India Herald 082218 by India Herald

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India Herald

VOL. 24 • NO. 34 • WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 22, 2018 • P.O. BOX 623, SUGAR LAND, TX 77487 • PERIODICAL PERMIT USPS 017699 • 25 cents

Sewa International launches Kerala ﬂood relief drive

Heavy monsoon rains have led to unprecedented flood damage bringing ten of the fourteen districts in Kerala under water. Nearly 325 people have lost their lives, and more than 700,000 are displaced, many of them lodged in relief camps under trying conditions. Sewa International, along with its India partner, Sevabharthi Keralam’s Disaster Management team are involved in rescue and relief operations. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who said rescue operations were in the final round on Sunday, said priority would now be given to providing safe drinking water and restoring electricity and water supply. A total of 7,24,649 displaced persons have been housed in 5,645 relief camps, he told reporters. At least five districts, Pathanamthitta, Idukki, Ernakulam, Thrissur, and Alappuzha were among those severely affected. Government agencies are running 1,115 camps and 400,000 people are in those camps. Sevabharathi Keralam has set up 352 Sevabharathi rescue and relief centers. It 5,000 volunteers rescued 10,000 people till Saturday August 18, using 150 boats, 60 ambulances and around 300 other vehicles in the rescue operations in the first five days. Volunteers have fanned out distributing food packets and cooking kits, and are opening free kitchens and medical camps. Three major material collection centers were opened (Thiruvananthapuram, Palakkad, Kasaragod) Twenty four medical camps have been opened in Kuttalanadu regions in Alapuzha District, one of the most flood-affected areas in the state. More medical camps are scheduled to be opened in the coming days. Sewa urges everyone to donate generously. www.sewausa.org/ donate .Select “Kerala Floods” in the projects dropdown. Make checks to “Sewa International” and mail to: Sewa International, PO Box 820867, Houston, TX 77282-0867

HGH will honor Beth Kulkarni at Janmashtami celebrations Aug.25

By HAIDER KAZIM Hindus of Greater Houston will present the Lifetime Achievement Award to Beth Beckwith Kulkarni for her volunteerism, inspirational role and service to community for nearly four decades. The award will be presented on Aug. 25 at Janmashtami celebrations at George Brown Convention Center in downtown Houston. Bollywood legend Anupam Kher will be the star attraction this year at HGH’s signature event from 6 p.m. to midnight. Founded in 1989, HGH brings together all Hindu groups in Greater Houston area to celebrate Janmashtami, the birth of Lord Krishna, on a grand scale. Over the years, the HGH annual event has grown into the largest and most colorful Janmashtami celebrations in North America. “She is second to none in doing years of selﬂess service to the community,” said Pundit Bhargava Sarma, a former priest at the Hindu Temple of The Woodlands. “Her dedication in promoting Sanatana Dharma, devoted participation in puja rituals, commitment shown

as medium between Eastern and Western cultures are highly commendable. We believe she truly deserves this award.” She has been honored before by other community organizations. She has received the Community Service Award by the India Culture Center of Houston and the community leader award by Vallabh Priti Seva Samaj (VPSS). Beth Kulkarni has been associated with almost all Hindu organizations in Greater Houston area in a leadership role, or as Beth Kulkarni an advisor or volunteer during diﬀerent periods of time. These include Hindu Worship Society, VHPA, HSS, and Sri Meenakshi Temple. She was also President of VHPA Texas chapter. She is one of the founding members of Hindus of Greater Houston and the Hindu Temple of The Woodlands and is actively associated with these organizations, including HTW’s Senior Forum. “She is a great role model not only for Hindus of today but also to the generations to follow,” said

Pundit Sarma, who has now moved to Washington D.C. area from the Woodlands. “Not expecting anything in return for her invaluable service shows her humility. However, honoring a person like her is the best way we can cherish her services and it also gives us the best opportunity to promote Sanatana Dharma in the U.S.” Priest Chandrasekhar Sarma, currently serving HTW, also expressed his happiness in having Beth receive the award, stating that he wished he could see the award presented in person. Beth Kulkarni has helped community organizations in media work, interfaith outreach, and educational activities. She has taught English as Second Language to children and adults and helped in training of teachers in Indic Culture and Traditions. Her volunteer work includes speaking to non-Hindu groups on Hindu culture and traditions. She actively took up Hindu causes whenever disrespect was shown to Hindu deities by manufacturers of commercial See AWARD, Page 5

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PAGE 2 • INDIA HERALD • WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 22, 2018

Indian Music Society of Houston Presents

HIndustani Vocal by Smt. Manjiri Asnare Kelkar (Disciple of Pandit M.T. Mhaiskar and Pandit Madhusudan Kanetkar)

Manjiri Asnare Kelkar Sanjay Deshpande on Tabla

DATE: Saturday, SEPTEMBER 8 TIME: 5 P.M. VENUE: Cullen Hall, University of St. Thomas, 3901 Yoakum Blvd., Houston

Suyog Kundalkar on Harmonium

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

INDIA HERALD • WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 22, 2018 • PAGE 3

NEWS Forest of Fantasy Rathna Kumar’s “Forest of Fantasy” is an imaginary story that weaves together reality and fantasy to drive home a very important point - that we need to take Nature seriously, respect it, and do our best to protect our environment before things get any worse. The story concept by Seetha Ratnakar, has been specially set to music by Sandeep Kumrouth and Mahalakshmi of Sreekrithi School of Music, and choreography is by Rathna Kumar, who received an Individual Artist Grant for this original project. Costumes and lighting have also been designed by Seetha Ratnakar, former Asst. Station Director of India’s national television network, Doordarshan. This dance theater project features puppeteer Greg Ruhe of Puppet Pizzazz and the Anjali Dance Company and members of the Anjali Center for Performing Arts. Come and journey with us through our surreal forest at 5 p.m on Saturday, 25th August, at the Kaplan theater, Evelyn Rubinstein Jewish Community Center, 5601 S. Braeswood Blvd, Houston, TX 77096. Tickets are $25 & $15 at the door and early bird specials are $22 and $12. For tickets and information please call (832) 275-9658.

continue the tradition. “As elder sister she continues to guide me with HGH work and with her guidance I became a better Hindu.” Beth was a physics undergraduate at the University of the Paciﬁc in California when she met Sharad Kulkarni who was doing his Ph.D. They Beth Kulkarni, 77, plays Holi with were married granddaughter Sofia. in 1964 when products. Sharad completed his doctorate. She has actively promoted She did her BA in Physics at The Raksha Bandhan, a unique Indian University of the Paciﬁc. She tradition that celebrates the ties then completed a year of postbetween siblings in which a sister graduate studies at California ties a bracelet or rakhi on the wrist State University at Sacramento. of her brother, praying for his They later moved to Durham, protection and getting a promise North Carolina, where Sharad of protection from brother. had a postdoctoral fellowship at The tradition allows a woman the Duke University School of to tie rakhi on any man even if Medicine. After two years they not related by blood and enter moved to Pennsylvania where he into the sacred relationship of taught for 13 years. The family sister and brother. She has tied moved to Houston in 1979 and rakhi to former chief of RSS K.S Sharad worked in the City of Sudarshan. Houston Health Department for Vijay Pallod, an active member nearly 20 years before retiring in of HGH, relishes his rakhi bond 1999. He passed away in 2015. with Beth Kulkarni and calls After moving to Houston, her “Didi” or elder sister. He Beth spent about 20 years in the said he met Beth in 1990 at a workforce, including serving as Janmashtami meeting and tied part of an international technical rakhi to him later as sister and training team for Amoco and BP.

She has a daughter, Shanti Kulkarni, who is a professor of Social Work at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, and a son David S. Kulkarni, a real estate developer of high-end apartments and student housing, and daughter-in-law Melissa Kulkarni, and much-loved grandchildren Meera Brennan, Matthew Kulkarni, and Soﬁa Kulkarni. Shanti commented “My mother always tries to anticipate and fulﬁll others’ needs whether taking care of my father, supporting her children and grandchildren, helping her friends, or committing to her volunteer work. She’s a very special person.” Rupa and Salil Gopinath, close friends of Beth for over a decade, were very happy to know that she will be receiving the HGH Lifetime Achievement Award this year. “She is a lady of great compassion, empathy and devotion. We saw her work tirelessly to realize the community dream of having a temple in the Woodlands. She

was a volunteer and a board member at The Hindu Temple of The Woodlands for many years,’ Gopinath said. “She also stood by her husband Sharad as a rock, as he battled a form of dementia and visited him every day at the memory care center. I am a proud brother. Rupa and I are proud to be her friends. We congratulate her on receiving this award.” Says Dr. Urmil Shukla, “We at The Hindu Temple of the Woodlands are fortunate to have Beth as our Mentor. She is one of our founder member at the HTW and helped to draft the temple bylaws. She has donated years after years her time, eﬀorts, wisdom and monies to make sure this temple comes to fruition. Beth Kulkarni is currently working on a cookbook, a compilation of vegetarian recipes submitted by local community members for the Hindu Temple of The Woodlands. The book Traditional Indian Foods and New Favorites will be available at HTW Diwali Mela.

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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.

Indian Music Society of Houston Presents

HIndustani Vocal by Smt. Rachna Bodas (Disciple of Late Veena Sahasrabuddhe)

Rachna Bodas

Mandar Phadke on Harmonium

Pandit Shantilal Shah on Tabla

DATE: Saturday, AUGUST 25 TIME: 7 P.M. VENUE: Cullen Hall, University of St. Thomas, 3901 Yoakum Blvd., Houston

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

PAGE 4 • INDIA HERALD • WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 22, 2018

COMMUNITY

Area youth host fundraiser for Udavum Karangal charity

Photo by NAVIN MEDIWALA

Udavum Karangal (Helping Hands), is a charity organization based in Chennai, India. This organization was founded in 1983 by Paapa Vidyaakar and has been dedicated to taking care of orphaned children and adults. Their mission is to provide emotional and basic needs compassionately. With its dedicated volunteers, the organization runs schools, mental and physical health initiatives, family counseling, and awareness programs. Over the past two decades, the Houston community has lent a helping hand to gather funds for the organization. On August 5th, 2018, three teenagers from the Greater Houston area - Samyuktha Hari of The Woodlands, Adhi Gopal from Clear Lake and Varsha Vasu from Sugar Land, hosted a fundraising event for Udavum Karangal, titled “Bollywood Bash” at the Mitchell Intermediate School in The Woodlands. This speciﬁc event was the brainchild of Samyuktha who has been raising funds for this organization for three years in a row. A rising senior now, Samyuktha joined hands with Adhi, rising senior at Clear Lake High School, and Varsha, a rising freshman at UT Austin this year for Bollywood Bash. All three youngsters are very actively involved in their local community and believe in the mission of Udavum Karangal. They saw this as a better opportunity to engage themselves further with this organization and give back to those in need. The evening’s programs which included youth from all around Houston was nicely put together by this threesome who had worked long hours for the past few months. Participants of the evening included Vikram Rajaram (speech), Krushal & Aviral Panda (singing), Shriya Fruitwala & Lakshmi (fusion dance), Shruthi Panja (singing), Sanvitha Sridhar (singing), Shrish Tiwari (saxophone), Amay, Anjali & Varsha (Band), Smita Centala, Nivva Emmi and Samyu Hari (Bollywood dance), Shreya Tiwari & Gayathri Moduguru (Bollywood See AID, Page 5

INDIA HERALD â&#x20AC;˘ WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 22, 2018 â&#x20AC;˘ PAGE 5

COMMUNITY Indiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Independence Day celebrated at India House

Dr. Durga Agrawal, left, Jugal Malani, Congressman Al Green and Dr. Virendra Mathur.

Dr. Durga Agrawal, left, Jugal Malani, Congressman Pete Olson, Dr. Virendra Mathur and India House Executive Director Col.Vipin Kumar (Retd.)

India House celebrated the 72nd anniversary of Indiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s independence on Aug.15 with a ďŹ&#x201A;ag hoisting ceremony, attended by community members and local elected oďŹ&#x192;cials. After formally hoisting the Indian, American and Texas ďŹ&#x201A;ags, a formal meeting was held inside. India House President Jugal Malani welcomed the guests. Dr. Virendra Mathur read the excerpts from Prime Minister Narendra Modiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Independence Day message. U.S. Rep. Al Green (D -TX 9) and U.S. Rep. Pete Olson (R-Tx 22) presented Congressional certiďŹ cates recognizing the independence day celebrations at India House. Both the Congressmen, in their brief remarks, alluded to the growing and continuing relationship between India and the U.S. and the Indian American communityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s contribution to the country locally. Kruthi Bhat and Dr. Rucha Sheth rendered patriotic songs beďŹ tting the occasion.

Aid From Page 4 dance), Varsha Iyer & Adithya Chunangad (Singing), Mohit Talwalker, Rithik Reddy, Sanjeev Panja & Nitin Adoni (Bollywood dance), Samyu Hari (dance) and Sungita Kumar & Madhavi (Bollywood dance). The evening ended with a grand ďŹ nale song by Houstonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s noted singer Maha Krishnan, accompanied by Karthik Iyer of The Woodlands. The three main teen organizers also spoke about Udavum Karangal, the purpose of the event and provided a vote of thanks. The Chief Guest of the evening was Padmini Ranganathan, President of Udavum Karangal, U.S.A. Ms. Ranganathan explained to the audience how the organization goes about helping the needy. She said that there were seven children in Udavum Karangal that needed sponsors for college-level education and ďŹ&#x201A;iers detailing the proďŹ les of the seven children were provided to the audience. The organizers also spoke about the importance of contributing back to society and encouraged their

young friends to join this cause next year in hosting this as an annual event. Fundraising eďŹ&#x20AC;orts were initiated through Crowdfunding sites like gofundme.com and Facebook charity links. At the end of the night, the community raised about $15,000 and all seven children gained sponsors along with two more Samaritans ready to sponsor two college students totaling the college education sponsorship to a total of nine students. The event was well-attended by members from around the Greater Houston area. Prabhakar Centala from The Woodlands was the cheerful emcee, Rajan Radhakrishnan of Madras Pavilion restaurant in Houston graciously catered dinner free of charge for this cause, and Pallabita Bhuyan helped with the elegant dĂŠcor for the evening. Many volunteers from The Woodlands community and Hindu Temple of the Woodlands helped make this event a grand success. By Anjali Rajaram, Senior at The Woodlands High School

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INDIA HERALD â&#x20AC;˘ WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 22, 2018 â&#x20AC;˘ PAGE 6

COMMUNITY

HARDIK VYAS Youngest Astrologer in North America Vaastu & Gem Stone Consultant; Hindu Priest for all Pujas & Marriages

UH College of Nursing, Nursing Council of India sign MOU

Languages spoken: English, Hindi, Gujarati & Marathi Astrologer Hardik Vyas, a famous young face in Vedic Astrology from India is in Houston. Call for guidance on Health, Wealth, Education, Career, Business, Property, Love & Passion, Marriage & Compatibility, Horoscope-Making, Child Problem, Luck & Fortune, Peace & Prosperity, Karma & Economic success. Vaastu Shastra is an ancient science. Fix an appointment for personal visit to your home, plot, business/office, shop, factory, or hotel. Gain peace of mind and prosperity by doing little changes as per Vaastu Shastra. Simple, Easy, Scientific & Affordable solutions/remedies to overcome problems in your Horoscope and Vaastu.

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Deans Tart and Varghese in front of Taj Mahal The University of Houston College of Nursing and the Indian Nursing Council began a new chapter in academic exchange following the signing of a memorandum of understanding and a trip to New Delhi, India. Kathryn Tart, professor and founding dean of the college, together with Associate Professor Shainy Varghese, participated in a two-day conference with the Indian Nursing Council, June 27 -28. Fifty nursing programs from around India were in attendance, selected to create the Nurse Practitioner Critical Care program (NPCC). The selection process was based on recommendations from the Indian Nursing Council and a willingness from the nursing programs themselves to participate. â&#x20AC;&#x153;India has begun the process for advanced practice nursing care and have many obstacles to overcome, not least of which is the current salary of nurses, and what those salaries would look like with Nurse Practitioner or Doctorate of Nursing Practice degrees,â&#x20AC;? Tart said. The Nurse Practitioner Critical Care programs in India will be of support to hospitals to increase the number of higher educated nurses that will be trained to care for critically ill patients. The nurse practitioners will work closely with physicians to provide treatment and care for patients in intensive care units. Of those programs participating in the conference, four expressed interest in creating a Doctorate of Nursing Practice (DNP) program. Graduates of the Nurse Practitioner Critical Care program will be eligible to pursue the doctoral program. The DNP is a professional graduate degree which focuses on the clinical aspects of a disease process and uses evidenced-based practice to improve patient outcomes. Nurses in India with a DNP will have completed the highest level of training in nursing practice. Conference attendees learned about programs at the UH College of Nursing, and about nursing leadership, advocacy and philanthropy in a presentation by Tart on â&#x20AC;&#x153;Nurses at the Table.â&#x20AC;? Varghese gave a presentation on â&#x20AC;&#x153;Nurse Practitioner and Doctorate of Nursing Practice Programs in the USA.â&#x20AC;? The UH Nursing oďŹ&#x192;cials met with nursing leadership from two New Delhi hospitals, Apollo and AIMS, and toured both facilities. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The hospital tours and meetings with nursing leadership helped us to understand the Indian aspects of patient care and how the NPCC nurses could be utilized in the intensive care units of the hospitals,â&#x20AC;? Varghese said. OďŹ&#x192;cials at the college and the Indian Nursing Council will further this new relationship by developing opportunities for nursing education in India and the University of Houston College of Nursing through academic and leadership exchange. For more information on the UH College of Nursing, visit http://www.uh.edu/nursing/

INDIA HERALD • WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 22, 2018 • PAGE 7

PAGE 8 • INDIA HERALD • WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 22, 2018

INDIA HERALD • WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 22, 2018 • PAGE 9

COMMUNITY

Masterji Trivedi presents Mahabharat

The dance sequence by the Khusboo Dance Group and Mukta Saxena was very well choreographed. Everyone appreciated the acting abilities of the local talent, especially Arjun, Duryodhan and Chandak. The audience was left spellbound by the acting prowess of Bud Patel

as Shakuni Mama. The music was by Rakeshbhai and lights were by Anilbhai while the Stage coordinators were Fateh Ali, Sailesh Desai, and Yogina Patel. The use of sparkling costumes, glittering jewelry, dazzling lights, soulful music and melodious song se-

quences, captivating dances, impactful dialogues, and creative props made the show a memorable experience for all. The show was staged in front of a packed audience at the Old Staﬀord Civic Center. Subhash Gupta oﬀered the vote of thanks to Masterji, artists, and the cast.

Bud Patel as Shakuni in Mahabharat After the grand success of Har Mahadev (2016) and Ganesh Leela (2017), Masterji Trivedi presented yet another masterpiece the grand epic drama “Mahabharata.” Although this story has been retold countless times and expanded upon, Masterji’s story and its presentation takes one beyond the Mahabharata to Naag Lok and Manipur. The Mahabharata is an ancient Indian epic where the main story revolves around two branches of a family - the Pandavas and Kauravas - who in the Kurukshetra War, battle for the throne of Hastinapura. Arjuna is the main central character of this ancient Indian epic and plays a key role in the Bhagavad Gita alongside Krishna. Drut-Krida - the dice game and the dance sequences were the highlights of the show. The show started with a brief introduction of Writer-Director Masterji by Anand Trivedi. It is the 25th anniversary for Masterji in the ﬁeld of stage production in USA. Masterji spoke about the event and introduced Assistant Director Bud Patel who thanked the sponsors, artists, volunteers, and the media. Masterji’s creativity, unique production team, powerful theatrical presentation and performances bring innovative styles each year to attract the Houston audience. Mahabharata is a result of months of preparations and dedicated practice by a team of around 65 performers and volunteers. The event was attended by Sri Preston Kulkarni, Subhash Gupta, Sarojini Gupta, Umang Mehta, Amir Dodhiya, Amit Mishra, Ashok Danda, and Madanmohanji (Vadtal Dham Mandir)

Ekal Houston Gala, Saturday, October 6 Ekal Vidyalaya Foundation (EVF) will be hosting its annual char-

ity gala on Saturday, Oct. 6, at the Sugar Land Marriott Town Square. Themed as, ‘Future of India’, the event will feature Dr. Subhash Chandra, Chairman Zee TV, India, as the keynote Speaker. He will be joined by the ‘You Can Win’ international best-selling author and motivational speaker, Shiv Khera. The Counsel General of India, Dr. Anupam Ray, and Founder and Chairman of Ekal USA, Ramesh Shah, will be present at the Gala. This event will provide an outstanding opportunity for networking, set to tunes spun by a world class DJ and entertainment. Events will include a cocktail hour dedicated to networking, a live` auction, dinner, and DJ-provided musical entertainment. Attendants will also have a unique opportunity to hear and interact with leaders on the ground about the Ekal movement as well as students who have studied in the Ekal system. Ekal’s larger mission, often paraphrased as Ekal Abhiyan, has expanded over the years, and now includes projects above and beyond primary level education, many of which are in line with the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals. Speciﬁcally, the funds raised at the Gala will serve to support Ekal’s schools and associated projects that include (but are not limited to): Preventive Healthcare, Digital Literacy, Skills Development Center, Gramothan Village Resource Center, Tailoring, and Modern Organic Farming for sustainability. Visit http://www/ houstongala.ekal.org/

Call Ashok Vasan at 281-265-7745, Jay Malhotra at 713-962-5555 or Leela Krishnamurthy at 281-44-9768

PAGE 10 • INDIA HERALD • WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 22, 2018

NEWS

Brahman Samaj of North America celebrates silver jubilee

The 23rd Brahman Samaj of on Brahmanic values and their rel- Sen Pathak, Dr. Akkaraju Sarma, North America (BSNA) Conven- evance in today’s context. Discus- Praveen Sharma and Dr. Shrikant tion, its Silver Jubilee celebration sions on Stress/Anger Reduction Mishra. The GBC officers present and the 8th GBC convention was & Management in Youth/Adults were Subhash Tiwary and Virenheld in Houston, Texas (USA) via Spirituality, Yoga, Ayurveda dra Dubey, among others. Dinner was followed by a prefrom July 27 – 29, 2018. The pro- and Modern Medicine was well gram started with a lamp lighting attended and participated by the sentation of cultural events including dances from youth and dramas ceremony by BSNA youth in the youth. Other notable panel discussions by local BSNA professional actors presence of BOT members Dr. Sen Pathak, Dr. Shrikant Mishra, Pres- included topics on Business mod- such as Kusum Sharma and Masident Dr. Keshav Shukla and the erated by Sanjay Pathak and pan- terji. This was followed by a musicore organizing committee. This elists Vashishth Sharma, Devesh cal melody presentation by guest was followed by a Hasya Kavi Pathak and Sanjay Tiwari and artists including Thumri by Dr. Sammelan by kavis from India – Healthcare moderated by Dr. Swa- Lakshmi Shankar Dube and BolDr. Suresh Awasthi and Dr. Kirti pan Dubey. There was a question lywood songs by Jayesha MukherKaley. They entertained members and answer session on ‘Open fo- jee accompanied on the tabla by with their poems of Hasya, Shrin- rum for medical issues’ with phy- Dr. Sukrit Mukherjee. July 29 started with power yoga gar, Bhakti and Veer Rasas. The sicians Dr. Shrikant Mishra, Dr. Kavi Sammelan which lasted for Vinod Mishra, Dr. Hans Ghayee, and bhajans. The morning session about three hours was attended by Dr. Ragini Miryala, Dr. Ramesh started with prayers followed by over 300 people who enjoyed ev- Hariharan and Dr. Ramesh Krish- the General Body meeting chaired by Dr. Keshav Shukla, with Chair nan. ery moment of it. A discourse by His Holiness of BOT Dr. Sen Pathak and GBC July 28 commenced with a power yoga session followed Shri Roopchandra ji Maharaj President Dr. Shrikant Mishra. by bhajans in the morning. The (special chief guest) and conclud- The BSNA and GBC Executive convention was formally inaugu- ing presentations were given by Committee Members present were rated with Vedic mantras, lamp Dr. Sukrit Mukherjee on Scientific Dr. Lakshmi Shankar Dube, Dr. lighting and Brahm Vandana by Interpretation of some religious Sanjay Pandey, Dr. Ashok Sarswat, Dr. Sukrit Mukherjee, Dr. senior BSNA patrons. After the practices. On the evening of Saturday, a Ajay Pandey, Dr. Vinod Mishra, commencement announcement by Convention Director Abha Dwive- BSNA and GBC Officers meeting Praveen Sharma, Subhash Tiwary, di, BSNA President Dr. Keshav was called in session by President Abha Dwivedi, Gyanesh Dadhich, Shukla delivered the welcome Dr. Keshav Shukla. The BSNA Shiv Pathak and Dilip Dadhich. Speech followed by the Keynote Executive Committee members Dr. Keshav Shukla welcomed and speech from Dr. Shri Kant Mishra, present were Dr. Lakshmi Shan- thanked the delegates and presentkar Dube, Dr. Sanjay Pandey, ed a brief update of the current and President of GBC. Youth chair Abhay Dubey pre- Dr. Ashok Saraswat, Dr. Sukrit future planned activities including sented the Importance of Janeu, Mukherjee, Dr. Ajay Pandey, Shiv its newly signed MOU between followed by Dr. Sen Pathak’s pre- Pathak, Convention Director Abha BSI and BSNA, approved PVSA Dwivedi, Shri Gaur and Gyanesh awards, matrimonial initiative, sentation on Healthy Ageing. Several learned and experi- Dadhich, chapter presidents. youth networking, new website enced senior BSNA members The BSNA BOT members pres- format, and other details. The participated in panel discussions ent were Dr. Vinod Mishra, Dr. new BSNA website prototype Hari Venkatachalam Hindu Students Association, Board of Directors

BSNA President Dr. Shukla, left, presents the Life Time Achievement award to Dr. Shrikant Mishra and Dr Sen Pathak. was launched in the General Body meeting by BSNA Chief Technology Officer Dr. Sukrit Mukherjee with a new special feature of BSNA Virtual Networking. The awards ceremony and youth recognition were the highlights of the Sunday morning session where volunteer contributions were acknowledged and recognized with plaques and certificates. The Food Committee’s efforts led by Suman Pathak, Vibha Goswami and Chetna Upadhyay in providing delicious food was appreciated by the attendees and recognized by the patrons. The most notable recognitions were the Life Time Achievement awards to Dr. Sen Pathak, Akkaraju Sarma and Dr. Shrikant Mishra. Yoga sessions by Yogi Arun Tiwari, discourse by Swami

Roopchandra ji Maharaj, bhajans and cultural programs by Vandana Dadhich were also appreciated. The Convention provided an excellent opportunity for all to network, remember their roots and exchange ideas on various topics, such as education, spirituality, scriptures, culture, yoga, healthcare, business, entrepreneurship, social and many more. Eﬀorts were made to bring more adults and youth to support and lead the noble cause of BSNA. Convention Director Abha Dwivedi, convention committee volunteers and local volunteers worked tirelessly in organizing the convention. The convention was adjourned on Sunday July 29 with a luncheon and the vote of thanks by President Dr. Keshav Shukla. Visit www.bsna.org

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rid of staffi ngAssociaproblems and spend more April 6, 2017Get – AUSTIN, TX –your The Hindu Students tion (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.” -***-

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INDIA HERALD • WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 22, 2018 • PAGE 11

NEWS

Kerala battles fake news along with floods Army issues warning as video of an imposter in camouflage uniform spreading disinformation goes viral The Indian Army has issued a warning against a fake video in which a man wearing Army combat uniform is seen making statements against the way the Kerala Government is carrying out the flood rescue effort. According to a tweet posted by the Twitter page of Additional Directorate General of Public Information, Indian Army, the man is an imposter who is spreading disinformation about the rescue and relief efforts in Kerala. In the video, the man who identifies himself as an Army officer, speaks disparagingly of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan for not handing over the rescue efforts completely to the Indian Army. The video which began appearing in various online pages on Saturday night, was uploaded to multiple pages in a short time. The most shares were from the page of ‘Bharatiya Mahila Morcha Thalassery constituency’, from where it was shared close to 28,000 times and liked by 6600 people. The video had also gone viral in WhatsApp since last night. The Indian

Army has appealed to the public to forward disinformation about Indian Army on WhatsApp to +917290028579. Meanwhile, another viral audio clip by one Suresh Kochattil has also kicked up a controversy. In the audio clip, a text version of which is posted on his Facebook page too, he is heard saying that most of the people who were impacted by the ﬂoods in Kerala are from well to do families. He claimed that they do not need any handouts and there is more than what is required in Kerala now. He can be also heard casting doubt on the fund utilisation from the Chief Minister’s Disaster Relief Fund, and requesting people to contribute to “organisations like Seva Bharathi” instead. The audio clip in English, which has been spread in WhatsApp groups outside the State too, led to all-round condemnation from people who have been involved in the rescue and relief eﬀorts over the past few days. Even as the State has been going through an unprecedented disaster, there has also been a deluge of fake information in WhatsApp groups. The fake

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messages ranged from stories about bursting of dams to fake calls for rescue. The volume of fake information was so much that the Chief Minister had to issue a warning to those involved in such activities to abstain from spreading misinformation on WhatsApp and social media networks.

PAGE 12 • INDIA HERALD • WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 22, 2018

NEWS Wedding amidst flooding

Cancelling the auditorium they had booked for the wedding, the bride and groom turned the relief camp into a wedding hall. Everyone in the relief camp joined the newlyweds, showering them with blessings for a happy life together. Ms. Anju was too shy to respond as a curious spectator asked her what she felt. Mr. Shaiju, the groom, did not however hide his joy. He said they were thrilled to carry on with the wedding rites as planned. Great time to buy a NEW HOME or take CASH out of your house!

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MALAPPURAM MSP High School here, one of the 155 relief camps functioning across the seven taluks in the district, witnessed a wedding on Sunday, underscoring yet again that life should go on in spite of devastation and hardship. Anju, daughter of Sundaran from Nechikkattiri near here, and Shaiju from Vengara tied the knot at a simple function at Tripuranthaka temple, a stone’s throw away from the relief camp. The bride and groom were lodged in the relief camp after their houses were inundated as the Kadalundipuzha displayed its fury four days ago. They did not want to cancel or postpone their wedding fixed for Sunday as many people did elsewhere. Instead, they went ahead with the wedding ceremony by reducing the function to a simple one. Union Tourism Minister K J Alphons on Monday flagged the need for ready-toeat cooked food, doctors and nurses in flood ravaged Kerala, saying people are now getting back to whatever is left of their homes with the waters receding. The minister also issued an appeal to skilled workers like plumbers, electricians and carpenters to come to make homes livable and help the state regain normalcy. The National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) has joined hands with the Kerala Government and dairy cooperatives in the state to provide relief to the flood-affected people. These single-serve 180 ml packs of toned milk, aseptically packed, can be consumed directly without boiling or heating. With a fat content of 3.5% and solids-not-fat (SNF) content of 8.5%, these milk packs are a very good source of balanced nutrition. NDDB is arranging to supply 500 MT (10,000 bags of 50 kg each) of cattle feed to the affected areas.

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INDIA HERALD â&#x20AC;˘ WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 22, 2018 â&#x20AC;˘ PAGE 13

NEWS

Atal Bihari Vajpayee, former Prime Minister of India, dies at 93 Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who as Indiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s prime minister from 1998 to 2004 stunned the world by ending a decades-old moratorium on nuclear weapons tests but nevertheless managed to ease tensions with Pakistan and build closer ties to the United States, died on Thursday in New Delhi. He was 93. The Indian central government announced his death but gave no further details. The Times of India said that Mr. Vajpayee, a diabetic, was admitted to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in New Delhi on June 11 with kidney tract infection and other ailments, and had recently been placed on life support. A published poet, Mr. Vajpayee dabbled in law, journalism and rebellion against British colonialism as a young man. A leader of the Hindu nationalist opposition to the once-invincible Indian National Congress party of Gandhi and Nehru, he was virtually unknown outside India for most of his 50 years in politics. But for six years in his late 70s, Mr. Vajpayee was the face of the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most populous democracy, a nation of one billion whose ethnic, religious and regional conďŹ&#x201A;icts had fomented massacres, three wars with Pakistan and internal strife for a half-century after independence from Britain in 1947. By the time he became prime minister in a pink sandstone palace that once housed Britainâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s viceroys, Mr. Vajpayee was an expe-

rienced, nuanced politician. He had served decades in Parliament, was foreign minister from 1977 to 1980 and was even prime minister for 13 days in 1996, a tenure cut short when his squabbling coalition fell apart. Two months after he was sworn in, India detonated several nuclear bombs in underground tests. It had been 24 years since the countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s only previous test, in 1974, and while its nuclear weapons capability had long been assumed, the 1998 tests impressed on the world that India had joined the circle of declared nuclear powers. Pakistan responded quickly with its own tests. Some nations invoked sanctions and condemned India for breaking its moratorium, but Mr. Vajpayee defended the move as vital to Indian security. Tensions between India and Pakistan escalated. In 2001, Muslims with guns and explosives staged a deadly attack on Indiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Parliament. In 2002, a Muslim mob attacked a train carrying Hindu pilgrims, and some 1,000 people were killed in retaliatory rampages. Mr. Vajpayee denounced the violence and distanced himself from the extremists. Hostilities eased, and a thaw began in 2003. Mr. Vajpayee and President Pervez Musharraf of Pakistan met and established diplomatic and transportation links. Mr. Vajpayee also went to China and began to resolve a longstand-

ing border dispute. As the Cold War ended, he moved nonaligned India closer to the United States, welcoming President Bill Clinton to India in 2000 and strengthening bonds with pledges of support for the United States after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. In economic overhauls, Mr. Vajpayee privatized state-owned industries, encouraged foreign investment, eased trade restrictions and fostered an informationtechnology revolution that created a million jobs. But critics said he had failed to lift tens of millions out of unemployment and poverty and had largely neglected health and education programs. Mr. Vajpayee supported equal rights for Muslims, Christians and others in his overwhelmingly Hindu nation. His Bharatiya Janata Party had long tried to undermine Indiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s secular identity to create a Hindu state. Mr. Vajpayee, a moderate, pushed back at militants in his own coalition. He also championed womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rights and the eradication of castes. He resigned as prime minister in May 2004 after an upset by the Indian National Congress. In declining health, he retired from active politics in December 2005. Atal Bihari Vajpayee was born on Dec. 25, 1924, to a family of high-caste Brahmins in Gwalior, in central India. His father, Shri Krishna Behari Vajpayee, was a secondary-school teacher. As a youth he ďŹ&#x201A;irted with communism

Obituary: Atal Bihari Vajpayee, a storied career with poetic ďŹ&#x201A;ourishes

The former Prime Ministerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s legacy is now in the domain of history writers. Former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who held the post for three non-consecutive terms in 1996, 1998-99, and from 1999-2004, passed away on Thursday. He was 93. Mr. Vajpayeeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s long career in public life was no doubt crowned by his being elected Prime Minister, but the course of it was peppered with long years as a parliamentarian, and with struggles to establish the Bharatiya Jana Sangh, and later the BJP, in national politics. Born on December 25, 1924 in Gwalior, Mr. Vajpayee was elected 10 times to the Lok Sabha from four diďŹ&#x20AC;erent States (the ďŹ rst time in 1957 from Balrampur in Uttar Pradesh), and was twice a Member of the Rajya Sabha in a storied career. He got an early start in public life when he got involved in the Quit India Movement of 1942 and was arrested for it. He was already a member of the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) since 1939, and after ďŹ nishing Masters in Political Science from Kanpur, he began to work fulltime for the RSS. One of the founding members of the Jan Sangh in 1951, Mr. Vajpayee became its president in 1968 upon the death of

Deendayal Upadhyaya. As his parliamentary career ďŹ&#x201A;ourished, Mr. Vajpayee made a name for himself as an orator and for his poetic ďŹ&#x201A;ourishes. His poetry, collated in his book Meri Ekyaavan Kavitayein (My 51 Poems) reďŹ&#x201A;ect it. The movement against the Emergency declared in 1975 saw Mr. Vajpayee and the Jan Sangh join forces with the Janata Party, and in the 1977 polls, be elected to the Lok Sabha and appointed as Minister for External AďŹ&#x20AC;airs. The peak of that moment contrasted with the trough of the 1984 polls, where the newly founded BJP (after the dissolution of the Jan Sangh) clocked only two seats. Mr. Vajpayee took that electoral rout in a philosophical mien, and as the BJP threw its weight behind the Ram Janmabhoomi movement in 1995, he emerged as the prime ministerial candidate on behalf of the BJP. He led a 13-day government in 1996, as the head of the single largest party, but could not get enough numbers to stay in power. After an interval of two years, with a United Front government having fallen after the Congress withdrew support, he was again sworn in as Prime Minister with the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), in place after the 1998 polls. Within a month of

this, Mr. Vajpayee oversaw the Pokhran nuclear test and the subsequent international sanctions that went with it. The term was also marked by his initiatives for peace with Pakistan and the Lahore declaration. His 13-month government, however, could not withstand the rather fragile coalition that he had put together, and with the AIADMK withdrawing support, his government fell. During his term as caretaker Prime Minister, Mr. Vajpayee dealt with the Kargil war â&#x20AC;&#x201D; a conďŹ&#x201A;ict with neighbouring Pakistan, something that tested the country and his own mettle. The following elections in 1999 saw the NDA ensconced with a comfortable majority and a government that lasted a full term till 2004, the ďŹ rst nonCongress government to do so. Mr. Vajpayee undertook many reform measures with regard to the economy, keeping it on the liberalisation track despite resistance from the RSS. His eďŹ&#x20AC;orts at a solution for issues aďŹ&#x20AC;ecting Kashmir are still the most accepted template for political dialogue. With a poetic bent, and at the head of a coalition of political parties that were ideologically disparate whom he dealt with deftly, Mr. Vajpayee has been termed the â&#x20AC;&#x153;right man in the

bfore shifting ideologically and joining the National Voluntary Service, a right-wing paramilitary group that was the guiding force behind Hindu nationalism. In 1942 he was jailed for 24 days for antiBritish activities. He graduated Victoria College in Gwalior, earned a masterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s degree in political science from Dayanand Anglo-Vedic College in Kanpur and studied law in Lucknow. But with independence and partition into Hindu India and Muslim Pakistan, Mr. Vajpayee became a journalist, working for Hindu nationalist publications. In 1951 he helped found Jana Sangh, a Hindu nationalist party. He was ďŹ rst elected to Parliament in 1957. Re-elected 11 times, he became a prominent critic of the governing Congress party. In 1975, he and thousands of other dissidents were jailed under Prime Minister Indira Gandhiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s emergency decrees sus-

pending civil liberties and elections. He became foreign minister in a new coalition two years later. In 1980 Mr. Vajpayee helped found the Bharatiya Janata Party, which became the main opposition group and his primary vehicle to power. He shared its view that India should enshrine Hindu culture, but he passionately opposed discrimination against other religions. Critics called it contradictory, but voters did not agree, and in the 1990s he became one of Indiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most popular ďŹ gures. While he never married, Mr. Vajpayee raised as his own child Namita Bhattachariya, the daughter of a longtime friend. She became a teacher and at times served as his oďŹ&#x192;cial hostess. Mr. Vajpayee wrote a reďŹ&#x201A;ective brand of Hindi poetry. He published several volumes, including â&#x20AC;&#x153;Fire Is Immortalâ&#x20AC;? and â&#x20AC;&#x153;Death or Murder.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x201D;The New York Times

wrong party.â&#x20AC;? As a staunch member of the RSS, however, this referred to his appeal across party lines and the many friendships that he cultivated through his years in Parliament. After he lost power in 2004, he still attended Lok Sabha but gradually withdrew from public life. A stroke in 2009 saw him withdraw completely. Known as much for his meaningful

pauses as for his poetic oratory, Mr. Vajpayeeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s legacy is now in the domain of history writers. What he says of himself and his long career in Indiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s public life is probably best encapsulated by some lines from his poem: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Kaal ke kapaal par likhta mitaata hoon, geet naya gaata hoon (I write and erase lines on the forehead of time, I sing a new song)â&#x20AC;?. â&#x20AC;&#x201D;The Hindu

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INDIA HERALD • WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 22, 2018 • PAGE 14

COMMUNITY DAV Sanskriti School Opening day and Independence Day celebrated at Arya Samaj of Greater Houston

DAV Sanskriti School students perform havan on the opening day. August 19th witnessed the celebration of the DAV Sanskriti School and Arya Yuva Mandal’s (DAV’s High School youth group) opening day and India’s Independence Day. Children and parents gathered at the campus of Arya Samaj of Greater Houston on Schiller Road. AYM students and DAVSS teachers welcomed new DAV students, parents, volunteers and returning students with the traditional welcome Tilak. Recently, Arya Samaj of Greater Houston, DAV Sanskriti School and DAV Montessori Schools were recognized by Sarvadeshik Arya Pratinidhi Sabha and awarded the recognition of Model Arya Samaj (Abroad- Out of India) at IAMS 2018 – New Delhi. DAV San-

skriti Sunday School along with the Sunday Satsang caters to about 150 children from the ages 4 to 13 while AYM for ages 14 to 18 focuses on Sewa in the local community. The morning kicked oﬀ with a short meditation and a joint Havan/Yajna Roop performed by children of both the schools led by Acharaya Harish Chandra. All the three Havan kunds were setup and with over 25 school children as Yajmaans, Acharya Ji explained the meaning of mantras and Vedic scientiﬁc Pravachan to the children and their families. DAV Sanskriti School provides complementary curriculum to traditional school with Naitik Shiksha classes to develop a moral compass to discern

various life issues. DAV Sanskriti School empowers kids towards their spiritual growth, inner development, strength, insightfulness, yoga, havan, cultural bonding, community service, music, arts and patience. DAV Sanskriti School is committed to bringing the best of the East and West together. AYM member, Vipashchit Nanda, gave a short inspirational speech on the law of Karma. The event was attended by nearly 300 people. The assembly moved to the open area to celebrate Independence Day with the ﬂag hoisting ceremony. The children of DAV Sanskriti School performed a delightful serving

of patriotic songs and dances orchestrated in the outdoors, including the full recitation of Rashtriya Geet Vande Maataram and national anthem Jana Gana Mana. A fusion of multiple patriotic songs by little children was the highlight of the show. The crowd was served a delicious meal. Various volunteer teams signed up new volunteers for Sewa activities for the 2018-2019 calendar year at the ASGH library. DAV Sanskriti School is open for new registration and can be reached at https://www. facebook.com/SanskritiUSA/ or http://www.DAVSS.org for more information.

DAV Sanskriti School students perform Vande Mataram.

THE GAURI SIDDHIVINAYAK TEMPLE OF HOUSTON 5645 Hillcroft Ave, Suit # 701 , Houston, TX 77036 A Hearty Invitation to all the Devotees on The occasion of the celebration of Shravan Mass Starting Saturday, Aug. 11 to Sunday, Sept. 09 2018 Shree MahaMrutyunjay Pooja and MahaYagn for Shravan mass on Sunday,

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MahaMrutyunjayYagn at 4:30 PM Purnahuti (Nariyal Offering) at 6:30 PM MahaAarti at 7:00 PM Maha Prasad Will be Served After Aarti VOLUNTEERS AND SPONSORS NEEDED

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Priest Shri Pradip Pandya @ 832-466-9868. Please see our website at SiddhivinayakHouston.com Or visit us at www.facebook.com/GauriSiddhiVinayakTemple/. E-mail:- siddhivinayakhouston@gmail.com The Gauri Siddhivinayak Mandir of Houston is a Non-Profit 501(C) organization, All Donations are tax Deductible.

INDIA HERALD • WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 22, 2018 • PAGE 15

SANATAN SHIV SHAKTI MANDIR OF HOUSTON INC. 6640 HarwinDr, Houston, TX 77036 Website : www.shivshaktimandir.org - Email : shivshaktimandir45@yahoo.com

or follow as on https://www.facebook.com/Sanatan-Shiv-Shakti-Mandir-Houston A Hearty Invitation to all Hindu Devotees to celebrate Shravan Maas STARTS -August 11th. 2018 to September 09th 2018 ||Om Namah Shivay|| 1st.- Monday – August 13 , 2018 – KERI MANORATH DARSHAN 2nd.- Monday – August 20 ,2018 - GANGAVIHAR DHARSHAN 3rd. -Monday – August 27 , 2018 –SHIVAVIAVAH DARSHAN 4th.- Monday – September 03 ,2018 –SRAVAN-BADH0 DARSHAN SHRAVANA AMAVASYA MAHAPOOJA –September 09,2018 Sunday

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PAGE 16 • INDIA HERALD • WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 22, 2018

NEWS

A growing number of California detainees are Indians crossing through Mexico to seek asylum On a recent visit to the federal prison in Victorville, U.S. Rep. Mark Takano was caught by surprise. Of the hundreds of immigrants detained there, he learned, possibly 40% had traveled from India seeking asylum. The Riverside Democrat had expected to see a high concentration of Central American detainees, many of them fathers who had been separated from their children. Not all of the men spoke English. The group appointed a representative, who told Takano that they were supporters of two different political parties and had been persecuted by India’s governing Bharatiya Janata Party. “They said they were often bullied into doing things that were immoral,” Takano said. “They would have to carry drugs, perpetrate violence against others.” According to immigration officials and attorneys, there has been an increase in recent years of Indian nationals crossing into the U.S. through Mexico — although they represent a small percentage of those detained overall. Indian citizens are among thousands of migrants from Haiti, Africa and Asia now trekking across Latin America, taking advantage of travel routes forged by Latino immigrants. By early August, about 380 of the 680 migrants at the Victorville facility were Indian nationals, according to the Federal Bureau of Prisons, sent there as civil rather than criminal detainees pending the outcome of their immigration cases. In addition, about 40% of the detainees at Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Imperial Valley facility are from India, a spokeswoman said. Nearly 20% of detainees at ICE’s Adelanto processing center are Indian. So far during the 2018 fiscal year, 4,197 of those arrested by Border Patrol agents have been Indian nationals, according to data from Syracuse University’s Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse. And many have seen their asylum claims denied. From fiscal years 2012 to 2017, about 42% of asylum cases from India were rejected, clearinghouse records show. “I ask, ‘Why not stay in Mexico?’” said immigration attorney Deepak Ahluwalia. “They see us as the traditional country that has helped the persecuted.” Indeed, detainees from India have cited an increase in political and religious persecution as their reasons for seeking asylum, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Sukhwinder, an immigrant from the northern state of Pun-

jab who did not want his full name used for fear of retribution, spent two months inside the Imperial Valley center, where he said he was not allowed to wear the turban and bracelet many Sikhs wear as part of their faith. Hindus housed in the same facility were forced to eat meat for more than two weeks, despite their religious beliefs, he said. “I didn’t feel at ease,” Sukhwinder said through an interpreter. “I wished I was in my home country.” On Tuesday, Management and Training Corp., the company that operates the Imperial Regional Detention Facility, said in an email, “We provide turbans to detainees free of charge” when they are requested. The company added that the center’s menu is approved by a dietician according to national standards, and if detainees request, they are provided with a vegetarian diet. Sukhwinder, who is 20, said he fled India after being attacked late last year by a group of men who stepped out of their car and asked him why he hadn’t joined the BJP, the party of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist government. When he told them he did not support their cause, they pummeled him with hockey sticks and threatened to kill him the next time they crossed paths, he said. Fearing for his life, Sukhwinder’s parents sold gold and part of their wheat farm to get him a visa and a ticket to Mexico — in hopes that he could seek asylum in the United States. At the end of a five-day journey from Mexico City, he and a handful of other Indian nationals jumped the border wall in Baja California and were arrested by authorities on the U.S. side near Calexico. Sikh detainees, as well as those of other faiths, have complained of conditions that don’t allow them to freely practice their religion. At a recent know-yourrights gathering in the Victorville prison, nearly 40 people who met with Meeth Soni, colegal director at Immigrant Defenders Law Center, were Sikh. All of them, she said, were told they could not wear their turbans or kara — allegations that are part of a recently filed lawsuit against President Trump and Immigration and Customs Enforcement. One Sikh detainee “made repeated requests for a head covering and was told it was not allowed,” according to the lawsuit. “They’ve been told it’s going to cost them $10 for a turban — $10 that these people don’t have,” Soni said. “ICE took their turbans away from them, threw them away and

now is saying you have to pay us money to properly observe your religion.” ICE referred a request for comment to the Bureau of Prisons, which said it does not comment on pending litigation. Attorneys who have spoken with detainees about why they left their home countries said many Indians have stories similar to Sukhwinder, who said he could not turn to the police in Punjab for help. “In some cases, the beating has been pretty gruesome. People have been hospitalized. The police have not done anything to protect them, and even though they try to relocate, the threats continue to them and their families,” Soni said. After the first assault by supporters of the governing Hindu nationalist party, Sukhwinder said, police threatened to bring up a false charge against him if he spoke out against that party again. A 2018 Human Rights Watch report said others in India experienced similar treatment at the hands of police. “Mob attacks by extremist Hindu groups affiliated with the ruling BJP against minority communities, especially Muslims, continued throughout the year amid rumors that they sold, bought, or killed cows for beef,” the report said. “Instead of taking prompt legal action against the attackers, police frequently filed complaints against the victims under laws banning cow slaughter.” Experts say there is no denying that the political climate in India has become hostile to many minorities. Vinay Lal, a history professor at UCLA, said that although he has not seen evidence of Indian refugees coming to the U.S. to escape political persecution, it is possible. He said he views the greater trend of Indian immigrants crossing

through Mexico as part of a global “migration crisis” rather than a political one. “I think that the word has gone out that there are various ways that you can try to move,” Lal said, “and coming through the Mexican border remains one of the more accessible ways.” Gaurav Khanna, an assistant professor at UC San Diego’s School of Global Policy and Strategy, said religious and political persecution in India have become more intertwined with the rise of the BJP. “There’s deﬁnitely people getting attacked for their political beliefs,” Khanna said. “You do see, especially before elections, people are killed for … campaigning for certain parties. My sense is it has been happening for years, but the question is, is it rising in recent years?” Of the 680 migrants detained in early August at the federal prison in Victorville, 380 were Indian nationals, according to the Federal Bureau of Prisons. (James Quigg / Associated Press) Sukhwinder said he felt forced to leave his home, taking a path that snaked through the United Arab Emirates, Greece and Germany. “My life was obviously more important to my parents than any gold or land in India,” Sukhwinder said. Once he arrived in Mexico, he met two other Indian men who had taken a similar route. A contact in India put them in touch with someone who then led them to a home in Mexico City. There, Sukhwinder said, they stayed in a bedroom furnished only with the linens they slept on. They were allowed supervised walks to the bathroom and ate one meal each day, usually a burrito or

bread with water. “I feared for my life,” Sukhwinder said. “If I were to be sent back, I could be located anywhere.” Sukhwinder is out on $10,000 bond while he ﬁles for asylum. The decision on whether to accept his account and approve his claim ultimately rests with an immigration judge. As he waits to hear his fate, he said he is grateful but stressed that he can’t plan for his future. “Asylum seekers are not being granted asylum as easily as they were before,” he said. “I don’t know how likely it is that I will be able to stay.” (www.latimes.com)

“Detainees from India have cited an increase in political and religious persecution as their reasons for seeking asylum, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection.” Is political and religious persecution a widespread problem in India today? Sikhs from India have been claiming political asylum since the 1980s follwing the Goldem Temple raid and oppression of the Khalistani movement. Though the Bharatiya Janata Party government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi is accused by opposition parties as a Hindu right wing government, few would justify the asylum seekers’ claim of persecution. How would Indian Americans who oppose President Donald Trump’s immigration policies react to this claim? —Editor

INDIA HERALD • WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 22, 2018 • PAGE 17

NEWS India nationals illegally crossing the US-Mexico border in record numbers, pay smugglers up to $25,000 The number of Indians apprehended in El Centro, California has soared from about a dozen in 2013 to over 3,000 so far this year; national correspondent William La Jeunesse reports. The surge of Central Americans crossing into the U.S. claiming asylum is no secret around the world. Just a snapshot of those caught entering on any given day is stunning – Nigeria, Romania, Nepal – in addition to the hundreds of Mexicans, Guatemalans and Hondurans. But one of the fastestgrowing groups of illegal immigrants come not from the barrios of South America or the slums of Africa, but megasized cities in India – 8,000 miles away from the tiny town of El Centro, California, where a handful of Indian nationals are illegally entering the U.S. every day, oﬃcials say. “It’s a common misconception that we just arrest Mexicans - that couldn’t be further from the truth,” said El Centro agent Justin Casterhone. “We arrest people from all over the world.” Unable to obtain H1b visas, which are given to highly

skilled workers, because of a crackdown on the visas by the Trump administration, and because of a fear that Sikhs are coming under attack by fundamentalist groups in their country, Indians are heading to the U.S. -- illegally -- in droves. In 2015, agents caught six immigrants from India trying to cross into the U.S. from Mexico. So far this fiscal year, the figure is already at more than 3,400. The U.S.-Mexican border is divided into nine sectors. The smallest is El Centro, a tiny 70mile stretch just west of the Arizona-California border. That area has become a conduit for those from India fleeing their country. “Communication is very, very hard,” said Casterhone, who like most border agents speaks fluent Spanish, but no Punjabi, the native language. “When trying to communicate, we are gonna have to get the interpreter to get the entire story.” Agents said they arrest roughly five to 10 Indian nationals a day, with most young men claiming asylum as victims of political or religious persecution. Women, who of-

ten belong to a lower class in India’s stratiﬁed caste system, claim abuse or fear of retribution from families in a higher social class. “When someone marries beneath their caste, or above their caste, the parents generally get really angry about it and can subject the couple to honor killing,” said immigration attorney Judith Wood, who has represented and won a number of asylum claims on behalf of Indian nationals.” Unlike those coming from Central America, who generally ﬂee poverty and seek protection from gangs, most Indians claim persecution based on politics, social group and religion. “People who are untouchables, the lowest caste, are basically not allowed to participate fully in society,” Wood said. “Among members of the Sikh religion, there’s a high incidence of torture.” Most Central Americans pay an $8,000 smuggling fee to cross through Mexico to the U.S. For Indians, it is considerably more. El Centro Apprehensions 2008-2018

2008 Mexicans 40,159 Indians 0 2009 Mexicans 32,602 Indians 6 2010 Mexicans 31,704 Indians 11 2011 Mexicans 29,474 Indians 9 2012 Mexicans 22,511 Indians 9 2013 Mexicans 15,141 Indians 13 2014 Mexicans 12,511 Indians 32 2015 Mexicans 11,320 Indians 6 2016 Mexicans 14,361 Indians 1,455 2017 Mexicans 12,821 Indians 2,028 2018 Mexicans 15,885 Indians 3,408 “Some of these organizations are charging Indian nationals up to $25,000 dollars to get smuggled into the U.S.,” said El Centro Sector Chief Gloria Chavez. “These traﬃckers, they are winning on this. Law enforcement is not.” Chavez said Indians gener-

1970-2018 1970 - 2014

ally ﬂy to Qatar then Ecuador, then travel on foot or by bus through the jungles of Colombia and Panama, through Central America and Mexico to El Centro. Most know to travel without any documents verifying their identity. “Many use their lack of identiﬁcation to claim to be one person in Mexico and another one in the United States,” she said. “In Mexico, they claim to be an adult because unaccompanied minors under 18 are arrested. In the U.S., the opposite is true. Here, they claim to be juveniles so they must be released.” Asylum seekers without a criminal history in the U.S. are typically released. The Indian nationals usually head to the local Sikh Temple for a meal, change of clothes and a bus ticket. From there they will go live with relatives until an immigration judge can hear their case – typically a year or two later. “They have the right to migrate wherever they want to go,” Chavez said. “But there is a legal way and an illegal way. We want them to do it the legal way.” —www.foxnews.com

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COMMUNITY CALENDAR 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.

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24-Aug Fri 7 PM Varalakshmi Vratham 25-Aug Sat 10 AM Onam 26-Aug Sun 7 AM Rig Yajur Upakarma Aavani Avi`am 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 (oďŹ&#x20AC; Hwy 6 bet. Bellaire & Westpark). Call Ganesh Mandal at 713-797-9057 / 832-423-8541. 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 oďŹ&#x20AC; Hwy 6). 281752-0100. Brahma Kumaris The Brahma Kumaris Raja Yoga Meditation Center is open 7 days a week. The center oďŹ&#x20AC;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 @ BUY

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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 Summer schedule Both BalaVihar and adult classes will remain closed from May 27th to September 8th. Classes will resume on Sunday, September 9th. New member registration for Bala Vihar will be conducted in Chinmaya Smrti Hall on SUNDAY, August 12th from 2 PM to 5 PM and August 19th from 9:30 AM to 12 Noon. Detailed information will be provided at the time of registration. No registrations will be done for Bala Vihar during September 2018. For more information: Visit www.chinmayahouston.org or call Bharati Sutaria 281.933.0233 Vedanta Society Vedanta Society of Greater Houston, VSGH (oďŹ&#x192;cial 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) located at 3905 Arc Street Houston Texas 77063 is open M-F from OLD

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7:30 AM to 12 Noon and 4 to 7 PM, and Sat, and Sun from 8 AM to 6 PM. Jain Society of Houston invites Jain scholars all year round. Jain Center invites Scholar Shri Champakbhai for lectures on August 31 through September 2. In addition, Jain Center will celebrate Paryushan Parv from September 6 to September 13, 2018 inviting all. Mahavir Janm Kalyanak will be celebrated on Sunday, September 9, and Samvatsari Day pratikraman shall be held at around 4:30 PM at the temple. JSH has invited the Jain Scholar Dr. Tej Sahebji from India as Paryushana Guest. Please come and listen to Dr. Tej Sahebji in morning and evening lectures at the temple each day of the Paryushana. For all details please 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 Houstonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;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 â&#x20AC;&#x153;Gopa Kuteeramâ&#x20AC;? childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;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, engage-

ment 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., StaďŹ&#x20AC;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: 713729-8994 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, 9:30am-11:30am, 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 1010.30am. 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. We urge you to make a special eďŹ&#x20AC;ort to join our Sunday services regularly with your family & friends. The services are held from 5.30PM to 7.30PM followed by delicious 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 oďŹ&#x20AC;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. Gandhi Library Mahatma Gandhi Library Book Club: Meets 2nd Sunday of each month; 12:30 PM at Arya Samaj Greater Houston, 13475 Schiller Rd. Join the discussion of the great manâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s autobiography â&#x20AC;&#x201C; The Story of My Experiments with Truth. Call Manish Wani 713-829-6979.

INDIA HERALD • WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 22, 2018 • PAGE 19

NEWS

A turf war over missing idols

The hunt for missing idols and figurines from temples has, over the last few months, turned into a bitter clash between two arms of the government – the Idol Wing of the Crime Branch CID and the HR&CE Department. The arrest of senior HR&CE officials has brought matters to a head. Charges of ‘bullying’ and rebuttals of ‘zero bias’ are flying thick and fast. A couple of weeks ago, senior staff members of the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) Department threatened to go on long leave, claiming they were fed up with “action” taken against their colleagues. They objected to the “bullying” and “arm-twisting” they were being subjected to, and claimed they were “being made to give confessions implicating coworkers.” The department’s workforce, comprising around 1,000 persons, including 11 regional joint commissioners, 28 assistant commissioners and 300odd executive officers, have been shaken to the core by the arrest of senior colleagues on what they claim are “impossible allegations” of misappropriation of gold collected for the making of utsava murthis (icons used in processions) and collusion with idol thieves. Risk Assessment Report gave a district-wise break-up of the number of idol theft cases registered The report was sent to SPs of 30 districts in the State in 2013 The Madras High Court formed a Special Investigation Team in July last year In the year since the team’s formation, 12 crimes have been detected, 20 idols recovered, including the famous idols of Raja Raja Chola and Lokamadevi, and more than 40 persons arrested The hunt for missing idols and figurines from temples spanning several continents has, over the last few months,

turned into a bitter clash between two arms of the government – the Idol Wing of the Crime Branch CID and the HR&CE Department. Things came to a head in end-September when the Idol Wing of the Crime Branch CID arrested M. Kavitha, Additional Commissioner (Thirupani) of the HR&CE Department, on suspicion of involvement in the misappropriation of funds and gold collected towards making two new idols at the Sri Ekambareswar Temple in Kancheepuram. At least one former commissioner, an additional commissioner, a couple of executive officers and a senior sthapathi, who is a Padma Shri awardee, have been arrested and are out on conditional bail. Additional commissioner (general) and a leading industrialist have recently obtained anticipatory bail in matters pertaining to thirupani (works) carried out in temples at various points of time. Early arrests questioned D. Nagasaila, advocate and human rights activist of the People’s Union for Civil Liberties, questioned the necessity of arresting these officials at such an early stage in the case. “The Supreme Court has time and again said that people should not be arrested for the sake of arresting. Section 41A of the Criminal Procedure Code was brought in to curtail abuse by the police. The additional commissioner (HR&CE) does not have any sanctioning authority. She only pushes files to the commissioner. There is no requirement to arrest a person unless they don’t cooperate with the investigation or are tampering with evidence,” she said, adding that these issues could have been dealt with at the department level. “These involve files and papers that are with them. Before you arrest someone you can summon them and enquire into the matter. The arrest can be

even done after the chargesheet has been filed, trial conducted and the person found guilty,” Ms. Nagasaila added. The manner in which a few persons are being targeted is being questioned by former HR&CE officials. “The officer who is said to have collected the gold from devotees to make the icon of Somaskandar at the Ekambareswarar temple in Kancheepuram continues to carry out his duties. If they say the arrested officials and those related to the thiruppani works are involved in selling idols and icons, let the police find the idols first. Industrialist Venu Srinivasan has spent several crores on temples, including the Nava Tirupati sthalams where even the surrounding villages have been given a new lease of life. The Srirangam utsava idol actually requires four people to carry it. So allegations of idols going missing are baseless. What is required is proper investigation by a competent agency,” said an office-bearer of the HR&CE Officers Association. From 1920 to 2017, a total of 2,145 icons and 478 idols have gone missing from 803 temples. These numbers are based on complaints preferred by temple officials to the police. Of this only around 60 have been recovered, and 18 have been restored to temples. Around 390 idols belonging to 33 temples remain non-traceable. “We don’t see the Idol Wing members going behind these idols. They are only taking up cases in which some allegations are made by individuals, who seem to have personal agendas. We are not saying do not investigate. These allegations have to be thoroughly verified before taking action,” said a retired HR&CE official. Crossing the line Many are of the view that the Idol Wing is overstepping its brief. The wing was formed

in 1983, and in 2000 it was brought under the control of the Economic Offences Wing. G. Thilakavathi, retired IPS officer who headed the wing for some time, explained that its primary functions were to investigate cases of theft of idols and antiques exceeding a value of ₹5 lakh, idol theft cases referred to it by the State government, coordinate the investigation of important idol theft cases and collect intelligence about the nefarious activities of antique dealers and art collectors. “We have traced idols that left our shores and travelled to many places in coordination with several agencies including Scotland Yard. It takes a lot of patience to trace and get an idol back to the temple. There are still many idols and icons lying in the vault of the wing. Bronzes are usually stolen by people thinking they will contain a lot of gold but when they check using the services of a goldsmith, they don’t even find

traces. They then would leave the idols in places like railway stations. We have recovered icons from Arakkonam railway station, Chengalpattu tank and even Koyambedu bus terminus,” she recalled. “The Idol Wing cannot work on its own; it should report to senior officers,” a former senior police officer said, adding, “unnecessary arrests are happening and the court is not questioning them.” The HR&CE Department has been demanding a fair probe into cases of missing idols. “If there are officials involved, we would be the last to protect them. We are dealing with public property here and cannot be careless. All that we want is a proper probe into the thefts of ancient idols. Issues pertaining to the making of recent idols would be looked into and action taken if need be,” said HR&CE Commissioner R. Jaya. —The Hindu

U.S. tech giants plan to fight India’s data localization plans The firms fear the norms may raise costs, increase scrutiny; Industry ramping up lobbying efforts, India-U.S. row possible U.S. technology giants plan to intensify lobbying efforts against stringent Indian data localisation requirements, which they say will undermine their growth ambitions in India, sources told Reuters. U.S. trade groups, representing companies such as Amazon, American Express and Microsoft, have opposed India’s push to store data locally. That push comes amid rising global efforts to protect user data but is one that could hit planned investments by the firms in the Indian market, where the companies currently have limited data storage. The issue could further undermine already strained economic relations between India and the United States. Technology executives and trade groups have discussed approaching Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s office to appraise him of their worries. Separately, the industry is considering pitching the issue as a trade concern, including at the India-U.S. talks in September in New Delhi, according to two sources familiar with the matter. Though a final decision hasn’t been made, the deliberations come while the United States and India are locked in a dispute over U.S. tariff increases and on the Indian policy of capping prices of medical devices, which hurts American pharmaceutical companies. “This issue is important enough to be discussed at the IndiaU.S. trade level,” said Amba Kak, a global public policy adviser at the Internet company Mozilla Corp. “Data localisation is not just a business concern, it potentially makes government surveillance easier, which is a worry.” Stricter localisation norms would help India get easier access to data when conducting investigations, but critics say it could lead to increased government demands for data access. Technology firms worry the mandate would hurt their planned investments by raising costs related to setting up new local data centres.

Rising data breaches

Greater use of digital platforms in India for shopping or social networking have made it a lucrative market for technology companies, but a rising number of data breaches have pushed New Delhi to develop strong data protection rules. Shamika Ravi, a member of Mr. Modi’s economic advisory council, said data localisation was a global phenomena and India wasn’t an outlier. “It’s in the long term strategic and economic interest,” said Ravi, who is also a research director at Brookings India. The main government committee on data privacy last month proposed a draft law, recommending restrictions on data flows and proposing that all “critical personal data” should be processed only within the country. It would be left to the government to define what qualifies as such data. —The Hindu

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