American NRIs to provide medical aid in Kerala

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The US-based NRI community hailing from Kerala will provide free medical treatment to selected patients through some private hospitals in the state.

This is the second year in succession that the community is providing medical assistance to patients in the state, said Jiji Thompson, secretary in the department assisting the state�s NRIs.

�By now 700 patients have registered for free plastic surgery for ailments to lips and corrective face surgery. Another 400 have registered for urological surgery,� said Thompson.

The assistance programme to be inaugurated by chief minister Oommen Chandy will be provided through several private hospitals in southern Kerala in November.

The programme would be extended to hospitals in northern Kerala next year. Last year 116 plastic surgeries were done under the programme.

A 12-year-old girl was also taken to Houston, US, and treated with a limb replacement surgery under the programme.

Thompson said that apart from medicines, several pieces of brand new equipment would be provided to the hospitals under the programme.

Tallest Durga idol in Sunnyvale temple

SUNNYVALE: The Sunnyvale Hindu Temple here celebrated Durga Puja for the first time, claiming that its idol was the tallest in North America.

The Durga Puja was conducted for five days last week in an authentic way as it is celebrated in India.

It was celebrated in collaboration with Paschimi, a cultural organization in Silicon Valley composed of mainly Bengali Indian-Americans from Northern California that organizes Indian cultural and religious events.

�This is the first time Sunnyvale Temple is organizing a separate Durga Puja because of the community involvement,� temple founding board member Raj Bhanot told the Seattle-based PlanetGuru weekly.

The Durga idol was tallest in North America, according to the organizers. The idol was brought from Kumartuli, Kolkata. The priests specially brought for the occasion were Pandit H.K Bhattacharya from Kolkata and Pandit A.K Ganguly from New Jersey.

�The Durga Puja is a complete community event -- open to every one, and many people from all states of India are taking part,� said Reena Chatterjee of Sunnyvale.

�The Durga Puja went quite well and there was a good turnout,� said Arun Gupta, a regular temple attendee with his family.

Lalwani holds fundraiser in San Jose

SAN JOSE: Presidents of the African American and Asian American Democratic clubs and Democratic activists for Women Now co-hosted a fundraiser here for Deepka Lalwani, a candidate for the Milpitas City Council.

Other co-hosts included Annie Dandavati, Mohinder Mann, James Kim, Ben Menor, Merylee Shelton, Paul Fong and Carol Garvey.

Currently the chair of the Milpitas Planning Commission, Lalwani is a member of the Democratic Central Committee, DAWN and Asian Pacific American Club.

Congressman Mike Honda, state Senator Liz Figueroa and the current and former mayors of Milpitas have endorsed her candidacy.