India Herald 041719

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Web: www.india-herald.com • Editor@india-herald.com • Tel: 281-980-6746

20 Pages

India Herald

VOL. 25 • NO. 16 • WEDNESDAY, APRIL 17, 2019 • P.O. BOX 623, SUGAR LAND, TX 77487 • PERIODICAL PERMIT USPS 017699 • 25 cents

Adi Sankara center and Sharada Temple take shape

Meenakshi Temple marks a milestone

Sringeri Vidya Bharati Foundation USA president Dr. S.S. Iyer, left, and Chairman Dr. Yegna Subramanian offer prayers to their guru before a town meeting in the Sugar Land area on April 6. By SESHADRI KUMAR One of the four Adi Sankara Centers in the U.S. is taking shape in Houston under the aegis of Sringeri Vidya Bharati Foundation, an international extension of the ancient Sri Sharada Peetham, Sringeri, Karnataka State, India. The Foundation functions under the direct guidance of Jagadguru Shanakaracharya, His Holiness Sri Sri Bharati Theertha Mahaswamigal of the Sringeri Sharada Peetham. The Houston center is being built on Clodine Road, off FM 1464 and West Belfort near the Aliana subdivision in Richmond, Fort Bend County. On April 6, SVBF hosted a town hall meeting near the construction site to brief the community on the status of the project.

SVBF Houston representatives S.V. Raman and Natarajan, explaining the progress of the temple construction, said the priest quarters are nearing completion and the main structure construction is about to begin. Recent rains caused some delay. SVBF USA Chairman Dr. Yegna Subramanian and President Dr. S.S. Iyer addressed the gathering. Iyer gave a brief overview of SVBF centers in Stroudsburg, PA, and Detroit. The Houston center will be third and the fourth will be in San Diego, CA. Dr. Yegna Subramanian said that the Houston community is fortunate and blessed to be chosen as a place for the

Sri Meenakshi Temple Society in Pearland celebrated its fundraising milestone of $1 million in one year on Tamil New Year’s Day, Sunday, April 14. The temple is currently renovating the Kalyana Mandapam and expanding the parking lot. The marriage hall is being demolished for reconstruction and a new parking lot with 104 parking spaces was earlier inaugurated by Pearland Mayor Tom Reid. Above, the mayor unveiled a plaque to mark the fundraising effort. MTS officers Ram Reddy, left, Dr. Padmini Nathan, Mayor Tom Reid, Kamala Raghavan and Partha Krishnaswamy. Sam Kannappan, one of the founding members of MTS said in the last 42 years devotees have donated over $40 million for the temple. See Page 2.

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PAGE 2 • INDIA HERALD • WEDNESDAY, APRIL 17, 2019

COMMUNITY

Left, Pearland Mayor cuts the ribbon and declares the new “Utsav” parking lot at Meenakshi Temple open, after the priests sought Lord Ganesha’s blessings for the parking lot (above) on April 14.

Kalyana Mandapam renovation in progress

Sankara From Page 1 Sankara Center. It is a divine choice, he said. The Houston center, he added, is not a mere carbon copy of a temple, but includes a community hall, priest quarters and a center dedicated for conducting rituals in memory of the elders who passed away. Expressing his satisfaction with the progress of the project, Dr. Subramanian said the consecration of the Houston temple would take place early next year. The center’s mission is to follow and propagate the authentic practice of the Vedic culture as prescribed in the scriptures and guided by the unbroken tradition of the Sringeri Sankaracharya Mutt; To enable the understanding of the Scriptures; Rituals that are based on the scriptures and their significance in dayto-day life; To support Veda Patasalas and encourage Vedic priesthood.

Priest Kalyana Krishnan

The center will actively participate in humanitarian, charitable community services, in accordance with the prescriptions of our Dharma. Once the center is established, it will be up to the local community to support and maintain it. In his remarks, Raman said,

“The advice of Subramanian and Iyer has benefited the volunteers, motivating us to carry it forward with confidence and pride. The interaction with the community has strengthened the SVBF visibility and will help us, the local team, to build on that.” Raman also introduced SVBF’s Priest Kalyana Krishnan who has over 20 years of experience conducting rituals and has conducted various Maha Rudrams across US and in India. He is proficient in conducting various temple rituals as well as commonly performed rituals as per the Guru Parampara. He is joined by his wife Jyothi and son Sriram. They reside in Sugar Land. The priest will come to the devotee’s home and perform the services as well when requested. For more information, contact SVBF South by email svbftexas@gmai.com. Call 832-547-3928. Visit www. svbftexas.org.

The current board of administration at the Temple under the leadership of Dr. Padmini Ranganathan has launched a $1. 5 project to renovate the 20-year- old Kalyana Mandapam so as to meet the growing needs of devotees. The parking lot expansion is part of the project and it has been completed ahead of schedule by four weeks. Construction of a new parking lot was taken up in March and completed within 6 weeks, said Partha Krishnaswamy, who is coordinating the project. Speaking at the inaugural event after cutting the ribbon, the Mayor pointed out that the City of Pearland is also building new parking spaces to meet the needs of the citizens of Pearland which is growing at a fast rate. He commended the temple board for launching this project to add the additional spaces for the members of its congregation. Kalyana Mandapam renovation project is expected to be completed by November. MTS also celebrated its $1 million mark in fundraising on the occasion, while another $100,000 was raised on April 14 toward the Kalyana Mandapam project. The renovated Kalyana mandapam will have a deeper and wider stage, additional seating capacity, modern acoustics and lighting. Also, for weddings, separate rooms for the bride and groom are being built. The foyer area will be larger as well. While donations have been generous, the temple now encourages donations by parents on behalf of the next generation and the names of the youth or children are being added to the display list of donors. — SESHADRI KUMAR

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INDIA HERALD • WEDNESDAY, APRIL 17, 2019 • PAGE 3

Indian Music Society of Houston & Houston Maharashtra Mandal present musical journey Swar Anand by

Anand Bhate (Disciple of Late Bhimsen Joshi)

Bharat Kamath on Tabla

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Sudhir Nayak on Harmonium

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Indian Music Society of Houston presents Hindustani Vocal Concert by

Omkar Dadarkar (Disciple of Pandit Ulhas Kashalkar)

Sanjay Deshpande on Tabla Disciple of Pt. Yogesh Samsi

Omkar Dadarkar

DATE: SATURDAY, April 27 TIME: 5 P.M. VENUE: Cullen Hall, University of St. Thomas 3910 Yoakum Blvd., Houston, TX 77006

Milind Kulkarni on Harmonium Disciple of Pandit Pramod Marathe

www.IMSHOUSTON.Net For Information, Call Govind Shetty @ 713-922-2501

PAGE 4 • INDIA HERALD • WEDNESDAY, APRIL 17, 2019

COMMUNITY Arya Samaj Houston celebrates Foundation Day

Arya Samaj’s “Om” flag hoisting ceremony.

Arya Samaj’s Peace Walk kick-off.

On April 6-7, Arya Samaj Houston celebrated its 28th Sthapana Divas (Foundation Day). Arya Samaj was founded by Maharshi Dayanand on April 10, 1875, in Mumbai with the clarion call “Back to the Vedas” – the root of the Satya Sanatana Vedic Dharma – a rational and scientific philosophy that answers all the problems facing the world. The current worldwide progress seen in stress relief and mental peace by meditation, good health by vegetarian food, universal franchise and women equality, women education, equality of all humans, compassion and kindness, getting rid of superstitions, etc. have their seminal connection to the movement known as Arya Samaj. The celebration began with the 3rd annual community-wide Public Health Fair on Saturday, reflecting the Sixth Principle of Arya Samaj – the welfare of the world via physical, spiritual and social development and the chief aim of Arya Samaj. The fair included: 3K/5K walk, Yoga session, blood tests and EKG, coupled with one-to-one consultation with five specialist doctors. People could also register as bone marrow donors or an organ donors. There were also public health awareness lectures by three specialist doctors. Emphasis was on heart disease and diabetes – the two prominent medical conditions affecting the Indian community and their control by food and lifestyle changes. Sunday was dedicated to a colorful extravaganza that began with the hoisting of the saffron flag depicting the light of the Supreme Being – OM, followed by a special Yajnya, the classical practice that teaches us to dedicate life to spreading goodness around the world. Acharyaji’s message further amplified the core teachings of Arya Samaj. Sanjay Jain made a presentation about the organization and its various arms. Given the time limitation, he must have found it difficult to choose the points that are feathers in Arya Samaj Houston’s cap. The children of both the schools then took charge – DAV Montessori & Elementary School and DAV Sanskriti School (the Sunday School). Students Mahi Tomar and Soumil Goyal were emcees. Recitation of the Veda-Mantras was followed by an ensemble of songs and poems by little children of all ages, including 4 year olds. A thoughtful diversion came from Shrey Mukerjee, a 3rd grader narrating his experience at the Sanskriti School, talking in Hindi on “Why a Child Loves Arya Samaj”. The 7th and 8th graders performed a humorous skit about Good and Bad Karma, how it works, and what impact it has on everyday life. Three five year old girls of the DAV Elementary School stole the show, speaking extempore in a coordinated manner, in Hindi, on the ideals of Maharshi Dayanand and inspiring their friends to emulate his teachings. The finale came from the little children who were dressed as Maharshi and rendered a song with an inspiring message. The festive mood was reflected in the meal served at the end. The discipline and decorum was noteworthy, particularly as the crowd was huge and heterogeneous, thanks to the volunteers and teachers of both the schools and Arya Samaj. — Mahi Tomar (Arya Yuva Mandal)

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Established in 1995 by Rajeev Gadgil, Seshadri Kumar & Salim Sindhi India Herald (USPS Periodical 017-699) is published every Wednesday by India Herald, Inc. for a subscription rate of $25 per year. Periodical postage paid at Houston and Sugar Land, Texas. POST MASTER: Send address changes to India Herald, P.O. Box 623, Sugar Land, Texas 77487 Publisher & Editor: Seshadri Kumar www.india-herald.com; email:editor@india-herald.com India Herald assumes no liability resulting from action taken based on information included herein. ©India Herald. All rights reserved.

INDIA HERALD • WEDNESDAY, April 17, 2019 • PAGE 5

PAGE 6 • INDIA HERALD • WEDNESDAY, APRIL 17, 2019

COMMUNITY Tamil Nadu Foundation Houston chapter conducts literary contest for children Thirukkural, a collection of 1,330 couplets referred to as Kurals, written by Thiruvalluvar is literature that is treasured by the Tamils. This collection has been written more than 2,000 years ago. However, every verse of Thirukkural is relevant even today. In order to commemorate this divine literature and pass on the tradition to future generations, Tamil Nadu Foundation (TNF) Houston Chapter conducted a two day marathon of Kural recitation. Children between 5-18 years of age were encouraged to recite as many Kurals as they could along with its meaning. For each correct recitation, one got a prize money of $1.00. Parents who have been training their children for the recitation for a long time echoed a common sentiment that this generous gesture shown by TNF-Houston Chapter has encouraged their children to continue learning Kurals. Participants, not only from Houston, but other major areas including Sugar Land, Cypress, Katy, and Beaumont enthusiastically narrated their couplets. The oďŹƒce bearers of TNF- Houston chapter have been working tirelessly to host this event. Mala Gopal, long time Houstonian, is the President of the Houston chapter. “It is refreshing to see children at this tender age recite Kuralsâ€? she said. “I was enthralled to watch a ďŹ ve-year old participant narrate more than 430 kuralsâ€? she added. The top ďŹ ve participants in the list and mothers of toppers between the ages 5-13 and 13-18 will be honored on TNF-Houston’s Mothers’ Day celebrations. The two mothers will receive a customized saree with Thiruvalluvar’s image weaved within as a special prize. This event will be held on 5th May, at 3:00 pm at The Westchester Academy for International Studies, 901, Yorkchester Drive, Houston, Texas 77079. The entire team of TNF-Houston would like the support of the community to make this event a grand success.

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IACCGH Shell Distinguished Lecture features Willliam Harris The Indo-American Chamber of Greater Houston hosted William Harris - President and CEO of Space Center Houston Manned Space Flight Education Foundation, for its Shell Distinguished Lecture Series at Double Tree Hilton – Greenway Plaza on April 4. Executive Director Jagdip Ahluwalia opened the event by welcoming the attendees and highlighted the Chamber’s upcoming events and the Annual Gala. President Swapan Dhairyawan, in his comments, stated “We were so impressed with his presentation at the India delegation last year, that we felt there was need for an initiative and outreach of Space Center to our own members and resource partners here.” He also thanked event sponsor Shell for their support and contribution to the Chamber. William Harris spoke about the various ongoing initiatives that NASA takes each year

and introduced the upcoming programs for the coming year. He emphasized that there is something for everyone at NASA and it truly is a dynamic destination where people have a great experience. There are 10 NASA centers across the United States and 14 visitor centers, among which Space Center Houston has the most access to laboratories and research of any NASA center in the country. The Space Center takes pride in the fact that people visit the Center and are able to go behind the scenes to see where the astronauts train, the robotics lab, the real hardware, development of the most advanced humanoid robot in the world that is going to support deep space missions and the space station control room. Space Center Houston is constantly working to offer an engaging experience to all its visitors. They are constantly improvising on how to make

INDIA HERALD • WEDNESDAY, APRIL 17, 2019 • PAGE 7

IACCGH Board and Shell Representative Ana Kopf with Speaker William Harris. themselves available to everyone and make it one of their most memorable visits. The event concluded with Shell representatives presenting William Harris a token of appreciation on behalf of the Chamber and an engaging photo session. For more details about future events, visit www.iaccgh.com.

INDIA HERALD • WEDNESDAY, APRIL 17, 2019 • PAGE 8

Earth day And the Kumbh Mela

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INDIA HERALD • WEDNESDAY, APRIL 17, 2019 • PAGE 9

COMMUNITY

Daya’s 2019 gala ‘Shine’ celebrates the survivors Chaired by Daya Board Members, Aparna Asthana, Annu Naik, and Shamza Matin on March 31, 2019, Daya held Shine – Celebrating the Light of Survivors to raise funds to support South Asian victims of domestic and sexual violence in Houston. As a result of outreach by Honorary Event Chairs Salma and Riaz Siddiqi, and Sandhya and Naresh Sabhnani, this year’s sold out gala welcomed over 600 community members. The program was led by emcee, Vikas Shah, MBE, an entrepreneur and professor who traveled for the event from Manchester. Against a stunning backdrop of twinkling lights, Daya Board President, Sheela Rao welcomed the audience and acknowledged the many staff, board members, and volunteers that make up the Daya Family. She gave special thanks to Daya’s partners and funders that allow Daya to do their work. Mr. Shah then read an official proclamation from the Mayor’s Office, naming March 31, 2019 “Daya Day” in the City of Houston. Executive Director, Rachna Khare spoke of the complex challenges and barriers that South Asian survivors face when seeking help. She welcomed two Daya clients and Daya counselor, Hareema

Mela to the stage for an open discussion about the clients’ experiences and the role that Daya played in the recovery. One client discussed the barriers she faced in shelter and mainstream agencies. A year of rental assistance from Daya has allowed the client to rebuild her life. She now has a full-time job and can independently take care of her four children. The second client spoke of the in-law abuse she experienced and the impact the abuse had on her own family in India. Through mental health counseling at Daya, she was able to rebuild her self-confidence and is now living independently and is finishing dental school. Ms. Khare challenged the audience to take ownership of domestic violence as a public health crisis. Mr. Shah then took the stage to illustrate how community donations impact in the life of a survivor. A donation of $1000 provides six months of traumabased professional counseling, $2500 gives a legal retainer fee for immigration and family law cases, and $10,000 provides an entire year of rental assistance for a client and her children. After dinner, filmmaker and activist, Leslee Udwin, took the stage. Ms. Udwin spoke passionately about the making of her

film, India’s Daughter. Ms. Udwin introduced the audience to Think Equal, her initiative to teach empathy and equality to children in the formative, developmental years. Ms. Udwin ended her inspirational speech with a call to action, urging the audience to shine the light on domestic violence in our community. Daya is aiming to raise $400,000 for the gala. To donate, please go to https://www. dayahouston.org/what-yourdollars-can-do.

Filmmaker and activist Leslee Udwin. — Slyworks Photography.

Daya’s board of directors, with President Sheela Rao, center.

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NEWS FIS honored by MLK Jr. Grande Parade organization Mr. Charles Stamps, CEO and Founder of MLK Grande Parade organization brought and presented the Texas State House of Representatives' recognition to Foundation for India Studies during Dr. Milan Vaishnav's lecture held in India House on March 30, 2019. Signed by State Representative,(Hon) Ron Reynolds, the citation expressed Texas State House's most sincere Congratulations to the Foundation for India Studies (FIS) as the Honoree of the 25th. Annual MLK Grande Parade that was held in January 2019. The Citation also recognizes FIS's professional and community service. The Foundation has been continuously participating in the Parade for the past eight years, and in some years, Mr. Vavilala himself led the group dressed as Mahatma Gandhi. In 2015, FIS was declared the winner of the parade's Grand Marshal Award. The purpose of FIS participation in the parade was to send a visual message that the Indian community and the grassroots America share the same values of Peace and Non-violence as practiced by Mahatma Gandhi and Dr. Martin Luther King jr.

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Cypress Woods Student wins 1st place award at the Texas State Science and Engineering Fair

Cypress Woods High School junior Govind Chada won the 1st place award at the 2019 Texas Science and Engineering Fair in the Computational Biology and Bioinformatics category for his research project on early detection of lung cancer using machine learning. More than 1,200 students showcased their projects and were judged by experts in the ďŹ elds of science, technology, engineering and mathematics at the state competition held at Texas A&M University in College Station on March 29-30, 2019. These students gained eligibility to participate in the state’s premier science and engineering competition by qualifying as a top ďŹ nisher from one of the 13 regional science fairs across Texas. Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death among both men and women in the U.S., with more than a hundred thousand deaths every year and a very low 5-year survival rate. Chada’s research was motivated by the fact that early detection of lung cancer signiďŹ cantly improves chances of survival and prognosis. Through research conducted for nearly a year, he developed a machine learning model that detects lung nodules with state-of-theart accuracy. In addition, he applied a novel visualization technique that allows radiologists to see how the algorithm is making its decisions, thereby increasing their trust in the model. Chada plans to continue work in this area and hopes to see his research being used by radiologists in practice to save lives. His project was titled “Using 3D Convolutional Neural Networks for ClassiďŹ cation of Lung Nodules and Early Detection of Lung Cancerâ€? “I would like to express my deepest gratitude to my teachers and administration for the encouragement and support I received in pursuit of my extracurricular activities. I have been very fortunate to have great teachers who spend countless hours after school and weekends creating strong STEM and leadership programs and inspiring us to be the best we can,â€? Chada said. As a 1st place winner, Chada was awarded a scholarship to attend the prestigious Governor’s Science and Technology Champions Academy summer camp to be held in July at the Southern Methodist University in Dallas.

INDIA HERALD • WEDNESDAY, APRIl 17, 2019 • PAGE 11

NEWS Vellore parliamentary constituency polls rescinded The Election Commission had recommended that the polls in Vellore be cancelled as it received a “highly damaging” report on abuse of money power in the constituency President Ram Nath Kovind on April 16 rescinded the Vellore parliamentary constituency polls in Tamil Nadu on the Election Commission’s recommendation, following a detailed report about abuse of money power to influence voters. “Accepting the recommendation of Election Commission of India dated April 14, 2019, the honourable President is pleased to rescind election to 8-Vellore Parliamentary Constituency Tamil Nadu to elect a member to Lok Sabha,” said ECI spokesperson Sheyphali Sharan. The poll panel may soon fix a fresh date for holding the election in the constituency based on ground reports. The Commission had recommended that the polls be cancelled as it received a “highly damaging” report on abuse of money power in the constituency, submitted by the enforcement agencies. The issue pertained to the recent seizure of huge cash from the premises linked to a candidate and the subsequent findings by the Income-Tax Department. Based on the Income-Tax Department’s findings, the police have also initiated legal action against those suspected to be involved. While the DMK fielded party treasurer Durai Murugan’s son D.M. Kathir Anand, the AIADMK allowed its ally, the New Justice Party’s president A.C. Shanmugam to contest on the ‘Two Leaves’ symbol. Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK) has nominated a former Minister K. Pandurangan. Makkal Needhi Maiam’s R. Suresh, and Naam Tamizhar Katchi’s S. Deepalakshmi are also in the fray. The constituency comprises the town of Vellore and leather fronts of Ambur, Vaniyambadi and Gudiyatham, besides Anaicut and KV Kuppam.

EC curbs campaigning by Yogi, Mayawati, Maneka and Azam

The Election Commission on Monday imposed restrictions on the campaigning of four senior politicians for violating the model code of conduct in Uttar Pradesh. The EC put a 72hour prohibition on Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and a 48-hour ban on Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati, beginning at 6 a.m. on Tuesday. Union Minister Maneka Gandhi, the BJP candidate from Sultanpur, has been restrained for 48 hours, and a 72-hour restriction has been imposed on Azam Khan, Samajwadi Party candidate from Rampur, beginning from 10 a.m. on Tuesday. The orders, in which the Election Commission censured the four politicians, also prevent them from giving interviews or making any comment on the electronic, print orsocial media in connection with the upcoming Lok Sabha election. At a rally on April 9, allegedly in response to Ms. Mayawati’s appeal on April 7 to Muslims to vote for the BSP-Samajwadi PartyRashtriya Lok Dal alliance, Mr. Adityanath had said that if the Congress, the SP and the BSP had faith in “Ali,” “then we also have faith in Bajrangbali.” He also made a reference to “haraa virus” [green virus]. While restraining him from campaigning, the EC noted that he was earlier cautioned to remain careful after his

“Modiji ki sena” [Modi’s Army] remark when speaking about the armed forces. Intimidation In a separate order against Ms. Gandhi, the EC said it had seen the video recording of her speech and was convinced that it violated the provisions of the model code as laid down in Para 3 and 4 of Part1 of the ‘General Conduct’ section, pertaining to bribing or intimidation of voters. The EC said she had also violated Section 123 (corrupt practices) of the Representation of the People Act, reprimanding her for the conduct. At Turab Khani village, Ms. Gandhi had allegedly told Muslims that they should vote for her as they would need her help in the future. As regards Mr. Khan, the EC said his speech at a rally in Rampur on Sunday — allegedly directed at his rival BJP candidate Jayaprada — was not only indecent, but also derogatory and totally uncalled for. Citing a 2013 advisory, it said all the political parties and candidates had been told to refrain from any actions repugnant to the honour and dignity of women. Without naming the actor, Mr. Khan had said, “ You were represented (by her) for 10 years. People of Rampur, people of Uttar Pradesh and people of India, it took you 17 years to understand her reality. But, I could recognize it in 17 days that she wears a khaki

Watch Modi biopic fully this time, Supreme Court tells ECI The Supreme Court on Monday directed the Election Commission of India (ECI) to watch the movie PM Narendra Modi fully before deciding on whether or not to stay its public screening. A Bench led by Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi asked the ECI to report back to the apex court in sealed cover by Friday on whether the movie is to be publicly screened or not. Only trailer The court found that the ECI had had “no occasion to watch” the film before passing its interim order on April 10 to stay its release. It seems, the court said, the ECI took its call on the basis of a short trailer. “Consider the matter once again,” the court told the ECI. The court also asked the ECI to provide the film makers an opportunity to be heard, if they so requested. The court posted the next hearing on April 22. The film’s makers had argued that the ECI had stayed the movie without watching it. They argued that the ECI’s stay was a violation of their fundamental right to free speech and expression. Stayed by ECI The ECI had stayed the release of the biopic till further orders. According to the producers, the biopic was scheduled to hit the theatres on April 11, that is, on the very day the first phase of polling in the Lok Sabha polls kicked off. Exercising its powers under Article 324 of the Constitution, the ECI had directed that any biopic material sub-serving the purposes of any political entity or any individual entity connected to it, which is intended to, or which has potential to, disturb the level playing field during the underwear.” Ms. Jayaprada had won Lok Sabha elections from Rampur in 2009 and 2014 on an SP ticket. However, this year she has switched parties and is contesting on a BJP ticket. Anti-Dalit: Mayawati Responding to the EC orders, BSP chief Mayawati late on Monday said the 48-hour ban on her campaigning reflected the “anti-Dalit” mindset of the panel and alleged that the decision was unconstitutional and cruel.

elections, should not be displayed during the MCC period. “Any poster or publicity material concerning any such certified content, which either depicts a candidate (including prospective) for the furtherance (or purported to further) of electoral prospect, directly or indirectly, shall not be put to display in electronic media in the area where MCC [Model Code of Conduct] is in operation,” said the seven-page order. On a candidate In a separate letter to the producers of the biopic, the Commission explained that the film cannot be exhibited as it was a biopic on a political leader and prospective candidate in the General Elections. The court had rejected an earlier plea by a Congress activist to stop the release of the film. That petition had claimed that the biopic was “blatant propaganda” adorned as a work of art in violation of the MCC for the Lok Sabha polls of 2019. The petition had been rejected by the court on April 9.

She said she did not get a proper hearing before the EC ban nor was she provided a CD of the statement as requested. “This will be remembered as a Black Day in the history of the EC,” she said at a press conference. The EC ban on Ms Mayawati means she will miss the crucial joint rally of the SP-BSP-RLD in Agra on April 16. It is also the last day of campaigning for the second phase. Ms. Mayawati said while she was penalised by the EC,

the panel did not have the courage to issue notice to “real culprits” like Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah whom she accused of violating the MCC through references to the Army and trying to incite religious feelings. Soon after the EC banned Ms. Mayawati, her ally SP chief Akhilesh Yadav asked the Commission if it had the “integrity” to “stop the PM” from asking for votes in the name of the Army.

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PAGE 12 • INDIA HERALD • WEDNESDAY, APRIL 17, 2019

NEWS Court declines stay order on TikTok The Supreme Court on Monday refused to stay an interim order of the Madras High Court to the Centre to prohibit the TikTok mobile application over concerns about inappropriate content. A Bench, led by Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi, addressed Chinese company ByteDance, owner of the popular short-form video application, that the High Court’s order was an interim one, and the High Court had scheduled further hearing for April 16. Senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, counsel for ByteDance, said the order was a violation of the right to free speech and expression. The court did not close the company’s appeal and listed it for April 22. Senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, for ByteDance, said there were over billion downloads of the application. He submitted that the order was a violation of the right to free speech and expression. And it did not pay heed to the protection afforded to intermediaries under the Information Technology Act. In April, the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court had even ordered the media houses to refrain from telecasting TikTok videos. A Division Bench of Justices N. Kirubakaran and S.S. Sundar had even asked the Centre whether a law, similar to the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act of the U.S., could be brought in to prevent children from becoming victims of cyber and online crimes. Though the High Court did not object to TikTok being used in jest, it had, however, pointed out how the application could be used for crude humour against innocent parties, leading to violation of the fundamental right to privacy. The High Court had observed that inappropriate contents were being made available to children. A majority of the teenagers were playing pranks, gaffing around with duet videos and sharing split screen with strangers. This could expose the vulnerable to sexual predators. The court took cognisance of the fact that Indonesia and Bangladesh had banned TikTok and the U.S. enacted the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act to safeguard children.

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Tender Notice for replacement of carpet The Consulate General of India, Houston invites sealed tender to undertake work of replacement of Carpet in the Consulate building from professional companies/contractors. Terms & conditions and scope of work may be downloaded free of cost from the following websites: http://www.cgihouston.gov.in or https://eprocure.gov.in/eprocure/app Interested parties may send their sealed tender with refundable Earnest Money Deposit (EMD) of $ 1100 and Integrity Pact Security Deposits (IPSD) of $ 2,750 through Cashier check in favour of “Consulate General of India, Houston” by mail or in person before 14th May 2019 at 1100 hrs. Address: Consulate General of India, 4300 Scotland Street, Houston, Texas-77007 For inquiry please email: admin.houston@mea.gov.in or hoc.houston@mea.gov.in

Election Commission’s test of faith Our electoral process, which is truly a large scale democratic exercise with a mammoth logistical efficiency, has, however still not been able to settle our anxieties and mistrust of technology with regard to the operation of the electronic voting machine or EVM. So every election season, it lends itself to the propaganda by Opposition parties that huge caches are tampered with and programmed to suit the ruling dispensation. And this has been an unwavering theme ever since EVMs were introduced, being questioned by parties across the spectrum, depending on when the results suited them or not. Ironically, at the receiving end of these charges of malfunctioning today, the BJP at one time raised the loudest protest with its leader GVL Narasimha Rao writing a book titled Democracy at Risk. And then came the insurance in the form of the voter verifiable paper audit trail (VVPAT). Yet the scientific fact is since EVMs aren’t connected to the internet and their software is ‘burnt’ into the CPU and cannot be rewritten after manufacture, mass manipulation is impossible. Of course thefts, faulty chips and breakdowns are possible and a paper system is also liable to be exploited by a system that has seen booth captures and ballot box stuffing but even the most scientific rigging can may be swing a five per cent vote. Besides, such blatant vote capture events can no longer happen with a Central security in place and a phased out electoral process. But whenever a malfunctioning is reported, it fuels old anxieties and raises questions afresh. So it is that Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and Telugu Desam Party (TDP) chief Chandrababu Naidu is rallying other Opposition parties around his demand that at least 50 per cent of the votes be compared with VVPAT slips for the sake of transparency and removing doubts. He alleged that technology was misused during Telangana elections and 25 lakh votes were removed from the electoral rolls. He even claimed that election officials apologised when there was a gap between polled votes and the total number of votes. Besides, all around Andhra Pradesh, the buttons malfunctioned, reportedly registering votes of some parties and not that of others. Around 30 per cent EVMs did not function at all. Similar complaints have poured in from north India, too, during the first phase of polling. So there seem to be some technical glitches that need addressing swiftly and are providing enough ammunition to the Opposition parties to claim a thorough relook at the system and cite examples of Western countries like Germany, which have indeed shifted to ballot papers. So the Election Commission (EC) has been left with the unenviable task of restoring trust in a system, which has snowballed into a loud noise about the EVMs being damaged goods. But the fact is, the EC cannot get more VVPAT machines since the election process is already underway and cross-tabulation, in the end, may lengthen the process of counting and put an attendant stress on the system of tallying the votes. It is not just about the infrastructure, you need that much more manpower for the magnitude of polling increases progressively as lakhs of people come to vote at every other polling station. It is impossible to tackle this rush with paper ballots. It is precisely for this reason that the EVMs were brought into our electoral process to streamline operations and reduce costs. Now with both technological and manual systems in play, the process is quite complicated as it exists. And although the EC has tried taking every party into confidence about EVMs, which it claims has been tested and certified by IITs’ best minds, it now has to face the parties’ plea of counting of at least 50 per cent of the VVPAT slips with the EVMs in every Assembly segment. And so the onus of restoring the credibility of the democratic exercise has now been thrust upon the EC. Question is do we go back to a retrograde system and risk further ills? In the shortterm, what can the EC, therefore, do to restore faith? It can increase some numbers of EVM machines connected to VVPATs and ensure the latter doesn’t break down too. It must use more authentication units before the polls to weed out counterfeit/tampered EVMs, progress on which has been slow. It can fix a uniform sample size for hand-counting VVPAT slips for all constituencies. And it should fix a margin of error before ordering an automatic recount. It may be time-taking but will ensure its credibility among voters at least. And convince that EVM is not the devil.

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PAGE 14 • INDIA HERALD • WEDNESDAY, APRIL 17, 2019

Naach Houston rocks with its Bollywood show ‘Blast from the past’ The heavens opened up with some heavy rains during the day on April 13th. Around 3pm visitors to the Hermann Park took temporary shelter from the rain under the Miller Outdoor theatre seating and were treated to an impromptu Bollywood dance by none other than the talented dancers of Naach Houston who rehearsing for Houston’s Got Bollywood : Blast from the past scheduled at 8:15 pm the same evening. Such was the response from the afternoon crowd that the dancers went into their pre-show technical rehearsals full of energy and fervor that couldn’t be quenched by the high winds and cold temperatures that followed during the show. “Blast from the Past” was a celebration of current and yesteryears Bollywood musical hit singles. The show included over 75 dancers, foot tapping melodies, colorful costumes from Bollywood, mesmerizing lighting designed by Mahesh Mahbubani, programmed & operated by John Smetak, stunning visuals, innovative choreography all integrated to create a Magical Bollywood Theatre experience that Naach Houston has become synonymous with. The show opened with Mahesh Mahbubani of Moksh Arts remembering late Ms Neena Saha Gupta and late Ms. Kamna Sharma – both associated with Moksh Arts for a number of years. The curtains opened to a feet thumping Overture that included evergreen favorites like “Dholi”, “Malhari” and the remixed version of “Aankh Maare” followed by titles for the show in signature Naach Houston style Act one – titled Stars on 45 featured popular hits such as Dil Chori, Mundiya, and “Urvashi” the song made popular first by dance maestro Prabhudeva. The act ended with juniors drawing a big applause from the crowds on their rendition on Chinta Ta Ta. Act two titled Blast From the Past was a tribute to current and past hits from the Naach repertoire - these are dances that brought true Bollywood theater to Houston in the past years featuring the hip-hop ensemble “Imran Khan Mix”, yesteryears’ classics in a new bottle- Tip Tip Barsa Paani and Dilbar. The act ended with a thrilling performance to the current Bollywood hit Zingaat. Contemporary Bollywood dance has been a forte of Naach Houston because of the expertise of Mahesh Mahbubani, the Artis-

tic Director. Act three, Moments in Time, showcased contemporary dances to the tunes of Mere Naam from Zero, Jabse Tere naina, Dil Diya Gallan and In Lamho Ke daaman mein. The act ended with an eclectic mix of contemporary and hip-hop choreography set to the song “ Akh Lad Jaave” The fourth and final act was a tribute to the Bollywood Divas – with Naach Houston’s first juniors performing team rocking to Simba’s Mera Wala Dance, followed by Madhuri Dixit’s timeless classic Ek Do teen from Tezaab, and the house was up on its feet when Ace Choreographer Mahesh Mahbubani taking the stage in his unimitable style doing a flamenco on “Senorita” from Zindagi MIlegi Na Dobara followed by the Naach Adults performing to Tareefa and returning to Bollywood style choreography in Jumme Ki Raat. The act concluded with “Dilliwali Girlfriend” and “Desi Girl” from Dostana – finishing a sequence of songs that has brought fame and a fan following to Naach Houston over the past decade. The grand finale featured all the dancers on stage in synch dancing to One Two Three Fourget on the dance floor from Chennai Express that ended with a pose that is now legendarily known as the “Naach Hands”. The curtain call was yet another remix from the past “Paisa Yeh Paisa” from Karz, introducing us to the fabulous team of Choreographers including Anita Vyas, Karishma Mehta, Brinda Patel, Aishwarya Ravat, Twinkle Khanna and Simran Kotak and of course Mahesh Mahbubani. Choreographers who are now Naach Alumni but were helpful in creating these epic dance pieces over the last few years were also acknowledged. Within hours of the show ending, pictures and videos started appearing all over the social media. Moksh Community Arts would like to thank Navin Mediwala for still photography and Yash Singh for videography of the event, Back stage Management by Malay Vyas and the Naach Team. Houston’s Got Bollywood 2019 was sponsored by The Rungta Foundation, Larrissa and Ajay Sharma, Baylor St Luke’s Hospital, Alnoor & Shelina Malick, Manyavar, Bombay Pizza, Nalini Kannan of Decor One, Nithya Venkatesan & Media Partners India Herald and Radio Dabang. The show was funded by the city of Houston through the Miller Theatre Advisory Board.

INDIA HERALD • WEDNESDAY, APRIL 17, 2019 • PAGE 15

INDIA HERALD • WEDNESDAY, APRIL 17, 2019 • PAGE 16

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rid TX of–your staffi ng problems and spend more April 6, 2017Get – AUSTIN, The Hindu Students Association (HSA) would like to regretfully announce that it will be Good Numbers = Good Decisions cancelling its annual Gateway Retreat for the 2017 year. HSA prides itself in building a strong network of young Hindu Americans, and it looks forward to organizing other events in the future that will link students from its various branches. HSA has been reorienting itself in recent months to doing more grassroots work. “We have been focusing more on accomplishing work on the local and branch level,” said Mrinalini Vijalapuram, National President of the Hindu Students Association. “We have been doing this through many different activities including interfaith events with other religious organizations, building community partnerships, and expanding into other campuses that don’t already have HSA branches.” While the cancellation of Gateway may come as a disappointment for many prospective attendees, HSA hopes to get feedback from students on other projects and events that interest its branch members. Currently, several projects, including developing HSA’s podcast series and releasing monthly articles that highlight the accomplishments of members from the various campuses have been the focus of the organization’s efforts. HSA welcomes student and community members to get involved in these activities to help further the goals of the organization. “It is important that we meet the needs of the campuses and communities we serve,” reiterated Ms. Vijalapuram. “We want to make sure that we are putting our attention on projects that will truly benefit them.” U.S. 90 A -***-

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MUSINGS by Gadfly

Appearances are deceptive Returning after the longest ever gap (last Musings last Oct. 17 – Birds of “Leftist’ feathers), elections in India are in full swing but 2018 still lingers on my mind. Not big on dwelling on a bygone year nor high on welcoming the new. But the four years of bumps after an India visit (Jan. to March) 2014 to end of 2017, turned my perception of life into four blind men describing an elephant, By end of 2017, clouds cleared. Looking back, life’s fluidity and constant flux with its ups & downs make life a matter of constantly instant perceptions. Charlie Chaplin said, “Life in a close-up is a tragedy but in a long shot t’s a comedy. 2018 turned out to be a healthy return to peace & calm signaling that normalcy was being restored. The two not-toonegative events of 2018 were loss of my older brother, Vinnie (Nov. 30) and of ‘Baby’ (Oct. 17), a ‘sister’ who was no relation of my mine. (Baby was a moniker that stayed with her till the end.) To paraphrase someone else’s words, ‘with them have gone many incredible, unread chapters of their and my life’. This is not a tribute column. It’s about mostly wrong perceptions about recent life & life. The two deaths were ‘not-toonegative’ events because both Vinnie & Baby were in frail health for the past few years. Baby was eighty-six; Vinnie almost eighty. For the past 5-6 years, Baby often wondered why God was still keeping her alive, while Vinnie said during my 2014 visit that he is living a life of inactivity and has to make the best of it. Fortunately, his taste buds & constitution remained strong enough till the end with cravings for pizza & some other goodies. Of my four brothers, my older brother Vinnie, our younger brother Shri & I together were an ongoing party and a party of three at dinners & drinks. Thankfully wives & children were familiar enough with our closeness to let us be. We had formed a trio till Shri passed away unexpectedly. Special memories, inside jokes made us feel lucky to experience such closeness. (The oldest brother is now the oldest living person in our family. He has always been the silent type.) Vinnie & Shri were the jokesters. I was the lucky & entertained audience. Vinnie & I attended the same protestant school. Right up to his high school graduation, he was the only one to make fun of teachers on their face, often in front of the whole class & get away with it. No pranks, just imitations - mannerisms, dentures, glasses, snuff-sniffing habit, even the minutest detail. Anything he could pick on, and he had a knack of picking them. The teachers themselves were in stitches to think of punish-

ment,. He could have had a one-man show doing his impressions. No one – relatives, neighbours – escaped his attention. Even our school principal was not spared. The stern-faced man tried not to smile, gently patting little Vinnie’s behind, pointing him to his seat. None of his targets ever complained. Vinnie was not even ten when mother took him to Mumbai’s Chowpatty Beach to see India’s first Prime Minister Pandit Nehru speak at a public rally. My mother, like many Indians, especially women, loved Nehru’s princely looks. At home later when she asked him what he thought of Nehru, Vinnie said, “I wondered what would happen if an ant crawled up in his churidar & bit him”. This kind of visually (not verbally) graphic joke is a gift you can’t learn. He was the first & only in the family to drive around Mumbai city on a motor cycle – friend’s or rented. He was the only son who was allowed (by my father) to get a job after high school. “I’m going to flunk repeatedly in college, job or no job. So why not make money while flunking?” I can imagine the amused look on my father’s face. He still paid for Vinnie’s college education & asked Vinnie to deposit the salary in his own bank account. Arranged marriage was a given in the family but the young ladies in Vinnie’s office & college were volunteering to arrange his marriage. Not to worry. Vinnie & my parents had a mutual admiration society, despite being the first rebel among brothers. He was full of witticisms until his late seventies, when inabilities, starting with hearing loss, caught up with him. For someone so full of life & verve (my mother called him ‘the most restless son in the family), inactive life is a prison. He made it more so by refusing to wear hearing aids. “Include me out,” he used to say, repeating a Samuel Goldwynism (MGM) I had shared with him. We had said our goodbyes in 2014 before Vinnie ‘included himself out’. Death puts memories in a fond focus. Baby(tai) was a different kettle of fish aside from being the most beautiful woman I ever met, knew or saw. I was barely eleven when I met her a few months before her marriage. She was twenty-three. She was our upstairs neighbour’s sister, where I used to go to listen to Binaca Geetmala on Wednesdays. In about a year, when Baby got married, I had become a regular presence at their family gatherings, movies, weddings, parties but I hardly knew her when she married (arranged) a Bombay police subinspector, a tall & handsome man, gentle, soft-spoken, decent & polite. Fifteen years & two sons lat-

er, Baby’s husband had stroke. His right side was paralyzed for life. Baby was thirty-nine. She got herself a bank job, her first & retired there, years later. We got closer after that. Before her husband’s stroke, Baby was one of the most caring persons I knew. After the stroke, overnight, she did a 180 on herself & often said three words she never said before. ‘I don’t care’. Sometime in 1975, I said to her, “I don’t have a sister and always missed having one. Not a cousin. I wish you return as my sister in my next life.” She said, “No. No. I don’t want Punarjanma. (rebirth). I know it’s not in our hands but once this life is over, that’s it. No more. I just want to take care of my sons till they’re married. After that I don’t want this life or any other life.” How could I disagree after seeing her suffering? After migrating to US, I kept in touch through letters, birthday cards and visits when in India. And she responded. Her husband passed away in 1983. Her birthday cards stopped. First year after his death was understandable. Then on my 1986 birthday, I was in India when she told me that her husband had passed away on the same day as my birthday & she couldn’t bring herself to send birthday cards anymore. In a telephone conversation with her younger son 3-4 months before Baby’s demise, I said that my father told me the purpose of life is to make a difference in at least six people’s lives. “Meaning doing some-

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thing for someone? Helping someone?” He asked, “Not necessarily,” I said. “Baby didn’t do anything for me per say nor could I, for her. But after your father’s stroke, how she set an example with brave struggles & her honesty was a constant reminder of her stature in my eyes. That made a huge difference to me.” As long as I had known Baby, she stayed brave & dignified. Self-respect was written all over her face, in capital letters. My 2014 India visit was timed to attend her grand-daughter’s wedding in February. (That was the last time I saw her though I spoke to her every 2-3 months after that.) I stayed with her & her son’s family that week. Returning from a gathering, her son & his wife & daughter dropped Babytai & me at their apartment building & went to run some errands. Getting out of the lift (elevator) on the third floor, she stopped a moment to catch her breath. Trying to hold on to the railing to take steps down towards the door, she seemed to falter a bit as if to catch her balance. Without thinking, I offered my hand & said, “Here. Hold my hand.” She said, “I will not hold anybody’s hand except my sons.” I had spoken without realizing the symbol of my offer but Baby was never one to miss those things. The only time she held my hand was when she read my palm, years ago, in her husband’s presence.

She was twelve years older than me. Yet our tastes matched, our icons & ideals matched. Even dislikes matched. She was up-to-date on politics, films, literature, music. Even cricket. A busy wife, mother & a full-time bank-employee & later a grandmother but well-read and wellinformed. Vinnie was street-smart, ready-witted & resourceful but give him a book or a news clipping to read and he’d ask you to leave it on his table and never read it. He was the favourite of his bosses, in India and in the US. Like most brothers, Vinnie, I & esp. Shri created & shared a treasure-trove of memories. It’s one of life’s surprises that Baby, not a relative, made as much difference in my life as my brother, perhaps more. Life is a comedy and a tragedy, frustrating and exciting but it always baffling & confounding. Attempts to describe life and God proved futile because one size doesn’t fit all. Both cannot be seen but, unlike God, life is experienced, every day, every minute of the day. God’s hand can be noticed early in life but life’s patterns take decades to configure. It shouldn’t be a surprise that life is a mixture of the predictable & the unpredictable, intended & unintended consequences and is more deceptive than men & women or events. As the saying goes, appearances are deceptive. Send responses to gadfly7_7@yahoo.com.

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PAGE 18 • INDIA HERALD • WEDNESDAY, APRIL 17, 2019

COMMUNITY CALENDAR Sri Meenakshi Temple 18-Apr Thu 7 p.m. Mahotsava Anugnai Vaasthu Shanthi 19-Apr Fri 7 p.m. Mahotsavam 1st day Dwajarohanam 20-Apr Sat 6 p.m. Meenakshi Pattabhishekam, Poo Pallakku 21-Apr Sun 10 a.m. Nayanmars and Alwars Thiruvizha 28-Apr Sun 9:30 a.m. Mahotsavam 10th day Sri Meenakshi Kalyana Utsavam, Dwajavarohanam Art Museum Kannappan Art Museum will be open for public Tuesday 5.30 PM to 7.30 PM, Saturday 10AM to 2 PM, Sunday 12 noon to 4 PM. Address: 2341 N. Galveston Ave, Pearland, TX 77581. Ashirwad Classes for Kids in Katy Enrollments are open for Indian Heritage classes for Kids and Teens from 4 to 16 yrs. Class curriculum includes Yoga, Meditation, Sloka, Ramayan, Mahabharat, Bhagwad Githa, Sports Day, VEDIC Fair Presentations, Dance, Drama, Hindi & more. Contact : 281-995-0930 or AshirwadABlessing@gmail.com. Durga Bari Temple Durga Bari temple is open from 9 to 11 a.m. and 4 to 7 p.m. Mon. thru Sat. Sandhya aarti at 6:30 p.m. Temple closes at 7 p.m. Sunday special from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Temple is located at 13944 Schiller Rd (o Hwy 6 bet. Bellaire & Westpark). Call Ganesh Mandal at 713-797-9057 / 832-423-8541. BUY

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Arya Samaj Satsang Weekly Havan Satsang every Sunday from 10 a.m. to 12 noon. DAV Sanskriti School Sundays 10 a.m. to 12 noon. - Havan, Hindi and Naitik Shiksha classes. DAV Montessori School for ages 2 to 7 years. Call Arti Khanna 281-759-3286. Free Yoga classes on Sat. Sanskrit & Upanishad classes Tue. 6-8 p.m. At 14375 Schiller Rd. (bet Westpark & Bellaire o Hwy 6). 281-752-0100. Brahma Kumaris The Brahma Kumaris Raja Yoga Meditation Center is open 7 days a week. The center oers free Raja Yoga Meditation classes: MonFri @ 6:00-6:45am and 7-8 pm, Sat-Sun @ 7:00-8:30am, 10 am-2 pm. Visiting hours are Sat-Sun @ 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Contact us at (832) 379-8888, houston@bktexas. com, or bktexas.com to sign-up for classes. All Raja Yoga Meditation teachers at the Houston center are samarpit and have 15+ years of teaching experience. Chinmaya Mission Sunday satsangs for adults, youth, and children. A unique Bala Vihar program for each grade, from PreK to Grade 12. Satsangs in two sessions between 8:35 a.m. - 10:15 a.m. and 11:20 a.m. - 1p.m. Bala Vihar students can take shloka, bhajan and orchestra classes or language classes for Hindi, Telugu, Marathi, and Gujarati. Chinmaya Mission is located at Chinmaya Prabha, 10353 Synott Road, Sugar Land, TX 77498. New members may visit the welcome desk between 8 a.m. - 8:45 a.m. or 10:15 a.m.-11:30 a.m. Please visit www. chinmayahouston.org or contact Bharati Sutaria 281.933.0233 for OLD

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Classes in Houston, Mission Bend, & Sugar Land

more information. Jeeyar Educational Trust Translate knowledge into action classes every Sunday at 10:15 a.m to 12 p.m. at Sri Ashtalakshmi Temple, 10098 Synott Road, Sugar Land, Tx 77498. Call 785 550 3621 or 832-334-9163. Visit www. ashtalakshmi.org for registration. Vedanta Society Vedanta Society of Greater Houston, VSGH (oďŹƒcial Branch Center of Ramakrishna Math, Belur), 14809 Lindita Dr. (77083), has lectures & talks on every Sunday 11 am - 12 pm, followed by Arati & Prasad; Bhagwad Gita Class on Tuesdays, 7:30 pm - 8:30 pm; and Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna on Thursdays, 11 am - 12 pm. Rev. Sw. Atmarupanandaji, the Resident Monk, gives all classes, lectures & talks. Ramnaam Sankirtan is on 1st Saturdays 6 pm - 7 pm. Please visit www.houstonvedanta. org or call 281- 988-7211. Jain Society Jain Society of Houston, JSH, is located at 3905 Arc Street Houston Texas 77063. Key tenets of Jainism are: Non-violence - Ahimsa, Philanthropy with multicity in views – Anekantvad, No possessiveness - Aparigrah, Right Knowledge -- Samyak Gyan, Right Path – Samyak Darshan, and Right Conduct – Samyak Charitrya. JSH has Jain Pathshala Classed for students of all ages each Sunday starting at 10:15 AM. The center is open M-F from 7:30 AM to 12 Noon and 4 to 7 PM, and Sat, and Sun from 8 AM to 6 PM. Call Jain Center at 713 789 2338 or visit www.jainsocietyhouston.org for calendar of events and other detailed information. Shiv Shakti Mandir Sanatan Shiv Shakti Mandir, 6640 Harwin. Open daily 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. All major festivals, as well as birthdays, naam karan, engagement and other ceremonies. Call Pandit Virat Mehta 713-278-9099 or Hardik Raval 361-243-6539 for puja or other ceremonies. Heartfulness Meditation Heartfulness Meditation is a practical technique of tuning inwards to experience our higher selves. Meditation with someone who has the capacity of yogic transmission can help you explore the Heartfulness practice more deeply. There are no charges for this, and we invite you to experience the unique beneďŹ ts of this transmission. Workshops on Heartfulness relaxation and meditation are held weekly throughout Houston. Web: www.heartfulness.org; Email: houston.heartfulness@gmail.com. Cell: 713-929-0040. Hare Krishna Dham Houston’s original Vedic temple, ISKCON of Houston. At 1320 W 34th St. (77018). Daily Darshan & Arati Times: 4.30 a.m, 7 a.m, 8.30 a.m, 12 noon, 4.30 p.m, 7 p.m, 9 p.m. Sunday Festival: 5.30 pm to 7.30 p.m. Weekly Gita classes for adults; call 281-433-1635 or harekrishnadham @gmail.com Houston Namadwaar A prayer house where the Hare Rama Hare Krishna Maha-mantra is continuously chanted. Weekends: 8-11 AM & 4-7 PM, Weekdays: 7-8 AM & 6-7 PM. Weekly “Gopa Kuteeramâ€? children’s heritage classes and Srimad Bhagavatam classes. Call 281-402-6585;

visit www.godivinity.org (Global Organization for Divinity). Saumyakasi Sivalaya Sri Saumyakasi Sivalaya is located at Chinmaya Prabha, 10353 Synott Road, Sugar Land, TX 77478. Temple timings: Monday to Friday: 9:00 AM - 12:00 Noon and 5:30 PM - 8:00 PM. Saturday and Sunday: 9:00 AM - 2:00 PM and 5:00 PM - 8:00 PM. For more information Contact 281-568-1690 or Jay Deshmukh at 832-541-0059 or visit www.saumyakasi.org Gauri Siddhivinayak Temple Darshan from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily. All major festivals as well as birthdays, naam karan, engagement and other ceremonies. Call Pandit Pradip Pandya 832-4669868 for puja and other ceremonies. At 5645 Hillcroft Ste 701, Houston, TX 77036. Veerashaiva Samaja VSNA Houston is a group of families who believe in Veerashaiva dharma (Basava dharma). Monthly Mahamane program for prayer and discussion on Vachana Sahitya followed by Prasada. Contact: vsnahous ton@gmail.com or Jagadeesh Halyal 832-744-4166. Mar Thoma Church Trinity Mar Thoma Church every Sunday at 5810 Almeda Genoa Rd. Sunday School at 9:15 a.m. Malayalam service at 9:30 a.m. on 1st & 3rd Sunday. Adult Bible class at 9:30 a.m. English service at 10:30 a.m. on 2nd & 4th Sunday. Call 713-991-1557 or 281261-4603. Telugu Christian Fellowship Telugu Christian Fellowship meets every third Saturday of the month at Triumph Church, 10555 W. Airport Blvd., Staord TX 77477 at 6:30 p.m. Join us for a time of praise, worship and fellowship. Worship is in English. For information call Chris Gantela 281-344-0707, or Rev. Vijay Gurrala 281-997-0757. Sri Guruvayurappan Temple Hours: Mon to Fri 6 a.m. -8 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Weekends & Holidays: 6 a.m. to noon and 5:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Bhajans Saturdays 7 p.m. to 8 p.m.; Sundays 9 a.m. to 1 a.m. Special poojas (weekends and holidays) Choroon (Annaprasam) for kids, Thulabharam, Vahana Pooja, Nirapara. Temple is located at 11620 Ormandy St. (77035) Tel: 713-7298994 email: temple@ guruvayur.us Preksha Meditation JVB Preksha Meditation Center conducts weekly Meditation, Yoga and Swadhyay sessions inside its unique Pyramid hall under the auspicious guidance of Samani Kanchan Pragyaji and Samani Pranav Pragyaji who are stationed at Houston Center this year. It also runs special events and programs like I-Choose, Meditation Camps and Gyanshala program for children ages 4-14 yrs. JVB is located at 14102 Schiller Rd. Houston 77082. Every Tuesday, 9:30am11:30am, Samaniji has pravachan for all adults interested in learning about Jainism. Every Wednesday there is Swadhyay class from 7-8pm and meditation from 8-9pm. Every Thursday from 9:30-11am there is special Yoga class for Ladies only. Every Saturday, there is Yoga Class from 9-10am and Meditation from 10-10.30am. Ist & 3rd Sundays, there is Gyanshala

Classes for Kids ages 4-14yrs. from 10-12:15pm followed by Lunch. Visit www.jvbhouston.org or send email at info@jvbhouston.org for more details. Patanjali Yogpeeth Free Yoga Classes every Sat/Sun at Arya Samaj from 8 am to 9:30 a.m. Call Anil 281-579-9433. For other free classes, call Indra 281537-0018. For Yoga/Herbal products, call Shekhar 281-242-5000. www.pyptusa.org; www.DivyaProducts.com. Hindu Temple of The Woodlands 7601 S. Forest Gate Dr, The Woodlands, TX 77382 Temple Hours, Weekdays: 7:30 AM - 9:30 AM 5:30 PM - 8.30 PM Aarti @ 7:30 PM Saturday and Sunday 8:30 AM - 1:30 PM Aarti at 12:00 PM 5:30 PM - 8:30 PM Aarti @ 7:30 PM; Contact 832-585--0001 or temple@myhtw.net Sathya Sai centers Sunday program held at two locations (North Houston: 12127 Malcomson Road, Houston; South Houston: 246 Fluor Daniel Drive, Sugar Land) from 3:00 to 5:30 pm) - Sai Spiritual Education (SSE) classes for children; Study Circle for adults & Devotional singing for all. Service programs - food distribution, canned food drives, nursing home visits, tutoring at schools, etc. Contact Venkat Rao (North) - 602-503-2249 or Ranji Raghavan (South) 281-451-8238. Visit www.sairegion10.org Sadhu Vaswani Center Sadhu Vaswani Center of Houston holds regular Satsang on 3rd Thursday of the month and daily Arti at 7.30 p.m. Call 281-4630379 or e.mail ramolaj@aol.com Gaudiya Math Shri Govindji Gaudiya Matha is a Hindu Vaishnava temple of Sanatan Dharam and worshipping place of Shri Shri Radha Krishna, Shri Gaur Nitai & Shri Ram Darbar. Mandir is open daily from 5.30 AM until 8.30 PM. The services are held from 5.30PM to 7.30PM followed by prashad. Daily Aarti times : Mangala Aarti- 5:30 am. Bhog Aarti - 12:30 pm. Evening Aarti - 7:00 pm. Enroll your child in Sri Govindaji Vedic School. We oer Hindi classes for all ages. Sri Govindaji Gaudiya Matha is located in Northwest Houston at 16628 Kieth Harrow Blvd Houston TX 77084. For more information, call at 832-464-4686 or visit our website: http://sggm.org. Swaminarayan Temple Hindu Satsang at Shree Swaminarayan Hindu Temple, under Shree NarNarayan Dev Gadi kalupur. Opens daily from 7 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and from 4 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Daily aarti at 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. Saturday sabha from 5 p.m to 7 p.m. followed by aarti at 7 p.m. and Maha-Prasad (free dinner). www.issotx.org. (281) 530-2565. Sanatan Dharm Maha Sabha West Indian Religious Organization called Sanatan Dharm Maha Sabha Branch # 377 is located at 26100 Tina Lane, Katy, TX 77494. Durga Mata Pooja is held every Friday from 7 pm to 9.30 pm. Contact Ram Sharma @ 713-4129985.

INDIA HERALD • WEDNESDAY, APRIL 17, 2019 • PAGE 19

Admissions open for Class of 2020 Applications Due 30 Apr 2019 (See website for application)

Nurturing Indo-American Future Leaders

The Youth Leadership Development Program (YLDP) of Houston is an independent 501 (c) (3) nonprofit organization, nurturing future Indo-American leaders Since 2007, YLDP has been providing high school juniors and seniors of Indian origin living in Greater Houston a unique opportunity to develop their leadership skills. Curriculum includes talks by leaders in Politics, Government, Philanthropy, Science & Technology, Business, Entrepreneurship, Culture and Art. Students go on Field Trips and learn to be proficient in public speaking.

Graduating class of 2018 with Hon. Consul Gen. Dr Anupam Ray

Students from Class of 2019 with the CEO of Houston Food Bank, Brian Greene

Applications Deadline 30 Apr 2019 - See website for details

http://www.yldphouston.org/

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