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Indo AmerIcAn news • FrIdAy, AprIl 30 , 2010 • onlIne edItIon: www.IndoAmerIcAn-news.com

1 Indo American news • Friday, April 30 , 2010 onlIne edItIon: www.indoamerican-news.com

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Story on Pg 5

Sharmas Convicted of Healthcare Fraud

Round 2 for RahatIf you missed the first show, then get ready for Round 2 of Rahat’s musical ride at the Arena Theater on Wednesday, May 5

Win Free Tickets, send us your comments on Rahat or his first show in Houston. e-mail us at [email protected] subject: Rahat Fateh Ali Khan

rahat’s Vocals send Houston’s Full House into sufi raptureBy Pramod KulKarni

HOUSTON: Sufi music, with evocative melodies and soul cap-turing rhythm, sends its perform-ers and audiences into a rapture. Houston experienced such spiri-tual sensations on Saturday, April 24 night with the music and vocals of qawwal maestro Ustad Fateh Ali Khan.

In one of the greatest musical concerts presented before Hous-ton’s South Asian audiences, Ra-hat Fateh Ali Khan dellivered a lifetime of melodious memories to the fortunate few who were able to get inside the Southwest Are-na’s circular theater last Saturday night. The concert was brought to Houston by Rehan Siddiqi and his Hum Tum City radio group. Rahat will return to Houston for an en-core performance on May 5. This concert ranks among the greatest with the first Lata Mangeshkar and Mukesh concert in 1976, Kishore Kumar concerts in the 1980s, and A. R. Rehman and Shreya Ghoshal concerts in recent times.

The scene was somewhat cha-otic in the outer halls of the Arena theater as more people showed up than the capacity of the hall. A hundred or more fans were turned away and the Fire Marshals told the audience during the interval that if they left the theater, they would not be let in. Engrossed in the music, most fans were happy to stay put in their seats.

Rahat Fateh Ali Khan is the nephew of Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, who gained a reputation among Western audiences in the 1980s before his untimely death in 1997. Nustrat’s vocals are heard on West-

ern classics such as the Last Temp-tation of Christ and Natural Born Killers. hortly before his death, he recorded a song each for two Bol-lywood films, Aur Pyaar Ho Gaya and Kachche Dhaage. He sang the title song of the film, Dhadkan. He also sang Saya bhi saath jab chhod jaye for the movie, Dillagi. Rahat paid tribute to his uncle by performing classic qawwalis such as Afreen, Afreen.

Beginning with Mann Ki Lagan for the movie Paap in 2004, Ra-hat has built up a steady stream of hits, such as Jiya Dhadak, Dhadak Jaaye for Kalyug and Teri Ore for Singh is Kinng to Sajda for My Name Khan in 2009. Rahat sang most of his hits to the joy of his fans, including Teri Ore for one fan who went hoarse asking for it most of the night. I thought Teri Ore would be ineffective without Shreya Ghoshal’s voice, but Rahat

Internal strife Forces resignations of India House executivesBy Pramod KulKarni

HOUSTON: Inability to work coherently has apparently forced the resignation of three of the top executive members of India House during a weekend joint meeting of the community organization’s Board of Directors and Council.

The three executives who re-signed were Ashok Dhingra, Pres-ident; Dr. Virendra Mathur, Vice President of Operations; and Dr. Durga Agrawal, Vice President of Finance.

The three remaining members of the executive committee, Devesh

It’s Vaisakhi! time to Bhangra the night AwayStory starts on page 3

The models from the Rangla Punjabi Fashion show pose at the Vaisakhi 2010 show at the Punjabi Society of Houston show at the Cullen Auditorium at the University of Houston this past Saturday, April 24. Photos: www.goafoto.

Ustad Rahat Fateh Ali Khan (right) and his talented accompanists

Pathak, Treasurer; Col. Raj Bhal-la, Secretary; and Jugal Malani, Jt. Secretary, did not resign.

The Board of Directors have appointed Jugal Malani as the in-terim president. An election com-mittee has been formed under the direction of Attorney Paul Madan to elect three new members of the executive committee. Agrawal, Mathur and Dhingra have made a pledge not to run for office for the remaining duration of their terms of office.Elections will be held within the month to elect three new executives

to replace Ashok Dhingra (left), Drs. Virendra Mathur and Durga Agrawal.

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By Jawahar malhotraHOUSTON: The night was young, but who

was counting the minutes? There were just too many happy feet on the stage, making frantic moves, athletic moves that kept the blood pump-ing. Young people in bright, colorful costumes. Young men in long lungis, the ruffles of their turbans splayed out like a peacock’s plume in dance. Beautiful belles in sparkling Punjabi sla-war kameezes and gehras, the filigreed duppat-tas slid over their heads.

Yes, these were the rites Spring, the rites of Vaisakhi. A celebration of the founding of the Sikh khalsa by Guru Gobind Singh in 1699, one of the greatest moments in Sikhism.

And the show last Saturday, April 23, was brought together by the efforts of the Punjabi Society of Houston, and chief among them were the tireless efforts of “our backbone” as PSH President Manohar Singh Mann put in when the whole Board of Directors came onstage during the intermission held three-quarters of the way through the 4 hour long program. He was refer-ring to Jasmeeta Singh, who was a virtual un-known in the world of local desi entertainment a few years ago but has taken it by a storm by her innovative sense of mixing different styles and genres of music, dance and the body aesthetic.

It’s Vaisakhi! It’s springtime! time to Bhangra the night Away

Clockwise from top left: Dirty Bhangra dancers; the Nachde Punjabi group from University of Houston; the show started with dhols in unison by five young Punjabis; emcee Roop Rai with Indian playback singer Krishna Beura; Jasmeeta SIngh, barely recognizable in a turban performed with her group in several numbers. She was the main ingredient in making the evenings entertainment possible; the Rangla Punjabi group hammed it; up for the audience; a women’s gidha dance. Photos: www.goafoto.com

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Above three photos: Jawahar Malhotra




5 Indo American news • Friday, April 30 , 2010 onlIne edItIon: www.indoamerican-news.com s o c i e t y

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sharmas relinquish $44 million, sentenced to 15, 8 years in Jail By Cindy horswell

HOUSTON: A husband-wife doctor team from Kemah relin-quished more than $44 million in assets while pleading guilty on Monday to health care fraud charg-es accusing them of prescribing one or more controlled substances to nearly every patient they saw and then coercing many into sign-ing blank forms for narcotics that were never administered.

Dr. Arun Sharma and his wife, Dr. Kiran Sharma, bilked the fed-eral government out of millions for at least a decade, authorities said.

Just before a jury was about to be selected in U.S. District Judge David Hittner’s court to hear the charges, the Sharmas accepted a plea arrangement. Both pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy and another count of health care fraud for which Arun Sharma, 56, will receive a 15-year sentence on July 27. His wife, 54, will be sen-tenced to eight years.

Their attorney, Chris Flood, de-clined Monday to comment about the case.

“I don’t want to say anything until after the sentencing is over,” he said.

Before the plea deal was struck,

Flood said the Sharmas were help-ing those who were suffering from chronic pain.

“You can say certain patients are addicted to those drugs or you could say the drugs are a blessing to those in pain,” Flood said at that time.

The couple forfeited all assets previously seized by the govern-ment — including their home in Kemah, $1.5 million in cash, and numerous investment accounts and other parcels of real estate bought with proceeds.

The case is part of the continu-ing push by federal and state au-thorities to crack down on health care fraud prevalent in major met-ropolitan areas such as Houston. Another physician, Dr. Christina Clardy, who lives in West Univer-sity and practiced in Houston for 30 years, was charged last month with engaging in organized crime at two recently closed pain clinics that she directed.

In addition, 23 other health care workers were arrested around the Houston area last July, accused of making $16 million in fraudulent Medicare claims.

The Sharmas drew the attention of investigators because authori-

ties felt the doctors were running their clinics in a very unorthodox manner.

When investigators first arrived at the clinic in Webster, for in-stance, they found Arun Sharma using a tiny room set aside for a copy machine to administer drug injections to a patient.

In a sworn affidavit, that patient admitted being addicted to hydro-codone and going there every two weeks for the past four years to obtain the narcotics.

Prosecutors said the couple or-dered patients to return every two weeks for a regimen of shots. By 2000, some patients balked at hav-

ing so many injections, so the doc-tors made them sign blank forms and billed insurance companies for injections that never occurred, prosecutors said.

FBI agent Kacey Gabriel said in the affidavit that the Sharmas also had threatened to withhold narcot-ic prescriptions from any patients who refused to sign forms for the fictitious clinic visits being billed to Medicare.

FBI agent Kacey Gabriel said in the affidavit that the Sharmas also had threatened to withhold narcot-ic prescriptions from any patients who refused to sign forms for the fictitious clinic visits being billed to Medicare.

In addition, patients, such as one identified as “PP,” reported receiving prescriptions — some-times two on the same day — for as much as seven times the FDA’s recommended daily allowance for a narcotic.

Gabriel also accused the doctors of billing for millions in “facet joint injections” — steroid and lidocaine injections pumped into painful joints — that never took place.

The couple operated multiple

Drs. Arun and Kiran Sharma during happier times.


6 Indo American news • Friday, April 30 , 2010 onlIne edItIon: www.indoamerican-news.coms o c i e t y

continued from page 5clinics around Houston under the name Allergy, Asthma, Arthritis Pain Center, including two prin-cipal locations in Baytown and Webster.

The couple operated multiple clinics around Houston under the name Allergy, Asthma, Arthritis Pain Center, including two prin-cipal locations in Baytown and Webster.

“Dr. Arun Sharma was known as an easy touch for Hydrocodone, Soma and Xanax (a popular cocktail used by addicts),” said a statement from U.S. attorney Jose Moreno. “As time went on, the doctors began prescribing stron-

ger narcotics such as oxycodone, methadone and fetynal patches.”

According to prosecutors, the practice grew quickly through word of mouth. The number of pa-tients being seen each day doubled within four years from 50 to a high of 109 by 2002. The doctors eventually hired foreign medical graduates to assist in the conspir-acy by adding fictitious patient ex-amination information to the blank forms, prosecutors said.

Based on clinic records, the doc-tors would have had to maintain the pace of injecting nerve blocks into the spines of 279 patients on one day alone in 2005.-Chronicle

dr. sharmas convicted in Heathcare Fraud

In an email to India House Council members, Dhingra said, “My note is to thank you all very much who have stood by me and those who opted not to, hence, making my resolve to bring our long standing Dream of building a community center for the whole community and beyond, a real-ity. I believe, I was successful in this responsibility bestowed upon me by all of you. I thank you for your trust. Serving community is a thankless work to fulfill once own desire to do so. I believe I served the India House well. The task is just the beginning and needs total commitment from next generation volunteers wishing to serve. It may bring difficult time and sometimes testing period to your commitment to do the right thing. This project is far away from completing our dream. As I part my ways, I must

reiterate that I will always be available to assist in any way possible to make the Dream a complete re-ality, however, the plea-sure of seeing its com-pleted will bring me total satisfaction. I would like to once again thank every-one who have contributed for the project, financially or volunteering their valu-able time it was a great experience in establishing friendship with everyone that would last for years. I wish a very good luck and success to those who will be honored with the responsibilities to carry on the task in the coming days, months and years.”

In a news release, Agrawal and Mathur said, “All the well wishers of

India House continue to strive for its continued success and growth. It was felt that after spending so many years, the torch should be passed to a new group so that new

India House executives who resigned: President Ashok Dhingra, VP of Op-erations Dr. Virendra Mathur and VP of Finance Dr. Durga Agrawal at the India House Gala 2010. Photo: Krishna Giri

Internal dissention Forces resignations of top India House leadersideas and new efforts can take In-dia House to a new level. After a couple of meetings in April follow-ing the Grand Inauguration of O.P. Jindal Center of India House on March 20th, 2010, it was decided that the three leaders including the President and two Vice Presidents should pass the gavel to new lead-ership and it is hoped that the new team will take India House to new heights and make the entire Indian American community proud.”

In an interview with Indo-Amer-ican News, Dr. Agrawal said he would provide unconditional sup-port to the new executive team.

Located at the intersection of West Bellfort and South Gessner in southwest Houston, India House has steadily become a new center of community activity. Numerous dignitaries have visited the new building, including former Inda President Abdul Kalam, Texas Governor Rick Perry and spiri-tual head Baba Ramdev.. Several yoga, dance, computer classes and after-school activities are now tak-ing place at the community center



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Incredible India – A Unique and classy cultural Journey through IndiaYour tour manager - Samskriti, Society for Indian Performing Arts

HOUSTON: Mind-boggling! There is simply no other phrase that convincingly captures the enigma that is India. With its in-your-face diversity, from snow-dusted mountains to sun-washed beaches, tranquil temples to feisty festivals, lantern-lit villages to software-supremo cities, it is hardly surpris-ing that India has been dubbed the world’s most multidimensional.

The culture of India has been shaped not only by its long history, unique geography and diverse de-mography, but also by its ancient heritages, which were formed during the Indus Valley Civiliza-tion and evolved further during the Vedic age, rise and decline of Buddhism, the Golden age, inva-sions from Central Asia, European colonization and the rise of Indian nationalism. The languages, reli-gions, dance, music, architecture and its customs differ from place to place within the country, but never-theless possess a commonality. The culture of India is an amalgamation of diverse sub-cultures spread all over the country and traditions that are several millennia old.

It is this hoary cultural heritage that Samskriti, Society for Indian Performing Arts, is proudly pre-senting to the Houston audience on

Saturday, May 15, 2010, 8.00 PM, at the Miller Outdoor Theatre in the Hermann Park.

The program, aptly titled “In-credible India”, and curated by the organization’s Artistic Direc-tor, Rathna Kumar, will showcase some of the valuable cultural con-tributions of India to the world, such as the ubiquitous and much popular Yoga, performed by a group of fifteen young practitio-ners, all trained at the SVyaasa Yoga Center, Houston. A forty member Tabla ensemble, led by maestro Pandit Shantilal Shah, will ‘rock’ Hermann Park with its rousing rhythmic cadences. India’s complex classical dances will be

Odissi, Sattriya and Mohini Attam will be performed in an unusual ‘sangamam’ or ‘coming together’, by Archana Sharma, Johnny Jack-son, Shipra Mehrotra, Vedajyoti Ozah and Anisha Rajesh, respec-tively. The lively Raas-Garba from Gujarat, coordinated by Shefali Jhaveri, The ever popular Bhangra, directed by Jasmeeta Singh, an un-usual Kannada folk dance, directed by Yamuna Srnidhi, and the Poik-kal Kudhirai or Dummy Horse Dance from Tamil Nadu, rarely seen in this country, will give the audience a glimpse into the famil-iar and unfamiliar genres of Folk Dances, and the latest global buzz word, ‘Bollywood’, will have its

juxtaposed with colorful tradi-tional folk dances from the North and the South. The influence of the Persian rulers on the perform-ing arts of India will be seen in the Kathak style which gained promi-nence as a royal court entertain-ment during the Mogul period, and the ‘Temple Dances’ will be seen in all their pristine beauty. Inter-nationally renowned Kathak artist Nahid Siddiqui of the UK, con-sidered one of the finest Kathak dancers and choreographers in the world, is a special guest performer. Nahid’s creations have been origi-nal and ground-breaking, blending traditional and contemporary tech-niques. Bharatanatyam, Kuchipudi,

place in the program too, to show how diverse our dances are, be it classical or filmy.

The Bollywood Medley, under the direction of Mahesh Mahbuba-ni, will have a touch of Flamenco, which, Spanish though it may be, has its roots in Indian Gypsy music. The Anjali Dance Company will present two contemporary dances, including “Gange”, choreographed by Rathna Kumar to the mesmer-izing music of Kanniks Kanni-keswaran, as seen very recently in the mega show “Shanti 2010”. “Incredible India” is a free event, and wholesome entertainment for the entire family, and friends and neighbors too!

The Anjali Dance Company in “Gange” from Shanti 2010 - photo courtesy Mahesh Mahbubani



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and his choir presented an equally entertaining solo performance. Those fans who missed the first show have an opportunity for an Rahat’s encore performance on Wednesday, May 5.

Want to comment on Houston’s greatest desi concerts? Send us your thoughts at [email protected].

rahat concert takes Houston by storm


9 Indo American news • Friday, April 30 , 2010 onlIne edItIon: www.indoamerican-news.com s o c i e t y

moneyGram International Announces sponsorship to Icc world twenty20

MINNEAPOLIS: MoneyGram International (NYSE:MGI), a leading global money transfer company, announced today an agreement with the International Cricket Council for its sponsor-ship as the official money transfer partner at the ICC World Twenty20 West Indies 2010 cricket event to run April 30 to May 16. Cricket

is among the largest sports attrac-tions in countries that rely on re-mittance services including India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, as well as countries in Southern Africa and the Caribbean.

MoneyGram’s decision to spon-sor the most favorite and crucial game among remittance receiv-ing countries was made to connect with its customers, and increase its brand awareness among the millions of cricket fans across the globe. The campaign includes chances for cricket fans to win a dream package to attend the West Indies event and games on May 8. Winners will be selected from 10 countries, including one winner from the U.S.

“When cricket teams and fans from around the world arrive in the West Indies our brand will prominently greet them and further deepen awareness among people who use money transfer services to meet their financial needs,” said Juan Agualimpia, chief marketing officer for MoneyGram Interna-tional. “This sponsorship will help us reach millions of expatriates as well as their family and friends that are viewing the games.”

The event is expected to host cricket fans from around the world and its broadcast has the potential to reach another billion people at home, especially in Europe, South Asia, Southern Africa, the United States and Canada.

“Cricket is a huge part of the lives of millions of our customers. Our goal is to match the value of our brand with the passion of cricket fans to support our growth,” Agua-limpia said. “For example, South Asia is among our most important markets and one in which we are growing rapidly. Over the last year, in India alone, we built out our

network to 22,000 agent locations countrywide.” While in 2008 In-dia was the receiver of $52 billion sent to the country (data by Word Bank), last year over 100 million Indians watched the Twenty20 championships.

The ICC works on behalf of its members to generate revenue to help grow the game around the world.

ICC General Manager – Com-mercial Campbell Jamieson said:

“We’re pleased to add Money-Gram to a list of excellent lo-cal sponsors for the ICC World Twenty20 West Indies 2010. As the world’s second most popular team sport, cricket enthusiasts are a growing and diverse group that touches every corner of the world and every segment of the popula-tion. We’re eager for MoneyGram

to experience the power of the game for its brand.”

Don’t forget to fan MoneyGram on Facebook for more exciting of-fers and updates from the compa-ny and to enter to win your cricket dream package to be in the West Indies on May 8. Also for a limited time, you can enter to win a pair of tickets to the exciting Super 8 matches. Go to www.moneygram-T20m.com for more details on how to enter.



continued from page 1

It’s Vaisakhi! It’s springtime! time to Bhangra the night Awaytaken it by a storm by her inno-vative sense of mixing different styles and genres of music, dance and the body aesthetic.

Take for example the Rangla Punjabi Fashion Show which Jas-meeta choreographed with Gur-winder Singh and Amardeep Kaur. It started with two men walking onstage to the edge in sequin em-broidered sherwanis. From stage left, Pritpal Singh (a PSH Director) strode on in white salwar kameez, his long black beard open, white turban and working a bow across the santoor: a minstrel.

As he strode across and mouthed a Punjabi couplet, young men en-tered from the sides and strutted to Punjabi music growing louder, and then more came on in different fashions, followed by the women, some with ghadas (water urns) balanced on their hips, some on their heads. The entire ensemble burned with the moment, dance rippling through their feet.

The brilliant, eye-catching fash-ions that the models wore came from Sari Sapne on Hillcroft, whose owner, Ramesh Lulla has an eye for what the local commu-nity wants. And the makeup for the models was done by Priya’s Salon on Kensington in Sugar Land. The major sponsors for the evening were Bawa Jewelers on Hillcroft, Tara Energy and Moid Khan who generously supported the on air

publicity on Music Masala radio program.

This venue and the entire Vai-sakhi program is a yearly event that the over 10 year-old PSH holds, in addition to the religious services, bhajans, langar and mar-tial arts held in the Gurdwara on Breen Street or the Sikh National Center acreage on the Beltway across from the Racetrack. This year, the entertainment portion of the celebrations has been broken up from the more physical martial arts part, which is scheduled to be held soon separately.

But the Punjabi community holds only a couple of events ev-ery year and when they do, the socializing gets the better of them as they search each other out. Out-side the Cullen Auditorium at the main campus of the University of Houston, friends and acquaintanc-es mingled, some ate snacks from Chutney restaurant which had a stall in the basement, and other came arrived late, Punjabi stan-dard time wise, and this pushed the opening of the program back 45 minutes.

Inside, they were treated to a fast paced show with 16 items, mostly dances from groups in the community crossing all age levels. A group, the Dallas Bhangra had just gotten in a half hour earlier, but started with men doing the bhangra in pants, shirts and ties. This morphed into a short skit

about the worsening water condi-tions that farmers in the Punjab are facing, leading some to commit suicide and the effects of hashish and drugs on peasants. The pro-tagonist weaved a tale of woe and ended with a call to be faithful to the Khalsa.

And there was another treat in store for them too: in addition to Roop Rai, who is featured on Music in the Box radio, the other

emcee, but really guest singer was Krishna Beura who stayed over from the Ash Bhosle concert held the weekend before where he performed. “I went to college in Chandigarh,” the Orissa native explained in perfect Punjabi, “and I really owe my career to Punjab. I love Punjab and Punjabis.” Then he broke out into several songs throughout the evening.

Many groups of all ages per-

formed during the night and among the most energetic and visually captivating was the Nachde Pun-jabi Bhangra Team of the Univer-sity of Houston, Anakh Houston Di, Dirty South Bhangra, Gidha Explosion and the Gatka martial arts. But the opening act of the night set the standard: five young boys, decked in Punjabi finery and beating on dhols, some as tall as them, calling the house to order!

The Board of Directors of the Punjabi Society of Houston. From left: Sampuran Singh, a visitor from Toronto, Hardeep Kaur; President Manohar Sinh Mann, Kulwinder Jit Otal, Pripal Singh, Sukhpreet Kaur, Jasmeeta Singh, Bhai Amar Singh, and Aman Singh. Photos: www.goafoto.com







HOUSTON: Some of the pretti-est women in the Bayou City came to see some of the prettiest models in the city walk down the runway at a fashion show that brought in a capacity crowd.

The show was the second Bizzy Women mixers hosted bu Lights Camera Action, a multimedia company. The mixer was held this past Thursday, April 22, at Poshak Boutique on Hillcroft and the Southwest Freeway.

Ruchi Mukherjee, a Houston based freelance TV Asia Journalist and the talent behind Lights Cam-era Action hosted the event .

“The idea behind Bizzy Wom-en is to highlight women-owned small businesses.” she explained. “Each event provides an opportu-nity to mix, mingle, dress up and be photographed while having fun and networking each other’s busi-ness goals.” And certainly, many unexpected surprises await at the guests at each mixer.

This past weeknight’s mixer highlighted the creations of fash-ion designer Sameera Faridi of Poshak Boutique.

In the early 2000s Poshak opened its Dallas store and then relocated to Houston after Faridi completed her degree in Fashion Design in 2004 and was appointed its de-signer.

Poshak, which launched its US stores in 1996, has broadened its portfolio of clients and expanded its Pakistani fashion presence in the US.

Faridi has won many awards for

Bizzy women makes Fashion sparkle at poshak

Lights Camera Action (www.rmrmedia.com) is a multime-dia production site tracking the South Asian scene in Houston.

the Best of Show Award in 2004 by Chich Streak Fashion Show and Best Fashion Student Award in 2004.

She has also participated in Houston Fashion Weekend by A-List Models, benefiting United Way, Texas Gulf Coast in 2006 and also in Fashionably Loud as one of the five upcoming design-ers in Houston.

“It was a lot of fun as these mix-ers attract the younger genera-tion with a whole new concept of themed parties for the South Asian community,” said Faridi.

The house was full at the chic fashion mixer with a fashion show on the runway strecthed the length of the store. Neal Hamil Models walked the ramp and the flawless make-up was by Fashion Face.

Hors d’ouveres were catered by Mezban and tiramisu cup-cakes were provided by Madhavi Gokhale of Desserts ‘n’ More, a specialty home based dessert com-pany. Local radio host Samia Adil emceed the event with customary poise and grace.

Present at the event were HCC Fashion Textiles Instructors Lisa Waering and Jessica Dolan, FGI Regional Membership Director Judy Gulgun, Tanaz Choudhury who recently made a debut as a fashion designer showcasing her line at Tootsies, Reji Josheph, Sangeeta Pasrija, Houston Young Professionals for Arts’ Commit-tee member Mahek Shah, Shawn Broussard from Health and Fitness Magazine, and many others.

The models from the Neal Hamil agency showed off the creations of Sameera Faridi of Poshak Boutique on Hillcroft and the Southwest Freeway. Poshak has broadened its portfolio as it has sought to expand the presence of its Pakistani fashions in the US.

Poshak’s chief designer Sameera Faridi (left) with Ruchi Mukherjee, of Lights Camera Action! which hosts the Bizzy Women mixers in the city. On the cover: Faridi and Ruchi with Samia Adil.


14 Indo American news • Friday, April 30 , 2010 onlIne edItIon: www.indoamerican-news.comA d v i c e

do you need a mortgage loan review?HOUSTON: The Houston Area Urban

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“Homeowners who seek assistance before their mortgage is seriously delinquent fare better than those who seek assistance later”, states Judson W. Robinson, III, President and CEO of HAUL. HAUL’s mortgage counseling program is for all homeowners in the Houston Area. This program helps homeowners in good standing to remain stable and provide help to those at risk or in foreclosure. HAUL strives to help hom-eowners to quickly rebound and move for-

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INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, APRIL 30 , 2010• ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

15 Indo American News • Friday, April 30 , 2010ONLINE EDITION: www.indoamerican-news.com S O C I E T Y

World’s First Glass Temple in MalaysiaMalaysia’s 1st glass

temple, the Arulmigu Sri Raja Kaliamman Temple , located in Jalan Tebrau, Jo-hor Baru, is a major tourist attraction apart from being used by Hindu devotees.

The Star quoted temple chairman S. Sinnathamby as saying that 95 per cent of the temple’s walls, ceil-ing, domes and pillars have been adorned with over a million pieces of colourful glass imported from Thai-land, Japan and Belgium.The total cost of the temple is approximately three mil-lion ringgits.

Sinnathamby added that

the glass pieces were carefully put together by nine Myan-mar workers, and motifs and symbols like the Swastika, Namam and Sri Chakra were created from the glass pieces in seven colours.

The temple was built on land awarded by the Sultan of Johor in 1922, and it was renovated for the first time in 1996.

Sinnathamby said he first visualised the glass temple his Thailand visit, and funds for the construction were raised through community programmes and public do-nations.

The air-conditioned temple, which can accommodate about 1,500 devotees, is now officially open.

INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, APRIL 30 , 2010 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

16 Indo American News • Friday, April 30 , 2010 ONLINE EDITION: www.indoamerican-news.com

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E d I T O r I a l

By Vir SanghViHere is a hypothetical situation.

Imagine that the Indian police arrest a man who had advance knowledge of the 9/11 plot. Not only did he work with the conspirators but he had also been sent to New York several times to conduct reconnaissance so that the terrorists would be able to success-fully execute their assault.

Naturally, the US would want to ex-tradite this person so that he could be tried in a US court for his involvement in one of the worst acts of terrorism in recent times. Assume now that India not only refused to discuss the ex-tradition but also denied the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) any access to the suspect. “We will tell you what he is saying,” the Central Bureau of Investigation would insist. “There is no way you can interrogate him face to face.”

Take our scenario further. Imagine now that even as the US seethes at being denied access to this important link in the 9/11 case, India announces that it has done a deal with the man. He will plead guilty to all charges. So, there is no question of the death penalty under our law. Nor is there any prospect of his being prosecuted under American law. Part of the deal is that we have assured the suspect that we will never extradite him. As for the sentence, that is still to be worked out but it will be decided on the basis of the deal that we have made with the terrorist.

How do you suppose America will react?

The answers are obvious. There would be a diplomatic incident. The secretary of state would call our home minister (or perhaps our prime minister) to insist that the terrorist is handed over to the FBI. India would be accused of betraying the war on terror. How can we prosecute the man in our country, we would be asked, when the crime he was involved in occurred in America? There would be threats galore. We would be warned of a suspension of aid. Summits would be cancelled and so on.

I have spent some time outlin-ing this scenario because it closely parallels something that has actually happened: except that in this case, the

Why is America Hiding Headley?question David Headley?

I believe that only one explanation fits these facts and that there is only one answer to these questions.

David Headley was an American agent.

When I first suggested this hypoth-esis on these pages, it seemed slightly outlandish but now, I am sad to see, it has become received wisdom on the subject. And each day brings us new evidence to support this thesis.

We know that Headley (who called himself Daoud Gilani in that era) was convicted on drug charges and sent to jail in the US. We know also that he was subsequently released from jail early and handed over to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), which said that it wanted to send him to Pakistan as an undercover agent. All this is a matter of public record.

What happened between the time the US sent Headley into Pakistan and his arrest at Chicago airport a few months ago? How did an American agent turn into a terrorist? The US will not say.

There are broadly only three pos-sibilities. Possibility one is that he remained a DEA agent but also got involved with jihadi groups while remaining on the drug agency’s rolls. Possibility two is that he was never really a mere DEA agent. In the after-math of 9/11, when it was discovered that America had few agents within the jihadi networks, all American agencies came together to pool as-sets so that the US could penetrate the terror groups. It is significant that Headley was sprung from jail after 9/11 though of course the court would have to be told that it was the DEA that wanted him (rather than the CIA) because he had been arrested on drug charges.

If you stick with possibility two, then Headley was a double agent. Sent to infiltrate jihadi groups, he became a convert to the terrorist cause and betrayed his American handlers.

Both possibilities would explain why the Americans are reluctant to let us speak to Headley. They do not want him discussing his role as an American agent with Indian intel-ligence.

terrorist was involved in 26/11, not 9/11. And it is not India that is refusing to extradite him but America that has told us to go take a flying jump.

It is not difficult to see why the case of David Headley evokes such strong emotions among Indians. For us, 26/11 is as important as 9/11 is to Americans. The difference is that while the US knows pretty much everything it needs to about 9/11 — especially as al-Qaeda has openly taken credit for the attack — India is still trying to piece together the details of the conspiracy. It is the US that has told us that Headley made several reconnaissance trips for 26/11. Natu-rally, we believe that such a man not only deserves to be punished by an Indian court but that his information may hold the key to unravelling the 26/11 plot. What’s more, we suspect that Headley also suggested Poona as a potential terror target. How many other such targets did he pinpoint? Until we interrogate him, we will never know.

So, why is the US behaving in this manner? Say what you will about the Americans but the truth is that till now, they have genuinely tried to fight a global war against terror and have regularly involved the world’s intelligence agencies in this effort.

Why abandon the cooperation now? Why alienate India so com-pletely for the sake of a terrorist? Why allow more people to be killed — in such attacks as the Poona bombing — by refusing to let Indian investigators

America is behav-ing very strangely in the David Head-ley case. It has something to hide. And it is scared of what Headley could reveal.

“A house divided against itself cannot stand,” U.S. President Abraham Lincoln said in reference to Civil War. Unfortunately, an uncivil war has been raging within India House. Hopefully, unlike the American civil war, it will not have to be resolved with rifles and cannons. We Indians are brilliant individually and fairly inept collectively. We were able to build India House, a remark-able tribute to our vision and ability to get things done. However, India House is also a testament our inability to work together coherently. Hopefully, under the leadership of Jugal Malani and the impartial election panel headed by Attorney Paul Madan will help put together a new leadership that will rejuvenate our home away from home that is India House.

Pramod Kulkarni

A House Divided

Saving a Good ThingThrough Sunday night, India’s most talked about reality show,

the Indian Premier League, was temporarily eclipsed by India’s most popular sporting event, the Indian Premier League. The final match itself was an extraordinary affair, played between one team led by India’s favourite sportsman Sachin Tendulkar and the other, led by the Indian cricket team captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni. Even purists had to recognise that the tournament in its third chapter has been an unstoppable juggernaut. For seven straight weeks, the imagination of a nation was hooked to the sporting spectacle. That despite the off-the-field din about malpractices and shady deals, the noisy sports festival managed to reach a fitting climax with the IPL trophy being lofted by the Chennai Super Kings.

Which is exactly why the IPL needs to be saved. Some would say that since April 11, when Lalit Modi decided to turn the tournament into a stadium-sized battle of egos, the IPL brand was destroyed. The fact that the IPL has been battered by charges and countercharges of corruption and wheeling-dealings cannot be doubted. Mr Modi’s sheer talent to create and firm up a $4 billion-plus industry cannot hide the fact that something equally unsavoury in its business come out in the public domain. This thick patina of sleaze must be removed. This can be done only by having a transparent IPL in place, BCCI cleans its stables to make a very successful sporting brand not become synonymous with corporate thievery and shenanigans. Tendulkar and Dhoni spoke about how they look forward to next year’s tournament. It’s wrong to think that the tournament’s survival depends on under-the-table deals. Make it a fully transparent body and everyone can reap the rewards of one of the biggest mega-events in the world without being having to be tarnished by muck. HT

continued on page 17


17 Indo American News • Friday, April 30 , 2010ONLINE EDITION: www.indoamerican-news.comSOCIETY

Letter to the Editor

Deepak Chopra Should Heal, Not HurtThe new-age guru Deepak Chopra has been quoted as saying that the recent earthquake that rocked Southern Cali-

fornia and parts of Mexico was caused by his meditation on Shiv mantra (India Abroad, April 16, page A3). If true, I suppose Dr. Chopra deserves to be commended for his powers. One hopes the physician Deepak Chopra remembers his Hippocratic oath and would now use his powers to resurrect all the lives lost and all the property damaged in the quake. If not, I submit Dr. Chopra be held responsible for all the property damage in a civil lawsuit, and be tried in a criminal case for all the lives lost in the devastating earthquake. And, perhaps an organization of physicians such as the American Medical Association ought to look into this behavior of the physician Deepak Chopra to consider a disciplinary acttion.

Hari Dayal, Houston

But there is a third possibility. One theory — advanced by The Daily Beast website and the American media themselves — is that Headley remained a US agent till the end. He was the source who told the Americans about 26/11, causing them to send us a vague warning about the attack before it happened. (Because this warning was not specific enough, our sloppy intelligence apparatus ignored it.)

If you follow this theory through, then you would have to argue, as some Indian intelligence officials do, that the Americans pulled Headley out because they suspected that Indian agents were getting wise to his identity. Far better to place him in secure American custody and to deny everybody else access than to risk having him exposed by a foreign intelligence service.

We do not have enough information to conclude with any certainty which of these three possibilities comes closest to what really happened. But of one thing, there can no longer be any doubt.

America is behaving very strangely in the David Headley case. It has something to hide. And it is scared of what Headley could reveal. HT

continued from page 16

Why is America Hiding Headley?

Indian Doc Killed in Yale by Chinese Ex-colleagueBRANFORD, Connecticut: They

are among the most prized immi-grants in US academia from two Asian giants that send them in droves to America.

For the most part, Indians and Chinese in the US academia and workplace engage in friendly rivalry with a kind of fierce work ethic that Americans envy and fear. For years, I-C in America has come to mean Indians-Chinese as much as Inte-grated Circuit.

But the gun-shots that rang out on a lovely spring morn-ing in Branford, Connec t icu t , introduced a ter-rible bloodstain into this equa-tion. At the end of the shooting, Dr Vajinder Toor, 34, a postdoctoral clinical fellow at the Yale School of Medicine, lay dead in the park-ing lot outside his home even as his pregnant wife cowered nearby.

Police, who were alerted to the shooting by neighbours, de-tained Dr Lishan Wang, 44, a Chinese national from Beijing who was fleeing the scene in a burgundy colored minivan. He is being charged with murder, criminal

Lishan Wang

Parneeta Sidhu, the wife of Dr. Vajinder Toor who was allegedly shot by Lishan Wang, leaves her home in Branford, Conn. with her three-year-old son.

attempt to commit murder, carrying weapons in a motor vehicle, carrying a handgun without a permit and un-lawful discharge of a firearm.-TOI


18 Indo American News • Friday, April 30 , 2010 ONLINE EDITION: www.indoamerican-news.comSOCIETY

Indian Americans Catching Up in U.S. PoliticsWASHINGTON: Recipient of this year’s

prestigious Ellis Island Medal of Honour, In-dian American business leader Rao S. Anumolu believes the Indian community, doing an “A+ job” professionally and economically, is now catching on in politics too.

“Indians here are mostly professionals - doc-tors, engineers and in finance field, etc,” says Anumolu, president and CEO of Long Island (New York)-based ASR International Corpora-tion, who would be presented the medal recog-nising those making outstanding contributions to their communities, their nation and the world, on May 8.

“In these professions, there is ample oppor-tunity to prove themselves professionally and economically, and they are doing A+ job,” he told IANS in an e-mail interview.“In politics, the sec-ond generation is catching on and they are much more in tune as participants, be it (Louisiana governor) Bobby Jindal or others, but not to the extent you expect,” he said.Asked what makes Indians excel, Anumolu said: “My take on that is: Talent has always been there in India. The ques-tion is of providing sufficient resources to support the basic human talent for growth.”

“Now, in India too they are flooded with the resources, knowledge, know-how, equipment, and whatever is needed to succeed. Indians are excelling worldwide. Anywhere they can excel because they inherently have good talent and they work hard,” Anumolu said.

With the Indian economy now booming, Anumolu’s ASR is “supporting companies here which are going to India and setting up big ven-tures there”.“With our support, they are able to go there with full force and implement them with these resources and know-how. So, indirectly we are helping everyone,” he said when asked about his plans to venture out to India.

Both the US House of Representatives and the Senate have officially recognised the Ellis Island Medals of Honour and the recipients are read into

the Congressional Record. Anumolu is the only Asian Indian to have been also cited by the US Congress in 2003 for the contributions made by him and ASR International Corporation towards homeland security in the US.

He came to Chicago for higher studies in 1969 and went on to turn ASR into a trailblazer in developing innovative systems and leveraging technology to provide cost-effective, high qual-ity services to Fortune 500 companies like BP, Rolls-Royce, Exxon, Textron and government agencies.“They work with us because we serve them well in a cost-effective manner,” he said. “We support Fortune 500 companies and provide services worldwide.Anumolu, who has also been honoured by national Telugu organisations such as TANA and ATA, has consistently “supported many associations of Indian origin. In turn, they send out aid when and where needed in India”.

“They are better than me in channelling the resources so we give it to them,” he said.

Anumolu has no political favourites, be it in India or the US. “We stand neutral on the politi-cal spectrum. I have friends on both sides of the aisle. We keep away from politics,” he said.“Our mission is clear - we are focused to achieve a few things. And we believe that this is a major contributor to societal growth, whether it is here or anywhere in the world,” Anumolu said when asked what he believed brought him the honour.His formula for success: “Anything you take, work at it, focus on it, try to learn from it, and then move forward with total determination and you will succeed beyond your imagination.”

His two sons, Praveen and Naveen too are now fully involved in the family business, yet Anumolu who keeps fit and at peace by not getting “involved in unnecessary activities” and doing “interesting things all the time”, has no retirement plans.As he told his nephew recently, “I just started my career. Lots to be done.“We have only started scratching the surface. We will keep going!” IANS


19 Indo American News • Friday, April 30 , 2010ONLINE EDITION: www.indoamerican-news.comSOCIETY

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and operate the motel. Salary plus commission. Excellent opportunities.

Abdul Panjwani (713) 502-8523

Introducing Hindu Culture to the Mainstream America

By nand Kapoor“Guru Brahma, Guru Vishnu,

Guru Devoh, Maheshwarahah. Guru Sakshat Parabrahama, Tasmay Shri Guraveh Namah”.

“It says that Guru is Brahma, who is the Creator of the universe. Guru is Vishnu who is all pervasive and is also the Doer in the universe. Guru is Ma-heshvara who commands and ordains everything in the universe in the right manner. Guru is not one who merely teaches. A real Guru is Omnipotent, Omniscient and Omnipresent, He is God Himself.”

Guru Vandana- Reverance to the Teacher, took place for the first time in the history of one of America’s Top Universities, ‘Case Western Reserve University’ and the event honored Professor of Mathematics, Christo-pher Butler.

With such a beautiful, inspiring, and revered concept of Guru, the Hindu YUVA at ‘Case Western Reserve University’ chose Guru Vandana to be one of their Cultural events of the year, a tradition that they hope to con-tinue every year honoring all those Educators and Teachers that impart knowledge on the students. The event took place in Adelbert Hall/College, the Administrative Building of Case Western, which included students, faculty, the local Indian community, as well as members from Under-graduate Indian Student Association, Muslim Students Association, Un-

dergraduate Student Government, Satrang Graduate Students Organiza-tion, Art of Living Foundation, etc.

The event began with an Electric Lamp Invocation by Professor Chris Butler and a Shanti Mantra by Hindu YUVA’s Philanthropic Chairman, Apurva Kaushik. President Barbara Snyder was also present at the event, along with Dr. Sudesh Agrawal of the Cleveland Clinic as representative of Hindu Education Foundation.

The Ceremony consisted of Hindu YUVA students and other students present at the event putting Tilak on Professor Butler, doing Aarti to him, and a Shawl Ceremony with a Bouquet.

Mohammed Gazanfer Khan (Gazy Khan), community relations director, next year’s President of Muslim Stu-dents Association and a junior, spoke at event talking about the scene in the Great Epic, Mahabharata, between the relationship of Ekalavya and his Guru Dronacharya. He then went on to point out that events such as Guru Vandana are “beyond culture, religion, caste and creed” and such events only create Unity within Di-versity among the students and its faculty and the community. He also expressed strong interest in Hindu YUVA and its team to collaborate with the Muslim Students Associa-tion next school year to have events such as this to promote Unity among campus life.

After Gazy’s speech,Dr. Adityan, named as one of top 100 Neuropsy-chiatrists in America, and currently serves as the Secretary, Board of Directors at the Hindu University of America, Orlando, FL started with a word of praise for Gazy and spoke about the Guru-Disciple Relationship and the pivotal and universal role it plays. He pointed out the relationship as something Divine and Transcen-dental, illustrating stories throughout the history of Hinduism that played a significant role in honoring and showing Reverance to the Guru. Dr. Jessica Gerard, the Director of ESL who works with Hindu YUVA in the Sewa Project Vani helping the Bhu-tanese with ESL Classes, described the event, “I had tears in my eyes the entire time while this was happening, you guys did an absolutely wonderful job and I wish you all the best”.

The event concluded with Profes-sor Chris Butler speaking about how humbled he was and honored he was for the event. He said that students usually ask him to sit in Dunk Tanks* for student life activities but they have never asked if they can felicitate him through a unique culture and tradition and such as Guru-Vandana.

Many distinguished faculty mem-bers, intellectuals, and community leaders that were present at the event congratulated the Hindu YUVA or-ganization for having such a unique cultural event “that should become a tradition every year”.

Hindu YUVA of Case Western University celebrates Guru-Vandana

Picture of the Week

Coordinated by Prahalad Appaji and Radha Dhananayak over 50 members of Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh (HSS) participated in the March of Dimes - March for Babies walk on Sunday, April 25, 2010 at University of Houston Robertson Stadium.


20 Indo American News • Friday, April 30 , 2010 ONLINE EDITION: www.indoamerican-news.comS O C I E T Y

Free Meditation Sessions at Sanatan Shiv Shakti Mandir

Meditation means to forget our physical existence com-pletely and become one with the Universal Consciousness. At such a time we experience the pure joy as universal ener-gy starts flowing within. Just as words are insufficient to de-scribe the scents of flowers in the same way the experience of this eternal joy cannot be expressed through words.

Samarpan Meditation is a path of experience so meditate and experience an internal transformation by attending free sessions at Sanatan Shiv Shakti Mandir, 5645 Hillcroft Street, on May 1st 2010.

Arya Samaj HostsVolunteer and DAVSS Teacher Appreciation EventHOUSTON: Volunteer and Teacher appre-

ciation lunch is an annual tradition at Arya Sa-maj Greater Houston and marks the successful closing of another school year. It is hosted by the members of the Arya Samaj management com-mittee filling the day with pleasant surprises. Just like the previous years the committee members planned and executed this luncheon to perfection.

The beautiful sunny day started with the man-agement committee members, dressed in crisp white shirts and black trousers, welcoming the teachers and volunteers. Everyone socialized and was treated to a mouthwatering “jaljira” and hot straight-off-the-oven delicious spring rolls. Mr. Dev Mahajan wearing his very tradi-tional chef hat organized the group together for a memorable picture by our very own Mr. Rajesh

Thatte. Continuing with the tradition of maintaining an element of surprise, this year’s food theme was Chi-nese followed by a game of gestures. Management Committee members acted as the perfect hosts serv-ing the food and making the day special for all at-tendees.

After lunch Acharya Praveen Gulati ji, humbly thanked the teachers for their untiring work, Yajna they do by teaching chil-dren of our community Vedic values, culture and traditions. Mr. Dev Ma-

hajan, continued the thanking, embellishing the contributions with examples of our children and the remarkable improvement in their behavior, knowledge and self-confidence as a result of being students of DAVSS and Arya Samaj. Jeevan Prabhat Pondicherry and Bhutanese families support are a few special projects that school and Arya Samaj have very successfully undertaken with the support of the congrega-tion and specially volunteers who also gave their time.

The best was obviously saved for the last. The game of gestures was introduced to the group, by management committee playing first demo round. I think they did ok. The two teams were made by the seating arrangement. Obviously an Indian touch to the game was completed by adding a list of movies which also carried the highest score. Only the bravest went up to act the movies out and Arya Samaj discovered hidden talent among its members.

DAV Montessori School is celebrating its successful 10 years, on May 15th, from 5-7pm and DAVSS is graduating its seniors on Mar 23rd, from 10-12 am in Arya Samaj Greater Houston. All are welcome to attend and see for themselves the accomplishments of our students.

ASGH Volunteers and teachers


21 Indo American News • Friday, April 30 , 2010ONLINE EDITION: www.indoamerican-news.com

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The Blue Mug: A Play that Overflows with Angst & HumorHOUSTON: Try finding a link

between theatre, pickle shop, pre-mium Scotch and Konkona Sen Sharma and you might end up splitting hairs. The answer is: Atul Kumar, the director of current the-atre sensation in the country, The Blue Mug.

And here is how: Born into a Delhi spice merchant family, if Ku-mar hadn’t taken theatre as his vo-cation, he would be selling achaar, kaali mirch and amchoor at Khari Baoli market. But the dramatic en-thusiast “chose to be a freak” and worked his way to the stage with-out compromise. His struggle paid off. Two decades later, with several unsung laurels in his bag, when an event management group, Show-house, sent sponsorship proposals to various corporate houses about a play which communicated in the form of human memories, albeit in a funny way, the draft managed to “make an impression” on Bal-lantine’s.

That the play featured Konkona, Ranvir Shorey and Vinay Pathak also helped the cause. Nonethe-less, the final verdict, in the form of sold-out houses in all the pre-

sentations, had cast the dice. Ku-mar is out of backroom theatre and bang under media spotlight today.

Having worked in theatre for two decades at a stretch, one would think it is a cakewalk for him to deal with the flashbulbs and spotlight. But Kumar appears edgy, fidgety, and often tapping his feet impatiently, as if eager to beat a retreat.

“Yes, that makes me uncomfort-able,” he confesses nonchalantly. “Frankly, there has never been a play in my repertoire that has drawn such attention of the media and I wonder where theatre lies in all this, if it does at all!” Is it be-cause the star faces in his play like Konkana and Vinay Pathak....

“People constantly place me and my actors under the slots of ‘stars’, ‘known faces’, ‘filmy!’ etc etc and though I realize that I am working on this piece with actors who are also now household faces from cinema, but... people need to see them as actors on stage, as performers first and then comment or ask questions since that is what the essential is in this case in point. We are doing a piece of theatre and

people seem to be focusing on all other things but that.”

The angst in Kumar’s words is hardly visible in The Blue Mug, which has been reported as a laugh riot, right from the word go. Probably he is in his comfort zone when playing on the stage. It is the publicity, hype and five-star hos-pitality that annoys him a little. “I am tired. I am bored,” says Kumar, “with the five-star surroundings”. The writer, translator, actor, direc-tor is curt... and honest.

The Blue Mug play is on May 2nd at 5:30pm at the Stafford Civic Center in Houston and the show is almost sold out. A word out from the organizers is to please arrive at the show early to avoid any dis-appointments. Seating begins at 4:30pm. Refreshments and tea will be served.


22 Indo American News • Friday, April 30 , 2010 ONLINE EDITION: www.indoamerican-news.comS O C I E T Y

Methodist Sugar Land to Open New Spine Center on May 3S U G A R

LAND: Back and neck pain ranks near the top of the list as a reason for visits to primary care physicians. To expedite sur-gical and non-surgical care for patients with back and neck pain, Method-ist Sugar Land Hospital is open-ing its new Spine Center May 3rd. The center will feature a unique spine care navi-gation service, designed to help patients receive the complete spine care they need from di-agnosis and treatment through re-habilitation services — all in one convenient location.

It’s not uncommon for people suf-fering with back and neck pain to try many kinds of treatment without real relief, and it can be frustrating to wait many weeks for an appointment with a specialist. At the core of Methodist Sugar Land Hospital’s Spine Center is a nurse practitioner or “navigator” who will help patients get going in the

quickly.” “Care is coordinated by a nurse

navigator assigned to each patient who then assists the patient through the treatment process,” says Dr. Bin-dal. “The nurse schedules all appoint-ments and continues to meet with the patient to discuss the treatment plan, answer questions and help educate the patient about his or her treatment and condition.”

“The overall management of spine care includes imaging, diagnoses, pain management, physical and oc-cupational therapy, and surgical pro-cedures when necessary,” says Irfan Lalani, M.D., board-certified neu-rologist and pain specialist on staff at Methodist Sugar Land Hospital. “At the Spine Center, we will coordinate this care and be able to make the cor-rect referral the first time due, in large part, to evidence-based medicine.”

Jeffrey Jackson, M.D., board-cer-

tified neurologist and chief of the Medical Staff at Methodist Sugar Land Hospital, agrees. “This multi-disciplinary approach means patients will receive the most appropriate treatment from the right specialty physician based on scientific research and proven treatment methods. Pa-tients can be assured treatment will be of the highest possible quality and that it is provided as soon and as safely as possible,” Dr. Jackson says.

“Patients will be led through a process of assessment and treatment ranging from physical therapy to ag-gressive non-surgical management, and if necessary, delicate spine sur-gery tailored to the patient’s unique condition,” says Jeffrey Wood, M.D., board-certified orthopedic spine sur-geon with Methodist Orthopaedic Specialists of Texas. Through mini-mally invasive spine surgery, such spine conditions as degenerative disc

right direction. “We believe patients with back and

neck pain should have the benefit of comprehensive care that includes easy access and a simple process from start to finish,” says Rajesh K. Bindal, M.D., board-certified neurosurgeon and medical director of the Spine Center. “Our innovative approach to care helps all patients — walk-ins and those with physician referrals — see the right specialist they need very

disease, spinal stenosis, nerve com-pression, recurrent herniated discs and other trauma can be alleviated.

“Our spine care patients also ben-efit from Methodist Sugar Land Hospital’s sophisticated diagnostic equipment and technology,” shares Dr. Wood. “For example, the in-dustry’s most powerful whole body 3 Tesla MRI provides state-of-the-art image resolution while reducing exam times.”

The new Spine Center is located on the Methodist Sugar Land Hos-pital campus with easy access off Town Center Boulevard. Patients with primary care physician referrals, as well as those without referrals, are welcome.

For more information or to sched-ule an appointment at Methodist Sugar Land Hospital’s Spine Center, call 281-313-BACK (2225).

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