Friday, April 22, 2022 | Vol. 41, No. 16
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April 22, 2022
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Indo American News
Published weekly from Houston, TX
www.indoamerican-news.com
Special Reports Community Briefs Local Politics South Asians in the News
2470 Dairy Ashford, Houston, TX 77077 • 713.789.NEWS (6397) • indoamericannews@yahoo.com
SNC Vaisakhi Mela: Worth Waiting Three Years ! Origins Classical Dance
P2
‘Jayeshbhai Jordaar’
After a two-year gap due to the Corona Virus, the 7th Vaisakhi Mela at the Sikh National Center was indeed well worth the wait. SEE PAGE 9.
P6
WEDDINGS, SPECIAL EVENTS, TENTED EVENTS, OUTDOOR COURTYARD
3 3 3 0 F M 1 4 6 3 | K a t y, T X 7 7 4 9 4 | 8 3 2 . 8 5 5 . 5 5 2 0 | p a l m r o y a l v i l l a . c o m
Indo-American News • Friday, April 22, 2022 • www.indoamerican-news.com
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COMMUNITY
April 22, 2022
Origins National Classical Dance Competion Held for College Teams By Aishwarya Chitnis
Houston: Origins Classical Dance Championship is a national competition for college dance teams across the country that promote the classical dance styles, including Bharatanatyam, Kuchipudi, Kathak and Odissi. Origins Championship is an organization that was founded in 2019 by a group of individuals determined to shed light and bring more awareness to the classical dance styles in this generation. As a “collegiate circuit”, we aim to push the boundaries of modern storytelling in the classical dance styles that will bring awe to anyone in the audience. Up until 2019, the circuit only consisted of regional competitions for the collegiate teams. The Origins Championship board then stepped in to act as a parent organization for these competitions and build a points system for the competition season. Teams could then attend these regional competitions to earn “bid points” based on their performance. The teams’ performance over the whole season would ultimately result in a “final standings” and the top 8 teams qualified for the national championship. Unfortunately, the first year we started this, the COVID-19 pandemic spread, and we had to cancel the championship for the year. During our second year, we had organized a virtual season amongst all regional competitions (bid competitions) and conducted a virtual championship in April 2021. Although it was not what we had hoped for, we titled a national champion for the first time and the teams praised the opportunity to compete at a national level. Fast forward to our third year, COVID-19 restrictions were starting to ease across the country. We began the competitive season with about 30 teams ready to compete and earn points for the nationals. After many bid competitions and rounds of qualifiers for the teams, 8 teams were offered a spot at Origins. Those teams were as follows: Rice University Rasikas, Natya at UC Berkeley, University of Maryland Moksha, UCLA Taara, Georgia Tech Pulse, Rutgers University Natya, University of Texas Nritya Sangam and Natya at University of Washington. We hosted in Houston, Texas as was originally planned. We were fortunate to obtain our original venue, the beautiful Zilkha Hall at the Hobby Center, right in the heart of Houston. On April 15, 2022, the eight teams arrived, and Origins board began hosting the ~100 competitors as the championship weekend began. On April 16th, all teams took the stage and performed for the audience and the judges. The judging panel consisted of these five esteemed classical dance professionals that have studied, performed, and taught for decades:
Rathna Kumar, Padmini Chari, Shiva Mathur, Lavanya Prabhu, and Manaswini Avvari. At the end of night, UMD Moksha took 3rd
place, Natya at Berkeley took 2nd place and GT Pulse took 1st place. The first in-person championship had finally happened, and the cham-
pions were celebrated. We thank all our sponsors, friends, and family that have supported us thus far. Our legacy does not end here but
only starts. Every year each team will be back on the hunt to earn the national champion title.
JOIN US
Atlanta: Sewa International, through its Vasundhara Sewa program and its continued commitFOR THE ment to environmental causes, is supporting the Save Soil movement.
Save Soil is a global initiative launched by yogi and visionary Sadhguru to “invoke a conscious approach to soil and the planet.” One of Save Soil’s main objectives is to have countries across
PRATHAM HOUSTON GALA 2022 Saturday, May 7, 2022 5:30 PM CT
Special Guest: Indra Nooyi Former Chairman & CEO, PepsiCo
Hilton Americas-Houston 1600 Lamar Street, Houston, TX 77010
Honoree: Swatantra Jain Philanthropist & CFO, Pratham USA
RESERVE A TABLE: prathamusa.link/houstongala
Indo-American News • Friday, April 22, 2022 • www.indoamerican-news.com
April 22, 2022
Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs (TDHCA) Section 8 Waiting List Opening
The Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs (TDHCA) announces the opening of its Housing Choice Voucher program waitlist on Monday, May 2, 2022. The program operates in 34 counties and pays a portion of monthly rent for qualifying families who are considered very low income. TDHCA will accept online pre-applications for the waitlist beginning at 8:00 a.m., Central Time, Monday, May 2, 2022, to 5:00 p.m., Central Time, Monday, May 16, 2022. TDHCA will use a lottery system to randomly select 500 applicants for placement on the waitlist. Everyone who applies has the same chance of being chosen. For more information on the eligible counties, household eligibility, and how to apply go to https://www.tdhca.state.tx.us/ section-8/announcements.htm or call 800-237-6500.
You can help prevent
CHILD ABUSE
Be the voice for those who can’t speak up for themselves. If you see or suspect ANY abusive behavior of a minor, call the Texas Family and Protective Services at 1-800-252-5400
Indo-American News • Friday, April 22, 2022 • www.indoamerican-news.com
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COMMUNITY
April 22, 2022
HINDU WORSHIP SOCIETY Celebrate the New
Shiv Mandir & Nav Grah Sthapana
Sat, April 23, 9am - 4pm Sun, April 24: Havan, 9am - 12:30pm; Aarti 1 pm Thanks to our generous sponsors DR DURGA � SUSHILA AGGARWAL RAKESH � MADHU AGGARWAL DEVKI � KIRTI AGGARWAL DR AJAY & SHOBA AGGERWAL VISHNU & NEHA BANKA KRISHAN & USHA BANSAL RAVI � ARUNA GOEL PREM & BARU GOYAL SANTOSH GUGANI DR KUSHAL � MEENA GUPTA
DR RAJ GUPTA RANJU & SAJNEESH GUPTA RAJ & SK KHOSLA RANJAN � ALKA LASHKARI MANISH � NIHARIKA MEHRA NEERAJ & DR RENU MITTAL SHAKUN PATRI BAL � RITA SAREEN PROMOD SHARMA � FAMILY MEERA SONI
To sponsor an event, call
RAVI GOEL 281-235-5413 PANDIT JI 832-278-0100 BAL SAREEN 337-540-6001 ASHIMA PATEL 832-563-6689 PREM GOYAL 281-300-8632
2223 Wirtcrest Ln., Houston, TX 77055
www.hwstemple.org • hws.temple@gmail.com • Facebook: @hwstemple FOR PUJA INFORMATION, CALL PANDIT BHAWANI SHANKAR SHASTRI 832-278-0100
To help in kitchen or for sponsorship call Prem Goyal 281-300-8632 or Pandit ji 832-278-0100
SONY KOHLI YOUR REAL ESTATE AGENT 832-766-6662
Indo-American News • Friday, April 22, 2022 • www.indoamerican-news.com
April 22, 2022
Indo-American News • Friday, April 22, 2022 • www.indoamerican-news.com
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ENTERTAINMENT
April 22, 2022
Ranveer Singh: ‘Jayeshbhai Jordaar’ Will Change Definition of Heroism because it is really meant for everyone to enjoy. It is a community experience with your friends and families. You will know when you see this trailer. It is a celebration of human spirit which will fill you up from within when you experience it on the big screen.” The much-awaited Yash Raj
Films’ Jayeshbhai Jordaar, also starring Arjun Reddy fame Shalini Pandey, who debuts on Bollywood’s big screen opposite Ranveer, has been directed by debutant Divyang Thakkar and produced by Maneesh Sharma. The film is releasing on May 13, 2022 worldwide.
EXCELLENT SALES OPPORTUNITY Established insurance agency in SW Houston looking for young sales representative
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Mumbai: Superstar Ranveer Singh has an incredible body of work having acted in films like Band Baaja Baaraat, Ram Leela, Bajirao Mastani, Padmaavat, Gully Boy, Simmba, 83, to name a few. His generation-defining performances in these projects coupled with his ability to deliver humungous blockbusters, has made him the number one actor of his generation. Ranveer’s next is Yash Raj Films’ Jayeshbhai Jordaar, a big screen Hindi entertainer that will present a new brand of hero and heroism that is rare in Indian cinema. The actor is making a huge statement by saying that the highly anticipated ‘Jayeshbhai Jordaar is a film with the biggest heart’ in his stellar body of work in which he has collaborated with the biggest directors of the country! Ranveer says, “I have been blessed and fortunate to have
found remarkable scripts that have stood out and touched people. I’m grateful for them and I’m also proud of the work that I have done to bring those roles to life on screen. It has taken everything out of me but I have always believed that if I have to be the best actorentertainer of the country, then I have to do things that no one would attempt doing.” He adds, “Jayeshbhai Jordaar is a film that I have relished being a part of because it has again pushed me to shape-shift into becoming a character with absolutely no reference point in Hindi cinema. You have not seen a character like Jayeshbhai. He is not your typical hero. He discovers heroism when he is pushed to the brink and he is, according to me, one of the most lovable heroes in the history of Hindi cinema.” Ranveer further says, “Hope-
fully, Jayeshbhai will change the definition of heroism on screen and hopefully leave an important message to people in the most entertaining and hilarious fashion. Jayeshbhai Jordaar is undoubtedly a film with the biggest heart in my body of work. It will make people laugh, cry, ponder and feel really, really warm when they see a feel-good film whose hero is the most innocent and honest person that you have met in a long, long time.” About what he loves about the character of Jayeshbhai and his expectations from the film, Ranveer says, “He is quick witted and he has his heart in the right place. The script is just remarkable. You don’t find these films every day. Jayeshbhai is a rare product. It has certainly turned out to be really special. I hope we manage to entertain everyone with this film
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Indo-American News • Friday, April 22, 2022 • www.indoamerican-news.com
April 22, 2022
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People don’t plan to fail, they fail to plan
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April 22, 2022
IFTAR SPECIAL
Indo-American News • Friday, April 22, 2022 • www.indoamerican-news.com
VAISAKHI SPECIAL
Indo-American News • Friday, April 22, 2022 • www.indoamerican-news.com
April 22, 2022
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April 22, 2022
Silver Heart Care’s Spring Charitable Donations
Sugar Land: Silver Heart Care is a non-profit organization, whose mission is to enhance the care, support, and morale of seniors in our community. This past month the organization has been conducting their 2022 Spring Charitable Distribution. This distribution was inspired after seeing the situation of many seniors in urban areas without proper food, housing, or basic needs. In the Greater Houston area, almost 15% of al individuals live below the poverty line. Silver Heart Care then came across Turning Point Center, Houston, a homeless shelter for seniors. After seeing the amazing work being done at Turning Point Center, Silver Heart Care knew this was a noble cause. Volunteer members of the organization have spent hours getting donations of toilet paper, paper towels, garbage bags, and other household supplies for seniors living in the shelter. Many teachers of Fort Bend ISD high schools helped the cause by hosting a drop off location in their classroom for students to donate. The organization also collaborated with Fort Settlement Middle School’s National Junior Honor Society pro-
gram, to collect even more donations. The distribution was a massive success, boxes full of donations were sent to Turning Point Center and distributed to seniors. The organization will continue to hold
more events like this in the future, and the members of Silver Heart Care will continue to hold more events like this in the future, and the members of Silver Heart Care will continue to benefit the community, one senior at a time.
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Indo-American News • Friday, April 22, 2022 • www.indoamerican-news.com
COMMUNITY/SUDOKU
April 22, 2022
CRY America Hosts Donor Appreciation Luncheon
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Place a number in the empty boxes in such a way that each row across, each column down and each 9-box square contains all of the numbers from one to nine.
Send us the correct answer before April 25, 2022. Email us at indoamericannews@yahoo.com. Please send us your solved Sudoku for your name to be published.
Solution Next Week
Houston: CRY America’s Houston Chapter held an appreciation luncheon for its donor base this past Sunday, April 18 at Bombay Brasserie to promote its upcoming Gala on May 22. This will be
the first in-person, post pandemic Gala for CRY and will be held at the Royal Sonesta Hotel on the West Loop in the Galleria area. On hand to meet the guests were CRY Houston Board members
Juuhi Ahuja and Dharam Bali as well as Executive Staff Dina Patel and Patrick Bocco. The event was catered by Bombay Brasserie’s Narin Sehgal, who expressed his support.
Sewa International Joins the ‘Save Soil’ Movement Atlanta: Sewa International, through its Vasundhara Sewa program and its continued commitment to environmental causes, is supporting the Save Soil movement. Save Soil is a global initiative launched by yogi and visionary Sadhguru to “invoke a conscious approach to soil and the planet.” One of Save Soil’s main objectives is to have countries across the globe enact necessary laws and policies that will “increase the organic content in cultivable soil” and address the catastrophic environmental degradation issues facing humanity. Sadhguru at the United Nations in Geneva, joining the panel event “Save Soil: On Planetary and Human Well-Being.” The panelists joining Sadhguru include (left to right) Nadia Isler (Office of the Director-General, United Nations), Dr. Naoko Yamamoto (World Health Organization), and Stewart Maginnis (International Union for Conservation of Nature). Sadhguru at the United Nations in Geneva, joining the panel event “Save Soil: On Planetary and Human Well-Being.” The panelists joining Sadhguru include (left to right) Nadia Isler (Office of the Director-General, United Nations), Dr. Naoko Yamamoto (World Health Organization), and Stewart Maginnis (International Union for Conservation of Nature). After initial media coverage in the US, where Sadhguru was interviewed by Trevor Noah and Joe Rogan on March 21, he began a 100-day, 20,000-mile motorcycle journey across 27 countries. Sadhguru has traversed major European countries and cities. He has engaged with major European media as well as government leaders. He emphasizes the pressing need to formulate policies that address the looming threat of soil degradation. Globally, 52 percent of agricul-
Last Week’s Solution Sadhguru at the United Nations in Geneva, joining the panel event “Save Soil: On Planetary and Human Well-Being.” The panelists joining Sadhguru include (left to right) Nadia Isler (Office of the Director-General, United Nations), Dr. Naoko Yamamoto (World Health Organization), and Stewart Maginnis (International Union for Conservation of Nature).
tural land is already degraded, and the UN Food and Agriculture Organization predicts we only have 60 years of soil use left. Fortunately, there are proven solutions that could help reverse this calamitous trend if concerted steps are immediately initiated. Leading agencies such as the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, the World Food Program, and United Nations Environment Program are offering their support and expertise to ensure the success of these efforts. Sewa International will support Save Soil’s efforts through initiatives that engage its volunteers and the communities they live in. In alignment with the “Students for Soil” global initiative, Sewa will kick off Earth Day poster campaign involving the youth, amplifying their messages through social media. Sewa plans to encourage children to adopt plants and join nature outings. These efforts reflect a commitment to support Sadhguru’s vision of spreading the Save Soil message to 3.5 billion people. One thousand plus LEAD (a program engaging high school and
college students) participants will be conducting various activities and managing campaigns bringing awareness about soil health to their communities. Sewa’s forty-three chapters will be conducting soil conservation and awareness activities. They will observe Earth Day on April 23 and organize a national webinar. Those involved will take the “Vasundhara Sewa” pledge: “I pledge to take steps toward the betterment of my Mother Earth. I will spread awareness to others. I will expand my knowledge and actions to reduce the carbon footprint and improve the environment and my community.” The pledge can be taken at sewausa.org/savesoilpledge. “We in Sewa have always promoted the principle of serving all beings, sentient and non-sentient. Sewa means selfless service, and helping Sadhguru and his team spread this message of protecting the Earth is very much part of our goal to help people lead safe and healthy lives,” said Prem Pusuloori, Director of Projects and Programs, Sewa International.
Last Week’s Winners
Kumud Athavale, Ramana Vadrevu, Krishna R. Vuddagiri
Indo-American News • Friday, April 22, 2022 • www.indoamerican-news.com
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April 22, 2022
Indo-American News • Friday, April 22, 2022 • www.indoamerican-news.com
13 World Digital Premiere of ‘The Kashmir Files’ on ZEE5 Global
ENTERTAINMENT ZEE5 Global, the largest streaming platform for South-Asian content, will soon premiere people’s blockbuster film, The Kashmir Files. The film recently became the first Hindi film to cross the Rs. 250crore-mark at the box office and broke all records in the postpandemic era. Now with its world digital premiere set on ZEE5, the movie will soon be accessible across 190+ countries in multiple languages like Hindi, Tamil, Telugu and Kannada and with English subtitles. Produced by Zee Studios and Tej Narayan Agarwal, Abhishek Agarwal, Pallavi Joshi and Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri, The Kashmir Files is written and directed by Vivek Agnihotri and features a stellar and talented cast of actors including Mithun Chakraborty, Anupam Kher, Darshan Kumaar, Pallavi Joshi and Chinmay Mandlekar. Living up to its title, The Kashmir Files is a true story, based on video interviews of the first-generation victims of The Kashmir Genocide of the Kashmiri Pandit Community. It’s a heart-wrenching narrative of the pain, suffering, struggle and trauma of Kashmiri pandits and questions eye-opening facts about democracy, religion, politics and humanity. The movie garnered positive responses from critics and fans alike and even struck an emotional chord with many including superstars like Aamir Khan and Akshaye Kumar among others. On the exclusive premiere of ‘The Kashmir Files’ on the platform, Archana Anand, Chief Business Officer, ZEE5 Global said, “At ZEE5 Global, we look to bring our viewers handpicked stories from South Asia that are real and relatable and brought to life by the best of content creators and artistes. The Kashmir Files has received a massive response from audiences and we are happy to now bring this movie exclusively on ZEE5 Global for viewers across the world. ” Director Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri said, “The Kashmir Files is not just a film but an emotion and a movement. I am glad that the theatrical release received such an overwhelming response across the world and now with its World Digital Premiere on India’s largest homegrown video streaming platform - ZEE5, the film will reach more people and will continue to strike a chord in millions.” Vivek Agnihotri’s other critically acclaimed films, The Tashkent Files which went on to win the prestigious National Award and Buddha In A Traffic Jam are also available on ZEE5 Global. With such films, ZEE5 Global continues to strengthen its slate, iterating its customer-first approach and its
April 22, 2022
endeavour to be the platform of choice for the millions. ZEE5 Global is the digital entertainment destination launched by Zee Entertainment (ZEEL), a global Media and Entertainment powerhouse. The platform launched across 190+ countries in October 2018 and has content across 18 languages: Hindi, English, Bengali, Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, Kan-
Indo-American News • Friday, April 22, 2022 • www.indoamerican-news.com
nada, Marathi, Oriya, Bhojpuri, Gujarati, Punjabi, including six international languages Malay, Thai, Bahasa, Urdu, Bangla and Arabic. ZEE5 Global is home to 170,000+ hours of on-demand content. The platform brings together the best of Originals, Movies and TV Shows, Music, Cineplays and Health and Lifestyle content all in one single destination. ZEE5 offers key features like 15 navigational languages, content download option, seamless video playback and Voice Search. ZEE5 Global Twitter: https:// twitter.com/ZEE5Global
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OBITUARY
April 22, 2022
Indo-American News • Friday, April 22, 2022 • www.indoamerican-news.com
April 22, 2022 15 OBITUARY
April 22, 2022 25OBITUARY
HINDU WORSHIP SOCIETY We are deeply saddened by the loss of a true Devotee PRABHAT CHANDER SHARMA April 7, 1937 - April 18, 2022
Prabhat Chander “PC” Sharma, son of Benarsi Das & Promila Devi Sharma, passed away in Houston on the morning of April 16, 2022. PC was born in Lahore, India in the late 1930s and moved to a refugee camp in Delhi during the partition of 1947. He, his mother and sister later settled in Patel Nagar. PC worked hard (a trait he credited to his mother) and became
one of the first graduates in engineering from IIT in Kharagpur. He worked at various companies in India in the 1960s, got married & moved to Haridwar, where in the early 1970s, he and a group of friends decided to seek their fortunes in the United States. PC, as his work colleagues came to know him, joined Lummus in 1973 in Houston. He moved up the ranks
and eventually retired from ABB Lummus in 2006 as Department Head of Mechanical Engineering. He is most fondly remembered as the pillar of the Indian Punjabi and Hindu community in Houston. In the late 1970s, he helped found the Hindu Worship Society and trained to become a Hindu priest. PC volunteered at HWS in various roles for many decades and performed
various ceremonies like Pujas, Marriages etc. PC was also active at the India Culture Center and India House. PC is precededin death by his daughter. He leaves behind his beloved wife, son, grand-children, and an extended family of friends and relatives spread out throughout the world who affectionally referred to him as Uncle or Sharma-Ji.
Om Shanti Funeral: Tuesday, April 19, 10AM – 12PM, Winford Funerals, 8514 Tybor Dr., Houston, TX 77074
2223 Wirtcrest Ln., Houston, TX 77055
www.hwstemple.org • hws.temple@gmail.com • Facebook: @hwstemple INDO-AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, APRIL 22,April 2022 •22, ONLINE WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM Indo-American News • Friday, 2022 • EDITION: www.indoamerican-news.com
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April 22, 2022
Indo-American News • Friday, April 22, 2022 • www.indoamerican-news.com
Friday, April 22, 2022 | Vol. 41, No. 16
1
April 22, 2022
$1
Indo American News
Published weekly from Houston, TX
www.indoamerican-news.com
Special Reports Community Briefs Local Politics South Asians in the News
2470 Dairy Ashford, Houston, TX 77077 • 713.789.NEWS (6397) • indoamericannews@yahoo.com
SNC Vaisakhi Mela: Worth Waiting Three Years ! Origins Classical Dance
P2
‘Jayeshbhai Jordaar’
After a two-year gap due to the Corona Virus, the 7th Vaisakhi Mela at the Sikh National Center was indeed well worth the wait. SEE PAGE 9.
P6
WEDDINGS, SPECIAL EVENTS, TENTED EVENTS, OUTDOOR COURTYARD
3 3 3 0 F M 1 4 6 3 | K a t y, T X 7 7 4 9 4 | 8 3 2 . 8 5 5 . 5 5 2 0 | p a l m r o y a l v i l l a . c o m
Indo-American News • Friday, April 22, 2022 • www.indoamerican-news.com
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COMMUNITY
April 22, 2022
Origins National Classical Dance Competion Held for College Teams By Aishwarya Chitnis & Renny Padiyara
Houston: Origins Classical Dance Championship is a national competition for college dance teams across the country that promote the classical dance styles, including Bharatanatyam, Kuchipudi, Kathak and Odissi. Origins Championship is an organization that was founded in 2019 by a group of individuals determined to shed light and bring more awareness to the classical dance styles in this generation. As a “collegiate circuit”, we aim to push the boundaries of modern storytelling in the classical dance styles that will bring awe to anyone in the audience. Up until 2019, the circuit only consisted of regional competitions for the collegiate teams. The Origins Championship board then stepped in to act as a parent organization for these competitions and build a points system for the competition season. Teams could then attend these regional competitions to earn “bid points” based on their performance. The teams’ performance over the whole season would ultimately result in a “final standings” and the top 8 teams qualified for the national championship. Unfortunately, the first year we started this, the COVID-19 pandemic spread, and we had to cancel the championship for the year. During our second year, we had organized a virtual season amongst all regional competitions (bid competitions) and conducted a virtual championship in April 2021. Although it was not what we had hoped for, we titled a national champion for the first time and the teams praised the opportunity to compete at a national level. Fast forward to our third year, COVID-19 restrictions were starting to ease across the country. We began the competitive season with about 30 teams ready to compete and earn points for the nationals. After many bid competitions and rounds of qualifiers for the teams, 8 teams were offered a spot at Origins. Those teams were as follows: Rice University Rasikas, Natya at UC Berkeley, University of Maryland Moksha, UCLA Taara, Georgia Tech Pulse, Rutgers University Natya, University of Texas Nritya Sangam and Natya at University of Washington. We hosted in Houston, Texas as was originally planned. We were fortunate to obtain our original venue, the beautiful Zilkha Hall at the Hobby Center, right in the heart of Houston. On April 15, 2022, the eight teams arrived, and Origins board began hosting the ~100 competitors as the championship weekend began. On April 16th, all teams took the stage and performed for the audience and the judges. The judging panel consisted of these five esteemed classical dance professionals that have studied, per-
formed, and taught for decades: Rathna Kumar, Padmini Chari, Shiva Mathur, Lavanya Prabhu, and Manaswini Avvari. At the end
of night, UMD Moksha took 3rd place, Natya at Berkeley took 2nd place and GT Pulse took 1st place. The first in-person championship
had finally happened, and the champions were celebrated. We thank all our sponsors, friends, and family that have supported us thus far.
Our legacy does not end here but only starts. Every year each team will be back on the hunt to earn the national champion title.
JOIN US
Atlanta: Sewa International, through its Vasundhara Sewa program and its continued commitFOR THE ment to environmental causes, is supporting the Save Soil movement.
Save Soil is a global initiative launched by yogi and visionary Sadhguru to “invoke a conscious approach to soil and the planet.” One of Save Soil’s main objectives is to have countries across
PRATHAM HOUSTON GALA 2022 Saturday, May 7, 2022 5:30 PM CT
Special Guest: Indra Nooyi Former Chairman & CEO, PepsiCo
Hilton Americas-Houston 1600 Lamar Street, Houston, TX 77010
Honoree: Swatantra Jain Philanthropist & CFO, Pratham USA
RESERVE A TABLE: prathamusa.link/houstongala
Indo-American News • Friday, April 22, 2022 • www.indoamerican-news.com
April 22, 2022
Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs (TDHCA) Section 8 Waiting List Opening
The Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs (TDHCA) announces the opening of its Housing Choice Voucher program waitlist on Monday, May 2, 2022. The program operates in 34 counties and pays a portion of monthly rent for qualifying families who are considered very low income. TDHCA will accept online pre-applications for the waitlist beginning at 8:00 a.m., Central Time, Monday, May 2, 2022, to 5:00 p.m., Central Time, Monday, May 16, 2022. TDHCA will use a lottery system to randomly select 500 applicants for placement on the waitlist. Everyone who applies has the same chance of being chosen. For more information on the eligible counties, household eligibility, and how to apply go to https://www.tdhca.state.tx.us/ section-8/announcements.htm or call 800-237-6500.
You can help prevent
CHILD ABUSE
Be the voice for those who can’t speak up for themselves. If you see or suspect ANY abusive behavior of a minor, call the Texas Family and Protective Services at 1-800-252-5400
Indo-American News • Friday, April 22, 2022 • www.indoamerican-news.com
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COMMUNITY
April 22, 2022
HINDU WORSHIP SOCIETY Celebrate the New
Shiv Mandir & Nav Grah Sthapana
Sat, April 23, 9am - 4pm Sun, April 24: Havan, 9am - 12:30pm; Aarti 1 pm Thanks to our generous sponsors DR DURGA � SUSHILA AGGARWAL RAKESH � MADHU AGGARWAL DEVKI � KIRTI AGGARWAL DR AJAY & SHOBA AGGERWAL VISHNU & NEHA BANKA KRISHAN & USHA BANSAL RAVI � ARUNA GOEL PREM & BARU GOYAL SANTOSH GUGANI DR KUSHAL � MEENA GUPTA
DR RAJ GUPTA RANJU & SAJNEESH GUPTA RAJ & SK KHOSLA RANJAN � ALKA LASHKARI MANISH � NIHARIKA MEHRA NEERAJ & DR RENU MITTAL SHAKUN PATRI BAL � RITA SAREEN PROMOD SHARMA � FAMILY MEERA SONI
To sponsor an event, call
RAVI GOEL 281-235-5413 PANDIT JI 832-278-0100 BAL SAREEN 337-540-6001 ASHIMA PATEL 832-563-6689 PREM GOYAL 281-300-8632
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To help in kitchen or for sponsorship call Prem Goyal 281-300-8632 or Pandit ji 832-278-0100
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Indo-American News • Friday, April 22, 2022 • www.indoamerican-news.com
April 22, 2022
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ENTERTAINMENT
April 22, 2022
Ranveer Singh: ‘Jayeshbhai Jordaar’ Will Change Definition of Heroism because it is really meant for everyone to enjoy. It is a community experience with your friends and families. You will know when you see this trailer. It is a celebration of human spirit which will fill you up from within when you experience it on the big screen.” The much-awaited Yash Raj
Films’ Jayeshbhai Jordaar, also starring Arjun Reddy fame Shalini Pandey, who debuts on Bollywood’s big screen opposite Ranveer, has been directed by debutant Divyang Thakkar and produced by Maneesh Sharma. The film is releasing on May 13, 2022 worldwide.
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Mumbai: Superstar Ranveer Singh has an incredible body of work having acted in films like Band Baaja Baaraat, Ram Leela, Bajirao Mastani, Padmaavat, Gully Boy, Simmba, 83, to name a few. His generation-defining performances in these projects coupled with his ability to deliver humungous blockbusters, has made him the number one actor of his generation. Ranveer’s next is Yash Raj Films’ Jayeshbhai Jordaar, a big screen Hindi entertainer that will present a new brand of hero and heroism that is rare in Indian cinema. The actor is making a huge statement by saying that the highly anticipated ‘Jayeshbhai Jordaar is a film with the biggest heart’ in his stellar body of work in which he has collaborated with the biggest directors of the country! Ranveer says, “I have been blessed and fortunate to have
found remarkable scripts that have stood out and touched people. I’m grateful for them and I’m also proud of the work that I have done to bring those roles to life on screen. It has taken everything out of me but I have always believed that if I have to be the best actorentertainer of the country, then I have to do things that no one would attempt doing.” He adds, “Jayeshbhai Jordaar is a film that I have relished being a part of because it has again pushed me to shape-shift into becoming a character with absolutely no reference point in Hindi cinema. You have not seen a character like Jayeshbhai. He is not your typical hero. He discovers heroism when he is pushed to the brink and he is, according to me, one of the most lovable heroes in the history of Hindi cinema.” Ranveer further says, “Hope-
fully, Jayeshbhai will change the definition of heroism on screen and hopefully leave an important message to people in the most entertaining and hilarious fashion. Jayeshbhai Jordaar is undoubtedly a film with the biggest heart in my body of work. It will make people laugh, cry, ponder and feel really, really warm when they see a feel-good film whose hero is the most innocent and honest person that you have met in a long, long time.” About what he loves about the character of Jayeshbhai and his expectations from the film, Ranveer says, “He is quick witted and he has his heart in the right place. The script is just remarkable. You don’t find these films every day. Jayeshbhai is a rare product. It has certainly turned out to be really special. I hope we manage to entertain everyone with this film
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April 22, 2022
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April 22, 2022
IFTAR SPECIAL
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VAISAKHI SPECIAL
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April 22, 2022
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April 22, 2022
Silver Heart Care’s Spring Charitable Donations
Sugar Land: Silver Heart Care is a non-profit organization, whose mission is to enhance the care, support, and morale of seniors in our community. This past month the organization has been conducting their 2022 Spring Charitable Distribution. This distribution was inspired after seeing the situation of many seniors in urban areas without proper food, housing, or basic needs. In the Greater Houston area, almost 15% of al individuals live below the poverty line. Silver Heart Care then came across Turning Point Center, Houston, a homeless shelter for seniors. After seeing the amazing work being done at Turning Point Center, Silver Heart Care knew this was a noble cause. Volunteer members of the organization have spent hours getting donations of toilet paper, paper towels, garbage bags, and other household supplies for seniors living in the shelter. Many teachers of Fort Bend ISD high schools helped the cause by hosting a drop off location in their classroom for students to donate. The organization also collaborated with Fort Settlement Middle School’s National Junior Honor Society pro-
gram, to collect even more donations. The distribution was a massive success, boxes full of donations were sent to Turning Point Center and distributed to seniors. The organization will continue to hold
more events like this in the future, and the members of Silver Heart Care will continue to hold more events like this in the future, and the members of Silver Heart Care will continue to benefit the community, one senior at a time.
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Indo-American News • Friday, April 22, 2022 • www.indoamerican-news.com
COMMUNITY/SUDOKU
April 22, 2022
CRY America Hosts Donor Appreciation Luncheon
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Place a number in the empty boxes in such a way that each row across, each column down and each 9-box square contains all of the numbers from one to nine.
Send us the correct answer before April 25, 2022. Email us at indoamericannews@yahoo.com. Please send us your solved Sudoku for your name to be published.
Solution Next Week
Houston: CRY America’s Houston Chapter held an appreciation luncheon for its donor base this past Sunday, April 18 at Bombay Brasserie to promote its upcoming Gala on May 22. This will be
the first in-person, post pandemic Gala for CRY and will be held at the Royal Sonesta Hotel on the West Loop in the Galleria area. On hand to meet the guests were CRY Houston Board members
Juuhi Ahuja and Dharam Bali as well as Executive Staff Dina Patel and Patrick Bocco. The event was catered by Bombay Brasserie’s Narin Sehgal, who expressed his support.
Sewa International Joins the ‘Save Soil’ Movement Atlanta: Sewa International, through its Vasundhara Sewa program and its continued commitment to environmental causes, is supporting the Save Soil movement. Save Soil is a global initiative launched by yogi and visionary Sadhguru to “invoke a conscious approach to soil and the planet.” One of Save Soil’s main objectives is to have countries across the globe enact necessary laws and policies that will “increase the organic content in cultivable soil” and address the catastrophic environmental degradation issues facing humanity. Sadhguru at the United Nations in Geneva, joining the panel event “Save Soil: On Planetary and Human Well-Being.” The panelists joining Sadhguru include (left to right) Nadia Isler (Office of the Director-General, United Nations), Dr. Naoko Yamamoto (World Health Organization), and Stewart Maginnis (International Union for Conservation of Nature). Sadhguru at the United Nations in Geneva, joining the panel event “Save Soil: On Planetary and Human Well-Being.” The panelists joining Sadhguru include (left to right) Nadia Isler (Office of the Director-General, United Nations), Dr. Naoko Yamamoto (World Health Organization), and Stewart Maginnis (International Union for Conservation of Nature). After initial media coverage in the US, where Sadhguru was interviewed by Trevor Noah and Joe Rogan on March 21, he began a 100-day, 20,000-mile motorcycle journey across 27 countries. Sadhguru has traversed major European countries and cities. He has engaged with major European media as well as government leaders. He emphasizes the pressing need to formulate policies that address the looming threat of soil degradation. Globally, 52 percent of agricul-
Last Week’s Solution Sadhguru at the United Nations in Geneva, joining the panel event “Save Soil: On Planetary and Human Well-Being.” The panelists joining Sadhguru include (left to right) Nadia Isler (Office of the Director-General, United Nations), Dr. Naoko Yamamoto (World Health Organization), and Stewart Maginnis (International Union for Conservation of Nature).
tural land is already degraded, and the UN Food and Agriculture Organization predicts we only have 60 years of soil use left. Fortunately, there are proven solutions that could help reverse this calamitous trend if concerted steps are immediately initiated. Leading agencies such as the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, the World Food Program, and United Nations Environment Program are offering their support and expertise to ensure the success of these efforts. Sewa International will support Save Soil’s efforts through initiatives that engage its volunteers and the communities they live in. In alignment with the “Students for Soil” global initiative, Sewa will kick off Earth Day poster campaign involving the youth, amplifying their messages through social media. Sewa plans to encourage children to adopt plants and join nature outings. These efforts reflect a commitment to support Sadhguru’s vision of spreading the Save Soil message to 3.5 billion people. One thousand plus LEAD (a program engaging high school and
college students) participants will be conducting various activities and managing campaigns bringing awareness about soil health to their communities. Sewa’s forty-three chapters will be conducting soil conservation and awareness activities. They will observe Earth Day on April 23 and organize a national webinar. Those involved will take the “Vasundhara Sewa” pledge: “I pledge to take steps toward the betterment of my Mother Earth. I will spread awareness to others. I will expand my knowledge and actions to reduce the carbon footprint and improve the environment and my community.” The pledge can be taken at sewausa.org/savesoilpledge. “We in Sewa have always promoted the principle of serving all beings, sentient and non-sentient. Sewa means selfless service, and helping Sadhguru and his team spread this message of protecting the Earth is very much part of our goal to help people lead safe and healthy lives,” said Prem Pusuloori, Director of Projects and Programs, Sewa International.
Last Week’s Winners
Kumud Athavale, Ramana Vadrevu, Krishna R. Vuddagiri
Indo-American News • Friday, April 22, 2022 • www.indoamerican-news.com
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April 22, 2022
Indo-American News • Friday, April 22, 2022 • www.indoamerican-news.com
13 World Digital Premiere of ‘The Kashmir Files’ on ZEE5 Global
ENTERTAINMENT ZEE5 Global, the largest streaming platform for South-Asian content, will soon premiere people’s blockbuster film, The Kashmir Files. The film recently became the first Hindi film to cross the Rs. 250crore-mark at the box office and broke all records in the postpandemic era. Now with its world digital premiere set on ZEE5, the movie will soon be accessible across 190+ countries in multiple languages like Hindi, Tamil, Telugu and Kannada and with English subtitles. Produced by Zee Studios and Tej Narayan Agarwal, Abhishek Agarwal, Pallavi Joshi and Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri, The Kashmir Files is written and directed by Vivek Agnihotri and features a stellar and talented cast of actors including Mithun Chakraborty, Anupam Kher, Darshan Kumaar, Pallavi Joshi and Chinmay Mandlekar. Living up to its title, The Kashmir Files is a true story, based on video interviews of the first-generation victims of The Kashmir Genocide of the Kashmiri Pandit Community. It’s a heart-wrenching narrative of the pain, suffering, struggle and trauma of Kashmiri pandits and questions eye-opening facts about democracy, religion, politics and humanity. The movie garnered positive responses from critics and fans alike and even struck an emotional chord with many including superstars like Aamir Khan and Akshaye Kumar among others. On the exclusive premiere of ‘The Kashmir Files’ on the platform, Archana Anand, Chief Business Officer, ZEE5 Global said, “At ZEE5 Global, we look to bring our viewers handpicked stories from South Asia that are real and relatable and brought to life by the best of content creators and artistes. The Kashmir Files has received a massive response from audiences and we are happy to now bring this movie exclusively on ZEE5 Global for viewers across the world. ” Director Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri said, “The Kashmir Files is not just a film but an emotion and a movement. I am glad that the theatrical release received such an overwhelming response across the world and now with its World Digital Premiere on India’s largest homegrown video streaming platform - ZEE5, the film will reach more people and will continue to strike a chord in millions.” Vivek Agnihotri’s other critically acclaimed films, The Tashkent Files which went on to win the prestigious National Award and Buddha In A Traffic Jam are also available on ZEE5 Global. With such films, ZEE5 Global continues to strengthen its slate, iterating its customer-first approach and its
April 22, 2022
endeavour to be the platform of choice for the millions. ZEE5 Global is the digital entertainment destination launched by Zee Entertainment (ZEEL), a global Media and Entertainment powerhouse. The platform launched across 190+ countries in October 2018 and has content across 18 languages: Hindi, English, Bengali, Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, Kan-
Indo-American News • Friday, April 22, 2022 • www.indoamerican-news.com
nada, Marathi, Oriya, Bhojpuri, Gujarati, Punjabi, including six international languages Malay, Thai, Bahasa, Urdu, Bangla and Arabic. ZEE5 Global is home to 170,000+ hours of on-demand content. The platform brings together the best of Originals, Movies and TV Shows, Music, Cineplays and Health and Lifestyle content all in one single destination. ZEE5 offers key features like 15 navigational languages, content download option, seamless video playback and Voice Search. ZEE5 Global Twitter: https:// twitter.com/ZEE5Global
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OBITUARY
April 22, 2022
Indo-American News • Friday, April 22, 2022 • www.indoamerican-news.com
April 22, 2022 15 OBITUARY
April 22, 2022 25OBITUARY
HINDU WORSHIP SOCIETY We are deeply saddened by the loss of a true Devotee PRABHAT CHANDER SHARMA April 7, 1937 - April 18, 2022
Prabhat Chander “PC” Sharma, son of Benarsi Das & Promila Devi Sharma, passed away in Houston on the morning of April 16, 2022. PC was born in Lahore, India in the late 1930s and moved to a refugee camp in Delhi during the partition of 1947. He, his mother and sister later settled in Patel Nagar. PC worked hard (a trait he credited to his mother) and became
one of the first graduates in engineering from IIT in Kharagpur. He worked at various companies in India in the 1960s, got married & moved to Haridwar, where in the early 1970s, he and a group of friends decided to seek their fortunes in the United States. PC, as his work colleagues came to know him, joined Lummus in 1973 in Houston. He moved up the ranks
and eventually retired from ABB Lummus in 2006 as Department Head of Mechanical Engineering. He is most fondly remembered as the pillar of the Indian Punjabi and Hindu community in Houston. In the late 1970s, he helped found the Hindu Worship Society and trained to become a Hindu priest. PC volunteered at HWS in various roles for many decades and performed
various ceremonies like Pujas, Marriages etc. PC was also active at the India Culture Center and India House. PC is precededin death by his daughter. He leaves behind his beloved wife, son, grand-children, and an extended family of friends and relatives spread out throughout the world who affectionally referred to him as Uncle or Sharma-Ji.
Om Shanti Funeral: Tuesday, April 19, 10AM – 12PM, Winford Funerals, 8514 Tybor Dr., Houston, TX 77074
2223 Wirtcrest Ln., Houston, TX 77055
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April 22, 2022
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