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District is Done. What Next?
By Pramod Kulkarni
Indo-American News congratulates India Culture Center and the Hillcroft Merchants for their hard work in establishing the Mahatma Gandhi District. It is hard to say what the Mahatma himself would say about the naming of a commercial center after him.
Since he did not have a say in the matter, it is acceptable that virtually every town in India and numerous streets and parks abroad have been named after the father of the Indian nation.
Since the Hillcroft merchants have chosen to name their district after the Mahatma, they must do more to sustain his memory.
Efforts should be made to clean-up and beautify the area and spread Gandhi’s message to the mainstream community. One possibility is to erect information plaques about Gandhi in the district (examples include historical plaques placed along the Galveston sea wall and the bat exhibit near the Waugh bridge).
Why Should South Asians Vote?
There is a general apathy within the South Asian population when it comes to politics. Maybe it’s because our parents and the generations before us have always viewed politics as corrupt and simply a game of deceit and money, or maybe it’s because we just don’t know why to care.
Vancouver Sikh Community Aids Haiti Relief Efforts
VANCOUVER: A Gurdhwara and three desi radio stations in Vancouver area claim that $1.5 million has been raised by their efforts for the Haitian earthquake relief efforts.
At a joint news conference held on January 21, at the Guru Nanak Sikh temple in Surrey, east of Vancouver, temple president Bikramjit Singh Sandhar pronounced members of the community contributed funds, spurned by distressing images of the effects of the devastating earthquake that wrecked Haiti on January 12.
The radio stations involved were Red FM, Radio Sher-E-Punjab and Radio India.
“The Gurdwara took a lead in it with it, also the radio stations, and just created such an awareness. And with that awareness, I think people just responded,” said Sandhar.
Harpreet Singh of Radio India says seniors and children were among those giving whatever they could.
“For us, the Sikhs, the entire humanity is one,” Singh said. “So we believe it is our duty to help those people in distress and that’s why people came forward — small children coming, elders coming. And people who are working on an average salary, they are also coming and giving $100, $200.”
TV images of the human suffering also inspired the community to donate to help the victims, said Sandhar.
“You can see a child with no parents or nobody to go to now. I mean these are things that touch every individual everywhere,” said Sandhar.
Singh said $500,000 collected by Radio India will be given to Michaël Jean, the Governor General of Canada who is a Haitian immigrant. These funds will be disseminated to charity organisations through official channels. The rest of the money collected by the other groups will be split among Doctors Without Borders and a group called United Sikhs.
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Daya Elects New President for 2010
HOUSTON: DAYA Inc. is pleased to introduce its new President and Executive Committee for 2010 - 2011. This year’s officers are Nighat Ahmed, President; Purvi Patel Secretary; and Viji Ramen and Sesh Bala, Co- treasurers. Current staff members at DAYA are Meghna Goswami, client coordinator, Nusrat Ameen, transitional home coordinator, and Amber Riaz, outreach coordinator.
MTS Vedic Heritage School Motivates Parents and Children Alike
PEARLAND: I was on my way back from Sri Meenakshi Temple last Saturday, January 23. Mrs. Sreedevi Menon’s words were rumbling in my mind over and over. “Do you know how lucky you are?” asked Mrs. Menon, to the roughly one hundred parents who were proudly watching the presentation by their young children attending the Vedic Heritage School (VHS).
Neeta Puri Exhibits Clothing & Jewelry on Feb 6 & 7
at Bhojan Restaurant in Houston
HOUSTON: Neeta Puri, designer of ethnic Indian designer clothing and jewelry, will showcase her unique wares on Friday, Feb. 6 to Saturday, Feb. 7 from 12 noon to 8 pm. at Bhojan Restaurant.
“I am always excited to come back to Houston every year. It has such a beautiful huge mix of our Desi community. There is energy in the Desi community of Houston. You can always find good food, great newspapers, entertaining radio shows, dances, entertainment and the list goes on,” Neeta explained. “The uniqueness of my business is that I travel to about 80 different cities in the US every year and bring my merchandise to them. I go to the biggest cities like Houston, New York, San Francisco, LA, Orlando and even to the smaller towns such as Laredo, McAllen, Jackson, Mississippi; and Fresno, California. My exhibitions give me an opportunity to meet our Desi people living in every nook & corner of this great country, and doing well for themselves. I just love them.”
How is Neeta able to provide such variety and reasonable prices? “I travel to different cities in India to get the materials, get the embroidery done and design them. I keep all my customers in U.S. in mind while I am designing. So people sitting here get not only latest designs, fashions, and products from all over India and that too at very reasonable prices. To get so many choices they will have to go to many cities in India.”
Bhojan Restaurant is located at 6855 A, Southwest Freeway.
Indian Community Participates in the 2010 Houston City Marathon
HOUSTON: The 38th edition of the Houston Marathon took place on Sunday, Jan 17, 2010. The races started and ended at the George R. Brown Convention Center in downtown Houston.
Houston Malayalee Association of
Realtors is Now Officially Active
SUGAR LAND: The Houston Malayalee Association of Realtors (HMAR) is now officially active. The group of Realtors and their family members met for dinner at Shiva Indian Restaurant, Sugar Land , on January 8, 2010 to celebrate the New Year.
Thousands Celebrate Makar Sankranti At Bush Park
HOUSTON: Om Suryay Namah! So went the chant that filled the air as Hindus, both young and old, performed the yogic exercise known as Surya Namaskar, joyously heralding Sun’s celestial journey into Makar Rashi that brings longer and warmer days.
Fourth Annual Health for Humanity Yogathon Starts in Houston
HOUSTON: The fourth annual Health for Humanity Yogathon organized by Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh USA, Inc. (HSS) commenced on Jan. 16.
Within first five hours on January 16, 1194 participants performed 39,173 Surya Namaskars at 55 different places all across the United States.
TiE SPEAKER SERIES: IMPERIAL SUGAR
Sweet Success After Bitter Trials
BY PRAMOD KULKARNI
HOUSTON: It’s hard enough to make your company grow during good times. What if your company is hit with the perfect storm of business calamities? Imperial Sugar was the victim of just such a perfect storm and how the catastrophic situation was used as a launching pad for a profitable rebound was the subject of a highly inspirational keynote speech by Imperial President & CEO John Sheptor at the first 2010 Keynote Dinner Series presented by TiE Houston on Tuesday night at the downtown Petroleum Club.
No, not the novel by Charles Dickens, but Abdul Khader, owner of Usmania Fine Dining Restaurant has high expectations. Abdul Khader, an Engineering graduate from Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, who hails from Andhra Pradesh is down to earth, approachable and friendly. He started Usmania Fine Dining after five long years of waiting for the right time.
Local Author Logan Nathan’s "Buhle",
A Lyrical Contemplation of the Resilience of the Human Spirit
BY KALYANI GIRI
HOUSTON: There’s an unmistakable lyricism in the way writer Logan Nathan crafts a story. He is skilled at creating vivid images that inexorably drags the reader over a tumultuous landscape of stark emotions. Born and educated in South Africa, Nathan lived through that country’s apartheid era, the seething quagmire of racial discrimination that defined South Africa’s past.
ICC Elects its Executive Board for 2010
HOUSTON: On Jan 10, the India Culture Center held its elections to select its Executive Board for the year 2010.
Lead Election Officer Jagdip Ahluwalia was ably assisted by two other Officers Mahendra Patel and Ramesh Anand. The elections were conducted at India House.
IACCGH Recognizes the Contributions of President Brij Kathuria
HOUSTON: During 2009, Brij Kathuria served as President of the Indo-American Chamber of Commerce of Greater Houston (IACCGH). Under his steady leadership the organization grew its programs and expanded. |
