Category: Community

HOUSTON: Dave Ghosh, a 7th grade student at the Harmony School of Excellence- Houston attended the Junior National Young Leaders Conference (JrNYLC) during June 8 through June 13 this year in Washington D.C.  Dave was among over 250 outstanding middle school students from across the United States who took part in this extraordinary leadership conference in Washington, D.C. themed “Voices of Leadership: Reflecting on the Past to Create the Future”.   JrNYLC introduces young people to the rich tradition of leadership throughout American history, while helping them to develop their own leadership skills.

Dave was nominated to represent his school this year by his teacher Hannah Frank as a result of his outstanding academic achievement and demonstrated leadership potential.  He has gotten distinguished honor roll (grades above 90%) with a perfect 4.0 cumulative GPA throughout his student life.  Dave is a fierce debater and has won several debate awards.  He is also in the school’s Robotics Team and is a member of National Junior Honor Society.

“The aim of the Junior National Young Leaders Conference is to inspire students to recognize their own leadership skills, measure their skills against those of current and former leaders and return home with new confidence in their ability to exercise positive influence within their communities,” said Marguerite Regan, Ph.D., Dean of Academic Affairs for the Congressional Youth Leadership Council (CYLC), the organization that sponsors JrNYLC. “Young people are not only welcome in Washington, D.C., they actually keep this city and our country running.”

During the six-day program, students took part in educational activities and presentations and explored relevant sites, such as Harpers Ferry National Historical Park, West Virginia and Washington, D.C.’s museums and memorials.

In addition to examining notable U.S. leaders and historic figures, students studied the impact of leadership throughout critical periods of American history including the Civil War and Reconstruction, World War II, the Great Depression and the Civil Rights Movement. Upon completion of JrNYLC, students gained a greater sense of the role of individuals in American democracy, as well as the responsibilities of being a leader.

CYLC is a nonpartisan, educational organization. Since 1985, the Council has inspired more than 200,000 young people to achieve their full leadership potential.

For further information, visit www.cylc.org. 

By Jawahar Malhotra

HOUSTON:  Overcome by a profound sense of grief and obligation by the heroic sacrifice of four Houston fire fighters in battling the flames that engulfed the Southwest Motel and attached Bhojan restaurant (see story on page 6) on the Southwest Freeway this past Friday, the Indian community came together to offer their prayers for their departed souls in a event that showed their solidarity at India House on Tuesday evening, June 4.

Prayer meetings at moments of great distress have long been a hallmark of the India Culture Center, which, together with the India House organized this event which included the participation of the majority of the Indo-American religious and cultural organizations in the Greater Houston area. This was hurriedly put together and the 250 people who came to the event speak of the power and organization of the community to harness their members in times of great need. Their objective was to raise $50,000 to pass along to the families of the fire fighters who were killed in action, and India House President Jugal Malani declared that goal when he spoke at the end of the program.

The Presidents or other designated representatives of each one of these organizations were present to say a few words of remembrance to express their sorrow and pray for the souls of the fallen fire fighters Capt. Matthew Renaud, 35; Engineer Operator Robert Bebee, 41; Firefighter Robert Garner, 29 and Anne Sullivan, 24, a probationary firefighter. Each took their turn say a few words, often referring to the firefighters by name and echoing sentiments of the heroic nature of their deeds.

The program started an introduction by Hasu Patel, who heads the Small Motel Owners Association which has pledged to give 500 free room nights to the fire fighters who were to attend the memorial service in Reliant Stadium the next day.

It opened with a bhajan by Kashmira Naik, followed by a moment of silence and prayers and quotes from their respective religious scriptures by Pt. Dr. Surya Narayan Nanda of the Arya Samaj of Greater Houston; Rev. Roy Thomas of the Mar Thoma Church; Dr. Tahir Hussain of the Muslim faith; Saminiji Perimal Pragya and Vikas Pragya of the Jain faith; Hoshang Sethna representing the Zorastrian faith; Bhai Paras Singh of the Sikh faith (accompanied by Bhai Charanjit Singh) and Pandit Pradeep Pandya of the Shiv Shakti Mandir.

Also speaking were the Indian Consul General Parvathaneni Harish who suggested that the ICC and others use this episode to teach the community about safety in homes and the workplace. He was followed by Sugar Land Fire Chief Juan Adame who said that Ann Sullivan was from Sugar Land and had trained there before joining HFD. “We fire fighters pledge to put ourselves between danger and the citizens we protect,” he said, explaining how his father and son are also fire fighters. Stafford Councilman Ken Mathews said “the ultimate sacrifice is your own life” and that Ann Sullivan was a member of the Stafford Fire Department till January. Danny Ngyuen, Missouri City Councilman, expressed his sadness. Houston Mayor Annise Parker sent a message.

The ICC President Prakash V. Patel, better known as PV, said his organization will raise money for the families of the fire fighters. “We sleep peacefully because of them,” he said and then read a poignant poem by a 6-year-old son of a dead firefighter. Nisha Mirani of the Gujarati Samaj and Sharad Amin of the Hindus of Greater Houston spoke of their sorrow. “Serving a human being is to serve God,” noted Amin

By Parth Dwivedi

HOUSTON: I had to head toward downtown last Friday afternoon, so I took the ramp onto the Southwest Freeway going North, and hit traffic as far South as Bissonnet. I figured someone must have gotten into an accident an exit up and sat tight, eventually getting lost in my thoughts. I had no idea traffic would not start clearing up until I got to the exit for Hillcroft, and when it did, that the entire building housing the Southwest Inn and Bhojan Restaurant would be completely gone. I would find out later that a fire was responsible for destroying them, along with much, much more.

Houston Fire Department Chief Terry Garrison said, “We arrived on the scene and about 14 minutes after our arrival we had a mayday.” Over 150 firefighters from at least 60 units responded to control the five-alarm fire over the course of roughly two hours. Initially five firefighters were transported to the hospital for heat exhaustion and other critical injuries.

On Saturday, HFD confirmed that 14 firefighters were transported to the hospital, one in critical condition and another needing to undergo surgery. The rest had stabilized, however, and several had already been released. Unfortunately, it was also clear that four firefighters had lost their lives while combing the burning building for civilians, when the roof collapsed, fatally trapping them.

Killed in the fire from Station 51 were Capt. Matthew Renaud, 35, a serviceman of 11 years, and Engineer Operator Robert Bebee, 41, a 12-year veteran.  Firefighter Robert Garner, 29, who had joined about two years ago, and Anne Sullivan, 24, a probationary firefighter who had just graduated from the Houston Fire Department Academy in April, both were from Station 68. Jack Sullivan told the Associated Press that he tried to talk his daughter out of going into such a dangerous line of work, but “she had her heart set at [being a firefighter].”

A public memorial service for the four victims was to be held Wednesday at the Reliant Stadium, expecting upwards of 40,000 people in solidarity from across the nation.

The death toll from Friday’s conflagration was the worst ever recorded in HFD history, and both they and the heroes’ families are forced to cope with the mournful reality.

HFD said taking the risk was a necessary protocol, due to the possibility of people being trapped inside the building-turned-furnace. “[The motel] was open to the public and it was normal business hours. That is enough to generate the need to go in and make a primary rapid search to ensure everybody is out,” Fire Captain, Ruy Lozano said.

Having interviewed about 100 people, Deputy Fire Chief Ed Arthur said, “we’re exhausting almost every investigator in our division.” From 20 to 30 people are working at the fire scene at any given time, going through debris, and while he expects the search of the scene to take about 10 days, a report of the findings would not be coming for months down the line.

HFD had already been keeping firefighter safety in mind, as per several top priority provisions to improve firefighter safety in its most recent Strategic Plan (which are available to the public and can be viewed at http://www.houstontx.gov/fire/reportsandstats/).  In accordance with their stated goal to continuously evolve to meet society’s needs, Lozano assured that HFD will find out what happened to prevent it from ever happening again.

According to Arthur, no conclusive cause has been delineated, but the source has been narrowed, “we’re trying to work ourselves in and trying to hone in on certain areas where there is the most fire damage. And right now, we’re focusing on an area in and around the area above the kitchen.” Presence of heavy fire in the structure’s attic is of interest, as it is likely where the blaze initially accelerated. Engineers are also ascertaining if there was a sprinkler system, as well as the building’s roof-remodeling history.

The Houston Fire Department Arson Division, the State Fire Marshal’s Office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Houston Police Department are currently examining the building. No evidence of arson has come up, but the possibility is still being considered seriously, “we are treating this as a criminal investigation, so we can’t rule that out at this time,” Arthur said.

SUGAR LAND: The Texas Medical Association Political Action Committee (TEXPAC) has named Sonal Bhuchar of Sugar Land as the 2013 recipient of its June Bratcher Award.

TEXPAC presented her with the award during the Texas Medical Association’s (TMA’s) annual conference, held this year in San Antonio.

TEXPAC presents the June Bratcher Award for Political Action every two years to a physician’s spouse who was an outstanding volunteer in a federal or state political campaign. This year, however, Bhuchar herself was the political candidate.

TEXPAC modeled the award in 1987 after a similar American Medical Association (AMA) Political Action Committee award, whose first recipient was June Bratcher of San Antonio. The honorees are members of the TMA Alliance, a volunteer organization of physicians and spouses. Bhuchar has been active in the alliance for 22 years.

Sonal Bhuchar is a physical therapist, community volunteer, and health advocate. She is married to TMA member Subodh Kumar Bhuchar, MD, a Sugar Land pediatrician and family physician.

Last year, Sonal Bhuchar campaigned for state representative in House District 26. Though she did not win the election, her grace and perseverance throughout her campaign proved she is a champion for the family of medicine.

“Sonal is known for working tirelessly and passionately for a number of groups, including the Fort Bend Independent School District and the TMA Alliance,” said Jerry Hunsaker, MD, chair of TEXPAC’s Board of Directors.

Before launching her run for office, Bhuchar, a 10-year veteran of TEXPAC, served as vice president of membership and vice president of community health and well-being for the TMA Alliance. In her community, Bhuchar was president of the Fort Bend Independent School Board, and served on the Board of Directors of the Fort Bend Education Foundation, the Child Advocates Council, the Economic Development Council of Sugar Land, the Indo American Charity Foundation, the Mahatma Gandhi Library, and the Sugar Land Exchange Club Board. Bhuchar was instrumental in merging Project WATCH, a community health program originally sponsored by TMA, into the everyday health education efforts of Fort Bend schools.

TMA is the largest state medical society in the nation, representing more than 47,000 physician and medical student members. It is located in Austin and has 120 component county medical societies around the state. TMA’s key objective since 1853 is to improve the health of all Texans.

By Jawahar Malhotra

CLEAR LAKE: Whoever said that age slows you down didn’t have the sprightly Radha Golikeri in mind. A young 89-year-old, she has been the driving force behind the celebratory party for graduating high school seniors for the past fifteen years and this past Saturday, June 1, she held her 16th annual party at the Mogul Restaurant in Space City. Of the 45 graduates she found out and invited, 35 came to be honored, given a small token award and gift and a lot of affection at an afternoon event and luncheon.

For Amma, as Golikeri is affectionately known by virtually everyone around her, the annual event brings out all the skills she had honed at Hindustan Levers in Bombay, from which she retired as a Manager of the Marketing Research Department. She starts by culling all the yearbooks she can lay her hands on of the Clear Lake School District and other neighboring ones and finding the young Indian kids who are graduating. She also relies on word-of-mouth and then starts calling the kid’s parents. In the 16 years, she has had feted 625 seniors, out of which 15 were Valedictorians.

The annual event was actually an idea of Mogul restaurant’s late owner Sanjeeva Rao Allam and his son Ram has continued the tradition by subsidizing the luncheon and allowing the use of the restaurant, which moved 18 months ago to a new and spacious corner location just a few minutes south of its old location on Bay Area Blvd. The India Culture Center of Clear Lake and the Indian Seniors Association of Clear Lake co-sponsor the event each year, but Amma spearheads the ceremony.

With her infectious warm nature and smiling countenance, Amma easily wins over those who come in contact with her. Though she counseled the young seniors on the future paths they were about to take, they probably took it as grandmotherly words of advice, little knowing that Amma was herself only a high school graduate who had reached high in the corporate world by dint of her own perseverance, hard work and ability to adapt.

Amma was born in Bombay (when it still wasn’t known as Mumbai) but grew up in the little village of Sanikatta in the north Kanara District of Karnataka State. As a young woman, she sought out work in Bombay and was hired by Hindustan Levers to do market research and collect data mainly because she knew several Indian languages – Kannada, Konkani, Marathi, Hindi and English – and later learnt Gujarati. She traveled a lot, sometimes with other trainees (“two who became Chairmen of the company,” she chuckled) and retired after 30 years with the firm.

In April 1984, after her husband Vasant passed away, she came to the US to be with her son Sudhir and his wife Ranjana to help with the first of their three children, Reema, Rohit and Rita. Sudhir retired as a Chemical Engineer with BP Amoco (and is now with Bechtel) but graduated from IIT Bombay and then came to the US in 1968 to get his Masters and PhD from the University of Houston. It was hard to keep the active Amma down, as she sought our avenues for pent up energy. Even today, she goes to the United Way Senior Center for a few hours to meet others, do exercises and other activities.

For the graduation program this past Saturday, Amma had invited Sonal Bhatt, the President of the ICC-CL to speak; Pankaj Dhume, President of the Indo-American Chamber of Commerce of Greater Houston (who also had a graduating son, Gaurav, at the party) and Shakuntla Malhotra, my mother, who writes the popular Mama’s Punjabi Recipes in this newspaper.

After introductions by Amma, Adarsh Suresh, an 11-year-old, sang the American and Indian National Anthems. He memorized the Indian one just a day earlier, he confided. Bhatt said she threw out her old speech and rewrote another that morning, relating the hardships she had to face in her own life as she struggled with English when she first came to the US, concentrated on education, raised two daughters as a single-mom and became a teacher. Don’t make excuses, take one day at a time, don’t lose focus on priorities was her advice. “Never say never,” she said, “and work hard for success.”

Dhume then shared his thoughts for the future. An undergraduate of Bombay University who did graduate work in the US, Dhume is a VP of Global Corporate Sales at BMC Software, for whom he worked in Pune, India till he moved back to the US last year. He peppered his keynote speech with witticisms and advised the new graduates to keep five guiding principles in mind: to invest their time wisely, invest in their dreams and passion, invest in your friends, invest in mental and physical health and most of all, invest in having fun in life. “The end goal should be the pursuit of happiness,” he said, “and the money will follow.”

Shakuntla Malhotra is also an octogenarian, soon to be 85-years-old, and is affectionately known as Mama, by many people here. She moved to the US ten years ago from New Delhi after her husband Jagdish passed away. She spent most of her life traveling with him in the Indian Foreign Service. She has lived in the UK, Pakistan, Iran, Switzerland and Romania, as well as visited many other countries, but at heart she is still a devout Hindu and true Punjabi cook. She enjoys the company of people and is very active in the local community, and writes her recipes. Mama passed out the awards to the graduating seniors as Amma called their names out.

As the awards were being given out to each senior, at first they were not sure how to appreciate the two elderly ladies. Then one bowed down to touch their feet and later the others followed this gesture of respect so common in India, though a few hugged them. Rishi Suresh, a valedictorian (the other, Sona Manjunath, was not present) gave the words of thanks on behalf of the students, saying he was glad of his identity in two cultures; that he wasn’t an ABCD (American Born Confused Desi) in the conflicted manner, but an American Born Cultured Desi.

By Thara Narasimhan

HOUSTON: The first of its kind a certification Examination in Carnatic Music was held on 27 May. It was organized and designed by Vidushi Rajarajeshwary Bhat under the auspices of Krishna Gana Sudha Music Academy – Houston. An overwhelming 60 participants took advantage of this exam all over the United States several in person and few taking exam on-line. CARNATIX Level I – Shadjam exam for the first time in the USA with the help of Tournametrix.

Certification is a process that validates an individual’s qualifications for a specific field. It demonstrates that the individual knows and exhibits abilities and skill with level of assessed excellence and the standard of knowledge that has been acquired through learning. In addition, it increases visibility, builds credibility, provides a goal for personal professional achievement and validates expertise for the individual and to those outside the field.

The Carnatix offers 7 levels certification Examination towards “Sapta Gana Rathna” degree and performance opportunities created by Vidwan Sri. Vittal Ramamurthy (Violin) and Vidhushi Smt. Rajarajeshwary Bhat (Vocal). With their extensive experience and knowledge in music, CARNATIX – Carnatic Music Examinations are designed to bring about standardization in Carnatic Music Assessment throughout the world with one standard system and encourage interested students to take these exams one level at a time and grow in this field.

The exam consisted of both theory and practical examination personally administered by Vidushi RajaRajeswary Bhat at SAI Primary Care in Manvel. She is very well known to introduce innovative methods of teaching and making it fun to learn Carnatic music. She is instrumental to introduce “Gruha Sangeetham” and “Tender Voices” that provides incentive for students to master their lessons, inspiration to pursue the art to the next level and enthusiasm to share with family and friends in a traditional concert format presented by her students. With this innovative of idea beginning with certification in Carnatic music there is excellent scope for this idea develop and flourish into higher level of recognition with, approval and University Accreditations.

Meena Aithala observes, “ Krishna Gana Sudha Music Academy (KGSMA) has established a milestone for all the music learners who will be now able to receive certification for their music education. The Director of KGSMA Vidushi Rajarajeshwary Bhat initiated this idea and with her dedication and selfless effort, this is a reality now. True to its name, KGSMA has made its mark as an Academy of formal musical studies. The exams will be held in 7 levels namely Shadjam, Rishabam, Gandharam, Madhyamam, Panchamam, Daivatam, Nishadam and it will be administered twice a year during Memorial Day weekend and Thanksgiving weekend.

Tournametrix is proud to bring “CARNATIX” Examination in Carnatic Music (South Indian Classical Music). CARNATIX will also establish practical performance opportunities as part of the syllabus and evaluation at certain milestone level examination. It also is an opportunity for many Music teachers all over the United States to conduct the exams and have their students certified in carnatic music.

For further information on activities of Krishna Gana Sudha Music Academy 

email: krishnaganasudha@gmail.com 

or call 281-901-2345.

By Jawahar Malhotra

LOS ANGELES: Revealing the central element would not be giving away too much of the plot of The Advocate, the new indie movie that will have its premier next week on Saturday, June 8 at the Chinese Theatre in Hollywood. The film has many more twists that will keep you riveted till the end, just when you thought it was all over.

The plot revolves around an attorney who has had his fill of practicing criminal law a few years after he finds his wife killed in the beautiful hillside home with a pool that he bought to surprise her with. While his office is being remodeled, the attorney, Ray Shekar (Sachin Mehta) temporarily moves his work and staff to this home. But a spate of unsolved murders of the clients that he defends puts him in the cross hairs of the eagle-eyed Los Angeles Detective Perkins (Michael Raynor) and his rookie partner Detective Teller (Dalia Phillips).

While contemplating a change to civil law, Ray is sought out by the young and beautiful wife, Allyson Daugherty (Kristina Klebe), of a rich, unscrupulous businessman. She is caught with bloodied hands near a blood-soaked mattress on a yacht off the California shoreline by the Coast Guard. They suspect she killed her husband, but the body is never found and, facing a death sentence, she pleads with Ray to take her case. He takes the case though his law partner Julia (Steffinnie Phrommany) is skeptical of Allyson’s story, especially as mounting evidence shows her in a bad light.

The rest of the story develops as Ray shows how he is able to unravel the strands of clues to defend Allyson, while getting romantically involved with her. The rest of the story has you guessing her fate, and the twists – three of them in the final seven minutes – will certainly surprise you.

For Sachin Mehta, the legal jargon and maneuverings were all too familiar aspects of the cases he had to fight as a public defender in Los Angeles, though now his practice mostly deals with civil litigation, contracts and intellectual property. This is his first attempt at production full-length feature film, and he admits that some of the elements of the cases he has fought have rubbed off into the onscreen scenes.

The movie was written by Tamas Harangi, a Hungarian who came to the US ten years ago, but Mehta consulted with him on the legal elements. “But it was Tamas who came up with the plot line and the twists in the story,” said Mehta in a telephone interview. “Tamas was fascinated by the concept of ‘mock juries’ and that’s how the story line started.” A mock jury via camera on a television screen features prominently in the movie as Ray ponders his next moves.

Mehta caught the acting bug seven years ago and took some night classes at the UCLA extension program. One class turned into two, then six, and then he got an agent who was able to land him a few TV commercials. A few years ago Mehta and Harangi made their first short take, a seven-minute video called “The Pier”. Then two years ago the project that became The Advocate took shape. “We spent a year in pre-production and over another year editing it,” explained Mehta, “but the filming actually only took sixteen days in December 2011.”

The film was shot entirely in the Los Angeles area, with many scenes indoors in the house and the courtroom scenes in a studio, with cinematography by John Honore. The released version has a well-scrubbed feel to it that’s often hard to find in first-release movies, and Mehta attributes that to the painstaking editing that David Abramson did with Harangi to get the cuts between scenes and the flow of the story just right, the original musical score by Frederik Wiedmann and the opening and closing graphics, often overlooked in tight-budget movies.

The cinematography is also very crisp, although a few of the outdoor scenes are grainy, but the focus is on the development of the characters, especially that of the main protagonist, Ray Shekar who is The Advocate. He is ably supported by the rest of the cast, who are comfortable with their roles – Phrommany as the quick thinking Julia who guides Ray along the right path; Klebe as the pretty but disturbed Allyson; Cardiff as the mysterious investigator with a dubious past and Raynor as the detective eager for a collar – and the results are great for a first effort.

So much so that The Advocate won the Audience and Jurors Awards at the Durango Film Festival this March. It is an official entry at the Dances With Films festival that has its red carpet opening this coming Thursday, May 30 at the Chinese Theatre, followed by its premier on June 8. Mehta already has his sights set on the AM/FM Film Festival in Palm Springs on June 15 and a few more festivals on the way, he hopes, to better distribution channels.

Mehta’s late blooming passion for film making and acting has caught on with other members of his extended family who have supported him, especially Nalin Shah, of Mumbai who came onboard with financial support as the Executive Producer. “I can’t thank him enough,” said Mehta, who co-produced the movie with Harangi. Mathew Temple, Adam Herring and Andrew Hayes. Born and raised in Hollywood, Mehta still visits Mumbai (“I’ve made 13 trips,” he chuckled) where his parents came from in the ‘70s, though he speaks only some Gujarati and little Hindi.  He finished college at USC in Los Angeles, where he also continued on to Law School.

“This film was a huge learning curve for all of us,” he explained, “but we have a great team and would like to work together again.” Mehta and Harangi are already working on new scripts and “in a year or so, we hope to make another movie,” he added.

By Haider Kazim

HOUSTON: A prayer meeting (Shraddhanjali) was held by VYASA-USA (Vivekananda Yoga Anusandhana Samsthana) Tuesday evening at Keshav Smruthi for Yoga Teacher and therapist B.S. Rama Rao who expired last week at Mysore, India, at the age of 77.

Rama Rao inspired hundreds of students in Houston and was highly respected in the Yoga circles. He taught therapeutic yoga courses at Memorial Herman Hospital-Southeast since August 1999 and both general and therapeutic yoga in Keshav Smruthi from April 1999 to June 2011. He also taught general yoga classes at University of Houston at Clear Lake from September 2000 to January 2002. In addition, he conducted workshops, several teacher training courses and classes for different groups in the Houston, Los Angles, Tampa, Orlando and bay area.

He was diagnosed with colon cancer and had undergone surgery. His dedication to yoga was immense and even one day before his death he was talking about taking yoga courses at Infosys-Mysore in India.

During the period of his brief illness, he kept smiling although he knew his end was near. He told his wife Meera: “Don’t lose enthusiasm and strength. Continue to do yoga. Death is nothing but a positive change for the people who are suffering from physical disease.”

He is survived by wife Meera, daughter Seema, son-in-law Naresh and grandchildren Nikhil and Sharmila.

At the prayer meeting, organized by Swami Vivekananda Yoga Anusandhana Samsthana (SVYASA), several students and people who knew him recounted their association with Rama Rao. The whole group, whole heartedly engaged in chanting the Bhagavad Gita, Bhajans & Nirvana Shatakam praying for departed soul to rest in peace.

“Rama Rao was a monument of simplicity and humility. He never said no to anyone asking for help” said Ramesh Bhutada, well-known businessman and founding president of VYASA-USA in Houston. Bhutada recalled his association with Rama Rao and said that the yoga activity he was engaged in after retirement was inspirational to many people.

Jugal Malani, President of India House and a leading businessman, said we can proudly call him Baba Rama Rao and he was a mentor to many of us.

Sharad Amin, President of Hindus of Greater Houston, said that Rama Rao’ nature and his smiling face always amazed the people. He disclosed that when HGH was considering the choices for its first Akhil Chopra Memorial Service Award the first name that popped up in every committee member’s mind was that of Rama Rao. He was presented the award by then Indian Ambassador the US Ronen Sen.

Dr. Sudha Rajan, present President of VYASA-USA, said he was very energetic even at this age and was very enthusiastic about his work. She said that Rama Rao left an example for others to follow.

Vishwarupa Director & Smitha, Assistant Director of VYASA-USA, who conducted the program, described Rama Rao as a true karma yogi. They described him as a strict disciplinarian who will get up at 4 a.m. every day and get ready to go to yoga classes.

Dr. Durga Agrawal, a well-known businessman and community leader who could not attend the prayer meeting said, Houstonians were fortunate to have a Yoga teacher like Rama Rao. “ It was a privilege to have yoga teacher like Rama Raoji in Houston. He taught yoga with a lot of compassion. My wife and I started practicing yoga with Rama Rao Ji 11-12 years ago, We both have more energy than we had before we started practicing yoga.”

“For me, Rama Rao Ji was an angel in disguise. He showed me the right path and has changed my life, not only through yoga, but also through his personal guidance. A very loving, caring, and kind person, that is what describes Rama Rao Ji. His presence will always be felt,” said Neelofer Ali, a student.

Rama Rao had a B.E. degree in civil engineering and had done specialization in architecture. He worked in several capacities in Bhilai and Rourkela in India as well as in Dubai, UAE and Muscat, Oman. He played cricket, chess and carom and loved travelling.

After his retirement, he took up yoga which became his passion until his last day. As suggested by Ramesh Bhutada, he went to India and received a diploma in Yoga and Naturopathy upon the completion of the Yoga Shikshak course conducted by the SVYASA, Bangalore, India, in January 1999. He also completed practical training in Nature Cure and Yoga in Paramarth Nature Cure Hospital and Bapu Nature Hospital, New Delhi, India. He was a participant in the “All India Nature Cure Conference on Diabetes and Asthma” in December 1998.

Rama Rao taught yoga and provided instructions in basic & therapeutic yoga in Houston since 1999. Since then, nearly 250 students of yoga have graduated under him in Houston and other parts of USA.

HOUSTON: Octogenarian, Anantha Aiyer, a native Houstonian for more than 35 years was interviewed at HCC studios on May 17 for the Indo-American Oral History project of the Foundation for India Studies (FIS).

Anantha at 81 does not look his age.  Still walking upright, active and full of zest for life, he engages himself to the promotion and propagation of Tamil language and culture. Tamil is the oldest and richest classical language, only after Sanskrit, that has existed in India for more than 2000 years and FIS is proud to have been instrumental in recommending more than 250 Tamil language books to Houston Public Library which are available today for the public to borrow.

Anantha Aiyer, affectionately called “Ananatha” throughout the South Indian community has worked tirelessly to retain the rich tradition, values, and religious faith amongst the Indian immigrant community living in America. Anantha is an engineer by profession, but his true passion in life for the last seven decades, has been Theatre!  In fact, he has been the torchbearer of Tamil theatre in the US for more than 40 years.  From his humble beginnings in Chennai, India, he has left his mark on Tamil theatre in 3 continents, spanning seven decades.    He was born in Madurantakam, and was brought up and educated in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, where he started his career as an engineer at Royal Enfield.  His interest in Tamil theatre started when he was just a boy.   Anantha has been involved in Tamil Drama from his very early years in Chennai and acted with Tamil Theatre veterans, Pattu and Y.G.Parthasarathy, of United Amateur Artistes, and later formed his own troupe known as “ Madras Stage Artists.”

 After leaving for London, UK in 1965, Anantha pursued his interest in Tamil theatre, by writing, producing, and staging Tamil plays.  Traveling extensively in Europe, he staged many Tamil plays in several European countries.  In 1967, he was a founding member of London Tamil Sangam and actively participated in cultural and religious projects for several years.  The group presented radio plays for the BBC which also had a good number of listeners in Singapore and Malaysia, until he left for New York in 1973.

His love for Tamil theatre and his culture, led him to form his stage company, “Vadivel Theatres”, in 1975, with which he staged numerous plays, including the extremely popular “Thanikudithanam”.  While in New York, he joined the executive committee of Bharathi Society of America, and later became President of the organization.  During his time in New York, he staged many Tamil plays, and traveled all over the Northeastern US performing in many cities.  In addition to his affiliation with the Arts, he was also very cultural and civic minded, and participated in many fundraisers for the Ganesh Temple, in Queens, NY.

In 1977, he moved to Houston, with his wife, Padma, and his two children, as job opportunities were plenty in the oil and gas industry.  Once in Houston, he was inducted into the Sri Meenakshi Temple Project, and became one of its founding members.  He also founded Tamil Stage Creations the same year.  Over the last 35 years, Anantha has written over 20 original plays, and has staged Tamil plays for 35 consecutive years to commemorate either the Tamil New Year, or Deepavali, each year.

For nearly 40 years he has been writing, directing and presenting Tamil plays in America. The Nataka Academy in Chennai, in association with the Sri Parthasarathy Swami Sabha and the Brahma Gana Sabha, felicitated Anantha in 2005. Many well-known celebrities, prominent musicians and the secretary of the Federation of City Sabhas paid rich tribute to his extraordinary talent.  A few of his plays have been picked by producers to be presented on the silver screen. He was the first to venture into a mega monumental production, “Washingtonil Thirumanam” for television, and many artistes from Chennai visited the U.S. to participate in it.  The serial telecast by Doordarshan in 1996 won the Mylapore Academy award for best TV serial that year.

Anantha has been the recipient of numerous prestigious awards and titles, including “Nataka Siripi,” “Iyakkunar Imayam,” and “Nataka Thandhai” .  He has received awards from both Indian and US based Arts Alliance organizations.  In recognition of his great community service and to further honor Anantha and Tamil Stage Creations, the City of Houston, and Senate of  the State of Texas had made the proclamation as “Tamil Stage Creations Day” on October 17, 1998.  He has celebrated his 35th anniversary of his theatre company, with 35 consecutive stage productions since 1977.

Most recently Ananatha was awarded the” Kala Bramha Award” by Austin based Kalalaya Productions. This award is to recognize the significant contributions of key individuals who have presented live theatrical performances in North America. The institution honors the stalwarts who have contributed to the Performing Arts.

With his philanthropic demeanor he has contributed generously to stage plays to benefit fund raising efforts for Sri Meenakshi temple in Pearland.  Recently Anantha celebrated his 80th birthday with scores of friends and family by his daughter Luckmi Anantha Pawa, and his son, Jay Aiyer, their spouses, grandchildren and numerous friends.

When asked, what his message would be to the future generations of Indians, Anantha’s clear message is: “Preserve our Heritage, Pursue Dreams, and Perform with Passion”.

For participation in the Indo-American Oral History project, please contact Krishna Vavilala, Founder Chairman of the Foundation for India Studies by email: kvavilala1@gmail.com

Article contributors: Thara Narasimhan, Luckmi Anantha Pawa and Padmaja Sarathy, PhD.

By Dr. M.S. Nataraja

HOUSTON: Houston Kannada Vrinda (HKV) did it Again!  More than 250 lovers of Kannada literature gathered and celebrated the tenth anniversary of Kannada Sahitya Ranga (KSR), the one and only national organization dedicated to the growth of Kannada literature in the United States.

It was a meticulously executed conference showcasing literary and cultural events for two days on May 18 and 19 at the Hamman Hall auditorium inside the beautiful campus of Rice University in Houston. When the out-of-town guests arrived on Friday evening, the HKV volunteers were buzzing with activities — decorating the foyer with art work specially made to suit the occasion, and setting up the registration desk and a book exhibition/store while many artists were going through their final rehearsals for the show. Three scholars, two from India and one from Stony Brook University in Long Island, NY joined the several office-bearers of KSR and HKV and felt the enthusiasm of the local organizers under the leadership of Vatsa Kumar, a veteran organizer of multiple conferences.

The Saturday inaugural session started promptly with the honorable Consul General from the Indian Consulate, Parvataneni Harish lighting the lamp and releasing the conference publication “Beru-Sooru,” a 550-page book of essays written by Kannada writers settled in the United States, covering a variety of topics and their rich experiences.  HKV-funded project, in which a hitherto unpublished book of Raja Rao was re-created and translated into Kannada from an existing manuscript in English, also was brought to light during this conference.  This book and three other books –two of translated poetry and one on humor — were released by the two other special guests, professors S.N. Sridhar and Sripati Tantri.  Professor K.V. Tirumalesh a well-known scholar of Linguistics delivered the keynote speech in which he enlightened the attendees with several interesting nuances of languages in general and Kannada in particular.  He explained the meanings of the words that originated from the native Indian languages and are retained in their pristine form; he gave the examples of the names of several states in this country, including that of Texas (friendly folks!).

There were several interesting literary sessions during the two days. There was one in which people read their poems and essays, another in which a short story converted into a play was read such that the story could be visualized by the audience. There was a special session that was a tribute to Raja Rao (the translator professor C.N. Srinath from Mysore was also present to share his experiences while professor Sridhar gave his literary evaluation of the translated novel “Nareegeeta”).  A special session showcased our own writers who have recently published books while another session was devoted to introducing the languages and culture of the west coast of Karnataka (Professor Sripati Tantri was the main speaker).  And finally, there was a very stimulating dialogue session with the chief and special guests with audience participation.

It was not all literature; there was a segment of cultural events on Saturday evening where for the first time, Rajam Ramamurthy of San Antonio presented a ballet in Kannada based on the famous ballet Swan Lake.  Other artists from HKV (directed by Indrani Parthasarathy and Rashmi Sahshi) presented brilliant segments of group dances and artists from California (coordinated by Vasu Aitala) put together a very interesting Yakshagana episode.

The program started off and ended with melodious group songs presented by HKV artists (coordinated by Neela Chakravarthy, music by Jayasimha Murthy) while young musicians (students of Vidushi Rajeshwari Bhat) enthralled the audience on Sunday morning.  It was the segment by the children of Texas that stole everybody’s heart with their demonstration of flawless conversational Kannada in their hilarious skit (Poornima Kashyap’s group) and a mock Kannada class (Nataraja Kallur’s group).

Texas Kannadigas showed their generosity and hospitality and made sure that all the guests had a wonderful stay. After the millennium Kannada conference of the year 2000 which brought name and fame to Houston Kannada Vrinda, they have once again demonstrated their enormous strength and organizational capability by successfully conducting a two-day literary convention in a remarkably classy way!  While a large number of volunteers (starting with Venkatesh Gowda and friends transporting the guests from the hotel to the venue and back) have worked long and hard for the success of this program, two of them stand out for their dedication and commitment –Dr. Mangala Prasad and Yashvanth Havalimane. The members of KSR are ever indebted to this show of support for our work being done by the literary enthusiasts scattered all over the country.

Long Live Kannada in the United States.

HOUSTON: Eminent actor turned politician, an MLA (member of legislative assembly) of West Bengal in the eastern part of India heartland Chiranjit Chakraborty accompanied by his wife and daughter,  was the Chief Guest of Drama Festival at Houston Durgabari Sur Auditorium. Introduced by Mila Sengupta Houston Durgabari (HDBS) Vice President, Chakraborthy and Head Priest Dr. Bishnupada Goswami inaugurated the Drama Festival at 6:30 pm on  Friday, 24 May. This 3-day festival is one of Durgabari’s important fund raising events.

At the occasion of NatyoUtsav, dramas by directors of Houston, Seattle, and Laramie, Mila Sengupta, Sudip Bandopadhyay, and Mita Shome took the dias to start the event.

Chiranjit, amid the Ved-Path of Pandit Goswami, lit the lamp for the inauguration.

Chiranjit is also the actor – director of many hit Bengali films including movie Antarale opposite Munmun Sen.

“I am here as an emissary of Honourable Chief Minister of West Bengal Mamta Banerjee (famously called Didi)”, a joyous and excited Chakraborthy announced at the stage. Didi asked me “I want you”. That’s why I am here in the West Bengal and Indian Politics. He contributed a decent speech of Mamta Banerjee’s thoughts and values and contribution of Bengali Community to the Indian American value system.

He says all his speeches and contributions are attributed to Mamta Banerjee. The Head Priest of Durgabari, Dr. Bishnupada Goswami lauds Chakraborthy’s generosity and valued communication. Dr. Goswami said, “Mamtadi and Chiranjit have done very deep routed growth to the downtrodden and masses.” He recalls that the whole West Bengal considers Mamta-di a firebrand of poor, women, and elderly.

Dr. Goswami thanked  Chakraborthy for his gracious stoppage at Houston Durgabari and asked him to convey his message, respect, and blessings to Mamta-di.

Dr. Goswami told Chakraborthy that, on behalf of Bengali and Indian Resident of Houston, we would like to convey to Mamtadi that, you have successfully establish your manifesto of “Ma Mati Manush”.

Dr. Goswami elaborated that, “We congratulate you on your success in conquering hearts and minds of not only Bengalis from rural and urban areas of Bengal, but also the Bengalis around the world. We, the Bengalis of Houston, do support your earnest desire to bring transparency, remove bureaucracy, expose and eliminate falsehood of opposition parties for over three decades, who have succeeded in taking the state of Bengal almost to ruins.

Last May, US secretary of state Hillary Clinton had met Mamta Banerjee when the Trinamool Congress was celebrating a year in office. Very recently, US Ambassador to India Nancy Powell recognized and congratulated our firebrand leader from Bengal, during meeting in Writers’ Buildings. We, the people of India recognize when some outsider recognizes the leadership and development work.  This is exactly what happened when Powell’s envoy showered praise on Mamta Banerjee and Trinamool Congress for their constructive and creative work.

    Chief priest Dr. Bishnupada Goswami (of Houston Durgabari) has organized for mass prayer and offered special puja for the efforts to Maa Durga (in Houston Durga Bari) where well-wishers and supporters showed up. He performed a puja to Maa Durga for Mamtadi’s success and wishing her make a place in the history of India and Bengal.

Dr. Bishnupada Goswami, Head Priest of HDBS (previously chief priest at Chittaranjan Park Kali Bari, Delhi) has invigorated the Durga Temple, making it the largest Durga Temple outside India with such a stature. He invited Chiranjit along with Mamtadi to visit them.

He hoped that relentless effort to connect with people will progress and make Bengal the most desirable destination in South East Asia.

By Padmashree Rao and 

Uma Aggarwal

HOUSTON:The Bhagavad Gita and Gurudev Swami Chinmayananda were invoked with a loving Bala Vihar spirit on May 11, at Chinmaya Prabha, Houston.  The memorable weekend began with an awe-inspiring Chanting competition on the 11th chapter of the Lord’s Eternal Song and culminated with the “Wheel of Values” – an inaugural activity to celebrate the Chinmaya Birth Centenary celebrations.

In honor of Pujya Gurudev Swami Chinmayananda whose commentaries and Gita Jnana Yajnas are timeless, Chinmaya Mission Houston has been conducting Gita Chanting Competitions for Bala Vihar children for over a decade. The 2013 Gita Chanting Competition (GCC) showcased Chapter 11, “The Yoga of the Vision of Universal Form,” one of the most challenging chapters with most of its 55 verses quartet-style.

“Gurudev Swami Chinmayananda loved the Bhagavad Gita and children like you. What could be a better birthday gift to him than to hear you all in this Gita Chanting Competition on his birthday?” asked Acarya Darshana Nanavaty during her special address to the children on Saturday, May 11. She said that the participating children were already true winners since they had learned such divine verses.

Even months before the competition, the Sarasvati Nilayam brimmed with the enthusiastic young voices chanting the slokas which describe Lord Krishna’s Visvarupa. Many of the participants took advantage of the special GCC classes by dedicated teachers and were trained in correct chanting style and pronunciation. Over 80 Bala Vihar children, grouped into four levels from kindergarten to high school, participated. Apart from chanting the Sanskrit verses perfectly, the older children explained the meaning of some chosen verses and even had to elaborate on them!

The audience of parents, teachers, and judges were amazed and humbled by the chanting style and sincere expression in the youthful faces. To hear the immortal verses and the description of the Immortal Universal Form was the best prize of that day. Even as the winners were named for each group at the end of the competition and recognized with award certificates the next morning by Acarya Gaurang Nanavaty, the celebrating spirit was shared by all the children and adults.

While the very young preschool children officially do not enter the competition, it does not stop them from eagerly memorizing the difficult verses, just by listening to their siblings. Every year, these youngest toddlers of Bala Vihar captivate everyone when they are invited to chant a few verses. Once again this year, these cute, delightful tots mesmerized the devotees by meticulously reciting the divine words of Lord Krishna uttered more than 5000 years ago!

For their part, the adults also participated, but in a different way. They created posters depicting their main learning points from the eleventh chapter which are displayed alongside the halls of Chinmaya Prabha.

Following the Gita presentations, to celebrate Pujya Gurudev’s Janma Jayanti this year, Acarya Guarangbhai then initiated an introspective activity with a colorfully designed “Wheel of Values.” With the Wheel of Values, one value every month for each session will be chosen to be followed as the “Value for the month.”  With the spinning of the wheel and the tinkling of the bells, the values that got chosen for the month of May were “Right” (Session 1) and “Unity” (Session 2). Explaining the initiative, Acarya Gaurangbhai encouraged all members, including the Bala Vihar children, to research/reflect and enhance their respective “Value” throughout the month. To act as a reminder of this Value inculcation movement, the members would use their specially created Cords. As the values became the virtues ingrained in character, life will be blessed by the Wheel of Fortune!

In tune with the global theme of Chinmaya Birth Centenary Celebrations which focuses on an “Event to Movement” approach, the glory of the Gita and Gurudev was set into beautiful motion with the Wheel of Values energizing Chinmaya Prabha Houston.

For more information about Chinmaya Mission Houston, please visit www.chinmayahouston.org or contact Bharati Sutaria at 281-933-0233.

By Farida Hasanali

HOUSTON: Most likely you don’t! I know…sounds pretty morose doesn’t it? Every one of us wants to believe we have friends. Not just a friend, but different groups of friends. I find myself often explaining that I have many groups of friends. A group of Desi friends, a non Desi group, work groups from many different units and programs I am part of and one lone solitary friend from way back in India.

To explain what I mean, I need to first establish what a friend is.  According to Dictionary.com a friend is a person attached to another by feelings of affection, OR a person who gives assistance, OR simply a person who is on good terms with another, a person who is not hostile OR a member of a religious society of friends. You didn’t expect that did you?

Somewhere along the way, our idea of a true friend has changed. We now expect a friend to be a soul mate, someone who completes our sentences before we do, some one who guides us even when they know we don’t want to hear it, someone who is never afraid of losing us. Some people have had the good fortune to find such a friend in a life partner, but very few, if any of us find or have such true friends. A wise person once wrote about friends that come into our lives for a reason, a season or a lifetime. If a person comes into our lives to assist us in some way, they came for a reason and we should receive it as that and let them go when the reason is fulfilled.

Most of us I believe fall in the category of having friends for seasons. I’ve had many seasons of different groups of friends. It feels like their lives change; marriage, children, education, moves…whatever it may be, when the season is over the friends go away but I stay the same. Maybe there is nothing wrong with that. It’s almost as if you come into someone’s life for a reason, but stay for a season because there is a need to do so and during that period you have changed too and it’s really time to move on.

Now let’s tackle the elusive lifetime friend. I would like you all to take a moment and take a mental stock of your friends. How many people in your life will come to your aid in the worst moments of your life? If you were in dire need of a substantial sum of money, how many of your friends would offer it to you? And the true test, if you comment on something that a friend is doing wrong with the intent to improve them, how many of your friends learn from it and how many react defensively. I guarantee you, most will fall into the latter category.

True friendship is like marriage. Friends have to grow together, they have to learn to trust each other, and they have to accept the fundamental premise that no one is out to get them, or make them feel or look bad. Friends have to leave their egos and insecurities at home when they are together and think for the group instead of just themselves.  So now how many friends do you think you have?

If you have just one, Congratulations! You are truly blessed.

Farida Hasanali is a freelance writer for several Indo-American publications. In her day job, she works as a Knowledge & Program Manager for BP’s Remediation Management Division.

HOUSTON : Dr. Beena George is the fourth dean of the Cameron School of Business effective on May 20. George previously served as the associate dean of the Cameron School and contributed to the school’s elite accreditation by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business.

As dean, George said she sees three priorities for the Cameron School of Business.

“We should develop and maintain a strong community of learners where all students are encouraged and supported to achieve their best. We want to create an innovative portfolio of program offerings that supports the school’s mission and meets the needs of the community we serve. We will continue our intellectual work to advance ideas that have an impact on practice in a manner that is mindful of business and development challenges,” George said. “As we complete activities in support of these priorities, we will see continued success in educating students to be strong leaders making ethical decisions that result in business success and sustainability.”

George teaches courses on business strategy and the use and management of information technology resources in organizations. In her classes, students are encouraged to share with each other their experiences in the business world, connecting in-class learning with real-life events.

Her course on sourcing management was awarded the Innovations in Information Systems Education award by the Association of Information Systems, the premier academic association in the information systems discipline.

The course is also recognized by the International Association of Outsourcing Professionals as a bridge program for training for certification as a Certified Outsourcing Professional. With her involvement in the IAOP, George has helped put CSB on the map with the IAOP as an Academic Alliance Partner.

Dr. Dominic Aquila, vice president for Academic Affairs, is delighted that George emerged as the successful candidate in the University’s national search for a dean.

“The entire University celebrates Dr. George’s appointment, as evidenced by the thunderous applause she received when Dr. Ivany announced it at the April 30th Town Hall Meeting,” Aquila said. “Like many on campus, I have worked closely with Dr. George on a range of projects. She does all things well and inspires those who work with her by her work ethic, sharp intellect, joyful spirit and affability. She is exactly the right person to take the Cameron School of Business to a new level of excellence.”

Between her work at UST and spending time with her husband and three children – two who are UST graduates and the third who is a senior at UST – George volunteers at St. Laurence Catholic Church in Sugar Land.

George, a native of south India and a graduate of the Indian Institute of Management in Kolkata, India, has been teaching at UST since 2003. She received her doctorate in Management Information Systems from the business school at the University of Houston.

By Parth Dwivedi

HOUSTON: The St. Francis Episcopal Day School hosted an award ceremony Friday, May 17, to recognize the St. Francis Wolves Against Hunger – a group consisting of seven of their graduating eighth grade students under the faculty guidance of Debbie Harris – which participated in the World Hunger Leadership Challenge.

The ceremony began with the Pledge of Allegiance, followed by the Prayer of St. Francis, after which point Ashley Butler took the podium. As Executive Director of Lead2Feed, an initiative whose purpose is to foster leadership amongst middle school students in the fight against world hunger, Butler spoke on the importance of “developing future leaders and giving back to the community.” Ashley was there to present a check for $25,000 to St. Francis Episcopal Day School as top prize from the Yum! Brand Foundation for the work done by the Wolves Against Hunger in the Lead2Feed sponsored nationwide challenge.

More than 300,000 middle and high school students in 1,500 schools participated in the nationwide challenge that encouraged students to develop their leadership skills through projects that focus on solving hunger worldwide. Yum! Brands Foundation provided nearly $250,000 in prize money grants to 140 schools for US public charities engaged in hunger relief programs.

Shortly after the ceremony started, David Novak, joined via Skype to congratulate the team himself, adding that the students recognized were the real heroes and heroines. Novak serves as Executive Chair and CEO of Yum! Brands Inc. and co-founder of the Lift A Life Foundation, both of which partnered with the USA TODAY Charitable Foundation to create the World Hunger Leadership Challenge.

The recognition was shared with another student group of similar age, in K.L. International School, located in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, India, about 100 km northwest of New Delhi, with which the St. Francis Episcopal day School had been in close collaboration for the previous two semesters on the award-winning project. The students from St. Francis Day School packed 5,100 sack lunches, collected more than 6,500 cans of food, and packed boxes at a local food bank, while the students from KLI volunteered time at a local orphanage run by Mother Teresa Missionaries of Charity.

Earlier this year, Harris heard about the World Hunger Leadership Challenge, and felt that the work of both her students and those at KLI School, was deserving of recognition, highlighting each student’s unique abilities and contributions and added that they even worked on their days off.

The collaboration between St. Francis and KLI School began when Debbie took on the role of organizing an awareness campaign for World Water Day in 2012, internationally observed on March 22 every year. Debbie came into contact with Jasdeep Lamba, whose father-in-law Kuldeep Singh Lamba serves as Executive Chair of KLI School. Together they arranged for a one-time Skype discussion between the students and faculty of the two schools, laying a foundation for future partnering.

When the next school-year started, Debbie and Jasdeep and her husband Dev took the initiative to get the ball rolling on a larger scale, this time arranging for six Skype forums over the course of two semesters in order to give students a greater appreciation for serious problems like hunger and poverty. Their involvement also entailed taking steps to become more active in their respective communities and exchanging ideas with one another as to various ways of doing so.

Taylor Bowers, one of the students recognized, gave the example of canned food drives being common in American schools, but not quite so to the students he Skyped with. Ian Southwell, another awardee, spoke about lessons he learned from the project, “You hear about poverty in other countries, but I never realized how bad it really is. The number of poor in India is almost the same as the entire population of the U.S.”

Jasdeep said that the students at KLI School had been hard at work on Project 365, in which at least one hungry person – but usually more – is fed every single day of the year. It is entirely up to the students how to coordinate such a demanding task, fostering both teamwork and individual headship.

The award money won by the St. Francis Wolves Against Hunger will be given to Kids’ Meals Houston, a charity whose main goal is to feed hungry and poor children under the age of five, too young to go to school where they would receive state-sponsored meals. The work done by KLI School students has gone to benefit The Earth Saviours Foundation, a local charity in New Delhi, India.

By Jawahar Malhotra

HOUSTON: The Houston Technology Center held its Tenth Annual Gala last Thursday evening, May 16 at the Hyatt Regency Hotel’s ballroom downtown and about 500 people showed up for the much anticipated event that brought many of the city’s successful as well as new, up and coming entrepreneurs together for a show of camaraderie.

The reception buzzed with conversation and hors d’ouvres as slides featuring the celebrated entrepreneurs of 2013 were projected on a huge screen, and continued on two large screens inside the dining portion of the ballroom. The forty one companies- and pictures of their founders and main driving forces – represented some well known names and others that hope to become so.

Among these were four Indian names: Juuhi Ahuja of Wise Men Consultants an IT consulting firm that provides augmented staff, software, hardware and support; Gaurav Khandelwal of ChaiOne which builds custom web and mobile applications; Arun Pasrija of CHR Solutions Inc., a telecommunications consulting firm; Vibhu Sharma of Ingenious Inc., a technology company offering real-time performance monitoring software and Umesh Verma of Blue Lance Inc., a global provider of Cyber Governance solutions– and most were in attendance at the event that was full of adulation for their efforts and contribution to the Houston economy.

There was a substantial Indian contingent at the event there to applaud one of the luminaries of the community, Vijay Goradia, who was being honored that night for his entrepreneurial drive that has resulted in his company, Vinmar International Inc,, a 34 year-old petrochemicals marketing group, to become one of the top growing firms in the metroplex.

Nearly three years ago, Goradia pledged $1 million to fund an annual Innovation Prize during the next years at the HTC to help companies who got their start from university research. So far, several startups have shared $150,000 in annual prize money for the commercial application of their technology, the soundness of their business plan and the resulting potential for job growth within the region. The 2013 winners will be announced on October 9. Goradia also serves on the Board of Directors of the HTC.

Goradia was named the Honoree of the Year at the Gala and was interviewed onstage in a Tonight Show version of a dialogue where he described how he started his first company making plastics with his brother in India right after high school. “I thought I was too young to be in business,” he recalled, “so I gave it up, though it was rather successful, and hitch hiked around the world and then moved to the US.” Within three weeks of his move, he started another company in his friend’s apartment, and this later became Vinmar International.

Goradia remembered that he learnt the best life lessons when he was hitch hiking for two months, surviving on his wits. He mentioned a time when he was on the back of a pickup truck packed with people in Kabul during the fasting month of Ramadan and had an urge to eat. When he grabbed some bread and grapes and began to eat, a Muslim man threatened him with a knife. “I blurted out that the Quran forgives the travelers from fasting, and this was seconded by some other person in the truck and the man was satisfied,” he recalled with a chuckle, “but in fact, I had never even read the Quran!”

Goradia attributed much of his success to the support of his family and in particular his wife Marie. “I am very lucky,” he said, “she keeps me grounded.” He also recalled a turning point in his life in 1996 when he visited a school for 30 kids in a shanty town in Mumbai and saw the value of education. Since then, he has generously supported the US based charity Pratham which funds childcare and education in India, and will reach 35 million kids this year. In addition, the Goradias support the Meals on Wheels program of the Interfaith Ministries of Greater Houston, as well as many other local organizations.

The HTC Gala also honored four individuals with Lifetime Achievement Awards in various spheres of industry. These were Tom Short, the CEO of Anardarko Industries for his work in Aerospace; John Calaway, Director of Wind Development at Pattern Energy Group for his work in Energy; Leland Putterman, the CEO of Acorn Systems for his work in Information Technology and David McWilliams, Chair of BioHouston for his work in Life Sciences. Also remembered in a slide montage for his work was Dr. S. Ward Casscells IIIrd who passed away.

At the start of the Gala, Paul Frison, the Executive Vice Chairman of the HTC briefly touched on the work that the group has done in promoting entrepreneurship since the organization began in 1999. He lauded the efforts of HTC President and CEO, Walter Ulrich for his tireless pursuit of making HTC a premier incubator of talent. Frison also acknowledged the presence of Indian Consul General Parvathaneni Harish and his wife Nandita at the event.

HTC’s nurturing through the $2.5 million in raised funds has allowed 400 entrepreneurs to flourish, bringing in $1 billion to the local economy and 3,600 jobs, claimed Frison, as he also acknowledged the entrepreneurial spirit that had allowed Houstonians like the Allen Brothers, George Brown and Jesse Jones to build many of its institutions and mainstay industries like the University of Houston, Rice University, Texas Medical Center, the Johnson Space Center.