Indo American News • Friday, September 17 , 2010
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Friday, September 17 2010 | Vol. 29, No. 38
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Indian Film Festival in Houston
The Annual Film Festival takes off Sept 22-26 at Studio Movie Grill by showcasing quality films that honor entertainment industry performers and film makers.
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Swasti Kalpanam Peace mass
Indian Filmmaker Vijay Kumar leaves Us after detention
Held on Anniversary of 9/11
The birthday celebration of Ganesh, the god of good beginnings, this year coincided with the anniversary of September 11, 2001, when the world lost its innocence and nearly three thousand people lost their lives in one of the most heinous terrorist attacks in history. To help mitigate the painful memory that will forever be etched in the collective consciousness of the nation, Swasti Kalpanam, a Peace Mass for Healing and Harmony was initiated by Swami Vidyadhishananda and held on a vividly sunny Saturday morning at India House on West Bellfort. The prayer event drew a diverse audience of nearly 400.
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Raja Sen to Visit Houston Story on Pg 5 Four Leading Ladies and ..... Rajan..... Serenade the Seniors
Swami Vidyadhishananda Proposes Introduction of Sanskrit at U of H Story on Pg 9 Didi Maa Visits Mahwah
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HOUSTON: Indian documentary filmmaker Vijay Kumar, who was arrested in the US after brass knuckles and ‘jihadi literature’ were found in his baggage, has left Houston on a “voluntary departure”. Sources said Kumar, who is travelling to India enroute to Canada, will soon reach his country, and left Houston on “voluntary departure”. Without confirming his Canada visit, Kumar’s lawyer, Roger Jain said that the filmmaker is out of Houston and the United States for now. Kumar’s departure marks an end to the tumultuous few weeks for him during which he was arrested and jailed for over 20 days. Pradip Parekh, a spokesman for the Hindu Congress of America, which invited Kumar to the US, said Kumar wanted to go home and out of the country as soon as possible. "It's so outrageous, and hard to swallow that Indian government didn't do much to secure his freedom earlier, despite the fact that it promises in the Indian passport that it will take care of its citizens in any country," he said. He hoped that appropriate action would be taken to ensure that such an event did not occur again with
Indian actor and director Vijay Kumar exits the court room in Houston innocent Indian citizens in the future in any foreign land. He pleaded "no contest" to a misdemeanor weapons charge in exchange for time served and so he could be returned to India soon. Kumar was sentenced to 20 days in jail and given credit for time served. He had been invited to Houston to participate in a Hindu organisation's conference. The literature was said to be used to educate the participants on the recruiting techniques of 'Jihadists'. That landed Kumar in county jail where his passport was taken from him, and in ICE detention for failure to have a passport. After he made bail for the state charge on August 23, federal authorities revoked his visa and detained him, without bail.
Hindu Temple of Woodlands Celebrates Ganesh Chaturthi Story on Pg 21
Salman Khan’s “Dabahgg” is a Dehati Robinhood Cop Hero
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Swasti Kalpanam Held at India House on 9/11
By Kalyani Giri HOUSTON: Under the gentle guidance of visiting savant Swami Vidyadhishananda Giri, four ordained priests recited the Ganapati-AtharvaSirsham shloka honoring the elephant-headed god Ganesha on the auspicious occasion of Ganesh Chathurti. Calming, cleansing, healing, the sonorous Vedic chants were all pervasive, ebbing, rising, and inducing an aura of euphoria and sanctity. The birthday celebration of the god of good beginnings this year coincided with the anniversary of September 11, 2001, when the world lost its innocence and nearly three thousand people lost their lives in one of the most heinous terrorist attacks in history. To help mitigate the painful memory that will forever be etched in the collective consciousness of the nation, Swasti Kalpanam, a Peace Mass for Healing and Harmony was initiated by Swami Vidyadhishananda and held on a vividly sunny Saturday morning at India House on West Bellfort. The prayer event drew a diverse audience of nearly 400. “Very few countries and cultures can teach tolerance. I’m very happy that India is at the forefront,” said Swami V, as the swami is affectionately known. “Today as 9/11 fell on Ganapathi Chathurti we offered the perfectly synchronized chants to help heal this city and the rest of the country from a tradition that is very ancient, and to promote healing, to remove obstacles, and to bind the spirit. Such gatherings have long-lasting momentum,” he added. A beautifully decorated foyer greeted guests; a bronze Ganapati, foot raised gracefully in dance,
Evoking the blessings of Lord Ganapati, Swami Vidyadhishananda leads the peace mass with the resident Priests of the Sri Meenakshi Temple. Photo: Krishna Giri
stood surrounded by colorful rangoli. Lamps glowed discreetly, and flowers rendered the receiving area into a veritable bower. In the prayer hall, flower garlands festooned the altar along with of offerings of fruit and modhakams, Lord Ganesh’s favorite sweets. The priests, from the Sri Meenakshi Temple in Pearland, evoked the blessings of the god with 120 Ganapati-AtharvaSirshams. “Usually we offer 108. But by giving room for error and pauses for breath, we offered 12 more for correction,” explained the swami. He described the significance of Lord Ganesh in Hinduism and in relation to Sanskrit. “He is GanaNaampathim, the one who leads the masses. He is the master scribe and he has a memory that can recollect any momentum
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and past cycles of creation. He breathes very slowly and directly into his spinal cord and into the cerebral spinal fluid. He resides in Swananda Loka, that which is spontaneously blissful,” explained Swami Vidyadhishananda to rapt gatherees. “There is a teaching in the Vedas that says light makes the nectar in honey flow. And that light is swananda, reposing in ones own light. Not the light of creation but the light of consciousness. He rides on a symbol, the mouse, that is constantly devouring time. The antithesis of that is swananda, the state that Ganapati is in. He holds the complete repository of Sanskrit and the Vedas in his memory,” added the swami. With prayer and words designed to still the mind, Swami Vidyadhishananda led the audience in
guided meditation. Following the soothing experience, gatherees were privy to a slideshow of the work being done by Swamahiman, the non-profit Self Enquiry Life Fellowship, founded by the swami in Santa Barbara, California. Along with several monks from the Himalayas, Swami V provides authentic forums to promote, preserve and disseminate precious streams of indigenous knowledge from the Sanskrit heritage. He urged the community to help further the vision of Swamahiman in however manner they chose. “Commercialism eats away spiritual depth,” said Swami V. “But if you volunteer and help, we can reach our goals.” For more information, visit www.swamahiman.org.
On September 11, 2001 nearly 3000 victims and the 19 hijackers died in the attack. According to the New York State Health Department, 836 responders, including firefighters and police personnel, have died as of June 2009. If you receive your paper more than 4 days after the Dateline, please file a complaint with your post office or call the USPS Consumer Affairs Office at 713-226-3442 Indo-American News (ISSN 887-5936) is published weekly on every Friday (for a subscription price of $30 per year) by Indo-American News Inc., 7457 Harwin Dr., Suite 262, Houston, Texas 77036, Tel: 713-789-6397, Fax: 713-789-6399, Email: indoamericannews@yahoo.com. Periodical postage paid at Houston, Texas. POSTMASTER: Please send address changes to Indo-American News, 7457 Harwin Dr., Suite 262, Houston, Texas 77036.
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Raja Sen to Attend Premiere of the Film “Laboratory” in Houston HOUSTON: Laboratory, a film based on a classic short story by Rabindranath Tagore, will premiere in Houston at the Funplex theaters on September 25th. A special attraction will be the presence of the three time National Award Winner Raja Sen. Laboratory marks his first venture in directing Tagore’s works for the large screen. He had earlier directed two telefilms based on Tagore stories, Nishithey and Maanbhanjan. Tagore Society of Houston and Databazaar Media Ventures are jointly organizing the premier that is expected to be a sellout. “Laboratory is a highly-rated film, with its many remarkable scenes and performances, cinematic and narrative techniques and experimental innovations,” stated Devasish Ray, Executive Director -Databazaar Media Ventures. “This film which is subtitled in English will be a treat for the avid watcher of good quality cinema.” “We at Tagore society are constantly striving to live up to the vision of our organization in promoting the inspirational global vision & ideals of Rabindranath Tagore with regard to art, literature, philosophy, human understanding & empowerment,” commented Raja Banga, President of Tagore Society-Houston. “This is the 150th birth anniversary of Rabindranath Tagore and we are very excited that Laboratory which was written by the greatest literary icons of all time will be premiering in Houston. Laboratory is the
but that is what I was looking for, a challenging role that would draw the best out of me,” said Raveena Tandon. “The other point of attraction was the director, Raja-da who has a string of National Awards for feature films and for documentaries.” Raja Sen has discovered that Tagore’s vision was not only universal but also progressive. This invests the stories with the timelessness that is the hallmark of a creative artist whose works live on more than 100 years after he wrote them. The setting is in the past but the characters are futuristic. “That is why he is called a visionary whose words ring true even at this age. When you take up classics by stalwarts like Bankim and Tagore, you are faced with a challenge to interpret the extraordinary story line, keeping the literary flavor intact,” said Sen. Raja Sen will take questions after the screening. Come join us at Funplex Theater (Beechnut @ Eldridge) on Saturday, September 25 at 4 pm. Raja Sen with actress Raveena Tandon
ideal way to celebrate and showcase the creative universality off Tagore’s genius on the occasion of his 150th birth centenary to the globalized world,” Banga added. Besides being Sen’s directorial debut for a large screen version of a Tagore classic, Laboratory has many other firsts. This is the first Bengali film to find simultaneous release in India and in three cities in the US.
This is the only Tagore story that features a Punjabi Sikh woman as the protagonist. The film marks the Bengali debut of Raveena Tandon in the controversial role of Sohini, the female protagonist in the story. “When I heard it was based on a story by Rabindranath Tagore, and also that I would be playing the central character, I jumped at it. I was thrilled. It meant a lot of hard work
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JVB Preksha center c marks 9/11 with “Forgiveness ceremony”
HOUSTON: JVB Preksha Meditation Center hosted Paryushan festival at its premises under the guidance of Samani Akshay Pragyaji & Samani Vinay Pragyaji (Disciples of Acharya Shri Mahashraman). The 8-day long festivities began on September 5 and concluded on September 12 at its Pyramid Hall in Houston. Paryushan parva is celebrated by Jains every year in the month of Bhadrapad (AugustSeptember). It is considered an auspicious and sacred time period to deepen spiritual consciousness. It is observed as an event to confess for all wrongdoings of the previous years and beg for forgiveness. The festival ordains the Jains to observe the principles of Jainism. The festival puts an end to all the evil propensities in man and gives eternal bliss and peace. M a n y patrons of JVB Preksha Meditation Center celebrated Paryushan parva with fasting, reading the scriptures, and observing silence. Some observed strict fasting from food and water for more than a week. Special food arrangements were made for lunch & dinner for tapasvees observing Ekashana (one meal), and Biyashna (two meals) per day. All age groups participated in the festivities with full vigor and enthusiasm. Young JVB Gyanshala children aged 4-14, performed multiple short skits to bring out the significance of the festival. A jeopardy style quiz competition was also conducted on Lord Mahavir’s life, which involved over 20 adult participants.
The last day of the Paryushan is Samvatsari, and after Pratikraman, people ask for forgiveness from each other for any wrongdoings in the past year. Jain Ratna & past President Dr. Sulekh Jain, in his address summarized how Jains all over the world were observing this 9/11 by forgiving, rather than remembering violence. He also advised how everyone should abstain from using personal accessories that are manufactured by inducing direct harm to other living beings. JVB Houston Chairman Swatantra Jain also echoed the same sentiments in his address. He also thanked the JVB Houston Executive Committee & the many tireless volunteers for the excellent arrangements throughout the 8 days. JVB honored many tapasvees including kids as young as 8 who observed fast during the week. Many adults observed fast for 2 or 3 days multiple times, and an honorable mention is Meena Shah who observed the fast for 8 consecutive days. The Parna (fast breaking) ceremony was held on Monday September 13th at 8 AM. “On this occasion, we practice “Forget and Forgive” with all creatures. “If we have done any misbehavior with anyone, let him forgive us. Our auspicious feelings for the world are – let the spirit of compassion spread in the world and let the world march forward on the path of Non-violence, friendliness, and beatitude.” said Acharya Mahashraman, the current head of Jain Terapanth sect. For more information visit www. JVBHouston.org or call 832-596-9642.
Indian commerce m minister to Visit chicago c By nand Kapoor
ian chicaGo correspondent
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CHICAGO: Hon’ble Commerce & Industry Minister, Anand Sharma will lead a delegation of industry & business leaders of Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) to Chicago on September 19-20, 2010. Mr. Anand Sharma will be the Chief Guest at the 2nd Annual US-India Business Opportunities Summit to be held by the Chicago Council on Global Affairs (CCGA), Chicago. Dr. Rahul Khullar, Commerce Secretary, Government of India will accompany the Minister and Hari Bhartia, President of CII will lead the Indian industrialists
accompanying the Minister. Mrs. Meera Shankar, Ambassador of India to USA will also attend the Summit. The half-day Business Opportunities Summit is to be held on September 20, 2010 at Hotel Swissotel, Wacker Drive, Chicago. The thirty member business delegation accompanying the Minister will participate in the seminar being organised by the CCGA and will interact with business leaders of Chicagoland to explore the possibility of increasing trade and investments and enhancing the level of US-India business cooperation. Anand Sharma will deliver a Keynote address and address a CEO’s Round table.
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For LDS, It’s 30 Years of Architecture in Houston
Indo American News • Friday, September 17 , 2010
Randhir Sahni (front row, center) with the staff of Lewellyn-Davies Sahni at the Junior League reception. Photo: Jawahar Malhotra
By Jawahar Malhotra HOUSTON: Not far from where its offices are in the Decorative Center on Woodway, the architectural firm of Llewellyn-Davies Sahni celebrated its 30th anniversary of providing urban planning and architectural design to many of its clients in the Bayou City and beyond. The reception was held in the Junior League last Thursday, September 9. The firm started as a branch of the Llewellyn-Davies Associates firm of London after it came to do work in Houston for the First Colony planned community for Gerald Hines Interests. After a major shakeup during the oil embargo crisis, the firm changed its name when Randhir Sahni took
control of the operations in May 1980. Among the many notable projects the firm has designed are the Light Spikes for the G8 summit in 1990 (and later relocated to the Intercontinental Airport); the Ben Taub Replacement Hospital in 1989, the Redevelopment of 70 downtown blocks in San Antonio in 1991 and the ongoing $400 million system wide expansion of the Houston Community College facilities. The firm even had a hand in the selection of the George Brown Convention Center. Sahni is a graduate of MS University of Baroda; with a Masters from Kansas State and Rice University. His firm currently has 13 people on its staff.
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Four leading l ladies and … rajan r …s serenade Indian senior s c citizens
By Jawahar Malhotra HOUSTON: When he is up there, there is no need for props or backdrops. He is the stage, the soundman, the conductor, the coach, the jester, the singer prancing around in his yellow shirt, black pompadour and tenor voice. A mike in one hand; gesturing, conducting, cajoling the other singers with his other hand. Rajan Radhakrishnan - or more simply known as Rajan from Madras Pavilion - has been doing this particular event for the past ten years, because it lets him feel close to his father, who is 93 and mother, 89, both in India. The day after the show, this past Saturday, the anniversary of 9/11, Rajan was taking off to Chennai to visit them. “My father is not doing well,” he said lamentfully. But for now, as he has done for the past decade, Rajan had brought along four talented
who has been a playback singer on two movies (one which is Rajan’s latest effort), but now was only a day away from taking her pharmacy licensing exam. Then came
Indian community and started to learn Hindi.” She has even adopted an Indian name (Tara) and has merged that with a love of music to begin singing in Hindi and
Top: From left: Veena Kaul, Karthika Mahadev, Rajan Radhakrishnan, Mala Shekar and Elizabeth Swim provided two hours of entertainment for the Indo American Senior Citizens group at their monthly meeting at Bayland Park on Bissonnet and Hillcroft. And, after the show, lunch was served, catered free of charge by Rajan’s restaurant, Madras Pavilion.
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female singers who sing as an avocation, for fun and for their Inner Self – Veena Kaul, Karthika Mahadev, Mala Shekar and Elizabeth Swim – to accompany him in providing two hours of entertainment for the Indo American Senior Citizens group at their monthly meeting at Bayland Park on Bissonnet and Hillcroft. And, after the show, lunch was served, catered free of charge by Rajan’s restaurant. “Since the morning, I have made sure the food, the chutney was ready. Then I went home to get this sound system, but it had problems,” explained Rajan from the stage, in between songs, “and then went to my friends to get this other system, but it too has some problems.” He made a mustachioed grin and motioned with his hand. “Now we will sing here. So many things I do for you, any mistakes, please pardon me for that.” The about 200 seniors there – many the parents of children settled in Houston, some retired from work in the US, and mostly Gujarati – listened with rapt attention and much appreciation to the 18 songs, mostly pop song yesteryear, that brought back memories of a homeland left long ago but never forgotten. The set started off with Karthika,
Veena, who is settled in the Clear Lake area and has started the local chapter of the Indian charity, Save a Mother, which held its inaugural fundraising gala earlier this year. “Our mission is to get better health care for poor mothers in India,” explained Veena before diving into a song. The seniors immediately started a collection, a box was passed around, and collected a tidy sum handing the surprised Veena a check for $351. “This was really not what I intended, but I am humbled and thank you,” she stammered. She was followed by Mala, dressed in a turquoise sari and then Rajan joined in on several duets with each of the three singers by turn. The next day being Grandparents Day, Veena asked the audience who started the tradition. “President Jimmy Carter,” someone answered. “When?” elicited several responses. “Close,” Veena smiled, “It was 1978.” A surprise performer was Elizabeth, a small but sprightly redhead who was raised in the San Francisco Bay area. “My father was interested in Hinduism and yoga and I would often go with him to the local temples,” she explained. “When I moved here two years ago, I got involved with the local
Left: IASC President Praful Gandhi with Neeta Mehta, founder and past President presented the performers with a memento of the occasion. Photos: Jawahar Malhotra
showed her mastery of both with two songs – one an A. R. Rahman number and the other a meditative, religious one - long on stretched out refrains and undulating notes, much to the delight of the audience who chanted her name for more. “Elizabeth is a real find and Music Masala suggested her to me,” explained Rajan, “and she will be singing at the (Rahman) concert too. She even sings in Tamil,” he added, coaxing her to sing a few lines, which Elizabeth obligingly did, from Rahman’s first song. “When I came to the US, people were so good to me, some said ‘just come to Texas’ and I came and took on a restaurant, which I had never done before.” recalled Rajan as the music ended after a duet with Mala (catch the video on www.indoamerican-news.com”). “Now I have five, but I believe that anything you make, you should give back to society. And so, we are here today.” Neeta Mehta co-founder and Praful Gandhi, President appreciated the care that Rajan gave the seniors and spoke of his tenderness towards the group. And as a warm embrace from the seniors, they presented each performer with a memento of the group’s Silver Jubilee.
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Indo American News • Friday, September 17 , 2010
s swami Vidyadhishananda Proposes Introduction of sanskrit at U of H pal philosophies such as Vedanta, Samkhya, and Yoga. The monastic order nurtures unbroken ancient traditions, and the preservation and promulgation of invaluable streams of indigenous knowledge from the Sanskrit heritage. Revered as Mahamahopadhyay or Great Ordained Teacher, the swami was in this city at the behest of his disciples and gave a series of talks at various venues, drawing
Photo: Krishna Giri
By Kalyani Giri HOUSTON: There’s nothing faddish or new-fangled about Swami Vidyadhishananda Giri’s vision to revitalize, preserve, nurture, and propagate the ancient Sanskrit language. From his rousing speech at the WAVES conference here in 2006, when he hailed Sanskrit as “the blueprint of the consciousness of the whole cosmos, and the epitome of perfection”, and exhorted a riveted global gathering of scholars to join him in his quest, the savant has since reiterated his ideology at platforms the world over and garnered support from many who share his intent. This past week, the renowned yogi from the Himalayas shared insights based on rigorous scholarly exploration and meditation, and articulated with clarity to academicians, faculty, students, and community members at the University of Houston (U of H), his module for the integration of Sanskrit into the syllabi of educational institutes. “Spiritual perspicacity born of rumination and rational thinking give me a unique perspective, without blind faith, that Sanskrit does have a role in a transnational curriculum,” he said. “The word Sanskrit means perfectly constructed with a built-in binary system. The grammar is precise and there are no shifts in vowel sets or meanings. Its literature encompasses the emotional, spiritual, mental, and physical makeup of the human being.” Swami Vidyadhishananda, founder and spiritual head of the Swamahiman Self Enquiry Life Fellowship in Santa Barbara, California, teaches authentic meditation techniques and princi-
large audiences. Sanskrit, he told rapt gatherees at U of H, relied on the special power of whole brain learning and could be assimilated only through intent listening. “Hearing gives a mental imprint that stays in the memory and cannot be replaced by visual methods of teaching,” he added. “The added dimension is that the student honors the teacher by listening intently.” Sanskrit, added Swami Vidyadhishananda, has 2500 roots sounds; between 1400 to 1700 are
used around the world, and only about 800 are in use in India. All root sounds from Indo European languages, and a plethora of far eastern languages come from Sanskrit, he said. He gave examples of words that were born of and remain intrinsically the same in meaning such as “curriculum” that derived from the Sanskrit word “gurukulam”. The swami told of his experiences learning verbal and written Sanskrit; he and other seekers studying under enlightened masters were inundated for hours with the spoken word and could not afford to lose focus for even a second so that the teachings could be committed to memory. Sanskrit promoted lateral and analytical thinking, along with hearing, and excellent memory, he added. “Ideally Sanskrit should be taught from an early age. Young boys that are in the gurukulam system are able to do advanced math as Sanskrit is a holistic method of teaching,” said Swami Vidyadhishananda. “Though it’s never too late for anyone to learn Sanskrit.” The swami cited as a working example, the St. James Independent School in London, U.K., where Sanskrit is a compulsory language; it intrigues and engages the students and helps them to grasp math, science and other languages better, said the swami. Addressing academia and the Chancellor of U of H Dr. Renu Khator directly, Swami Vidyadhishananda proposed that the university begin an exchange program by rewarding students with class credits, and bring teachers in from India to teach the sacred language. For more information on Swami Vidyadhishananda and his vision, visit www.swamahiman.org.
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KP George: Candidate for Fort Bend County Treasurer KP George, candidate for Fort Bend County Treasurer, will be hosting a major fundraising event on Thursday, September 23 at the M Lounge in Sugar Land. George, uniquely qualified for this office, has 16 years of financial services industry experience. He is a certified financial planner and is campaigning for complete transparency in the Treasurer’s office vowing to ensure responsible spending of tax dollars. Candidate George has been campaigning hard throughout Fort Bend County. He is married and the father of three. To learn more about him visit www. kpgeorge.com.
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KP GEORGE
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Session
Date
Time
Doctors Conference
Sat, Oct 2
9am to 6pm
Mass Healing & Satsang
Mon, Oct 4 & Tue, Oct 5
6pm to 9pm
Siddha Dhyan and Healing
Thu, Oct 7 to Sat, Oct 9 (3 days)
9am to 6pm
Shambhvi Dhyan and Healing
Mon, Oct 11 to Wed, Oct 13 (3 days)
Shree Vidya
Thu, Oct 14 to Sat, Oct 16 (3 days)
(Pre-requisite: Siddha Healing)
(Pre-requisite: Siddha Healing & Shambhvi Dhyan Healing)
(including one tea break and one lunch break)
9am to 6pm
(including one tea break and one lunch break)
9am to 6pm
(including one tea break and one lunch break)
Venue: The Unity Church 2929 Unity Drive, Houston, Texas 77057
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Krishan Vs. Kanhaiya Play: Sold Out Show in Houston
Sanjeev Arora, Consul General of India congratulates the entire team of the play Krishan Vs. Kanhaiya held to a house full audience at the Stafford Civic Center on September 3. The play deals humorously with real time issues faced in the Indian society and the tensions of rampant corruption existing between government and religion as each party struggles to win the vote and grab money from the unsuspecting common man. Photo: Jacob David
STAFFORD: A funny and riveting play that raises serious social questions bordering on the verge of spinning out of control when it comes to dealing with religious issues, one must step lightly, this play throws caution to the wind. The play featuring noted Bollywood film actor, Paresh Rawal, accompanied by nine younger accomplished Gujarati actors like Dharmendra Gohil as Kanhaiya, Chirag Vora as Sharmaji - who is the lawyer (Relax, Relax with a downward gesturing of his hands is his key line that had the audience laughing), Ankit Trivedi as the insurance agent, Manisha Vora who plays wife Sushila to Kishan,
Nilesh Pandya as Vashant, Kishan’s friend, and Puja Gupta as the ardent news reporter. The play is about an atheist’s struggle to come to terms with God’s existence. The atheist’s struggle starts when his antiques business is destroyed by an earthquake, an act of God, that the insurance will not cover. The story written by Bhavesh Mandalia draws laughter with common everyday themes, is directed by Umesh Shukla. and music is by Sachin Saghvi. Paresh Rawal at the end of the show, addressing the audience said “I loved performing for the Houston crowd. I love to perform in USA and make you laugh nonstop.”
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Reality Bites
A close friend died at the age of 60 last weekend. His mind was alert, but the body just gave away. Another friend received the diagnosis of cancer. Almost simultaneously, a young friend at work gave birth to a baby girl. A young graduate got his first job. Life and death go on. It is enough to make you cry, make you laugh. And wonder ... what is this all about? Pramod Kulkarni
Hide But Don’t Seek
The 2010 Commonwealth Games (CWG) are slowly becoming a game of smoke and mirrors — and Delhi, a Potemkin village. Like the 18th century Russian minister who tried to fool Empress Catherine II by building fake settlements along the banks of the Dnieper, CWG officials are now planning to put up a similar show of delusion along the banks of Yamuna for the October guests: a clean, green and functioning Delhi. In an ingenious move, the government has decided to ‘hide’ things they don’t want the guests to see: beggars will be rounded up and hidden inside parks till the Games are over. The parks will then be wrapped with “slick banners, logos and the Games mascot”. Hopefully, they will have some sense not to put those flashy ‘Incredible !ndia!’ posters around the park walls. Incredible, indeed! This not all: during an accent test for police personnel who will man the command and control centre and will be the face of the Delhi Police, policemen with ‘regional’ accents were weeded out. So now junk that old ‘diversity is our strength’mantra and forget that Delhi itself is a potpourri of people from different states: just be like them. Probably, our senior officials are unaware that not all Commonwealth team members or even the foreign spectators speak Queen’s English and it is a game for the old colonies, not the island only. In this drive to beautify Delhi and make the city ‘world class’ (thankfully, they have not benchmarked the city against some other capital), one wonders who will go next. Surely, not the unfinished stadiums and debris. Will someone with a magic wand come and finish them before we can say, “Common…”? But the good thing is that all this tamasha is only for 12 days, after that we will be back to our good old ways. Not much can keep us down, or hidden for that matter. Hindustan Times
editorial
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Not Indian. Not Pakistani. But Kashmiri. By Sabbah Haji I am a child of the 80s. As if the horror of growing up with puffy hair, polka dots, padded shoulders, punk rock, Wham!, Madonna, Mithun-da and Bappi Lahiri was not enough, I had to deal with the additional burden of being a Kashmiri. 6 questions, many answers But what does that even mean? ‘Let Us Understand,’ as my NCERT maths textbook used to say. We call ourselves Kashmiris because we can’t say ‘Jammu and Kashmiris’ without sounding silly. Also, we speak Kashmiri. So that’s our identity. I am now 28. Even today, each time I have to fill a form asking for my ‘nationality’, I hesitate before eventually writing ‘Indian’. That’s about 20 years of hesitating over the same point, because yes, even at 8, I knew something was rotten in the State of Jammu and Kashmir. No one in Kashmir drills their children with ‘Azaadi’ mantras and anti-establishment behaviour. Somewhere between infancy and childhood, I had picked up unwittingly on what most of my family and people felt. Just like that it was part of me. I am from the Doda district of Jammu and Kashmir. Growing up I constantly felt the strong anti-India sentiment running throughout the region. India was personified in its heartless governance and its troops — far too many in civilian areas and in our daily lives for us to understand. I began to notice how my people were treated by the ‘outsiders’, the men in uniform, the army/CRPF/BSF/whathave-you. I saw family members, men especially, being picked on all the time. Women being subject to very unwelcome attention that we didn’t like. There was a dark, dark period of disappearances, crackdowns, curfews, torture, deaths and misery. In these years I also saw the havoc wreaked by violent militants, mostly non-Kashmiris, whose scare tactics terrified naïve villagers (already bullied by troops) across the region. My house was burned down, relatives killed by these bearded mercenaries desecrating Islam and undermining
I don’t think of myself as an Indian. Or a Pakistani. It’s as simple as that. You can’t make me feel Indian. Pakistan can’t make me feel Pakistani. It’s what we call the bottom line. the Kashmiri struggle in one blow. And the Kashmiri Pandit exodus — what a shameful tragedy. India and Pakistan played a huge, unforgivable part in this horrific episode as did those Kashmiris (Muslims and Pandits) who supported communalising the movement, either actively or under threat or coercion. All in all, it was a miserable time. Simultaneous with the misery though, there was a building anger. And I am a net result of that generation of anger. I was born and brought up in Dubai. We had a lot of family there as well as other Kashmiris, so it was a very typical Kashmiri upbringing. After Kashmir and Dubai, I have spent a major part of my life in Bangalore, studying, working, growing up and becoming the person I am today. My friends are all Indians, some from army families. They all respect that I have a different opinion from theirs. And where do I stand? I love India for its amazing history, culture, languages, geographies, colours, festivals, music, movies and even its accents — but this is the lovable face of India that it shows to its own people, not the India we see in Kashmir. No one respects India’s freedom movement more than Kashmiris. What irks us is that while your Bhagat Singh is a ‘shaheed’ (martyr), while
Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose is a fierce nationalist, Kashmiris are to be typecast as violent troublemakers and written off for the same ideals and aspiration. Here’s the thing: I don’t think of myself as an Indian. Or a Pakistani. It’s as simple as that. You can’t make me feel Indian. Pakistan can’t make me feel Pakistani. It’s what we call the bottom line — most Kashmiris really believe we are not part of either India or Pakistan. That is what the ‘freedom movement’ in Kashmir is all about. Everyone has heard stories of how Indian tourists in Kashmir are often asked by the locals, “Aap Hindustan se hain?” (“You from India?”) Not in anger or anything, just a simple question, like they may ask foreign tourists, “Aap England se hain?” (“Are you from England?”) Unlike the previous generation which took to guns, which fell for the easiest trick in the book — religious divide — this generation is different. We are educated, we have seen more, read more and certainly learnt from the blunders of the past. The Kashmiri Muslim-Kashmiri Pandit animosity has to end. India has to pull out its troops and do away with AFSPA, DAA and other exploitative laws. The security forces have to be made accountable for the scale of human tragedy they have unleashed in J&K for all these years. As to the Pakistan angle, my knowledge of Pakistan is merely bookish, with the exception of what I know of it from Pakistani friends growing up, or watching PTV and their excellent telly dramas. I have never been to Pakistan though I’d love to visit. I love their cricket team, which, looking at their form today is laughable. But really, that’s about it. That’s the extent of our attachment to Pakistan. One last point: The only place most Kashmiris can naturally come out to for studying or working is mainland India. So please don’t make us justify that if we are so against India why do we come here. It’s the same as asking me why I have an Indian passport. If there was an alternative I would probably take it. There isn’t.
IndoAmerican News Founder: Dr. K.L. Sindwani Editor: Pramod Kulkarni Business Manager: Jawahar Malhotra Marketing Manager: Krishna Giri Community Reporter: Kalyani Giri Community Editor: Manasi Gokhale Administrative Manager: Vanshika Vipin Marketing & Food Reporter: Jacob David Production Manager: Hussain Mandviwala correspondents Chicago: Nand Kapoor ®All rights reserved. No material herein or portions thereof may be published without the written consent of the publisher. The deadline for advertising and articles is 5 pm on Monday of each week. Please include self-addressed, stamped envelope for return of all unsolicited material. Published at 7457 Harwin Drive, Suite 262, Houston, Texas 77036. Tel: 713-789-NEWS or 6397 Fax: 713-789-6399, email: indoamericannews@yahoo.com, website: indoamerican-news.com
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in MeMoriuM
Sudhir Goradia
HOUSTON: Sudhir Bhupatrai Goradia, 60, beloved brother, husband and father, passed away on the morning of Friday, September 10, 2010 at his home in Houston. Sudhir was a project engineer at Exxon Mobil for last 30 years. He immigrated to the United States from Bombay, India in 1969, and had resided in Houston since that time. Sudhir was a true inspiration! He will be remembered as a hard working, soft spoken, kind and gentle man who loved his friends and family immensely. He will forever be remembered for his positive attitude, gener generosity, love for sweets, dedication to Exxon (and its safety rules), constant attempt at humor and a willingness to laugh at himself. His home was and will always remain a gathering place for family and friends. In the Indian community, he was active with the Chinmaya Mission. Sudhir leaves behind memories with his loving wife, Pallavi; daughter, Purvi Goradia of New York; daughter, Pooja Goradia and her husband Ravi Purohit of New York; sister, Sonali Gandhi of Houston; and sister, Bharti Parikh and her husband Yogesh Parikh of Los Angeles. A prayer service was held at the Goradia family residence on Saturday, September 11. A service celebrating his life was held at the Winford Funeral Home in southwest Houston on Monday, September 13.
Indo American News • Friday, September 17 , 2010
Houston Patient Advocacy Opened by Dr. Vik Rajan HOUSTON: Dr. Vik Rajan, president and founder of Houston Patient Advocacy, a board certified nephrologist, internist, and pediatrician, has opened this service for the community who may have relatives in hospital or are themselves facing an illness or malady. He says he felt strongly convinced to become a patient advocate, “because my own mother experienced a serious illness and needed me to advocate for her.” Komal Rajan, mother of Vik Rajan is the main person who inspired him to study medicine and go into patient advocacy. His mother diagnosed with an autoimmune disease called IgA nephropathy, required her to get two kidney Vik Rajan M.D transplants just eight years apart of each other failing. Being on chronic dialysis, Vik Rajan was able to notice an indifference and a lack of personalized health care his mother underwent. Additionally she became mistrustful of the system when she was misdiagnosed and given the wrong treatment that endangered her life. Becoming a doctor, Vik Rajan was able to prolong his mother’s life by 2-3 years and took care of her for 8 years as her advocate. Visit www.houstonpatientadvocacy.com for full story.
Baba Ji Plans Visit to Houston Oct 2 - 16, Free Mass Healing HOUSTON: His Holiness Avdhoot Baba Shivanand Ji is coming to Houston on Oct 2 and will be here till Oct 16. He is set to conduct a free seminar for doctors in Houston on Oct 2, at the Unity Church, 2929 Unity Drive, Houston, TX 77057. There is a free mass healing satsang on October 4 and 5 evening from 6-9 pm at Unity Church. Baba Ji is an embodiment of unconditional love and divine wisdom. Known as the father of Indian healing, he revived the sacred wisdom of ancient India and opened the gates of esoteric knowledge for the common man. Babaji is a self realized master and a social reformer. He is selflessly engaged in various social and spiritual activities to realize his mission of healing the humanity. Baba Ji is known for his Siddha Dhyan and Healing, about living a happy, healthy and successful life. He will be answering questions on imperfections in our body, mind and life. He will help the attendees realize and develop their inner powers and strength. Shambavi Dhyan, is another course, the divine healing power of Shiva’s third eye, the highest Diksha a seeker can get on a spiritual path. Realizing this power helps heal deadly ailments like cancer, kidney failure, heart ailments, diabetes and arthritis in a few days. Sri Vidya Sadhna another course is most sacred. Represented by Goddess Lalita Tripur Sundari, this course helps people in leading a blissful and contented life through Self Realization. To register, visit www.shivyogusa.com or contact: 281-565-6186
Not Indian. Not Pakistani
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Let it be understood that Kashmir’s anti-India stance is not an automatic alignment with Pakistan. Please don’t broadside the Kashmiri movement by throwing the accusation, “Pakistani!” in our faces. We do not accept it. A few might, but a few don’t matter. And majority wins. This is where a referendum comes in. Give us our plebiscite, the one we were promised under the ruling of the United Nations. It’s got something to do with the idea of ‘democracy’, an idea Indians are very proud of. Self-determination is what we want. Then let the chips fall where they may. Sabbah Haji is based in Doda City and works with schools in Jammu and Kashmir. This is her idea of what it is to be a young Kashmiri.
I Am Charity’s Friend riend 22nd Annual Gala - Magic of Passion Fri, October 1, 7pm, Stafford Civic Centre 10505 Cash Rd, Stafford, TX
Pradeep Gokhale Director
Kiran Gupta Director
Surender Talwar Director
Some of the Recipients of the $28,000 given in IACF Scholarship in 2010
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Didi Maa Visits Mahwah, NJ MAHWAH, New Jersey: September 6, 2010, 5:18 pm will go down as a watershed moment in the history of the Hindu society in the USA. It was at that precise moment that Pujya Sadhvi Ritambhara Devi, (Didi Maa) stepped into Hindu Samaj Mandir, Mahwah, NJ on the special invitation of the Board of Trustees who were gracious enough to correct the earlier error of canceling Didi Maa’s Bhagavat Saptah at the same venue having been mislead by mischievous propaganda of lies and distortions by the Indian Muslim Council-America and NRI’s for Secular and Harmonious India. On the concluding day of five day long spiritual discourse at Sheraton Hotel in Mahwah, Mr. Manmohan Khanna, President for Religious Affairs and one of the founders of the Hindu Samaj Mandir rose to tender a heartfelt apology to Didi Maa for the Mandir’s earlier decision and invited her to the Mandir for a darshan and discourse. Ritambharaji, who believes in bringing together the Hindus and who had earlier said that she did not feel insulted because a saint is above such feelings, readily accepted the invitation. She was welcomed at the doors of the Mandir by the trustees and executives of the Mandir. Mandir was jam packed with the devotees eager to listen to the electrifying words of Ritambharaji. In an electrifying talk that lasted for half an hour, Ritambharaji touched upon several spiritual and secular aspects of human life. She stressed the need for purity of mind in quest for inner peace. She said that one should not eat with a disturbed mind as food would become poison instead of being prasad (grace). She talked of importance to show gratitude to the mother earth, elements of nature and the elders. She differentiated between Daya (pity) and Karuna (compassion). Daya generates ego in one’s
mind and looks down upon someone as pitiable, while Karuna is an ever flowing stream of positive feeling for one and all. She was happy to observe that in spite of several obstacles, Hindus had exhibited spirit of unity. She briefly talked about her Vatsalyagram project where orphaned children, women abandoned and abused by the society and old women discarded by their families, are brought together under one roof to constitute a loving family unit. Such an arrangement produces productive citizens out of people who had no hope earlier. Dinesh Khosla, a founder trustee of Hindu Samaj Mandir gave concluding remarks. He noted the pain and turmoil that they all had gone through in past few days. He assured Ritambharaji of continued dialogue and stressed that there was no ill intention in their earlier decision. He reiterated that even if there were differences of opinion, we all were sons and daughters of Bharatmata. When asked for his reaction, Jyotish Parekh, president of VHPA said that amongst other things, Hindu temples are built to serve as places for prayers and have religious and spiritual discourses. By reversing the decision and welcoming revered Sadhvi Ritambharaji (Didima) to the temple for religious discourse, the trustees of the Hindu Samaj Temple of Mahwah have served the true purpose for which the temples are built. They have served the members of the temple in specific and the Hindu community in general by upholding the dharma.. Girish Gandhi, Vice President, Seva of VHPA hoped that the Mandir executives had genuinely regretted their earlier decision and that they would check with Hindu organizations in future and not succumb to Islamic organizations’ pressure tactics. Ours is a culture of respect, acceptance and continued on page 19
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SOCIETY
Gram” that creates wholesome families out of orphaned children, destitute widows and elderly ladies is a novel concept worthy of emulation all over.” VijayNarang, Media Director of VHPA had this to say: It is pathetic that these so called peace and harmony loving organizations, carrying the political baggage of Indian politics, still use the same tactics to threaten and terrorize the minority Hindu community in Manmohan Khanna and Dinesh Khosla with Didi Ma at Hindu Samaj the USA that they have used Mandir in New Jersey
to Visit Hindu Samaj Temple
18 sacrifice, said Dr. Abhaya Asthana, General Secretary of VHPA. . “I am so delighted these values eventually triumphed and Didi Ma was re-welcomed to deliver a moving discourse at the Hindu Samaj Mandir in Mahwah, NJ. The Hindu community has sent a clear signal to hate mongers and bigots, whose divisive campaigns in the past failed repeatedly in Florida, Houston and Boston as well, that their shenanigans will not work anymore. From Florida to Los Angeles and from Boston to Washington people have thronged to listen to Sadhvi Ritambhara’s enchanting discourses retelling the stories of Ram and Krishna and conveying the message of Hindu heritage, values, peace and love. Her pious work on “Vatsalya continued from page
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in India in the past centuries. It is equally sad that they just can’t handle the strength and power of a saint just because she is a woman; this in itself is very revealing. I feel proud that every effort to threaten and terrorize the Hindu community by these organizations, discredited by their close ties with terrorist organization banned in USA and India, has been frustrated by the brave Hindus and their leadership at the Hindu Samaj Mandir in Mahwah, NJ. Thus, a highly successful five day Bhagavat Katha attended by hundreds despite it being the last long weekend of summer was capped by the welcome decision of the management of Hindu Samaj Mandir. It was a most befitting reply to those who themselves are extremely intolerant, who support banned terrorist organizations like Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) and the Maoist-Naxalites and then advise the Hindus about pluralism. It also negated these groups’ efforts to dictate the Hindus in matters of whom they should invite and which saint can or cannot speak at a given Mandir.
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Woodlands Temple Celebrates Ganesh Chaturthi WOODLANDS: Nearly 200 Hindus gathered in The Woodlands to celebrate one of the most popular of Indian festivals, Ganesh Chathurthi. The occasion was to honor the divine in the form of Ganesh, the remover of obstacles, who is honored by Hindus before beginning any undertaking. A traditional puja, or worship ser service, was presided over by a traditionally trained priest who used water to purify, flowers to beautify, scents such as incense to provide fragrance, sweets and grasses to symbolize providing nutrition, and speech and singing including chanting in Sanskrit to provide a sacred atmosphere. As a part of the program about ten young children participated in reading about Ganesha and the aspects of His life and the celebration. Both adults and children participated in singing devotional songs and per performing a classical Indian dance as the program continued. To conclude the ceremony, aarti was performed. In this families approached the stage where the rituals were taking place and “showed the light” to the representation of the divine by slowly waving the plate in a clockwise direction three times. In this way, the families honored the deity and also received blessings.
Following a procession in which young and old all participated that went from the worship area to a ”body of water” outside – in this case a barrel of water served this purpose – the clay image was immersed to the chants of “Ganpati Bapa Moriya.” Celebration of this Hindu festival in America by Hindu Americans as a community helps to maintain pride and understanding of their traditions by the younger generation who are at the same time encouraged to become proud Americans.
As Americans and as Hindus, participants ended with a period of silence and prayer for peace for the victims of 9/11 and their families. Elsewhere in The Woodlands and surrounding area during the weekend, a number of families had smaller celebrations with friends. These included special meals and, often, special music. In Shenandoah, a weekly yoga session led by a Hindu-American physician held special prayers for peace for 9/11 victims before beginning their regular session.
HOUSTON COMMUNITY EVENTS Non-profit organization Daya Inc. will host its 2010 Annual Seminar on september 18. The event is free and open to the public. Keynote speaker Dr. Jerry Ruhl, Ph.D, Executive Director, Jung Center, Houston, will speak on : Why Counseling? The seminar will highlight counseling in mental issues, marriage, career, child, and adjustment issues in the US. Day & Time: Saturday, Sep 18, - 9.00am to 2.30pm. Meeting at: Hilton Southwest, 6780 Southwest Freeway, Houston, TX. Visit www.dayahouston.org. or call (713) 981 7645. India Property Show, september 21, 22 (Tue, Wed- 12 Noon-9pm) to be held at India House 8888 West Belfort Street, Houston, TX 77031. Lecture on NRI investment in real estate at 5 pm. Learn to invest in developed land, villas built to international standards. Opportunity to seek multiple investment options in specific projects. For details, call: 408-771-5779 / 785-979-5497. or visit: www.priyapublications.com | priyapublications@gmail.com Luxury living hosted by Pearls Residency, Metro-Style apartments, Mohali, is for families, couples and seniors. Venue: Houston Marriott Energy Corridor Hotel. Date: september 25 - 26, (Sat - Sun) 10 am till 6 pm., located at 16011 Katy Freeway, Houston, TX 77094. To know more visit: www.pearlinfrastructure.com or call 1-800-711-4450
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