Friday, March 25, 2022 | Vol. 41, No. 12
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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
JK Yog’s Holi Celebration at India House
Rodeo Art Winner
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Review: ‘Radhe Shyam” Exhilaration, excitement, enthusiasm, exuberance – it was all that and more….as 2500 people came out to the grounds of India House SEE PAGE 2
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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
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COMMUNITY
March 25, 2022
JK Yog’s Holi Celebration: Exhiliration, Excitement, Enthusiam ... Houston: Exhilaration, excitement, enthusiasm, exuberance – it was all that and more….as 2500 people came out to the grounds of India House, 8888 W Bellfort Ave, Houston, TX 77031, on Sunday March 20th, 2022, 11 am to 4 pm. People thronged to the festival to enjoy a gorgeous afternoon of fun, colors, colors, colors everywhere, dancing to the DJ beats, live music, shopping in the Desi Bazaar, mouthwatering food, Carnival Rides, Games, Bounce House, to name a few. There was color everywhere – organic colors in red, yellow, green, purple, pink and orange. People danced, laughed – the air was filled with a sense of joy, happiness and positivity, the energy was undeniably dynamic and contagious! Bollywood performers Harry Anand and Shalmali Kholgade brought the audience to a joyous frenzy with a super electrifying performance! Harry Anand is a 13-time Award winning Bollywood Music Producer / Singer / Song Writer / Video Director, with music for twenty-three films. He is also known as Remix King for his remixes. Shalmali Kholgade is a Bollywood Playback Singer, Filmfare Award Winner, and sings for Hindi language films, along with other Indian languages such as Marathi, Bengali, Telugu, and Tamil. They expressed the gratitude they felt to be on stage here facing this huge crowd outdoors, after 2 years of the pandemic shutdowns. And did they perform !! Their energy revibrated through the audience, their upbeat music brought everyone, young and old to their feet – dancing, jumping with joy, singing along, greeting everyone friend, family or strangers with splashes and touches of color. Holi is a festival of colors, of heralding Spring after a long dark Winter, a celebration of good over evil, of hope and joy. Nothing could be a greater testimonial to that than the JKYog Houston Holi Fest last Sunday! After a difficult 2 years where Houstonians faced challenges of varying degrees and complexities, the JKYog Houston Holi fest was a manifestation of hope, joy happiness, positivity, and enthusiasm. But there is more…. The entire event organized by volunteers of JKYog and devotees of Swami Mukundananda celebrated not only the joy of Spring with an afternoon filled with colorful festivities, but one of hope and opportunity for many, as it was also a Mega Charity Event for Education and Healthcare in rural India. 100% of the proceeds from this celebration, every dollar and every cent raised in this event will benefit Swamiji’s university under construction and charitable hospital in rural India. Jagadguru Kripalu University and Hospital
JKYog is a Nonprofit 501c(3) Organization. The organization’s core philosophy is to transform lives through mental, physical, and spiritual wellbeing. This holistic approach and means for its practical implementation have been guided and spearheaded by Swami Mukundananda and has transformed millions of lives around the world. The global mission of JKYog is committed to the spiritual and material needs of society. Serving people, particularly in the impoverished parts of rural India has always been a priority. Lack of education, poor medical facilities, malnutrition, and clothing are just a few of the problems that rural India faces. The organization humbly strives in various ways to alleviate these needs by fully supporting many humanitarian projects. Swami Mukundananda - JKYog Founder, IIT, IIM alumnus, Global Spiritual Leader and an authority on Mind Management, visits Houston each year and presents a series of lectures and discourses. Swamiji blends ancient Vedic knowledge, modern science, and psychology in a unique and compelling way. His lucid yet emphatic explanations of concepts help his audiences to easily connect, comprehend, adopt, and apply his life transforming gems of knowledge. In joining the JKYog Houston Holi fest in large numbers Houstonians not only showed how they excelled in ways to celebrate, enjoy, and have fun but at the same time made a difference in the lives of many underprivileged individuals by supporting humanitarian projects in impoverished communities in rural India. Thank you, Houston!! To learn more about JKYog Click here: www.jkyog.org To learn more about Swami Mukundananda Click here: www.swamimukundananda.org To learn more about the charities that this Holi fest will fund Click here: Jagadguru Kripalu University and Hospital Houstonians not only showed how they excelled in ways to celebrate, enjoy, and have fun but at the same time made a difference in the lives of many underprivileged individuals by supporting humanitarian projects in impoverished communities in rural India. Thank you, Houston!! To learn more about JKYog Click here: www.jkyog.org To learn more about Swami Mukundananda Click here: www.swamimukundananda.org To learn more about the charities that this Holi fest will fund Click here: Jagadguru Kripalu University and Hospital Indo-American News • Friday, MARCH 25, 2022 • www.indoamerican-news.com
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AAP HAMESHA HUMARE GUEST LIST MEIN SAB SE PEHLE AATE HAIN. Aapka swagat hai to experience a higher level of hospitality and performance. Lekin jaldi kijiye—because while you’ll always be our guest, this event ends soon. ©2022 Lexus, a Division of Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc.
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EDUCATION
Artistic Talent Pays with Rodeo Scholarship Paying it Forward ... By Jawahar Malhotra Houston: Never in her dreams did she imagine that an interest in painting that started in the backroom classes at Hobby Lobby in 3rd grade would get her so much recognition. But the persistency with which she built up her brush strokes and an eye for color and capturing how light falls on a subject gave her the skills to translate one last canvas in her final year at Cypress Woods High School. Ruchi Tiwari imagined a lone cowgirl on a horse in front of a barren tree with the sunset ebbing in the background and had a friend pose for the picture taken from several angles. Then she worked at the vision that slowly evolved over two weeks during Christmas break, “eight hours a day”, she grinned. And her art teacher Qindeel Butt – a Pakistani American - submitted it in a competition to enter the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. Ruchi’s was one out of 200,000 entries across the state. A month later at an award ceremony on February 6, Ruchi learnt that her painting had been selected to be auctioned off at the rodeo. Five weeks later, on Sunday, March 13, Ruchi and her proud family were at the auction in at the rodeo and were excited and elated that her painting had been bought for $22,000. After the auctioneer’s fees, the money will go towards a scholarship for her undergraduate degree at Rice University. Ruchi,18, is the daughter of Bachcha Tiwari a well-known
By Sachin Jakhotia Pune: 21st March is celebrated as World Down’s Syndrome Day. It is quite subtle to understand why it is celebrated on 21st March - The 21st day of March (the 3rd month of the year) signifies the uniqueness of the triplication (trisomy) of the 21st chromosome which causes Down’s syndrom. This March marks 10 years of our “Return to India (R2I)” from Houston, USA…One of the reaRuchi Tiwari with Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo officials after sons for our return was our son her painting won in her group. Shlok’s diagnosis as borderline (?) Down’s syndrome. Back then, we had few of our friends questioning our decision about R2I considering there is better social acceptance and educational infrastructure for special children back in USA. Since Shlok did not have any acute health condition and with better family support in India, our hypothesis of India being preferred place for Shlok’s upbringing has turned out correct …at least so far so good There are many Trusts & NGOs in Pune as well as other parts of the country such as Down Syndrome Federation of India (DSFI), Down’s Syndrome Care Association (Nasik), Prism Foundation (Pune), Nayi Disha (Hyderabad), Support All-Abled Differently (SaaD-Pune), SwaSaksham (Dr. Nina Vaidya) and so on. Back in 2013, I had met Mr. SubRuchi with her dad, Bachcha, a New York Life agent, and mom Madhu. hash ji Chuttar in Pune who has insurance agent with New York her brother Nikhil, 22, just com- successfully employed more than Life and a generous supporter of pleted his undergraduate degree 40 mentally challenged individuals many community initiatives. Her in Finance and marketing from the in his factory which manufactured mother Madhu is in business and University of Houston, automobile pressed components.
Fashion designer Dipttie Acherya with Shlok
Recently, I have come across a wonderful person, Ms. Dipttie Acherya. She owns a garment factory where 5 PwDs are working equally hard along with other 16 team members. Dipttie is a fashion designer and manufactures kids-wear under brand name, Rose Couture. I remember Kevin Spacey & Helen Hunt starrer Hollywood movie – “Pay it Forward”. The movie begins with a 7th grader in Las Vegas. His social studies teacher assigns the class a plan that will change the world for the better. This high-school kid calls his plan “pay it forward”, which means the recipient of a favor does a favor for three others rather than paying it back… So as a society or at the very least, in the eco-system of special families, should we also resolve contributing to Building a Better Tomorrow; in some little way; by PAYING IT FORWARD …
SAVE A LIFE LOCK UP YOUR GUNS
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March 25, 2022
Indo-American News • Friday, MARCH 25, 2022 • www.indoamerican-news.com
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“Kashmir Files” Depicts Our “Schindler’s List”: A True Crime of Genocide By Sunita Ticku “ “The Kashmir Files “ is a movie based on true incidents with 3-4 years of extensive research and 700 testimonials from the affected families THIS IS OUR SCHINDLER’s LIST. Kashmiri Muslims had been brainwashed in their ‘madrasas’ and elite homes that they could become an independent Islamic State for which they just had to throw out the Indigenous Hindus. They figured a better plan of terrorizing, harassing and petrifying a community by ghastly murders. Selective killings were done by chopping bodies, gouging eyes out, breaking all bones , chopping heads, raping and then dismembering body parts, dancing and celebrating around dead hindu bodies, hanging tortured bodies from trees, sectioning live humans on band saws and so on. “RALIV, TSALIV YA GALIV “ translation: Convert, or Flee or Die, these were the choices given to us after such murders. Using slogans “we want freedom & kashmiri Hindu women without any kashmiri pandit men”, “Yahan kya chalega - Nizam-e-Mustafa”. It was a properly executed plan
of removing our existence from there and the design was implemented by changing the names of towns (Anant Nag became Islamabad, river Kishen Ganga as Neelam, etc). A constant denial of our genocide calling it a ‘Jagmohan Conspiracy’. To keep the fear alive, ongoing killings are still happening selectively like killing a teacher, a pharmacist, a political activist, and so on. We were hounded out of our homes in 1990; we became refugees in our own country. Since we were not a vote bank nobody paid attention to us. Even America, which protects the vulnerable populations of the world, ignored our plight. Somehow we became invisible to the whole world. While we were trying to survive under hostile and miserable conditions, our perpetrators, with funding from a lot of foreign resources, kept on building their false narrative all over the world.
A common question asked is how is it a genocide =? Given our minuscule number, people don’t realize that we are a small ethnicity which comprised less than 5 % total population of the valley of Kashmir. So in such a small sample a couple of thousand deaths is huge, statistically speaking. As per article II - UN Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide , you have to satisfy only one of the five conditions given below , (a) Killing members of the
Pearland Cricket Club Inaugurates New Ground Pearland: City of Pearland inaugurated state of the art Cricket turf ground at The sports complex at Shadow Creek Ranch on March 13 th 2022. PCC board president Sam Kannappan, secretary Dr. Ganesh Rajamani and treasurer Sargunan Kaliappan conducted tournaments in various categories including Men, Women, and Youth teams in the morning segments. USA cricket representatives Tim Lowell and Jamie Lloyd conducted Cricket 101, youth
cricket training program by Vijay Atti and the evening games with stadium lights were organized by Karthik Datta as part of the whole day fun filled activities. Consulate General of India assisted with preparation of publicity material as part of the India’s 75th Independence celebrations. Consul Mr. Sandeep Chaudhary presented trophies to the teams organized by Pearland Cricket club while Pearland city Mayor Kevin Cole presented trophies to the teams for the
afternoon segment. Visual treat of cultural entertainment program conducted by Pinky Modi, YUVA Bollywood dance and snacks were sponsored by Mr. James Eapan of AB World Food Market. The whole event was very well coordinated by the Pearland Parks and Recreation officials Mr. Brandon Torres and Kevin Carter. Photography and video coverage provided by Mr. Perumal Annamalai.
group; YES (b) Causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group;YES (c) Deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part;YES (d) Imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group; YES (e) Forcibly transferring children of the group to another group; NO. The plight of Kashmiri Pandits
fits in not just one but four of the five parts of the article II above, and yet people are questioning our genocide. An indigenous ethnicity of 5000+ yr continuity in the vale of Kashmir will become extinct because no one is ready to hear the truth. You may ask what we as Kashmiri Hindus strive for now. Awareness, or Justice? We need both. Firstly, this movie is making the space for awareness and after that only can we get justice. So what is Justice? Justice is holding a formal governmental inquiry into the genocide. Justice is passing bills in Parliament to recognize and prevent the genocide. Justice is bringing the culprits to book. And most importantly, Justice is rehabilitating us securely back in Kashmir in such a way that we and other nonIslamic minorities are not vulnerable to continued genocide.
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Pearland Mayor Kevin Cole (center) with PCC President Sam Kannappan and India Consul Sandeep Chaudhary with cricket playing PCC members. Indo-American News • Friday, MARCH 25, 2022 • www.indoamerican-news.com
March 25, 2022
EXPERIENCED . DEDICATED . COMMITTED
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A Conversation about ‘Hinduphobia’
Boston: HSC is proud to announce the 2nd annual Understanding Hinduphobia conference, hosted by HSC at Boston University, on Sunday, April 3rd, 2022. The Understanding Hinduphobia Conference brings together scholars, activists, students, administrators, and allies for an in-depth, cross-disciplinary examination of Hinduphobia. Last year’s conference, held by Hindu Students Council at Rutgers, culminated in the Rutgers University Student Assembly passing a resolution condemning Hinduphobia. This was the first time this has ever happened at any institution in the world. “Boston, and Boston University, in particular, has long been a vibrant epicenter for Hindu students from all over the world,” said Sawan Patel, President of HSC’s Boston University Chapter. “This landmark event bringing together the leadership teams from various universities, organizations, and outlets to explore how antiHindu rhetoric manifests itself in general discourse will be informative for all.” Hindu students and scholars have experienced the efforts of academics and universities to institutionalize Hinduphobia. This conference is significant since Hinduism, Hindu persecution, and the history
COMMUNITY
of American Hinduphobia are generally underrepresented and misrepresented in mainstream discourse and educational spaces. The conference aims to introduce critical aspects of global and historical Hinduphobia; to understand the definition of Hinduphobia; and, to suggest how institutions can uphold this definition and what happens when they don’t. The topics to be covered by the event include the historical and contemporary persecution of Hindu communities, Hinduphobia in digital spaces, the experiences of high school and college Hindu students with Hinduphobia, an inter-faith examination of shared experiences with bigotry, and the impact of Hinduphobia on ordinary Hindu Americans today. Founded in 1990, Hindu Students Council is North America’s largest panHindu youth organization. HSC is a 501(c)3 non-profit providing a safe space for Hindus on campuses all over and is a platform for young Hindu leaders to learn, grow and engage in advocacy, empowerment, and seva. For more information, please visit https://www.hindustudentscouncil.org/ or email HSC at info@ hindustudentscouncil.org. 'BNJMZ 0XOFE 0QFSBUFE 4JODF
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March 25, 2022
Have you planned for your future?
People don’t plan to fail, they fail to plan
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Vatsal Sharda’s Journey as Robotics Champion
Houston: Vatsal Sharda, a sixth grader and his First Lego League (FLL) Challenge team - TechBlaze won the 1st place Champions award with the highest Robot Score in Texas Regionals. They will now compete at the FLL World Championship against the best teams from the USA and across the world. Kavita Sharda, Coach of the Techblaze Robotic team is also Vatsal’s mother. As per mom & coach Kavita, every FLL team dreams to compete in the World Championship and this is like a dream come true after years of hard work and dedication. Team Techblaze, with Vatsal being the only member since inception, has been consistently in the top 2 position for the last 4 years. Kavita shares some interesting stories of Vatsal’s robotic journey. “When Vatsal was just a toddler, he was an inquisitive child who was always fascinated by how things worked. At age 5, when kids of his age were playing with hot wheels cars, Vatsal built his own Lego remote-control cars. At age 7, during hurricane Harvey, Vatsal assembled 2.5 feet walking Robot in his playroom” says Kavita. Vatsal has also won MIT App invention challenge in Jun 2020 for developing COVID tracking app. “Looking at his passion for robotics, we chose to form his Robotics team at home when he was in Grade 1. Vatsal, being the team’s most experienced and passionate team member, has put many hours outside of the team meetings to get his team to this point and is helping his other team members with the programming. This year, for the Innovation Project, he de-
signed and coded a device using Arduino electronics and C++ as well as a mobile app. Now he also teaches Robotics at West Briar Middle school, a beautiful way to give back to the community. I believe that by coaching the robotics team at home, I have not only paved the way for Vatsal, but also
EDUCATION
given other children the opportunity to learn robotics”. “I want to conclude by revealing the secret that helped us in development of our children. We observed Vatsal’s interests and created free time for him to explore rather than doing multiple different activities at the same time. Sometimes parents enroll their kids in multiple activities because their friends are doing it. Every child is unique and have different interest areas. Allow them to try new things and develop passion, one at a time. Sooner or later, they will express their interests, and as a parent,we should pave the way and guide them; they will walk on it themselves and be successful.
Instructive documentary “Such is Life”
Pradeep Sulhan, P.C.
Certified Public Accountant 14340 Torrey Chase Blvd. | Suite 110 | Houston, Texas 77014
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Sugar Land: Imagine not knowing what and where your assets are at the most vulnerable time of your life. Suddenly you are thrown from the denial stage to absolute reality when a spouse is gone. This short film – Such is Life – opens your eyes to the importance of arranging financial and legal affairs while you are still living. Its message is crisp and applicable worldwide. Can it happen to me? You decide? Spare 15 minutes and
watch it on YouTube (search for “edutainmentshortfilms”). Produced and written by Arun Singhal who lives in Sugar land. Film is directed by Harsh Mahadeshwar who lives in Pearland. Despite its subject matter, it’s neither exploitative nor sentimental — an entire family can watch this film and have their own discussions around how they should approach such matters.
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SUDOKU/BOLLYWOOD 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.
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‘Radhe Shyam’: Love Story with a Scientific Theme
Send us the correct answer before March 29, 2022. Email us at indoamericannews@yahoo.com. Please send us your solved Sudoku for your name to be published.
Solution Next Week By Rachana Dubey
Last Week’s Solution
there’s always a small but bright chance to change your destiny with karma. And this applies to even the world’s best palm-readers. However, in a run-time of about 140 minutes, which also seems tediously long, the core thought doesn’t reach its desired mark. Hence, the film fails to create the impact it could have with all the apparatus it had at its disposal, including well-known names in each technical department and a bunch of good artistes. The bland chemistry between Pooja and Prabhas is a deterrent in this love story, and sadly, their characters have not been etched with enough depth, clarity or rea-
soning. The film has been shot on a grand scale in different parts of Europe, lending it a fairytale-like appearance which is a plus. It does offer a grand visual treat. The music by Mithoon, Amaal Mallik and Manan Bhardwaj blends well with the backdrop of the story. The picturisation of some of the songs reminds you of the good ol’e music videos made several years ago. The VFX deserves an applause, and adds to the visual quality of the film. But all of this barely salvages this love story whose destiny could have really been something else.-- ToI
STORY: Vikram Aditya, an extremely well-known palmist, despite trying hard not to, falls in love with Dr. Prerana. While he predicts a long and bright future for her, it seems like destiny has something else in the store, or does it? REVIEW: A set of scientists reach out to Guru Paramhansa (Satya Raj), who is running a Vedic school of sorts. There’s a visible conflict between him and one of the scientists who questions his deep belief and study in astrology and palmistry. The sequence introduces the audience to Vikram Aditya (Prabhas) who is called ‘India ke Nostradamus’ in the film, and whose predictions never go wrong. V i k r a m claims throughout the film that he does not have a loveline and wants flirtationship and not a relationship. And yet, he falls in love with Dr. Prerana (Pooja Hegde) - a girl who is fighting some inevitable circumstances in her life (any more details will give away Your life is filled with love, honor and rituals that will be passed the plot). The through many generations. By making your funeral, cremation dichotomy and cemetery arrangements before the time of need, you can here is Vikram ensure your personal legacy lives on. Dignity Memorial® Aditya’s reading of her palm professionals can help you plan every detail. that indicates a bright future while the FOREST PARK WESTHEIMER events in her life are pointing FUNERAL HOME & CEMETERY | HOUSTON to a different 281-497-2330 direction. The story attempts to drive home a point that no science is absolute and www.prepaidfunerals.texas.gov 100 percent accurate; and that
A legacy to honor, roots to remember.
Last Week’s Winners
Kumud Athavale, Ramana Vadrevu, Sanchali Basu, Krishna R. Vuddagiri, Taranjit Singh
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