Monthly Community Paper | www.austinsouthasian.com | 512-828-6709 | Vol. 8 No. 03
ICC NEW TEAM Sureshbhai Patel
By Mary Mathew Austinites, your ICC Team is coming together to “plan to plan.” On February 21, a small
group of interested community members and ICC board members met at Little Walnut Library to discuss the goals and future of ICC. An interim board was formed of committed volunteers
who will collaborate to restructure the organization. The members of the interim board are as follows: Mary Mathew, Raga Chandra, Sijo Vadakkan, Sohail Lodhia, Debasree Dasgupta, Ashwin Ghatalia, Jagannath Vedula, and Pramod Patil. When India Community Center of Austin was first formed and its constitution was written in 1985, it was the only Indian organization in town; now there are numerous organizations. How should the role of ICC change? How can ICC best serve Austin? Do you have ideas you would like heard? Contact one of these board members, or email iccaustin@gmail.com.
Vehicle Registration And Inspection Stickers Are Partnering Up In Texas “Two Steps, One Sticker” Program Begins March 1 AUSTIN – Get ready for a new
Texas Two Step. Today the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles (TxDMV), the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) and the
Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) joined State Senator Royce West and county tax assessor-collectors for “Two Steps, One Sticker Day” at the state Capitol in Austin. The event h i g h lighted the state’s transition to having just one sticker for vehicle inspection and registration. (Continued On Page 08)
By Richa Gandhi, Student, University of California, Berkeley
Why did being “skinny,” “black” or walking in a neighborhood become perceived
as the sign of a perpetrator or criminal? Why did a communication barrier give an officer the prerogative to throw a fragile grandfather to the ground? What about a grandfather’s walk through his neighborhood, could have caused a neighbor to feel so uncomfortable as to call the police? (Continued On Page 24)
Town Hall Meeting With Austin Police Department on March 6th
Post unpleasant event of police excess in Alabama where Mr. Sureshbhai Patel has been partially paralysed, IACT has been in touch with Austin Police Department (APD). To APD’s credit they have been proactive also in interacting with IACT. A town hall meeting is planned with a tentative date of 6th of March. IACT board members are working on identifying a venue and working with APD to set up the agenda for the meeting. It is imperative that APD gets to know our community and also to educate members of the of APD to prevent any unpleased experience and create an enduring harmony. We welcome community members to participate in strength. For venue and time pl email shahinalvi@yahoo.com or call (512) 577-9454 / (512) 791-5112
inside
March 2015
Make A Difference.......04 Raag Of Ages.............05 Indo American Seniors..6 BAGA.........................07 TYLA Launches End.....08 Sureshbhai Patel.........10 SCE Layoffs................11 New York Sikh Man.....11 Human Trafficking.......12 Health Special.............15
APRIL 2015
Real Estate Special
512-828-6709 Coconut Sprouting......17 Islamophobia..............17 Austin Non Profits.......18 Hypertension..............19 Predictions.................19 Trim Expenses...........20 Community Calendar...20 Purnendu Dasgupta....21 Childrens Page............22 Three Indians Win......23 Indie Meme Film Showcase 2015...................24 Entertainment........25,26