The Indian Panorama

Tag: Dallas

  • American Association of Cardiologists of Indian Origin Honors 4 at 2013 Fall Meeting

    American Association of Cardiologists of Indian Origin Honors 4 at 2013 Fall Meeting

    DALLAS (TIP): American Association of Cardiologists of Indian Origin (AACIO), at its Fall meeting December 4, honored Greg Behar, President and CEO of Boehringer lngelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Dr. Joseph M. Chalil, Associate Director, Health Science Executives, Boehringer Ingelheim USA, and Dr. Dinender K. Singla, a graduate of Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India for their achievements in the field of Cardiology.

    In addition, AACIO Young Investors Award was given to Dr. Ganesh Athappan and the Dr. Madhukar Deshmukh awards were given to Dr. Forum Kamdar and Dr. Manavjot Siddhu. AACIO awards the Dr. Krishna Ramaswamy and two Dr. Madhukar Deshmukh Young Investigator Awards at the AACIO dinner meetings held each year during the American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association annual convention in March and November. The finalists presented their abstract at the meeting and each received $1000.00 award and a plaque The Fall 2013 annual event, organized by AACIO in coordination with Texas Indo- American Physicians Society (TIPS), North East Chapter and American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin was held at the Dallas Convention Center Theater Complex in Dallas, TX on November 17th, and was attended by over 200 physicians from around the nation.

    Dr. Navin Nanda, the Founding President and Chairman of the AACIO Board of Directors, while lauding honorees for their contributions and achievements, said, “AACIO is proud to honor some of the stalwarts of the pharmaceutical industry like Greg Behar and Chris Kaplan as well as some of the upcoming personalities like Jo Chalil. They have made significant contributions to medical therapeutics in the area of cardiology.” Dr. Nanda is a Distinguished Professor of Medicine and Cardiovascular Disease, Senior Scientist, Minority Health and Research Center and UAB Center for Aging, and UAB Comprehensive Cardiovascular Center, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Alabama. Dr. Ravi Jahagirdar, President Elect, who had represented AAPI at the event, congratulated AACIO for its consistent good work, both in the academic and the applied fields, and reaching out successfully to American Heart Association, and working in tandem with them in many spheres.

    He had special praise for the three Scholarship Awards that are given out each year to young aspiring medical students for poster sessions and in investigative sectors. “We at the national AAPI are proud of these activities,” he said. Dr. Jahagirdar, who will assume charge as the president of the national AAPI in June next year, pledged AAPI’s continued support in the future. In his inaugural address, Dr. Kul Aggarwal, president of AACIO, and Professor of Clinical Medicine, University of Missouri and Chief, Cardiology Section, Harry S. Truman Veterans Hospital, Columbia, Missouri, stated that AACIO provides a central forum for physicians and scientists of Indian origin, living in the United States, who have interest in Cardiovascular Medicine. “Indian Cardiologists are playing an increasingly important role in the provision of Cardiovascular services and also as academic thought leaders in the United States. We are proud of our colleagues.

    AACIO is your organization and joining it adds strength to all of us,” he said. The American Association of Cardiologists of Indian Origin (aacio.org) was formed in 1986 and after crossing puberty, the organization has reached the excited stage of youth after nineteen years. A Symposium, which was part of the meeting was organized by Drs. Navin C. Nanda and Kul Aggarwal. In his insightful presentation on “Newer anticoagulants in the management of a trial fibrillation and stroke prevention” Dr. Sanjeev Saksena, Clinical Professor of Medicine, Rutgers-RWJ Medical School Medical Director, Piscataway, New Jersey, Electrophysiology Research Foundation, Warren, New Jersey & Editor-in- Chief, Journal of Interventional Cardiac Electrophysiology, provided an overview of modern trends. Dr. Amit Khera, Associate Professor, Director, Preventive Cardiology Program, Program Director, Cardiology Fellowship and Dallas Heart Ball Chair in Hypertension and Heart Disease, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas Texas, addressed the audience on “Emerging therapies in dyslipidemia management, beyond statins.” Dr. Nanda educated the audience on “Choice of anti-platelet therapy in acute coronary syndromes.”

    With more than 15 years in the pharmaceutical industry, Greg’s experience includes leadership roles in marketing, sales, business operations and general management. Greg joined Boehringer lngelheim in 2009 as Corporate Vice President of the Cardiovascular and Metabolic Franchise. That same year he became Vice President, Corporate Division Prescription Medicine, leading 14 countries including Northern Europe, Canada and Australia. Prior to Boehringer lngelheim, Greg worked at Novartis Pharma AG in roles of increasing responsibility in Spain and at global headquarters in Switzerland. Another honoree, Dr. Singla has received numerous honors and awards, and has been invited to give talks throughout the world. He also served as a chair/co-chair for scientific meetings, and well published in various peer reviewed journals. He is funded by the National Institute of Health and the American Heart Association grant awards since 2004.

    He has served as an editorial board member for different journals, and is the current Academic Editor for Plos one and Associate Editor for Canadian Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology. Srinivas Reddy Gunukula serves on the Board of Directors of The Heart Hospital Baylor Plano and Director of Center for Advanced Cardiovascular Care at the Heart Hospital McKinnney Campus. He is well known among the Cardiology community in Dallas. Dr. Joseph M. Chalil is a Fellow of American College of Healthcare Executives and is Board Certified in Healthcare Management. He serves as Co-Chair, AAPI Industry Physician Committee and Scientific Advisor, AAPI Cardiovascular, Diabetes and Stroke Network. Dr. Chalil holds three US Patents involving usage of sensors inside Human Body in addition to other applications. His research background includes Clinical Trial Management in Cystic Fibrosis, Multiple Myeloma, and publications in American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. The Asian American Business Development Center, NY has awarded Dr. Chalil the 2013 Outstanding 50 Asian Americans in Business Award. He is a Visiting Professor at various Universities and serves on various company Boards. He is an expert in US Healthcare policy and a strong advocate for patient centered care.

  • Chamber of Commerce backs Cornyn in primary

    Chamber of Commerce backs Cornyn in primary

    DALLAS (TIP): “Senator Cornyn is a conservative champion for the American free enterprise system. He has a proven record on issues important to the business community and has received a 90 percent lifetime voting record with the U.S. Chamber,” U.S. Chamber National Poltiical Director Rob Engstrom said in a statement. “The Chamber is proud to stand with him.”

    The endorsement is the latest example of establishment conservative and business groups stepping up for Republicans facing right-wing challenges. The Chamber has also endorsed Rep. Mike Simpson (R-Idaho), a close friend of Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) who is facing a Tea Party challenge. Other groups, including former Rep. Steve LaTourette’s Main Street Alliance, have promised to spend heavily for centrist candidates. Stockman, who surprised many with his decision on Monday, December 9 to run against Cornyn, has not yet received the same support from national conservative groups.

    The deep-pocketed Club for Growth, the biggest player on the right, said on Tuesday, December 10 it wouldn’t get involved in the race. Meanwhile, FreedomWorks and the Senate Conservatives Fund have been critical of Cornyn and haven’t ruled out involvement in the contest. Cornyn has nearly $7 million cash on hand for the race, while Stockman has just over $30,000 – and $160,000 in campaign debt. Just to be clear: Nobody in Texas thinks Stockman has a snowball’s chance of winning against Cornyn, and they’re probably right. “This is going to be an irritant,” says Matt Mackowiak, an Austinbased Republican strategist. “But it’s only an irritant.”

  • Consul General Mulay announces nationwide Indian Festive Food Week

    Consul General Mulay announces nationwide Indian Festive Food Week

    NEWYORK (TIP): A unique nationwide celebration of Indian cuisine was announced at the Indian Consulate in New York Nov 22, targeting 7 US cities with a weeklong Indian Festive Food Week, initially scheduled from 12th December but now slated for mid January, 2014. While announcing the food week India’s Consul General in New York Dnyaneshwar Mulay said it will provide unprecedented gastronomical delight to the food connoisseurs. During the Indian Festive Food Week, an initiative of India Unlimited and Indya One, Indian food lovers can experience the complexity, yet subtly of Indian cuisine through the hands of celebrated Indian American chefs that call America their home.


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    Their food is a unique amalgamation of their Indian roots and American training, a fusion that has set new standards. Indian Festive Food Week is presented by ‘Etihad Airways’ and has ‘Kingfisher Beer’ as their official Indian Beer Partner. The rich flavors of India’s mainstream and regional cuisines, ranging from Punjabi, Awadhi, Mughlai, Rajasthani, Gujarati, Bengali and Udupi, will entice gourmands at select fine dining Indian restaurants in New York, New Jersey, Washington DC, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Austin and San Francisco. Participating restaurants will showcase their signature prix-fixe menu, including some that will bring out green and low-calorie options. The pricing of the prix-fixe menu will vary by city, ranging from $15 – $40, excluding taxes and gratuities. During the festive food week, various workshops and sessions will be organized with industry experts to create more awareness about Indian cuisine and various regional methods and styles adopted for cooking. Names of participating restaurants and the prix fixe menu and prices will be made available soon on the Indian Festive Food Week website at www.iffw.us Restaurant & Sponsor Contact: info@iffw.us

  • Let us Know Texas – The State

    Let us Know Texas – The State

    Texas, the second most populous (after California) and the second -largest state (after Alaska) in the United States of America, has had a checkered history which all residents need to know. A state of immigrants, the state has made tremendous progress in the last few decades, and is growing. The Indian Panorama readers will get to know the state of Texas from a series of articles that will appear each week. – EDITOR

    Texas is the second most populous (after California) and the secondlargest of the 50 states (after Alaska) in the United States of America, and the largest state in the 48 contiguous United States. Geographically located in the South Central part of the country, Texas shares an international border with the Mexican states of Chihunahua, Coahuila, Nuevo León, and Tamaulipas to the south and borders the U.S. states of New Mexico to the west, Oklahoma to the north, Arkansas to the northeast, and Louisiana to the east. Texas has an area of 268,820 square miles (696,200 km2) and a growing population of 26.1 million residents. Houston is the largest city in Texas and the fourth-largest in the United States, while San Antonio is the second largest in the state and seventh largest in the United States. Dallas- Fort Worth and Greater Houston are the fourth and fifth largest United States metropolitan areas, respectively. Other major cities include El Paso and Austin-the state capital.

    Texas is nicknamed the Lone Star State to signify Texas as a former independent republic and as a reminder of the state’s struggle for independence from Mexico. The “Lone Star” can be found on the Texas state flag and on the Texas state seal today. The origin of the state name, Texas, is from the word, “Tejas”, which means ‘friends’ in the Caddo language. Due to its size and geologic features such as the Balcones Fault, Texas contains diverse landscapes that resemble both the American South and Southwest. Although Texas is popularly associated with the Southwestern deserts, less than 10 percent of the land area is desert. Most of the population centers are located in areas of former prairies, grasslands, forests, and the coastline. Traveling from east to west, one can observe terrain that ranges from coastal swamps and piney woods, to rolling plains and rugged hills, and finally the desert and mountains of the Big Bend. The term “six flags over Texas”, as can be seen in the Grand Prairie-based large national and international amusement park operator Six Flags, came from the several nations that had ruled over the territory. Spain was the first European country to claim the area of Texas. France held a shortlived colony in Texas.

    Mexico controlled the territory until 1836 when Texas won its independence, becoming an independent Republic. In 1845 it joined the United States as the 28th state. The state’s annexation set off a chain of events that caused the Mexican-American War in 1846. A slave state, Texas declared its secession from the United States in early 1861, joining the Confederate States of America during the American Civil War. After the war and its restoration to the Union, Texas entered a long period of economic stagnation. One Texas industry that thrived after the Civil War was cattle. Due to its long history as a center of the industry, Texas is associated with the image of the cowboy. The state’s economic fortunes changed in the early 20th century, when oil discoveries initiated an economic boom in the state. With strong investments in universities, Texas developed a diversified economy and high tech industry in the mid-20th century. As of 2010 it shares the top of the list of the most Fortune 500 companies with California at 57. With a growing base of industry, the state leads in many industries, including agriculture, petrochemicals, energy, computers and electronics, aerospace, and biomedical sciences. Texas has led the nation in export revenue since 2002 and has the second-highest gross state product.

    History
    Texas lies between two major cultural spheres of Pre-Columbian North America: the Southwestern and the Plains areas. Archaeologists have found that three major indigenous cultures lived in this territory, and reached their developmental peak before the first European contact. These were: ● the Pueblo from the upper Rio Grande region, centered west of Texas; ● the Mississippian culture, also known as Mound Builder, which extended along the Mississippi River Valley east of Texas; and ● the civilizations of Mesoamerica, centered south of Texas. Influence of Teotihuacan in northern Mexico peaked around AD 500 and declined over the 8th to 10th centuries. No culture was dominant in the presentday Texas region, and many peoples inhabited the area. Native American tribes that lived inside the boundaries of presentday Texas include the Alabama, Apache, Atakapan, Bidai, Caddo, Coahuiltecan, Comanche, Choctaw, Coushatta,Hasinai, Jumano, Karankawa, Kickapoo, Kiowa, Tonkawa, and Wichita.

    The name Texas derives from táysha?, a word in the Caddoan language of the Hasinai, which means “friends” or “allies”. Whether a Native American tribe was friendly or warlike was critical to the fates of European explorers and settlers in that land. Friendly tribes taught newcomers how to grow indigenous crops, prepare foods, and hunt wild game. Warlike tribes made life difficult and dangerous for Europeans through their attacks and resistance to the newcomers.[ The first historical document related to Texas was a map of the Gulf Coast, created in 1519 by Spanish explorer Alonso Álvarez de Pineda. Nine years later, shipwrecked Spanish explorer Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca and his cohort became the first Europeans in what is now Texas. Cabeza de Vaca reported that in 1528, when the Spanish landed in the area, “half the natives died from a disease of the bowels and blamed us.” Francisco Vasquez de Coronado describes his 1541 encounter with “Two kinds of people travel around these plains with the cows; one is called Querechos and the others Teyas; they are very well built, and painted, and are enemies of each other. They have no other settlement or location than comes from traveling around with the cows.

    They kill all of these they wish, and tan the hides, with which they clothe themselves and make their tents, and they eat the flesh, sometimes even raw, and they also even drink the blood when thirsty. The tents they make are like field tents, and they set them up over some poles they have made for this purpose, which come together and are tied at the top, and when they go from one place to another they carry them on some dogs they have, of which they have many, and they load them with the tents and poles and other things, for the country is so level, as I said, that they can make use of these, because they carry the poles dragging along on the ground. The sun is what they worship most.” European powers ignored the area until accidentally settling there in 1685. Miscalculations by René Robert Cavelier de La Salle resulted in his establishing the colony of Fort Saint Louis at Matagorda Bay rather than along the Mississippi River. The colony lasted only four years before succumbing to harsh conditions and hostile natives. In 1690 Spanish authorities, concerned that France posed competitive threat, constructed several missions in East Texas. After Native American resistance, the Spanish missionaries returned to Mexico. When France began settling Louisiana, mostly in the southern part of the state, in 1716 Spanish authorities responded by founding a new series of missions in East Texas.

    Two years later, they created San Antonio as the first Spanish civilian settlement in the area. Hostile native tribes and distance from nearby Spanish colonies discouraged settlers from moving to the area. It was one of New Spain’s least populated provinces. In 1749, the Spanish peace treaty with the Lipan Apache angered many tribes, including the Comanche, Tonkawa, and Hasinai. The Comanche signed a treaty with Spain in 1785 and later helped to defeat the Lipan Apache and Karankawa tribes. With more numerous missions being established, priests led a peaceful conversion of most tribes. By the end of the 18th century only a few nomadic tribes had not converted to Christianity. When the United States purchased Louisiana from France in 1803, American authorities insisted that the agreement also included Texas. The boundary between New Spain and the United States was finally set at the Sabine River in 1819, at what is now the border between Texas and Louisiana. Eager for new land, many United States settlers refused to recognize the agreement. Several filibusters raised armies to invade the area west of the Sabine River.

    In 1821, the Mexican War of Independence included the Texas territory, which became part of Mexico. Due to its low population, Mexico made the area part of the state of Coahuila y Tejas. Hoping that more settlers would reduce the near-constant Comanche raids, Mexican Texas liberalized its immigration policies to permit immigrants from outside Mexico and Spain. Under the Mexican immigration system, large swathes of land were allotted to empresarios, who recruited settlers from the United States, Europe, and the Mexican interior. The first grant, to Moses Austin, was passed to his son Stephen F. Austin after his death. Austin’s settlers, the Old Three Hundred, made places along the Brazos River in 1822. Twenty-three other empresarios brought settlers to the state, the majority of whom were from the United States. The population of Texas grew rapidly. In 1825, Texas had a population of approximately 3,500, with most

  • Arlington University Crown for Sikh Students Navjot Singh Walia & Sarpreet Kaur

    Arlington University Crown for Sikh Students Navjot Singh Walia & Sarpreet Kaur

    Amarjit Dhillon

    DALLAS, TX (TIP): Arlington University has crowned two Sikh Students Navjot Singh Walia & Sarpreet Kaur as the King and the Queen of the University. The two, brother and sister are students of the large university of Arlington which has an enrolment of around 35,000. The two have been excelling in studies and have been awarded scholarships.

    The father of the two who hails from Phagwara in India’s Punjab State said that he was proud of his kids and felt they have brought honor to the entire Punjabi community. Many community leaders and Punjabi associations have congratulated the two on their spectacular achievement. The announcement of the selection of the two in the huge Basketball stadium of the university was greeted with loud cheers.

  • Taj Grocers open yet another store in Irving

    Taj Grocers open yet another store in Irving

    DALLAS, TX (TIP): In yet another extension, Taj Grocers had a Grand Opening on 30th Nov. 2013 at 10010 North MacArthur Blvd, Irving, TX 75063. Farm fresh produce and Indo-Pak grocery of a rich variety are available at the new store. 700 to 800 customers visited the store on the day of the Grand Opening. Fun Asia gave away free Bollywood Movie tickets. The Indian Panorama registered its presence through their special correspondent Harjit Singh Dhesi who took some wonderful pictures of the store. Customers who registered with Taj Grocers were given a free juice bottle. The opening of Taj Grocers in this part of Irving will save shoppers time in traveling to other Taj Grocers locations in Irving and Richardson.

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  • Family with Charitable Disposition launches Food Foundation

    Family with Charitable Disposition launches Food Foundation

    DALLAS, TX (TIP): Sunil, Sharmila, Chris and Puja Dharod have launched the Dharod Food Foundation. They kicked off their foundation during Diwali by feeding 1,350 people in North Texas and a total of 2,000 people in the state. The Dharod family also owns 68 Applebee’s restaurants in Texas.

  • Patiala Police denies releasing a list of NRIs involved in International Drug Racket

    Patiala Police denies releasing a list of NRIs involved in International Drug Racket

    Harjit Singh Dhesi

    DALLAS (TIP): The arrest of a dismissed Punjab Police officer involved in an international drug racket on November 11near the Haryana-Delhi border has given rise to a variety of news relating to involvement of many NRIs in the racket. The arrested Ex-deputy superintendent of Punjab police Jagdish Bhola is reported to have stated, according to a police officer who requested for anonymity, that the markets spanned up to Britain, Canada and European countries and quite a few well known NRIs were part of the racket. A Canadian newspaper carried the news that Patiala police which had arrested Bhola has identified over 30 non-resident Indians (NRIs), who acted as active and passive couriers for him. There was mention of some of the names in the news report.

    Among those mentioned were John Singh Gill, Jaswinder Choker, and Major Nat who claimed their innocense. According to information available with The Indian Panorama, when Sacramento based journalist representing Ajit of Jalandhar asked the Patiala Police Chief, the Senior Superintendent Hardial Singh Mann whether or not the police had released a list of NRIs supposedly involved in the drug racket, the SSP said that the Police had not released any list carrying the names of persons in question.

    The attorney for John Singh Gill decried such rumors, which he said, were aimed at tarnishing the fair image of his client. A friend of John Singh Gill said it was the handiwork of those who are envious of John Singh Gill who has come to occupy a fair name and position in the community and is known as one of the best promoters of the game of Kabaddi. He added that it is by sheer dint of hard work that Gill, Choker, Nat and people like them came to acquire respectability and commanded admiration of the community. He condemned those who were trying to damage their image by spreading rumors.

  • Federal officials seek $325,000 penalty against Southwest Airlines Co

    Federal officials seek $325,000 penalty against Southwest Airlines Co

    DALLAS (TIP): Federal officials are seeking a $325,000 penalty against Southwest Airlines Co. over a faulty repair job on an AirTran jet in 2011, says an AP report. The Federal Aviation Administration on Monday said the company operated a Boeing 717 on 1,140 flights after maintenance workers improperly installed a switch used to help prevent ice buildup. Dallasbased Southwest, which bought AirTran in 2011, has 30 days to respond.

  • The Dallas-Fort Worth economy has outperformed the Texas economy so far this year: Dallas Fed

    The Dallas-Fort Worth economy has outperformed the Texas economy so far this year: Dallas Fed

    DALLAS (TIP): The North Texas economy has grown at “moderately strong pace” this year through October and is outperforming the state, according to a new report from the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas. The Dallas-Fort Worth Economic Indicators provides a variety of economic data and analysis about the region. The Dallas Fed said it will release the report on the third Thursday of each month. Dallas Fed spokesman Alexander Johnson said the new report is in keeping with the bank’s role in monitoring the regional economy, conducting regional research “vital to the nation’s monetary policy process” and releasing information for public use.

    “We felt we needed to enhance our monitoring of the Dallas-Fort Worth economy because of its growing importance to our region,” he added. Here are some highlights of the report: * EMPLOYMENT: Dallas-Fort Worth employment has grown 2.9 percent, faster that the Texas growth rate of 2.4 percent. Job growth continues to be across many different industry groups, but led by: construction and oil and gas, professional and business services; and financial services. * UNEMPLOYMENT: The October unemployment rate was 6 percent in Fort Worth and 6.1 percent in Dallas. Both were lower than the Texas rate of 6.2 percent and the U.S. rate of 7.3 percent that month.

    * HOME PRICES: Home prices continue to rise as inventories fall. In October, the median price of a home in Dallas was $196,004 and $136,380 in Fort Worth. Dallas-Fort Worth prices surpassed their 2007 peak in April and were up an annualized 10.2 percent as of August, according to the S&P Case-Shiller index. The average U.S. home price is rising at a faster pace – as some hard-hit states catch up – but remains below the pre-recession peak. * INDUSTRIAL AVAILABILITY: Industrial real estate availability rates fell to 10.1 in Fort Worth and 12.7 in Dallas in the second quarter as distribution and logistics companies have increased the demand for space.

    Rental rates have been increasing in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, which is a major trade and distribution hub. * BUSINESS CYCLE INDEX: The Dallas and Fort Worth indices each rose at a 5 percent pace, slightly slower than a year earlier but faster than the state. The indices include employment, the unemployment rate, inflation-adjusted real wages and inflation-adjusted retail sales.

  • New York City’s ‘Holi Hai’ to launch in Dallas, Washington DC

    New York City’s ‘Holi Hai’ to launch in Dallas, Washington DC

    Pooja Premchandran DALLAS, TX(TIP): The upcoming Holi of 2014 will have the vibrant and highly popular event ‘Holi Hai’ from New York City, extend their festivities in Dallas, Texas andWashingtonD.C. Megha Kalia, Founder and Artistic Director of NYC Bhangra confirmed to The Indian Panorama of its planned ventures. Started by Kalia from her two bedroom apartment in Queens, today the event is the largest celebration of the festival of colors in New York City. As a non-ticketed event, NYC Holi also boasts of the largest number of non-Indian attendees. The journey has been a multitude of colors for her. “Blue, black, red, white! I have faced it all in my journey so far. But it is all totally worth the painstaking effort when I see the celebrants face light up with joy at the event every year.” As part of extending her venture, Megha Kalia has closed in on Dallas and WashingtonDC. With the popularity the event was gaining, it was a natural move for her to push beyond the boundaries and even look far west.


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    colors of Holi

    “I did extensive research and spoke to innumerable people regarding celebrations of Holi as well as promotion of Bhangra in the rest of the country. Only a few engaged and promoted Bhangra to its audience. The dance form of Bhangra is vibrant, fun and colourful, all of which are synonymous to Holi. And I wanted people from these cities to experience the same fun that New York has been having since the past 5 years during Holi, “says Kalia. Besides playing Holi the traditional way (throwing colour at each other), NYC Bhangra’s Holi celebrations also provide a platform to emerging artists (in dance and music) to exhibit their talent to residents of New York City. But the event isn’t fulfilled without the must-have dose of Bhangra. Says Kalia, “Since 2010, we have continued to engage our audiences into Bhangra which is in line with our mission. Naturally, at an environment like that of Holi, Bhangra just goes hand in hand.” Megha sincerely hopes for the same extent of support she received in New York to follow her to DC and Dallas.

    “In the last few year of the event in NYC, we have received inexpressible amount of support from our sponsors such as State Bank of India, Incredible India, Time Warner Cable, Sony TV, Zee TV, etc. We look for similar support and encouragement from DC and Dallas. In terms of our expansion, we sincerely hope to see these cities welcome Bhangra and celebrate Holi with much gusto and spirit as is a must for Holi,” says Kalia. NYC Bhangra is New York City’s group of Bhangra enthusiasts who are engaging people in the Bhangra joy and creating more awareness of the dance through dance showcases and performances. NYC Bhangra was established in 2007 to promote Indian dance forms in New York City. Sponsors can reach NYC Bhangra atinfo@nycbhangra.com or 212-372-8001. Watch this space for more information on the venue and dates of the event.

  • 544th Birth Anniversary of Shri Guru Nanak Dev Ji

    544th Birth Anniversary of Shri Guru Nanak Dev Ji

    Sikhs Take Out an Impressive Parade to Celebrate

    RICHARDSON, TX (TIP): November 16 appeared to be a bad weather day. But the threatening clouds relented. It was the Grace of Shri Guru Nanak Dev Ji, to celebrate whose 544th birth anniversary his followers were gathered at Gurdwara Singh Sabha, Richardson, to take out an impressive parade that the seemingly hostile weather turned out to be quite friendly. A sea of humanity could be seen at the parade the Sikh community of the Dallas Fort Worth area took out in Richardson. The parade was taken out to celebrate the 544th birth anniversary of a great saint,philosopher and a social reformer who had followers from all major religions of his times. Prior to the parade being taken out, prayers were offered in the Gurdwara Singh Sabha, Richardson.

    After the formal prayers and the kirtan darbar, the Gurdwara management and some guests addressed the congregation. These guests represented various institutions and organizations. Mike Ghouse of Inter Faith Community and an eminent scholar on Sikhism, Dr. Harbans Lal spoke on the life and philosophy of Shri Guru Nanank Dev Ji. Dr. Lal also spoke about Guru Nanak’s relevance to the modern world. Ghouse callled Guru Nanak Dev Ji a man of all climes and ages. Dr. Lal said Guru Nanak Dev Ji’s message is universal and it needs to be followed to bring peace and happiness to the world.

    On this occasion, a few officials were recognized for their services to community. They included Sergeant Kirby Luke of McKinney Police Department, Sergeant Brian Alcorn of Richardson Police Department, Laura Maczka, Mayor of Richardson, Beth Van Duyne, Mayor of City of Irving, Reatha Forte of Justice Department, and Gregory W Rushin, Police Chief of City of Plano. In their address to the congregation, they greeted the Sikhs on the auspicious and happy occasion of the birth anniversary of their First Master. Describing the Sikh community as hard working and honest, they lauded the role of the community in the growth of America.

    The Secretary of the Gurdwara Bhai Surinder Singh Gill who conducted the stage, reminded, from time to time, that Guru Nanak was an apostle of love, liberty and peace, the values that the American nation holds so dear. The United Sikhs representative Bhai Gurvinderjit Singh praised the American administration for providing adequate security for Sikhs in the wake of the attack on Sikhs in a Gurdwara at Oak Creeks. He described the courageous Police Officer Brian Murphy as a great soldier who placed his life in the line of duty and took bullets on himself to save so many lives of innocent Sikhs trapped in the Gurdwara.

    A plaque to honor Lt. Brian Murphy and a check to express community’s gratitude, were handed over to the local law enforcement officers. Bhai Surinder Singh Gill appreciated the local administration for their cooperation in organizing the Parade. He also thanked the cultural organizations- Hansda Punjab and Punjabi Cultural Association of North Texas (PCANT) for their participation and cooperation. Prayers in the Gurdwara Sahib over, the Parade moved on, led by Panj Piaras (Five Beloveds). The Living Master of the Sikhs, Shri Guru Granth Sahib (The Sikh Holy Scripture) was carried in a flower bedecked float that followed the Panj Piaras.


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  • Supreme Court refuses to block Texas abortion law

    Supreme Court refuses to block Texas abortion law

    DALLAS (TIP): A sharply divided Supreme Court on Tuesday, November 19 allowed Texas to continue enforcing abortion restrictions that opponents say have led more than a third of the state’s clinics to stop providing abortions. The justices voted 5-4 to leave in effect a provision requiring doctors who perform abortions in clinics to have admitting privileges at a nearby hospital.

    The court’s conservative majority refused the plea of Planned Parenthood and several Texas abortion clinics to overturn a preliminary federal appeals court ruling that allowed the provision to take effect. The four liberal justices dissented. The case remains on appeal to the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans. That court is expected to hear arguments in January, and the law will remain in effect at least until then. Justice Stephen Breyer, writing for the liberal justices, said he expects the issue to return to the Supreme Court once the appeals court issues its final ruling.

    The Texas Legislature approved the requirement for admitting privileges in July. In late October, days before the provision was to take effect, a trial judge blocked it, saying it probably is unconstitutional because it puts a “substantial obstacle” in front of a woman wanting an abortion. But a three-judge appellate panel moved quickly to overrule the judge. The appeals court said the law was in line with Supreme Court rulings that have allowed for abortion restrictions so long as they do not impose an “undue burden” on a woman’s ability to obtain an abortion. Writing for the appeals court, Judge Priscilla Owen noted that the Texas law would not end the procedure, only force women to drive a greater distance to obtain one.

    Justice Antonin Scalia, writing in support of the high court order Tuesday, said the clinics could not overcome a heavy legal burden against overruling the appeals court. The justices may not do so “unless that court clearly and demonstrably erred,” Scalia said in an opinion that was joined by Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas. Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Anthony Kennedy did not write separately or join any opinion Tuesday, but because it takes five votes to overturn the appellate ruling, it is clear that they voted with their conservative colleagues. Planned Parenthood and several Texas abortion clinics said in their lawsuit to stop the measure that it would force more than a third of clinics in the state to stop providing abortions.

    After the appeals court allowed the law to take effect, the groups said that their prediction had come to pass. In their plea to the Supreme Court, they said that “in just the few short days since the injunction was lifted, over one-third of the facilities providing abortions in Texas have been forced to stop providing that care and others have been forced to drastically reduce the number of patients to whom they are able to provide care. Already, appointments are being canceled and women seeking abortions are being turned away.” Breyer said the better course would have been to block the admitting privileges requirement at least until the court issued its final ruling because some women will be unable to obtain abortions.

    If courts ultimately find the law is invalid, “the harms to the individual women whose rights it restricts while it remains in effect will be permanent,” he said. Tennessee and Utah are the other states enforcing their laws on admitting privileges. Similar laws are under temporary court injunctions in Alabama, Kansas, Mississippi, North Dakota and Wisconsin. In Texas, 12 abortion providers say they have attempted to obtain hospital privileges for their doctors, but so far none of the hospitals have responded to the requests. That means those clinics can no longer offer abortions, leaving at most 20 facilities open in a state of 26 million people. All of those facilities are in metropolitan areas, with none in the Rio Grande Valley along the border with Mexico. Currently, only six out of 32 abortions clinics in Texas qualify as ambulatory surgical centers, and some have doctors who do not meet the admitting privileges requirement. Texas women undergo an average of 80,000 abortions a year.

  • Sikhs to take out a Parade to mark the 544th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak

    Sikhs to take out a Parade to mark the 544th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak

    DALLAS (TIP): The Sikhs of Dallas Fort Worth will be taking out a parade for the first time in the City of Richardson on Saturday, November 16, to mark the 544th birth anniversary of their First Master Guru Nanak Dev Ji. Speaking with The Indian Panorama, Surinder Singh Gill, a representative of Gurdwara Singh Sabha, Richardson said that all preparations for a grand parade have been made. He said that all local Gurdwaras (Sikh shrines) have come together to put up a grand show to commemorate the historic occasion.

    The Parade, as usual, will be led by the Living Master of the Sikhs, the Sikh Holy Scripture known as Shri Guru Granth Sahib. A number of dignitaries and officials have confirmed attending the Parade, said Mr. Gill. Among them are Mayors of adjoining cities, Police Chief, Members of City Council, and representatives of FBI and Justice Department. Also, a number of schools will be participating in the Parade The Gurdwara Singh Sabha management in a flyer inviting all to join the Parade, have said, “We seek to build and foster relationships with our neighbors, educators, uniformed officials, elected officials and, in short, with our fellow Americans. Sikhs have been an integral part of the DFW community for over 50 years and we look forward to sharing of information and experiences as we welcome you to celebrate with us.”

    The communication further says, “This open communication and interaction with one another will continue to strengthen our communities and build a solid understanding as we learn more regarding our similarities and faiths. Our children will grow in to a future of trust and confidence. In that respect, we humbly request you that you consider participating in this event with your fellow Sikh American neighbors. Speaking about the program, Mr. Gill said that the Parade will start around 11.30 A.M. after the morning prayers, from the parking lot of the Gurdwara Singh Sabha, Richardson and will cover a route of around 3 miles.

    Later around 2 P.M. it will return to the starting point where it will be terminated. Free kitchen (langar) is an essential part of the Sikh way of life. The Sikh Masters had enjoined upon their followers to share food with all. Thus, in all gurdwaras free food is available to all, without any discrimination. All along the route of the Parade, free food (langar) will be served. Many set up stalls en route to serve eatables and beverages to seek the blessings those served and the Master.

  • Dallas, Garland police get federal help in prosecuting violent offenders

    Dallas, Garland police get federal help in prosecuting violent offenders

    DALLAS (TIP): Last month, Dallas police detectives began partnering with FBI agents to investigate the city’s most violent crimes. The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Dallas Police Department and Garland Police Department publicly announced Thursday, November 14, the formation of the Dallas Violent Crimes Task Force.

    The agencies will work together to bring federal prosecution to violent offenders, meaning harsher penalties in many cases. The task force will focus its resources on the most violent crimes including shootings, kidnapping and extortion. “Dallas police detectives with FBI agents will use a full range of contemporary tools and ground breaking investigative strategies to bring prolific violent offenders to justice,” said Dallas Police Chief David Brown Thursday morning.

  • Texas town evacuated after gas pipeline blast

    Texas town evacuated after gas pipeline blast

    CHICAGO (TIP): A Texas town was evacuated November 14 after a gas pipeline operated by Chevron exploded, but there were no injuries.

    Huge plumes of smoke and massive flames rose up from the Milford blast site in an otherwise empty field, according to images posted by local media. “At 9:30 this morning, I had a report of an explosion on a Chevron pipeline,” said Jo Ann Livingston, a spokeswoman for the Ellis County Sheriff’s Office. “Chevron requested that the town of Milford be evacuated, and it was.”

    Around 200 school children were among those evacuated, Livingston told AFP. They were taken to a nearby high school.

    “I’m not aware of any injuries to people in town,” Livingston said. The town of 700 people is located about 50 miles (80 kilometers) south of Dallas.

    A crew was performing “excavation activities” when the natural gas line ruptured, Chevron said in a statement. The five workers were able to escape without injury before the site was engulfed in flames.

    “Chevron is continuing to depressurize the West Texas LPG pipeline that ruptured and subsequently ignited today,” it said in an update.

    “The fire continues to decrease in size as residual product is flared and burned off,” Chevron said, adding that it was monitoring an adjacent gas pipeline.

    Workers have set a 1.5-mile evacuation zone at the site, and the local Red Cross has been mobilized to help assist the people affected by the incident.

    “Our priority continues to be the safety and wellbeing of the community, our employees and responders,” Chevron said.

  • Mayor Mike Rawlings Launches Dallas Edition of The Indian Panorama

    Mayor Mike Rawlings Launches Dallas Edition of The Indian Panorama

    DALLAS (TIP): Launching the Dallas Edition of The Indian Panorama at the sprawling Cotton Bowl Stadium on the occasion of the legendary DFW Diwali Mela, attended by around 40,000 Indians, on November 2, Mike Rawlings,Mayor of City of Dallas, one of the fastest growing cities in the US, lauded the welcome enterprise of Prof. Indrajit S Saluja, Publisher-Editor of the paper and said Dallas, with a sizable population of Indian Americans, needed a community newspaper. He congratulated Prof.

    Saluja for having brought to Dallas the paper which already has a wide readership in New York area. He showered praises on the Indian American community for being enterprising and forward looking. He appreciated the great contribution the community was making in the growth of the City of Dallas and the US. Mayor Rawlings admired the way the community had gathered to celebrate Diwali. He congratulated the gathering on the festive occasion and spoke highly of the contribution of Satish Gupta and his friends and family in promoting Indian cultural values. He exhorted the community to preserve and promote their culture and be proud of it.

    Present on the occasion with Mayor Rawlings were Satish Gupta, President of DFW Indian Cultural Society and his colleagues that included Naresh Gupta, VK Gupta, UK Gupta, Ramesh Gupta, Rajan Aggarwal, Vigyan Gotewal, RK Panditi, Trushna Patel, Kishore Fruitwala, Kalpana Fruitwala, Sante Chary, Gopal Ponangi and Ranna Jani, among others. The Indian American community has welcomed the publication of The Indian Panorama’s Dallas edition which will be available on stands every Friday in the entire greater Dallas area. Also, readers could visit the website www.theindianpanorama.news to read the paper online. Those who wish to subscribe or advertise may please email to tipdallas01@gmail.com or call Business Manager at 972-636-1669.

  • DFW Diwali Mela a Smashing Hit- 50,000 plus Celebrate

    DFW Diwali Mela a Smashing Hit- 50,000 plus Celebrate

    DALLAS (TIP): A mammoth gathering of enthusiastic Indian Americans to celebrate the festival of India- Diwali- must have hugely pleased the organizers- the DFW Indian Cultural Society who have been working hard to put in place an event which has made history. 50,000 plus. In the last eight years, since Satish Gupta, the present President of DFW Indian Cultural Society moved the Diwali Mela out of his house where for years he has been celebrating the event with community, the mela has been growing in proportions. With every passing mela, the organizers learnt from their experience and over the years have perfected the art of organizing well such a massive event. I was pleasantly surprised when I received a letter, addressed to all sponsors and booth holders from one of the organizers, Mr. R.K. Panditi, expressing the gratitude of the organizers and being almost apologetic for any deficiencies that they may have come across. I feel tempted to quote it ad verbatim, because I would let my reader know how humble even in success the organizers are. A lesson that may do good to many. It reads:


    img2

    EXPERIENCE LEADS TO PERFECTION

    To achieve the level of success is only possible with the help of a dedicated team of people and more importantly the support of all the participants, booth vendors (Food and Non-Food), Sponsors and well wishers who contribute with one aim i.e. the success of this Gigantic Mela without any expectations or personal boundaries. For each one of them their participation and presence was more important. Whenever the food and non-food booths are assigned, it is always a major challenge and certain people are set in their mind that the assignment given was not a good spot or sometimes the crowd would not attract their booth for whatever reason. We want to assure each one of you that DFWICS makes every effort to give their best with one thing in mind that is your success, because your success is the success of our entire community at large.

    Help and support received from all the booth owner’s is greatly admired despite the fact that some of them could not get the returns or results as they expected but each one of you made sure and gave hundred percent of your presence and support. Your dedication and support is recognized and appreciated by the entire community and DFWICS. We have learned a lot more to make it better next time. This year we were able to give all the vendors their entry passes in advance except the out of town folks. Next year we want to assure you all out of town booth owners will receive the best and would get the hospitality that would be second to none.

    That’s a promise. Everyone appreciated the barricades set in front of food booths for proper lining without any chaos. Finally, we are climbing the ladder of becoming better than best with each one of your sincere support and participation. You all make a difference. Thanks a million. On behalf of DFWICS RK Panditi & team Nitu Singhal who was a master of ceremonies at the Mela has this to say about the Mela. 5F’s- Food, fun, festivities, fireworks and fans is how we can best describe the Diwali Mela 2013 of Dallas Fort Worth Indian Cultural Society (DFWICS), that was celebrated at the Cotton Bowl Stadium on November 2. “We like how DFW celebrates Diwali promoting our Indian culture. We are so far away from our motherland but with such active participations we do not feel an inch of separation from our families.


    img3

    Thanks DFWICS for doing this”, says Mr. Arun Agarwal who visits every year with his ten and six year old kids. Speaking with The Indian Panorama, Mr. R.K. Panditi said that a record 50,000 to 52,000 persons visited the Mela where there were 146 booths. Educational institutions, like University of Dallas, media, entertainers and sellers of wares of different type, including food of a diverse variety were a part of the grand mela. The organizers clubbed Dussehra and Diwali festivities. Thus a Ram Lila was enacted before the fireworks heralded the spirit of Diwali. The scenes of Rama vanquishing Raana and returning to Ayodhya, with his wife Sita and brother Lakshaman were the culmination of Ramayana.

    It was followed by Ravana dahan (burning the effigy of Ravana) followed by exquisite fireworks. A Bollywood entertainment segment is the sine qua non of any successful event in the US. The organizers made sure that the craze was well satisfied. The star entertainers were Monali Thakur and Aayushman Khurana who captured the moment with their spellbinding performances. Monali, an Indian idol, comes of a Bengali family. She made her mark in Bollywood with playback singing. Born in a family of singers, music runs in her blood. This cutest singing diva is making her career now as an actress in upcoming movies Lakshmi and Mango. TheChandigarh boy, Aaayushman Khurana made his Bollywood debut in the movie Vicky Donor two years ago and received many accolades for his performance. He is a rare combination of a singer and an actor.,

    Kishore Kumar He has won the Filmfare Award for Best Male Playback Singer and Best Male Actor. Having worked in many radio and TV shows, this uprising star was worth watching and hearing. Earlier, Mike Rawlings, Mayor of City of Dallas, some other dignitaries that included Thomas W. Keefe, President of University of Dallas, and DFW Indian Cultural Society office bearers led by the president Satish Gupta lighted the lamp to do the formal inauguration of the Diwali Mela. The Mayor also launched on the occasion the first ever Indian American English weekly newspaper The Indian Panorama. He congratulated the publishereditor Prof. Indrajit S Saluja for the “commendable service ” he was doing to the community. So much for the Diwali Mela.


    img4

    But our correspondent was curious to know how the mela got started and who was responsible for starting it. So, she went to the DFW Indian Cultural Society President Satish Gupta who has been organizing the now legendary Diwali mela for the last many years. This is what she writes about Satish Gupta. Now we talk about this man who grew up near Delhi but traveled throughout India before he landed up in USA and that too at a very young age. DFW ICS President Mr. Satish Gupta in an exclusive interview to the correspondent told her that growing up in Delhi was definitely fun filled especially the Diwali celebrations around October-November. They started preparing for the festivities 2-3 weeks in advance before the actual day of Diwali.

    Preparing sweets, visiting relatives, rangoli designs, lighting the diyas (earthern pots used specially at this time of the year for this festival), buying new clothes, Ramlila, fireworks and last but not the least, a very happy atmosphere that lightens up the whole mood are the peak highlights of Diwali festival in India. “Our kids in particular missed all the festive mood here while being in USA. Temples have given their best and tried hard to establish a room whereby our kids get a medium to perform and get to know our culture. However, we needed a much bigger platform where our kids could come with their parents, grandparents, uncles and aunties, friends and relatives from all over and enjoy all these festivities under one roof.

    So definitely we needed much bigger space and lot more accommodation to cope up with everybody’s needs”, says Mr. Satish Gupta. During the entire interview, Mr. Gupta kept emphasizing that putting together everything is primarily for kids that are born in USA because they really need exposure about our culture. Thus it all started from the backyard of his house where a few friends used to get together and celebrate the festival with full fervor including Ram-lila(short enactment about the life of Lord Rama-an Indian God). Slowly and steadily, the friend circle started growing and it became hard to have everybody under a roof.

    It is then that Mr. Gupta and his team decided to hold Diwali Mela eight years ago on bigger grounds so lots of families could come together and celebrate. The team was expecting around a few thousands and, to their surprise, the turnout came to be nearly 20,000. Today, after successfully holding the event for 8 years, the crowd keeps on increasing and it has come to nearly 50,000 which is not only impressive but highly commendable and appreciative. “We will bring and do whatever connects each one of us to our roots”, says Mr. Gupta. The presence of highly recognized local dignitaries on this event makes it even more memorable. Many local non-profit organizations and educational institutes have shown their co-operation and support to the entire team of Diwali Mela.

    This establishes a strong bond between different cultures not only within Indian origin but even those outside it. People are coming close and getting to know how vast and deep these roots are by spreading the word. Mr. Gupta says that they have received very positive response from all of them. They are indeed very thrilled and surprised at the fact that how close these festivities bring the families together.

    The unity and integrity is there in each one of us but become far more visible when such grand events take place. With all the participation, kids talk about it in schools so their friends and teachers also get to know the importance of Diwali, like Christmas or Hanukkah has for others. According to Mr. Gupta, there are so many Indians everywhere in this world but there is a vacuum and it needs to be filled in a wider sense. He says, “Our vision as a parent, as a guide, as a teacher, as a Hindu should be to keep our culture alive within our kids because this was the vision of our parents when we were small. Our kids need to enjoy our festivities with fun rather than feeling bored.”

  • SATGURU NANAK PRAGATYA, MITI DHUND JAG CHANAN HOA

    SATGURU NANAK PRAGATYA, MITI DHUND JAG CHANAN HOA

    GURU NANAK’S TEACHINGS AND THEIR RELEVANCE TO MODERN WORLD

    The Sikhs across the world would be joined by Hindus, Muslims and others in celebrating the 545th birth anniversary of Baba Guru Nanak, the fountainhead of Sikhism, Sunday, November 17. The tradition of celebrating the anniversary of the Gurus or the spiritual teachers is called Gurpurb (celebration of the teacher). There are ten Gurus in Sikh faith and their holy book is called the Guru Granth Sahib. Granth Sahib is a compilation of entire teachings of the Gurus and a few saints and remains a perpetual guidance for the Sikhs.

    As a pluralist who has done over 25 hours of Radio Talk shows and two workshops on Sikhism as a part of “Understanding the wisdom of Religion, all the beautiful religions” my goal was to share the essence of each faith and their relevance to the common man on the street who is not related to that particular religion. Let me begin with the recognition of how Guru Nanak’s teaching has produced an exemplary model of dealing with conflicts today. On August 5, 2012, a gunman Wade Michael Page walked into the SikhTemple in Oak CreekWisconsin, and opened the fire killing 6 people causing tremendous panic and apprehension.

    This is an accumulation of many smaller incidents beginning with the murder of Balbir Singh Sodhi, a gas station owner in Phoenix, Arizona, and many incidents later, the humiliation of Dr. Prabhjot Singh, a Sikh Professor in New York and harassment of Mr. Jagjeet Singh, a truck driver by a Judge in Mississippi. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mikeghouse/ harassment-of-sikhs-inne_ b_3997899.html How did the Sikhs respond to the harassment and the violence? They followed the teachings of Guru Nanak by responding to the Wisconsin massacre with forgiveness, patience, forbearance, and kindness, it was the right thing to do when tragedy befalls a community.

    They set a new benchmark in America. Instead of expressing anger, threatening to sue the authorities, or demonstrating their apprehensions, the Sikhs across America chose the most powerful tools of all: Prayer and forgiveness. Indeed it resonates with the teachings of Jesus, Prophet Muhammad and other great masters, and recently Mahatma Gandhi’s Dandi March and Martin Luther King’s march in Selma. It disarms the oppressor and the message of goodness gets conveyed. Every Gurdwara in America held candle light vigils and speeches focused on forgiveness and goodwill – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vNxrf8fFU0 I The selfless service to mankind known as Seva is central to the teaching of Sikhism. There is no thought of reward or gains, it pure service to fellow beings.

    The Sikh community must be appreciated by one and all, and were indeed appreciated at the Unity Day USA for setting the standards of dealing with conflicts. Indeed, it is our duty to “honor and cherish individuals “who have dedicated their lives to building bridges among Americans. Their pioneering spirit in facilitating communities to know each other and to respect each other is appreciated by the people of Dallas/ Fort Worth. On this day, we appreciate and celebrate their contributions towards building a cohesive America, where no one has to live in apprehension, discomfort or fear of the other. Guru Nanakji’s birthday has a special significance to me, indeed, the religion we called Sikhism today, started out as an interfaith movement, where Guru Nanak primarily brought people from different religions together and taught common sense goodness, and serving humanity and caring for the neighbors. Today,

    I wrote my weekly piece at Dallas Morning News on Pluralism, I was asked what verse from Quran I would recommend to those who serve in public office. The verse I recommend reminded me of the Sikh Brother, Bhai Kanhaiya’s story from the battle of Anandpur Sahib in 1704. Quran, 5:8 (Asad translation): “O YOU who have attained to faith! Be ever steadfast in your devotion to God, bearing witness to the truth in all equity; and never let hatred of any-one lead you into the sin of deviating from justice. Be just: this is closest to being God-conscious.

    And remain conscious of God: verily, God is aware of all that you do.” Indeed, the word hatred has multiple meanings in this case – bias to color, race, appearance, deport and other temperamental proclivities that are destructive to everyone. Indeed Bhai Kanhaiya took it further to include enemy soldiers. Martin Luther King Jr., said, “Injustice to one is injustice to all” – thank you Bhai Kanhaiya for setting the new standard of inclusion and caring. Here is a dialogue between Bhai Kanhaiya and Guru Gobind Singh; the 10th Guru of Sikhism who put the final touches to the religion, this story is narrated by many sources including Wikipedia. Guru Gobind Singh summoned Bhai Kanhaiya and explained that he had received a complaint about his actions on the battlefield. Guruji,

    “These brave Sikhs are saying that you go and feed water to the enemy and they recover to fight them again – Is this true?” Bhai Kanhaiya, “Yes,my Guru, what they say is true. But Maharaj, I saw no Mughal or Sikh on the battlefield. I only saw human beings. And, Guru Ji, they all have the same God’s Spirit? – Guru Ji, have you not taught us to treat all God’s people as the same?” Guru Ji said, “Bhai Kanhaiya Ji, You are right. You have understood the true message of Gurbani (compositions of Sikh Gurus) “.

    He then continued and told the Sikhs that Bhai Kanhaiya had understood the deeper message of the Gurus’ teachings correctly and that they all have to strive to learn lessons from the priceless words of Gurbani. Guru also gave Bhai Kanhaiya Ji medical Balm and said “From now on, you should also put this balm on the wounds of all who need it”‘ Then turning to the sangat Guru Ji said, Saadh sangat Ji, Bhai Kanhaiya is a Godfearing saintly soul. His impartial and nonbiased behavior towards others has led him to achieve Sehaj-avastha. Let him carry on with his mission. Many more will follow in his footsteps in the years to come and keep the tradition of Nishkam Sewa alive.”

    Guruji was committed to peace and harmony

    I hope on this auspicious occasion of Gurpurb, the Sikhs can make a genuine effort to pay tribute to the spirit of Guru Nanak Devji and remove the misunderstandings that erupted from a wrong translation of Quran that happened 350 years ago during the reign of Aurangzeb, and has rightfully etched in the psyche of Sikhs. In an article in Huffington Post about Kentucky Senator David William’s bigotry I wrote, “No one has a right to belittle other’s faiths.

    If Senator Williams has a problem let it be his problem and no one should malign Christianity for his bigotry.” Likewise, King Aurangzeb’s bigotry should not be slapped on to Muslims. I have nothing to do with it, nor does any Muslim today has anything to do with him. One single mistranslation of a verse from Quran has created a great misunderstanding between Muslims and Sikhs since the times of Aurangzeb, and has lasted till this day. Sadly there was a lot of bloodshed during the partition of India that has deepened the ill-will among a few Muslims and a few Sikhs.

    It is time to forgive for our own sake, as it will release the tension and apprehension within us and deal with each other as free individuals. I was a speaker on “reading the scriptures” at the Parliament of world’s religions in Melbourne, Australia and discovered this longest running ill-will between Sikhs and Muslims with Dr. Avatar Dhaliwal of Tennessee. I hope, to honor Guru Nanak, we can put this behind through a serious dialogue. I am willing to invest my time for the sake of common good and peace between people of different faiths.We cannot have walls between us by the men who are no more.

    Sikhism was one of the first formal religions that began as a reconciliatory goodwill nurturing faith and let’s give the full value to it and work together. May the Noor (divine light) of Guru Nanankji brighten the world today and for eternity. Amen! The DFW Sikh Community invites you, our friends, neighbors and all members of the community, to join us in the celebration of the 544th coming of the founder of the Sikh Faith, Guru Nanak Dev Ji. His ideals of peace, harmony, egalitarianism, social justice, living in the presence of the One Creator and with dignity and honesty are the fundamentals we strive for everyday.

    This celebration will include the 1st parade in the City of Richardson. When: Saturday, November 16, 2013 from 10:00 AM – 2 PM. Where: Gurdwara Singh Sabha of North Texas in Richardson. Langar will be served. This is the Sikh institution of the community kitchen and as with any and all Sikh events it will include a complimentary vegetarian meal, sweets, refreshments and drinks.

     

     

  • GURU NANAK’S TEACHINGS AND THEIR RELEVANCE TO MODERN WORLD

    GURU NANAK’S TEACHINGS AND THEIR RELEVANCE TO MODERN WORLD

    The Sikhs across the world would be joined by Hindus, Muslims and others in celebrating the 545th birth anniversary of Baba Guru Nanak, the fountainhead of Sikhism, Sunday, November 17. The tradition of celebrating the anniversary of the Gurus or the spiritual teachers is called Gurpurb (celebration of the teacher). There are ten Gurus in Sikh faith and their holy book is called the Guru Granth Sahib. Granth Sahib is a compilation of entire teachings of the Gurus and a few saints and remains a perpetual guidance for the Sikhs. As a pluralist who has done over 25 hours of Radio Talk shows and two workshops on Sikhism as a part of “Understanding the wisdom of Religion, all the beautiful religions” my goal was to share the essence of each faith and their relevance to the common man on the street who is not related to that particular religion. Let me begin with the recognition of how Guru Nanak’s teaching has produced an exemplary model of dealing with conflicts today. On August 5, 2012, a gunman Wade Michael Page walked into the SikhTemple in Oak CreekWisconsin, and opened the fire killing 6 people causing tremendous panic and apprehension. This is an accumulation of many smaller incidents beginning with the murder of Balbir Singh Sodhi, a gas station owner in Phoenix, Arizona, and many incidents later, the humiliation of Dr. Prabhjot Singh, a Sikh Professor in New York and harassment of Mr. Jagjeet Singh, a truck driver by a Judge in Mississippi. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mikeghouse/ harassment-of-sikhs-inne_ b_3997899.html How did the Sikhs respond to the harassment and the violence?

    They followed the teachings of Guru Nanak by responding to the Wisconsin massacre with forgiveness, patience, forbearance, and kindness, it was the right thing to do when tragedy befalls a community. They set a new benchmark in America. Instead of expressing anger, threatening to sue the authorities, or demonstrating their apprehensions, the Sikhs across America chose the most powerful tools of all: Prayer and forgiveness. Indeed it resonates with the teachings of Jesus, Prophet Muhammad and other great masters, and recently Mahatma Gandhi’s Dandi March and Martin Luther King’s march in Selma. It disarms the oppressor and the message of goodness gets conveyed. Every Gurdwara in America held candle light vigils and speeches focused on forgiveness and goodwill – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vNxrf8fFU0 I The selfless service to mankind known as Seva is central to the teaching of Sikhism. There is no thought of reward or gains, it pure service to fellow beings. The Sikh community must be appreciated by one and all, and were indeed appreciated at the Unity Day USA for setting the standards of dealing with conflicts. Indeed, it is our duty to “honor and cherish individuals “who have dedicated their lives to building bridges among Americans. Their pioneering spirit in facilitating communities to know each other and to respect each other is appreciated by the people of Dallas/ Fort Worth. On this day, we appreciate and celebrate their contributions towards building a cohesive America, where no one has to live in apprehension, discomfort or fear of the other. Guru Nanakji’s birthday has a special significance to me, indeed, the religion we called Sikhism today, started out as an interfaith movement, where Guru Nanak primarily brought people from different religions together and taught common sense goodness, and serving humanity and caring for the neighbors.

    Today, I wrote my weekly piece at Dallas Morning News on Pluralism, I was asked what verse from Quran I would recommend to those who serve in public office. The verse I recommend reminded me of the Sikh Brother, Bhai Kanhaiya’s story from the battle of Anandpur Sahib in 1704. Quran, 5:8 (Asad translation): “O YOU who have attained to faith! Be ever steadfast in your devotion to God, bearing witness to the truth in all equity; and never let hatred of any-one lead you into the sin of deviating from justice. Be just: this is closest to being God-conscious. And remain conscious of God: verily, God is aware of all that you do.” Indeed, the word hatred has multiple meanings in this case – bias to color, race, appearance, deport and other temperamental proclivities that are destructive to everyone. Indeed Bhai Kanhaiya took it further to include enemy soldiers. Martin Luther King Jr., said, “Injustice to one is injustice to all” – thank you Bhai Kanhaiya for setting the new standard of inclusion and caring. Here is a dialogue between Bhai Kanhaiya and Guru Gobind Singh; the 10th Guru of Sikhism who put the final touches to the religion, this story is narrated by many sources including Wikipedia. Guru Gobind Singh summoned Bhai Kanhaiya and explained that he had received a complaint about his actions on the battlefield.

    Guruji, “These brave Sikhs are saying that you go and feed water to the enemy and they recover to fight them again – Is this true?” Bhai Kanhaiya, “Yes,my Guru, what they say is true. But Maharaj, I saw no Mughal or Sikh on the battlefield. I only saw human beings. And, Guru Ji, they all have the same God’s Spirit? – Guru Ji, have you not taught us to treat all God’s people as the same?” Guru Ji said, “Bhai Kanhaiya Ji, You are right. You have understood the true message of Gurbani (compositions of Sikh Gurus) “. He then continued and told the Sikhs that Bhai Kanhaiya had understood the deeper message of the Gurus’ teachings correctly and that they all have to strive to learn lessons from the priceless words of Gurbani. Guru also gave Bhai Kanhaiya Ji medical Balm and said “From now on, you should also put this balm on the wounds of all who need it”‘ Then turning to the sangat Guru Ji said, Saadh sangat Ji, Bhai Kanhaiya is a Godfearing saintly soul. His impartial and nonbiased behavior towards others has led him to achieve Sehaj-avastha. Let him carry on with his mission. Many more will follow in his footsteps in the years to come and keep the tradition of Nishkam Sewa alive.”

    Guruji was committed to peace and harmony
    I hope on this auspicious occasion of Gurpurb, the Sikhs can make a genuine effort to pay tribute to the spirit of Guru Nanak Devji and remove the misunderstandings that erupted from a wrong translation of Quran that happened 350 years ago during the reign of Aurangzeb, and has rightfully etched in the psyche of Sikhs. In an article in Huffington Post about Kentucky Senator David William’s bigotry I wrote, “No one has a right to belittle other’s faiths. If Senator Williams has a problem let it be his problem and no one should malign Christianity for his bigotry.” Likewise, King Aurangzeb’s bigotry should not be slapped on to Muslims. I have nothing to do with it, nor does any Muslim today has anything to do with him. One single mistranslation of a verse from Quran has created a great misunderstanding between Muslims and Sikhs since the times of Aurangzeb, and has lasted till this day. Sadly there was a lot of bloodshed during the partition of India that has deepened the ill-will among a few Muslims and a few Sikhs. It is time to forgive for our own sake, as it will release the tension and apprehension within us and deal with each other as free individuals. I was a speaker on “reading the scriptures” at the Parliament of world’s religions in Melbourne, Australia and discovered this longest running ill-will between Sikhs and Muslims with Dr. Avatar Dhaliwal of Tennessee.

    I hope, to honor Guru Nanak, we can put this behind through a serious dialogue. I am willing to invest my time for the sake of common good and peace between people of different faiths.We cannot have walls between us by the men who are no more. Sikhism was one of the first formal religions that began as a reconciliatory goodwill nurturing faith and let’s give the full value to it and work together. May the Noor (divine light) of Guru Nanankji brighten the world today and for eternity. Amen! The DFW Sikh Community invites you, our friends, neighbors and all members of the community, to join us in the celebration of the 544th coming of the founder of the Sikh Faith, Guru Nanak Dev Ji. His ideals of peace, harmony, egalitarianism, social justice, living in the presence of the One Creator and with dignity and honesty are the fundamentals we strive for everyday. This celebration will include the 1st parade in the City of Richardson. When: Saturday, November 16, 2013 from 10:00 AM – 2 PM. Where: Gurdwara Singh Sabha of North Texas in Richardson. Langar will be served. This is the Sikh institution of the community kitchen and as with any and all Sikh events it will include a complimentary vegetarian meal, sweets, refreshments and drinks.

  • Obamacare-how caring?

    Obamacare-how caring?

    Some 106,185 people signed up for Obamacare in its first month of operation, a period marred by major technological problems with both the federal and state enrollment websites.

    Troubled HealthCare.gov is unlikely to work fully by end of November, says an official with knowledge of the project. According to this source of information, software problems with the federal online health insurance marketplace, especially in handling high volumes, are proving so stubborn that the system is unlikely to work fully by the end of the month as the White House has promised. The insurance exchange is balking when more than 20,000 to 30,000 people attempt to use it at the same time – about half its intended capacity, said the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to disclose internal information. And CGI Federal, the main contractor that built the site, has succeeded in repairing only about six of every 10 of the defects it has addressed so far. Government workers and technical contractors racing to repair the Web site have concluded, the official said, that the only way for large numbers of Americans to enroll in the health-care plans soon is by using other means so that the online system isn’t overburdened.

    This inside view of the halting nature of HealthCare.gov repairs is emerging as the insurance industry is working behind the scenes on contingency plans, in case the site continues to have problems. And it calls into question the repeated assurances by the White House and other top officials that the insurance exchange will work smoothly for the vast majority of Americans by Nov. 30. Speaking in Dallas a week ago, President Obama said that the “Web site is already better than it was at the beginning of October, and by the end of this month, we anticipate that it is going to be working the way it is supposed to, all right?” Julie Bataille, director of communications at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), which is part of the Department of Health and Human Services, said: “We are working 24/7 to make improvements so that by the end of the month the site is working smoothly for the vast majority of users.We are making progress, including fixes to reduce error rates and get the site moving faster. “The challenges we are addressing today,” she added, “are a snapshot of November 12th, not November 30th.” Meanwhile, pressure intensified Tuesday on the Obama administration to address the growing complaints of Americans whose individual insurance policies are being canceled because they do not comply with new government rules for coverage. The online magazine Ozy published a video interview with former president Bill Clinton saying that Obama must “honor the commitment” he made to Americans that they could keep their insurance – even if it requires a change in the law. Fewer than 27,000 Americans selected an insurance plan through the federal healthcare.gov site, which is handling enrollment for 36 states, according to figures released Wednesday by the Obama administration.

    The site is still far from fully operational, leaving tech experts racing to get it working by month’s end, as the administration promised. The states running their own exchanges are responsible for the bulk of the sign-ups. Nearly 79,400 people have selected a plan through state-based exchanges, with California leading the way with nearly 35,400 selecting a plan. States have also been battling system errors, with Oregon having yet to accept online applications. Only 11 states reported sign-up figures Wednesday. These figures reflect people who have selected insurance plans through the exchanges, but not necessarily paid for them. Americans have until Dec. 15 to pay if they want coverage to begin on Jan. 1. Open enrollment lasts through March 31. Kansas Insurance Commissioner Sandy Praeger said she and her counterparts in other states have offered suggestions to the White House on how best to address the problem of canceled policies. The most obvious solution, she said, would be to allow customers to renew policies early to let them stay in effect until November 2014. But that would come with a trade-off, she said: Those people would not receive federal subsidies for which they might be eligible if they bought a plan on the exchange. She said that she and other insurance commissioners are trying to address consumers’ desire to use the federal exchange. “Honestly,” she said, “it’s just a big mess right now. .?.?. I don’t know what to tell people.” Debate over how to respond to Americans who are irate about losing their insurance is intensifying on Capitol Hill.

    The House plans to vote this week on a bill introduced by Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Fred Upton (R-Mich.) that would extend this year’s insurance plans for a year. On Tuesday, Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) said she is co-sponsoring a bill with Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.) that would require insurers to offer 2013 plans on the individual market indefinitely. The software defects that ware making the Web site unstable with too much volume mean that some people face frozen computer screens when they try to enter information – and then get timeout errors, said the official with knowledge of the project. Call centers have had problems, too. Within the network of 17 federally sponsored call locations staffed by more than 10,000 people, consumers are discovering that telephone representatives lack the authority to correct errors in online applications. And sometimes, consumers with more than routine questions are promised that specialists will call them back, but the calls never come. Insurance companies, which have been pressing the White House for greater ability to sign up customers directly, are stuck at the moment, unable to complete enrollments. That is because they must connect with the federal online system to determine whether customers’ incomes qualify them for tax credits to help pay for their insurance – a part of the system that does not work. According to the official, workers are trying to streamline the computer system so that it can handle outside queries from insurers and the call centers about whether people are eligible for subsidies. Technical workers are striving to have this part of the system working reliably within two to three weeks.In a telephone call with reporters earlier Tuesday, Bataille said that HHS is emailing about 275,000 consumers who have gotten stuck while trying to shop for and buy health plans. The e-mails encourage them to try again. Asked whether the Web site could handle all those consumers if they logged on at once, Bataille replied, “That’s why we are sending this series of e-mails in waves.” The CMS has said it has cut the waiting time for pages on the federal Web site from an average of eight seconds to one second and has reduced errors that have blocked consumers from 6 percent to 2 percent.

  • Mayor Mike Rawlings Launches Dallas Edition of The Indian Panorama

    Mayor Mike Rawlings Launches Dallas Edition of The Indian Panorama

    DALLAS (TIP): Launching the Dallas Edition of The Indian Panorama at the sprawling Cotton Bowl Stadium on the occasion of the legendary DFW Diwali Mela, attended by around 40,000 Indians, on November 2, Mike Rawlings, Mayor of City of Dallas, one of the fastest growing cities in the US, lauded the welcome enterprise of Prof. Indrajit S Saluja, Publisher-Editor of the paper and said Dallas, with a sizable population of Indian Americans, needed a community newspaper. He congratulated Prof. Saluja for having brought to Dallas the paper which already has a wide readership in New York area. He showered praises on the Indian American community for being enterprising and forward looking. He appreciated the great contribution the community was making in the growth of the City of Dallas and the US. Mayor Rawlings admired the way the community had gathered to celebrate Diwali. He congratulated the gathering on the festive occasion and spoke highly of the contribution of Satish Gupta and his friends and family in promoting Indian cultural values. He exhorted the community to preserve and promote their culture and be proud of it. Present on the occasion with Mayor Rawlings were Satish Gupta, President of DFW Indian Cultural Society and his colleagues that included Naresh Gupta, VK Gupta, UK Gupta, Ramesh Gupta, Rajan Aggarwal, Vigyan Gotewal, RK Panditi, Trushna Patel, Kishore Fruitwala, Kalpana Fruitwala, Sante Chary, Gopal Ponangi and Ranna Jani, among others. The Indian American community has welcomed the publication of The Indian Panorama’s Dallas edition which will be available on stands every Thursday in the entire greater Dallas area. Also, readers could visit the website www.theindianpanorama.news to read the paper online. Those who wish to subscribe or advertise may please email to tipdallas01@gmail.com or call Business Manager at 972-636-1669.

  • Dallas Indian American Couple Donates $ 12 Million to University of Dallas

    Dallas Indian American Couple Donates $ 12 Million to University of Dallas

    DALLAS (TIP): Dallas based Indian American entrepreneurs Satish and Yasmin Gupta have made a $ 12 million donation to University of Dallas. The gift, the single largest in the 57 year old history of the University, will fund construction of a building that will house the Satish and Yasmin Gupta College of Business. The announcement of donation was made October 24, by the University of Dallas President Thomas W. Keefe in the presence of the donors, their relations and friends, faculty and students. Both, Satish and his wife Yasmin, are graduates of University’s MBA Program. Speaking on the occasion, Satish Gupta said, “The University of Dallas inspired not only our careers, but our lives, and we hope this new college of business will inspire business students who come to the University of Dallas from all over the world.” He said,” It is very important that we give back to the community. This creates balance in life.”


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    Yasmin Gupta, who shares with her husband a similar vision said, “Our dream is for the College of Business to become global meeting ground for diversity and understanding among all cultures. We hope it empowers students to become leaders who go forth into the world and build stronger communities”. In conversation with The Indian Panorama, Yasmin Gupta recalled that some three years ago when Satish was invited as a keynote speaker for a Commencement they found that the BusinessSchool had not changed much in 30 years. It was then that Satish and she decided to do their bit for the School of Business from where they had graduated. University of Dallas President Thomas W. Keefe, in appreciation of the generous donors said, “The Guptas set a tremendous example for our business students both in the drive and ingenuity they personify as entrepreneurs, and in their commitment to philanthropy and social responsibility.” President Keefe said University of Dallas believed in giving quality and personalized education. We have personalized relationship with our students. We treat them as individuals. The gift from Satish and Yasmin will help the University in further achieving the aim of providing quality and personalized education.

    Robert F. Scherer, Dean & Professor of Management, in his comment to The Indian Panorama said the donation from Guptas will help the College of Business in many ways. The building that will come up with the donation will not only provide a marked visibility, as it will be located on the highest point in Dallas County, it will allow for practice based and problem based approach to be followed. It will allow the students and faculty to interact in a better environment. The building will facilitate holding of meetings, seminars and contribute to better interaction among students, faculty, businesses and community. He described Guptas as role models who will be inspiring a whole lot of people. The gathering at the announcement was very appreciative of the Guptas for making a generous contribution. The Indian Panorama spoke with some of them after the brief ceremonial announcement of the gift by President Keefe and Satish and Yasmin Gupta and found they had great admiration for the two for repaying the institution where they had studied some 30 years ago. Some said it will inspire others to come forward and pay back to the community. The gathering lustily cheered Guptas when President Keefe announced the donation. Remarks by Satish and Yasmin also received the gathering’s applause. The new building, SB Hall, will be a 50,000-square foot, three storey structure atop the highest point in the UD campus from where Downtown will be clearly visible. According to information provided by Chat Ganesh, Vice President Business Development, SB International, Inc. and a close associate of Satish Gupta, the building is expected to be completed by the end of July 2015 and should be ready for the Fall 2015 Semester opening. Satish and Yasmin Gupta are philanthropists and civic leaders besides being business executives.

    The two serve Dallas/Fort Worth through various organizations related to cultural organization and outreach, including the Gupta Agarwal Charitable Foundation of which Satish Gupta is the Founder. They also support the Primary Care Clinic of North Texas and Greater Dallas Arya Samaj Cancer Clinic, a system of non-profit healthcare facilities providing medical care to local uninsured adults. Perhaps the most popular Indian American cultural event in Dallas is the Diwali Mela organized by Dallas Fort Worth Indian Cultural Society founded by Satish Gupta. Every year, in October/November, this popular event to celebrate “spirit of India” as Satish prefers to call the event, attracts 40,000 to 50,000 people who get glimpses of the rich Indian culture at play. Satish says he has combined Dussehra and Diwali and therefore, there is a Ram Lila and Ravan Dahan, signifying victory of good over evil, followed by fireworks to celebrate the victory. The mela provides a variety of entertainment for all age groups. There is a special kids corner. There are elephant and camel rides. There are the more modern laser shows. Community performances and Bollywood entertainment are integral parts of the mela And, of course, a variety of food in a specially carved out Food Court. The Diwali Mela 2013, the 8th in a row, is being held on November 2 at Cotton Bowl Stadium in Dallas where Bollywood artists Monali Thakur and Arijit Singh will enthrall the audiences.

  • The Essence of Diwali

    The Essence of Diwali

    The DFW Indian Cultural Society’s mega event-the Diwali Mela- is being organized on November 2 at Cotton Bowl. It will be the 8th super mela in a row. As our tribute to the grand event, we bring to our readers an article on Diwali specially written for The Indian Panorama by Mike Ghouse, a noted literateur and journalist. Read on.


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    Diwali is the Indian festival of lights and is celebrated on a large scale throughout India and the Indian Diaspora. It is also celebrated in Nepal, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Singapore, Guyana, West Indies, Fiji, and of course, here in the United States. Thanks to the Gupta’s for placing Dallas on the World Map of Diwali Celebrations.

    I believe it is one of the biggest celebrations in the United States, if not the biggest in the western Hemisphere. Ramesh Gupta initiated the event eight years ago, fully supported, encouraged and funded by the Dallas billionaire couple Satish and Yasmin Gupta.

    DFW Indian Cultural Society (DFW ICS) made its debut on the Dallas scene with the very first “Diwali Mela 2006”, which drew over 38,000 people to Texas Stadium. . Attendance has been increasing every year and is currently at an impressive figure of over 70,000. Diwali Mela has become an annual signature event for DFW IC


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    The inauguration of an earlier Diwali Mela

    DFW ICS has a strong commitment to the community which is reflected in the variety projects that it has undertaken, such as organizing the Diwali Mela, entertainment programs, sponsoring the Medical Clinics in Plano and Lewisville, for the uninsured and has recognized the contribution of teachers to the community by giving cash rewards.

    DFW ICS has supported multiple non-profit organizations throughout metropolis. Under the leadership of Satish Gupta, DFW ICS is moving forward by organizing various programs and dedicating itself to serving the needs of the communities in the Dallas Fort Worth area


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    Huge gathering in Cotton Bowl

    Nearly 50,000 people attend the event. First it was held in Texas Stadium, former home of the Dallas Cowboys and now it is held at the Cotton Bowl Stadium in Fair Park, Dallas, where college football is played and home to Texas State Fair. There is nothing like it.

    Satish Gupta, president of the organizations writes this information on their website, http://www.dfwdiwalimela.com/, “This year again we have decided to pack all the fun for children, youth, adults and seniors. From Ram Leela and Bollywood singers to spectacular fireworks, elephant rides to slides, Cultural dances to mouth watering Indian food, all packed in one of the biggest Carnival of its kind in America. There will be three elephants and two camels available for the rides this year! We bring all this to you at a very minimal cost to you.”


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    The moving spirit behind the Diwali Mela, Satish Gupta, President of DFW Indian Cultural Society

    “The large number of people the Carnival attracted in the past years is a testimony to its success. The number of attendees keeps growing and it presents an important platform for a quick reach to the Asian Community of Dallas Fort worth and the nearby cities of Texas.

    We would like to thank all our Sponsors who support us in this huge task. The purpose of this message is to request you to come with your family and friends and make the event a grand success. Your participation will go a long way in promoting our culture to the kids and youths of our community.” Diwali is spelled differently, and is called by many names.

    There is Divali among others, and Deepavali, meaning the festival of lights. Although Diwali is a Hindu tradition, people of all faiths participate in celebrations – Hindus, Jains, Muslims, Sikhs, Christians, Buddhists, Zoroastrians and others. People decorate their homes with lights and Rangoli, i.e., colorful drawing in the front yard of the home, sidewalks, even roads in India with colorful powders or colorful pieces of chalk.

    Women and Children look forward to express their artistic talent in this season. Their surroundings filled with colorful lights to enliven the day, to mark the dawn of a new era in one’s life. My childhood is filled with good memories of Diwali; the sparklers, the food and everything joyous you can imagine.

    A few years ago, Jyoti and Nishi Bhatia, former President of DFW Hindu Temple and President of Dallas Hindi Association respectively, asked me to speak about Diwali in a dinner gathering to a group of people from different faiths and cultures, and I cherished it, I love talking about Diwali, as its essence reflects the ideals of pluralism, and symbolizes hope and positive energy, victory of good over evil; a new beginning.

    It is indeed seeing the light at the end of tunnel. Diwali Celebration is a part of the epic Ramayana, and the Ram Lila is played out all night long in towns across India. I grew up watching it in front of my house, and my friends played different roles in the show. Indeed, one of my former relatives played Hanuman’s role.


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    Ramayan being enacted

    It was a challenge for me to teach Ramayana to a group of people who knew nothing about it. It turned out to be a successful program. I prepared the nearly all white audience that I will be narrating the story through the power point and along will be reinforcing the names and roles of the key persons in the story and will ask them for feed back at the end.

    Friends, I cannot tell you the joy, the Bhatias and I felt when each one of them answered the questions from the story. They got it! It is a powerful story and takes about 30 minutes to narrate. The epic is filled with educative tales, edifying poems, and fables. It is probably through their constant retelling in the villages over centuries that Hinduism is most efficiently disseminated from generation to generation


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    Ravana’s effigy is set on fire

    Whenever a society rots with adharma (wrong path), where no one cares about the other, lying, stealing and dishonesty become rampant, Lord Krishna says, I will emerge among you and restore the righteousness and trust in the society to function smoothly.

    Zarathustra, Moses, Jesus, Buddha, Muhammad, Krishna, Nanak, Mahavira, Confucius, Tao and others served the same purpose… it is almost like the laws of physics ; water finds its own level, and righteousness finds its own existence. Rama is one such incarnation who reestablished the moral code for social conduct and proper relation of mankind to divinity. He was truthful and a just king. Diwali symbolizes hope and positive energy

    ● People wear new clothes
    ● Share sweets as a symbol of happiness
    ● Renew the relationships
    ● Strengthen the bonds It signifies a new beginning, starting out fresh.
    ● for most businesses it is the new financial year
    ● An inventory of assets is taken
    ● An assessment of family and relationship
    ● Last harvest for the farmers
    ● New things are bought

    President Obama in his message last Diwali said it perfectly,
    “Many who observe this holiday will light the Diya, or lamp, which symbolizes the triumph of light over darkness and knowledge over ignorance.

    As that lamp is lit, we should all recommit ourselves to bring light to any place still facing darkness. Earlier this year, we were reminded of the evil that exists in the world when a gunman walked into the Sikh Gurdwara in Oak Creek, Wisconsin and opened fire.

    In the wake of that horrible tragedy, we saw the resilience of a community that drew strength from their faith and a sense of solidarity with their neighbors, Sikh and non-Sikh alike. We also saw compassion and love, in the heroic actions of the first responders and the outpouring of support from people across the country. Out of a day of sadness, we were reminded that the beauty of America remains our diversity, and our right to religious freedom. To those celebrating Diwali, I wish you, your families and loved ones Happy Diwali and Saal Mubarak.”


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    Today, on this blessed day, we have a blank slate to start, let’s plan on filling it with doing good things for ourselves, to our family, friends, community, nation and the world until next Diwali. What are good things? Words and actions that bring peace, Mukti, salvation, Moksha, nirvana, Nijaat and freedom to us, yes us.

    There is so much of joy waiting to be had. If we can remove hatred and anger towards others, forgive others and ask for forgiveness (Michami Dukadam is a beautiful phrase the Jain’s use), then a blissful year is sure to come for each one of you and me.
    ● May this Diwali purge your heart, mind and soul from hate, malice, anger and ill-will;
    ● May this Diwali open your hearts and minds towards fellow being;
    ● May this Diwali brighten your life, and may this Diwali mark the dawn of a new era; Muslims are a big part of Diwali as well, and innumerable poets have written poetries and songs about Diwali.

    Here is my effort, I wrote this seven years ago on the occasion when Diwali and Ramadan were celebrated around the same time.

    A meri diwali hai, a meri eid hai donon may khushi hi khushi hai Diwali say naya saal shuru hota hai Ramzan ek naya insaan banata hai Diwali may ek baat ka hisab hota hai Ramzan may her baat ka review hota hai Diwali nayay saal ke liye clean slate deta hai Ramzan pichlay saal ki slate clean karta hai Baat hi baat may, my nay a sher likh diya Sahir Diwali aur Ramzan say subka acha hi hota hai Shubh kamnaein | Diwali Mubarak | Blessed Diwali. Happy Diwali to you my friends, may this Diwali bring happiness, serenity and peace to you. Amen!

  • Kavi Sammelan/ Mushaira for peace and Unity in Dallas

    Kavi Sammelan/ Mushaira for peace and Unity in Dallas

    DALLAS (TIP): It was an incredibly lovely session of Urdu and Hindi poetry at Hall of State at Fair Park, Dallas, Texas on October 25, with a galaxy of poets locally and from India and Pakistan coming together to give a rare intellectual treat. However, the attraction was Munawwar Rana Saheb one of the greatest poets of our times. Hon. Kapil Sibal, India’s law Minister (Secretary, Department of Justice) was to be the Chief Guest of the event, unfortunately, he was called back in the last minute to stay in New Delhi to handle the national affairs.


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    However, the greatness of the man lay in his response to the need of the day, he realized his absence will embarrass the organizers and the people of Dallas/ Fort Worth. So, he took the time to address the organizer Noor Amrohvi and the audience in a powerful video message with regrets. We the people of Texas appreciate it and honor this gesture of dignity.

    In 1996, when we held a big Cricket event and invited the Ambassadors of Common Wealth Nations, and the Ambassador of Australia and New Zealand were bat ready to come and play, but were pulled back due to back home politics. This happens. The set up was incredible; I have never seen anything like that. It looked like Mughal Shahi Darbar or a Roman Coliseum; Corinthian columns in Gold in the back drop and rows of two white long stretched Sofas that ran across the spectrum of the outdoor arena. It provided a historicity to the samaa (environment).


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    Jyoti Kumar was pleased with the efforts of her team made up of Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs and Christians from the subcontinent. From the planning stages to the execution of the program, each one in the team was committed to the unity theme and she is positive about moving forward with the mashaal (torch bearer) of the Unity. I would encourage Noor Amrohvi, the Chief Organizer to repeat this set next year.

    Janab DD Maini Saheb suggested that we bring the “Kambals” and enjoy the outdoor program. Tirmizi Saheb said, it happens in UK and Germany. Unfortunately, weather did not permit sitting outside, and instead, the program was carried in the auditorium. Agar Chandni raat hoti to kya baat hoti! Every poet was great, but as always a few leave lasting impressions on each one of the audience members.


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    What appeals to you is different than what appeals to me; it is as simple as that. The old saying, beauty is in the heart of the believer remains an eternal truth. I would encourage you to write your impressions in the comment section below, so we have a full range of expressions.

    It is not customary to praise a few and skip the others. Indeed, everyone of the poets came prepared to deliver his and her best and they did, when I get the time, I will write a note about all the poets, but for the time being, here are a few mentions. The biggest hit was Munawwar Rana Saheb, he was everything he was projected to be; one of the best in Urdu/Hindi poetry. Of course, as Noor Amrohvi Saheb said, it’s like “sooraj ko chiragh dikhani wali baat.”

    His style, voice and delivery kept us all sit with full tawajjay (attention) through the very end of the program around 1 AM. His poem Mahajir was just incredible. Indeed, Zia Khan Saheb was sitting two seats from me, it was his story too… they left everything when they went to Peshawar from UP and it is also the story of Maini Saheb, whose family sold their stuff in Lahore for damdies and made it to New Delhi.

    There was a lot of mention about Allahbad, so I bought his book and CD to share it with my wife whose mother was from Allahabad. I did miss Renu Chandra Saheba, who is also from Allahabad. I believe it was Sarfaraz Abad Saheb who said, writing poetry is an amazing experience, you can tell so much in just two lines…. sometimes the whole story can be said in a Rubayee – a Qurartet.

    Poetry is indeed a powerful story telling medium. That was very encouraging to me personally, as I am reviving the poet in me after 35 some years of writing 32 short stories and 43 poems in Urdu/ Hindi, but this time, it will be on social issues and religious and societal pluralism. Dr. Zubair Farooq’s poetry won many hearts – he is an Arab, a medical Doctor serving two hospitals in Dubai but he has learned Urdu and Hindi, and has a passion for the languages, and has written over 24 books.

    His poetry was simply enjoyable and his Urdu accent was delightful and so was his tarannum (Singing). Of course we all have different accents of Urdu, ranging from Dakkani to Punjabi, Bengali, Malayalee, Bihari, Sindhi, Dogri or Gujarati tones. However the standard bearers of Urdu are speakers from New Delhi, Karachi and Lucknow. Why does Dr. Farooq have a passion for the language? Munawwar Rana Saheb used a sentence for a different purpose, but fits right in… Columbus ka Khoon! Meaning why did Columbus sail to different lands? Actor Mahmood would have said, “khujli ka jhaad”.

    Indeed, it was his passion – just as each one of us is driven by a different passion. Mine is Pluralism, what is yours? Think about it and make an effort to say in poetry format, you can do it, it is a challenge for you! Archana Panda Saheba had a powerful message about women and freedom. She shared a story in her poem, about the laanat (curse) of Dowry.

    How a girl is constantly trained to put up with things, the girl in her narrative tells the Groom off while sitting in the Mandap (wedding altar) to his demands of dowry – and then comes the most sensitive moment where parents would normally scream at the girl for bringing shame to the family… instead, her Mother said she was proud of her for the action, and her father puts his hand around her giving her confidence that she did the right thing.

    It is a powerful story and I hope to pass on her information to Dallas organizations like Chetna and Muslim Community Center committed to address the domestic violence issues. She will make a good speaker with little training on Domestic Violence. When I get the time, I will write a note about the other poets. I also appreciate the team led by Noor Amrohvi, Jyoti Kumar, Irfan Ali, Azhar Bukhari, Anand Punjabi, Javed Gill, Sanjeev Gupta, Mushtaq Raes, Nutan Arora, Rehan Kaiser and others.We should always appreciate the sponsors who believe in the program and make it happen – Jyoti and Ashok Kumar, SK Mittal and several others were big supporters.

    Noor Amrohvi Saheb was thorough in appreciating and thanking the poets, volunteers, sponsors and the supporters – he gets 10 for 10 from me. Please note that in March 2014, we will go for the 2nd Annual Pluralism Mushaira/ Kavi Sammelan, where we are planning to start a new dhaar (stream) on poetry with exclusive focus on social, cultural, religious and work place pluralism. Pluralism in one sentence is respecting the otherness of others, and when we do that, conflicts fade and solutions emerge.