India Herald 032019 by India Herald

Web: www.india-herald.com • Editor@india-herald.com • Tel: 281-980-6746

20 Pages

India Herald

VOL. 25 • NO. 12 • WEDNESDAY, MARCH 20, 2019 • P.O. BOX 623, SUGAR LAND, TX 77487 • PERIODICAL PERMIT USPS 017699 • 25 cents

Indians and Pakistanis take their fight to the streets

Pakistanis in Houston, under the banner “Friends of Kashmir” staged a protest demanding freedom for Kashmir from India at a rally in front of The Galleria at Westheimer and Post Oak Blvd. on Saturday, March 16. Above, three women among a dozen protestors shout slogans facing the Indian American counter protestors. Story on Page 2.

Indian Americans in the greater Houston area staged a counterprotest against Pakistan, condemning its terrorist activities and illegitimate territorial claim over Kashmir. The latest protest is an aftermath of the 42 Indian soldiers killed by Pakistan-based terrorists in Kashmir last month. The Indian group, better organized with nearly 100 people, was led by Houston Chapter of Friends of India Society International and Houston Chapter of Global Kashmiri Pandit Diaspora. The Pakistanis’ protest started with just a couple of members in front of the Starbucks and rose to a little more than a dozen people. Four of the protestors were Indian Sikhs shouting pro-Khalistan slogans. As the Indian protestors soon gathered in strength, for an hour, the small group of Pakistani protestors were overwhelmed by the Indian protestors. Police arrived just in time to separate the groups and moved the Pakistanis to the other side of the street.

VEDIC FAIR. Aryaa Joshi with her exhibit on Bhagavata Purana was adjudged the champion in Celebrate India Exhibits Contest held during the eighth annual Vedic Fair at Cinco Ranch High School in Katy on March 9. Story on Page 3.

Yogesh Patel named Ekal’s Houston chapter president

By MANU SHAH Yogesh (Yogi) Patel connects easily with people and has a ﬂair for organization – two talents that will serve him well in his new capacity as Ekal’s Houston Chapter President for 2019-20. An inner recognition that he has been “blessed with opportunities in life and is in a position to do something for others” also factored signiﬁcantly in his decision to assume the leadership role. Yogi’s association with Ekal began when his friend Naren Chavda asked him to help

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PAGE 2 • INDIA HERALD • WEDNESDAY, MARCH 20, 2019

COMMUNITY

Anti-India protest encounters loud anti-Pakistan protest

Nadeem Naik, center, a Pakistani supporter with a placard reading “Free Kashmir” with another pro-Pakistan protestor is amidst a bunch of Indian protestors in early stages of the really.

After an hour into the protest rally, as Pakistani and Indian protestors were gathered on the same side of the street and tempers ran high, police arrived and the Pakistani protestors, were asked to move to the other side.

A section of the protestors, friends of India, with coordinator Achalesh Amar, third from left. Also, seen is Anwar Raza, second from left, a Pakistani Muslim living in Houston, who has become a Hindu. By SESHADRI KUMAR More than 100 Indian Americans gathered in front of Houston’s Galleria at the busy intersection of Westheimer and Post Oak Blvd. on Saturday afternoon to protest against Pakistan for sponsoring terrorism. Equipped with two powerful megaphones and armed with a variety of posters and placards painting Pakistan’s role in global terrorism, the Indian Americans drowned their Pakistani counterparts with slogans

condemning Pakistan. About a dozen protesters on the Pakistan side, spearheaded by Pakistani community activist and radio host Nadeem Naik, under the banner of Friends of Kashmir, sought to highlight what they called India’s atrocities in Kashmir and demanded freedom for Kashmir from Pakistan. Among the dozen protesters were ﬁve Sikhs, demanding Khalistan. Though the Kashmir dispute

between India and Pakistan is decades old, terrorist attacks from Islamic militants in Kashmir and all over India has been a staple factor for years. The latest one was on February 14, 2019, when a suicide bomber allegedly trained by Pakistan attacked an Indian Army convoy, killing 42 soldiers. In Houston, the Indian American community demonstrated outside the Pakistani consulate to convey their outrage.

A giant banner depicting Pakistan’s link to various terrorist acts. A few days later, India re- military material to Pakistan,” sponded with an air strike on the protestors said. Dr. Surinder Kaul, coordinaterrorist bases in Pakistan. Now, the Indian groups or- tor of Global Kashmiri Pandit ganized the counter protest Diaspora, also participated in against the Pakistani group’s the protest. protest for free Kashmir. Members recalled that more Dr. Veena Ambardar, par- than 400,000 members were ticipating in the protest spoke ethnically cleansed and forced about “a constant barrage of to live as refugees in India. terror manufactured in PakiGlobal Kashmiri Pandit Distan and unloaded on Indian aspora members alluded to the soil, killing thousands and proxy war unleashed by Pakithousands of innocent Indians stan on India. Through cross Hindus. Indian Hindu women border terrorism and guerilla were raped, maimed, butch- warfare in India, supported by ered, and their bodies cut into Pakistan’s spy agency ISI, Inpieces by barbaric terrorists dia lost more than 6,000 of its from Pakistan. Hindu families security forces, the group said. were killed in execution style On the Pakistani side, in front of their children.” Nadeem Naik said he orgaAchalesh Amar, Coordinator nized the day’s protest and that of Houston Chapter of Friends the Indian group showed up of India Society International, there was indicative of Pakiwho spearheaded the protest, stan’s power. He thanked Allah deplored Pakistan’s role in ex- for the same. porting terror to the world and Naik, who broadcasts a segthreatening society at large. ment on radio under the name “Pakistan is a Terrorist State. Radio Pardes, said he had invitIt is exporting Islamic Terror- ed the Indian community memism to India. It should be pun- bers to come on his program for ished by withdrawing all for- a debate, but they refused. He eign aid to Pakistan. The US himself gets barely 30 seconds should stop supplying arms, when he calls into Indian radio ammunition, planes, and other programs, he said.

INDIA HERALD • WEDNESDAY, MARCH 20, 2019 • PAGE 3

VEDIC FAIR

The 8th Annual Vedic Fair, a celebration of India, at Cinco Ranch High School in Katy, organized by Ashirwad A Blessing Temple drew thousands of visitors to a splendid show of Indian heritage in a fun, spiritual and entertaining way, with over 150 Houston artists, presenters, workshop hosts and vendors. Above, the cast of “24 – The Untold Leela” directed Geetha Ravula comprised rare stories from Indian heritage, highlighting how the divine descends to protect Dharma. Below, participants in the kids’ “Puran show”. See more on Page 6.

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Pandit Ramdas Palsule on Tabla Disciple of Pt. Suresh Talwalkar

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Siddhesh Bicholar on Harmonium Disciple of Late Pt.. Tulsidas Borkar

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PAGE 4 • INDIA HERALD • WEDNESDAY, MARCH 20, 2019

Money, muscle and Democracy’s future

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For the 2019 elections to be held from 11th April, about 900 million Indian citizens have registered to exercise their fundamental right to vote. The state of Uttar Pradesh alone has about 145 million voters as big as Brazil’s 147 million and the state of Tamil Nadu has about 59 million voters comparable to Turkey’s 60 million. The election process is spread out in 7 phases from 11 April 2019 to 19th May 2019. India has 2293 political parties of which 149 parties were started in the last couple of months, just before the elections, presumably to convert black money into white. Accusations of political murders have also started, as in Andhra Pradesh, for example. So, what does it all mean to India’s democracy? Come and listen to Dr. Milan Vaishnav who is presently touring India studying the Indian elections. He will talk about the dynamics of political parties in India and the inﬂuence of Money and Muscle power. Foundation for India Studies has organized Milan’s lecture on March 30 at India House. Dr. Milan Vaishnav is a senior fellow and his primary research focus is the political economy of India where he examines issues such as corruption and governance, state capacity, distributive politics and electoral behavior. He is the author of “When Crime Pays: Money and Muscle in Indian Politics” (Yale University Press and HarperCollins India, 2017). Free Admission by registration on EventBrite website: https:// ﬁsmarch30.eventbrite.com.

INDIA HERALD • WEDNESDAY, MARCH 20, 2019 • PAGE 5

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PAGE 6 • INDIA HERALD • WEDNESDAY, MARCH 20, 2019

COMMUNITY

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ASGH A SG H S Sthapana thapana Diwas Di was Sunday, April 7th 08:00 am – 12 Noon 08:00- 9:30 am Yoga for obesity 09:45 am OM Flag Hoisting 10:00 am Yajna Begins 10:35 am Yajyaroop 10:40 am Pravachan 11:10 am DAV Schools Cultural Items 11:50 am ASGH Presentation 12:05 pm Announcements, Aarti, Shantipath 12:15 pm Lunch

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Geeta Ravula, chair of the 8th annual Vedic Fair, is felicitated by Sam Merchant, right, representing Congressman Al Green and HCC Trustee Neeta Sane, left.

Vedic Fair celebrates ancient Indian heritage Ashirwad A Blessing Temple organized a splendid show of Indian heritage in a fun, spiritual and entertaining way, from with over 150 Houston artists, presenters, workshop hosts and vendors at the 8th annual Veddic Fair on March 9. The entrance of the high school was converted into a beautiful temple for Brahma – The Creator, Maha Vishnu – The Protector, MahaDev Shiva – The Redeemer along with their consorts Saraswati Devi, Maha Lakshmi & Parvati Devi and other Indian Gods & Goddesses. Vedic Fair 8 opened with Celebrate India Exhibits competition. The presenters showcased 18 Maha-Puranas with conﬁdence and clarity taking the contest to a new level. Defending Champion Aryaa Joshi was Celebrate INDIA Exhibits Presentations 2019 Champion for her topic ‘Bhagavata Purana’. Sudhiti Marri was runner up for her topic on ‘Agni Purana’. Celebrate India Exhibits competition was judged by Sanjay Patel, author of 11 books including the best seller “Science and Spirituality” and Srujana Dunnara, Ashirwad Young Wingz President. Vedic Fair 8 showcased the 18 Maha-Puranas, Buddhism by Universal Door, Christianity by Telugu Christian Fellowship, Ayurveda workshop by Ushadevi Pillai, Homeopathy by Anusha Thiagarajan, Dandiya by Daksha Nagar, Rangoli and Painting by Dr. Sarita Mehta. See VEDIC, Page 12

INDIA HERALD • WEDNESDAY, MARCH 20, 2019 • PAGE 7

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INDIA HERALD â&#x20AC;˘ WEDNESDAY, MARCH 20, 2019 â&#x20AC;˘ PAGE 9

COMMUNITY Why is it so diďŹ&#x192;cult to get a head of the India studies program at the U of H? In February 2018, the University of Houston (UH) announced that it was searching for a senior scholar, a political economist, to serve as the Director of the India Studies Program at the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences. Considering that the President of the University is an Indian, the Indian community hoped that UH will hire a top-notch professor for the India studies program. Distinguished scholar Dr. Shailendra Sharma met the criteria set by the College and University and applied for the post. The chair of the search committee was so delighted that he told several individuals in the Indian community about this candidate. As the search unfolded, the internationally recognized scholar failed to even make it to the shortlist. Even stranger, the invitation was oďŹ&#x20AC;ered to two candidates who were junior academics and did not even ďŹ t the job description. Thankfully, it was unanimously agreed within the selection committee that the two invited candidatesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; performance during the campus visit was poor and neither was selected for the post. The story gets even stranger, suggesting questionable conduct by the university. UH recently announced a new search for the India Studies director in December 2018 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; but at the Associate Professor level. This downgrading of the position begs the question that if there was adequate funding for the position to begin with, why was the university seeking a junior level position? If, on the other hand, funding was inadequate for the position, the question remains as to why it was so? After all, the Houston area is home to 200,000 Indians, all of whom are tax paying citizens. Does this community not deserve an India centric program at their local university? Does the University not seek to enhance the cultural understanding of their most upright citizens who have the highest contribution to taxes and the lowest crime rate of any ethnic minority in the US? Does the larger American population not deserve a good cultural understanding of the Indian community that they are interacting with on a daily basis? At this juncture, it behooves the University of Houston to come clean on the above questions and provide a clear plan of action to the community leaders as to the search and hiring of a competent and qualiďŹ ed professor, keeping in line with the academic excellence that the university has been targeting. After all, it is the Indian community that supports fundraising eďŹ&#x20AC;orts by the university and is a qualiďŹ ed stakeholder in the India studies program. On the other hand, if indeed there have been questionable activities, such as scuttling of the India studies program, the University should remember that notwithstanding the vast freedom given to state owned academic institutions in Texas, the university still has a ďŹ duciary duty to the tax payers in spirit, and keeping in line with the highest moral standards, UH should conduct an internal investigation to uncover irregularities and award commensurate strictures. The university administration was asked to comment on this article, but there was no response. Upon contacting Dr. Shailendra Sharma, he simply said that he â&#x20AC;&#x153;received no clear explanation from the University as to why this happened.â&#x20AC;? He added that â&#x20AC;&#x153;I applied in good faith assuming the search process would be conducted in a transparent and fair mannerâ&#x20AC;ŚI am disappointed.â&#x20AC;? (India Herald sent this article to the UH administration for comment, but received no response. â&#x20AC;&#x201D;Editor)

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PAGE 10 • INDIA HERALD • WEDNESDAY, MARCH 20, 2019

NEWS Ekal From Page 1

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to Houston after an overseas assignment, Yogi became actively involved with Ekal. The decision to retire in 2015 and “not work for monetary gains” cemented this commitment. In 2018, when the Ekal Houston leadership decided to host a Gala, a ﬁrst for the Houston chapter, they asked Yogi to take the lead. He took up the challenge and with the “support of dedicated volunteers and generous donors” raised a record one and a half million dollars. As President, his priorities are to create awareness about Ekal’s work in combating illiteracy in rural India among the Indian diaspora and build a closer relationship with donors. He will also focus on promoting many young professionals who joined the Ekal movement at the 2018 Gala. Presently, he is prepping for Ekal’s fundraiser event on June 1 at Cullen Performing Hall, UH – a Bollywood musical program with artists from India. A native of Mumbai, Yogi came to the US in 1970 to pursue his college education. He obtained his Bachelors and Masters in Chemical Engineering from Tri-State and Oklahoma State Universities respectively. He worked in the Oil and Gas industry for over 38 years including assignments in Oman and Azerbaijan and retired from BP in 2015. A career highlight was his role as Organization Capability Manager in BP. Yogi was tasked with boosting the competency of the workforce and developing people, a job he found deeply fulﬁlling. Ekal seemed like an extension of this project. Holding himself as an example, Patel emphasizes education as one of the keys to success in life. 70% of India’s population lives in villages with many lacking access to education and opportunities. No nation, he notes, can be prosperous or productive

without an educated workforce. Early this year, Yogi and his wife Darshana visited five Ekal schools in Gujarat and Jharkhand and interacted with the children. Both were struck by their keenness to learn, the discipline with which they conducted themselves and above all by the potential he saw in them. When asked what they would do with their education, they responded with aspirations of being engineers, doctors, police officers, teachers or serving in the army. Ekal, he witnessed, was providing them the opportunity to do so. Yogi’s sense of purpose of expanding Ekal’s vision and mission was reinforced that day. The Ekal movement with its one-teacher-school structure started in the late 1980’s with 60 schools near Dhanbad funded by the late industrialist Madan Lal Agrawal. It is a measure of Ekal’s success and effectiveness that there are 83,000 schools today in villages and tribal areas educating two million children annually (with more than 50% girls) and an annual growth rate exceeding 30%. Apart from free schooling, Ekal also provides vocational training, digital competence and agricultural education. Its Gramothan Resource Centers teach tailoring, carpentry and pottery and provide Ekal on Wheels (mobile buses fitted with computer stations to impart digital skills to children and young adults). Ekal’s underlying mission is to make the villages prosperous by skilling them; this in turn stems migration of youth to cities and urban areas. When not busy with Ekal’s work, the new President loves a game of tennis and golf and much to his wife’s delight often dons the chef’s hat. His wife Darshana, who enjoys interior designing, also lends her talents to Ekal. Ekal USA Secretary and past Ekal Houston President Naren Chavda says “Ekal Houston is privileged to have Darshana and Yogi devoting their time and energy to elevate Ekal.”

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INDIA HERALD â&#x20AC;˘ WEDNESDAY, MARCH 20, 2019 â&#x20AC;˘ PAGE 11

COMMUNITY

Raj Salhotra announces bid for at-large Houston City Council seat

Campaign kick-oďŹ&#x20AC; rally.

Raj Salhotra When I entered Chapman & Kirby on Wednesday evening, it felt like high school all over again. I didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t recognize many people, and upon introducing myself to anyone in the room, I was met with the same reaction: wide eyes, a broad grin and immediate reverence. Similar to when I was a freshman in high school, strangers gave me an underserved level of admiration, simply because I was Rajâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s younger sister. Only this time, peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s respect stemmed not from my brotherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s popularity, good grades or side business as a DJ, but from his passion to create a better Houston for everyone. Raj, who graduated from Harvard Law School last year, deferred a corporate ďŹ rm job at Baker Botts and instead committed to public service in Houston. On Wednesday evening, in a room full of over 200 supporters, Raj oďŹ&#x192;cially announced his candidacy for Houston City Council AtLarge Position 1. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I am running for Houston City Council to build one Houston,â&#x20AC;? Raj said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;To build a Houston where we can all reach our dreams. I fundamentally believe that starts with economic opportunity, improving our quality of life and building a resilient city.â&#x20AC;? Raj is challenging incumbent Mike Knox, vying for one of the ďŹ ve at-large seats on the Council. Unlike the district seats representing a speciďŹ c geographic area, atlarge positions represent the entire city of over 640 square miles and more than 2 million people. At 28 years old, Raj

will likely be the youngest candidate on the ballot this November. The son of Atul and Poonam Salhotra, Raj grew up in Bellaire, Texas and attended St. Johnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s School. He grew up Hindu and currently serves as the president of the Young Hindus of Greater Houston (YHGH). After graduating cum laude in 2012, he went on to Rice University where he studied economics and public policy and tutored low-income high school and middle school students. While in college, Raj spent a semester interning in the Obama White House, an experience that he says shaped his political aspirations. Upon graduating from Rice in 2013, Raj joined Teach for America as a high school calculus and statistics teacher at YES Prep Southwest, a charter school serving predominantly low-income, minority students. As a teacher, Raj saw students struggle to achieve academic success because of problems they faced outside of the classroom â&#x20AC;&#x201C; crippling poverty, even homelessness in some cases. This experience inspired Raj to create SWAG to College, a mentorship organization helping 600 underserved students get into and thrive in college. Rajâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s experience as a teacher, coupled with his upbringing as the child of Indian immigrants, together motivated his decision to run for oďŹ&#x192;ce. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The city of Houston, and this country more broadly, has helped my family live the American Dream,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;As a teacher and non-proďŹ t leader, I have worked with

hundreds of students who have the exact same aspirations as I do, whose parents work just as hard as my parents do, [â&#x20AC;Ś] but unfortunately, because of policy issues and structural inequalities, they are trapped in poverty.â&#x20AC;? Rajâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s campaign promise is to serve as an advocate for all Houstonians. He referenced one of his former students who wanted to attend Lone Star Community College but did not have a car. That student takes the bus every day, spending three hours on a commute that would take thirty minutes by car. Raj intends push for a stronger public transit system and to work with METRO to increase bus services to underserved areas. He also referenced a Rice student who was injured in a bike accident. It is unacceptable that 2000 Houstonians have been injured or killed from a bike accident in the last four years, he said, advocating for Vision Zero, the elimination of all traďŹ&#x192;c fatalities and injuries. Over the next several months, Raj plans to listen to concerns from Houstonians; he even gave out his personal cell phone number â&#x20AC;&#x201C; â&#x20AC;&#x153;the same number my mom uses to call me.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;You all are the employer and the boss, and I am the public servant and employee,â&#x20AC;?

he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Ultimately, the job of a public servant is an advocate. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s an advocate for folks who have traditionally been left out. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s an advocate for folks who donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t necessarily have the time or the wherewithal to go speak out on their causes, but their causes are important.â&#x20AC;? On Wednesday, Raj used his platform to advocate for Liyna, a 29-year-old South Asian

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PAGE 12 • INDIA HERALD • WEDNESDAY, MARCH 20, 2019

NEWS

VEDIC FAIR 8 opened with Celebrate India Exhibits competition where the presenters showcased 18 Maha-Puranas’. Sudhiti Marri was runner up for her topic on ‘Agni Purana’

Ashirwad Indian-LifeStyle Class students recited Shanthi Mantras for world peace and in honor of the deceased soldiers of the world.

Vedic

Bhadange. Geetha Ravula captivated the packed audience. The play comprised of unique and rare stories from Indian heritage. The stories highlighted how the divine descends to protect Dharma and were presented to the audience for the ﬁrst time. Huge stage props, an LED background screen, colorful costumes, background music, narration in English and fabulous artists took the audience on an Indian heritage journey never seen before in the Greater Houston Area. The ﬁnale, ‘Brides of The World – Fusion Show’ choreographed by Geetha Ravula was a treat for its fusion mix of contemporary music, dazzling costumes, and beautiful brides showcasing various heritages of the World representing Unity in Diversity. The 8th Annual

From Page 6 The presentations were followed by a unique Musical Bingo Show which engaged and entertained the audience. Fort Bend County Judge K.P George, in his keynote address, appreciated the diversity in the county and the Vedic Fair for bringing rich culture and values to residents. HCC Trustee District #7, Neeta Sane congratulated the Vedic Fair Team for presenting the event. Sam Merchant from Congressman Al Green’s Oﬃce District #9 presented a proclamation to Ashirwad A Blessing for bringing rich Indian culture to Greater Houston continuously for 8 years. Ashirwad Indian-LifeStyle Class students ﬂawlessly recited Shanthi Mantras for World

Peace and in honor of the deceased soldiers of the world. The audience stood up in silence as a mark of respect. The Dance Talent Team Competition, with detailed choreography, colorful costumes, props and diverse dance formats, adhered to the “Indian Heritage” theme and enthralled the audience. Vedic Fair 8’s Dance Talent Team Champions are the Kalakar Group for their performance ‘Aadum Chidambarmoo’ about Lord Shiva choreographed by Dr. Sunanda Nair. Divine Dancers Team were1st Runners Up for their performance ‘Yeh Desh Hai Veer Jawano Ka’ choreographed by Surabhi Mahajan and Laasya School of Dance Team were 2nd runners up for their performance ‘Kalyo Kood Padyo’ choreographed by Deepika

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Vedic Fair was emceed by DJ AJ Ajay Kumar. VEDIC FAIR’s chair Geetha Ravula thanked Ashirwad Family’s team for their continued commitment and dedication towards Indian heritage. Team members include: Sailesh Kaparaju, Sri Ravula, Ashutosh and Sonali Sapru, Vikas and Shagun Ahuja, Vinod Conikee, Varun Rajan, Kavitha Prasad, Priya Muralidharan, Priya Ravishankar, Uma Chidambaram, Srimathi Kumar, Mahima Bhat, Manisha and Mahesh Halapeti, Bharat Rao, Harish Reyha, Dhawal Shah, Manoj Nair, Shiva Naidu, Surendra Naidu, Vaishali Sudhakar, Ranga Naidu and Ashirwad Young Wingz Team Srujana Dunnara (President), Ayushi Sapru (Vice President), Rishi Kadiam (Secretary), Venkat, Laalasa Kella, Divena

Donthi (Past President) & 50+ high school volunteers who served passionately and Judges Sanjay Patel, Rashmi Shashi, Nithya Hari, Khushboo Jaiswal, Monica Sirigiri. Ashirwad also thanked the supporting organizations – ISKCON of Houston, Sanatan Hindu Center, Shri Sita Ram Foundation of USA, Hindus of Greater Houston, Subhash and Sarojini Gupta, Vijay Pallod, Daya Houston, Art of Living, Sri Ganapati Sachchidananda Avadhoota Daata Peetam, Amma Sri Karunamayi, Universal Door Meditation Center, and Telugu Christian Fellowship, The 9th Annual VEDIC FAIR will be in February 2020. For continued updates visit facebook.com/VEDICFAIR

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INDIA HERALD • WEDNESDAY, MARCH 20, 2019 • PAGE 13

COMMUNITY

Houston Maharashtra Mandal presents “Janata Raja,” play on the life of Chhatrapati Shivaji

The rajyaabhishek (coronation) scene from “Janata Raja” enactment of Chhatrapati Shivaji’s life by Houston Maharashtra Mandal. Here Pandit Gagabhatt (Nitin Gokhale) from Kashi (center) declares Shivaji (Nimish Jagtap) the king on the golden throne as the courtiers cheer as Jija bai (Meghana Jadhav), Shivaji’s mother watches from the upper window on the left and Shivshahir (Swanand Deshmukh) rises in the air on the right as he describes the scene in song. Photo: Pradnya S Joshi. HOUSTON “Janata Raja”, the brain child of Shiv Shaheer Babasaheb Purandare, was presented in all its glory in Houston, as a fund raiser for Houston Maharashtra Mandal’s Vastu Project at the Staﬀord Center on March 9. The play depicted the life of Chhatrapati Shivajiraje Bhosale who established the Maratha Empire defeating the Adilshahi and Nizamshahi rulers during 1630-1680 AD in Maharashtra, India. The audience’s enthusiastic response was commensurate with the amount of work that went into the production. Actors, directors, backstage artists, property developers and

stage set engineers kept at the task for the last six months, putting in tireless hours of work and rehearsals. The last four weekends comprised 12 hours, at a stretch, of practices. The added challenge to the presentation was that it had to be coordinated perfectly to a pre-recorded track that is strictly copyright protected by Babasaheb. The whole presentation came together ﬂawlessly, making the audience wonder whether these were professionals or local talent! A total of over 600 seats were sold, raising a total contribution of $190,000 for the Vastu project. Babasaheb’s recommend-

ed two established directoractors, Anand Javadekar and Abhishek Jadhav, were invited from India to guide the enthusiastic participants in Houston. The directors worked with local project manager Abhishek Bhat and local director Chaitrali Thote-Gokhale, resulting in an outstanding performance. Most of the actors were performing on stage for the ﬁrst time. The stage set was built locally and was 21 feet tall and 50 feet wide with Goddess Bhavani’s replica projected in the center as Shivaji Maharaj was her ardent follower and disciple. Several anecdotes of Shivajiraje’s life were a part of the play with Jijabai, his

mother, being his inspiration and mentor for the creation of “Swarajya” (independence). Shivajiraje Bhosale is like God to the State of Maharashtra and a production like “Janata Raja” further commemorates his bravery, valor, and at the same time, his principles of kindness and generosity. This is yet another feather in the Houston Maharashtra Mandal’s (HMM) cap, which over the past ﬁve years, has geared up to build its own community center and temple under the direction of HMM Vastu President Rahul Deshmukh and HMM Cultural President Jyotsna Phadke. HMM now have their own land of 11 acres in Rosen-

berg and have recently built a Sankalp Maruti prayer station, which will be inaugurated in April. As funds accumulate, HMM hopes to build a Siddhi Vinayak temple and a sabhagruha (auditorium) on the property. More successful ventures/ fund raisers like “Janata Raja” should make the Vastu an achievable goal in the near future. Along with the performing artists and the volunteers in the back stage, the Vastu Committee and the “Janata Raja” Marketing team did an outstanding job in raising funds. — By Varsha Halabe

“49 “44Years Years Visit www. India-herald.com.

and Counting, Providing Services Email: 1970-2019 1970 - 2014 To Generations editor@india-herald.com of Businesses and Professionals Around The World”

PAGE 14 • INDIA HERALD • WEDNESDAY, MARCH 20, 2019

Hari Venkatachalam Hindu Students Association, Board of Directors

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PRESS RELEASE

rid TX of–your staffi ng problems and spend more April 6, 2017Get – AUSTIN, The Hindu Students Association (HSA) would like to regretfully announce that itNumbers will be Good = Good Decisions cancelling its annual Gateway Retreat for the 2017 year. HSA prides itself in building a strong network of young Hindu Americans, and it looks forward to organizing other events in the future that will link students from its various branches. HSA has been reorienting itself in recent months to doing more grassroots work. “We have been focusing more on accomplishing work on the local and branch level,” said Mrinalini Vijalapuram, National President of the Hindu Students Association. “We have been doing this through many different activities including interfaith events with other religious organizations, building community partnerships, and expanding into other campuses that don’t already have HSA branches.” While the cancellation of Gateway may come as a disappointment for many prospective attendees, HSA hopes to get feedback from students on other projects and events that interest its branch members. Currently, several projects, including developing HSA’s podcast series and releasing monthly articles that highlight the accomplishments of members from the various campuses have been the focus of the organization’s efforts. HSA welcomes student and community members to get involved in these activities to help further the goals of the organization. “It is important that we meet the needs of the campuses and communities we serve,” reiterated Ms. Vijalapuram. “We want to make sure that we are putting our attention on projects that will truly benefit them.” U.S. 90 A -***-

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PAGE 16 â&#x20AC;˘ INDIA HERALD â&#x20AC;˘ WEDNESDAY, MARCH 20, 2019

NEWS

Hindu singles meet at Vivah platform

Hindu singles from Houston and the rest of the US found a platform to meet eligible partners of the opposite sex at Anjappar Chettinad Restaurant on Hwy 6 and Piping Rock in Hosuton on Feb. 23. The event consisted of a round robin meet-up of bachelors and bachelorettes under the age of 39. A brief one-on-one tete a tete was arranged only for Hindu participants, followed by a mixer. Out of the 94 registered 77, who attended, were an equal mix of men and women. This was done on purpose to make the experience fair and just for both men and women. It was interesting and encouraging to see quite a few participants over the age of 35, conďŹ rming the popular belief that, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Love is ageless.â&#x20AC;? Participants had ďŹ&#x201A;own in from Michigan, driven in from Dallas, San Antonio and Austin, indicating they are serious about this. This was the 9th event that the Houston chapter of hinduvivah arranged. It has gained immense popularity in that, other chapters are active now, including Atlanta, Dallas, Austin, New York/New Jersey, Bay Area, Washington DC and the latest addition being Detroit. HinduVivah (www.hinduvivah.org ) is a US based non-proďŹ t organization whose charter is to facilitate the meeting of Hindu singles for the purpose of matrimony. It is engaged mainly in the arranging of meetings where Hindu singles get a chance to mingle with like-minded suitors who are implicitly ready for marriage.

These meets help break the ice and introduce Hindu singles to each other, at which point the singles who matched are left to explore and select a life partner from amongst the singles they matched with. Vivah requests Hindu singles to not use these events to date for dating sake. The services are meant to be used by those that are serious and contemplating marriage. Research shows that in-person meets have a much higher chance of leading to ďŹ nding a partner suitable for marriage; than do online matching/dating sites based strictly on professed personal proďŹ les. At some point in the future if some kind of online presence can complement these in-person meets, Vivah is open to exploring that avenue. Kudos goes out to founder/director Dharminder Dargan for his indomitable spirit in building this organization. His vision foresees several more chapters in the near future. The event was very well organized and many participants stopped by the Volunteersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; desk to compliment the event coordinators. A suggestion by one of the participants was to include the age to be added on the name tags, which will be considered by organizers of future events. This time around, there were 12 matching pairs. Radhika and Rajagopal of Anjappar received a plaque as a token of appreciation. Visit www. hinduvivah.org for updates . â&#x20AC;&#x201D;By SANCHALI BASU

Last fall, Spoorthi Cherivirala, submitted the above art to a contest that was held for student artists throughout the United States and Canada. Spoorthi was in grade 11 attending Dulles High School at the time of publication. Spoorthiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s art, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Just a Typical Dayâ&#x20AC;? was selected from thousands of entries as one of the ten best in his/ her grade division. Spoorthi is the daughter of Ramesh and Anuradha Cherivirala of Sugar Land. The contest was held for students in grades K-12. The top ten artists in each division (grades K-3, 4-6, 7-9, 10-12) are each receiving special recognition in the art anthology Celebrating Art. Each Top Ten Winner receives a complimentary copy of the anthology and a $25 award. Art pieces are selected for their creativity, originality, self-expression, craftsmanship, and skill. CelebratingArt.com and Blick Art Materials sponsor this contest to oďŹ&#x20AC;er a creative outlet that honors our youth. Too often the eďŹ&#x20AC;orts of young artists are unrecognized and they lose their motivation to express themselves. CelebratingArt.com has awarded over $50,000 to students and teachers since 2010. The upcoming art contest deadline is April 4, 2019. For more information, contact Tom Worthen, Ph.D. at CelebratingArt, (435) 755-8126. You can also email Dr. Worthen at casupport@ celebratingart.com.

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INDIA HERALD • WEDNESDAY, MARCH 20, 2019 • PAGE 17

NEWS Country’s leadership capable of reacting to any act of terror, says Doval Breaking his silence on the Pulwama terror attack, he says the country had not forgotten it nor would it ever forget it. National Security Advisor Ajit Doval said on March 19 that the country had not forgotten the Pulwama terror attack, nor would it ever forget it. This is the ﬁrst time Mr. Doval is commenting on the terror attack that was followed by a precision air strike by the Indian Air Force on a training camp of terror outﬁt Jaish-eMohammad in Pakistan’s Balakot. Over 40 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel were killed on February 14 when a Jaish-e-Mohammad suicide-bomber rammed his car into a CRPF bus at Pulwama in south Kashmir. Mr. Doval, who was the chief guest at the 80th Raising Day of the CRPF, said the country’s leadership was capable of reacting to and retaliating any act of terror. “What we shall do, what should be our inten-

tion, our path, our reaction, the country’s leadership is capable to decide... whether the action is against terrorists or those who support these terrorists. We are ready to challenge this.” The loss of the families of the CRPF personnel could not be compensated, but the entire country stood with them, the NSA said. Mr. Doval asked the CRPF to not look back or worry about the past but enhance its professionalism, credibility, training and physical strength. “If your morale is high, then the country’s future is safe,” he said. World history was replete with examples of constitutional crises and governments collapsing when the internal security of a nation was threatened, he noted. The CRPF, he said, had to take a lead role in ensuring peace and law and order. “As the lead internal security force of the country, the CRPF has an onerous task on its shoulders to render the duties.”

Christchurch terror attack: Five Indians confirmed dead Five Indians were among the 50 people killed by a gunman who opened fire on worshippers at two mosques in Christchurch, in the worst attack on Muslims in New Zealand, the Indian High Commission said on Sunday. The attacker, identified by authorities as Australia-born Brenton Tarrant, 28, reportedly targeted immigrants during Friday prayers. Witnesses said victims were shot at close range. The High Commission confirmed on Sunday that five Indians were killed in the attack. “With a very heavy heart we share the news of loss of precious lives of our 5 nationals in ghastly terror attack in #Christchurch,” it tweeted. It identified them as: Mahe-

boob Khokhar; Ramiz Vora; Asif Vora; Ansi Alibava; and Ozair Kadir. In another tweet later, the High Commission informed that Immigration NZ has set up a dedicated webpage to expedite visa for family members of Christchurch victims. (https:// www.immigration.govt.nz/ about-us/media-centre/newsnotifications/family-membersof-mosque-incident) On Friday, shortly after the attack, India’s High Commissioner in New Zealand Sanjiv Kohli had tweeted that “there are 9 missing persons of Indian nationality/origin”. But, he had added, official confirmation was awaited. The High Commission said its helpline numbers — 021803899 & 021850033 —

will remain available round the clock to assist families of the those aﬀected by the attack. It also said a group of Community leaders is being constituted in Christchurch and their names and numbers will be circulated shortly. Meanwhile, it added, those who need assistance while transiting through Auckland may contact 021531212. Expressing India’s solidarity with the people of New Zealand, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said hatred and violence have no place in diverse and democratic societies. About 200,000 Indian and Indian-origin people live in New Zealand. Over 30,000 of them are students, according to the Indian High Commission’s data available on its website.

Priyanka sails, media runs aground

Properties of ‘Hizbul terrorists’ attached

The Enforcement Directorate has attached 13 properties of seven alleged terrorists in connection with a case against Hizb-ul Mujahideen chief Syed Salahuddin and others. The properties, worth ₹1.22 crore on paper, belong to Mohammad Shafi Shah and six other Hizbul men, said the agency. The ED probe into terror financing is based on a charge sheet filed by the National Investigation Agency against the accused persons. “Hizb-ul-Mujahideen, the most active terror outfit in Kashmir, has been responsible for funding terrorist and secessionist activities in the State. Headed by Syed Salahuddin, its self-styled commander operating from Rawalpindi in Pakistan, foments terrorism on Indian soil through funds organised by a trust called Jammu & Kashmir Affectees Relief Trust in allegedly connivance with the ISI and other Pakistan-based entities,” said the ED. During investigation, the agency found that terror funds were sent to India through the “hawala” channel, barter trade and human carriers. “The funds are illegally distributed to the kin of Hizb-ul-Mujahideen terrorists, active or dead. Accordingly, 13 properties of Mohammad Shafi Shah and six other accused located in Jammu & Kashmir have been attached under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act,” the Directorate said. The alleged mastermind behind illegal distribution of funds, Mohammod Shafi Shah, Talib Lali, Muzaffar Ahmad Dar and Mushtaq Ahmad Lone are currently lodged in Tihar Jail.

39 parties to battle with razor, green chilli, torch What is common to lady’s ﬁnger, green chilli, watermelon, lunchbox, sewing machine, pencil box, razor, boat with man and sail, violin, battery torch, man blowing turha, toothbrush and many more? They are all election symbols allotted to 39 registered un-recognised parties set to contest 2019 Lok Sabha elections. The Election Commission on Sunday allotted common party symbols to 39 registered un-recognised parties that included ﬁlmstar Kamal Haasan’s Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) and former Janata Dal (United) president Sharad Yadav’s Loktantrik Janata Dal (LJD). While Haasan’s party has been allotted “battery torch” as common symbol, LJD was given the symbol of a “man blowing turha”. A person contesting on behalf of a recognised political party will inherit the party’s symbol. Last year in February, Haasan announced his plan to plunge into politics launching his political party Makkal Needhi Maiam (people justice centre) at a massive rally in Madurai. In December, Haasan announced that his party will contest the 2019 Lok Sabha polls in all the 39 parliamentary constituencies of Tamil Nadu and the lone seat in Puducherry Union Territory. The actor-turned-politician then in February, announced that his party would go it alone in the upcoming elections. An Independent candidate or someone contesting on behalf of an unrecognised political party has to approach the EC and get a symbol allotted from the list of ‘free’ symbols available.

In an hilarious turn of events during the boat campaign by Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi on Monday, a boat carrying media persons and some Congress leaders ran aground at Manaya ghat of Allahabad from where Priyanka started sailing to reach Varanasi. As media persons reached the Manaiya Ghat, they saw just one steamer all decked up for Priyanka, and no arrangement for another boat to carry them along to cover Priyanka’s poll campaign. The drama started as soon as Priyanka — who reached the ghat around 11.30 am — got onto her steamer. There was no room for the media. However, as soon her boat started sailing, media persons and some Congress leaders found another boat following her, and they all jumped into the boat. The boat was soon stuffed beyond its capacity and became unstable. On boatman’s frantic instruction, some people had to alight. But as the boat reached the middle of the river, it ran aground in low water. And it could not budge an inch from there. Following which, a boat was called in to take the stuck journalists back to the pier. In the case of a recognised political party, the Commission allows it to reserve a symbol. For example, if a political party recognised in a particular State wishes to contest in elections in another State, it can reserve the symbol being used by it. The Commission will oblige, provided the symbol is not being used by anyone else. As per the EC notification, Yadav’s LJD will contest on all the 543 parliamentary constituencies. The LJD was floated by Yadav in 2018 after his fallout with Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar over the latter’s decision to end the alli-

ance with the RJD and enter into a tie-up with NDA-led by BJP. After his fallout, the three-time Rajya Sabha member was disqualiﬁed from the Upper House under the anti-defection law. Loktantarik Rastravadi Party has been allotted “tractor chalata kisan” sympol for 11 parliamentary constituencies in Gujarat. Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) Liberation) has been allotted “ﬂag with three star” symbol. Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (Ulgulan) has been allotted “bottle” symbol. Jan Sangh Party has been allotted “green chilli” to Delhi and

Bihar while “dish antenna” allotted for 416 parliamentary constituencies across the country. Bahujan Awam Party has been allotted “toothbrush” symbol to contest Parliamentary constituencies in Uttar Pradesh; Hindustan People Party has been allotted “pencil box” for Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Karnataka, Gujarat Ganasangam Party of India allotted “lady ﬁnger” for Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Puducherry Maharashtra Parivartan Sena is given ‘sewing machine’ symbol and Apni Party given “lunchbox” symbol by the EC.

PAGE 18 â&#x20AC;˘ INDIA HERALD â&#x20AC;˘ WEDNESDAY, MARCH 20, 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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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, engage-

ment 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 prashad. Daily Aarti times : Mangala Aarti- 5:30 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 832-464-4686 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.

INDIA HERALD • WEDNESDAY, MARCH 20 • PAGE 19

NEWS Manohar Parrikar cremated with full state honors

The final rites were performed and mortal remains of Goa Chief Minister and former Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar were consigned to flames at Miramar near here with full military and state honours on Monday evening. Former Defence Minister was given a 21-gun salute at the last rites. Mr. Parrikar’s elder son Utpal lit the pyre amidst thousands of people who had gathered to catch a final glimpse and bid a final adieu to the departed leader affectionately referred to as “Bhai” across Goa. The funeral procession of Mr. Parrikar began from Kala academy in the city on Monday evening with thousands joining the cortege to bid him a fond farewell. The mortal remains of the 63-year-old BJP leader and fourtime Chief Minister were kept in a flower-decked Army hearse which left the Kala Academy at Panaji for the Miramar beach. Earlier in the day, when the body wrapped in the tricolour was brought to the city BJP headquarters, hundreds of party workers, leaders and supporters of Mr Parrikar became emotional. His body was brought from his private residence in Dona Paula to Panaji in the morning from where it was later kept in state at Kala Academy, where hundreds of mourners paid their tributes. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Minister for Textiles Smriti Irani, Union Minister of State Ramdas Athawale paid floral tributes to Mr. Parrikar at Kala Academy and consoled his bereaved family members. BJP National president Amit Shah, Union Shipping Minister Nitin Gadkari, Union Civil Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu, Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda, some Chief Ministers, including Chief Minister of Maharashtra Devendra Fadanvis and some of his ministerial colleagues were present for the final rites at Miramar. Mr. Parrikar served as Chief Minister of Goa four times but could not complete a single term in office. He served as Defence Minister in the Prime Minister Narendra Modi cabinet from 2014-17.

BJP’s Pramod Sawant sworn in as Goa Chief Minister

Goa Governor Mridula Sinha (right) administers the oath of the oﬃce to Pramod Sawant as the new Chief Minister of the State, at the Raj Bhavan in Panaji, Goa early on March 19, 2019. | Photo Credit: PTI MGP’s Ramkrishna Dhavlikar and Vijai Sardadesai of Goa Forward Party were sworn in as deputy Chief Ministers. Pramod Sawant (45), former Speaker of the Goa legislative Assembly and BJP MLA from Sankhelim in north Goa, was on early Tuesday morn-

ing sworn in as the 11th Chief Minister of Goa, succeeding Manohar Parrikar, who died on Sunday after a prolonged battle with advanced pancreatic cancer. He was administerd the oath of oﬃce and secrecy at the Raj Bhavan by Governor Mridula

Manohar Parrikar, the original ‘aam aadmi’

In a video clip from an alumni day function at IIT Bombay in 2014, the four-time Goa Chief Minister and former Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar — who passed away on Sunday evening after a prolonged illness — is described as the “original Aam Aadmi”. Dressed in his trademark half-sleeved shirt and floaters, Mr. Parrikar had an image of an accessible yet go-getter politician. Mr. Parrikar’s political trajectory runs parallel to the rise of the BJP in Goa. He was born in 1955 in Mapusa in then Portugese-ruled Goa. It was only after Goa’s liberation in 1962 where the right-wing politicians played a pivotal role that the RSS took root in the State. In the 1970s, a teenage Parrikar joined the RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh). After completing a degree in metallurgical engineering from IIT Bombay, he resumed working with the organisation. At just 26, he was Sanghchalak of Mapusa. It was the RSS that pushed Mr. Parrikar to the BJP to counter the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party. Mr. Parrikar’s sangfroid self often hid the astute politician he was. In 1994, for the first time, the BJP sent four legislators to the Goa Assembly and he was one of them along with the current Union Minister Shripad Naik. The parallel run of Mr Parrikar and Mr Naik ended here. Mr. Parrikar soon outstripped Mr. Naik, who was the BJP State president from 1990 to 1999, to become the first BJP Chief Minister of Goa in 2000. Mr. Naik left State politics to become the first BJP MP from the State in 1999. “Together with Mr. Parrikar, we built the RSS and the BJP from ground up. We built its cadre from booth level and would knock on each and every door propagating the BJP’s ideology,” Mr. Naik told The Hindu. Once he took centre stage in

the State, Mr. Parrikar never conceded the position to anyone else in the party. Even as the Defence Minister in 2014, he would often spend time in Goa, visiting it every weekend. Inclusive Goa model One of his political achievements was to develop the ‘Goa model’ of the BJP, positioning the right-wing party away from narrow Hindutva bracket to a larger and more inclusive Goan identity. He even managed make the Catholic Church a BJP ally in the State. Mr. Naik describes Mr. Parrikar as a hardworking and “aggressive” Chief Minister — a description that the Congress leaders, who have been usually at the receiving end of his aggressive politics, would agree with. “He was known for his manipulative politics. He kept files on every politician in the State, including those in his own party and the Opposition. His own Health Minister Vishwajit Rane was heard in audio tapes claiming that Mr. Parrikar has the critical Rafale files carrying critical proof against Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This was nothing new to him,” Goa Pradesh Congress Committee president Girish Chodankar said. In January, Congress president Rahul Gandhi called on Mr. Parrikar in Goa a day after tweeting about the “audio files” that he claimed gave the Chief Minister “powers” over Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Mr. Parrikar, however, wrote a letter in protest to Mr. Gandhi, accusing him of using the courtesy call for “petty political gains” and to assert that no mention of the Rafale fighter aircraft deal had been made during the meeting. Mr. Parrikar’s close associate Sushant Nadkarni, who has been the advocate general of Goa for over a decade and a personal friend, describes the former as a workaholic, a hard taskmaster and a person who

put the State on the development map of the country. And whatever differences he might have had with BJP leaders were only because he was “straight forward”. “He sacrificed the post of Defence Minister to return as Chief Minister. Without him, the BJP floundered — from 21 seats they came down to 12 seats. It was on the insistence of the alliance partners that he came back to take the post,” Mr. Nadkarni says. Mr. Parrikar also has the distinction of helming the 2016 cross-border surgical strike. Lt. General D.S. Hooda, who was the chief of the Army’s Northern Command at the time of the strike, describes Mr. Parrikar as sharp and decisive. “I found him very sharp and quick in grasping the problems. He was equally empathetic towards a soldier’s requirements. Often he would request us to let him speak directly to the soldiers, have a cup of tea with them to discuss their needs and requirements,” Lt. Gen. Hooda said. Other Army officers say he rarely got support from the bureaucracy as many of his promises fell through. Played a critical role in Goa party meet Mr. Parrikar also played a critical behind-the-scenes role in the 2013 Goa National Executive meeting of the BJP, which saw the announcement of then Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi as the prime ministerial candidate for the 2014 general election. Veteran leader L. K. Advani stayed away from the meeting over the expected announcement. It ended with the announcement of Mr. Modi not just as the prime ministerial candidate but also as the party’s main election campaigner. Mr. Modi has more than once acknowledged Goa’s role in his success and praised Mr. Parrikar while in Goa. —The Hindu

Sinha. Along with the Chief Minister, Sudin alias Ramkrishna Dhavlikar of the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) and Vijai Sardesai of the Goa Forward Party were sworn in as Deputy Chief Ministers. The entire Cabinet of Manohar Parikkar has been retained. The Ministers who were also sworn in included Manohar Ajgaonkar (MGP), Rohan Khavtye (independent), Govind Gaude (independent), Vinod Palyekar (Goa forward), Jayesh Salgaonkar (Goa Forward) and four

of the BJP, namely, Mauvin Godinho, Vishwajit Rane, Milind Naik aand Nilesh Cabral. The BJP-led alliance has a strength of 21, which includes 12 of the BJP, three each of the MGP and the Goa Forward Party and three Independents in the truncated House of 36 (40). The Congress has 14 MLAs, while the Nationalist Congress has one. Thousands pay tributes to Parrikar The ﬁnal rites of Parrikar, four-time Goa Chief Minister and former Defence Minister,

were performed at the Miramar beach on Monday evening. A 21-gun salute was accorded to the BJP stalwart. Parrikar’s elder son, Utpal, lit the pyre as thousands bid adieu to the departed leader, aﬀectionately referred to as ‘Bhai’ across Goa. The ﬁnal journey of Parrikar began from the Kala Academy in Panaji with thousands joining the cortege. Hundreds of common people and party workers lined the street to pay tributes to the leader.

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