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India Herald
VOL. 24 • NO. 40 • WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2018 • P.O. BOX 623, SUGAR LAND, TX 77487 • PERIODICAL PERMIT USPS 017699 • 25 cents
Mahatma Gandhi’s 150th birth anniversary celebrations begin
Anthony Hall, left, Steve York, Atul Kothari and moderator Dr. Carla Brailey. —Photo Courtesy of Satyajit Verma. By MANU SHAH 1900s and the sit-ins coached Dandi, a coastal village of by Rev. James Lawson to Gujarat, and a lunch counter desegregate lunch counters in in Nashville Tenn., were the Nashville, Tennessee in 1959 venues for two non-violent brilliantly captured the dignity resistance movements that and stoicism with which the would change the course of resistors faced down their history and influence thought oppressors without resorting to leaders across the world. violence. These two powerful The documentary revealed movements were the subjects that Rev. James Lawson had in “A Force More Powerful” spent 3 years in India and been – a documentary written, greatly influenced by Gandhi. directed and produced by award Mahatma Gandhi Library winning filmmaker Steve York. (MGL) kicked off the yearlong The rich archival footage (October 2018 to October such as Gandhi’s brisk trek 2019) celebrations of Mahatma to Dandi against a repressive Gandhi’s 150th anniversary on See Gandhi, Page 6 British salt law in the early
Ekal Vidyalaya Gala on Saturday
At least 27 Hindus from Latin American countries attended the recently concluded World Hindu Congress in Chicago and they are spreading the message of the Gita in South America and cleaning up the Yamuna river in India as Seva or service. Left to right: Top row, Vishvarupa Das [Ecuador], Bhadarayani Das [Peru], Bhakti Raksak Swami Maharaj [Mexico], Kalki Avatar Das [Peru], Bhakti Aloka Paramadvaiti Swami [Germany], Ambika Devi Dasi [Colombia], Maha Laksmi Devi Dasi [Mexico], Radha Dham Devi Dasi [Colombia]. Bottom row: Angira Muni Das [Mexico], Giri Raj Das [Argentina], Maharati Das [Colombia], Vrindavan Chandra Das [Colombia], Radhe Shyam Devi Dasi [Ecuador]. See Story on Page 11.
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Ramesh Shah, left, with Subhash Chandra Ekal Vidyalaya will host its annual Charity gala on Saturday, Oct. 6, at Marriott Sugar Land Town Square in Sugar Land. Themed as, ‘Future of India’, the event will feature Dr. Subhash Chandra, Chairman of Zee TV India, as the keynote speaker. He will be joined by the best-selling author and motivational speaker, Shiv Khera. Consul General of India, Dr. Anupam Ray, and the Founder of Ekal-USA, Ramesh Shah, will be among those present at the Gala. Story on Page 10.
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PAGE 2 • INDIA HERALD • WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2018
•Passed $716 Billion to strengthen and rebuild our depleted military including much needed salary increases for our troops and their families •In the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, Pete Olson stood strong to make sure Houston has the resources needed for recovery. •Passed the largest tax cut in a generation fulfilling the Conservative promise to return tax dollars back to hard working Texas families and businesses.
U.S. Rep. Pete Olson presents a Texas cowboy hat to Prime Minister Modi on his first U.S. visit in New York on 09/28/14
I’m proud to represent one of the most diverse congressional districts in America and greatly value the contributions each community makes in adding to the rich tapestry of our region. That’s why I prioritize attending gatherings and seeking the counsel of people from diverse backgrounds. Whether it’s visiting BAPS, participating in Diwali, Holi or India Independence Day celebrations, speaking with minority-owned business leaders, or traveling to New York City to welcome newly elected Prime Minister Modi to America, I have committed my time to understand and receive guidance from everyone whom I am honored to represent. Similarly, I have traveled to India (twice), and across Asia to better develop trading partnerships, strengthen ties to our country and seek ways to further promote free Democracies around the world that value liberty and opportunity as much as we do in the United States. In Congress I’ve worked on the Energy and Commerce Committee to increase energy trade between the U.S. and India. It’s an honor to represent such a diverse district. Prime Minister Modi has an open invitation from me to visit Houston. PAID FOR BY PETE OLSON FOR CONGRESS
INDIA HERALD • WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2018 • PAGE 3
NEWS
India’s reputed violinist M. Chandrasekharan honored
Congressman Pete Olson’s staff aide Craig Lewellyn, presents the certificate of recognition to Mr. Chandrasekharan, as Mridangam exponent Ramesh Srinivasan, left, and Vidushi Rajarajeshwari Bhat help him receive the certificate. Pete Olson, Member of the He is not only a great musician, following an attack of jaundice, United States Congress, (R- but also a sincere, humble, and was guided by his mother ChaTX-22) recognized India’s compassionate individual who rubala Mohan in every aspect – legendary violinist M. Chan- serves as a role model for our she taught him to play the violin, drasekharan, 81, during his con- community. It is an honor to cel- sing and learn Braille, in which cert at the Ashtalakshmi Temple ebrate M. Chandrasekharan and he can read and write Tamil, Auditorium in Sugar Land on a privilege to represent mem- English, Sanskrit and Telugu. His first performance was on bers of the Indian community in Sept. 21. 5th March, 1949. Recognizing the artist “for his the Congress.” In 1950, at the age of 13, he Academy of Indian Culture, one of a kind musical presentations,” Olson said, “For over 70 Sri Ashtalakshmi Temple and won the first prize in a violin years, Violin Maestro M. Chan- Houston Youth Music Associa- competition conducted by the drasekharan has been regaling tion jointly presented the con- Music Academy, Madras. He was awarded the Madras the lovers of Classical music cert by Dr. M. Chandrasekharan. M. Chandrasekharan, who Music Academy’s Sangeetha with his astounding notes on the violin in India and abroad. lost his sight before he was two Kalanidhi in 2005.
Obituary: Bharat Chimanlal Sanghavi
Bharat Chimanlal Sanghavi, 74, passed away on Sept. 26, 2018 in Mumbai, India. Bharat and his wife Panna, moved to Houston in 1975 and have resided there ever since. Bharat graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Civil Engineering from MS University of Baroda in 1966 and with a Master’s Degree from Louisiana Tech University in 1968. In Houston, Bharat was involved in a variety of community/ professional organizations including the India Culture Center (Past President), Gujarati Samaj of Houston, Vallabh Priti Seva Samaj Haveli, and Houston Association of Realtors. Recently, Bharat and Panna were fortunate enough to spend a significant amount of time with their family in India, creating many wonderful memories. Bharat is survived by his wife Panna; children and spouses Nehal and Reetu and Deval and Neera; and grandchildren Ayush, Laxman, Akbar, and Anamika. The family wishes to extend their sincere thanks to the Houston community for all of their love and support.
PAGE 4 • INDIA HERALD • WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2018
POINT OF VIEW Groups with agenda represent “Hindus� To the Editor: This refers to the articles� “Hindu Group turns GOP’s goodwill ad on its head� and “Why that Republican Ganesh political ad is not so bad� in the 26 September issue of India Herald. The political ad has raised unnecessary controversy. Every group with its own agenda seems to represent ‘Hindus.’ First of all, Republicans are not all elephants, just as Democrats are not all donkeys; most of them are indeed self-seekers. Why would the Fort Bend Republican Party take an interest, all of a sudden, in a Hindu deity? Is it because this year there is a Democratic candidate of a ‘Hindu’ background in a Fort Bend district? Will this interest remain at the time of the next election, if there is no such candidate? Most Hindus, at least in this country, have no interest in gay or lesbian issues. But HAF takes upon itself to say ‘Indian law catches up with Indian culture.’ Indian culture? Same-sex intercourse? Where did these people come with such queer notions and say they represent ‘Indian culture’ or ‘Hindus. Vincent Bruno represents ‘Hindus for Trump’ campaign? That is a misnomer. Yes, there were some Hindus
for Trump at the beginning of the Trump campaign, when he made patriotic sounds. Some of them even contributed to his campaign. Hindus by and large are conservative and very patriotic – whether it is the land of their birth or the land that adopted them - in this case USA. But when reports came out from October 2016 onwards that Trump has been courting foreign powers to inuence his election or how he allegedly tried to suppress his bad reputation with hush payments, that support has diminished. I, like many others, voted for neither Trump nor Hillary, because we thought neither represented American values. If Republicans want ‘Hindu’ votes, be really ‘conservative’ as your party says you are. Controversial, opportunistic or ‘for-the-moment’ ads won’t help. Prabhu Narumanchi Houston
Republican Party ad on Ganesha misunderstood To the Editor There seems to be a misunderstanding on the part of some leaders/activists of Hindu organizations. I am a Hindu and an active community member of the Fort Bend County for over 25 years. I have been to local temples, churches, mosques, schools, City Halls and public forums to promote the goodwill of the Indian American community. With the mid-term election around the corner, in an earnest eort to invite Indo American voters to the GOP camp, Fort Bend Republican Party leaders ran an advertisement with Lord Ganesh and Elephant – the symbol of Abraham Lincoln’s Republican Party. They also oered a choice between the Elephant (Republican) and Donkey (Democrats).
To me, it appears the good intent got lost in an emotional religious fervor. The lesson learned for all parties – if possible, try not to mix religion and politics. It is especially prudent for religious entities to refrain from the fray of the politics even though one feels omnipotent. More importantly, Indian Americans need to manifest a true spirit of Hinduism with compassion and understanding. Such a moral high road will help dierentiate the Indian American community and will not classify us with other terrorizing religious organizations. Let us make sure Hindus are not perceived as fanatics. Fortunately, over the last 40 to 50 years, Indian Americans have established themselves as a kinder, gentler and peace-
loving community. We have all worked hard and played by the rules to succeed. Ostensibly, it has worked well for at home, work and in business. Certainly, we must participate in civic and political affairs of our communities with dignity and decency. But let us not allow any individual or organization to misguide our community’s pride and privilege. America has been good to all of us. The freedom of speech, religion as well as the life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness are invaluable virtues of this great nation. Let us have a sense of gratitude. We are better; we can do better! Naren Patel Sugar Land
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INDIA HERALD • WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2018 • PAGE 5
COMMUNITY Vedanta Society of Greater Houston Durga Puja 2018 By SANCHALI BASU It is that time of the year again - Durga Puja time! As is the norm every year, VSGH will take pride in hosting the first Durga Puja of the season in Houston. VSGH has gone through several changes over the past year. Revered Swami Atmarupananda, an authority on the Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda, besides authoring several books on Vedanta and meditation, has taken over as the spiritual head of VSGH since last December. He will be assisting Swami Kripamayanada from Toronto, in conducting the puja. The puja will commence early in the morning with the Nabapatrika and the idol of Mother Durga being carried to the nicely decorated pandal outdoors to the beat of the Dhak and the blowing of the shankh, creating a divine atmosphere. The puja will continue to the accompaniment of melodious devotional songs by the VSGH choir and end with a beautiful arati, and pushpanjali, the offering of flowers, by devotees. Looking at the weather fore-
cast, one can expect a bright beautiful sunny day, not too warm, to the delight of the devotees. The puja will be followed by fruit & lunch prasad distribution to all attendees. This is one puja that all Houstonians look forward to every year, because of the sincere piety and devotion with which the puja is carried out. It imbibes a spiritual atmosphere in which all devotees bask. A book stall is also set up at the back of the Puja pandal for attendees to check books out and purchase. Some dignitaries are expected to attend the event. A record crowd is being expected this year. A warm invitation is being extended to all to attend with family and friends. Admission and parking is free, but donations are welcome. For further information about the event, please visit: w w w. h o u s t o n v e d a n t a . o rg or contact Ashok Dasgupta at 979-421-0957, Swapna Chaudhuri at 281-584-0488, or leave a message at the Vedanta Society 281-988-7211.
Indian Music Society of Houston Presents Sitar-Tabla recital by two young artists of international prominence Sri Sweekar Katti of Imdadkhani Gharana on Sitar & Sri Yashwant Vaishnav, disciple of Pandit Yogesh Samsi on Tabla
Sweekar Katti
DATE: SATURDAY, OCT. 6 TIME: 5 P.M. VENUE: Cullen Hall, University of St. Thomas, 3901 Yoakum Blvd., Houston
Yashwant Vaishnav
www.IMSHOUSTON.Net For Information, Call Govind Shetty @ 713-922-2501
INDIA HERALD • WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2018 • PAGE 6
COMMUNITY Gandhi From Page 1 Sept. 30 at the Asia Society of Texas with the screening of these documentaries which reinforced Gandhi’s moral and spiritual philosophy of nonviolence. This was followed by a panel discussion with MGL founder Atul Kothari, ďŹ lmmaker Steve York and Anthony Hill, a prominent lawyer and participant in the civil rights movement. Guest of Honor, Consul General of Bharat, Dr. Anupam Ray, lauded MGL for its tireless eorts in propagating Gandhi’s message of non-violence to the world. He also explained the lines of a bhajan, a spiritual song, endeared by Gandhiji – Vaishnava Janto‌ which loosely translated means that “he is a religious person who understands the sorrow of others.â€? This was the core of Gandhi’s life. Further, he urged everyone to live by Gandhi ji’s talisman, ask yourself as to how does your action help uplift the most wretched person in the world. Trustee Ajit Paralkar oered a brief outline of the several programs that will be held throughout the year, October 2018 to October 2019, to mark the 150th anniversary.
Consul General of India Dr. Anupam Ray gives his opening remarks at the launch of Mahatma Gandhi Sesquicentennial celebrations at Asia Society. Photograph: Courtesy of Satyajit Verma. The panel discussion was moderated by Dr. Carla Brailey, a subject matter expert in social justice. Atul Kothari, who said that when he read Gandhi’s autobiography “the message went straight to his heart,�
noted that Gandhi remains an eternal inuence on Indians anywhere in the world. His greatness lies in the fact that he showed the world “the way to settle conicts like no one else has before.â€? Filmmaker Steve York
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observed that non-violent resistance has been utilized in many instances throughout history but â&#x20AC;&#x153;no one had quite brought it to the fore like he (Gandhi) did.â&#x20AC;? While researching this subject, he chose to make six documentaries where the nonviolent movement prevailed. He described his experience of making the documentary in India as â&#x20AC;&#x153;powerfulâ&#x20AC;? and was thankful that he was a ďŹ lmmaker. According to York, Gandhi was a brilliant person who knew the nature and sources of power and used it eďŹ&#x20AC;ectively. He also revealed the ďŹ ndings of a study that looked at nonviolent eďŹ&#x20AC;orts and concluded that these strategies are three times more likely to succeed than a violent approach. When the documentaries were screened around the world, York related that he would be contacted by people in countries that are not free who would regret the fact that they did not â&#x20AC;&#x153;have a Gandhi to lead them.â&#x20AC;? York said there are several instances where there is no charismatic leader but a unity of cause helped them succeed. Anthony Hall, who was a college student during the civil rights movement, stressed that it is important to ďŹ rst change peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mind and once their minds are changed, they will change society. On being
asked about quarterback Colin Kapaernickâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x153;taking the kneeâ&#x20AC;? during the national anthem of an NFL game, he stated that it is an instance of a non-violent protest against police brutality and aggression. Gandhiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s greatest contribution, he continued, is that he taught the world that it is possible to change an entire society with love overcoming hate. A participant in the audience revealed how he had read Gandhiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s biography and adopted Gandhiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s practice of fasting every Monday. In this context, Atul Kothari explained that the power Gandhi achieved was through self-puriďŹ cation. Fasting was a tool and so is self-reliance and each one of us must strive for that. Trustee Dr. Manish Wani wrapped up the program with the vote of thanks and the plans for the upcoming Eternal Gandhi Multimedia Museum. For more information please visit www.eternalgandhi.us. Since its creation, MGL has been celebrating Gandhiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s birthday on October 2nd with a 5 K run which concludes with the 1000 Lights for Peace where every participant lights a candle in a collective pledge for peace. This will be held on October 14th from 5:008:00 pm at the Miller Outdoor Theatre. For more information, visit www.gandhilibrary.org
INDIA HERALD • WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2018 • PAGE 7
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INDIA HERALD • WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2018 • PAGE 9
PAGE 10 • INDIA HERALD • WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2018
NEWS
Ekal Vidyalaya
By RAJ AND KRISHAN GUPTA Ekal Vidyalaya will host its annual Charity gala on Saturday, October 6, 2018, at Marriott Town Square 16090 City Walk, Sugar Land, TX 77479. Themed as, ‘Future of India’, the event will feature Dr. Subhash Chandra, Chairman of Zee TV, India, as the Keynote Speaker. He will be joined by bestseller author and motivational speaker, Shiv Khera. Counsel General of India, Dr. Anupam Ray and Founder of Ekal-USA, Ramesh Shah. Ekal has expanded tremendously since its foundation 20 years ago, and includes projects above and beyond primary level education, Preventive HealthCare, Digital literacy, Skills Development Center, Gramothan Village Resource Center, Tailoring, and Modern Organic Farming for sustainability. As of 2018, Ekal has helped start over 70,000 single-teacher schools, through which it has educated as many as 2 million students, while also creating about 60,000 rural self-sustaining trade jobs. The recent addition of 15 fully equipped Digital Buses has allowed Ekal education to enter the 21st century in style. All of this has been made possible by the handsome and sustained contributions from many of Ekal’s strong 30,000 plus donors and volunteers. Accepting the chairmanship of Ekal Global on June 30, 2015,
Dr. Chandra believes that education lays the foundation for social and economic well-being of a child, and here Ekal Vidyalaya plays a very important role. Through various programs, Ekal makes sure that the rural population, children and adults, understand and imbibe this primary need. Only then can India become a Global Guru. Dr. Chandra has visited many villages in remote areas where Ekal Vidyalaya functions. The foundation has reached out to marginalized communities in the nation to create awareness on early child education. The objective behind supporting this cause lays in the fact that, access of quality education since early childhood is crucial for lifelong development and can have a long term impact on a child’s growth. While this is a fundamental right to every child, the foundation aims to ensure that rural communities are aware of its relevance and impact in the long run on their lives. The name - Shri Subhash Chandra, can be summarized in three simple words - Visionary, Father of Indian Television and Philanthropist. He is also a Member of Parliament from Haryana State. His shows interact with youth from across India on different topics. Through his shows, he highlights the importance of being creative and innovative in order to succeed in life. He says, “You will have to
be a rebel to be creative during study and in business. He brings an excellent point to remind one what and why one must want to do something in their career. He also discussed the meaning of ethics in our life. Regarding time management he said time is the most precious resource that you have. It is the most constant and available resource to a productive person. An effective leader is a person with a passion for a cause that is larger than they are. Someone with a dream and a vision will make the society better, or at least, some portion of it. Time Management will always have ample time for friends & family too. If you have a person with good time management skills heading a firm or school, the firm is bound to succeed in every phase and direction. He emphasized that one must not show emotion as it is a sign of weakness, because you never know when someone can take advantage of you. Making a list of fears is a great way to work through them and accept what developed the fear in your mind. Let go of negative thoughts that prevent you from enjoying all the benefits of positive thinking. Thinking positively, masterfully with confidence and faith, makes life more secure, more fraught with action, richer in achievement and experience. God will help if you try and you can if you think you can.
Bimal Patel nominated to US Treasury post
Patel Bimal Patel, a former leading financial regulatory partner at O’Melveny & Myers, is the Trump administration’s nominee for a top supervisory post at the U.S. Treasury Department. The White House Sept. 13 announced that President Donald Trump has nominated Bimal Patel for a post in the Treasury for Financial Institutions.The position, which requires U.S. Senate confirmation, coordinates the department’s efforts on legislation and regulation that affect financial institutions and securities markets. Since May 2017, Patel has served as the deputy assistant secretary of the Treasury for the Financial Stability Oversight Council. He joined the Treasury from O’Melveny’s Washington office, where he headed the financial advisory and regulation practice. At O’Melveny, Patel had been
regulatory counsel on merger transactions and fund investments, and he represented financial industry clients in class action litigation over credit discrimination statutes. Some of his clients included Deutsche Bank Securities, Credit Suisse, Morgan Stanley, U.S. Bancorp, BB&T Corp., Alibaba Group Holding, Chain Bridge Partners, Fannie Mae and the Competitive Enterprise Institute, according to a financial disclosure on file at the U.S. Office of Government Ethics. Patel in 2017 reported about $666,000 in partner share at the firm. O’Melveny this year told The American Lawyer that revenue per lawyer in 2017 remained relatively flat at $1.2 million, while profits per partner saw an increase to $2.01 million. Patel would succeed Christopher Campbell, who was confirmed in August 2017 to the post but left the Treasury in recent weeks. Campbell formerly was majority staff director on the Senate Finance Committee. Campbell’s final financial disclosure report at the Treasury— called a “termination” report, which is filed when an official leaves an agency—shows he became a member of the board of directors at West Corp. and Coinstar. The companies are both owned by the private equity firm Apollo Global Management.
Hari Venkatachalam Hindu Students Association, Board of Directors
Succeed In Your Business
PRESS RELEASE
rid of staffi ngAssociaproblems and spend more April 6, 2017Get – AUSTIN, TX –your The Hindu Students tion (HSA) would like to regretfully announce that Numbers it 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.” -***-
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INDIA HERALD • WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2018 • PAGE 11
COMMUNITY
Latin American Hindus Travel to World Hindu Congress 2018 By MANU SHAH A group of twenty seven Latin American Hindus flew into Chicago to attend the Second World Hindu Congress 2018 in September. They came from countries like Colombia, Ecuador, Chile, Argentina, Mexico and Peru with their spiritual leader Swami B.A. Paramadvaiti, founder of the Vrinda Mission and Coordinator of the Vishva Hindu Parishad South America. A panelist in the Hindu Organizational Conference, Swami B.A. Paramadvaiti, whose eyes crinkle with a perennial smile, offered a rare and fascinating account of Hindu Dharma’s appeal in South America and the increasing number of people who identified with yoga, Ayurveda and “simple living.” Swami B.A. Paramadvaiti was 18 years old when he chanced upon a German translation of the Bhagvad Gita in the Sri Aurobindo ashram in Germany. He had heard of the Himalayas and the mystics who practiced renunciation there and had even attempted reading the Rig Veda but found it arduous. However, when he read the Bhagvad Gita, the book, he says, “had a magnetic effect on him and answered all the questions his parents and teachers could not.” Initiated in 1976, he accompanied his spiritual guru ISKCON Founder A.C Bhaktivedanta Srila Prabhupada to India and “lost his heart in Vrindavan.” His spiritual master sent him to South America to spread the teachings of the Gita and his efforts led to the establishment of the Vrinda Mission which has over 150 Vedic Awareness centers and sustainable farm communities called Eco Yoga Villages in over thirty-five countries. The Mission, a branch of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu founded in 1984, has been propagating an ecofriendly simple lifestyle which gives “bahut ananda” (great happiness). People in South America, he reiterates, are hugely drawn to India’s rich spiritual culture and Sanatan Dharma. He quips that were he to ask someone to join him in traveling to India, they’d say: “Give me a minute, I’ll get my bag.” Through his community outreach work, Swami B.A Paramadvaiti, has been inspiring both city dwellers and native Latin American communities to understand Sanatan dharma. His extensive travels to the remotest corners of South America for the past 40 years has led him to indigenous Adivasi communities whose lifestyles bear a striking resemblance to traditional yogic renunciation. Some native communities, he explains, train spiritual leaders through a period of renunciation and follow strict vegetarian diets.
These communities also believe in reincarnation, the law of karma, the soul and worship the feminine and masculine aspects of divinity – so close to the philosophy of Sanatan Dharma. He also revealed that many chiefs of the Adivasi communities would be accompanying him to the Kumbh Mela in February 2019 to “pray for world peace, the environment and the holy rivers.” This vibrant community of Latin American Hindus, who live in the Vrinda Kunja ashram in Vrindavan, have taken it upon themselves to clean up the Yamuna river which has become a dump yard for garbage and plastic.“We’re actually go-
ing to Vrindavan and picking up trash with our own hands, it’s our heritage and main seva” says Ambika Devi Dasi from Colombia, who has been residing in Vrindavan for the past 7 years and coordinates the “Braj Vrindavan Act Now” program. Explaining the significance of cleaning up Vrindavan, Swami Paramadvaiti says the region around Mathura “has tremendous power for the revival of spiritual consciousness, not only for India but the whole world.” The group has been restoring old shrines and maintaining two schools for the poor villages in the area. Vrinda Mission has also opened several
vegetarian restaurants around the world to promote cruelty free eating. Founder of the World Hindu Foundation, Swami Vigyanananda, who helped bring the members of this Mission into the mainstream Hindu movement, lauded the work of this group whose “committed, dedicated volunteers clean up the banks of the Yamuna daily and in the last few years have transformed the pilgrimage place.” “It’s an honor to be a representative of Hindu culture in South America, our family grows every day and the values and visions of India enrich our countries while also complementing our ancient cultures
and our relationship with Sri Krishna and Mother Earth” says Satyaki Das, a delegate from Peru at the World Hindu Congress. Maha Laksmi Devi Dasi from Mexico adds, “The World Hindu Congress left me with a strong feeling of community and solidarity. I could appreciate how united the Hindu community is and how it has become established in different parts of the world without losing its roots or wisdom.” Hindu dharma, the world’s oldest living religion, has over a billion followers worldwide. ( With input from Radhe Shyam Devi Dasi.)
PAGE 12 â&#x20AC;˘ INDIA HERALD â&#x20AC;˘ WEDNESDAY,OCTOBER 3, 2018
COMMUNITY
Sharma Tilal Senanayake, CPA
IACAN congratulates Noble Prize winner Dr. Allison
The Board of Directors of the Indian American Cancer Network, a cancer resource network in Houston, congratulates Dr. James P. Allison on being awarded the 2018 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his work in the discovery of cancer therapy by inhibition of negative immune regulation. The Nobel Prize in medicine was awarded Monday to two researchers from the United States and Japan for advances in discovering how the bodyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s immune system can ďŹ ght oďŹ&#x20AC; the scourge of cancer. The 9-million-kronor ($1.01 million) prize will be shared by James Allison of the University of Texas Austin and Tasuku Honjo of Kyoto University. Dr. Allison was also recently awarded a Lifetime of Service Award for these accomplish-
Dr. Allison ments in cancer research at IACANâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Biennial Gala on September 8, 2018. Dr. Allisonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s research discoveries launched a revolutionary new approach to ďŹ ghting cancer, by treating the immune system rather than the tumor. Immunotherapy is emerging as the fourth pillar to ďŹ ghting cancer, along with surgery, radia-
tion, and chemotherapy. The Keynote Address for the gala was given by Dr. Patrick Hwu, Division Head of Cancer Medicine at UT MD Anderson Cancer Center. Dr. Hwuâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s address highlighted the complex research in immunotherapies in a simpliďŹ ed and eďŹ&#x20AC;ective manner. â&#x20AC;&#x153;IACAN is beyond proud of this recognition for Dr. Allisonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s achievements and contributions to cancer researchâ&#x20AC;? says Arlene Thomas, President of IACAN. He shares the 2018 Nobel Prize with Tasuko Honjo of Japan, a professor at Kyoto University. The Indian American Cancer Network is a 501(c) (3) nonproďŹ t organization whose mission is to be cancer resource network that educates and supports the Indian American community.
1000 Lights For Peace celebrating Mahatma Gandhiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 149th birthday Mahatma Gandhi Library will celebrate the 149th birthday of Mahatma Gandhi on Sunday, Oct. 14 at the Miller Outdoor Theatre from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. The program includes international and multi cultural dance and music show performed primarily by children. It will resonate with the theme of Truth, Nonviolence, and Peace. Winners of speech contest, for children age 10 under and children 11, and above will deliver their speeches. Also, winners of Speech, Creative Writing, Multi-Media and Poster contest will be recognized. The finale of the event will be lighting of candles by all present as a pledge to practice their beliefs, nonviolently and peacefully. To learn more please visit http://gandhilibrary.org/
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INDIA HERALD • WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2018 • PAGE 13
NEWS Modicare: India’s government launches a vast health insurance scheme
THE one thing everyone knows about insurance is, read the fine print. Indians should take heed as Narendra Modi, the prime minister, rolls out what he is trumpeting as the world’s biggest health-insurance plan. Ayushman Bharat, meaning Long-Life India, aims to install a safety-net for the poorest half-billion of India’s 1.3bn citizens, which is to say, for a big portion of the poorest people in the world. From now on, the government promises, any family that fits broad criteria of need will be eligible to receive nearly $7,000 a year in hospital expenses without paying a penny themselves. Instead, the state will pay premiums to private insurers; eligible patients can seek treatment at any institution, public or private, that has joined the scheme. There is no doubt that Ayushman Bharat will bring immense relief to many. Only a third of Indians now have any medical insurance, and government spending on health, equivalent to a measly 1.1% of GDP, accounts for a low 25% of health spending. The government spends far less on health care than its counterparts elsewhere in the developing world (see chart). An analysis by Mint, a financial newspaper, suggests that every year some 36m families, or 14% of households, face an unexpected medical bill equal to the entire annual living expenses of one member of the
family. All too often such surprise costs are enough to tip families into penury. Past government schemes have tried to tackle this problem, but with far lower limits on payouts. They have nonetheless been plagued by administrative troubles, understaffing and wide-scale fraud perpetrated by hospitals, insurance companies and patients themselves. Studies show that families who availed themselves of public insurance ended up spending more of their own funds on health than those with no coverage, partly because of follow-up costs such as medicines, but also because people felt less need to economise, and started treating conditions they would previously have just endured. Ayushman Bharat is intended to replace and vastly expand previous programmes. Proponents note potential benefits that go beyond reducing misery for the downtrodden. The scheme, they say, aptly reflects the reality that private care now dominates Indian medicine, yet it also seeks to pool risk so as to reduce insurance premiums and use the huge number of patients to drive down the cost of procedures. The creation of a new class of consumers should encourage the building of hospitals where they were previously uneconomic, especially in remote rural areas. For critics who question the
focus on inpatient treatment, rather than primary or preventive care, government boosters point to Ayushman Bharat’s commitment to create some 150,000 public “health and wellness centres” across the country. These are supposed to provide initial diagnoses and outpatient services, feeding patients who need hospital care into the insurance scheme. But detractors have other reasons to detract. For one thing, the initiative looks as woefully underfunded as previous efforts. The insurance scheme’s first-year budget amounts to a miserly $300m (0.01% of GDP), hardly the “world’s biggest” and indeed not substantially more than was previously budgeted for health insurance. Indu Bhushan, the CEO of Ayushman Bharat, insists that this will rise rapidly to perhaps $1.5bn a year. Public-health experts concur that a measured expansion, with plenty of room for trial and error, makes more sense than a huge initial splurge. But even then, funding would amount to less than what Mr Modi recently doled out to India’s ailing, but politically potent sugar industry. If just one in ten of the 36m families facing shock medical bills every year made full use of the scheme, hospitals would be demanding closer to $25bn in fees. That may seem an over-estimate, but the experience of previous insurance schemes
suggests that once patients do not need to worry any more about the cost, those who might have put up with pains, or turned to informal doctors, eagerly embrace more elaborate treatment. In any case, given the paucity of data that insurers need to set rates, and given the bargain-basement prices that the government is offering to hospitals that sign onto the scheme ($550 for inserting a cardiac stent, for example), it may take years of bargaining and tinkering to devise a workable financial model. And paying for health care via insurance might prove more expensive to the state than providing it directly. As for the health centres, these in fact already exist, having been built by previous governments as village clinics. Most are now defunct or woefully under-used. They are simply being renamed, says Jean Dreze, an economist, who notes that the budget earmarked for them would barely cover the cost of fresh paint. Jishnu Das of the Centre for Policy Research, a think-tank in Delhi, is puzzled by the decision to tart up derelict clinics. “Policymakers say that instead of improving the places where people actually go to seek primary care—community health centres, public district hospitals and informal private providers—we should try to improve the places where they don’t go. That is extremely convoluted logic.” What is not convoluted is
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the politics of announcing a giant, transformational health programme, which may prove a life-giving gift for millions of poor families, six months before a general election. You do not need to read the fine print to figure that out. (www.economist.com)
Leaders will have to pay for damage by cadre
Leaders of outfits who instigate a mob to an act of vandalism, which results in death or loss of public and private property, will personally face criminal action and are liable to compensate the victims of the violence, the Supreme Court ruled on Monday. A Bench of Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra and Justices A.M. Khanwilkar and D.Y. Chandrachud pinned the criminal liability squarely on leaders of outfits who “initiate, promote and instigate” mobs to destroy public and private property in the name of demonstrations, especially against cultural programmes, films and expressions of artistic freedom.” The taxpayer is not responsible to cough up money to pay for the destruction caused by mobs, the Bench held. The Supreme Court ordered persons caught red-handed by the police to be arrested on the spot. If any leader fails to appear in the police station concerned, he shall be proceeded against as a suspect and be even declared an “absconding offender”.
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INDIA HERALD • WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2018 • PAGE 14
COMMUNITY
JOB WELL DONE. India House staff and volunteers pose in front of nearly empty grocery cartons.
HARDIK VYAS Youngest Astrologer in North America Vaastu & Gem Stone Consultant; Hindu Priest for all Pujas & Marriages
India House launches free food distribution
Rani Juneja (center), Vijay Dhingra and other volunteers helped organize the groceries into individual piles. HOUSTON India House achieved a major milestone on its mission to serve the community by launching food distribution to needy families in collaboration with the Houston Food Bank last week. During its inaugural food distribution on Tuesday, Sept. 25, India House parceled out groceries to more than 100 families. “As needy families in the nearby neighborhoods learn about this service, we expect to increase food distribution to about 400 families every month,” explained Col. Vipin Kumar (Retired), Executive Director of India House. Rani & Harinder Juneja sponsored the September 25th food distribution session. Mrs. Juneja was at India House bright and early at 8:00 am to help with the food distribution. Joining her were more than 25 volunteers, few of whom were participants of the Free Yoga classes which are held thrice a week at India House. Col. Kumar and India House staff members Pallavi Surana, Bhumi Parmar and Khin Chao had planned in advance to set up a token system to help streamline the distribution process. Volunteers provided one token per needy family and documented their status as per Houston Food Bank rules. A Houston Food Bank truck arrived in the morning at 7:45 am with large boxes of cereal, vegetables such as potatoes, cabbages, limes, tomato sauce cans, and fruits such as watermelons. India House staff set up an assembly line to bring in the food and organize assorted items into plastic bags for each family. In orderly fashion, the families came by the side entrance to India House and were helped by volunteers to load the groceries in their cars. Several families did not have cars and either walked back to their neighborhood home or waited for Metro transportation for a ride home. Many of the volunteers were gratified by their charity service and are looking forward to the next monthly food distribution session on October 16th and 30th from 8 am to 1 pm. Many of the needy families expressed their gratitude to India House, Houston Food Bank and the volunteers. India House Houston is a 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization located in Houston, Texas. Our mission is to united cultures, create bridges and serve the community by bringing resources, education, services and Indian culture to Houstonians.
Languages spoken: English, Hindi, Gujarati & Marathi Astrologer Hardik Vyas, a famous young face in Vedic Astrology from India is in Houston. Call for guidance on Health, Wealth, Education, Career, Business, Property, Love & Passion, Marriage & Compatibility, Horoscope-Making, Child Problem, Luck & Fortune, Peace & Prosperity, Karma & Economic success. Vaastu Shastra is an ancient science. Fix an appointment for personal visit to your home, plot, business/office, shop, factory, or hotel. Gain peace of mind and prosperity by doing little changes as per Vaastu Shastra. Simple, Easy, Scientific & Affordable solutions/remedies to overcome problems in your Horoscope and Vaastu.
Astrology & Vaastu Shastra are Science of Nature, and are not related with any religion, caste, or community. It is an Occult Science and gift of nature for the welfare of the people.
Volunteers unloading groceries from the Houston Food Bank refrigerated truck.
Listen to Hardik Vyas live on 1320 AM Shoba Joshi’s Geetanajali Radio
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INDIA HERALD • WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2018 • PAGE 15
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PAGE 16 • INDIA HERALD • WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2018
NEWS
America’s fastest growing foreign language is from south India
One Indian community is growing like no other in the US. Between 2010 and 2017, the number of native Telugu speakers in the US surged 86%— the largest uptick in a foreign language-speaking group—the results of a September 2018 study by Center for Immigration Studies (CIS) show. This was the highest jump among the most widely spoken foreign languages in the country, among those that had over 400,000 people speaking it. Speakers of other popular Indian languages like Hindi and Gujarati also clocked high growth rates. The rise of Telugu Back in 2000, the US was home to just 87,543 Telugu speakers—the language is native to the southern Indian states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, which were a single entity until 2014. By 2010, there were 222,977. According to the latest figures, there are 415,414 of them, CIS found when looking at Census Bureau population data as of July 01, 2017. The news of Telugu’s increased adoption in the US is not surprising considering the massive representation of the south Indian diaspora in the tech and engineering spaces. Hyderabad, Telangana’s capital, sends the largest number of engineers to the US from India. Between 2008 and 2012, it sent over 26,000 students to the US, most of whom were pursuing degrees in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM) fields, a Brookings Institution report (pdf) revealed. Many immigrant success stories come from this part of India. For instance, both Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and Adobe Systems CEO Shantanu Narayen, hail from Hyderabad. Starry-eyed youngsters from the region chase the American Dream so desperately that the state even houses a temple famed to help people secure work visas in the West. Even outside the nine-to-five software jobs, second-generation Telugu families are making a mark. Nina Davuluri, who became the first Indian-American to be crowned Miss America in 2013, has roots in Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh. She is the daughter of Telugu-speaking doctors who migrated to the US in the 1980s. Telugu students have repeatedly won spelling bee competitions, including the top spot at the prestigious Scripps National Spelling Bee. There is a dark side to all this, too. A slew of Telugu workers in the US has been shot dead in various incidents, from hate crimes to robbery attempts. On the other hand, assimilation attempts are also prevalent. Community associations such as the California-based University of Silicon Andhra offer dance and music schools to impart traditional culture and arts. Even
some mainstream college campuses are dedicating resources to explore the community’s heritage. In the face of the US becoming home for more and more Indian immigrants, Telugu is only one of the many languages from the country gaining popularity. The grip of Indian languages Others, such as Bengali and Tamil speakers, have smaller populations of around 350,000 and 280,000 respectively, but they were still among the fastest-growing ones. The former logged a 57% increase while the latter, 55%. Telugu may have grown at a higher pace but Hindi remains the most widely spoken Indian language in the US. Though, at 863,000, it is dwarfed by the 41 million speakers of Spanish. In absolute numbers, people speaking Hindi at home increased the third-most between
2010 and 2017, after Chinese and Arabic. Overall, 21.8% of the US population speaks a foreign
language at home, CIS said. In the country’s five largest cities, this share goes up steeply to nearly half of the residents.
India, ironically, is home to about four times more English speakers than the US.
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lar tradition in its original context, igniting soulful conversations 16. Electronic Copy Circulation $YHUDJH 1R &RSLHV 1R &RSLHV RI 6LQJOH and an exciting exchange of ideas, resulting in an impromptu (DFK ,VVXH 'XULQJ ,VVXH 3XEOLVKHG 3UHFHGLQJ 0RQWKV 1HDUHVW WR )LOLQJ 'DWH musical jam session. a. Paid Electronic Copies The research content, as well as knowledge of Mr. Rahmanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s career and life, helped us to verily easily structure the episodes. b. Total Paid Print Copies (Line 15c) + Paid Electronic Copies (Line 16a) The interactions between Mr. Rahman and the musicians are all c. ŕŻ&#x2DC;Total Print Distribution (Line 15f) + Paid Electronic Copies (Line 16a) organic and not scripted. Through these episodes, I believe that not only do we get to know the musicians, but we also get to d. Percent Paid (Both Print & Electronic Copies) (16b divided by 16c ÂŻ 100) know diďŹ&#x20AC;erent facets of Mr. Rahman. The music in each episode ; , FHUWLI\ WKDW RI DOO P\ GLVWULEXWHG FRSLHV HOHFWURQLF DQG SULQW DUH SDLG DERYH D QRPLQDO SULFH too is very organic with Mr. Rahman jamming with each of the musicians to create a new and unique sound. 17. Publication of Statement of Ownership In the ďŹ nal episode, all the musicians come together to create x If the publication is a general publication, publication of this statement is required. Will be printed Publication not required. a ďŹ nale musical piece. This piece, Mann Mauj Mein, is probably Oct . in the ______________________ issue of this publication. the longest song composed by Mr. Rahman, and it is a celebra18. Signature and Title of Editor, Publisher, Business Manager, or Owner Date tion of love and harmony, a perfect end to the 5-episode journey. Harmony with A Rahman released on August 15th on AmaSept. 27, 2018 zon Prime and all 5 episodes are currently available for your S.Kumar, Publisher 0DU binge-watching pleasure! â&#x20AC;&#x201D;Sruti H.Subramanian. I certify that all information furnished on this form is true and complete. I understand that anyone who furnishes false or misleading information on this form or who omits material or information requested on the form may be subject to criminal sanctions (including fines and imprisonment) and/or civil sanctions (www.indiaspora.org) (including civil penalties). 7. Complete Mailing Address of Known Office of Publication 1RW SULQWHU
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PAGE 18 â&#x20AC;˘ INDIA HERALD â&#x20AC;˘ WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2018
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). 281752-0100. Sri Meenakshi Temple 17130 McLean Road, Pearland,TX-77584 10-Oct Wed 7PM Navarathiri BUY
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Begins 12-Oct Fri 6 PM Navarathiri SuvasiniPuja 17-Oct Wed 7 PM Navarathiri Durgashtami 18-Oct Thu 7 PM Navarathiri Saraswathi Puja 18-Oct Thu 7:00 PM Madhavacharya Jayanthi 19-Oct Fri 7:00 PM Vijayadasami 24-Oct Wed 7 PM Santhabhishekam for Sri Meenakshi 24-Oct Wed 7 PM Annabhishekam for Siva 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, 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 beOLD
tween 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; 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. Fast doers/ Tapasvees were honored during the Swami Vatsalya day on Sun-
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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.
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day, September 30 in the morning hours followed by a Bhakti program by Shri Bhanubhai Vora and company from India. Adhar Abhishek, Gyan Pacham and related pujan shall be carried out in November 2018. 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 with Aarti at 6 PM every weekday, 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: 713-9290040.
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INDIA HERALD • WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2018 • PAGE 19
ESSAY
Remembering Mahatma Gandhi
By DR. SULKEH C. JAIN October 2nd, 2018 is Mahatma Gandhi’s birthday and also the start of the yearlong celebrations of his 150th birthday and his message and devotion to ahimsa The word Ahimsa and Gandhi are synonymous and are known the world over. Gandhi touched and changed the lives of so many people all over the world by advocating the peaceful pursuit of change. His nonviolent protest and constructive programs resonate today even after 70 years of his death. There are many aspects of Gandhi’s philosophy and lifestyle which have widespread appeal to particular groups of people. His wish to be frugal in his demands on the natural ecosystem, his food, clothing and other aspects of daily life attracted much admiration. He has become a hero for the Green Movement. There are those who are persuaded by his vegetarianism either for reasons of avoiding harm to animals or just for health reasons. In an age of Empire and Military Might, he proved that by using and practicing nonviolence/ahimsa, the powerless had power and that force of arms would not forever prevail against force of Spirit. Gandhi gave to the world a new kind of philosophy, that of the dignity of man, of every man, whether ruled or ruling, free or enslaved, whether white, black, brown or yellow. He called it truth and non-violence/ahimsa. He called it patriotism. He called it religion. Gandhi a Multidimensional Thinker and Social Reformer Dr. George Pattery in his essay “Ahimsa: Spirituality for an evolving Human Consciousness” states that “Gandhian perspective is centered entirely on ahimsa. Rather than limiting it to the spiritual realm, Gandhi attempted to redefine economics, politics and religion from the point of ahimsa. This is unique in the history of the world. Ahimsa is the future of humanity” Professor Predrag Cicovacki, another thinker on Gandhi writes: “Besides being a political activist, Gandhi was a social reformer too. He wrote extensively and devoted lots of his energies to reform the inferior position of women and some social castes, the lack of literacy and hygiene, the widespread use of alcohol and opium and the corrupt ruling elite. Gandhi’s social reformism was directed against poverty and ignorance as well as what we call today structural vio-
lence. Gandhi’s contribution to raising awareness of the plague of the underprivileged and the need for deep social reforms has been no less important than his insistence on the possibility of nonviolent resolution of political conflicts Gandhi opposed and worked to eliminate animal sacrifices for religious rituals, untouchability, and slavery and the near sub-human treatment of poor and women. To the untouchables, he gave them a new and very respectable name: Harijan” children of GOD. Gandhi was a moral and spiritual leader. He realized that violence dehumanizes both the victim and the perpetrator, and there is no genuine peace unless there is peace in the human heart. Peaceful and happy people do not oppress and victimize others”. The life and teachings of Mahatma Gandhi as an apostle of Peace and nonviolence is a beacon of hope and inspiration to millions of people around the world. Jainism in Gandhi No one grows and develops in vacuum. Practically every person in the world is shaped by environment, circumstances, parents, customs, tradition, religions, schools and company of friends and associates and so was Gandhi. I firmly believe that in addition to the influence of Hinduism and Christianity, Jain connections and Jain teachings during his formative years and later his experiences in South Africa made Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi into Mahatma Gandhi. This 20th century messiah of nonviolence was made and shaped by Jain teachings. Gandhi not only adopted the Jain’s most important principles of unconditional ahimsa and anekantavaad (multiplicity of views) but also 11 vows of conduct, pure vegetarian food habits and even his daily attire which resembled the attire of a sthanakvasi Jain monk (2-3 pieces of white unstitched cloth) later in his life. After Bhagwan Mahavir’s ahimsa toward all living beings 2500 years ago and Jesus Christ’s adherence to Ahimsa 2000 years ago, Gandhi was the greatest practitioner and apostle of peace and ahimsa. It was Gandhi who made ahimsa a universal household word and concept. So strong was his conviction to ahimsa that he said “There are many causes I am willing to die for but not a single cause I am willing to kill for”. About Jainism and Ahimsa, Gandhi said “No religion of the world has explained the principle of non-violence so deeply and systematically, with
its applicability in life as in Jainism.......Bhagwan Mahavir is sure to be respected as the greatest authority on non-violence”. Gandhi in India Today I have lived out of India for more than 52 years and therefore do not really know how Gandhi and his messages are known and practiced today in India. Unfortunately, as is often the case with many great men and women, their messages are quickly forgotten and only their names remain. The same fate happened to Gandhi as well in India; the country of his birth and actions. Once India gained independence, India’s leaders did not take long to abandon Mahatma Gandhi’s principles. Nonviolence gave way to the use of India’s armed forces. Perhaps even worse, the new leaders discarded Gandhi’s vision of a decentralized society - a society based on autonomous, selfreliant villages. These leaders spurred a rush toward a strong central government and an industrial economy as found in the West. In 1969, when the world was celebrating the 100th birth anniversary of this great soul, BBC interviewed some students of Delhi University and asked what Gandhi means to them. They said “Gandhi who? India buried Gandhi several miles deep in the ground so that he will never come out. It is only the politicians who shout the slogans of his name to get votes and nothing else”. Gandhi in the West Today I have found much more awareness and respect for Gandhi in the West. His name is well known among educated people, many schools, universities and churches offer courses, classes and workshops on Gandhi and his message. There are several Ahimsa Centers, Mahatma Gandhi Libraries, Museums, Peace and Conflict Resolution Centers on many campuses.
There are statues of Gandhi in many large and small cities and movies and videos on Gandhi are shown frequently on national TV channels. I know of many scholars who are constantly filming and producing videos on Gandhi in England, South Africa and India. Every year, his birthday is celebrated with practical community wise programs. Gandhi did and continuously inspires many people including many Nobel Laureates, Peace Leaders and Human and Civil Rights activists such as Dr. Martin Luther King, Nelson Mandela and others. In his speeches, former US President Barack Obama used to quote Gandhi frequently. A young man residing in America happened to read Narayan Desai’s Gujarati volumes on Gandhi’s life titled ‘Maaru Jeevan ej Maari Vaani’. (My Life is My Message). After reading this book, he wept all night. Gandhi’s mantra “You are not the owner of your wealth but just a trustee of that wealth and what is for the good of the whole society is good for me” touched his heart in such a way that it changed his whole life. He realized that you experience far greater and lasting pleasure in spending money for the needy compared to the momentary pleasure and happiness you feel after spending more than required for your needs. For more than twenty years I lived in Houston where there is a statue of Gandhi in a prominent park, and the community celebrates Gandhi birthday every year with several city wide activities. Inspired by Gandhi and his teachings, several years ago, the students of the Arts Department of Houston Community College designed and painted a very impressive mural on Gandhi and converted the whole dilapidated and abandoned park into a place of attraction and fun for the nearby community. Prof. Allen Douglas of the University of Maine in USA recently wrote “Gandhi’s es-
sential teachings and practices of ahimsa are not only relevant and significant today, but they are more urgently needed than during his lifetime”. From the central hall of the Indian Parliament in New Delhi to a statue at Union Square Park in New York, and across far flung corners of the world, M. K. Gandhi is loved and celebrated as an apostle of nonviolence. Yet it is Gandhi’s little-known work on what it means to be truly civilized that might be far more crucial to the future of our species. Gandhi has 21st century appeal and relevance Caution It is important that we do not deify or worship Gandhi as the superhuman Mahatma who provides us with the exclusive, absolute, nonviolent truth. Gandhi was an extraordinary human being, but he was a human. It is important that we approach Gandhi in ways that contextualize his ahimsa message, values and practices so that they are integrally related to the crisis and realities of the contemporary world. Gandhi offers us an insightful ahimsa view of ethical, spiritual, and cosmic evolution and ways of tapping into our higher nonviolent human nature. In today’s’ world the need and cry for peace is even more than ever. The life and teachings of Mahatma Gandhi as an apostle of Peace and nonviolence is a beacon of hope and inspiration to millions of people around the world.
(Dr. Sulekh C. Jain is the Past Secretary and President of the Federation of Jain Associations in North America (JAINA). Dr. Jain also authored a book An Ahimsa Crisis: You Decide, which can be accessed as an eBook free of charge at www.isjs.in. Email; scjain@earthlink.net)
PAGE 20 â&#x20AC;¢ INDIA HERALD â&#x20AC;¢ WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2018
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