Dr. Jaswant Jindia

On Tuesday, January 12, 2021, Dr. Jaswant Rai Jindia passed away peacefully at the age of 90 from natural causes. Dr. Jindia was born on December 28, 1930, in Punjab, a state in North India; there he studied at Punjab University and met the love of his life, Satya. As a student and with just a few dollars to his name, he emigrated from India to the United States in 1966 to pursue his research in Agricultural Economics. After receiving his doctorate from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1970, he moved his wife and four children to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and joined Southern University as a faculty member in the Department of Economics. As a passionate educator and scholar, and as a traveler at heart, he again, in 1983 temporarily moved his family to Sierra Leone, Africa for a few years to work on a USAID project with the objective to increase the food production of small farmers. In his retirement, he created a non-profit organization and also continued to travel and explore the world, study with his book club group, garden and enjoy the outdoors, sing and listen to music, and practice yoga. His grandchildren are especially proud of the fact that he was leg-pressing 190 pounds just a few weeks ago in his strength training class. In his extended family, Dr. Jindia is highly regarded for sponsoring over 100 people in their immigration to the United States. The home that he created and supported with his wife that also served as a touchdown point for so many people upon their arrival to the United States is a testament to his deep belief in the importance of giving time and sharing resources. While he wanted very little for himself (he was happy with a good cup of tea and one of his hundred favorite desserts), he believed in the power of community and worked with others in South Louisiana to establish the Hindu Vedic Center of Baton Rouge. As a Hindu, Dr. Jindia wanted a place for people to learn, study, and enjoy the cultures, languages, and histories that intersect with Hinduism—in his final years he studied the Bhagavad Gita in depth with a group of like-minded scholars and, in his notes, has emphasized this line: ‘you have a right to perform your prescribed duty, but you are not entitled to the fruits of your actions’. Dr. Jindia was preceded in death by his wife, Satya, his brother, Nawal, and his sister, Shimla. He is survived by his four children, Sudha, Sanjiv, Rajiv, and Ajay, his 10 grandchildren, and a great-grandson. On Thursday, January 14, 2021 at 12PM a private cremation ceremony will be held at Resthaven Gardens of Memory and Funeral Home, 1187 Jefferson Hwy. On Saturday, January 16, 2021 at 11 AM Dr. Jaswant Rai Jindia’s family and friends will host a public memorial service; puja (prayer) followed by lunch at Hindu Vedic Society of Baton Rouge at 710 S. Kennilworth Pkwy, Baton Rouge LA 70820. The family requests that in loving memory of Dr. Jaswant Rai Jindia, in lieu of flowers, a donation be made to HVS through the link here - https://www.paypal.com/donate?hosted_button_id=TRAV9LA8RWKE2 On behalf of the Jindia Family, Sudha R. Jindia Email: sjrawal@gmail.com