Indo-American News: November 19, 2021 by Indo American News

Friday, November 19, 2021 | Vol. 40, No. 47

Indo American News

November 19, 2021

Published weekly from Houston, TX

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ICC Builds Bridges Across Communities

The cultural show, “Building Bridges by celebrating Diwali”, was a breathtaking show that the India Culture Center put up. Asian countries like Vietnam, Philippines and China participated because they too want to build bridges with Indians through culture. The event was coordinated by ICC President Jasmeeta SIngh and Event Chair Parul Fernandes.

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November 19, 2021

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ICC Builds Bridges Across Communities at Packed Cultural Event By Parul Fernandes

The show started with Bindis and Bangles Fashion Show, depicting the modern dresses that Indians wear today, choreographed by Jasmeeta Singh, followed by Tiny tots, ages 4-10 dancing to choreography by Arzan Gonda, Executive Director of Rhythm India dance school and the famous action packed Vietnamese Lion Dance choreographed by Alex Tran. The Lion Dance even went into the audienc. Interspersed with Indian dances from Aditi Dance Sensation and Swagata Dance School by Maumita Chaudhary, was Sheralin Salas’ Pilipino dance called Pandanggo Sa Ilaw. Interspersed by Nrtyakalpana Dance group by Kalpana Bora, Shivangini Academy by Shiv Mathur, and Kathak Beats by Manjusha Jadhav was Chinese Eastern Pearls Community Associations elegant and poised display, all female troupe of performers. Rhythm India had another group of older dancers who did Bollywood style dancing bringing the fast beat in our hearts. The 5-hour program and show ended with Divyaa Unni’s Sreepadam Performing Arts dancers and the upbeat vigorous Garba dance by Deep Patel and group. Thanks goes to the Houston Arts Alliance and City of Houston for partially funding the program. Thanks also goes to VPSS, Rasesh Dalal and Nimish Seth, ICC Event co- chair, for logistics. No doubt that the ICC team comprising of Gaurav Javeri, Pavanna Gadde, Hemant Patel, Dr Falguni Gandhi, Praful Gandhi, Lachhsman Das, Girish bhai, Dr. Upadhaya, Nirmalaji and Shobhana along with many other volunteers contributed their time and energy to assisting the ICC President Jasmeeta Singh and Event Chair Parul Fernandes to showcase the Building Bridges concept. The ICC hopes to continue their efforts with “Building Bridges” in the coming years as it believes strongly in the concept, “One World, One Family”.

Houston WOW! WOW!! WOW!!! The cultural show, “Building Bridges by celebrating Diwali” was a breathtaking show that the India Culture Center put up at VPSS Hall. What a show and what a unifying concept of Building Bridges! Asian countries like Vietnam, Philippines and China participated because they too want to build bridges with Indians through culture. The Consul General of India, Aseem Mahajan; Deputy Consul General of Vietnam Lai Thai Binh; Mayor of Stafford Cecil Willis Jr.; Council Member of Stafford Alice Chen and Ft Bend County Court 3 Judge Juli Mathew graced the occasion. “Everyone thinks that only engineers build bridges, but that is not true,” said ICC President Jasmeeta Singh. “Cultural organizations play a vital part in building bridges among people of different groups. At India Culture Center, when the idea of doing something different and unique was thought of, we thought about our neighbors from different countries and how ignorant we were of each others’ cultures.” Also, since it is the month of Diwali for the Indian Diaspora. In America - the land of immigrants - it is very important that we live peacefully while maintaining our identity. Therefore, it is important to participate in cross-cultural celebrations. As Parul Fernandes Event Chair said, “What is Culture? Culture is the way we livewe dance and sing and eat and speak and celebrate our festivals. Culture is the way of life.” The program was an immense success because before the actual cultural program started there were vendors selling jewelry, clothes and other wares. There was also a beautiful Rangoli done on the floor at the entrance by Yogina Patel. Partnering organizations also got a chance to present themselves, and Indian Seniors Citizens Association received an award.

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November 19, 2021

Assam Association Participates in Diwali San Antonio with Bihu Dance By Runmee Barbara San Antonio: On November 6, Festival of Lights filled the air with sounds and colors at Hemisfair park and Tower of Americas, San Antonio, Texas. Diwali is the largest city-sanctioned festival open to public every year. This year, the 13th annual Festival of lights was celebrated in-person with great enthusiasm and spirit. The City of San Antonio together with Anuja SA has been fulfilling this cultural tradition since 2009. Anuja SA Inc. is a non-profit organization that promotes Indian culture and maintains the sistercity alliance between San Antonio, Texas, USA and Chennai, India. This festival, at the heart of San Antonio, features customary Indian dance, traditional food, classical & Bollywood music, yoga, fireworks, art displays, handloom, handcrafts, henna art as well as jewelry bazaar. The celebrations take place by lighting diyas or floating candles at the river of San Antonio city and attended by Ron Nirenberg (Mayor of San Antonio) and other city council dignitaries. It was a very bright and lively

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evening with the sounds of Indian drummers from different states of India filling up the atmosphere. There was a regional diya parade and representatives from each state were dressed up in their traditional outfits. For the first time, twelve Indian states represented Rangoli (Traditional Indian floor art) or Kolam on display at the festival. It was a moment of great pride for the

Assamese community to be a part of these festivities too. The Assam team represented their state by making Rangoli of symbolic items like the Japi (conical bamboo hat worn by farmers), Xarai (Traditional offering tray made of bell metal) and Gamusa (handwoven scarf offered for respect) designed and decorated by rice and lentils at a 10 by 10 tarp base. Dr Lopita Nath (originally from Guwahati),

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has lived in SA for many years and has been actively representing Assam at the Indian Association of SA through her Bihu performances. This year was very different and totally memorable for all and the participants for rangoli were Avi Kakoty, Runmee Barbara, Somya and Dr Nath herself. Guests and visitors come from all over to attend this event. They get an opportunity to experience the vibrant Indian customs and traditions as this celebration represents the triumph of good over evil or light over darkness. Assam Association of San Antonio also participated at the regional Diwali celebrations held by Indian Association of SA, a week earlier. They represented Assam by a Bihu dance using ban bati (Assamese traditional bowl) as a prop and Jhumur dance showing

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the tea culture of Assam. Jhumur folk dance was performed for the first time in the Indian Community and was an absolute delight for all. The program also had a Regional State parade in which Assam team members held a banner of Assam with tea leaves on it, woman were dressed in mekhela chador , men in traditional wear with gamusa around the neck and foot tapping bihu beats to give a warm welcome from that region. It is an honor and pleasure to represent our state and country in a global platform. San Antonio is a place where diversity is respected and recognized. Contributions from all Indian Ethnic groups are encouraged through cultural events, festivals and religious functions. It gives us an opportunity to preserve our rich cultural heritage . Unity in diversity is what brings everyone together. In today’s, changing times and after a year of Pandemic, this event brought back a lot of memories and revitalised our souls. May this festive season of light, help spread love and goodness around the world.

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Indo-American News • Friday, november 19, 2021 • www.indoamerican-news.com

November 19, 2021

Comedian Vir Das’ Tale of ‘Two Indias’

Washington DC: A comedian’s powerful monologue addressing some of India’s most sensitive issues including rape and farmers’ protests has split opinion in the country, with right-wing activists calling for his arrest while supporters rally to his defense. Comedian Vir Das performed “I come from two Indias” -- a speech chronicling what he perceives as the country’s dual personality -- at the John F. Kennedy Center in Washington D.C., on November 12. A six-minute video of the speech uploaded to YouTube Monday has garnered more than 850,000 views at the time of publishing. “I come from an India where we worship women during the day, but gang rape them at night,” Das said in the monologue. “I come from an India where we take pride in being vegetarian, and yet run over the farmers who grow our vegetables,” he added, referring to the deaths of at least eight people last month when a car linked to a federal minister allegedly ran over several people during a protest against controversial farm laws. The hashtag #VirDas is trending in India, with more than 60,000 tweets as of Wednesday afternoon. Ashutosh Dubey, a legal adviser to the ruling Hindu-nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party said he filed a complaint with the Mumbai police Tuesday against Das’ “inflammatory” comments. In a post to Twitter, Dubey accused Das of “defaming and spoiling the image of India in the USA.” Indian filmmaker Ashoke Pandit said Das “should be immediately arrested” for his comments.

“I see a terrorist in this man called #VirDas,” he wrote on Twitter Tuesday, adding Das should be “tried under terror laws.” In a statement posted to Twitter Tuesday, Das defended his monologue, adding that he “takes pride” in India. “The video is a satire about the duality of two very separate Indias, that do different things,” he said. “Like any nation has light and dark, good and evil within it. None of this is a secret.” Meanwhile, Das has received support from several opposition

politicians, journalists, and activists. Shashi Tharoor, a lawmaker with the opposition Congress Party, said Das “spoke for millions” in a post on Twitter. “A stand-up comedian who knows the real meaning of the term ‘stand up’ is not physical but moral,” he said. Another Congress lawmaker, Kapil Sibal, also backed Das. “None can doubt that there are two India’s [sic]. Just that we don’t want an Indian to tell the world about it,” he wrote on Twitter Wednesday. “We are intolerant and hypocritical.” In recent months, some Indian comedians have raised fears about what they say is an escalating crackdown on free speech by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government. Muslim comedian Munawar Faruqui was arrested in January for allegedly making “indecent remarks” about Hindu gods, according to CNN affiliate CNNNews18. Faruqui was granted bail by the Supreme Court in February, News18 reported. CNN’s Vedika Sud and Manveena Suri contributed reporting.

IndoAmerican News Founder: Dr. K.L. Sindwani Publisher: Jawahar Malhotra Editor: Pramod Kulkarni Correspondent: Sanchali Basu ®All rights reserved. No material herein or portions thereof may be published without the written consent of the publisher. Deadline for advertising and articles is 4 pm on Monday of each week. Please include self-addressed, stamped envelope for return of all unsolicited material. Published at 2470 Dairy Ashford, Houston, Texas 77077. Tel:713-789-6397, email: indoamericannews@yahoo.com, website: www.indoamericannews.com

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November 19, 2021

Senator John Cornyn Leads Delegation to India

New Delhi: U.S. Senator and India Caucus Co-Chair John Cornyn (R-TX) recently returned yesterday from leading a congressional delegation (CODEL) to India and other countries in southeast Asia. The delegation, which included Senators Mike Crapo (R-ID), Mike Lee (R-UT), and Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) and Representatives Tony Gonzales (TX-23) and Jake Ellzey (TX-6), supported Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM)’s mission to continue to build security cooperation in the region and strengthen bilateral ties following COVID-19. “The Indo-Pacific is the largest military theater in the world, and our allies there are invaluable to ensuring we can counter China’s overreach,” said Sen. Cornyn. “Our delegation was able to see firsthand the issues facing countries from mainland India to island partners in the Pacific, and I am

grateful to our host nations and our servicemembers stationed there.” After landing in India, the group met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and cabinet officials in New Delhi. They discussed support for Quad countries, important trade opportunities, and priorities for the Senate India Caucus, which was co-founded by Sen. Cornyn. This visit marked the delegation’s travel from one end of the USINDOPACOM Theater to the other. The delegation had an audience with the representative of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, who spoke with the group about shared values for religious freedom and human rights, and China’s repression and persecution of Tibetans. The delegation thanked the U.S. military overseas in USINDOPACOM, the staff of U.S. embassies in the region, and the leaders and dignitaries of their host countries.

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November 19, 2021

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Chinmaya Mission Houston Celebrates Diwali with Serenity and Joy By Rajesh Thatte

Houston: Dipavali, the auspicious Hindu festival of lights was celebrated with serenity and joy at Chinmaya Mission Houston over a two-day period. On Wednesday November 3, priest Sri Ganesh Sathayanarayana performed the Astalaksmi Puja at Sri Saumyakasi Sivalaya. The Sivalaya is now open to the public following all safety guidelines. While the inclement weather that Wednesday may have prevented many devotees from attending the Puja in person, the Zoom webinar session enabled a lot of them to participate virtually from comfort of their own homes. Sri Ganeshji guided the devotees present at the temple as well as those participating virtually with detailed instructions. Then, on Sunday, November 7, Chinmaya Mission celebrated again, as one family, the Dipavali Puja at Smriti hall. Out of abundant caution, the organizing team in Chinmaya Mission had limited the number of families attending the inperson celebration to seventy. What was most missed was the vibrant and cheerful presence of young children due of pandemic restrictions. The celebration included the annual Dipavali Puja and Gurudaksina ceremony. The festivities began with a short address by Acarya Gaurang Nanavaty (affectionately called Uncle). Pujya Uncle ex-

one. The day’s his Dipavali message, to help keep program con- up the study of scriptures in daily cluded with the life, Chinmaya Mission Houston important annual has published the Gita 365 and Gurudaksina cer- the Upanishad Daily apps. These emony. Gurudak- apps deliver, in a concise form, shina is a sacred Pujya Gurudev Swami ChinmaHindu tradition yananda’s timeless teachings of of offerings from Bhagavad Gita and Upanishads students (mem- daily to mobile devices and are bers) to Gurus available on all mobile platforms. and Acaryas of To add worship to scriptural studthe Chinmaya ies daily, Sri Saumyakasi Sivalaya Guru Parampara, is now open to public for darshan a symbolic event and pujas during regular hours. of gratitude. For more information about And each CMH Chinmaya Mission Houston, Sri family received Saumyakasi Sivalaya and its activa beautiful gift ities please visit www.chinmayafrom our Acaryas houston.org, www.saumyakasi. on the auspicious org or call temple 281 568 1690 Acarya Gaurang Nanavati (left) offers his prayers with priest Sri Ganesh occasion. As em- or Jay Deshmukh 832 541 0059 phasized by Pujya or Bharati Sutaria 281-933-0233. Sathayanarayana. Gaurang Uncle in Photos by Rajesh Thatte pressed his joy to see at least some of the Chinmaya Houston families 'BNJMZ in person after the pandemic-driv0XOFE en break of almost two years. With 0QFSBUFE great affection, Uncle encouraged 4JODF the attendees to remain steadfast and devoted in the studies of scriptures. The main Puja started with the invocation of God Ganesha followed by Lakshmi Puja and Vishnu Sahasranama Puja. As always, Sri Ganeshji skillfully guided all XXX HBMTPOBVUP DPN . ' 4BU QN attendees in person and those attending via online conference. The pujas ended with the traditional BGUFS Shanti path and vaidik arati pray t XSFDLFS hours ing for the wellbeing of every-

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November 19, 2021

Sewa Intl Wins IACCGH Service Award

Gitesh Desai (center) accepted the IACCH Community Service Award. Seen in the photo are Ambassador Taranjit Singh, Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner, Consul General Aseem Mahajan (far right), Fort Bend County Judge KP Georg (far left). IACCGH President President Tarush Anand (right of the mayor), IACCGH Executive Director Jagdip Ahluwalia (left of Consul General) are seen with other award winners.

Houston: The Indo-American Chamber of Commerce of Greater Houston (IACCGH) honored Sewa International’s Houston Chapter with its annual Community Service Award at its annual gala held in Houston on October 30. In the gala, a video presentation showcased the services that Sewa International offered COVID-19 patients and their families in Houston, including distributing Personal Protective Equipment (PPE kits) to frontline and essential service workers, and food to the needy in the community. Highlighted in the video was President Biden’s letter to Sewa praising its contribution to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)’s COVID-19 vaccination campaign, the ASPIRE educational program for underprivileged and underserved communities, Case Management

and Family Services, the LEED internship for high school students, the Stop Diabetes Movement (SDM), Know Your Healthy SELF, and Sewa’s partnership with AmeriCorps. Gitesh Desai, in his acceptance speech said, “We feel happy and proud that the IACCGG has given its Community Service Award to Sewa during this Diwali. We did not make this journey alone as people and organizations supported us. We thank all Sewa donors, volunteers, and supporters. The recognition will inspire to us remain focused and dedicated to our service projects and achieve more in the future.” “Our sincere gratitude goes to the Indian Chamber of Commerce of Greater Houston (IACCGH) for recognizing Sewa and the work done by volunteers. The award will help us increase our reach,” Sewa’s President Arun Kankani said.

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November 19, 2021

America’s First Ismaili Center to be Built in Houston’s Museum District By Diane Cowen

Houston: The Ismaili Center Houston’s architecture and gardens will set a new bar in a city increasingly devoted to modern design and lush green spaces. With a structure designed by U.K.-based Farshid Moussavi and gardens by Thomas Woltz of Nelson Byrd Woltz Landscape Architects — a renowned landscape architect known locally for his work transforming Memorial Park — the new Ismaili Center will sprawl across 11 acres at the southeast corner of Allen Parkway and Montrose Boulevard. Ismaili Council president AlKarim Alidina unveiled plans Monday afternoon at the George R. Brown Convention Center. Clad in a Turkish marble, the building will be a cultural landmark where local and visiting Ismailis can worship and where everyone can attend cultural and educational events. Gardens on all four sides will include terraced plantings and water features in a configuration that pays homage to ancient Islamic architecture but with vegetation found in Texas ecosystems. “It will be an inviting space where everyone is welcome,” Alidina said. Houston was chosen several years ago by His Highness the Aga Khan as the site of America’s first Ismaili Center, picked for its large

An artist rendering of the future Ismail Center Houston, shown from its South Garden at dusk.

population of Ismaili Muslims and for its overall diverse community. The Aga Khan is the spiritual leader — or imam — of Ismaili Muslims and is a direct descendant of the Prophet Muhammad, who founded Islam some 1,400 years ago. The Aga Khan Foundation purchased the local land in 2006 and later donated seven monumental artworks — Jaume Plensa’s “Tolerance” sculptures — that sit across the street in Buffalo Bayou Park. Excavation on the site is already underway, and a formal groundbreaking will likely take place early next year with construction finished by the end of 2024. Moussavi’s design goal was layered: create a building that pays tribute to ancient Islamic culture

that will support modern life for 100 years. It needed to be an architectural jewel worthy of its spot at one end of a cultural corridor that runs down Montrose to the Museum of Fine Arts. “The Aga Khan has been a patron of architecture for many years. He is absolutely convinced and aware of the power of architecture to help people live a better life — that architecture is a force for good,” said Moussavi, a native of Iran who moved to the United Kingdom when she was 14 and was educated in the U.S. at Harvard University. “This is what sets the challenge when working on a building commissioned by him. … Every decision must be relevant and executed with excellence.” It also needed to be a place

where Ismailis could turn for spiritual solace, with a Jamatkhana — or place of worship — where they could go for daily prayers. Social spaces would need to be used for cultural or educational events or even social gatherings, such as philanthropic galas or luncheons. “There cannot be a better moment to build this building. We have many different crises as humanity, including climate emergency,” Moussavi said. “The scale of the issues we face needs a collective response. It is about bringing people together to better understand each other and form a larger community.” The building will have stonework that appears as woven tapestries with breezes and light passing through. Stone screens in geomet-

Indo-American News • Friday, november 19, 2021 • www.indoamerican-news.com

ric patterns — squares, circles and curvy Arabesque shapes — are frequently used as ornamentation in Islamic architecture, which avoids images of religious figures. The design has several verandas, where people can be outside and still in the shade. The Ismaili Center has no front or back; each side is equally detailed and welcoming, though there will be entry doors off of West Dallas and Montrose, Moussavi said. Deep on the lot toward West Dallas, the building had to be located outside of the 500-year flood plain to avoid damage in future weather events. Woltz, who leads the landscape architecture team that will craft 10 acres of lush garden where there is now dirt and scruffy weeds, also did the landscaping for the Aga Khan Garden in Edmonton, Canada. Houston’s center will be the seventh throughout the world; the others — built between 1985 and 2014 — are in London, Toronto, Lisbon, Dubai, and in Burnaby, British Columbia, and Dushanbe, Tajikistan. Houston has several Ismaili community centers, all places with dual purpose, a Jamatkhana where members pray and worship and where nonmembers attend events. Locally, they’ve hosted everything from food drives and blood drives to TED Talk events and political debates, open to everyone. -- Houston Chronicle

SUDOKU/MOVIE REVIEW Place a number in the empty boxes in such a way that each row across, each column down and each 9-box square contains all of the numbers from one to nine.

November 19, 2021

‘India Sweets and Spices:’: S. Asian Life in US

Send us the correct answer before November 24. 2021 Email us at indoamericannews@yahoo.com. Please send us your solved Sudoku for your name to be published.

Solution Next Week Geeta Malik’s “India Sweets and Spices” stars Sophia Ali (center) with Rish Shah (left) and Ved Sapru.

By Cary Darling

Last Week’s Solution

Geeta Malik is a young independent-film director of IndianAmerican descent who explores the often messy intersection between cultures, especially for the children of immigrants who have to navigate both the push from more traditional expectations of their parents and the pull of contemporary America. She does it wonderfully in her second feature, “India Sweets and Spices,” opening Nov. 19. Sophia Ali (“The Wilds,” “Grey’s Anatomy”) is Alia Kapur, a UCLA college student involved in social justice causes who returns to her extravagantly upscale New Jersey family home for her summer break and is expected to slide back into her old “Crazy Rich South Asians” life — a whirlwind of lavish parties, luxury cars, beautiful

saris, nattering gossip from “the aunties” and potential romance with suave, ambitious and parentapproved Rahul (Ved Sapru). Yet Alia is feeling increasingly estranged from this lifestyle, a sentiment that’s underscored when she invites the Duttas, the working-class family that runs the area Indian market, the titular India Sweets and Spices, to one of her mom’s elegant soirees. Admittedly, her invitation isn’t motivated just by some outraged sense of suburban injustice for these downtrodden shopkeepers; she has a crush on the son, the more adorkable Varun (Rish Shah, “To All the Boys: Always and Forever”), and really wants him to show up. But the effect is the same: her parents and their friends are all flabbergasted that she would invite someone from “beneath” their social circle.

Now, as “India Sweets and Spices,” is billed as a comedy, it might be expected that Malik, who also wrote the script, would settle for this class conflict to power the plot and the humor. But she layers on additional emotional heft as Alia’s roundabout way of getting a date with Varun inadvertently exposes long-hidden, traumatic secrets about her family that turn the film into much more of a drama. Ali is absolutely charming as Alia, possessing some of the same awkward likability that Issa Rae displays in “Insecure.” When Varun accuses her of being as superficial as those she criticizes and she responds, “I’m not superficial. I watch documentaries!” you laugh and feel for her simultaneously. The result is a film that, despite a few heavy handed moments, is as sweet and satisfying as its title. -- Houston Chronicle

Jimmy Sheirgill Shines in ‘Your Honor’ on Sony Liv

Last Week’s Winners

Sanchali Basu, Krishna R. Vuddagiri, Ramana Vadrevu, Taranjit Singh

STORY: Abeer (Pulkit Makol), a teenage son of Ludhiana’s respected Judge Bishan Khosla (Jimmy Sheirgill), is involved in a hit-andrun accident. This leads to a series of progressively outlandish decisions. REVIEW: ‘Your Honor,’ adapted from the Israeli TV series ‘Kvodo’, follows Bishan Khosla, an honest and unbiased judge of Ludhiana, who is still recuperating from the recent death of his wife and learning to be a single parent to his son, Abeer. On a fateful day, when Abeer gets involved in a hitand-run car accident and confesses to his father, Bishan’s initial reaction is to take him to the police and confront him with the truth. However, he backs out of this plan at the last minute when he discovers that the accident victim is the son of gangster Satbir Mudki (Mahaveer Bhullar). From lying about the vehicle Abeer was driving to blaming another individual with the help of his friend, Kashi (Varun Badola), the judge bends the law he has sworn to uphold. Almost every

one in the series is infected by the strong loyalties to which the judge succumbs. Kiran (Mita Vashisht), the police inspector in charge, is torn between her duty and keeping the peace between Satbir and rival gangster Pandit (Yashpal Sharma)

in order to avoid a gang war. To summarise, ‘Your Honor’ is one of those series that gradually builds up the momentum and ends up being an intriguing watch with some spectacular performances to showcase. -- ToI

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Indo-American News • Friday, november 19, 2021 • www.indoamerican-news.com

मै ं हिं द ी बोलता हू ं

November 19, 2021

Indo-American News • Friday, november 19, 2021 • www.indoamerican-news.com