And for this we are thankful.... - Armenian Reporter

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14 The Armenian Reporter | November 22, 2008CommunityThe former chairperson of the Armenian Community Council of IndiaIn his own words:Haik H. Sookias, Jr.TANGRA, India – The once-vibrantArmenian community of Indiaboasted some 30,000 members.Now the community is said to havebetween 80-100 Armenians. Only20–22 are members of the ArmenianChurch.While the community here maynot be large, the community’s resourcesare reportedly vast, thanksto a number of endowments to theArmenian Church.The Armenian Reporter’s PaulChaderjian spoke to one of theimmediate former chairperson ofthe Armenian Community Councilof India, Haik H. Sookias, Jr.,whose resignation was acceptedtwo weeks ago by CatholicosKarekin II. The new chairperson isMichael Dutt, who shares the fiscalresponsibilities of the communitywith two other wardens, SusanMargaret Reuben and SunilSurin Sobpr.Armenian Reporter: Tell usabout Paul Chater and his endowment.Haik H. Sookias, Jr.: Sir PaulChater was a founding memberof a merchant’s bank, way backbefore it was hsbc. He gave theArmenian Church 525 pounds ofhis shares 80 years ago. You multiplythat by the years, and you canunderstand how much money heactually gave. At the time, nobodyknew that this fledgling bank wasever going to be anything.AR: How much money are wetalking about?HSS: Well, 525 pounds of sharesin the late 1920s, 80 or 90 years ago,and I think that was 1/11th of thebank. Today it is 1.4 or 1.5 percentof the actual bank’s shares. The dividendof that is the money that we(Left to right)The wardens ofthe ArmenianCommunityCouncil of Indiainclude MichaelDutt, chairman,Susan Reubenand Sunil Sobpr.Photo: TamarKevonian.use for the Church. Unfortunately,because of Indian law and whatthey call the Charities Act, we can’tactually sell the shares. It’s not likewe can go and say let’s take 10, 20million bucks, and let’s do somethingbetter with that. We can’t.We can’t sell the shares. In fact, wedon’t even specifically hold them.Under Indian law, they’re ours, butwe don’t hold them. They’re actuallyheld by the official trustee ofWest Bengal.AR: I’ve heard a lot of talk thatthe income from these endowmentsis between one million tofive million dollars a year. Can yougive me specific numbers?HSS: I’m not able to do that, becausethere are amounts in dollarsand amounts in shares; and literally,the main asset value is the shares.You really can’t put into numbersthe value of this property [HolyTrinity in Tangra] or the value ofother properties that we have. Weonly have access to the interest income.The basic money is tied up.So it can’t be touched. But obviously,they’re more than significant, inthe millions of dollars annually.AR: That amount is only the annualinterest income?HSS: It’s actually earnings income.The amount completely dependson the economic conditions.With the financial crisis, it mightbe one million [U.S. dollars]. In areally, really good year, it might befive million. But after saying that,when the money comes in, we haveto look after the properties. Wehave decided to put money intorenovating the properties. So thefirst priority with the money is thework we need to do in our community.We make sure the old peopleare looked after. Other things wedo is make smaller contributions tohospitals, so that when Armeniansget ill, they go to those hospitalsand receive care. It’s sort of like adeal you make with the hospital.“Look, I’ll give you $10,000 now, butif the guy comes in later on, yougive him free treatment. So thatstuff is constant also. And we paystipends to 250 people. We feedthem. We look out for the churchesand take care of the staff, and allthe schools.AR: You have used Church fundsto create the first trauma hospital,the Armenian Church TraumaHospital for all residents of Kolkataand the first HIV/AIDS ArmenianChurch hospital for all children inIndia and an orphanage for kidsleft homeless in the Indian OceanTsunami . How do you decide whatnon-Armenian projects to fund?HSS: Essentially, what happensis that we look around a lot. Peopleget to know that the ArmenianChurch wants to work with charitiesand we want to be involved, sothey apply. For every one of thecharities that we have done andthat we have mentioned, I’d say 20others we have rejected. Our rule ofthumb is that we have to go and seethe place. We have got to know thatit’s a genuine charity. The other ruleof thumb is that we have to makesure is that an administrative costis not coming out of the charity. Inother words, somebody else isn’tliving off the charity. So, you go toall these big charity organizations,and they have administrative costsat 50-70 percent, you give thema hundred dollars, and the actualmoney that goes to a poor personis 20 dollars or 10 dollars. We wantto make sure, in our case, and weknow there is a certain amount ofcost to do the charity, but we makesure at least 80 percent is going tothe poor kids.AR: Are there any laws in the Republicof India that tell you whereand how to spend the money?HSS: It was actually decided bySir Paul Chater and his descendentsthat we be set up as a charitabletrust. Under charitable trustlaws in India, you actually haveto give away 85 percent of what-Continued on page 15
The Armenian Reporter | November 22, 2008 15CommunityThe former chairperson of the Armenian Community Council of India Continued from page 14ever income you might earn in theChurch to retain your charity andnontaxable status. So we got into asituation where we had to do charity,where we either had to spendit on our churches or we had to dothe charity. I mean, we look afterArmenians from the cradle to thegrave. From the moment they areborn, if they need heart operations,if they need anything, we give themmonthly stipends, we give thembonuses for Christmas, we run theold folks’ home here called the PaulChater Home.AR: So, any Armenian can applyand move in to the Paul ChaterHome?HSS: You can apply, but you haveto get past me, and I have to approve.But I’m a bit of a bulldog I’mafraid.AR: How about the ArmenianCollege. Do you accept any Armenianstudent who applies?HSS: There is a not a very majorselection process, but I thinkpeople who could generally sendtheir children to really goodschools don’t particularly want tosend them here at the moment. Westill have a bit of a way to go toCalendar of Eventsget the school up to internationalstandards, academics-wise and facilities-wise.I think there’re a lotof reasons that we have been behindthe ball for some years, andwe need to do a lot more. But it’snot only us. The cooperation has tocome from Etchmiadzin, becausethey are the people who select thekids who come here. Since Etchmiadzinis actually in control of themanagement of the school, it isthey who decide which kids comeand which kids don’t. We wouldlike to change that, and we’ve beentalking for some time about howthis can be changed, how to improvethe school and make it moreopen access. There are things thatare there for the future. We havea lot more to do, and that’s one ofthe goals. A lot of it depends onthe committee and the people here,and it’s very much a committee bydemocracy. Everyone has a say, anda lot of it has to do with Etchmiadzinand what role they want toplay in terms of the developmentof the school. That’s very much upto them.AR: How many students can theArmenian College enroll?HSS: I think we could take upto maybe 200 or 250 kids. I think[the school] needs more infrastructure[development]. It also needsa lot of, I guess, cooperation withthe people who want to send theirchildren. At the moment, the onlychildren who come are underprivilegedchildren from Armenia andIran, and last year we had maybeseven from Iraq.“If the studentsof the ArmenianCollege start seeingpeople coming all thetime and realizingthis is not someforgotten outpost ofArmenians,they maystart to think thatwe’re not in such a badplace.”AR: You are reaching out to Armeniansthroughout the diasporato tell them about your communityand its treasures. What doyou want them to know about yourcommunity?HSS: We want them to realize weare here, first, and then come moreoften. Come and enjoy the churches.You’ve seen St. Mary’s Churchin Chennai and you’ve seen HolyTrinity in Tangra. You have yet tosee the big St. Nazareth Churchand the St. Gregory Chapel. You’regoing to get mind-blown when yougo to Saidabad. If you think thisHoly Trinity is something, holdon to your hats. You really haven’tseen anything yet.We built this [Holy Trinity Churchin Tangra]. We redeveloped this,and people really have to start coming.People have got to start takinginterest. Only when you startgenerating the interest, point onepercent of the people will say, “Hey,it’s not such a bad place. India is stilla booming economy, 7.5 percentgrowth a year, and the ArmenianChurch is going to give us somewhereto stay and help us get jobs.”They’ll think about it for a while.If the students of the ArmenianCollege start seeing people comingall the time and realizing this is notsome forgotten outpost of Armenians,if they think, “Hey, peopleare actually coming here to see us;Americans are coming; Australiansare coming; foreigners are coming,”they may start to think thatwe’re not in such a bad place. And ifthey start thinking this is not sucha bad place, then they make takethe offers we have made to themto pay for their education in Indianuniversities, and the offer they’llbe made once they do that to givethem free homes. I want to buildsome single-family homes here,and then maybe the kids will beginto see this is not such a bad place.The Church is looking after them,and the Church is giving themsomewhere to stay. The Church isgiving them an education.Hopefuly, even if 10 percent, fivepercent or two percent of the kidsstay, and become successful, thenthe next generation will stay. It’snot bad. That’s how you start, and alot of it depends on people coming.You people start coming. Other foreignersstart coming. You comingis actually giving the kids the messagethat maybe it’s somewhere tocome and make a life. connect:armenianchurch.inNew YorkNOVEMBER 23 - Saroyan Centennial- Lefrak Concert Hall,Queens College, Kissena Boulevard,Flushing, NY. Sunday, 3pm Co- sponsored by the Anthropology/ArmenianMuseum& AGBU. Saroyan’s “Hello OutThere”; Babadjanian’s”The Timeof Your Life”theme by the Q. C.Orchestra; Readings; “SaroyanRemembered” exhibit. Reception.$20. Marge 718-428-5650.NOVEMBER 23 – 79TH AN-NUAL FOOD FESTIVAL & BA-ZAAR & MUSIC. Sponsored byHoly Cross church of Armenia,580 W. 187th Street, NYC. TraditionalArmenian dishes & pastries,choereg, katah, keshkeg,karput, keofteh, manti, simit,etc. Food to eat or to take home.Call in advance, for your orders.Sunday after Church servicefrom 12 noon to 6:00 p.m.NOVEMBER 26 – THANKS-GIVING EVE CELEBRATION& FUNDRAISER Hosted byAGBU Young Professionals ofGreater NY, Armenian NetworkGreater NY Region, NY ArmenianStudents’ Assoc, AYF-YO-ARF NY Hyortik and NJ ArsenChapters. Columbus 72 (246AColumbus Ave b/t 71 & 72 Sts,Manhattan). WEDNESDAY.Doors open at 10pm. 21+ w/proper ID req’d. Portion of proceedsbenefit Armenian education(Holy Martyrs ArmenianDay School, Hovnanian School,St. Illuminator’s Armenian DaySchool & FAR’s Gyumri IT Center).Admission $20 w/ RSVP (by11/24), $25 at door. Send emailw/ YOUR NAME and NAMESOF YOUR GUESTS to ThanksgivingEve2008@gmail.com.DECEMBER 5 - CELEBRATINGSAROYAN Kavookjian Hall, Dioceseof the Armenian Church ofAmerica (Eastern), 630 SecondAvenue, New York at 6 pm. Anevening of exploration into thelife and mind of the great Armenian-Americanauthor on theoccasion of the 100th anniversaryof his birth. Panel discussionfeaturing Prof. Peter Balakian,Prof. Jan Balakian, Prof.David Calonne, followed by theplay. “In My Case an ExceptionShould be Made: An AudienceWith William Saroyan” by ToddWronski. Reception will follow.Event is free of charge and opento the public. Sponsored by theDiocese of the Armenian Churchof America (Eastern) and theWilliam Saroyan Foundation.For more information, contactRachel Goshgarian at rachelg@zohrabcenter.org or at (212) 686-0710.DECEMBER 7 - ChristmasFamily Brunch sponsored byArmenian American Health ProfessionalOrganization(AAHPO)at Clinton Inn, 145 DeanDrive,Tenafly, NJ. 12:30 p.m.(201)871-3200. Guest performers:children reciting poetry, x-mass stories, Armenian dancing& x-mas caroling, etc. Pleasegive us a call if you’re interestedin having your child participate.Adults: $40; children,3-11: $25, under 3 - free. Reservationsneed to be made byNov. 30th. Call Armand Asarian,MD, (718) 250-6088; Garbis Baydar,MD (201)568-3252; KnarigKhatchadourian, PhD, (201) 444-0390, Arthur Kubikian, DDS,(516) 248-2950; Khoren Nalbandian,RPh, (201) 886-9191.DECEMBER 31 – HMADS NEWYEAR’S EVE PARTY. Hosted bythe Friends of HMADS andPTO at The Armenian Churchof the Martyrs Kalustyan Hall8:00 p.m. featuring Varujan Vartanianand his band with horsd’oeuvres, full dinner and Champagne.DJ and Santa Claus forthe kids. Adults: $ 100, Childrenunder 14: $ 60.For reservationsplease call: school office: (718)225 4826, Nyda: (516) 603 2809,Shakay (516) 398 0410, Hovsep:(718) 225 2515.MARCH 28, 2009 - SAVE THEDATE! ARS Centennial GalaBanquet at the prestigious YaleClub of NYC. Details to follow.718-961-9550.MAY 16, 2009- SAVE THEDATE! HMADS Gala DinnerDance at Russo’s on the Bay. Detailsto follow, for informationplease call: (718) 225 4826.New JerseyDECEMBER 6 - Taline, Friends& Santa Christmas Concert. AtSt. Thomas Armenian Church,E. Clinton & Highway 9W,Tenafly, N.J. Sat.1:30 PM &5:00 PM.Includes lunch/dinner.Call Mary Ann, (201)871-9111;Martha, (201)568-5315; Sirvart,(201)265-5230; Church Office,(201)567-5446.DECEMBER 7 - ChristmasFamily Brunch sponsored byArmenian American Health ProfessionalOrganization(AAHPO)at Clinton Inn, 145 DeanDrive,Tenafly, NJ. 12:30 p.m.(201)871-3200. Guest performers:children reciting poetry, x-mass stories, Armenian dancing& x-mas caroling, etc. Pleasegive us a call if you’re interestedin having your child participate.Adults: $40; children,3-11: $25, under 3 - free. Reservationsneed to be made byNov. 30th. Call Armand Asarian,MD, (718) 250-6088; Garbis Baydar,MD (201)568-3252; KnarigKhatchadourian, PhD, (201) 444-0390, Arthur Kubikian, DDS,(516) 248-2950; Khoren Nalbandian,RPh, (201) 886-9191.DECEMBER 31 – Sts. VartanantzAnnual New Year’s EveGala. At the Sheraton Meadowlands,East Rutherford, NJ. LiveMusic, open bar, mezze, fulldinner, desserts, prizes. Supervisionand Santa Claus for thekids. SAVE THE DATE! MOREINFORMATION TO COME!NOVEMBER 15, 2009 - SAVETHIS DATE: “ONE NATION,ONE CULTURE” A Cultural Festivalorganized by HamazkayinEastern USA Regional Executive,with the participation of TraditionalArmenian Dance Ensembles& Music Groups. SUNDAY,NOVEMBER 15, 2009. FelicianCollege Lodi, New Jersey. Detailsto Follow.Subscription Couponthe armenianreporterannual ratesU.S.A.: First Class Mail, $125; Periodicals Mail, $75Canada: $125 (u.s.); Overseas: $250 (u.s.)namestreetcity/state/zipMassachusettsDECEMBER 14 - ST. JAMESARMENIAN CHURCH’S77TH ANNIVERSARYNAME DAY BANQUET ANDCELEBRATION. HONORINGDR. NISHAN AND MARYGOUDSOUZIAN. St. James465 Mt. Auburn Street, Watertown,Massachusetts.10:00 a.m. Divine Liturgy,Name Day Banquet to followin Keljik Hall, $30 per person15 for children 12 andunder. R.S.V.P. by December8, 2007. Advanced ReservationsRequired, tickets willnot be available at the door.For more information pleasecall the St. James church officeat (617) 923-8860 or emailinfo@sthagop.comVisit us at new reporter.amCheck Enclosed OR Charge My:Mastercard Visa Amex DiscoverExp.mail coupon to: armenian reporterp.o. box 129, paramus, nj 07652orfax coupon to (201) 226-1660(credit card orders only)
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