India empire june 2017

Editor’s Desk Henrik Ibsen, the Norwegian playwright from the 19 century, would say that a community is like a ship, everyone ought to be prepared to take the helm. To produce the Greater Los Angeles Area community book, Project Chair Inder Singh and his team worked very hard to select and shortlist names that could find space in the following pages.

Southern California is home to several successful Indian Americans, perhaps the most across any region in the USA. They come from various walks. What marks them out is their quest for excellence. Their stories are inspiring for every generation of reader. Dr A S Marwah, for instance, arrived in the USA over 66 years ago on a Dental Fellowship from the Guggenheim Foundation. This intellectual nonagenarian has not just been a dentist, but a guiding beacon for the community at large. Growing up in undivided Bengal, Mani Bhaumik walked barefoot four miles each day to school from the thatched mud hut where his family lived. In June 2016, Dr Bhaumik made a donation of USD 11 million to the UCLA’s Department of Physics and Astronomy, all thanks to the fairy-tale success he achieved in the USA. During his younger days BU Patel had the same problem as Mani Bhaumik, his family could hardly afford two square meals a day. An opportunity to escape from his impoverished existence came when he moved to Zambia to join relatives from his Gujarat village. In 1976, sensing a Uganda-like trouble for Indians, he immigrated to the USA. Today his firm has completed over 200 acquisitions and sales transactions worth over USD 4 billion.

Dr R Narayanaswami has been a distinguished space scientist with NASA—an institution where Indians have been shining like stars—before venturing out into his own. KV Kumar is the proud recipient of the Ellis Island Medal of Honor, awarded to those distinguished American citizens that exemplify a life dedicated to community service—he’s put in over 100,000 hours of volunteer work. By founding the Shankara Dance Academy, Arti Manek has transformed thousands of lives through Kathak. The celebrated Kathak maestro Pandit Birju Maharaj has equated her California academy with top ones in Lucknow and Delhi. Deepi Singh could only take her first baby steps in life at the age of 5 after being afflicted by polio when just nine months old. She was told that she would not walk beyond the age of 40, but walks with dignity even at 81. Climbing little mental hillocks every day, she rose to the top of her department at Kaiser Permanente—an institution to which she gave 40 years of her life! Dr Harvinder Sahota, celebrated cardiologist, had two dozen patents against his name, and became the inventor of the perfusion heart balloon. His fame took him across the world where he performed angioplasty, including for the first time in India. Indar Sethi was about eight years old when the horrors of partition played out live before him. His family became refugees. Over the years Indar Sethi became a success, working on NASA sponsored scientific missions and other projects in an outstanding career spanning 40 years. Harry Sidhu is the Leonardo da Vinci of the Indian community in Los Angeles. He’s been a mechanical engineer, a private pilot, a fund raiser, a philanthropist, an entrepreneur, a politician, a community worker and an actor. Is there something he cannot do? Abdulgani (Ganibhai) Shaikh could have happily earned a living selling buffalo milk all his life but pursued academics. The first to earn an engineering degree in his community, he became a distinguished aerospace engineer in the West Coast of the USA. The list of high performers runs long, and it is not possible to put all the names here. In their own ways each one profiled in this book has left a mark. If the community is a ship, they are all captains.

Finally, no amount of praise can be adequate for Mr Inder Singh. But for his inspiring vision, extraordinary patience and abundant drive, this book would have remained in the mind.

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Happy reading. th

Sayantan Chakravarty (sayantanc@gmail.com)

India-Diaspora, Business, Political and Diplomatic Connectivity

iNDiA

empire Volume 13 No. 1 June 2017 www.indiaempire.com RNI No.: DELENG/2005/16693

GLOBAL ADVISORY BOARD Mr Inder Singh, Dr Rami Ranger, Dr Kamalanathan Sappani, Mr Mridul Pathak, Ms Priya Tandon Editor Sayantan Chakravarty Consulting Editor Yogesh Sood (Business and Commerce) Sipra Das (Photography) Kul Bhushan Jayant Borkar (Mumbai Affairs) Sanjay Sharma (BJP Affairs) Paras Ramoutar (Caribbean Affairs) Vishnu Bisram (New York) Premchand Ramlochun (Mauritius) Liladhar J. Bharadia (Kenya) Jay Banerjei (Toronto) Head—Art and Print Jaydev Bisht Additional Contributions From Kirtan-Singh Khalsa Registered Office: N-126, II Floor, Greater Kailash I, New Delhi - 110 048.

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Sayantan Chakravarty’s stories featured in Best of Indian Express of 25 years and among select stories in Best of India Today’s 25 years.

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Inder SIngh

Lasting Legacy If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.

—John Quincy Adams, Former President of the USA

Q

uincy Adams, the sixth President of the USA, was right on the money. Real leaders across the world inspire people to go the extra mile to become more of who they are.

They actually make them dream more, and, of course, do more.

Inder Singh of Tarzana, a suburban city of Los Angeles, California, does know a thing or three about leadership. A tireless community worker above everything else for over four decades, his leadership skills have taken him across the great oceans to build, well, new leaders! He didn’t have to open up a transcontinental leadership academy to motivate—his highly effective communication skills whether in person, whether on the dais, or over phone, and his artful persuasiveness, were enough to do the job. If today several men and women of substance across the Americas, Caribbean, Africa, Europe, Asia and Oceania, have stood up to be counted as champions of the Indian diaspora, then you could thank Inder Singh who for over a decade remained President, and then Chairman of the GOPIO International. Currently he serves as Executive Trustee of the GOPIO Foundation.

Over the years, Inder Singh has been a regular to India’s Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) events. In 2013, former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh released a Gadar stamp celebrating the centennial of the freedom movement that was inspired mainly by Indian youth based mostly out of California. Because of Inder Singh’s sustained campaigns, Gadar was officially recognized as a part of India’s freedom struggle. Today, the consulate general in San Francisco maintains the Gadar Hall in memory of those freedom fighters. Inder Singh also went on to write a book on Gadar Heroics that was widely distributed, including at the PBD in Kochi, India, in 2013.

LOBBYING FOR INDIA India’s equation with the USA may have changed for the better in recent times, particularly after Prime Minister Modi and President Obama chose to work closely on security issues, and increasing foreign direct investment from the USA to India. But things were not quite as hunky dory back in the 1980s and early 1990s—times when bashing and pillorying India in the USA had become a norm, and when Pak-

Inder Singh with President George Bush 1991, Los Angeles istan that has consistently waged a low-intensity war against India ever since partition, was America’s great ally in the sub-continent. Mr Singh rose to the occasion and was at the forefront of a nationwide campaign across the United States to stop the proposed supply of highly sophisticated military hardware, including AWACS, to Pakistan. He recalls having hotfooted his way in the corridors and halls of the US Congress in 1987 to convince many US lawmakers about the potential danger of AWACS at the hand of an unstable Pakistan, a country with a chequered history of military coups and dictatorial rule by warmongering generals. The shrill campaign didn’t fail to make its mark, and Pakistan failed to secure the airborne warning and control systems that would have posed a dire threat to India.

Equally laudably, in the mid 1980s, he led another highpitched campaign against the proposed drastic reduction of Asian immigrant quota by Senator Edward Kennedy. Inder

From the book Indian Americans in Greater Los Angeles Area by India Empire Publications 6

india empire | June 2017

LEFT: Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar of Trinidad and Inder Singh, Port of Spain. CENTER: Prime Minister Helen Clark of New Zealand and Inder Singh, Auckland. RIGHT: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Inder Singh, New Delhi Singh was then president of the National Federation of Indian American Associations (NFIA), the umbrella body for Indian organizations in the USA. Joining hands with other outfits, he mobilized the Indian American community against the proposed cut in the immigration quota. His perseverance paid off. After a long and hard struggle spanning over five years, the new Immigration Act retained the original quota of the Family Reunification provisions of the US Immigration laws. His qualities of persuasion also came to the fore.

Apart from leading the community to raise pertinent issues of concern, Mr. Singh participated in the election process of US Presidents and California Governors in the capacities of chair and co-chair. A well-respected TV network in the US showcased his community leadership and services in an hour-long program titled Journey. It was broadcast locally, regionally, and nationally.

REGIONAL PBD—LOS ANGELES 2015 Mr Singh was the chairman of the organizing committee when India decided to hold its first regional PBD in the west coast of the USA in November 2015. The decision to hold the PBD in California may not have been happenstance—after all Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had visited the Silicon Valley barely a month before, and addressed 18,000 Indians at San Jose, about 340 miles north of Los Angeles. The importance of the regional PBD was, therefore, not lost on the Indian Government and, quickly, the Consulate General of India at San Francisco had an organizing team with Inder Singh at the helm. The team was tasked to help raise funds, and bring in people to the event in a short span of time. It did, and with plenty of aplomb.

When you consider that the west coast of the USA has among the brightest and the best among Indian immigrants anywhere in the world, the honor to lead the organizing committee is a tribute and testimony to Inder Singh’s enduring credibility, respectful standing, incredible goodwill, and outstanding stature in the Indian community.

At the end of the RPBD which went off smoothly at the Westin Bonaventure, there were happy faces among the organizers everywhere. The class of people that attended was noteworthy, and the quality of presentations made was engaging. Everyone who was part of the organizing committee felt elated, and hugely satisfied. It showed Inder Singh, who was chairman of the GOPIO International at the time, had done his job. As the great Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu says, “a leader is best when people barely know he exists, when his work is done, his aim fulfilled, they will say: we did it ourselves.” Indeed, Inder Singh brings smiles to people’s faces when they succeed, and that gives him his moments of greatest joy.

EVERGREEN COMMUNITY CHAMPION Inder Singh remains quite likely the only Indian American who has chaired reception committees to officially host serving presidents—one for President Giani Zail Singh of India in 1984, and another two for President George Bush Sr. in 1989 and 1991. He also facilitated another reception held for Prime Minister Indira Gandhi by the Mayor of Los Angeles, Tom Bradley, in 1982. Those apart, he’s been at the forefront organizing numerous events involving high ranking officials, including California governors, US Congressmen and senators, Indian ambassadors and consul generals, ministers, and locally elected functionaries.

From the book Indian Americans in Greater Los Angeles Area by India Empire Publications June 2017 | india empire

7

Inder SIngh

He served the GOPIO International as chairman between 2009 and 2016, and president and CEO between 2004 and 2009. GOPIO is an international body that serves the interests of the global Indian diaspora. When Inder Singh took over as president in 2004, the GOPIO had only four chapters, not a high figure considering that it was in existence since 1989 and had been served by different presidents before. By the time he ended his term in 2009, the GOPIO had more than 50 chapters across global cities, more than 12 times what Inder Singh had inherited in 2004.

More significantly, his stewardship created scores of more leaders who could take forward diaspora concerns whenever the opportunity presented itself.

ORGANISER PAR EXCELLENCE Leadership and community organization came naturally to Inder Singh who had immigrated to the USA along with his wife in 1968. In 1981, he founded the Federation of Indian American Associations of Southern California to cel-

GOPIO was formed to help network the overseas Indian community. In the year 2000 he started the India Association of Los Angeles (IALA)—San Fernando Valley and also supported the formation of India Association of Inland Empire. Indian ambassadors Mira Shankar, Nirupama Rao and Arun Kumar Singh were the chief guests at the IALA programs in the years 2010, 2013 and 2015 respectively.

He’s personally spearheaded the Indian American Heritage Foundation where he is chairman and founding president. For 30 years now, Mr Singh and his team has been giving scholarships to the community’s best and brightest students graduating from high schools in southern California. The foundation wants second and third generation Indian students to get a sense of their origin, and, therefore, conducts a test of their knowledge about India and also the Indian American community. Hundreds of thousands of dollars in scholarship money have been raised over the years, and an impressive 24 scholarships go out every year.

He writes frequently about the global Indian diaspora, in

LEFT: Inder Singh with Trinidad president Max Richards.

RIGHT: Inder Singh and Guyana President Bharrat Jagdeo, Georgetown, Guyana ebrate Indian Independence Day and Indian Republic Day on a large scale. The celebration of these two events has become an annual tradition in the greater Los Angeles area.

In 1986, Inder Singh was the convenor of the 4th National Biennial Convention of the NFIA that was attended by 2,000 Indian Americans. Several dignitaries were present, among them US presidential candidate Senator Garry Hart, US Ambassador to India John Dean, Indian Ambassador to the US P.N. Kaul and Indian cabinet minister N.D. Tiwari.

It was the first gathering of its kind in the West Coast of the USA. In 1989, Mr. Singh as NFIA president oversaw the organization of the first Global Convention of People of Indian Origin. The seven-day convention attracted 3,000 people and delegates from 22 countries, including many community and political stalwarts of Indian origin from various parts of the globe. At the end of the convention,

particular about Indians in America. His in-depth and insightful articles have been a regular feature in Indian newspapers across the USA, and in magazines in India. He is invited on a regular basis to conferences in universities and other events on various aspects of global Indian diaspora.

He has been interviewed for a series of TV episodes on the history of Indians in the US. As a goodwill gesture for the community, he has distributed the electronic and print version of his booklet, Indians in America, their struggles, successes and contributions to India and America, in thousands, free of cost.

Little wonder then that encomiums, accolades, awards and recognitions have come his way generously over the years for the many hats he’s worn. He’s inspired others to dream more, learn more and become more. Quincy Adam’s words sit well on Inder Singh, a community leader par excellence, and organizational man to the core. n

From the book Indian Americans in Greater Los Angeles Area by India Empire Publications 8

india empire | June 2017

guru ram daS aShram

Spiritual Home Your sacred space is where you can find yourself again and again.

—Joseph Campbell, American writer and lecturer

G

uru Ram Das Ashram in Los Angeles is the spiritual home for countless individuals who have adopted the practices of Kundalini Yoga and the lifestyle of Sikh Dharma. Siri Singh Sahib Bhai Sahib Harbhajan Singh Khalsa Yogiji, affectionately known as Yogi Bhajan, had the vision to purchase Guru Ram Das Ashram on December 23, 1971 as a place to inspire others to live a life of Truth based on the Guru’s teachings.

Over the years, thousands of individuals from a wide variety of backgrounds, faiths and places far and wide have visited Guru Ram Das Ashram. The vibration created by daily devotional Seva (selfless service) and the many meditations and Kirtan programs held there throughout the years have made Guru Ram Das Ashram a sacred place which manifests Guru’s light and love. This penetrating, uplifting and powerful vibration comes from the deep reverence and respect that the many devotees of the Guru and soul-searchers bring with them in their longing to belong to something extraordinary in Divine.

Guru Ram Das Ashram was the home of Siri Singh Sahib Ji as well as the center for the teachings of Sikh

Dharma and the Khalsa in the West, which inspired so many ‘Westerners’ and now persons from all quarters of the planet to learn and live the Guru’s teachings. The first formal Kirtan program and Gurdwara service was held on November 26, 1972. Since then, each and every week an Akhand Path (continuous reading of the Siri Guru Granth Sahib Ji) has been conducted by the Sadh Sangat (community members).

Guru Ram Das Ashram became the Sikh Dharma International Headquarters. Sikh Dharma International now serves over 40 nations in the world through the communities in those countries that have inspired them to lead their lives as Khalsa. From the 1970s through today, many of the most renowned Ragi Jethas from India and Southern California have played Kirtan there, adding their special sounds to the uplifting vibration now ever-present and to the palpable sense of peace and sacredness in and around Guru Ram Das Ashram.

To learn more about the programs held at Guru Ram Das Ashram in Los Angeles, please visit www.gururamdasashram.org. ❐ —Kirtan-Singh Khalsa

From the book Indian Americans in Greater Los Angeles Area by India Empire Publications June 2017 | india empire

9

dr amarJIT SIngh marWah

Peerless Stalwart I always wanted to be a dentist…I was accepted to dental school in the spring of 1972.

—Mark Spitz, Swimming hero at Munich Olympics

M

ark Spitz may have scorched the swimming pool at the Munich Olympics with seven gold medals, but he probably missed out on being a dentist. Dentists may occasionally forget, but their patients, celebrity or otherwise, always remember. Would you forget the time you had a root-canal treatment? Or a gaping cavity fixed? Or a tooth re-implant done?

Meet Dr A S Marwah, intellectual nonagenarian and a towering figure in the Indian American community in Los Angeles, who became a dentist first, and then many things after. Indeed, it would require a magnum opus to chronicle his life’s journey. Abridging his story is a bit like a layman who tries to become a dentist in a week’s time. He’s worn so many hats, we’d require an entire cabinet to store them. He’s a beacon for the Indian community in Los Angeles, an absolute guiding light for many. He’s been in the USA for over well over 66 years, and there is little that he does not know or hasn’t seen about the evolution of the Indian American community. As a dentist, his patients have included a galaxy of celebrities, and he’s rubbed shoulders with the Who’s Who of USA all the time. Even today, at age 90, there is more than just a spring in his step. There is more to accomplish, and miles to go, a la Fauja Singh of Ilford, England, who ran his first marathon at 88, and continued doing so till 101, before “retiring”.

Dr Marwah came to the USA soon after the Guggenheim Foundation offered its very first Dental Fellowship in India. It was the year 1950, and the 24-yearold Amarjit appeared for an interview in Bombay. There were 40-odd dentists in contention. But given his convincing skills and fine articulation, Amarjit stole the show, and with it pulled the fellowship rug from under the feet of other candidates. His maiden voyage overseas followed, and he landed in New York to pursue higher studies through the Pediatric Dentistry fellowship. It was rare to find an Indian in the USA those days (perhaps there were no more than 50 across the country), and rarer still to see a turbaned Sikh walking the streets. Amarjit was codenamed Young Santa Claus. The two well-known Indian names that he frequently heard about on arrival were J.J. Singh Walia and Bhagat Singh Thind, youngsters who were at the forefront of a movement to seek better rights and prospects

for Asians and Indians.

Even as his year-long fellowship at the Guggenheim Foundation in New York was drawing to an end, he had secured an admission and another fellowship at the College of Dentistry at the University of Illinois, Chicago where he pursued an MS in Pathology. After two years of graduate study, he received another fellowship from the Howard University in Washington DC to pursue a two-year program in Doctor in Dental Surgery. This too was completed on time. In 1954 he became the very first Indian doctor in the USA to obtain a license to practice dentistry. The same year he returned to the University of Illinois in Chicago and became a full-time teaching faculty at the College of Dentistry.

In 1956, young Amarjit had a real experience of how an election campaign was run in the USA. The legendary Dalip Singh Saund was trying to add steam to his campaign as he was trying to get elected to the Congress. Saund’s younger brother had worked with Amarjit’s uncle in the Railways in Lahore. And so Amarjit, excited at the prospect of an Indian contesting and likely to do very well, took two months off from his job at the University of Illinois. Saund was contesting as a Democrat—his official name during the

From the book Indian Americans in Greater Los Angeles Area by India Empire Publications 10 india empire | June 2017

campaign was D S Saund. The man who had done his Doctorate in Math from the University of California at Berkeley in 1924, and then become a farmer in California, was quite a hit with Americans. Partly it had to do with his fair complexion because of which he had a wider acceptability in the America of the 1950s. The other reason was that his wife, Marian, was American. Whatever the reasons, he simply blazed the campaign trail. Saund revealed his full name only after he won the elections, and then went on to serve three full terms. Amarjit Singh Marwah who had a role to play in the background in this significant and trendsetting moment for Indian politicians in the USA was, of course, over the moon.

It was 50 summers ago that Dr Marwah became a citizen of the USA in 1957, one of the earliest modern-day Indian immigrants to do so. Two years into his new citizenship, he took a sabbatical. In 1959, he returned to India, where for 18 months he remained an exchange professor to the Bombay University, a position sponsored by the U.S. Department of Health Sciences. When his tenure got over, he was back in Chicago, a city he was to remain in for eight years.

In 1962, by which time quite likely Chicago’s icy drafts and wind chill had become too much for him, he decided on moving to the sunnier climes of California. He joined the University of Southern California as a fulltime professor, and also began part-time dentistry practice. But it wouldn’t be long before he opted for dentistry practice full-time.

LIFE IN CALIFORNIA It was also in 1962 that Dr Marwah, his wife, Kuljit Kaur Sodhi, and three daughters—Anilam, Harpreet and Jaspreet—moved into their home at Baldwin Hill. It was the first Indian home to come up in the Los Angeles area. He was also the first practicing Indian doctor in California.

There were only a handful of Indians in California those days, and the few that were there would regularly drop by to the Marwah home in Baldwin Hill. His enormous reputation preceded him. Not just Indians in California, but those coming from India, would regularly come knocking at his door. Indians knew that Marwah was the big ticket guy who could guide them to their dreams in the USA. And he did help out many.

Amarjit’s reputation of having skillful hands in dentistry catapulted him to the big league in no time, and fame began to follow him like an ever-present shadow. Not too many can claim to leave Roman Holiday hero Gregory Peck openmouthed for one reason or the other. Dr Marwah, the dentist did, for Peck was his client, as was the charming Elizabeth Taylor of Cleopatra fame. Both lived in Los Angeles. Dr Marwah had singer-actor Barbara Streisand as his neighbor at his 14-acre Malibu Ranch, while Hollywood star Martin Sheen was his tenant. The list of the wealthy, illustrious and powerful that he knew well, and those that knew him well, runs long, among them presidents and prime ministers. Both President Zail Singh and Prime Minister Indira Gandhi visited him in California. When President Gerald Ford’s son got married, the venue was the Marwah family ranch overlooking the beautiful Pacific Ocean.

In many ways, Dr Marwah was a pioneer that arrived much before the “Indian invasion” of the West Coast. Even legendary figures began to arrive in Los Angeles only in the 1960s, such as Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, made famous in the West by the Beatles. Soon he was to become Dr Marwah’s patient. Also over time arrived the likes of sitar maestro Pandit Ravi Shankar and Harbhajan Yogi.

At the dawn of the 1970s, Dr Marwah struck a deep friendship with Tom Bradley, the first black Mayor of Los Angeles, and after whom a terminal is named at the city’s

From the book Indian Americans in Greater Los Angeles Area by India Empire Publications June 2017 | india empire

11

dr amarJIT SIngh marWah

international airport. Bradley was a police lieutenant who contested for the City Council, and Dr Marwah was involved in the campaign. Bradley remained five-time mayor of Los Angeles. When his dear friend passed away, Dr Marwah was one of the pall bearers alongside Al Gore, America’s Vice President. It was Bradley who had appointed the famous dentist a City Commissioner in 1974, a position he was to hold for 18 years, a record for any Indian American. He also chaired the Cultural Heritage Commission and the Hollywood Art Commission during this period. Nearly 300 sites, including the Walk of Fame and the Roosevelt Hotel, were declared protected monuments.

In 1968, he founded the Los Angeles chapter of Sister City International, leading a delegation of established Americans in an effort to form a relationship with prominent citizens of Bombay. The group set up an American wing at a school in Mahim run by the Bombay Municipal Corporation. Appropriately, it was called the Los Angeles High School. The society has been sending USD 10,000 every year for the betterment of the school.

In 1969, on the 500th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak, Dr Marwaha was instrumental in opening and establishing the third Sikh Temple in the USA at Hollywood, California.

He funded a major portion of the investment. The Gurdwara building in the beginning was registered in Dr Marwah’s name but in 1974, he transferred to the Sikh Study Circle. For years, he played active role in the management of the Gurdwara and even now financially supports projects undertaken by the management. He along with the late

Inderjit Singh, founder of Punjab and Sind Bank, launched the Bank of Punjab in the 1990s.

EARLY LIFE Young Amarjit Singh Marwah was born in the village of Bhera in Shahpur district now in Pakistan. His grandfather Dr Sucha Singh was the Chief of Medical Services in the princely Faridkot State in 1880. In 1910, his father, Dr Chanda Singh, held the same position. He grew up being pampered, and somewhat spoilt by his doting grandmother.

Even his mother was always effusive in her affection for Amarjit. His father, though, had the tough job of disciplining the bright young man. He completed high school at Kothkapura and in 1941 was sent to Lahore to attend the Sikh National College. His classmates included Prakash Singh Badal, the current Punjab Chief Minister, among others. Despite the pulls of the nationalist movement, Amarjit completed his college and following family tradition decided to study medicine. He chose the four-year dentistry course at King Edward Medical College, the only one offering dental studies.

He was in Lahore when the violence in the aftermath of India’s partition in 1947 broke out in all its fury and ugly frenzy. He was only 21, and some of the carnage and pillage that he witnessed are forever emblazoned in his psyche.

In spite of the traumatic experience, he was able to collect himself, and ride into the future with a song in his heart, and confidence in his steps. The wise dentist is a peerless stalwart that has added teeth to the reputation of the Indian community in more ways than one. ❐

From the book Indian Americans in Greater Los Angeles Area by India Empire Publications 12 india empire | June 2017

dr manI L bhaumIk

The Cosmic Man I never did anything worth doing by accident, nor did any of my inventions come by accident; they came by work.

—Plato, Philosopher in Classical Greece

B

reathe deeply and take a moment to live these visuals in your mind. A thatched-roof mud hut on its last legs turns into an enchanted mansion one day, and inside it wine and dine some of the world’s famous and most beautiful faces on a regular basis.

A child who walks four miles barefoot to school and back for years now owns a fleet of expensive cars, including recent Rolls Royce models.

A student who cannot afford nextto-nothing school fees begins to regularly donate millions of dollars for research to top institutions around the world.

You’ve just visualized in a nutshell the life of Dr Mani Bhaumik, inventor extraordinaire, epitome of philanthropy, visionary par excellence and a bestselling author. Not surprising, since his invention of efficient excimer lasers led to Lasik vision correction that has given new sights, literally, to tens of millions in the planet.

As Plato would say, neither Mani Bhaumik’s inventions, nor his good life, came by accident. He’d to work very hard for it, and he loved working so.

DIFFICULT CHILDHOOD, STUDENT DAYS Mani Bhaumik was born in famineridden Bengal, in undivided colonial India. Most of the days he’d go to sleep with his stomach less than half full—the family that included Mani, his parents, and six younger siblings, had to actually scrounge for food with the famine claiming over three million lives.

He first got to wear shoes when he was

From the book Indian Americans in Greater Los Angeles Area by India Empire Publications June 2017 | india empire 13

dr manI L bhaumIk

all of sixteen. Growing up, rags on the floor constituted his bed. In 1942, 11-year-old Mani witnessed his grandmother die in front of his eyes. It was a tragedy that filled up every corner of his heart, for she was the lady who would constantly give up her share of the family’s frugal meal so that young Mani could put some food inside his belly, and survive. His father, a school teacher, was almost always not available, for as a freedom loving citizen taking on the force of the British Empire, he was constantly on the run, and mostly underground. But in the little time he would spend with Mani, his father would teach him the values of learning, and the importance of being the best he could ever be.

Those lessons were emblazoned in Mani’s heart for ever, and enabled him to dream big. He would eventually go on to turn his mud hut existence into a life inside a Beverley Hill mansion, and buy many more houses in Los Angeles. Rags to riches—that is what Mani Bhaumik’s life is all about.

If he hadn’t secured a scholarship, Mani would not have been able to attend college in Calcutta. He attended the famous Scottish Church College and when he first landed in the erstwhile capital city of India in British days, Mani was awe-struck. He would later go on to say that for him it felt like landing in Paris or London, Calcutta was grand in so many ways with its large boulevards, defining architecture, big markets, and a thriving culture. He was blessed to be mentored by the legendary Satyendra Nath Bose, cofounder of the Bose-Einstein condensate and Bose-Einstein statistical theory. He was also fortunate to be initiated in physics by Professor Debi Prasad Roy Chaudhury, also a student under Bose. It was while attending a lecture series by Nobel Laureate Paul Dirac in 1950 that Mani realized that an abstract quantum continuum produces fundamental particles that pervade the boundless

Universe. Dirac himself would name the class of particles that obey the Bose-Einstein statistics as bosons, after Bose.

Mani considers it one of his life’s greatest privileges to have met Bose in his heydays when the world was beckoning him from all corners.

Spirituality and philosophy began to interest Mani Bhaumik somewhere along the line. It was then that he realized that all he had learnt had a cosmic connection, and that the Vedas had described them as one abstract reality.

He would put it thus: “In quantum physics, we find the unified field theory depicts the blueprint of the Universe.

According to Vedas, Lord Brahma is the Creator of the entire Universe. Don’t you see physics and our Vedic heritage as two sides of the same coin?”

He goes on to add, “This unity of Brahma and quantum physics is very reassuring for me. This shows how ancient Indian spirituality is anchored in modern science. Concerning this topic my paper Unified Field – the Universal Blueprint? was published in the International Journal of Mathematics and Mathematical Sciences in February 2000. That was one of the 50-odd papers I have published in professional journals over the years,” he said in an interview. You can view his publications in his website drmanibhaumik.net SPURNED IN LOVE After his Masters in Science, Mani began teaching. His father had wanted him to do so. It was around this time that the first Indian Institute of Technology came up at Kharagpur. The IIT system in India, created on the lines of MIT, has over the years given many jewels to the world.

Mani was one of them. He was the first one to obtain a PhD from this system. And Dr became affixed to his name.

When the boy from Midnapore arrived in Calcutta he not only fell in love with the beautiful city, but also a girl from a high family. When he mustered courage to propose marriage to her, it was rejected. Apparently, Mani’s lack of social and financial status was the reason why the offer was spurned. It was a shattering, yet life-changing moment for the trusting Mani. Years later when he would return from America, the family of the girl would approach him, offering their daughter’s hand. By then in Mani’s mind, things had changed. Once smitten in love, he decided he would focus on his work, and quietly turned down the offer.

He’s remained a bachelor since.

LIFE IN THE USA Mani Bhaumik won the prestigious Sloan Foundation Fellowship to conduct post doctoral research at the University of California in Los Angeles. Even though the scholarship amount of USD 6,000 per year was significant, he would not get any of it until he would appear at UCLA. He faced an irony of acute shortage of funds when it came to paying for his airfare to the West Coast. He knocked on the doors of wealthy acquaintances in Calcutta, but the city’s elite let him down. Then the money was raised from

From the book Indian Americans in Greater Los Angeles Area by India Empire Publications 14 india empire | June 2017

least expected quarters—fellow villagers were so proud of Mani that they decided to pull out money from their measly savings and help him. Every small pie counted, and finally there was enough for Mani to buy his ticket to the USA. His life was about to change once more.

At the UCLA, he opted for electronic energy transfer as his area of research. This was to open up the world of lasers before his eyes. Laser was a relatively new subject and had come into reckoning only around 1960. Remembering his father’s enduring wisdom of being the best that he could be, Mani notched up as many as 12 patents in the field. One of them was the patent for the Excimer laser for Lasik, which is used extensively in eye surgeries. He started working with Xerox in the firm’s quantum physics laboratory in Pasadena, where he became the head of the chemical physics laboratory to work on liquid lasers. He then moved to the Northrop Corporation and became the Director of their corporate laser technology laboratory. His scientific peers honored him by electing a fellow of both the American Physical Society and the Institute of Electronics and Electrical Engineers in recognition of his valuable contributions to the field of lasers. For his pathbreaking research he was given stock options in both the companies. He would soon become one of the richest scientists of the day. His mud hut story was now a reminder of how the wheels of fortune could change. He also was dating a girl for the first time in his life.

FAST TRACKING HIS CAREER In 1965 the Indian Government was looking to create a Foreign Scientists’ Pool, a kind of a brain bank that is a topic of discussion in India these days. But frustration crept in early as Mani found that the fundamentals of research, including equipment, were grossly missing in the fast moving laser technology. Disappointed, he bought a ticket back to the USA, this time joining Northrop, the second largest defense contractor in the USA at the time. To work with them he had to acquire American citizenship. Here he multiplied his earnings. Having invested wisely in stocks and property, by age 55 Mani had created enough assets to ensure that he could retire. By then he had six houses in the Los Angeles area.

The boy, who had always remained hungry during his difficult childhood and nearly died during the famine of 1942 in Bengal, was now a jet-setting stalwart in his field. He had the lifestyle of the rich and courted the famous.

Breakfast in London, lunch in Geneva and dinner in Monaco was a reality that Mani Bhaumik began to experience. The globe-trotting genius was seen in the company of beautiful women. Among others he dated the Budapest-born actress Eva Gabor, sister of Hollywood actress Zsa Zsa Gabor who was married to famous hotelier Conrad Hilton. He would go on to date actress Roberta Collins and then Catherine Oxenberg. He was on the program Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous which had a huge viewership. His Bel Air mansion is

where the famous Beverly Hill Cops II was shot alongside several commercials. His neighbors included legends like actors Marlon Brando, Jack Nicholson, Shirly MacLaine, and singer Janet Jackson.

When riches flow, and name and fame are at their height, it is imperative to fight hard to stay grounded. Mani Bhaumik never lost sight of where he came from. He had been asked to clean toilets at a camp in honor of Mahatma Gandhi in Bengal. That had been an occasion to meet the great Mahatma, and get to see how he functioned with simplicity as his hallmark. During his days among the best of Hollywood, his soaring life style and fame, Mani Bhaumik began searching for cosmic answers to the way his life had shaped, from utter poverty to the heights of riches. He was to get many answers in later years which he has put down his two best-selling books, Code Named God and Cosmic Detective. To ignite interest of young minds in quantum physics and cosmology, he has also created an award winning cartoon series, Cosmic Quantum Ray, that has been distributed world wide GIVING BACK Mani Bhaumik has established an annual International Award at the Institute of Neuroscience of the University of California for demonstrating the best evidence for conscious mind on healing. Most recently he is planning to institute a chair for studies towards the goal of deciphering the origin and the nature of existence of consciousness for improving the quality of our lives.

In June 2016 he made the largest ever donation of USD 11 million to UCLA’s Department of Physics and Astronomy. UCLA has honored him by establishing in perpetuitythe Mani L. Bhaumik Institute for Theoretical Physics, a center of excellence where physicists from all over the world will meet to create an atmosphere of excitement and enthusiasm for advancing the latest frontier of physics. Since 1999, Dr Bhaumik has been funding the education of brilliant but impoverished students from rural Bengal to study medicine, engineering and science. He has funded the fully air-conditioned auditorium at his alma mater Scottish Church College and started a library in his village. An educational foundation set up by him has recently acquired 15 acres of land in the heart of Kolkata to set up a world class IT-oriented research university. He has been providing funds to award merit scholarships every year at the three high schools he attended in India apart from donating generously to the building funds of Krishnaganj High School, Matangini Hazra Girls High School and Kanktya Community Center in West Bengal. He has been bestowed the Padma Shri by the Government of India as well as the Prabashi Bharatya Samman.

The great Greek philosopher Plato would be proud of where Mani Bhaumik is here today. The name, fame and glory that have become the renowned polymath’s constant companions are a result of hard work. He could not have ❐ got all this in one lifetime just by accident.

From the book Indian Americans in Greater Los Angeles Area by India Empire Publications June 2017 | india empire 15

dr prakaSh naraIn

Star of Cypress There is only one corner of the universe you can be certain of improving, and that’s your own self.

—Aldous Huxley, English writer, novelist, philosopher

A

ldous Huxley, the author of Brave New World who spent the last days of his life in Southern California, would have been happy with the manner in which Dr. Prakash Narain has lived his life. Dr. Narain has been able to overcome obstacles at various stages of his life’s journey by looking inwardly before performing with purpose outwardly. His meditative practice has helped him understand that the mysterious hand of the Universe has guided him through all the major events of his life.

For a first-generation immigrant that came to the USA in 1980, Prakash Narain has made admirable accomplishments. In December 2006, he became the first Indian-American physician to be elected to a City Council in the United States. He served as a Council Member for the City of Cypress, in Orange County, California for two terms, until 2014. He also became the first Indian-American to serve two terms as Mayor in Southern California, with each term lasting one year. While performing his political responsibilities, he continued as a full-time physician and Medical Director of the Leisure World Health Care Center in the city of Seal Beach, in Orange County.

Prakash felt somehow drawn to run for political office and was successful in his first attempt amply due to the support he received from his wife. Prakash says, “I definitely owe my election to the phenomenal efforts of my wife, Veena, who was my campaign manager. She planned neighborhood gatherings, wrote press releases, organized volunteers, designed flyers, did the bookkeeping and took care of numerous details.” During those hectic times of campaigning, Prakash had many speaking engagements, posted hundreds of lawn signs all over Cypress, and walked door-to-door with Veena, asking people to vote for him.

Cypress is a city of about 50,000 people where Indian families number less than 250. The task of securing votes was an uphill one, but the couple left no stone unturned.

It helped that Prakash and Veena were already known in the city. He had served on the Cypress Senior Citizens Commission for eight years and was Chief of Staff at Los Alamitos Medical Center for two years. In addition, Veena’s involvement with the PTA had been well noticed. While running for public office, Prakash felt honored to be endorsed by all five outgoing members of the Council,

besides former mayors of Cypress, the former Chief of Police, and the City Manager. He won by just 43 votes; however, there was a bit more drama as one of the other candidates requested a recount. Only hours before the swearing-in ceremony on December 11, 2006, the other candidate conceded and Prakash’s victory made history.

PRE-POLITICS Prakash Narain grew up in Bihar, India, where he received his MBBS degree from Darbhanga Medical College (DMC).

He came to the USA in 1980. While at DMC, he was introduced to Veena Gupta whose parents had immigrated to Toronto, Canada when she was a child. Later, the Gupta family had moved to Downey, California, and Veena had gone on to earn a Bachelor’s degree in Math and a Master’s in

From the book Indian Americans in Greater Los Angeles Area by India Empire Publications 16 india empire | June 2017

Computer Science from the University of Southern lectures in the community. Truly his energy and drive have California. With destiny’s guidance, Prakash and Veena motivated hundreds of people that have followed his life married and moved to Chicago where Prakash joined St. and achievements. There is no doubt that Prakash Narain is Joseph’s Hospital, affiliated with Northwestern University, and a great asset to the community where he has lived and completed his residency in Internal served.

Medicine. He went on to publish Prakash and his family are active In 1987, Dr. Prakash Narain research papers, complete his fellowship members of Self Realization training in Geriatrics at the University Fellowship (also known as Yogoda joined a group practice serving of California at Los Angeles (UCLA), Satsang Society) which was founded the Leisure World Retirement and become board certified in both

by Paramahansa Yogananda, author of Community in Seal Beach.

Internal Medicine and Geriatrics.

Autobiography of a Yogi. Prakash Narain While a practicing physician, In 1987, Dr. Prakash Narain joined is a fir m believer in meditation. This a group practice serving the Leisure has transformed him internally and he also became an Assistant World Retirement Community in Seal made him think and act for the greater Clinical Professor in Geriatric Beach. While a practicing physician, he good outwardly.

Medicine at the UCLA School also became an Assistant Clinical Prakash’s son, Sachin, followed in of Medicine. He further added Professor in Geriatric Medicine at the his father’s footsteps and is a UCLA School of Medicine. He further physician. He graduated from UCLA to his credentials by getting a added to his credentials by getting a and Albany Medical College. Sachin Certification in Hospital and Certification in Hospital and Health and his wife, Shelly, live in Scottsdale, Health Services Management Services Management from the Arizona where Sachin is a Pain from the Anderson School of Anderson School of Management at Management specialist. Prakash’s UCLA in 1993. daughter, Seema, is an e-commerce Management at UCLA in 1993 By 2004, Dr. Narain was elected manager for Estée Lauder in Chief of Staff at the Los Alamitos Manhattan, New York.

Medical Center and four years later became Chairman of Huxley’s words sit well on the extraordinary Prakash its Governing Board. With all these responsibilities, he still Narain. The corner of the universe that he has always found time to be Medical Director at several nursing homes. strived to improve is the one that resides in his own self.

Prakash also gained fame for his inspiring and humorous And that has allowed him to be an all-round success. ❐

From the book Indian Americans in Greater Los Angeles Area by India Empire Publications June 2017 | india empire 17

k V kumar

Marvellous All-Rounder The best is the enemy of the good.

—Voltaire, French Enlightenment writer, historian

T

he French historian’s famous words sum up, rather aptly, the life of KV Kumar. He has never been satisfied with being merely good, and has been the best that there can be. His bio-data is so diverse, so impressive, so impactful, and so unbelievable, and his accomplishments so varied and exemplary that you can produce a few journals out of them.

Let’s start with an honor that few Americans are privileged enough to be nominated for, but very rare is the person that actually receives it. Several American Presidents, among them Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, George H W Bush, Bill Clinton, Donald Trump, top businessmen like Lee Iacocca, legendary sportspersons like John McEnroe and Muhammad Ali, superstar actors and singers like Gregory Peck and Frank Sinatra, and Rosa Parks, described as the “first lady civil rights” in America, have been bestowed the prestigious Ellis Island Medal of Honor. As have been several Noble Prize winners. The Honor pays homage to the immigrant experience and to the contribution made to America by immigrants and their children by the National Ethic Coalition of Organizations (NECO). In the noble words of NECO, “The honor is a living tribute to the courage and hope of all immigrants.”

These are individuals who preserve and celebrate the history, traditions and values of their ancestry while exemplifying the values of the American way of life, and those that are dedicated to creating a better world. Each May, a ceremony is held on Ellis Island, a symbolic place for all immigrants. Traditionally, all branches of the US Armed Forces participate, and the recipients are read into the Congressional Record. Each year after medalists are honored, the Great Hall where immigrants were once processed, hosts a gala dinner which follows the ceremony.

KV Kumar is a proud recipient of the Ellis Island Medal of Honor and is in the list of those distinguished American citizens who have made significant contributions to America.

DISTINGUISHED COMMUNITY SERVICE The organizers of the Ellis Island Honor say that the medals are awarded to those distinguished American

citizens that exemplify a life dedicated to community service. Certainly Kumar’s life has been dedicated such.

Incredibly enough he has put in over 100,000 hours of volunteer work—that equals about 4100 days, or 11 years in actual time. You can count on your finger tips the number of people that have done this. One of the areas in which he decided to volunteer was with those who have Traumatic Brain Injury and their family members whose lives are also traumatized. Because of his unwavering focus and application in this area, the Traumatic Brain Injury Act of 1996 was passed by the U.S. Congress, and Kumar was recognized for Unheralded Advocacy for his work with victims of brain injury. He has been a recipient of the Outstanding Achievement Award at the International Brain Injury Association (IBIA) World Congress in Stockholm, Sweden.

He has also been bestowed with recognitions from the

From the book Indian Americans in Greater Los Angeles Area by India Empire Publications 18 india empire | June 2017

Arizona Brain Injury Association, Arizona Governor’s Council on Spinal and Head Injury. Kumar was honored with the Lifetime Achievement for Outstanding Public Service by the US Indian American Chamber of Commerce.

Several key appointments in the area of brain injury have come his way. He has twice been appointed by the Governor of Arizona to serve as a Member of Arizona Governor’s Council on Spinal and Head Injuries, and again twice as Member of the Arizona State Rehabilitation Council. He has also been Member of the Executive Board and Vice President, Arizona Brain Injury Association and a Member of the Board of Governors and Vice President for Survivor Affairs at the International Brain Injury Association.

His spiritual inclination has meant that he has served as a Member on the Advisory Board when BAPS Swaminarayan Mandir organized the Festival of India in New Jersey that was attended by about two million people.

He was invited as an honored guest to Akshardham Temple in Gandhi Nagar during its centennial and blessed by Pramukh Swami Ji Maharaj. He has served on the boards of several Hindu Temples.

ENCOURAGING SMALL BUSINESS KV Kumar has been an ardent advocate for small business owners and entrepreneurs. He was the very first Indian American to serve on the National Advisory Council of the U.S. Small Business Administration (US-SBA). It was created in 1953 as an independent agency of the Federal Government to aid, counsel, assist and protect the interests of small business concerns, to preserve free competitive enterprise, and to maintain and strengthen the overall economy of America. The US-SBA recognizes that small business is critical to American economic recovery and strength, and to building the nation’s future and help compete in the global marketplace. With an extensive network of field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations, SBA delivers its services to people throughout the United States, and its territories. Kumar received the Distinguished Recognition for Advocacy to Small Businesses by the U.S. Department of Commerce. For his role in the signing of the MoU between the Government of India and the U.S. Small Business Administration he was honored by the American Chamber of Commerce.

Likewise, both the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) and the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) have bestowed special recognitions on him for his contribution towards enhancement of IndoUS business.

He has also served as Member, Business Coalition at the Office of Public Liaison in the White House, as Member

and Adviser to the official U.S. Trade Delegation to India which happened to be the largest ever business mission launched to that country. He has been an invited guest on stage to speak alongside President George W Bush at a White House Conference on Economy. He has been Special Guest Speaker at a Department of Energy conference that addressed over 100,000 employees and guests. He was appointed by the Mayor as Member of the Economic Development Committee, District of Columbia, and nominated as a Member of the Georgia State Small Business Committee by the Secretary of State in Georgia.

For his passion for working with small businesses and helping them gain momentum in the market, Kumar has been featured in the elite list of Notable Asian Americans published by Gale Research, and as the Most Influential Cultural Business Leader 2009 by the Atlanta Business Journal. His work in the larger community in America has not gone unrecognized. A reception in his honor was hosted by the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce in Capitol Hill.

When it comes to success and recognition in business, Kumar’s background has helped. He brings to the table a proven track record in strategic planning, business turnaround, crisis management, diversity, liaison and Government relations. His academic credentials are exemplary: he has a Master’s Degree in Organization Development & Planning, Bachelor’s Degree in Economics, and a Diploma in Industrial & Production Engineering.

POLITICAL ASSOCIATIONS KV Kumar has had the proud privilege and distinction of serving all Presidents between Ronald Reagan and Barack Obama. Currently he is a Member of the TrumpPence Asian & Pacific American Advisory Council, Member, Republican National Committee’s Asian & Pacific American National Advisory Council. He’s Founding Chairman Emeritus, Indian American Republicans of California; Life Member, Republican Senatorial Inner Circle.

He was a Trump Delegate from California to the 2016 Republican National Convention and helped with the nomination process.

Over the years he has held several federal appointments like Adviser, Office of Public Liaison, White House (President Ronald W. Reagan); Deputy Chief, Telecommunications Office, Presidential Transition Team (President George H.W. Bush); Lead Volunteer, Presidential Transition Team (President George W. Bush); Member, Round Table MBDA, U.S. Department of Commerce; Member, Small Business Advisory Committee, U.S. Department of Energy; Member, Arizona State Board, U.S. Selective Service (President William J. Clinton);

From the book Indian Americans in Greater Los Angeles Area by India Empire Publications June 2017 | india empire 19

k V kumar

Chairman, Arizona State District Appeals Board, U.S. Selective Service (President George W. Bush). Kumar received another Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Republican Asian Assembly during the Presidential Inauguration.

Kumar has been associated with several Indian American organizations and has done huge service for the community. These include the U.S. Indian American Chamber of Commerce, Washington DC, where he is Founding Chairman Emeritus and Member, Executive Board. He is the co-founder of the first Kannada Association in Washington DC Metro Area and the first in USA. He is Chairman, Indian American Republicans of California, Maryland, Washington DC, Nevada, New York, New Jersey, New York and Virginia; Secretary, The World Bank Group Staff Association; Founding and First President, India Club of the World Bank Group & International Monetary Fund, and Director of First Liberty National Bank.

Kumar came to the USA from Bangalore, India, in 1968 and after completing his education, he worked with

the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) in various capacities. During this period he prepared over 200 multi-million dollar reports on project completion and evaluation, sector specific studies, special studies, and management policy review studies. He set up monitoring and evaluation systems, reviewed policies and procedures, and proposed recommendations in the budget, personnel and management systems department.

KV Kumar was the President and Chief Executive Officer of American Systems International Inc., Bethesda, Maryland. Kumar is Managing Partner, KV Kumar & Associates, LLC. He is also Chairman, Claridyne, Inc. He serves as a member of the Board of examination committee of the California State Bar. He is married to Vijaya and the couple has two sons, Sanjay and Vishnu. Sanjay is married to Marissa, and Vishnu is married to Jessica. Vishnu, their younger son, has proudly served in the United States Marine Corps.

With a bio and career track record such as his, indeed he has been the best that there can be. â??

From the book Indian Americans in Greater Los Angeles Area by India Empire Publications 20 india empire | June 2017

arTI manek

America’s Kathak Star Art has to exult and elevate.

—Pandit Birju Maharaj, Leading exponent of Kathak dance

W

hen in 2010 Arti Manek founded the Shankara Dance Academy (SDA) in the City of Brea in Orange County, little did she know that she would transform thousands of lives through Kathak. Most of her students had no prior knowledge of this classical Indian dance form that evolved from the fine art of storytelling. It is from the ancient travelling bards of North India known as Kathakars—that communicated stories from great epics—that a great oral tradition was strengthened and furthered by this beautiful dance form. The students of Arti’s academy have elevated Kathak to an exalted art, exciting dance enthusiasts in Southern California. That has been her single greatest contribution to Kathak.

The academy has enrolled and taught hundreds of students. In a matter of a few years many have attained Rang Manch Pravesh, which means they are ready to render stage performances. She is indebted to Abhay Shankar Mishra— leading exponent of Kathak and disciple of the legendary Pandit Birju Maharaj—under whose tutelage Arti honed and fine-tuned her skills in the dance from the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan in London. He plays a significant role in making the Shankara Dance Academy a success by expressing and extending his knowledge and skills to its students.

The high point in Arti’s career came when Pandit Birju Maharaj himself mentioned that the academy was at par with traditional and celebrated Kathak institutions in Lucknow and Delhi, the capital cities of Uttar Pradesh and India respectively. Indeed it is no small feat to be recognized

by Pandit Maharaj who has a legendary status in India. In 1986, he had received India’s second highest civilian honor, the Padma Vibhushan and has been decorated with several other high recognitions and awards. Arti says that “for Shankara Dance Academy to be so recognized by a genius as Maharaj Ji is akin to being crowned as a royalty, no less.”

She herself has performed internationally. One of her most memorable moments came when she had the occasion to perform in the presence of some famous names in Kathak in Delhi, including, of course, Pandit Birju Maharaj.

She exults: “That was a performance in the presence of Kathak Royalty!”

Her life goals are clear. She is willing to inspire people to perform Kathak on stage. It does not matter if the

person has no dance experience. She has the art of instilling self-confidence in newcomers and beginners, and makes sure that anxious moments and stage fright do not last very long. Hundreds of performers, many of them budding, have benefited from her gracious ways.

BACKGROUND Arti was born into a Gujarati household in Uganda and showed an uncommon disposition towards music from an early age. In primary and secondary school, both music and dance came naturally to her, and she participated with a great deal of enthusiasm in school performances. At Toledo

From the book Indian Americans in Greater Los Angeles Area by India Empire Publications June 2017 | india empire 21

arTI manek

in Ohio where she came over for higher studies, Arti founded the International Dance Group Association (IDGA). It provided a platform for students from diverse backgrounds to come together in the spirit of music, dance and cross-cultural sharing, a concept that was new to Americans in the upper Mid-West. She encouraged her peers from all nationalities to share their traditional culture in the form of music and dance.

Away from the University arc lights, Arti turned her attention towards Gujarati raas and garba and Indian folk dances organized by the Northeast territory of the Federation of Gujarati Associations of North America (FOGANA). Routinely she won first prize at FOGANA competitions, setting new trends in costumes, style and musical interpretations. In the 1980s, FOGANA competitions would set benchmarks for choreographers and participants alike.

It was in Cleveland, Ohio, that she had another one of life’s memorable moments. Pujya Shree Morari Bapu was giving a discourse on Ramayana Katha. Arti coordinated with Pujya Bapu and seamlessly blended spirituality and dance together. It was a one-of-a-kind event. An equally memorable and commendable event took place in Los Angeles too. Arti produced a Ram Charit Manas dance drama show exhibiting over 150 participants who ranged from the age of five to 72. They had never been on stage, nor had prior acting experience in their life. On this occasion as well Pujya Morari Bapu had courteously flown from India to specially be present and be the chief guest of honor. The audience was spellbound by the performance. A long standing ovation

was testimony to the audience’s satisfaction and appreciation.

The word of the Ram Charit Manas show’s exquisite performance reached Toronto, Canada. Soon after, the Indian Association of Toronto (IAT) cordially invited Arti and her troupe to perform in Toronto. The IAC sponsored in totality. The same novice artistes managed to perform, far exceeding the audience’s expectations at the sold out Toronto show.

In keeping with spiritual themes, Arti went on to produce Gopala Kanaiya Krishna, training over a hundred and fifty performers. Her productions have showcased Arti’s passion and purpose, giving back to the children of Indian parents who otherwise would not be exposed to their spiritual and cultural heritage. The productions have helped create a robust network of friends and well-wishers that continues to thrive and grow. Many of Arti’s students have created and kept alive the Indian dance-drama activities on their own campuses during their higher education in American universities.

Arti is married to Suru Manek, a well-known businessman and social worker in the Los Angeles area.

Arti’s son Shawn is a CPA graduate from the University of Southern California and also a business graduate from the Columbia University School of Business in New York City.

As Pandit Birju Maharaj has rightly said, art is to exult and to elevate. By her life’s mission and thoroughly skillful performances and that of students at the Shankara Dance Academy, Arti has proven the Kathak legend’s enduring ❐ words right.

From the book Indian Americans in Greater Los Angeles Area by India Empire Publications 22 india empire | June 2017

deepI SIngh

Grit, Courage and Determination Don’t handicap your children by making their lives easy.

—Robert A. Heinlein, American science-fiction writer

E

ven though they stood steadfastly by her with patience and love, Deepi Singh’s parents did not want to make her life easy. She had been afflicted by the dreaded polio while still an infant. Her parents, however, did not want her to be pitied, ever. Instead, they wanted her to walk on her own two feet, and hold her head high, at all times. That she has managed to do so speaks volumes about her own unwavering grit, indomitable courage and unshakeable determination, as well as her dignified upbringing.

There is a Chinese proverb that says “crisis is opportunity riding a dangerous wind.” Deepi Singh has been riding that wind, and walking that proverb, every day of her life. When she was just nine months old she was severely afflicted with polio. Those were times when polio vaccinations were not available in British India, and the debilitating disease was far from being eradicated. The danger that she could become crippled was a clear and present one. Her father left no stone unturned to ensure that young Deepi could walk. Even her paternal grandfather, a well-to-do physician in undivided India, wanted her to get the best treatment. Once when French doctors came visiting Lyallpur, the city of her birth, the British would have no Indians visit their arch rivals. Meeting the French was strictly beyond bounds for Indian subjects.

But in a stroke of ingenuity, Deepi’s father wrapped his young daughter in a blanket and smuggled her to a French doctor’s cabin. No one really bothered with checking an innocuous blanket.

A team examined the feeble girl at length, and finally advised her father on the course of action to alleviate her problems. Her parents determinedly started carrying out all the exercises and medications prescribed by the doctors.

They even went a step further—her father regularly corresponded with the French doctors who kept dispatching to him the latest research, remedies, and rehabilitation studies on polio. It all began to work out well, and young Deepi Singh took her first baby steps in life at the ripe old age of 5!

It is with a great deal of fondness that she recalls the moment. “I remember that day very clearly, because prior to that I used to fall easily because my legs were extremely

weak.” A crisis had been turned on its head, and instead an opportunity had been created. There were to be some hiccups here and there, but Deepi Singh handled those very well. For instance when she was 33 years old, she was informed by the Head of the Orthopedics Department at the UCLA that she would probably never walk again beyond the age of 40. She must be inordinately strong-willed, for even at 82 she’s walking just fine, of course, these days with the help of a walking stick.

In fact between the ages of 5 and 82, Deepi Singh has done quite a few remarkable things in life. Her will power, coupled with her educational background, helped her surge ahead in her working life. She rose to become the Director of Foods and Nutrition at Kaiser Permanente, an integrated managed care consortium based out of Oakland in California. A measure of the size of the company she

From the book Indian Americans in Greater Los Angeles Area by India Empire Publications June 2017 | india empire 23

deepI SIngh

(L-R) V J Singh (son), Simran (daughter-in-law), Inder Singh, Deepi Singh, Mollie (daughter), Glenn (son-in-law), Tara Jyote and Sasha Jyote (granddaughters) worked for where she became a name to reckon with can be gauged from this figure—in 2014, the non-profit Kaiser Foundation Health Plan and Kaiser Foundation Hospitals reported a combined net income of USD 3.1 billion. And then she gave it all up to return to her favorite profession— teaching!

EARLY YEARS, SUPPORT FROM PARENTS When she could not run and walk like other kids in her school at Lyallpur in undivided Punjab (today Faisalabad, Pakistan), she felt rejected. But quickly, she resolved to turn that rejection into her strength. At age 7 she attended the Sacred Heart Convent High School in Lyallpur, an institution where the Nuns were extremely supporting, even putting in place a special commode for the child. She recalls having danced at a concert in spite of her obvious handicap.

Eleanor Roosevelt famously said that “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.”

Indeed Deepi Singh’s future was shaped by her own beautiful ones. Even though her parents may have wanted her to become a doctor, Deepi Singh decided she would be more comfortable studying Home Science. She graduated

from Delhi’s Lady Irwin College with Bachelor of Science and then added a Bachelor of Education degree to her resume.

The last degree would allow her to teach, a vocation which comes naturally to her. She taught at the Lady Irwin School in Delhi. During this period she also underwent a bone grafting surgery which helped her to walk more freely. “Earlier I used to travel in buses with crutches,” she recalls. Following the surgery, the crutches were abandoned for good.

She was the first girl in Home Science in the state of Punjab to have earned a B.Sc with a B.Ed. It immediately helped her walk into a teaching job at the Randhir College in Kapurthala. When one day she expressed a desire to study further, her encouraging father immediately let her know how proud he was of her for willing to do so. “He had promised me that he would let me study as long as I wanted to, and said that what I gain through studies will be jewelry that no can steal from me,” Deepi Singh says nostalgically, recalling how it meant moving away from home once more.

She went to Baroda to get a Masters in Food and Nutrition. At the MS University Baroda she met with the dean and said she needed a job to sustain her studies. She

From the book Indian Americans in Greater Los Angeles Area by India Empire Publications 24 india empire | June 2017

got one, as a social worker in Gujarat—working for someone who was doing a doctorate on the dietary impact of lactating mothers’ milk. In order to break through the wall of skepticism about the subject, she learnt to speak Gujarati, wore Gujarati outfits and “became one of them.” Her hard work paid handsomely, she topped the university. She found a job in Chandigarh, and almost immediately after lost her father. “He was living to see me become successful. He left a happy man,” she says, eyes moistening up.

By age 25 she was married to Inder Singh and it became difficult to ascertain who among the two doted more on the other. She was also a gazetted officer and chairperson of the Food and Nutrition department at the Home Science College in Chandigarh. No student failed during the seven years she was to teach there. She also started taking Homemakers’ Classes which were attended in the evenings by girls from affluent and influential backgrounds. One of her students was the daughter-in-law of the then Governor of Punjab. So impressed was she by Deepi Singh’s teachings that she convinced the Governor to throw a dinner in honor of the frail young nutritionist. When Deepi Singh and her husband arrived in a red scooter at the gates of the Governor’s bungalow, they were stopped. The duo was informed in no uncertain manner by the sentries that this was no place for the ordinary gentry. The party was for the limousine classes. But the uniformed sentinels quickly realized their grave mistake, it was Deepi Singh who was the guest of honor that day!

LIFE IN AMERICA Seven years into her directorship at Kaiser Permanente, one of the largest hospitals in the west coast of the USA, Mrs Singh decided she wanted to teach, and no longer wanted to be the paper-pushing administrator she had turned into.

From hiring nutritionists, now she wanted to become one of them. She would have to take a cut in her salary. But she displayed the determination of old, and knew that she was not going to change her mind. The management, though, had to change their mind and not only did not let her go away, they even decided not to reduce her salary. For everyone at the hospital, “she was the little Indian lady that limps.” A special job profile was created for her. Now she was required to teach patient classes and provide consultation on diet to patients on a one-on-one basis. In all she worked 40 years at Kaiser, and another 8 years in India.

Post-retirement, she has been flooded with requests for appearing on US television and radio, where she would discuss her favorite topics on diabetes, cholesterol and hypertension. Once when she gave her viewers a phone number, she received in excess of 300 calls, some came in from Canada.

Deepi Singh with her brothers, Air Marshall I.S. Chhabra of Delhi, India and Dr Awtar Singh of Encino, California Jesse Owens, the American hero in the 1936 Berlin Olympics, said, “We all have dreams. But in order to make dreams come into reality, it takes an awful lot of determination, dedication, self-discipline, and effort.” In rising above her childhood affliction and becoming who she is, Deepi Singh has inspired us with all four qualities—that Owens mentions—in equal measure. She is the eternal teacher who’s taught us a thing or two about living with grace and fortitude. Both India and America can be proud ❐ of who she is.

From the book Indian Americans in Greater Los Angeles Area by India Empire Publications June 2017 | india empire 25

dr harVInder SahoTa

Straight from the heart Wherever you go, go with all your heart.

—Confucius, Chinese teacher, editor, politician, and philosopher

F

rom a young age, Harvinder Sahota was destined to go places, and cut out for bigger things. His father Sardar Lachman Singh was an Indian Railways official who would get posted at different stations in Punjab. Sahota was born in Firozpur, but spent his formative years in Garhdiwala, and later in Jalandhar and Pathankot among other places in this northern Indian state. His early exposure to different cities made him inquisitive of the world at large. During his teens he would read up The Tribune, a popular English newspaper in the Punjab, quite voraciously. Intimately abreast of happenings around the globe and updated on all current affairs, he made up his mind early that he would travel the world to see places for himself.

He has travelled the world ever since he left India on an Air India flight in 1967. He was only 26 then, and seeing new places was his greatest desire. He’s been away from India for nearly half a century. In all these years wherever he’s gone, he’s gone with all his heart, much like what Confucius, the Chinese philosopher, editor and politician says. And those who know him closely candidly confess that he is a no-nonsense man, one who says what he means, and means what he says—straight from the heart.

Dr Sahota is a renowned heart doctor, inventor of the perfusion heart balloon, someone who in his prime held 30 patents. He performed India’s first angioplasty using the perfusion balloon at the prestigious PGIMER, Chandigarh in the late 1980s. He did pioneering invasive procedures in the erstwhile Soviet Union, Georgia, Ukraine and Mexico.

Between 1967 and 1974 he was involved in medical training and post graduation courses in England. He arrived in the USA in 1974, worked as a Fellow for a couple of years at the University of Rochester, New York, then for nearly another year as a Chief Resident of Medicine in Saskatchewan, Canada, before moving to and settling down in the West Coast of the USA where he has lived for over 40 years.

Over the last 20 years he’s settled in Laguna Beach in Orange County, part of the Greater Los Angeles area.

Although he’s reduced his work load considerably, he still practices at his clinic in Bellflower in the L.A. County with the energy and enthusiasm of someone starting out in life.

EARLY LIFE Sahota was born in April 1941 into a Sikh family in the Ferozepur Cantonment area. When he was merely a week

old, a bath he was given turned into a life-threatening situation. Somehow the fragile infant contracted double pneumonia. Now seventy years back when medical facilities were dismal in India, there was no cure for that kind of affliction, and antibiotics were yet to be invented. The infant turned cold, and frigid, and was declared dead. The distraught family was preparing for a burial, as that was how the last rites of infants, as per tradition, were required to be performed. When a doctor arrived it seemed too late, for Sahota had long stopped breathing. Somehow, miraculously, he took one short breath. His breathing had been sporadic right from birth, a condition that he later learnt in England was termed Cheyne-Stoke breathing, usually terminal in early life. During those moments when he hovered between life and death, Sahota held on with the help of his mother’s frenetic prayers, and the Grace of God. Tears rolled down the cheeks of Sardar Lachman Singh who announced publicly that if his infant son were to survive the double pneumonia, he would leave no stone unturned in order to make him a doctor.

Sahota survived the scary ordeal, attended school where he performed with distinction, but almost never became a

From the book Indian Americans in Greater Los Angeles Area by India Empire Publications 26 india empire | June 2017

doctor. An incorrigible film buff, he and childhood friend Daya Singh decided to try their luck in Bollywood. But Daya failed to turn up at the railway station where they were to board the train to Bombay. Abandoned at the last hour, Sahota didn’t want to go alone. His dreams of making it to the silver screen dashed unceremoniously, he decided to plunge wholeheartedly into the world of medicine, where he was to do exceedingly well in years to come.

He joined the FSc Medical DAV College in Jalandhar for his pre-university degree. Two years later, in 1959, he joined the Medical College, Patiala, and remained there for five years, eventually emerging a medical doctor in 1964. It was a proud moment for the Sahota family, especially his father, whose dream he had fulfilled. Now, he was ready to serve the world.

While at the Patiala Medical College, young Sahota made up his mind that he would leave India when the opportunity presented itself. It wasn’t going to be about the money, it was going to be all about getting to know newer places, and discovering more of the world, with his heart, of course.

Patiala would be the stepping stone to his onward journey into the world. He set his mind on England, a country to which he headed in July 1967.

LIFE OVERSEAS, MARRIAGE It was not just a black and white television set that he saw for the first time in his life after arriving in London. He would witness a new culture from close, a new way of living.

Britain would alter Sahota’s way of life, groom him such that he’d become an international thinker, teach him the etiquettes of the west, and allow him to imbibe ethics in his profession. He believes that whatever he is professionally, the heights he’s scaled in cardiology, the numerous recognitions he has received, is because of his stint in the United Kingdom which altogether was to last seven years.

He also believes that but for that stint he wouldn’t be half as accomplished as he is today, not by a fair distance.

As an example, one day soon after he arrived in England he visited an instruments store on London’s Gower Street, looking to buy the famous Littman stethoscope. He chose one particular stethoscope, but the man at the counter asked him for a certain number of “quids” which Sahota couldn’t quite comprehend. So he delved into his pocket and flashed out a five pound note, alas it wasn’t quite enough to buy that valuable apparatus. He was short by about ten pounds.

The counter man noticed his discomfiture, and stepped in to put him at ease. “You can take the stethoscope and send the money later. You need those five pounds more than me.” Sahota could not believe his ears.

He started out at the Bromsgrove Hospital in England that would turn out to be nothing more than a pit stop during his seven years in England. Sahota had set out to see places, and he was not keen to stay put at any one place for too long. That was why he had flown out of India in the first place.

He landed up in Wakefield near Leeds for training (as Resident) and joined the Casualty (Emergency) Department of Clayton Hospital for a stint that was to last nearly four months and one that included a full-fledged residency in Medicine. In September 1968, he joined the Llangwyfan Hospital in Denbigh in North Wales as a registrar. During his four-year stay at North Wales he was able to take two sabbaticals, the first for a six-month post-graduation course in Tropical Medicine in 1970 at the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine. Then in 1971 he went to the University of Cardiff to do a post-graduation in Chest Medicine (Pulmonary), the course once again lasting six months.

Even though he was getting well entrenched in the world of medicine, the life of a bachelor was beginning to unsettle him. He was past 30, and the idea of marriage had started

From the book Indian Americans in Greater Los Angeles Area by India Empire Publications June 2017 | india empire 27

dr harVInder SahoTa

germinating in his mind. The shy young man who wouldn’t look girls in the eye at college was now contemplating spending the rest of his life with a woman. He wrote a brief letter to his father saying he was ready to tie the knot, and that his parents should find a girl for him. When he reached Garhdiwala, girl after girl was introduced to the vilayati munda, but he didn’t seem all too impressed, until, of course, he met Asha. She was a young captain in the Indian army and also a medical doctor posted in Delhi. A decision was made that Sahota would marry Asha in England. They married on December 16, 1972, a year after Sahota had to postpone his wedding plans due to the Indo-Pakistan war.

The Sahotas moved to the USA in 1974, the same year their first child, Neil, was born in Rochester, New York.

While in England he had written to a few places, including the Regina Hospital in Saskatchewan, Canada, and they had evinced considerable interest in him, just like the hospital at Rochester had. He took up the offer at the University of Rochester, but promised the Canadians that once he was done with his cardiology training, he’d come to them for about a year.

Somewhere down the line, the University of Rochester threw up an offer that was hard to resist. Back in 1975, the hospital guaranteed him a minimum of USD 100,000 annually, if he continued to stay and work with them. Over some forty years ago, that figure was equal to about a million dollars today. That’s the kind of money no ordinary person would decline. Apart from the money Sahota would get perks and benefits. When an employer wants to pamper you, they throw in several other incentives. He would get an office, assured number of patients, and all the other expenses of staying in Rochester would be taken care of.

The hospital management had made a calculated offer, quite certain that Sahota would not refuse.

But Sahota’s conscience did not let him down. He politely turned down the offer from Rochester on the grounds that he had a commitment to fulfill in Canada. “If I was after the money, I would not have moved out of Punjab in the first place. And certainly not out of Rochester in the second,” he muses many years later, sitting at home in Laguna Beach, California.

After declining the Rochester offer, he took up his assignment in Canada with a package that appeared peanuts in comparison. He agreed to join the Regina Hospital at about USD 800 a month. That worked out less than USD 10,000 per year, a tenth of what the New Yorkers had offered him. That he could turn his back to so much money, of course, made him an infinitely happier man, and richer inside. He says that the fact that he could muster enough courage to refuse Rochester hospital’s offer was testimony to the family values and strong upbringing that he had in Garhdiwala. “I completely attribute that ability to look beyond money to my parents. I was blessed generously by them with a very wise value system,” he says, a hint of emotion running through his eyes.

It is in the name of his mother, Bibi Dhan Kaur Sahota who had raised him with deep values, that Sahota has set up a USD 1.5-million Sikh Studies Chair at the University of California at Irvine. But for her fervent prayers, Sahota would not be where he is today. He is associated with many charities and funds, and is socially very active in California.

He has declined offers from reputed institutions from different parts of the world to join them. True to his beliefs and convictions, the heart doctor has shown us that whatever he has done, wherever he has gone, it has been with all his heart. n —More details will be available in Dr Sahota’s forthcoming biography Straight from the Heart

From the book Indian Americans in Greater Los Angeles Area by India Empire Publications 28 india empire | June 2017

Indar SeThI

Shining Star Stars can’t shine without darkness.

—Anonymous

I

t has rightly been said that before there can be day, there has to be night; and for stars to shine, there has to be darkness. And for the star to shine brightest, the night has to be darker than dark. In Indar K Sethi’s life too, before he could achieve greatness as a Satellite engineer, responsible for creating ever improving communication navigation and surveillance systems through his immense body of work in satellite design, operation, launch and management, there was a period of intense darkness.

HORROR OF PARTITION He was barely eight years old when the world as he knew it came to a crashing end. His carefree childhood days in Lahore, spent star-gazing from the terrace of his home or dreaming of travelling to distant constellations as he imagined getting close to the millions of stars in the Milky Way or Akash Ganga as it is known to Hindus, came to a rude halt. As the first stone was cast to mark the onset of the worst human tragedy of the time, the Sub-Continental Partition, the little Indar and his family were forced to leave what was once home but had suddenly become Pakistan with just the clothes on their back. One night when they saw whole Lahore around them was burning; his father with his tuberculosis stricken wife and four children walked 2-3 miles in the middle of the night to a refugee shelter set up in a college. From there, all refugees were transported by military trucks to the new Indian Territory.

They reached India and home became a small tent in a refugee camp in New Delhi. From a privileged life, they had to struggle for as much as a square meal, apart from the intense struggle for basic amenities and eventually a livelihood. Within six months, young Indar was sent away with his Vetenerarian doctor uncle to a small village in Punjab to continue with his studies. In his absence, his bed stricken mother passed away creating a large vacuum in his heart.

Two years later, his father remarried and Indar was blessed with three additional brothers and one sister. But for young Indar, this was not enough – always one with stars in his eyes, he completed his graduation from DAV College, Ambala City, and worked hard to secure admission to the Bachelor of Engineering program at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, California. He eventually went on to do MS (Computer Sci-

ence) from UCLA. In 1961, at the inspiration and intimidation of his close friends, Indar K Sethi was off to chase his American dream at the young age of 21.

WORKING HARD TO STUDY But just securing admission in a college in the US was not the end of Indar’s struggle. He had to find ways of earning his keep while working hard at his work. He lived the immigrant life, working at whatever job he could get to ensure that he was able to keep his tuition coming, pay his rent and keep food on his table. Recalling those days, he now says, “I did manual labor while in school. I picked fruit in orchards. I worked on farms. I was a bus boy in restaurants. I cleaned homes and classrooms. I did any work that came my way, all at $1.25/hour.” Indar kept on providing financial support to his family for their living and educational expenses starting from his first farm earnings here in USA.

From the book Indian Americans in Greater Los Angeles Area by India Empire Publications June 2017 | india empire 29

Indar SeThI

STUDENT TO TEACHER Despite the need for him to work several jobs to meet his financial needs, Indar was never behind in his studies. In fact, when he was taking his first quarter class in Differential Equations, they were given their home assignments for the entire quarter at the beginning of the term. “I looked at the assignments one weekend and got so involved in trying to solve the problems that over the course of that one weekend I completed all the work of the entire quarter,” he says.

But when the professor learned and saw Indar’s work, he was so impressed that he offered him the position of Technical Assistant (TA) where he had to grade the work of the other students. For that entire quarter, Indar earned $1.25 per hour for five hours a week. That was a big honor and encouragement to Indar to complete his degree.

SETTLING DOWN Within three years of first coming to the USA, Indar had obtained his BE degree in Electronics. He was also lucky enough to get a job without much difficulty. As he settled into his work, his family back home started asking him about his matrimonial plans. As with most people of his generation, Indar left the choice of his life partner to his family and they soon informed him that they had found the right girl for him. Indar flew home in 1967, met Usha and her family, and the marriage was fixed. His wife was pursuing her Bachelor of Education degree and when Indar returned to the US, he was alone as his wife had to stay back to complete her degree.

Soon she too joined him. Her degree, however, was not valid in the US without the relevant certification by US authorities. But she accomplished the task of getting her California teaching credentials easily and soon got a job as an elementary school teacher, something she continued doing for years. Indar and his wife attended UCLA University together where Indar, while working full time, completed his Masters in Engineering in Computer Science.

FLYING HIGH As the years went by Indar’s family grew. He sponsored his three brothers and one sister for further education and final settlement into USA. He also became the father of three daughters and a son. As his family grew, so did his stature at work. Beginning as a design engineer, Indar went on to become manager on many satellites development projects. Indar had several documents to his name, symbolizing his contribution to the world of satellites and communication. Indar’s emphasis on getting higher education resulted in his kids becoming two successful doctors, one lawyer and one innovative business entrepreneur.

In a career spanning over 40 years, Indar has worked on many satellite programs including NASA sponsored scientific missions and various commercial and defense related satellites. Indar has been a part of the pioneering technology behind satellite development through the various stages – from drawing board to prototype testing to launch and in-orbit support. He has supported writing many documents for NASA and other defense organizations. Many launch missions have had his mark on them, including many as lead support at the launch desk. Ever involved in developing new technology, he is also behind the creation of next gen GPS satellites. “I believe that if anyone else can do it, I can learn to do it too. It is this attitude that has stood me well in my professional life,” he says. His early research has also earned him a patent from the US Patent Office.

SELF-MADE MAN Indar sums up his life philosophy in a few words, “I am a self-made and determined man who always looks for alternative approaches to solve the problem at hand.” Determination mingles with dream to turn them into reality. And so it has been for this stalwart who grew up to struggle in the face of the immense hardships of the Partition who has ❐ never let the stars in his eyes dim.

From the book Indian Americans in Greater Los Angeles Area by India Empire Publications 30 india empire | June 2017

harry SIdhu

High Flyer I wanted to play incredibly challenging, multifaceted characters. Because we are all a puzzle.

—Kate Winslet, Lead actress of Titanic

T

he Titanic heroine’s words sit well on the charismatic Harry Sidhu, a man of many parts who’s played the role of multifaceted characters in real as well as reel life. He’s someone who’s traversed different walks, and enjoyed the spotlight to the last glowing ray. He could fill an entire wardrobe with his bio—he is a mechanical engineer, a private pilot, a fund raiser, a philanthropist, an entrepreneur, a politician, a community worker. May be there’s more to come.

But the hat he’s perhaps enjoyed wearing the most though is that of an actor, both on stage and on screen.

Harry Sidhu’s the closest you can get to Leonardo da Vinci from within the Indian community in Los Angeles.

In many ways, Harry was born for the big stage. While growing up in Bhopal, India, he discovered that he could one day make a career out of acting. He was a regular at school plays, and he always sensed that his love for acting was abiding. In 1974, after having lived in cities across Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh in India, Harry’s family moved to the USA. At the time the Amritsar-born Harry was just about 17, and raring to make a mark.

The family arrived in Philadelphia, and Harry took no time in becoming a one of the most popular members of his “high school gang.” School over, he went on to earn a degree in mechanical engineering from Drexel University, Philadelphia, and by 1979 had acquired an American citizenship. In 1980, his professional career got off the blocks when he took up a consultant engineer’s assignment in the aerospace defense industry. He also became a Licensed California Professional Engineer and Registered Mechanical Engineer and obtained a General Contractor’s License. He also realized that at some point he would need wings to soar, literally, and went to become a General Aviation Licensed Private Pilot.

But acting is where his heart was. California’s theater culture allowed him to blossom as an actor. He took lessons, attended workshops. And soon Harry Sidhu who loved the stage from a young age got his break to be a part of Hollywood plays! Annie get your gun, Indian wants the Bronx, Last Train to Pakistan, An American daughter-in-law, The Millionaires, were among the plays in which he featured. He

Harry Sidhu in Mayor Pro Tem Office became an easily recognizable face. As Harry started getting noticed in theater, offers for cameo roles in television started pouring in. He became a part of popular TV shows such as A Team, Mac Gyver and Capitol. The big league was waiting. Not content in getting typecast in ethnic roles in the USA, Harry made his move to Bollywood, and became a part of Do Yaraon Ki Yari alongside the likes of Navin Nischol, Mazhar Khan and Shoma Anand. The movie did fairly well. Several modeling assignments followed. The one with Embassy cigarettes brought Harry Sidhu maximum mileage—for four years he remained the face of the tobacco firm.

Television work, modelling and stage plays proved to be stepping stones to the big stage. He got to play the role of a prison guard in Tales of Meeting and Parting, a film where he featured alongside Robert Ito. It was nominated for the Academy Award in the best short film category. The year was 1984 and Harry calls it his “greatest achievement.”

That, though, was to be the high point of his acting career.

It became apparent that Indian actors were inevitably going

From the book Indian Americans in Greater Los Angeles Area by India Empire Publications June 2017 | india empire 31

harry SIdhu

Harry Sidhu and former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani to find it quite hard to become part of mainstream Hollywood in the 1980s. Bollywood also had restrictions for Indian American actors. So Harry did the next wise thing, he planned to secure himself financially.

He ventured into the fast food industry and became a franchisee for giants like Burger King, Papa Johns Pizza and El Pollo Loco. He also became a Licensed Real Estate Broker in 1991, and went on to develop 28 successful businesses in Orange County. In between, he married Gin, and the couple was blessed with daughter Sohina and son Rohan.

FORAY INTO POLITICS AND COMMUNITY WORK “America is too great for small dreams,” Harry’s hero, the late Ronald Reagan, used to say. Acting used to be passion. Then politics became his lifeblood, alongside its favorite cousin, community work. Ambitious immigrants do feel they’ve arrived when fellow countrymen elect them as their representative. It has happened in Harry’s case too. He became the first person of Indian heritage to serve two consecutive terms as city councilman at

Anaheim, winning back-to-back elections in 2004 and 2008. “This is an unequalled achievement for an IndianAmerican, first to be elected and then reelected for a second term,” Harry says. He felt elated and humbled in equal measure at the immense recognition he received from the community. He also was moved by the love and trust of his fellow citizens. He went on to serve as Mayor Pro Tem for 2010 and 2012. “I am the first person of Indian heritage to have achieved this position,” he says.

No mean achievement considering Anaheim is the 10th largest of 482 cities in California. He now continues to work towards gaining entry to the California State Assembly, and going beyond. Reagan used to ask, “How can a President not be an actor?” Harry now asks himself the same question the other way round, “how can an actor not aspire to be President?” After all, Reagan was an actor first, a president later. As of now Harry is continuing his political dreams and working towards gaining entry into the State Assembly and hopefully growing beyond that as well.

Harry has lived in Anaheim since 1994. It is also where the world’s most known theme park, Disneyland, is to be

From the book Indian Americans in Greater Los Angeles Area by India Empire Publications 32 india empire | June 2017

Harry Sidhu and Navin Nischol

Harry Sidhu and Robert Ito

found. He believes in promoting a thriving business culture, prominent place in the community as the Deputy Chairman, and encourages local businesses and enterprises all the time. City of Anaheim, Anaheim Youth Soccer coach, supporter of Whenever he can, he helps individual business owners to the arts and arts education, and many such activities. He’s also create more jobs. Housing and found time to serve as Orange County infrastructure is another area that he Water District Director and Alternate to focuses hard for he feels these two Santa Ana Watershed Authority. His sectors are key to a community’s and political journey continues, even as his country’s growth. involvement with community projects His achievements, while he was in intensifies. office include the initiation of a free Truly a multi-faceted personality, annual Anaheim Health Fair which has Harry, also gave wings to his dreams now become a regular feature on the of flying. He earned his private pilot local calendar. He is also supporting a license and likes taking to the skies charter amendment which was placed once a while. But his feet remain on the November 2006 ballot to firmly on the ground. He knows that forever prohibit eminent domain he needs to give back to society some abuse in the City of Anaheim, and of what he’s reaped by way of gains implementing an annual Anaheimfrom business. He did a charity fund Orange County Job Fair and Expo raiser for the Cancer Society and Arts which under his leadership put over Foundation.

The event was an 1,700 back to work. astounding success and Harry knew His community involvement has that this was the direction he had to included presence on several boards and take for his future satisfaction. committees including being board As nobleman Jaques says in member for the Boys and Girls Clubs of Shakespeare’s play As You Like It, “all Harry Sidhu in Embassy Cigarette Anaheim, advisory board member of the world’s a stage… and one man in Billboard Advertisement the Anaheim Family YMCA, member his time plays many parts…” Indeed, of the Anaheim Chamber of Commerce, member of the for the freedom-loving Harry Sidhu, the whole world’s been Anaheim Small Business Chamber. He has been affiliated with exactly that—a stage. And the parts that he has been playing the Republican Party of Orange County. He also found so well are many. ❐

From the book Indian Americans in Greater Los Angeles Area by India Empire Publications June 2017 | india empire 33

abduLganI ShaIkh

The Greater Hurdler The greater the obstacle, the more glory in overcoming it.

—Moliere, French playwright and actor

C

ome to think of it, Abdulgani (Ganibhai) Shaikh could have made a living by happily selling buffalo milk all his life in Kapadwanj in Gujarat. With his high level of intelligence, he could perhaps have become a milk magnate.

That career option would have been like a walk in the park.

But Abdulgani always wanted to learn and was determined to educate himself. He also wanted to see the world. Somehow he never lost sight of this vision. He wanted to pursue higher studies overseas, and he didn’t let that song die out in his heart. If he saw hurdles in his journey, he knew deep within that he simply had to find a way to go past them.

And he has done so, many times over.

Today at age 76, he’s seen it all. From being a crooning milk boy who loved imitating his favorite film hero Dilip Kumar in his spare time to becoming an aerospace engineer in the West Coast of the USA that ended up rubbing shoulders with the best in the business, Abdulgani has played his part. Even in the dignified autumn of his life, there’s a new spring in his step, a youthful and infectious charm to his character that endears him greatly to his community. Fondly he is called Ganibhai, in continuation of a tradition of referring to adult men as bhai in his native Gujarat.

Ganibhai was born in Kapadwanj in Gujarat in 1940. He was the eldest of ten siblings, and even though his father, Umarbhai, a tailor, worked extremely hard, the family income always seem to disappear halfway into the month. His paternal grandfather Muhammadbhai sold oil extracted from peanuts and sesame seeds using a bullock-aided oil peeler. Ganibhai’s mother, Rabia, had received buffalos from her father, Afzal Daud, and she supplemented the family income by selling milk. So becoming a milk boy that would knock on doors with his can in tow came easy and naturally to the young Abdulgani. He would sing his way to sell milk in his town, and his charming smile won him friends and customers with the same ease with which his family milked its buffaloes.

But he never let his attachment for books go away. He knew that studies would eventually be his passport to higher education in a foreign land. At every stage, during his school career, Abdulgani remained way ahead of his classmates in-

sofar as his grades and marks were concerned. He graduated from high school in 1958, securing second rank among all school children in town. He was advised by a teacher to take up engineering. But Ganibhai’s family did not have the means to pay for college fees.

At this juncture in his life, with the Divine Grace of God, he was blessed with 100-rupees-per-month scholarship from the Federal Government. He began his engineering education at M.S. University of Baroda and stayed at the Nagarwada Muslim Boarding in the middle of the city. It was inexpensive, all he paid for sharing a room with four other students was Rs 25 every month. That amount included the cost of meals. To further cut down on costs, he walked to college every day. With his frugal lifestyle, he managed to save half his scholarship money and send it back to his parents, such was his noble value system even at a young age.

Two years into his college life he was married. His wife,

From the book Indian Americans in Greater Los Angeles Area by India Empire Publications 34 india empire | June 2017

Halima, proved to be an able ally and companion in his journey. Abdulgani’s grades never suffered, and when he cleared his final examinations he had, unbelievably enough, secured a gold medal. The milk-boy of yesteryears had received a first class, and he was ranked first as well. Besides, he had received distinction. This way he completed his Bachelor’s in Engineering (Mechanical) from the M.S. University in Baroda. The year was 1963. One more interesting fact about his college days is that in his first year he was lucky to be classmate and friend of Sam Pitroda, the great Indian visionary who is the father of telecommunications in India. Also, Abdulgani was the first to become an engineer in his community and inspired other good students to follow after him.

Even though not too many jobs were to be found in the India of the 1960s, engineers did not have it that tough. Within two weeks of passing out, Abdulgani was hired by the Gujarat State Electricity Board. He was to receive a princely amount of Rs 250/month. From the Rs 50 that he would save for his family from his scholarship money, the amount he could now send home would go up considerably and improve the condition of his loved ones.

He became his family’s pride and the toast of his town.

When he handed over his first salary in its entirety to his mother, there were tears all over the household. They were tears of joy. The money was used to buy a ceiling fan. And then for the very first time Umarbhai’s household could install a tap that would give them running water.

Six months down the line he joined the ACC Ltd, a premier cement company in India. He worked at their factories in Sevalia in Gujarat and Lakheri in Rajasthan before moving to the headquarters in Mumbai. At this point in life, his classmate and friend Hemendra Teli, who had moved to the USA, encouraged and sponsored him to apply for higher studies at a university in this North American nation. With his intelligence and aptitude, Abdulgani secured admission at the University of California in Berkeley. He got a student visa easily, but then cropped up another hurdle—there was no money for the considerable airfare that was required to fly to the USA. But his stars were on the ascendant, he obtained a rupees 5,000 scholarship from the Tata Education Trust which was enough to pay for the airfare. He borrowed another 10,000 rupees from the Sethna Trust run by the Parsi community, and that would help him pay for his tuition.

He remembers the day clearly when he landed in the USA. It was September 15, 1967. Laborious as he was, he completed his MS in just nine months. In 1969 a major aerospace company in Southern California offered him a job. For the next 30 years Abdulgani was to work in various capacities there, first as an Industrial Engineer, then as a Senior Technology Specialist Engineer and subsequently as Senior Manager. His undying loyalty to the firm for three

decades earned him several accolades and brought him many honors, ones that line his cupboards at home. By 1976 he was well entrenched in the job, and decided to take evening classes to pursue an MBA degree. By skilling himself further, he was able to work his way up in the firm and became a management consultant in the aerospace field.

Ganibhai is a loved and respected member of the Indian American community. He had become an active member in community organizations while at Berkeley. After moving to Southern California, he got involved with the Society for Rapid Advancement of India, a non-profit that helped put up wells in Indian villages. He joined the Federation of Indian Associations (FIA) in 1982, and has helped organize a number of Independence and Republic Day celebrations ever since.

He has also worked with the Indian Muslims Association (Southern California) as a Vice President, and in other leadership roles. He is one of the founding members of the Southern California Federation of Indian Associations, the first FIA in Los Angeles. He has also been involved with the American Federation of Muslims from India (AFMI), and with Indian Muslim Relief and Charities (IMRC). He and his wife have three children. Son Munir is married to Shabnam and they have three children. Daughter Shahida is married to Mobin and the couple has two children. The youngest child, Mehjabeen is married to Altaf.

Ganibhai is quite impressed by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call for Swachh Bharat, a cleanliness drive to free India of immense roadside filth and garbage. There are other moves made by the Prime Minister in which he sees plenty of hope for his native country. It won’t be easy to transform India overnight, though. But he knows from personal experience that greater the obstacle, more the glory in overcoming it. The least we can say is that Ganibhai has led his life in a manner that is exemplary, one that is cer❐ tainly worthy of emulation by generations to come.

From the book Indian Americans in Greater Los Angeles Area by India Empire Publications June 2017 | india empire 35

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An extraordinary life If you want to lead an extraordinary life, find out what the ordinary do—and don’t do it.

—Tommy Newberry, Bestselling author

W

hen we look at the Indian American community in the USA, we find that some people have excelled beyond expectations, made both America and India proud, and are perched at the very top of their profession. We can safely say that B.U. Patel is very much in this category of achievers. He is an inspiration to an entire generation of Indian entrepreneurs in the USA. He is also someone who has kept doing his bit for India by helping out his home state of Gujarat majorly, including building a university and spearheading several philanthropic programs. Truly, BU as he is known to the community at large, is one of the best flag-bearers of the Indian American community in the USA. And yet, early in life he was barely getting two square meals a day, born to a laborer in a Gujarati village who was struggling to make ends meet. But surrounded by the ordinariness around him, he knew exactly what not to do.

The year was 1976 when BU and his family immigrated to the US, a country he aptly describes as a “land of opportunities.” They had left Zambia that year, a nation that had become independent from British rule in 1964 but was in the throes of internal turmoil. He had to wind up his garment factory that employed 200 people, because his sixth-sense told him that a Uganda-like situation could arise in Zambia as well. The winds of change were blowing, and a possibility that Indians living in Zambia could be forced out, similar to the 1972 Idi-Amin style evictions from Kampala—about 1500 miles north of Lusaka, the Zambian capital—was not entirely impossible.

As he began to scout for opportunities in Los Angeles, he came across Hacienda Inn, a small motel in Anaheim that was up for sale. He did not have to look back after that.

Today he owns top properties like the Hard Rock Hotel in San Diego and the San Mateo Marriot, among others. The Tarsadia Investments, named after the town in Gujarat close to which he was born, manages about USD 2 billion in capital. It has completed over 200 acquisitions and sales transactions totaling over USD 4 billion. Investment sectors include Life Sciences—pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, healthcare technology, Financial Services—financial

From the book Indian Americans in Greater Los Angeles Area by India Empire Publications 36 india empire | June 2017

technology, financial industry services, Technology— augmented reality, wearables, clean technology, Real Estate—hospital, net leases, Alternative Investment—asset management platforms. The American Dream that Bhikubhai Ukabhai Patel set out to live, has truly been his.

In 2011, BU decided that it was time to do something big in India. He took up the challenge of creating a world class university in Gujarat and set up the Uka Tarsadia University in Bardoli in Surat, Gujarat. In just a few years, UTU has turned into a top flight private institution in India with over 9,000 students and 450 faculty. The infrastructure GIVING BACK—THE TARSADIA FOUNDATION at UTU is state-of-the-art, and highly impressive. Its very In 1999, BU established the Tarsadia Foundation that large, gently sloping auditorium will put some of India’s top supports non-profit organizations with programs and theaters in New Delhi and Mumbai to shade. To its projects that provide educational opportunities for the students’ fraternity, UTU offers top-of-the-line courses in underserved, promotes health and well-being of the management, computer science, engineering, technology, community, and helps employ the employable through bio-technology, pharmacy, architecture, among others. The economic empowerment. It works to improve people’s lives campus boasts of sprawling grounds, well-stocked libraries, through grant funding, promotion of philanthropy and comfortable hostels for boys and girls and the best strengthening capabilities of non-profit organizations. placement record in the region. Just to be on campus and Personal involvement by all Tarsadia soak in the atmosphere and the family members is a key element of facilities is refreshing.

Just as big as his desire to do the organization. Having handed over BU is also closely associated with something for the community the reins of Tarsadia Investments to the Bardoli Pradesh Kelavani Mandal. his sons Mayur and Tushar, BU is very The aim of BPKM is to take has been his feelings for his much focused on the activities of this education to the tribal and rural areas extended family. Unlike Foundation. of Bardoli district. The place is many who forget relatives Just as big as his desire to do historically famous for being the something for the community has launch pad of the Bardoli satyagraha after making it big, BU has been his feelings for his extended initiated by Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel pulled in as many as 80 family. Unlike many who forget during India’s freedom struggle. The members of his larger family relatives after making it big, BU has BPKM runs several educational pulled in as many as 80 members of institutions and has two major into his scope of operations, a his larger family into his scope of campuses, including the one at Malibu sign of a man that truly has a operations, a sign of a man that truly which BU has nurtured with much big heart and wants to give has a big heart and wants to give his care. near and dear ones a chance to grow his near and dear ones a as well. Of them, over 50 members are EARLY YEARS chance to grow as well directly involved in Tarsadia BU grew up in a village that had Foundation (TF). Since TF offers primitive written all over it. A grants for community projects to registered non-profits, thousand years of invasions and European rule had left family members are involved closely with the process. Also, most of India’s countryside depleted and drained of they do on-ground monitoring of the projects. Apart from resources, and BU’s ancestral place was no exception. There adults, even children as young as nine years are welcomed were mud huts and mud roads all around. Poles that were on the Board and are encouraged to be a part of supposed to transmit power, loomed large, but there was philanthropic activities from an early age. TF beneficiaries no electricity around. His father was a laborer, and for the are mainly underserved communities in and around Orange family getting two square meals a day meant a lot. BU knew County and Los Angeles. that some of his distant relatives had left their life of TF also invites applications for grants from similar non- impoverishment and migrated to African shores. He began profits in India. In fact, the Foundation organizes field trips to dream of travelling overseas himself. for service to the areas where the grants have been made.

Tough times do not last, tough people do. Somehow, The family members have visited leprosy centers in India through the tough times that the family had, BU earned a for service where the Foundation has contributed Bachelor’s degree in Commerce from the Baroda University. financially. The focus of the grants is largely on projects Soon came the opportunity to join some of his relatives in dealing with empowerment, education and healthcare.

Zambia. Those were times when Zambia that had newly

From the book Indian Americans in Greater Los Angeles Area by India Empire Publications June 2017 | india empire 37

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become independent and had started shedding off the tag of Northern Rhodesia was inviting Indians to develop its economy. For Zambia the entrepreneurial talent of the Gujarati community came as a boon. As a land long colonized and exploited was finding its feet again, BU landed in its midst full of enterprising energy. He acquired a commercial license and drove a 10-ton truck, the likes of which were not to be found in India. He also managed a stone quarry. When an apparel retail store came up for sale, he pooled in all his savings, and bought it. His young family lived in a small room at the back of the shop. There was barely enough space for his wife Pushpa and children Mayur, Tushar and Maya, but the family managed. Everyone was happy because BU owned the store, and Pushpa was helping him in business alongside building a joyful home.

Soon he owned a garment manufacturing unit, but not before having to drive hard bargains to get it. His days of an immigrant struggling to survive were over. As orders came in, his business grew, and so did the employees who at one point touched 200 before he decided that he needed to sell it, and move to the USA.

COMMUNITY MAN When BU was still relatively new to Los Angeles, he got involved in the Indian American community activities in a big way. He was one of those who saw the importance in establishing the Sanatan Dharam Temple in Little India in the heart of Los Angeles. He’s one of those who initiated the setting up of the Asian American Hotel Owners Association (AAHOA), a pioneering organization that today has well over 10,000 members and is the largest of its kind in the world. AAHOA members own almost one in every two hotels in the United States, have property assets worth billions of dollars, and employ hundreds of thousands of employees.

BU, the agreeable patriarch of a large family that now has its third generation in the United States, is a model for those who start out with very little, but do not see that as a handicap, ever. As the bestselling American author Tommy Newberry says, if you want to lead an extraordinary life, find out what the ordinary do—and don’t do it. In the case of the extraordinarily successful B.U. Patel, founder of the Tarsadia empire, little else could be truer. ❐

From the book Indian Americans in Greater Los Angeles Area by India Empire Publications 38 india empire | June 2017