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www.desitalk.com – that’s all you need to know 10 NATIONAL Kerrville, TX, Honors Sewa International, Partner Organizations For Flood Relief And Recovery Efforts K errville, Texas (December 16, 2025): The City of Kerrville, Texas, along with the Kerr Eco- nomic Development Corporation and the Kerr Together Long-Term Recovery Group, honored Sewa International and other Indian Ameri- can organizations on December 9 for their outstanding service and leadership during the July 4 flash floods that affected the city this year. Reflecting on the experience, Mayor Joe Herrington remarked, “This wasn’t just emergency response—it was a ministry. Helping others is how we serve God, and Sewa International embodied that spirit every single day. Their volunteers brought hope, structure, and human- ity when our community needed it most.” In addition, the Indo-American Charity Foundation (IACF), Sewa’s partner organization, made a significant contribution of $50,000 toward flood recovery efforts. Representatives from the Indo-American Charity Foundation Houston (IACF) shared their guiding principle: “We live here, we give here.” “It was impossible to miss the sea of yellow T-shirts,” a city representative recalled, Sewa International vol- unteers who managed traffic, coordinated logistics, and organized hundreds of community volunteers at the Tivy Antler Stadium emergency site. “At a moment when we were overwhelmed and unsure how to manage the sheer scale of operations, Sewa stepped in and brought order, compassion, and unwavering commitment. That made all the difference,” the representative said. Key city officials, including Economic Development Manager Kelly Hagemeyer, Kerr EDC Deputy Director Theresa Metcalf, Todd Bock, Executive Director, Kerr Eco- nomic Development Corporation, and City Manager Dal- ton Rice, expressed gratitude for the early and sustained support provided by Sewa International, which played a central role in uniting Indian American organizations across Texas to support Kerrville’s recovery. Drawing from years of experience handling hurricanes in Houston, Sewa volunteers immediately organized and prepared to help emergency teams deal with the Kerrville situation and joined the relief efforts. Under the guidance of Mr. Prashant Sona of the Houston Indian Consulate, and the leadership of Ramesh Cherivirala and Pankaj Rana of IACF, multiple organi- zations rallied together, including Arya Samaj, Indian Muslims Association of Greater Houston, Indian Doctors’ Association, Indo American Conservatives of Texas, and Indian Doctors’ Charitable Clinic. Emphasizing the collaborative effort, IACF President Pankaj Rana said, “The strength of our response came from unity. Partnering with Sewa International allowed us to break silos, combine resources, and make a meaning- ful impact quickly.” City leaders also expressed deep appreciation for Sewa volunteers, many of whom traveled from Houston and San Antonio and arrived within hours of the disaster to support the affected community. Several individuals—Nikhil Jain, Vinayak Astekar, Sunil Kolluru, Trinabh Shukla, Jitendra Chaudhary, Swapnil Padate, and others—were also recognized for their direct contributions, both financially and on the ground. Overall, city leaders credited Sewa International USA for being among the first organizations to arrive and among the last to leave. As one official said, “Sewa’s dedication didn’t end with the initial emergency. They have continued to support long-term recovery and have remained a pillar of strength for families rebuilding their lives.” About Sewa International Sewa International (www.sewausa.org) is a 501 (c) (3) Hindu faith-based charitable nonprofit that works in the areas of disaster recovery, education, and development. Sewa has 43 Chapters across the USA and serves regard- less of race, color, religion, sex, age, disability, or national origin. Press Release “Horrific”: US Congressman “Unequivocally” Condemns Mob Lynching Of Hindu Youth In Bangladesh W ashington, DC [US], December 28 (ANI): US Congressman Ro Khanna has “unequivo- cally” condemned the lynching of a Hindu youth, Dipu Chandra Das, in Bangladesh, calling the killing an “act of hatred and big- otry”. In a post on X on Saturday, Khanna, a member of the US House of Representatives from California, reacted to the killing of Das, 27-year-old Hindu garment worker, and stressed the need for a strong and clear response to such incidents. “The killing of Dipu Chandra Das, a 27-year-old Hindu garment worker in Bangladesh is horrific and my thoughts and prayers are with his friends and family. We must unequivocally condemn and speak out against these vile acts of hatred and bigotry,” his post read. Khanna’s remark comes in the backdrop of a mob lynching of the Hindu youth, Dipu Chandra Das, a worker in a garment factory, in Bangladesh’s Mymensingh dis- trict. According to reports, Dipu Das, who was beaten to death by a mob over alleged blasphemy charges, had his body hanged and set on fire on December 18. The Daily Star, citing Mymensingh’s Additional Super- intendent of Police, Abdullah Al Mamun, stated that a factory official had informed Bhaluka police that a group of workers attacked Dipu inside the factory, accusing him of making “derogatory remarks about the Holy Prophet Hazrat Muhammad (PBUH)” in a Facebook post. Factory sources told The Daily Star that the assailants later took Dipu out of the factory premises, where resi- dents also joined the attack, resulting in his death. However, Rapid Action Battalion (RAB)-14 Company Commander in Mymensingh, Md Samsuzzaman, told The Daily Star that investigators found no evidence suggesting the deceased had posted or written anything on Facebook that could have hurt religious sentiments, adding that neither residents nor fellow garment factory workers could point to any such activity by the victim. The victim’s brother, Apu Chandra Das, also filed a case at Bhaluka Police Station, naming 140 to 150 un- identified individuals as accused. The incident sparked widespread outrage and condemnation among political leaders, religious organisations and minority groups in Bangladesh and India. (ANI) By Ani Congressman Ro Khanna. Photo: Khanna.house.gov January 2, 2026