{"@context":"http://iiif.io/api/presentation/3/context.json","id":"https://houstonlibrary.aviaryplatform.com/iiif/v11vd6qh6v/manifest","type":"Manifest","label":{"en":["Sharma, P. C."]},"logo":"https://d9jk7wjtjpu5g.cloudfront.net/organizations/logo_images/000/000/252/original/HPL_ArchiveBannerCDM2.jpg?1738348845","metadata":[{"label":{"en":["Publisher"]},"value":{"en":["Foundation for Indian Studies"]}},{"label":{"en":["Rights Statement"]},"value":{"en":["\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://rightsstatements.org/page/CNE/1.0/?language=en\"\u003eCopyright Not Evaluated\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003ePermission to publish or reproduce must be obtained from the Foundation for India Studies, Houston, Texas.\u003c/p\u003e"]}},{"label":{"en":["Source"]},"value":{"en":["Houston Public Library Special Collections"]}},{"label":{"en":["Agent"]},"value":{"en":["Sharma, P. C. (interviewee)","Vavilala, Krishna (interviewer)"]}},{"label":{"en":["Date"]},"value":{"en":["2014-05-09 (created)"]}},{"label":{"en":["Language"]},"value":{"en":["eng (primary)"]}},{"label":{"en":["Description"]},"value":{"en":["P. C. Sharma interviewed about culture, family, and educational background, as well as migration, contributions to the community, and work experiences."]}},{"label":{"en":["Format"]},"value":{"en":["digital recording, sound"]}},{"label":{"en":["Subject"]},"value":{"en":["Houston (Tex.) (geographic term)","Oral histories (topical term)","Mechanical engineering (topical term)","Prayers (topical term)","Hinduism (topical term)","Religious societies (topical term)"]}},{"label":{"en":["Keyword"]},"value":{"en":["indoamerican"]}},{"label":{"en":["Type"]},"value":{"en":["Moving Image"]}}],"summary":{"en":["P. C. Sharma interviewed about culture, family, and educational background, as well as migration, contributions to the community, and work experiences."]},"requiredStatement":{"label":{"en":["Attribution"]},"value":{"en":["\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://rightsstatements.org/page/CNE/1.0/?language=en\"\u003eCopyright Not Evaluated\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003ePermission to publish or reproduce must be obtained from the Foundation for India Studies, Houston, Texas.\u003c/p\u003e"]}},"provider":[{"id":"https://houstonlibrary.aviaryplatform.com/aboutus","type":"Agent","label":{"en":["Houston Public Library"]},"homepage":[{"id":"https://houstonlibrary.aviaryplatform.com/","type":"Text","label":{"en":["Houston Public Library"]},"format":"text/html"}],"logo":[{"id":"https://d9jk7wjtjpu5g.cloudfront.net/organizations/logo_images/000/000/252/original/HPL_ArchiveBannerCDM2.jpg?1738348845","type":"Image"}]}],"thumbnail":[{"id":"https://d9jk7wjtjpu5g.cloudfront.net/collection_resource_files/thumbnails/000/210/346/small/open-uri20231027-1243258-syhm7u_1698432677.jpg?1698418278","type":"Image","format":"image/jpeg"}],"items":[{"id":"https://houstonlibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2436/collection_resources/108901/file/210346","type":"Canvas","label":{"en":["Media File 1 of 1 - FIS-OH0023.mp4"]},"duration":2632.768,"width":640,"height":360,"thumbnail":[{"id":"https://d9jk7wjtjpu5g.cloudfront.net/collection_resource_files/thumbnails/000/210/346/small/open-uri20231027-1243258-syhm7u_1698432677.jpg?1698418278","type":"Image","format":"image/jpeg"}],"items":[{"id":"https://houstonlibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2436/collection_resources/108901/file/210346/content/1","type":"AnnotationPage","items":[{"id":"https://houstonlibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2436/collection_resources/108901/file/210346/content/1/annotation/1","type":"Annotation","motivation":"painting","body":{"id":"https://aviary-p-houstonlibrary.s3.wasabisys.com/collection_resource_files/resource_files/000/210/346/original/FIS-OH0023.mp4?1698418273","type":"Video","format":"video/mp4","duration":2632.768,"width":640,"height":360},"target":"https://houstonlibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2436/collection_resources/108901/file/210346","metadata":[]}]}],"annotations":[{"id":"https://houstonlibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2436/collection_resources/108901/file/210346/transcript/60420","type":"AnnotationPage","label":{"en":["Transcript [Transcript]"]},"items":[{"id":"https://houstonlibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2436/collection_resources/108901/file/210346/transcript/60420/annotation/1","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":")\n\nPS: Yeah of course, my mother made that decision, but most of them, 99% of the Hindus at that time -- and there was a lot of riots, there were a lot of burning, there were a lot of killing during that time when we were in Lahore, I remember -- in general.\n\nKV: In general, but in your family, did you get any prosecuted.\n\nPS: No, definitely not. And since my father was very well known in Lahore, he had a lot of friends who were in good position, and of course they advised my mother to move out of Lahore before it gets too late. So she came out of Lahore in about June of 47, two months before the independence and really my roots are in a village near Chandigarh, that’s the village which we come from. My father graduated high school from that village and the he moved to Lahore. \n\nKV: When were you born?\n\nPS: I was born in 1938, January 23, which happens to be Subhash Jayanti also, so anyway, that’s beside the point. So first we came about to a village and from there we came to Delhi.\n\nKV: Yourself, your mom and your sister?\nPS: Sister.\nKV: And your father --\nPS: Of course, he died in 41.\n\nKV: He passed away in Pakistan, present Pakistan.\n\nPS: Yeah, in Pakistan, in 41, that is six year before independence. So anyway, I don’t want to tell much about the -- \n\nKV: That was not a very --\n\nPS: No, it was a very – the refugee camp life was not that good, but since everybody was the same, you know, there was no comparison, so everybody was really happy and everything, whatever you can say, happy or whatever, because mom needs always the comparison which you have, since everybody was in the same situation. So everybody really lived wherever they could, nobody flatted out, so everybody --\n\nKV: Nobody is better off then?\n\nPS: Nobody is better off, so everybody is pp\n\nKV: Sharing the grief, misery.\n\nPS: Sharing the grief. And it was very friendly people, during those days of 47, India was great, you know. I’ll tell you, people were so helpful to each other and there was a Ministry of Rehabilitation which did a very good job. So after four years living in refugee camp they had built some houses and we were allotted a house, a 100 sq yard house in Patel Nagar in Delhi and we lived there, my mother lived there. I have gone to school and actually I was in 6th grade when we moved from Lahore to Delhi in 47. Since my father died, my mother put me to school at a very early age; I was hardly 4 years old when she put me to school. And so when we moved to Delhi actually nobody knew what my birth date is, so whatever school records they had made it, so my official birthday is 7 April, 1937.  Because I was too young to be admitted to 6th grade at my actual age, so they just fabricated some date.\n\nKV: They put --\nPS: Six to nine months more than my --\n\nKV: More than what your real biological age is.\n\nPS: Biological age, because I needed to be that age. \n\nKV: Correct! Anyway, in India in those days there were no real records of age.\n\nPS: No, record was there, but since my mother didn’t go to school to admit me and one of my father’s friend went there and whatever date he could find, he fabricated and gave it to them. So anyway I did my high school, high secondary from Ramjas School No. 5 in Delhi.\n\nKV: What is that school?\n\nPS: Ramjas. There are five schools in Delhi, Ramjas is a Sanstha which is basically I got free education of course during the school because of my status.\n\nKV: Refugee status.\n\nPS: No, because of my poverty status. Then I did my B.Sc. I was trying to get into an engineering college but you have to be an FA","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://houstonlibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2436/collection_resources/108901/file/210346#t=303.0,570.0"},{"id":"https://houstonlibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2436/collection_resources/108901/file/210346/transcript/60420/annotation/2","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"you have to do the 12th grade before you can go to the engineering college. Unfortunately I could not get after my 12th grade, so I had to go and do B.Sc. and then I appeared for exam for IIT Kharagpur, fortunately I qualified. \n\nKV: That’s a great school.\n\nPS: That’s the number one, at that point --\n\nKV: That was the very first--\n\nPS: The was the first --\n\nKV: That was when Nehru was the Prime Minister of India -- \n\nPS: And that was the only institute hierarchy in Kharagpur. \n\nKV: He called; he said this modern institute of technology is one of the modern temples of India.\n\nPS: Absolutely, Actually, and the education there is wonderful I’ll tell you. The cultural activities, the games, the sports, the level of education and the life was really -- four years of my engineering college was very good. I was a very good student. As a matter of fact, I was in the first five in mechanical engineering, and after I graduated from IIT Kharagpur I had my first job in Calcutta, because it would be closer to Calcutta. Then I moved to Delhi for two years and then in 1963, the only jobs during those times of 60s were in public sector undertaking, because that was the only industry which we had, all others were very small industry, either was some Birlas and those things, but most of the jobs were --\n\nKV: In mechanical engineering.\n\nPS: Mechanical engineering was one of those public sector undertakings. So Bharat Heavy Electricals was building a plant in Haridwar in 63, and it was still a farm landings where the plant was being built and they selected 70 students to go for the specialized training in Soviet Union. So 63 I got into BHEL and 64, actually married on 11th October, 1964 and I left for Soviet Union in almost end of October, just immediately after my marriage and she stayed back --\n\nKV: What is your wife’s name sir?\n\nPS: My wife’s official name is Nirmal Sharma.\n\nKV: Nirmal Sharma.\n\nPS: But we call her Jaya Sharma.  She is commonly known among the Houstonians Jaya Sharma.\n\nKV: She was born in Delhi or?\n\nPS: She was born in Simla, but raised up in Delhi. She did her higher secondary from Delhi and then of course she had gone to Maharani College in Jaipur.\n\nKV: Jaipur, What did she do there?\n\nPS: She graduated, did BA, Bachelor of Arts from Maharani College Jaipur.\n\nKV: Was it an arranged marriage or you fell in love?\n\nPS: No, it was arranged. As a matter of fact, the marriage was through the newspaper, I had advertised in the paper and her father replied and we got married within 11 days of the starting the conversation. My mother liked their family, during those days it was the family that selected the girls, the girl was educated, she is educated, she was good. \n\nKV: So it worked out so good and how many years now you got married?\nPS: Yeah, she has been a very good partner and when I go through all the things which we did, she has been full-time partner for me.\n\nKV: So were your children born in India or some --.\n\nPS: Both of my children were born in India.\n\nKV: What are their names?\n\nPS: My son’s name is Puneet Sharma and my daughter of course, she has passed out, her name was Puja Sharma.\n\nKV: What does your son do?\n\nPS: My son is a Vice President in MODEC, he is an engineer too, FPSO, he works for MODEC. He is the Vice President there in Houston. My daughter, she was an anesthetist. Unfortunately for both of us she passed out about 6 years ago, a big loss and -- \n\nKV: So she has children? Both your son and --\nPS: My daughter was never married and my son has two children. My granddaughter Kiran Sharma is now 16. My grandson Garik Sharma, he is now 11. My granddaughter she is in the 10th grade, she will be going to 11th and she is very good in -- both of them to go a private school","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://houstonlibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2436/collection_resources/108901/file/210346#t=570.0,860.0"},{"id":"https://houstonlibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2436/collection_resources/108901/file/210346/transcript/60420/annotation/3","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Woods, something like that and as a matter of fact I pick them up everyday at 4 o’clock, so I have to go there 4 o’clock to pick them up.\n\nKV: Now going to back to India, your Moscow --?\nPS: I was in the Leningrad which is now Petersburg for a year and a half. It was a specialized training on -- it was basically stress analysis of hydro turbines. Haridwar Plant was making hydro turbines, steam turbines and large motors.\n\n(","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://houstonlibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2436/collection_resources/108901/file/210346#t=860.0,898.0"},{"id":"https://houstonlibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2436/collection_resources/108901/file/210346/transcript/60420/annotation/4","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":")\n\nSo my training was basically in the design of hydro turbines. It was a very well-trained -- actually my whole growth in industry has been because of that specialized training which I had in Soviet Union. It was a very detailed stress analysis.\n\nKV: How many, two years?\n\nPS: One and a half year.\n\nKV: Then you came back to Bharat Heavy Electricals.\n\nPS: Yeah, I joined, of course I was part of Bharat Heavy Electricals, came back to India in 1966, since we are the pioneers, the first batch or early batch being trained in Soviet Union. We were the pioneers of Haridwar Plant and of course holding the partner positions. \n\nKV: So you rose up the ladder?\nPS: Yeah, I became Executive Engineer, basically doing","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://houstonlibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2436/collection_resources/108901/file/210346#t=898.0,958.0"},{"id":"https://houstonlibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2436/collection_resources/108901/file/210346/transcript/60420/annotation/5","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"what you call an executive engineer, back in 66 immediately I came. I was heading up the Hydro Plant Design Section, and then I was --\n\nKV: Was Krishnamurthy the Chairman?\nPS: Krishnamurthy was the Chairman.\n\nKV: Okay, he interviewed me also.\n\nPS: Oh great! Krishnamurthy was the Chairman of BHEL Haridwar. Our plant obviously had a --head office was in New Delhi and the General Manager at that time was Mr. Malik. I was very active besides my technical; I have been always very active in one or the other activities. We had a club, Officer’s Club, and the Secretary position of the BHEL Club was an elected post, and we were about 500 officers and there were Russians too there. So I became the Secretary of the BHEL Club which was a very honorable post.\n\nKV: In those days, Mr. Sharma, there was a lot of Russian influence in India, to the Nehrurian socialistic policies, correct?\n\nPS: Absolutely!\nKV: So it was, you name it, even Oil and Natural Gas Commission also; there was a lot of Russian --\nPS: Absolutely, in Dehradun.\n\nKV: In Dehradun. Now, you were doing so well in Bharat Heavy Electricals and you were very happy there and why did you choose to come to America.\n\nPS: Krishna Ji, it’s you know, India is very political when it comes to the public sector undertakings. Actually, like I told, my father was a revolutionary and I have a little revolutionary blood in me too.\n\nKV: So basically in those days, when you motioned Bhagat Singh, Bhagat Singh and Mahatma Gandhi, they are differed. \n\nPS: Absolutely!\nKV: They were totally at different paths, both were nationalists, patriots, they wanted to fight for the independence for India, but methods were different.\n\nPS: Absolutely!\nKV: So, unfortunately Bhagat Singh was hanged, correct?\n\nPS: Absolutely!\nKV: And what I read from the history, Mahatma Gandhi did not really support Bhagat Singh. That really annoyed a lot of people, particularly the people from Punjab.\n\nPS: Punjab was more revolutionary, and even Subhas Chadra Bose.\n\nKV: He was from Bengal.\n\nPS: He was from Bengal, but you know, he was elected the President of Congress Party in Lahore, but Gandhi really never wanted him to be there, okay.  So anyway that’s history.\n\nKV: That’s history.\n\nPS: That’s a history.\n\nKV: But it impacted people like you.\n\nPS: Absolutely!\nKV: Ordinary people, right, and everybody got annoyed.\nPS: Absolutely! And in Punjab most of the people were very revolutionary during that time. So what happened, I became -- 72, I became Superintendent Post, and that was when D.R. Malik was the General Manager and then the next General Manager was Mr. K.L. Puri.  K.L. Puri was a very political guy. What happened is, since I told you the Russians were part of the club, and Russians celebrated a function and they just put the Russian flag there, didn’t have the Indian flag, they played the National Anthem for Russia and they didn’t play the Indian National Anthem, which maybe very, very mad, and Mr. K.L. Puri happened to be the President of the club at that time and I approached him and I asked him to play the national anthem and he didn’t take care for that. \n(","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://houstonlibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2436/collection_resources/108901/file/210346#t=958.0,1207.0"},{"id":"https://houstonlibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2436/collection_resources/108901/file/210346/transcript/60420/annotation/6","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":")\n\nSo I really became very angry, I collected both the signatures asking for why it was not done. Unfortunately, that matter went into Hindustan Times and it got published into that, somebody wrote a letter to Hindustan Times, gave somebody name, gave my address and it went to the parliament and then it went to the head office.\n\nKV: It became a national issue.\n\nPS: So it became a very national issue, big issue. And Mr. K.L. Puri said, why did you write to the paper? I said, sir, I didn’t write. But that started the difference between the two of us and he started making my life to be very miserable. \n\nKV: So that started thinking of leaving the organization.\nPS: He made my budget three times, production budget, I was shocked, and I asked him, I said, you are not giving any more manpower. You have not given me any more machinery, how do you expect me to make -- and Krishnamurthy was the Chairman and he sent a guy to Haridwar to ask me how can I raise that much, and Mr. K.L. Puri says, take a leave, get out of Houston, and get out of Haridwar, you can’t even speak to him, he forced me to take a leave, he says you are not going to talk to him. So that was the political --\n\nKV: You felt that you are a trade union, some sort of militant, revolutionary --\nPS: Well, whatever it is, all that you know, because he took a revenge and I felt that -- \n\nKV: That is the time you would think of leaving.\n\nPS: Yeah, so as a matter, no, I started -- I wanted to leave in 72, but I could not, because Mr. D.R. Malik promoted me at that time, he said, no, you can’t leave. My mother was very much devastated in 74 when this thing happened. Fortunately, I had a friend of mine Mr. Vohra, who was here already, he came in 72, we both wanted to come in 72, he came here --\n\nKV: You mean to America?\nPS: To America.\n\nKV: But what made you think of America?\n\nPS: Well, I have always thought of, if I ever wanted to move out of India, it was only America.\n\nKV: Not Russia?\nPS: No, no Russia, of course no, nobody goes to Russia.\n\nKV:  You were not impressed with Russia?\nPS: No Russia was a very friendly – people were very friendly over there. I had wonderful time over there, Russians are very social people, they love parties, and they love signing and they love music, and they love dancing and Indians during that time were really respected, because of the Bollywood movies like 420 and --\nKV: Raj Kapoor.\n\nPS: Raj Kapoor and as a matter of fact, Indians were very much liked in Soviet Union.\nKV: So you decided to come to America for economic reasons or --?\n\nPS: Well, the reasons, you know, you always want a better life. My father moved from a village to Lahore and during those times even moving from your native place to another place was a big move, but you always move -- unless you move from where your comfort is, you need to move out of your comfort zone, if you really want to do something in your life. So whether moving from village to Lahore and moving from India to America for a better future or whatever you can call it, as a matter of fact, you know, my son always tells me, he says dad, I thank you very much for making a decision to come over here, because he has a good life now. Whatever it is, India, only very few fortunate people get into these issues like IIT Kharagpur and all that stuff, the competition is so high, now of course there are many institutes, but during those times, it was very tough.\n\nKV: Cream of the India.\n\nPS: Cream of the India could go there and if you don’t happen to be one of those, your life is really not that great.\n\nKV: When you decided to come to America, you had any opposition, family, mother --?\n\nPS: Yeah. Being the only son, my mother, it was very tough for her and what I did actually, she was in Delhi, she used to live with us in Haridwar, but when I made a decision to come, I told her to go to Delhi, I didn’t tell her, I resigned from Haridwar, left and came to Delhi and told my mother that I have left. \n(","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://houstonlibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2436/collection_resources/108901/file/210346#t=1207.0,1500.0"},{"id":"https://houstonlibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2436/collection_resources/108901/file/210346/transcript/60420/annotation/7","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":")\n\nAnd now she could not -- she said, now since you have made that decision to go, so you have to go. Of course, you know, it was a big sacrifice, and it’s not my sacrifice, but was a sacrifice for her, being only son it was very tough for me to leave her alone, but again, life takes certain turns, unexpected turns, which you never know, but that’s the life, it is, okay? \n\nKV: So you came to the land of opportunity in the year 1974. Where did you land?\n\nPS:  I came in Houston directly, because Mr. Brodo happened to be in Houston and he was working for Lummus. At that time it used to be CE Lummus, Combustion Engineering Lummus, and fortunately I came here on 23 October 1974, and I asked him if he could arrange my interview. I asked him what are the various departments, and he said in mechanical engineering there is a section called pressure vessel fixture, and since I was very good in stress analysis, I told him to get me a code book -- Pressure Vessel Code Book for a few days, the ASME Code Book and he probably brought it and let it for the weekend, two or three days, I got the idea of what it is and 31st October, six days, seven days after I landed in Houston, I confirmed an interview to Lummus, fortunately, I got my job straightaway same day.\nKV: So you have been with the company for how long, how many years?\n\nPS: I retired from maybe the Lummus. \n\nKV: After 35 years?\nPS: 30 years.\n\nKV: 30 years.\n\nPS: I became the Manager of Mechanical Engineering. As a matter of fact when I joined Lummus, of course, since I didn’t have much experience in that line, so he put me on a drawing board, I become a draftsman there. \n\nKV: Many engineers started as designers in those days.\n\nPS: And I had never done a drawing before, but that was the job I have got, but fortunately for me I just overheard my supervisor talking about a subject design, which he was saying I don’t know what to do about that. I overheard it and I told him, John Graham, what’s the problem? He says, well, you know, they want to piece test anchor boards for the pressure vessel and I don’t know how to do it. I said, do you want me to try it? So I wrote a paper about some on the pages’ paper and when I gave it to him he got surprised, he said you can do that?\n\nKV:","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://houstonlibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2436/collection_resources/108901/file/210346#t=1500.0,1688.0"},{"id":"https://houstonlibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2436/collection_resources/108901/file/210346/transcript/60420/annotation/8","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"even design.\n\nPS: So he went to the manager, he says, this guy don’t belong to the board, he belongs in the office, so I got two promotions for first four years every year. I really came up -- \n\nKV: You really built up --.\n\nPS: And like I said, you know, some of my colleagues used to wonder how? I said listen guys have you ever gone to your boss and told him what you can do and what you can’t do? You have to sell yourself. You are a technical person, unless you let people know what you can do, if you just keep on doing what they have given you, you will never rise, you need to go and ask for more, tell them that you can do more, and then of course there were more problems which came and you know I did those designs and everything.\n\nKV: So you have done the projects like, I mean are that power plants or chemical plants, or any --?\n\nPS: No, these are -- Lummus used be in ethylene business, petrochemical. As a matter of fact during those days, almost 60% of the world ethylene production was by Lummus. Of course, there were-- \n\nKV: And they have a patent technology. \n\nPS: Yeah they have their own technology and we were the specialist in ethylene brands. Of course, then came refineries also, polymers also, refineries also, they was a coke drums and other FCC units and all those stuff. We built plants all over the world and as a matter of fact I have traveled almost to entire world.\n\nKV: These are -- typically what countries did you visit?\n\nPS: I have been to China, I have been to Korea, I have been to Russia, I have been to France, I have been to Saudi Arabia, I have been to Dubai and so forth.\n\n(","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://houstonlibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2436/collection_resources/108901/file/210346#t=1688.0,1808.0"},{"id":"https://houstonlibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2436/collection_resources/108901/file/210346/transcript/60420/annotation/9","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":")\n\nKV: But there is no other place than Houston, any better place than Houston?\n\nPS: You know I don’t know but -- \n\nKV: So you settled down here.\nPS: No, no, what I am saying is for negotiations. \n\nKV: Business trips.\nPS: Business trips, okay, for maybe a week or a month or so forth, but fortunately I have traveled all over. You know the one incident I’ll tell you is I went to Saudi Arabia, during that time I still had one Indian passport, and there I was treated by Saudis during that time, well, I don’t want to go in detail, but it was a really bad experience, so I came back to Houston and said, I said, since I am going to be traveling all over, I am not going to travel anymore with an Indian passport. I gave up my Indian passport and became the United State citizen.\nKV: Which year? \n\nPS: I don’t remember actually, but maybe in 1990 or so.\n\nKV: But did you have any qualms, regrets at the time of renouncing the Indian citizenship? \n\nPS: Yes, you are right. \n\nKV: I am sad I was leaving \n\nPS: You are right; I never wanted to do that. \n\nKV:  But still.\n\nPS: But now since I have decided to live in this country, and since I was traveling so much, it was better for me from security point of view also. See unfortunately what happens is I am born in Lahore and my American passport says, born in Lahore and I’ll tell you that I had so much problem with the immigration, because when I come here, where are you coming from? And I go to India very often, when I come here, every time, they say, well, what were you doing in Pakistan? \n\nKV: You are talking me about the Indian immigration, whenever you visit India or in here? \n\nPS: No, no, no, when I come back to Houston, the moment they see my passport and that says born in Pakistan, okay, you have been to Saudi Arabia, you have been to Dubai, you have been to this place, what were you are doing in Pakistan? I said I was not in Pakistan. Well, you were born there. I said no that was 1938. I mean I have to really explain them every time, because this is the aftermath of 9/11. Anyway--\n\nKV: So you have settled in Houston very well and your family is settled and now you have extra -- you are also involved in the community in a significant way, tell me something about your Houston life here.\n\nPS: Well, Krishna Ji, in 74, when I came here, there were two societies in Houston, one was the Hindu Worship Society, and other was India Culture Center. As a matter of fact I remember we used to live in Larkin Village Apartments on","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://houstonlibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2436/collection_resources/108901/file/210346#t=1808.0,1987.0"},{"id":"https://houstonlibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2436/collection_resources/108901/file/210346/transcript/60420/annotation/10","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":", there was a joint meeting of ICC and Hindu Worship Society, they wanted to buy one common place and build a temple there and build a Center also, but there were some individuals, they were very strong in","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://houstonlibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2436/collection_resources/108901/file/210346#t=1987.0,2006.0"},{"id":"https://houstonlibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2436/collection_resources/108901/file/210346/transcript/60420/annotation/11","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":", they didn’t want to become one as a matter of fact, ICC going its own way and Hindu Worship Society going its own way. Fortunately for me I have always been associated with Hindu Worship Society from the very beginning and we bought this land which is there on 2223 Wirtcrest Spring Branch area. We used to meet at that time; it was about 20 families, in 74, there were about 400 families in total in Houston and all of them they used to go to, on Saturdays they used to go to UNICEF Houston to see a movie. \nKV: A Bollywood movie.\n\nPS: A Bollywood movie, that was very common, so we basically knew almost everybody. If you remember, I don’t know when you came, but in 74 there was only one this grocery store, Jay Store, \n\nKV: Jay Store in Westheimer.\n\nPS: Westheimer or somewhere and it was about 5 foot wide long and she used to sell all those dals and everything. \n\nKV:  That is where you meet --\nPS: You meet a lot of Indians and so forth, of course, now that Houston has grown up so much, but during those times, we knew almost everybody.\n\nKV: Do you remember who was the Mayor at that time, roughly, just who were the Mayors your time starting?\n\nPS: No, I don’t know. \n\nKV:","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://houstonlibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2436/collection_resources/108901/file/210346#t=2006.0,2080.0"},{"id":"https://houstonlibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2436/collection_resources/108901/file/210346/transcript/60420/annotation/12","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"PS: Yeah, so I really don’t know much about that time, but almost the Hindu Community Schools was there.\n(","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://houstonlibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2436/collection_resources/108901/file/210346#t=2080.0,2101.0"},{"id":"https://houstonlibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2436/collection_resources/108901/file/210346/transcript/60420/annotation/13","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":") \n\nAnd there was a Hindu Worship Society, was the only religious organization at that time and I happen to be a little more religious person --\n\nKV: And we can see that.\n\nPS: I can see that. I am from a Brahman family; I’ve been very active with that from the very beginning.\n\nKV: Now you are the President of the Hindu Worship Society?\n\nPS: Yeah, I am the President of the Hindu Worship Society. Well, I have been in that post from the very beginning itself. As a matter of fact the temple was build in 1980 and I was the -- really a person who founded that temple.\n\nKV: Raised the money.\nPS: Raised the money and -- \n\nKV: Built the temple.\n\nPS: --built the temple and all that.\n\nKV: You are still managing that thing?\n\nPS: I am still managing. As a matter of fact, you know, I don’t want to devote much, but my friend Ravi Goel is my neighbor, he has always been a big help to me. As a matter, both of us, we gave the personal guarantee to the bank to borrow money to build the temple, and of course the money did once that was built, and now of course we have added more to that one still --\n\nKV: Is growing, I was going to say that.\n\nPS: It is still growing. Unfortunately the space which we have is limited, we are trying to buy adjoining land, but the temple as such now is a beautiful temple, and we meet there every Sunday,","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://houstonlibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2436/collection_resources/108901/file/210346#t=2101.0,4290.0"},{"id":"https://houstonlibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2436/collection_resources/108901/file/210346/transcript/60420/annotation/14","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"to 1:00 o’clock, we have our big -- I am still very active in that and also back -- about 25 years ago if you remember, we started this organization the Hindus of Greater Houston.\n\nKV: Okay. During Raj Sayal --\nPS: Raj Sayal, it was his idea, Raj Sayal was the idea, he came to me and he says Sharma, let’s do something, so it was his idea, it was my execution. So we had met at the temple, Hindu Worship Society. There were members from all the different Hindu Organization at the time. Meenakshi Temple of course one at the time, Hindu Worship Society and the Meenakshi Temple they were the basic, but I was the -- I had called that meeting, at Hindu Worship Society called about 12015 people and Venugopalan was there from --\n\nKV: Venugopalan Menon, Doctor.\n\nPS: Yeah. He was there and we had this, that’s been","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://houstonlibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2436/collection_resources/108901/file/210346#t=4290.0,5866.0"},{"id":"https://houstonlibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2436/collection_resources/108901/file/210346/transcript/60420/annotation/15","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"dream of celebrating Janmashtami on a","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://houstonlibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2436/collection_resources/108901/file/210346#t=5866.0,5870.0"},{"id":"https://houstonlibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2436/collection_resources/108901/file/210346/transcript/60420/annotation/16","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"level at large level.\n\nKV: Sure and George R. Brown Convention Center.\n\nPS: George R. Brown Convention Center.\n\nKV: They are doing a great job.\n\nPS: Yeah, they did a great job.\n\nKV: So people --\n\nPS: And people you know, there was Kerala Hindu Society and then the Meenakshi Temple and Hindu Worship Society, and all these --\n\nKV: Yeah. As the community group, more organizations came in.\n\nPS: More organization came in.\n\nKV: Now I beside your religious activity, I would like to know any activities your are involved in the mainstream political arena, like Democratic Party or --?\n\nPS: Well, I am really not very active and the only thing I do is like I said I am a Democrat, I do funds some money to some Congress people who favor India, to tell you very frankly.\n\nKV: Okay. Now I also want to touch upon another sensitive subject, which is the racial discrimination, did you -- did you encounter any such --?\nPS: Krishna Ji at job, no.\n\nKV: No, even in the social society?\n\nPS: Well, let me tell you, at job no.\n\nKV: Okay.\n\nPS: At job really I had a wonderful time since I was still learning during the initial stages. Whomsoever I went for help, they were very keen to give me the help, because I was learning and I used to ask questions to all my seniors and they were very happy to teach me. I really didn’t feel any, any discrimination at my job at least. But let me tell you one incident, I did my master -- I did masters over here after I came, in 79 I did my master, I","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://houstonlibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2436/collection_resources/108901/file/210346#t=5870.0,5975.0"},{"id":"https://houstonlibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2436/collection_resources/108901/file/210346/transcript/60420/annotation/17","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Houston. I had 4.0 grade point average, the highest, but one subject which I had was the Organization Management and this was nontechnical subject and in that you know, there were upto -- I don’t know some odd number of student and the exercise the teacher gave is select partner for you.\n\n(","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://houstonlibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2436/collection_resources/108901/file/210346#t=5975.0,6000.0"},{"id":"https://houstonlibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2436/collection_resources/108901/file/210346/transcript/60420/annotation/18","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":")\n\nAnd since I was the only Indian in that big class, I was -- nobody selected me, I had my name P.C. Sharma, I was just alone.\nKV: So a subtle difference.\nPC: So I could feel that.\n\nKV: You could feel it.\n\nPC: You can feel it. And then of course, he said; okay, now we are going to make team of three, okay? So we make three members, I became part of one team and he gave an exercise, you have to kick out one member from your partner -- from your group, I was kicked – well, the member was kicked out. So you can see --\n\nKV: So that is why, yours is a blatant --\nPC: Yeah. You can see that, but besides that, really I didn’t feel. The one incident I’ll tell you that Ravi Goel and --\n\n[Cross Talk:","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://houstonlibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2436/collection_resources/108901/file/210346#t=6000.0,6046.0"},{"id":"https://houstonlibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2436/collection_resources/108901/file/210346/transcript/60420/annotation/19","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"-","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://houstonlibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2436/collection_resources/108901/file/210346#t=6046.0,6048.0"},{"id":"https://houstonlibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2436/collection_resources/108901/file/210346/transcript/60420/annotation/20","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"]\n\nPC: No, I really didn’t feel much of it --\n\nKV: It’s not a big deal.\n\nPC: Yeah. It’s not a big deal.\n\nKV: Such some small incidence.\n\nPC: Yeah, small incidence, were really not much of a -- I didn’t feel much. I have been now at --\n\nKV: So, you have any message for your next generation, our Indians here?\n\nPC: Well, the only concerns which I have Krishna Ji, is all these temples and all these big associations and institutions which we have built, unfortunately they are still being supported by the first immigrants, okay, Most of the people who go to these temples are --\n\nKV: Elderly people.\n\nPC: Elderly people like you and me who are supporting it or who are giving money. I am not sure if our next generation will be able to financially support these big temples and all these things, that’s really my concern.\n\nKV: Any message to them?\n\nPC: Well, the only thing I can tell is take part in these societies, take part in these temples because that is going to be your -- you always want to go back to your -- \n\nKV: Roots.\n\nPC: --roots and everything.\n\nKV: Culture.\n\nPC: Culture and everything, Even now, like I said, America is a very melting pot and sooner or later everybody merges into it, okay? Everybody loses there own identity and culture.\n\nKV: It’s just like that everybody will be --\nPC: It’s inevitable. So if you want to continue your culture or -- I don’t think it’s going to be possible, tell you very frankly. Sooner or later maybe one generation maybe two generations, we are all going to become --\n\nKV: But as per as where our generation is concerned, we are doing our best.\n\nPC: Our best to continue that.\n\nKV: Delay their process.\n\nPC: Delay the process, but it’s inevitable in my opinion. My son, he has married an American girl, so my, you know, so --\n\nKV: Melting pot.\n\nPC: It’s a melting pot.\n\nKV: Thank you so much Mr. Sharma, it has been a pleasure talking with you, this is a great contribution to our Indo-American Oral History Project. So the future historians and researchers and topologist, sociologists, so that anyone who is doing a research on Indian immigrants, this interview will be very helpful and we thank you.\nPC: Now before you -- before I close, I just want to let you know, my wife, she has always been an active part in all what I have done. She is a very good singer, her voice is very melodious. She had been singing Bhajans in the temple at many places and being entertaining people all over, she reads Ramayan very well, she has really been a very big partner in all my work I have done.\n\nKV: Wonderful! I am sure she is the better half for you, and we would not mind interviewing her in our next interview if she is prepared to wait. Thank you so much.\n\nPC: Thank you so much Krishna Ji and thanks very much, I appreciate your help.\n\nKV: Thank you!\n\nTotal Duration: 44 Minutes","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://houstonlibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2436/collection_resources/108901/file/210346#t=6048.0,2632.768"}]}]}]}