Desi Today English - June 2014

Vol. 5 | Issue 3 | June-July 2014

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Teacher, student, parent on B.C. teachers’ strike Remembering India’s Forgotten

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08 Baban Gill Couture: Bringing elegance & sophistication back in style 12 Teacher, student, parent offer opinions on B.C. teachers’ strike 16 Canadians call for reform in animal treatment 20 Let Them Have Choppers 22 Dr. Harry Dhanju creates dental centre for research 24 Human rights activists call for the immediate closure of Guantanamo Bay 28 Killing of two girls angers Indians 32 When will we stand up for all women?

36 Highly anticipated Punjabi film ‘Punjab 1984’ launched in Surrey 40 Remembering India’s Forgotten Holocaust

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The sun is shining, school year is done and summer is officially upon us. What an exciting few months it will be as dozens of you flock to the beaches and parks in BC; take planes, trains and automobiles out of the province on your annual vacations; and being Indian, we can’t forget the wonderful, colourful weddings you’ll be invited to this summer. Whether you venture out of town or stay local, enjoy the next few months and please remember, with warmer weather more children and pets are enjoying the great outdoors. Drive responsibly, mind the speed limits and don’t drink and drive.

We have some great content for you this issue, including work by new writers. We touch upon issues that affect our community in Canada, and issues that affect Indians living in India. A new writer to Desi Today magazine gives us a glimpse of India’s forgotten Holocaust, and while the pictures are nauseating and painful to look at, they are a reminder of the famine that occurred in Bengal during World War II. Dr. Suresh Kurl continues his short story, Amavasya; we learn beauty secrets from an Indian mother; hear a girl’s perspective on arranged marriages; and learn about postpartum depression.

Our cover this issue is Baban Gill of Baban Gill Couture. Baban is a newcomer to the the fashion industry who is creating buzz with her elegant and sophisticated collection. It is amazing to see how her collection is influenced by Indian heritage and history, and how she has expertly executed the pieces. Her label was officially launched earlier this year, and Baban has continued to use social media to help her extend the reach of her brand.

We hope you enjoy this issue of Desi Today magazine. As always, your comments, feedback and even your own stories are always welcome. We are truly committed to being a community magazine and would love to feature your news, stories and words.

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Surrounded by fashion from a young age and with a stylish mother, who had a closet full of gorgeous Indian pieces, as her role model, Baban Gill has been living, breathing and dreaming about Indian fashion from an early age. Her mother, a talented seamstress and designer, stitched Indian outfits for Baban and her younger sister Kimi during their younger years, and worked with big local boutiques likes Farrah’s Bridal in their heyday. Baban’s weekends were spent helping her mother out, and it is at these local boutiques that the young fashionista would accessorize new arrivals with luxurious jewelry and bangles. It was on those weekends that she spent immersed in Indian fashion that Baban was able to learn the essentials of retail, names of fabrics and embroideries, and develop her own personal style.

In 2006 Baban’s mother opened up a retail boutique where Baban spent more time helping out after school and on weekends, all while learning the process of sketching and creating her own pieces. Pushing her dreams away of one day owning her own clothing label, Baban decided to go with the norm of pursuing a post-secondary education, and began her career in teaching. Her fascination with fabrics, embroideries and fashion beckoned her, but Baban remained unaware that her passion for fashion would one day lead her to pursue a career in fashion design, and eventually lead to her developing her own fashion label.

Raised with the belief that she should pursue what made her happy, after three short years of working as an education assistant for the Surrey school district and attending school part-time to finish her teaching degree, Baban decided to throw caution to the wind and pursue her passion.

With the love, support and encouragement of her family, after a rigorous and selective screening process, Baban was accepted into the Fashion Design Program at Kwantlen Polytechnic University. After learning a lot in her first year, Baban felt the program, which is geared towards western wear, wasn’t for her.

With a minor in business, Baban decided to get started on a business plan and plan out her future in the summer of 2013. In September she was up and running on social media, giving her followers, or whom she calls her second family, an insight on her process to creating her label and sketching out her whole Spring/Summer 2014 Collection. After emptying out her savings account and whatever strength and power she had, she finally travelled across the world to India.

With the help of her father who assisted her with navigating the streets of Delhi and Ludhiana, she finally found wholesalers, a Masterji, and karigaar. Spending long hours and many days planning and working hands-on with the karigaar and Masterji, Baban was finally able to give life to all her sketches. She returned to Canada with suitcases full of her pieces and earlier this year, launched her first collection.

Baban’s collection is Indian couture built from tradition, culture and the essence of Indian royalty from medieval to early-modern India. She employs lush fabrics and simple to heavy embroideries, merging them together to create coveted pieces of art that are wearable and stylish. www.desitoday.ca

THE INTERVIEW When did you know you wanted to be a fashion designer?

As a child growing up it was my dream to become a fashion designer. When I graduated from high school my mind had settled on going through with that plan. However, as I started working part-time and going to school fulltime it was difficult seeing people in the art industry struggle to gain success for their work.

So, I started thinking from logical point of view and decided to go into my passion for teaching.

Though throughout the years my heart was still in designing Indian wear and catching up on the latest trends from runways in India and Pakistan.

What’s it like being in the industry?

It is a lot of hard work! However, I find the challenge fun. My line of work is my passion so I am very nurturing towards my brand and am patient with every step I take.

How would you describe your brand?

My brand is chic, sophisticated and very timeless. It is designed for women that want to wear classy pieces with pure and rich fabrics and silhouettes that stay in fashion. My vision and goal is to create pieces you could pass down to your children because I, myself, feel very attached to Indian clothing and I feel like there are other woman out there that feel the same way. I know so many woman out there that raid their mom’s closets for those amazing pieces that have come back in style. I want my pieces to be those pieces, that the little ladies of the household raid their mom’s closets for!

How has social media impacted your business and reach?

I never really realized the potential outreach social media would have for my brand. I am able to follow local to international businesses that pertain to my industry and stay connected with their latest work. Through social media, such as Facebook and Instagram, I have been able to reach out to amazing influential woman in our community. With their support and recognition of my work, I have been able to reach clients who relate to my brand and style.

Do you get a lot of time to design with your teaching schedule?

No I don’t but I have to make the time! I am working during the day and then work on my JUNE / JULY 2014 News With A DEsi View

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upcoming collection and custom orders during the evenings to midnight or till 2am, then up again at 7am for work. However, it doesn’t seem like work to me. It feels like I am designing clothes for my friends, so they become top priority. It is still hard work though.

Do you scope out your competition or do you find it unnecessary?

I had to study about the industry before I plunged into it. However, I just focused on myself and where I wanted my brand to go so I didn’t look back to see who was doing what or what they created. But I do follow designers on Instagram and show full support because I hope we all make it.

clothes. Not only is she a beautiful woman on the outside but more beautiful on the inside.

She’s a globally recognized philanthropist based in India and she’s out there to make a change in the lives of women who need help in their daily lives, by empowering them to grow. She is one of my idols and I hope to someday do the same line of social work in my community.

If you got to speak to your younger self, what would you tell her?

I would say, you did all you could, couldn’t have done it any better, and worked hard to become who you are today, and I thank you for being strong and patient, because you have become a beautiful woman with amazing people in your life who support and love you for you.

Who are you designing for?

These designs are for the modern woman who wants to wear very traditional, sophisticated classy pieces and all she needs to carry it out with her, is her confidence. She’s driven to succeed and knows what she wants and wants to look elegant doing it.

What model or designer would you love to have wear your clothes?

I would love to have Sushmita Sen wear my

The ColleCTion The Spring 2014 Collection is segregated into three sections: Paramparavith, Safaid and Rangeen. Paramparavith, meaning tradition, is Baban’s interpretation on the traditional clothing of Maharani’s in the Indian Medieval Era. It focuses on the rich and bold colours on gorgeous textiles on different forms of pure silks, banarsi and velvets. Safaid, meaning white, focuses on the purity of balance with fabrics

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and embroideries with the colour white. Lastly, Rangeen, meaning colourful, is our lively and boisterous culture interpreted into colours that matter so much to us during our joyous occasions. These sections will contain pieces that have an underlying factor of elegance, quality, sophistication, and love for Indian tradition.

Parampara Collection Derived from the essence of Indian heritage and history of simple and elegant embroideries and rich, lush fabrics. Tailored to make the independent woman feel classy and timeless at any function.

Rangeen Collection Staying within the boundaries of rich fabrics is the fun, and flirty side of the independent woman. Marking her wardrobe in silhouettes of colour, different cuts, and vivid nostalgic colours of Indian Holi.

Safaid Collection The essential purity of Indian culture is the hues of white in every woman’s closet. For those times she just wants to be simple in her own style, yet stand out in the crowd in the unique silhouettes.

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FEATURES

Teacher, student, parent

OFFER OPINIONS on B.C. teachers’ strike

British Columbia’s classrooms were barren mid-June as teachers escalated a sixmonth labour feud with their heftiest weapon yet: a three-day strike. The teachers, who are deemed an essential service, were granted permission for the walkout by the Labour Relations Board to back contract demands for improved wages and working conditions. The move comes as the provincial government continues to debate backto-work legislation that, when passed within the next week or so, will force the teachers back to full duties. The Canadian Press spoke to a teacher, student and parent to capture the pulse of the situation just before the strike began.

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steadily increased, though teachers say not enough to keep up with expanded demands.) Ablett said it feels like teachers are the only ones standing up for public education, yet it’s the cornerstone of a strong civilization. “It’s more important than health care,” he said. “If you lose a generation to poor education, your civilization starts to falter. You can ask the First Nations people about residential schools, you can ask the Mayans, the Romans.”

If he could sit down with Education Minister George Abbott, the teacher said he’d be willing to strike a deal: roll over the current contract for two years and then hammer out a true solution. “Let’s work out the system so this doesn’t have to be like this every year,” Ablett said. “It’s only insanity if you keep doing the same thing and get the same results.”

TEACHER If a headhunter were to show up at Todd Ablett’s classroom and offer him a teaching job in Calgary, he would seriously consider taking the offer. The 50-year-old Vancouver high school teacher said he’d be willing to uproot his young family and sell his home if it meant he’d be getting a contract he perceives as fair. The $15,000 to $20,000 pay bump just one province east would be a start. Gladstone Secondary in Vancouver, meanwhile, would be left with a hole once filled by the Prime Minister’s Teaching Excellence Award winner, whose students have claimed their own victories at several international robotics championships. When the strike started, Ablett walked the “protest line,” hoisting a sign and handing out leaflets but not blocking access to any school buildings.

“I’m more than willing to even be illegal in this in the end,” he said, explaining he feels that his basic democratic rights are being “squashed” by the province. “How can teachers be an essential service and

have a way where the employer doesn’t just decide what we’re being paid?”

Ablett uses a blog and Twitter to connect with his students, and has taken extra courses to stay at the leading edge of his curriculum. He said he was once told by Canadian astronaut Robert Thirsk the skills he’s teaching are as advanced as what Thirsk learned during his mechanical engineering degree. Ablett scoffs at the government’s position that Bill 22, the Education Improvement Act, will modernize the system.

“What we should actually call it is the Education Control Act,” he said. “The government will never react quick enough to what we need. You can set the standards, and let me teach to it.” Over 15 years in B.C. schools, Ablett said he’s watched class sizes balloon while he believes budgets have been halved. (The provincial government maintains education funding has

STUDENT Over the six months since teachers began limited strike action, Grade 10 student Rachel Watson has watched her friends stop handing in homework and their grades have begun to slip. She’s also heard the quiver in her teachers’ voices when they’ve said No to giving students an extra hand.

“We can see it’s hurting them to not help us,” said Watson. The 15-year-old King George Secondary student left school early on Friday as several hundred pupils staged their own walkout, heading to downtown Vancouver to rally in support of quality education. Watson made a neon-pink sign that read “Knowledge is power.”

“There are a lot of students here ... who don’t know what we’re here for. And there are a lot of people in the government who don’t know how this is affecting us,” she said. “We think that spreading knowledge will give us the power to make a change.”

Todd Ablett with PM Stephen Harper

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FEATURES

Watson plans to stay home and study for an upcoming science test on Monday, while her friend Cera Cooper said she may join teachers protesting outside their school. The girls shared a sense of confusion about exactly why the labour strife had been going on for so long. Teachers have not been allowed to discuss the issues with their classes, Watson said.

“How are we supposed to learn about the world if we can’t get people’s opinions on what’s going on around us?” she said.

While the teens are unimpressed they’ve been using hand-me-down textbooks from the early 1990s, they concede the education system could get worse. But Watson said that’s not the right perspective to take. “I think there’s a lot of things we could improve, and there’s a lot of things we’ve already improved,” she said. “Without changing stuff, how can we move forward?”

PARENT From six-year-old Sophie’s eyes, the threeday walkout looks like a sweet, unexpected holiday. Her father, Philip Davis, is viewing the time she’ll be home instead of in school as short-term pain for long-term gain.

Explaining the situation to the Grade 1 student in simple terms, Davis explains “the teachers are unhappy because they care about your education.”

“So you mean I get to play outside for a few more days?” was her response. But Davis said he considers the situation far more significant than he lets on to his daughter. The Vancouver-based architectural consultant admits he’s more flexible than other parents, able to reschedule meetings during the job action since he works most days from home. “(Teachers) should stick to their guns, they should push to get the things they want,” he said. “If you listen to what they’re saying, they’re not really just talking about themselves. They’re talking about the quality of that education and the class sizes, which impacts directly the quality of that

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education.” Though his only child has only just begun school, he feels she doesn’t have the same math, spelling and grammar comprehension he had by the same age.

With both parents working as the norm, he feels many families keep the schools at arm’s length, and that makes it easy for government to neglect funding worries.

“I do have some concerns,” he said.

“Frankly, I’ve had to raise those with teachers rather than have them raise it with me.

I don’t think teachers simply have the time to turn around to a parent.”

Forcing teachers to negotiate a contract that does not include cost increases for hiked wages or benefits — a mandate thousands of other public servants have already adhered to — is wrongheaded, he said.

“You take something vastly significant away from who we are by squeezing education and putting it in the same basket,” he said. “By way of squeezing the teachers themselves, we don’t attract the sorts of people that we should be.”

What do BC teachers want?

•

• •

More one-on-one support for students who need it most and guaranteed levels of specialist teachers Smaller classes, so all students can get the individual attention they deserve Time to prepare lessons that engage di-

•

verse learning styles A reasonable wage increase that respects teachers’ skills and responsibilities

Where the sides stand in the B.C. teachers dispute Here’s a look at the most recent proposals from each side:

Contract term B.C. Teachers’ Federation: Five years (July 1, 2013 – June 30, 2018).

B.C. Public School Employers’ Association: Six years (July 1, 2013 – June 30, 2019) with the option of increasing to seven years to secure an additional wage increase.

Signing bonus BCTF: $5,000 BCPSEA: $1,200

Wage increase BCTF: 3.5 per cent in the first year, followed by 1.5 per cent a year for the following three years, for a total of 8 per cent, not compounded. The proposal also includes an additional increase equal to the difference between the actual and forecasted GDP.

www.desitoday.ca

BCPSEA: July, 2014: 1 per cent, February, 2015: 2 per cent, July, 2016: 1 per cent, July, 2017: 0.5 per cent, May, 2018: 1 per cent, July, 2018: 0.5 per cent, May, 2019: 1 per cent, for a total of 7 per cent, not compounded. The proposal also includes an Economic Stability Dividend – an automatic wage increase if the economy performs better than forecast – in four instalments.

If the contract term is extended to seven years, teachers would get additional wage increases of 0.5 per cent in July, 2019 and 1 per cent in May, 2020.

Benefits BCTF: Improvements to the extended health benefits plan such as $3,000 of massage therapy per year and the inclusion of fertility drugs. The BCTF is also seeking improvements to the dental plan, continuation of benefits for dependents 12 months after a teacher’s death, and for teachers on long-term disability to receive the same benefits coverage as those who are working, among other things.

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BCTF: Establishment of a new Workload Fund (amount not specified) to be used for hiring new teachers. Teachers want the Supreme Court decision ordering a return to 2002 class-size and composition limits restored within their collective agreements.

BCPSEA: No change to current class-size limits. The government’s appeal of the B.C. Supreme Court ruling will proceed.

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FEATURES

Canadians call for

REFORM in animal treatment

16

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The recent animal abuse at Chilliwack Cattle sales, a British Columbia farm where a number of employees were captured on video sadistically torturing and abusing cattle, has led to calls for reform in animal treatment.

The undercover video from the non-profit group Mercy for Animals Canada — shot by an activist posing as an employee of the farm — showed dairy cows being whipped and beaten with chains and canes, as well as punched and kicked.

It showed cows suffering from open wounds and injuries, and being lifted by their necks with chains and tractors.

Chilliwack Cattle fired eight employees after the group Mercy for Animals Canada took the video to authorities. The SPCA has recommended criminal charges against them but to date no charges have been laid and nothing has been proven in court.

The Crown has yet to approve the charges, which could also see the workers fined $10,000, said SPCA spokeswoman Lorie

Chortyk. She said the SPCA would be happy with a ban and three-to-six months in jail for the workers, all of whom have been fired, but said the main goal is to encourage change in the industry to ensure the animals are monitored on a regular basis. “There is a code of practice for dairy farmers but because it’s not enshrined in law there’s nobody monitoring it,” Chortyk said. “Our goal is to work with industry to improve things.”

Chortyk said the video was shot undercover during the month of May by a Mercy for Animals investigator, who accepted a job with Chilliwack Cattle Sales farm. She said it was her understanding that the worker had approached the employers about the abuse but decided to give the video to the SPCA on June 2 when no changes had been made.

Mercy for Animals said earlier the company failed to provide adequate training or respond to the concerns raised by its undercover member before the video’s release. It rejected claims by farm co-owner Jeff Kooy-

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Tejpal Singh : 778.885.2197 Dave Taylor Chairman of the B.C. Dairy Association man that none of the owners knew about the abuse.

Kooyman said he doesn’t know what got into the young men seen kicking, punching and beating the animals with pipes and chains.

“We expected more,” Kooyman said after opening his farm to media. Kooyman says his farm has zero tolerance for animal abuse and promised it would be installing cameras in the barns and retraining staff. In 2008, Chilliwack Cattle Sales was cleared of charges relating to the transport of injured cows.

B.C. SPCA enforcement officer Marcie Moriarty said Chilliwack Cattle Sales has so far been cooperating with its investigation.

The B.C. SPCA is recommending charges of animal cruelty against the eight employees.

Many are saying that charges of animal cruelty against the eight employees is a good start, but more reform is needed in order to ensure cases like this don’t become common practice.

The company supplies brands including Saputo and Dairyland.

Dairy food giant Saputo Inc. is no longer accepting milk from Chilliwack Cattle Sales and says it is leading the charge for reform in animal treatment. www.desitoday.ca

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FEATURES

“Since Saputo learned of the animal abuse at the farm in British Columbia from which horrific images of cattle mistreatment were captured, the company has used its position as Canada’s largest milk processor to ensure the situation is being addressed and that such reprehensible behaviour . . . does not occur in the future,” Saputo said in a statement midJune.

The Montreal-based company said it has reached out to the province’s minister of agriculture as well as the B.C. Dairy Association, the B.C. Dairy Council and the B.C. Farm Industry Review Board.

“Saputo has taken the lead in bringing industry stakeholders together behind a common goal: to ensure immediate consequences for those involved and enforceable legal measures to prevent future animal abuse,” it said.

It said it also supports the recommendation of the B.C. Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals that the Canadian Code of Practice for the Care and Handling of Dairy Cattle, published in 2009, be adopted into B.C. law.

In announcing its action, Saputo noted that it does not own or operate any dairy farms in British Columbia or anywhere else in Canada and, like all dairy processors in Canada, is required by law to purchase milk from provincial milk marketing boards.

“While we do not own the farms, we care deeply about the way the milk we sell is produced. We will not accept milk from the B.C. Milk Marketing Board supplied by this farm until we are fully satisfied that strict animal welfare practices are in place,” it said.

In a statement, the B.C. Milk Marketing Board says it remains deeply concerned about the abuse shown on the video.

The farm’s owner, Jeff Kooyman, has described the video as “horrifying to watch” and said he didn’t know what got into the young men seen kicking, punching and beating the animals with pipes.

Kooyman has said the dairy operation -the country’s largest, with more then 3,500 animals -- will put in security cameras that will be monitored and would work with the SPCA on better training for staff.

“Until you’ve actually seen it, I never could have imagined it being that horrific,” Kooyman said in an interview. “That’s not us. We have zero tolerance for animal abuse on this farm.”

Wally Smith, head of the Dairy Farmers of Canada, said he too was disgusted by what he saw on the videotape.

And Dave Taylor, chairman of the B.C. Dairy Association, called the incident a black mark on the industry.

“Having witnessed the footage, we are deeply shaken,” Taylor said. “Organizational18

JUNE / JULY 2014 News With A DEsi View

www.desitoday.ca

ly, we will be taking proactive steps to further our already strong animal care practices.”

There is zero tolerance for such actions, he said.

“We feel it vital to assert that this abuse is in no way common practice in our industry,” Taylor said.

But the incident prompted several calls for greater scrutiny.

The Vancouver Humane Society said there should be random inspections and mandatory video surveillance of livestock operations.

Anna Pippus of Mercy for Animals, called the treatment sadistic.

She said the undercover employee went to a supervisor and no action was taken.

However, a video of the exchange shows someone identified as Brad Kooyman expressing dismay that an employee was hitting the cows.

“Watch for that and make sure nobody hits them unnecessarily,” Brad Kooyman tells the employee, whose identity was not disclosed.

Pippus said it wasn’t until the undercover video made headlines that the company took action.

“Without our investigation this cruelty would have continued to run rampant indefinitely,” she said at a news conference.

The group called on government to create standards specific to farm animals and to be proactive in enforcing them with thirdparty inspections. Currently, general animal cruelty laws rely on complaints to spur investigation.

It also wants dairy producers to install video monitoring. Chilliwack Cattle said it planned to do so, but Mercy for Animals wants that video streamed on the Internet so public can see the factory floor.

Veterinarian David Dykshorn said he is at the Kooyman farm two or three times a week and has never seen evidence of abuse.

The SPCA said the incident shows a need for better standards to protect farm animals in the province. That call was echoed by the Vancouver Humane Society and Mercy for Animals.

Pippus said the farm was chosen at random, the sixth random undercover investigation at industrial animal farms by her group.

Each time they’ve captured abuse, she said. “”The cows on this dairy factory farm experience nothing but fear, violence, and deprivation at the hands of sadistic animal abusers,” Twyla Francois, of Mercy For Animals Canada, said in a statement. “This investigation proves that the dairy industry is incapable of self-regulation. The government must step in to create and enforce standards to protect farmed animals from needless cruelty.” www.desitoday.ca

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FEATURES

Let Them Have

Choppers It seemed like the diplomatic version of an ambush. On 2 June, Sergey Chemezov, the CEO of the Russian State-run company Rostec, told Voice of Russia radio that Moscow was lifting its — undeclared — arms embargo against Pakistan and was negotiating the delivery of Mi-25 helicopter gunships to the country.

While some strategic experts called it a landmark development, to most Indians, it appeared to be a stab in the back by a long-time ally. In Indian eyes, Russia has been India’s strategic partner for over 40 years, whereas Pakistan is a faithful American client State. Besides, Pakistan has used every weapon supplied by its western backers against India.

But that thinking is so 2013. The US’ retreat from West Asia and its pivot to the Asia-Pacific has created several low-hanging opportunities for Russia in the region.

Pakistan is one of them. In fact, for the first time ever, Russian and Pakistan interests have converged — in the backdrop of a resurgent Taliban.

America’s slow-motion exit from Afghanistan has got the jihadis salivating at 20

JUNE / JULY 2014 News With A DEsi View

the prospect of regaining power. While the Taliban may not have won more than a handful of battles in America’s longest war, in the popular Afghan narrative they have defeated yet another superpower. If, and when, they storm the gates of Kabul, the

emboldened Islamists are likely to target Pakistan next.

This has set off the alarm bells in Moscow. The Russians are paranoid about waves of Islamic guerrillas attacking their soft underbelly in Central Asia.

In 2011, the Pakistani Taliban and al Qaeda almost completely destroyed the Karachi naval base

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“First, they will hit Tajikistan, then they will try to break into Uzbekistan… If things turn out badly, in about 10 years, our boys will have to fight well-armed and wellorganised Islamists somewhere in Kazakhstan,” the then Russian deputy PM Dmitry Rogozin warned with uncanny insight way back in 2009. The Pakistanis are worried too. Not only will they lose the hundreds of millions of dollars in compensation that the US doles out for the use of Pakistani military bases, Islamabad feels it is being abandoned in the midst of its do-or-die struggle with the Islamists.

Although it is a fact that they uncorked the Islamist genie in the first place, for once the Pakistanis are right in saying they are bigger victims of terror than India. For instance, in a joint attack in 2011, the Pakistani Taliban and al Qaeda almost completely destroyed the Karachi naval base.

So, like it or not, Pakistan is really at the frontlines in the battle against the Taliban.

The Pakistanis are, therefore, looking at extricating themselves from the US-created mess. The Russian gambit neatly dovetails into Pakistan’s requirement. Moscow has already entered into a deal with India where New Delhi pays for Russian weapons to the Afghan military. The arms deal with Pakistan completes this pincer manoeuvre that surrounds the Taliban.

The reason why the Russians have offered the Mi-25 helicopter from their vast arsenal is significant. Known as the world’s only “assault helicopter”, for its combination of firepower and troop-carrying capability, it has been highly effective in Afghanistan’s harsh environment.

While a handful of gunships to Pakistan won’t change the military balance vis-à-vis India, the Mi-25 can be the game-changer in battles with guerillas up in the mountains. Also, in Afghanistan where airfields are as rare as hen’s teeth, helicopters are the only way to get out and about. By supplying these gunships to Pakistan, the Russians get the Pakistanis to continue with the job of clearing up Islamist opposition.

Boris Volkhonsky, head of the Asian sector of the Russian Institute for Strategic Studies, told RIA Novosti that although India has always tended to react badly to the idea of arms being supplied to Pakistan, he doesn’t expect collaboration between Moscow and Islamabad to cause problems. “I do not think India will have any objections,” Volkhonsky said. “After all, India and Pakistan both buy weapons from the US, and this has not bothered them.”

And finally, to those claiming this is a landmark deal or a strategic decision, here is news: The Russians sold 70 Mi-17 transport helicopters to Pakistan between 1996 and 2010. www.desitoday.ca

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FEATURES

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ing “ Help dable ffor a e d i prov e” r a c l a dent

Dr. Harry Dhanju and the Board of Directors of his Pacific Oral Health Centre, a state-of-the art facility in Surrey, recently held an event to celebrate a visionary venture that Dhanju hopes will become a multi-faceted approach to providing dental services to low income (under $36,000 annual income) and poor families who can’t afford dental care at all.

“For me this is a project to serve the community and not about money,” said Dr. Dhanju, president and founder, whose vision got a boost when it tied up with UBC School of Dentistry to serve as a satellite college for the training of their dental students as well as providing dental education to foreign students, especially from India and other countries in South Asia.

“My only request to the community is be honest and declare your proper income and avail our services and abuse the facility because our goal is not only to serve the community but also to make dental centre sustainable,” Dr. Dhanju said in an interview.

“We are here for the community if they have any questions regarding dental care or a professional opinion on the dental work they need or they have already got done because we provide

Dr. Harry Dhanju creates dental centre for research

affordable hands-on service. Even those who can’t afford the dental services, we will help them to get it done for very low cost or free.”

Prominent people from the dentistry fraternity were on hand for the first annual reception.

They included BC Dental Association Chief Dr. Russell Humianishi, who has been a great supporter of the new facility, as well as Dr. Charles Schullar, Dean of the affiliated UBC School of Dentistry.

Dr. Dhanju also had a special guest from India: the eminent Dr. Anil Kumar Kohli, who is a retired brigadier of the Indian Army as well as a practising dental surgeon in India. He has been honoured by the Government of India with Padam Bhushan and other high honours for his work in the dentistry field.

“This is a state-of-the-art facility and for a great purpose of serving the underprivileged,” Dr. Kohli said in a phone interview. “Dr. Dhanju

and his team have done a great job of bridging the gap between community care, professional training and research and in the process have broken all barriers to access to affordable dental care.”

One of the ways Dr. Dhanju feels that affordable dental care can be procided is through their newly created sponsor A Smile program, where local businesses or individuals can get involved and sponsor the dental work and in the process receive a charitable receipt for their donations since the Pacific Oral Health Society (P.O.H.S.) is a charitable, non-profit society.

The new centre will also help fill the gap as health care services worldwide struggle with increasing demands and longer wait lists.

P.O.H.S. is a world-class facility that provides oral health care for many underprivileged community members.

Dr. Dhanju said: “We are proud to host “Dentistry from the Heart” days to serve our community with a volunteer work force of dental professionals. The first event, December 4, 2010, was overwhelmed with 350 patients seeking dental treatment, which convinced the Board and stakeholders of the pressing need for the clinic.

“P.O.H.S. is unique and important for Surrey and all surrounding communities. We are excited to be working with the University of British Columbia, Faculty of Dentistry and dozens of other stakeholders who have supported and made this Centre possible. UBC Dentistry’s involvement is consistent with their tradition of working within the communities of B.C.”

By R. PAUL DHILLON

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JUNE / JULY 2014 News With A DEsi View

www.desitoday.ca

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FEATURES

Human rights activists call for the

IMMEDIATE CLOSURE

of Guantanamo Bay

Shortly after he became President in 2009, Barack Obama promised to close Guantanamo Bay within a year.

“The detention facilities at Guantanamo for individuals covered by this order shall be closed as soon as practicable, and no later than one year from the date of this order,” said Obama’s executive order.

“If any individuals covered by this order remain in detention at Guantanamo at the time of the closure of those detention facilities, they shall be returned to their home country, released, transferred to a third country, or transferred to another United States detention facility.”

Five years later, Guantanamo Bay remains open.

Witness Against Torture and the Centre for Constitutional Rights led a global initiative last month, calling for the indefinite detentions and the closure of Guan24

JUNE / JULY 2014 News With A DEsi View

tanamo.

“We’re here a year after Obama’s failed promise to shut down Guantanamo Bay,” said Michael Van Arragon, activist and member with the Free Omar Khadr NOW Campaign that planned Toronto’s event.

“Omar Khadr still lives out the legacy of his 10-year detention at that illegal black site facility. We oppose the unilateral detention of our Muslim friends, neighbours, brothers and sisters across the entire world.”

Clutching a megaphone and dressed in an orange prison jumpsuit, Van Arragon paced back and forth along the southeast corner of Yonge and Dundas streets in Toronto next to Dundas Square. He was joined during Friday’s lunch hour by four of his colleagues www.desitoday.ca

from the Free Omar Khadr NOW Campaign who were wearing similar attire.

They said their Campaign is run by a diverse community of concerned citizens who are committed to seeking justice for the Canadian citizen.

“We ask that not another year goes by where Obama’s empty rhetoric keeps that facility open,” said Van Arragon.

“We’re here to support Omar Khadr as well.”

In 2002 at the age of 15, Khadr was living with his family in Afghanistan where he was seriously wounded by U.S. forces, captured and detained at Bagram and Guantanamo prisons for a decade.

“The Toronto-born Khadr, now 27, pleaded guilty in 2010 to five war crimes, including murder, for killing a U.S. soldier in Afghanistan,” said the Canadian Press in their story published in the Toronto Star.

“He was accused of throwing a grenade that killed Sgt. Christopher Speer, during a firrefight at an Afghan compound in July 2002.

“A U.S. military commission sentenced Khadr to eight years beyond the dozen he’d already spent in Guantanamo Bay. It made no distinction between youth and adult punishment or between consecutive and concurrent sentences.

“In 2012, he was transferred to Canada and corrections authorities took him into adult custody.

“He was initially kept at a maximum security prison in eastern Ontario. He was moved to Edmonton’s maximum security prison and, a few months ago, was reclassified as medium security and transferred to Bowden Institution in central Alberta.

“Last fall, he lost his bid for a transfer to a provincial jail for less violent offenders.”

Human rights activists in Toronto and the rest of the country are disappointed that the Canadian government has failed to negotiate a successful agreement to shut down Guantanamo Bay as well as the release of Omar Khadr who is now incarcerated in a Canadian maximum security prison.

“He did not kill anyone,” said the Free Omar Khadr NOW Campaign on its website. “Evidence obtained by torture.

Shameful Canadian Government is playing politics with his life.”

Fifteen minutes later, the group shifted to the southwest corner of Yonge and Dundas Streets outside the Eaton Centre to leaflet passersby.

“They have not been charged with anything yet they’ve been held for 12 years,” said Afroze Ali, an organizer with the Free Omar Khadr NOW campaign.

“And that’s the reason they’re on an island off of Cuba rather than on the mainland where their civil rights have to be respected.”

Close Guantanamo protest at White House

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JUNE / JULY 2014 News With A DEsi View

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FEATURES

The Guantanamo Bay detention camp, also referred to as Guantánamo or Gitmo, is a United States military prison located within Guantanamo Bay Naval Base, which fronts on Guantánamo Bay in Cuba, established in January 2002.

“Instead of considering him (Omar Khadr) as a child caught up in an adult war needing rehabilitation, he was allowed to stay there by this government,” said Ali. “He was tortured and abused for 11 long years.”

In a story published on May 13 2010

in CommonDreams.org, author Andy Worthington confirmed Khadr’s ill-treatment.

“Khadr stated that he was short-shackled in painful positions and left for up to ten hours in a freezing cold cell, threatened with rape and with being transferred to another country where he could be raped, and, on one particular occasion, when he had been left short-shackled in a painful position until he urinated on himself,” said Worthington.

But why was Khadr charged in the first

place?

“He’s been made into a scapegoat,” said Ali. “He is a Muslim. In wars and battles people die. People are injured on both sides.”

On February 16 2010, Worthington reposted an article at CommonDreams.org written by American Civil Liberties Union rendition client Binyam Mohamed where he referred to Khadr as a Scapegoat for a Failed “War on Terror.”

In another story, Worthington wrote a piece entitled “Canada’s Shameful Scape-

Edmonton protesters rally in support of Omar Khadr

26

JUNE / JULY 2014 News With A DEsi View

www.desitoday.ca

goating of Omar Khadr” that was published at CommonDreams.org on April 28 2012.

“The whole system is so corrupted that you can’t necessarily keep someone in jail being charged under such a corrupted system,” said MKira who is also with the Free Omar Khadr NOW campaign.

“And if we allow that as civilians then how do we know that won’t happen to us.

Because they’ve put a group of individuals into a black hole.”

According to a Canadian Press story published in the Toronto Star, a lawsuit was filed on Thursday against Omar Khadr for almost $45 million by the widow of a U.S. special forces soldier killed in Afghanistan and an American soldier blinded by a grenade.

“The motive is to pretty much criminalize him,” said Mkira.

“It certainly plays into the whole demonize Omar and play up Islamaphobia,” added Van Arragon. “And that seems to be the majority of the focus.”

Passersby at Friday’s action in Toronto who took the time to have a word with activists were either in full support of or completely opposed to the release of the detainees (including Khadr) and the closing of Guantanamo Bay. “We have this polarized debate because we have a lot of misinformation,” said Valentina Capurri, activist and professor at Ryerson University.

“People read the headlines of mainstream newspapers that are propaganda and they believe what they read. They don’t take the time to do their own research.”

Some passersby weren’t even aware of Guantanamo Bay, Omar Khadr or the other detainees.

“And our job is to just inform and hopefully they’ll go home and learn about what’s going on,” said Ali. The group hopes to hold more vigils at busy downtown intersections in Toronto during lunch hour for Omar Khadr and the others who are still detained in Guantanamo Bay. “So that different pockets of the population of Toronto will get exposed to the messages that we have.”

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s l r i g o w t f o g n i Kill s n a i d n I s r e g n a

Sohan Lal reached the police outpost at 11 o’clock on the night his daughter disappeared, he said, already desperate for help.

He bent down before the officer in charge and clutched his feet, telling him to hurry, hurry.

“I was on my knees begging them to come quickly, but they would not take us seriously,” Mr. Lal, 50, said. He said the policemen responded with “foul language” about his caste and his daughter.

Mr. Lal found his daughter, 12, close to dawn. She and her cousin, who was 14, had been raped, and their bodies were hanging by their scarves from a mango tree in this village about 200 miles from Delhi, the 28

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Indian capital.

Relatives insisted that the bodies hang there for 12 hours, preventing the police from bringing them down, because they wanted outsiders to see how the girls had been found.

The gruesome deaths have incited outrage in India and fury against the state government, which is led by a rival to the newly elected Bharatiya Janata Party.

A crowd of women, members of the B.J.P., marched on the office of the state’s chief minister on Monday, refusing to disperse until the authorities turned a water cannon on them. And a federal security official criticized the state authorities for not applying a rarely used act that levies severe punishments for acts of violence against Indians who are from the lowest castes.

“It was a clear case of atrocity on a weaker section of the society; we do not know why the state government has not slapped it on them,” Kiren Rijiju, the junior minister for internal security, was quoted as saying by The Press Trust of India.

Mr. Lal said that the girls were on their way to find a place to go to the toilet when they were forcibly led away by three brothers. The accused — Pappu Yadav, Awadhesh Yadav and Urvesh Yadav — come from the same caste as the three policemen whom Mr. Lal begged for help that night.

At one point, Mr. Lal said, the police brought the brothers to the station for an interrogation. One of them, after having been beaten, admitted to holding the girls captive, Mr. Lal said, but the other two were allowed to return to their village.

Mr. Lal said that villagers, who had gathered at the outpost, heard one police officer remark that “rapists get a rough treatment in jail, but murderers are thumped on their backs.”

Veere Yadav, the father of the three brothers, said that his sons were at home when the police came looking for them. “If they were guilty, then they would have run away,” he said.

In the village, the failure of the police to prevent the crime has stirred up hostilities between castes.

Both the victims and the suspects belong to the lower castes, but only members of the Yadav caste (the surname is the same as the caste) — who make up about 20 of the 400 households in the village — are assigned to the closest police outpost.

After the furor over the public hanging, Ram Vilas Yadav, the police official in charge of the outpost, was suspended.

Two police officers, who are facing criminal charges, have been fired. Another was suspended.

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FEATURES

Young girls hold banners during a protest over the rape and murder of the two sisters

Villagers gathered around the bodies to prevent the authorities from taking them down until the suspects were arrested

Women in Jalandhar light candles in memory of the victims of the rapes in Badaun 30

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Mr. Lal received a stream of politicians and journalists on the veranda of his brick house. He showed them passport-size photographs of the bodies suspended from the tree.

“The policeman in charge asked me to name my caste,” he said.

Among his visitors was Mayawati, leader of the main opposition party in Uttar Pradesh, who rose to power on the promise of empowering lower castes. She promised 500,000 rupees, about $8,500, to the families of the victims, and demanded that they be protected against retaliation.

“If anything happens to their family, then I will leave Delhi and Lucknow and sit here,” she said. “We will help you get justice.” Police personnel from nearby areas are guarding the victims’ families. The chief minister has also accepted their demand for the investigation to be conducted by an agency of the central government instead of by the state police.

Mr. Lal said he has refused a payout from the state government, demanding that it deliver justice by ensuring that the perpetrators are also hanged in public.

But Mr. Lal said he would accept Mayawati’s help. “She is genuine in her promise.

We can trust her,” he said. “Otherwise, we cannot trade our dignity for some money.”

While the rape and murder of the two cousins have become bound up with caste hostilities, some people here said such tensions were exaggerated.

Kamal Kant Tiwari, head of the village, noted that this was the first such crime in the community. Members of the Yadav caste, he said, “are quite few in number, and everyone has lived peacefully till now.”

“Like everywhere else, there were fights in the village, but it was not based on caste,” he added.

Atul Saxena, a senior police official who is leading the investigation, described the failure of the police officers to help Mr. Lal as “gross negligence.”

“This is a horrible and isolated case,” he said.

In the face of threats, Mr. Yadav, father of the three accused men, said that he had left his home to live on the banks of the Ganges River, two and a half miles away.

“With the boys gone, I’m too old to protect myself or my wife,” he said.

And while Mr. Lal’s grief has been public, his wife, Sridevi, 40, who covers her face with her sari, mourns more quietly. She said of her daughter: “She was very good at school, and she had a good handwriting.

She was ambitious, too, and wanted to be doctor.” www.desitoday.ca

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WHEN WILL WE STAND UP FOR ALL WOMEN?

by Soniah Kamal

“Keep your eyes down,” girls the world over are taught. If you don’t, bad things can happen, and it will be your fault. A woman with a will of her own is abnormal to some; this is the world we have created.

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In Lahore, which is not a village hidden behind mango trees but a big city in Pakistan, a three-months-pregnant woman is stoned to death outside the High Court for marrying a man of her choice. Her father and brothers bashed her head in because she is a woman who disobeyed them -- a woman who did not submissively accept their decisions, but who went to court to testify that she had married of her own volition. In other words, she was a woman who believed she had the human right to justice, and to her own life.

In Atlanta, which is not a rural backwater hidden behind magnolia trees but a big city in America, two women on the MARTA train are beaten, and one is stripped. They are transgender women, harassed and manhandled for disobeying the men who were ordering them to show themselves so they could prove if they were “real women” or not.

“Stop it,” the women initially kept saying, but the men did not stop. These were women who believed they had the human right to get on public transportation and get off at their destination without any trouble, because they have the right to live their lives.

Of course, when a man’s “honor” is challenged, all bets are off. In Lahore, the woman dishonored the men in her family by showing up at court and acting on her www.desitoday.ca

belief that she was her own person. They showed her who’s boss.

In Atlanta, one of the women had dishonored one of her attackers by listing her achievements -- which, I suppose, she hoped would make him respect her, or at the very least leave her alone. She reportedly said, “I got a house, a car, everything.

What you got?” The man got upset at being questioned, being asked to show his goods. And he got furious fast; he kicked her, an act inviting a free-for-all which resulted in one woman stripped, naked, down.

The message on both continents is Do Not Challenge A Man’s Honor, for male

Indian women protest in Bangalore on Jan. 4, 2013. They are seeking the death penalty for the men who gang-raped a 23-year-old student. The attack on the young woman, who died of severe internal injuries, provoked a debate across India about the routine mistreatment of the nation’s women and triggered daily protests demanding action.

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FEATURES

A rally to protest violence against women in Lahore in November 2010

In Thailand, Colombia, Russia, China, in too many countries to name, tourism is synonymous with the sex trade and trafficking.

honor is not restricted to certain parts of the world. When a man’s honor is challenged, it doesn’t matter in which world he is lording it up -- any threat must be eliminated to restore his lost pride. A disobedient woman in Lahore or a transgender women in Atlanta: both stepped out of place, out of line, out of bounds; this must not be done. But then, women are not considered human. In Lahore, the woman is the property of her father and brothers.

In Atlanta, the trans women are freaks who are expected to put on a show, a spectacle.

A public space, a crowd, the home we call a society -- it affords no safety. These women could have been murdered in a dead-end alley for all the good that came from having onlookers. In Lahore, people watched and turned away. The police did not intervene, as it was a routine domestic matter between father/daughter and

brothers/sister. In Atlanta, people watched, using cell phones to record the ordeal. A woman’s ordeal is entertainment; her honor just a shame.

There is a woman on a train, her clothes ripped off, naked on the dirty floor of a train, lying still, waiting -- for more, perhaps, before it finally ends, and she can put her clothes back on, while another woman stands nearby and wipes tears and sniffles.

There is a woman on a dusty potholed road outside a courthouse, a busy road in the clear light of day, crumpled up, fallen, her head cracked open, dead. Nobody helps. Perhaps the onlookers feel helpless.

Perhaps they don’t care.

In Pakistan, a woman from a certain economic strata standing up for love is a dangerous creature. In America, a trans woman in the wrong place at the wrong time is the same. Both are eyed with curi-

These were opening remarks of a report titled ‘VAW (Violence Against Women) in Pakistan — a qualitative review of statistics 2011’, launched by the Aurat Foundation.

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osity and, if they dare return the gaze, curiosity quickly turns to hostility, which then erupts into madness and mayhem. “Keep your eyes down,” girls the world over are taught. If you don’t, bad things can happen, and it will be your fault. A woman with a will of her own is abnormal to some; this is the world we have created.

When it comes to gender, disrespect, and dishonor, the world is not a sanctuary.

In Sudan, a woman believed to be Muslim can be hanged because her marriage to a Christian is considered illegitimate and, therefore, their relationship adulterous. In America, a Jewish woman struggles away two years of her life because her husband refuses to sign a “ghet,” the legal document without which Jewish law will not recognize her divorce and subsequently she will not be able to remarry and move on.

In India, two Hindu-Dalit girls are raped; then they either hang themselves or are lynched by others. Whether they took their lives or their lives were taken away from them, the end result is the same: two girls are dead.

In Nigeria, close to 300 girls -- Muslim and Christian -- have been abducted for the sexual pleasure of guerrillas.

In Thailand, Colombia, Russia, China, in too many countries to name, tourism is synonymous with the sex trade and trafficking. And in California, a man from an affluent background goes on a murderous rampage, successfully kills two women, and injures many others. Their crime? Too good-looking and unlikely to have sex with the likes of him. By not bowing before his demands, they’d dishonored him. The payment for restoring his honor was their lives.

As he says, in a nutshell: “Feminism is evil.”

It is a view shared all over the world.

Women are just women are just women are just women and, if they misbehave, they must pay, via honor killings or honor humiliations. Perhaps in Pakistan no justice will be meted out, whereas in America, justice may see its eventual day in court, but I wonder how much difference it will make.

To be a Pakistani-American lately has been rough. Here and there don’t seem so different after all. That part of the world versus this part of the world, an “uncivilized” people versus a civilized people, tribal laws versus constitutional laws, East versus West— I’ve heard every variant of this dichotomy. But these past few days have been a cruel reminder that, no matter where they happen, when it comes to honor killings, honor humiliations, hating and hurting women, there is no third world or first world -- there is only One World, and it sucks. www.desitoday.ca

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Highly anticipated Punjabi film

‘Punjab 1984’

launched in Surrey

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www.desitoday.ca

Daljit Thind, Manmord Sidhu, Diljit Dosanjh and Rana Ranbir

Photos by Vinnie Combow

REGARDED as one of the most highly anticipated Punjabi films ever produced, Punjab 1984 celebrated its global launch in Surrey on Wednesday with stars Diljit Dosanjh and Rana Ranbir, as well as producer Manmord Singh Sidhu.

And Daljit Thind, the well-known and highly respected B.C. developer who was instrumental in bringing TOIFA (Times of India Film Awards) to Vancouver last year, has bought the movie rights internationally.

Thind said he was interested in movie production. He said he was excited about the positive response to the movie all around the world.

He added he will be taking up various entertainment projects in the future.

A White Hill Production starring globally recognized Punjabi singer and actor Diljit Dosanjh and directed by Anurag Singh, Punjab 1984 is based on the real life events characterized by Amnesty International as one of the most significant human atrocities in history. The film is based on the events after the invasion of Darbar Sahib (Golden Temple) in the backdrop of 1984 Punjab, and the story of a mother and her missing son.

White Hill Production Inc. is a Vancouver based production company committed to the highest quality production of films, ad films, music videos, and film distribution. Some of the biggest blockbusters in Punjabi cinema such as Jatt and Juliet, Jatt and Juliet 2, Best of Luck and most recently Romeo Ranjha have been produced under this banner.

Diljit Dosanjh has proved his mettle as a multitalented singer / actor who has taken Punjabi cinema to a whole new level. Although he started his career in films with an action role, his great comedic timing in films, Jatt and Juliet, Jatt and Juliet 2 and Disco Singh have been immensely appreciated worldwide.

“Punjab 1984” will give the audience a chance to see yet another side of him as he portrays a role of a man whose life is full of angst, tragedy, anger and turmoil.

Anurag Singh is a Mumbai based director / writer best known for Jatt and Juliet Series, Yaar Anmulle and most recently Disco Singh.

Regarded as one of the best filmmakers of Punjabi Cinema, Anurag Singh’s latest “Punjab 1984” shows a very different side of him as a filmmaker. Unlike the comedies and light hearted films he has directed in the past, this films deals with human emotions and tragedy.

Punjab 1984 opens to the public on June 27 internationally and in the Lower Mainland at Cineplex Strawberry Hills, Surrey; Cineplex Silvercity, Mission; Cineplex Odeon, Abbotsford; Cineplex Silvercity Riverport, Richmond; Landmark Guildford, Surrey; and Cottonwood, Chilliwack.

View the trailer of Punjab 1984 here: http://youtu.be/lvzGLfJs5JE

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FEATURES

by RAKESH KRISHNAN SIMHA

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The Bengal Famine of 1943-44 must rank as the greatest disaster in the subcontinent in the 20th century. Nearly 4 million Indians died because of an artificial famine created by the British government, and yet it gets little more than a passing mention in Indian history books.

What is remarkable about the scale of the disaster is its time span. World War II was at its peak and the Germans were rampaging across Europe, targeting Jews, Slavs and the Roma for extermination. It took Adolf Hitler and his Nazi cohorts 12 years to round up and murder 6 million Jews, but their Teutonic cousins, the British, managed to kill almost 4 million Indians in just over a year, with Prime Minister Winston Churchill cheering from the sidelines.

Australian biochemist Dr Gideon Polya has called the Bengal Famine a “manmade holocaust” because Churchill’s policies were directly responsible for the disaster.

Bengal had a bountiful harvest in 1942, but the British started diverting vast quantities of food grain from India to Britain, contributing to a massive food shortage in the areas comprising present-day West Bengal, Odisha, Bihar and Bangladesh.

Author Madhusree Mukerjee tracked down some of the survivors and paints a chilling picture of the effects of hunger and deprivation. In Churchill’s Secret War, she writes: “Parents dumped their starving children into rivers and wells. Many took their lives by throwing themselves in front of trains. Starving people begged for the starchy water in which rice had been boiled. Children ate leaves and vines, yam stems and grass. People were too weak even to cremate their loved ones.”

“No one had the strength to perform rites,” a survivor tells Mukerjee. “Dogs and jackals feasted on piles of dead bodies in Bengal’s villages.” The ones who got away were men who migrated to Calcutta for jobs and women who turned to prostitution to feed their families. “Mothers had turned into murderers, village belles into whores, fathers into traffickers of daughters,” writes Mukerjee.

Mani Bhaumik, the first to get a PhD from the IITs and whose invention of excimer surgery enabled Lasik eye surgery, has the famine etched in his memory. His grandmother starved to death because she used to give him a portion of her food.

By 1943 hordes of starving people were flooding into Calcutta, most dying on the streets. The sight of well-fed white British soldiers amidst this apocalyptic landscape was “the final judgement on British rule in India”, said the Anglophile Jawaharlal Nehru. www.desitoday.ca

Churchill could easily have prevented the famine. Even a few shipments of food grain would have helped, but the British prime minister adamantly turned down appeals from two successive Viceroys, his own Secretary of State for India and even the President of the US. Subhas Chandra Bose, who was then fighting on the side of the Axis forces, offered to send rice from Myanmar, but the British censors did not even allow his offer to be reported.

Churchill was totally remorseless in diverting food to the British troops and Greek civilians. To him, “the starvation of anyhow underfed Bengalis (was) less serious than sturdy Greeks”, a sentiment with which Secretary of State for India and Burma, Leopold Amery, concurred.

Amery was an arch-colonialist and yet he denounced Churchill’s “Hitler-like attitude.” Urgently beseeched by Amery and the then Viceroy Archibald Wavell to release food stocks for India, Churchill responded with a telegram asking why Gandhi hadn’t died yet.

Wavell informed London that the famine “was one of the greatest disasters that has befallen any people under British rule.”

He said when Holland needs food, “ships will of course be available, quite a different answer to the one we get whenever we ask for ships to bring food to India.”

Churchill’s excuse — currently being peddled by his family and supporters — was Britain could not spare the ships to transport emergency supplies, but Mukerjee has unearthed documents that challenge his claim. She cites official records

that reveal ships carrying grain from Australia bypassed India on their way to the Mediterranean.

Churchill’s hostility toward Indians has long been documented. At a War Cabinet meeting, he blamed the Indians themselves for the famine, saying they “breed like rabbits”. His attitude toward Indians may be summed up in his words to Amery: “I hate Indians. They are a beastly people with a beastly religion.” On another occasion, he insisted they were “the beastliest people in the world next to the Germans.”

According to Mukerjee, “Churchill’s attitude toward India was quite extreme, and he hated Indians, mainly because he knew India couldn’t be held for very long.” She writes in The Huffington Post, “Churchill regarded wheat as too precious a food to expend on non-whites, let alone on recalcitrant subjects who were demanding independence from the British Empire. He preferred to stockpile the grain to feed Europeans after the war was over.”

In October 1943, at the peak of the famine, Churchill said at a lavish banquet to mark Wavell’s appointment: “When we look back over the course of years, we see one part of the world’s surface where there has been no war for three generations.

Famines have passed away — until the horrors of war and the dislocations of war have given us a taste of them again — and pestilence has gone… This episode in Indian history will surely become the Golden Age as time passes, when the British gave them peace and order, and there was justice for the poor, and all men were shielded from outside dangers.”

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FEATURES

At least 3 million people died from starvation and malnutrition during a famine in the Indian province of Bengal in 1943

A history of holocausts To be sure, Churchill’s policy towards famine-stricken Bengal wasn’t any different from earlier British conduct in India. In Late Victorian Holocausts, Mike Davis points out that here were 31 serious famines in 120 years of British rule compared with 17 in the 2,000 years before British rule.

In his book, Davis tells the story of the famines that killed up to 29 million Indians.

These people were, he says, murdered by British State policy. In 1876, when drought destituted the farmers of the Deccan plateau, there was a net surplus of rice and wheat in India. But the Viceroy, Robert Bulwer-Lytton, insisted that nothing should prevent their export to England.

In 1877 and 1878, at the height of the famine, grain merchants exported record quantities of grain. As the peasants began to starve, government officials were ordered “to discourage relief works in every possible way”. The only relief permitted in most districts was hard labour, from which anyone in an advanced state of starvation was turned away. Within these labour camps, the workers were given less food than the Jewish inmates of Buchenwald, the Nazi concentration camp of World War II. Even as millions died, Lytton ignored all efforts to alleviate the suffering of millions of peasants in the Madras region and concentrated on preparing for Queen Victoria’s investiture as Empress of India. The highlight of the celebrations was a weeklong feast at which 68,000 dignitaries heard her promise the nation “happiness, prosperity and welfare”.

In 1901, The Lancet estimated that at least 19 million Indians had died in western 42

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India during the famine of the 1890s. The death toll was so high because the British refused to implement famine relief. Davis says life expectancy in India fell by 20 percent between 1872 and 1921.

So it’s hardly surprising that Hitler’s favourite film was The Lives of a Bengal Lancer, which showed a handful of Britons holding a continent in thrall. The Nazi leader told the then British Foreign Secretary Edward Wood (Earl of Halifax) that it was one of his favorite films because “that was how a superior race must behave and the film was compulsory viewing for the SS (Schutz-Staffel, the Nazi ‘protection squadron’)”.

Crime and consequences While Britain has offered apologies to other nations, such as Kenya for the Mau Mau massacre, India continues to have such genocides swept under the carpet. Other nationalities have set a good example for us. Israel, for instance, cannot forget the Holocaust; neither will it let others, least of all the Germans. Germany continues to dole out hundreds of millions of dollars in cash and arms aid to Israel.

Armenia cannot forget the Great Crime — the systematic massacre of 1.8 million Armenians by the Turks during World War I. The Poles cannot forget Joseph Stalin’s Katyn massacre.

The Chinese want a clear apology and reparations from the Japanese for at least 40,000 killed and raped in Nanking during World War II. And then there is the bizarre case of the Ukrainians, who like to call a famine caused by Stalin’s economic policies as genocide, which it clearly was not.

They even have a word for it: Holodomor.

And yet India alone refuses to ask for reparations, let alone an apology. Could it be because the British were the last in a long list of invaders, so why bother with an England suffering from post-imperial depression? Or is it because India’s Englishspeaking elites feel beholden to the British?

Or are we simply a nation condemned to repeating our historical mistakes? Perhaps we forgive too easily.

But forgiveness is different from forgetting, which is what Indians are guilty of. It is an insult to the memory of millions of Indians whose lives were snuffed out in artificial famines. British attitudes towards Indians have to seen in the backdrop of India’s contribution to the Allied war campaign.

By 1943, more than 2.5 million Indian soldiers were fighting alongside the Allies in Europe, Africa and Southeast Asia. Vast quantities of arms, ammunition and raw materials sourced from across the country were shipped to Europe at no cost to Britain.

Britain’s debt to India is too great to be ignored by either nation. According to Cambridge University historians Tim Harper and Christopher Bayly, “It was Indian soldiers, civilian labourers and businessmen who made possible the victory of 1945. Their price was the rapid independence of India.”

There is not enough wealth in all of Europe to compensate India for 250 years of colonial loot. Forget the money, do the British at least have the grace to offer an apology? Or will they, like Churchill, continue to delude themselves that English rule was India’s “Golden Age”?

This article was originally published in Tehelka magazine, dated 21 June. Reprinted with permission.

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y s u o l Jea wastedisemotion a

By Joshua Fields Millburn

We all get jealous, don’t we? Actually, no, not everyone experiences jealousy as an emotion.

I don’t get jealous. That’s a weird thing to read, isn’t it? Well, it’s a weird thing to say, too. But it’s true. I don’t experience jealously as an emotion. I experience sadness, happiness, anger, euphoria, and a plethora of other emotions, but not jealousy.

Why? Because, unlike many emotions, I can choose to not experience jealousy.

After years of observing people getting jealous in myriad ways, I understand that our culture is riddled with jealousy and envy and greed, all of which emotions are by-products of our competitive, consumer driven culture. What’s worse is that it’s far more pernicious than we think. Competition breeds jealousy, though we often give to prettier labels like “competitive spirit” or “stick-to-itiveness” or “ambition.”

But the truth is that jealousy leads to certain cultural imperatives—e.g., keeping up with the Joneses, as it were. Thus, we envy Mr. and Mrs. Jones for their money

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and their large house and their luxury cars and their big boat and their weekend retreat and their fancy vacations and all their stuff—all the trappings of our heavily-mediated society.

But we don’t get jealous solely over material possessions. We also get jealous over our relationships. We think our friends don’t spend enough time with us, our lovers don’t care about us as much as they should, our customers aren’t loyal enough.

It all revolves around us. He doesn’t spend enough time with me. She doesn’t care enough about me. We think this way because it’s hard to back away from ourselves, it’s hard to realize I am not the center of the universe.

There is good news though. Like our televisions, we can choose to turn it off.

We can choose to remove jealousy from our emotional arsenal. And like TV, it’s not always easy to turn off (it sure seems interesting sometimes, doesn’t it?) But turning off jealousy can significantly improve one’s emotional health. Because, at the end of the day, jealousy is never useful. Many

negative emotions can be useful—pain tells us something is wrong, fear tells us to look before we leap, etc.—but jealousy, no matter how jealous we get, will never help.

BUT HOW? The easiest way to turn jealousy off is to stop questioning other people’s intentions.

We often get jealous because we think a person meant one thing by their actions, when they meant something totally different. And the truth is that you’ll never know someone’s real intent, so it’s a waste of time to question it.

If you’re struggling with questioning someone’s intent, you can do one of two things: 1. Ask them what they meant by their actions/words.

2. Accept that you will never know their true intent, no matter how much you question it.

The bottom line with jealousy: You can turn it off. You can stop questioning other people’s intent. A better life is waiting on the other side of jealousy.

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LOVE & RELATIONSHIPS

Grandparents love doling out unsolicited advice -- and not all of it is bad (really). But here’s what to do when their constant suggestions start to get on your nerves.

Remember, they mean well When your parents are offering advice on how to care for your little one, it’s easy to hear, “You don’t know what you’re doing!” or “You’re doing that wrong!” instead of realizing that they’re just trying to be helpful,

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says Jill Spiegel, author of How to Talk to Anyone About Anything.

“It’s normal for new parents to go on the defensive when they’re offered advice, but what your parents are really saying is, ‘I want to feel helpful,’ “ explains Spiegel.

She also points out that it is a parent’s nature to come to their child’s aid, so if your mom sees you struggling with getting your baby to nap or making your toddler eat his veggies, it’s an instinct to offer some assistance.

Cheryl Wu, M.D., a Manhattan-based pediatrician, agrees. “Grandparents tend to have two things on their side: one, they’re our parents and two, we’re still alive -meaning, they probably knew a thing or two about raising kids.

So that makes it hard to argue with them. The best thing we can remember is that the grandparents really do mean well and want to make sure that their grandchildren are cared for in the most proper way (in their minds).”

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47

HEALTH & WELLNESS

m u t r a p t s Po pression De en to Any Parent p p a H n a C

The baby blues aren’t just the domain of birth mothers: fathers, adoptive parents, and nonbiological mothers are also at risk.

Postpartum depression has mainly been thought of as a condition only new moms can experience. But according to a new study published in the journal Pediatrics, women aren’t the only ones who could suffer from it.

The research shows that men who become fathers at a young age – typically around the age of 25 – see a 68 percent increase in depression symptoms over the first five years of

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being dads.

As its name suggests, postpartum depression (PPD) is a mood disorder that becomes apparent after childbirth. Whether it’s your 1st or 5th child, pregnancy and childbirth brings with it a dizzying array of lifestyle changes, hormonal changes, and emotional changes that could leave one susceptible to developing some level of mood change or disorder.

When investigating mood changes in women who have recently delivered a child, the medical community differentiates between the less severe ‘baby blues’ (a short period of sadness, anxiety, and trouble sleeping that alleviates within a couple of weeks) and the more intense and long-lasting PPD. A woman dealing with an extreme loss of appetite, oversleeping or insomnia, withdrawal from friends and family, intense anxiety or anger, and difficulty bonding with her baby (or thoughts of harming herself or her baby) may be dealing with PPD – and understandably so. Our bodies, minds, and lives on a whole undergo an incredible shift during and after pregnancy, including hormonal drops, sleep deprivation, embracing new identities, and relationship or financial stress, to name a few.

According to the Journal of the American Medical Association, one in seven U.S. dads are at risk for Paternal Postnatal Depression (PPND). But because men are traditionally less likely to ask for help then women, symptoms of male postpartum depression often go unrecognized and fail to be addressed.

PPND is not easy to spot, but typical symptoms include irritability, fatigue, lack of sleep and feelings of sadness and worthlessness.

These factors can all lead to a diagno-

sis of PPD, and should not be ignored.

Shame and guilt play dual roles in PPD as well. Among the prevailing symptoms of the condition, shame and guilt can set in when something as “innate” as motherhood doesn’t come as naturally as one would hope.

Breastfeeding struggles, a perceived inability to console a crying child, or insecurities over ones’ ability to effectively care for and raise a child all add to the weight that a woman at risk for PPD carries.

Shame and guilt also have a hand in hampering women who feel they may need help.

In communities where mental illness is stigmatized and minimized, some women may feel unable to reach out and say “I don’t think I’m OK.” In communities where women are praised for their strength and ability to overcome nearly anything, some women may feel that they’ll be exposing their weaknesses by seeking assistance. Some studies show that racial disparities exist in the diagnosis and treatment of PPD, which adds another crucial factor to the management of the condition.

Societal and cultural contexts have such an impact on the pursuit of wellness, and if we aren’t careful, those contexts can impede that journey.

Karen Kleiman, founder and director of the Postpartum Stress Center and author of This Wasn’t What I Expected: Overcoming Postpartum Depression, notes in a recent article that the “having a baby will change everything” cliché is very true. While most people are aware that their lives are going to be different after having a baby, Kleiman points out that it’s easy to find yourself overwhelmed during the transition. And that dissonance between your expectation of parenthood and the reality of it can often contribute to postpartum depression–no matter your sex.

As with all mental illnesses, the important thing to do if you are worried that you or a loved one has postpartum depression is talk about it and seek help from a licensed health professional. Without treatment, postpartum mood disorders can often worsen and cause long-term consequences, so it’s important to address the problem when it occurs.

Should PPD become a reality for you as it is for 9-16% of postpartum, there are options for help: • 1-to-1 counseling • support groups • antidepressant medication (with options that are safe for breastfeeding moms) • accessing supportive and helpful friends and family members • regular exercise • eating well • getting a healthy amount of sleep With the acknowledgment that something isn’t right, a supportive circle, and appropriate medical attention, PPD can be treated, managed, and overcome. www.desitoday.ca

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CAREER & BUSINESS

G N I T A I T O Y R G A L E A N AS The right answer to the question, “What’s your salary range?” is almost always some version of “I’m not telling you.”

The person who gives the first number sets the starting point. But if that’s you, you lose. If you request a salary higher than the range for the job, the interviewer will tell you you’re high, and you’ve just lost money. If you request a salary lower than the range, the interviewer will say nothing, and you’ve just lost money.

So you can only hurt yourself by giving the first number. You want the interviewer to tell you the range for the position, because then you can focus on getting to the high end of that range. But you can’t work to the high point if you don’t know it.

So if there are two good salary negotiators in the room, it will be a game to see who has to give the first number. Fortunately, the company cannot make you an offer without also offering a salary, so the cards are stacked in your favor, as long as you hold your ground.

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So here’s a list of responses for all the ways the interviewer will ask you how much money you expect to make. The more times you can fend off the question, the less likely you will have to be the one to give the first number. This works, even if you don’t have the upper hand and you really need the job.

by Pennelope Trunk

What salary range are you looking for?

“Let’s talk about the job requirements and expectations first, so I can get a sense of what you need.” That’s a soft answer to a soft way to ask the question.

What did you make at your last job?

“This position is not exactly the same as my last job. So let’s discuss what my responsibilities would be here and then determine a fair salary for this job.” It’s hard to argue with words like “fair” and “responsibilities”— you’re earning respect with this one. www.desitoday.ca

What are you expecting to make in terms of salary?

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“I am interested in finding a job that is a good fit for me. I’m sure whatever salary you’re paying is consistent with the rest of the market.” In other words, I respect myself and I want to think I can respect this company.

I need to know what salary you want in order to make you an offer. Can you tell me a range?

“I’d appreciate it if you could make me an offer based on whatever you have budgeted for this position and we can go from there.” This is a pretty direct response, so using words like “appreciate” focuses on drawing out the interviewer’s better qualities instead of her tougher side.

Why don’t you want to give your salary requirements?

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“I think you have a good idea of what this position is worth to your company, and that’s important information for me to know.” Enough dancing–this is one last attempt to force you to give the number first.

Hold your line here and you win.

You can see the pattern, right? If you think you sound obnoxious or obstinate by not answering the question, think of how he feels asking the question more than once.

The interviewer is just trying to get a leg up on you in negotiations. If you give in, you look like a poor negotiator, and the interviewer is probably not looking for someone like that.

So stand your ground, and understand that the interviewer is being as insistent as you are. And it might encourage you to know that research shows that if you mirror the behavior of the interviewer, you are more likely to get the job. Sure, this usually applies to tone of voice, level of enthusiasm, and body language, but who’s to say it doesn’t apply to negotiation tactics, too?

Try it. You could come away lots richer.

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51

STYLE, BEAUTY, CULTURE

Beauty s t e r c e S

from an er h t o m n a i d In

by Shyema Azam

Red lipstick is basically the equivalent to the devil’s play thing. Start wearing it too young, and “your lips will eventually turn black.”

• Using hair dye was strictly prohibited “because your hair will prematurely gray.”

• And forget trying to use any acne products too early because “you’ll ruin your skin and get even more pimples.”

But for every strange cause-andeffect beauty theory that Indian mother hand down, they have some equally effective remedies for hair and skin that come straight from the kitchen.

These DIY beauty remedies work so well, that many women still use them over drugstore brands. Plus most of them are not at all di cult to implement in your routine:

room temperature, coconut oil is actually solid, so you’d have to melt it before applying), dip your fingers in and massage it on your scalp. Then thinly coat your hair from root to tip. Braid your hair and put a towel on my pillow and shampoo it out the next morning. Your hair will be softer and stronger in weeks.

Coconut oil is rich in lauric acid which helps prevent hair loss. Even more than coconut oil though, I’d use virgin olive oil.

After a few weeks of these oil treatments, my hair would GLEAM. Tip: Don’t OVER-oil your hair since you’ll end up using too much shampoo to wash it out and in turn, will dry it out. Just a thin coat is perfect, and make sure you massage it thoroughly on your scalp!

Deep condition oil massage

Beautifying Castor Oil

Indian mothers have a way of making you really freaking scared to experiment with any beauty products that don’t qualify as “all-natural.” Take, for instance, the following gems from a South Asian mother: •

Hot oil scalp massages were practically a three-times-a week ritual in my household: Heat up a few tablespoons of coconut oil in the microwave for a minute (at

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My mom claims when her grandma died at 75 years old she didn’t have even one white hair. Her secret? Castor oil. My mom said she’d coat her hair with it, and even

use it as a moisturizer to prevent wrinkles. TMI: She’d even drink it once a month as a laxative.

As it turns out, castor oil is rich in fatty acids and anti-microbal ricinoleic acid.

A ComplexionClearing Face /Scrub My mom has been using this mask FOR-EVER. Credit good genes or this mask, but she still doesn’t have a wrinkle on her face. She mixes this concoction herself using ingredients straight from India: Mix 1 teaspoon of turmeric, dry coriander, sandalwood powder, Indian gooseberry all in equal parts (so 1 teaspoon each), and add 5 teaspoons of powder of green gram lentil mix with curd and lemon. (Your best bet is to look for them at a South Asian grocery store).

If you mix a teaspoon of this with a few drops of water until it turns

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clumpy, it makes a great scrub. Just rub it against skin and wash off. Or, add even more water until it’s a little more paste-ey and apply to wet skin as a mask.

Wait 10 minutes until it hardens then wash off. It sucks out the impurities. Consider this a power-packed mask: turmeric has amazing antiseptic properties, coriander fights against pimples and blackheads, sandalwood has brightening properties, while the Indian gooseberry tones and firms. On a recent visit back home, my mom sent this back with me in a Ziploc.

DandruffFighting Vinegar In India, my mom said they would mix a cup of vinegar in water, and use it as a “final rinse” for their hair in the shower. The vinegar would neutralize and get rid of the dandruff.

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Scoop out half of a ripe avocado and toss in the blender. Add a teaspoon of olive oil so it blends a little easier into a paste.

Massage it from roots to end (it goes on fairly clear). Wash out in the shower.

I guess I really do have to thank my Mom for passing down some pretty amazing beauty knowledge on to me. Except when she never let me shave my legs because she said it would make my hair grow back even thicker and eventually turn me into a hairy beast that no one would want to marry. That was just not cool.

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53

STYLE, BEAUTY, CULTURE

s e x i F s r k e c d i n u u l Q B n o i ash for F

Ever experienced a stain on your blouse during a client lunch or an unsightly deodorant streak across your little black dress? There are varied fashion faux pas that women can come across, but a little craftiness can help you escape fashion blunder embarrassment.

To help avoid those little ‘oops’ moments, here are some “quick-fix” tips to solve even the worst of fashion emergencies:

Food on your clothes: There is nothing worse than throwing your lunch down your dress, but you’re not alone. Over half of women have left the house with a stain on their clothes without realising. Eat your treats with confidence, safe in the knowledge that you have emergency wipes and tissues for a speedy clean-up. Use a moist wipe to quickly cleanse the area, using water to rinse as necessary. Use a tissue to soak up any additional liquid and leave to air-dry.

Lipstick on your teeth: Food, lipstick, red wine stains, teeth are a continuous source of potential embarrassment. Stealing a quick peek in a pocket mirror after eating, drinking or when applying lipstick will ensure your smile remains dazzling all night long.

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55

FOOD, ART, ENT

TOXIC BEAUTY

And they’re routinely exposed to toxins on the job, including cures, solvents, polishes, dyes and other beauty products, which are not necessarily made with things that are good for the body.

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www.desitoday.ca

Visits to a salon are serious, and profitable business, whether you’re going to get your regular cut or splurging on a mani-pedi because you’re having a bad day. Yet, those visits often come at a high cost to workers, something frequently concealed from consumers, some of whom might be disturbed to know that their nails, and more, are making people sick. It should be possible to visit a salon ethically, for those who want to do so, and the first step is making people more aware.

Salon workers are often low-paid, especially at cheap salons like those offering $10 manicures or $5 cuts. They may be renting stations, in which case they’re pushed to turn as many clients over as possible to make the rent, or they’re employees of the salon, which in turn pressures them to generate high profits or get out. Four in ten are Asian immigrants, many of them women of childbearing age with no access to health care, and limited English skills.

And they’re routinely exposed to toxins on the job, including cures, solvents, polishes, dyes and other beauty products, which are not necessarily made with things that are good for the body. Take a Brazilian blowout, for example, which has been in headlines of late for its cancer risks. For frequent clients, this can definitely be a health concern, but for salon workers, it’s especially dangerous, because they’re working in crowded spaces with limited ventilation, inhaling fumes all day and absorbing toxins through their skins.

Long-term salon work can contribute to the development of skin conditions, respiratory illness, cancer and a host of other conditions. Those who speak out about unsafe working conditions run the risk of being fired, as do those who attempt to organise workers and raise consumer awareness about these issues. There are always www.desitoday.ca

more low-cost workers available, including women who don’t know about the health and environmental risks as well as immigrants desperate for work opportunities.

This problem isn’t limited to salons -WE ACT notes that many “ethnic personal care products” sold directly to consumers also contain health hazards. Skin whitening creams, hair straightening products, and other products used both at home and in the salon on women of colour contain a dazzling and disturbing array of environmental toxins. That’s bad for the women using them, the people applying them, and the environment.

Beauty has always come at a high cost, from women sickening themselves by taking arsenic to look more pale to companies

deliberately selling toxic whitening creams in the global south. That doesn’t mean, though, that it always has to be that way, and a careful evaluation of the industry could reveal ways to turn it into a just and healthy place for customers and workers alike.

Consumer pressure to develop ecologically-friendly and worker-safe products would force suppliers to seriously research them, and to address some of the barriers making it hard to get these products into the field. There’s no reason workers should be inhaling things like formaldehyde and bleach on the job -- and no reason regulatory agencies should be lax on beauty supplies.

While they may be associated with “frivolity,” beauty supplies are far from a harmless and unimportant “girl thing” that everyone can safely ignore. Not in an industry worth billions of dollars a year and involving some of the largest companies in the world. And not in an industry where the exploitation of women has become a routine and expected part of the trade.

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57

FOOD, ART, ENT

Hollywood’s

Gary Oldman blasts colleagues as

‘hypocrites’ Actor Gary Oldman issued a blunt assessment of some his Hollywood colleagues during a recent interview with Playboy: Stop being so hypocritical, he charged.

He made the remarks while responding to questions about fellow actor Mel Gibson’s career hit over controversial antiSemitic comments made during an apparent drunken rant in 2006. Mr. Gibson later apologized for the comments and claimed they were “blurted out in a moment of insanity,” various media reported.

But his career suffered a serious blow.

Mr. Oldman characterized the episode — which included a severe backlashing from the Hollywood community — as evidence of his colleagues’ hypocrisy.

“I don’t know about Mel. He got drunk and said a few thing, but we’ve all said those things,” Mr. Oldman said, The Independent reported. “We’re all [expletive] hypocrites.

That’s what I think about it. The policeman who arrested him has never used the [racial slur] or [expletive] Jew? I’m being brutally honest here. It’s the hypocrisy of it that drives me crazy.”

Mr. Gibson is now “an outcast, a leper,” Mr. Oldman told Playboy interview.

“Mel Gibson is in a town that’s run by Jews, and he said the wrong thing because he’s actually bitten the hand that I guess has fed him,” Mr. Oldman said. “But some Jewish guy in his office somewhere hasn’t turned and said ‘That [expletive] kraut’ or ‘[Expletive] those Germans,’ whatever it is?

We all hide and try to be so politically correct,” Mr. Oldman said. “That’s what gets me.”

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59

FOOD, ART, ENT

“Star kid” HAS TO work harder

By Uma Ramasubramanian

He is the son of Bollywood’s once reigning star Jackie Shroff. His daredevilry is the talk of the town. But young and raring to go Tiger Shroff says that the fact that he’s a “star kid” made him work twice as hard as any newcomer.

His debut film “Heropanti”, for which he invested two years of labour and passion to achieve an enviable body frame and a natural fluidity in action scenes, released on May 23.

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Initially, Tiger was skeptical of stepping into the Hindi film industry, fearing he would be compared to his father. But good preparation and confidence have helped him through.

In conversation with media, the 24-year-old said: “Comparison with my father is one of the reasons why I was skeptical to get into Bollywood.”

But obviously, he knew, the expectations from him would be high.

“It might be easier for us to get the first film, but the expectation is twice as much because our father had made it big. But people don’t know the amount of hard work that goes into it. A star kid has to work twice as hard to surpass the expectations,” he said.

Citing an example, Tiger noted how the current day and age are different from when his father was in his prime.

“I think the actors nowadays make a lot www.desitoday.ca

more preparations. There is a different kind of expectation and rule book that actors now follow.

“Earlier, actors used to be more carefree and do four to five films. I remember my father used to do three shifts a day, and now we focus on one film and give everything to that film.

“An actor’s journey of one film is much longer than what it was back then.”

Nevertheless, Tiger has no qualms when he says that he is not sure if he will ever be able to be as successful as his father Jackie, who was amongst B-Town’s most sought-after stars of the 1980s and early 1990s thanks to films like “Karma”, “Ram Lakhan”, “Parinda” and “Khalnayak”.

“He is such a cool personality, such a big personality and I am the total opposite.

I am too shy and my dad is ‘bindass’! We are poles apart. I don’t open up in public unlike my father,” he said.

Tiger, who says that his dad doesn’t interfere in his career, adds that it is Jackie’s goodwill that has “got me a lot of respect”.

“I worked too hard for two years and tried not to take advantage of my father’s name. I wanted to make my own identity and make him feel proud,” said the young athletic actor, who also has a strong spiritual inclination.

Acting was not always on his mind.

“I have always been into sports. I had never thought of coming into Bollywood.

I was crazy about dance...I was lost academically. I never paid attention in the class and I didn’t have any qualification unfortunately.

“I was also getting a lot of offers and I thought I wanted to do a film which allows me to explore my skills and luckily, ‘Heropanti’ came my way,” he said.

Directed by Sabbir Khan, “Heropanti” also marks the debut of Kriti Sanon.

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Priyanka Chopra drops weight drastically for role After gaining some muscles for her character portrayal as Mary Kom in an upcoming biopic, Priyanka Chopra only took 20 days to prepare for her role in Zoya Akhtar’s ‘Dil Dhadakne Do’ (DDD).

The actress, who was training with boxer Jharna Sanghvi last year to develop a muscular physique, had to lose over seven kilos to play the role of a businesswoman who belongs to a Punjabi family in DDD. Priyanka went under a strenuous regime that consisted of a combination of weight training and cardio along with a strict diet.

Talking about Priyanka’s transformation Sanghvi said, “It is not advisable to

cut 6-7 kilos in a mere 15-20 days. But it can be achieved for boxers with the right weight training and activities like skipping and running. This was coupled by a strict protein rich diet minus carbs. Regular exercises and running for at least 30 minutes helped a huge way.”

‘Dil Dhadakne Do’, which also features Ranveer Singh, Farhan Akhtar, Anushka Sharma and Anil Kapoor, is about a dysfunctional Punjabi family on a cruise.

Actor turned Restaurateur Actress Jacqueline Fernandez, who is a great cook and has always wanted to open her own restaurant, is on the way to realizing her dreams! After buying an island off the coast of Sri Lanka ,the actress now plans plans to open a restaurant in Colombo.

Sources close to the Sri Lankan beauty revealed that the actress is soon planning to launch a restaurant in Sri Lanka sometime in mid-June. Despite having a busy schedule, Jacqueline is taking a keen interest in the restaurant plans and is also going to design the interior of the place as the restaurant will reflect her personal style and personality.

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She’s all of 11, but Teriya Magar, who clinched the “DID L’il Masters” Season 3 trophy recently, talks mature. The girl from Nepal feels lucky that her parents have supported her desire to pursue dance and gave her the “freedom to dream”.

Magar, who hails from Rudrapur, in Nepal, defeated Hardik Ruparel, Anushka Chetri and Sadhwin Shetty at the grand finale of the Zee TV show in Pune June 21. She was in disbelief when she was announced the winner.

“Minutes before the announcement, the audience was shouting out the name of another finalist. I was disheartened.

Mujhe lagaa main nahin jeet paaoongi (I felt I wouldn’t be able to win). Even when my name was announced, I couldn’t believe I had won. I thought I was dreaming,” she said.

But the young talent, who has been dancing since the age of two, says “it’s important to dream”.

“I come from a small country. But my sister and I have been given the freedom to dream. My sister is 14 years old. She is more interested in studies than dancing.

Although I am passionate about dancing, I am also interested in studies.”

“I always come first in class. Now that I’ve won ‘Dance India Dance L’il Masters’, I’m going back home to Nepal to renew my studies,” she said.

The spirited but mature girl has a message for all young aspirants.

“Anything is possible, nothing is impossible if you aim for your dreams. It doesn’t matter where you come from as long as you know what your dreams are.

You just need to work hard to achieve your ambitions.”

“My parents always encouraged me to follow my heart. They’ve allowed me to do what I wanted to. They never said, ‘Don’t waste your time dancing. Go and study’. If it’s dancing that I loved, I was allowed to pursue it wholeheartedly. I want to tell children of my age that no matter what you do, do it whole-heartedly.”

She was happiest to see her parents’ face when she won.

“The look of pride and happiness on my parents’ face when I won, was a bigger award for me than the prize money, said Magar, who wants to be a choreographer and a dancer when she grows up. www.desitoday.ca

My parents encouraged me to follow my heart ‘DID L’il Masters’ winner

By Subhash K. Jha JUNE / JULY 2014 News With A DEsi View

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Films to watch in 2014

It’s been a year of influx at the box office with films like Gulaab Gang, Dedh Ishqiya, One By Two, Highway and many more falling flat, but on the other hand films like Queen, Ragini MMS 2, Main Tera Hero, Bhoothnath Returns, 2 States and Heropanti have set the box office on fire. With half the year to go, lets take a look at the films that are definite films to watch.

Gunday stars Ranveer Singh & Arjun Kapoor, as Bikram and Bala, along with Priyanka Chopra and Irrfan Khan, in lead roles. Based in Calcutta during its most unsettled times in the ‘70’s, the film deals with the inseparable life of Bikram and Bala, who grew from being small time, inconsequential coal thieves, to becoming the most powerful black marketing mafia-men. A story of two happy-go-lucky renegades who came to be known as - Gunday.

Bewakoofiyan Bewakoofiyan is a film which is set in Delhi on a couple in times of recession. The film has a fresh pairing of Sonam Kapoor and Ayushmann Khurana with the ever-dependable Rishi Kapoor.

Bombay Velvet The first film of a trilogy, as planned

by Anurag Kashyap, Bombay Velvet is the story of how the city became a Metropolis, set against the backdrop of love, greed, violence and Jazz. Ranbir Kapoor and Anushka Sharma come together to share screen space as lovers whose lives intermingle with the evolution of the city of Bombay, through the 50s to early 70s.

Shaadi Ke Side Effects Shaadi Ke Side Effects is a sequel to the 2006 hit Pyaar Ke Side Effects. The characters originally played by Rahul Bose and Mallika Sherawat will be taken forward by Farhan Akhtar and Vidya Balan in the sequel. The film explores the love story as the duo are now married. Saket Chowdhary who directed the original is directing the sequel as well.

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Humshakals Humshakals starring Saif Ali Khan, Riteish Deshmukh and Ram Kapoor for the first time in triple roles promises to be a laugh riot, as the trio unleashes total madness and confusion in their triple avatars!

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Keystone Insurance Brokers Ltd. Mardaani Starring Rani Mukerji in the lead, playing the role of a cop for the first time, the raw and gritty film ‘Mardaani’ will be YRF’s boldest subject ever to be made and a distinct departure from Pradeep Sarkar’s style of filmmaking.

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HARINDER GREWAL & CO. LTD. Finding Fanny ‘Finding Fanny’ is an English / Konkani satirical short film, directed and written by Homi Adajania.

Deepika Padukone, Arjun Kapoor, Naseeruddin Shah, Dimple Kapadia and Pankaj Kapur will feature in prominent roles. The film is based on a road trip set in Goa and follows the journey of five characters. www.desitoday.ca

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4 BOOKS THAT WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE

The Power of One

Nineteen Eighty-Four

Bryce Courtenay

George Orwell

Feeling inferior or that you can’t make an impact as an individual? The Power of One reveals the strength of small numbers, the importance of having a good mentor, and how to overcome adversity. It even serves as a refresher in history (think the Boer War aftermath, Hitler Germany and WWII, the beginnings of Apartheid). Divided into three parts, this is a story of a boy named Peekay coming of age in 1930-1950s South Africa. The fictional book dives deep into overcoming boundaries through a variety of mediums, one of which is a passionate dedication to sport.

Rediscover a classic with George Orwell’s 1984, a high school English class staple. In the dark? All the more reason to pick up a copy of this classic tale. Orwell wrote 1984 in 1948 in what was a chilling prophecy about the future. Today, it remains one of the greatest descriptions of power ever written, and the more we head toward technological takeover the more it continues to be relevant. It will have you reevaluating technology and its role on your life now and in years to come.

Talent Code: Greatness Isn’t Born. It’s Grown

The Art of Happiness

Daniel Coyle

We don’t mean to get all spiritual on you, but couldn’t we all be a little happier in our chaotic and often stressed-out lives? There is always room for peace and wisdom in our day-to-day, though we don’t always see it. Who better to offer wisdom on happiness and inner peace than the Dalai Lama himself?

After all, he seems to be a pretty happy individual. The spiritual and temporal leader of Tibet offers seasoned wisdom in The Art of Happiness on issues many of us may struggle with at some point in our lives – from bad moods to depression, anger, anxiety and jealousy – through an easy-to-follow discussion of relationships, health, family, work, and spirituality. It may be all you need to keep those summer skies bright.

We can all use a little self-reflection, evaluation and growth. If we aren’t evolving, then what are we doing? Though there never seems to be enough time in our lives to catch an episode of Game of Thrones, let alone read a book, we really should. With the lazy, hazy days of summer fast approaching, here are some books that should be on your must-read list.

No matter your field or agenda, Talent Code: Greatness Isn’t Born. It’s Grown will help you unlock your inner talent… because it’s in there somewhere. Journalist and New York Times bestselling author Daniel Coyle provides insight on tools that anyone can use to maximize potential in themselves and others – whether you’re making a movie or perfecting your tennis or golf game. Through the book you learn that discovering and growing talent is not as daunting as one would assume. It is achieved by tapping into a newly discovered brain mechanism by combining three key elements: deep and specific practice, ignition in the form of motivation and strong passion, and master coaching. But it isn’t as simple as it sounds.

The Dalai Lama

DESI

Around Town with Pardeep Sahota

At the Canada India Education Council (CIEC) Canada West Chapter’s “Business of Education” networking event last week in Vancouver with Advanced Education Minister Amrik Virk, Education Minister Peter Fassbender, Minister of State for Seniors Alice Wong and presidents of SFU, Langara College, KPU and Trinity Western University.

Jagpreet Bajwa’s ghazal CD was released on June 15 at Surrey’s Aria Banquet Hall.

The new Indian Consul Amarjit Singh was honoured at Vancouver’s Akali Singh Gurdwara.

Photos by Chandra Bodalia

Suman Sargam Music School organized a family event Ek Shaam Maa Ke Naam (An Evening in Mother’s Name) last Sunday at Surrey’s Bear Creek Community Hall.

Hundreds celebrate Opening of surrey community hub by Councillor Barinder Rasode

At The Hollywood Meets Bollywood dinner, dance & charity auction at Richmond’s Riverside grand ballroom organized recently by Rotary Club of Richmond Sunrise

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The World partnership walk at Lumberman’s Arch, Stanley Park, Vancouver was a huge success once again. Annual event is dedicated to raising fund and increasing awareness to fight global poverty and is an intiative of Aga Khan Foundation Canada

Komagatu Maru Centennial Welcome Gala & Stamp Release at Musueam Community Centre Vancouver

At the Jordy Rasode Invitational that took place at Surrey’s Newton Athletic Park in memory of the Rasode family’s two young sons who passed away because of heart disease while both were in their early 30s. The main goal of the tournament is to help keep Indo-Canadian youth away from the drugs and gangs that threaten the community.

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DESI

Around Town with Pardeep Sahota

Tim Uppal, Minister of State (Multiculturalism), recently paid a visit to well-known businessman Daljit Thind at his Vancouver residence.

Another Fantastic year celebrated 10th anniversary of VIBC

Atish Ram and his family were honoured at B.C. Children’s Hospital on Miracle Weekend in recognition of the South Asian community’s fundraising efforts over the years. Photo by Chandra Bodalia

Federation of Fiji Organizations celebrated their Annual Youth Talent show at Bonsor Banquet Hall in Burnaby.

Sonu Nigam Concert held at PNE Collisium sponsored by Tony Singh of Fruticana & Daljit Thind of Thind Properties

Khalsa Diwan Society of Vancouver commemorated the 100th anniversary of the Komagata Maru at Harbour Green Park in downtown Vancouver’s Coal Harbour.

UCMAS kids awarded top honours at the BC Provincial Abacus and Mental Math Competition. Photo submitted

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LIFE, ETC.

We all know that you get out what you put in -- when it comes to work, love and our bodies. Well that doesn’t just apply to your overall health and weight, but to the quality of your skin, too.

8 The

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Worst Food For Your Skin And How They’re Aging You

Unfortunately, skin creams and cleansers are not enough to keep your skin in tip-top shape, you also need a healthy diet.

Here are the absolute worst foods for your skin, and how they affect our largest organ.

You don’t have to cut these out of your diet completely but consider “everything in moderation” is best.

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WHITE BREADS, PASTA, CAKE, ETC.

your skin plump and young.

Unfortunately, studies have shown that sugar feeds cancer as well. So in general, we all ought to cut back. When it comes to your skin, too much of it in your body weakens your ability to fight bacteria. Long story short, more bacteria = more toxins = worse skin.

So choose to satisfy your sweet tooth with natural sugars like those found in fruit, instead of that candy bar!

Foods with a high glycemic index are linked to acne – because when you eat a lot of this kind of food, your body experiences an increase of glucose and insulin levels. A body with a low glycemic diet has 50% fewer accounts of acne. Switch to whole grain options, instead, because they’re high in antioxidants and are antiinflammatory.

ALCOHOL

PROCESSED SNACK FOODS In general, processed foods are bad for your health as well as your skin. The further grains get from their original state, the less they retain their natural goodness.

Processed foods are often loaded with sodium and sugar, also, which we know we don’t need more of!

Snack on whole grains and fresh fruit and veggies instead.

We know, technically this is a drink rather than a food, but it’s worth mentioning. Alcohol doesn’t just give you a headache the next morning, but it severely dehydrates you. This affects your skin because your body metabolizes what little water it gets before it has the chance to reach your skin.

Alcohol can also cause vasodilatation, which aggravates rosacea, and make your skin look dull. It doesn’t just damage your mental defenses when you have one too many, but also your skin’s.

CAFFEINE A diuretic, caffeine also severely dehydrates you. Not only does that dry out your skin, but caffeine increases your production of cortisol. More cortisol than necessary accelerates the aging process, thinning your skin.

So maybe next time you’re about to watch one more episode of Game of Thrones before bed (“I’ll just grab a jumbo coffee before work…”) you’ll rethink, and decide the better route is just to get that extra shut-eye!

FRIED FOODS Fried foods aren’t just an issue for your fat intake, but they can cause oil buildup in your body.

They are also believed to possibly trap bacteria in your body and on your skin, causing you to break out more.

ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS & COLORS

SUGAR Sugar, as much as we love it, is one of the absolute worst things for your skin. It is the most aging food that we consume, and weakens our immune system to boot! Too much of it will make your skin lackluster, and speed up your body’s production of wrinkles. This is because it damages your collagen and elastin, two things that keep www.desitoday.ca

Artificial colors and sweeteners are essentially science experiments that you’re putting into your body. They have no nutritional value, and can irritate your body, especially if you’re sensitive or have allergies.

These artificial products often create inflammation and histamine reactions, and what’s worse, your body tends to store these chemicals in your tissues. It wasn’t made in nature, so your body has no chance of recognizing it. Just what you need, aspartame hanging out longer than you wanted it to!

SALT Salt, especially iodized (processed with iodine) is terrible for your skin. It causes your tissues to swell, making you look puffy and even a little unhealthy. It can aggravate acne, so it’s important to reduce your intake. Note that most of the salt you consume doesn’t come from a shaker, so check the labels before buying packaged foods and snacks.

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LIFE, ETC.

e g a i r r a M d e g n a r r A

n a g n i r e d i s I’m Con

“This is my first time,” he said. “I’ve watched it on TV but I’ve never done this before.”

I tried to force a smile, but on the inside I cursed myself while suppressing a panic attack. It was a first for me, too. I was sitting with a complete stranger to discuss the possibility of an arranged marriage.

Conservatively raised in India, everyone in my family had their spouse picked by their parents. As a teenager, I swore that I would never let that happen with me.

How was I supposed to decide if I wanted to spend the rest of my life with a man I had known for two or three days?

I never understood the concept. My folks laughed off my teenage rebellion. “Don’t you trust us? We’ll find you a nice boy.

Maybe someone who will cook and let you sleep in,” they’d say.

But I was brought up in a big city, encouraged to be independent and make my own decisions. Once they realized I was being serious, I had their blessing to choose my life partner. Coming from the land of arranged marriages, I was delighted to hear that.

I was very shy and reserved in my teens.

Skinny and tanned with thick hair and eyebrows, I was insecure about my looks.

Having the prettiest, most popular girl as 72

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my best friend didn’t make it easier.

It was at 19 that I finally felt confident enough to date. I enjoyed all the male attention I had previously missed out on. I wasn’t avoiding a serious relationship, but I wasn’t chasing one either. I liked dating casually, especially when I saw friends struggling to stay faithful to their steady boyfriends. Love shouldn’t have to be so complicated, I thought.

At 23, I moved to Mumbai to work at a fashion magazine. During my second month there, I met Jay*. He was four months older than me but we came from very different backgrounds. He was from the North, I belonged to the South. We were both Hindu but he belonged to the Jain community and was a strict vegetarian. I devoured meat. He wanted to marry someone of his parents’ choice because it would be easier, he said. I hoped to change that.

It was four months after when I learned that I had fallen for a guy who was never going to be serious about me. Or the girl he cheated on me with. We were probably a part of his extended bachelor party as he prepared to settle down with a girl from his home town, handpicked by his parents to assume the role of a conventional house-

wife.

I had been dumped by a guy who wanted to live by the very tradition I was determined to fight.

My mother, Meena, was my biggest support. An intelligent, strong-willed woman, she was the only one among seven children to pursue postgraduate studies to become a doctor. She understood my hurt. Constantly being asked when I was going to settle down by relatives and family friends made it worse. In India, the ideal age for a girl to get married was before 25.

Cross that age without an eligible man in tow and most people thought something must be wrong with you. I feared there was.

At social gatherings, I was bombarded with, “So when should we expect your wedding invite? Pray to God that he sends you a nice husband very soon! The older you get, the narrower your options become.” All my friends were getting hitched.

Even my closest pal from school, who had been in a steady relationship, chose to be with someone her folks set her up with.

She told me her parents would have never accepted her boyfriend who was from a different community. “Plus, it’s more adventurous this way,” she said. www.desitoday.ca

At 25, I was the only single girl left in my group and I was losing faith in dating.

I quit my job to pursue further studies in fashion. When I was not working on my applications, I was helping friends plan bachelorette parties and pick out wedding outfits. The peer pressure crept into my cyber space too. Jay* had been long deleted from Facebook but having 7 mutual friends meant that my newsfeed would inadvertently rub his wedding photos, and later on his newborn’s pictures, in my face.

At 26, I was shown a picture of the son of a family acquaintance. The process of filtering was complex. Family, education, profession, and salary play a huge role in this. Once these were deemed satisfactory, our astrological and numerological signs had to match. Our priest confirmed that we would be a great fit.

My reluctance towards doing this wasn’t because I thought I wouldn’t meet a nice guy. It was how I would meet him. I tried to make sense of it but discussing the pros and cons of a man I hadn’t even met, to determine his eligibility as a prospective husband, felt like a business investment.

I had imagined falling in love in a natural setting: being in a steady relationship, making the decision to spend the rest of our lives together. Maybe even a surprise proposal on a beautiful beach. Now I was being asked to live out that fantasy in two hours set up by our parents.

But I was tired of pretending to be a strong, career-focused woman. I wanted a husband -- complete with the big, Indian wedding. I consulted with my closest girlfriends and they were as excited as they were relieved that I was finally meeting a guy. “I have a really good feeling about this,” one said. At least I didn’t find him through IndianMatrimony.com, I consoled myself (I drew the line at matrimonial sites).

I decided to give it a shot.

I came down with a terrible cold two days before we were to meet and I secretly kept thinking, “This has to be a bad sign.”

The day finally came and my cold had miraculously disappeared, replaced with nerves. A smiling face, partially covered with a giant bouquet of flowers, greeted me.

He was 28 years old and looked exactly like he did in the pictures I had seen. He was cute, in a childlike way. This also made him seem a lot younger. We spoke for over three hours, from our interests to future plans. He took me by surprise when he brought up kids and school districts.

“Kids? Whose kids?” I thought. I had not been warned that procreation would be discussed in the very first hour. I struggled to find common ground in our conversation. Not only did we want different things out of life, but he was a lot more prepared for this process than I was. www.desitoday.ca

“According to Dr. William Cornell, a Marriage and Counselor professor at the University of Florida, culture plays a large role in deciding whether a love marriage is better than an arranged marriage - it is all a matter of perspective”

What I thought to be an awkward meeting, I later learned in an email, was everything he was looking for. Clearly we were a mismatch. Since we had been set up by our families, my father politely conveyed that we would not be taking it forward.

I received an acceptance letter to Parsons, my dream school, four months later and moved to New York City to study fashion. I hoped this big change would count as “putting myself out there.”

I wanted to give dating another shot but I barely knew anyone in the city and going to fashion school meant that the chances of meeting a straight man were slim to none. The closest I had come to romance since the move was exchanging a few flirtatious text messages with a

guy I had gone out with during my time in Mumbai.

I came across a photo of a beautiful woman on “Humans of New York” recently. The caption quoted the woman, saying, “I didn’t get married until I was 50. I think it finally happened because I stopped thinking it was possible.” Would I be saying the same thing 23 years from now?

A few days ago, I was on the phone with my mother. “Your uncle suggested some matches. We thought maybe you’d like to see their pictures?” she asked hesitantly. I should give it another chance, I thought. At least the pressure of finding a life partner wouldn’t rest solely on me.

“Okay,” I said trying not to sound too eager. Could any of them be the one?

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LIFE, ETC

Manitoba teen

hula hoops her way to fame

A Manitoba teen will soon set off for a seven day trip to the Caribbean island of St. Croix after hula-hooping her way into the international limelight. Christina Munchinsky, 17, recently won a contest on The Ellen DeGeneres Show segment “Ellen, Here’s My Talent,” by spinning 70 hula hoops at the same time.

But she doesn’t often have the opportunity to win big.

The experience of being on The Ellen DeGeneres Show was a “once in a lifetime opportunity,” she said.

“Everyone was great and it was super fun.”

But Munchinsky wasn’t the only who managed the grab the spotlight. Her brother Luke made an appearance on the show, standing in front of her and nodding his head with his arms crossed.

“I wanted to get in on it,” he said. “I figured I could ride Christina’s coattails to the top, and it worked pretty well.”

Munchinsky beat out two other contestants for the free Caribbean vacation. One contestant played music with bells sewn to her clothes, while the other woman quacked like a duck to symphony music.

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iPhone 5s deserves Canada’s largest LTE network.

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Available at the following Bell stores:

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Current as of May 23, 2014. Available with compatible devices within network coverage areas available from Bell Mobility; see bell.ca/coverage. If you end your Commitment early, a Cancellation Fee applies; see your Agreement for details.

Subject to change without notice. Taxes extra. Other conditions apply. (1) Based on total square kms of coverage on the shared LTE network available from Bell vs. Rogers LTE network. See bell.ca/LTE for details. (2) Available in addition to a Bell Mobility post-paid plan. Includes 10 hrs./mo.; additional charges apply after 10 hrs. Taxes extra. For rates and more information see bell.ca/mobiletv. Apple and iPhone are trademarks of Apple Inc.

LIFE, ETC

AMAVASYA (THE NIGHT OF NEW MOON) PART-II

We were lucky. Pundit Vishnu Das was home. Tripta and I bowed and touched his feet in reverence. In return, he blessed us by raising his hands over our heads invoking God’s protection, and led us to a platform neatly coated with clay and cow-dung.

There we sat on a bamboo mat spread out around a pit, where he performed his daily fire sacrifices. When he saw we were finding to sit on the floor cross legged a challenge, he smiled and asked his daughterin-law to make us some tea, “And forget to put a couple of Tulsa leaves in it,” he instructed. Perhaps he thought tea made with Tulsa leaves will relax our joints.

“How is the family? How is your father?” Punditji asked.

I told him about dad and handed him the tin case containing dad’s horoscope.

Slowly and cautiously he pulled it out. “This is your dad’s precious history,” he said and then rolled it out right there on the mat.

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“Wow! What a work of art! There is no match to Varanasi astrologers. No one can do this kind of work here. It seems not only a thorough analysis of your dad’s ruling planets conjugating at the time of his birth, but it was also a precious work of art. Look at the hand painted pictures of Lord Ganesha and the planets around its borders,” he exclaimed and then he started calculating the positioning of the planets. A few minutes later he took his sight off the chart, looked at me and said, “My son! Amavasya, the night of the new moon, is not safe. I see no life beyond that night.”

I looked at Tripta. That was not what we had come to hear. We had come to hear that soon the planets were going to move around and we should start noticing signs of improvement in his health. Instead, he predicted his end; his final day, Amavasya, the night of the new moon.

Punditji invited me to sit next to him

and pointed at one specific house on the chart. “Look, this house has no planets; no movement; no life. That would be the night when the moon will enter this house.

That would be Amavasya,” he reiterated his prediction; this time with hard evidence.

I looked at the empty house with head bent with grief. How could I blame him for being honest? We were the ones who came looking for a self-serving assurance, I asked myself. A few minutes after listening and trying to absorb the prediction, I began to roll up that chart, which by then had begun to appear like a summon from the Supreme to return to His spirit world. Looking helpless and apologetic Punditji walked us to the door and asked me to pass on his regards to dad and to tell him that he would visit him in the evening. Tripta and I bowed again and left not knowing how we would face the end of a dear life, and share the bad news with.

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Before leaving for the Vancouver Airport, I entered our family temple and prayed to God to bless dad with good health for many years to come, or bless me with an opportunity to serve him to his satisfaction before you call him to return to your world, as I knew how devastated I would feel about his death, if he departed in my absence. My self-serving prayer started gnawing at me. I wished I had only prayed for his long life. When we reached home, neither did I tell anyone how the reading went, nor did anyone ask. Perhaps they knew more than I thought they knew.

I decided to get busy and look busy, giving an impression that I had no time for idle conversations.

“Dad looks grubby. He could do with a shave. I will go and bring my shaving kit. It is at masi’s home,” and with that announcement, without waiting for mom’s response, I left.

It did not take me long to returned with the kit. I asked mom for warm water and settled to soften his almost a month old rough growth before applying shaving cream. The gentle touch of the snow white lightly fragranced warm foam forced dad to treat me with a smile.

“I bet not even the Mogul King Akbar had ever had such a shaving experience in his life, especially offered by such an educated and world traveled barber,” mom passed by teasing him.

“Please go away. Don’t jinx my barber,” dad retorted, and I for the first time witnessed my parents having fun.

So long as I am on it, why don’t I give him a sponge bath as well? I thought.

“Do you still have that kerosene stove I had brought you?” I asked mom.

“Yes. I do, but it is empty. You will need kerosene oil,” she replied.

“No problem I’ll go and get it,” and left for neighbourhood Pardesi’s general store with an empty bottle.

Just as he filled up the bottle and was about to pay up and leave, I thought I might pick up a packet of stove pins to open the clogged burner and a pump-washer to replace the old one as well.

“Will that be everything I would need to start a stove?” I asked Pardesi.

“Yes. That should be everything,” he confirmed. I paid him up and return with his blessings.

The stove worked. All it needed was a bit of tuning. In about fifteen minutes, a pot full of at least five gallons of cold water was warm enough for a gentle sponge bath. I cleaned dad up from top to bottom. He felt good. However, as children continued to come and go through his bedroom, the patient and his nurse had absolutely no priwww.desitoday.ca

vacy to access to his lower body visually. I once ended up hurting his private parts. He did not complain, but when that happened I did notice a line of pain on his forehead. I apologized and continued.

After dressing him up in a clean loose shirt and a dhoti under and around his waist, I combed his hair. When all that was done, I tried to feed him. He did eat a little, but did not keep any of that down.

I asked mom if she could make him a betel leaf (paan), adding a pinch of powdered cardamom seeds as a breath freshener. It might also change the taste of his mouth and add some colour to his grey lips. He was starting to look more and more ashen every day.

By then, I too was tired. My back hurt.

I sat down on the side of his bed and decided to joke with him, “Remember, when I was a small child, you used to give me a bath and change me. Well, now it is my turn to do that for you.”

He smiled, stroked my hair and acknowledged, “I liked what you said.”

Mom called me for lunch. I got up and left dad. I thought I should have a chat with Tripta about her sisters in Dehradun.

She hadn’t seen them for about six years.

“You might not be able to visit them if my dream and Punditji’s prediction came true.

Would you like to make a quick overnight trip to Dehradun?” At first, she did not wish to leave dad, but then she decided to discuss with mom. Mom encouraged her for a quick trip.

The next morning on December 27, I put Tripta, Aparna and Shachi on Doon Express. But before the train left, I held her hand and requested her to return the next day. She promised she would.

When I returned from the railway station I noticed a stranger waiting for me. He looked at me and said, “Dr. Verma is a very good doctor. There is no harm in seeking a second opinion.” By that time, I was so desperate to see dad improve that I was ready to fetch him even a witch doctor.

I dashed out. Fortunately, Dr. Verma did not seem busy. He came along right away, examined the patient and recommended to take dad to the Bharat Heavy Electrical Limited Hospital (BHEL). Their doctors were trained in the U.S. Shashi pointed out that the BHEL Hospital treats only their employees and their family members. Though Ravi’s eldest son, Anshu worked for the BHEL, but he wouldn’t spare a drop of his piss if our house was on fire. “Raju works for the BHEL. He might be able to help us. I will go and talk to him,” suggested masi.

“Who is Raju?” I asked.

“He is my neighbour, Billu’s son,” masi

replied.

“But we are not Raju’s relatives; he is a Vaishya, and we are Brahmans. What would he say if the hospital authorities asked him to explain the discrepancy?” I asked masi.

“We are in crisis. People help people in crisis. He knows who we are and what our last name is. Let’s leave it to him. Besides, those days are gone when caste system in India used to be impenetrable. Now people are doing inter-caste marriages freely.

I will go and talk to him,” masi responded and touched her nostrils to feel which side, right or left, her breath was flowing through. Fortunately, it was the right side, the good side to accomplish something impossible. She put her right foot forward and left without wasting any time.

Masi practiced swara-yoga. She never did anything, no matter how insignificant it was, without checking the flow of her breath. She would not even eat or drink when the breath was flowing from both sides. She learned this form of yoga from her father. He used to say, quoting the Shiva-Swarodaya, that when the breath flows from both sides anything you do fails, with the exception of engaging in meditation or performing a rite or ritual to achieve salvation (Sushumnaayaa pravaahena bhuktimukti phalani cha).

In about half an hour masi was back with a smile on her face. “Raju will meet you at the gate of the hospital in one hour.

He will register jijaji, meaning her sister’s husband as his uncle,” she said.

“In that case, I must find a taxi right away,” I said and hurried to find Roshan Lal, our neighbourhood taxi driver. Like masi, I too got lucky. Roshan Lal was home. I contracted him to drive us to and from home to the hospital. Five of us – dad, mom, Shashi, I and the diver rushed to the hospital, where Raju was already waiting for us.

As soon as we reached the emergency entrance, two attendants, with an amazing efficiency, the type I never had witness in India, took dad inside and hooked him up with all kinds of tubes and a machine. Then, the two doctors, who were perhaps standing right behind the curtain and watching, emerged and examined the dad. The way they shrugged their shoulders gave them away that they were a medical product of the United States.

Then one of them approached me and told me almost in a whisper, “We are sorry.

There is nothing we can do for your dad here. He is beyond our help. You took too long to bring him to us. We suggest you take him to the All India Medical Institute in Delhi. We are sorry,” and with that apology they left right away.

If it is too late for you, it is too late for JUNE / JULY 2014 News With A DEsi View

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LIFE ETC

Those were his very private moments with God. He was trying to re-connect with Him. I shouldn’t have interrupted that tranquil communion. I made a big mistake. I scolded me quietly.

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the All India Medical Institute as well. I muttered and left with Raju to pay up the bills.

As soon as we stepped out of the finance building, Raju sheepishly asked, “Will you mind giving me the receipts? I can get them reimbursed in my name.” I absolutely had no qualms handing them over to him. As a matter of fact I was pleased with his request. He freed both dad and me from his debt. I gave him the receipts; they were worth about a thousand rupees, and later sent him some razor blades as well as a token of my appreciation for his help.

We rode back home in silence. There was not much left to talk about. All efforts had reached their terminus, but my mind kept cursing that Dr. Chauhan and praying to God to stop him playing a doctor.

The trip exhausted dad. While Roshan Lal was still in the process to bringing the taxi to a full stop, mom almost jumped out in a rush to get in the house and make dad’s bed.

Someone, from behind, can’t recall who, said, “Dad’s eyes are quite pale. Sugarcane-juice is good for jaundice.” Right away I picked up a pot from the kitchen and went looking for sugarcane juice. Luckily, I did not have to go too far. I spotted a juice vender right out side the City Bus Station. I bought a pot full of fresh juice. But dad did not wet his lips.

While I sat on the edge of his bed, and massaged his palms, his questions and prophetic statements, all indicative of his anxiety: “How long will you be with us this time?” There is very little time left. It’s time for me to go… So, you will leave before the 15th of January? Before my birthday!

I won’t make it anyway. I had been waiting for you. My time has come,” and then, our conversation I had in my dream, “The doctor has given me thirty days,” and Punditji’s, “The night of Amavasya….,” kept playing as a broken record.

Suddenly, I heard him mumble. “What are you saying, dad?” I asked.

“Nothing,” dad replied.

“You did say something,” I insisted.

“I was talking to my God.” “Talking to your God? May I listen to your conversation with God?” I asked, and without waiting for an answer I leaned forward, close to his mouth, but he did not repeat a word.

Those were his very private moments with God. He was trying to re-connect with Him. I shouldn’t have interrupted that tranquil communion. I made a big mistake.

I scolded me quietly.

I recalled reading Elisabeth KublerRoss, the lady, who wrote: Death – The final Stage of Growth. She said something like, whatever state of being one recalls to

mind at the end upon leaving aside his or her body, to that very state he or she attains. My dad perhaps was in the process of attaining that state when I rudely but innocently interrupted him. I prayed to his God to give him a second chance.

A few minutes later, I heard him asking, “Am I dead or alive?” very innocently.

“Of course you are alive. Please open your eyes and see that you are here in your own room. I am here with you sitting on the edge of your bed. I can hear you. You can hear me. Hold my hand. Squeeze it.”

See, you can do it. You are absolutely here with me, with all of us,” I affirmed.

My thoughts wandered again. Tripta and the girls have been gone for three days. I did not expect her to ignore my request. I had literally begged her to come back within 24 hours. What is wrong with her? She came all the way from Canada to see him and yet she is not around. Not only she is away, but she is also keeping the girls from saying their grandfather a goodbye.

They will never see him again. What would I say to the people if they asked me about her and the girls?

It was December 31st, about 6 p.m.

Dad looked and sounded very alert, taking a keen interest in all the side conversations in the room. He started telling a story. It was about me.

“You were a year-old. I took you out to the market to show you Diwali lights.

Those colourful lights made you so happy that you started beating on my face like a drum.”

Then, a few second later, he recalled another story. “You were three-years old.

“What did I do this time? I hope I did not beat your face like a drum,” I asked.

“No. You did not. But you called me an ullu kaa pethaa; literally, the son of an owl.”

I took him in my arms, apologized and then said, “I too remember that incident. It was about mom’s jewellery box. And then, I told him the story as I remembered it.

“As you said, I was about three years old.

My hair was still long. I hadn’t had my first head shaving ceremony. Mom still washed, oiled and braided my hair.” Dad shook his head in agreement.

“We lived in one bedroom apartment on the third floor. It happened during a summer afternoon. Because of the intense heat, mom always kept me confined to the bedroom. I could not go anywhere, play anywhere, or see anything except hear a few eagles screeching up high in the sky.

If I ever ventured out, the outside hot cement floor burnt my feet. You remember all that!” I asked dad, and he nodded his head in agreement.

“Just two of us, mom and I were home. www.desitoday.ca

You were at your store. Mom, after finishing her kitchen work, decided to rest a while and asked me to take a nap. I did lie down next to her. She dosed off, but I couldn’t sleep. Soon I began to feel restless and started looking for things to do.

Mom had a very cute jewellery box. The more I wanted to hold it the more she kept it out of my reach. That day I got lucky. I spotted it. It was silver white, had beautiful flowers carved all over it. That day I tried to open it and see what was inside it, but found it difficult to open. After some hard work, when I succeeded, I found several tiny red velvety compartments in side it and a tiny mirror fitted inside the lid.” I asked dad and once again he nodded his head.

“I liked the mirror and decided to take it out, but couldn’t. Then, I noticed a rock.

Once I had seen mom using it to break open a small coconut. I thought I could use it to get the mirror out. I started pounding on it. The banging woke mom up. When she found me missing, she came out, and saw me pounding on her box. She looked shocked and angry. After a few seconds looking straight at me, she said, “Let you dad come home.”

At this point of the story, I turned around and looked at mom, who was sitting not far from me and said, “I wish you had dealt with me then and there, not make me wait for dad. Your threat hung over me until dad returned. All that time, you kept me thinking what would happen to me, nervous and scared. If you thought you did not punish me, I say you did. You mentally punished me. By the time dad came, I was so scared I called him, “ullooka-pattha,” almost equivalent to an SOB. And then, Dad spanked me red and blue. I peed in my pants.”

And then, I started taking with my innerself. “What happened more than four decades ago, had not only bruised my bums, but it seems the incident had bruised my dad’s conscience as well. Or why would he bring up this age-old incident, especially when he is getting ready to leave this planet. Perhaps he is paying up his outstanding karmic bills.”

Dad gently ran his fingers in my hair, “mera babar sher! jahan bhi ranho sukhi raho -- my brave lion! Live happily wherever you live.” With those words he admired me, blessed me and also forgave me for settling in a far away country. I began to cry knowing my dad was inching out of my reach, second by second.

The same evening, Ravi paid a surprise visit. What surprised me most was not that he dropped by, but was the energy and enthusiasm dad showed, when he heard www.desitoday.ca

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LIFE ETC

Mom broke her glass bangles accepting her new status from a sadhava (married woman) to a vidhava (widow). Sixtythree years ago, two teenagers – fourteen year old mom and sixteen year old dad had married each other.

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the voice of his first born son. I noticed dad even made an attempt to get up and greet him. “Look, who is here? Do you hear me? Where are you? Ravi has come.” Actually he announced his arrival to mom using plural verbs, “Ravi aaye hain,” Ravi have come, indicating respect for his guest. He also ordered mom to make him a cup of tea.

I brought him a chair. He sat down and announced, “I am going to get him a doctor.” He did not bother to ask mom, masi, Shashi or me the details of his father’s health, what was he suffering from or who has been treating. Instead, he came and announced that he was going to get him a doctor, as though he had a direct access to Dhanvantri, the physician of gods. I had heard my brother making such insincere commitments many times in the past, but this one that he was going to get his dying father a doctor was a cruel joke.

Mom brought him a cup of tea. He took it from her hand and casually put it down on the floor, under dad’s bed. Dad noticed the slight and started bargaining, “If you do not drink my tea I will not accept your doctor.” Ravi heard him, but did not bother to pick up the cup.

By about 8 p.m. dad’s breathing began to sound like air running through empty heating pipes. I had no idea exactly what was going on. “Perhaps he is congested. I will go and get some Vicks. That might decongest and improve his breathing,” I said and while I prepared to leave for the drug store, Ravi concluded his courtesy call. I walked him to the door.

“How is he doing?” he asked. “Not good,” I told him in two simple words.

By the time I returned his breathing had gone from bad to worse. I massaged his chest and tried to warm up his body with a hot water bottle, but nothing seemed to make a difference.

Mom, who was sitting close to dad and chanting, Hare Rama, Hare Krishna asked me to pick up Lord Rama’s picture off the cornice and show it to dad closely. But she forgot to tell me to handle it with extra care, as it was loosely framed and scotchtaped around the corners.

As soon as I lifted it up, it slipped out of its frame, fell to the ground and shattered into tiny pieces. It was a bad omen; a very bad omen.

I burst out at mom, “See, what you made me do? Why did you not warn me about the condition of that picture? “Why didn’t you ask me to pick up Krishna’s picture instead? That too was right next to Rama’s.”

Hare Rama, Hare Krishna, mom continued her chanting.

I left the room to get a broom to sweep

the broken glass.

About 11 p.m., I offered masi to walk to her home. She declined. “I can walk alone,” she said and left.

With masi gone, I offered to monitor dad’s situation over night, and persuaded mom and Shashi to rest a while. They retired, but reluctantly.

At 11:30 p.m., I gave dad his medicine with a spoon full of milk. It all came out, from sides of his mouth. His breathing sounded more laboured. Perhaps Vicks did not work at all. Suddenly, there was no laboured breathing; no gurgling; only pin-drop-dead silence prevailed. I rushed to his side. His eyes were wide open. I put my hand close to his nose, felt no breath.

The dad who was there a minute ago was gone, leaving his a cold empty shell behind, and his memories.

I looked at my watch. It was December 31st. 12 O’clock; midnight; exactly two weeks before his birthday; the last 30th day his doctor had given him. It was Amavasya, the night of the new moon and the darkest night that changed our mom into an instant widow, and us fatherless.

Mom was resting nearby on a small cot.

I shook her shoulder. What I wanted to say was written all over on my face, which she could read even without her glasses, in that dim light. I woke Shashi up. He rushed into dad’s room. He also attempted to feel dad’s breath, but there was nothing to feel except his ice-cold face. He asked me to pour a spoon of Ganges water in his mouth, which I did. It drooled out.

Shashi and I took dad off his bed and laid him down on a carpet on the floor with his head facing south, the domain of Yama, the Lord of death and the ruler of the departed.

Mom broke her glass bangles accepting her new status from a sadhava (married woman) to a vidhava (widow). Sixty-three years ago, two teenagers – fourteen year old mom and sixteen year old dad had married each other. Sixty-three years ago, they made each other a promise in front of the holy fire, in front of the priest of gods, in the presence of their family elders that they would love each other, look after and cherish each other in hardship and happiness. I know they honoured their oaths with dignity until one of them had to leave.

[To be continued…]

By Dr Suresh Kurl Dr. Suresh Kurl is a former university professor; a retired Registrar of the BC Benefits Appeal Board and a former Member of the National Parole Board.

LIFE ETC

‘Phoren’ dreams & big-buck hopes end in Iraq misery

Promised a good life in rich havens like Dubai (United Arab Emirates), Kuwait and Jordan, hordes of gullible youth from Punjab and Haryana are allowing themselves to be trapped by travel agents in the state and their links in these countries and to work in miserable conditions in conflict-torn Iraq.

With the number of people from Punjab and Haryana stuck in Iraq after the recent sectarian flare-up going up to nearly 700, the old story of failed “phoren (foreign) dreams” and lost big bucks is being retold.

“Many youth are promised jobs in Dubai, Kuwait and Jordan but they are taken by the travel agents to Iraq instead. Once the youth reach there, they do not have the option of returning. It is a miserable trap.

The youth spend lakhs of rupees of hard earned money or sell land to go abroad, and end up in a life of hell,” Paramjit Singh, who returned from Iraq after working there for over two years, told IANS. Bhagwant Mann, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Lok Sabha member from Sangrur, has taken to the social media and set up a helpline to reach out to youths stranded inside Iraq and also connect to their families in Punjab.

He said the actual number of people

from Punjab stuck in Iraq could be much higher.

“Though I don’t have the actual figure, I am told that up to 4,000 Indians, mostly Punjabis, are stuck in Iraq,” Mann said.

“Majority of the youth are taken to Dubai, Jordan and Kuwait and then sold off to companies in Iraq,” he added.

The Punjab government has already submitted a list of 514 people from Punjab who are stranded in Iraq.

Going abroad is a common fad among youths from Punjab, especially in the Doaba region (the area between Sutlej and Beas rivers) comprising the districts of Jalandhar, Hoshiarpur, Nawan Shahr and Kapurthala.

“Rural youths and also those from smaller towns just want to go abroad by any means. They see no future and employment for themselves in Punjab. Despite big promises, the Punjab government does little for them. The levels of frustration are high,” Satnam Singh, a Jalandharbased travel agent, told IANS. “The unscrupulous travel agents take advantage of this situation and exploit such youth. They swindle them of lakhs of rupees and dump them in countries like Iraq,”

he said.

According to reports, 40 Indians, mostly Punjabis, have been taken hostage in Iraq’s Mosul town by militants. Their fate is unknown since they were abducted June 11. The families of the men stuck in Iraq, who are mostly poor or lower middle class, say they can only hope for the return of their loved ones.

“We don’t have the resources or money to get them back. We want our boys back,” said Baldev Singh, a relative of one of the youths held hostage in Iraq.

The story of Antaryami and two others, who were taken hostage in Iraq nearly a decade back, is still fresh in the minds of people but that has hardly deterred youths from risking everything to go to Middle East countries, particularly Iraq.

The family of Antaryami, which lives in a village in Himachal Pradesh’s Una district, adjoining Punjab’s Hoshiarpur district, wants to keep away from the media glare this time when the hostage crisis is being repeated with other youths from Punjab.

Antaryami himself drives a truck and has not ventured to go back for a job in foreign shores.

- By Jaideep Sarin, IANS

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