Category: Community

HOUSTON: For the seventh year in a row, Indian youth from all over the Houston area bicycled over 150 miles from Houston to Austin as part of the annual two-day bike ride event called the BP MS-150, to raise awareness and money for research to hasten the cure for Multiple Sclerosis.  The youth were part of the “Houston Desis” cycling team whose motto “Moving hearts and minds” has been instilled into each of the rider’s psyche. The team was sponsored principally by the Methodist Hospital’s Lung Transplant Center which has graciously obliged the team’s commitment, three years in a row, for their excellent service to the community. The team was also sponsored by, Coastal Cardiology, Pearland Heart Institute, Career Uniforms, Geotest Engineering Inc, Clear Lake Dental Care, Hurricane Glass, Clear Lake Infectious Diseases, SriTech Inc, Kenall Inc. and Mayuri Restaurant.

The team’s journey began in Katy in the early hours on April 20 and ended in Austin on the afternoon of April 21.  They were among 11,000 cyclists from all over the US who took part in the largest event of its kind in the world which raised almost $18 million dollars for its cause.

As 14-year old second-time rider Arun Rao  said,  “Riding for a cause that is important and can help save someone’s life is one of the greatest feelings in the world. As you ride through the streets of Austin with cheers and applause surrounding you, you can’t help but smile at the fact that what you have done is just special. Riding from Houston to Austin is no easy feat. Training and preparing for an event like this takes months of practice, focus and dedication. I believe everybody on this Houston Desis Team has exemplified these traits.”

The returning teen riders included  Srikar Anantha, Rahul Popat and Nakul Rao.  Other teenagers were first time riders including  Akhilesh Yeleswarapu, Yash Bora, Saku Gopinath,  Sharad Ravishankar, and Siddhanth Ahuja, all of whom did amazingly well, thanks to the strong training and support from their parents and the team captains.

The Houston Desis team has a great history of organizing a very safe and fun environment for both new and returning riders to take part in this event.  The highlight of the team is the wonderful camaraderie and sense of family that it engenders in its team members in preparing for the event especially at the overnight stop in La Grange.

It was Rahul Popat’s 2nd MS 150  ride. “On the first day I biked 86 miles from Houston to La Grange. The ride from Houston to Bellville was easy and fun. We stopped at Bellville for lunch and got to see all the different bikes and uniforms. I clearly felt the first 20 miles after lunch were difficult but soon after, adrenaline kept pushing me to the finish line in La Grange. At the tent, my friends and family and volunteers greeted me. We had great Indian food and hot Masala Dosas made for us by volunteers. The next morning, we woke up by 5 to eat some delicious hot pancakes. Once again, we started off early and headed for the hilly ride from La Grange to Austin.”

Safety is the most important theme stressed for the riders in the MS-150 and there were some near-misses as riders were stopped several times due to accidents, stoppages by cops and EMS.

Srikar Anantha,  just 13 years old and a second year veteran, showed tremendous improvement over the past year.  In stated,  “MS150 is an awesome experience. It makes you push yourself to the limit. Even though it was my second year riding, I felt some jitters. The training was painful. My dad helped me by enrolling me in spin classes. Soon, I could ride 40 miles with great ease. We started in Katy at a slow pace but soon I decided to set my own pace line. I had left the team and set off at  around 22 miles per hour and soon I was at the lunch stop before 10 am. I arrived in La Grange around 1:40 pm. The second day we all left La Grange at a fast pace and before I knew I was in Bastrop. As me and Dad approached the finish line a little after noon time amongst a loud crowd,  I knew that my effort had not gone to waste.”

The captain of the team, Ramana Anantha, said that he was honored to participate in his 5th MS-150. The MS-150 event has once again provided the opportunity for families and friends to unite together to participate in an exhilarating and uplifting event.

To be part of Houston Desis, contact Srini Kamana at skamanawho@gmail.com or Swamy Yeles at swamy.yeles@gmail.com

HOUSTON: On April 8, IAPAC held a “meet and greet” fund raising for Congressman Al Green at the India Coffee House on 5901 Hillcroft Ave., Suite C2A, Houston, Texas 77036.

Sujeeth Draksharam the current President of IAPAC, welcomed the guests and introduced the Congressman to the attendees and moderated the interactions between the Congressman and the invited guest.

 Sujeeth Draksharam requested all attendees to give a brief self introduction.

In his talk, to a group of select donors and IAPAC board members, Congressman Al Green touched on topics ranging from Healthcare, immigration, education,  Gun control, Economic Climate and the Keystone Pipe Line project.

As expected the Congressman was very stimulating and inspirational in his presentation and he fielded every query from the audiences very graciously.

The Congressman wrapped up his talk by stating that he is honored to represent the people of the 9th District of Texas in Congress and he is here to help anyway possible and thanked all those who attended the event.

Aku Patel a prominent businessman and owner of 22 Karat Jewelers represented the Mahatma Gandhi district businessmen and women group and lauded the Congressman for his yeomen service to the district.

Hor d’oeuvres were served to the guest and many guest had an opportunity to try out the piping hot and delicious coffee and tea from India Coffee House.

Congressman Green was very appreciative of IAPAC’s initiatives and involvement in the political arena.

Special thanks was given to David Raj, owner of India Coffee House for opening his establishment for this and other IAPAC events.

This was another quality event put together by IAPAC. Brace yourself for more exciting events.

IAPAC is the political voice of the Indo American community in the Greater Houston area.

Additionally, IAPAC promotes and encourages political activities and increases political awareness in the Indo-American community.

For more information about IAPAC please visit www.iapacgh.org.

HOUSTON: An organization that can speak for Hindus in the greater Houston area in one strong voice is emerging. The board of advisors of Hindus of Greater Houston at its first meeting held at Chinmaya Mission Houston recently laid the foundation for the umbrella organization that will be an authentic and credible force, protecting the cause and interests of all Hindus.

Dev Mahajan, chairman of the board of advisors, after the inaugural meeting, addressed the invited representatives from about 60 Hindu religious, social and cultural organizations in the Houston area.

The umbrella organization will unite all the Hindu organizations and each organization will nominate one permanent representative to the team, Mahajan said.

The representative should have a passion for the Hindu cause and feel a part of the big, formal structure, he said.

“We have flowers in different parts of Houston. We have to assemble, a nice garland,” Mahajan said, recalling the message of Acharya Gaurang Nanavaty of Chinmaya Mission, given earlier when the board of advisors was constituted.

Each temple or organization is a blossoming flower, with its own beauty and fragrance. In becoming a part of the Hindu organization, the flower need not shed its beauty or lose its fragrance. While maintaining its own tradition and individuality, the organizations would join hands in support of a general cause that impacts all Hindus. The issues will not and should not pertain to an individual or an individual group, Mahajan said.

The new organization will establish various operational committees devoted to a specific function like youth affairs, festivals, interfaith affairs or community issues.

Mahajan cited a recent bullying incident in which a Hindu family was affected in a local school district. Hindus of Greater Houston authorized Mahajan and other volunteers to take up the cause and fight for the protection of the family.

Mahajan said a majority of organizations and their representatives have felt the need for a strong, umbrella organization to represent the Hindu community.

The Jewish community has several different organizations in the U.S., but they have one umbrella organization to represent the Jews. Hindus should have a similar organization and hopefully, Hindu groups all over the U.S. could adopt the Houston group as a model and adopt it.

Though the board of advisors functions in an advisory role, the advisors bring credibility to the group as they each represent some of the major Hindu organizations in Houston.

Mahajan said the board will shortly formalize the mission and objectives of the new organization.

The board of advisors  comprises of Dev Mahajan  ( Arya Samaj of Greater Houston), Gaurang Nanavaty  (Chinmaya Mission), Ramesh Bhutada   (Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh) , Prabhat  C . Sharma ( Hindu Worship Society), Jugal Malani (India House), Dr. Hansa Medley (Hare Krishna Temple) and Dr. Venugopal Menon (Shri Meenakshi Temple).

 Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami, head of the Kauai Hindu Monastery in Hawaii and publisher of Hinduism Today, was the guest speaker.

“My guru was keen on the concept of Hindu solidarity. The magazine was started for making Hindus work together. Its motto is solidarity through diversity.”

 The magazine does not promote the Hawaii ashram or temple, but promoted Hindus globally. Hinduism today empowers the youth and its efforts devoted to educating the youth.

Hindus should come together with what is in common and show that we are force to reckon with when needed, he said.

Bodinatha Swami applauded the efforts of Hindus in Houston in solidarity.

“The Hindus in Houston are fortunate to have over so many organizations conducting worship and teaching programs in the greater Houston area. Normally, all that is needed is for these organizations to perform well their respective missions. However, on occasion there is a need for a united Hindu front, for all Hindus to come together to address a pressing issue such as mistreatment of Hindu students, newspaper articles grossly misrepresenting Hinduism or a natural disaster where Hindus want to work together to create a joint response. The Hindus of Greater Houston, as an umbrella organization, is ideally situated to do just that. We were pleased to attend their recent membership meeting and see the diversity and large number of organizations committed to its mission,” Bodinatha Swami said.

“About  100,000 Hindus, with 18 established temples have established their presence and their significance in Houston.  It is only prudent and proper that we create a unified voice to be heard, that our commitments and concerns are understood as an important expression of the mainstream.  With that motivating philosophy, the organization of the Hindus of Greater Houston along with its Advisory Board with representatives of all the Hindu establishments in the area is created,” according to the new advisory board member Venugopal Menon.

Sharad Amin, president of Hindus of Greater Houston said, “A historic meeting of Board of Advisors of Hindus of Houston took place at Chinmaya Mission Houston hosted by Acharya Gaurangbhai and the  mission team. “I am confident that just like the first meeting of Hindu Leaders at Sandeepani Ashram in Bharat was called by Swami Chinmayananda ji in 1962, this will be also instrumental in bringing Hindus of Houston together to work in Harmony.”

Vidha Dixit, a high school senior, had this to say: “It was wonderful to see the camaraderie between so many Hindu leaders in our community. I was thrilled to learn about all of the upcoming Hindu events occurring throughout the Greater Houston area and I am very thankful to Hindus of Greater Houston for organizing this gathering. I strongly urge all members of the Houston Hindu community to attend events such as this in the future as it truly promotes unity and spirituality.”

“Hindus of Greater Houston has scheduled a banquet on July 13 where the Youth award will be presented to outstanding youth who have worked for the Hindu cause. Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard from Hawaii, the first Hindu to be elected to the Congress, will be the chief guest. All temples and organizations are expected to send their youth delegates in large numbers. This year, HGH’s goal is to unite young Hindu professionals in celebration of the 150the birth anniversary of Swami Vivekanand,” said Richa Dixit, coordinator for the Hindu Youth Award.

HOUSTON: Everything is bigger in Texas, and this year AAHOA took its biggest event of the year to the next level in Houston as hosted its 2013 Annual Convention & Trade Show from March 26-29, at the George R. Brown Convention Center. With a near record turnout, the entire event was an enormous success. In fact, the entire event was so successful that AAHOA received a special Congressional Recognition from U.S. Representative Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX) who personally presented AAHOA with a certificate during the closing Gala Night celebration on Friday, March 29.

Earlier in the week, the two-day trade show surpassed previous marks by welcoming more than 400 exhibitors. As the largest annual gathering of hoteliers, AAHOA’s Annual Convention attracts hoteliers and vendors from all over the country to network, to make deals, and to take advantage of superior professional development opportunities. The theme of this year’s AAHOA Annual Convention was “Inspired by the Past, Building for the Future,” and it fittingly captured the energy and passion of AAHOA members as they gathered in the heart of Texas.

As always, the AAHOA Annual Convention featured captivating guest speakers. The Keynote speaker on Thursday, March 28 was General Colin L. Powell, USA (Ret.). For over 50 years, General Powell has devoted his life to public service. Having held senior military and diplomatic positions across four presidential administrations, Powell’s deep commitment to democratic value and freedom has been felt throughout the world.

He received a commission as an Army second lieutenant upon graduation in 1958 and went on to serve in the United States Army for 35 years, rising to the rank of Four-Star General. From 1987 – 1989, Powell served as President Ronald Reagan’s National Security Advisor. He served from 1989 – 1993 as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff for both President George H.W. Bush and for President Bill Clinton, and was not only the youngest officer and first ROTC graduate to ever serve in the position but also was the first African American to do so.

In all areas, he used the power of diplomacy to build trust, forge alliances and then help transform these unstable regions into areas where societies and cultures have the potential to prosper. He also worked at the forefront of American efforts to advance economic and social development worldwide.

AAHOA also welcomed Steve Forbes, the well-known CEO of Forbes and Editor-In-Chief of Forbes magazine, as well as PepsiCo Chairman and CEO Indra K. Nooyi during the Opening General Session on Wednesday, March 27 and Howard Putnam, the former President & CEO of Southwest Airlines, during the General Session on Friday, March 29.

“This stellar lineup of speakers and icons within their respective industries just set the stage for one of our best conventions ever,” said AAHOA Chairman Mehul Patel. “AAHOA members came to Houston from all over the country to learn from the best in terms of how to achieve the highest levels of success.” In addition to these dynamic speakers, AAHOA presented an Industry Issues Panel discussion moderated by former AAHOA Chairman H.P. Rama. This discussion included industry executives such as Wayne Goldberg, President & CEO of La Quinta Corporation; Kirk Kinsell, President, The Americas of InterContinental Hotels Group; Steve Joyce, President & CEO of Choice Hotels International; and Arne Sorenson, President & CEO of Marriott International.

These high-profile industry leaders discussed a wide range of issues affecting the hospitality industry. They also provided insights regarding strategies and solutions to overcome the biggest obstacles facing the industry. AAHOA’s Annual Convention showcased an exciting lineup of education sessions in addition to special conferences for both our Young Professionals on Wednesday, March 27 and Women in Hotel Leadership on Thursday, March 28. During these interactive sessions, attendees heard from industry professionals along with legal and financial experts on how to handle the biggest issues confronting the hospitality industry today.

“Being from the great state of Texas and hosting this Annual Convention in my own backyard, I can honestly say that all of the enthusiasm from both our attendees and exhibitors for this weeklong event was more than justified,” said Chairman Mehul Patel, who was also Convention Chair for 2013. “Every aspect of our agenda was carefully planned to offer a well-rounded experience that our attendees will never forget.”

Attendees also enjoyed mouth-watering Indian cuisine and dazzling entertainment featuring some of Bollywood’s biggest names, including Mauli Dave and her team of dancers, singers, and musicians on Wednesday, March 27. Thursday night’s entertainment showcased some of the hottest names in comedy as attendees enjoyed performances by Dan Nainan, Kapil Sharma and Mantra.

Of course, no AAHOA Annual Convention & Trade Show would be complete without a spectacular Gala Night celebration. On the final night of the event, Friday, March 29, AAHOA hosted a night to remember featuring top-notch cuisine and entertainment. Headlining this year’s Gala Night were electric performances by Richa Sharma and Kamal.

“AAHOA Annual Conventions are already known throughout the industry for providing a wealth of personal and professional growth opportunities, and this year’s event did not disappoint,” said AAHOA President Fred Schwartz. “The energy and passion was apparent from minute one, and this event offered something for everyone.”

About AAHOA: The Asian American Hotel Owners Association (AAHOA) is THE voice of owners in the hospitality industry. Founded in 1989, it is now one of the fastest-growing organizations in the industry, with more than 11,000 members.

For further details and to see photos of the Houston event visit www.AAHOA.com

By Suveena Guglani

RICHMOND: What would you do if somebody promised you a remedy that would remove all your problems? Would you give up one weekend of your life to acquire that magic potion that would restore you to complete health? What if you heard that the remedy was as simple as learning to breathe? Well, such was the powerful message at the Spring Yoga Retreat led by VYASA leaders held April 5 –7 at the Gordon Ranch in Richmond, Texas.

Approximately 100 people from all walks of life, young, old, doctors, scientists, engineers and homemakers alike came together to partake in this ancient message in search of the “Eternal fountain for youth and happiness”. For most, however the motivation for coming to the retreat was spirituality. This was a community of like-minded students and teachers who came to strengthen their connection with one another and enrich themselves with the timeless wisdom of the Taiitreya Upanishad, wonderfully elucidated by Prof N. V. Raghuram co-founder of VYASA and Yoga Bharati. “The goal of the retreat was to bring awareness to our personal and everyday life and to be able to handle stress well” Dr. Sudha Rajan, President of the Houston Chapter of VYASA.

VYASA (Vivekananda Yoga Anusandhana Samsthana) was founded in Bangalore in 1975. The objectives of VYASA were to examine the efficacy of yoga practices and to develop yoga courses to solve the basic problems of day to day modern life.  Dr. Nagendra, Dr. Nagrathna and Prof. Raghuram began this institute which has since evolved into a one of the premier Yoga institutions in India.  Over the years SVYASA has achieved several milestones, the major one being the deemed University status [since 2002] given by the Government of India and another milestone with the publication of the International Journal of Yoga. The website of the institution (www.svyasa.org) is one of the most visited Yoga sites in the world.

According to Dr. Sudha Rajan, although VYASA has had a long presence in Houston since 1999, they have never had anybody that was dedicated to promote this holistic science with the kind of dedication and commitment that was needed. They have had a variety of therapists that came and went over the years however it wasn’t until recently with the arrival of Smitha Vishwarupa and Vishwarupa in 2011 that all the efforts have come to fruition. The current Director of VYASA is Vishwarupa and the Assistant Director Smitha or Smithaji as she is affectionately called.

The retreat focused on providing these basic techniques combined with the philosophy and theories of ancient Yoga texts. Participants enthusiastically embraced the teachings and gave up everyday comforts like hot showers and comfortable beds as they partook of simple vegetarian food and tried to absorb the ancient science eloquently described by Prof. Raghuram. As Yoga enthusiast Shubha Kope commented “Even though the showers were warm on the colder side, we used the meditation techniques to visualize steaming hot showers and never felt a thing”. One of the highlights of the retreat was the cultural program where the participants put together a variety of entertaining programs that delighted the group assembled there. Of note, was a demonstration of Advanced Yoga Technique presented by Vinyasa flow Yoga teacher, Helen, who made the difficult Asanas look deceptively easy.  The retreat ended with a special graduation ceremony for the Yoga Instructor certificate courses offered by VYASA Houston last year.

Amongst them was high school sophomore Karuna Kankani, who claimed that Yoga has helped her manage the stresses of teenage life and helped her become more clearheaded as to what she wants out of life. She says that she is able to focus better for longer periods of time and that has shown in her schoolwork. Khyati Vaidya, a student at University of Houston says that she strives to make Yoga a part of everyday life and that has helped her to be more successful in her work. Other students that graduated and proudly held their certificates were Armin Kasnavia, Dr.Neeta Shukla, Naresh Sharma, Sneha Thakar and Venkat Krishnan.

So, what is the future of Yoga? With the changes in healthcare reform and as modern medicine becomes out of reach of the common man and is unable to help them find a cure, more and more people are turning to alternative medicine as the primary means of coping and effectively managing their disorders. Houston needs more of these Yoga retreats so that people can get away from work related stress disorders and replenish and renew their resources and learn to live as nature meant them to. After all Yoga is simply the “union” of mind, body and soul.

To learn more about Yoga as a Science contact Vishwarupa or Smitha at VYASAhouston@gmail.org or visit Keshav Smruti center; 4018 Westhollow Parkway, Houston, TX 77082 of call 888-964-2609.

HOUSTON: American Completion Tools, a subsidiary of Parveen Industries, India is pleased to announce the opening of its new modern facility  for the manufacture, assembly and sales of its entire product range in the fall of 2013.

American Completion Tools designs and manufactures service and completion tools such as drillable Bridge Plugs, Frac Plugs, Cement Retainers along with Hydraulic Set Permanent and Retrievable Packers in addition to Wireline, Hydraulic, Hydro-Mechanical and Mechanical Setting Tools for the oil and gas industry using state-of-the-art manufacturing processes.

A strong emphasis on consistent quality, customer service and ongoing product development over the years has ensured that its customers are provided with a wide array of superior products and services which help them maintain an edge in a highly competitive market.  An in-house hydro testing facility certifies that all their products are tested in compliance to API standards. Highly trained domestic and international field representatives are always accessible for any questions and support.

Parveen Industries oversees seven plants in Delhi and Mumbai with a down hole Product line in Burleson, Texas.

T. J. Sinha, General Manager, expressed the view that with the unveiling of this new facility, they will be better equipped to serve a growing and dynamic market. P. Kumar, CEO, also voiced the fact that the new facility will cater not just to markets in America but Canada and Europe as well.

American Completion Tools invites and welcomes all oil professionals to visit their booth No. 5404 at the OTC oil show commencing from May 6 at the Reliant Centre, Houston.

Lord Karan Bilimoria is unapologetic in his unabashed admiration for the late British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher who had passed away on April 8 at age 87. In an email interview with me, one of the youngest Lords in England, Bilimoria describes her as “The Entrepreneurs’ Prime Minister”. “By creating the environment that she did, Margaret Thatcher enabled the Asian community in England to succeed, prosper, and excel,” he strongly believes. 

When Karan Bilimoria Esq became Lord Bilimoria in 2006 at age 44, he was almost like a “Baby” in the House of Lords where the average age is 69.  Karan is really proud of having become a Lord without any political support or a godfather. In the seven years, he has been a Lord, Karan has presented on many occasions his views candidly, and from a different perspective. Three years ago, he had given a speech on enterprise and Britain’s economy and the then looming general elections. He was speaking from the front bench of the Crossbenchers, and sitting across from him was Lady Thatcher, the longest serving British Prime Minister in the post-World War II era. He saw her nodding her head, as if, in agreement. 

The year 1989 became a turning point in his life when the COBRA Beer was born. With only “guts and wits” as his capital, the young Karan had plunged headlong into this daunting venture. When once he found himself with a large consignment to dispose off,he put the entire lot in an old Citron jalopy, and visited one Indian restaurant after another and gave two free sample bottles to every restaurant. He thus successfully sold the entire lot of beer. The rest is history. 

 By Raj Kanwar

Here are some excerpts from the interview. 

What was England like when you first arrived there in 1981?

“I was only a nineteen year old student when I landed in Britain. She had then loomed as a towering figure with immense influence. Many of my colleagues at the House of Lords have paid ‘simply marvellous’ tributes to her that is ‘absolute treasures’. My tribute however is from a different perspective since Margaret Thatcher was somebody who has influenced my life from the day one of my arrival here.

I remember the Britain I came to, which was at that time the sick man of Europe, a country with no respect in the world economy. It was a country that had lost its empire just over three decades before, a country going down the tubes, with no prospects and no promise. It was a country where, when I first arrived, I was told by my family and friends that I would never get to the top, as I would never be allowed to get to the top as a foreigner, as there would be a glass ceiling. And they were absolutely right at that time. The Britain I came to in 1981 was a country where entrepreneurship was looked down upon, with images of Del Boy and second hand car salesman defining the word.

And how was Thatcher able to transform the Britain of 1981 into a thriving economy and an Entrepreneurs’ paradise? 

“I saw, before my own eyes, as a student in London and at Cambridge, this country being transformed, this country being opened up and the glass ceiling being shattered. Margaret Thatcher herself led the way by achieving all the things she did as a woman, in smashing through the glass ceiling. Britain opened up not only to the world, with London opening up as a global financial centre, but did so with the spirit of enterprise and entrepreneurship being unleashed in the country. It became a country where an attitude of aspiration, an attitude of competitiveness, an attitude of people from anywhere being able to get anywhere, was created. And I knew, even as a student, that there was only one person who initiated this, who unleashed this, and who drove this forward – that person was Margaret Thatcher – the Entrepreneur’s Prime Minister.”

How did all that specifically help the Asian community prosper? 

“By creating the environment that she did, Margaret Thatcher enabled the Asian community in this country, an immigrant community, to succeed, prosper, and excel. A community that had come, like the Ugandan Asians thrown out by a brutal dictator in the late 1970s, with nothing but who during Margaret Thatcher’s Prime Ministership were able to prosper and succeed, because of the enterprise environment and the aspiration environment she initiated and championed. And what is more, I always say that Asian values are summarised through hard work, the importance of family, and education. Margaret Thatcher embodied those values herself. We have heard from so many who knew her so well, and who worked with her, about how hard she worked, and of the legendary four-hour sleep every night. We know the importance she gave to education, being a highly educated person herself.”

In what way her family values were similar to those of the Asians? 

“I had had the privilege of knowing her husband Denis and learning from him in great detail about his relationship with his wife, and the wonderful manner and dignity with which he conducted himself as the husband of the Prime Minister, never publicly interfering but always standing as a rock of support next to her and supporting her from behind the scenes. Similarly we have also heard of her complete love and devotion to her husband who she doted on, and loved and respected so much. And we have seen the loyalty to her given by so many individuals, personified by Mark Worthington, her private secretary, who served her with absolute devotion and selflessness, especially during her illness in the last few years. Also, of course, her colleagues like Lord Michael Forsyth, who looked after her so well, as I have seen personally.”

How well did you know Margaret Thatcher and what was your personal equation with her?

I was privileged to get to know her over the past decade or so, through the Royal Hospital Chelsea, where I was a Commissioner for six years and where she was a regular visitor. I also knew her when I was President of the Memorial Gates Committee on Constitution Hill, where she attended our annual ceremony. And of course I knew her in Parliament. I remember on one occasion speaking in a debate on enterprise and the economy,  I was speaking from the front bench of the Crossbenchers, and she was sitting two feet across the aisle next to me, on the Opposition front benches. Throughout my speech I could see from the corner of my eye, she was nodding consistently in approval. Not only did this fill me with pride and mean a huge amount to me, I knew what I was saying must have been on the right track!

The Margaret Thatcher who I was fortunate to get to know was an always charming, always polite, and always beautifully turned out lady. It was genuinely a privilege to have known her. 

How did the new attitudes of aspiration and competitiveness help you in the COBRA venture?

I came up with the idea for my business while I was a student in the Thatcher era. I started my business, Cobra Beer, when Margaret Thatcher was Prime Minister. There is no way I could have done what I did without everything that she did to enable it to happen. I am a child of Thatcher. The flourishing entrepreneurial community in Britain today are children of Thatcher. The success of the Asian community in Britain today, which makes up about 4% of the population but contributes more than double that to the economy, could not have been accomplished without Thatcher. Margaret Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, Lady Thatcher, when Britain was down on its knees, saw the ‘Great’ in Britain and she put the ‘Great’ back into Great Britain.

Lord Bilimoria is the chairman, Cobra Beer Partnership.

 Raj Kanwar is a Dehra Dun based freelance journalist and writes columns on current affairs for local and national newspapers. He is also the author of the official history of ONGC, which is one of the top three companies in India in terms of market capitalization. Kanwar is also associated with World Oil as its Contributing Editor for South Asia. 

 

 

By Jawahar Malhotra 

KATY: Thoughts of the Great Mahatma raced through the mind as the lines from his beloved poem Lead Kindly Light echoed through the cavernous auditorium, two whole, huge walls of which were splashed with projected slides; three more screens completing the semi-circular background that transposed the stage in front to a village setting in West Bengal. The scenes changed as the evening progressed and took the audience of a flight of fantasy.

Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high, continued the female narrator as those of us who learnt the beautiful poem in high school recalled the words, long forgotten. And so began the lead in to the narrative drama Jagruti (Awakening), designed, produced and directed by Debleena Banerji of the Prana School of Music and Arts of Katy.

The play tells the story of the struggle of a 7 year-old orphaned girl Anandi who is adopted by a childless village couple Bijoya and Nikhil. She excels in studying and despite the objections of close-minded village leaders, goes off to college in the city and returns with her degree to teach the kids in the village. The cast – Achintya Ghosh, Jaya Ghosh, Praveen Srivastav, Sudip Bandyopadhya, Rupa Ghosh, Rittika Nandi, Aishani Saha, Anusha De and many more – were accentuated by the live background music provided by Biplab Samadder, Erich Avinger and Raja Banga.

The auditorium of the CrossPoint Community Church on South Westgreen, packed with nearly 600 people listened with rapt attention as the story unfolded and the message of learning and educating sunk in.

For this is the message that Rishabh Shah, a senior at Seven Lakes High School had understood when he visited the tiny village of Gayeshpur in West Bengal several months ago. He was motivated by the little kids he saw who were thirsting for knowledge in a crowded school supported by Ekal Vidyalaya, a non-profit organization that builds schools for marginalized children across rural and tribal India. He looked around for inspiration and found it in RICE – Removing Illiteracy through Collective Education – an organization started five years ago by Tarun Mathur in Orlando, Florida who had likewise visited an EV school. Mathur persuaded his own public high school to donate to EV and from there, the nucleus of RICE started, now with 5 chapters nationwide.

With his passion, Shah inspired others to start RICE at his high school and pull together this remarkable event to raise money for the EV cause with the help of their parents and gurus at Prana School. While the chapter is only a few months old, this past Saturday, April 20 at their first fund raiser they collected more than $13,500 in donations.

“RICE has formed with the commitment to its mission of eradicating illiteracy through collective education and by breaking the cycle of poverty by funding education for the underprivileged,” said Shah, President of the club. Through its affiliation with EV, RICE is able to avail of Ekal’s global reach and operations and support the 47,000 schools that EV runs in India. Over 20,000 graduates of the program have come back to teach at EV schools.

The rest of the evening was comprised of a number of unique performances: World Orchestra by the students and the siblings of Prana School, Lehra Ghongroo presentation by Kathak Nrityalay directed by Keka Kar with live tabla accompaniment by the students of the Prana School and its principal Raja Banga. The final performance was the Prana Concert, a Raga-Jazz fusion with 7 well known musicians from the Houston music world. Talented vocalist Balkar Singh and noted violin player Biplab Samdder drew the images of Indian ragas, while Erich Avinger and Aaron Hermes reciprocated with Jazz music using flute, acoustic guitar and bass guitar. Young drummer Ved Chitale and Salil Kulkarni on percussion added to the pleasure of audience engrossed in the fusion of various Indian ragas and jazz streaks intertwined.

Raja Banga contributed to this article

By Dinesh Shah

HOUSTON: The property owners need to understand the relationship of government spending, real estate market, property values, and tax rates, which affect property taxes. All across the state, the increase in taxes have received more attention and criticism since last several years.

In the last five to six years, the commercial property taxes have tripled while market values have only doubled, and for homeowners is also up averaging about $4,000 yearly. Remember, each year stands on its own. You need to attempt reducing your property taxes every year, even though the assessed value has not changed or even it is less than its market value.

Due to lack of awareness and knowledge, only 10% or less of property owners file a protest and appeal each year. The following information will give you more details about the protest process.

How is your property valued? The local appraisal district first collects detailed descriptions of each taxable property in the district, and then classifies them according to a variety of factors, such as size, use and construction type. The district also considers variable factors such as age of the property, location, or esthetic value. Then the district establishes “typical” property values to appraise all the properties in each class.

For income producing properties, the district uses three common approaches – market, income and cost. The market approach is most often used on the basis, “What are properties similar to this property selling for in the same area as of January 1?” For the income approach, “What would an investor pay in anticipation of future income from the property?” The third approach related to cost for replacing the property with one of equal utility.

Why other 90 % do not appeal? (1) The property owners thinks the process is overpowering (2) They are uncertain about the successful outcome after the appeal. (3) They think it is a waste of time (4) Some think their home’s assessed value is below market value, so there is no need to appeal. (5) They do not understand they can appeal on unequal appraisal for their property in the same subdivision or area. (6) Some believes that by reducing the assessed value, it will reduce the selling price. (7) They do not know that it is an annual process, and they should file an appeal every year.

Why to appeal? You need to attempt reducing your property taxes every year, if you don’t appeal for protest every year the central appraisal district (CAD) will keep increasing the value of your property each year. It doesn’t cost owner anything to pursue the appeal, and that is the only way to get a fair share.

Where to file an appeal? You can file an appeal online or at the county CAD office.

How to appeal? You can file a protest based on the assessment data, market value comparison, and unequal appraisal. There are three levels to appeal: (1) informal hearing (2) appraisal review board hearing (ARB) and (3) legal judicial appeal.

You must know the facts:

(1) You can appeal though your taxes are lower than last year or assessed for less than market value. (2) Property tax increases are capped at 10% per year. (3) The value cannot be increased at the informal hearing, where most accounts are settled. The assessed value rarely increases at the ARB. (4) The appraisal district will not take revenge, if you or your agent protest for you even every year. (5) If the district has wrong area of your property, and if you request, they will come and measure the property again. (6) Taxes payments dates, taxing units usually mail their tax bills in October. The delinquency date is usually February 1 or the delinquency date is on the bill. In general, January 31 is the deadline for paying property taxes. Taxes that are unpaid on February 1 are delinquent. Penalty and interest charges are added to the original amount. (7) Do not consider your tax assessed value to be indicative of your true market value.

The value changes each year upon the market and the comparable sales during the calendar year affect the property value. (8) Exemptions: you have to apply for the applicable exemptions. Homestead Exemptions and Optional 65 or older or disabled exemptions.

One can qualify for 100 percent disabled veteran’s residence homestead exemption. (9) The religious or charitable organization may receive a property tax exemption for the year in which it purchases qualifying property.

How we can help you? 

 You pay nothing for our services, unless we save you money. We have an experienced licensed consultant team to serve you with over twenty years of accumulating diversified experience and knowledge in business accounting, engineering, technical, general construction, legal, and administration.

We specialize in residential and commercial properties, Business personal property, and vacant land. We protest taxes in all Counties of the Greater Houston Area.

For further questions or filing protest early before May 31 deadlines, please call Mary Pineda of Property Tax Protest Professionals at 281-242-8464. 

HOUSTON: The Indian Doctors Association of Houston stayed true to its mission as the networking forum for physicians of Indian origin at this year’s annual gala held on April 13, 2013 at Houston’s Health Museum.  The ‘Un-Gala’ marked the IDA’s 30th year in Houston.  The physician organization continues to promote healthcare and education to the Greater Houston community and provide mentorship to young physicians.

Dr. Kulvinder Bajwa, the 2012-2013 IDA President changed the format of this year’s gala  “Wings of the Butterfly” to encourage networking and fellowship. The unique evening was highlighted by the fact that it included no speeches, an open seating arrangement, did we mention, no speeches? Instead, the high tech, eco-friendly event was one of easy camaraderie for guests amidst the fun visuals of the Health Museum.  The superb food provided by Daawat Catering with a Macallan Scotch tasting provided by The Edrington Group USA, and lots of raffle prizes.  No one seemed to miss the standard format of having to sit through a formal program.  Instead, the beautifully decorated hall was filled with laughter, good music and lighting by AD Sounds.

Attendees were able to walk through the museum, meet old friends, make new friends, visit the green screen photo booth and try the delicious appetizers.  In a brief welcoming speech, Dr. Bajwa introduced the incoming IDA President Dr. Uttam Tripathy , the current Texas Medical Association President, Dr. Michael Speer, and Harris County Medical Society President, Dr. Russell Kridel.

The Indian Doctors Charity Clinic liaison, Dr. K.T. Shah was presented with a $10,000 check from IDA and a pledge for $10,000 in additional funding for the upcoming year.  An additional check was presented by the IACF by Anu Bala.   The IDA introduced three endowed $5000 scholarships to 3rd and 4th year medical students.

After dinner, guests were treated to a dessert bar sponsored by Medical Protective. The evening ended on a high note with dancing to the sounds of DJ Zee.

HOUSTON: The Interfaith Ministries for Greater Houston held a ground breaking ceremony on Thursday, April 11 for a new Meals on Wheels facility.

As the population of Houston grows, so does the need for services.  To keep up with this demand, IMGH is expanding from two confined spaces to one large campus, giving the organization the room it needs to enhance its services and outreach.  The new Meals on Wheels building will enable the organization to deliver meals to 10,000 enrolled seniors, an increase from 4,500.

The organization will occupy two sites in Midtown, one located at 3200 San Jacinto St. dedicated to the Meals on Wheels program and the second building, located at 3303 Main St., for the interfaith, refugee and administrative departments and a conference center.

Featured speakers at the groundbreaking ceremony included Mayor Annise Parker and County Judge Ed Emmett.

IMGH is also gearing up for its fourth annual Tapestry Gala to be held on May 9, at the Hilton Americas Houston. The fundraiser celebrates Houston’s diversity of cultures, ethnicities and faiths and this year’s event will honor Marie and Vijay Goradia with a Tapestry Award which recognizes community leaders who have shown remarkable dignity through tangible work for the betterment of Houston and the world.

Co-chairs of the event are Shazma and Arshad Matin and Paula Sutton and Bill Gross with honorary chairs Shaista and Shahzad Bashir. The evening’s musical entertainment provided by Kenneth Gayle productions and Lisa Malosky will be the Mistress of Ceremonies.

 In preparation of the Tapestry Gala, on Thursday, April 4, IMGH held an event in appreciation of the underwriters of the event which has been generously underwritten by Wells Fargo.  Event underwriters and other prominent guests mingled at the home of Sunanda and Ashoke Nath.

  Proceeds from the 2013 Tapestry Gala will benefit the IMGH, a local non-profit organization that brings people of diverse faiths together for dialogue, collaboration and service.  The organization provides four main services: Meals on Wheels for Greater Houston, Refugee Resettlement Services, Disaster Preparedness and Interfaith Dialogue.

The services IMGH provides are: Meals on Wheels, which provides meals to approximately 4,500 home-bound seniors throughout Harris County; Refugee Services, which resettles more than 500 refugees and helps them make Houston their new home; and Interfaith Relations which fosters understanding, respect and engagement among people of all faiths through educational opportunities.  For the past few months, the organization has spent time focused on the Indian community through its Dinner Dialogue series to learn about the Hindu, Sikh and Buddhist religions.

PEARLAND: The first ever 5-K Walkathon event took place at Sri Meenakshi temple on Saturday April 13, 2013 and it turned out to be on Tamil New Year’s day.  Around 200 people participated in this fund raiser event arranged to benefit the Ganesh temple renovation project.

The entire walking track was prepared within the MTS premises which included both paved and non-paved areas in the field.  Despite the heavy rain few days ago, the ground was mostly dry on that day and the organizers did a tremendous job getting the track ready.  It was a feast to the eyes to see the cheerful participants starting to come from around 7 am on a Saturday morning with their active sporting gear and walking shoes.

The weather was perfect with sunshine and breeze and the event started off with a pooja and aarthi for Lord Ganesh, performed by the temple priest, Kalyanasundra Bhattar.

The kids ranging from the agesg of 5-12 years participated in a shorter version of 2-K walk followed by creative craft work, whereas the adults completed the full 5-K which comprised of three full rounds on the track.

 It was a serene atmosphere at the temple with the morning raga music playing in the back ground which made the walk even more enjoyable. Several volunteers distributed water, breakfast bars and fruits to the participants and free hats were given out  by the event coordinators.  The event concluded with a hot sumptuous breakfast sponsored by Madras Pavilion and Sri Meenakshi temple.

The fund raiser was a grand success, and Dr. Al. Alagappan, the coordinator of the event, thanks the corporate and individual sponsors who supported this event. There was lot of enthusiasm among the participants to continue having similar health focused events at the temple more often.

HOUSTON: Student entrepreneurs from around the world are gathering in Houston this week to compete at the Rice Business Plan Competition (the world’s largest and richest business plan competition, with prizes totaling over $1.5 million), and some have been getting unique support from a global entrepreneurs network.

TiE (the world’s largest entrepreneur network spanning 18 countries) organized feeder competitions in Asia and Europe where over 300 teams from 12 countries participated. The winners gained automatic entry into the Rice Business Plan Competition.  In total three teams were invited to Houston after having gone through semi-finals in their own countries and eventually the regional finals in Delhi and Brussels. With 42 teams competing for a share of the prize, every ounce of competitive edge counts, and TiE is actively assisting in coaching these teams in a unique way.

“TiE is all about paying it forward. In keeping with that spirit, successful entrepreneurs from as far away as England and Germany, have travelled to Houston to mentor our teams, along with numerous TiE Houston members,” says Ashok Rao, Chairman of TiE Global.  “Our whole aim is to foster entrepreneurship and mentor the next generation of entrepreneurs. With teams from Thailand, Hong Kong and the UK competing at RICE, we wanted to do all we could to get them ready to compete against elite teams from schools like MIT, Harvard and Stanford.”

Matthias Schmidt, 27, is a young German entrepreneur who is co-founder and CEO of consumer brand start-up Kaffeination. “We cannot tell you how important this help has been…” says Matthias, “TiE has been there at every step of our business’s growth, and we’ve been able to get advice from some of the most successful people in the world…”

Schmidt’s team and the other team AG Cerez from Thailand were at hand at a networking event held on Wednesday, April 10 at Mangiammo’s Italian Restaurant on Post Oak, hosted by the current TiE Houston President Shri Iyer. Over 70 people attended and heard the enthusiastic sales pitches from each team’s spokesman, to rousing applause. The heads of the TiE chapters in Brussels, Manchester, Silicon Valley and Thailand were also on hand to express their solidarity in support. “This type of mentoring of young entrepreneurial talent is what TiE is all about,” said Iyer. “I’m so proud that three of our teams made it all the way to RICE to showcase how our organization can help.”

“We’re all about giving back…” says P.K. Agarwal, CEO of TiE Global, who also attended the Networking meet.  “We have a virtuous circle supporting young entrepreneurs which includes mentoring, networking and many other forms of support.” Kaffeination went on to win a cash prize for elevator sales pitch and AG Cerez advanced to the next round to win for innovation.

“I’ve been judging at RICE for over five years..” says Aruna Viswanathan, an entrepreneur and investor who is President Elect of TiE Houston.  “I’m so proud that we’re hosting these outstanding teams from TiE Asian and TiE Europe, and helping them to get prepared for this world-class competition.”

STAFFORD: Many cars of today’s world have indicators when maintenance is needed and most of us typically follow this warning to extend the life of our cars. When it comes to the driver of the car, how often does he or she go in for routine health checks or screenings? The thought of periodic health check-ups is daunting for many.  One organization that finds it important to promote healthy living and early detection of life threatening disease is BAPS Charities. On April 13, 2013, BAPS Charities held its 13th annual health fair in Stafford, Texas at the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir.

By 8:00 am, doctors, nurses, techs and many other healthcare professionals were ready to offer their services in the areas of pediatrics, gynecology, cardiology, ophthalmology, dentistry and orthopedics.  The BAPS Charities health fair stands out by offering a variety of tests from free physical examinations, dental screenings, vision screenings and some at very nominal costs, such as an echocardiogram with interpretation by a cardiologist for only $50 or a PSA hormone test for only $15. Dr. Larry Baum, an urologist from Sugarland, TX said, “This is a wonderful event, it really brings medical education and health screenings to the forefront for people that normally may not have access or be aware of the importance of medical screening in all different body systems”

As most of us are very lost when it comes to the medical world, the health fair offered an opportunity for visitors to educate themselves through many of its sponsored booths and 8 interactive public health awareness seminars on educational topics such as heart-healthy life style, emergency preparedness, new health care policies, diabetes risk modification, prevention of osteoporosis, yoga and healthy smoothies for the general audience. “I learned how certain types of food are harmful to the body,” said Arjun Pandya “and that there are many vegetables like kale that can provide health benefits.” “Along with visitors walking away with an educational experience, many doctors learned of ways to improve their own practices and outcomes for their patients through medical lectures or CME. Each participant and allied healthcare professional was grateful to have sponsors like Medistar, Otsuka, and many others to contribute to this informative health fair.

By the end of a beautiful Saturday afternoon, over 1200 participants and a combined 6000 different tests were conducted by 100 various health care professionals. “Out of 200 patients that I had a chance to screen today,” stated Dr. Ghanshyam Patel, Ophthalmologist, “10 of them were diagnosed with eye diseases that could have eventually led to blindness without detection.” Dr. Patel shared 45 patients had cataracts, 8 glaucoma risk factors and 20 with diabetic retinopathy. The dedication of each of the BAPS Charities volunteers can be seen from all of the services performed throughout the day.

If all of us had a maintenance light indicator for our health then the BAPS Charities annual health fair would come very close to it. This health fair offers variety of tests and screenings that the entire community can benefit from through education for healthier living and early detection. The health fair also brings access to those who may otherwise go without it. After a walk through the BAPS Charities health fair, the Texas Medical Association president, Dr. Michael Speer commented, “This health fair is amazing. You have got more volunteers, more physicians, and more people in one spot that I have ever seen in this city.” Dr. Speer added, “This organization (BAPS Charities) is very well crafted, everyone has their place, everyone has their position, everyone has something to do that moves the patient flow so they can get the most medical benefit. It is a fantastic opportunity.”

In 2012, BAPS Charities organized 38 such events throughout North America.  In total, 1,720 health care professionals from local communities treated nearly 11,393 participants across the nation.  Throughout the year, BAPS Charities hosts medical fairs, walkathons, education and career development seminars, disaster relief operations, blood drives and much more. BAPS Charities sincerely serves the community, by improving the quality of life of individuals and families.

For additional information on BAPS Charities and its international and local philanthropic activities, please visit : www.bapscharities.org

By Jawahar Malhotra

SUGAR LAND: It was mid February when 13 members of the Indo-American Political Action Committee made a road trip to the State Legislature in Austin to make a case for recognizing the presence of the large number of Indian Americans in Texas (see IAN, Feb. 22, 2013). It was the first such effort by the IAPAC and they promised to host the Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst at a meeting with the community in the Houston area.

IAPAC delivered on the meeting this past Saturday, April 13 at the Madras Pavilion where about 40 people sat in front of a podium to hear Dewhurst speak about the state of affairs in Texas. He was preceded by Indian Consul General P. Harish who was, as always, eloquent and brief in his welcoming remarks expressing pride for the contributions of the Indo-American community in the US, before leaving for another event.

IAPAC President Sujeeth Draksharam emceed the 2-hour event and Sugar Land Councilman Himesh Gandhi introduced Dewhurst with a short biographical background. The proceedings were wrapped up by Karan Sreerama, who spoke of his admiration of the work Dewhurst has done, followed by a presentation of a glass-etched plaque to him.

“I work for you. I serve you.” opened up Dewhurst, “And I’m very proud of the Indian population here. I’m also very aware that, in this country, we’re all from someplace else.” He then listed the reasons why Texas was rated the number 1 or 2 state in the Union to live and do business in.

“Texas has 8 per cent of the US population but has created more jobs than the rest of the US. This is because we are a “can do” state,” emphasized Dewhurst, as he went on to enumerate other supporting statistics.

Dewhurst maintained that Texas would slip from its lofty ranks if it didn’t work hard to “protect our freedoms, tighten our spending, make the state irresistible to come to and create jobs and get government out of your way.”

The tall, handsome and poised Dewhurst is not a native Houstonian, but lives here with his wife and daughter and has a business on the northside. “Most of my life till I was 50 years old, I was sitting where you are,” he said about his career in politics. “That’s why I am always thinking what would you need.” Dewhurst has been the Lt. Governor since 2003 and as President of the Senate has the power to decide which bills come up for discussion and vote.

Dewhurst fielded some questions about the State’s lack of funding the 503 projects that have been identified for ensuring adequate water for its growing population, school testing, inadequate Medicaid reimbursements to physicians, repealing the Franchise Tax and the project funding process of the Texas Dept. of Transportation. While he acknowledged the State’s lack of dealing with the drought conditions, he contended that $2 to $3 billion could be available for funding water projects in this legislative cycle.