to other nations. Many factories in Japan have stopped production to take care of the wounded and hurting. The damage and cost estimates to trade have not yet been assessed but is supposed to run into the billions

Nepal Christians Demand Designated Burial GroundsK AT H M A N D U ( B B C ) :

Hundreds of people from Nepal’s minority Christian community have protested in Kathmandu to demand designated burial grounds.

Last month Christians were prevented from burying their dead in the grounds of the Hindu Pashupatinath Temple - which they have done for decades.

They say that there are only a few places where they can bury their dead in predominantly Hindu Nepal.

The government has pledged

to find land near K a t h m a n d u f o r Christian burials.

So far no progress has been made in resolving the issue. Temple authorities have said that there is no space left for new graves.

Most bodies in Nepal are cremated in keeping with Hindu tradition.

Christianity is a

growing religion in Nepal - where it has become popular among l o w - c a s t e H i n d u s a s a way of escaping the rigid caste system. About 1,000 Christians a t t e n d e d t h e p r o t e s t i n the cen t re o f Kathmandu, some carrying banners

which read “Give us our rights, give us burial grounds”.

Pastor Sundar Thapa - who led the protest - said the Christian community wanted the government to provide space in all 75 districts of the country so that “we can bury our dead according to Christian practices”.

“If the government listens to our demands, we will [continue] peacefully living in this country and helping this country to develop. Some Christians have warned that if the government does not provide

the land, they will even go so far as to parade their dead in front of parliament.

The Supreme Court temporarily lifted the Pashupatinath temple ban, but the dispute continues and Christians have been protesting since it was announced.

Christian leaders have also been demanding that the government formally recognise their status.

Hindus make up the majority of the population in Nepal - Christians comprise about 1.5% of the country’s 27 million people.


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Rahat Fateh Ali Khan set to Enthrall houston

HOUSTON: Ustad Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, student and nephew of legendary Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan rose to dizzying heights of fame in a very short span of time.

Rahat was born in 1974 in Faisalabad, Punjab into a family of traditional musicians. He learnt under the guidance of the late Nusrat Fateh Ali, Thanks to years of expert training under the guidance of his uncle, Rahat’s voice is nurtured with power, precision and dexterity.

The Pakistani singer, marked his debut as a Bollywood playback singer in 2004 with the song Mann ki Lagan from the movie Mann ki Lagan from the movie Mann ki Lagan Paap. Since then, he has entertained audiences the world over with his soulful songs, especially from his Bollywood collection.

In 2010, he won the “Best International Act” at the UK Asian Music Awards. Rahat Fateh Ali’s international contributions came by way of soundtracks of 1995 Hollywood film Dead Men Walking. More recently, his vocals were

Rahat Fateh Ali Khan performed to full houses in Houston on April 24 and May 5, 2010. Photos: Krishna Giri

featured on the soundtrack of Mel Gibson’s Apocalypto.

Rahat has several Bollywood numbers to his credits, each of them instant classics. They range from high pitched potent variations to melodi-ous heart melting soft soulful numbers working with a variety of music directors from the Hindi film Industry. Numbers like Sajda from the Sajda from the Sajdamovie My Name is Khan and My Name is Khan and My Name is Khan Dil to Bachha hai ji from Ishqiya won him the Best Male Playback Ishqiya won him the Best Male Playback Ishqiyasinger awards at the Star Screen and Filmfare Awards in 2011. His latest chartbuster Tere Mast Mast do Nain from Mast do Nain from Mast do Nain Dabangg, has not only won Dabangg, has not only won Dabangghim the Apsara Award for the Best Playback Singer but also the Mirchi Music and the Big Star Entertainment Award in India.

His songs like Naina from Naina from Naina Omkara, Jiya Dhadak Dhadak from Dhadak Dhadak from Dhadak Dhadak Kalyug, Kalyug, Kalyug Mann Ki Lagan from Paap, Bol Na Halke Halke from Bol Na Halke Halke from Bol Na Halke Halke Jhoom Barabar Jhoom, Jag Soona Soona Lage from Jag Soona Soona Lage from Jag Soona Soona LageOm Shanti Om, Main Jahaan Rahoon from Main Jahaan Rahoon from Main Jahaan Rahoon

Namaste Lon-don, Teri Orefrom Singh is Kinng, is Kinng, is Kinng Ajj Din Chad-Din Chad-Din Chadheya from Love Aaj Kal,Surili Akhiyon Wale from Surili Akhiyon Wale from Surili Akhiyon Wale Veer have won the Veer have won the Veerhearts of many around the world. Rahat has also judged the show, Chhote Ustaad 2 alongside Chhote Ustaad 2 alongside Chhote Ustaad 2Sonu Nigam. He was also one of the judges on the singing reality show Junoon - Kuchh Kar Dikhaane Ka, premièred on NDTV Imagine in 2008.

On popular demand, Rahat Fateh Ali Khan returns to Houston for the first time since last year’s double header. Under the auspices of Rehan Siddiqi’s Hum Tum City Radio, Rahat will bring his Unforgettable Neverending Jour-Unforgettable Neverending Jour-Unforgettable Neverending Journey tour to the Reliant Arena on April 10. The ney tour to the Reliant Arena on April 10. The neyconcert will begin at 8pm.

“This year, the magnitiude of the show is three times that of last year. All those who at-tended Rahat’s performance over the years are returning with renewed enthusiasm” said Rehan Siddiqi. He envisages a sold out performance days before the show.

Rahat will be accompanied by an extraor-Rahat will be accompanied by an extraor-Rahat will be accompanied by an extraordinary ensemble of powerful qawwal chorus qawwal chorus qawwalback-up, thumping percussionists, world re-kowned harmonium players, and a full orchestra for the first time in the USA.

For ticket reservation and event sponsorship information, contact Rehan Siddiqi at 713.545-4115 or 888.8HUM.TUM

INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, MARCh 25, 2011 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

33 Indo American News • Friday, March 25, 2011ONLINE EDITION: www.indoamerican-news.com i n d i a

India’s Pink VigilantesClad in electric pink saris, the all-female gang shames abusive husbands and corrupt politicians. Amana Fontanella-Khan talks to the

woman behind the largest women’s vigilante group in the world.By Ay Ay m Am A AmAm nAnA AnAn FA FA ontAontAont nellAnellA AnellAnell KA KA h Kh K AhAh nAnA

(Thedailybeast) The unofficial headquarters of India’s Pink Gang, the largest women’s vigi-lante group in the world, is a small pink house in the dusty agricultural town of Badausa, about 250 miles south of the majestic Taj Mahal. This concrete, box-shaped structure belongs to Sam-pat Devi Pal, the self-proclaimed commander in chief of the gulabi gang, which means pink gang in Hindi, after the group’s electric pink sari uniform.Every day, nearly half a dozen forlorn women arrive here to ask Pal for support. Most of them have come through word of mouth, or after reading about the gang’s headline-grabbing victories in the paper. To get here, some have had to undertake long journeys on rickety buses or hitchhike on roads made unsafe at night by bandits. They come with harrowing tales of abuse that neither the police, nor their local com-munities, have done anything to address.On a recent sunny afternoon, as colorfully painted freight trucks rumbled past on the main road, Pal, a sturdy woman with a fiery temper, offers steaming chai and samosas to the women who have shown up at her home. One of them, a petite woman called Soman, has arrived with her husband and son in tow. Her husband was just released after three years in captivity, kid-napped by a local gang over a property dispute. While he was away, Soman relied exclusively on Pal for help finding him; she claims the police were paid not to interfere in the investigation. Pal collected donations of grains and pulses for Soman from other gang members, and or-for Soman from other gang members, and or-for Soman from other gang members, and organized protest marches to demand the police help track down her husband. “What Sampat-ji has done for me, I will never forget in my whole

Pink Gang members arrive in the town of Fatehpur to celebrate the “Pink Gang Day,” which takes place every Valentine’s Day

life,” Soman says. She has traveled an hour by train to reach Pal’s home. “Without her, our enemies surely would have killed us.”Operating in the badlands of Uttar Pradesh, India’s most populous and poverty-stricken state, Pal’s group gained notoriety in early days for beating up men who abused their wives. If they heard a husband was being violent, they would show up at his door with sticks called laathis—the same wielded by local cops when patrolling their beat—and demand he change his ways. Of the many cases that Pal handles every day, the majority are related to domestic violence, dowry demands, and abusive in-laws—though recently she helped the father of a 17-year-old girl who’d been raped and jailed on a false charge.“There are so many struggles that women here have to go through, it never seems to stop,” Pal says, wiping her forehead with the edge of her sari. “We don’t like using violence, but some-times that’s the only way people listen.”Pal has reason to be weary: The 48-year-old was married off at 12, and had her first child at 15. She works seven days a week, from the crack of dawn until nightfall, counseling women, organizing sit-ins, and leading rallies. For years, Pal worked as a volunteer with local women’s NGOs, but started the Pink Gang in 2006 because she was frustrated by their lack of progress. With few resources at her disposal, and little to no funding (Pal charges about $4 for membership to the group, in exchange for the pink sari that members wear proudly), the woman relies on her rusty bicycle and old Nokia cellphone to get around and solve problems.At first it was just five women, all old friends. But in a span of five years, the group has grown

into a powerful brigade of more than 20,000 women, including 10 district commanders, who run the gang’s outposts across the district of Bundelkhand—an area that spans 36,000 square miles. These local Pink Gang stations op-erate in the same way as Pal’s own home does: They are meeting places for women to discuss their problems and, like Pal’s own home, the doors are always open.For many women in India, the Pink Gang is their last hope for justice. But as the group has grown in size and power, so too have their opponents. Today Pal doesn’t just take on abusive hus-bands, she challenges corrupt policemen and dishonest politicians—often putting her group

in the center of controversy. Early this year, Pal worked to help a 17-year-old girl, Sheelu Nishad, who’d been gang-raped by a group of men, including one she identified as a member of the local legislature, Purushottam Dwivedi. Nishad went to the police, but instead of being questioned, she was arrested—it turned out her attacker had already called the police, accusing her of theft. Her father went to Pal for help. “I was nervous and crying and somebody suggest-ed I go to the gang,” says the frail elderly man. Pal organized an agitation in front of the police station, and later in front of Dwivedi’s house. So effective was her intervention that Dwivedi

continued on page 34


34 Indo American News • Friday, March 25, 2011 ONLINE EDITION: www.indoamerican-news.comi n d i a

was arrested, and Rahul Gandhi, the heir to the Gandhi family’s political throne, traveled the 370 miles from New Delhi to meet the girl. “She is a very good lady,” Nishad says of Pal. “She has told the world about my plight.”Until recently, the Pink Gang had acted pri-marily outside of the political system—as vigilantes and activists, to the ire of local politi-cians. They’ve been called “militant Maoists” by local police (an accusation that was later retracted) and charged with things like assault and defamation. But they’ve also gained political clout: In October, a record 21 Pink Gang members won panchayat elections—the equivalent of American municipality elec-tions. In these positions, the elected Pink Gang officials oversee construction and repair work of the local roads, provide for sanitation and drinking water and implement development

schemes for agriculture. “Before, the village chiefs never used to listen to our issues, but with the Pink Gang in power, life will become easier,” says Usha Patel, a wiry woman who spent many days rallying support for her district commander. “Finally, the poor are getting their rights.” Pal hopes this represents the beginning of the Pink Gang’s political future—and a way for their power to rise beyond the streets. “It’s important for vigilante groups, especially [those] run by women, to seek some form of social or legal sanction for their existence,” says Atreyee Sen, a fellow at the University of Manchester and the author of Global Vigilantes. “Taking part in formal politics [can] legitimize [their] role.” Pal, for her part, has no plans of backing down. “People have tried to assassinate me, arrest me, abuse me and shut me up,” she says. “But I won’t be quiet until things improve for the women here.”

A Pink Gang member flaunts her laathi, or bamboo stick. Similar batons are used by lo-cal police Photo: Image: Amana Fontanella-Khan

India’s Pink Vigilantescontinued from page 33

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37 Indo American News • Friday, March 25, 2011ONLINE EDITION: www.indoamerican-news.com S p o r t S

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Clinical Pakistan Storm into Semi-finalBy Ay Ay ndrew Andrew A mcGlGlG AlAl shAshAsh nAnA

MIRPUR (Cric Info): Pakistan are two games away from repeating the heroics of Imran Khan’s 1992 team after a crushing 10-wicket victory against West Indies in the first quarter-final in Dhaka. Mohammad Hafeez starred with bat and ball, beginning West Indies’ decline with two early wickets then ending it with a brisk 61, while Shahid Afridi is proving an inspirational force and led from the front again with four more scalps as the spinners produced a ruthless display to dismantle West Indies for 112.

Between the three of them, Pakistan’s slow bowlers had figures of 27.3-5-64-8 and gave another example of how there is a threat from every part of the at-tack. At no point did Afridi need to fill overs, especially when the weakest link of the bowlers - Hafeez - man-aged to take 2 for 16 in his full allocation. Hafeez then dominated an unbroken opening stand with Kamran Akmal which wiped off the target with barely an alarm and 29 overs to spare.

The match represented a contest for as long as Chris Gayle was in the middle - the sum total of 2.5 overs. His departure sucked the life and belief from West Indies line-up with the rest remaining rooted to the crease, managing just seven fours and a solitary Shivnarine Chanderpaul six as he nudged his way to a hollow, unbeaten 44.

Some early aggression had proved the falsest of dawns. De-von Smith cut the first ball of the match to the point boundary and Gayle played two thumping shots, but in attempting his third bound-ary, he picked out Afridi at mid-off who did well to hold on to a stinging drive. With their talisman gone, West Indies became virtu-ally scoreless.

Hafeez, handed the new ball after Abdur Rehman was left out, caused a host of problems for the left handers, mainly with his straighter deliveries, rather than any turn. The major damage came

in his third over as he skidded one past Smith’s inside edge, and three balls later, a similar delivery re-moved Darren Bravo as he thrust his pad down the line.

The next six overs brought just

six runs as Ramnaresh Sarwan and Chanderpaul were rendered score-less by the combination of Hafeez and Gul. The shackles were mo-mentarily broken when Sarwan collected two boundaries off Wa-hab Riaz - the second a flowing cover drive - but they were the rare exception.

Hafeez was allowed to bowl eight overs for 12 runs though he was barely turning the ball and spinners continued to cause prob-lems when Afridi had two close shouts for lbw in his first over. He used up a review with the first one but should have broken through in his second over when Gul didn’t accept a chance at long-off when Sarwan, on 14, tried to go over the top.

Runs came at a painful rate, but at least the fourth-wicket pair were trying to set a platform. However, with the pressure building and Pakistan racing through the overs Sarwan felt he had to try some shots, but couldn’t clear cover as

he cut a delivery which bounced more than expected. Not for the first time, Afridi stood with arms aloft and it was just the start for the Pakistan captain.

Kieron Pollard did nothing to end the argument that he’s a bully of weak bowling at-tacks when he bottom-edged a cut and Kamran Akmal’s recent improvements con-tinued with a sharp take. None of the West Indian batsman - barring Chander-paul - had a clue which way Afridi was turning the ball and that was summed up by Devon Thomas’ dismissal as he played back to a quicker ball.

From legspin to offspin it was then the turn of Saeed Ajmal to make more lower-order batsmen look foolish. Darren Sammy, who will struggle to justify his place in the team after this tour-nament, was turned square by a perfect doosra and the same delivery also removed Devendra Bishoo although this time the batsman helped with an inside edge.

Kemar Roach showed some of his team-mates that batting wasn’t impossible as he accompa-nied Chanderpaul for 15 overs to add 40 but it was like trying to the plug the leak in the Titanic. Roach eventually chipped to midwicket and the innings ended with more than six overs remaining when Ravi Rampaul was bowled round his legs by Afridi.

Pakistan weren’t going to ease their way to the target and after two overs had 25 on the board - it had taken West Indies until the 12th over to reach that point. Ha-feez rode on the confidence of his bowling display, but some of the bowling served up was as bad as the earlier batting. A couple of tough half chances were spilled without affecting the result.

The victory means their first journey to India since 2007 to face either the co-hosts or defending champions in Mohali. Pakistan won’t care who the opposition are, it will take an exceptional perfor-mance to stop them.

Mohammad Hafeez led the way with bat and ball in Pakistan’s huge victory

Bangladesh Need to Learn Lessons from Windies - Bashar

By y y nizAizAiz mAmA Am Am hmed Ahmed ADHAKA (Samachar): Shakib Al

Hasan’s men should pick up a few tips from the way a struggling West Indies side hung on to score 112 all out in their World Cup quarter-final against Pakistan, former Bangladesh captain Habibul Bashar said.

Almost three weeks after West Indies humiliated Bangladesh at the Shere Bangla National Sta-dium by skittling the co-hosts for their lowest ODI score of 58, the Caribbeans were in danger of slumping to their lowest ever World Cup total while tottering on 71-8 against Pakistan on Wednes-day.

But some defiant batting by Shivnarine Chanderpaul (44 not out from 106 balls) and a career best ODI score of 16 from Kemar Roach made sure they surpassed their lowest Cup total of 93.

The fighting spirit and the bat-ting application shown by Chand-erpaul and Roach was something the Bangladeshi players were lacking, said Bashar.

“This means Bangladesh have still go a long way to be compe-tent enough in the world cricket,” Bashar told reporters while visit-ing press box at the stadium.

While Bangladesh perished in 18.5 overs on March 4, West Indies kept the Pakistani bowlers at bay until the 44th over on Wednesday before they finally caved in.

Considering West Indies were reeling on 16-3 in the sixth over, Bashar said their ability to prolong the innings was a major achieve-ment.

“After fall of three wickets for 16 (Ramnaresh) Sarwan and Chander-paul played coolly despite the huge tension. They steadied the innings and did not go for big shots,” he told Reuters.

“They showed that surviving for as long as possible should be their main goal. If batsmen can stay at the wicket some runs will come and that will help the team to avert the kind of humiliation we suffered that day (when Bangladesh fell for 58).”

“Our debacle in the two matches against West Indies and South Af-against West Indies and South Af-against West Indies and South Africa (when we were all out for 78) were due to the mistakes of the batsmen. Our batsmen should have patience on the crease and have courage to play pacers or spinners.

“Our bowlers were better and did their job but our batsmen failed miserably.”


39 Indo American News • Friday, March 25, 2011ONLINE EDITION: www.indoamerican-news.comh o u S t o n S p o r t S

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hTBC Recognizes Unique Products Cup Cricket Award Winners

By Ay Ay ndy Andy A Bndy Bndy hAhAh rArA ArAr dwAdwA AdwAdw jAjAHOUSTON: The Houston Taped Ball Cricket

League (HTBC) recently held its awards func-tion to recognize Award winners of the Unique Products Cup (Winter) 2010 Tournament. This function was held at India House and the awards were presented by: Pradeep Gupta Unique Products President; Col Raj Bhalla, India House Council Member; and Pramod Kulkarni, India House Council member and ex-Secretary.

The Winners Trophy went to LCC I as they

successfully defended their title by winning the Final over CMCC by a slim margin of 12 runs. It was an evenly contested Final with numerous momentum shifts.

The individual tournament trophy awards were:

Tournament MVP: Liaqat (CMCC); Best Batsman: George (LCC I); Best Bowlers: Bharath (LCC I) & Ozy (CMCC); and Best Wicket-keeper: Vaibhav (HOCC).

Pradeep Gupta, President of Unique Products, presenting the Winners Trophy to the LCC co-captains, Hemant & Andy

A note on the Finals: On a party cloudy Winter afternoon, LCC I won the toss and elected to bat, but lost Raj early, clean bowled by Jalil. Ramesh steadied the innings but his departure was quickly followed by Naushad’s wicket to leave LCC at a precarious 31-3. George and Basit then steadied the innings with a 55 runs partnership before George was bowled for a patient knock of 36. CMCC then struck back reducing LCC I to 95-7 as Jawad, Basit (top scorer with 37) and Praveen all departed in quick succession. In danger of folding for around a 100 runs, it was the crucial partnership of Fawad (with an invaluable 20 not out) and Fahim (with 13) which saw LCC I post a competitive total of 136 runs. Ozy with figures of 5-0-20-2 and Sohail with 5-1-26-1 were the pick of the CMCC bowlers.

Faced with a target of 136 to win, CMCC started sedately to a good opening bowling spell by Hemant & Shehbaz, and lost 3 wickets with only 20 on the board from 6 initial overs. The teams were neck-to-neck in scoring by the end of the 10th over as Jalil (top score of 23) and Liaqat steadied the innings. Ijaz (14), Ozy (18) & Keyur (14) all made valuable contributions for CMCC, but could not carry thru till the end. LCC bowlers took wickets at regular intervals and Praveen (3 key wickets for 30 runs) and Fawad with the last 2 wickets bowled well under pressure. This allowed LCC I to restrict CMCC in the last few overs as they fell short by only 12 runs.

The victorious team members from LCC.Standing: Naushad, Fawad, Basit (Finals MVP), George (Best Batsman), Raj, Hemant (Co-Captain), Ramesh, Shehbaz, PraveenKneeling: Fahim, Jawad

Mar 25 2011 25-40

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