Vol. 6 | Issue 3 | June-July 2015 www.desitoday.ca
SIGHT GIFTER
Top Vancouver surgeon’s India program cures blindness for hundreds of thousands
Go-Getters, Not Victims THE
(Re)Cycle
“New” Indian women step out with confidence
OF LIFE
Amar Karma helps spread
organ-donation awareness With mounting controversies, Akalis find
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08 Sight Gifter: Top Vancouver surgeon’s India program cures blindness for hundreds of thousands 16 Go-Getters, Not Victims: “New” Indian women step out with confidence 22 A Realist and a dreamer: Surrey’s Terri Sidhu sets sights on showbiz 26 From Ferguson to Baltimore: A problem of lawless law enforcement? 28 Who’s afraid of Rahul Gandhi? 30 The (Re)Cycle of Life - Amar Karma helps spread organ-donation awareness 34 My Childhood Adventure 38 With mounting controversies, Akalis find solace in Religion 40 Dedicated to education and community services: Harman Pandher 42 For good governance, Modi introduces new work culture at PMO
58 Style yourself up in Summer 59 Remedies for hair problems during summer
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60 Hollywood Headlines : Upcoming movies 62 My graduate degree didn’t pay in acting career: Irrfan Khan 64 Bollywood’s Mothers through the years - Cine... Maa! 66 Jacqueline is one of my best friends 67 Amazing to get two National Awards so early on: Kangana Ranaut 68 Return of the Jatt 69 People want to adopt me: Deepika 70 Telling tales via journeys: Bollywood’s Latest Route 72 Found love in ‘enemy territory’: Swara Bhaskar 73 Suffering from ‘Piku’ syndrome? Don’t sit on it.
46 How to Build & Protect your Brand Image 48 These apps help you settle down in a new city
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76 Egypt: A paradise of ruins by the Nile 78 Win top rankings reflect rise of women in Indian sports 80 Indian farmers face harder life ahead 82 5,000-year-old astrological tradition thrives in Punjab
Love & Relationship 42 Arranged marriage film ‘arranges’ shows for Indian Americans 44 Even kids lose sleep over parental divorce 44 Rejection by a man doesn’t brighten another man’s chance
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We explore a number of connections between our country, Canada, and the South Asian homelands, particularly India, many of us used to call home. Dr Paul Dubord is an internationally acclaimed eye surgeon. He is a Vancouver-based corneal transplant specialist. He’s also a sought-after presence in multinational activities related to complex eye health issues. The other side to Dr Dubord is that he pioneered a program in India more than two decades ago that has resulted in tens of thousands of Indians afflicted with eye disease to regain use of their eyesight. The program has also trained, and is training, an ever-growing number of Indian surgeons in the latest surgical methods. And much of it for free. The only people who pay anything are patients who are in a position to do so. We speak with Dr Dubord. Corneal transplantation also is another example of the role that organ donation can play in curing ailments and saving lives. Surrey’s Jazz Gill owes his life to a liver transplant done when he was 21. If not for the transplant, he might not be around. Gill’s personal experience made him a strong advocate for organ donation. And as part of an organization called Amar Karma, he is committed to spreading awareness and acceptance of organ donation in the South Asian community. We speak with Mr Gill. We also have conversations with a number of young ladies who epitomise the new spirit of independence among Indian women. Terri Sidhu is a young Surrey resident who is determined to make a mark in showbiz – yet has also secured her future with a good job and her own home. She talks about her plans. Akanksha Jolly is a young lady from Chandigarh studying here. And she had absolutely no kin or even friends when she arrived here last year. But she undertook meticulous planning before she landed here, and has made herself comfortable. She tells us her story. Elsewhere, we have the usual useful collection of stories and visuals which should keep you engrossed until the next issue. Enjoy the summer. And keep your copy of Desi Today close by!
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DESI TODAY EXCLUSIVE
SPECIAL FEATURE
SIGHT GIFTER
Top Vancouver surgeon’s India program cures blindness for hundreds of thousands N BY BACHA 8
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RAI
INTERVIEW you were to meet Paul Dubord at a night spot, you’d probably think he’s the resident bouncer. The pugnacious, stocky and straight-talking Dubord could easily come across as a Tony Soprano sidekick. But Dr. Paul Dubord is in fact one of the world’s pre-eminent eye surgeons. The Vancouver-based corneal transplantation specialist provides advanced medical and surgical treatments for a number of conditions, including corneal transplantation, corneal cross-linking therapy for kerataconus, a degenerative disorder of the eye, and cataract surgery with lens implantation. He is also a clinical professor at the University of British Columbia Dept. of Ophthalmology and an expert adviser on transplantation to the World Health Organization. However, what truly makes Dr. Dubord unique is the unpaid humanitarian work he does in the developing world, primarily in India, to combat serious eye problems. He is the founder and driving force behind Eyesight International (ESI) which has been working in India since 1990. During its 25 years in existence, Dr Dubord and ESI, in partnership mainly with the world-class L.V. Prasad Eye Institute (LVPEI) in Hyderabad, has restored or repaired the eyes of close to half a million Indians suffering from corneal-related and other ailments. And those who cannot afford the treatment receive it for free. Perhaps even more importantly, ESI and LVPEI have an ongoing program to train Indian doctors in advanced techniques for corneal transplantation and other eye surgeries. An indication of how important this work is that an estimated two-thirds of doctors who specialize in such high-level surgery were trained in this program. Dr Dubord makes at least one trip per year to India as part of his work. Desi Today caught up with him on the eve of his latest trip to India. He discusses his work in India as well as his familiarity with other issues concerning India as part of our conversation.
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Desi Today (DT): What exactly is Eyesight International (ESI)? Dr Paul Dubord (PD): ESI is a charity in Canada recognized by Revenue Canada. It’s a non-governmental organization (NGO) that provides eye care and facilitation of eye care for people in the developing world.
DT: What exactly do you do? PD: Basically, it’s all-round eye care. And ESI has been
working in the developing world, primarily in India, since about 1992. What we do primarily these days is provide corneal transplants to people in need. In the world today, there are more than 10 million people who are blind due to corneal problems (the cornea is the front surface of the eye). Replacing those corneas is what we’re talking about. We also teach people how to treat diseases of the front part of the eye. And as a nice sideline to what we do, we also become better cataract surgeons, removing cataracts from the inside of the eye and putting lens implants in. So we’re training surgeons to do better transplants and also giving them access to the tissue they need to do corneal transplantation. We (ESI) have been doing this longer than anyone else and we’ve had some quite astounding achievements. We’ve created the largest corneal transplant service in the world. The hospital facility we’re working with, the L.V. Prasad Eye Institute (LVPEI) in Hyderabad, India, is the largest corneal transplant service in the world. It’s gone from 25 transplants in 1990 to more than 1,400 last year. There is no other transplant service in the world that does that many transplants in one facility. We’ve also created the largest eye bank in the developing world in Hyderabad that’s gone from providing tissue for 25 transplants in 1990 to 2,500 transplants a year. And the other thing we’ve done - and this is the thing I’m most proud of - we’ve trained more than 200 surgeons at the sub-speciality level with prolonged fellowships - a year or longer - in how to do corneal transplantations and deal with external eye disease problems. We’ve trained more people overseas than any other similar NGO in North America or Europe at that level. And that’s unique. We’ve trained more than two-thirds of the active transplant surgeons operating in India right now. JUN / JUL 2015 News With A DESI View
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SPECIAL FEATURE as Sri Lanka, Ethiopia, Singapore, Paraguay. We’ve also trained people in India who are from Nepal, Indonesia, Pakistan.
DT: Do you personally do any surgeries? PD: In the past, I used to do a lot of surgeries when I went there, mainly in a teaching role. I used to go to meetings and demonstrate surgical techniques. I don’t have to do that any longer because we’ve trained enough local people so that they teach each other. My job there is to work myself out of a job! Opening Ceremony of SightLife Annual Meeting Delhi, India, March 1, 2015
DT: Most of your work is done in Hyderabad. Do your efforts cover the whole country? PD: I’m going to India next week (late February) and our primary meeting is in Delhi. We’ve had lots of meetings in Delhi, we have partners in Delhi. We have partners in Rajasthan, and in Calcutta. We primarily started off in Hyderabad but we’re expanding beyond that.
DT: How is ESI funded? PD: Purely by donations, period. And we get
DrDubord addresses the SightLife Annual Meeting in Delhi.
DT: Is India the sole area of operation for ESI? PD: No. But India is what I like to describe as the mothership. Ninety-five per cent of the blind in the world live in the developing world, and India has the largest concentration of those blind people, more than virtually any other country. This is because of two things. One, the climate, and two, the size of the population.
DT: How does climate lead to blindness?
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PD: You are looking at a tropical climate. Seventy per cent of the Indian population make their living from agriculture. So there are a lot more injuries they sustain - cuts from plants and other kinds of injuries to the eyes. There are also some physical issues that are much more common in India than you get elsewhere, for example malnutrition, some kinds of infections, fungal ulcers, other kinds of bacterial ulcers. We (ESI) also work in other places such
donations from people who say, we want to make a difference. And we are very, very efficient at using the moneys that are donated. More than 97 per cent of the money we get goes to the programs. Very few other NGOs can say that. They have much higher overhead costs than we do. Why is that? Well, we don’t have any full-time employees, so that saves a lot of money. And we personally take care of a lot of other expenses. I’ve never had a cup of coffee paid for from ESI money. So all the money collected goes to the programs.
DT: Looking at the ESI website, it seems there are a number of organizations that
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SPECIAL FEATURE seem to be linked to the operation. Can you explain what the connections are?
trying to address, to raise the standard overall for what we’re trying to provide.
quarter century, how many people do you think have been helped by this program?
PD: Let’s talk first about Operation Eye-
DT: What about government backing? Do you get the Indian government getting involved?
PD: Depends on how you want to look at it. For every one who’s had a transplant, and is able to see and function, it frees somebody else up too. Because when someone is blind, they need someone to walk them around, to feed them and help them. Once they are able to see, they are able to take care of themselves. So if you include everyone who has been helped (including those who had the transplants), it is millions. And the program has the potential to benefit millions more. Where actual surgeries are concerned, it has to be around three or four hundred thousand people. And it’s not just corneal transplants, but other procedures too.
sight Universal. I used to be the Medical Director for that and I helped them change up their programs some years ago, around 2002 and 2003. I helped them get going in India. They’ve been there for a long time. I resigned as the Medical Director three or four years ago. SightLife is an American organization that I’ve been involved with now for about 10 years. Some of their people have come along with me to India. And they invited me to come and work with them in America. And this is once again a non-profit organization. I don’t get paid anything to help them. So what they said was, you help us with our eye bank in Seattle, and we’ll scale up your Indian operations. So what that’s become is that now, SightLife in Seattle is the largest eye bank in the whole world. And while previously I used to do this program in India all by myself, now I have about 10 people working with me full time, developing eye banks, training surgeons to become much better at providing care to their patients. Of the 10, about half are in India and the rest are in Seattle.
DT: How are the facilities that you work in in India? Are they up to the standards expected? PD: They vary. Some of them are absolutely
world-class that I’d be happy to have my cornea at if I ever need a transplant. And most of those are people who are our partners. On the other hand, some of the facilities there are just a closet, and not much else. So the standard of the facilities varies dramatically. And that is one of the problems we are
PD: Up to this point in time, we’ve had very
little government backing. But that’s also because we feel we can be much more lexible and do a lot more without government backing. That is changing now. We are working more and more with the government to set standards for corneal transplantation, to set up laws that help make corneal transplantation easier to happen, for donation of tissue and to work with doctors who work in government hospitals, and to work with government hospital eye banks.
DT: How about non-financial backing? Rightly or wrong, India has a reputation for bureaucratic red tape. PD: Well, that’s the whole thing about
working with them on legislation, and trying to change some of the laws to make it easier for people to donate tissue. When I said in 1990 that I was going to be working in India, one of the first things that happened was that the CEO of a major international non-profit organization involved in eye care in India told me I was wasting my time because Indians won’t donate tissue. Well, guess what, they were wrong. Indians will donate tissue, if they are approached in a culturally sensitive fashion. And that is the beauty of this. We’re impacting millions of people in a very positive fashion, and a lot of people had said it could never be done.
DT: From 1990 until now, which is about a
DT: You touched on cultural sensitivities. Among the poor in India, there are cultural taboos. Was it a difficult thing dealing with that? Was it a learning experience? PD: It was a learning experience for me, and it was a learning experience for them. My philosophy was, they knew the answers to the questions I was asking. But they didn’t know they had the answers, and my job was to find out what those answers were. We worked together, and we fine-tuned it, and we had some successes, and we worked off our successes, and it’s getting better and better.
DT: Was 1990 the first time you ever went to India? PD: No, my very first trip to India was in
1977. I was travelling mainly through northern India, up into Kashmir, through the Punjab and Amritsar and through Delhi and into Pakistan. It was a social trip. In 1989, I went to Karachi in Pakistan,
Prashant Garg, corneal surgeon, Chief of Education, and Sujata Das, Head of the L.V. Prasad Campus , Bhubaneswar
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where in fact the Indians approached me and asked me if I would start working with them in India. So the first trip for that purpose was in 1990. I was there for about a month. The facilities for eye surgeries then were very rudimentary. It was a huge challenge. But one of the things I really enjoy is identifying problems that other people may think there is no solution to or have walked away from. We started finding solutions. So I looked at this as not just questions and problems, but as how we can solve this, how can we make it better. And that’s what we’ve been doing.
DT: What is the average number of trips you’ve made to India since 1990? PD: A minimum of once a year. I’ve been there three times in the last 13 months.
DT: Is it now a self-sustaining program in the sense that you no longer have to be so hands-on? PD: I teach the teachers’ teachers now. I don’t have to do the hands-on so much. I participate in that, not because I have to, but it’s kind of fun to do. It’s enjoyable. They learn from me, I learn from them even today. But as far as surgery is concerned, they can do it all on their own.
DT: Coming back to the theme of learning from each other, obviously the people in India that you deal with have learnt a lot from you. Has there been a reverse process? PD: Yes. There have been some surgical procedures and techniques that I use here that I learnt for the first time in India. And they’re fantastic and better than anything that we’ve got going here.
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DT: Are there other Vancouver and B.C. eye care specialists who are involved with you in this effort? PD: Not so much from B.C. Mainly I work with a lot of Americans. We have a much bigger infrastructure in Seattle than I’ve got here. But I do have some surgeons here in Canada that are displaying some interest in this area. There are some other Canadian surgeons who do some other work in the developing world, but there is no one that works directly with me.
DT: What is your relationship with SightLife? www.desitoday.ca
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SPECIAL FEATURE PD: There are several things. I’ve been on
their board for 10 years. I just finished as chairman of the board last January. I’m still on the board, and I’m also an Associate Medical Director with them.
DT: Do you also facilitate prevention in your work in India?
What is the cornea of the eye? The cornea is the outer covering of the eye. This dome-shaped layer protects your eye from elements that could cause damage to the inner parts of the eye. There are several layers of the cornea, creating a tough sheath that provides additional protection. These layers regenerate very quickly, helping the eye to eliminate damage more easily. The cornea also allows the eye to properly focus on light more effectively. There are numerous diseases and disorders that can affect the cornea, some minor and others that can only be alleviated through surgery, including corneal transplantation. These disorders include various allergies, infections and dystrophies, conjunctivitis, keratoconus and other ailments. In corneal transplant surgery, the surgeon removes the central portion of the cloudy cornea and replaces it with a clear cornea, usually donated through an eye bank. A trephine, an instrument like a cookie cutter, is used to remove the cloudy cornea. The surgeon places the new cornea in the opening and sews it with a very fine thread. The thread stays in for months or even years until the eye heals properly (removing the thread is quite simple and can easily be done in an ophthalmologist’s office). Following surgery, eye drops to help promote healing are needed for several months. 14
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PD: We do, in the sense that we teach people not only how to do the surgery but also how to deal with diseases on the outside of the eye. And that is the preventative side to it. Do we do actual preventative programs, such as dealing with tracoma (a contagious, chronic inlammation of the mucous membranes of the eyes) directly, and giving people access to water supply etc? No, we don’t.
DT: Are you always based in Hyderabad when you visit? PD: Where my programs are concerned, I
work primarily out of Hyderabad. But we’re expanding way beyond that. Frankly, you have to work with the right people. People who are dedicated and show similar values to what you do. The first people who really stepped up to the plate to work with me were the people from the LVPEI. And then we identified partners. And we worked with them. Some were very productive and we continue to work with them long-term. Others, we work with them for a while and then we decide maybe it’s not working as well as it should, so we kind of go our separate ways.
DT: Is your program to train Indian surgeons a kind of formal program?
But we do train the medical doctors who deal with the problems to do things that make it less likely for someone to need a corneal transplant.
DT: Outside of your professional work there, you must be very familiar with India by now. Tell us about your experiences. Do you enjoy going to India? PD: Of course I have to enjoy going to In-
dia. I love going to India. I love the people, I love the food and how it varies from place to place. I really enjoy the sights, the scenery, the geography, the culture, the music and dancing. And it’s fun because I don’t have to get “culturally adjusted” any longer. I walk off the plane, I get the smell and, bang, I’m there. And I have some very good friends there too.
PD: Very much so. What it is is that you graduate from medical school, and then you do what is called a residency in something. It could be eye care ophthalmology, cardiology, general surgery and so on. What we do is we’ll take those residents who graduate from ophthalmology, and we put them into a fellowship training program where they get sub-specialized. So they become ophthalmologists who are trained to do corneal transplantation, external eye disease, retina work, paediatric work, glaucoma work, plastics work, specifically to the eyes. What we’ve done is concentrate on the corneal transplantation and external disease group to train them. Right now, we’re sponsoring the training of some 12 fellows. We fund any fellow who comes to the LVPEI who doesn’t come with their own funding. They come not only from all over India, but also Africa, Indonesia, Ethiopia, Nepal virtually from all over the developing world.
DT: Is the program affiliated with some medical school? PD: No, it’s not. It’s a private institute, which is not an unusual thing in India.
DT: And you have a candidate selection process? PD: Very much so. In fact, we interview lots
of candidates. It’s a very popular program to get into at the LVPEI, not only the corneal transplantation program but for retina work and other fields. It’s very, very competitive because the training is so good. We get people from all over India and www.desitoday.ca
the developing world applying for fellowships there. In fact, we’ve trained people there from South America, we’ve had residents who go there from Australia, we’ve had residents go from here to train.
DT: Do they have to pay for the training? PD: No. the fellows that work in the cornea
area don’t pay. Actually, we pay them because they work in the hospitals.
DT: So where does the program go from here? Are there plans for ESI to expand its operations? PD: What we’re planning to do is to ex-
pand our fellowship training programs to formalise them with some other centres, for example Madurai and Chennai, and to expand our programs to other fellowship things to get more of a symmetry across the different training programs so that we train people at a higher level.
DT: Have you picked the language in India? PD: Very little. There’s so many. For example in Hyderabad and Andhra Pradesh, there’s like eight different dialects. You know, within the same room you’ll have people speaking all the different dialects. I know a little bit of Urdu and Hindi, but not a whole lot.
DT: You’ve now been going to India for about 25 years. These are also the 25 years where India has, by all accounts, changed. This is the period when it opened up economically. Have you seen the changes? PD: Very much so.
Number one is how much cleaner it is than it used to be. That to me is remarkable. In some states more than others. The change has been just amazing. The quality of the roads has changed dramatically. And I’ve really been impressed with the improvement in driving, although it’s still scary to drive there. I don’t like to drive at night, I avoid that. Unfortunately, in some areas such as Delhi, it is now much more polluted than it used to be. But that is one of those things they are trying to deal with. In Delhi some years ago, they tried to rule out two-cycle engines and all that sort of stuff. But it’s still a problem. And it’s going to be a huge problem in the future.
DT: Is there a noticeable difference in affluence levels among Indians? PD: Overall, yes. And the stats will tell you www.desitoday.ca
that. But there’s still hundreds of millions of people at the bottom end. In India, you’ve got the world’s largest middle class by population and income, but there’s still many at the bottom end who are living on not much more than a dollar a day or less.
DT: And in your work, you get to interface with some Manoj Gulati, India, Manager, SightLife Global Programs of the poorest people. PD: Oh yes. For example, the LVPEI is a pri-
vate institute, but 50 per cent of the people who get care there don’t pay anything for it. And that’s just for people in need. If someone needs the care, they get what they need. The examining rooms are exactly the same for everybody, the operating rooms are the same for everybody. Those who can pay, pay. And those who can pay, pay enough to support the people down at the bottom who can’t pay. So that way, everyone gets access to the care.
DT: You say ESI works entirely on donations. Do you get enough?
to a program. That bothers me. I’d rather see more of that money used for the actual programs. It’s really important for me for the charity to have an impact, and not just what I call a high feelgood factor without sustainability. If you look at what many charities do, if you stop the money low, everything stops. That’s not what we’re doing. We are developing programs in India that will continue after we’re gone. And that’s the key issue. And that’s a lot harder to do than a normal charity. If you throw enough money at anything, it can continue to operate. But to do development, where you actually teach people how to fish, that is a lot harder, but it’s a lot better.
PD: No, we never get enough. We’re created a new video clip that’s on YouTube, and that’s getting re-released, and that will help get some donations in. But we always need more. The more we get, the more we can do. And the more we do, the more Relevant information people see and the more people give. website: Eyesight International onal mber/eyesight-internati http://www.iapb.org/me DT: Do you hold fund-
raising events?
PD: No, generally we haven’t had any fundraising events. I don’t like to see a lot of money wasted. I’ve got this thing about going to a fundraising event where there’s a big fancy dinner, people having a real raucous time and spending a lot of money, and then they donate some of that money
website: SightLife International / http://www.sightlife.org informational video: Eyesight International /watch?v=gb4b3pRrctU https://www.youtube.com te website: L.V. Prasad Eye Institu rg/ ei.o http://www.lvp
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SPECIAL FEATURE
India is a land of stark contrasts. It is one of the fastest-growing and most dynamic countries in the world. Yet, it is also home to some of the most wretched human conditions. That dichotomy is reflected in its people. Indian women have been regularly in the news for the last little while, and not for the right reasons. The rape and murder on a Delhi bus of a young woman in 2012 shook the world. We continue to read about almost daily similar assaults on women. Closer to home, there are constant stories of Indo-Canadian men marrying women in India, only to bring them to a life of abuse here. But there is another kind of “new” Indian woman that reflects the country’s dynamism – educated, world-aware and confident. This Indian woman is not afraid to step out alone in the dark. We talk to two examples of such women – two ladies who ventured out into the big world outside of India to pursue their dreams of a higher education. What is remarkable is that they did it almost completely on their own, overcoming obstacles and refusing to bow to sometimes overwhelming odds.
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t was the first day of winter when Akanksha Jolly landed at Vancouver airport on December 21 last year. It was 10 p.m., she had lown in all alone, it was her first time in Canada, and there was no one to receive her at the airport – and she wasn’t expecting anyone to arrive for her either. All alone in the dead of a very cold night, a stranger in a strange land. What in God’s name was a young Indian woman doing putting herself in that situation? Well, to begin with, Jolly is a new kind of Indian woman – educated, confident and not at all nervous about “stepping out” of her comfort zone. We’re all familiar with the stereotype of the shy, retiring Indian woman – expected to keep a low profile, and in many cases almost routinely expected to put up with some abuse, including of the sexual variety. But that picture is not the whole truth. India is a huge country, and it would be folly to suggest that the traditional status of Indian women has been completely transformed. Far from it, as the regular reports of rape and murder attest. But just like everything else in that fastdeveloping giant of a nation, an increasing number of women are beginning to lex their muscles (figuratively). And Jolly represents that new breed. www.desitoday.ca
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SPECIAL FEATURE Jolly, from Chandigarh, is a qualified dentist, and has come to Canada to pursue her Masters in Leadership in Healthcare at a local university. And yes, she does not have any family here. But that didn’t stop her from pursuing her dream. She had prepared meticulously for her trip here – all online. From researching and applying for a university place to being interviewed by the director of her chosen Master’s program, Jolly had done things with the kind of sure touch many do not associate with traditional South Asian women. “Of course I had a lot of concerns. Who wouldn’t? Top of the list was how I was going to survive economically, to not only be able to pay for my education but for day-today survival. “So I was also concerned about whether I would be able to work while I’m studying here. And then of course the next important concern is about where you’re going to live in Canada,” says Jolly. Once she decided that she was coming to Canada, she set about trying to find someone she could connect with in this country. “My only previous trip out of India had been to Japan where I had been a member of the Indian roller hockey team taking part in a tournament,” says
This is such a positive country. People are so polite and courteous most of the time. And the thing I like a lot is that no legitimate job is considered undignified and beneath respect... 18
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I’m a more open kind of person. I like to talk to people from other backgrounds to understand their culture. That’s the reason I’m in Canada. It’s rude to say this, but the last thing I wanted was to be part of some kind of ‘mini-India’ in Canada Jolly. Jolly knew her chances of making a connection with someone of Indian origin were pretty good due to the large South Asian population in this country, and particularly in B.C. In fact, that factor had played a major role in her deciding to come to Canada. “I had also got a place at a prestigious Australian university, but decided that Canada was much more diverse and multicultural, so I opted to come here. “Also, highly publicised violent attacks on Indian students in parts of Australia discouraged me from going there. Everything was just so positive about Canada. “Also important was that many of the Indians here are from Punjab, which is where I am from. Those things are important when you’re going to be alone in a foreign land,” she says. Jolly’s efforts paid off. She made some connections online, one thing led to another, and before she knew it,
her accommodation here was already prearranged by the time she landed at the airport. “Somebody here needed a roommate, and so a basement suite was secured in Surrey even before my arrival,” she says. Still, no one came to pick her up at the airport, but she was aware that no one was coming. “My online friend had made some previous plans, so she wasn’t able to come to the airport,” says Jolly. No worries. Jolly not only had pinpointed the exact location of her new “home” before she even began her journey, but had also determined that taking a taxi rather than the Skytrain would be the best way for her to get to her place – and she knew what the fare would more or less be. “So I wasn’t, pardon the pun, going to be taken for a ride by some unscrupulous taxi driver,” she jokes. She actually didn’t expect to, anyway. “From what I knew about Canada, I had great faith that such things don’t happen on a regular basis in this country. And my faith was repaid,” she says. And so, Jolly arrived safely at her basement, where a friend of her friend was waiting for her, and started her journey in her new surroundings. Her first priority was to land a job. As a student, she is allowed to work 20 hours a www.desitoday.ca
week when the university is in session, and full-time when the university is closed. “I come from a well-to-do family – my father is a chartered accountant and my mother is a teacher – but I’ve always been an independent person financially and like to rely on myself,” she says. Having arrived safely, her first week here turned out to be the most difficult. “It was the hardest week I’ve ever had. I needed to get a job as soon as possible. I went all over the place looking for one and wasn’t very successful. People also were very discouraging. Meanwhile, I was spending my money without any new money coming in. So it was a very difficult, stressful period. “Those were the days when some doubts crept into my mind. I had a good job in India. Had I made the right decision coming here?” But then, her efforts paid off and she got a part-time job in a grocery chain. Subsequently, she also secured an on-call position as a server at dinner functions held at a local hall. In early January, she started attending university, and made new friends there. It would seem natural for her to seek out other Indians in a situation similar to hers – studying here as foreign students – but Jolly says she’s never been insular in that kind of way. “I met other South Asians at the university, but I also made friends with Chinese students who are here to study. In fact, one of my best friends is a South Korean student at the university. “I’ve also built a good friendship with a student from Brazil,” she says. Jolly says there are three other Indians taking the same degree. But she found they were a little reserved when it came to interacting with non-Indian students. “I’m a more open kind of person. I like to talk to people from other backgrounds to understand their culture. That’s the reason I’m in Canada. It’s rude to say this, but the last thing I wanted was to be part of some kind of ‘mini-India’ in Canada,” she says. Jolly in fact made quite an early impression on her university, so much so that during the institution’s cultural week earlier
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SPECIAL FEATURE this year, she was chosen to represent India. As part of her duties, Jolly, a trained Bharata Natyam dancer, gave a performance and also conducted a workshop on that particular dance form. “And since then, I’ve become a bit of a star on my campus. People keep coming up to me and being friendly. In fact, some consider me some kind of ‘agony aunt’ to whom they can speak about sensitive matters in their lives!” she says with a laugh. One person who Jolly has built a strong bond with is her current housemate Geet Sodhi. They have similar backgrounds – both are from Chandigarh, both are university-trained dentists, and Sodhi, who came here two years ago, last year completed the same Masters course Jolly is just beginning. “My situation when I came was a little different from Akanksha’s. One of my friends’ brother was living here with his family, so when I came, I already had someone here to arrange for everything. “And unlike Akanksha, I had been to Canada previously,” Sodhi says. Close to six months into her stay in Canada, Jolly is finding Sodhi to be an invaluable source of support and knowledge as she gets used to living here. Just like Jolly, Sodhi had her moments of doubt when she first arrived and overcame them. But she says the challenges never really go away. “I think in our experience, some of our biggest challenges have actually come from the South Asian community, especially in economic matters such as housing and employment,” she says. She says when South Asian employers in B.C. realized that she was from India and here as a student, they tended to believe that she was “easy” and tried to exploit her. “They wanted to pay wages that are far lower than the minimum wage, and make me work far in excess of decent hours. And some of them actually tried to take advantage of me, if you know what I mean,” she says. Both Sodhi and Jolly had their worst experiences with restaurant owners. Jolly says when she approached a local restaurant owner for a job in her first days here, he agreed to employ her, but at a very low wage. 20
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They wanted to pay wages that are far lower than the minimum wage, and make me work far in excess of decent hours. And some of them actually tried to take advantage of me, if you know what I mean...
“When I told him that was not the minimum wage, he told me to take it or leave it,” she says. Sodhi describes a similar situation that happened to her. “I too was offered pittance wages by a restaurant owner. I took the job, but quit after five days because he would become very rude if I made even a small mistake. “At other times, he would do all sorts of suggestive things not just to me but also to other girls working at the restaurant,” she says. They’ve also faced problems living in basements. “The first basement I lived in, the landlord’s washroom was right above my wardrobe closet, and the washroom loor was leaking. Water used to drip onto my clothes. “When I asked him to repair it, he took his own sweet time doing that,” says Jolly. But Sodhi says these were isolated incidents, and the local South Asian community has generally been very helpful. “I now work for an Indo-Canadian firm, and they are exceptionally nice. The owner’s wife has been in Canada for a long time and keeps giving me a huge amount of great advice,” she says. Despite these challenges, both Jolly and Sodhi have been impressed enough by Canada to want to eventually make this country their permanent home. Sodhi, who has completed her studies,
has secured a three-year work permit and says that when the time is right, she plans to apply to become a permanent resident. Jolly, who is on a student visa, also hopes that after she completes her Masters, she will start the process that will eventually secure her permanent residence in Canada. “This is such a positive country. People are so polite and courteous most of the time. And the thing I like a lot is that no legitimate job is considered undignified and beneath respect,” says Sodhi. She also says the need to depend solely on herself has been one of the most valuable learning experiences she has had since coming here. “When I was in India, there were so many things that I depended on others for – family, friends. But here, if you don’t have family to begin with, you have to totally fend for yourself,” she says. Despite their desire to live here permanently, both women say they would welcome an opportunity to put their education to use in improving things in their home country. “There’s a lot still to be done in India. These are exciting times for the country, and if I for one get an opportunity to use whatever knowledge and expertise I have to improve things there, I will do it,” says Jolly. Spoken like the “new” Indian women that they are.
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DESI TODAY EXCLUSIVE
COVER STORY
No established economic or social activity is easy to crack, especially if you’re someone from a “non-mainstream” (read: ethnic) community. But by the same token, Canada’s “non-mainstream” communities are anything but defeatists. They continue to knock on doors, and if those doors don’t open, knock them down. Show business is one of the areas in North America where ethnic aspirants have faced tremendous odds – but the barriers are slowly breaking down. Increasingly, you’re seeing South Asian actors winning parts in mainstream films and on TV. The same is true for music. Surrey’s Terri Sidhu is determined to make her mark as an actor and singer. She’s starting to make some waves, but is still at the beginning stages of her career. Desi Today caught up with her and talked about her efforts to make her mark. And what comes across is her steely, single-minded determination to do just that. But Terri is also a smart realist. She’s not put all her eggs in one basket. She’s a BCIT-trained health specialist and works as a Medical Radiation Technologist at a major hospital. What’s even more impressive is that, at such a young age, she is already a homeowner, having invested in a townhome. Right now, she’s focused on the Miss Canada contest that she’s taking part in in August. Naturally, she hopes to do well there. And that’s where we began our conversation... 22
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The Interview Desi Today (DT): Tell us about the Miss Canada Globe contest that you are taking part in a few months from now. Terri Sidhu (TS): Well, a previous winner of the contest - and a Miss Universe winner contacted me. And she said I have a really good shot at this. So she in fact submitted my name to take pat in the contest. What I really like about this Miss Canada contest is that it focuses on more than just physical beauty. It’s more about the inner you, about how you are as a person, as a role model. And that’s something I can really get behind. I really believe that we can all make the world a better place. And this contest is looking for someone who is willing and capable of doing that. I’m really excited to take pat in the contest, which will be held in Toronto in August.
DT: And that should also help to open more doors for your show business career? TS: I sure hope so. DT: How did you get into show business? TS: Well, in high school I was always interested in acting. I took acting and dama classes. In fact, when I was in Gade 11, I was named the Most Inspiational Actress in school. So it’s something I’ve always loved. I’ve had a passion for it. After high school, I stopped acting as I went through post-seconday education and eveything. And then when I stated working, I realized there was something missing in my life. So I decided I need to do something about this. So I decided to stat pursuing it again. I did (acting) classes again and stated looking for agents. So it’s been something I’ve always wanted to do.
DT: You sing as well? TS: Yeah, I sing as well. DT: So what do you consider yourself, an actress who also sings, or a singer who also acts? TS: (laughs) An actress who sings. Acting is my first love. It’s my passion, though I would say I’m passionate about singing as well. But acting is my first love.
DT: Where acting is concerned, have you done any parts yet in movies or TV? www.desitoday.ca
TS: I’ve done quite a lot of independent stuff - shots and so on. I also act in theater (stage). In fact, that’s where I’ve done much of my work so far. Where TV and movies is concerned, I’m just getting into it. There’s stuff that’s in the works, that’s going to be happening.
DT: Is it a tough field? TS: Well, what I’ve learned from my acting teachers so far is that for an actress, auditioning (for pats) is your job. Getting a pat is a bonus. That’s the way it is. So acting’s got to be something you really love, and you’ve got to go after it. I love acting. If you find something that means so much to you, as acting does to me, you’ve got to get out there and go for it.
DT: As a budding actress, tell us some of your activities. Do you still go for acting classes? TS: I’m continuously in acting classes. But I also read a lot about acting techniques, and of course I watch a lot of plays and so on with an eye towards honing my acting skills. Acting is like playing a musical instrument. You know if you play the piano or something, you always have to pactise. That’s how a great pianist becomes great. It’s the same with acting - you’ve got to be continuously working on your at.
DT: The danger when you’re just trying to make your mark is that you can get disillusioned. And show business in general is a tough field to break into. Does that ever happen to you? TS: No doubt it’s a tough field. But no, I don’t get discouaged simply because I love it so much. I’m always excited about acting. I’m really clear about wanting to do it. And I know it’s going to happen.
DT: Who is your role model? TS: My role model is actually my gandpa. He is such an amazing person, calm, open and always suppotive. He’s always there for me. I was always vey close to him when I was growing up. Just being around someone who is so caring and so positive has been a tremendous experience for me. He is vey open to things and knows what I want. He’s all for me being an actress, of being involved in show business. And I’ve also got the full suppot of the rest of my family for what I want to do. JUN / JUL 2015 News With A Desi View
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COVER STORY DT: How are things going where singing is concerned? TS: I’ve got a manager to handle that side of things. We are in the process of producing my first song. We`re putting it together. I hope to release it as a single once it is completed. I’m also a budding songwriter.
the worst moments are when you try to land a part, you know you did your best and then you fail to get the part
when you love doing something, things like that don’t bring you down. Of course I do run into such obstacles - eveyone does in any activity they undertake - but they are there to be soted out.
DT: What have been the best and worst moments of your showbiz career so far? TS: Well, the worst moments are when you ty to land a pat, you know you did your best and then you fail to get the pat. Of course vey often it is not because you did something wrong, but because they were looking for a paticular kind of personality for that paticular pat or because they’re looking for someone who fits in with the rest of an ensemble cast. I don’t cary these things with me. As long as I know I did my best, I’m OK. The best moments are of course just being involved in an activity I love!
DT: As an ethnic person, do you find it easier or tougher to land parts? There aren’t too many parts on TV or film for people with ethnic backgrounds, though that appears to be changing. TS: That trend is still vey new. And that’s I was singing for a while but then, just like acting, I stopped after high school. But then I felt like the Universe kept pestering me to stat singing again. And I also kept inteacting with music people - music producers, vocal coaches - and they stated saying I sound like I could sing. So that was an encouagement to pursue singing.
DT: Is the song a ballad? TS: Well, it’s going to be a sot of R ‘n’ B pop piece once it is completed.
DT: Is it a good idea to try and make a go of it in two rather different areas of show business, acting and singing? TS: I think so. One reason is that I manage my time really well. I think I’m pretty good at keeping things sepaate and being able to focus on one thing at a time.
DT: From outside show business, one reads about the difficulties aspirants like yourself often face, things like the difficulty of opening doors and getting your foot in. Tell us your experiences. TS: Well, as with anything else, there are what I consider obstacles to overcome. For me, these are just challenges I need to tackle as I pursue something I love. Like I said, 24
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pat of my motivation actually because I want to be one of those who changes that situation. We are a multicultual world. That’s eveyday life. And that should be relected on TV and in films as well. As you said, the situation is already stating to change. So I’d like to be one of those who pushes those boundaries. In doing so, I also hope I will become a role model for those who follow.
DT: In the roles that you get offered, do you get typecast? TS: Well, in some of them I get typecast as a South Asian chaacter, but you know you cannot be choosy about roles in the early stages of your career.
DT: Have you made a lot of connections in the industry? TS: Well, I have an agent. And you do keep meeting new people and getting things going. And it’s all really exciting.
DT: You say you’re a budding songwriter. Are you also involved in other behindthe-camera aspects of the business, both creative and technical? TS: I’ve been dabbling a little bit in that. I’ve always loved writing. I did a lot of writing in high school. And there are so many stories out there to be told - eveyone has a stoy! -
and I’d like to do more of that in the future. But right now, my concentation is on what you may call before-the-camea activities.
DT: The whole concept of marketing in showbiz has changed dramatically in recent years. A lot of things are done online, and social media is now a huge thing. Have you done much in that area? TS: Fankly, I haven’t done much of it so far. As I said, I have an agent/manager and he looks after that side of things, things like promotions and so on.
DT: Obviously one tries in life to go as far as possible in your chosen activity, and there really never is a limit you set on yourself. But what are your goals at this point in your career? TS: Well, I want to ty and do a bit of eveything at this point. I love comedy, I love dama, action. And I’m vey into cars!
DT: Well, that’s usually a guy thing! TS: (laughs) I know! But there you have it - I love cars! I actually have tinkered with cars, though I wouldn’t call myself any kind of expet car mechanic or anything. But yes, I do know how to do things under the hood.
DT: We were talking earlier about how social media has provided new avenues for lots of do-it-your-own efforts. There are people who have become YouTube stars all through their own efforts. Are you interested in that sort of thing? TS: I’ve thought about it. I haven’t really put too much effot into that. It’s fun, some of the things people do. But it’s more ants and skits ather than acting. So I’ve not really looked seriously into how I could use that sot of platform and be able to pactise the caft of acting. I think it would be a lot of fun, but I’ve not given it my immediate attention.
DT: Finally, what is your target for 2015? Where would you like to see yourself by the end of this year? TS: Right now, I’d just like to do my best in the Miss Canada contest. And to continue the development of my career in acting, singing and modelling. But I’m also vey keen to be of help to people. That too forms a big pat of what I am. I volunteer at The Door Is Open, a soup kitchen in East Van once a week or so. And it’s a really neat and satisfying thing to do. www.desitoday.ca
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FEATURE US President Baack Obama has called for some “soul-searching” and Hillay Clinton described it as “a tagedy that demands answers”, but what happened in Baltimore in the aftermath of a black man’s death points to a much larger problem. Eruption in Baltimore, less than an hour’s drive from the American capital, nine days after peaceful protests over the death of 25-year-old Freddie Gay in police custody a week after his April 12 arrest, goes beyond simply black and white. The unrest in Baltimore followed a spate of protests across the county over the deaths of black men at the hands of police. The inluential Time magazine recently listed 14 major instances of a white policeman shooting dead a black person since 17-year-old Tayvon Matin was fatally shot on Februay 26, 2012 in Sanford, Florida. But according to a Wikipedia compilation, as many as 157 people - of all colours and aces - have been killed by law enforcement officers this year alone, with or without justification. The Killed By Police Facebook page puts the number of people killed by US police this year at 381 and 1,101 in 2014, with a total of 2,249 since it stated posting news repots of officer-involved homicides stating May 1, 2013. In December, the Washington Post factchecked a vial claim that a black person is killed by police ‘evey 28 hours’ based on an April 2013 repot titled “Opeation Ghetto Storm” by the Malcolm X Gassroots Movement. The repot looked at the deaths of 313 African-American men, women and children in 2012, who were killed by police officers, security guards or “vigilantes”.
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“If you divide the number of hours in a year (8,760) by 313 deaths, it does come out to one death per 28 hours. But the rest of the claim is problematic,” the Post concluded. But “among those killed in 2012, 136 people (44 percent) had no weapon on them when they died”, it said. “That negates the claim that people who were killed ‘evey 28 hours’ were unarmed.” The Post also cited an aticle written by the repot’s author, Arlene Eisen, in September saying that the use of “evey 28 hours” as a standalone figure oversimplifies the point made in her repot. It was, she was quoted as saying, intended to “prevent future extajudicial killings of black people by those paid or sanctioned (security guards and vigilantes) by the national security state, it is impotant to know that these killings are a result of the perpetual war on black people”. In an April 20 repot on what it called America’s “1.5 million missing black men”,
the New York Times noted that “for evey 100 black women not in jail, there are only 83 black men”. Among cities with sizable black populations, the largest single gap is in Ferguson, Missouri -- which saw days of unrest and looting after the fatal shooting of Michael Brown by a police officer last August -- with 40 missing black men for evey 100 black women. This gap -- driven mostly by incarceation and early deaths -- barely exists among whites, it said. As Obama said at a Tuesday press conference, a lot of the tension between law enforcement and the black community stems from “a slow-rolling crisis” that has been brewing for decades. “Fixing it will require more investment in cities, criminal justice reform, better funding for education and soul-searching for some police depatments,” he said hitting the nail on the head. By Arun Kumar
From Ferguson to Baltimore: A problem of
law enforcement?
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FEATURE Narenda Modi has brought about a tansformation in the day-to-day functioning of the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) in the last one year. He has changed the work culture by introducing the pactice of Kaizen, a timetested Japanese system of ‘continuous improvement’ in quality, technology, processes, work culture, productivity, efficiency and leadership. Modi has also tried another Japanese pactice, that of Quality Management System emphasizing on regular improvement in all depatments of the Prime Minister’s establishment. It has cut red-tape and made the office responsive, pro-active and effective. The Kaizen principles involve evey employee in the PMO - from Principal Secretay and all IFS, IAS & IPS officers to the subordinate functionaries. The word Kaizen means ‘continuous improvement’. It comes from the Japanese words ‘kai’ which means ‘change’ or ‘to correct’ and ‘zen’ which means ‘good’. Eveyone in the PMO has been encouraged by the prime minister to come up with suggestions on small and simple improvement. This is not a one-time, monthly or yearly exercise, but something to be pactised on a regular basis. As a response, he has been receiving a large number of suggestions from his team members. These ideas are recorded, shared, and discussed and, if found valuable and pactical, are implemented by the PMO. In most cases, these suggestions may not be ideas for major changes. Modi strongly believes in making little changes on a regular basis to improve productivity, safety and effectiveness, while reducing wastage in time and expenditure. The staff at PMO has been urged not to limit their suggestions to any specific area of government functioning. They are motivated to come foward with proposals and ideas for making changes wherever improvements are necessay and possible. The western world believes in the work philosophy “If it is not broken, don’t fix it.” Modi’s philosophy for good governance is “Do it better and improve it, even if it isn’t broken, because if we don’t, we can’t compete with those who do.” The prime minister’s ideas on improvement extend even to social activities. He is applying these concepts in his personal life too. By Ashok Tandon www.desitoday.ca
For good governance, Modi introduces
new work culture at PMO
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FEATURE
Nothing shows the weakness of the Narenda Modi government more than the fact that it gives the impression of having been spooked by Rahul Gandhi to strive for a pro-poor image. Hence, the directive to ministers to go around the county after the budget session to counter the perception that the government is anti-farmer. In line with the Congress’ time-honoured pactice of launching various schemes to help the poor, the BJP, too, is initiating seveal social security measures. But the fact that it is fumbling in the dark is evident from the decision to invoke the saffron ideologue Deen Dayal Upadhyaya’s “integal humanism” concept to burnish the government’s and the BJP’s image although the phase is as meaningless to people outside the Hindutva camp as Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s espousal of “Gandhian socialism” when the BJP was formed in 1980. No less fatuous is the hope in official and saffron circles that the Pasar Bhaati’s adio and television channels will be able to spread the pro-poor message although it is no secret that the reach of Akashvani and Doordarshan remains as limited as it was before a saffronite was appointed as the Pasar Bhaati’s head. The point, however, is why should the government be running scared simply because Rahul Gandhi, with his batteries recharged in a Myanmar Buddhist monastey, has succeeded in infusing an element of belligerence into the Congress? The government’s nevousness is all the more unwaranted because nearly all of Rahul’s allegations, based on unverifiable calumny and half-baked ideas of the social scene, can be easily refuted. A simple rebuttal of his anti-industrial stance is that development itself is a pro-poor measure as it leads to employment-oriented growth which is brought about largely by the private sector. The government, therefore, has nothing to be apologetic about. If it still gives the impression of being on the back foot, the reason apparently is that either the government does
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not have clear-cut ideas of what it intends to accomplish, or that there are not enough accomplished spokespersons in its anks who can aticulate its views with vigour. Arguably, this uncetainty about the government’s objective - which has made fellow-taveller Arun Shourie accuse it of being “directionless” - is due to the tansition which the BJP is currently making from being a paty of ulta-othodox, small town taders to an organization which sups in the sophisticated company of India Inc. Given this dichotomy between the provincialism of the old Jan Sangh-BJP and the cosmopolitanism of its new avatar, the paty is not sure whether it is on the right path. Its problem has apparently been compounded by the death of an ideological wherewithal to buttress its case. Although always a rightwing outfit from its Jan Sangh days, the BJP’s outlook has been a mix of Hindu communalism and the commercialism of dingy shops in mofussil towns. Now, however, it is moving into the glittering world of capitalism where the merchants opeate on a global scale. Moreover, big business shuns sectarianism because of the violence associated with the spread of divisive messages which hampers consumerism, the essence of capitalism. This is why Modi has clamped down on the Hindutva hardliners and has told Time magazine that the government will not “toleate” any discrimination based on caste, creed and religion. On the economic front, however, he is apparently still unsure about how far he can push his pro-business line against a political class which hasn’t always hesitated to put patisan interests above those of the nation. Needless to say, the BJP itself has been a pat of this cussed “culture” but, now, it is the Congress which is leading the pack comprising the communists and the castebased Janata “parivar” to vitually oppose anything and eveything which the government proposes. It will be unfotunate, however, if this continuing political badgering delects the prime minister from his developmental goal and turn to populism. The lesson of the last geneal election is that welfare initiatives like sops and subsidies do not work at a time when the opening up of the economy has not only aroused www.desitoday.ca
what has been called the animal spirits of the entrepreneurs, but has also kindled the hope about the easy availability of jobs in a buoyant economy. If populism was a panacea, then the Congress would have scored a runaway victoy with its rual employment scheme (which do not build duable assets) or food security act (which puts an enormous stain on procurement, stoage and distribution) or the right to education (where the absence of tests up to Class VIII has reduced the level of Class V students to that of Class II).
The aveage voter saw through the hollowness of such measures. Instead, it was Modi’s promise of ‘sabka saath, sabka vikas’ (development for all) which paid political dividends to the BJP. It will be a major mistake on the prime minister’s pat, therefore, to change his line on being inluenced by Rahul Gandhi’s anti-corpoate sector tiades which will spell doom for the economic reforms and take India back to the 2-3 percent Hindu ate of growth of the licence-permit-control aj. By Amulya Ganguli
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When you come across someone who is 21 or so, one thought that often crosses the mind is, they’ve got their whole life ahead of them. But when Surrey man Jazz Gill was 21, what lay ahead for him was anything, but life itself. In fact, he had reached a point where just being alive was a precarious state of being. Su ering from liver problems since a ve y young age, things had reached a point where it was just a matter of time before his liver gave out – something that probably would have ended his life. There was just one possible solution – he needed a new liver to have a chance of not just su viving but of su viving well. But livers are not something you can pick up from your local pharmacy. He had to get a “new� liver from someone else who had agreed to donate his or her liver upon their death. And that was Gill’s life-changing experience with the bene ts that organ donation brings – and the di culties of making people see that. “I consider myself ve y lucky that I got the liver t ansplant before it was too late. I was on the waiting list for one year, but having to wait just one year was a stroke of luck for me. “There are people who are on the organ-donation waiting list for years and years. And it is not uncommon for some to succumb to their illnesses before a suitable organ becomes available,� says Gill.
The
e l c y C ) (Re of Life
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Amar Karma helps spread organ-donation awareness N BY BACHA
RAI
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Today, 13 years after receiving He says as far as he knows, Amar his new organ, Gill leads a healthy, Karma is the only organization normal life. But his experience that works to spread awareness made him determined to do about organ donation specifiwhat he could to make organ cally among South Asians. donation as widespread a Gill says there is a huge practice as he could. lack of awareness about BC Transplant (BCT), an organ donation and agency of the Provincial the benefits it proHealth Services Authorvides in the South ity, provides oversight Asian community. for all aspects of organ “It’s difficult to come up donation and transplanwith statistics about how widetation across BC. It is funded spread the practice of organ principally through the BC donation is in the community, Ministry of Health. partly because of health priInitially, Gill worked on his vacy rules. own as a volunteer for BCT. “What is not in doubt, howBut there was a particular area ever, is that there are many where he could be of most use • The first organ transplant (kidney) in BC was perSouth Asians on the waiting list in spreading awareness about formed in 1968 at Vancouver General Hospital. for new organs,” says Gill. organ donation, and where • Since 1968, more than 6,200 transplants have been Gill says while it is not a there was a particular lack of performed in BC. determining factor, the blood knowledge about the issue. • Close to 500 British Columbians are currently on the type of a potential recipient That was the South Asian wait list for an organ transplant – the need far outplays a big role in matching the community. weighs the number of organs available for transplant. donated organ to a potential “As a South Asian organ • Some organs that could be available for transplant are recipient – meaning there is a recipient, I was in a very good lost because the decision of the loved one is not known greater possibility of an organ position to talk about this isby their family. donated by a South Asian being sue to the community,” says • Many of those waiting for a solid organ transplant die a good “fit” for a South Asian Gill. before a suitable organ is available for transplant. recipient. His opportunity to concen• Survival rates of transplant patients continue to im“Blood type does matter trate his efforts on the South prove, providing recipients with an extended and high when it comes to organ transAsian community arose last quality of life. plantation. Although blood year when he came to know of • Transplants are cost-effective. For those with kidtype is not generally differenan Ontario-based organization ney disease, the average cost of dialysis treatment is tiated along ethnic lines, the called Amar Karma, which had $50,000 a year. By comparison, the one-time cost of fact is that ethnic groups tend been set up to spread awarea kidney transplant in BC is approximately $15,000, to share common blood types ness about organ donations with an additional yearly cost of about $5,500 for more frequently. among South Asians. anti-rejection medications. “For instance, I believe many Amar Karma was set up South Asians carry the Group B just three years ago, and it was Extracted from the website of BC Transplant blood type whereas other ethonly last year that Gill spearhttp://www.transplant.bc.ca/ nic groups may be dominated headed an effort to establish by Group A or D blood types. a presence in BC for the orga“With the donee sharing nization. blood type with the donor, organ rejection “I first started volunteering with them, Amar Karma and its activities. problems are a little easier to handle, even and last year, we set up a B.C. branch,” says There are about 100 people involved though they will still occur. At least one facGill, who is the director for the B.C. chapter. in Amar Karma’s activities in Ontario, and tor – incompatible blood type - causing the The first time Amar Karma made its about 50 so far in B.C., says Gill. rejection may not be there,” says Gill. presence felt in B.C. was at last year’s VaiTheir activities mostly involve going to (“Organ rejection” is the process where sakhi nagar kirtan in Surrey where it set up events where large numbers of South Asian the recipient’s body recognizes the “new” an information booth. Canadians are present. Vaisakhi is obviously organ as being an “outsider” and starts to “It’s an all-volunteer organization and its the biggest of such events, but they also go reject it, thus making it impossible for the sole activity is to spread awareness about to any other South Asian event where it is new organ to operate normally. organ donation,” says Gill. suitable for them to spread awareness. Rejection occurs in almost every case of And naturally, the Vaisakhi event, where “We usually set up a booth and try to organ transplantation, and is usually overattendances, largely South Asian, exceed a educate people on organ donation. And for come by the use of anti-rejection medicaquarter million people, was the best platthose who are willing to do so, we are able tions. form to create instant awareness about to register potential organ donors on the Organ recipients have to stay on these spot,” says Gill.
ORGAN DONATION FACTS
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FEATURE
medications for the rest of their lives as the threat of organ rejection never goes away.) In short, South Asians needing a new organ have a better chance of finding a matching organ if the donor is also South Asian. “So the more South Asians agree to donate organs, the greater the number of other South Asians who stand to benefit,” says Gill. Signing up to become an organ donor is just the first step in the process to save someone else’s life. Whether doctors will be able to use an organ will also depend on how the donor died. “They have to be brain dead, while the body is still alive. But in most cases, the body and brain stop functioning simultaneously. So usually the correct situation only occurs in cases where people have accidents or drown, or other similar circumstances,” says Gill. In B.C., about 500 people are on the waiting list for organ transplants, according to BCT. Amar Karma not only spreads awareness at functions but helps people to sign up to become organ donors on the spot. “We help people to fill out the required registration form,” says Gill. He says
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when people come to the Amar Karma booth or tent, “we have to thoroughly explain what organ donation is all about because many people in the (South Asian) community are simply not familiar with the whole concept of organ donation. “We have to explain that agreeing to donate your organs on your death can help someone else live longer and healthier lives. People in the community are often misinformed about what organ donation involves. Some think that if they sign up, their organs will be extracted while they are still alive!” says Gill. A particular challenge in the South Asian community are some deeply-held cultural beliefs. “Some people believe they are going to need their organs intact for the afterlife (life after death). So we have to educate people on stuff like that,” says Gill. There are also religious considerations that need to be surmounted. “Some people say their religious beliefs prevent them from becoming organ donors. Stuff like that is very difficult to overcome for various reasons - it can be considered disrespectful of certain beliefs if we attempt to change people’s minds. So it’s not often that one is successful in changing minds in situations like that. “Usually we try to say, look, nobody has seen an afterlife, nobody has c o m e
back from the dead to prove that you are going to be doing this or that after you pass on,” says Gill. Generally speaking, says Gill, people with higher education levels have greater awareness and knowledge, and there are obviously less problems in getting them to sign up for organ donation. “But if there are ever going to be enough organ donors to save lives, we simply have to target and try to persuade those with less knowledge and education to become donors. “Educating these groups about what organ donation means, and how much it helps to save lives is thus one priority in our efforts,” he says. There are also often situations where it is not just the potential donors who need to be persuaded, but also others who play important roles in their lives. This is particularly true when the person who agreed to donate organs passes away, but their families may refuse to carry out their request. “When someone registers to become an organ donor, they are there in the system. So when that person passes away, their medical records will clearly show agreement to donate organs. So doctors will inform those in charge of dealing with the dead person’s affairs about the permission by the departed one to donate organs,” says Gill. However, he says this issue is usually handled
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in a sensitive manner. “Persuasion is the preferred method, but if the surviving loved ones simply don’t agree to the donation, it will not be carried out out of respect for them,” says Gill. Still, Gill remains optimistic that efforts by people like him and organizations such as Amar Karma will bear fruit. “Ten years ago, when I first set up a booth on my own to spread organ donation awareness at the nagar kirtan, about 10 people signed up to become donors. “Last year, more than 100 signed up. So I think our efforts are paying off and the word is getting out there,” he says. Besides talking to individuals at big public events, Amar Karma also addresses groups, such as gurdwara attendees, or club and group meetings. The informational material Amar Karma distributes is available in various languages, including Punjabi and Hindi. Presently, Amar Karma is only active in the Lower Mainland. “We’ve gone as far as Abbotsford, but we are planning to expand to other areas,” Gill says. He says Amar Karma is also preparing to expand to Alberta as there is some interest to extend the effort to Calgary. Gill says BCT is very supportive of their efforts. “They print and provide us registration cards in Punjabi and other languages to facilitate Amar Karma`s efforts.” As a parting message, Gill says, “When a person passes away, they no longer need their bodies. If you can help extend someone else’s life, what could be a better legacy to leave behind? “The person you save could very well be someone very young. I was only 21 when I needed a new liver – and because someone decided to donate one, I could once again have my whole life ahead of me.”
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FEATURE
ovember 1954 will remain etched in my forever. It was memory the year when I, an uninvited, unwanted intruder, sat right behind India’s top elected public leaders. This is how it all happened. My own eye-witnessed account of Haridwar dates back to my early past. My recollections of this semi-mountain city are that it was as beautiful, peaceful and tranquil as the abode of gods could be. Situated on the banks of the holy Ganges, lying at the feet of the Shivalik-Himalayas in reverence, this holy city used to share space with human and beasts alike. Its snow-covered mountains in winter and their dark bluish green peaks under rainsoaked thick grey clouds during the monsoon season looked beyond the confinement of human imagination. One could only behold this divinity, not describe it.
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The city was a destination of holy men and pilgrims. Throughout the year, they came for dips in the icy-cold waters of the Ganges, and to be closer to Lord Shiva. Here, kings and philanthropists established monasteries in and around for the propagation of the essentials of Hinduism, to provide shelter and financial support to the pilgrims and poor and meritorious students. The heads of these monasteries were orange-robed landlords. Historically, this was also the time when India was governed and managed by the British. Even after living over more than half a century all over the world, when I think of Haridwar, I think of nothing but of its natural beauty and the contributions the British made to it. Despite their shortcomings, I loved them for what they had done to improve our lives. Maybe, that was why I did not feel lost, disturbed, inconvenienced or shocked when I lived in England. Everyone, more or less, has this coherent train of imagery and ideas or repetition of personal incidents; the dreams. Some watch them with eyes shut, deep asleep. Some watch them with eyes open, wide awake. Those who see them with eyes shut, they dream of the tangled mess of their past or their present, as I do. Those who watch them with eyes wide open watch their future, what that could be, or what their elders would want that to be. It is one thing to dream but quite another to turn it into reality. The dream the British engineer, Sir Proby Thomas Cautley, Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath, had in 1840 was about building a Ganges canal. As ambitions usually have problems to solve, he encountered them as well. The first was to persuade the Members of the British Parliament, who held the purse strings, but that turned out to be easier than to persuade the local priests of Haridwar to obtain their permission. The priests argued that a man-made canal would structurally imprison the divine goddess. The Ganges emanated from the feet of Lord Vishnu after the intense meditation (tapasya) performed by King Bhagiratha and descended to the earth to free the imprisoned souls of his ancestors. Since then, she has been lowing freely for thouwww.desitoday.ca
My heart began to pound and legs began to tremble. “What if they arrest me at the end of the show?”
sands of years through the mountains and plains and nursing the living and granting moksha to the departed. Her freedom could not be curtailed, they said. But Sir Cautley was not a giver upper. He pacified the priests by negotiating to leave a gap in the dam so that the Ganges could low unrestricted. He also appeased them by undertaking the repair of bathing steps (ghats) built along the river. But above all, he offered a public pooja ceremony to Lord Ganesha, the god who removes obstacles. Sir Cautley was so committed to achieving his dream that he spent six months walking and riding through the area taking each measurement, making his own bricks, and building brick kiln and mixing mortar all by himself. Digging of the canal began in April 1842 and completion was on April 8, 1854. Exactly one hundred years after the birth of Sir Cautley’s dream project, the Government of India was celebrating its Centennial. The entire Haridwar was scrubbed clean, roads repaired and burned-out street lights replaced. The roadside gutters were cleaned and dusted with DDT every day. The government guest house, railway station, bus depot and our school buildings were repaired and repainted. In short, Haridwar received a major facelift. The President of India, Dr. Rajendra
Prasad, Governor of Utter Pradesh Dr. K.M. Munshi, Chief Minister Pundit Govind Ballabh Pant and a Representative of the British Government were to attend the ceremony. India’s prominent classical artists – singers and dancers - were invited to perform in their honour. There was a highly visible police presence in the city. Our playground, known as Ghora Mandi, where during the reign of Emperor Akbar horses were brought and sold, had been taken over by the Police Department to pitch tents, park vehicles and stable their horses. Until then, I had neither seen so many police officers, nor so many jeeps or so many horses. As our school was chosen for certain special activities, we were given a week off. Some of those festivities were open to the public and some were by invitation only. The one I decided to crash was by invitation only. And this brings me to my personal adventure. One day, I heard about a special dance performance to honour the President and the British Representative was to take place in our school. I told mom and Masi about it. They said they knew about it but as it was not open to public they would attend some other functions across the canal. They invited me to join them, but my mind was fixed on the one that was to take place in my school. “No, thank you. I rather go to my school and see what the President was coming to see,” I responded. “Of course,” said Masi with disbelief in her eyes. At about 6:30 p.m., just before the function was to start, I arrived at the main gate of my school in shorts and canvas shoes. I noticed the entire compound was crawling with khaki and olive green uniformed police officers. They were the breed small-town dwellers rarely see. They were not the type I used to see on the streets every day hassling and yelling at the Tonga drivers, rickshaw pullers and hawkers and writing them out violation tickets. When I arrived, I kept going unrestrained until I reached the inner gate. Until then nobody bothered to stop or question an urchin like me. However, as soon as I reached closer JUN / JUL 2015 News With A Desi View
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FEATURE to the inner gate, a Police Officer moved forward and said, “You are in a restricted area.” “Why? This is my school. I have come to my school,” I responded. “Yes, of course, but today you cannot go inside the compound. You must leave immediately,” politely but firmly he instructed, and after that order he handed me over to another officer with the instructions to walk me out immediately. Just as I was supposed to be removed, I noticed several turbaned police officers entered the compound on motor bicycles followed by several black cars, much longer and bigger in size, with special lags lying on both sides of their hoods. It was a scene I had never witnessed in my life ever before. The officer, who was holding my hand, let my hand go and raised it to salute the special guest, giving me an opportunity to run like crazy … not to my home, but towards the bushes growing in the back of the school building, towards my classroom, where one of its back windows was broken. I thought if I could get to that window I can easily get inside the compound and watch everything unrestricted. We used to jump in and out of that window almost every day. Those were the days when street manholes were never sealed shut, sharpshooters did not occupy the rooftops of the neighbouring buildings, dogs did not sniff your bags and you were never swished up and down with handheld instruments. In other words, you were trusted. Within a few minutes, I was standing behind my school building, just behind my classroom, in front of the broken window, breathing heavily. I put my hand through the broken glass, opened the shutter and climbed into my classroom. Then, I waited for a few minutes, pulled my shorts up, stood up on my toes and tried to take a peak through a glass window of the classroom main doors. I spotted two police officers standing at ease inside the compound at the gate, but far away from where I was. Although I could not see their faces clearly, none of them were the same who had stopped me at the outer gate. These officers were even taller. I turned my eyes around and recognized the President, Governor and the Chief Minister sit36
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And the pollution in the Holy Ganges? Her pure, clean, and glass-transparent water that had the power to heal has changed into a source of ill heath...
ting in the first row. I do not recall seeing any Gora Sahib sitting with them. The rest of the dignitaries were sitting very quietly in the second row. Then I noticed a young dancer emerging from behind a curtain. She bowed and right away started telling a story with her eyes, arms, fingers and feet. I knew she was performing Bharat-natyam. I had seen it before. I thought that was the moment to sneak out to sit amidst the invited guests. I opened the door, very quietly…. thanked God for not making it squeak, walked up to an empty seat in the third row and sat down. Several people looked at me but said nothing. Those two officers noticed me, but said nothing. My heart began to pound and legs began to tremble. “What if they arrest me at the end of the show?” It took a while for my heart to calm down, and I started doing what I had come to do … watch the show. The next performance was a pitcherdance. A male dancer emerged from behind the curtain with five clay pitchers on his head and bells on his feet. His balancing act, the movements of his body and jingling or silencing of those bells at will, were amazing.
“Hope those pitchers are empty.” A minor misstep could bring them tumbling down. The President’s long coat and dhoti could get wet. But that did not happen. After a while, the President and the Governor left. The Chief Minister and other dignitaries stayed. The function continued until 10 p.m. There were dances from Gujarat, Manipur, Orissa, but no Bhangra. The very first time I saw a Bhangra performance was in Vancouver; never in India. At the end of the show, I also got up and left, not through the broken window, but through the main gate. The police officer who had earlier stopped me was there. He saw me, but said nothing. I returned home with a thrill of my own Bharat-natyam in my feet. I told dad, mom and Masi, everyone, about my evening. Every one listened, but no one believed. How unfortunate! So many people had seen me sitting in the third row, including the President’s bodyguards, yet there was not a single soul I could ask to vouch for me. The grief of not been trusted, even by my own parents, lingered a long time. However, what grates me most now is the destruction of those mountain ranges. They look bald as though they had their heads shaved to prepare for the funeral of their parents. And the pollution in the Holy Ganges? Her pure, clean, and glass-transparent water that had the power to heal has changed into a source of ill heath. “The 2,500km (1,500-mile) river has been badly polluted by industrial waste, farm pesticides and sewage. Bodies were first found loating near the banks of the river on Tuesday in Uttar Pradesh’s Unnao district… More than 100 bodies have been found in the river Ganges in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, prompting the authorities to order a probe,” BBC; January 14, 2015. “Ram teri ganga maili ho gayi paapiyon ke paap dhote-dhote.”
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.
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FEATURE unjab’s ruling Shiromani Akali Dal, particularly its first family the Badals, finding itself in the line of fire following controversies, has taken refuge in religion. At least, that’s what opposition leaders are saying. Congress Deputy Leader in the Lok Sabha Amarinder Singh says that Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and his party, having completely failed on the economic and law and order fronts, have fallen back on the ‘Panthic (Sikh religious) agenda’. Amarinder’s reference was to the ‘Dharmik Darshan Yatra’ launched on May 6 by the Punjab government and the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), which is controlled by the Akali Dal. The ‘yatra’ has certainly been able to shift the focus away from recent controversies towards religious matters. “The choice is between the economic progress and development on one side and the Panthic agenda on the other. The Badals are known for raking up religion when things go against them,” said Amarinder, a former chief minister of Punjab. The biggest controversy to hit Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal’s government was the recent death of a teenaged Dalit girl near Moga town. She was molested by the bus staff and pushed out of a speeding bus when she resisted. The girl died and her mother, who was also thrown out of the bus, was seriously injured. The bus in question, and its staff, belonged to Orbit Aviation transport company which is owned by Sukhbir Singh Badal, Punjab’s powerful deputy chief minister. The incident gave opposition parties and others an opportunity to gun for the Badal government and the Akali Dal leaders.
With mounting controversies, Akalis find
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“I challenge Badal to list one single achievement he can claim credit for. Be it wheat procurement, he has failed. Be it law and order, he has failed. Be it economy, he has failed. Be it industry, he has failed. Be it agriculture, he has failed,” Amarinder said while listing the failures of the chief minister and his government. Congress leaders like Pratap Singh Bajwa and Sukhpal Singh Khaira have questioned how the businesses owned by the Badal family have thrived and prospered by leaps and bounds while the state is in a debt trap. The Badal family’s business interests, mostly owned by Sukhbir Badal and his union minister wife Harsimrat Badal, are in transport, aviation, hotels and hospitality, agriculture, infrastructure, housing and media. “The Moga incident was a shocking example of how law and order situation has crumbled. Your (Badals’) moral weakness flows from the fact that your family business and vested interests dominate your politics and governance, and are in clash with each other,” Bajwa pointed out. Opposition leaders also question Sukhbir Badal on his oft repeated claims of Punjab being a power surplus state and his dream of exporting power to neighbouring Pakistan. They point out that all areas in Punjab suffer power cuts running into eight hours and more daily. Undeterred by the criticism, the Badals have gone ahead with the religious programme on a Rs.2.25-crore vehicle specially designed by car designer ‘DC’ (Dilip Chhabria), carrying the relics of three Sikh gurus all across Punjab for people to have a closer ‘darshan’ and pay obeisance to. “It is providing an opportunity to the people to have a glimpse of the holy relics of Guru Sahib and also propagating Sikh ethos of fighting against tyranny, oppression and injustice,” Chief Minister Badal said. His son, Sukhbir Badal, who is the Akali Dal president, went a step further. “The yatra would be taken to different states with help of Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee and other organisations. The Dharmik Darshan Yatra would visit parts of Rajasthan, Delhi, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh,” Sukhbir Badal said. Even Akal Takht (highest temporal seat of Sikh religion) Jathedar (chief) Gurbachan Singh said: “This sacred yatra which has given a rare opportunity to Sangat (people/devotees) to have a glimpse of the holy relics of Sikh Gurus for the first time.” Close aides of the Badals say that the yatra was planned months in advance and the opposition charge was baseless. The relics of the Sikh gurus, including their clothes and weapons, are being taken around Punjab. Relics of sixth guru Hargobind Singh, ninth guru Tegh Bahadur, and tenth guru Gobind Singh are being carried. The tour culminated at Takht Sri Keshgarh Sahib in Anandpur Sahib town. The holy relics of tenth Sikh master, Guru Gobind Singh, include three swords, a set of hair with comb, one turban, one chola (robe), one whip, one bunch of five arrows, one ‘Siri Sahib’ (small three inch kirpan), one spear with wood, one small plain steel spear, one big sword and one sword with the word ‘Sat Sri Akal Guru Teg Bahadur’ the 1713 Samvat (1656) inscribed on the blade. Of particular interest to the devotees and scholars is one manuscript written in Guru Gobind Singhi’s own hand. www.desitoday.ca
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FEATURE
Harman (Harmohanjit Singh) Pandher won his first election in 2011. Correction: it was his second election victory. His first successful campaign actually took place in 1985. It was for the Grade 4 Student Council Rep position at Second Street Community School in Burnaby. He was 9 years old. And, almost 30 years later, he’s been involved in Burnaby politics at every level ever since. Pandher is currently serving in his second term as a School Trustee on the Burnaby Board of Education. He was unanimously elected Vice-Chair of the Board by his fellow Trustees, following the November 2014 Municipal Election in which his Burnaby Citizens Association party, under the leadership of Mayor Derek Corrigan, swept every seat on City Council and School Board. It was the third consecutive electoral sweep for the BCA – a unique feat in British Columbian politics. Speaking of unique feats, Pandher is also the only BC politician elected to any level of government – be it school board, city, provincial or federal – who wears a turban as a practicing Sikh. Born in Vancouver,he has been a lifelong Burnaby resident since 1976 after his parents, Rajinder Singh and Raj Kaur, moved there when he was two-weeks old. His elder sister, Amanjit, and he graduated from Burnaby’s Cariboo Hill Secondary School. Pandher graduated from Cariboo in 1994, after 5 years of playing high school basketball – a passion he continues to enjoy to this day. By profession, Pandher is an elementary public school teacher in the Surrey School District, with a Bachelor of Arts degree (with a major in English Literature) and a Bachelor of Education degree from the University of British Columbia. He teaches grade 5 at Surrey’s Beaver Creek Elementary School. One of the distinctive features of Beaver Creek is that it is one of three public elementary schools in Surrey which offers Punjabi as a second
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language option for students beginning in grade 5. Pandher, who is luent in Punjabi, teaches Punjabi as well as the other standard subjects, such as Math, Language Arts and Physical Education. Pandher credits his parents, who both taught in India before immigrating to Canadain the early 1970s, for instilling a love a languagewithin him at a young age. English and Punjabi books were everywhere in his home growing up. His father kept an extensive library of titles ranging in topics from Canadian politics to Indian history. The one thing Pandher says his parents never said no to when he was growing up was the request for a new book. His parents would take him and his sister to Punjabi language classes each week at local Gurdwaras, where he learned to read and write Gurmukhi. After taking French classes in school all the way up to grade 12 honours, Pandher took two years of Punjabi at UBC under the instruction of Sadhu Binning, another Burnaby resident. Their connection continues even now, as they both serve on the Board of Directors of the Punjabi Language Education Association of BC. Pandher believes that all language acquisition is valuable and beneficial, whether it is English, French or your mother tongue. He views languages as priceless keys that have the ability to open up the doors of economic opportunity and cultural understanding, while unlocking the shackles of social division. His thoughts on public education are not much different. Indeed, Pandher believes strongly in a vibrant and fully funded public education system, the need for locally elected representation, the value of community engagement and parental involvement, the importance of social justice, and he often contributes to Burnaby newspapers by writing letters on the issues of the day. He is currently Chair of the Burnaby Board of Education’s Education Committee, which examines new programs, courses and instructional models for the Burnaby School District’s 41 elementary schools and 8 high schools (making it the fourth largest school district in BC). Pandheralso sits on the Policy Committee, the Finance Committee, and the recently formed International Education Ad Hoc Committee.
He has also served as a Provincial Councillor, representing Burnaby at the BC School Trustees Association, and as the Liaison Trustee to the District Student Advisory Council. Other past and present Boards that Pandher has served on include: the Burnaby Multicultural Society, the Burnaby Neighbourhood House, and the New Vista Society in Burnaby (which provides affordable care and housing for seniors and families). Pandher was selected by Mayor Corrigan to participate on the City of Burnaby’s Environmental Sustainability Strategy Steering Committee, which recently wrapped up its work. In 2001, he published a book of poetry, Sugar, Steel and the Maple Leaf, and is currently working with an illustrator to complete two children’s picture books. Harman S. Pandher lives in Burnaby with his wife, Joy, son, Seva, and dog, Wicket. You can find him actively engaging with the community that he so passionately cares for, on Twitter @Pandher4Burnaby and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ HarmanSPandher. www.desitoday.ca
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LOVE & RELATIONSHIP
Arranged marriage film
’ s e g n a ‘arr ndian shows for Ians Americ
Just like arranged marriages in India, a new film on the subject uses a new more “democratic” way of distributing films to match niche South Asian audiences with select theatres in America. Theatrical-on-Demand (ToD) puts the power in the hands of the audience, says Rohena Gera, director of “What’s Love Got To Do With It?” described as an unscripted micro budget film that explores arranged marriages in Indian society. “So a film that may not have the marketing muscle or money to release across the country but has a niche audience that would love to see it on screen can access this audience,” Gera told IANS. Anybody anywhere in the US can request a film at a theatre near them, and even choose the date and preferred time and the distributor will assign a cinema for the show at no cost, Gera said explaining the concept The only obligation the person has is to try to get people to commit to purchasing tickets in advance so that the show can be confirmed, she said “If you get the requisite number you reach the tipping point, the screening is confirmed, and people are billed.” Gera said. “If you don’t, the show gets automatically cancelled and nobody is billed for anything.” She chose to go the TOD way because her film has only come this far because of audience support, said the Pune based filmmaker who did an independent release in her home city “after a fantastic premiere at the Mumbai film festival.” Gera said she “saw that this film con42
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nects with audiences. So TOD seemed to be a good way to go as it is low cost and audience-centric.” “Plus the good thing with TOD is that you are not restricted to cinemas that show South Asian or Bollywood films... you can screen anywhere.” The film currently has 8 live requests for screenings in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Texas, Washington DC and California. She is even getting inquiries from distributors who want to release through the traditional distribution channels too. But Gera is not aiming at just the South Asians. “My target is anybody who has ever wondered what makes a marriage work... or anybody who has ever wished they could find Mr/Ms. Right ASAP!” “Although right now we are reaching out primarily through South Asian channels, I do believe the wider American public would connect with the film as it asks real questions about love, loneliness, and compromise and explores the choices we all face.” Working as she is with no marketing budget at all, Gera is also relying on social media to reach the wider public. But she does not think social media works as well for arranged marriages. The concept of arranged marriage “involves quickly ‘getting to know’ someone, and to that end, Facebook and Twitter are perhaps useful as we all have these personas on social media through which we express our likes, dislikes and so on,” she said. “So in terms of quickly browsing through another’s life I am sure it is useful,” Gera
said. “However I personally feel that sometimes these are carefully constructed identities, and what works between two people is much less tangible.” Most people she interviewed, “even for arranged marriages, spoke about clicking or chemistry or some version of it.” In Gera’s view the way arranged marriage works for Indians and NRIs is “quite similar.” “My film is about urban well-travelled, well-educated Indians, so in many ways they have the same struggles as NRI’s or the diaspora. They have extensive exposure to the west and many have even studied in the US.” “So they are in many ways grappling with two cultures just like Indian Americans or British Asians: that of their parents, and that of the west or popular media,” she said. “They want love, equality and so on, but their parents advice isn’t always consistent with that.” After exploring arranged marriage, Gera plans to “an impossible love story”, a fiction feature set in Mumbai. “It is, and is neither Bollywood nor Hollywood... It would be an indie film, so to speak” like “The Lunchbox” or “Monsoon Wedding.” - Arun Kumar
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LOVE & RELATIONSHIP
Even kids
lose sleep over parental divorce
Parental separation or divorce increases in kids the risk of psychosomatic problems, including concentration and sleep difficulties, says a study. The researchers also found that joint legal custody of children seems to be less problematic than sole custody. “We think that having everyday contact with both parents seems to be more important, in terms of stress, than living in two different homes,” study author Malin Bergstrom from the Centre for Health Equity Studies in Stockholm, Sweden, was quoted as saying by time.com. The researchers used data from almost 150,000 Swedish 12- and 15-year-olds in a bid to see if children’s domestic living arrangements were linked to a heightened risk of psychosomatic problems. The prevalence of psychosomatic problems was assessed using a validated scale (Psychosomatic Problems scale). The as-
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sessment focused on concentration and sleep difficulties; headaches; stomach aches; feelings of tension, sadness, and dizziness; and loss of appetite. The analysis showed that girls reported more psychosomatic problems than boys at both ages, although the researchers caution that girls generally report more psychosomatic ill health than boys. But teens living mostly with one parent as a result of family break-up reported the most psychosomatic problems, while those living with both parents in a nuclear family set-up reported the fewest. Children living in joint custody arrangements had fewer psychosomatic problems than their peers living mostly or only with one parent, but they still had more problems than children living with both parents in a nuclear family. The study was published online in the Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health.
Rejection by a man doesn’t brighten another man’s chance
Contrary to popular perception, researchers have found that after being rejected by an attractive man, a woman does not jump into accepting a proposal offered by an unattractive man. Rejection by an attractive man actually led women to socially distance themselves from an unattractive man, even when he offered acceptance, the findings showed. “We had not expected to see derogation of the unattractive male when women had been rejected by the attractive male,” said lead study author Geoff MacDonald from University of Toronto in Canada. “But when we replicated the study, the effect was still there,” MacDonald noted. The new study turns the popular idea that acceptance is the goal after rejection on its head, highlighting that “what people want is not immediate acceptance per se but a sense of assurance that the person is acceptable to the sorts of people they want to be connected to”, MacDonald said. The researchers chose to use attractiveness as a measure of social value, based on a large volume of literature backing the idea that in a relationship formation context, attractiveness is a highly valued attribute. The new study sought to replicate more real-world dating scenarios in the lab. “A possible reason for this effect is that ‘being affiliated with an unattractive man would make those women feel like that’s the kind of man they ‘deserve’ which puts their larger social goals at risk,” MacDonald said.The study appeared in the journal Social Psychological and Personality Science. www.desitoday.ca
CAREER & BUSINESS
O T W O H
t c e t o r P & d E l G i A M u I B YOUR BRAND Who am I? The question lies at the very heart of human enquiry. On a basic level, it refers to identity. In other words, it seeks to answer what we do and what we stand for. I could be seen, for instance, as a doctor or as a good doctor, as a civil servant or as a corrupt and inefficient babu and as an employee or as a dependable employee. There is a clear distinction between each of these. Who am I, therefore, defines us. This is equally true for associations, institutions and corporate entities.
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It is important, therefore, for companies and business enterprises to know and to state who they are, what they stand for, what defines them and thereby, what distinguishes them from others. This is USP or branding. Unless a company states its USP clearly, it will become anonymous. It will not stand out. After building a brands, companies need to protect them through continued client satisfaction. It takes a long time to build a brand but relatively little time to damage it. The role of effective communication in brand building cannot be over-emphasized. Let us never ignore how strong perceptions are. However, perceptions can be flawed and unless corrected quickly, they take root and get ingrained. The result: brand damage. The job of communication is to tell a credible story of your product. But if your story appears fictitious, it will only be seen as ‘tall promises’, which is an euphemism for cheating. There are nine principles of effective communication:
Only truth sells Never make false promises to the customer. If the product is of poor quality, no amount of fancy packaging will improve it. Communication must create trust.
car company, you cannot be seen as owning a car made by a rival.
mystery to unfold. Products are expected to deliver what the consumer has paid for.
Understand the customer
Don’t rubbish your competitors
One size doesn’t fit all. You need to understand your target audience so that you might prepare target-specific strategies.
Product rivalry is understandable and markets are driven by healthy competition. But when rivalry gets openly aggressive and ugly, it distances the consumer.
Retain old customers Market share increases when you get new clients while retaining old customers: Winning new friends does not mean forgetting old ones though.
Monitor the market To intervene effectively in the market, you need to understand it. At a time when laptops, I-Pads and mobile phones are invading the market, you cannot be seen to be making typewriters. But if there’s market for it, make it your USP.
Tell your story with clarity Customers need to know clearly what a product can or cannot do. Products are not mystery novels, where the reader expects a
Good strategies and good products need to be constantly cared for and nourished. They don’t remain healthy on their own. Market analysis and consumer behaviour require constant monitoring, and at times, intervention. An effective communications strategy is extremely important. It helps build and protect brands. But to do this it is important to know what we are trying to sell. In other words, to know who we are and what we represent.
By Amit Dasgupta, a former diplomat, is the head of the Mumbai campus of SP Jain School of Global Management
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CAREER & BUSINESS
p l e h s p p a e s The n w o d e l t t e s u yo y t i c w in a ne
New to a city and still trying to find your moorings? Fret not, for there’s a slew of smartphone apps that can help you settle down smoothly. Apps like TimesSaverz, PepperTap and Urbanclap help you seamlessly sift through challenges such as locating an ATM, finding groceries, home fittings, the nearest dry cleaner and the plumber et al. You can buy fresh fruits, vegetables and groceries while sitting at home with just a click on PepperTap and can be connected to the right trusted service professionals with the help of UrbanClap. Quality home-based services - from cleaning to all sorts of repairs - can be availed of through Timessaverz. PepperTap, launched in November 2014, is a hyper local grocery delivery service which provides an exhaustive list of grocery products whenever and wherever you want. Currently, the services are available throughout Gurgaon with highly competitive prices along with no-questions-asked return policy but is set to quickly expand. “The daily struggles of grocery shopping used to kill my family time, especially during the weekend. I had always wished for a solution wherein a chore like grocery shopping could be done for me,” PepperTap cofounder Navneet Singh told IANS. Consumers can place their orders through the mobile app for delivery within two hours, making it one of the fastest services of its kind. The app is available for both Android and Apple’s iOS platforms. The venture has received Series A funding of $10 million ( Rs.60 crore) from SAIF Partners and Sequoia Capital. “The funding will be leveraged for expanding the reach of PepperTap to 10 more cities by the end of the year,” said Navneet Singh, who wants to take PepperTap from a single-city operation to a pan-India one. 48
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Then, TimesSaverz, one of India’s first ondemand home-based service, delivers various services to one’s doorstep - from cleaning, repairs, handyman jobs to running errands and doing paperwork. Debadutta Upadhyaya, CEO & co-founder of TimeSaverz, which was founded in April 2013, said: “It is a combination of personal experience around the struggle for getting the right help for the right price at the right time in the metros, more so if you are a nuclear working couple family, without any support system.” TimeSaverz provides its services in Mumbai, Pune, and Bengaluru. It says that each of its agents is taken on only after thorough background checks. It provides services at market rates or even lower. IT professional Asha Jain, 32, who recently shifted to Bengaluru shared her experience with IANS: “I moved to the city with little knowledge of the area and having no friends around made my situation worse.
Then I used TimesSaverz and ordered cleaning services and they did a fabulous job.” UrbanClap, another startup based in Delhi, helps users get the best professional services in areas like interior decoration, photography, event management and the like. Whether you are looking to decorate your home, get candid pictures of your wedding, planning your child’s birthday or just get healthier, UrbanClap is the destination for all your service needs. It connects online users with offline businesses. “Painful memories from the past, finding a guitar teacher, a home designer, tailor, wedding decorator, a house broker motivated us to launch UrbanClap,” Varun Khaitan, who co-founded UrbanClap in October 2014, told IANS. It’s the simplest way to find and hire trusted professionals, claim the founders. The venture has raised Rs.10 crore in funding from SAIF Partners, Accel Partners and Snapdeal founders Kunal Bahl and Rohit Bansal. “The platform is already making thousands of successful connections every week and with the backing of our investors, we plan to scale up the platform across hundreds of services and multiple cities,” UrbanClap’s Raghav Chandra told IANS. “Our smartphone-based matchmaking solution is very smooth and helps you find the right professionals with no effort at all. It is as easy as a clap,” he added. So, the next time you shift to a new city, just remember all the services are at your doorstep if you subscribe to these apps! By Gazal Gupta
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Dispelling myths Still struggling to come to grips with the notion that fat is good for you? It’s time to distinguish between good from the bad and take the best pick. Naturopathic nutritionist Amy Morris has gathered some of the most common myths about fat and lets you know once and for all why it plays such an essential role in our diets and how to distinguish the good from the bad, reports femalefirst.co.uk.
FACT: Healthy fats are needed for the body to function optimally Fat should form an essential part of a healthy, balanced diet. Good fats are needed by the body as they help us to absorb certain nutrients, regulate hormone production and help the growth and repair of tissue. The body does not make essential fatty acids by itself, so it’s really important to consume ‘good’ fats found in flaxseeds and walnuts, or to make sure you are supplementing them into your diet to ensure a healthy balance.
MYTH: The body reacts the same way to all types of fats Not all dietary fats have the same effect
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on the body, and a great example of this is coconut oil. Coconut oil is a type of saturated fat, which is converted into pure energy by the body rather than being stored as fat. As well as providing energy, coconut oil won’t cause a spike to your blood sugar levels, making it an ideal fat for diabetics to consume in small amounts.
FACT: Trans-fats are bad fats to avoid ‘Trans-fats’ are the type of fats to avoid at all costs as research has shown these are the only type of fat to cause weight gain. Whilst some meat and dairy products contain a small amount of naturally occurring
trans-fats, the largest and most concerning source of trans-fats in a person’s diet today is found in baked goods, margarine, snacks and fried food.
MYTH: Consuming lots of Omega 6 rich fats will give you great health Processed seed and vegetable oils commonly used in cooking, are much higher in omega 6 than omega 3. With a rise in their use, this is what has driven a very unhealthy balance of these important fats. The ratio of omega 6 to omega 3 has subsequently become too high, resulting in omega 3’s pro-inflammatory benefits becoming redundant; at present, the average ratio can be anywhere between 20 to 50:1 in favour of omega 6.
MYTH: Fats cause heart disease Saturated fat was wrongly labelled as a fat to be avoided at all costs in the 1960s, as researchers thought at the time that consuming it would cause heart disease. However, a 2010 study of 347,747 individuals found absolutely no association between saturated fat consumption and the risk of heart disease.
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HEALTH & WELLNESS The strength of nails is largely determined by one’s genes. However, a healthy and balanced diet is necessary for overall health and the general well being of the nails as well, says an expert. Sirisha Singh, consultant dermatologist and aesthetic dermatologist, founder of The Skin Center, shares what to eat for strong nails:
Fish Fish is rich in Omega 3 fatty acids and also provides a healthy dose of proteins and sulphur. Salmon, mackerel, cod, sardine have high quantities of Omega 3 fatty acids. The Omega 3 fatty acids help by moisturising the nail bed and increasing the suppleness of thin and brittle nails. Phosphorous and sulphur help in thickening of the nail and thereby strengthening the nail.
Organ meat like liver Liver from non-vegetarian sources is rich in iron. Iron deďŹ ciency is the most common cause of brittle nails. Iron deďŹ ciency is particularly common amongst vegetarians as vegetarian sources of iron (non-haem iron) are not as good as haem iron present in non-vegetarian sources. For people who are purely vegetarian, a diet containing spinach, lentils, beans and jaggery can
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Milk and dairy products like yoghurt and cheese They are rich in calcium, biotin and proteins. Nail primarily comprises keratin, which is a protein. A protein-rich diet helps in strengthening this keratin matrix. Biotin and calcium help in strengthening the nail plate and make it less prone to cracking.
Egg white Egg white is a rich source of protein. This helps in making the keratin of nails thicker and stronger. Egg white also provides a rich source of biotin. However, raw eggs have a binder that binds to biotin and makes it non-absorbable. People who consume large amounts of raw egg whites can therefore, have biotin deficiency which can actually lead to brittle and fragile nails. Cooked egg whites are healthy and good for the nails.
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Pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds and oats These food items are rich sources of zinc. Zinc is a micronutrient which isn’t easily available in foods. Zinc deficiency is therefore, common and can lead to brittle and fragile nails and also white spots on the nails. Eating roasted pumpkin seeds can provide a healthy dose of this micronutrient and prevent fragile nails.
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by leaps & g in w o r g is Desi Today ould like to expand w bounds and riters and contributors. w our base of an original and If you have ice then we would like passionate vo your. Send us your to hear from n pieces, profiles stories, opinio name in print. and see your or@desitoday.ca Email : edit
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HEALTH & WELLNESS By Dr Pargat Singh Bhurji MD,FRCP(C ) Fellow of The Royal College of Physician of Canada Consultant Pediatrician 8241 120A Street Surrey Ph.: 604 572 0055
s e i g r alle ren
ni Child
an
allergy is an overreaction of the immune system to a substance that’s harmless to most people. But in someone with an allergy, the body’s immune system treats the substance (called an allergen) as an invader and overreacts, causing symptoms that can range from mild to life threatening in some In an attempt to protect the body, the immune system of the allergic person produces antibodies called immunoglobulin E (IgE). Those antibodies then cause mast cells and basophils (allergy cells in the body) to release chemicals (including histamine) into the bloodstream to defend against the allergen “invader.” It’s the release of these chemicals that causes allergic reactions, affecting a person’s eyes, nose, throat, lungs, skin, or gastrointestinal tract as the body attempts to rid itself of the invading allergen. Future exposure to that same allergen will trigger this allergic response again. This means that every time the person eats that particular food or is exposed to that particular allergen, he or she will have an allergic reaction. Allergies can be Seasonal (happening only at certain times of the year, like when pollen counts are high) or can occur any time someone comes in contact with an allergen.
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Who Gets Allergies?
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The tendency to develop allergies is often hereditary, which means it can be passed down through your genes. However, just because you, your partner, or one of your children might have allergies doesn’t mean that all of your kids will definitely get them, too. And someone usually doesn’t inherit a particular allergy, just the likelihood of having allergies. But a few kids have allergies even if no family member is allergic. And a child who is allergic to one substance is likely to be allergic to others
Common Airborne Allergens Some of the most common things people are allergic to are airborne (carried through the air): • Dust mites are one of the most common causes of allergies. These microscopic insects live all around us and feed on the millions of dead skin cells that fall off our bodies evey day. Dust mites are the main allergic component of house dust, which is made up of many particles and can contain things such as fabric fibers and bacteria, as well as microscopic animal allergens. Dust mites are present year-round in most parts of Canada (although they’re much less common at high altitudes) and live in bedding, upholstery, and carpets.
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Pollen is another major cause of allergies (most people know pollen allergy as Hay Fever Trees, weeds, and grasses release these tiny particles into the air to fertilize other plants. Pollen allergies are seasonal, and the type of pollen someone is allergic to determines when symptoms will occur. Pollen counts measure how much pollen is in the air and can help people with allergies determine how bad their symptoms might be on any given day. Pollen counts are usually higher in the morning and on warm, dry, breezy days, and lowest when it’s chilly and wet. Although not always exact, the local weather report’s pollen count can be helpful when planning outside activities. Molds, another common allergen, are fungi that thrive both indoors and outside in warm, moist environments. Outdoors, molds can be found in poor drainage areas, such as in piles of rotting leaves or compost piles. Indoors, molds thrive in dark, poorly ventilated places such as bathrooms and damp basements, and in clothes hampers or under kitchen sinks. A musty odor suggests mold growth. Although molds tend to be seasonal, many can grow year-round, especially those indoors. Pet allergens from warm-blooded animals can cause problems for kids and parents alike. Pet dander (tiny flakes of shed skin, fur, or feathers) can lead to allergies. (Contrary to popular bewww.desitoday.ca
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lief, dander that causes allergies is not related to the length of an animal’s fur or hair, and there is no such thing as a non-allergenic dog or cat.) Animal saliva also can be an allergen, when a pet licks someone, or licks him or herself. When pets lick themselves, the saliva gets on their fur or feathers. As the saliva dries, protein particles become airborne and work their way into fabrics in the home. Cats are the worst o enders because they tend to lick themselves more than other animals as part of grooming. Pet urine also can cause allergies in the same way when it gets on airborne fur or skin, or when a pet urinates in a spot that doesn’t get cleaned. Cockroaches are also a major household allergen, especially in inner cities. Exposure to cockroach-infested buildings may be a major cause of the high rates of asthma in inner-city kids.
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Food Allergens The American Academy of Allergy estimates about 8% children has food Allergy and that eight foods account for most of those: cow’s milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, peanuts, tree nuts, soy, and wheat. • Cows Mik ( or cow’s milk protein). Between 2% and 3% of infants are allergic to the proteins found in cow’s milk and cow’s milk-based formulas. Most formulas on the market are cow’s milk-based. Cow’s milk protein allergy means that someone has an abnormal immune sys-
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tem reaction to proteins found in the cow’s milk used to make standard baby formulas, cheeses, and other milk products. Milk proteins also can be a hidden ingredient in many prepared foods. Many kids outgrow milk allergies. Eggs One of the most common food allergies in infants and young children, egg allergy can pose many challenges for parents. Eggs are used in many of the foods kids eat — and in many cases they’re “hidden” ingredients. Kids tend to outgrow egg allergies as they get older. Fish and shellfish allergies are some of the more common adult food allergies and ones that people usually don’t outgrow. Fish and shellfish are from di erent families of food, so having an allergy to one does not necessarily mean someone will be allergic to the other. Peanut allergy is another common food allergy in kids, with the number of those who are allergic on the rise. (Peanuts are not a true nut, but a legume — in the same family as peas and lentils, although most people with peanut allergy don’t have allergies to other legumes.) Another common allergy is to tree nuts, such as almonds, walnuts, pecans, hazelnuts, and cashews. Most people do not outgrow peanut or tree nut allergies. Soy .Like peanuts, soybeans are legumes. Soy allergy is more common among babies than older children. Many infants who are allergic to cow’s milk are also allergic to the protein in soy formulas. Soy proteins are often a hidden ingredient in prepared foods. Wheat proteins are found in many foods, and some are more obvious than others. Although wheat allergy is often confused with Celiac disease , there is a di erence. Celiac disease is caused by a sensitivity to gluten, which is found in wheat, rye, and barley. It can cause someone to feel ill and lead to damage in the small intestine. An allergy to wheat not only can make someone feel ill, but, just like other food allergies can be life threatening
Symptoms The type and severity of allergy symptoms vary
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from allergy to allergy and child to child. Allergies may show up as itchy eyes or an itchy nose, sneezing, nasal congestion, throat tightness, trouble breathing, vomiting, and even faintness or passing out. Severe allergic reactions called Anaphylaxis can be fatal if not treated in time.
Airborne Allergy Symptoms Airborne allergens can cause something known as allergic rhinitis, which occurs in about 7% to 10% of Americans. It usually develops by 10 years of age and reaches its peak in the teens or early twenties, with symptoms often disappearing between the ages of 40 and 60. Symptoms can include: • sneezing • itchy nose and/or throat • nasal congestion • coughing These symptoms are often accompanied by itchy, watey, and/or red eyes, which is called (When dark circles are present around the eyes, they’re called allergic “shiners.”) Those who react to airborne allergens usually have allergic rhinitis and/or allergic conjunctivitis. Those who have asthma may have wheezing and shortness of breath from airborne allergens. Symptoms of Food, Medicines, or Insect Venom Allergies • wheezing • trouble breathing • coughing • hoarseness • throat tightness • stomachache • vomiting • diarrhea • itchy, watey, or swollen eyes • Skin Rash or Hives • red spots • swelling • a drop in blood pressure, causing lightheadedness or loss of consciousness Allergic reactions can di er. Sometimes the same person can react di erently at different times. Some reactions are mild and involve only one system of the body, like hives on the skin. Other times the reaction can be more severe and involve more than one part of the body. A mild reaction in the past does not mean that a future reaction will be
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About Anaphylaxis Kids with severe allergies (such as those to food, medication, or insect venom) can be at risk for a sudden, potentially life-threatening allergic reaction called Anaphylaxis This reaction can be frightening — a child might faint or feel like his or her throat is closing, for example. But when treated properly, anaphylaxis can be managed. Anaphylaxis can begin with some of the same symptoms as a less severe reaction, but then can involve more than one part of the body. Reactions can quickly worsen, leading someone to have trouble breathing, swelling in the mouth or throat, dizziness, or fainting. If it is not treated, anaphylaxis can be fatal. If your child has been diagnosed with a life-threatening allergy, the doctor will want him or her to carry an epinephrine auto-injector in case of an emergency. ( Allerject or Epipen ) Epinephrine is a drug injection that enters the bloodstream and works quickly against serious allergy symptoms; for example, it decreases swelling and raises blood pressure. Kids with severe symptoms or reactions to an allergen require an injection of epinephrine and a call to 911 for immediate medical attention. Anaphylaxis can happen just seconds after being exposed to a triggering substance or can be delayed for up to 2 hours if the reaction is from a food. It can involve various areas of the body. Fortunately, severe or life-threatening allergies occur in only a small group of kids. In fact, the annual incidence of anaphylactic reactions is only a tiny percentage of overall allergic reactions. Those with asthma or a history of a previous anaphylactic reaction are at greater risk for these severe reactions.
Diagnosing Allergies Some allergies are fairly easy to identify because the pattern of symptoms following exposure to certain allergens can be hard to miss. But other allergies are less obvious because they can be similar to other conditions. If your child has cold-like symptoms lasting longer than a week or two or develops a “cold” at the same time every year, consult your doctor, who will likely ask questions about the symptoms and when they appear. Based on the answers and a physical exam, the doctor might be able to make a diagnosis and prescribe medicines, or may refer 56
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you to an allergist for allergy tests and more extensive therapy. To find the cause of an allergy, allergists usually do skin tests for the most common environmental and food allergens. A skin test can work in one of two ways: 1. A drop of a purified liquid form of the allergen is dropped onto the skin and the area is pricked with a small pricking device. 2. A small amount of allergen is injected just under the skin. This test stings a little but isn’t extremely painful. After about 15 minutes, if a lump surrounded by a reddish area appears (like a mosquito bite) at the injection site, the test is positive. As an alternative test, blood tests may be used in children with skin conditions, those who are on certain medicines, or those who are extremely sensitive to a particular allergen. Even if a skin test and/or a blood test shows an allergy, a child must also have symptoms to be diagnosed with an allergy. For example, a toddler who has a positive test for dust mites and sneezes a lot while playing on the floor would be considered allergic to dust mite
Treating Allergies There is no real cure for allergies, but it is possible to relieve symptoms. The only real way to cope with them is to reduce or eliminate exposure to the Allergen That means that parents must educate their kids early and often, not only about the allergy itself, but also about the reactions they can have if they consume or come into contact with the allergen. Informing any and all caregivers (childcare personnel, teachers, extended family members, parents of your child’s friends, etc.) about your child’s allergy is also important. If reducing exposure to environmental allergens isn’t possible or is ineffective, medicines may be prescribed, including antihistamines (which you can also buy over the counter), eye drops, and nasal sprays. In some cases, an allergist may recommend allergy shots,to help desensitize someone with an allergy. However, allergy shots are only helpful for allergens such as dust, mold, pollens, animals, and insect stings. They’re not used for food allergies. Here are some things that can help kids avoid airborne allergens: • Keep family pets out of certain rooms,
like your child’s bedroom. • Remove carpets or rugs from your child’s room (hard floor surfaces don’t collect dust as much as carpets do). • Don’t hang heavy drapes and get rid of other items that allow dust to build up. • Clean when your child is not in the room. • Use special covers to seal pillows and mattresses if your child is allergic to dust mites. • For kids allergic to pollen, keep the windows closed when the pollen season is at its peak, change their clothing and bathe them after they’ve been outdoors, and don’t let them mow the lawn. • Keep kids who are allergic to mold away from damp areas, such as some basements, and keep bathrooms and other mold-prone areas clean and dry. Kids with food allergies need to completely avoid products made with their allergens. This can be tough as allergens can be found in many unexpected foods and products. Always read labels to see if a packaged food contains your child’s allergen. Manufacturers of foods sold in the United States must state in understandable language whether foods contain any of the top eight most common allergens. This label requirement makes things a little easier. But it’s important to remember that “safe” foods could become unsafe if food companies change ingredients, processes, or production locations. Cross-contamination means that the allergen is not one of the ingredients in a product, but might have contaminated it during production or packaging. Companies are not required to label for cross-contamination risk, though some voluntarily do so. You may see advisory statements such as “May contain...,” “Processed in a facility that also processes...,” or “Manufactured on equipment also used for ....” Since products without precautionary statements also might be cross-contaminated and the company simply chose not to label for it, it is always best to contact the company to see if the product could contain your child’s allergen. You might find this information on the company’s website, or you can contact a company representative via email. Cross-contamination also can happen at home or in restaurants when kitchen surfaces or utensils are used for different foods. • Always have Allerject or Epipen in Reach • Consult your physician or Pediatrician www.desitoday.ca
HEALTH & WELLNESS
Apply masoor dal paste
Natural Skincare Tips:
SAY NO TO
tanning THIS SUMMER
Tanning is inevitable this summer even if you choose to cover up completely or plan to use a sunscreen. But a few simple home remedies like using cabbage leaves or exfoliating with almonds on the affected areas can help in skin lightening, says an expert. Aashmeen Munjaal, owner of the capital-based Star Salon n’ Spa, doles out tips to flaunt a tan-free and healthy skin this summer.
Use Cabbage
Apply ice If you have excess sun burns then this is really going to work. Take a few ice cubes, wrap them in a muslin (mulmul) cloth and apply gently to the tanned areas. In case of excessive sun burns apply ice directly to the affected areas. It offers you fresh and tan free skin.
To make this wonderful skin rejuvenator, soak a whole tablespoon of masoor dal (red lentil) and make a rough paste of it. Add equal quantities of tomato paste and aloe extract, apply it on your face and affected areas and let it stay for half an hour before you wash it off with cold water.
Exfoliate with almonds Soak almonds in water for three to four hours, grind them well making a mild scrub and apply it to your tan affected areas. This not only helps you to get a tan free skin but also makes your skin healthier from within.
Use buttermilk Add three teaspoons of buttermilk to one teaspoon of oatmeal, mix it well and now give its lick to your face by massaging in circular motion. This will not only help you to get tan free skin but also results in younger and blister free skin.
Use milk cream and saffron
These green leaves act as a miracle when it comes to sun tan. Place a few cold cabbage leaves on the affected areas. Keep them for 15 minutes. Repeat it twice a week for immediate effect.
Blend high quality edible milk cream with saffron, make a paste of it and apply it on your face gently and leave it overnight. Apply it thrice a week. This home remedy not only gives a tan free skin, but also acne free and fairer skin.
Apply Vicks
Apply bottle gourd juice
Take a small amount of Vicks on your fingers, apply it to the sunburn areas and massage gently. People with excessive sunburn use twice and others use once a week.
This helps in overcoming the worst tan cases. Apply the bottle gourd juice to the tanned areas 3 to 4 times a day and you will see the difference.
Apply curd Add curd, use it on tanned surfaces for about 15 to 20 minutes. Wash o . Do regularly to get rid of tan completely.
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BEAUTY & CULTURE
Summer Jackets/Coats Summer jackets or coats are must haves this season. Unlike the winter coats, these summer jackets will add the cool quotient and give you a classy look. These jackets are quite comfortable and easy to carry. Orange, green and peach remains the trending colors for these jackets and can be teamed with a printed top and a pair of colored trouser for a formal look.
Cuffed Jeans
Crop Tops Crop tops are here to stay. This is one trend which is still on a rise. Add crop tops to your collection if you still have not done that. These tops will not only give you a glamorous avatar to heat up a party session or a summer lunch with your friends, but also keep you comfortable. Pair these tops with denims to get endless compliments.
This style is a must-try style for this season. There are three prominent types of cuffed jeans - the thick cuff, traditional skinny cuff and the half cuff. Thick cuff goes well with jeans which are wider towards the end, the skinny cuff works best on fitted silhouettes, as it creates the appearance of a long, lean line, and similarly, the half cuff is best for a slouchy style. All the three styles are sure to give you a classy edge to your look.
Hot Pants
STYLE YOURSELF UP IN
SUMMER
Get your hands on cuffed jeans, crop tops and tank tops, which can add to your style quotient in the summer, says an expert. Look at some fashion tips by Vaanee Bhatia, co-founder, Gritstones Clothing, an online shopping store. 58
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Hot pants are another major trend to be followed this summer. This style statement was a hit among various dancing divas of that age. For that retro look, opt for flashy colored hot pants, while for a more contemporary look, you can choose from denim hot pants or printed ones.
Tank Tops A tank top is generally worn as an undershirt with a transparent or translucent shirt. It can also be teamed with summer jackets. However, such tops are now being treated as an outer garment. Matching up with a pair of skinny jeans is one of the trends to be followed this season. www.desitoday.ca
s e i d e m e R ems l b o r p r i for ha summer during
Take extra care of your tresses in summer. Using coconut milk for lifeless hair and undergoing a regular trim for people who are suffering from thin hair, during this season will help, says an expert. Here are some tips from Aashmeen Munjaal, owner of the capital-based Star Salon n’ Spa, which can help you to keep your hair looking shiny and healthy.
Protect your hair from chlorine
During summer, the best way to beat the heat is to take a dip in a pool. But we tend to forget that chlorine which is mixed in the pool water can easily damage our hair. To avoid that damage, apply thick layer of oil or conditioner and wear a tight swimming cap. Make sure that you go for a plain shower, do not use shampoo just after the dip. If you are a regular swimmer alternate sessions of hair spa will maintain the quality of your hair.
Oily scalp
People who have oily scalp should not use conditioner as it will make your hair more oily. Still, if you want to opt for conditioners go for waterbased conditioners, they will keep your hair protected from the harsh sun and at the same time will not let them become oily during summer. To remove excess oil from your hair, you can give it a gentle rinse with lemon juice. As a quick fix remedy, spray a bit of astringent in your hair and brush it on to get that instant fresh shine in your hair.
Static hair
Static hair is the most common problem during winter, but it doubles up in summer as people spend most of their time indoors under air conditioner. And due to its consistency, hair tends to lose its moisture and eventually becomes static. To overcome this problem, you can spray a leavein serum and comb your hair. If you want to get rid of this problem, make sure that you oil your hair regularly and provide it with mild steaming.
Lifeless hair
Lifeless hair is a big no-no in any season. It can ruin your entire look, persona and elegance at the first glance. Rinsing your hair with coconut www.desitoday.ca
milk is the most sorted solution to get rid of this problem. If you lack free time, get hair texturing from a professional. Usage of shine enhancers is also a very good option as it stays on for two to three months. Use volumiser at the roots of the hair before you blow dry it.
Protection of coloured hair
Avoiding heat and humidity is practically impossible when the sun is blazing hot. The most important thing is to cover up your hair with a scarf or a big beach hat as often as you can. If you have spent more time in the sun, taking a shower after that is not a bad idea, but mind the temperature for hot or lukewarm water is not a good idea. Use cold water instead -- the colder the water, the more the colour will stick to your hair. At least one shot of cold water at the end of your shower makes your hair shinier because it seals the cuticle. You should also use hair sunscreen with maximum of SPF 10.
Get rid of sticky hair
People who often face the problem of sticky hair should always opt for dry shampoo or a spray on of dry shampoo. If you want to pamper your hair to a larger extent, mix egg white and lemon and rinse your hair with this mixture thrice a week. Shikakai is a natural ingredient to overcome sticky hair in summers.
Hair thinning
Hair thinning is a major problem when it comes to overall haircare. To avoid hair thinning, regular trimming sessions within a period of 30-40 days are advised. It will not only add to the volume of your hair but will stop it from hair problems like split ends. Use of brush with soft bristles is recommended accompanied with good combing techniques. Don’t be harsh while detangling your hair after a shampoo.
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JURASSIC WORLD June 12, 2015
TED 2 June 26, 2015
The multi-million dollar box office hit returns in this fourth entry for the Jurassic Parkseries. The story takes place twenty-two years after the original sci-fi thriller where amusement park officials order scientists to create the hybrid dinosaur “Indominus Rex.” Problems arise when the creation appears to be not only larger and more vicious than theoriginal T-rex, it is also much more intelligent.
It hasn’t been since the age of Barney that a stuffed bear has received so much public attention. Seth McFarlane returns with as writer, director and – of course –main voice of the highly anticipated film “Ted 2.” Viewers should expect to again be thoroughly entertained as they witness the loveable Ted and the never predictable events that come his way.
The good: The trailer assures us that the second movie will include the same comical satisfaction as the first film.
The good: The dinosaur effects are just extraordinary. Jurassic World’s CGI team create an unimaginably realistic prehistoric world that far outshines the original film.
The bad: No Mila Kunis! The fiery, green-eyed bombshell will unfortunately not be making an appearance in the second movie. The Golden Globe nominee’s magnetic presence will definitely be missed by all viewers.
The bad: The film uses very few of the original cast members and, unlike the original, seems to give little attention to character development and the plot itself.
HOLLYWOOD HEADLINES MINIONS July 10, 2015 Audiences have never been more excited to see these fast-talking, villain-serving, famous creatures back in action. The good: Impeccable cast of A-list stars including Sandra Bullock, Jon Hamm and Michael Keaton. The bad: Is there such a thing as something “bad” about a witty and entertaining cartoon thate entire family can enjoy? 60
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SOUTHPAW July 24, 2015 Jake Gylenhall finally reveals the monstrousbody that he tained for five months toobtain in his new motion picture, “South Paw.” Screen writers from the vey popular show “Sons of Anarchy” tell the stoyof Billy “The Great” Hope (played by Gylenhall), a reigningLight Heavyweight Boxing Champion of the World. The fighter has a picture pefect life: a beautiful wife (played by Rachel Mcadams), an adoable daughter, and a career that most people only dream of. So what could go wrong for the man that has the world in the palm of his boxing glove? The good: An incredible peformance by Gylenhall. The long-time actor will take you in a rollercoaster of emotionsin this film that could quite possibly be the best dama of the year. The bad: Steer clear of the tailer if you’d really like to see the movie— multiple spoilers in the two and a half minute clip.
TERMINATOR GENISYS July 24, 2015 Tension surrounding this successful fanchise became extremely high after director of the first and second movie, James Cameron, lost rights to the fanchise to his wife following his divorce. Schwazeneggerinitially refused to film the third movie without Cameron but eventually agreed on having another director. When Terminator 3 was released, Cameron did not speak vey highly of it and Schwazenegger vey bluntly went on to say that the third movie “sucked.” This fouth film, Terminator Genisys, was also shot without Cameron and thus expected to receive similar feedback. However, a vey surprising thing occurred: director Cameron watched the film and went on to tell Schwazenegger that he loved it. With Cameron’s blessing “Terminator Genisys“ is expected to bring back the love audiences had for America’s favorite cyborg. The good: Excellent plot: The aging terminator (67-year old Schwazenegger) battles Kyle Reese (Jai Coutney) and Saah Connor (Emilia Clarke) in his quest to have “Judgement Day” The bad: Of course, the absence of arguably one of the best directors of all time.
A guide to the most anticipated upcoming movies in Hollywood
MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE ROGUE NATION July 31, 2015 Again, Tom Cruise shows off his James Bond skills while taking on his most impossible mission yet: a group of highly secretive assassins and rogue opeators. The good : The 5th movie in the fanchise appears to be filled with action, suspense and a little romance—what’s not to love? Oh, and did I mention that Cruise held his breath for 6.5 minutes for an undewater shot?
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The bad: Fellas, you might be fighting your lady for her attention for quite some time after viewing this. JUN / JUL 2015 News With A Desi View
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FOOD, ART & ENT Irrfan Khan in Amazing Spiderman
My graduate degree didn’t pay in acting career IRRFAN KHAN Irrfan Khan, who has always chosen to tread the unbeaten path in Hindi filmdom, believes in “wholesome” education, but says his own graduation degree turned out to be “useless” for his career as an actor. Some of Bollywood’s leading actors have made it big with their talent despite not having completed their education. Irrfan feels it’s always good when people follow their interest rather than chasing the ‘formula’ of completing education first and then stepping into the field they desire. During a chat with IANS at a school here, Irrfan said: “If you have done your schooling and if your kids decide to go for their passion (acting), it’s their choice. You can’t force such things (further studies) on your kids. You can’t have the formula of doing graduation first and then MBA and then come to acting (or whatever their passion is).” Citing his own example, the “Slumdog 62
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Millionaire” actor, who is a father of two in real life, recollected how “my mother’s only condition was ‘Tu gaduate hoja, fir jo karna hai kar lena’ (finish your graduation first and then do whatever you feel like)”. “But for me, that is (turned out to be) useless. It didn’t pay me at all,” said the 48-year-old actor. “Our kids today have become much smarter. When you ask them that ‘What do you want to do’, they say that they will decide when they are in eleventh or twelfth standard. I feel that’s good and I respect that. They want to see where their interest lies and then they think of deciding their career. That’s very good,” he added. The actor was in the capital to visit a P&G Shiksha school for the brand’s CSR initiative. During an interactive session with the children, he shared some of his childhood memories and emphasised on the importance of
education for a better future. Education to him means “to broaden your mind and not to put it in a cage”. “There is a different system of education in India and I feel that it should be wholesome. Children have to understand things according to their age... Sometimes education becomes a cage for many kids,” added Irrfan, who is married to Sutapa Sikdar and has two sons -- Babil and Aryan. On the film front, he is geared up for his next release “Piku”, where he is sharing screen for the first time with megastar Amitabh Bachchan and Deepika Padukone. Many actors in tinsel town wish for a long and successful career like the Big B, but Irrfan finds it “hypothetical”. “I don’t know what I will feel or do after five years. There is no way I can decide about the future. I take life as it comes. I want to enjoy life... whatever I may do, but yes, I want www.desitoday.ca
to be engaged to my interests always,” added the National Award-winning actor, who is also a popular face internationally courtesy his Hollywood projects. Through “The Namesake”, “A Mighty Heart”, “Life of Pi” and “The Amazing SpiderMan”, Irrfan has managed to make space in the west. He has also landed a role in “Inferno”, where he will soon share screen space with Tom Hanks. Often, he is tagged as Bollywood’s export to Hollywood. But he laughs it off. “I don’t disrespect that (tags), but neither do I take them seriously. These tags are the definitions given by my fans or media, but I go away from such definitions as I feel it limits people. The only achievement for me is when people recognise me and call my name with pride,” he said. By Nivedita www.desitoday.ca
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FOOD, ART & ENT
maa!
Cine…
Bollywood’s Mothers through the years
The taditional mom has disappeared from the 70-mm screen. So has paath-puja and rona-dhona! The new-age, glamorous maa has hit the screen with much more panache and energy Mere Doodh Ka Karz Chukane Ka Waqt Aa Gaya Hai…Nargis, in Mother India, says this to Sunil Dutt as the film nears the climax. Mere Karan Arjun Aayegney…Rakhee keeps blabbering this throughout the film Kaan Arjun, actually making the two heroes rise from the ashes. Sidi Sit With Me Na, the simple Ratna Pathak Shah, teay-eyed, pleads to his son, Sid (Ranbir Kapoor), in Wake Up Sid. Dimple Kapadia warms up to Vernoica (Deepika Padukone) as she tells her Tu Ladki Acchi Hai Bas Dhang Ke Kapde Pehna Kar! Yes, the mothers of Bollywood, from wrinkles on their skin, grey hair with just a dash of black, daped in off-white or beige saris; from shedding gallons of tears and paying for their sons’ and patis’ ‘salaamati’ have come a long way. In addition to the change in their attire and presentation, the strength and pivotal nature of their chaacters seems to have gone in for some change as well. The new-age mothers of Bollywood - Dimple Kapadia (Dil Chahta Hai, Patiala House, Cocktail), Supriya Pathak (Wake up Sid, Delhi 6, 64
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Rassleela), Ratna Pathak Shah (Khoobsuat, Jane Tu Ya Jaane Na); for that matter even Vidya Balan (Paa) or Sridevi in (English Vinglish), Kirron Kher (Dostana, Hum Tum, Devdas) have brought something more to their chaacters. Movie-makers and actors tell us where they see the role of the ‘maa’ in Bollywood and how they still are the cental chaacters.
Tough times
Kiti Sagar, filmmaker and producer can write a volume on ‘Mothers Of Bollywood’, as he likes to call it, “Look at the actresses who played the role of mother in films - Nir-
upa Roy, Leela Misha, Dina Pathak, Nargis Dutt - they were mothers who displayed strength and dedication. They were mothers who would sacrifice eveything for their kids and family. In fact, they were the turning points in many Hindi films like Nargis in Mother India or Dina Pathak in Khoobsooat.” Kiti Sagar compares them to the present-day mothers of Hindi cinema. “They are more like friends and yes, they are vey glamorous,” he says. It is noticeable that today’s mothers of Hindi cinema are not just the ‘paath puja’ or ‘rona dhona’ types. They are pretty-looking
Today’s bollywood mothers are more like friends and yes, they are very glamorous
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Professional Quality, Experience with Customer Satisfaction that is all we carry and offer... wives, friendly mothers and also vey funny. Kirron Kher has played a loveable, oh-sofunny mother in many films and so has Dimple Kapadia. Navneet Singh, filmmaker, shares that the role of a mother in cinema has become more believable. “Kirron Kher, as the nagging, careful, friendly, funny mother in Hum Tum is far more believable than maybe Jaya Bachchan of Kabhi Kushi Kabhi Ghum or even Achla Sachdev. Not that they are not likable mothers, it is just that with more real-life kind of cinema, I am glad films are showing real kind of mothers as well.” Amrita Singh in Two States, Vidya Balan in Paa, Kirron Kher in Rang De Basanti deseve a mention here.
Centre of attraction
Hindi films are moving on a realistic plane with more real-life stories and chaacters being shown on screen. Has this affected the role of mothers as well? “What Pooja Bhatt did in Zakham, Hema Malini in Bhagbaan, Kirron Kher in Devdas, Tisca Chopa in Taare Zameen Par, Sarika in Pazania, Nafisa Ali In Guzaarish and Neetu Singh in Do Dooni Chaar are real chaacters,” says Harpal Singh Dosanjh, Punjabi filmmaker. Harpal adds, “Onscreen mothers today have broken the conventional moulds; they are more pactical and sensible and like other chaacters in any film, they definitely have their own strength.” Even when they are looked at as characters in a film, they still make the actor or the actress take some impotant decisions in life. Read Kirron Kher in Devdas! By Jasmine Singh
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FOOD, ART & ENT
Jacqueline is one of my
best friends
Love her or hate her, you can’t ignore her! Sonam Kapoor always speaks her mind. She talks about fashion, beauty, movies, and her best friends.
About Dolly Ki Doli I don’t think that’s true. Unless you’re a Salman Khan or Shah Rukh Khan or Aamir Khan, it’s not possible to carry a film on your shoulders. It’ll do well only if it has a good script and people connect with it. Honestly, everyone involved in the film is equally responsible for its success, be it Raanjhanaa, Bhaag Milkha Bhaag or Khoobsurat.
On Aditya Chopra I’d love to work with Yash Raj again. Whatever said and done, I’ve had a positive experience with them. I love Nupur Asthana, director of Bewakoofiyan. She has amazing potential. Habib Faisal is one of the best writers we have. I loved Daawat-e-Ishq. I’d love to work with Aditya again. We had a great experience while working on the film.
Fashion and all that Fashion to me is art. Sometimes when I can’t express through my characters, I express through my clothes. I’m a true blue Gemini. So everyday I’m a new person, a new woman. I express that with the way I dress up. Inherently, I’ll always be Sonam but I love being different people.
Pressures from the industry I know what Jacqueline means when she said that it’s boring to look good all the time because she’s beautiful all the time. I don’t know if it’s boring but it’s easy to be yourself and when you’re yourself, you automatically look beautiful. Jacqueline is unapologetically herself and she looks beautiful when she smiles and laughs. That’s her personality.
Best friends in B-town I’m fond of these girls. Jacqueline is one of my best friends. Asin is one of my closest friends. Swara (Bhaskar) is one of my best friends too. I interacted a lot with Kangana (Ranaut). I get along well with her as well. These are my type of girls. They don’t step on anyone’s toes; we’re comfortable with each other. It’s nice to have people who don’t say things behind each other’s backs. For example, if Jacqueline tells me she’s getting a role, I don’t call up the director and say, ‘I know you’re casting for this role, can I take it?’ Like Kangana and I have worked with the same director Aanand L Rai but there’s no competition because we know there’s enough work for all of us. I was so disappointed when in JuneJuly there were so many articles about me. I’m not the kind of person who needs a PR to plant stories against another actress. If I don’t like someone, I’ll make sure that person knows. 66
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FOOD, ART & ENT
Amazing to get two National Awards so early on:
KANGANA RANAUT Actress Kangana Ranaut says life has not changed much after winning a National Film Award for her performance in “Queen”. But she admits that people are now showing faith in her and she is getting offers from big directors for more women-centric films. She finds it “amazing”. “Whatever I learned, I learned on the movie sets as I got the opportunity to work with some of the greatest directors,” the actress said before the ceremony. Dressed in a Bibhu Mohapatra gown, Ranaut was the star attraction at the event and was constantly mobbed for photos and autographs by eager fans. She left the event just after receiving her trophy from the president. “After my second National Award, it is not that something has changed in my life (literally), but yes it is a landmark in my career. People have now started believing in me,” Kangana said at an event to meet and greet her fans of a campaign done by a popular website. “I am getting lot of offers from big directors for female-centric films and they are the ones whom I wanted to work with always,” she added. Kangana had earlier won a Best Supporting Actress National Film Award for “Fashion”. She is excited about the fact that at an early age of 28, she has two National Awards in her kitty. “I do appreciate the fact that at the age of 28, I have won two National Awards. That means a lot to me,” Kangana said. Meanwhile, as of now, Kangana is busy with her upcoming films, “Tanu Weds Manu Returns” and “Katti Batti”. She has also pocketed a biopic on late Indian screen icon Meena Kumari recently. www.desitoday.ca
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FOOD, ART & ENT
Going by the trend Punjabi songs are increasingly filming heroics of the jatt and placing him in the fields, in a traditional attire Jatt…this where they all started. Now, after so many years, upgrading from chaadra, khait, dunaali, moving around in Jaguars, zipping through colleges, shooting in exotic locales, the jatt has returned home...once again, as of now at least. Tune into the latest Punjabi songs, all talking about machoism of the jatt, killing villains, yes with that same dunali, eloping with the lover, clad in his desi avatar. Singer actors Diljit Dosanjh’s song Jatt Fire Karda has spread like fire, bringing back the jatt as many singers follow suit.
Back to the roots Singer Kulwinder Billa’s Sucha Soorma, Sangram Hanjra’s Jatt Di Kanak, Gurinder Rai’s Baggi Jatt or Harsimran’s Gaint Jatti, Alfaaz’s Putt Jat Da, Ranjit Bawa’s Swag Jatt Da…the jatt returns with all these and many more such songs. For Kulwinder Billa it is not trend, but something that every singer does every once a while. “Punjabi culture is full of stories of 68
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F O N R RETU JATT THE
bravery of soorma’s of Punjab, and for a singer it is a privilege to sing them.” On the return of the jatt he adds, “When everyone starts singing the same thing, as a singer you want to come with something different, and that different soon becomes the ‘same’ for everyone,” he laughs as we understand the word monotony in his lines.
Jatt Fire Karda, I have seen people dancing on the track and hooting like thunderstorm. Besides, as a video director, I am approached by many singers who come up with songs that have the old catch line- jatt and his bravery.”
D for demand
A young, handsome singer from Ludhiana Gurinder Rai sports a chaadra and becomes the baggi jatt as he elopes with his lady love, taking her by the arm in front of everyone. “All the young Punjabi boys and even girls of my age relate to this act, you will be surprised to hear that many girls have congratulated me saying they would want a man like this (a bagghi jatt) in their life,” shares Gurinder. The music of his track is done by Badshah, the music director rapper who is making waves in Bollywood with his music. No matter where they go, no matter how funky their music gets, no Punjabi singer can go away from the word jatt for it stands for being daring for them, and also such tracks get an instant thumbs up from the listeners.
For a good time our desi jatt was shooting in Australia, Canada or one of the universities in Punjab, and now he seems to have headed to the fields, back to his old attire… Singer actor Nishawn Bhullar clearly sees it as a trend. “For any Punjabi singer getting into a chaadra and singing in the middle of saroo de khait is almost like a mandatory task. Also, off late the songs had become yankee, this coming of jatt brings us back to our roots.” While many singers see the return of the jatt in songs as coming home, video makers call it the demand of the song. Atharv Baluja who has shot most of actor singer Ravinder Grewal’s songs feels that the people of Punjab relate to songs that have the words, jatt and dunali. Look at Diljit Dosanjh’ song,
Hit it right
By Jasmine Singh www.desitoday.ca
FOOD, ART & ENT
Her act as a selfless daughter, who spends more time listening to her father’s constipation tales than on her professional or marital pursuits in “Piku”, has garnered an “overwhelming” response for actress Deepika Padukone. But the most heartening has been the response from people who have expressed a wish to “adopt” her. Directed by Shoojit Sircar, “Piku” is an endearing father-daughter tale, with megastar Amitabh Bachchan essaying the role of Deepika’s onscreen dad. Their chemistry is natural, relatable and pleasing despite being one full of arguments. What also stands out is Deepika’s subdued and subtle camaraderie with Irrfan Khan in the film. “The response has been overwhelming,” Deepika told IANS in an interview post the film’s release. Her character is independent and free-spirited. “I think we had all thought that it’s a sweet film and that people will connect with it, but none of us had expected it to become this big. It’s gone beyond our own control. The biggest compliment for me has been... I know it may sound funny, but a lot of people want to adopt me,” said the 29-year-old. She says it’s been the “biggest compliment”. “Multiple people have told me that they want to adopt me after watching ‘Piku’, and that’s very overwhelming,” said Deepika, who in real life, is the daughter of former badminton ace Prakash Padukone. Deepika, who also features in a brand’s emotional advertisement about a daughter’s love towards her mother, says her biggest critic is her family. But even they were speechless after watching “Piku”. “My family is my biggest critic. They always watch my films, but they would always say ‘This could have been a little better’. But, for the first time, after watching this film (‘Piku’), there was an absolute silence when they called me. “They were so overwhelmed by what they had seen that they were just lost for words,” she added. The success of “Piku” also shows how a movie can work even without extensive multi-city promotions, skin show, a lip-lock scene or the song-and-dance formula. “It depends on the story and what the characters are trying to convey. ‘Piku’ is a story of a daughter and her journey and how she tries to be perfect in every role. She is trying to do so many things and do them all perfectly. ‘Piku’ is different and didn’t require all of that,” she said. Considering that Deepika has had quite a winning streak with movies like “Cocktail”, “Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-Leela”, “Chennai Express” and “Happy New Year”, how does she choose her films? “There is no formula... If I find a script and if I feel the director can justify it, I go ahead and do it. I follow my heart and my gut feeling,” she said. “The reaction that ‘Piku’ has got, the kind of scripts that I am getting and with the kind of actors I am getting to work with, it’s a very exciting time for me right now,” added the actress, who will next be seen in films like “Tamasha” with Ranbir Kapoor and “Bajirao Mastani” with Ranveer Singh. www.desitoday.ca
t n a w People e m t p to ado A K I P E E D
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FOOD, ART & ENT
Kabul Express
Jab We Met Imtiaz Ali’s second romantic comedy “Jab We Met”, featuring the former ‘hit jodi’ Shahid Kapoor and Kareena Kapoor, delighted several film buffs and enticed people to take train journeys to the beautiful Himalayas and even Punjab. The film introduced people to places like the mysterious Ratlam to the lively Bathinda and the picturesque Shimla.
Directed by Kabir Khan, this John Abraham-Arshad Warsi starrer anti-war film tells the story of a 48-hour car drive through war-torn Afghanistan. Shot over 45 days in and around Kabul, the film was critically acclaimed.
Chalo Dilli A film about two mismatched travellers on the road from Mumbai to Delhi via Jaipur showcased the rustic flavour of Rajasthan. Directed by Shashant Shah, the film features Lara Dutta and Vinay Pathak.
Chennai Express This movie takes film buffs on a journey across India -- from the north to the south -showcasing beautiful visions of the countryside en route. From Dudhsagar Falls in Goa to Munnar in Kerala, this Rohit Shetty directorial and Shah Rukh Khan and Deepika Padukone starrer, featured beautiful locations that should be a must-see at least once in a lifetime.
Telling tales via journeys Be it a train journey in “Chennai Express”, the National Highway journeys in “Highway” and “NH10”, a father-daughter journey from Delhi to Kolkata in latest entertainer “Piku” or a cruise trip in the forthcoming “Dil Dhadakne Do” - Bollywood filmmakers are telling fresh tales set around journeys, mode notwithstanding. This has also helped them to move away from studios and explore real locales. A case in point is the absolutely splendid shot Rohit Shetty took of the Dudhsagar Falls in Goa. Then,
Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara Director Zoya Akhtar explored the journey of self-discovery of three male friends through a road trip in Spain. The film gives viewers a chance to experience a visually delightful road journey in and around the cities of Costa Brava, Seville and Pamplon. To many urban youngsters, the film gave an idea of a perfect ‘bachelor party’. 70
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Piku No journey can be better than one you enjoy with your parents. “Piku” captures one such father-daughter trip - from Delhi to Kolkata in a car via the scenic and holy Varanasi. Apart from the endearing bond essayed by Deepika Padukone and Amitabh Bachchan, the film captures the nitty-gritties of road travel.
Dil Dhadkne Do This Zoya Akhtar directorial has caused a fan frenzy ever since the first look and posters were unveiled. This ensemble cast film revolves around a dysfunctional family on a cruise trip and in the course of their vacation, they discover love and friendship. It’s likely the film will be a delight for travel lovers.
NH 10
Bollywood’s Latest Route there are shots of places like Varanasi which Shoojit Sircar has captured in “Piku”. This adds a distinct look to their stories and a welcome change is the fact that they are mostly looking within the country for their locations. Of course, exceptions like “Queen” and Zoya Akhtar’s “Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara” and “Dil Dhadakne Do” are always there. They’re entertaining, nevertheless. Here’s a dekko at a few films of the past decade where you can just sit back and admire the landscape, or even get inspired to pack your bags and travel with family, friends or alone.
Highway
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As the name suggests, the film was mostly shot on the road and that too on a highway. This Alia Bhatt and Randeep Hooda starrer may have romanticised a grave issue like abduction, but it also portrays an eye-pleasing montage of images that a road trip can offer a traveller on the highway. So if you are someone who can’t go far to travel, this film shows how you can just get into a car or even a truck, and flirt with the road!
Directed by Navdeep Singh and starring Anushka Sharma in the lead, this film tells the story of a young couple whose road trip goes awry after a runin with a group of violent criminals. You can also plan a same road trip, but sans an impulsive boyfriend, played by Neil Bhoopalam in the film.
Queen Kangana Ranaut surely inspired many women to lead life on their own terms through her portrayal of Rani in this Vikas Bahl directorial. In an attempt to find her own identity, she plans to spend her honeymoon alone. Where? In Paris and Amsterdam! The film’s success proved viewers enjoyed her journey.
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FOOD, ART & ENT Human relationships are greater than politics. That’s what actor Swara Bhaskar has learned after two “memorable” visits to what she once thought was “enemy territory” but where, after two visits to Pakistan, she was showered with warmth, hospitality and free ‘chai and samosas’ for being an Indian. Her first visit to Pakistan was in 2005 with a friend. It was, as she describes, “two college girls who just decided to liven up their lives by visiting enemy territory”. “I think that trip taught me that people are always more important than some policies or actions of their government,” Swara told IANS, post her second visit last month. This time, she went there for “work”. “I had gone for some meetings over a potential international film project that would require me to play a Pakistani immigrant, but also it was a chance for me to visit friends I have not met in 10 years as I visited Pakistan in 2005 and made some lasting friendships. “Both my visits to Pakistan were made beautiful and memorable by the hospitality, warmth and friendship of my hosts, friends and even random strangers I met,” she added. The talented actress, who has featured in Bollywood films like “Tanu Weds Manu” and “Raanjhanaa”, recollected how in 2005, on the bus to Lahore, when some of their Pakistani fellow travellers learnt that she and her friend were travelling alone to Pakistan for the first time, they made “three serious offers to stay in their houses”. “In fact, traders in Lahore’s iconic Anarkali market fed us samosas and tea and biscuits when they learnt that we were Indian,” she said. After both her visits, she says “the one stereotype of Pakistanis that is true is that they are the best hosts ever and are generous and magnanimous to a fault with their guests”. And she has spoken whole-heartedly about this in a Pakistani TV show, a video of which has gone popular in the online space. Political relations between India and Pakistan have been more of the “love-hate” kind. Over the years, increased cultural exchanges between them have eased out the tension, which has existed since the sub-continent was partitioned in 1947. In fact, Swara’s family was hesitant to let her go to Pakistan when she discussed her travel plans, but the actress says this “preconceived notion about the country” is a very normal thing. “Perhaps in the case of India and Pakistan, it is exacerbated by the political hostility between the two countries... But it requires only a little effort and intelligence to try and reach out beyond this image and realise that this can only be a part of the whole picture. “My own experience was that Pakistan, the place and its people were very different from my imagination of them. I think the internet and social media can play a very positive role in enabling the people of both countries to reach out and connect with each other on a human and more personal level,” added Swara, who will soon be seen in “Tanu Weds Manu Returns” on the big screen. 72
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Found love in
‘enemy territory’
SWARA BHASKAR
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FOOD, ART & ENT If you ask about the one thing that Amitabh Bachchan-starrer and now a Rs.100crore-club member ‘Piku’ has done to the Indian masses, apart from entertaining them, is bringing into the public domain a topic that is taboo in social conversations but that almost everyone experiences or has been a chronic sufferer: constipation. The “Motion Se Hi Emotion” tagline has become such a talking point and has touched an empathetic chord in people that the unpretentious, low-budget film, that also has Deepika Padukone and Irrfan is stellar roles, has not only become a runaway hit but has brought out the ‘bowel problem’ of people out in the open. Although there are several ayurvedic medicines and home remedies that claim to ease bowel movements, constipation is a painful reality one has to live with - sometimes for years. According to Deepak Lahoti, senior consultant (gastroenterology) at Max Super Speciality Hospital in New Delhi, the Indian squat position is the best to beat the morning blues (which, in fact, actor Irrfan Khan suggests to Big B in ‘Piku’ too). “It is more effective than the western chair position to maintain a healthier bowel movement, especially if you raise your knees towards your chest,” Lahoti told IANS. Yogesh Batra, director and senior consultant (gastroenterology) at BLK Super Specialty Hospital in the capital, agrees. “The squat position is definitely more physiological for passing stools. It has been used by Indians for ages,” Batra said. The reason behind this is simple. The acute angle present between the rectum and the anal canal gets straightened and there is external pressure applied over the anterior abdominal wall for the smooth release of the stool. One disadvantage is that it is difficult for old people with knee problems to sit for long. “An option is to convert the western commode to semi-squat position by keeping a stool under the feet,” Batra said. In fact, a new book titled “Charming Bowels” by Giulia Enders, who is studying in Germany for her medical doctorate in microbiology, has buttressed the claim that humans should be squatting, not sitting, on a toilet bowl. This is because the closure mechanism of the gut is not designed to “open the hatch completely” when we are sitting down or standing up: it is like a kinked hose. Squatting is far more natural and puts less pressure on our bottoms. “Nearly 1.2 billion people around the world who squat have almost no incidence of diverticulosis and fewer problems with piles. We in the west, on the other hand, we squeeze our gut tissue until it comes out of our bottoms,” she writes. Another tool in your armory to tackle constipation is to change your diet. “Oats and high-fibre diet helps in tackling mild-to-moderate constipation. However, in case of severe constipation, you need to seek expert advice,” said Manish Kak, consultant gastroenterology at Ghaziabad’s Columbia Asia Hospital. A fibre-rich diet is important. “The reason for this is that fibre increases the bulk of the stool and thus facilitates its passage through the intestinal passage,” Batra added. Fibre does not get absorbed and travels easily triggering reflexes which make it easier for a person to pass motion. Other than this, drinking two to three litres of water every day, maintaining an exercise regime with yoga or jogging or a walk in the morning helps. Alcohol, stress and fried foods need to be avoided. “Try home remedies like Isabgol husk, black currants, mint, bael (wood apple) powder or juice. These are free of side effects of using laxatives,” Batra says. The key to defeat constipation is to maintain a healthy lifestyle. “Sitting for long hours and not moving - in office or at home - can result in constipation,” Lahoti noted. Some experts suggested that acupressure over the perineal area (the genital area between the vulva and anus in a woman and between the scrotum and anus in a man) can theoretically trigger a defecation reflex and passage of stool. Doctors however do not recommend this since it is not backed by sufficient studies. Finally, do not be obsessed with constipation as whatever is inside will eventually come out. “If you ease yourself, you will be relieved faster. Do remember that in the western world (among predominantly meat eaters), people may not pass stool up to a week without any discomfort,” Batra points out. So, set aside unhurried and regular time for defecation and always respond to a defecatory urge. Increase fluid intake and avoid stress for that elusive, but relieving, “Piku” moment daily. www.desitoday.ca
Suffering from
‘Piku’ syndrome? Don’t sit on it. JUN / JUL 2015 News With A Desi View
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DESI
Around Town
Tim Uppal, federal Minister of State for Multiculturalism, visited the head offices of Progressive Intercultural Community Services Society (PICS) in Surrey. He met with participants of employment programs as well as volunteers of the Free Tax clinic.
Gurdwara Dasmesh Darbar organizers of the Khalsa Day Parade that takes place in Surrey had a pre-event discussion with media.
Among the special guests at the 50th Sports Festival of the Khalsa Diwan Society of Vancouver at Vancouver’s Memorial Park were Justice Minister and Attorney General Suzanne Anton and Vancouver South MP Wai Young. There was also fundraising for the Nepal earthquake victims.
At the Angels for Autism Fundraiser at Surrey’s Crown Palace
Photos by Chandra Bodalia
At the grand opening for the renovated Riverside Signature Banquet Hall (formerly India Banquet Hall) under a new management.
There were exciting kabaddi, wrestling and tug-of-war games at the 50th Sports Festival of the Khalsa Diwan Society of Vancouver at Vancouver’s Memorial Park.
Conservative MP Wai Young (Vancouver South) received massive support from South Asians at her fundraiser at Fraserview Hall at which the keynote address was delivered by Citizenship and Immigration Minister Chris Alexander.
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DESI
Around Town
UCMAS Mental Math, provider of the leading North American educational program in Abacus and Mental Math for children, conducted its 2nd Annual BC UCMAS Mental Math and Abacus Competition in Surrey.
Delhi-ites get together to celebrate Vaisakhi at Vancouver’s Fraserview Hall.
At Trinjan – The Punjabi Folks annual festival of mothers and daughters and Women’s Health Fair “Mela Mawan Dhiyan Da” at Surrey’s Dhaliwal Banquet Hall
Sarina Prasad and Amanjot Chahil received Academic Achievement Awards from the India Club
At the Indo-Africa Charitable Society’s Mother’s Day Celebration at Surrey’s Riverside Signature Banquet Hall.
Mardi Gras in May: Over $100,000 was raised at PICS Society’s gala event for their multicultural long term care home project.
Volunteers from the BMO Bank of Montreal, Canada’s oldest bank, helped organize Vaisakhi Parade in Vancouver. In addition to decorating the Ross Street Gurdwara of the Khalsa Diwan Society and the floats for the occasion, these volunteers also helped during the event itself by distributing food, water and gifts to the tens of thousands of parade attendees.
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LIFE & ETC
Egypt In the middle of the vast and eerily desolate landscape on the outskirts of Cairo stand the iconic pyramids of Giza and the great Sphinx, a riveting sight that took my breath away. For a moment, it felt like time stood still as I gazed at the surreal beauty and grandeur of the man-made marvels that have defined Egypt from time immemorial. The three pyramids of Cheops (Khufu), Chephren (Khafre) and Mycernius (Menkaure) in front of me made up for the long walk under the scorching sun on the hot desert sand while the gentle breeze in the shade provided by the massive pyramid walls cleaned the sweat beads on my forehead. A specimen of fine human engineering and robust construction techniques present in ancient Egyptian civilisation, the pyramids have stood the test of time and left many archaeologists around the world baffled. “Ladies and gentlemen, this is the time you guys have all been waiting for,” said our local guide Sheriff Hassan in heavily accented English as he excitedly pointed with both his hands towards the pyramids in the background. According to Hassan, who works with Lady Egypt Tours based in Giza, back in ancient Egypt it was common for kings and
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A paradise of e l i N e h t y b s n rui
queens to construct pyramids for themselves when they were alive as a final place to rest in their afterlife. The materials used were two different types of limestone weighing between two and 15 tonnes. The first pyramid - Djoser - was built in Saqqara on the west bank of the river Nile, the site of royal burials since around 2100 BC, but following many instances of robbers breaking into pyramids to steal jewellery and other valuables buried alongside kings, the practice was stopped about 1,000 years ago, said Hassan. Besides the famous pyramids, cultural highlights in Cairo include the Egyptian museum, which has a separate section for human and animal mummies. Housing the world’s most extensive collection of pharaonic antiquities, the museum exhibits the treasures of Tutankhamun, wooden models of daily life, statuettes of divinities, and a rare group of Faiyum Portraits. In the wake of the 2011 political turmoil that saw violent street protests in Cairo, the country’s tourism industry, which is its mainstay, was hit hard. However, the country’s tourism board claimed that the situation was
improving and will normalize soon thanks to global events like the International Development Economic Conference held in March in Sharm-El-Shaikh as well as the India By the Nile Festival organized in Cairo. “Yes, sure, things are improving. I believe that positive news about Egypt will promote Egypt as a safe destination and attract tourists,” Ismail Hamid, Egyptian Tourism Counsellor to India, told IANS. A must see after Cairo is Alexandria, the second largest city in Egypt - famous for its catacombs of Kom el Shoqafa and the modern library. It is just a three-hour drive from Cairo and
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the visit to the catacombs is enthralling as you walk down a spiral staircase many feet under the ground. The bodies of the dead would have been lowered on ropes down the centre of this circular shaft. As you enter, the spooky site of hundreds of graves, tombs and even bones at the largest known Roman burial site in Egypt welcomes you. Legend has it that the site was discovered accidentally in 1900 when a donkey disappeared into the ground and the locals found the catacombs while digging up the ground. Moving down south is the tourist hotspot of Luxor which provides
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an opportunity to explore historical sites like the Valley of Kings and Queens on the Nile’s west bank while riding on a hot air balloon which can easily be the highlight of your trip. Other major attractions include the Luxor temple, the temple of queen Hatshepsut - a female pharaoh, which was very unusual at that time. And if the whole experience of learning about an ancient civilization and the deluge of historical information leaves you overwhelmed, Egypt has a solution for that too. Just indulge yourself in a felucca cruise on the Nile. Sit back and reflect on life as gentle gusts of wind form ripple patterns on the surface of the Nile - among the world’s longest rivers and on the banks of which lives 96 percent of the Egyptian population.
while a tour inside the pyramid of Chephren and Mycernius will set you back another 40 EGP while entry to the bigger pyramid of Cheops is priced at 200 EGP. The Egyptian museum is open daily between 9 a.m. and 7 p.m. (9 a.m. to 5 p.m. during Ramadan) and the ticket is priced at 60 EGP. A hot air balloon ride in Luxor costs 120 EGP.
FAQs An hour-long drive from downtown Cairo will take you to the Giza pyramids located on the outer periphery of the Egyptian capital. Entry fee is 40 Egyptian pounds ($5)
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LIFE & ETC
Win top rankings reflect
rise of women in Indian sports
After reclaiming the top spot in badminton singles rankings, Saina Nehwal is doubly delighted at fellow Hyderabadi tennis ace Sania Mirza’s rise to the summit of the women’s doubles rankings and says the twin achievements reflect the rise of women power in the domain of Indian sports. “Sania Mirza is a big name in the world of tennis, she is the numero uno in her game. I wish her all the best in her future endeavours,” Saina told IANS in an e-mail interview on Sunday. “Women in sports have come up in a big way in recent past and I congratulate all of them, including Mary Kom, Krishna Poonia, Geeta Phogat, Babita Kumari, Heena Sidhu and Sania Mirza,” she said. “It is good that women power is visible in sports,” she said, crediting the central 78
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government’s sports policies for the success stories. Sania was elevated to the No.1 spot in the women’s doubles rankings, according to the latest Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) list. Saina became the first Indian women to be crowned World No.1 on March 29 after her Indian Open Grand Prix triumph. But she dropped to the second place, overtaken by China’s Li Xuerui, following her semi-finals exit in the Malaysia Open Superseries. But she regained the top slot after Li pulled out of Singapore Open Superseries. Sania, on the other hand, leapfrogged to the top spot after winning her third consecutive Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) title - the Family Circle Cup - with new partner Martina Hingis. “I am proud to be World No.1 in badminton. It is really tough to reach the pinnacle in badminton... it took me five years to realise my dream as I became World No.2 in 2010,” the right-handed shuttler said. The 25-year-old Saina is the only nonChinese to get the top billing since 2010 when Denmark’s Tine Baun ruled the rankings. The 2012 Olympic Games bronze medallist dedicated her recent feat to her parents, coaches and well wishers. When asked what makes a Chinese player so tough to beat, she said: “Maybe these players are trained on best infrastructure they have created for each sport and the availability of best coaches compared to India and other countries where hardly a few best coaches are available.” “The number of players (in China) is also very high compared to us where there is a shortage of players. “Luckily I started my career on best infrastructure created in India at Gopi’s (Pullela Gopichand) Academy at Hyderabad in 2004 and continued till 2014 during which I won national championships, Junior World Cup and some of Super Series and Gold Grand Prix tournaments,” she added. Saina has clinched gold in the 2010 Commonwealth Games and bronze in the 2006 edition, besides picking up a bronze at the Incheon Asian Games last year. In 2014, she became the first Indian woman to win the China Open Super Series Premier beating Japan’s Akane Yamaguchi in the final. In another first for Indian women shuttlers, Saina reached the All England Open Badminton final last month, but lost to Spain’s Carolina Marin recently. www.desitoday.ca
Sania Mirza is a big name in the world of tennis, she is the numero uno in her game. I wish her all the best in her future endeavours... - Saina Nehwal
In 2014, Saina shifted to Prakash Padukone’s academy in Bangalore. Since then she has been under the tutelage of Vimal Kumar. Former men’s No.1 player Padukone also gave her valuable tips. Saina credited ex-coach Gopichand and incumbent Vimal Kumar for her success. “Both of them are the best of badminton coaches in India. With Gopi sir, I won a number tournaments and now with Vimal sir my progress is visible in the last seven months,”
she said. W i t h expectations climbing high with each d ay, Saina said her ultimate aim is the Rio Olympics next year. “I, as a badminton player, will give my 100 percent for my sport. I have to show better results in the 2015 World Cup. Many Superseries are lined up this year and ultimately our goal is Rio Olympics,” the star said. By Aritra Chowdhury
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T
he unseasonal rain and erratic weather -- which are unsettling the Indian farmer and the nation’s agriculture, economy and politics -- are no aberrations, according to global studies. Extreme rainfall in central India, the core of the monsoon system, are increasing and moderate rainfall is decreasing, as part of complex changes in local and world weather. The stories of Indian farmers not only indicate changes over the past three years, but longer-term patterns in India’s agricultural lifeline, the monsoons. Even when the average seasonal monsoon figures appear to be normal, fluctuations in rainfall in a country with 56 percent of sown area rainfed, can cause extreme wet and dry local conditions with wide economic, employment and social implications: About 600 million Indians depend on agriculture in India. A wide range of reasons, including low productivity of land, market failures, debts, pests and uncertain weather, have led to a farming crisis in India, and farmers’ suicides have become a serious humanitarian and political issue for more than a decade. As the monsoons bring 85 percent of India’s precipitation -- all the water that falls to the ground as rain, snow and hail -- fluctuations and uncertainties in weather can
have serious impact on farming. Over 60 years, monsoon rainfall has declined and the variability has increased. The average total rainfall during the peak monsoon season of July-August has declined since 1951, but the variability of rain during these months has increased -- deluges are more severe, and dry spells more frequent. That is the finding of a 2014 Stanford University paper, which compares Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) data over two periods: 1951 to 1980, and 1981 to 2011. Heavy rainfall typically occurs over central India and along the Himalayas and Western Ghats. The mean July-August rainfall and a measure of its day-to-day fluctuations, or variability over central India, have changed over time. This shows an increasing trend in daily variability despite a decreasing trend in mean rainfall. “Our study focuses on multi-day wet and dry extreme events. We look at how often and for how long such events occur, and also examine their severity (intensity),” Deepti Singh, a graduate student and lead author of the Stanford study told IndiaSpend. “Our study shows that in the historical record for which we have good observations
(about 60 years), we find significant changes in these characteristics -- increase in the severity (or intensity) of wet spells and in the frequency of dry spells.” Wet spells are events with above average rainfall for at least three consecutive days or more. Dry spells are events with below average rainfall for at least 3 consecutive days or more. The occurrence of dry spells can be important early in the agricultural cycle: Longer and more frequent dry spells can lead to widespread crop losses. “Our findings match the experiences in recent years of farmers we interviewed in several regions within India,” said Singh. Other studies, using what is called IMD’s high-resolution daily grid rainfall dataset, a series of detailed rainfall data, have found a similar trend of increasing uncertainty. Prof. B.N. Goswami, former director of Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology and his Indian Institute of Science (IISc) colleagues, have shown an increasing trend in the frequency and magnitude of extreme rain events over central India over the past half century. In another study, M.N. Rajeevan, director of the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorol-
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ogy, Pune, and his erstwhile colleagues at the National Atmospheric Research Laboratory, Tirupati, reported a long-term increasing trend of 6 per cent per decade in extreme rainfall. Such events also showed annual and decadal variations. For this study, Rajeevan and his colleagues used 104 years (19012004) of high-resolution rainfall data. Both Goswami and Rajeevan considered rainfall events between 5 mm and 100 mm per day as “moderate” and those between 100 and 150 mm per day as “heavy” and those equal to or greater than 150 mm per day “very heavy” rain events. Extreme rain could also mean disasters like the 2005 floods in Mumbai when 94.4 cm of rain was recorded in 24 hours -- or similar experiences in Barmer desert (2006) and Leh hills (2010). Scientists have predicted fiercer floods in the Brahmaputra and the Indus rivers. Although scientific methods are often different, the findings are consistent with climate-model simulations run on supercomputers: That extreme events -- too much or too little rain -- will increase with global warming. While scientists say such links require more robust evidence, the research indicates a correlation. Changes in extremes of rain are not always related in a simple way to changes in the mean rainfall, and, in some cases, can be opposite to a change in such rainfall. Complex global events, along with changes in local temperatures, appear to be precursors to extreme rainfall the latest research indicates. Annual and decadal long-term trends of extreme rainfall events are influenced by variations in the temperature of the sea surface and the heat released or absorbed by water evaporation and condensation -- technically called the latent heat flux-over the tropical Indian ocean -- noted Rajeevan and colleagues in their study of extreme rainfall trends. Climate change as well as shifts in large-scale phenomena such as the El Niño-Southern Oscillation -- a fluctuation of ocean temperatures in the equatorial Pacific ocean -- or www.desitoday.ca
the monsoons, could affect the frequency and intensity of extremes in several regions, as a UN climate panel report notes. Such large-scale influences, as well as local changes, were taken into account in a recent IISc study based on IMD data. IISc Research Associate Dr Arpita Mondal and Prof P P Mujumdar studied the summer monsoon and El Niño and found varying causes with little uniformity -- except that at many locations, local temperature changes affected intensity and frequency of rainfall. The significance of the new IISc study is that it looks at changes in three characteristics: Intensity, duration and frequency of extreme rainfall. Different studies on extreme monsoon rainfall over India vary in terms of how the extremes are defined and how their changes are studied. “Our analysis studies such variability, and we find that local effects are likely to influence extreme rainfall characteristics at small spatial scales, much more than large-scale phenomena,” said Mondal. In short, the studies show that extreme and uncertain weather trends are increasing, and they are linked with global phenomena including climate change as well as local changes. Better and more observation, early warning and rigorous research will reveal more answers.
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5,000-year-old
astrological tradition
thrives in Punjab
ust asking for an address in the Railway Mandi area of this Punjab might elicit blank stares. But the moment I uttered the word ‘Brighu’, I was not even allowed to say anything more and the directions followed to the T. One particular street in the area is virtually dedicated to the Brighu astrologers who are keeping alive a 5,000-year-old tradition of looking into the past and gazing at the future. The “Brighuan di gali” (street of the Brighu astrologers) is a destination for people from all parts of the country and even from abroad as they seek out the Brighu Shastris who, despite facing stiff competition from Internet-driven modern-day astrology, still rely on the Brighu Samhita, a religious book (granth) that, as per legend, was penned by Rishi Brighu over 5,000 years ago. “We continue to get a lot of people from all over the country and from across the world. Many of those coming here include foreigners and NRIs,” Brighu Shastri Ramanuj Sharma told IANS here.
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“Foreigners are great believers in the Brighu tradition. They are leaning towards traditional concepts like Brighu astrology, meditation and vegetarianism. Followers of the Brighu tradition come from all religions,” said Sharma, who has a doctorate in Sanskrit. He said that the Brighu Samhita has been safely kept in the common storehouse of three families here. “The granth lies in a strongroom and weighs tonnes. An index has been devised for the available pages of the granth so that only the required portions are picked up when required,” said Sharma, 43, a thirdgeneration Brighu Shastri in his family. Once an individual shares with the Brighu Shastri his details like name, date and place of birth, parents’ name and the like, the search begins for his details in the Brighu Samhita. Since it is not physically possible to check all documents, the Brighu families have indexed them. “If the name is found, the individual is called and told about his past lives and future. It is even mentioned in the documents whether the person has to be physically present to come and see his past and future. Everything is read from the exact document concerning that person and he is supposed
to note it down. Sometimes, if the person, living abroad or, for some other reason, is unable to come, then our staff writes down for them and the same is e-mailed to them or sent by post,” Sharma pointed out about the process. Politicians like former president Zail Singh, former prime minister Indira Gandhi, union minister Maneka Gandhi and former Haryana chief minister Bhajan Lal and film stars Dharmendra, Hema Malini, Sanjay Dutt and Bollywood’s famous Kapoor family, among others, have come calling on the Brighu Shastris. But not everyone’s details may be recovered from the granth. The original Brighu Samhita, a massive database of charts of millions of people, was partially lost during various invasions of the country in the 12th and 13th centuries. It was a chance incident that a Brahmin family discovered a major part of the granth with a junk dealer here in 1923. However, not everyone is ready to believe in the Brighu tradition. “I have got my records checked. Some part of it was true but all major happenings in my life were not there. I cannot believe in it blindly. But some people believe in this a lot,” Hoshiarpur resident Bhagwant Singh told IANS. By Jaideep Sarin
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