India Herald 010219

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India Herald

VOL. 25 • NO. 1 • WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 2, 2019 • P.O. BOX 623, SUGAR LAND, TX 77487 • PERIODICAL PERMIT USPS 017699 • 25 cents

Chinmaya Balavihar students present India-My sacred land

By Radhika Nair From apprehension to appreciation, an Indian American teenager’s gradual change of heart towards India was the premise of a captivating play performed at Chinmaya Prabha Houston.

In a compelling narrative

of a few of India’s saints, 115 Balavihar children worked in harmony with live orchestra, modern technology, and visual effects to fly us across space and time to “India, My Sacred Land”on Dec. 8.

The play draws inspiration from Acharya Darshana

Bharathanatyam in Nutcracker

Nanavaty’s sixth grade curriculum book, “India, The Sacred Land.”

The common notion that saints are only ascetics living in solitude was systematically corrected as each act unfolded the story of a special saint who influenced the society of that time.

After paying homage to the

Chinmaya Guru Parampara, children embodied the spirits of Samartha Ramdas, the inspirational guru of Emperor Chatrapathi Shivaji and of the melodiously devotional Mirabai, the princess saint of Mewad.

They portrayed Purandaradasa, the miserly diamond merchant who turned into a

devoted musical saint; they made us revere the values that Kabirdas lived and mesmerized us with the power of the faith of Soordas, the blind poet-saint.

They highlighted the great humility of Ramakrishna Paramahamsa and the missionary zeal of his disciple See PLAY, Page 9

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Erika Overtruff, left, Director, American Midwest Ballet, Uma Narayan, Aleena Gnalian, Rajam Ramamurthy, Arathi School of Indian Dance, Middle: Anjali Binoy, Riya Cyriac, Shivi Goyaland, Top, Sreeja Ambati, students of the Arathi School of Indian dance were a part of Nutcracker presented by the American Midwest Ballet company in San Antonio. See story on Page 4.

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PAGE 2 • INDIA HERALD • WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 2, 2019

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INDIA HERALD • WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 2, 2019 • PAGE 3

NEWS

Sewa throws a Christmas Luncheon for California CampFire

San Francisco (December 24, 2018): Sewa International team, working with a group of local volunteers headed by Heather Helwig, a long-time resident of Loomis, Placer County, CA, organized a Christmas luncheon for 200 fire evacuees of the devastating fires that ravaged Northern California in early November.

The fire that originated in Butte County, CA, burnt most part of the three cities of Paradise, Magalia, and Concow to a cinder killing 83 people.

The event was held at the Blue Goose Event Center in Loomis, on Sunday, December 23.

Over $7,500 in gifts, gift certificates, and laptop donations were distributed to the individual attendees at the event.

This brought some holiday cheer in the lives of the people who lost everything in the deadly fire.

The attendees were offered a delectable menu of traditional Christmas food, holiday pies, cookies, and more.

A variety of activities awaited the attendees of all age groups: face painting, fashioning balloon animals, and a raf-

fles game. There was a Christmas craft corner, and photos with Mr. and Mrs. Santa Claus for the young and old alike. The attendees had an opportunity to participate in a raffles game and win several gift-hampers prepared by Sewa volunteers and the local volunteer team.

Melissa Johnson, a recipient, was very appreciative of the laptop donation and said “Thank you, Sewa. This is going to help me in my nursing career and going back to school.”

Another mother at the event who escaped the fire said, “Thanks Sewa for making Christmas doable for my kids.

Paradise will stay strong because of you guys.”

In the coming weeks, the Sewa International team will focus on rehabilitation work in collaboration with the victims.

“Sewa means selfless service, and we are here to serve in any way possible,” said Jyothsna Prasad, Sewa volunteer and the Chief Organizer of this event.

“The enormity of the fires and the tragic consequences are still fresh in our minds, and any cheer and support we can offer, we consider it a privilege and

an honor,” she said.

“An opportunity to serve the victims of this destructive natural event was the best holiday gift we received from this successful event,” quipped Minal Joshi, a full-time Family Services Coordinator for Sewa International.

Contributing to Sewa International’s outreach effort were three other NGOs - Annapoorna of Sacramento, CA, Bharati Tamil Sangam, California and the VHP of America (VHPA), whose generosity helped Sewa International reach out to the distressed Loomis community.

Sewa International (www. sewausa.org) is a 501 (c)(3) Hindu faith-based charitable nonprofit that works in the areas of disaster recovery, education and development.

Sewa has 43 Chapters across the USA and serves regardless of race, color, religion, sex, age, disability or national origin.

The Sewa movement works with communities in need and is active in 22 countries including USA, Canada, Caribbean, India, and the UK.

Obituary Mrs. Mary Philip (1937 - 2018)

Mrs. Mary Philip, long time resident of Houston, went to be with Our Lord, on Monday, December 17, 2018. She was born on July 13, 1937, in Kozencherry, Kerala, India to Theketh -Valluparambil House, to Mr. T.M. Thomas, a teacher and Mrs. Annamma Thomas.

She attended St. Mary’s High School and then Scudder Memorial Nursing School, in Tamil Nadu, India. She and her husband, Rev. Fr. M. T. Philip had three children, while liv-

ing in Kuwait. In 1973, the family moved to the US. She was known as “Kochamma” in all the Malankara Orthodox Church parishes across the US, where Rev. Philip started churches. Despite working full time as a registered nurse, their home was always known for her constant hospitality to all who entered. Her cooking was so renowned, she wrote a cookbook and shared the book with anyone who asked for her favorite recipes. She retired from Methodist Hospital in Houston, Texas as Assistant Head Nurse, in 2001.

Mrs. Mary Philip, will be lovingly missed by her husband, Fr. M. T. Philip, her 3 children, their spouses, and 8 grandchildren, the extended families of Manon and Theketh Valuparampil, numerous relatives and close friends. The family wishes to thank all those who cared for her over the years and showed their love, during this difficult time. Her love endures in every life she touched.

PAGE 4 • INDIA HERALD • WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 2, 2019

NEWS

Bharathanatyam in the famous Ballet Nutcracker

Tchaikovsky composed the music for Nutcracker in the 1890’s and included in the second Act, captivating music for dances from different countries.

While he extends his mesmerizing music to Arabian, Chinese, Russian and dances from other countries the fact that he missed a score for Indian classical dance is a little puzzling.

That did not stop Erika Overturff the director and CEO of American Midwest Ballet Company from Omaha, Nebraska to take a bold step forward and find the right piece of Tchaikovsky’s music for Bharathanatyam to be featured in her Nutcracker production.

ARTS San Antonio, an established arts organization in San Antonio that brings renowned international artist, presents the immortal Nutcracker by outstanding ballet companies every year.

Dr. Rajam Ramamurthy who chairs the ARTS Teach committee for ARTS SA has visualized Indian classical dance in Nutcraker as an important addition given the prevalence of this art form in western countries.

The vision of Erika Overturff, the encouragement of John Toohey, President of ARTS SA and the perseverance of Ramamurthy culminated in a beautiful segment of Bharathanatyam

in the 2018 presentation of the Nutcracker at the Lila Cockrell Theater in San Antonio.

Students of the Arathi School of Indian dance were a part of the famous Ballet - Nutcracker presented by the American Midwest Ballet company.

Senior students of the school, Aleena Gnalian, Anjali Binoy, Riya Cyriac, Shivi Goyal, Sreeja Ambati and Uma Narayan worked tirelessly between midterm exams, photoshoots, practices, and dress rehearsals to render Bharathanatyam steps to a short powerful segment of Tchaikovsky’s composition.

In the words of the students “it was very time consuming, however the exhilaration of doing something for the first time and to experience how a professional dance company functions was phenomenal and educational”. The four performances drew the Indian audience from the San Antonio community for some of whom this was their very first Nutcracker performance.

Pyotr Illyich Tchaikovsky has composed music for very well-known Ballet’s like Swan Lake in 1876, Sleeping Beauty in 1889 and the Nutcracker in 1892 amidst many symphonies and opera’s. The ballet Nutcracker is based on a story The Nutcracker and the Mouse

King by a German author E. T. A Hoffman adapted for the Ballet by Alexander Dumas.

It was first choreographed

by Marius Petipa from Italy and presented in St. Petersburg, Russia. In 1944 San Francisco Ballet staged its first complete production of Nutcracker.

Since then they have presented the ballet every year during Christmas.

Gisella Caccialanza, , Jocelyn Vollmar, Rudolph Nureyev, Mikhail Baryshnikov arenotable names who have performed in this immortal Ballet.

Every director of nutcracker reimagines the Nutcracker in their own vision. San Antonio Metropolitan Ballet founded by Susan Connolly partnered with Midwest Ballet in the production. Erin Connolly who trains the students did an outstanding job of organizing.

The performance by twenty six company dancers, the stupendous costumes by award winning costume designer Deborah Overturff and the San Antonio Dance students brought to life the story that has enchanted the young and the old for decades.

It is indeed a historic first for San Antonio to introduce Bharathanatyam to the Nutcracker audience.

H1-B Visa regulations bring ‘good news’ for Indian students The US should select the “very best” among the applicants under the H-1B visas, the Trump administration told lawmakers Thursday, asserting that it was determined to ensure that the temporary work permits, most sought by Indian IT companies, do not harm domestic workers.

The H1B visa, popular among Indian IT companies and professionals, is a nonimmigrant visa that allows US companies to employ foreign workers in speciality occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise.

The technology companies depend on it to hire tens of thousands of employees each year from countries like India and China.

Perhaps no other visa category has received as much attention in recent years as the H-1B, as reports of abuse of the program have caused outrage among the public, Homeland Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen told members of the powerful Senate Judiciary Committee during a Congressional hearing.

“No qualified hardworking American should be forced to train their H-1B replacement, and then let go,” she said.

“The number of H-1B petitions routinely exceeds the statutory cap, and among that

pool of petitions, we should endeavour to select the very best for the privilege of coming to the United States for work,” Nielsen said.

The Department of Homeland Security seeks to ensure that American workers are not pushed aside for the promise of cheaper, foreign labour, and the employers, recruiters or any of their agents do not exploit foreign workers, she said.

The Trump administration has stepped up its measures to detect employment-based visa fraud and abuse, but certain nonimmigrant visa programs need reform in order to protect American workers better, she said.

“While current law only requires it for certain employers, which are few in number and can easily meet the wage and degree exemption, all employers should be required to certify that they have made a good faith effort to recruit US workers before filing an H-1B petition, and have offered jobs to qualified and available American applicants,” Nielsen said.

Although current law prohibits some H-1B employers from displacing US workers, there are loopholes that must close, she told the members of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

“We have to make sure the H-1B programme does not harm American workers who may be as qualified and willing to do jobs that foreign workers are imported to fill,” she said.

As per US President Donald Trump’s ‘Buy American, Hire American Executive Order, the Department of Homeland Security is reviewing current guidance and regulation for opportunities to protect American workers while also providing good faith employers the opportunity to recruit H-1B workers where needed.

“This balance is consistent with the statute and President Trump’s priorities. We also seek to work with Congress to make legislative changes that would provide more protections to the United States workforce,” Nielsen said.

Rajesh Subramaniam appointed president and CEO of Fedex

Rajesh Subramaniam FedEx Corp., has announced that Indian-American Rajesh Subramaniam will take over of the company from its president and CEO David L. Cunningham.

Kerala-born Subramaniam is currently executive vice president, chief marketing and communications officer of FedEx Corporation, and will succeed Cunningham effective January 1, 2019, according to a Dec. 7 press release.

Subramaniam has been with FedEx for more than 27 years and has held various executive level positions in several of its operating companies and international regions, according to his bio. He began his career in Memphis, then moved to Hong Kong to oversee marketing and customer service for the Asia Pacific region. He took over as president of FedEx Express in Canada before moving back to the U.S. as senior vice president of international marketing. He was then promoted to executive vice president of marketing in 2013 at FedEx Services, prior to being named executive vice president and chief marketing and communications officer at FedEx Corporation in 2017.

“Raj’s global vision and broad experience make him uniquely qualified to lead our largest operating company,” David J. Bronczek, president and chief operating officer, is quoted saying in the press release, “We look forward to the continued growth of FedEx Express within our global portfolio as Raj takes on this critical role,” Bronczek added.

Subramaniam is credited with several landmark developments at FedEx, including the

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by Rajeev Gadgil, Seshadri Kumar & Salim Sindhi India Herald (USPS Periodical 017-699) is published every Wednesday by India Herald, Inc. for a subscription rate of $25 per year. Periodical postage paid at Houston and Sugar Land, Texas. POST MASTER: Send address changes to India Herald, P.O. Box 623, Sugar Land, Texas 77487 Publisher & Editor: Seshadri Kumar www.india-herald.com; email:editor@india-herald.com India Herald assumes no liability resulting from action taken based on information included herein. ©India Herald. All rights reserved.

continuing digital transformation of FedEx® services, the first-ever global brand campaign, and a significant expansion of the company’s global product portfolio. “Under his leadership, FedEx retains an enviable position as one of Fortune magazine’s World’s Most Admired Companies,” the company says.

Born in Trivandrum, India, Subramaniam is a graduate in chemical engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT). He followed that up with two post-graduate degrees: a Master of Science in Chemical Engineering from Syracuse University and an MBA from the University of Texas at Austin. He was honored with the IIT Bombay Distinguished Alumnus Award for his outstanding achievements in the corporate world. He was also inducted into the Hall of Fame at Fogelman College of Business and Economics at the University of Memphis and named a Distinguished Friend of the university in 2016.

Subramaniam serves on the Board of Directors for First Horizon National Corporation. He holds membership in a number of business leadership organizations, including World 50 and the U.S.-India Strategic Partnership Forum.

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INDIA HERALD • WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 2, 219 • PAGE 5

VIEWS

Bijo – A Toy Story

By RAMESH ANAD My tiny puppy ears flapped as I pushed my head out of Mary’s car window. Droplets of icy cold tears trickled down my face as the cool February breeze gently brushed my face. It seemed like only yesterday that I stood shivering in a street corner with a ‘FOR SALE’ sign next to me. I looked perfect for the season with a bright red scarf. I could hear enchanting carols in the background. Christmas was in the air.

I am not sure when I fell asleep. I opened my eyes to the sweetest, most innocent pair of eyes looking at me. Little Jill pulled me out of the box screaming – “Wish you all a Merry Christmas too! Thanks you! Thank you!” I was her long desired wish for a Christmas gift and they called me Bijo. The next few weeks, life was a dream as I played in the backyard with Jill and her friends or at the park with my canine friends. I was the center of attention.

Soon, Jill’s school began. She seemed to be more preoccupied by her school and other new toys. Life was never the same. My heart beat fast as Dick took me for a drive to the park. Shrieks of laughter could be heard while my friends and I chased each other.

As it grew dark and my friends left, I looked for Dick. I ran from one end of the park to the other but there was no sign of Dick. Fear turned to panic when I realized that I had been abandoned. The icy rain cut through my soft skin and I ran under some bushes. I saw a bright red spot that soon turned into a small red puddle, where my head struck a sharp edge. I lay motionless in the snow for several hours and woke with a dull pain and was dizzy all over. The next few days seemed like years as I scavenged to keep my young and tiny body going. I must have fainted out of sheer hunger and exhaustion and am not sure how long I lay in the snow.

I felt a pair of soft hands pick me up. An angel like face smiled as she picked me up delicately. She caressed my face and looked at my name tag, I heard her whisper – Bijou – You were someone’s jewel.

Why would they let you go? No worries. You are safe now. Life hereon will be one wonderful journey. Now, as I pop my head out of Mary’s car, I keep wondering – when will folks stop giving us as Christmas gifts if we are to be thrown away on the street or in a shelter?

We are living beings – why not buy stuffed toys instead. Not everyone may be as lucky as me to find an angel like Mary.

A few thoughts to ponder ….

By CHANDNI KAMNANI A hot cup of chai and a newspaper in hand, I walk towards the door that has been left ajar for some fresh air.

Sitting down on a chair in my back yard, I glance at the bird feed that I put out but it is too early in the morning for the birds to come. They will come later and eat the feed.

I wish I had the time to wait, see them and hear their chirps, but alas…

Our eyes are always on the clock, every minute is as precious as gold. I have just 15 minutes to spare for a short workout, get dressed and rush to work.

God forbid if the freeway is backed up for some reason because that will delay me for sure.

Oh Lord! I have messed up my morning by getting lost in thoughts and just got to glance at the headlines. I will make sure from tomorrow that my mind does not get diverted.

Wait a minute, did I even finish my cup of hot chai, which has now turned absolutely cold and why not, it was made in the microwave as I have no time to make it on the stove and add seasonings to it. My four minutes flew away!

My God, Chandni, you have to keep yourself away from these thoughts as we only have permission to do so over the weekends.

Why is it so? What are we doing with our lives? Do we realize that we are constantly on the run with absolutely no time for ourselves?

We just roll and zoom by to be on time for everything. Eating breakfast, wearing make up in the car on the way to work and now even talking and texting with pure disregard to the safety of ourselves and others and why? Because we have no time.

Even at lunch we are running because that one hour zooms by like a minute i.e. if we get one hour for lunch.

While eating we are reading emails and never relish the food, and sometimes we even take the lunch and eat it on the way back to the office.

Before we realize it, it is 5 p.m and time to go home, but the work is not finished so we take it home and work from home at night, since it has to be finished.

What happened to the household chores you were supposed to do today? Well they just get pushed aside.

Let’s ask ourselves a question here…Who are we making happy?

Is it my company, my boss, my colleagues or myself? I am working for my family with whom I don’t even have time to spend.

Maybe some over the weekend if I do not bring work home or if I get the weekends off.

What have we done with our lives? Why are we doing this to ourselves? Why doesn’t life have a pause button?

As they say, “Life is what you make it”.

A job, business, work, activities are very important but more important than that is your health and family.

Let’s pause and take a step back, reflect on things and duties that pressurize us every moment so much so that we even forget to laugh, relax and enjoy the moments.

Like one said “Stop and smell the roses.” Are we gaining something or losing something? Just think…

I will pen down some new thoughts to ponder over next week when we meet again.

(For questions and comments, please email ckamnani@hotmail.com)

PAGE 6 • INDIA HERALD • WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 2, 2019

NEWS Documentary helps rally the world behind Anurima Bhargava appointed to U.S. Commission on an unknown global health crisis: Snakebite In my years as a television features producer, I’ve been pitched every story imaginable.

My litmus test is simple. Compelling characters and visuals are a must. If it’s a story no one has told, it goes to the top of the list. If the material makes my jaw drop and has the potential to create impactful change, I consider it a grand slam. Rarely are all those boxes checked.

When my phone rang in June 2015, I was told of a long-happening global health crisis with death tolls bigger than Ebola, affecting more than 80 countries throughout the tropics.

Unlike Ebola, this topic never made the headlines. There was no overnight support from governments, the international health community or donors.

How could nearly 50,000 people a year in India be dying, a large portion of the estimated 138,000 annual, global deaths?

How could hundreds of thousands more be left maimed or disabled? Why were families being plagued with debt to pay for treatment; that is if the specific medicine was even available when they arrived at rural hospitals?

I was beyond intrigued and began research. What did I find online? Literally nothing.

There were no news articles, no television stories. Just a few scientific papers written by a handful of advocates working for years with little support. I surveyed friends and colleagues. Everyone was dumbfounded when I revealed the issue.

Venomous snakes were responsible for this never-ending crisis, claiming lives and limbs of the rural poor, from dollara-day-earning farmers working in rice paddies, to mothers tending to the homestead, to children out playing in field. I immediately billed snakebite as the ‘world’s most ignored way to die’.

In two short months, our documentary crew was on a plane off to Tamil Nadu, India

and Central Kenya. Before departing, we pre-arranged interviews with specific victims and doctors, but nothing prepared us for the actuality on the ground. In two days at a hospital in Krishnagiri, India, a revolving door of critically injured snakebite patients filtered through. In nearby Erode, we asked villagers if they knew anyone who had been bitten, or a family who lost a loved one. Everyone knew someone.

These scenarios would repeat over months of filming.

In Africa, we tried to understand why the largest antivenom manufacturer stopped producing quality antivenom.

In India, we tried to grasp why there was abundant supply, but poor-quality serums forced doctors to scramble when the product caused anaphylactic shock.

Flash forward to now: our documentary, ‘Minutes to Die’ has been an essential ingredient to bring snakebite out of the shadows. Since its release, the film has been screened by hundreds of NGOs, university global health programs, ministries of health and leading players in the global health arena.

Along with a robust social impact campaign, the goal has been to do more than watch a film: the goal is to help solve a solvable crisis.

The global involvement at all levels has been astonishing.

I’ve watched Doctors Without Borders (MSF) become a key player advocating for policy and tackling the issue on the ground. Kofi Annan, in the year before his untimely passing, opened the right doors and along with governments of snakebite endemic countries, something incredible happened at the World Health Assembly this past May. Snakebite was officially added to the World Health Organization’s list of Neglected Tropical Diseases at the highest priority. A WHO roadmap on snakebite will be released in early 2019, call-

ing for government and donor support to ensure quality antivenoms are assessed, produced and distributed.

It’s amazing how storytelling can ignite a movement.

It’s humbling to receive a photo from a group of students in Tamil Nadu, who after watching the film, have pledged to spread prevention messages throughout their villages. University global health students are now adding snakebite to their studies. NGOs are already on the ground conducting needed community-based surveys.

Just this past month, a UKbased foundation pledged three million pounds to set up clinical centers and conduct needed research in India, Myanmar and Vietnam.

Our goal now is to continue to support regional programs to bring ensure lasting change. In Chennai, India, the Irula tribe has long been responsible for gathering venoms of Indian snakes. They collect 80% of the venom used by nine Indian antivenom manufacturers.

Yet, their machinery, facilities and practices are in serious need of upgrades. A relatively small investment in them would improve the quality of the collection process and in turn, immediately improve the production of life-saving medicines throughout India.

Snakebite isn’t an impossible issue to solve. The movement may not have garnered overnight support like Ebola, but the right wheels are turning at just the right time. And what an honor of a lifetime it’s been to tell the story.

James Reid is a nine-time Emmy winning television producer and the writer and director of the documentary film Minutes to Die. He currently works for the San Franciscobased Lillian Lincoln Foundation, producers of Minutes to Die and passionate supporters of snakebite impact work.

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International Religious Freedom

A veteran Indian American civil rights attorney Anurima Bhargava has been appointed to the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom by Speaker-Elect, California’s Congresswoman, Nancy Pelosi.

In a statement announcing the appointment, USCIRF chair Tenzin Dorjee said, “I commend Leader Pelosi for this superb appointment. With an impressive background and a demonstrated commitment to advocating for members of minority communities in the United States and abroad, Anurima Bhargava brings an important new perspective that will enhance the work of the Commission, especially on democratic India, with whom the United States has a long and proud relationship.”

“I very much look forward to working with her to advance the fundamental right of all people to exercise their freedom of religion or belief,” said Dorjee, who was also appointed to the Commission in 2016 by Pelosi, and re-appointed in May. Bhargava is the founder and president of the Anthem of Us, an organization which aims to highlight civil rights issues in underserved communities through legal advocacy, and documentary films.

The Harvard alumnus, who earned her law degree at Columbia University, formerly served as the chief of the Educational Opportunities Section of the Civil Rights Division at the U.S. Department of Justice during the Obama Administration. During her six-year tenure there, Bhargava led ant-discrimination efforts on school campuses including school segregation; school discipline and the school to prison pipeline; harassment and bullying; sexual assault; and protecting educational access and services for English Learner, LGBT and undocumented students.

She has served on numerous task forces and working groups, including the White House Task Force to Prevent Campus Sexual Assault and the Supportive School Discipline Initiative.

Bhargava has been an ardent opponent of Education Secretary Betsy DeVos’s attempts to roll back provisions protecting victims of rape on college campuses. DeVos has also issued a new set of proposed rules on Title IX regarding the responsibilities of primary and secondary schools, as well as universities, to address sexual assault and harassment.

Prior to joining the Justice Department, Bhargava served as the director of the Education Practice at the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, where she was actively engaged in litigation and advocacy to expand educational access and opportunities for students of color, according to her Harvard profile. She previously worked at the New York City Department of Education and clerked in the Southern District of New York.

Bhargava has served as a fellow at the Open Society Foundations and at Harvard University. Before attending law school, Bhargava worked in India assisting women elected to local government. She has been a member of the Truman National Security Project and the Council on Foreign Relations.She was born and raised on the south side of Chicago.

Earlier this year, Sen. Charles Schumer, D-New York, appointed Indian American businessman Andy Khawaja to the commission. Khawaja is the founder and chief executive officer of Allied Wallet. In 2016, a diplomatic kerfuffle occurred when India refused to issue visas to two USCIRF commissioners.

USCIRF is an independent, bipartisan federal government entity established by the U.S. Congress to monitor, analyze and report on threats to religious freedom abroad. USCIRF makes foreign policy recommendations to the president, the secretary of state, and Congress intended to deter religious persecution and promote freedom of religion and belief.

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INDIA HERALD • WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 2, 2019 • PAGE 7

NEWS

Cricket stadiums proposed in 8 cities The CricRealty Company, based in Dallas, Texas, has announced that the town of Allen, TX, has been selected as one of eight proposed sites for professional cricket stadiums. The multi-use facility will serve the growing need of pro-cricket while bringing urbanization and development to the area.

The two phased project has a 35-acre stadium facility that plans to house an International Cricket Council (ICC) certified cricket ground, training facilities and club house and a 25-acre parcel which will have a multi-use facility of offices, residences, commercial, entertainment centers and hotels, according to a press release.

The CricRealty Company has been working with strategic partners, including Donnie Nelson and Thakkar Developers to develop the proposed cricket stadiums and the multiuse facility.

The CricRealty company has also been working with JLL since 2016, to identify and develop cutting edge cricket infrastructure in the United States. The group is developing similar stadiums in other markets, including Atlanta, Chicago, Orlando, Washington DC, New Jersey, New York and California.

The group is looking to position itself as the key player in developing cricket infrastructure in the United States.

“Our vision is to identify strategic locations to build such complexes and thus provide hi-end, easy access venues across the country to facilitate the game”, said Steven V Maksin, of Moonbeam Capital, a key member of The CricRealty Company, in a statement.

“My goal is to make America fall in love with cricket,” said Jay Pandya, Chairman of The CricRealty Company, in a statement. “Cricket is the second most popular sport in the world. There are an estimated 20 million cricket fans in the United States. Plus, the growing Indian-American population in North Texas makes this project a perfect location for professional cricket.”

The launch of a professional league in the United States will require stadiums where games are played and practiced during off season, said the press release. An existing infrastructure will help the eventual league save infrastructure costs and focus on developing the sport in the US. “As we began planning this project, we identified an unmet need in North Texas for a stadium designed for global sports such as cricket,” Sam Thakkar, CEO of the Perfect Group of Business, which includes Thakkar Developers, said in a statement. “We connected with The CricRealty Company and learnt about their plans to bring

the first professional cricket stadium to Texas.”

“We’re thrilled to enter into this private-public partnership with The CricRealty Company, Dallas and Thakkar Developers to bring this unique project to Allen,” said Allen Mayor Stephen Terrell. “With a new international visitor base, we look forward to a big boost in tourism spending—which benefits businesses and residents alike.”

In addition to professional cricket, the stadium will also be suitable for other sports, like rugby, lacrosse and soccer. Construction on the site is expected to begin in 2019, with the first phase, including the stadium, expected to be completed in 2021.

Indian Ambassador Navtej Sarna given warm farewell

Indian Ambassador to the United States Navtej Sarna was given a warm send off on December 13th, as diplomats from both the countries praised the Trump administration and the state of bilateral relations. Sarna, who took over as Ambassador November 2016, ends an illustrious 38-year foreign service career with his posting in Washington.

In an extraordinary move and to showcase the strength of the ties that bind the two countries, the farewell was hosted by the State Department at Blair House, opposite the White House, a residence reserved for heads of state during visits to this country.

Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia, Alice Wells told the gathering President Trump calls India a “true friend,” and pointed to the two years during which the “Indo-

Pacific” region was renamed, And Secretary of State Mike Pompeo “has characterized the U.S.-India bilateral relationship as one deeply bound by our shared values,” Wells is quoted saying in news reports, at the event attended by top White House and State Department officials.

Both Wells and Sarna dwelt on the accomplishments of the past two years, the highlight of which was the state visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi; as well as the inauguration of the new 2+2 Dialogue on security and strategic priorities “Under your leadership in our countries have negotiated and finalized a landmark communications compatibility and security agreement, which makes our military cooperation more profound and advanced. We have also taken significant steps to build on India’s

status as a US major defence partner, including elevating India to strategic trade authorization, tier one status,” Wells is quoted saying in a Financial Express news report.

Sarna noted that the “personal chemistry” between Modi and President Donald Trump “were so strong” and “so, so evident,” resulting in the joint statement which would set the chart for bilateral relations in coming months. “We have found a huge amount of understanding for our political space, for our strategic autonomy, for the needs of our economy, for our role, for our taking into account our art history and our regional position vis a vis several other countries,” Sarna is quoted saying, adding that the two countries had found ways to serve their own national interests and still grow the relationship.

PAGE 8 • INDIA HERALD • WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 2, 2019

NEWS

Chandrika Tandon to receive Horatio Alger Award

Indian American business leader Chandrika Tandon will be receiving the 2019 Horatio Alger Award, among 12 others, from the Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans, Inc., a nonprofit educational organization honoring the achievements of outstanding individuals and encouraging youth to pursue their dreams through higher education.

Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans, Inc., a nonprofit educational organization honoring the achievements of outstanding individuals and encouraging youth to pursue their dreams through higher education, has announced that Chandrika K. Tandon, Chair and Founder of Tandon Capital Associates, Soul Chants Music, and the Krishnamurthy Tandon Foundation has been selected for membership in this prestigious organization.

For more than 70 years, the Horatio Alger Award has been annually bestowed upon esteemed individuals who have succeeded despite adversity, and who have remained committed to higher education and charitable endeavors throughout their lives.

Ms. Tandon was born the first daughter of a traditional family in Chennai, India.

Raised from an early age to make a good wife, her only exposure to the world at large was through music and the poetry and literature her grandfather shared with her. Though she dreamt of making music her life’s work, she was discouraged, as it was not considered a respectable profession at the time. Ms. Tandon instead pursued business, not knowing that music would find her again later in life. Fighting for her dreams against the narrow future her family envisioned, she went on hunger strikes to

be allowed to leave home for college and business school.

In 1973, Ms. Tandon graduated with a bachelor’s degree in commerce from Madras Christian College, and went on to attend the prestigious Indian Institute of Management in Ahmedabad for her MBA. Immediately thereafter, she began her career for Citibank, starting in war-torn Beirut.

At age 24, Ms. Tandon immigrated to the United States to work for McKinsey and Company, becoming the first Indian woman hired, and all without an American education. She found herself advising CEOs on their biggest problems even though she didn’t own a business suit, didn’t know how to drive, and was totally new to American culture. With a dogged determination to create impact for businesses and clients, coupled with a fearsome work ethic, she made partner at the firm within a few years.

In 1990, she risked her life savings to found Tandon Capital Associates, a financial advisory company, restructuring preeminent financial institutions worldwide, and creating billions of dollars of market cap. This decision quickly catapulted her to a new echelon.

At the pinnacle of her career, despite all the trappings of success, Ms. Tandon became increasingly tormented by life’s bigger questions. She was compelled to reevaluate her definitions of success, and self-reflection led her to remember that the happiest moments of her childhood were tied to music. Ms. Tandon decided to pursue singing as an extension of her professional life, often leaving home at 4:00 a.m. for lessons on Saturdays so that she could learn from artists she idolized. Her dedication to the craft has since gained admiration around the world, allowing her to perform for millions, release four albums, and in 2011, garnering her a Grammy nomination for her album, Soul Call.

“Chandrika is a visionary who took control of her future at a young age,” said Matthew Rose, president, Horatio Alger Association and 2013 Horatio Alger Award recipient. “Despite barriers, she never lost sight of her goals, and fought for the life she wanted and deserved. We are delighted to welcome Chandrika as a lifetime Member, and I look forward to sharing her story of triumph and accomplishment with our Scholars.”

In the past 20 years, Ms. Tandon has used her business skills and resources pro bono to better humanity and commit to a life of public service.

Through the Krishnamurthy Tandon Foundation, she strategically directs resources to create pathways to economic, social, emotional, and spiritual well-being for all. As one of the largest Indian-American donors to American higher education, Ms. Tandon and her husband have given $100 million to the New York University (NYU) Polytechnic School of Engineering, renamed the NYU Tandon School of Engineering. She serves as Vice Chair of the NYU Board of Trustees and sits on the boards of the NYU Langone Health System, the NYU Stern School of Business and the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts.

From 2002 to 2008, she served as NYU Stern’s Distinguished Executive in Residence, where she lectured about business transformation and leadership, and earned the Walter Nichols Medal in 2009. In 2016, she received the university’s highest honor, the Gallatin Medal.

“I spent my life working hard to create impact for businesses and society,” said Ms. Tandon. “But I know I would not be where I am today without the teachers and supporters I’ve had – especially my grandfather. My love for music has been an important outlet for me in finding myself, and for that, I am forever grateful.

I hope I can help to advocate for our young Horatio Alger Scholars as they fight for their professional and personal passions, just as I did.”

Through its Members, Horatio Alger Association aims to educate young people about the limitless opportunities afforded to them by the free-enterprise system. To further this mission, the organization awards scholarships to outstanding high school students who are committed to pursuing higher education and giving back to their communities. Like Association Members, Horatio Alger Scholars have faced significant adversities, but have also displayed unmatched resilience in overcoming their challenges. Since the scholarship program was established in 1984, Horatio Alger Association has provided more than $159 million to students in need, all of which has been funded solely through the generosity of Association Members and friends.

“Ms. Tandon defines tenacity and boldness – characteristics that many of our Scholars also embody,” said Terrence J. Giroux, executive director, Horatio Alger Association.

“Her business acumen, dedication to service and passion for education will serve our Association well. I’m certain she will be a tremendous role model for the young men and women we support.”

Ms. Tandon and the Member Class of 2019 will be formally inducted into the Association on April 4-6, 2019, during the Association’s 72nd Horatio Alger Award Induction Ceremonies in Washington, D.C. The annual three-day event honors the achievements of both Members and National Scholars, affording both groups the opportunity to meet and interact as well as exchange stories of hardships and triumphs.

For more information about Horatio Alger Association and its Member Class of 2019, please visitwww.horatioalger. org .

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INDIA HERALD • WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 2, 2019 • PAGE 9

COMMUNITY

Raising the consciousness of India’s sacred past

Play

From Page 1 Swami Vivekananda– well remembered for his revolutionary address at the Parliament of World Religions in Chicago.

For the duration of the play, those performing were not just children but truly a representation of the saints themselves, worthy of respect and attention.

The bhajans and musical accompaniment of the live orchestra trained by Smt. Jamuna Murali and her team elevated the performance.

Singers, tabla players, cellists, violinists, and pianists musically showcased the mood in every scene.

Characters like the naughty mice, the perplexed disciple, and the enlightened masters were enlivened by creative sound effects that were mischievous, amusing, and

deeply soulful respectively.

Make-up and costumes for the 115 performers – for royalty, saints, peasants and devotees who all spanned different centuries, were breathtakingly realistic and true to character.

While the play was written entirely in English, the clever script by the Balavihar play coordinators moved seamlessly between traditional and contemporary styles of speech.

Relatable snippets of a young boy complaining about bedtime, referring to a saint as ‘awesome,’or simply judging India by its outward gildings, struck a chord and often won plenty of laughs from the audience.

An IT-focused audio-visual team tied everything together brilliantly.

Awe-inspiring, larger-than-life images and animations burst out from the massive LED-lit backdrop. It drew the audience into the inner sanctum of temples, allowed access into the most important of Shivaji’s courtrooms and

Balavihar children enacting lives of saints.— Photos by Jay Mistry and Nilesh Shah even took viewers to the Chicago Parliament of World Religions assembly of 1893.

The most impressive achievement is the diverse age range of the performers from as little as pre-K to twelfth grade.

These artists kept the packed hall riveted to their seats. To come across an occasion where

people from age two to ninety two can all thoroughly enjoy an evening together is rare.

“India, My Sacred Land” is a true testimony to the devoted teamwork of all the volunteer groups of Chinmaya Mission Houston.

For more information on Chinmaya Mission Houston

and its activities visit www. chinmayahouston.org or reach Jay Deshmukh 832-541-0059 or or Bharati Sutaria 281933-0233 or better still, stop

by Chinmaya Prabha, 10353, Synott Road, Sugar Land, TX77498.

PAGE 10 • INDIA HERALD • WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 2, 2019

IMMIGRATION

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On December 15th, the Youth Leadership Development Program met for their fourth session at the Harris County Civil Court House. The sessionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s guest speaker was Judge Ravi K. Sandill, presiding judge of Harris County.

In his speech, Judge Sandill spoke about his career and how he got to where he is right now.

Along the way, Judge Sandill encountered multiple hardships that could have ended his career, but rather than get disheartened, he stayed positive and made it through them all.

When he joined law school in 2002, the market had just crashed, and his chances of getting a good job were very low.

However, two months after law school, he landed a job with a big ďŹ rm. A few months later, at the age of 28, he was diagnosed with cancer. After undergoing over a year of treatments, the cancer was beaten, only to come back three months later.

After completely overcoming cancer, he got a job with a good

ďŹ rm, but when it started to decline, he was let go, which allowed him to go to Guatemala and adopt a little boy.

In 2008, the Harris County Democratic Party asked him to run for the seat of judge. He decided to run and ended up winning. He became the ďŹ rst South Asian judge in the whole of Texas. This past year, he ran for the Supreme Court. When he lost by just six percent, he learned many lessons. He realized that life isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t just about him, and that it is much bigger than just him. There were many points in his life where he couldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve given up, but he never did. He always kept a positive outlook on life. When he was going through treatments for cancer, he realized that he wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t the one suďŹ&#x20AC;ering the most, but rather, it was the people around him that suďŹ&#x20AC;ered the most.

Truly, his life is a lesson that we should always keep a positive outlook on life and never give up on anything.

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INDIA HERALD • WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 2, 2019 • PAGE 11

COMMUNITY

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Birla Institute of Technology and Science Alumni Association International, Houston Chapter, members met at Nirvana restaurant on Dec. 15 to celebrate the 2018 holiday season. It also provided an opportunity for the young Bitsians who moved to Houston recently to meet with the senior Bitsians living in Houston.

An estimated 300 Bitsians living in and around Houston greater metropolitan area, mostly employed in the Oil and Gas, IT, Engineering and Financial sectors.

Nikhita Punna was the event coordinator.

BITSAA International Inc. is a not-for-profit organization registered in New Jersey, USA with several chapters through out USA. Locally, Houston chapter was officially launched on BITSAA Day, Aug.2, 2013 by the then Consul General of India Parvathaneni Harish who himself was an Engineer before becoming a diplomat.

BITSAA’s mission is to “Maximize the potential of BITSians and BITS Pilani”.

It engages in charitable and educational activities by raising funds for setting up endowments, creating scholarships, rewarding teaching and research and generally promoting the development of resources at Birla Institute of Technology and Science at Pilani, Dubai, Goa and Hyderabad campuses. Government of India has recently named BITS,Pilani as one of the six Institutes of Eminence in India, a special category.

BITSAA International aims to strengthen the ties, friendship and communication amongst former students, alumni faculty and friends of the Institute. BITSAA International provides a number of channels for people to stay connected with each other and with Birla Institutes of Technology & Science.

BITSAA Int’l invites all Bitsians to join their facebook group : https://www.facebook.com/groups/BITSAAHouston/ For more information, please visit BITSAA website : https:// www.bitsaa.org/page/about-bitsaa-international For information on BITSAA Houston chapter, please call Krishna Vavilala:713-795-5169.

PAGE 12 • INDIA HERALD • WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 9, 2019

COMMUNITY

Dr. Syamal Poddar elected Chair of AIChE Fellows Council active member of the Foundation Board of Trustees of the Institute. This husband wife team has also been recognized by the Institute as Philanthropist of the year for two consecutive years, 2016 and 2017. His volunteer contribution touched the Institute’s largest local section, South Texas section, as the elected Chairman for 2016.

“I believe it is essential to attract a new generation of chemical engineer volunteers to the Institute to continue the process of positively impacting society at large and help the underprivileged by opening the door for them via mentoring with passion and encouragement,” said Dr. Poddar.

Dr. Poddar believes in the

New Chair invites upcoming generation of chemical engineers to join path of future leaders of the institute

By PRAMOD KULKARNI HOUSTON A 40-year member of the AIChE (American Institute of Chemical Engineers), Dr. Syamal Poddar has been elected Chair of AIChE’s Fellows Council for 2018. Dr. Poddar served as the Chair Elect in 2017.

Dr. Poddar has progressed through the ranks of AiChE during his 40-year career as a chemical engineer from regular member to Senior Member to, most recently, as an Emeritus Member.

Along the way, through his recognized contributions to the chemical engineering profession via industrial and academic engagements, Dr. Poddar was elected a Fellow of the institute about 20 years ago.

Based on his commitments and passion to closely work with his peers as a team, he was elected to the Fellows Council of the Institute a few years ago.

Dr. Syamal Poddar with the plaque presented to him in appreciation of his contributions as the 2018 Chair of Fellows Council.

true meaning of volunteerism whereby one does volunteer projects without expecting anything in return. Besides the professional organizations, he has all along been engaged with social organizations as well.

He was the elected Chair of Indian Culture Center of Clearlake (ICCL Clear Lake) in 1991and later as the Chief Trustee of its Board of Trustees. During his tenure as the Chair, ICCL organization achieved phenomenal, growthoriented transformation.

With a patron status, Dr. Poddar supports two key organizations: Asia Society of Texas and Space Center of Houston.

Sharma Tilal Senanayake, CPA Certified Public Accountant Syamal Poddar Dr. Poddar has demonstrated new Fellows to be proactive in a keen interest to create a pool impacting society at large. of young professionals with “I’ve been involved with the potential to become future AiChE’s Doing A World of leaders of the Institute which Good since its inception about is over 60,000-strong. It is the five years ago,” revealed Dr. global home of chemical engi- Poddar. neers.

Together with his wife, Dr. As the institute celebrates Susmita Poddar, Dr. Syamal its 110 years of prolonged and Poddar has made and continues effective existence, Dr. Poddar to make donations to the instihas steered the Fellows Council tute’s Foundation. Jointly, they to create diversity and inclusion have reached the highest level by nominating and encouraging of recognized donor. He is an

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INDIA HERALD • WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 2, 2019 • PAGE 13

NEWS

Slain police officer Ronil Singh was a husband, father

Ronil Singh, with wife Anamika.

‘A good man.’

Friendly, outgoing and an adventurer.

That was how some described Newman Police Department Cpl. Ronil Singh, who was shot and killed during a traffic stop early Wednesday morning.

Singh had been “working overtime on Christmas night to provide the best for his family,” an uncle, Ugesh Yogi Singh, said in a Facebook tribute, referring to the slain officer as “my adventurous nephew” and “my family’s action hero.”

A resident of northeast Modesto, Singh is survived by his wife, Anamika, and their 5-month-old son.

Singh was making a traffic stop in east Newman at about 1 a.m.

Wednesday when he was gunned down by the driver of a pickup, who fled the scene and remains at large.

“Our Newman Police family is devastated by the loss of Ronil,” said Newman Police Chief Randy Richardson in a release.

Gov. Jerry Brown directed that flags be flown at half-staff at the Capitol in Sacramento in honor of Singh.

“He was super friendly and outgoing,” said Sgt. Tom Letras, a spokesman with the Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Department who had crossed paths many times with the slain corporal.

Singh, a native of Fiji, studied criminal justice at Modesto Junior College in 2005 and began working at the Newman agency in 2011. He previously was employed at the Turlock Police Department and as a reserve at the Merced County Sheriff’s Department.

“Ronil was a good man who started his career with the TPD as a cadet,” said Turlock Police Chief Nino Amirfar in a release Wednesday morning. “His dream and desire was to be a police officer and to be there to serve his community. He chose to be the light in the darkness and to do so without hesitation. We are all devastated and are in mourning. He was loved and will always be in our hearts.”

In his Facebook post, his uncle called Singh “a very adventurous and beautiful soul, taken away too soon ... He was a great role model for our next generation of Indo-Americans.” The post features a few photos of Singh engaging in outdoorsman activities such as hunting and fishing, and posing with his K-9 partner, Sam, near a Christmas tree.

On Christmas Eve, Singh posted on his Facebook page photos of himself along with fish and crabs from a deep sea fishing trip.

Law enforcement always will strive to ensure that “evil will never triumph over good,” Amirfar said. “The love of community and humanity keeps the light of good burning bright and your police officers are the torch bearers and the guardians. Corporal Ronil Singh, rest easy; we have it from here.”

Brown released a statement reading, “On behalf of all Californians, Anne and I extend our condolences to Corporal Singh’s wife, young son, loved ones and colleagues. Our hearts are with the entire community of Newman and law enforcement officers across the state who risk their lives every day to protect and serve the people of California.”

Extended relatives at Singh’s Modesto home on Wednesday said details of his life will be shared when immediate family members arrive from Fiji.

“Officer Singh was a nice guy. He helped me out here a lot,” said Jig Patel, owner of Hamlet Motel in Newman. “Anytime I needed some help, I called him up personally and he came through all the time.”

—The Modesto Bee

President of India inaugurates AAPI’s Annual Global Healthcare Summit MUMBAI, Dec. 29 President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind, inaugurated the 12th edition of the Global Healthcare Summit organized by the American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI) at The Taj Palace Hotel in Mumbai on Friday, December 28th, 2018.

In his inaugural address, the President of India said, AAPI is “more than just a platform of doctors and medical practitioners, the Indian President told the nearly 500 delegates who had come from around the world to attend the landmark Summit in Mumbai. “It is a link between two vibrant and democratic societies, both of which have addressed major public health challenges in their own way.”

He praised AAPI and the over 100,000 Physicians of Indian Origin in the United States for their great contributions.

“The professional-ism and goodwill of Indian doctors in America has won them – won you, I should say – a well-deserved reputation,” he told the AAPI leaders. “In fact, it has occasionally led to diplomatic gains for India for which your Association must be appreciated.” He said India and the US shared complementarities in the pharmaceutical field – in clinical research, drug discovery and manufacture. He said that both countries can work together to address common challenges posed by lifestyle diseases.

In his welcome address, Dr. Naresh Parikh, President of AAPI said, “The past Global Healthcare Summit (GHS) have helped develop strategic alliances with various organizations and the government of India. It is these learning and relationships that have brought us all here in Mumbai, who are very passionate about serving their homeland, Mother India.”

Past summits have identified areas of mutual interest and also integrated advancements of healthcare facilities in India besides ways and means of tackling long term concerns leading to long-term collaborations. Dr. Parikh reminded the audience of many outcomes of the Summit, saying, over the past 12 years AAPI physicians have collaborated with several professional medical associations, academic institutions, Government of India, and have made significant contributions towards addressing diabetes with the launch of Sevak program, CPR-AED training for first responders with expert faculty from the American University of Antigua, Traumatic Brain Injury the scourge of young India, and development of management guidelines thereby helping prevent deaths due to road traffic accidents, raising the importance and awareness on smok-

ing cessation, Adopt a Village program and taking the initiatives to make quality healthcare accessible universally to village and taluka and district levels, and most recently a strong collaborative on making India TB Free with the signing of a MOU with USAID. Ten city pilots are well under way and significant progress is being made, said Dr. Naresh Parikh, President AAPI in his opening remarks. A significant collaboration has been reached between AAPI and Project Life to address the challenge of and to prevent Thalassemia.

Dr. Parikh praised the contributions and efforts of Dr. Ravi Jahagirdar, Chair of GHS 2018, Dr. Sampat Shivangi, Co-Chair of GHS 2018, Dr. Vinod Shah, Chair of AAPI Legislative Committee, Dr. Raj Bhayani, Co-Chair of GHS 2018, Anwar Feroz, AAPI’s Strategic Advisor, Dr. Asha Parikh, Women’s Forum Chair, and his entire Executive Committee consisting of Dr. Suresh Reddy, President-Elect; Dr. Sudhakar Jonnalagadda, Vice President; Dr. Anupama Gotimukula, Secretary; Dr. Anjana Samadder, Treasurer; and Dr. Ajeeth Kothari, Chairman of the Board of Trustees. Dr. Ramesh Mehta, President of GAPIO, which has jointly organized GHS for the first time in association with AAPI, also addressed he delegates during the inaugural ceremony.

Dr. Ramesh Mehta, President GAPIO in his opening address said that AAPI GHS 2018 is the beginning of a strong collaborative approach along with the Global Association of Physicians of Indian origin (GAPIO) that together will make constructive and tangible ways of ensuring that healthcare is affordable and accessible to millions of people in India.

Dr. Prathap C Reddy, Founder GAPIO has envisioned the evolution of developing a united front for all NRI physicians to develop strong and effective programs that can be implemented with precision to face the challenges posed by Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs). GAPIO has launched several programs including Leadership Development Programs. GAPIO has representation from 34 countries according to Dr. Anupam Sibal, Vice President, GAPIO. Devendra Fadnavis, the Chief Minister of the state of Maharashtra, in his address to the international delegates, welcomed the AAPI delegates to his home state, Maharashtra.

While praising the many contributions of AAPI, he urged the delegates to work collaboratively in making health care more affordable. He promised whole-hearted support to the initiatives of AAPI in the state of Maharashtra. Chennamane-

ni Vidyasagar Rao, Governor of Maharashtra, and Raj Purohit, Cabinet Minister of Maharashtra were honored guests who attended the event.

The President of India acknowledged the professionalism and excellent reputation of doctors of Indian origin in the US. “It is a tribute to India’s culture of knowledge and of service that one of every seven patient consultations in the US is with an Indian or Indian origin physician,” he said.

AAPI, a three-and-a-half decades old organization with an impressive CV, is the largest non-profit ethnic medical institution in the United States.

“Your Association is a miniIndia, comprising doctors with origins in all parts of our country,” the Indian President said.

The President said that the goal of ‘Health for All’ must be integral to our programs and policies. He noted the several initiatives of the Government of India, which he said were intended to make healthcare in the country more holistic and affordable for all citizens of the country.

The President of India lauded the great contributions of the members of AAPI to public health and to the discipline of medicine across the spectrum.

“You are consulted on legislative and policy issues and are involved in cutting-edge research. Most important, you are responsible for providing medical care and treatment to a wide variety of people, including, I am happy to note, communities living in underserved areas.

The Indian diaspora, spread across the world, “serves as a living bridge between the country of its adoption and the country of its origin – such as between the US and India,” the Indian President said.

He praised AAPI for its collaborations with the Ministry of Health, Government of India, with state governments and with several medical and academic institutions to take forward the agenda of public health. “AAPI and its members have helped in addressing diabetes, taking on the challenge of TB, development of management guide-lines for brain injuries, and rural health-care, among other themes,” he said.

The President of India praised AAPI’s contributions, especially, Imparting of “first responder training in several states of the country, including here in Maharashtra. Such training can be of immense use after road accidents or when dealing with an emergency.”

He urged AAPI to take this process further and deeper, especially in rural areas, where there may be a considerable distance between the patient and a well-equipped multi-specialty hospital.

See Page 14

PAGE 14 â&#x20AC;˘ INDIA HERALD â&#x20AC;˘ WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 2, 2019

NEWS AAPI

From Page 13 cialty hospital.

He appealed to AAPI leaders to work together with the government of India in ďŹ nding innovative ways to oďŹ&#x20AC;er quality and aďŹ&#x20AC;ordable care to millions of poor people in India, by building alliances â&#x20AC;&#x201C; between doctors and patient groups, between civil society and industry, between researchers and practitioners and ultimately between countries â&#x20AC;&#x153;Disease does not discriminate, and the practice of medicine and health-care must not discriminate either,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Indiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s experience with producing aďŹ&#x20AC;ordable but high quality drugs and medicines oďŹ&#x20AC;ers a huge advantage as the world â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and America itself â&#x20AC;&#x201C; seeks to drive down the cost of healthcare and health insurance,â&#x20AC;? the Indian President pointed out. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Our countries can also work hand-in-hand in seeking answers to global pandemics and emerging zoonotic diseases.â&#x20AC;?

The President of India urged AAPI to continue its eďŹ&#x20AC;orts in the prevention and management of life-style diseases, diabetes and obesity, where physicians of Indian origin can bring in â&#x20AC;&#x153;traditional Indian wellness practices to modern medical systems. Please see what your Association can do in this area,â&#x20AC;? he told AAPI delegates â&#x20AC;&#x153;The goal of â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Health for Allâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; must be integral to our programs and policies,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I am very happy to note that the Government of India has been doing exactly that â&#x20AC;&#x201C; it had made delivery of holistic healthcare to all citizens of India, one of its primary goals.â&#x20AC;?

Appealing more collaborative eďŹ&#x20AC;orts by AAPI, especially in the Ayushman Bharat Yojana, seeking to provide comprehensive medical care to all our people, from little children to the elderly, covering 40 per cent of Indian citizens, the Indian President said, Ayushman Bharat is of importance to more

Dr. Ravi Jahagirdar, Chair of GHS 2018, Chennamaneni Vidyasagar Rao, Governor of Maharashtra, First Lady of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind, President of India, Chief Minister of the state of Maharashtra., Dr. Naresh Parikh, President of AAPI, Dr. Ramesh Mehta, President GAPIO, than just India. Its success will oďŹ&#x20AC;er a blue-print to cost-eďŹ&#x20AC;ective universal health coverage in emerging economies and among vulnerable communities. â&#x20AC;&#x153;That is why I would urge all of you to become part of this potentially game-changing initiative â&#x20AC;&#x201C; by participating and supporting it as you can, or even by making suggestions in terms of its design and roll-out. I look forward to actionable ideas on Ayushman Bharat emerging from this Summit,â&#x20AC;? the President of India told AAPI delegates.

Representing the interests of the over 100,000 physicians of Indian origin, leaders of American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI), the largest ethnic organization of physicians, for 37 years. One in seven American is touched by a doctor of Indian origin. There is an equally large percentage of medical residents, fellows and students in the USA. AAPIâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s GHS has provided a venue for medical education programs and symposia with world renowned physicians on the cutting edge of medicine.

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Triple talaq Bill likely to face stiďŹ&#x20AC; resistance in Rajya Sabha The Centre is likely to face stiďŹ&#x20AC; resistance in its second attempt to ensure passage of the triple talaq Bill when it comes up on Monday in the Rajya Sabha, as the Congress is all set to oppose the proposed law in coordination with other Opposition parties.

The amended Bill, passed by the Lok Sabha this past week, is listed in the business of the Upper House for Monday. In the last session, the earlier Bill could not be taken up in the Rajya Sabha due to a lack of consensus among political parties.

Although the government expressed the hope that the Bill would ďŹ nd support in the Rajya Sabha, this time too the Congress plans to oppose it.

Apart from holding a meeting of party MPs on Monday morning, Leader of the Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad will be coordinating with other Opposition parties to formulate a common strategy.

Congress member T. Subbarami Reddy has also brought in a statutory resolution, listed for the same day, on the issue.

It states: â&#x20AC;&#x153;That this House disapproves the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Ordinance, 2018 (No. 7 of 2018) promulgated by the President of India on 19th September, 2018.â&#x20AC;?

Both the ruling BJP and the Opposition have issued whips to their MPs, directing them to be present and vote on party lines if the Bill comes up for the consideration of the House.

The Opposition parties are of the view that it should be sent to a Select Committee of the Rajya Sabha.

In the Lok Sabha, where the Opposition does not have the numbers to impact the governmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s decision, the Congress and the Trinamool had walked out after participating in the debate. In the Rajya Sabha, where the Opposition has greater numbers, they want to send the

Bill to an MPsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; panel to examine the provisions in detail.

The revised Bill has addressed some of the concerns earlier ďŹ&#x201A;agged by the Opposition: for example, the new one has the provision of an accused husband seeking bail from a magistrate. But the Opposition parties claim the Bill still has several ďŹ&#x201A;aws and needs to be examined again. They have questioned the stringent provisions like the criminalisation of a civil wrong.

All India Congress Committee general secretary K.C. Venugopal told reporters in Kochi that the party would join hands with others to prevent passage of the Bill.

The Congress will not let the passage of the triple talaq Bill in its present form in the Rajya Sabha, All India Congress Committee general secretary K.C. Venugopal said in Kochi on Saturday.The party would join hands with those parties with whom it could ally with to defeat the Bill in the present form, he told reporters.

Ten Opposition parties had come out openly against the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2018 when it was introduced in the Lok Sabha. Even the parties, including the AIADMK that supports the Union government on various issues and the Trinamool Congress, have come out openly against it, said Mr. Venugopal, who is also a Congress ďŹ&#x201A;oor strategist.

Stringent provisions such as criminalisation of a civil wrong were there in the Bill and it was not at all acceptable for the Opposition parties, including the Congress. â&#x20AC;&#x153;...The Bill will not help empower womenâ&#x20AC;?, Mr. Venugopal said.

The Bill, passed by the Lok Sabha on Thursday, is expected to be considered by the Rajya Sabha next week. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;No confusion in UPA, UDF

on Billâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Mr. Venugopal claimed that there was no confusion in the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance or the party-led United Democratic Front in Kerala on the Bill.

Recalling the passage of the Bill in another form in the Lok Sabha in 2017, the Alappuzha MP said the then government could not push the Bill in the Upper House due to the stringent opposition from the Congress and other Opposition parties. â&#x20AC;&#x153;That is the reason why the government brought the ordinance and re-introduced the Bill again in the Lok Sabha.

But the Congress will oppose its passage in the present form in the Rajya Sabha,â&#x20AC;? he said.

The Congress had accused the National Democratic Alliance government of getting the triple talaq Bill passed in haste in the Lok Sabha keeping in mind the 2019 general election.

The party had said its provisions were against the Constitution as well as fundamental rights.

The Opposition, which had been demanding that the Bill be referred to a â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;joint select committeeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, staged a walkout when its demand was rejected by the government.

The Bill was passed by the Lower House with 245 voting in favour and 11 opposing it.

Piloting the Bill, Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad had said there should be no politics on the Bill, stressing that it was not against any particular community.

BJP chief Amit Shah had described the passage of the Bill in the Lok Sabha as a historic step to ensure equality and dignity of Muslim women, and demanded an apology from the Congress for decades of â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;â&#x20AC;&#x2122;injustice.â&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;&#x2122;

INDIA HERALD • WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 2, 2019 • PAGE 15

NEWS

India scores in climate politics

By V.K. BAHUGUNA Given that the country is well on course to achieving its targets much ahead of the deadlines, a holistic approach to the climate change mitigation process will lead to meaningful action The global climate change negotiation under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is held periodically under the aegis of the Conference of Parties (CoP). The 24th CoP to the UNFCCC, COP24, was held in Katowice, Poland, from December 2 to 14. After the historic Paris Agreement on Climate Change in 2015, the Katowice meet was the most significant. It was supposed to lay down the contours for climate change action plans.

This year marked the deadline, as agreed by signatories of the Paris Agreement, to adopt a “work programme for the implementation” of commitments that were made in 2015. An analysis of the decision taken in CoP24 clearly indicates that the shadow of the US’ withdrawal from the climate change talk is over. A new global leadership has emerged and India is leading from the front.

Thanks to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, his actions, determination and dynamism ensured that the commitments made at the 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference, COP 21, reached the ultimate goal despite the many problems faced by our country, most important of them pertaining to the growth in population.

The second most important leader in the global climate leadership is French President Emmanuel Macron, who readily agreed to Prime Minister Modi’s proposal for setting up the International Solar Alliance (ISA), which was signed by both leaders earlier this year. More than 120 countries have become signatories to the ISA. In October 2018, more than 48 countries along with 25 heads of states attended the ISA conference that was hosted by India.

Another reason for the progress of climate-related talks is the trust factor. Most low and middle income countries bestowed faith in Prime Minister Modi’s capability to steer the climate change proceedings due to his stature as a global leader. The only other country that holds similar potential is China. But then, it suffers from trust deficit.

It would be worthwhile to discuss some of the takeaways from the CoP24 and India’s role in the successful conclusion of the climate change conference. Prior to this, we saw the then Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Jairam Ramesh, registering similar impact on India’s idea of climate diplomacy.

Ramesh also espoused the cause of the developing world.

Global rules are necessary to ensure that every percentage of the emission released into the atmosphere is accounted for.

In this way, progress towards the limitation goals of the Paris

Agreement can be measured accurately. Currently, climate actions of rich nations for the pre2020 period are being guided by the Kyoto Protocol. The UN climate change conference adopted a rulebook for the implementation of the Paris Agreement only after protracted negotiations.

This deal is meant for climate action by all countries across the globe.

Its success was explained by Michal Kurtyka, CoP24 president: “We have worked on this (Katowice) package for three years. With 200 countries in the room, it is not easy to find agreement on a deal so specific and technical. But under these circumstances, every single step forward is a big achievement.”

The Katowice climate package includes guidelines that will operationalise the transparency framework. It sets out how countries will provide information about their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) that describe their domestic climate actions. This information includes mitigation and adaptation measures as well as details of financial support for climate action in developing countries.

With this, countries can chalk out a roadmap for the implementation of the Paris Accord that covers the period from now till 2020. The Katowice package also includes guidelines for establishing new targets on finance from 2025 onwards to follow on from the current target of mobilising $100 billion per year from 2020 to support developing countries. The other guidelines include how to conduct the global stock-taking of the effectiveness of climate action in 2023 and how to assess progress on the development and transfer of technology by the developed nations. The guidelines, known as the Paris rulebook, will promote trust among nations that all countries are playing their part in addressing the challenge of climate change.

The word ‘trust’ signifies the most positive outcome of the Katowice Conference. However, issues that still have to be taken into account circle the use of cooperative approaches as well as the sustainable development mechanism, as contained in the Paris Agreement’s Article 6. These would allow countries to meet a part of their domestic mitigation goals through the use of so-called ‘market mechanisms.’

On this matter, the Paris Agreement recognises the need for global rules to safeguard the integrity of efforts of all countries. It is hoped that this issue will be decided in future meetings, and India is expected to play a key role.

The Indian delegation reiterated its stand with overwhelming support that the Paris Climate Agreement was “non-negotiable” and there could be no compromise on the basic principles such as equity and common but differentiated responsibilities

and respective capabilities. It effectively countered the attempts of rich countries, led by the US and the European Union, to dilute this provision.

India stressed the need for using scientific findings on climate change and welcomed the recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC) Special Report, which said that human activities are estimated to have caused approximately one degrees celsius of global warming above the pre-industrial levels and are currently increasing at 0.2 degrees celsius per decade.

India in its statement stood for the poor, marginalised and vulnerable communities as they are worst-hit by the vagaries of climate change. On the first day of CoP24, India made it clear to the world that it was well on course to achieve all its climate targets much ahead of the deadline it set for itself. It asked its developed counterparts to meet their obligations, including those relating to providing financial and technological help to the developing countries.

The Institute for Energy Economic and Financial Analysis (IEEFA), a US-based organisation that conducts research and analysis on financial and economic issues related to energy and environment, showed that India was likely to attain the goal of having 40 per cent of its electricity generation coming from renewable sources by the year 2020, instead of the original target of 2030. It said that by the year 2027, renewable energies like solar, wind and biomass would generate about 275 GW of electricity, comprising 44 per cent of India’s total power generation of 619 GW. Hydro and nuclear energy, which are also considered as clean sources of energy, would contribute another 80 GW or about 13 per cent.

The Government, however, needs to take some more pro-active action, especially in tackling the landscape. This (because India is a tropical nation facing the vagaries of climate change) has already started affecting its landscape and consequently the livelihoods of the poor. It has caused uncertainty in agriculture and disturbed hydrological cycles.

The Himalayan glaciers are receding and the flow of rivers originating from these glaciers is making the whole living scenario precarious. There is a need to adopt a holistic approach for the overall developmental process in which climate change mitigation and adaptation should be a collateral benefit. Otherwise, it will jeopardise the goals of sustainable development in the long run. Also, joint forest management must be made the central theme of the entire mitigation and adaptation procedure. It is to be hoped that the Government takes action on the suggested lines.

(The writer is a Retired Civil Servant.)

—The Pioneer

Visceral fear of Modi’s second term

By SWAPAN DASGUPTA One of the first public acts of the Narendra Modi Government after the BJP lost the three Assembly elections in Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan was to reduce the Goods and Services Tax on a clutch of items.

The move was quietly welcomed in all circles —including by the Congress that said it had suggested it first — but there was also a corresponding feeling that the move had come too late to shake off an impression that the Modi Government was losing its momentum. If the buzz in Opposition circles is any indication, there is a feeling that the BJP may not reach the majority mark in 2019. Of course, there is no corresponding agreement over what and who will replace Modi.

Writing premature obituaries is hazardous. No historical precedents are ever faithfully replicated. It is entirely possible that after five years, the grim memories of a coalition Government that struggled to take difficult decisions due to competitive political pressures may have faded. Additionally, the horrible experience of the two United Front Governments may have fallen out of the collective imagination. This may be a reason why quasi-scholastic articles upholding coalitions as representative of India’s diversity are often to be found in the media. The underlying rationale is that the BJP and Modi must be prevented at all cost from having another five-year term.

It is instructive to explore some of the reasons why a section of the elite is unduly anxious to secure a change of Government. Just before and just after the BJP under Modi stormed to power in 2014, the fear was that such a Government, without the restraining influence of the benign Atal Bihari Vajpayee, would transform the very nature of the polity. Fears were expressed that majoritarian impulses would see minorities cowering in their ghettos and there would be tampering with the Constitution.

Despite the strictures against beef and the handful of excesses by cow vigilante squads, the social fabric of India has not really undergone any meaningful change since 2014. Yes, there is now some measure of official patronage for yoga, Sanskrit scholars don’t feel completely marginal in universities and a greater willingness of Hindus to assert their Hinduness without fear of inviting social condescension. Some academic institutions have also witnessed changes that invariably come about with changes of Government. But there has been, for example, no saffronisation of education in the same way as there was a red takeover of education in West Bengal under the Left Front. The anticipated changes in history books too have not materialised. As for institutions, the judiciary is today more powerful than it has ever been, the Constitution is firmly intact, the Election Commission robust and the Comptroller and Auditor General’s office spared of controversy. The controversies over the Reserve Bank of India are real but disagreements over liquidity and interest rates don’t jeopardise the much-touted idea of India.

The Modi Government has witnessed profound changes in governance.

There has been a greater reliance on technology and a greater emphasis on delivery. Some of the schemes such as direct transfer of subsidies to beneficiaries and the road building and power generation programmes have yielded fantastic results and others less so. Indeed, Modi has been criticised for emphasising incremental shifts and managerial efficiency, rather than promoting systemic shifts in favour of a minimalist state. Modi has not emerged as a doctrinaire Margaret Thatcher. If he secures another term he will be remembered for complementing economic growth with social welfare. The Ayushman Health programme will be a landmark achievement.

So what explains the quantum of visceral hate — as opposed to normal disappointment that often creeps in with Governments — against Modi?

The first has to do with the decision-making process. What marks the Modi Government from its predecessors is that it cannot be pushed around.

Normal political resistance to specific legislation — as with the Land Acquisition Bill and the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill — is a part of democracy.

But what has invoked the ire of a small section is that the Government is firewalled against lobbying by interested groups. Delhi used to be at the centre of a lobbying industry dominated by fixers. That is now a sunset industry, seeking a rehabilitation package in 2019.

Secondly, while demonetisation may be contested, Modi has, for the first time since 1947, rolled back the tide of corruption. There is a quiet acknowledgement that while lower-level corruption may still be rampant, corruption in high places involving the Government has virtually come to an end. Modi’s role as a disciplinarian may be resented in quarters used to permissiveness but it has resulted in the Government steering clear of irregularities. The taunt that the chowkidar has turned a thief doesn’t carry credibility beyond the circle of those who loath Modi for reasons other than dodgy integrity.

Finally, Modi has effected a fundamental social shift in the global role of India. Previously, despite occasional bouts of muscle-flexing in the neighbourhood, the tone of Indian foreign policy was governed by the principle of niceness. It has been replaced by hard-nosed calculations based on the promotion of national interests and building the foundations of a future when, with greater economic advancement, India can play a global role.

Thus, we have witnessed a deepening of ties with some of the wealthier Arab States being complemented by a more uninhibited relationship with Israel. With Pakistan, following unsuccessful attempts to reach out, India’s policy is more muscular and encapsulated in the principle: If you cause pain to us, we will answer by inflicting greater pain to you. No wonder Pakistan is awaiting a regime change in India.

Maybe it is not Modi’s sole contribution, but today carrying an Indian passport is not associated with the same disabilities and suspicions it once was. It is indicative of a larger but quiet change India has witnessed.

PAGE 16 • INDIA HERALD • WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 2, 2019

NEWS With Race 3, Thugs of Hindostan and Zero Bangladesh’s Hasina wins flopping, are the three Khans finished? election by landslide

By Bharathi S. Pradhan A forward going around a few months ago had Salman Khan crowing, “I delivered the year’s biggest flop — Race 3.” “Oh no,” said the caption with Aamir Khan’s pic. “I laid the biggest egg with Thugs of Hindostan.” “Hey, wait for me,” said Shah Rukh Khan.

“My Zero is on its way.”

I thought it a pretty mean meme then. But at year-end, it does seem like the three Khans competed with one another to see who came up with the biggest dud of 2018.

The year thus heralded the “old order giveth way” kind of scene. So are the three Khans finished? With all three having set up production houses and honing their business sense, they are going to be around longer, with one major change apparent for quite a while: finished are those halcyon days when fan-craze could carry each of them through the opening weekend and make bank balance bloat irrespective of the content.

Amitabh Bachchan went through this phase when he did a bunch of awful films like Lal Baadshah (1998). It took him two years to accept the face in the mirror before he metamorphosed with films like Mohabbatein, which were commensurate with his age.

Can the three Khans do it?

Aamir can, he did it in Dangal, in Taare Zameen Par. But he has to get rid of wanting two girls panting for him forever. He’s script-savvy enough

to know that Lagaan was yesterday, Thugs of Hindostan is today. The much-lauded King of Romance has done some fine work even when he’s not spreading out his arms, in films like Chak De! and Dear Zindagi. So it’s not going to be a tough transition for these two. Perhaps Salman too will show his acting chops in roles that go beyond shirtless action sequences.

But 2018 has not been an indictment of only the three Khans. However strong the PR and trade machinery, even Rajinikanth was put on the mat with Kaala (flop) and 2.O (still huffing and puffing). What got called out was not audience intolerance to ageing heroes, it was to aged subjects.

Akshay Kumar fared better, with Padman and Gold (the third is 2.O). But he too can keep breathing only by changing the content and milieu of his films. He can’t be the new age Manoj Kumar forever.

And antics are so easily forgettable. How many recall that the year began with Akshay’s face-saving bullying when he got Sanjay Leela Bhansali to address a press conference appreciating him for shifting his Padman to avoid a clash with Padmaavat? For that matter does anybody remember that Bhansali had to change his original title, Padmavati?

What lingers is that a bunch of new heroes and character artistes got their due in 2018.

Ranbir Kapoor, who’s been lying low and feeling low since

his father took ill, must’ve been relieved that he didn’t have to exult over a trophy for his outstanding performance in Sanju, which was overshadowed by Ranveer Singh in Padmaavat. Another sign of changing times: Alauddin Khilji gets the Best Actor award, not Best Villain. Rajeev Masand’s Round Table on CNN-IBN has a chair for Pankaj Tripathi along with Rajkummar Rao, Ayushmann Khurrana and Vicky Kaushal — names that participated in the big change with exemplary work in Newton, Stree, Sanju, Raazi, Badhaai Ho and Andhadhun, films that showcased the variety Hindi cinema can throw up. And Pankaj Tripathi’s Mirzapur doubly represented the space that OTT platforms have earned for themselves in 2018.

This was undoubtedly a Ranveerian year. He opened the calendar with a rambunctious Padmaavat, closed it with a roaring Simmba, had a highspirited multiple-reception with bride Deepika in between the film releases. All three super hits.

Finally, Naseeruddin Shah, who reportedly has another book coming out, gave an advance peep into his mind and helped set up “I stand with Naseer” and “I slam Naseer” camps. It’s just the tip. With elections in 2019, the whole iceberg will surface. Happy New Year.

—The Telegraph

Govt. bans Khalistan Liberation Force The Union Home Ministry on Thursday banned the Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF) as a terrorist organisation. The KLF aims to establish an independent country with the secession of Punjab “through violent means”.

The outfit has been banned under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 (UAPA) for the group’s alleged involvement in killing of innocent people and police officers and several bombings on civilian targets in India, according to a Government order.

The Khalistan Liberation Force and all its manifestations have been declared outlawed under the UAPA, the order said.

Earlier, the Multi-Agency Cen-

tre of the Intelligence Bureau and the National Investigation Agency had sent dossiers on the antinational activities of the outfit.

While the NIA listed the cases involving community-specific targeted killings in Punjab by radicals affiliated with KLF, the MAC report pointed out that UK and Canada-based Khalistani radicals associated with the KLF and having links with Pakistan’s covert agency Inter-Services Intelligence, have committed “huge sum of money” to support the activities of the organisation in India in general and Punjab in particular in their bid to revive militancy in the State.

The MAC input was further

verified by the Research and Analysis Wing, India’s external Intelligence agency, which not only confirmed the role of the outfit in revival of terrorism in India but also underscored an input that a Canada-based Khalistani radical had already handed over Rs 4 crore to an ISI handler to deliver it to the conduits in India, sources said.

Following this, a note was moved for banning the KLF. The decision to ban the outfit under the UAPA comes in the backdrop of agencies unearthing several KLF modules in recent months which has led to assessments that it is attempting to revive militancy in the State.

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has secured a fourth term with a landslide victory in polls the opposition slammed as “farcical” over claims of vote-rigging, and clashes between rival supporters that killed at least 17 people.

Hasina’s ruling Awami League party and its allies won 288 seats in the 300-seat parliament, with the main opposition securing only six seats, Election Commission secretary Helal Uddin Ahmed said.

Hasina’s government had mounted a crackdown on the opposition, an alliance led by the Bangladesh National Party, which urged the country’s election commission to void the results.

“We are demanding that a fresh election is held under a neutral government as early as possible,” Kamal Hossain, who heads the alliance, told reporters.

Deadly violence and bitter rivalry that marred the election campaign spilled over into voting day, even as authorities imposed tight security with 600,000 troops, police and other security forces deployed across the country.

Thirteen people were killed in clashes between Awami League and BNP supporters, police said, while three men were shot by police who said they were protecting polling booths.

An auxiliary police member was also killed by armed opposition activists, according to officials.

Ms. Hasina (71), has been lauded for boosting economic growth in the poor South Asian nation during her decade in power and for welcoming Rohingya refugees fleeing a military crackdown in neighbouring Myanmar.

But critics accuse her of authoritarianism and crippling the opposition -- including arch-rival and BNP leader Khaleda Zia who is serving 17 years in prison on graft charges.

The opposition alliance on Sunday accused Hasina’s party of using stuffed ballot boxes and other illegal means to fix the result.

BNP spokesman Syed Moazzem Hossain Alal told reporters there were “irregularities” in 221 of the 300 seats contested.

“Voters are not allowed to enter booths. Especially women voters are being forced to vote for the boat,” Alal said, referring to the Awami League symbol.

Bangladesh election commission spokesman S.M. Asaduzzaman told AFP the body had “received a few allegations of irregularities” and was investigating.

Ms. Hasina did not immediately respond to the accusations but said in the run-up to the vote that it would be free and fair.

Voting in the capital Dhaka was largely peaceful as convoys of soldiers and paramilitary forces were on the streets where most traffic was banned.

However, voters in provincial areas reported intimidation.

One voter, Atiar Rahman, said he was beaten by ruling party activists in the central district of Narayanganj.

“They told me not to bother, ‘We’ll cast your vote on your behalf’,” he told AFP. The opposition said the unrest was stirred up to deter voters, and presiding officers reported a low turnout across the country.

Sunday’s deaths brought to 21 the official police toll for election violence since the ballot was announced on November 8.

Police said they acted “in self-defence” when they fired on opposition supporters who stormed a polling booth, killing one. A man was also shot by police after he tried to steal a ballot box.

Experts say Ms. Hasina’s victory will be sullied by accusations that she hamstrung opponents.

The opposition claims more than 15,000 of its activists were detained during the campaign, crushing its ability to mobilise support.

Seventeen opposition candidates were arrested over what they said were trumped-up charges while another 17 were disqualified from running by courts, which Hasina’s opponents say are government controlled.

Human Rights Watch and other international groups said the crackdown created a climate of fear which could prevent opposition supporters from casting ballots.

The United States raised concerns about the credibility of the election while the United Nations called for greater efforts to make the vote fair.

The leadership of Bangladesh has alternated between Hasina and Zia, allies-turned-foes, over the last three decades.

Mr. Hasina’s victory secures her third consecutive term in office, and her fourth overall.

A daughter of Bangladesh’s first president Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Hasina was gifted victory in the 2014 election when the BNP boycotted the vote claiming it was not free and fair.

Rights groups have since accused her administration of stifling freedom of speech by toughening a draconian anti-press law and the enforced disappearance of dissenters.

Ms. Hasina rejects accusations of authoritarianism but analysts say she feared young voters would support the BNP. Her government was criticised this year for its heavy handling of weeks of major student protests that brought Dhaka to a standstill.

INDIA HERALD • WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 2, 2019 • PAGE 17

FEATURE

The fall and rise of M. Night Shyamalan

By BRIAN HIATT Call it a surprise twist, if you must: Early in this Monday morning in November, M. Night Shyamalan turned on his shower, and no water came out. The writerdirector has come to believe that the universe is fundamentally benevolent, and as it happens, the universe — not to mention the vast success of his initial run of movies, beginning with The Sixth Sense — provided him with a 125acre country estate west of Philadelphia, where he’s lived with his family since 2007. So he simply popped into another building on his sprawling property, terrifying a cleaning woman in the process. He grabbed a shower there, mussed his thick black hair up as usual, and managed to get his youngest daughter to school, prepping her for a French quiz on the way.

He also made it right on time, 8:45 a.m., to a bright, airy farmto-table steakhouse for a breakfast interview in downtown Philly, not far from the neighborhood where he has his next morning appointment, scouting locations for his upcoming TV series for Apple. It’s another busy day in a pretty great life — plumbing problems, career vicissitudes and all. “I make movies at home,” says Shyamalan, 48, in his slightly nasal, perpetually enthused voice. He sets nearly all of his films in or around Philadelphia, where he grew up, attending private schools after emigrating from India as an infant with his physician parents. “I can help my daughter with her French test, and I’m looking at locations today,” he says. “I can do both. I’m so grateful to even have a morning like this. You can’t ask for more.”

There is, in fact, a great deal more. “It’s a very interesting time in my career,” he says, with some understatement. Shyamalan has a new movie, Glass, due January 18th, that will likely cement one of the most dramatic showbiz comebacks of the 21st century. Glass is a sequel to two of Shyamalan’s biggest movies: 2017’s split-personality thriller, Split, and 2000’s brooding, proto-superhero drama, Unbreakable, bringing together James McAvoy, the star of the former movie, with Bruce Willis and Samuel L. Jackson (who plays the title character, a brainy, brittleboned bad guy) from the latter.

“It’s a very suspense-thrillermeets-comic-book movie,” says Shyamalan. “I can’t out-action Marvel, or out-CGI them.” Glass is, nevertheless, his first near-surething since George W. Bush’s first term. The director is currently wearing a purple Varvatos shirt, in honor of Jackson’s character, whose foppish dress sense seems modeled after circa-1983 Prince.

Shyamalan has charisma of his own, with an easy, high-pitched laugh and huge, warm brown eyes that miss nothing. (“Oh, my God, look how cute this is,” he says, noting an elderly man kissing his wife on the forehead before heading to the bathroom. “And she totally ignored him, which is even sweeter.”) Some of his regularguy-ness and apparent humility seem possibly willed, affected, but

it’s still charming.

With The Sixth Sense (or I See Dead People, as Samuel L. Jackson likes to call it), Shyamalan became the kind of director whose projects could be marketed on the strength of his name alone. It also established him, to his initial chagrin, as “the guy who makes the scary movies with a twist.” He wanted to market the follow-up, Unbreakable, as the comic-book movie it actually was, only to be told that superhero movies had only niche appeal — instead, it was pushed as another spooky thriller. “ ‘This is just a bunch of people that go to that convention,’ ” he recalls being told — by execs at Disney, of all places, still years away from buying Marvel, “ ‘and you’re going to alienate everyone in this room if you use those words.’ ” His career slipped into a downward spiral with 2006’s Lady in the Water, an oddball, jargon-packed, dream-logic fantasy about a water nymph’s fateful visit to an apartment complex. Some of the same critics who had just crowned him the next Spielberg tore into him like a pack of the movie’s wolflike Scrunts, detecting a lurking megalomania in Shyamalan’s decision to cast himself in a large supporting role as a writer whose work was destined to change the world.

That was nothing compared with the casting decision that defined his next release, 2008’s The Happening, which attempted to sell its audience on the idea of Mark Wahlberg, science teacher — a concept even more improbable than the film’s central conceit of besieged trees teaming up to send out a toxin that inspires humans to off themselves. It made some money, but it was another critical flop, later described by Wahlberg himself as a “bad movie.”

Knocked off balance, Shyamalan went on to make two full-on Hollywood movies for kids, The Last Airbender (based on a Nickelodeon cartoon) and After Earth (based on a weird idea Will Smith had one day). They were disasters. “I felt like was I starting to lose my voice a bit,” he says. “I’m not really the best person to work in the system.” He would eventually conclude that he’s at his most commercial and accessible when he’s most himself, but not before some considerable pain.

Shyamalan offered his darkest description of his mindset at that crisis point in a remarkable, widely overlooked commencement speech at Drexel University this year. First he presented the glow-

ing version of his career, all of the fame and praise and success. Then he turned to the flip side, culminating in his feelings circa 2013: “I find myself questioning myself, and every thought that comes out of my head,” he said. “The world of my industry decides I have no worth. I am a cautionary tale. A person who got lucky for a time but revealed himself to be a sham. . . . I do not believe in myself.”

He had some success working on a cult-favorite Fox TV show, the Twin Peaks-like Wayward Pines, and found enough confidence to take out a $5 million loan against his estate to self-fund a tight little found-footage horror film, The Visit. He flew to L.A. and showed a rough cut to every Hollywood studio. They all passed. He was devastated, fearing the loss of millions of dollars and the end of his career.

Right after he came home to his wife of 25 years, Dr. Bhavna Shyamalan, and their three daughters, he assembled a puzzle with one of the kids and had a lifechanging, trust-the-universe revelation. “Why did we keep looking for another piece?” he said in his speech. “We knew there was a picture. . . . It all felt suddenly so . . . intensely simple and right. I don’t need to know what the picture is of my life. I just have to trust there is a picture.” He focused on what he could control, returning to The Visit. He took a new cut to Universal, and horror maven Jason Blum signed on as a producer. The film ended up making $98 million.

On a wall in Shyamalan’s production company is a printout of the names of all the execs who said no to The Visit. Most of them, he says, have since lost their jobs.

“That list meant different things to me,” he says. “It first meant the obvious, ‘I told you so.’ And then it morphed into something else and as one name after another on the list disappeared, you don’t hold on to that feeling of I told you so. . . . When you’re looking at it like you’re trying to get approval, that’s unhealthy. There’s nothing wrong with the people on that list.

My job is to inspire them.”

He doubled down, self-funding his next movie, Split, as well, spending $9 million this time and yielding a much bigger hit in the process; it grossed nearly $280 million worldwide. Split is a lurid, wildly entertaining tale of a serial killer named Kevin Wendell Crumb, whose multiple personalities are brought to uncanny life by James McAvoy. After years

of avoiding it, Shyamalan had brought back his signature thiswasn’t-the-movie-you-thought-itwas twist for The Visit. For Split, he went several steps further.

There were two twists, which this article is about to spoil for anyone who hasn’t seen the movie.

First, McAvoy’s character turns out to be far more than mentally ill: His most fearsome personality, the Beast, reveals himself to have superhuman strength, altering the very genre of the movie, from psychological thriller to supervillain origin story.

At the very end of Split, without warning, the score from Unbreakable begins to play, and Bruce Willis’ heroic character from that movie shows up onscreen for the first time in 17 years. In that moment, Split became perhaps the first stealth sequel in Hollywood history, setting the stage for Glass.

Willis’ appearance was a surprise to Jackson and even to Universal execs, who were initially horrified — the character belonged to Disney, a competing studio. But Shyamalan had already struck a deal with Disney for the cameo, which led to a unique release plan for Glass: Universal is distributing it in the United States, and Disney is putting it out overseas, with both studios clearing the release date of other big projects. Not bad for a guy who was in director’s jail five years ago.

Shyamalan tripled down for Glass, again funding it himself with his earnings from the past two movies, not to mention collateral from his property. One report has the budget at $20 million. “How stupid am I?” he says, smiling. “I’m going to Vegas and keep going, ‘I won that hand. Put it all again.’ Next hand, ‘Put it all again.’ My house right now is completely encumbered by this movie. . . . I’ll be sleeping on your couch, dude, if it doesn’t go well in January.”

If Shyamalan has righted his career ship, he believes it’s because he’s sending the right energy out to the universe, focusing on the right stuff. (If, in his life and art, he has a tendency toward an idiosyncratic spirituality, you might credit the experience of growing up in a Hindu household while attending a Catholic grammar school.)

“If I’m a songwriter, concentrate on the song,” he says. “Put no energy into the column of ‘How will they receive the song?’ ” On set, he adds, “I gave it my all, so the audience, when they come pay their money, they see an artist that gave everything he had, and risked everything. I was like a rookie. All in, angsting and sitting on the set as the sun is coming up. No trailer, freezing to death and wondering, ‘Am I good enough? Can I make this shot work? Will we get the day?’ All those things that bring out the best in you. If it doesn’t work out, I gave it my all.” He wishes he could go back and tell the “younger version of myself who was lying on the couch after Unbreakable opened and feeling like I had failed” (because it didn’t out-gross The Sixth Sense) that he deserved to feel the same way.

Maybe most important, Shyamalan has also come to grips with his identity as a filmmaker.

In his twenties, he says, “I don’t think you could have told me that making thrillers for your whole life wasn’t a bad thing. At first it was a sense of, ‘Hey, I can make anything.’ But that’s hypocritical, because when I pick up an Agatha Christie novel in my library, I have a strong expectation. So, I get it. . . . When I became happy with the idea of making thrillers for the rest of my life, everything went right.”

Shyamalan jumps into a chauffeured SUV, and we cruise over to a block of brownstones, the setting for his still-untitled Apple series, touted as a “psychological thriller.” A crew of a couple dozen people, some in yellow safety vests, are already gathered on the sidewalk, waiting for the boss.

Most of them are veterans of his movies, including a father-son pair. They’re scouting shots for the first episode, where an apparently ominous nanny comes into the lives of a couple with a newborn.

Every crew member has a photocopied shot list, complete with storyboards.

In one of the first scenes, the nanny enters the house. “She has a hood on,” Shyamalan says, as if we’re sitting around a campfire.

“She comes out of the rain.” He points to a sketch of a close-up of her foot crossing the doorway.

“Taking the step over the threshold, almost like a vampire being led into the house for the first time.” The way he’s setting up the shot, he explains, indicates that “this is a big deal and this family will never go back from this moment.”

Shyamalan, a gray scarf tossed over his shoulder, is almost giddy as he scopes out the block, ducking into the townhouse they’ve rented out as a location to decide whether a through-the-window shot would be spookier from upstairs or downstairs. Everyone heads over a few blocks to Rittenhouse Square Park, where they’re going to be staging the aftermath of a car crash for the same episode.

“Do we have gawkers?” Shyamalan asks. “Where would they be?”

All the while, he holds himself at zero remove, chatting with some tourists before teasing a female colleague about her love for romantic comedies and sharing his review of Bohemian Rhapsody. “It was really good,” he says. “I was really emotional. When his Indian dad finally accepts his gay Indian son, I was like . . .” Shyamalan, who violated his own Indian dad’s wishes by going to NYU film school instead of an Ivy, mimes exaggerated tears.

Before we say goodbye, I mention a recent conversation with Samuel L. Jackson, who told me that Shyamalan is “more collaborative” than he was 18 years ago, when he would literally tell actors when to blink. Shyamalan offers an eye roll, and laughs. “I’m glad,” he says, “that he has that illusion.”

—Rolling Stone

PAGE 18 â&#x20AC;˘ INDIA HERALD â&#x20AC;˘ WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 2, 2019

COMMUNITY CALENDAR Art Museum Kannappan Art Museum will be open for public Tuesday 5.30 PM to 7.30 PM, Saturday 10AM to 2 PM, Sunday 12 noon to 4 PM. Address: 2341 N. Galveston Ave, Pearland, TX 77581.

Ashirwad Classes for Kids in Katy Enrollments are open for Indian Heritage classes for Kids and Teens from 4 to 16 yrs. Class curriculum includes Yoga, Meditation, Sloka, Ramayan, Mahabharat, Bhagwad Githa, Sports Day, VEDIC Fair Presentations, Dance, Drama, Hindi & more. Contact : 281-995-0930 or AshirwadABlessing@gmail.com.

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.

Temple is located at 13944 Schiller Rd (oďŹ&#x20AC; Hwy 6 bet. Bellaire & Westpark). Call Ganesh Mandal at 713-797-9057 / 832-423-8541.

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 oďŹ&#x20AC; Hwy 6). 281-752-0100.

Brahma Kumaris The Brahma Kumaris Raja Yoga Meditation Center is open 7 days a week. The center oďŹ&#x20AC;ers free Raja Yoga Meditation classes: MonFri @ 6:00-6:45am and 7-8 pm, BUY

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Sat-Sun @ 7:00-8:30am, 10 am-2 pm. Visiting hours are Sat-Sun @ 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Contact us at (832) 379-8888, houston@bktexas. com, or bktexas.com to sign-up for classes. All Raja Yoga Meditation teachers at the Houston center are samarpit and have 15+ years of teaching experience.

Chinmaya Mission Sunday satsangs for adults, youth, and children. A unique Bala Vihar program for each grade, from PreK to Grade 12. Satsangs in two sessions between 8:35 a.m. - 10:15 a.m. and 11:20 a.m. - 1p.m. Bala Vihar students can take shloka, bhajan and orchestra classes or language classes for Hindi, Telugu, Marathi, and Gujarati. Chinmaya Mission is 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. Please visit www. chinmayahouston.org or contact Bharati Sutaria 281.933.0233 for more information.

Jeeyar Educational Trust Translate knowledge into action classes every Sunday at 10:15 a.m to 12 p.m. at Sri Ashtalakshmi Temple, 10098 Synott Road, Sugar Land, Tx 77498. Call 785 550 3621 or 832-334-9163. Visit www. ashtalakshmi.org for registration.

Vedanta Society Vedanta Society of Greater Houston, VSGH (oďŹ&#x192;cial Branch Center of Ramakrishna Math, Belur), 14809 Lindita Dr. (77083), has lectures & talks on every Sunday 11 am - 12 pm, followed by Arati & Prasad; Bhagwad Gita Class on Tuesdays, 7:30 pm - 8:30 pm; OLD

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and Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna on Thursdays, 11 am - 12 pm. Rev. Sw. Atmarupanandaji, the Resident Monk, gives all classes, lectures & talks. Ramnaam Sankirtan is on 1st Saturdays 6 pm - 7 pm.

Please visit www.houstonvedanta. org or call 281- 988-7211.

Jain Society Jain Society of Houston, JSH, is located at 3905 Arc Street Houston Texas 77063. Key tenets of Jainism are: Non-violence - Ahimsa, Philanthropy with multicity in views â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Anekantvad, No possessiveness - Aparigrah, Right Knowledge -- Samyak Gyan, Right Path â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Samyak Darshan, and Right Conduct â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Samyak Charitrya. JSH has Jain Pathshala Classed for students of all ages each Sunday starting at 10:15 AM. The center is open M-F from 7:30 AM to 12 Noon and 4 to 7 PM, and Sat, and Sun from 8 AM to 6 PM. Call Jain Center at 713 789 2338 or visit www.jainsocietyhouston.org for calendar of events and other detailed information.

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

Heartfulness Meditation Heartfulness Meditation is a practical technique of tuning inwards to experience our higher selves. Meditation with someone who has the capacity of yogic transmission can help you explore the Heartfulness practice more deeply.

There are no charges for this, and we invite you to experience the unique beneďŹ ts of this transmission. Workshops on Heartfulness relaxation and meditation are held weekly throughout Houston. Web: www.heartfulness.org; Email: houston.heartfulness@gmail.com.

Cell: 713-929-0040.

Hare Krishna Dham Houstonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s original Vedic temple, ISKCON of Houston. At 1320 W 34th St. (77018). Daily Darshan & Arati Times: 4.30 a.m, 7 a.m, 8.30 a.m, 12 noon, 4.30 p.m, 7 p.m, 9 p.m. Sunday Festival: 5.30 pm to 7.30 p.m. Weekly Gita classes for adults; call 281-433-1635 or harekrishnadham @gmail.com Houston Namadwaar A prayer house where the Hare Rama Hare Krishna Maha-mantra is continuously chanted. Weekends: 8-11 AM & 4-7 PM, Weekdays: 7-8 AM & 6-7 PM. Weekly â&#x20AC;&#x153;Gopa Kuteeramâ&#x20AC;? childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s heritage classes and Srimad Bhagavatam classes. Call 281-402-6585; visit www.godivinity.org (Global Organization for Divinity).

Saumyakasi Sivalaya 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 5:30 PM - 8:00 PM. Saturday and Sunday: 9:00 AM - 2:00 PM and 5:00 PM - 8:00 PM. For more information Contact 281-568-1690 or Jay Deshmukh at 832-541-0059 or visit www.saumyakasi.org Gauri Siddhivinayak Temple Darshan from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily. All major festivals as well as birthdays, naam karan, engagement and other ceremonies. Call

Pandit Pradip Pandya 832-4669868 for puja and other ceremonies. At 5645 Hillcroft Ste 701, Houston, TX 77036.

Veerashaiva Samaja VSNA Houston is a group of families who believe in Veerashaiva dharma (Basava dharma).

Monthly Mahamane program for prayer and discussion on Vachana Sahitya followed by Prasada. Contact: vsnahous ton@gmail.com or Jagadeesh Halyal 832-744-4166.

Mar Thoma Church Trinity Mar Thoma Church every Sunday at 5810 Almeda Genoa Rd. Sunday School at 9:15 a.m.

Malayalam service at 9:30 a.m. on 1st & 3rd Sunday. Adult Bible class at 9:30 a.m. English service at 10:30 a.m. on 2nd & 4th Sunday. Call 713-991-1557 or 281261-4603.

Telugu Christian Fellowship Telugu Christian Fellowship meets every third Saturday of the month at Triumph Church, 10555 W. Airport Blvd., StaďŹ&#x20AC;ord TX 77477 at 6:30 p.m. Join us for a time of praise, worship and fellowship. Worship is in English.

For information call Chris Gantela 281-344-0707, or Rev. Vijay Gurrala 281-997-0757.

Sri Guruvayurappan Temple 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: 713-7298994 email: temple@ guruvayur.us Preksha Meditation JVB Preksha Meditation Center conducts weekly Meditation, Yoga and Swadhyay sessions inside its unique Pyramid hall under the auspicious guidance of Samani Kanchan Pragyaji and Samani Pranav Pragyaji who are stationed at Houston Center this year. It also runs special events and programs like I-Choose, Meditation Camps and Gyanshala program for children ages 4-14 yrs. JVB is located at 14102 Schiller Rd. Houston 77082. Every Tuesday, 9:30am11:30am, Samaniji has pravachan for all adults interested in learning about Jainism. Every Wednesday there is Swadhyay class from 7-8pm and meditation from 8-9pm.

Every Thursday from 9:30-11am there is special Yoga class for Ladies only. Every Saturday, there is Yoga Class from 9-10am and Meditation from 10-10.30am. Ist & 3rd Sundays, there is Gyanshala Classes for Kids ages 4-14yrs. from 10-12:15pm followed by Lunch.

Visit www.jvbhouston.org or send email at info@jvbhouston.org for more details.

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. www.pyptusa.org; www.DivyaProducts.com.

Hindu Temple of The Woodlands 7601 S. Forest Gate Dr, The Woodlands, TX 77382

Temple Hours, Weekdays: 7:30 AM - 9:30 AM 5:30 PM - 8.30 PM Aarti @ 7:30 PM Saturday and Sunday 8:30 AM - 1:30 PM Aarti at 12:00 PM 5:30 PM - 8:30 PM Aarti @ 7:30 PM; Contact 832-585--0001 or temple@myhtw.net Sathya Sai centers Sunday program held at two locations (North Houston: 12127 Malcomson Road, Houston; South Houston: 246 Fluor Daniel Drive, Sugar Land) from 3:00 to 5:30 pm) - Sai Spiritual Education (SSE) classes for children; Study Circle for adults & Devotional singing for all. Service programs - food distribution, canned food drives, nursing home visits, tutoring at schools, etc. Contact Venkat Rao (North) - 602-503-2249 or Ranji Raghavan (South) 281-451-8238.

Visit www.sairegion10.org Sadhu Vaswani Center Sadhu Vaswani Center of Houston holds regular Satsang on 3rd Thursday of the month and daily Arti at 7.30 p.m. Call 281-4630379 or e.mail ramolaj@aol.com Gaudiya Math Shri Govindji Gaudiya Matha is a Hindu Vaishnava temple of Sanatan Dharam and worshipping place of Shri Shri Radha Krishna, Shri Gaur Nitai & Shri Ram Darbar.

Mandir is open daily from 5.30 AM until 8.30 PM. The services are held from 5.30PM to 7.30PM followed by delicious prashad.

Daily Aarti times : Mangala Aarti5:30 am. Bhog Aarti - 12:30 pm.

Evening Aarti - 7:00 pm. Enroll your child in Sri Govindaji Vedic School. We oďŹ&#x20AC;er Hindi classes for all ages. Sri Govindaji Gaudiya Matha is located in Northwest Houston at 16628 Kieth Harrow Blvd Houston TX 77084. For more information, call at 832-4644686 or visit our website: http:// sggm.org.

Swaminarayan Temple Hindu Satsang at Shree Swaminarayan Hindu Temple, under Shree NarNarayan Dev Gadi kalupur.

Opens daily from 7 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and from 4 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

Daily aarti at 7 a.m. and 7 p.m.

Saturday sabha from 5 p.m to 7 p.m. followed by aarti at 7 p.m. and Maha-Prasad (free dinner). www.issotx.org. (281) 530-2565.

Sanatan Dharm Maha Sabha West Indian Religious Organization called Sanatan Dharm Maha Sabha Branch # 377 is located at 26100 Tina Lane, Katy, TX 77494.

Durga Mata Pooja is held every Friday from 7 pm to 9.30 pm.

Contact Ram Sharma @ 713-4129985.

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 manâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s autobiography â&#x20AC;&#x201C; The Story of My Experiments with Truth.

Call Manish Wani 713-829-6979.

Sant Nirankari Mission Sant Nirankari Mission holds its weekly spiritual congregation on every Sunday at India House 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. followed by community meals. All are welcome. For further information, call Raj Bhala at (281) 980-2825.

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