20th Anniversary Special Web: www.india-herald.com
Times have changed, but the theme remains the same — community of people of Indian origin in the U.S. Twenty years ago, three of us (Salim Sindhi, Seshadri Kumar and Rajeev Gadgil) took a small, momentous step in our lives. Rajeev Gadgil and Seshadri Kumar, former colleagues in the Times of India, Bombay, and Salim Sindhi, a self-made desktop publishing and digital wizard, decided to start a new community newspaper in 1995. We felt our professional skills could be better utilized in the new publication. (Sindhi has since become a king of web publishing and operates his own business Bulletlink. com from India.) We distinctly remember Suresh Shenoy of Kirti Jewelers writing the first check for advertising in India Herald and he has continued his support. Businesses have come and gone. Some have changed their products and services. Some have expanded and grown big in new premises. Kirti Jewelers, with two others, Aku Patel’s Karat 22 and Gobind and Narain Kamnani’s India Jewelers, Kanwal Oberoi’s Dishaka Imports are examples of success stories as they flourished, moved
1995
• Email: editor@india-herald.com • Tel: 281-980-6746
2015
India Herald
Web: www.india-herald.com • Editor@india-herald.com; Sales@india-herald.com • Tel: 281-980-6746
VOL . 21 NO. 21 • WEDNESDAY, MAY 27, 2015 • P.O. BOX 623 • SUGAR LAND, TX 77487 • PERIODICAL PERMIT USPS 017-699 25 Cents
Mahajans honored by Interfaith Ministries
Devinder and Sushma Mahajan, left, recipients of the Tapestry Gala award presented by the Interfaith Ministries of Greater Houston with singer Kenneth Gayle and India’s Consul-General P. Harish, right, on May 21 at Hilton Americas. Photo AlexanderPortraits.
By SESHADRI KUMAR Interfaith Ministries for Greater Houston held its seventh annual Tapestry Gala on May 21 at the Hilton Americas Houston and raised $950,000. The event celebrated Houston’s great diversity in cultures, ethnicities and faith traditions with guests of different religions, many wearing traditional ethnic clothing. The evening raised funds for the organization’s many services with Shell Oil Company and Motiva Enterprises LLC leading the way as Presenting Sponsor. The Tapestry Gala was chaired by Paula Sutton and Bill
Gross, Karen and Jay Harberg and Leena and Ash Shah with honorary chairs Anne and John Mendelsohn, M.D. The evening honored Dr. Sushma and Devinder Mahajan with the Tapestry Award, which recognizes community leaders who have shown remarkable dignity through tangible work for the betterment of Houston and the world. Sushma and Devinder Mahajan are the founding members of Arya Samaj of Greater Houston and the Vedic Culture Center. Arya Samaj manages two schools, DAV Montessoi School, and DAV Sanskriti Sunday School. Under the leadership of See MAHAJANS Page 12
George Washington University rescinds decision in Hindu Swastika case
The Hindu American Foundation (HAF) applauded the George Washington University’s (GW) decision to rescind its interim suspension issued against a student who displayed a Hindu swastika in his fraternity house, and to allow the student to return to campus. Previously, HAF directed an open letter to GW’s President Steven Knapp, asking the University not to expel the student. “The University’s actions reflect the facts of this case and the efforts by Hindu organizations to educate campus officials about the sacredness of the Hindu swastika,” said
Harsh Voruganti, Esq., HAF Associate Director of Public Policy, also an alumnus of the GW law school, who testified on behalf of the student at the disciplinary hearing. “We hope to continue to work with the University and student groups to provide resources on the swastika and to further the dialogue.” The Hindu swastika was displayed by the student on March 16, and mistaken by another student for a Nazi swastika, a distinct symbol used by the German Nazi party and other hate groups. Although the student withdrew his complaint See SWASTIKA, Page 10
ABLE MORTGAGE Amiralli Dodhiya (AMIR) Agent New York Life Insurance Company
13135 Dairy Ashford Rd, Ste 550, Sugar Land, TX 77478
Ph: 832-877-0177
adodhiya@ft.newyorklife.com
(SMRU: 491820 11/1/201 )
IN TEXAS
REFINANCE, PURCHASE & CASH OUT Over $400 Million Mortgage Financed A low cost broker – Since 2001 Email: james@ablehomeloans.com
We will pay your closing costs Up to 3% of your New Home Price With combined Real Estate and Mortgage Services
Web: www.ablemortgage.co
TX Real Estate Lic. #397210
TX, NY, NJ, CA, CO & FL - call for State License updates California Finance Lenders Law Lic. #603J747 NMLS Mortgage Company ID: 264912 MLO James Joseph Oolut – NMLS ID: 307384
NATIONAL REALTY 281-242-4005
Office: 281-242-8500, Cell: 281-733-4242
Need Mortgage Loan Officers in all licensed states
Pre-approve your mortgage in minutes over phone or email - No experience needed 13401 S. W. Freeway #201, Sugar Land, TX 77478 - Attractive compensation.
Nandita Harish and Consul-general P. Harish present a plaque to Raj and Jugal Malani and (Kiran and Ramesh Bhutada, rear,) for their outstanding contributions to Ekal Vidyalaya. Ekal Houston chapter held a fundraiser at Stafford center on May 22. Story on Page 6.
AUTO • HOME • LIFE • BUSINESS • HEALTH
RONNIE PATEL, MBA, CPA, LUTCF CFP
TM
INSURANCE AGENCY Tel: 281-752-8000 12603 Southwest FreewayTXSte 100 5901 Hillcroft Ste D4 • Houston, 77036 Stafford, 16126 SW FrwyTX Ste77477 120 • Sugar Land, TX 77479 Fax: 281-752-8008
into expanded premises and have continued to advertise in India Herald even today. Insurance professional Ronnie Patel, husband and wife team of dentists Darshani Patel and Sanjeev Khosla and Roger Israni of Testmasters were early supporters and have continued with us without a break. George Willy, F.S. Halim and K. Walji were among the first immigration attorneys who used to advertise in the beginning. Willy continues his support even today, and many others have joined since. The very first issue of India Herald carried a story on the number of South Asians in Houston. Noted demographer Bala Balachandran wrote the article. Not many of us could have foreseen the rapid growth in numbers of the Indian community in Houston which has more than tripled in the last 20 years. It was prescient. Indian businesses like grocery stores, restaurants, travel agencies, electronics stores and saree stores used to be concentrated in the Hillcroft area, now named Mahatma Gandhi Business District. Today the Indian community has grown and spread all around the Greater Houston area in Sugar Land, Katy, Spring, Clear Lake, Pearland and so on. Consequent-
ly, there is a mini-Indian business district in all these areas. Indian grocery stores and restaurants, a handful in 1990s, have now grown into dozens. The most remarkable change in landscape is noticeable in the number of temples, religious organizations and social and cultural organizations. All of them put together are close to 100. In 1995, Sri Meenakshi Temple in Pearland, after 11 years of its existence, built its authentic temple tower and held its consecration ceremony. The temple expansion continues even today. Organizations like the Arya Samaj of Greater Houston and Chinmaya Mission Houston have now their own premises. India House is a major addition to the community. Gujarati Samaj of Houston has embarked on building its new community center, juts to name a few. Also, major charity organizations like Pratham and Ekal Vidyalaya were started in Houston. Technology, as a double-edged sword, has helped us produce the newspaper much more easily and quickly than in the past. Yet, the advent of the Internet has cut into the print newspaper industry. This is generally true of major newspapers, but community newspapers have still some life
left. Television did not kill the newspapers. The internet too may not kill the community newspaper for some more years. Even later, there will be a need for community news, maybe in digital form, if not in print. The newspaper content has also changed. Two decades ago, with the nascent arrival of the Internet, news from India was obtained from traditional sources. Consequently, community newspapers like ours picked up information from Indian media and informed the Indian American community. Today, news is instantly available on smartphones. So the need for bringing news from India is minimal. At the same time, information concerning Indian Americans here locally in Houston and in the U.S. has become abundant to justify an ethnic newspaper devoted to covering the Indian community here. From the very beginning, our focus has been on Indians living here and their success stories to nourish our news pages. There are plenty of stories every month of the academic success of our children, of our young professionals climbing the corporate ladder and getting appointed to key posts in local, state and federal governments.
Nothing succeeds like success, it is said. Did we succeed as a newspaper? Yes. Survival for 20 years is a testament. India Herald’s goal has been shaped more by its emphasis on publishing and professional journalism than building a publishing empire. The prime motivation was to make use of our own skills to earn a decent livelihood. Consequently, the business side took a back seat. But, we consider our business a success as we define success as satisfaction. We could not have dreamt of publishing a newspaper, in fact two, including Seshadri Kumar’s other venture, the Fort Bend Independent, if we were still in India or in Dubai. We have profited immensely from the good will of the community we have earned over the years and the support of our spouses. We have profited by establishing a stable community newspaper and giving the Indian community its ethnic voice through India Herald. Blending our experience with ability to adapt to the future, we will continue the calling of journalism, with a great sense of satisfaction. —SESHADRI KUMAR RAJEEV GADGIL