India Herald June242015

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VOL . 21 NO. 25 • WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24, 2015 • P.O. BOX 623 • SUGAR LAND, TX 77487 • PERIODICAL PERMIT USPS 017-699 25 Cents

Yoga teachers honored at International Day of Yoga

Consul General Of India Harish Parvathaneni, left, presents the prestigious Yoga Service Award to Robert Boustany, an internationally renowned Yoga teacher and practitioner for over 40 years and to Billie Gollnick, an 87 year old Yoga teacher who is considered ‘The Mother’ of Southeast Texas Yoga and one of the first western female teachers of Yoga in India during the International Day of Yoga at George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston on June 21.

IACF awards 2015 scholarships

The Indo-American Charity Foundation awarded its 2015 scholarships to Fort Bend ISD students at a reception held at the FBISD Administrative building in Sugar Land on June 18. Missouri City Mayor Allen Owen, seated, center, was the chief guest. He is flanked by Ramesh Cherivirala, past president, and Kamala Raghavan, president of the IACF. IACF board directors, Prem Cholia, and Alpa Shah, left, and Rathnakumar and Mahesh Wadhwa, right, are with the scholarship recipients. See Page 14. Photo MURALI SANTHANA.

Dr. Renu Khator, Chancellor University of Houston; Mrs. Nandita Parvathaneni; Dr. Shobha Raju, Padma Shri Awardee; Ms. Jennifer Buergermeister of Texas Yoga Conference and Ms. Billie Gollnick (right – not in the picture) lighting the ceremonial lamp on this occasion. Photos BIJAY DIXIT. See Story on Page 10.

Rain or shine, walkers of all age participated in the BAPS Charities 16th annual walkathon on June 14 at the Sugar Land Town Square for the benefit of American Diabetes Association and Stafford MSD Education Foundation. Story on Page 12.

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Anupam Kher met the press for a discussion of his play “Mera Woh Matlab Nahin Tha” that will be staged in Houston on Aug. 7.

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PAGE 2 • INDIA HERALD • WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24, 2015

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INDIA HERALD • WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24, 2015 • PAGE 3

COMMUNITY NEWS Dr. Setul G Patel named 2015 EY Entrepreneur of the Year Finalist equity firm - Girish Capital.

Through a hectic administrative schedule, Setul still finds time to see patients through clinical shifts in the ER several times a month, exemplifying the philosophies he promotes.

Setul, along with his wife, Sejal and their two sons have been active contributors to the community.

Despite his busy work schedule, Setul has found a way to balance this with an active fam-

ily life.

The four of them are often seen at various sporting venues and local and national charitable events.

Friends and colleagues often remark on the magnitude of Setul’s dynamism, drive, and determination while maintaining a sense of humility, kindness, and a desire to serve.

By living the best of what the American Dream has to offer, while being balanced and

grounded in Indian customs of service to family and community, Dr. Setul Patel serves as a great role model for our youth.

— Arun Prakash is ‘South Asian Personality of the Year’ award winning educator who has written Namaste jii elementary, intermediate and advanced Hindi study books and has taught Hindi at Bellaire High, Rice Univ and Univ of Houston for more than 25 years.

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By Arun Prakash Dr. Setul G. Patel’s story is the classic one of the struggling immigrant family who achieves the American Dream through hard work and determination. The very unusual aspect of the story is the magnitude of success that he has achieved and the speed at which he did it. Much of this success has to be credited to Dr. Patel’s parents who instilled in him a strong work ethic and ennobled him with the courage to dream big.

Over the years, Dr. Patel has had numerous academic and personal achievements, the pinnacle of which is being named as a finalist for the 2015 EY (Ernst & Young) Entrepreneur of the Year.

Ernst & Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year is considered the world’s most prestigious business award. The nominees not only create and build successful businesses, but also revolutionize their industry.

Setul started his career as an emergency room physician, graduating from the University of Virginia Medical School and completing specialty training at Christiana Care Health System in Newark, Delaware, where he was also Chief Resident.

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PAGE 4 • INDIA HERALD • WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24, 2015

TOPIC OF THE WEEK

War of words on Yoga hides positivity

By Swapan Dasgupta Over the past month, and ever since the Union Government took energetic steps to make the observance of World Yoga Day on June 21 as widespread as possible, a furious controversy has erupted over the appropriateness of the move.

As a rule, debates and controversies are often decried in India for two reasons: the shrillness of the exchanges (particularly when TV channels get into the act) and the social schisms that often ensue.

Yet, not all bouts of fractiousness are necessarily counterproductive. I would hazard the opinion that, despite its unfortunate sectarian underpinnings, the impact of the verbal gunfire over World Yoga Day has been largely positive.

More than anything else it has clearly exposed the sharp divide over approaches to Indian culture and traditional knowledge systems. This could even have a bearing on future policy initiatives.

Contemporary debates are often replays of earlier disputes, and it would be instructive to look at

some of these.In 1824, the British Government in India established a Sanskrit College in Kolkata. Unlike the only other Governmentfunded Sanskrit College in Varanasi that was aimed at instructing both East India Company and Crown officials, Kolkata’s Sanskrit College was for the benefit of Indian students.

Actually, ‘Indian students’ (or “Bengali” students as the official notings would have it) was a misnomer.

In deference to what the administration perceived as prevailing local sensibilities, admission was limited to Hindu students of the Brahmin and Vaidya castes.

In 1851, in response to a wider bhadralok pressure, the Government contemplated widening the admissions net to include Kayastha students.

Pandit Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar, the Principal of the College, was asked his opinion. In his reply to the Council of Education, Vidyasagar stated that he had “no objection to the admission of other castes than Brahmanas and Vaidyas or in other words, different orders of Shudras, to the Sanskrit College.”

Contesting the Manusmriti, Vidyasagar cited the Bhagvata Puran — “acknowledged to be a divine Revelation and to be the essence of all the Upanishads, the most sacred portion of the Vedas” — to show that there was “no direct prohibition in the Shastras against the Shudras studying Sanskrit literature.”

An enlightened conservative who was in the forefront of moves to secure widow remarriage and combining Sanskrit learning with instruction in English, Vidyasagar, however, balked at the prospect of opening the Sanskrit College to all Hindus. The reason he cited was not theological but “expediency”.

The admission of those castes “wanting in respectability” and “lower in the scale of social considerations” would, he feared, “prejudice the interests of the Institution”.

In a subsequent letter in 1855, while turning down a Suvarnabanik (Vaishya) student, Vidyasagar regretted that “Admissions from that class will I am sure not only shock the prejudice of the orthodox Pundits of the Institution but materially injure …its popu-

larity as well as respectability.”

Despite his better judgement, Vidyasagar was compelled to succumb to an insidious phenomenon that has plagued both Hindu society and India: the belief that access to traditional knowledge systems — and, indeed, knowledge itself — must be seriously limited. This was by no means an Indian phenomenon alone.

In many parts of pre-Reformation Europe, access to classical learning was limited to the monastic orders. Umberto Eco’s Name of the Rose is a gripping tale of the devious prohibitions on inherited wisdom in Christendom.

This exclusivist view of religion and culture is often marked by a certain measure of arrogance and loftiness, and all in the name of purity. The belief that there is one faith for the riff-raff and another for those who have earned the right to enlightenment — the tragic tale of Eklavya in the Mahabharata is an example — has been a source of national weakness.

For a very long time — and maybe as a defensive response to unending foreign invasions — there has been attempts to curtail the public and congregational aspects of worship.

The struggle against this Guild Hinduism has been long and arduous. It was only in the mid-19th century that community Durga Pujas came to be celebrated in Bengal. The earlier practice had limited the worship of the Goddess of Shakti to the private homes of the well-off.

It was only at the turn of the 20th century that Lokmanya Tilak popularised the community Ganapati festivals in the Bombay Presidency.

He had to encounter the disdain of those who felt that worship was an exclusive affair. In the 1920s, Mahatma Gandhi initiated the templeentry movement that threw open worship to all Hindus.

The World Yoga Day may well seem a tamasha to those who believe that its practice is private and personal. What this aloofness from anything congregational conveniently sidesteps is that for historical reasons, yoga has not permeated deep into the entire society.

It has been cherished and nurtured as a special preserve of those who had the luxury of access.

A handful of them now express aesthetic outrage that yoga awareness will throw open its doors to those who were hitherto outside the physical fitness ecosystem. It is so reminiscent of the indignation of the pedigreed few at the open access to the Gayatri Mantra as a result of technology.

Just as the Gayatri Mantra was patented and handed down to only a few, they would rather sharp practitioners patented the yoga asanas and confined its reach to only a very few.

Over the years India has witnessed many social revolutions that have broken down a series of artificial walls to the dissemination of our traditional knowledge systems.

Sanskrit is no longer the preserve of the so-called “respectable castes”, as they were in Vidyasagar’s time; in many temples, priesthood is no longer denied to non-Brahmins; and, with time, yoga will become a truly Indian heritage cutting across faiths and communities.

Maybe that’s want the sceptics don’t want: for a wide swathe of Indians to embrace an inheritance that had been kept under lock and key for centuries. — The Pioneer

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INDIA HERALD • WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24, 2015 • PAGE 5

COMMUNITY NEWS AAPI holds 33rd convention in Orlando

Dr Ravi Jahagirdar (with mike) declares the convention open.

Orlando, FL: The 33rd annual convention of American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI) attended by more than 2,500 delegates from across the nation was inaugurated here on Thursday, June 18th, 2015 with AAPI members rededicating themselves to give back to their motherland, India.

Dr. Ravi Jahagirdar, President of AAPI, in his opening remarks at the India Engagement Forum on the inaugural day, “A major objective of AAPI has been about giving back to India, our motherland.�

Pointing to several members of AAPI devote their time, talents, skills and resources to help and support numerous projects and programs, Dr. Jahagirdar said, “AAPI India Engagement is a way of coordinating these individual efforts for the sake of streamlining them and to make it easier and sustainable in a way that more members can contribute and make a positive impact in the lives of millions of Indians.�

Dr. Ravi alluded to the Pilot Projects for Head-Injury Program in India, where superstar Amitabh Bachchan has lent his face to the movement. “The response to our initiative has been fabulous,� he said. “More than 40 organizations 27 from India and the rest from the US have joined our efforts and we have harnessed our connections to have Bachchan to be the face of our program on creating awareness on Trauma and Brain Injury.�

Anwar Feroz, Honorary Advisor of AAPI, while moderating the session, which focused on enhancing collaboration between Physicians of Indian Origin and India, updated the audience on the many initiatives AAPI has taken in the past decade in their efforts to give back to their motherland, In dia. “AAPI’s Engagement Forum was a way to strategize AAPI’s health

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initiatives and make it most effective.�

Dr. Jogi Pattisapu, in his remarks praised the dedication of AAPI members. “The passion we see in this room is incredible,� he said. Describing the Project on Neurotrauma, he said, India has the highest number of accident death rate anywhere in the world.

Elaborating the goals of ASMART, which stands for Achievable, Scalable, Measureable, Attainable, Realistic, Time Bound, he said, with the collaboration from the government of India, during a historic Delhi Workshop, a Guidelines Development Team with leading practicners and institutions has been set up. “We see the passion, and AAPI the leadership is committed to carry forward this partnership in in working towards awareness, prevention, free hospitalization and rehabilitatin of trauma and brain injury.�

Dr. Rakesh Srivastava, President of the American Surgical Society of India told the audience about his initiatives in bringing affordable surgical process in India, with the particular reference to the Trauma and Brain Injury Guidelines proposed in the state of Jharkhand, chosen as the pilot program.

The same theme of giving back to India echoed in the evening at the Classical Music Concert by legendary playback singer, Dr. K.J. Yehudas.

Devoted to the collective efforts coordinated by the AAPI Charitable Foundation, the preceding hour leading up to the mesmerizing numbers by the Dr. Rakesh Gupta, Chair of the Foundation, gave a brief description of the numerous initiatives of the Foundation in India and the US. “AAPI-CF is committed to OLD

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serve the poorest of the poor in remote areas of India and USA. It has 17 free clinics in different states of India which serve a base of over a million patients annually and which also provide outreach programs for disease prevention and education,� Dr. Gupta said.

AAPI has always been present when calamities strike whether it is the Tsunami, Katrina, or Earthquakes of Gujarat and Maharashtra.

AAPI is supporting three cancer centers and has developed three major trauma centers and a hospital in Bhuj.

AAPI has raised funds to help cyclone victims in Andhra Pradesh and Orissa, earthquake victims in Maharashtra and Gujarat and Nepal as well as the Kargil Jawan fund and the Prime Minister's Fund. AAPI runs 17 clinics serving millions of people in 12 states, Dr. Gupta said the goal is to have a minimum of one medical clinic in each of the 29 states in India.

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PAGE 6 • INDIA HERALD • WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24, 2015

COMMUNITY NEWS Supportive medicine: Giving hope to patients during serious illness Indian American Cancer network (IACAN) aims to provide educational programs on cancer, ways of early detection and prevention. IACAN has presented outreach programs on integrated medicine, alternative and complimentary therapies such as Yoga, Meditation and other resources available in our community. One such program, Symptom Management, Pain and Sleep Management was conducted on Sunday, June 7, at the India House.

Dr. Sandra P. Gomez, MD FAAHPM, MHMD System Director Supportive Medicine, Memorial Hermann Hospital System was one of the speakers and she gave an informative talk about Palliative Medicine.

Dr. Gomez’s article below sheds more light into this new field of medicine.

Palliative Medicine (we call it Supportive Medicine in the Memorial Hermann Hospital System) is a medical specialty in which a highly trained medical team focuses on the symptoms and psychosocial distress a chronic or life limiting illness can cause.

The mission of the Supportive Medicine team is to deliver care and support through a dynamic interdisciplinary care team for the emotional, physical and spiritual needs of the patient and family during times of serious illness. This interdisciplinary team is composed of Doctors, Nurse Practitioners, Registered Nurses, Social workers, Chaplains and other counse-

Dr. Sandra P. Gomez

lors, who together give input on the care of the patient and provide support to the family and caregivers involved. Our job is to work together with the patient’s regular medical team to deliver high quality, coordinated, and effective symptom control.

The focus is on the whole patient and the whole situation and includes the effect the illness may have on the family and their ability to care and support the patient. This is called patient centered care - in which the focus is the patient and not the illness the patient has. People are complex, an illness does not define them, and one medical professional cannot be able to fully understand everything a patient goes through, it is a team effort.

We once cared for a young woman named Emmie, she was young and vibrant, had two young children 2 and 4 and was diagnosed with uterine cancer.

She was referred to us by her oncologist for evaluation of the pain

her cancer was causing her. During our time with her we heard her story and were moved by how brave she was and how much she needed not just pain control, she couldn’t walk comfortably due to swelling in her legs, she couldn’t sleep due to her shortness of breath, and she just couldn’t understand why God would allow this to happen to her. There was so much more to Emmie than just her physical pain. Our team was able to find the right combination of pain medications that kept her comfortable but yet not overly sleepy so she could chase after two toddlers. We discussed her shortness of breath and leg swelling with her oncologists and made a plan to address those problems too. Our social worker was able to help her find some disability benefits through her employer which helped her with her bills and gave her books on parenting while coping with cancer. Our home visiting nurse was able to make home visits on days she wasn’t able to come to clinic due to her weakness and fatigue. The home team coordinated IV fluids in her home so Emmie wouldn’t have to be hospitalized due to her severe nausea and vomiting caused by chemotherapy and miss time with her family. The chaplain was able to hear her emotional and spiritual distress on days she couldn’t understand why such a terrible thing could happen to a woman who was “a good person who never hurt anyone”.

I was able to sit with her husband and hear him ask “what do I do when I feel I can’t help her?” I coached him on a plan to deal with symptoms that could occur with her treatment and we made a plan of what to do when her oncologist’s office was closed so he wouldn’t panic and have to call 911. I offered to have him call our Supportive Medicine nurse practitioner or doctor on call if he had any worries that would keep him from getting a good night’s rest due to endless worry.

He never called after 5 PM, I believe it was because he was at peace knowing we were there just a phone call away. Many physicians and nurses misunderstand Supportive/Palliative Care, they worry it is just Hospice and that we will discontinue lifesaving treatments or therapies and offer only comfort care. They don’t realize that we can help patients of any age, with any chronic or life limiting illness, and at any stage of their illness. Some of our patients are still getting chemotherapy, blood transfusion, surgeries, and medications to help them treat their disease. Yes, some of our patients may at some point need hospice, but Supportive Medicine is just that - Support and Hope during times of serious illness. For Supportive Medicine consultation call 832644-6496. For more information about IACAN visit www.iacanetwork. org iacannetwork@gmail.com or call 713-370-3489

Indian nurses may be forced to leave U.K. LONDON: Nurses from India and other non-European countries employed with Britain's state-funded National Health Service (NHS) could be forced to leave the UK under new immigration rules.

The UK's Royal College of Nursing (RCN) has warned that a new salary threshold of 35,000 pounds a year could hit over 30,000 nursing staff from non-European nations. India is the second-largest supplier of nursing staff to the country after the Philippines, with over 15,000 fulfilling nursing shortages within the NHS. "The immigration rules will cause chaos for the NHS and other care services. At a time when demand is increasing, the UK is perversely making it harder to employ staff from overseas," said RCN general secretary Peter Carter. The Conservative party led government is planning to introduce new stricter requirements for non-European migrants, including a minimum pay bar for workers which means they would have to leave the UK after six years if they are not earning at least 35,000 pounds per annum. The cut-off date for the new rules has been set at 2011, meaning the first batch of nurses earning less will be sent home in 2017. "The UK will be sending away nurses who have contributed to the health service for six years. Losing their skills and knowledge and then having to start the cycle again and recruit to replace them is completely illogical," Dr Carter said.

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INDIA HERALD • WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24, 2015 • PAGE 7

INDIA Karnataka appeals against Jaya’s acquittal NEW DELHI: The Karnataka government on Tuesday, June 23, moved the Supreme Court challenging the high court order acquitting AIADMK chief J Jayalalithaa in a disproportionate assets case in which a trial court had sentenced her to four years in jail.

The state government contended that Karnataka High Court had undervalued properties owned by the Tamil Nadu chief minister and committed a mathematical error while calculating her income from her various ventures including agricultural income and the loan taken by her from nationalized banks.

While pleading for immediate stay on the HC's acquittal order, the state government said if the error committed by the HC was rectified, then the percentage of her disproportionate assets would be 34.50%, which was erroneously fixed at 8.12% by the court.

The HC had held that Jayalalithaa disproportionate assets was around Rs2.82 crore against the prosecution claim of Rs 66.5 crore and acquitted her on the ground that it was less than 10 percent of the income and the offence was

Tamil Nadu CM Jayalalithaa

not made out.

"The HC has reversed the judgment and order of the trial court on untenable grounds, ignoring the material and clinching evidence which proved the case of the prosecution. The HC has chosen to reverse the judgment for no valid reasons at all," the petition said.

"It is respectfully submitted that the conclusions reached by the judge are not based on proper appreciation of evidence and the conclusions reached are bordering on perversity and is, therefore, liable to be set aside. The judgment lacks reasoning, is not logical and is cryptic. The evidence has not been considered objectively and

Sharma Tilal Senanayake, CPA Certified Public Accountant

Off: 713-984-4852 • Cell: 832-283-1677 • Fax: 713-278-1656 Email: sharmasenanayake@yahoo.com Email: sharma@sharma-cpa.com

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lacks deliberation," it added.

A special court in Bangalore had convicted Jayalalithaa for amassing wealth disproportionate to her known sources of income during her first term as chief minister in 1991-96 . The court sentenced her to four years imprisonment and directed her to pay a fine of Rs 100 crore. Three of her associates — V K Sasikala, her disowned foster son V N Sudhakaran and J Illavarasi -were also convicted. Their conviction was set aside by the HC. The Karnataka govt has also challenged acquittal of her associates in SC. In its appeal filed through advocate Joseph Aristotle, the Karnataka government cited eight counts on which the HC had allegedly done wrong calculation in deciding Jayalalithaa's income and worth of her properties.

It said the trial court had rightly fixed worth of various buildings owned by Jayalalithaa including her residence in Poes Garden in Chennai at around Rs 22.50 crore but the HC erred in fixing the figure at Rs 5.10 crore. It said Jayalalitha had herself valued the property at Rs 8.60 crore and the reduction in value by HC was "most unreasonable and unjust" which was done simply on the basis of plinth area. The prosecution had said the total value of the building was Rs 28.17 crore.

It said the HC erred in reducing the expenses in her foster son's marriage to only Rs 28.5 lakh though the prosecution case was that the expenditure incurred was Rs 6.45 crore and the trial court fixed it at Rs 3 crore.

The state further said there was a mathematical error by the HC while adding up the amounts of 10 loans taken by Jayalalithaa from nationalized banks.

IMMIGRATION LAW OFFICES OF

DAKSHINI R. SEN, P.C. Attorneys at Law 7100 Regency Square Blvd., Ste. #190 Houston, TX 77036

Tel: 713-278-1677 Fax: 713-278-1656 New York Office: 1123 Broadway, Ste. # 509 New York, NY 10010 Tel/Fax: (212) 242-1677

Dakshini R. Senanayake, B.S., LL.M. Licensed by the Supreme Court of New York Not Licensed in Texas nor certified by any Board of Legal Specialization

H-1B, L1, P3, TN, O1, R1 and other non immigrant visas Green Card thru Employment: PERM / I-140 Green Card thru Family: I-130/I-485 Citizenship Web: www.dakshinisen.com • Email: dakshini@dakshinisen.com

Brain dead over 75? Yashwant Sinha takes swipe at Modi NEW DELHI: “All those who are above the age of 75 were declared brain dead on May 26, 2014,” senior BJP leader Yashwant Sinha has said, taking a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for setting the cut off age of 75 years for induction of ministers.

The caustic take from Sinha, who held finance and external affairs portfolios in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Chandra Shekhar governments, on the neglect of BJP veterans came at an industry event yeterday where he was asked about the difference between the Narendra Modi and Manmohan Singh dispensations.

Sinha also targeted Modi over his pet ‘Make in India’ initiative, saying “make India first” and the rest will follow.

“I am among those brain dead,” Sinha, whose son Jayant is Union Minister of State for Finance, said.

The octogenarian leader from Jharkhand is among top BJP leaders like L K Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi, who have been sulking after not been inducted into the Modi government. Advani and Joshi have been made members of BJP’s ‘Margdarshak Mandal” to mentor the party. Joshi had recently targeted Modi’s ‘Namami Gange’ project for cleaning the Ganga, claiming it will never be successful.

Recalling his days as Finance Minister to take a swipe at the ‘Make in India’ initiative, Sinha

Yashwant Sinha

said he had lowered duty on heavy equipment used for building roads.

That, he said, accelerated construction of highways and helped the economy. “‘Make India’ and ‘Make in India’ will follow,” he said.

Before Yashwant Sinha, Modi had come in for criticism for fixing the cut off age for ministers from another party senior– actorturned-politician Shatrughan Sinha.

Shatrughan Sinha, who had also served as Union minister under Vajpayee, insisted on “merit and mental alertness” being the criteria for choosing ministers.

“Instead of age, the criteria shall be mental alertness and health.

Even at an age of 87 L K Advani has a sharp memory and energy like a 40-year-old man. Who can question the mental alertness and physical activities of Advani or Murli Manohar Joshi?”

Shatrughan, who calls Advani his “guru”, had said some time back.

Pankaja Munde accused of ‘big scam’ MUMBAI: Maharashtra’s Women and Child Development Minister Pankaja Munde was in trouble on Wednesday following allegations that she cleared purchases worth Rs 206 crore through 24 Government Resolutions on a single day instead of inviting tenders. The alleged purchases relate to a host of items including snacks and books for children in institutions across the state.

Dubbing it as a “big scam”, Congress and other opposition parties attacked the 8-month-old BJP-led government headed by Devendra Fadnavis. Former chief minister and Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan demanded a CBI inquiry and said the scam exposed the “true colours” of the government.

Asked if he would demand Munde’s resignation, Chavan said “Be it Pankaja Munde or Vinod Tawade (education minister caught in a row over educational qualification), this government would not remove anyone. After all, this the policy of the Modi government to brazen out all allegations.”

“The scam has exposed the real character of this government. The Minister (Munde) must give an explanation on the issue,” Chavan said. The scam first came to light on June 15, when the office of Pankaja Munde received a letter from Ahmednagar Zila Parishad president Manjushree Gund complaining about the quality of chikki (a popular snack) distributed to tribal students under the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS). Gund said the chikki was contaminated with clay. This is the first time that an alleged scam of this magnitude has come to light after the BJP-Shiv Sena government took office. All purchases were cleared by Munde, daughter of BJP stalwart late Gopinath Munde on a single day on February 13 through 24 Government Resolutions (GR).”

Suit against Irani can proceed, says court NEW DELHI: A Delhi court has taken cognisance of a complaint filed against Union HRD Minister Smriti Irani for allegedly giving false information about her educational qualification in three affidavits filed before the Election Commission (EC) while filing her nominations for Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha polls.

“It is held that the present complaint case is filed under limitation (of time). Cognisance is taken. The matter be now fixed for pre-summoning evidence on August 28," Metropolitan Magistrate Akash Jain said.

The complainant, freelance writer Ahmer Khan, alleged that Ms. Irani, in her three affidavits before the EC while filing nominations for Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha polls in different years, had purportedly given different details about her educational qualification.

PAGE 8 • INDIA HERALD • WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24, 2015

COMMUNITYCALENDAR CALENDAR COMMUNITY Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan Sun., June 28 @ 11:30 a.m.

A group of individuals propose to start a not-for-profit school in collaboration with Bharathiya Vidya Bhavan (bvb) in Houston. BVB runs over 150 schools globally imparting value-based education that centers on India rich heritage and culture. It iprovides young minds with education, culture, art, music, etc. A senior executive of BVB will visit Houston to explain the BVB concept at Sri Meenakshi Temple.

For information send email to drviswes@gamil.com or sam.kannappan@gmail.com

Arya Samaj Satsang Weekly Havan Satsang every Sunday from 10 a.m. to 12 noon.

DAV Sanskriti School Sundays 10 a.m. to 12 noon. - Havan, Hindi and Naitik Shiksha classes. DAV Montessori School for ages 2 to 7 years. Call Arti Khanna 281-759-3286. Free Yoga classes on Sat. Sanskrit & Upanishad classes Tue. 6-8 p.m. At 14375 Schiller Rd. (bet Westpark & Bellaire off Hwy 6). 281-752-0100.

Chinmaya Mission Sunday satsangs for adults, youth, and children. There are no weekly Balavihar classes and Sunday satsang for children during the summer. Regular weekly classes will resume on Sept. 13. Located at Chinmaya Prabha, 10353 Synott Road, Sugar Land, TX 77498. New members may visit the welcome desk between 8 a.m. - 8:45 a.m. or 10:15 a.m.-11:30 a.m. Visit www.chin mayahouston.org or call Bharati Sutaria 281.933.0233.

Vedanta Society Vedanta Society of Greater Houston, 14809 Lindita Drive (77083) has classes every Sunday from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, 1st & 3rd Sunday; Bhagavad Gita, 2nd Sunday; on works of Swami Vivekananda, 4th Sunday; Holy Mother Sarada’s Gospel, 5th Sunday. Swamis of Ramakrishna Order visit to conduct retreats and lectures. www.houstonvedanta. org or 281-584-0488.

Durga Bari Temple Durga Bari temple is open from 9 to 11 a.m. and 4 to 7 p.m. Mon. thru Sat. Sandhya aarti at 6:30 p.m. Temple closes at 7 p.m. Sunday special from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Puja services - Priest Bishnupada Goswami 281-597-8100 Temple is located at 13944 Schiller Rd (off Hwy 6 bet. Bellaire & Westpark). Call Ganesh Mandal at 713-7979057 / 832-423-8541.

Shiv Shakti Mandir Sanatan Shiv Shakti Mandir, 6640 Harwin. Open daily 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. All major festivals, as well as birthdays, naam karan, engagement and other ceremonies. Call Pandit Virat Mehta 713-278-9099 or

Property for Sale Lot for Sale off of Kalyani Hwy in Sodhpur, West Bengal. 1 bhiga or 20 Kathas with 2300 Sq. ft. bungalow half built. Architectural plans available. Rs. 90 lakhs.

Please contact Shilpi Saha at Shilpi@yourblvd.com or 832-647-9433

Open Forum Radio Program Where Your Opinion Counts

KGOL 1480 AM • Saturdays 4 to 6 p.m.

Informative programs with doctors, lawyers, politicians and other newsmakers.

Call 713-784-1480 Hosts: Dinkar Chheda, Jagat Kamdar & Subodh Bhuchar

Chandra & David Courtney Tabla and Vocal

Classes now ongoing Visit www.chandrakantha.com

or call for info.

(713) 665-4665

Classes in Houston, Mission Bend, & Sugar Land

Hardik Raval 361-243-6539 for puja or other ceremonies.

Book on Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw

‘The Universe Within’

Zoroastrian Association of Houston will present Brigadier Behram Panthaki and his wife Zenobia Panthaki, authors of the much acclaimed book: “Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw: The Man and His Times”, at the Zoroastrian Heritage and Cultural Center, 8787 W Airport Blvd., Houston, TX 77071. Starts at 6:30 with social hour.

Sam Manekshaw was India’s first Field Marshal and a distinguished war hero. His courage, his character, and the dedication to his troops and country are legendary.

The life of this distinguished soldier is portrayed by two distinguished authors who worked closely with him and shared many of the historic events that changed the geo-political landscape of the region. Through anecdotes related by Behram and Zenobia Panthaki we get a unique insight into the man’s ideals, his military acumen, his mannerisms, and his sense of humor.

Brigadier Panthaki himself boasts a distinguished 30-year military career that earned him 12 military honors. Zenobia Panthaki accompanied her husband on his postings to many small cantonment townships all over India and became involved with running welfare programs for soldiers’ wives and children; she has run the Army School, and worked for the World Bank for 28 years until retirement in 2012.

The book has received over 60 positive reviews. To quote: “From beginning to end this delightful narrative simply races along, providing an intimate, witty and scintillating story of a superhero “ Sam’s humanism, his notations on official files, his colorful language and his doodling”.

This book, with over 200 photographs, is dedicated to the men in uniform who have laid down their lives defending their country and to their widows who have also sacrificed so much. The book will be on sale at the discounted price of $35, and autographed by the authors. A major portion of the royalty will be donated to the War Wounded Foundation of India and the War Widows Welfare Assn. of India.

Sahaj Marg is a natural and simple system of heart-centered meditation and spiritual practice that helps one realize the utimate potential within oneself. The meditation is available to anyone who wishes to practice. Weekly meditation sessions held throughout the Houston area. www.sahajmarg.org Email: meditate_ houston@yahoo.com.

Heritage Classes Ashirwad’s Heritage Classes in Katy, Cypress and Sugar Land for kids 4 to 18 yrs - meditation, Yoga, slokas, stories from scriptures, Vishnu Sahasranam, bhajans, competitions and fun activities. Adult meditation classes. Register at www.ashirwada-blessing.org or Sri Ravula 281-995-0930.

Hare Krishna Dham Houston’s original Vedic temple, ISKCON of Houston. At 1320 W 34th St. (77018). Daily Darshan & Arati Times: 4.30am, 7am, 8.30am, 12noon, 4.30pm, 7pm, 9pm. Sunday Festival: 5.30 pm to 7.30 pm. Weekly Gita classes for adults; call 281-433-1635 or harekrishnadham @gmail.com

Friday, July 10 @ 6:30 p.m.

Houston Namadwaar

dharma). Monthly Mahamane program for prayer and discussion on A prayer house where the Hare Vachana Sahitya followed by Prasada. Contact: vsnahous Rama Hare Krishna Maha-man- ton@gmail.com or Jagadeesh Halyal 832-744-4166. tra is continuously chanted. Weekends: 8-11 AM & 4-7 PM, WeekMar Thoma Church days: 7-8 AM & 6-7 PM. Weekly Trinity Mar Thoma Church every Sunday at 5810 Almeda Genoa “Gopa Kuteeram” children’s heriRd. Sunday School at 9:15 a.m. Malayalam service at 9:30 a.m. on 1st tage classes and Srimad & 3rd Sunday.

Adult Bible class at 9:30 a.m. English service at 10:30 Bhagavatam classes. Call 281a.m. on 2nd & 4th Sunday.

Call 713-991-1557 or 281-261-4603.

402-6585; visit www.godivinity.org (Global Organization for Divinity).

Sri Guruvayurappan Temple

Saumyakasi Sivalaya

Hours: Mon to Fri 6 a.m. -8 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Weekends & Holidays: 6 a.m. to noon and 5:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Bhajans Saturdays 7 p.m. to 8 p.m.; Sundays 9 a.m. to 1 a.m. Special poojas (weekends and holidays) Choroon (Annaprasam) for kids, Thulabharam, Vahana Pooja, Nirapara. Temple is located at 11620 Ormandy St (77035) Tel: 713-729-8994 email: temple@ guruvayur.us

Sri Saumyakasi Sivalaya is located at Chinmaya Prabha, 10353 Synott Road, Sugar Land, TX 77478. Temple timings: Monday to Friday: 9:00 AM - 12:00 Noon and 5:00 - 8:00 PM Saturday and SunPreksha Meditation day: 8:30-2:00 PM and 5:00 - 8:00 New facilities of JVB Preksha Meditation Center. Classes for Yoga PM. Call Bharti Sutaria 281-568and Meditation under guidance by Samani jis and discourses. At 14102 1690 or Jay Deshmukh 832-541Schiller Road (off Hwy 6 bet Bellaire and Westpark - 77082). Tel 0059 or visit www.saum 281-596-9642. yakasi.org.

Gandhi Library Mahatma Gandhi Library Book Club: Meets 2nd Sunday of each month; 12:30 PM at Arya Samaj Greater Houston, 13475 Schiller Rd. Join the discussion of the great man’s autobiography – The Story of My Experiments with Truth.

Call Manish Wani 713-829-6979.

Gauri Siddhivinayak Temple

Patanjali Yogpeeth Free Yoga Classes every Sat/Sun at Arya Samaj from 8 am to 9:30 a.m. Call Anil 281-579-9433. For other free classes, call Indra 281537-0018. For Yoga/Herbal products, call Shekhar 281-242-5000. Web: www.pyptusa.org and www.DivyaProducts.com.

Sathya Sai centers Sunday program held at two locations (North Houston: 12127 Louetta Rd, Houston; South Houston: 246 Fluor Daniel Dr, Sugarland, TX, 77479) from 3:00 pm to 5:30 pm. Sai Spiritual Education classes for children; study circle for adults. Service programs - food distribution & food drives; nursing home visits, tutoring at schools etc. Contact Sanjay Gupta (North) 832-687-6766 or Sondip Mathur (South) 832-215-8675 www.sairegion10.org.

Darshan from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily. All major festivals as well Sadhu Vaswani Center as birthdays, naam karan, engagement and other ceremonies. Call Sadhu Vaswani Center of Houston holds regular Satsang on 3rd Pandit Pradip Pandya 832-466- Thursday of the month and daily Arti at 7.30 p.m. Call 281-463-0379 9868 for puja and other ceremo- or e.mail ramolaj@aol.com nies. At 5645 Hillcroft Ste 701, Houston, TX 77036.

Telugu Fellowship Telugu Christian Fellowship meets every third Saturday of the month Veerashaiva Samaja at Triumph Church, 10555 W. Airport Blvd., Stafford TX 77477 at VSNA Houston is a group of 6:30 p.m. Join us for a time of praise, worship and fellowship. Worship families who believe in is in English. Call Chris Gantela 281-344-0707, or Rev. V. Gurrala Veerashaiva dharma (Basava 281-997-0757.

INDIA HERALD • WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24, 2015 • PAGE 9

PAGE 10 • INDIA HERALD • WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24, 2015

COMMUNITY NEWS

East meets West on first International Day of Yoga

Houston responded to the call of International Day of Yoga with a fine show at the George R Brown Convetion Center where a little over 3000 people gathered to stretch and bend and breathe in and out as they followed instructions from half a dozen Yoga masters.

Many were long time Yoga practitioners who came with their own Yoga mats; there were quite a few newbies and weekend warriors who came to see before deciding on taking Yoga lessons.

The program started with the Indian national anthem rendered

by Dr Shobha Raju and the U.S. national anthem by Keerthana Bhat, Lekha Yeswanthrao and Apoorva Das, a short Namaskaar video was played with commentary by Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev.

“This event has been made possible because of the wonderful city of Houston and its wonderful citizens,” said Consul General Parvathaneni Harish in his welcome address. “Yoga is more than a regimen for physical fitness. It helps you to calm your mind.

Breathe out the past, maintain the present with equanimity and breathe in with hope of a better future,” Harish said.

After the traditional lamp lighting, a short video message from

Prime Minister Narendra Modi was played. He urged the audience to practice Yoga for self restraint and to calm your mind.

If each one of us is self-assured and free of tension, then there is peace and harmony in society. Yoga, Modi said, has been proved to help in reducing stress and depression. Yoga is the easiest preventive and holistic way to good health - mental, physical and emotional, Modi said.

Mayor Annise Parker’s representative Councilman Jack Christie welcomed the delegates and said the city of Houston proudly supported an event that teaches holistic methods of

healing the body and mind.

U.S. COngressman AL Green said he was very pleased to come to the event. “I have 3,500 reasons to come here,” he said alluding to the number who had registered to participate. He had high praise for Modi who persuaded the Untied Nations to adopt June 21 as International Day of Yoga and got the cooperation of 177 nations.

Consul General Harish then felicitated the individuals and representatives of orgnizations that generously sponsored the event. These included Abraham Roy and Reji Joseph, Anil and Mukta Aggarwal, Chowdary

and Angela Yalamanchili, Jayanta and Sujata Sinha, Jugal and Raj Malani, Karun Sreerama and Sai Lakshmi, Ramesh and Kokilaben Shah, Sanjay and Savita Rao, Santosh Cividi and Supraja Miyapur and SUjeeth and Anjali Draksharam.

THe organizations felicitated were Arya Samaj, Ekal Vidyalaya, Geotest Engineering, Gujarati Samaj, Hindus of Greater Houston, Indian American Cancer Network, Indian Muslims Association of Greater Houston, ICC, Oil India USA, Patanjali Yogpeeth, Sri Meenakshi Temple and See Page 11

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INDIA HERALD â&#x20AC;˘ WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24, 2015 â&#x20AC;˘ PAGE 11

COMMUNITY NEWS From Page 10 ple and Tech Mahindra.

Harish then recognized the long years in the serivce of Yoga by some individuals. They were Robert Boustany, Jennifer Buergermeister, Dr. Harish Chandra, Alejandro Chaoul, Lorenzo Cohen, Billie Gollnick, Ann Klein, Charles Maclnerney, Beth Reese, Shriram Sarvotham, Daksha Shah, and Kay Westcott.

Extraordinary service in the promotion of yoga receipants were: Robert Boustany, Jennifer Buergermeister, Dr. Harish Chandra, Alejandro Chaoul, Lorenzo Cohen, Billie Gollnick, Ann Klein, Charles Maclnerney, Beth Reese, Shriram Sarvotham, Daksha Shah, and Kay Westcott.

The honoring ceremony was followed by morning yoga session where Shriram Sarvotham started with an invocation and a few loosening exercises. Billie Gollnick, 87, who has been teaching Yoga for over 60 years in Houston, and Robert Boustany conducted the Yoga Asanas (Posture) section, followed by Paranayama (breathing) session by Shekhar Agrawal.

The morning collective session ended with a meditation led by Dr. Harish Chandra.

Robert Boustany, Catherine Allen, Ann Hyde and Kabir Samlal, whose beautiful practices thrilled the whole audience with awe, gave demonstrations in the session before the lunch break.

After the break, more than 30 children from Hindu Swayam-

sevak Sangh demonstrated yoga postures. Beth Reese and her group led the yoga for children and energized the crowd with a spectacular and fun class for kids and families.

Later in the afternoon, a beautiful performance called â&#x20AC;&#x153;Upa Yogaâ&#x20AC;? was demonstrated by Ravi Bommu and Vasanth Balasubramani of ISHA Yoga and attracted a large afternoon crowd. After a long day, the attendees fully appreciated the Yog Nidra session

by Robert Boustany and the Patanjali Yoga meditation by Dr. Harish Chandra. The crowd left fully rejuvenated. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It was a unique experience to organize the ďŹ rst International Day of Yoga celebrations in Houston on 21 June. Houston is not only a diverse, inclusive and welcoming city but also has a rich â&#x20AC;&#x153;Yoga ecosystemâ&#x20AC;? spanning

different schools, practices and lineages. The fact that Houston is the only city where all branches of the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Yoga treeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; got together to celebrate is testimony to the overall message of Yoga of unity and harmony between East and West, man and nature, mind and body, thought and action,â&#x20AC;? said Consul General Harish. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This is the ďŹ rst year of such an annual celebration, and I am conďŹ dent that with the dedication and contribution of so many aspirants, practitioners and gurus of yoga, the International Day of Yoga will ďŹ nd its rightful place in Houstonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s calendar.â&#x20AC;?

Organizer and honoree Shekhar Agrawal, who teaches Yoga at Arya Samaj, said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;It was a proud moment in Houston as East met West and thousands of Houstonians came together under one roof for a united purpose of harmony and peace by doing yoga.

We joined together n a real sense â&#x20AC;Ś just as it should be.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;Being a senior and living in Houston for 45 years I was amazed to see so many of the younger generation interested in Yoga, said Rahat Sultana Kalle, a volunteer with IMAGH. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It is an honor to be a volunteer at the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;International Yoga Dayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; â&#x20AC;&#x201C; because we feel that we made an effective contribution to serve humanity and promote peace on earth,â&#x20AC;? said Bhagwan Bhutada. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Yoga is a great Indian gift to the world,â&#x20AC;? said Latafath Husain, president of IMAGH which was one of the sponsors of the event. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We wanted to help in spreading the word and show the world how proud we are of our heritage.â&#x20AC;?

Swapan Dhairyawan, a community leader, thought the International Yoga Day was a novel experience. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The uniqueness was

Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh children demonstrate Yoga postures.

Photos Bijay Dixit

the participation at a large facility.

The core team which worked towards the success of this program needs to be applauded.â&#x20AC;?

Billie Gollnick was one of the ďŹ rst yoga teachers in the Houston area. In 1959, as she read in a newspaper that renowned yoga and Sanskrit teacher Ernest Wood was moving to Houston, she took advantage of this great opportunity and spent the next six years studying with Wood.

Gollnick was overwhelmed by the interest in Yoga and thus The School Of Yoga was born. Today, at her advanced age of 87, she is full of vigor and humor.

Thre were 54 booths and half of them Yoga related and over 200 volunteers who helped smooth passage of the event.

Gauri Siddhivinayak Mandir of Houston, Inc. 5645 Hillcroft Ave Suite: 701 Houston, TX 77036 â&#x20AC;˘ Tel: 832-466-9868

A Hearty Invitation to all Devotees

$GKLN $VKDGK 0DDV (NDGDVKL 0DKD 3RRMD 0DKD <DJQD RI 6KUHH 0DKD 3XUXVKRWWDP 6XQGD\ -XO\ Â&#x2021; 0DKD 3RRMD 6WDUWV DW 30 Â&#x2021; 0DKD <DJQD 6WDUWV DW 30 Â&#x2021; 3XUQDKXWL DW 30 1DUL\HO 2IIHULQJ

Â&#x2021; 0DKD $UWL DW 30 0DKDSUDVDG ZLOO EH VHUYHG DIWHU $DUWL Devotees wishing to sit in Havan & Pooja may give their names to the priest Shri Pradip Pandya 832-466-9868 The Gauri Siddhivinayak Mandir Of Houston is a Non-ProÄ&#x2122;t 501(c) organizational Donations are Tax Deductible

PAGE 12 • INDIA HERALD • WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24, 2015

COMMUNITY NEWS BAPS Charities walk for Diabetes Association

When most of us looked at the weather forecast for the morning of Sunday, June 14, 2015, we focused on the 80% chance of rain. Yash Bhatt, age 13, chose to see it as a 20% chance of no rain, which would mean that the walk he had been waiting for would still take place. Along with hundreds in his community, Yash had been raising awareness for two of the beneficiaries of the BAPS Charities 16th annual walkathon, ADA (American Diabetes Association) and Stafford MSD (Municipal School District Education) Foundation.

Yogin Patel, one of the organizers of the BAPS Charities walk in Houston said, “Despite what the forecast said, we had decided to continue with the walk rain or shine.” By 9:00 AM, Yash’s hopes of 20% turned into 100% as the clouds parted and the Sugar Land Town Center was filled with over 800 people ready to walk. This year the walk commenced with a moment of silence for the victims of the recent earthquake in Nepal. Adding to the previous donations that BAPS Charities has made of $25,000 to Direct Relief, $30,000 to Unicef, $25,000 to One Heart worldwide, a check of $5,000 was presented to the Nepalese Association of Houston for the Nepal Earthquake Relief Fund. Jyoti Ghimirey, president of Nepalese Association of Houston, emphasized the long road ahead of recovery for Nepal and thanked BAPS Charities for their efforts and contribution.

The success of this year’s walk is due to the fundraising efforts of walkers just like Yash Bhatt and the generosity of our sponsors such as Piping Technology & Products, SDB Trade International, Quest Diagnostics, Eco Pharmacy, Akshar Properties, Entelrgy, Choice Specialty Pharmacy, AAUM Commercial Demolition Contractor, Dr. Lopa & Bibhuti Mishra, Pershant & Nidhika Mehta and Bharat & Rina Patel.

Jared Turley of Quest Diagnostics commented, “In our minds the pairing of Quest Diagnostics and BAPS Charities makes perfect sense and we are privileged to be part of that framework. BAPS embodies VHP of America presents the 31st Annual Health, Goodwill, Integrity, Compassion, Respect and Hospitality.”

Yash echoes the sentiment of the hundreds that came out in support of this Sunday’s walk when he said, “I am glad that the walk continued and cannot wait to do it again next year.”

BAPS Charities aims to selflessly serve society through a variety of social projects and inspire tens of thousands of others to do the same. In addition to the 54 such annual walkathons hosted across North America this year, BAPS Charities hosts various programs to support and raise awareness games for healthy living, environmental sustainability and educational initiatives around the world. BAPS Charities strives to sinbasketball cerely serve the community by improving the quality of lives of individuals and their memories families BAPS Charities is a 501(c)(3) registered nonprofit international charity organization committed to sincerely serving the world by caring for individuals, famiFRIENDSHIP lies, and communities. It is affiliated with BAPS as an independent charity and social services arm. The 55,000 BAPS volunteers networked in over 3,300 centers around the world provide over 12 million volunteer-hours of service annually.

Among social service charities, BAPS Charities is a well-respected and trusted name. It has amassed over 50 years of firsthand experience in initiating, managing, and sustaining 160 humanitarian operations throughout the world.

The American Diabetes Association is the only non-profit organization supporting all 23.6 million Americans living with diabetes – including type 1and type Senior Camp (for 8th-12th grade): July 28th to August 2nd 2 diabetes; children and adults. The Association funds research to prevent, cure Junior Camp (for 2nd-7th grade): August 4th to August 9th and manage diabetes; delivers services to hundreds of communities; provides objective and credible information; and gives Located at voice to those denied their rights because of diabetes.

Camp Lantern Creek in North Houston The Stafford MSD Education Foundation was founded in 2004 to create a partnership of educators, businesses, community members, parents, and civic leaders to assist in meeting the ever-increasing demands of providing a high quality education. Foundation funds support needs within the district that fall outside the scope of the normal operating budget.

For further information on BAPS, contact: Viral Desai 832-498-4725 or media@ houstonmandir.org

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INDIA HERALD • WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24, 2015 • PAGE 13

COMMUNITY NEWS Foundation for India Studies gets mainstream exposure

Sewa hosts clinic for Bhutanese refugees

Priyanka Parekh named chief resident at UT Southwestern

Dr Ashima Chauhan examines a child at the clinic

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

Houston,Texas 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 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 immigrants and preserve them for posterity. The interviews will be transcribed and archived in the Indo-American Oral History collection of the Houston Public Library.

Presently in its 10th year of operation, FIS has so far completed 33 interviews.

For further information and to schedule an interview, contact Veena Ponnaganti @281-323-9515 or Krishna Vavilala @ 713-7955169. 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/society/visions-segment-1-june-7-2015/775586/,

On Saturday June 20, 2015, the Houston branch of Sewa International held its first free health clinic at the Los Arcos Apartments. For an afternoon, residents of the apartments were invited to come to the clinic to receive free health screenings, education on health issues and referrals 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 Houston (GIH) interns. The clinic is the first of many the organization hopes to hold in the coming months at the apartment 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. Refugees lack access to quality healthcare in Houston primarily due to language barriers and lack of mobility. 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 Chauhan, a board certified Family Medicine physician, interns and medical students assisted in a variety of basic medical screenings such as taking vitals and assessing patient’s medical history. Sewa also provided the necessary translators to accommodate the various languages spoken such as Burmese, Bhutanese, and Nepalese. The clinic welcomed patients of all ages making it a successful turnout. The interns also had the opportunity 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 Arcos Apartments!

Priyanka Parekh, formerly of Victoria, was appointed a chief resident at the University of Texas Southwestern Internal Medicine program for the coming year.

This is one of the leading programs in the nation. Parekh attended St. Joseph High School and graduated from The University of Texas at Austin, majoring in biology and Plan II Honors.

She is the daughter of Pradip and Meena Parekh of Victoria.

Priyanka graduated from UT Medical school, Houston in June, 2013, where she won an award for medical research. She was a national merit scholar while in high school.

In another joyous milestone in her life, Priyanka got engaged in mid June, accepting a ring for marriage to Dr. Sagar Vijapura, a resident in Psychiatry at the Harvard University, Boston.

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BOLLYWOOD Anupam Kher introduces his play Mera Woh Matlab Nahin Tha

HARDIK VYAS

Rajender of Star Promotion Inc (left), national promoter of the Hindi play Mera Woh Matlab Nahi Tha, with the star, Anupam Kher.

Versatile actor of cinema and theater Anupam Kher, a veteran of 491 ďŹ lms in Bollywood and Hollywood, was in Houston for a press conference on June 16 as a curtain-raiser for his acclaimed Hindi stage play Mera Woh Matlab Nahin Tha that will be staged in Houston on August 7. It was the only press conference he will do during the playâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s U.S. tour, he said, because Houston holds a special place in his heart. It is where his dear friend Rajender of Star Promotion Inc lives and where he has experienced genuine love and appreciation from fans.

Radio diva Meena Datt, who has emceed many such press conferences for Rajender, introduced Anupam Kher as the â&#x20AC;&#x153;most admired actor and absolutely the deďŹ nition of acting.â&#x20AC;? Rajender welcomed the guests who had come to the event despite very inclement weather that day. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Anupam Kherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s visit is very special to me,â&#x20AC;? Rajender said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;He is not only a ďŹ ne actor, he is also a sought-after motivational speaker, a ďŹ ne human being and a ďŹ ne friend.â&#x20AC;?

After a short video of the highlights of the play and fansâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; fulsome praise after the ďŹ rst show, Anupam went into the background of Mera Woh Matlab Nahin Tha, his third play in three decades after Saalgirah and Kuchh Bhi Ho Sakta Hai (both with wife Kirron Kher). She could not be a part of Mera Woh Matlab after she became a Member of Parliament. Mera Woh Matlab was in the concept stage for four years, he said, and he wanted to open it on his landmark birthday - 60 - on March 7 of this year. He and director Rakesh Bedi thought Neena Gupta to be the most suited for the role and luckily she agreed.

The play, he said, could be anyoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s story. Two former lovers meet after 35 years, recall their pleasant moments together and exchange summaries of their lives since their parting. â&#x20AC;&#x153;For the ďŹ rst time,â&#x20AC;? he said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;this play will have a juxtaposition of cinema and theater. All narratives of yesteryear are on ďŹ lm and the present is on the stage. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The whole play has delicate nuances, you will laugh, you will cry and some of you may ďŹ nd parallels in your own life. If you liked my ďŹ rst two plays, you will deďŹ nitely like this one,â&#x20AC;? he said.

Interestingly, Houston features in the play but he did not lean on the writer to include it because of his friendship with Rajender, he said amid laughter (the characterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s son goes to Houston for further studies).

Though he has done only three plays in three decades, Kher said he is convinced he has survived and made headway in cinema because of his strong theater background and his ďŹ rm grip on the principles and nuances of acting that he gained from theater. He mentioned ďŹ lms like Saraansh, Khosla ka Ghosla, Maine Gandhi ko Nahi Mara and Arth in which the roles were very demanding and required him to muster all his acting abilities.

The biggest challenge he has when getting under the skin of a character, the thespian told a questioner, was to forget that he is Anupam Kher. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I love being a celebrity, I love being photographed, but I have to unload that burdenâ&#x20AC;? to do justice to a role.

Kher said the message from Mera Woh Matlab Nahin Tha is of love. And though the nostalgic journey is a little sentimental, there are enough light-hearted moments that will make you laugh and keep you engaged. In answer to a question, he said the attention span of the audience has deďŹ nitely decreased over the years (cell phones are a major reason). So ďŹ lmmakers and playwrights must tightly edit their works to keep the audience interested.

He also spoke brieďŹ&#x201A;y about his excitement at meeting Robert de Niro (his costar in Silver Linings Playbook) and the great joy he experienced in meeting his hero.

Those at the press meet were clearly pleased with meeting a celebrity who displayed no airs, was so down-to-earth and so approachable and friendly. They had always admired him as an actor; now they know he is a ďŹ ne gentleman, too.

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PAGE 16 • INDIA HERALD • WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24, 2015

MUSINGS

By Gadfly Usual gripes from left after Modi’s first year Most reviews of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s one year in office clearly reflected Indian media’s pseudo-secularist bias against him & BJP so deep that they treated objectivity like caution & threw it out the window.

The depth of their antagonism was surprising, perhaps only to me. I had suspected the malady but not its depth. To India’s media, BJP means Hindutva means Hinduism; and a burglary at a church becomes an attack on minorities.

This is their ‘Ends (pseudo-secularism) justify the means (antagonism)’ mis-step & they don’t see it doing any harm to India & its democracy.

The irony of their antagonistic ‘reviews’ was that, their antagonism prevented them from coming up with any big mistakes or failings of PM Modi. A familiar tune of secularism & minorities (esp. their favourite minority, the Muslim India as Jinnah called it) was played & ended up sounding like an outdated LP record whose needle was stuck. The more they harped on minor things, the clearer it was that they couldn’t find any major faults. Not one scandal. Not one riot. Not one hate crime that could be blamed on PM Modi.

The international agencies are saying corruption has come down considerably. Indian media hasn’t seen that memo yet & so had to do hatchet jobs - innuendos, guilt-by-

association, guilt-by-implication & snide remarks. And for a perfect anti-Modi, tongue-in-cheek hatchet job, this year they present the honorable, NY Times/NPRcertified ... drum roll please ...

Sandip Roy. The politics of code words like Rahul Gandhi’s ‘Hindu terrorism’ doesn’t work anymore. If anything, that may have finally soured the truly secular Hindu voters against the Congress party & Rahul Gandhi. Better still, the voters also saw through the media’s bias. So now Roy is here to do it cleverly without mentioning the hackneyed word ‘Hindutva’.

Roy’s repost on Time magazine’s interview of PM Modi is representative of the snide staple that Indian media served & serves when it comes to PM Modi & anything BJP. Roy did something ex-finance minister, Chidambaram could never do (despite his best efforts & worst intentions) through his columns in the Indian Express. Roy was more intelligent (read underhanded) about it.

‘All is not well, daring dissent within the BJP ranks’, Arun Shaouries’ interview critical of power concentrated in the trimurti of Modi, Amid Shah & Raj Nath, ‘Bharat Singh, a BJP MP from Uttar Pradesh complaining that Modi’s government failed to do anything on the ground leaving MPs like him to face the music’.

(Yesterday they accused PM Modi for his dictatorial governing style.

Now when dissent is available, it’s an about face ‘dissent-in-theranks’ in an ‘I-told-you-so’).

Roy also doesn’t forget to gripe about (what else) no mention of minorities – ‘esp. the Muslim problem’ – in the entire Time interview. Does any Indian or international journalist ever ask Presidents Bush or Clinton about the racial problems in America?

But the Indian media has to play to its gallery of pseudo-secularism laced with minorities, tolerance and yes, secularism.

Statistics are touted about the low figures of employment, education etc. among Muslims in India. In how many countries are Muslims doing better as minorities? Besides, Muslims’ poor economic conditions didn’t just happen in the past one year. It’s a result of Congress policies of last fifty years. Just look at India’s problems today.

They’re the debts left behind by decades of Congress governments, long before PM Modi rose to power.

Whatever minority problems, discrimination problems there are in India can be squarely be blamed on the 50-odd years of Congress governments all over India, not just at the center.

The anti-India feelings we occasionally see in the sub-continent

also have their roots in Congress governance, long before BJP came to absolute power. When India plays Bangla Desh, both Pakistan & Sri Lanka support Bangla Desh.

When India plays Sri Lanka, both Pakistan & Bangla Desh support Sri Lanka.

And of course, Pakistan will always support any team against India. This didn’t happen because of Modi’s policies. These feelings took root during Congress rule over fifty years. Modi is now doing his best to change these things.

Results won’t arrive overnight or in a year.

Yet, reading all reviews of PM Modi’s first year in office, you would think Modi has done more harm to India in one year than Congress ever did in fifty years.

Hence the innuendos and misleading reporting.

The Indian Express’ recent column headline – ‘Study shows NCR homeowners turn away Dalits and Muslims - In both the methodologies, the home-seekers had the same credentials but for their names that indicated their caste and religion.’

Perhaps the newspaper hoped the readers would blame BJP for it. Not so fast. An informed letterwriter Indrajeet Dasgupta exposed their ploy. He wrote this was a 2012 study after decades of UPA (Congress-led coalition) rule.

The Congress culture has created & encouraged Indian media’s obsession against anything that makes Hindus & Hinduism look good. They - our Westicated media - turn to Western ‘research’ when it comes to Hinduism.

Can Hinduism get credit for Yoga? Indian Express (June 17, 2015) offers us Andrea R. Jain, an INDIAN (doesn’t matter if ‘Andrea’ is Hindu or not) & an assistant professor of religious studies, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis & author of ‘Selling Yoga: From Counterculture to Pop Culture’.

Her conclusion? ‘I am deeply suspicious of inaccurate myths of yoga’s Indian origin or static Hindu essence’.

To that I respond with a quote from Klaus I. Klostermaier, NOT an Indian, AND also a professor of religious studies at the University of Manitoba: “Hinduism has proven much more open to new ideas than any other religion, scientific thought and social experimentation. Many concepts like reincarnation, meditation, yoga and others, have found worldwide acceptance. It would not be surprising to find Hinduism the dominant religion of the 21st century.”

PM Modi, BJP & Hinduism all get the same treatment from Indian media – a left-handed lecture

that sounds like a compliment.

Witness this headline – ‘Hinduism should not lose its USP, and that is tolerance’.

Read between the lines and you will see the implication that PM Modi & BJP do not adhere to a policy of tolerance towards minorities, doing disservice to Hinduism.

With such pronounced bias & forgone jumps to conclusions, it is no wonder that I couldn’t find one good, reasonable review of PM Modi’s first year in office. And it doesn’t seem like it will be forthcoming next year either. It will be more of the same complaints against PM Modi & BJP for not serving us the usual – usual crock & call it compost.

Reminds me of Sidney Poitier’s character who says to his father in the film Guess Who Is Coming To Dinner: “You & your lousy generation (of pseudo-secularists?) believe that the way it (secularism) was for you is the way it’s got to be. And not until your whole generation has laid down & died will that weight be off our backs.”

You understand, pseudo secularists in the media (that’s majority of them)? You got to get off our backs and do some unbiased reporting for a change.

Not surprisingly, the one comment that I found informed & balanced came not from a professional journalist or commentator but from a teenager - Shraddha Srivastava - just graduating from high school. It is her generation that is tomorrow’s media, tomorrow’s civil servants.

It is worth quoting from her email.

“Now when the Modi govt. has completed one year, somewhere the people feel a bit disappointed with more of foreign deals being dealt with rather than domestic issues getting more importance. But I on a personal note neither blame Modi nor the people ‘cos what Modi sir is doing is for a long term goal whereas the people who had expected their daily problems like high prices of day to day articles, corruption, ‘one rank one pension for the ex-armed forces' people, education etc. to be solved, are quite disappointed as they cannot see the long term goal and should also not be blamed for it.

But, the good thing is that the people are still hopeful and have not lost faith and interest in Modi sir's ideas and promises and i think once his plans start gaining funds from around the world, things would definitely change, as he always says.”

I’ll let Ms. Srivastava’s views be the last words on PM Modi’s one year in office. — Send responses to gadfly7_7@yahoo.com

INDIA HERALD • WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24, 2015 • PAGE 17

STORY OF MAHATMA GANDHI - 5 SPIRITUALITY Ramzan — Time to atone by Gandhi sets up ambulance service to help British well meetings and presentations Over the next several weeks, was short-lived.

As he became more and more of gifts.

India Herald will bring the practicing self-restraint The gifts were so many and so story of Mahatma Gandhi, the involved in public activities, his way

Why does Ramzan begin on different dates each year?

The holy month of Ramzan is the ninth month of the HijriIslamic calendar. Unlike the Gregorian calendar -used internationally -the moonbased Hijri calendar has 354 days, and hence Ramzan occurs about 11 days earlier each year rotating through the seasons.

The month starts and ends with the sighting of the new moon by at least two trustworthy witnesses.

Beginning of the next month, Shawwal, is celebrated as Id-ul-Fitr (feast of fast-breaking). There is no fixed date for Ramzan for all countries as the beginning and ending dates depend on lunar sightings at respective locations, which could vary by about a day .

Why is the month so important? `Sawm' or fasting during Ramzan is one of the five pillars of Islam -five basic institutions of the Muslim religion. The other duties incumbent on every Muslim are `Shahadah' (profession of faith), `Salat' (ritual prayers), `Zakat' (giving of alms) and `Hajj' (pilgrimage to Mecca).Various Shia sects have different ritual practices.

How is the month observed?

During the entire month of Ramzan, Muslims have to fast ev ery day from dawn (fajr) to sunset (maghrib). Although the most common interpretation of `sawm' is the obligation to fast during Ramzan, Muslim scholars broadly interpret `sawm' (Arabic -to re frain) as the time of month frain) as the time of month for atonement through the practice of self-restraint, by refraining from intake of food and drink, sexual activity and all forms of immoral behaviour between dawn and dusk.

This includes unkind thoughts, violence, lust, anger, and greed. Islamic tradi and greed. Islamic traditions state that these deeds as well as thoughts are just as de structive to the fast as eating and drinking.

What rituals are performed before and after the fast?

The Quran indicates that eating and drinking are permissible only until the “white thread of light be comes distinguishable from comes distinguishable from the dark thread of night at dawn“. It is prescribed to have a meal called `suhoor' in the predawn hours, short ly before the beginning of the fast. The fast ends after sunset with another meal called `iftar', before the sun set prayers.

Is it mandatory for everyone to fast?

All Muslims who have reached puberty and who are mentally and physically able to sustain fasting have to fast during Ramzan. However, fasting is not obligatory for people for whom it would be excessively difficult. People with an illness or a medical condition, and sometimes the elderly , are excused from the fast. People who are travelling, as well as pregnant and nursing women are exempt from fasting too.It is, however, obligatory to make up for any missed days upon recovery or return. The elderly and incurably sick need not fast, but they are expected to feed one poor person for every day of fasting they miss.

What is `itikaf' and `Laylat al-Qadr'? `Itikaf ' is the practice in which many Muslims retreat to the mosque to pray in seclusion. This form of worship could be anytime when one is allowed to fast. However, the best time is considered to be the last 10 days of Ramzan. `Laylat al-Qadr', which is the special night of prayer, also falls on the 27th day of Ramzan. Muslim traditions state that `Laylat al-Qadr' or the `Night of Power or Decree' is the night when Allah revealed Quran to Prophet Muhammad.

Words of Wisdom — If you view all the things that happen to you, both good and bad, as opportunities, then you operate out of a higher level of consciousness.

— Look for opportunity. You can't wait for it to knock on the door ... you might not be home.

— You create your opportunities by asking for them.

— A wise man will make more opportunities than he finds.

— The people who get on in this world are the people who get up and look for the circumstances they want, and, if they can't find them, make them.

— Men who are resolved to find a way for themselves will always find opportunities enough; and if they do not find them, they will make them.

— Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.

apostle of peace, who is still an inspiration to millions of oppressed people around the world.

During his visit to India, Gandhi received an urgent message from Natal asking him to return immediately. There were some developments which required his presence there. So Gandhi set sail for South Africa once more.

But at the dock, he was assaulted by a blood-thirsty mob. He was rescued by the wife of the Superintendent of police. She came up and opened her parasol and held it between Gandhi and the crowd. This checked the mob.

Soon the police arrived and dispersed the crowd. Now read on: Gandhi was escorted by the police to his friend Rustomji’s house, where a doctor attended to his injuries. “They are sure to calm down when they realize their mistake,” he said. Late in the evening, another mob of white people surrounded the house.

“We must have Gandhi,” angry voices demanded. 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, eluding the crowd. Two days later a message came from London. Joseph Chamberlain, then Secretary of State for the Colonies, asked the Natal Government to prosecute every man guilty of attacking Gandhi.

The Natal Government expressed its regret for the incident to Gandhi and assured him that the assailants would be punished.

When Gandhi was called upon to identify the offenders, however, he would not do so. “I do not want to prosecute anyone,” he told the Natal Government.

“I do not hold the assailants 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 assailants.

The Durban incident raised Gandhi’s prestige and won more sympathy abroad for the Indians in South Africa.

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

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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 English barber in Pretoria. The barber insolently refused to cut a ‘black’ man’s hair.

Gandhi at once bought a pair of clippers and cut his own hair.

He succeeded 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

valuable 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 community.

On his arrival in India, Gandhi went on a tour of the country.

The annual meeting of the Indian National Congress was being held in Calcutta under the presidentship of Dinshaw Wacha.

Gandhi attended the session. It was his first contact with the Congress which he was to lead so gloriously in the future.

The Indian National Congress was the only organization which gave the people of India a chance to express their political views.

It was an influential body, as

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Gandhi proudly, “I have cut my hair myself.” Then Gandhi tried changes in his food.

He started taking uncooked 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 experiments with his diet. He even came to the conclusion that fasting increased one’s will power.

While he was thus experimenting 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 Indians well.

Gandhi did not want to support either of them, but his familiarity with the British made him organize an Indian ambulance corps to help them.

To his puzzled followers, 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 disbanded. The newspapers in England praised the services rendered by the Indians.

The relations 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 pressing 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 needed his help. He agreed to this. There were fare-

many important Indians were members, but its decisions had little affect on the Government. At the Calcutta session in 1901 Gandhi had an opportunity 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 functioning. He noticed a lack of unity among the delegates.

Moreover, while they spoke English and affected the style of Westerners in their dress and talk, they did not seem to bother about essential things like good sanitary facilities 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 travelled 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 neglected masses. His heart was filled with sadness and anger.

Gandhi settled down in Bombay and started practice as a lawyer. He did well, much better than he had expected.

In December 1902, however, a cable reached him from South Africa requesting him to return as promised.

Joseph Chamberlain, the Colonial Secretary, was arriving 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

PAGE 18 • INDIA HERALD • WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24, 2015

INDIA Needless controversy over Ansari’s absence at Yoga Day

Ram Madhav performing Yoga exercises in New Delhi on June 21.

NEW DELHI: A day after BJP general secretary Ram Madhav set off a row over what he called the “absence” of Vice President Mohammad Hamid Ansari from the International Yoga Day celebrations, a senior member of the Government is said to have communicated a message of regret to Ansari.

Union Minister of State for AYUSH Shripad Naik — the Yoga Day events in Delhi were held under the aegis of his Ministry — also apologised for the tweet and said that the Vice President had not been invited to the Rajpath event because it was Prime Minister Narendra Modi who was the chief guest. Citing protocol, he told The Indian Express that the Prime Minister could not be the chief guest at a function attended by the Vice-President. “He is ranked above the prime minister in the order of precedence,” he said, adding that “Ram Madhavji may not have been aware of all this when he tweeted.”

Nayak said: “We apologise for that, it was inadvertent. In any case, he has deleted the tweet now. So the matter is over.”

According to PTI, Madhav told reporters in Jammu: “As far as the tweet is concerned, it was withdrawn and the matter is closed there and ends there.” He said, “I want the Yoga event to be remembered for millions and millions of people who have participated in it, I do not want any further controversy over it or any issue.”

The Vice President’s Office told The Indian Express, “We have taken note of the comments made by Naik on record in the media…What he has stated appears logical and, therefore, for us, that’s the end of the matter.”

The controversy had erupted after Madhav had tweeted: “Two questions. Did RS TV (that) runs on tax payers money completely black out Yoga Day event? While President participated, VP gave a miss.” The reference to Rajya Sabha TV, run by Parliament’s Upper House, was also loaded given the fact that Ansari, being the Cairman of the Rajya Sabha, is the controlling authority for the channel.

The Vice President’s office made it known that he had not been invited to the event. Madhav tweeted again, this time to say: “I am informed (that the) VP was unwell. I withdrew my tweet. My apologies because d institution of VP deserves respect (sic)”. As the issue trended, he deleted both tweets. He was contradicted again by the Vice-President’s office which maintained that he was not unwell.

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Steffi Graf speaks for Kerala Ayurveda

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Tennis legend Steffi Graf was on Wednesday appointed the Ayurveda brand ambassador of God's Own Country Kerala. A decision in this regard was taken by the cabinet on June 24, chief minister Oommen Chandy said.

The Kerala tourism department was given sanction to sign an agreement with Graf to become Ayurveda brand ambassador as part of the department's 'Visit Kerala Scheme', Chandy said.

The tourism department had already held discussions and reached an agreement with Graf, who had bagged 22 Grand slam single titles. Graf, 46, who retired in 1999, married former World No. 1 men's tennis player Andre Agassi in October 2001.

Kerala's Ayurveda, an ancient system of health care which is famous for its holistic effect on body and mind, attracts large number of people from the country and abroad every year.

High tech vanity buses for CMs HYDERABAD: Both Telangana chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao and his Andhra Pradesh counterpart N Chandrababu Naidu are getting state-of-the-art buses for themselves.

Each is made-to-order and comes with a heavy price tag.

Chandrasekhar Rao, who assumed the role of a street warrior during the Telangana agitation, will hit the road again starting this July in a brand new bus being procured by the state government.

Till now he has been primarily using a helicopter for his tours in the state — be it for site inspections, launch of programs or laying of foundation stones.

The bus, the design and specifications of which have been kept under wraps, will have state-ofthe-art facilities for communication, sources said.

"The idea is to have all the facilities so the chief minister can use the bus as an office on the move," an official said. The vehicle will have a functional but comfortable bedroom, will be bullet-proof and its floor reinforced so as to make it blast-proof.

Initially, the bus is expected to be used extensively for KCR's Harita Haram programme tours.

Sources in the government said the road trips will enable the chief minister to also see how the drinking water grid and Mission Kakatiya programs are being implemented. He could spend at least 10 days a month in the bus.

India seeks to avoid rout in ODIs MIRPUR: From the outside looking in, Bangladesh trouncing Zimbabwe 5-0 barely caused a blip. There was perhaps a doubletake when Pakistan were served 3-0. If they whitewash India on Wednesday, the world will sit up and notice.

The 14 men and the support staff on tour here already have.

MS Dhoni has admitted his team was outplayed. He has wrestled questions on his captaincy, even bristled momentarily when the critique moved onto selection. R Ashwin, another player of the 'keep calm' variety, seemed to feel he was behind enemy lines at the pre-match press conference. He felt compelled to remind everyone that India had won 75% of their matches this season.

Whether that was because of the scoreline of the series or the brutal spotlight that is on the team is debatable, but it was clear to see it does have issues to sort out.

Besides the headache of why the batsmen who are touted to front up for the 2019 World Cup are misfiring all at once.

A lot of the credit should go to Bangladesh. They have won key moments and ensured the momentum never dissipated. There is a pack mentality readily visible among the quicks. So much that India's batsmen haven't had any room to breathe. They have been bowled out twice, and the best partnership they have put on - one among only four that have crossed fifty - has been 95.

"They've owned the Mirpur stadium," was Ashwin's assessment.

New faces like Mustafizur Rahman, Soumya Sarkar and Litton Das have fit neatly into the one-day structure, while the old faithful Shakib Al Hasan and Mashrafe Mortaza have continued contributing. An 11th win on the trot at home would be the perfect way for them to sign-off in front of the loud, colourful and unabashedly partisan Mirpur crowd.

Bangladesh beat India by six wickets on the Duckworth-Lewis method to take an unassailable 20 lead in their one-day international series.

Mustafizur Rahman took 6-43

Mustafizur Rahman for Bangladesh as they bowled India out for 200, with opener Shikhar Dhawan top-scoring with 53 off 60 balls.

In reply, Shakib Al Hasan made 51 not out as Bangladesh comfortably won with nine overs to spare.

Bangladesh beat India by 79 runs in the first ODI on Thursday. The result caps a remarkable period for the side who knocked out England of the World Cup in March. Bangladesh beat the English by 15 runs in Adelaide, with coach Peter Moores being sacked two months later. Despite one game still left to play, Bangladesh clinched their first ever series win over India, aided by pace bowler Mustafizur's 11 wickets in the two matches so far.

India 200 all out in 45 overs (Dhoni 47, Dhawan 53, Raina 34, Kohli 23; Mustafizur 6 for 43; Nasir and Rubel 2 wkts each) Bangladesh 200 for 4 in 38 overs (Sarkar 34, Das 36, Mushfiqur 31, Shakib 51) FIRST ODI Bangladesh beat India by 79 runs in the first ODI on Thursday, June 18.

Bangladsh 307 all out in 49.4 overs (Tamim 60, Sarkar 54, Shakib 52, Rahman 41; Ashwin 3 for 51, Bhuvanesh and Yadav 2 wkts each) India 228 all out in 46 overs (Ro Sharma 63, Dhawan 30, Raina 40, Jadeja 32, Bhuvanesh 25; Rahman 5 for 50, Taskin and Shakib 2 wkts each)

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INDIA HERALD • WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24, 2015 • PAGE 19

INDIA Monsoon races to Kashmir from Kanyakumari The annual monsoon often causes a complete breakdown of infrastructure and transport services in Mumbai.

The monsoon has already delivered 16 per cent excess rainfall since the start of the season on June 1, and is expected to remain strong at least until the end of the month.

This should cheer NEW DELHI: Global climatic conditions have turbocharged the monsoon and given it the momentum to take it up to Kashmir in three to four days, a week ahead of schedule, and accelerate agricultural activity in the grain-bowl states of Punjab and Haryana on the say.

Rainfall in June is almost certain to be significantly more than normal, going by predictions of weather scientists from Australia to the US, giving a flying start to the four-month season that brings

75 per cent of the rainfall the country receives and fills up water reservoirs for irrigation and hydropower generation for a year.

Heavy monsoon rains in Mumbaibrought the city to a standstill on June 17 and 18.

Waterlogged roads caused severe traffic blocks along arterial roads and all flights have been delayed.

The local train service, used by hundreds of thousands of commuters daily, was suspended, with many stranded at stations.

Shiv Sena jumps on Advani’s remark MUMBAI: The Shiv Sena on Monday said senior BJP leader L.K. Advani’s controversial remark about the recurrence of a 1975like Emergency situation could not be ignored.

An editorial in the Sena’s mouthpiece "Saamna" said that when a tall leader within the BJP of Advani’s stature was expressing the bogey of Emergency at a time when the Modi government was in the Centre with a massive mandate, it was obvious that he was pointing at somebody.

“The question is who is this person that Mr. Advani is hinting at?” asked the editorial, taking a sly dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

“Even if he is not part of mainstream politics today, his party and the media and the Indian political world take notice of Mr. Advani’s comments. When he [Mr. Advani] set forth his fear of a recurrence of an Emergency again, he is definitely pointing at somebody,” said the editorial.

The Shiv Sena, whose relations with the Devendra Fadnavis-led BJP government in the State had reached the nadir of mutual goodwill, questioned as to what made Advani suddenly think of Emergency on its 40th anniversary and draw a parallel with present day politics.

“One cannot ignore the comment of a senior leader like Mr. Advani.

If he wishes to hint at the internal affairs of the BJP, he should clearly speak out. Recently, senior BJP leaders Murli Manohar Joshi and Kirti Azad too spoke against practices they were not satisfied within their party,” the editorial said.

Hyderabad law and order under Telangana HYDERABAD: The control over law and order in State capital Hyderabad, will be with the Telangana Government, said Director General of Police Anurag Sharma.

Responding to a query on demand for implementation of Section 8 of A.P. Reorganisation Act, he reiterated that Hyderabad was part of Telangana and the law and order would be in the hands of State Government. Anurag Sharma was in Warangal district to inspect sites for the proposed new Rural SP office complex and new APSP Battalion that would be set up soon. He arrived at the police headquarters and commissioned a fleet of new vehicles for the newly set up Warangal Police Commissionerate.

Strike against proposed VAT in Andhra SRIKAKULAM: Movement of vehicles on the busy ChennaiKolkata national highway will be affected from Tuesday midnight, June 23, with the proposed combined strike of various associations representing owners of lorries, tankers and petrol pumps opposing the imposition of Value Added Tax (VAX) on all petroleum products.

Representatives of AP Lorry Owners Association urged their counterparts in West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Chattisgarh and Odisha not to operate the vehicles during the strike period. The vehicles plying on Chennai - Kolkata route will be stopped at Andhra-Odisha border from Monday night as part of the agitation, according to AP Lorry Owners Assocation's leader M. Janaki Rami Reddy and Itchapuram JAC convener Piriya Sairaj.

They said that the truckers were also opposing the heavy penalties and arrests of drivers under the new rules and regulations of the Union Government.

the markets and calm fears of inflation, which had emerged as the monsoon made a sloppy start.

The system, called Madden Julian Oscillation (MJO), has strengthened rain-bearing clouds along its path and given the country 33 per cent surplus rain on Saturday and a drenching 88 per cent surplus on Sunday. "MJO is definitely influencing the southwest monsoon," said Laxman Singh Rathore, director-general of meteorology, India Meteorological Department.

The phenomenon has countered the expected negative fallout of El Nino, which disrupts rainfall in Asia and floods other continents due to a rise in the surface temperature in the Pacific Ocean.

Unlike El Nino that lingers for a long time, MJO is a transient phenomenon. DS Pai, IMD's head of long-range forecasting, said MJO would weaken in the coming days and may return after some time.

He said it typically recurs every 30-60 days.

Aid pours in for poor IIT aspirants LUCKNOW: Help is pouring in for the Pratapgarh brothers - Raju, 18, and Brijesh, 19 - who cleared the IIT Advanced examinations last week. Dharamraj, father of Raju and Brijesh, is a daily wage-earner and desperately needs Rs 1 lakh to pay for his sons' admission fees.

On Saturday morning, June 20, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi spoke to the brothers Raju and Brijesh over phone from New Delhi, congratulating the duo on their performance, and also extending Congress' support for their admission.

Soon after, Congress MP Pramod Tiwari and his MLA daughter Aradhana Mishra announced they will give up salaries of one month, amounting to Rs 1 lakh, towards the payment of admission fee for Brijesh and Raju, who live in their home constituency.

Sanitation giant Sulabh International has also said that it is ready to bear the cost of education of the two students. Stand-up comedian Papa CJ has also offered monetary help.

Baroda UP Gramin Bank chairman MK Kannaujia told TOI that he has sent a team of officials from its Rae Bareli branch to help the two brothers with an education loan.

Yoga a compulsory subject in Central schools NEW DELHI: Yoga would now be taught as a compulsory subject not only from class VI to X in Central Government-run schools but also as a training module in teacher education programs.

HRD Minister Smriti Irani on Monday said a national-level yoga competition would be organised in Delhi in 2016, where the best performing student will be given a cash prize of Rs five lakh.

Irani said the subject would not put any additional burden on students as 80 marks would be reserved for practicals.

“However, I want an assurance from students that they will perform the practicals with full devotion,” she said.

“We have prepared syllabus for teachers as well. One is diploma in yoga education, bachelors in yoga education and masters in yoga education,” the Minister said.

She said that a mobile app will be launched on July 17, where NCERT books from class I to XII can be downloaded free.

China opens 2nd route for Kailash pilgrims NAIDUILA, China: China on Monday opened the second land crossing in Tibet via Nathu La to allow the first batch of Indian pilgrims undertaking the arduous Kailash-Manasarovar Yatra, in the latest confidence-building measure between the two neighbors.

The opening of the second route through the Himalayan pass of Nathu La in Sikkim, 4,000 metres above sea level, was officially announced during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to China last month and will allow more Indians to undertake the pilgrimage.

The new route is in addition to the existing Lipulekh Pass, the only route that was badly damaged in the floods in Uttarakhand in 2013. A total of 44 pilgrims crossed over from the Indian side of the border in Sikkim on Monday as the first batch of the annual Yatra through this border route and were warmly welcomed by Chinese officials in Tibet. The pilgrims form the first batch of 250 people permitted to crossover to China this year to take part in the Yatra regarded as the most important pilgrimage for Hindus.

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PAKISTAN Sindh heatwave toll crosses 500 Plight of Balochistan’s 7000 crumbling schools KARACHI: In his first speech addressing the heatwave that has claimed over 500 lives in his province, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah made a surprising decision directing schools, colleges and government offices Tuesday to close as an apparent means to alleviate the suffering of those afflicted by extreme weather.

"We are closing offices, schools and colleges not just in Karachi but throughout Sindh," Shah said in the Sindh Assembly today. "Offices that offer essential services like hospitals will remain open."

Over the weekend, the top man of the Sindh province was in Larkana on a two-day visit for the birth anniversary of Pakistan Peoples Party’s (PPP) late chairperson Benazir Bhutto. Shah returned to Karachi Monday, June 22, and issued a late night directive to the managing director at the Karachi water board to ensure supply and distribution free of charge in areas where there is a water deficit this Ramazan.

Shah also ordered all provincial administration departments against switching on air conditioners in offices till 11 AM and vowed that strict action will be taken against those who fail to comply.

During the assembly session, however, the minister was not entirely informed about the progress made by provincial authorities assisting those affected by extreme weather.

"I want to inform you that a disaster management [system] already exists, not just for rains and storms but for such situations as well... they must have done their work. Non-government organizations must have also done their work," the chief minister said, adding that he was away for two days and is not equipped with the latest emergency relief information.

He said that his government in the past has published emergency hotline numbers in newspapers, and can do so again.

"There have been deaths before, during everyone's time,” he said, not naming any political party. “Whose names should I take? I don't want to get into a controversy," Shah said in the assembly.

The chief minister said that the electricity department is handled by the central government, adding that the organisation has an agreement with the federal government and not Sindh government.

"Definitely the overall opinion, be it of the House or outside the house, or newspapers, it has been said that because of electricity more deaths have occurred," he said today.

He added that he made several attempts to contact K-Electric owners in Dubai, who assured him that they will invest in Karachi but lamented that the situation at hand suggests that they have not spent anything. "Like businessmen, they have taken advantage of the situation and exploited it."

The CM also directed authorities at Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) and Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) to open heatstroke relief centres in various parts of Karachi.

Sindh Rangers had already set up 10 heatstroke centres in Karachi and a few in other affected areas of the province a day earlier.

Interior ministry to monitor NGOs ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali while speaking to the press on Monday said that Non Governmental Organisations (NGOs) will now operate under the Interior Ministry instead of the Economic Affairs Division.

"This is a very important sector for Pakistan. There are over 40 per cent unregistered NGOs. No one will be allowed to conduct illegal activities in Pakistan under the guise of an NGO," he underscored.

Talking about international aid agency Save the Children, the minister said: "Save the Children is not an enemy of the state; it has been registered since 1997 and is a globally-recognized NGO but during the PPP government's tenure in 2012, some intelligence reports were uncovered in relation to it." However, he said, the previous government had not taken any action.

He said NGOs would be consulted with regards to the new policy, adding that all NGOs would be encouraged to adopt self regulatory systems. On June 12, authorities had ordered closure of Save the Children in Pakistan saying it was “working against the country”.

Alarm at execution of Pakistanis overseas ISLAMABAD: The Foreign Affairs Committee of the National Assembly on Monday, June 22, expressed serious reservations over the increasing number of executions of Pakistanis in foreign countries.

In a meeting at the Parliament House, the committee recommended the Foreign Office (FO) to ensure the right to fair trial for all Pakistani citizens facing legal proceedings in overseas courts of law.

The committee asked the foreign ministry to provide assistance to under-trial Pakistanis in finding lawyers, translators (if required) and guidance on foreign legal systems. The due course of law must be followed before any Pakistani citizen is convicted anywhere in the world, the committee noted.

Chairman Foreign Affairs Committee Awais Leghari called it a "matter of serious concern" that Pakistani labourers abroad were unable to afford defence lawyers in their trials in court.

He demanded that destitute Pakistanis must be provided with all available support in their times of need in foreign countries.

The FO informed the committee that around 8,500 Pakistanis were detained in overseas prisons — most of whom were charged with drug-related crimes. Ten Pakistanis have been executed in Saudi Arabia so far in 2015 as drug and murder convictions account for the bulk of executions in Saudi Arabia.

QUETTA: In the outskirts of western Quetta, stands a crumbling house, roofless and decaying, without any boundaries. But for the poor and the marginalised, this four-room dwelling is adequate enough to be considered their school.

Unfamiliar with the concept of polished shoes and ironed uniforms, the students are all either barefoot or are wearing worn out slippers.

As I make my way inside, I can hear a student of class one fluently reciting Urdu alphabets from a book he is holding. Belonging to an underprivileged family, this student is Israr Ahmed, whose father works as a driver for a living.

Killi Mubarak, housing approximately 30 students’, is amongst the 40 rental schools in Quetta, all of which are in depleting conditions.

The Education Department pays rent to the owner of this mud-walled school. “I don’t know how regularly the government pays the rent,” says Siddique Ahmed, who has taught at the school for the past eight years.

The school lacks basic facilities, including toilets and drinking water is also not available in which case children bring water from their homes. “We bring drinking water from our homes,” says 13year-old student Ahmedullah, explaining the conditions at his school where students come from severely underprivileged families that cannot afford to buy uniforms.

“And because most of the students are poor, we cannot introduce uniforms," a teacher of Ahmedullah, who is among the total of four teachers currently teaching in the school, says.

The school also lacks adequate furniture for the students; tables and chairs are missing while faculty vehicles are parked right next to students’ seating arrangement.

Although the Balochistan government has announced that it is implementing Article 25-A of the Constitution that declares education as free and compulsory for children, this is yet to be implemented in the less privileged neighbourhoods of Quetta as well as in the rural parts of Balochistan.

In this regard, students present at the school often complain that officers at the Education Department hardly visit the vicinity. However, teachers are of the view that the visits are rather frequent. “A

learning coordinator visits this school twice a month,” says Siddique.

According to the Chief Minister’s Adviser on Education, Sardar Raza Muhammad Bareech, more than 7,000 primary schools across the province are shelterless. These are all single room schools with just one teacher at the students’ disposal.

The Balochistan government has allocated around 24 per cent of its budget towards the education sector for the 2015-16 financial year.

However, Saboor Kakar, the Education Secretary for Balochistan, says that more than 70 per cent of the budget is being spent on teachers’ salaries and petrol allowances whereas about 20 per cent of the budget is being spent on the development of new schools and colleges. Quality education in Balochistan remains an unfulfilled dream for the poor and the underprivileged who cannot afford to opt for a private education, an option which is available to children from middle class families.

Another issue that needs addressing is that there are seven to eight different types of curricula that are being taught in Quetta. “Education is almost for sale,” states Nazar Bareech, an activist working on education in Quetta, elaborating on the subject.

Inadequate capacity of teachers and non-availability of basic facilities remain primary reasons behind the poor quality of education.

Most teachers in rural parts of Balochistan lack the aptitude required to teach science and mathematics. “Capacity building of teachers is integral to quality education,” stresses Education Secretary Kakar.

However, he adds that the government of Chief Minister Dr Malik Baloch still deserves appreciation for its decision to recruit new teachers across the province through the use of the National Testing Service (NTS).— Syed Ali Shah in Dawn

Boy takes selfie with toy gun, is shot by police FAISALABAD: A schoolboy who was shot at and injured by police in Faisalabad Monday, June 22, for taking selfies with a toy pistol died of excessive bleeding.

Police had opened fire and injured two schoolboys who were taking pictures with a toy pistol on Faisalabad's Susan road.

The boys, identified as Farhan, 15, and Fahad,14, were reportedly taking pictures to post them on Facebook with a toy pistol when Faryad Husain, the station house officer (SHO) of Peoples Colony, opened fire on them without any warning.

Both the boys were injured and taken to the district headquarters (DHQ) hospital by police who reportedly escaped after realising that they had made a mistake and that the boys were not armed robbers.

Farhan, whose condition was critical, died of excessive bleeding late on Monday night. The injured Fahad told reporters that Farhan and he were taking pictures when the SHO reached there along with his subordinates and opened fire on them immediately after leaving his vehicle. A murder case was registered against SHO Faryad Husain and four other policemen. City Police Officer Afzal Kausar constituted a committee to probe the killing and submit a report.

INDIA HERALD • WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24, 2015 • PAGE 21

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3730 Kirby Drive, Suite 1200, Houston, TX 77098 Ph: 713-834-1169/1160 Fax: 713-834-1144

750B Street, Suite 3300, San Diego, CA 92101 Ph: 619.961.4169 Fax: 619.961.4101

6640 HARWIN DRIVE HOUSTON TX 77036

: KATHA SUPPORTED BY : GUJARATI SAMAJ OF HOUSTON LEVA PATIDAR SAMAJ OF HOUSTON BHAKTA SAMAJ OF HOUSTON

િશવશ ત મં દરના લાભાથ, ુ ટન ના

ગણે

થમ વખત,

ુ રાતી ભાષામાં જ

Katha Supported By

ી ગીર બા ુ ની િશવકથા નો અનોખો અવસર

ૂ ય

Date : 13th July to 17th July 2015

તાર ખ : ૧૩મી થી ૧૭મી ુ લાઈ ર૦૧૫

Katha Time : 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM

કથાનો સમય : સાં

Date : 18th July and 19th July 2015

તાર ખ : ૧૮મી અને ૧૯મી

Katha Time : 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM

કથાનો સમય : સાં

Everyday Mahaprasad will be served

દરરોજ મહા સાદની યવ થા રાખેલ છે .

૫:૦૦ થી રા ે ૯:૦૦ ુ લાઈ ર૦૧૫

૪:૦૦ થી રા ે ૮:૦૦

Pujya Shree Giribapu FOR SPONSORSHIP OF Main Katha Yajmaan all days - $ 11,000/Daily Aarti Yajmaan - $ 51/-

Daily Katha Yajmaan - $ 1,100/Daily Mahaprasad Yajmaan - $ 1,000/-

Please Contact Virat Mehta : 713 784 5500 www.shivshaktimandir.org

Temple Phone : 713 278 9099

Email : shivshaktimandir45@yahoo.com

Not certified by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization

Frank Guerra

17th July to 19th July, 2015 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM

INDIA HERALD • WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24, 2015 • PAGE 23

1970 - 2015

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6655 Harwin Drive Ste A101 • Houston, TX 77036

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PAGE 24 â&#x20AC;¢ INDIA HERALD â&#x20AC;¢ WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24, 2015

Spring Branch Family Dentistry,P.A. 1111, Gessner, Suite B Houston, Texas 77055 (713) 461-8050 (713) 461-4747 WeWe Speak English, Hindi & Gujarati speak English & Gujarati CONVENIENT HOURS Monday: 9 am â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 6 pm Tuesday: 9 am â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 7 pm Wednesday: 9 am â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 6 pm Thursday: 9 am â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 7 pm Friday: 9 am â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 4 pm Saturday: 9 am â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 4 pm (Closed one Saturday a month) '

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