VIJAYAWADA:/ DALLAS (TIP): Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy will leave for Dallas on August 15 on a personal visit and return to the State on August 24. After participating in the Independence Day celebrations in the city on August 15, he will leave for Hyderabad and from there for the US along with his family members. It is learnt that Jagan is going to the US for the admission of his younger daughter Varsha Reddy in a graduation course. The CM will also address the Telugu people in Dallas on August 17.
DALLAS (TIP): With a rally cry of “Hunger Mitao” -meaning wipe out hunger- the North Texas Food Bank’s Indian American Council (NTFB-IAC) has quickly mobilized and engaged the Indian-American community through issue awareness, increasing volunteerism and raising critical funds to benefit the mission of the NTFB. In less than two years the Council has helped provide access to more than 4 million meals. Fueled by a passionate Indian American community, the group originally planned to provide support for one million meals annually. Thanks to an outpouring of support the group exceeded their year goal in a mere 7 months and now in their second year, has shown no signs of slowing down.
In celebration of India’s Independence Day, the NTFB-IAC is launching the Second Annual Hunger Mitao Week, their signature campaign which works to showcase the unity, philanthropy and spirit of the Indian-American community by conducting peanut butter and fund for food drives all over the region served by the North Texas Food Bank. The week will conclude with a special volunteer shift on August 17 while the call for peanut butter donations continues throughout the month of August.
“It is gratifying to see how much the IAC has grown in two short years,” said Raj Asava, co-founder of the NTFB-IAC alongside his wife, Aradhana “Anna” Asava. “We have known this community to be compassionate and generous problem solvers, but to see the momentum that started in North Texas translate into a major national-level movement is thrilling.
The NTFB-IAC is the original Indian American Council that was created to benefit Feeding America Member Food Banks. Thanks to the success in North Texas, the concept is now being replicated in other US cities including Houston, New York City, Atlanta, Seattle, New Jersey, and Washington DC.
“When we launched the IAC in North Texas, we were confident that the community would galvanize around the issue of hunger,” said Anna Asava, NTFB-IAC co-founder. “What we couldn’t have predicted is how quickly the movement would grow and how dedicated the community is to fighting hunger; it truly is all about the spirit of ‘give where you live.’”
As the NTFB-IAC works to plan for the next 4 million meals, those that have benefitted the most from their efforts are the people facing food insecurity in North Texas.
“Hunger is a complex issue, and it takes a community to ensure that we have the resources in place to feed those that need our help,” said Trisha Cunningham, President and CEO of the North Texas Food Bank. “The Asavas and each of the families and companies that make up the NTFB-IAC have played a critical role in ensuring our neighbors have the foods that they need to thrive. We can’t thank them enough for their efforts to provide 4 million meals in less than two years and can’t wait to see what the next two years will bring for this tenacious group!”
To find out more about Hunger Mitao Week and how to get involved with the NTFB-IAC visit ntfb.org/iac
About the North Texas Food Bank
The North Texas Food Bank(NTFB) is a top-ranked nonprofit hunger-relief organization operating a state-of-the-art volunteer and distribution center in Plano—the Perot Family Campus. Last year, the Food Bank worked hard in partnership with member agencies from our Feeding Network to provide access to almost 77 million nutritious meals across a diverse 13-county service area—this means more than 200,000 meals per day for hungry children, seniors and families. But the need for hunger relief in North Texas is complex, in order to meet the need, the NTFB is working to increase our food distribution efforts with a goal of providing access to 92 million nutritious meals annually by 2025.
NTFB is a member of Feeding America, a national hunger-relief organization.
About the Indian American Council
The Indian American Council was formed to raise awareness, improve engagement, as well as channel resources and contributions of the Indian American community towards the overall mission of a hunger-free United States. In less than two years since its launch, the purely volunteer-run Indian American Council has helped enable over 6 million meals for those served by the North Texas Food Bank, Houston Food Bank, and Food Bank for New York City.
DALLAS (TIP): Three weeks after he was sentenced to life imprisonment for the death of his adopted three-year-old child, an Indian-origin man in Dallas, Texas, has requested a new trial.
Wesley Mathews (39) was sentenced to life imprisonment on June 26 for the death of his daughter, Sherin Mathews, in Richardson near Dallas in October 2017. Sherin was adopted from an orphanage in Bihar in 2016.
The Dallas Morning News reported that the lawyers for Wesley had moved a court motion earlier this week, requesting a new trial, “arguing that evidence presented against him was prejudicial”.
According to The Dallas Morning News, the lawyers for Wesley Mathews argued that the prosecutors had shown the jury, which sentenced Wesley to life imprisonment, images of the decomposed body of Sherin. Brook A. Busbee, one of the lawyers for Wesley, claimed jurors “expressed visible emotion when shown the exhibits” of the body of Sherin. Busbee also argued the prosecution lacked evidence to prove Wesley was responsible for causing broken bones that Sherin had suffered when alive.
Wesley had reported Sherin missing on October 7, 2017. Wesley claimed he had left Sherin outside their house after midnight as punishment as she did not drink her milk. The decomposed body of Sherin was found in a culvert near their home on October 22 that year. After her body was found, Wesley changed his version of events to claim that Sherin had choked to death while drinking milk late at night.
Wesley had avoided a full-fledged trial in June by pleading guilty to the lesser charge of causing a felony injury to a child. Ironically, Wesley had claimed during the trial that he would be “more than happy” to take a life sentence if the jury decided so.
NEW YORK CITY (TIP): In honor of International Yoga Day 2019, HAPPY LIFE YOGA, conceptualized by Filmmaker, Restaurateur, and Ayurveda Speaker, will be launching on June 29th. The curtain raiser event for this educational platform will be inaugurated by Deputy Consul General of India in New York, Shatrughna Sinha. . Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer will be the chief guest. Padma Shri Dr. Sudhir M. Parikh will be attending as a guest of honor, and many VIPs will be in attendance as well.
This intriguing, interactive, and entertaining experience will include a panel discussion on topics such as how to use Ayurveda in every day life, the place of Western Medicine in holistic wellness, and the benefits of Yoga. Speakers include Dr. Bhupendra Patel, M.D., Ayurvedic Dr. Bhaswati Bhattacharya, and Long Island yoga teacher Ranju Narang.
HAPPY LIFE YOGA, created by Tirlok Malik, is the yoga of life. This educational platform offers a unique holistic approach to health and happiness using tools from Ayurveda, Indian Philosophy, and Yoga to help better manage modern day challenges such as work, finances, relationships, family and other social pressures and ultimately guides you towards a happier life.
Tirlok Malik believes India has always been a spiritual teacher of the world and that Indian Philosophy provides the blueprint of how to live a happy life. Indian Philosophy teaches that we must practice balance in all four aims of human life: Artha, Dharma, Kama and Moksha. These philosophical concepts can be applied to all cultures.
An asana yoga practice and healthy eating alone will not make us healthy. Kama, the world of all our desires, can be a double edge sword and we must understand and manage this part of the four aims of human life to be healthier and happier. According to Indian Philosophy we can have it all, but as Tirlok Malik says “Fix your Kama, and be happier!”
Indu Jaiswal of The Indian American Forum, one of the oldest organizations of Indian Americans on Long Island, and Prof. Indrajit Saluja publisher and editor of the Indian Panorama, an Indian American Newspaper in New York & Dallas sponsored the event and are committed to spreading the message of HAPPY LIFE YOGA.
Tirlok Malik created HAPPY LIFE YOGA as well as Ayurveda Cafe in Manhattan. He is a happy lifestyle speaker and a New York Emmy Nominated Filmmaker. He is a proud Upper Westsider. He has promoted Ayurveda for the last 20 years and now he and the team bring the gifts of India through HAPPY LIFE YOGA.
HAPPY LIFE YOGA will provide workshops, excursions, events and more. A unique mix of tools and exercises are used in our workshops to apply these philosophical concepts in every day life. www.happylifeyoga.org
DALLAS, TX (TIP): Indian American foster father Wesley Mathews, accused of killing his three-year-old daughter Sherin Mathews and hiding her body in a ditch in Texas in 2017, has been sentenced to life in jail. Mathews, 39, on June 24 pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of injury to a child. He was originally charged for capital murder.
The 12-member jury deliberated on June 26 for about three hours before coming to a united decision to give Wesley Mathews a sentence of life term in prison. Mathews and his wife Sini adopted Sherin in June 2016 from Bihar. Sherin Mathews disappeared on October 7, 2017. Her body was found in a culvert in Richardson under a road about one kilometer from her home in suburban Dallas on Oct 22, 2018.
Mathews’ wife Sini was also charged with child abandonment, but her case was dismissed earlier this year due to lack of evidence.
HOUSTON, TX (TIP): The Consulate General of India, Houston in collaboration with Friends of Yoga, is organizing several events across Texas to celebrate the 5th International Day of Yoga.
This ancient Indian practice received unprecedented global attention four years ago when the United Nations recognized June 21st as the International Day of Yoga. An initiative of India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who himself starts his morning with yoga, the first IDY in 2015 saw people turning out in huge numbers stretching and breathing mindfully at public parks, convention centers and open spaces.
Yoga’s soaring popularity can be seen from the crowds that join in the celebration every year. From serious yoga practitioners to curious beginners, each successive IDY has been drawing bigger crowds and garnering greater interest. As with every year, this year too will feature a lineup of common yoga practices, relaxation techniques and guided meditation by well-known yoga instructors. An added attraction is an Indian Vegetarian Food Festival which will be held at select places to mark the 150th year of Mahatma Gandhi’s birth anniversary,
Houston will celebrate IDY on Friday, June 21 on the lush green lawns of Midtown Park (2811, Travis St, Houston Texas 77006).
The event will begin at 6:00 pm with a demonstration of some of the more difficult yoga postures (asanas) and a cultural program. After brief remarks from the Consul General of India, Dr. Anupam Ray, the guided group yoga (Asanas or Postures), Relaxation, Pranayama and Meditation will be led by different yoga experts. The event will wrap up at 7:30 pm with a color powder dance party or Holi as it is known in India. (RSVP at yogadayoftexas2019.eventbrite.com)
Coordinator of Houston’s yoga events and a firm believer in yoga for optimum health, Sharad Amin expressed his appreciation for the cooperation from Houston’s yoga community in celebrating IDY for the past four years. Yoga is a precious gift given by Indian sages to humanity, he noted, and emphasized the importance of practicing yoga for good health every day. “Each one should teach one” the health benefits of yoga as it is key to “being and well-being,” he added.
The Hindu Temple of The Woodlands will host the event on Saturday June 22 from 7:30 -10am at the Town Green Park. (2099 Lake Robbins Drive, The Woodlands, TX 77380). Opening remarks will be made by Consul General Dr. Anupam Ray followed by yoga practices from participating yoga studios, Surya Namaskars or the Sun Salutation practice by HTW Yoga Group and the 35-minute yoga protocol set by the Government of India led by renowned yoga instructors Sriram Sarvotam and his wife Ekaterina Jeleva. The morning will conclude with a guided meditation session.
Yoga Teachers
The Consulate General of India, Houston has also planned a series of events in Austin, Dallas and San Antonio.
IDY will be observed in front of the stately State Capitol building in Austin on Saturday June 15 at 6:00 pm (1100 Congress Ave. Austin, Texas 78701), in Dallas on 22nd June, Saturday at 8:00 am at the Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Plaza (1201 Hidden Ridge Dr., Irving, Texas, 75038) and in San Antonio on 21st June, Friday at 6:00 pm at the Riverwalk Mall (San Antonio, TX – 78205).
In addition to these main events, multiple events are being organized at churches, temples, community centers, Arya Samaj Greater Houston, Brahma Kumaris, India House, Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh Shakas (HSS), Jamatkhanas and Patanjali Yogpeeth USA Trust between 15th and 23rd June.
Please visit the following links for more information:
The events are free and open to all. Bring your yoga mats and plan to arrive 20 minutes ahead to find a comfortable spot.
(The events are being organized in association with The Art of Living Foundation, Arya Samaj Greater Houston, Brahma Kumaris Texas, Ekal Vidyalaya, Hindus of Greater Houston, Hindus Swayamsevak Sangh, Hindu Temple of the Woodlands, His Highness Aga Khan Council for the Southwestern United States, IMAGH, India House, IDoYoga, Isha Foundation, JK Yog, Mahatma Gandhi Memorial of North Texas, Midtown Houston, Patanjali Yogapeeth USA Trust, Pralaya Yoga, Sahaj Yoga, Sewa International, Youniversoul Fest, Vyasa USA, Yoga Studios, Yoga Friends and volunteers.)
DALLAS, TX (TIP): BollyX is a cardio class based on Indian Bollywood dance. The program launched in 2013 and it’s gaining fans in North Texas.
“It really makes you feel like you’re in a movie, like you’re dancing in a movie,” Kelley Rowland of Plano said.
The 50-minute workout keeps participants moving using Bhangra dance, as well as traditional Indian-style folk dances.
Classes are offered at various gyms across the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
“It improves your mood, you feel refreshed. You want to come back for more,” said Nisha Ala, group fitness instructor. She said participants can burn 500 to 900 calories in a class and it’s designed for everyone, no matter their fitness level.
DALLAS, TX (TIP): Founder and President of The Eye Foundation of America and a renowned Ophthalmologist Dr V K Raju was honored by North America Telugu Society (NATS) at their 6th Convention at Irving Convention Center. Dallas , TX May 25.
In more than 3 decades of service to humanity across the globe , Dr. Raju harbors the vision of having a world free from childhood blindness . In realization of his dream, Dr. Raju has set up hospitals in India to treat eye ailments and provided his services in many parts of the world, with African nations and India being major beneficiaries.
Dr. Raju who is a Rotarian, has always received support from the global humanitarian organization in his initiatives. The organization is all set to honor Dr. Raju at the celebration of 100 years of Rotary in Kolkata, India in the first week of Jan 2020.
Recipient of many more honors and awards, Dr. Raju is a humble person who is passionately involved in the task of preventing blindness, particularly, among children.
DALLAS, TX (TIP): Rohena Gera’s feature directorial debut, SIR, wins big at the 5th annual DFW South Asian Film Festival, presented by Toyota, which took place from May 16th to 19th in Dallas, Texas. The opening night feature won for “Best Director” (Rohena Gera), “Best Actor” (Vivek Gomber, in attendance) and “Best Film.”
“The modern-day Indian Cinderella story about the relationship between a maid and her handsome employer clearly struck a chord with our international jury,” said Founder and Festival Director Jitin Hingorani. “We had a feeling this film would do well at our festival, given the recent success of ROMA, as it is such a nuanced portrayal of the classism that is alive and well in the domestic servitude relationships of third world countries.”
This the first year the festival has chosen to appoint a jury and present award. Thus the theme…’Five Years: Five Awards.’
“We wanted to wait until we had international gravitas, so that an award from us actually meant something,” explains Hingorani.
Other winners include:
Best Actress – Kalyanee Mulay for NUDE
Best Short Film – Gaurav Sharma’s THAT MAN IN THE PICTURE (Eros Now)
Audience Favorite: Aijaz Khan’s HAMID, now available on Netflix
Best Child Actor: Sunny Pawar for CHIPPA
(From L to R): Director Vasan Bala and Actor Abhimanyu Dassani (Bhagyashree’s son) for the U.S. premiere of their film MARD KO DARD NAHIN HOTA
(From L to R): TV Asia reporter Gupri Dosanjh with child actor Sunny Pawar on the red carpet
(From L to R): Vinay Shahani, VP of Integrated Marketing Operations for Toyota Motor North America, Festival Director Jitin Hingorani and actor Vivek Gomber
Toyota RAV 4 on display at the festival All Photo Credit: Le Taang
DALLAS, TX (TIP): Nitin Rakesh, Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director of Mphasis, an Information Technology solutions provider specializing in cloud and cognitive services, was named the winner of a Gold Stevie Award for ‘Tech Innovator of the Year – Services’ in The 17th Annual American Business Awards.
The jury of American Business Awards said, “Mphasis has been reignited from grounds up and cloud down with great strategies and efficacious solutions implemented under Nitin’s leadership.” The jury also commended Nitin for reinvigorating Mphasis’ business strategy to lead with cloud and cognitive technologies, implement a new go-to-market strategy and build an innovation engine fueled by its future-ready talent, citing recent acquisitions and key partnerships as major wins for Mphasis.
“At Mphasis, we developed a unique approach in providing next generation solutions and services that are empowering enterprises in the digital age and helping them stay ahead. I am excited to be recognized by American Business Awards and would like to thank the Stevie Awards and the jury for this incredible acknowledgement,” said Nitin Rakesh.
“The nominations submitted to the 2019 American Business Awards were outstanding. They illustrate the continued vibrancy of innovation and high level of achievement across the American economic landscape,” said Michael Gallagher, president and founder of the Stevie Awards.
The American Business Awards are the U.S.A.’s premier business awards program. All organizations operating in the U.S.A. are eligible to submit nominations – public and private, for-profit and non-profit, large and small. More than 3,800 nominations from organizations of all sizes and in virtually every industry were submitted this year for consideration in a wide range of categories.
More than 200 professionals worldwide participated in the judging process to select this year’s Stevie Award winners.
