India Currents April 2012 Southern California Edition

The Food of Love

Paan Singh Tomar—Hero or Villain?

The Raj Prototype

IndiaCurrents ourney ian J Ind eat Gr

Th e

Celebrating 25 Years of Excellence

april 2012 • vol. 26 , no .1 • www.indiacurrents.com

From India to foreign shores, a story of migration and assimilation told through a camera’s lens.

Conscience Calls 1885 Lundy Ave, Suite 220, San Jose, CA 95131 Phone: (408) 324-0488 (714) 523-8788 Fax: (408) 324-0477 Email: info@indiacurrents.com www.indiacurrents.com Publisher & Editor: Vandana Kumar publisher@indiacurrents.com (408) 324-0488 x 225 Advertising Manager: Derek Nunes ads@indiacurrents.com Northern California: (408) 324-0488 x 222 Southern California: (714) 523-8788 x 222 (408) 324-0488 x 221 Marketing Associate: Raj Singh Graphic Designer: Nghia Vuong EDITORIAL BOARD Managing Editor: Jaya Padmanabhan editor@indiacurrents.com (408) 324-0488 x 226 Calendar Editor: Mona Shah events@indiacurrents.com (408) 324-0488 x 224 COLUMNISTS Forum: Rameysh Ramdas Films: Aniruddh Chawda Dear Doctor: Alzak Amlani The Last Word: Sarita Sarvate Uncubed: Krishna Sadasivam Zeitgeist: Ragini Tharoor Srinivasan

One of my abiding worries, as a parent, is whether my children will exercise self-restraint when using megaphonic social sites; whether they will heed the calls of conscience; whether they will be able to empathize with the marginalized, and perhaps be the voice of sanity in the midst of ceaseless indulgent chatter.

The Dharun Ravi case has further amplified that fear.

Here are the facts of the case: Dharun Ravi was found guilty on 15 charges connected to the death of his former Rutgers roommate, Tyler Clementi. Dharun Ravi is 20 years old and is awaiting sentencing. Ravi set up a webcam to spy on his gay roommate’s sexual encounters.

Ravi announced a “viewing party,” on Twitter and other online social sites and tragically, Clementi did commit suicide by jumping off the George Washington Bridge.

These facts do not all line up coherently, neither do they justify the all-guilty verdict that was meted to Ravi. But it is undisputed that social media sites gave Ravi an unfettered license to express his reprehensibly self-absorbed and morally repugnant thought flashes.

I feel profound sadness for his parents, Ravi Pazhani and Sabitha Ravi, especially when I read the words they had written on his high school yearbook: “Dear Dharun, It has been a pleasure watching you grow into a caring and responsible person.” It is deeply disturbing in

the light of how Ravi’s life combusted publicly soon after. It speaks to how, as parents, we are rarely afforded a glimpse into our children’s occasionally inconsonant social personalities.

Certainly, making ethically complex discussions the centerpiece of our parental discourse will probably serve our children better than the quick pats and pardons that we are so often prone to.

I remember the Moral Science classes that were a compulsory part of my high school education. Enduring and resenting the begood message that found its way into the curriculum was just part of my teenage angst then. Today, with the long-sighted rear view image of the past, I wonder whether the science of integrity stripped of religious references but rife with moral etiquette tips should be part of the prescription for our children’s empathetic development.

This is our teachable moment. Let’s make it count.

It is a great honor and privilege to write this, my first editorial, for the 25th anniversary issue of India Currents.

Jaya Padmanabhan

Contributors: Sunil Adam, Jasbina Ahluwalia, Madan Ahluwalia, Priya Das, Anita Felicelli, Jeanne E. Fredriksen, Malar Gandhi, Shivam Khullar, Swapna Krishna, Arpit Mehta, Preston Merchant, Kalpana Mohan, Ranjani Iyer Mohanty, Alaknanda Mookerjee, Sharmila Mukherjee, Matangi Rajamani, Girija Sankar, Suchi Sargam, Mani Subramani, Vivek Wadhwa Cover Design: Nghia Vuong.

INDIA CURRENTS® (ISSN 0896-095X) is published monthly (except Dec/Jan, which is a combined issue) for $19.95 per year by India Currents, 1885 Lundy Ave., Ste 220, San Jose, CA 95131. Periodicals postage paid at San Jose, CA, and at additional mailing offices.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to INDIA CURRENTS, 1885 LUNDY AVE, STE. 220, SAN JOSE, CA 95131 Information provided is accurate as of the date of going to press; India Currents is not responsible for errors or omissions. Opinions expressed are those of individual authors. Advertising copy, logos, and artwork are the sole responsibility of individual advertisers, not of India Currents.

Copyright © 2012 by India Currents All rights reserved.

Fully indexed

by Ethnic Newswatch

india currents • april 2012 • 1

Southern California Edition

PERSPECTIVES 1 EDITORIAL: Conscience Calls. By Jaya Padmanabhan 3 VOICES 6 FORUM: Should caucuses be part of the primaries? Two opinions. By Rameysh Ramdas and Mani Subramani 7

ZEITGEIST: Life after Facebook. By Ragini Tharoor Srinivasan

8

ELECTIONS 2012: California tax initiatives. By Arpit Mehta

14

COMMENTARY: Was law upheld but justice denied in Dharun Ravi Case? By Sunil Adam

16

The Great Indian Journey

The Indian diaspora in stills. A photo essay that captures the essence of an evolving diaspora

By Preston Merchant

10

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT 34

MUSIC: Kabir is no stranger here. By Teed Rockwell

38

FILMS: Review of Kahaani. By Aniruddh Chawda

42

Q&A: Hero or villain? Director Tigmanshu Dhulia. By Suchi Sargam

44

BOOKS: Review of The Good Muslim and The Sly Company of People Who Care By Jeanne Fredriksen, and Swapna Krishna

OPINION: American brands de-Americanize.

By Alakananda Mookerjee and Sharmila Mukherjee

18

ANALYSIS: The Raj prototype. By Anita Felicelli

20

DESI VOICE: The food of love. By Ranjani Iyer Mohanty

22

TAXATION: Overseas Voluntary Disclosure Initiative (OVDI) open again. By Rahul Ranadive

28

BUSINESS: Hollywood’s role in innovation. By Vivek Wadhwa

30

TECHNOLOGY: Don’t just Google it! By Girija Sankar

36

PERSPECTIVE: When in Rome. By Matangi Rajamani

52

REFLECTIONS: The secrest of how the mind works

By Paramahamsa Nithyananda

58 ON INGLISH: So much ado about curry. By Kalpana Mohan 64 THE LAST WORD BY SARITA SARVATE: A memoirist’s dilemma.

LIFESTYLE 54

THE HEALTHY LIFE: Our family’s wake up call. By Priya Dharan

60 RECIPES: Khichdi—A comfort food. By Malar Gandhi 61 RELATIONSHIP DIVA: De-Listed. By Jasbina Ahluwalia 63 DEAR DOCTOR: Juggling roles. By Alzak Amlani

DEPARTMENTS

26 Ask a Lawyer 27 Visa Dates 62 Uncubed 2 • india currents • april 2012

The spell-binding visual and gastronomical wonders of Hawaii.

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By Shivam Khullar WHAT’S CURRENT

46 Cultural Calendar 53 Spiritual Calendar 60 Classifieds

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publisher’s note

Celebrating a Milestone 25 years.

A quarter of a century has gone by since I became a mother. This thought registers with me as I celebrate my boys’ twenty-fifth birthday with them. My babies have grown up to become young men and yet the love I feel for them remains just as intense, just as visceral. Some things don’t change.

India Currents was also born the same year. From a small-time newsletter, we became a robust magazine published across California. Today we reach over 125,000 readers every month through our print and digital editions. It is true that we have changed our look in ways we couldn’t have imagined 25 years ago. Yet, we did imagine the deep roots we have cultivated with the community that surrounds us and supports us. We remain true to our core values of being a voice of the community. Some things don’t change.

As the world around us changed, India Currents evolved to keep up with the needs of the rapidly changing community. New

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voices

25 Years and Counting!

Congratulations to India Currents on its 25th anniversary! Who could foresee that you would still be here, informing, engaging, provoking readers -- and picking up many awards along the way. The staff, the readers, and the advertisers all deserve a big round of applause for this milestone.

Arvind Kumar, San Jose Founding Team, India Currents For the last five years I have been in Jamnagar, India, following from afar with great pride the long strides India Currents has taken in recent years. I enjoy the many interesting stories in each issue, especially the editorials, winning entries from the fiction contest, and the calendar of events (even though I can’t attend them now). The emailed magazine in my mailbox is a welcome perk.

I know firsthand the effort and commitment it takes to produce each issue. Many thanks and best wishes to the staff of India Currents on the 25th anniversary of the publication of the magazine.

Ashok Jethanandani Founding Team, India Currents

technologies emerged, the world came closer, paper was declared a “dead” medium. Many publications closed shop, and even print media giants boarded their doors. We changed our look and reinvested in our “free to the user” business model. We survived.

In that time, the Indian American community grew to 2.8 million; a growing number of them second generation. The US born children of our original readers now read AND write the stories in India Currents.

Even as I look for innovative ways to stay connected to my sons’ lives, India Currents has found creative ways to stay relevant to this demographic.

In 2012 as I celebrate my sons’ 25th birthday, I also celebrate IC’s 25th birthday.

This could not have been possible without you—our readers, advertisers, and supporters. Join us in a unique celebration the weekend of Jun 8-10, 2012.

Vandana Kumar Publisher, India Currents

Today I received the latest issue of India Currents and read about one-third of it already. The articles are always thought provoking, informational, historical, personal and of many varieties. I congratulate you on publishing an excellent magazine. Last month when I read an article about Frank Rogers (Cal PhD 1958) and an article The Brave Queen by him, Memories of Patti and few other stories I thought about writing this note of appreciation. So this time as soon as I received the latest issue and read through some of it, I had to speak out right away.

“Transitions” on page one of the March issue does a much better job in describing the good journalism of the magazine than I can do.

Please pass on my congratulations on the 25th anniversary of the magazine and appreciation to your team.

Dinesh Arora, Los Angeles, CA Congratulations India Currents on celebrating your 25th Anniversary! Bravo!

Ramesh Bhambra, San Jose, CA My best wishes and congratulations to India Currents on fulfilling 25 years of suc-

cessfully bringing out a great publication.

I cannot imagine a Bay Area without an India Currents magazine. Ever since the 80s India Currents has kept up its reputation as a great cultural resource and sparked lively debates on a variety of issues. In our family, my parents and all of us always read the magazine from cover to cover and I have hoarded so many issues over the years to save articles that I had enjoyed reading. And for publicity for our dance shows, getting in advertisements, photos, and articles into India Currents have taken top priority all these years.

It has also been a great resource for all things Indian for my students at University of California, Santa Cruz—thanks to the over 30 free copies that you have supplied to them for the past eight years.

Congratulations and keep up the great work.

Mythili Kumar, Artistic Director, Abhinaya Dance Company India Currents has been a consistent source of information about the comings and goings of all things Indian for the past 25 years. The Ali Akbar College of Music has been grateful to work with such a friendly and caring staff thoughout the years. Congratulations to India Currents for being the community friendly magazine that you are.

Mary Khan, Director, Ali Akbar College of Music India Currents has always been a big source of support for bringing news of the great gifts of Indian culture here in the U.S., and I’m glad to be part of the same community. Working with them has always been a pleasure for me. I congratulate them on their 25th anniversary!

Zakir Hussain, Musician, San Rafael, CA I started reading India Currents about 20 years ago. As an elected official and a friends of the Indian community, I always took great pleasure in being informed from a respected source on what was most important and what I had to look forward to.

The magaine’s remarkable coverage on the Indian American community keeps me informed, engaged, and always entertained. As a Latina woman your community has always been part of my extended family. We have so much in common. Hopefully this message will give you some insight as to how much I respect and treasure you.

Wishing you another 25 years of success!

Liz Figueroa, State Senator (Retd), CA

india currents • april 2012 • 3

I wish India Currents a very happy anniversary. I love India Currents because its one of very few magazines which cares about its sponsors and helps indian immigrants resolve their problems through extensive and researched reporting! I wish Vandana and Derek all success!

Anu Peshawaria, Attorney- at-law, CA

I wanted to reinforce the message about the incredibly impressive quality of India Currents. Congratulations on 25 years of hardwon success in a visionary enterprise. As a pretty critical reader and editor, I’m in awe of your achievement.

William Ray, PhD, Editorial Director New Wedding Planet

I am delighted to congratulate India Currents for completing 25 years of service, offering substantive, social and inspirational content that is relevant and needed for the community. Balaji Temple has been utilizing your services for the last couple of years, and we are delighted with your dedication and high quality customer service.

We wish you the best for the future and are confident that India Currents will enjoy a bright future of continued growth and success in the years ahead!

Swamiji Narayananda, President, Balaji Temple

Congratulations to India Currents on celebrating 25 years of enriching the arts and culture of India in the United States. India Currents is the first magazine we turn to for promoting our events in California. Keep it up!

Indumathy Ganesh, Artistic Director, Nrithyollasa Dance Academy

India Currents has come such a long way in 25 years! Along with the Indian American community itself, India Currents has continued to grow and thrive. I commend the magazine on its remarkable achievement.

Congratulations on your 25th anniversary.

Jeevan Zutshi, Founder, Indo-American Community Federation Congratulations to the India Currents team on its 25th anniversary. India Currents has done a fantastic job of keeping in touch with the pulse of the Indian community.

Anil Godhwani, Founder, Simply Hired, and India Community Center (ICC) Congratulations to Vandana and her team in India Currents, for having steered the magazine succesfully towards its 25th anniversary.

The magazine has evolved to become Bay Area’s best community events and opinions magazine.

Reena Rao, TV Asia

SPEAK YOUR MIND!

Have a thought or opinion to share?

Send us an original letter of up to 300 words, and include your name, address, and phone number. Letters are edited for clarity and brevity.

Write India Currents Letters, 1885 Lundy Ave. Suite 220, San Jose 95131 or email letters@indiacurrents.com.

4 • india currents • april 2012

Wishing you a happy 25th anniversary, India Currents. East or West, India Currents is the best! It is my privilege to place an ad in the first issue of the southern California edition of India Currents. Congratulations!

Vijaya Bhanu, Founder, Director, Sri Sakti Sarade Kalaniketan Thank you for your continued service and presence in our community! Congratulations!

Malathi Iyengar, Founder/ Artistic Director, Rangoli In 1990 when we moved to the Bay Area, I came across a magazine outside an Indian store called India Currents. I was so excited to see it!

Just like any newcomer in the area, I wanted to know what resources were available to me: professional as well as social. This was much before Google/Facebook when it was not easy to find business or services that catered to the Indian community. Or events that were of interest to the community. Since then I have been a loyal subscriber!

Deepka Lalwani, President, Indian Business and Professional Women Congratulations to India Currents—one of the coolest desi publications in the U.S.!

Enlightening and shaking up the community.

Vivek Wadhwa, Entrepreneur/Academic Congratulations to India Currents on its 25th anniversary! In the last two decades India Currents has truly become a voice for the community. Its unbiased and exhaustive coverage of issues affecting the Indian diaspora has not only allowed for rich editorial commentary but also positioned India Currents’ continued

success and hope it will continue to provide insight, understanding and perspective on community issues for future generations of Indian Americans.

Tanuja Bahal, Executive Director, India Community Center Congratulations to India Currents for a major milestone. For 25 years, the magazine has been the “go-to” place to check out all things Indian—for the list of events so thoughtfully compiled, the articles, the short stories and the thought provoking pieces.

I wish you much luck and a great 25 years ahead!

Anu Natarajan, Fremont City Council member The Bay Area is famous for being the land where great minds have come together to prove their prowess in the “silicon” world.

The land where great artists like Ustad Zakir Hussain and Ustad Ali Akbar Khan reside is also the land that has a current flowing connecting the hearts and minds of all Indians in the Silicon Valley. This current is a magazine called India Currents.

Every immigrant from India that lands on the shores of the Silicon Valley seeks and scans searching for the sounds of India. The most common thing and the most recommended thing to reach for is a magazine called India Currents.

In a world ruled by the internet, viral marketing and Facebook, a world where book stores like Borders have been pushed aside India Currents is the one magazine that has not only kept its readership but also become the cornerstone of every event big or small in the Indian community. Today even a Rahat Fateh Ali Khan or a Kailash Kher when performing in the Bay Area needs India Currents on their side. Very little happens with the Indian community by way of cultural, educational or religious gatherings that does not need India Currents to advertise or talk about it.

Aptly named, India Currents is a magazine about India and the current that keeps India alive in the hearts of all people here.

It connects us to our roots and connects us to each other. I salute my country India and then I salute India Currents for bringing my country and my culture to me every month.

Congratulations India Currents on turning 25!! I wait for you to turn 50 and then a hundred!! I am sure we will all be there to rejoice in your glory with music and fanfare.

Congratulations and Best Wishes Pandit Habib Khan, San Jose Habib Khan Saraswati Temple and Gurukul

Courageous and Honest

You are so dead on Prerna. Thanks for writing such and amazing article! (Undocumented, Unapologetic, Unafraid, March 2012) I salute you and your courage, openness, and honesty. Despite the so called success of the Indian American community, many of us have not evolved as far as being open and honest about our problems. I wish you lots of luck!

Leena, Online

Sad to See you go!

Courage, wisdom, and the passion to speak the truth realized in masterfully conceived and written editorials and superbly selected magazine content—That’s what you brought to India Currents and this reader running to read the minute I got my magazine.

Vidya, I am sorry to see you leave.

Andrea Gleason, San Carlos CA

Age and Wisdom

Really appreciated your funny, candid article (Growing Older by the Golden Gate, March 2012). Admired your bravery and honesty. I could totally relate to everything you say, and I’m sure many other “hyphenated” Indian American women could too, but wouldn’t have the guts to write about it. I remember being thrilled when Ragini Tharoor Srinivasan gave me my first break at IC. Since I’m from Portland, OR, I haven’t enjoyed the long history that you’ve had with the magazine. But I do share your birth year along with Arundhati Roy, Barack Obama and I don’t know who else, but I’m discovering it ain’t so bad!

Lakshmi Jagannathan, Online I think this is the funniest essay of truth I have read in India Currents. I couldn’t agree more that India Currents has, like it did you, given me the freedom to voice my unique Scorpio/American/Married-to-Indian/Writerly thoughts. Vidya Pradhan has been such a joy to work with! She gave me so much room to grow as a writer—and I did! IC consistently prints articles of substance; articles which have a place in real life. Keep writing about your eccentric life with your husband. All the best to you!

Cristina Chopalli, Online LOved your article—I’m a writer too, although you’re way ahead in the game. I’d love to catch up with you.

Jyoti Minocha, Online india currents • april 2012 • 5

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forum

Should Caucuses be Part of the Primaries?

Rameysh Ramdas

Mani Subramani

No, caucuses are outdated and deserve to be repealed

Yes, caucuses are necessary and lead to an informed electorate

merican democracy has a unique and commendable feature— the primary system. Anyone can, with the power of ideas, the strength of beliefs, and support of rank and file voters represent the party in an election at both federal and state levels. Contrast that with other democracies such as in India where the party bosses choose the nominees for their party. The primary system shifts that power of selecting the nominees to the actual voters.

There is one part of the primary system that I believe is outdated and deserves to be repealed—the practice of some states to have caucuses. A caucus is simply a meeting, often held in a church or a school ,where the voters in attendance gather in the room, to advocate for the candidate and to “court” those in the undecided group. The winner is the one with the largest group of supporters. The entire proceeding often takes several hours. The problem with caucuses is that it attracts only a small sliver of voters who can devote the time for this exercise and the typical voter with a job or family demands is often not able to participate and the results are not representative of the electorate.

Take the example of the recent GOP presidential primary caucus in Kansas—a mere 29,857 voters participated while the total registered Republican voters in Kansas is more than 735,000! The state of Maine switched this year to a caucus—while more than 64,000 Democrats and 96,000 Republicans voted in their 2000 primary, a little over 5000 voters gathered for the caucus this year!

Bi-partisan caucuses exert enormous impact on the choice of a nominee especially in the Presidential election, disproportionate to the small percentage of voters who do participate in them. In 2008, Barack Obama secured the Democratic nomination with caucus wins making the difference despite Hillary Clinton winning the plurality of actual votes cast in primary elections. The 2012 GOP primary is also shaping up to be a very close race with perhaps the caucus states determining the nominee.

A better way, as is the practice in California, is to have direct primary elections where the voters come in for a quick drop of the ballot in the box or mail their absentee ballots ahead of time. In the 2008 Democratic primary, more than 5 million California voters participated making the result much more representative of the state’s electorate.

Democracy is strengthened by empowering as many voters to be franchised to cast their vote—the antiquated caucus system does just the opposite—by allowing a small fringe on both the left and the right to have a disproportionate influence in determining the nominee in both parties. n

n 2008, Michael Steele, the Republican National Convention chair at the time, successfully lobbied for and instituted a Proportional delegate distribution for all Republican primaries. Prior to this the Republican primaries were winner-take-all contests and were decided by early wins by one of the candidates. This, and not the caucus system, is primarily responsible for the longevity and closeness of the GOP presidential race. Due to this skewed delegate apportionment policy, Michigan was won by Mitt Romney. Despite being a primary election state, Michigan awarded an equal number of delegates to both Santorum and Romney. Similarly, in Kansas, Ohio and Alabama.

Caucuses do tend to be sparsely attended. Yet we accept these as the normal functioning of local governments and schools and we live by the consequences.

While it is important for democracy to have maximum voter participation it is also critical and perhaps even more important to have an informed electorate. A caucus system promotes intense discussion of candidates, their positions on issues and their politics. This is not unlike Parent Teachers Assciation meetings at schools or meetings held at city and county levels. The outcome of these activities have a significant influence on our lives. Yes, they do tend to involve detailed discussions of the issues and are time consuming, but this is a hallmark of informed decision making.

Examples abound where the will of a few have thwarted the opinion of the many but the caucus sytem is not one of them. One contemporary example is the federal tax policy. A vast majority of Americans favor a return to higher income tax brackets for the wealthy. However, tax policy has been held hostage to the Taxpayer Protection Pledge. This is a pledge that was created by Americans for Tax Reform, a think tank organization headed by Grover Norquist. He has 276 members of congress—almost all Republicans—who have signed this pledge. Pledgees are forbidden to sign any legislation that raises taxes or removes subsidies no matter how unpopular or unjustified the subsidy or how popular the tax. As a result there have been no federal income tax increases since 1993 in spite of the U.S. military being involved in two major wars and several smaller conflicts since.

There are elements of the caucus system that could indeed strengthen the electorate’s understanding of the issues and the candidates. To the extent that participation is limited, advances in communication and media technologies can be leveraged to provide a wider reach. There are dysfunctional aspects of this democracy but the caucus system is certainly not one of them. n

Rameysh Ramdas, an SF Bay Area professional, writes as a hobby.

Mani Subramani works in the semi-conductor industry in Silicon Valley.

A

The problem with caucuses is that it attracts a small sliver of voters.

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A caucus system promotes intense discussion of candidates.

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zeitgeist

Ragini Tharoor Srinivasan

Life After Facebook

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gave myself a real birthday present this year. I got off Facebook.

Before you roll your eyes and turn the page (click away? finger swipe?), let me assure you that what follows is not a litany of complaints about Facebook’s (no) privacy policies, the aesthetics of Timeline, the politics of News Feed, or the influx of parent and grand-parent users. When my own parents joined Facebook and I was still a member of the 500-million club, I friended them without issue. I never kicked up a fuss about Facebook’s perplexing privacy settings, because I always had mine tightly regulated, and I never posted much, anyway. As for Timeline, I didn’t stick around long enough to use it, though, doctoral student that I am, I suspect it enacts problematic historicization of the beliefs, preferences, doings, and times of its users, whose lives can hardly be said to conform to the ordering dictates of the “line” and its attendant teleology. Timeline for what? Leading where, and when?

I suppose the move toward complete archivization of individual lives is consistent with the increasing number of “adult” users, who might actually have life events worthy of an ordering in time and recounting in (web) space. Maybe. But in my experience of profile making, way back when in my college days, the fun was in the subversion of time—the way favorite things (books, music, films, quotes) from across the years could reside together in a category convened to speak you, the profile creator. The appeal was in the fact that your friends needn’t know who you were in high school or what you’d done, how far you’d come from that awful haircut, from that letter-to-the-editor you wrote your local paper. Facebook wasn’t about telling your whole story, representing the full you, or capturing and flagging all the momentous events of your life. It was more experimental, an invitation to perform, a way to simulate the urban sociality of Jane Jacobs’ “eyes on the street” with eyes on the screen.

When I deactivated my Facebook account, my mother expressed alarm. Wouldn’t I be missing out on…well…everything? In the first week of my declared exile, she took it upon herself to email me posts that she’d thought I’d like to see: images from a cousin’s wedding; a revealingly flirtatious exchange of “likes” between mutual friends.

“From facebook,” her emails were titled; “saw this on fb.”

But wasn’t that exactly the point? I didn’t want to “see this on fb” or know that about whomever. The only guilty twinge I felt stemmed from the fact that it would now be much harder to keep in touch with various extended family and friends in India, some of whom I had only connected with through Facebook in the first place. Then again, if Facebook was our only means of connection, what did it matter? We’d gone this many years with sporadic or no contact; we’d be fine.

And we have been fine. Really. Interestingly, I have found that users in their 40s and 50s express much more skepticism about life after Facebook than my own peers—many of whom inspired me with their earlier deactivations and deletions, or sustained resistance to joining in the first place. Talking with my parents’ peers (with apologies for constructing you as a bloc), I have found myself in the curious position of a Facebook old-timer. I’ve been on Facebook since 2004, I explain to the more recent joinees. I’m tired. I need a break. You’re still enjoying the first flush of pokes (do they do that anymore?) and messages with gradeschool friends, but I’ve been there, done that, and baby, it gets old. I feel like my parents must have when, in response to my invitation to

My time is not for Timeline. It’s time to face up to that other world of the already living.

see the latest Pixar offering, they looked amusedly and said, “We have no interest in animated movies. We’ve done all that with you kids.”

There is life after Facebook, just as there was life before. The problem for me was always life with Facebook: life with the injunction to update the world about your goings and comings; life with the everpresent spectacle of other people’s doings and desires; life with the time-sucking seductions of social media; life as a big, blue thumbs-up button; life as a “like” if you care; life as a share, share, share.

My colleague and friend, India Currents’ own Kalpana Mohan, recently described her life with Facebook in an essay for The Hindu.

“Facebook face-off” detailed her husband’s overly enthusiastic participation in various social networking sites, so much so that she was moved to temporarily unfriend him. Here’s Kalpana on the experience: “[The hiatus] made me think about the many ways in which my husband was uniting the community—with his camera and his computer. Thanks to him, we now had a folder of photographs of every friend or relative, alive or dead. Thanks to him, we had memories—of braces, warts, awards, events, grandparents and all.”

I encourage you to read the delightful piece in full, since I am necessarily extracting here what I find most provocative. Is Facebook actually a tool for uniting communities? Or, given the self-selective processes by which we “friend” friends and the algorithmic processes by which their “news” makes it onto our Feeds, does Facebook simply allow pre-exiting, already united communities to perform their connections?

Does Facebook help us make memories? Does it allow us to keep or have memories? Or, does it actually overwrite our memories, overdetermining that which we recall, recollect, and recount to others? I’m not the only one who has had difficulty parsing a “genuine” memory from the photographic or cinematic image of it: of a childhood birthday party, Halloween parade, graduation ceremony.

As Facebook prepares to go public, anointing new billionaires and inaugurating speculation about its next move, I predict many more will move away from and off of it. Those of us who joined at the start know just how draining it has been to look and be looked at, comment and be commented on, like and be liked.

Ragini Tharoor Srinivasan is a Ph.D. student in the Department of Rhetoric at the University of California, Berkeley. india currents • april 2012 • 7

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elections 2012

Arpit Mehta

California Tax Initiatives What does having three competing intiatives on the ballot mean for voters?

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n the general elections this fall, Californians will find themselves faced with a choice of three conflicting ballot initiatives for tax reform tied to increased educational spending. These are Tax Increase for Education Initiative, California Tax Increase Initiative, and the Increased Income Tax for Those Earning Over $1,000,000 Initiative.

Each one aims to use the added revenue to supplement educational spending in the state of California, but the juxtaposition of all three on the ballot has been flagged cautionary, as split support on these could lead to all of them being voted down by Californians.

T

ax Increase for Education Initiative, sponsored by Molly Munger, daughter to billionaire Charles Munger of Berkshire Hathaway fame, seeks to increase California’s state income tax rate for residents making over $7,316 per year for the next twelve years.

Ranging between a 0.4% and a 2.2% increase dependent upon income, the initiative hopes that California can collect between ten and eleven billion dollars in added revenue, a number that they expect to increase over time. The initiative would earmark 85% of the anticipated revenue toward additional funding of K-12 schooling, and 15% toward early care and education programs, after a portion of it has been used to pay back some of the state’s debt.

California Tax Increase Initiative, sponsored by Governor Jerry Brown, hopes to circumvent partisan gridlock in the state assembly by putting a tax increase to a direct vote this November. The initiative seeks to increase the personal tax rate on residents making over $250,000 a year for the next five years, as well as to increase the sales and use tax by half a cent for the next four years. 89% of the anticipated three to seven billion dollars a year would be allocated towards K-12 schooling, and 11% of it would be allocated towards community colleges.

Increased Income Tax for Those Earning Over $1,000,000 Initiative, sponsored by the California Federation of Teachers (CFT), seeks to increase the personal income tax on those making over $1,000,000 by 3%, and on those making over $2,000,000 by 5%. The

8 • india currents • april 2012

California already outspends bigger economies on its students, yet lacks the results those economies have been able to provide. Will more spending actually improve that?

initiative estimates anywhere between six and nine billion dollars in added revenue the first year, between four and six billion dollars the following year, and expects that number to rise in later years. Of the increased revenue, 36% would be allocated towards K-12 schooling and 24% would be allocated towards public colleges. CFT has announced that they’re working with Governor Brown to consolidate the two initiatives, but are keeping this one alive in case the new proposal isn’t progressive enough.

It’s not difficult to see how these three initiatives with similar end-goals would split Californians’ support. This has led various political pundits to ponder which initiative will work best, but the most obvious question remains unasked: are any of these worth backing?

California, with a state budget of ninetysix billion dollars, already spends half of it on education. Thirty-six billion of those dollars are spent on the K-12 education of over six million students, yet we clock in at a mere 77% literacy rate. In comparison, India spends twelve billion dollars on education, coming in

at 76% literacy, and China spends thirty-two billion dollars, coming in at 94% literacy. So how is it that we spend more, yet see worse results?

All three initiatives seem to argue that California simply does not spend enough on education, and they use various statistics to paint that picture. But it is an incomplete one. For example, Molly Munger’s Tax Increase for Education Initiative cites that California ranks 47th in per-pupil funding in the United States. However, that rank fluctuates from 28th to 48th based on the year, adjustment based on The Comparable Wage Index, and whether or not the source includes federal funding for education. Even so, this fails to give us the actual per-pupil funding, as it does not separate the bureaucratic and administrative costs, as well as waste in the system.

An average California class seats between 20 and 30 students, which means an estimated allocation of $200,000 to $300,000 for each class (using $10,259 federal-inclusive per-pupil funding figure from non-partisan organization, EdSource). The average California schoolteacher salary, however, is approximately $60,000, which leaves $140,000 to $240,000 that isn’t directly impacting students. While some administrative cost is necessary and unavoidable, the bureaucracy in the public school system makes it impossible to cut waste therein. CalTax, a nonpartisan research and advocacy association, lists a slew of abuses and wastes within California’s public education system, including continued renting of vacant buildings, hiring six-figured public relations spokesmen while laying teachers off, frivolous union-related lawsuits, and more.

And while those costs keep increasing, productivity in education has decreased in the last few decades. According to senior economics writer for the Wall Street Journal, Stephen Moore, “Over the period 1970—2005, school spending per pupil, adjusted for inflation, doubled, while standardized achievement test scores were flat. Over roughly that same time period, public-school employment doubled per student, according to a study by researchers at the University of Washington.” Unfortunately, it’s nearly impossible to punish

A

ll of these demand a thorough questioning of the old adage that increased state spending guarantees higher quality of education, or even greater equality of education.

California already outspends bigger economies on its students, yet lacks the results those economies have been able to provide.

Will more spending actually improve that?

Or will it lead to more waste in the system?

And what happens if, as Romer and Romer predicted, revenues drop? Students will suffer even more with deeper cuts to education.

What needs to happen, then, is a comprehensive overhaul of our current educational system that addresses bureaucracy and wastes therein, so as to better utilize the funds already in place. A greater focus on oversight would be far more welcome that increased taxes, comforting parents and taxpayers alike that accountability is a priority. Until then, K-12 education, and specifically the students in California public schools, will continue to suffer. n

Arpit Mehta is a graphic designer and photographer ased in California with an interest in politics and entrepreneurship. He hopes to be directly involved in the political system one day.

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this drop in productivity, as it costs anywhere between $200,000 to $500,000 to fire a bad teacher in the state of California, as per a May 2009 L.A. Times article. Even when they are fired, it’s unlikely that their pensions will be suspended. The recent L.A. Unified School District teacher under fire for sexual abuse is yet another byproduct of the overly complex bureaucracy within the public school system, not to mention the lack of oversight despite the large administrative costs.

Another problem with these initiatives is that their stated fiscal impacts use untested numbers. In fact, they are contrary to research done by U.C. Berkeley professors Christina Romer and David Romer for their paper, The Macroeconomic Effects of Tax Changes: Estimates Based on a New Measure of Fiscal Shocks: “Our baseline specification suggests that an exogenous tax increase of one percent of GDP lowers real GDP by roughly three percent.” Considering that California is the ninth-largest economy in the world, weighing in at $1.9 trillion, it’s not much of a stretch to treat its gross state product as the gross domestic product. A ten billion tax, as at least one of the initiatives is banking on, equals a tax of a half a percent of the GSP. If this leads to even a one percent dip, the state loses out on nearly twenty billion dollars in tax revenue.

The earmarked ten billion by Molly Munger’s initiative, then, puts the state into further debt. Even though the other initiatives calculate smaller returns, the truth is that those numbers are purely theoretical.

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india currents • april 2012 • 9

The Great Indian Journey

By Preston Merchant

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n this stunning photo essay, Preston Merchant captures the life and everyday circumstances of the Indian diaspora. The pictures document the hardscrabble beginnings of early immigrants to the rise of a business and intellectual class. Merchant takes us on a journey through countries across the world, where the Indian diaspora have placed their unique thumbprints on societies and cultures. The narrative accrues slowly, as we see farmers making a living, young aspiring performers finding their voice on stage, mothers preparing for a nostalgic wedding ceremony, grandmothers shopping and couples attending fundraisers. It’s a story of how emerging generations continue to orient themselves to the coordinates of their Indian heritage.

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hat compelled you to chronicle the Indian diaspora through images?

Member of the local city council, John Arkan owns a banana planation in Woolgoolga, a town noted for its large Sikh community. Woolgoolga, Australia

I didn’t really intend to undertake a decade-long project, involving over a dozen countries, but this where I am today. In the early 2000s, I was interested in the Indian communities in New York, where I live, and was intrigued to discover that they are not all from India. They have come from Guyana, Trinidad, London, Nairobi, and other places.

I started photographing the Indo-Caribbean communities in Richmond Hill and Ozone Park. They have a very distinctive culture, lots of festivals, and some remarkable food. I later went to Trinidad and Guyana and photographed members of the families I had met in New York.

It’s common to think of the Indian diaspora experience in terms of the sweep of history—British colonialism, the indenture system, the local politics of places like East Africa and Great Britain, economic globalization, and technological advances. These are contributing factors, but Indians have also migrated for personal reasons. A family buys a shop in Manchester and calls for cousins from India to help run it.

A woman in Ahmedabad marries a man from San Francisco and moves to the United States. A student wins a scholarship to study in Melbourne.

The diasporic phenomenon is rich with a complex (and sometimes painful) history, but it is sustained by intensely personal decisions, as families work out what is best for them and their children.

Ashley’s grandfather slaughters a duck for dinner. Hague, Guyana

Guests at a silent auction to raise funds for charity. Manhattan, New York 10 • india currents • april 2012

The groom’s side prepares to present gifts at a pithi (turmeric) ceremony for the groom. Pleasanton, California

In your interactions with the young among the diaspora, especially, second and third generation people of Indian origin, how much do you think there was a sense of rootedness or some sort of belongingness to what could be broadly called Indian? Did you come across a sense of curiosity among them about the land of their forefathers?

The newly constructed Shree Sanatan Mandir. Wembley, United Kingdom

Young people of Indian origin today are growing up in a world very different from that of their parents and grandparents. India’s economic and cultural footprint across the globe today is vast. A generation ago, getting news out of India was difficult. Bollywood movies were smuggled as cassettes in a relative’s suitcase and communication was a blue air-mail envelope.

Today, they communicate with their relatives in India via Skype and watch Indian channels on satellite TV. But more important than the ease of communication is the fact that Indian culture is part of global culture. The movies, music, and food are increasingly mainstream. So young people see their culture reinforced, even admired, in popular culture.

But there are still questions of identity, of course.

A boy growing up in New York whose parents came from Guyana will see Indian culture and know that his own Guyanese heritage is very different. The Guyanese are proud of their culture, and they carry it with them when they emigrate to New York, Toronto, London and other places. Their identity is Guyanese.

Identity is complicated. When I was in Fiji last summer, I met an NGO worker who was about to get married and move to Australia. She is a Hindi-speaking South Indian Fijian woman, who will raise her children in Perth. When I asked which identity would be most important to them, she said, “South Indian.”

A Hindu home for underprivileged boys. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Peter Plummer performs for the Mangal family. Maracas Bay, Trinidad

India-born Jasmine Sandlas films a music video for a medley of two of her songs, one in English, the other in Punjabi, which draw on bhangra and American hip-hop. Ajay Singh, a producer for Diamond Lane records, checks the video monitor. Mountain View, California

Shopping at the City Park Traders Market, a development project of the Aga Khan Foundation. Nairobi, Kenya india currents • april 2012 • 11

What of identity? In many of your photographs, we see both young and old adopting, if not in full, some adaptations of cultural practices, for example an Indian wedding, or culinary preferences. What was your “reading” of their sense of identity in America or Europe where they were born and raised?

Uma Ramaswamy (center) graduates from Dartmouth College, with a degree in music and women’s studies and membership in one of the college’s prestigious senior societies, indicated by the cane.

She will pursue a career in medicine. Hanover, New Hampshire

Indians in the diaspora certainly feel the strong pull of an Indian identity, but it doesn’t exclude participating fully in the local culture or creating a culture of their own.

Most Indians in Fiji, for example, trace their roots to the states of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. Their ancestors came to Fiji as indentured laborers. In addition to English, they speak a Bhojpuri-influenced Hindi, stripped of linguistic formalities.

Every diaspora community makes an accommodation.

It preserves what it needs to, adapts to new situations, and creates something distinctive. As Salman Rushdie wrote, “the immigrant must invent the earth beneath his feet.”

I think those words are a rich and poetic statement about the diaspora experience.

What about your projects in India?

Classically trained sitarist Mungal Patasar fronts a fusion band called Pantar, which combines the sitar with the steel pan, the traditional instrument of Trinidad, along with other instruments from jazz and rock. Chauguanas, Trinidad

My wife, whom I met three years ago, was born in Delhi and came to the United States when she was 15.

We have visited her cousins in India twice since we got married, and I am intrigued by the notion of India itself as a diaspora country. Indians in other countries have a much more tangible relationship with India than they did years ago, thanks to the Internet, satellite TV, and cheap airfares. So a study of diaspora has to explore the relationship between overseas Indians and the country of India.

The recent explosion of Indian American fiction from authors like Jhumpa Lahiri and Kiran Desai and non-fiction from writers like Anand Giridharadas and Amitava Kumar makes it clear that India looms large over the diaspora. For some, India is about family connections, shopping, remittances, or business opportunities. For others, India is a half-recalled story told by a grandparent. Or it’s just one of a hundred channels on the cable TV box.

Central to the diaspora experience is asking questions about one’s roots and how they affect the future. India is big part of that conversation, but for the diaspora it’s not the only part.

Former captain of Kenya’s national cricket team Aasif Karim and family at their home. Nairobi, Kenya

The Lord Mayor of Leicester, Manjula Sood, and Civic Attendant Chris Rhodes. Sood is the first Asian woman to serve as Lord Mayor of a British town. Leicester, United Kingdom 12 • india currents • april 2012

Disc jockey Randip Dhillon at a pub.

Hester, United Kingdom

Easter street festival along the seawall. Georgetown, Guyana

As a photographer what do you look for in your subjects? What has been your most challenging assignment thus far?

A hydroponic farm. Woolgoolga, Australia

Yojna Verma (the photographer’s wife) shops for saris with her cousin in Chandni Chawk during a family visit. Yojna was born in Delhi and moved to New York with her parents when she was 15. Delhi, India

The challenges are often logistical, getting to the right place to meet the right people in the best light when something interesting is happening. I look for moments that are suggestive of stories, that offer a window into the lives and experiences of people in the diaspora.

Sometimes the challenges are political. I photographed in Malaysia and Fiji during a time when the status of Indians, whose families had been in the country for four generations or more, was being challenged. Those issues remain unresolved.

But most of the time the challenge is creative.

I’m trying to assemble a body of work that does justice to the lives and histories of the people I am photographing, while also giving a feeling of intimacy. I rarely shoot strangers, so nearly everyone you see in my photographs is someone I have gotten to know—for hours, days, or even years— whose story is worth telling in a photograph. And I have tried to photograph a range of people, from laborers to business executives, infants to the elderly, from over a dozen countries around the world. n Preston Merchant is a New York-based photographer working on “IndiaWorld,” an exploration of the people and cultures of the global Indian diaspora, which encompasses some 20 million people in dozens of countries.

This interview was conducted by K.G. Sreenivas, and first published in Pravasi Bharatiya.

Members of the band Bamboo Shoots, led by guitarist and lead vocalist Avir Mehta (second from left), add Indian drums to their rock and roll sound. Manhattan, New York

A jhandi ceremony in the Guyanese tradition. Dennis Jaikaran and Radhika Drebaul offer this puja on their mother’s death anniversary. Ozone Park, New York india currents • april 2012 • 13

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commentary

Sunil Adam . New America Media

Was Law Upheld but Justice Denied in Dharun Ravi Case?

The guilty verdict in the Dharun Ravi case compounding a tragedy

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ow there are two victims. Tyler Clementi and Dharun Ravi. The former paid with his life. The latter will pay with his future.

With the jury’s guilty verdict in the socalled Rutgers University webcam spying case, Ravi, it appears, has been turned into the proverbial sacrificial lamb for society’s collective guilt about its own bias intimidation against homosexuals, a condition that probably drove Clementi to commit suicide.

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ure, the jury upheld the law, but was justice served? Didn’t Ravi deserve even the kind of leniency that was shown to Lori Drew, the 49-year-old Los Angeles woman charged in the first federal cyber bullying case in 2008 pertaining to the suicide of a 13-year-old girl?

Drew, who allegedly obtained unauthorized access to MySpace by creating a fake profile for a nonexistent 16-year-old boy and bullied the 13-year-old to suicide, was cleared of all but three misdemeanors. And to think that Ravi faces 10 years in prison even without being accused of causing or abetting Clementi’s suicide.

Now, all of us, along with the judge and the jury, will have to delude ourselves into believing that the Rutgers case has been only about the invasion of privacy and Ravi’s prejudice against homosexuality that drove him to intimidate Clementi and his older and anonymous mate (apparently a victim as well).

If the verdict is anything to go by, we all have to believe that this case had nothing to do with the tragedy of Clementi’s suicide—just as the prosecution had dexterously excluded any such linkage. It will remain a mystery in legal annals how someone can be held accountable for intimidation, but not its tragic consequences. One can only wonder if the jury deliberated whether there would have been a court case against Ravi had Clementi not committed suicide.

But there is a reason why all parties, including the defense, shied away from examining the gorilla in the room, as it were. Obviously, linking Clementi’s suicide with Ravi’s actions would have implicated us all—the

14 • india currents • april 2012

whole society, whose prejudice and contempt toward homosexuality is what created the intimidating conditions that pushed Clementi to his death plunge from the George Washington Bridge.

Moreover, if Clementi’s suicide would have been (rightly) the focus of the prosecution’s case, the first person to be implicated would have, or should have, been Clementi’s own mother who, by Clementi’s recorded confession, could not bring herself to accept his sexual orientation, causing the kind of distress that would not be comparable to anything that he may have felt at some comments tweeted by his reckless and insensitive roommate.

By making Ravi the sole criminal in this case we have absolved ourselves of any involvement in the psychological makeup of Clementi—the shame and intimidation he felt at being exposed. And, of course, we don’t need to ponder if Clementi would have felt the same way and been driven to suicide had he been exposed kissing a girl instead.

If the answer to that question is no, that Clementi wouldn't have ended his life if he were exposed for indulging in a heterosexual act, then it has to be assumed that he was driven to suicide because he felt intimidated at being exposed to an unforgiving society, and not because Ravi did what any reckless

and stupid teenager (at the time of events) with access to an array of gadgets and social networking tools would be tempted to do.

There had to be deeper reasons why Clementi was driven to end his life, because if he felt intimidated by Ravi, he wouldn’t have asked him to leave the room a second time so he could be alone with his male friend.

And that is the reason why one would have thought Ravi had no role in Clementi’s shame or intimidation or suicide. But that was not to be.

And here one might add that Ravi would have quite likely played a similar prank even if Clementi had a girl over in his room, considering that Ravi is both arrogant and prudish thanks to his nouveau riche upbringing—peculiar to many Asian immigrant families—and Indian cultural values with all their misconceptions about and limitations concerning any kind of premarital sex.

But in the end, perhaps, Ravi’s life is a small price to pay for political correctness of our times, even if it means Atticus Finch loses and Anderson Cooper wins. n Sunil Adam is the editor of The Indian American, a bimonthly general-interest magazine published from New York. This article originally ran in the Huffington Post.

india currents • april 2012 • 15

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opinion

Alakananda Mookerjee and Sharmila Mukherjee

American Brands De-Americanize Can Starbucks and McDonalds still be considered American companies?

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n a recent op-ed in The New York Times, “How India Became America,” Akash Kapur writes that the entry of coffeehouse giant Starbucks, into the Indian market, “signals the latest episode in India’s remarkable process of Americanization.” But, does the term “Americanization” accurately capture the flavor of the changes sweeping India?

Yes, Starbucks was born in charmingly wet Seattle, and if corporations had nationalities, Starbucks would have carried a passport bearing the seal of the coat of arms of the United States, embossed on a midnight-blue cover. Yet, ironically, Starbucks is one among a handful of quintessentially American consumer brands that are, in essence, shedding their American identity, and projecting themselves more as suave, cosmopolitan, globalist players.

Starbucks did not fly to India as “Starbucks Coffee.” Around early 2011, the company dropped the words, “Starbucks” and “Coffee,” from its logo. By jettisoning the verbiage, it was, on one level, making it known for more than just coffee; on another, it was trying, it could be argued, to dispense with a direct connection to an American literary classic.

Starbucks is named after the first mate character in Herman Melville’s “Moby Dick.”

The logo, also inspired by the sea, features a “twin-tailed siren,” from Greek mythology.

When Starbucks was founded in 1971, the sea-nymph was selected as a salute to the nautical roots of the coffee business.

In the new version of the logo, the mermaid floats freely—unbound by a name. To surrender one’s name is to be willing to travel beyond the rigid shackles imposed by it, and to eagerly adapt and adjust to the fads and fancies; the tastes and quirks, of other cultures.

Consider the coffee shop located at the entrance to the Dazaifu Tenmangu, an ancient Japanese shrine, dating back to 919 A.D. It is a Starbucks. Made out of 2,000 short and slender wooden poles, woven diagonally, its architecture, however, is decidedly un-Starbucks. The goal of the Japanese architecture firm, in the words of Italian design magazine, Domus, was to erect a building that would “harmonize with the [surrounding] townscape” of low-slung houses.

16 • india currents • april 2012

tion of epicures, renowned for its three-star Michelin restaurants, declared McDonald’s as the epitome of what it called “malbouffe” (translated as “junk food”). Today, McDonald’s has won over the palates of the Gauls.

The fast-food hegemony has converted France into its second-most profitable market in the world, with over 1,200 restaurants.

How did that happen? Again, the answer is that McDo, as the chain is known in France,

A Creative Commons image: Zigazou76

Starbucks is named after the first mate character in Herman Melville’s “Moby Dick.”

Very recently, Starbucks unveiled a new concept store in Amsterdam, which is not clinically glossy. Redolent with the aroma of roasted beans, with walls adorned with antique Delft tiles, with long oak tables and benches, made of repurposed Dutch oak, it has the cozy fug of a gingerbread house.

Starbucks, and others of its corporate ilk, could not care less if they set up shop in the Nubian mountains in the Sudan (provided of course, there was no war raging).

There was a time, not too long ago, when France disparaged hamburgers and French fries. The homeland of haute-cuisine, a na-

has de-Americanized itself.

Unlike in the United States, you will not see pole-mounted Golden Arches, visible from far afield, and they are not set against a Red Riding Hood-red background, but foliage green. The visual signage is more subdued.

In a stark departure from its American counterpart, inside, the restaurants, are well, more restaurant-like, with elegant décor, which entice customers to spend more time within the establishment, rather than grab a paper bag and go. On its menu are French dainties like French Roquefort cheese sandwiches and Parisian macaroons.

Can Starbucks and McDonald’s still be considered “American” companies? More importantly, do they care what we think of them, whether as a cowboy or an absinthe-drinking portraitist? n Alakananda Mookerjee lives in Brooklyn, and is a Francophile.

Sharmila Mukherjee teaches writing at New York University and at the City University of New York, and is an emergent fiction writer as well.

india currents • april 2012 • 17

IC

analysis

Anita Felicelli

The Raj Prototype

From Apu to Kelly Kapur: have media stereotypes about Indian-Americans evolved?

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hese are still the first things that American audiences associate with IndianAmerican in the media and it’s been that way for more than two decades. My first encounter with an Indian character on television was Kwik-E-Mart owner Apu on The Simpsons when it first aired twenty years ago.

The image of Apu in those very early episodes pandered to what the average American wanted to see about Indians in America—that they ran convenience stores, spoke with broad accents, were clueless about American culture and had a lot of strange customs. Although I enjoyed The Simpsons, I was uncomfortable when he came onscreen. But within a few years, The Simpsons turned into enjoyably subversive television, attacking education, law enforcement, and even racism. And some viewers think that the creators of the show characterized Apu more slyly, satirizing America’s response to Indian immigrants more than poking fun at Apu himself. Apu’s storylines continued to revolve around clichés—selling expired medicines and fathering too many children. Yet, you could see that he was smart enough to play social games that let the other characters stay comfortable in their ignorance.

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ow far have representations of Indians in the media come? Fast forward twenty years and we see a heterogenous group of Indian-Americans on the small screen. But stereotypes still abound. In 2010, Joel Stein wrote a piece for Time magazine called “My Own Private India” in which he complained about how his hometown of Menlo Park, New Jersey had been overtaken by Indians. On the waves of Indian immigration over the last few decades, he commented, “For a while, we assumed all Indians were geniuses. Then, in the 1980s, the doctors and engineers brought over their merchant cousins, and we were no longer so sure about the genius thing. In the 1990s, the not-as-brilliant merchants brought their even-less-bright cousins, and we started to understand why India is so damn poor.” He

18 • india currents • april 2012

Photo credit: Creative Commons Image: NASA

mmigrants? Check.

Arranged marriage? Check Nerds? Taxi cab drivers?

Convenience store owners?

Check, check, and check.

Raj Koothrappali of The Big Bang Theory played by Kunal Nayyar

concluded with what’s supposed to be a funny line about the Indian kids he knew in high school looking like “Italian Guidos,” “Their assimilation is so wonderfully American that if the Statue of Liberty could shed a tear, she would. Because of the amount of cologne they wear.”

Surprising Stein and Time, a number of readers wrote letters on how offended they were. But, as Stein noted in his apology for nastiness dressed up as humor, these weren’t views that are unusual in America and a conversation about the origin of these feelings is long overdue. Notwithstanding our black president and a population of 2,843,391 Indian-Americans in the U.S. in 2010, stereotypes of Indian-Americans haven’t changed as much as one might expect.

The celebration/skewering of geek culture in CBS’ hit sit-com The Big Bang Theory includes Raj Koothrappali, a character that plays into every stereotype about Indian immigrants in America. Although the show elicits fewer cringes from me than Outsourced did, it continues to play into all the stereotypes of nerdy, socially-awkward, and effeminate Indian males we’ve seen for years. Some say it saved the sit-com genre, but it is the most vapid television show I’ve seen in recent years.

Over the show’s history, Raj is increasingly portrayed in stereotypical ways. He’s not a

The Big Bang Theory includes Raj Koothrappali, a character that plays into every stereotype about Indian immigrants in America. manly man in conventional white American terms—he likes fru-fru drinks and The Blue Man Group. Unlike his fellow geeks who are capable of being in relationships, he has a one-month relationship with a deaf girl who, it’s intimated, gives him a chance because she can’t understand him and he showers her with expensive gifts. In one recent episode, he carries on a relationship with the voice of his smartphone. The image of an Indian geek who can’t get a girlfriend and so develops a relationship with an electronic device is so tired— yet judging by the show’s ratings, this is what audiences want to see.

To be fair, perhaps audiences are just enthralled because Kunal Nayyar, the actor who plays Raj is a good-looking guy. But he seems to get his laughs and approval ratings by presenting himself as a slightly less effeminate version of the Raj character in his real-life appearances with Craig Ferguson, George Lopez, and Bonnie Hunt. His schtick during two separate appearances was to express

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he Big Bang Theory and The Simpsons create entire plotlines out of cultural stereotypes, but on the opposite end of the media spectrum are the shows and movies that remove all cultural references. The humor from comedies in that vein arises when audiences are pleasantly surprised by a character that doesn’t have the usual cultural markers.

Kelly played by Mindy Kaling on The Office is an amusing foil to the formulaic American view of Indian women as quiet, cerebral and voiceless. She started out with a narrow personality, a liberal cardboard cutout who mainly served to showcase the ridiculousness of the boss Michael Scott’s worldview. Every year, Michael Scott awarded his employees with gag awards at a ceremony he dubbed the “Dundees.” Kelly didn’t hesitate to confront him when he gave her the “Spicy Curry” award. But in an episode dealing with Diwali, it became clear that Kelly is actually somewhat ignorant of her culture. Over time, she evolved into the Kelly of today: unabashedly shallow, oblivious, obsessed with celebrity gossip, unafraid to speak her mind—but totally lacking in any cultural context.

All of the Thursday night comedies on NBC include an Indian character in a supporting role. For the most part they, like Kelly, have very few cultural markers. It’s great to see so many Indian-Americans onscreen. But presenting numerous Indian American characters without ever really portraying them in depth or as people doesn’t really facilitate the meaningful presence of Indian Americans in media and entertainment. In one interview, Kal Penn who starred as Kumar Patel in the Harold and Kumar movies declined to present himself as a cultural ambassador—and who can blame him? It’s not fair to expect that actors model their careers around the messages they send audiences about their culture, in general. The real problem is that there are only two options: the wholesale embrace of stereotypes or a wholesale rejection and ignorance of Indian culture. Last year Salil Mehta and Reena Singh moved into key executive positions at NBC. It should be interesting to see whether Indian-Americans making inroads behind-the-scenes translates to more interesting portrayals onscreen.

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he success of Kelly Kapur calls to mind the cinematic characters Harold and Kumar in the buddy movie Harold and Kumar Go To White Castle, which became popular partly because it depicts two stoners who are Indian-American and Asian-American, but who don’t act in culturally-stereotypical ways.

Addressing their minority status, Jon Hurwitz, one of the creators of Harold and Kumar told Box Office Magazine that the whole point of these characters in search of burgers, women, and marijuana was that “they’re no different from us.” Kelly has grown popular for a similar reason—she’s not meant to be any different than any shallow, young white woman.

However, in the second movie of the franchise, Harold and Kumar Escape From Guantanamo Bay, the writers play much more with racial difference. Kumar is stopped for a security check and accuses the black man who stops him of racism.

An old lady on the plane with Kumar envisions him as Osama bin Laden.

But unlike the emasculated IndianAmerican males we see so much on television, Kumar is able to reunite with his love interest in the second and third movies, breaking the audience’s expectations.

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ost movies and television shows can’t take risks like this with their audience.

Consider Aasif Mandvi’s hilarious skit on The Daily Show, “The Qu’osby Show.” The skit takes as its starting point Katie Couric’s comment that Muslims in America could “cure racism” with a television series. (Just like The Cosby Show cured racism against African Americans.) Mandvi asks a consultant for The Cosby Show how much he can actually show Muslim culture on such a television show and gets the answer: not at all. Thus, in the pilot he produces, his fictional Muslim family dances to country music together. No cultural references are made aside from the last name Qu’osby.

But when Mandvi shows his pilot to a

Photo credit: WCHI News

something emotional and then state, “I mean, I’m very manly in many ways.” Audiences ate it up.

It’s ironic that a show about “smart” nerds depends on playing into the most pervasive and idiotic cultural cliches. When Raj’s sister Priya, a beautiful Cambridge-educated attorney, comes to town, she sexually pursues one of Raj’s friends, Leonard. The stereotype of the sexually aggressive minority female is emphasized when one character notes that Priya has “the smoldering sexuality of a crouched Bengal tiger” and that she comes from the culture that wrote the book on sex.

hilpa Davé, a professor of American Studies at Brandeis University, has a book coming out this year (Indian Accents: Brown Voice and Racial Performance in American Television and Film) that discusses how Indian Americans in comedy formats present less of a threat than they do in dramas to the extent that their differences become “acceptable, funny, and even lovable.”

Davé comments that the role of Indians as comic figures “follows a historical trajectory of other minority groups where comedy is one of the first places in the entertainment business where inroads are made. Humor has always diffused tension but at the same time what one culture or group may find funny is not the same and that’s the failing of comedy as the sole means of understanding difference.” That may also be one of the reasons Outsourced failed.

Although comedy has been a place of major development, it’s drama that offers the possibility of complexity that comedy hasn’t taken on (yet). While The Big Bang Theory chooses to present a comically hypersexual Indian woman, the drama The Good Wife offers one of the most interesting and human Indian-American characters on television right now. The bisexual law firm investigator Kalinda Sharma played by Archie Panjabi is matter of fact, ballsy, and smart. She’s not a model minority, but nor is she a caricature; her flaws are what make her both believable and complex.

Aasif Mandvi

test audience, none of the audience members crack a smile. All of them find it unbelievable and offer suggestions for making it more believable. Why not add an uncle who’s a terrorist or chat about Islam in the living room?

Playing into stereotypes is a prerequisite to acceptance by the test audience. You might expect that an influx of Indian-Americans into media and entertainment would result in significantly different representations onscreen. But most of what American audiences see onscreen and in the news remains well within what test audiences would be comfortable with—and they’re still not comfortable with difference. If they were, notwithstanding its bad writing, Outsourced might have been retained for another season.

Characters like Kalinda Sharma are still rarities. Either cultural markers like thick accents and exotic holidays comprise an entire plotline or else the only cultural markers are brown skin and a last name that is difficult to pronounce. We probably won’t see that change until mainstream American attitudes change. n Anita Mohan Felicelli is a writer, attorney and poet who lives in the Bay Area. india currents • april 2012 • 19

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desi voices

Ranjani Iyer Mohanty

The Food of Love Is food a substitute for affection?

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ears ago, as a young adult, living on trust you,” to “I love you” and “my life is not my own in Vancouver while doing my complete until I have eaten your food.”

MBA, whenever I phoned home to n many older cultures, any visitor must be Calgary, my mother would ask me, “have you offered food. Of course, the significance of eaten well?” Here I was, staying up all night the transaction can sometimes be taken to an and struggling to understand a complex case extreme: if you eat my food and you enjoy it, on international finance, and all she was woryou become an honorary member of my famiried about was food! ly. Conversely, if you reject my food, you reject Later I got married into an Indian family, my love; big trouble. At that point, feelings and again food featured large on the physical are running so high that the simple argument, and conversational menu. Whenever I was on “I’m just not hungry” holds no water. So you my way in or out of the house, my mother-inmust eat at least a spoon-full of whatever’s law would ask me, “Did you eat?” There I was: being offered and delicately display just that out of the frying pan and...into another frying fine degree pan. of appreciaI used tion such that to wonder if your host feels the question good but not came from so much that not having you’re stuck had enough with a secfood in their ond helping. childhood, a With such great love of strong emofood, or my tions tied to being skinny. food, it’s not It was only surprising that when I had as developing children of Photo Credit: Creative Commons; Mahin countries, like my own that China and India, I understood. In become more affluent, obesity is becoming a world where we can’t understand or control an issue. or help our children with their various life Often, the food must be home-made to problems, we can offer them one source of be appreciated, and that can be frustrating. comfort: food.

Once, after a busy day, I had gone to a lot We’re dealing with a very ancient and esof trouble preparing food for dinner and my sential and primal transaction. As an infant, guest of honour said on her way out, “Now one of the first things that happens is our next time we must eat your food.” mother offers us her breast and we take it. In Food is just a part of the transaction the Hindu tradition, the day a baby eats its though. As important is the offering. At my first solid food—usually a few grains of rice parents’ home in Calgary, my mom keeps cooked extra soft—is marked by prayers and a close eye on all her guests’ plates, ready celebration. to gently encourage them to have another This basic transaction reveals a spectrum serving. At my in-laws’ home in New Delhi, of subliminal meanings on both sides. When it gives my mother-in-law great joy to serve food is offered, it serves to engender feelings Sunday lunch on everyone’s plates, keeping of usefulness, of fulfillment, an expression of in mind likes and dislikes. And this way, she love. When food is accepted, it says a variety also gets to dictate portion sizes; read huge. of things all the way from “I like you” and “I 20 • india currents • april 2012

I

The author with her mother—then

In a world where we can’t understand, control or help our children with their various life problems, we can offer them one source of comfort: food.

Recently in Rome at a friend’s home, the elderly gentlemen served us all wine, and then finally his grandson served him. When we noted this, the grandfather said in his broken English, “It is … how you say, his duty.” Higrandson gently corrected him, “No, it is my pleasure.”

It’s no wonder that Thanksgiving is such a popular holiday. It enables us to come together and to partake in this special transaction, of serving food and being served, of giving and receiving love.

At its best, eating is a social act, but sometimes in our regular busy far-flung lives, our meals are eaten alone.

Some days when I pick up my daughter after school, I can see she’s had a tough one.

Perhaps an overdose of homework on the horizon, a picky teacher, that social bug-a-boo, friends, or something else I don’t know about.

She doesn’t want to talk about it, so I ask her if she had a good lunch. She nods and asks me what’s for supper. I smile in the realization and relief that the situation is salvageable.

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he movie Ratatouille struck a big chord with our family. In one scene, when the fierce food critic Anton Ego tastes Remy’s ratatouille preparation, he is transported back to his childhood and his mother is lovingly serving him lunch, to assuage not only his physical hunger but his emotional hunger to be loved and accepted.

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The author with her mother—now

Today I live in Delhi and my mother lives in Calgary. When I talk to her on Skype, it’s usually about 9 in the morning for me and 9 in the evening for her. We’re both facing our own challenges in life—some discussed, others left unspoken. She asks me if I’ve eaten well, and I reply I have and tell her patiently of my breakfast of fruits and oats. Then I ask her if she’s eaten well, meaning “I love you too Amma.” n Ranjani Iyer Mohanty is an academic/business editor, based in New Delhi.

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taxation

Rahul Ranadive

IRS Reopens Offshore Disclosure Program Those who missed the boat the last time should consider applying

I

n May 2011, I wrote about the IRS’ increased enforcement efforts against U.S. taxpayers with undeclared foreign accounts, assets, and income, specifically regarding the August 2011 Offshore Voluntary Disclosure Initiative (OVDI). Since the OVDI closed on September 9, 2011 (or December 8, 2011 for those on extension), many people are now wondering what they can do now if they still have not disclosed their foreign assets. For a while, it appeared the only options available for taxpayers wishing to come into compliance were either a formal disclosure through the IRS’ standard voluntary disclosure program (a “noisy disclosure”) or simply trying to file prior year original or amended returns and hope they slip through the cracks and don’t get audited (a “silent disclosure” or “quiet disclosure”).

Upon closure of the 2011 OVDI, speculation had abounded amongst tax practitioners as to whether the IRS would institute another defined disclosure program similar to OVDI, and if so when.

I was convinced a new OVDI type program (with adjusted qualification and penalty structures) would not be announced until sometime in 2013. Somewhat surprisingly, on January 9, 2012, the IRS announced in IR2012-5 that it has reopened the OVDI, with certain important modifications noted below.

This is a very welcome development. As such, this article reviews the newly reopened OVDI and its important changes, and discusses the relative benefits and risks taxpayers should be aware of as they consider the merits of which compliance option they choose to pursue.

Background

The IRS has been increasing its enforcement efforts against U.S. taxpayers with undeclared offshore accounts for many years now with varying levels of success. In the past year alone we have seen the following significant developments in this area: • Over 30,000 people filed to participate in either the 2009 OVDP or the 2011 OVDI, resulting in $3.4B in taxes and penalties collected from the 95% of 2009 OVDP cases that have been closed to date, and $1B in up-front payments of tax and penalties required from the 2011 OVDI filers; • Five South Asians were indicted by federal grand juries for not reporting assets and income held at HSBC India or other HSBC international branches; • HSBC India received a federal subpoena 22 • india currents • april 2012

against it to turn over names and information of its U.S. accountholders to the IRS; • Credit Suisse concluded its settlement negotiations with the IRS to end its criminal investigation, and may have already disclosed names and information regarding its U.S. accountholders by the time this is published; • Eleven other private banks, mostly in Switzerland and Israel, are currently being investigated by the IRS, and likely will have to disclose their respective lists of U.S. accountholders.

Noisy Disclosure and Reopened OVDI

The IRS has always had a voluntary disclosure program available to taxpayers making a timely, truthful, and complete disclosure of their non-compliance before being audited by the IRS, a so-called “noisy disclosure.” The various OVDI programs have been a subset of this larger voluntary disclosure program where taxpayers can assure themselves of certainty of outcome based on the fixed civil penalty structures, in exchange for not being able to make any type of reasonable cause argument against imposition of penalties. This is in contrast to the regular voluntary disclosure program which has no fixed penalties and where reasonable cause can be asserted by the taxpayer as a defense. Accordingly, whether a taxpayer entered the OVDI program or not depended on whether the taxpayer was in danger of being classified a willful non-filer, or had credible reasonable cause arguments, or fell in the large gray zone somewhere in between.

For those taxpayers at substantial risk of being treated as a willful non-filer by the IRS, the OVDI fixed civil penalties, generally, are substantially lower than the potential maximum willful penalties.

Therefore, filing under the OVDI generally should be a good deal for such taxpayers.

For those few taxpayers, however, who have credible and strong reasonable cause arguments to avoid penalties completely, the fixed penalties of the OVDI program generally do not appear to be an attractive option.

For the vast majority of taxpayers who fall somewhere in between (i.e., clearly not a willful non-filer, but also no credible reasonable cause arguments), the decision becomes a difficult one of number-crunching and comparing all possible outcomes, followed by risk tolerance and risk aversion-based choices

from amongst those possible outcomes in deciding which course to follow.

The decision making process for the many taxpayers in this gray zone is made even more difficult by the fact that the IRS has the natural leverage in this situation. Further, many commentators, and even the National Taxpayer Advocate, have noted the unfair manner in which the IRS has enhanced its bargaining asymmetry by providing empty promises in FAQ 35 and the opt-out procedures. FAQ 35 states a taxpayer would not pay more penalties under the OVDI than he or she would under existing statutes. The opt-out procedures for the OVDI states taxpayers who choose to opt-out because they are unhappy with the 25% penalty will not be treated in a negative fashion for opting-out.

Many practitioners, however, have reported quite the opposite; that, IRS agents have been threatening taxpayers who indicate they may opt-out that doing so would result in a long and painful complete examination and that contrary to FAQ 35, the maximum penalties would be asserted against them rather than applying existing guidelines under the Internal Revenue Manual for applying existing statutes which, in most cases would suggest a warning letter or a penalty less than the maximum allowable.

In other words, it appears the IRS has been treating all non-willful filers as willful, or at the least, threatening to treat them as such despite the strong likelihood the IRS would not be able to prove willfulness in most cases.

Given this current posture from the IRS, it is unreasonable to expect taxpayers to assume the huge risk of massive penalties that could result from rolling the dice by opting-out, and for practitioners to advise their clients to do so. Accordingly, many taxpayers in the gray zone who likely could do better under existing statutes (if fairly applied by the IRS) are pressured into staying in the OVDI and paying the 25% penalty.

While there was no fixed penalty OVDI program open, most practitioners believed many taxpayers wishing to disclose would try to utilize the open-ended nature of the general voluntary disclosure program to assert credible, perhaps even aggressive, reasonable cause arguments and try to settle their cases for less than the OVDI program fixed penalties. On the other hand, many taxpayers are wary of an open-ended voluntary disclosure and prefer the certainty offered by the OVDI program. With the reopening of the OVDI

program, one thing is now certain: any noisy disclosure involving offshore accounts will be herded into the OVDI program under the fixed civil penalty structure with no ability to make reasonable cause arguments. In other words, an open-ended regular voluntary disclosure of offshore assets does not appear possible while the OVDI program is open.

Many practitioners believe the OVDI program was reopened to allow the thousands of taxpayers soon to be disclosed by Credit Suisse (and the eleven other banks currently under investigation) an opportunity to apply for the OVDI program before their names are disclosed by such banks. The reopened program is, generally, very similar to the 2011 OVDI but with two major differences. As with the 2011 OVDI, taxpayers will have to file eight years of tax returns and information returns and pay all taxes, interest and a 20% accuracy penalty on omitted income (plus late filing and late payment penalties if applicable). The first major difference is that the offshore penalty on the taxpayer’s highest aggregate balance of offshore accounts is now 27.5% instead of 25% in the 2011 OVDI and 20% in the 2009 OVDP. Under the reopened OVDI, taxpayers may still qualify for a lower offshore penalty rate of 12.5% for aggregate balances under $75,000, or 5% for certain inherited accounts, and for qualifying bona fide foreign residents or dualcitizens.

The second major difference from the 2011 OVDI program is the reopened program is open indefinitely. As such, currently, there is no deadline for a taxpayer to make their full submission; however, the IRS has stated that it may end the program at any time in the future and/or may change the terms and conditions of this reopened OVDI at any time. In other words, while there is no deadline (many complained the short timeline for submitting under the 2011 OVDI was a major problem), there is still urgency and incentive for taxpayers wishing to comply to do so as quickly as possible since the program could close at any time or the 27.5% offshore penalty could be increased at any time, perhaps even without notice or forewarning from the IRS.

Silent Disclosure

The IRS continues to focus efforts on auditing silent disclosures, disclosures outside the formalities of the regular voluntary disclosure program where taxpayers simply file and mail in prior year returns and hope nothing happens; or, at least the IRS says so. The IRS has attempted to create a lot of media messages to discourage taxpayers from doing silent disclosures and force everyone into a noisy disclosure by appearing to be highly aggressive in auditing silent disclosures. Given the limited enforcement resources available to the IRS, I question whether this is a lot of sound and fury from the IRS, and whether its bark is bigger than its bite in this particular area. Taxpayers

must be clearly aware, the IRS is getting more aggressive in auditing silent disclosures of offshore accounts and, therefore, this option remains highly risky and is not advisable for most taxpayers. I continue to believe, however, that a silent disclosure could be a preferred option for some taxpayers, depending on their specific circumstances, and that the IRS will never be able to succeed in forcing all taxpayers into a noisy disclosure, which is their stated goal.

Conclusion

The newly reopened OVDI program may offer an opportunity to those taxpayers who continue to be non-compliant with respect to reporting their offshore accounts, assets and income. Whether this noncompliance is due to recalcitrance, or simply just now learning of the filing requirements and the OVDI program, should make a major difference in how taxpayers are treated under existing statutes, but appears to be irrelevant to the IRS in its application of the OVDI program. For many, the OVDI program could be the best option available after considering all factors and potential scenarios. Taxpayers who continue their non-compliance, are slowly running out of time—the IRS is very serious about finding taxpayers with undeclared offshore assets, and has increasing tools available to find such non-compliant taxpayers.

Taxpayers who do have credible and strong reasonable cause arguments, however, may wish to question whether entering the OVDI program, at least as currently being administered by the IRS, is the right course of action. Those taxpayers at high risk of being found to be a willful non-filer who think they can escape completely by starting to disclose going forward (or closing

all offshore accounts now) and hoping the standard six year statute of limitations expires before they get audited, are definitely exposing themselves to tremendous risk. With the new FATCA reporting rules now in force on taxpayers (and soon to be in force on foreign financial institutions), and given the IRS’ increased focus on this area in general, this approach likely will encounter a high failure rate. Further, the possibility of the IRS charging such taxpayers with civil fraud for actively taking steps to further conceal their non-compliance is highly likely. In that case, such taxpayers could be audited at any time in the future because no statute of limitations applies for cases of civil fraud, and the possibility of a criminal tax evasion charge would be very high as well.

Accordingly, given the high stakes involved, readers seeking to determine whether it is advisable for them to seek qualification under the OVDI program or attempt a silent disclosure, or otherwise, should immediately consult their tax advisor for an evaluation and advice on the best way forward.n The foregoing is not tax or legal advice and should not be relied upon as such. No attorneyclient relationship is created or implied with any reader of this article. All taxpayers should seek independent advice from a qualified tax professional based on their individual circumstances.

Rahul P. Ranadive is admitted to the Florida and California bars and the U.S. Tax Court, and has practiced international and domestic tax planning focusing on high net-worth families with international ties for over ten years.

He is based in Miami, Florida and can be reached at rranadive@gtecllp.com or 305-9137128 or by visiting www.gtecllp.com. india currents • april 2012 • 23

24 • india currents • april 2012

india currents • april 2012 • 25

I C ask a lawyer Madan Ahluwalia

Custody and Visitation Rights Of Grandparents

W

hen something happens to a minor child's nuclear family such as divorce or death of a parent, the custody or visitation of the minor child can become an issue. There has been a legal precedent of granting custody of minor children to the immediate family members.

Courts will always try to grant custody to the other parent if one parent dies or does not want to have custody of the minor children. Parents have an automatic first right to raise their children without interference from grandparents if the parents are declared fit parents. The assumption is that a fit parent will always act in the best interests of the children.

If grandparents push for visitation rights with their grandchildren and the parent with custody objects, grandparents must show the court that it would be in the best interests of the grandchildren to have physical contact with the grandparents. The California courts

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When a grandparent in California wants

custody of the grandchildren, the conditions to meet are similar to visitation: In the case that it would not be in the best interests of the minor children or it would be harmful to the grandchildren to remain in custody of the parent. Usually harmful conditions would be things like abuse of the children or drug usage of the parents. Granting custody to someone other than a parent usually happens when a parent dies, is declared unfit by a California court, or does not want custody of the minor children.

In San Jose California, deciding on whether to pursue grandparent rights can be a difficult decision and process, it would be best to seek the advice of a skilled San Jose family law attorney. n Madan Ahluwalia is a California attorney who practices law in San Jose, CA. His website is www.attorneyonradio.com. He can be reached at (408) 416-3149.

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business

Vivek Wadhwa

Hollywood’s Role in Innovation Art is essential for technology innovation

S

ilicon Valley may be a garden of innovation, but many of the seeds were sown

by Hollywood. Earlier generations of innovators were inspired by shows such as Star Trek, Lost in Space, and The Jetsons; later generations, by films such as Aliens, Terminator, and Avatar. Hollywood brought science fiction to the masses and gave people big things to dream about. And music spread the inspiration—it was a social network before social networks existed.

These were some of the things we discussed at the Singularity University Executive Program on the Mulberry Street set of Hollywood’s Fox Studios, recently. Entertainer and technologist Will.i.am, Fox Filmed Entertainment Chairman and CEO, Jim Gianopulos, and Tesla and SpaceX founder, Elon Musk, provided some amazing insights into the symbiotic relationship between Hollywood and Silicon Valley.

With the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) battles still fresh in their minds, many people in Silicon Valley view Hollywood as an evil entity seeking to limit how they watch the movies that they legally bought, or threatening to sue or shut down anyone who watches, searches for, or even thinks about a movie that may be pirated. Down South, Hollywood believes that it is fighting for survival; that rather than being grateful, Silicon Valley is behaving like a predator.

So where is the truth?

Let’s start with what Jim Gianopulos said about the role of science fiction in innovation.

I remember how I, as a child, would dream about using my “communicator” to talk to friends across the globe and my “replicator” to create fancy desserts; how I imagined travelling to distant worlds in my spaceship and talking to aliens through my “universal translator.”

Look at where we already are. As Rod Rodenberry said at the Fox event, the iPhone is even more advanced than what his father, Gene, had envisaged. Captain Kirk’s communicators didn’t receive emails, browse the web, or play music, after all. 3D printers can now “replicate” chocolates, human organs, and buildings. This printing technology is in its infancy, but watch what happens later in this decade. And then there is space travel.

Elon Musk is developing not only the Tesla terrestrial sustainable transport vehicle (aka Tesla Roadster), but also spaceships for inter28 • india currents • april 2012

planetary travel using Star Trek-style thrusters (U.S.S. Enterprise version 1?). Elon plans to retire on Mars. He may well live his dream.

As well, Will.i.am made intriguing comments about music’s role in innovation. He said that Hollywood was a marriage of art and science: the science to make the camera work and the art for the script. Silicon Valley hasn’t had its “art marriage” yet, but music has helped it evolve. Music has long spread ideas and inspired people to create. Will said music was the “spreading of inspiration,” “the first social network.”

Will is right. Steve Jobs, for example, was a huge fan of Bob Dylan in particular and music in general. This passion may have influenced his decisions to build simple yet powerful music-creation software for the Mac. Try remembering when you heard a special song for the first time. You won’t be able to, but you’ll sure remember the circumstances—the point being that the art is essential for technology innovation.

So let’s give credit where it is due. We owe a lot to Hollywood.

On the flip side, the reason that big Hollywood names like Ashton Kutcher, Will.i.am, John Cusack, and Troy Carter (Lady Gaga’s manager and ingenious strategist) wanted to attend our event is that they know what Silicon Valley has done for them. All the computer-generated effects, novel projection technologies, HD screens, and Dolby and THX sound systems were built to meet the needs of artists. Equally important, the tools from Silicon Valley have made it far easier to express artistic endeavors for fun and profit.

The Blair Witch Project illustrated that a multimillion-dollar blockbuster could be shot on a camcorder.

The relationship between Hollywood and Silicon Valley is, in reality, quite symbiotic.

It has to be, because Silicon Valley has yet to inspire great art, and Hollywood has yet to produce great technology. The two communities together, however, have powered the most important cultural movements of the past century. As Jim Gianopulos noted, the relationship suffers from periodic friction but is hardly a hate-fest. In fact, the arts and entertainment have served as Silicon Valley’s muse for many, many years.

Online piracy is an issue that will continue to divide North and South California until solutions are found. Hollywood doesn’t want its

Silicon Valley has yet to inspire great art, and Hollywood has yet to produce great technology. The two communities together, however, have powered the most important cultural movements of the past century.

films and music being pirated just as Silicon Valley doesn’t want its intellectual property being stolen. Neither wants the producers of counterfeit goods and fake drugs selling their wares to unsuspecting consumers.

Silicon Valley needs provide the leadership here. It needs to take note of Hollywood’s concerns and reign in the real bad guys. n Vivek Wadhwa is an entrepreneur turned academic. You can follow him on Twitter at @ vwadhwa and find his research at www.wadhwa.com.

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IC

technology

Girija Sankar

Don’t Just Google It! A discussion of safe, child friendly websites and search engines

T

he teenage girl in the ABC sitcom The Middle asks her mother (played by Patricia Heaton of Everybody Loves Raymond fame) where she could learn about love, seeing as Valentine’s Day was around the corner. The mother, exasperated and annoyed, dismisses the girl with a “Just google it,” then takes a moment’s pause and says, “May be not…don’t google it.” Where then do young adults and children go online to learn about love, the Arab Spring or the economic crisis? Where can parents go online to steer their children towards accessible, safe and reliable information?

Deepa Gopal, the founder and visionary behind U.S Based Youngzine started the website as a way to bring world affairs to the attention of her young son who had outgrown kiddie websites like Disney but was still not mature enough to get on Wikipedia.

“Most mainstream media assumes some level of understanding. So, when we did not find any [websites] that fit the bill, we decided to start one!” Sites like National Geographic Kids, while very resourceful for general knowledge, may not provide much kid friendly content on current, international and political affairs.

Deepa often found herself “tailoring content for [her son’s] schools assignments.” Barkha Madan, of Our Little Earth had similar motivations. She found herself culling stories from the Internet and tweaking them just so her nieces could read about the world in accessible and easy-to-understand language. The website and e-newspaper was born when Barkha’s edited stories were being forwarded to friends and family. Meera Dholokia’s DOGOnews (dogo means young or small in Swahili) was a response to the amount of research that her then second grader’s weekly homework assignments required on a daily basis. Why not start a website that does just that, Meera thought. And so, DOGOnews was born.

Deepa’s passion was so strong that she quit her full-time job at Cisco after a 17 year-long career in computer hardware. With much technical and intellectual support from Deepa’s husband, Youngzine went live September 2010.

Meera’s engineering background helped her set up Our Little Earth but with additional support from developers. DOGOnews had a

30 • india currents • april 2012

modest start as a regular email update with PDF attachments which later led to a blog and then six months later, a fully-featured website.

When sourcing articles for the websites the writers start their research online on mainstream news, politics, science and technology. “I continuously scour the web for interesting content that could be intriguing, educational and appropriate for my young audiences,” says Meera. Youngzine’s Deepa tries to reach beyond mere expository text to explain the socio-political and cultural context that shapes the world’s news. This angle enables teachers to foster critical thinking amongst students. For instance, a recent article on the Arab Spring described not just the events but also the historical and political context surrounding the events in simple and crisp language. Deepa is quick to point out that in selecting topics, “avoid sensational articles that take center stage in mainstream media as there really is no value in those for children.”

Our Little Earth covers ten main stories each month and like Youngzine, “has a bias towards stories that provides an opportunity to talk about the rich historical and cultural backdrop on the region being covered.” The audiences for all three websites are children and young teens in the 9-14 age groups, school teachers and ESL learners. Studies show that the biggest drop off in academics happens in the middle school years, says Deepa, so the websites finds a way to sustain interest in that crucial age-group.

The websites are being increasingly sought after by schools, both within the US and internationally as a source of reference and teaching material. Schools from over 30 countries have already subscribed to Our Little Earth. Youngzine has already been recognized by the American Library Association as a “Great website for kids.” DOGOnews’ growth has been mostly organic, with parents and teachers spreading the word about website.

Parents, probably as critical an audience for the websites as the children themselves, have been very receptive to the websites, say

Deepa and Barkha. They find it a safe source for news that is stripped clean of sensationalism. “Since the portals cover current affairs children are able to read and follow what adults around them are discussing at any given point,” says Deepa, “thus making it easier for parents to keep their children informed.”

“Is it more work for parents? Let’s face reality,” says Meera. While parents would like to spend much time with their wards the reality is that few of us have the time for it. The ar-

Avoid sensational articles that take center stage in mainstream media as there really is no value in those for children.

ticles are written in such a way that children require little guidance from parents making it that much easier for parents.

Teachers, too, have been a very receptive audience. “Youngzine’s content often provides source material for reading and comprehension skills,” says Deepa. The website now has a classroom portal to provide a closed forum for online discussions between teachers and students. Our Little Earth is made available as an online resource in local libraries and teachers hand out printed versions of select articles. DOGOnews has evolved to a point where both teachers and students now visit the website for networking with their peers.

Visit the following links for more details and subscription information: www.dogonews.com; www.ourlittleearth.com; www.youngzine.com.

Girija Sankar lives in Atlanta and works in international development. Her writings can be found in a variety of online and print publications.

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DOGO for Teachers allows teachers to create an online classroom and select content from the website while DOGO for Students allows students to create avatars, link with others, earn points and bookmark content as well as maintaining a virtual bookshelf.

Youngzine has big plans for expansion with region-specific content, smartphone and tablet applications to make access easier. DOGOnews plans to add educational games and videos as additional content and Our Little Earth will focus more on schools in the coming months.

While Youngzine and DOGOnews are currently free for all users, Our Little Earth has three levels of subscription for the biweekly newsletters, with a basic edition that is offered free of cost. Deepa says that as the website grows, they will continue to look for grants and explore premium content as a way to sustain the growth.

DOGOnews recently added the menu option, Books, a community around children’s books, allowing kids to earn points and badges for reading, reviewing and commenting on books. In beta mode for three months, over 25,000 books have been read and over 2,100 book reviews have been written and published by website users. Our Little Earth will soon explore social media outlets for publicizing their work and enable features that allow users to lead online discussions about stories covered. Unique visits to Youngzine have tripled since the start of this year and in the 2011-12 school-year there has been a dramatic increase in the number of schools using the website.

Websites like those featured here save parents and teachers from hours of trolling the web for kid-friendly information by offering up up-to-date content in child-appropriate language. The social networking aspects of these portals allow for children to continue to be engaged with their peers and teachers in meaningful ways by sharing book reviews, comments on articles and participating in educational games and quizzes. Ultimately, as Deepa puts it eloquently, websites such as Youngzine, DOGOnews and Our Little Earth “help children become engaged and contributing citizens of tomorrow.” n

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We present three special showings of a dark comedy—a play that explores what it means for an Indian to live and die in America.

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india currents • april 2012 • 33

IC

music

Priya Das

Kabir Is No Stranger Here In a blend of music genres, Shubha Mudgal, Ursula Rucker and Business Class Refugees pay homage to Kabir’s poetry

E

Photo Credit: Rajan Parrikar

arthsync’s latest album No Stranger Here has achieved a potent combination of semantic, music, and vocal expression; all bound together by poet-saint Kabir’s profound simplicity. It pairs Shubha Mudgal’s powerful singing to Ursula Rucker’s performing-style poetry set to the group Business Class Refugees’ folk-electronic music. There is an additional dramatic effect created by the cinemascopic orchestra comprised of musicians playing the violin, viola, cello, bass, contrabass, keyboard, and drums. And yet, instead of drowning out the lyrics, the music lifts them up.

Kabir’s outpourings reach out through the centuries, reminding us that the one true quest is to find oneself in the transcendental connection with devotion and to lose oneself in the divine. In his own words, in track four: “When I was, There was no God, When there is God, I ceased to exist, All darkness was wiped away, When I saw the lamp of knowledge glow within me.”

The title-contrarian track, “A Stranger Here” is the highlight of the CD, with Kabir

Shubha Mudgal

and Rucker’s lyrics both seeking to find the elusive center of their lives. Rucker’s “Looking for my place, Where is my place” echoes Kabir’s “I am a stranger here, Who can I call out to”? Mudgal is arguably the best voice to bring Kabir into our midst, her pure, 34 • india currents • april 2012

gusty rendition emphasizes the simplicity in Kabir’s lyrics. And Mudgal has also prepared herself for it.

In an online interview a few years ago, when asked about her thoughts on spirituality and music, she said, “What I am trying to do in my research is see how bhakti sahitya (devotional literature) can guide one’s music: Is there a way of feeling saguna (a God with more physical properties)? And is there a way of feeling nirguna (a God that is abstract)?

What are those differences? Can one at any point sing both in the same fashion?” These contemplative refrains are heard in the khayal style singing she has brought to the album, where every mood, nuance, or word can be a world unto its own.

Rucker’s enunciation of her own poetry also produces a mystical reverie. Story goes, when Business Class Refugees’ Yotam Agam and Patrick Sebag worked with Mudgal’s creative vocals on this album, they realized that the sound needed something more; and in an inspired move, wrote to Rucker to wordsmith along. Rucker is known for her “steel-cut” social and personal commentaries—since her 1994 debut on an open-mic night in Philadelphia, Rucker has brought to her audience tales of love, separation, sexual exploitation, even crack addiction through her spoken-word poetry.

In the title track of her debut album Supa

Sista, she says, “Rape, Hate, Blame, Conversion, I call on all Supa Sistas, to emerge from, the muck and the mire, set the brainwashed up masses on fire.” Her third album, Ma’at Mama was named after the Egyptian principle of universal order and balance. So she fit the emotional quotient of the album.

The arrangement worked out. Rucker’s contemporary rebellion contrasts with Kabir’s unpretentious acceptance of life’s truths; both raise questions and share perspectives born of their own experiences.

In track seven, “Something is Still Missing,” Rucker on her own urges you to open your eyes, and widen your view. Mudgal/ Kabir in track eight respond with, “None can unravel your mysteries, Seeking to unravel your mysteries, they turn mad, drunk.”

Rucker’s words do sound simplistic and one wishes that the choice of words could match the drama in her voice, but they are not overly

Photo Credit: Kevin Gift

NO STRANGER HERE (EarthSync), available as album and individual downloads on iTunes and Amazon.com

Ursula Rucker

discordant.

All of Earthsync’s projects and albums deserve applause, readers will remember their Laya project where Sebag and Agam collaborated to tour the 2004 tsunami ravaged areas and record the haunting melodies of the survivors. These folk, in-the-raw melodies were then set to contemporary music, creating indelible memories and a musical homage to the victims. Their unerring instinct for sound and content has produced a must-listen blend of genres and personalities in No Stranger Here. n Priya Das is an avid follower of world music.

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Ramnik1201 india currents • april 2012 • 35

IC

perspective

Matangi Rajamani

When in Rome?

As a fresh graduate looking for my first job in the Bay Area in the late 80s, my interview outfit of choice was a sari!

W

“

hat do you guys think of wearing Indian clothes to work?” I posed this question to my informal panel of three, over steaming cups of tea. The panel consisted of my 80 year old father and two friends, Seethal Viswanath and Shruti Rajan (who declined to give her real name).

Seetal replied immediately with, “When in Rome, you have to be Roman. I don’t want to make people uncomfortable. If your presence is making them uncomfortable, then you shouldn’t do it. Shruti concurred, adding that when she wore a salwar kameez to work, it seemed as if a sheet of ice had come in between her co-workers and herself.

My father interjected with, “I don’t want to be Roman!” He has not been Roman since 1958. That was when he arrived from India as a Ph.D. student at Yale University. Since then, he has been staunchly non-Roman, and has made sure that all five of his kids were also non-Roman. Much to our dismay, we stuck out like sore thumbs in Memphis, Tennessee in the 70s. We grew up hearing, “We should be proud of our culture!” which we likened to the sound of fingernails on a chalkboard.

I argued with my mother over my choice of clothing during the turbulent teen years.

One particularly messy battle ended with my mom taking all my western clothes and throwing them in the shed in the backyard.

That left me with no choice but to wear saris and salwar kameezes (along with the scowl on my face) until the first frost welcomed back my jeans.

But something funny happened between then and adulthood—we all came to embrace those very sore thumbs. As a fresh graduate looking for my first job in the Bay Area in the late 80s, my interview outfit of choice was a sari! It was elegant, comfortable, and it made me stand just a little taller.

I was known to wear brightly colored pavadais and dhavanis (half saris, if you will) to work. And of course it was well accessorized with hanging gold earrings and jingling anklets. I never got the feeling that I was making anyone uncomfortable, but then again, maybe Seetal was right. So I thought I’d ask a few people I’d worked with in the past. I messaged some of my coworkers on Facebook. (How else can you connect after a 20 year gap?) I asked if they’d noticed my attire. Katni Venkatasubramaniam, my manager at Cadence, replied immediately, “Did I notice? Someone 36 • india currents • april 2012

Photo credit: Maureen Lunn

has to be totally color blind to not notice the bright-green paavadai and red daavini outfits you used to sport in Cadence. It did not make me uncomfortable. But, yes, I certainly knew what your position was on this. Being a t-shirt/ sneakers kinda person, I am not exactly a classic traditionalist but there is something to be said about dressing to fit in.” Then there was Greg Hutchings, my manager at Franklin Resources, who admitted initial astonishment, “You were the first person I met who wore traditional Indian clothing at work (at Frankin), where I generally wore suits. I was at first slightly surprised, since your clothing was so different. You wore it confidently and it was beautiful, and you looked great in it. I quickly came to love it! I never felt uncomfortable, but intrigued. I think your choice of clothes was refreshing and inspired openness and diversity and mutual appreciation in the team. I feel your clothes helped express who you are, and helped all of us think more about ideas, personal characteristics and less about appearance.” But it was Leslie Hayne, another co-worker on our team at Franklin, who put it most movingly, “I thought it made our workplace beautiful, like wearing a bouquet.”

Back at the dining table, I asked Seetal and Shruti, “How much of others reactions is

your perception, and how much of it is your level of comfort in your skin?” “I am comfortable wearing American outfits at work,” Shruti answered, “I want to blend in instead of standing out.” This was the common thread in many of my later conversations with first generation Indian Americans and perhaps it explains why I cling to my saris.

When you grow up in a country, you don’t think about blending into it, because you’re diced, pureed and whisked into it. The challenge is redefined. It’s all about connecting to your heritage, and holding on to the parts that you want to pass on, because you know for sure that so much will be lost. My saris take me on this journey. They link me to my mother, the woman who’s worn saris every day of her adult life, even while earning a doctorate in mathematics, and later, teaching full-time at LeMoyne Owen College. It’s a part of who I am, the traditional rebel. It’s my way of telling my father that I heard him after all. n Matangi Rajamani is a clinical extrovert and aspring math teacher who continues to stick out like a sore thumb with her husband and three sons in Cupertino, CA.

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india currents • april 2012 • 37

IC

films

Aniruddh Chawda

Germ Free KAHAANI. Director: Sujoy Ghosh. Players: Vidya Balan. Parambrata Chattopadhyay, Nawazuddin Siddiqui. Music: Shekhar Ravijani. Theatrical release (Viacom).

I

n a sinister, dimly lit science lab, there sits a tank holding skittish, antiseptic white mice awaiting their fate. A masked figure—whose heavy breathing alone is the surest indication that they could be Darth Vadar’s kin—hovers over the tank. The masked figure raises a syringe and without any hesitation whatsoever drops some serious poison into the tank, sending the furry critters into fatal convulsions.

The pulse quickens as the masked figure appears to look right into the camera—as if gloating over a dark victory. The fate of the mice is sealed, they cannot escape—the greater concern is whether humanity will survive this sick experiment. Thus opens Kahaani, in what is likely the first ever mainstream Hindi entry that unleashes an edge-of-the-seat thriller about bioterrorism.

In yet another extraordinarily role for her, Balan plays Vidya Bagchi, an intriguing international jetsetter. Adding to the aura of mystery about her, Bagchi, who is also heavily pregnant, heads straight to the police station— and files a missing person report for her husband. To add even more complexity, Bagchi has advanced skills with computers and is an expert hacker to boot. Is she really who she says she is? Who exactly is her husband’s look alike who disappeared from a Kolkota tech firm?

Darkly beautiful, Ghosh’s handiwork is unrelenting in its chess-board guessing game design. Bagchi’s every move suggests a surreal parallel and yet she appears perfectly grounded. There is tension just beneath the surface, a sense that nothing is at it appears and that no one is entirely safe. The ability to manipulate the viewer and force them to suspend reality to this degree is quite phenomenal. And who are we kidding—we enjoy every minute of it!

After the incredible box office for her last movie—the amazing biopic The Dirty Picture and Balan’s equally amazing turn as the sex siren Silk Smitha—Vidya Balan suddenly is the toast of the female wing of Hindi film box 38 • india currents • april 2012

office stars. Not only did The Dirty Picture win a handful of Filmfare trophies—including a well-deserved best actor—female statuette for Balan, The Dirty Picture become the highest grossing Hindi movie with a solo female “heroine.” Inflation adjusted, that is more than any Sridevi, Madhuri Dixit or Aishwarya Rai led movies ever. This gal has arrived!

As Bagchi, Balan is not afraid to go all soft and tender and meek. At other times, she is the shrewd tigress who can pick any lock

cop who empathizes with Bagchi so much so that he will go out of his way to aide her. Siddique plays the bad cop to Chattopadhyay’s good cop. Siddique represents that supersecret branch of government where they have to kill you if they have to tell you. Both actors support Balan with gusto.

Hindi movie seldom get a cutting edge topic (bio terrorism), incredible story telling (double, possibly nefarious, identities), a stunning setting (the human sprawl of Kolkota against a aptly-used backdrop of the massive Durga Puja festival) and acting dynamics (Balan all the way) with touches from artists that were/are geniuses in their time (Tagore, Bachchan) simply radiates in one tight package. After underperforming with Aladdin (2009), Ghosh serves early notice for 2012 and strikes back with a punch that combines high science with high art. Bravo! n EQ: A Globe trekker, aesthete, photographer, ski bum, film buff, and commentator Aniruddh Chawda writes from Milwaukee.

LATA’S S FLICK PICK

with a hairpin and hack into just about any computer. Her one-eighty degree midriff turn and focusing her rage into stabbing the bad guy in the foot in nothing short of something Angelina Jolie would do as her onscreen alterego Lara Croft. Balan is that good.

There are only two songs. And they are marvelous. One is veteran singer Usha Uthap doing an earthy folkie number. The other is Bachchan doing a Rabindranath Tagore folk song. The use of Kolkota—and West Bengal generally—as a backdrop is executed with finesse. Backing up Balan are two cop-figures, each with their own agenda that unfold ever so deliciously. Chattopadhyay is a local beat

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Email: ask_sima@yahoo.com

www.simala.us

Phone: 714 681 2099

Welcome to the Spring 2012 Concert Season The Academy Proudly Presents SATURDAY, April 14, 2012 @ 5 pm UNNIKRISHNAN EMBAR KANNAN ANANTHA R KRISHNAN

Vocal Violin Mridangam

NOTE: NEW VENUE Rameswaram, 14451 Franklin Ave., Tustin, CA 92780 (Only for this concert)

The Academy is Pleased to Present SATURDAY, April 28, 2012 @ 5 pm RANJANI/GAYATHRI HN BHASKAR MANOJ SIVA

Vocal Violin Mridangam

The Academy Proudly Presents SATURDAY, May 5, 2012 @ 4 pm A Lecture Demonstration & Concert RK SHRIRAMKUMAR K. ARUN PRAKASH BS PURUSHOTHAM

Violin Mridangam Kanjra

UPCOMING CONCERTS Saturday, May 12 @ 5pm

Sunday, May 27 @ 5pm

Jayanthi & Kumaresh Jugalbandhi

Vishaka Hari

Saturday, June 2 @ 5pm

Amritha Murali

All the Concerts (unless otherwise noted) will be held at the Hoover Middle School Auditorium, 3501 Country Club Drive, LAKEWOOD, CA 90712 Tickets: Regular - $25; Seniors/Students - $20. Credit cards accepted ONLINE ONLY.. Cash or Check please at the hall.

Please Renew Your Membership! New Members are Welcome! — No Photography, Audio or Video Recordings permitted at any concert

For latest info on all the programs, visit: www.simala.us • (714) 681-2099 • ask_sima@yahoo.com

40 • india currents • april 2012

first

NEW CLASSES FORMING IN 2012

Artwork from the 6th RVMAC 2012 will be displayed and awards presented to the winners on April 14 at Rameshwaram

india currents • april 2012 • 41

IC

q&a

Suchi Sargam

Hero or Villain?

An interview with Tigmanshu Dhulia—writer/director of Paan Singh Tomar

“I

f you want to know about the research that went into the making of this film, login to YouTube and type Paan Singh Tomar,” says Tigmanshu Dhulia, when asked to share details about the film. For those who have seen the trailers of Dhulia’s biopic Paan Singh Tomar, you will surely admit that these short videos about the film are utterly gripping. Dhulia, who hasn’t had much success in the past with movies like Haasil (2003), Charas (2004), Shagird (2011) and Saheb Biwi Aur Gangster (2011), is now poised to rub shoulders with the hit makers of the industry with this, his latest release. His audience, hungry to know the what, when, and how of this film’s journey, have got him talking expansively about it—from idea to execution. Dhulia first read about Tomar, the athlete who became a bandit, when he was an assistant director on the sets of Bandit Queen.

His subsequent journey was fraught with difficulties from attempting to convince UTV Motion Pictures to produce the film, to trying to meet the police informer who ultimately led the police to Tomar, to releasing the film theatrically two years after finishing the production of the movie just so that it didn’t clash with any other big banner films. In the end Dhulia was gratified to realize his efforts were not in vain, when he realized it reached and touched all demographics, including the youth.

The movie profiles Tomar, who was trained as a distance runner while working for the Indian Army. In the 1950s, he won the National Steeplechase Championship, seven times, and participated in the 1958 Asian Games held in Tokyo. Subsequently he became one of the notorious Chambal Valley dacoits and was killed in a police encounter in 1981.

You first thought of making this film way back in the 1990s but it finally reached theaters only in 2012. Why this delay and what kept you attached to the subject for so long?

I came across an article on Paan Singh Tomar in 1991. Since then, this idea stayed with me because so many colors in one hero is a rarity. Also the feeling of anti-establishment is an evergreen topic, mostly because the 42 • india currents • april 2012

government refuses to mend its ways. So Paan Singh’s story stuck to me ever since. Paan Singh went through so much … A farmer, an army man, an athlete and a dacoit. Every aspect of his life is interesting.

The opening conversation of the film draws

A scene from the film, Paan Singh Tomar

a connection between baaghi (rebel) and dacoits—is that part of Chambal terminology? Baaghi was used for dacoits in Chambal in Bandit Queen too …

They (the dacoits in the region) like being called Baaghi. Dacoit sounds derogatory (to them).

This film has been compared to Shekhar Kapur’s Bandit Queen (1994). What do you think about the similarities between the two, if any?

Rising against the system is the only similarity between the two films. Otherwise, Bandit Queen contains the germ for sympathy only because it had a woman protagonist.

The terrain, the language are the only (other) similarities.

Did you seek permission from Paan Singh’s family before making this film on him? How did they react? And speaking of biopics, which filmmakers in India do you think follow the path of researched moviemaking today?

Yes we got permission from Paan Singh’s immediate family—his son and wife. They were fine with the idea of a biopic on Paan Singh after verifying our credentials. Ashutosh (Gowarikar) made Jodha Akbar, Shyam Bene-

gal made Subhash Chandra Bose and Rajkumar Santoshi made The Legend of Bhagat Singh, Sukumar Nair made Shaheed-E-Azam, again a Bhagat Singh movie, Santosh Sivan made Ashoka, Ketan Mehta made Sardar Patel … research is important when you are dealing with history. It depends what aspect of it each film maker decides to highlight.

Some are more interested in atmosphere, others on drama and personality but they cannot get away from research. Paan Singh is different because no one knew about him, how he looked and what exactly he did. Sadly, in general we don’t follow the discipline of research, which I feel should be done.

Have you watched the recently released, much-appreciated, biopic on southern actress Silk Smitha—Dirty Picture? Did you think it portrayed the life of the late southern actress accurately. I’m sure you are aware that her brother has raised objections against the film makers and producers in court?

Yes I have seen Dirty Picture. I don’t know the exact details of her life, but people close to the person on whose life the film is made, do rise up from the dead to get attention. I faced the same with Paan Singh Tomar.

Tomar’s nephew, Balwanta, claimed that we had promised him Rs 40 lakhs for helping with the research. All that is false.

Did it take years to complete the research once UTV funded it? How did you start the process?

I went to Paan Singh’s village first and got details on the whereabouts of his immediate family. From there one link led to the other.

It took about eight months to finish the research, started in 2009.

(Note: Several interviews mention he completed the same in 6-7 years!)

As reported, was it difficult to find producers for this film?

In the sense that I did not have a script.

I only had an idea. No producer was ready, as they wanted me to first write the script, and I used to say that this was a real life subject, and I need somebody to fund the research.

Because we do not have the discipline of research here (in India), no producer was willing. Eventually UTV agreed. They funded the research and we did it and wrote the

Suchi Sargam is a journalist in India.

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script and the film happened.

What made you decide on Irrfan for Paan Singh’s role?

I needed an actor who could give me more than his dates … if Irrfan had declined to play Paan Singh, I would have dropped the subject.

Who were the key persons who helped you in the research?

Paan Singh’s wife, Milkha Singh, his coach, Mr. Saini, a friend who ran with Paan Singh and a couple of surrendered dacoits.

Recreating the time between 1950s and 1981—what were the most crucial parts of it for you?

The difficult part was finding the cantonment where Paan Singh was stationed while he was in the army. Because most of the army places, buildings, etc, have been modernized today. We needed an old place.

Luckily, Bengal Engineers in Roorkee (in Uttarakhand, India), where Paan Singh was stationed, still has the same old look. So we were lucky with that and decided to shoot there. And the Chambal area is still the same too. We got permission from the Ministry of Defense for shooting in the cantonment.

You hired surrendered and ex-dacoits as private security guards along with police protection. But were there any real time encounters with dacoit gangs that the Chambal region is infested with while you were shooting in that region? Was it risky?

We used to hear that they are operating in the same area, but we did not have any face to face encounter … It was very exciting to shoot there.

Do you think this movie can help his surviving family members in any way?

The film cannot do anything. Paan Singh is dead and gone. The only good thing is that people who are concerned can know more about the people who have served the nation in whatever way they could, and give more respect to them—all our unsung heroes from India, who are living in misery today. Sports authorities and Ministry of Sports can and should help them out in some way. That’s all the film can do.

Did you show the movie to Paan Singh’s family once it was made? How did they react?

The family lives in a very small place, called Babina (Jhansi district, Uttar Pradesh state, India). We only came out with digital prints and I don’t think they have a theatre there that has a digital facility. But I’ve heard that they have seen the film by visiting Gwalior. They must have seen it.

Which is your favorite scene from the film?

It’s very hard to say ... But I like the scene where Paan Singh goes to see his wife, son and coach towards the end of the film. n

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india currents • april 2012 • 43

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books

Jeanne E. Fredriksen

Triage THE GOOD MUSLIM by Tahmima Anam.

HarperCollins: New York. $25.99 hardcover.

304 pages. harpercollins.com tahmima.com Available in hardcover and for e-readers.

I

n A Golden Age, (IC, April 2008) Tahmima Anam introduced the intrepid Rehana Haque and her revolution-bound children, Maya and Sohail. Their story ushered us into the war for East Pakistan’s independence via Rehana’s fierce dedication to her children and her unplanned role in the rebellion. The Good Muslim, the second entry in Anam’s Bengal Trilogy, continues the saga with a more critical eye and an edgier tone.

This novel is bold, self-assured, and important, without losing the energy or conviction of its predecessor. Now, the Haque children are the focus. Both Maya and Sohail have seen the evils of war, but how they deal with the aftermath is the seed for the displacement and disconnect they feel for each other and for their new country.

The Good Muslim begins just days after the war has ended. Sohail, haunted by the conflict, makes his way home. The story then alternates between 1972, when the relationship between Maya and Sohail begins to deteriorate, and the mid-1980s, when both continue to struggle with unresolved personal, political, and moral issues.

Maya returns home after seven years as a rural doctor and learns that the things she knew about her home and family have drastically changed. Her sister-in-law, who Maya assumed was the catalyst for Sohail’s interest in religion, has died. Her brother has made Islam the centerpiece of his life. Maya’s college friends have become prosperous, complacent, and bourgeois.

Once home, Maya encounters her own displacement. She is surrounded by strangers who are more comfortable than she in her own home. In contrast, her loved ones have become strangers to her. In short, “It was a mistake … to think she could come home and everything would be as it was before.”

Providing medical care for women, Maya participates in both the joy and the termination of wartime and post-war pregnancies.

Her history fuels her independence, and her regrets spark a crusade for fair and decent treatment of women. She writes fiery essays that express her anti-regime views and offer a compassionate voice for the countless female victims of the war.

Still unable to connect with Sohail, Maya 44 • india currents • april 2012

attempts to take care of her young nephew, Zaid. When Sohail deposits Zaid at a remote madrasa in retaliation for Maya’s intervention, she risks her life to rescue the child and finds herself in an unforeseen and desperate situation.

A

nam is masterful at showing the anger and disconnect brought on by a victory that traded one misery for another. Anam writes succinctly and heartbreakingly of Bangladesh’s growing pains through Maya’s perspective: “Her broken wishbone of a country was thirteen years old. Didn’t sound like very long, but in that time the nation had rolled and unrolled tanks from its streets. It had had leaders elected and ordained. It had murdered two presidents. In its infancy, it had started cannibalizing itself, killing the tribals in the south, drowning villages for dams, razing the ancient trees of Modhupur Forest. A fast-acting country: quick to anger, quick to self-destruct.”

Anam’s solid writing never allows her readers to feel comfortable in their distance because she never allows her characters to act without reason. In moving Maya and Sohail forward, she is neither sentimental nor judgmental. Yet she protects Sohail from being reduced to a caricature or stereotype.

Young Zaid is the novel’s most tragic character and an unintentional, residual victim of the war. I asked Anam about the relationship between father and son.

“I wanted, on the one hand, to portray Sohail as a three dimensional person, someone whose conversion you could understand, given the terrible tragedies he had witnessed during the war,” she responded via email. “On the other hand, I did not want to shy away from portraying the real dangers of extremism—often we calculate that cost in political terms, but in this case, it was the family, and particularly this child, who bore the burden of it.”

In Maya, Anam offers a feisty yet admirable character who assumes the non-traditional roles of doctor and activist. In an interview on National Public Radio, Anam described Maya as a universal representative of women: “Even though she comes from this very conservative society,” Anam said, “she espouses a lot of the hopes and dreams that women all over the world have, including in the Western world.”

The novel is about Bangladesh, but its themes and ideals are global and contem-

porary. The Good Muslim speaks to current world events and most pointedly to last year’s Arab Spring. When asked about the parallels between that uprising, A Golden Age, and The Good Muslim, Anam didn’t hesitate to respond.

“There are many correlations. In fact, in Bangladesh we had a very similar uprising in 1990, when Hossain Mohammad Ershad,

Anam is masterful at showing the anger and disconnect brought on by a victory that traded one misery for another. who had ruled as a military dictator for nine years (the “Dictator” in The Good Muslim) was overthrown by a peaceful and grassroots popular movement for democracy.”

Anam doesn’t wrap up the ending with a neat and pretty bow, for that would be unfair to history and to her characters. After reading A Golden Age, I was filled with anticipation for Anam’s next book. After reading The Good Muslim, I am even more anxious to learn what the final book of the trilogy will bring for Rehana, Sohail, and Maya.

There is a question that must be asked at some point while reading this novel. Just who is the “Good Muslim”? Sohail, the religious Muslim, with his devotion to faith and Islam?

Or Maya, the political Muslim, with her devotion to justice and truth? It is a fitting title for either, and Anam explains it simply.

“The title is meant to ask a question— who is the good muslim? The title can be applied to any of the characters [as] they are all part of a dialogue, among and within themselves, about the moral imperative in their lives.”

I leave it to each reader to determine the answer to the question. n Jeanne E. Fredriksen reads and writes from Wake Forest, NC.

Swapna Krishna

Happy Holi

A Restless Seduction

IndiaCurrents

A Review of The Sly Company of People Who Care by Rahul Bhattacharya Farrar, Straus and Season Greeeting’s Giroux (Hardcover, April 26, 2011) / Picador (Paperback, May 8, 2012)

I

Season Greeeting’s

n Rahul Bhattacharya’s debut novel, The Sly Company of People Who Care, the unnamed narrator, a twenty-six year old journalist from India, has just arrived in Guyana.

Initially lured to the country by cricket, the narrator quickly falls in love with this new land.

He has long been disillusioned with his home country, India; Guyana offers the promise of a new beginning, of something entirely new and different, yet contains hints and promises of home. Through his adventures, the narrator relates the culture and history of Guyana, thinly fictionalizing names and events, in order to give the reader his view of the country as it is today.

The novel functions as a sort of travelogue through Guyana’s cities and countryside. Bhattacharya describes his settings with the most evocative prose, creating vivid images of the country in the reader’s mind. The narrator never stays in one place for long, ensuring the reader is rewarded with a comprehensive and thorough look at the country.

The secondary characters in The Sly Company of People Who Care leap off the page with their eccentricities. With just a few lines and broad strokes, Bhattacharya paints interesting ng and unique characters. His writing talents preclude them from ever becoming caricatures; s instead, they are unforgettable slices of life in Guyana. These personalities provide a satisfying glimpse into the Guyanese-Indian culture.

Their Pidgin English dialogue really sets the scene and creates an indelible atmosphere, even though it makes the novel difficult to read. Lines such as, “If I chucked you, you rass be drownin in the canal behine dey” [121] do ) 324-0477 make the novel that much more realistic and sue to arrive. immersive, even if they disrupt the reading exailable perience. Bhattacharya’s accomplishment with language cannot be overlooked.

Bhattacharya reviews Guyanese history throughout the novel and his insight is compelling. Too often, authors assume their readers are familiar with a country or culture and thus make their novels inaccessible to unfamiliar readers. In Bhattacharya’s case, he does assume familiarity with South Asian, and especially Indian culture, but he does not do so with Guyanese culture. He makes it a point to explain the difficulties facing modern day

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Guyana. The discussion of race r e l a t i o n s in Guyana—and specifically the antagonism between Africans and Indians—is fascinating, though it must be mentioned that his commentary is by no means objective. It is, appropriately, colored by his main character’s thoughts and background.

In sum, The Sly Company of People Who Care is an impressive writing achievement.

Tightly restrained narrative underscores Bhattacharya’s literary talent. The author’s commentary on the Indian expatriate experience is beautifully rendered, and his scenes are exquisitely described. Yet, for all the breadth of the novel, I find little depth to accompany it. Even though the author delves into the narrator’s innermost thoughts and feelings, there is never a real sense of knowledge.

The author holds the reader at arm’s length as he describes the world around him in harsh, unforgiving detail. The narrator wanders, somewhat aimlessly, getting embroiled in the adventures he comes across. While this fits within the overall scope of the novel, it provides for a less-than-satisfying reading experience since the story does not seem to be moving forward at any real pace. Like the narrator, the reader is merely along for this tumultuous ride. The plot seems fragmented; without a cohesive storyline. While impressive in terms of structure and writing, readers will find themselves easily distracted.

This isn’t a book readers will race to finish or want to devour in one sitting. Instead, the book is best consumed slowly, with little sips over time. In that way, readers might be able to fully appreciate Bhattacharya’s message, as well as understand the scope of what he has accomplished with this novel. n Swapna Krishna is a freelance writer, editor and a book reviewer who is passionate about South Asian fiction. She blogs daily at S. Krishna’s Books.

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special dates Ram Navmi

April 1

Mahavir Jayanthi

April 5

Good Friday

April 6

Baisakhi

April 13

Easter

April 15

Mother’s Day

May 8

IC April

cultural calendar

1 Sunday

Hindi Conversation, Reading and Writing Classes. Ends May 19. Organized

by Indus Heritage Center. 9 a.m. Quest Learning Center, 11976 Artesia Blvd., Room #3, Artesia, 90701. (562) 546-3870. anshu@ ilearnhindi.com. www.ilearnhindi.com.

Fifth Annual Indian Music and Dance Festival. Features 70 artists from India,

celebrating legendary sitar master Ravi Shankar’s 92nd birthday and felicitating violin maestro Lalgudi Jayaraman. Includes the celebration of Lakshminarayana Global Music Festival, and centenary celebrations of V. Lakshminarayana, Palghat Mani Iyer, Madurai Mani Iyer, and Brindamma.

Vegetarian food from various regions of India will be served. Organized by Indian Fine Arts Academy of San Diego. 7-10 p.m. Jewish Community Center, David and 46 • india currents • april 2012

Aysa Bhi Hota Hai,Hindi Play, April 21.

Dorethea Garfield Theater, 4126 Executive Drive, La Jolla, 92037. $25 per event. (858) 638-0744, (760) 729-4971, (858) 229-5696. shekar.viswanathan@gmail.com, srpraba@ yahoo.com, divyabhinaya@yahoo.com. www. indianfinearts.org.

Kala Sagar: Music of North and South India. The festival brings both new and

familiar musical sounds and the rhythms of Hindustani and Karnatik classical traditions into one occasion that also celebrates the founding of the Music Circle and the birthday of its musical director, Harihar Rao. Organized by The Music Circle. 2-5 p.m.

Herrick Chapel at Occidental College, 1600 Campus Road (end of Alumni Drive. past Campus Road), Los Angeles (Eagle Rock),

90041. $35 Single Concerts; $60 Day Passes, $100 Two Day Pass; Students with ID $10$20. (626) 449-6987. MusicCircle@aol.com. www.musiccircle.org.

April

8 Sunday

Ritukailasa, a Dance Drama. Performed

by students of Odissi Dance Circle, Artistic Director, Nandita Behera. Instrument, percussion trio by Suman Laha (veena), Abhijit Banerjee (tabla) and Somnath Roy (ghatam). Organized by Bharat Sevashram West. 5 p.m. Irvine Barclay Theater, 4242 Campus Drive, Irvine. $50, 35, $25, $15.

(949) 854-4646, (714) 521-5655, (310) 569 5569. danceodc@gmail.com. www.barclay.org, www.odissidancecircle.com.

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recommends

Shyamal Randeria

Indian Film Fest celebrates 10 years

Abu, Son of Adam

T

he Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (IFFLA) will begin its Celebrate, Captivate and Connect themed extravaganza as it once again seeks to amalgamate Bollywood, home of the largest film producer in India to Hollywood, home of one of the world’s most coveted entertainment industry.

The annual festival, in it’s tenth year, seeks to showcase emergent Indian filmmakers and their films while promoting the diverse perspective of the Indian diaspora. Christina Marouda, IFFLA founder and president states, “We’ve had filmmakers who came here with a threeminute short film some years ago, their first time out of India, who are now talking with studios here and are being represented by Creative Artists Agency.”

Although not every film fares well with audiences, Deepa Mehta’s “Water,” a sneak preview of “Slumdog Millionaire” and Manish Acharya’s “Lions of Punjab Presents” are some of IFFLA’s successful presents.

Roughly 33 short and feature films, often made on a shoe-string budget by Indian filmmakers will be presented to not only a large general audience but also to prominent Hollywood power brokers who sit on juries and partake in one-on-one “speed dating styled sessions which provide opportunities to forge relationships for individuals whose subject matter is related to the Indian culture and whose work rarely get distribution outlets,” says Surekha Paruchuri IFFLA’s publicity coordinator.

The Hollywood panelists support IFFLA in many ways. In 2010, the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) presented a special reception

for actor Anil Kapoor at IFFLA where former SAG President Alan Rosenberg was present to honor him.

IFFLA events are also a favorite watering hole for Indian celebrities from current American film and television who have made a splash in Hollywood in recent years including Hannah Simone (“New Girl”), Janina Gavankar (“True Blood”), Sendhil Ramamurthy (“Heroes,” “Covert Affairs”), Vik Sahay (“Chuck”), Kunal Nayyar (“The Big Bang Theory”), and Parvesh Cheena (“Outsourced”).

Popular Bollywood celebs include Shah Rukh Khan, Anupam, Nasseeruddin Shah, and directors Shekhar Kapur and Mira Nair.

Movie addicts will not be lacking in IFFLA’s smorgasbord of films. Over 300 submissions were rigorously evaluated and out of the handful which will be presented audiences should not miss the premiere of “The Kite,” a film about a about a young woman who learns to appreciate her culture on a visit to her native Gujarat with her father during the kite festival and “Abu Son of Adam” an Oscar entry for foreign films.

Other films to consider are “Under the Same Sun” a film about religious tolerance set in a Rajasthani village and the documentary “The Great Indian Marriage Bazaar” by director Ruchika Muchhala who offers a humorous narrative about her experience of going through the process of a modern day arranged marriage.

The 10th anniversary marks a special milestone for IFFLA and the celebration will include a family day geared toward children with not only multiple activities but also the screening of “Gattu,” a film about an

orphan boy who despite his meager life finds opportunities to be a kid.

A crowd-pleaser, the “Bollywood by Night” series will be back along with IFFLA’s “Rhythm Village” which will celebrate its 5th anniversary and will create a folksy and festive atmosphere through its entertainment by world-renowned artists and Bollywood dance groups.

Grand jury and audience awards will be presented to filmmakers with special attention to it 5th Industry Leadership Awards (ILA) “to recognize the achievements of industry executives who have had a substantial impact on the creation and distribution of Indian themed content globally and have led the expansion of the entertainment and media industry in India,” according to Paruchuri.

The success of IFFLA can undoubtedly be attributed to its staff but also to an uncanny contributor across the world.

Marouda, a Greek immigrant was introduced to Indian cinema as a teenager by her older sister, a fan of Indian culture and films.

While working with the American Film Institute Film Festival (AFI Fest), Marouda was inspired to create the film festival after quickly realizing that there were no film festivals in the United States specifically promoting Indian films despite the fact that it had the most prolific film industry in the world.n April 10 – 15. 6 p.m. to 11 p.m.

ArcLight Cinema Hollywood, 6360 W. Sunset Blvd. Los Angeles; House of Blues, 8430 West Sunset Boulevard West Hollywood. General $14, Passes $250, $100, Events $125 - $75. www.indianfilmfestival.org.

Gattu india currents • april 2012 • 47

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recommends

April

Samsara:The Cycle of Life. Shibani

Puja Seth

Rasrang: The Moods of Kathak N

upur Dance Academy (NDA) hosts an array of dancers and musical artists, in their annual performance, “Rasrang: The Moods of Kathak.”

Directed by Artistic Director, Prachi Dixit, an Agra native, the upcoming performance is dedicated to Navras, the nine sacred emotions. With a vivid evocation, Navras provokes the individual through the most expressive and fervent human emotions. Kathak echoes the union between sacred devotion and human experience. The body and soul ignite as one unit on stage, creating a poignant expression of choreography, history and a human’s journey through it all.

Kathak stems from the euphonic days of Krishna’s Kaliadaman and was born out of that vibration. Vibration is an essential component to the history and experience of kathak’s truest art form. Dancers at NDA, are trained to dance beside a live orchestra of some of India’s finest musicians. The rhythmic relationship between musician and dancer emulates the unspoken, yet visceral connection we may feel with the divine. Dancing to live music evokes an experience that cannot be felt by recordings alone.

Trained to understand notes, rhythms and movements, the dancers are also educated in establishing a strong understanding of musical developments and improvisa-

Prachi Dixit

13 Friday

Patnayak performs odissi dance.

Accompanied by Rupak Kumar Parida (vocal), Bijaya Kumar Barik (mardala), Ramesh Chandra Das(violin) and Jabahar Mishra (flute). Organized by The Ravi Shankar Foundation. 8-10 p.m. Sherwood Auditorium, 700 Prospect St., La Jolla . $25.

(760) 994-8327, (858) 442-1586, (858) 2295696. www.indianfinearts.org.

April

14 Saturday

The 21st Annual Swati Tirunal Day.

The program consists of several hours of renditions of Swati Tirunal’s compositions.

Maharaja of Travancore’s Hindustani compositions are also featured. Ravi Varma’s paintings will be displayed and awards presented. Organized by Organization of Hindu Malayalees. 8:30 a.m.-9 p.m. CMLARameswaram, 14451 Franklin Ave., Tustin.

Free. (949) 856-3225, (562) 916-3521. www. simala.net.

U.S. Citizenship Clinic and Workshop.

A service for permanent residents who are ready to apply for U.S. citizenship.

Organized by South Asian Netwrok. 10 a.m.

Artesia Community Center, 18750 Clarkdale Ave., Artesia. Free. (562) 403-0488 Ext. 108. saninfo@southasiannetwork.org.

April

21 Saturday

Vinijamuri Smrityanjali Concert. A flute concert by Prapancham Sitaram with Kiran Athreya (violin) and Arjun Narayan (mridangam). Organized by Sandhya Dancers at Nupur Academy Vinijamuri. 4-7:30 p.m. Hare Krishna Temple, 3752 Watseka Ave, Los Angeles. free. (310) 341-3884, (818) 726-0254. tions to promote the styling of the musisandhyavinjamuri@yahoo.com. cian-dancer relationship.

NDA is affiliated with Pracheen Kala Aysa Bhi Hota Hai-A Hindi play.

Kendra, one of India’s largest Performing The story is presented in a café, a central Arts University and offers accredited delocation in the city where ambitions and grees in dance and music to students who desires are fulfilled and dreams realized. choose this path. Dixit explains, “Dance Shah-ji and his wife are the good-natured, is about expression, about the individual’s generous owners of the café who help people expression of life, in the form of art. I deto the best of their ability. This romantic vote myself to nurturing the growth of encomedy covers the full spectrum of human thusiastic dancers and establishing a bold emotions, from anger and loss to love and ensemble of talented musicians for our gensuccess. Organized by Hamid Daudani erations to come.”n Group. 7:30 p.m. Poway Center for the Performing Arts, 15498 Espola Road, Poway. $20, $10, $7. (858) 652-0901. daudanih@ April 7, 6 p.m. Norris Theater, 27570 Noryahoo.com. www.daudanigroup.com. ris Center Drive, Rolling Hills. $20 advance, $25 general. (310) 544-0403 x 221. nupuraKahan Tum Chale Gaye. A musical cademyla.com. tribute to Jagjit Singh featuring Sougata Banerjee(vocal) and Jyoti Prakash (tabla). india currents • april 2012 • 49

Organized by Bengali Association of Southern California (BASC) and Ektaa Center. 7:30 p.m. Irvine Lakeview Center, 20 Lake Road. Irvine. $20, $50 (includes food).

(714) 331-5051, (714) 600-8691. chandana_ sen@Yahoo.com, info@ektaacenter.org. www. bascweb.org, http;//www.ektaacenter.org.

April

22 Sunday

Anoushka Shankar’s Traveller Concert.

A Raga-Flamenco Journey, an exciting exploration of two musical traditions: Spanish flamenco and Indian classical music.

4 p.m. Irvine Barclay Theatre, 4242 Campus Drive, Irvine. $33, $38, $45. (949) 854-4646. http;//www.thebarclay.org.

April

27 Friday

Bollywood Hits. A melodious collection

of old and new film songs sung by Samir Date and Dipalee Somaiya. A special Ganesh Vandana dance by Shalini Patnaik and Amulya Balabantaray. Organized by Ekal Vidyalaya San Diego. 7:30-10:30 p.m.

Museum of Contemporaty Arts, 700 Prospect St.,La Jolla . $50 , $25, $15. (858) 437-1823, (330) 289-4901. ekal.sandiego@gmail.com. www.ekal.org.

May

5 Saturday

Sitarist Partha Bose in Concert.

Accompanied by Indranil Mallick on tabla.

Organized by The Music Circle. 8-11 p.m.

Herrick Chapel at Occidental College, 1600 Campus Road, Los Angeles (Eagle Rock). $35 General, $25 basic member. (626) 449-6987.

MusicCircle@aol.com. www.MusicCircle.org.

Archana. A multimedia program that showcases India’s cultural richness and diversity through Indian dance, music and drama. The celebration begins with an interactive India Festival where guests can enjoy an authentic dinner, learn the latest dance moves, and experience arts, crafts, textiles and more. Organized by India Friends Association. 12-7 p.m. Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza, 2100 Thousand Oaks Blvd., Thousand Oaks . Noon to 4 p.m. (free), 4-7 p.m. ($40 general seating, $20 student, $75 preferred). (805) 754-9861. madhubajaj@ gmail.com. indiafriendsassociation.org.

© Copyright 2012 India Currents. All rights reserved. Reproduction for commercial use strictly prohibited.

50 • india currents • april 2012

Shyamal Randeria

The Voice Finds a Star S

even seconds into Sharon Mathai’s blind audition, Maroon 5 front man Adam Levine and celebrity coach on NBC’s The Voice buzzed his approval and later told the fresh faced Dallas native who delivered a strong and melodic performance of Adele’s Rumor Has It, “You owned everything; I am desperate to have you on my team.” Although judges Cee Lo Green and Blake Shelton also chimed in to add her to their teams, Mathai followed her “gut and decided to stop over-thinking” and selected Levine.

Mathai was born into a traditional Christian Indian Keralite family of medical professionals and similar to many Indian youths growing up in the United States had a studious pathway etched for her in the medical field. For the self-described “nerd” whose school had always been a priority, the pressing “calling to music” occurred one day and with tough negotiations and planning with supportive parents, Mathai devised a strategy to pursue her dream by completing and combining her freshman and sophomore years as a nursing major in one year at a local college.

The freed sophomore year allowed Mathai to put her talents into full thrust by moving to Atlanta in August 2011, signing with her managers Stone Stafford and Ian Burke and rigorously auditioning for The Voice.

On the topic of the show and her Indian roots, Mathai favors its approach of not spicing up artists “it does not ask you to be anything but what you are,” nothing is changed and “I loved how they welcomed my family.” During Mathai’s audition her parents were interviewed and the camera also panned to many of her parent’s joyful reactions to which the artist admits, “We often want to hide our FOBiness or our Indianess. My mom was not a soccer mom and it was hard growing up different but it is the same people who make a difference. I am proud of my culture and its way of thinking, this is what makes us who we are and it is great for me to have America see this.”

Mathai also credits her mother and Christian background to her success “My mom noticed something in my voice when I was three years old and placed me in traditional choral and voice lessons by the age of five. She also participated in choirs and listened to Christian music for many years.”

Sharon Mathai

The new found celebrity status is “astonishing in a good way, as the fans have been so supportive.”

A notation which made Mathai burst in surprised laughter was the mention of her avid male fans that are often unabashed in professing their love on social media sites for the young and beautiful artist. Mathai appreciatively responded, “So funny that I have male fans. My personality is not sultry or sexy, sassy nor sexual. I am a normal girl, just ask my friends. I just perform from my inner self.”

While Mathai is living out her dream, she still remains humble and remembers where she came from and has a soulful empathy for her family’s wishes “I know a huge part of my mom wants me t.o live a normal life and be safe and marry a nice guy, but if I do not pursue music I will not be happy. I have to play this out to the end.”

The aspiring jazz artist who considers herself a little bit of “soul, R&B and folk” has always wanted to impact people and hopes to emerge as a “revolutionary artist in my style, bringing new things to the table.”n The Voice on NBC, Mondays at 8 p.m.

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reflections

Paramahamsa Nithyananda

The Secrets of How the Mind Works

I

n life, we constantly create thought shafts of either pain or joy. Once you create a shaft of pain, you try to break it. In the same way, if you create a shaft of joy, you try to elongate it. But you don’t understand that you can neither elongate the joy shaft nor break the pain shaft - simply because the shaft itself doesn’t exist.

We think that this is the best way to live our life, but I have shocking news for you.

There is another way of being that is actually far more beautiful.

Understand, it is the mind that holds the memories of these past painful and pleasurable experiences, and it is the mind that keeps us trapped into the behavioral patterns that limit our human potential to be constantly blissful, joyful, loving and peaceful. By taking action based on past memory, we remove our potential to be fully present which is where the bliss resides.

I would like to share with you an interesting learning from my days of spiritual wandering. In the forests of Northern India the hunters use a trap to catch birds. They tie a rope between two trees. In the middle of the rope, they secure a wooden stick. This is actually a hunter’s trap for birds.

You may think, “How can a bird be trapped with a small stick? How is it possible?” Actually, all they do is just hang the stick between two trees using a rope, that’s all. When a bird comes and sits on the stick, the bird’s own weight turns the whole stick upside down; it turns topsy-turvy.

The moment it turns upside down and loses its sense of balance it feels totally shaken and tightens its grip on the stick.

It simply holds onto the stick as if its life depends on it. Because it is hanging upside down, it thinks, “If I am unclutched™ from this stick, what will happen? I will fall and die.”

There is no record that any bird has ever fallen and broken its head. But the bird does not have the intelligence to realize this. It keeps hanging on. By not letting go, not only does it lose its freedom, it loses its life too, because ultimately the hunter traps it.

Just like the bird, you don’t realize that if you just drop your mind, that very moment you can be liberated. You can simply start flying.

The same fear that the bird clinging to the stick had, you have now. Your fear and the bird’s fear are one and the same. The bird believes that it can’t let go; if it does it 52 • india currents • april 2012

will die. Similarly, you hold on to your mind and feel, “I can’t let go. If I start trusting that I am unconnected, unclutched™, independent and illogical thoughts, I might be lost.”

After four or five hours, the hunter comes, takes the bird, puts it in the cage, and leaves.

Now the parrot neither has the freedom to fly nor the stick to balance. The foolish bird doesn’t know that if it had just let go of the stick, it could have simply flown away.

In the same way, you hold on to whatever you think is your identity and security – your education, your mind, your life, your relationships, or your bank balance. Yama, the god of death, ultimately comes to remove the stick, your identity. Then you are neither a paramahamsa, a liberated soul, nor are you able to hold on to your identity. You will neither have the freedom, nor will you have the stick of your identity that you are clutching, because the stick itself is an illusion.

If the bird lets go and relaxes, it may flutter to balance for a moment or two. It may take one or two moments to balance itself, but it will never fall and die. When it leaves the stick, maybe for a few seconds it will fall, but then it will adjust itself and start

flying. Just let go and you will never fall and die. You will only become a paramahamsa.

All you need to do is trust that you are unclutched - even if you don’t trust that it is still the truth.

When we are unclutched™, the first thing that will happen to us will be an inner healing effect - a deep silence and peace in us. Second, that inner healing will start radiating as physical wellbeing, which is our health. Third, naturally, it will start radiating in our relationships also. Fourth, because these three are going beautifully, we will be creative and productive.n

Paramahamsa Nithyananda, is committed to bringing about a true inner awakening for all beings on our planet. Nithyananda has a following of over 10 million in 150 countries worldwide. Today, he is ranked among the most popular spiritual gurus on youtube.

Nithyananda Mission is a worldwide movement that helps people discover the simple secrets of conflict-free, productive and blissful living: www.nithyananda.org.

I C spirituality and health April

1 Sunday

The True Meaning of Resurrection. Sunday Service. Lake Shrine Temple and Retreat, 17190 Sunset Blvd., Pacific Palisades. (310) 454-4114. Hollywood Temple, 4860 Sunset Blvd., Hollywood. (323) 661-8006. Glendale Temple, 2146 East Chevy Chase Drive, Glendale. (818) 543-0800. Fullerton Temple, 142 East Chapman Ave., Fullerton. (714) 5251291. Encinitas Temple, 939 Second Street, Encinitas. (760) 436-7220. San Diego Temple, 3072 First Avenue, San Diego. (619) 2950170. Call temples for times. Organized by Self Realization Fellowship. www.yoganandasrf.org.

Sacred Fire Ceremony (Vedic Homa).

Special offerings are cast into the fire while Sanskrit mantras are chanted, and the combined energy of the fire, offerings, and mantras generates powerful spiritual vibrations that bless and purify everyone present.

9 a.m.-1 p.m. (213) 268-2260. 1443 Edgecliff Lane, Pasadena. Organized by Amma Sri Karunamayi. www.karunamayi.org.

April

8 Sunday

The Deeper Teachings of Jesus Christ.

Sunday Service. Lake Shrine Temple and Retreat, 17190 Sunset Blvd., Pacific Palisades.

(310) 454-4114. Hollywood Temple, 4860 Sunset Blvd., Hollywood. (323) 661-8006.

Glendale Temple, 2146 East Chevy Chase Drive, Glendale. (818) 543-0800. Fullerton Temple, 142 East Chapman Ave., Fullerton.

(714) 525-1291. Encinitas Temple, 939 Second Street, Encinitas. (760) 436-7220. San Diego Temple, 3072 First Avenue, San Diego. (619) 295-0170. Call temples for times. Organized

by Self Realization Fellowship. www.yogananda-srf.org.

April

15 Sunday

Balancing Your Material and Spiritual Life. Sunday Service. Lake Shrine Temple

and Retreat, 17190 Sunset Blvd., Pacific Palisades. (310) 454-4114. Hollywood Temple, 4860 Sunset Blvd., Hollywood. (323) 6618006. Glendale Temple, 2146 East Chevy Chase Drive, Glendale. (818) 543-0800.

Fullerton Temple, 142 East Chapman Ave., Fullerton. (714) 525-1291. Encinitas Temple, 939 Second Street, Encinitas. (760) 436-7220.

San Diego Temple, 3072 First Avenue, San Diego. (619) 2950170. Call temples for times.

Organized by Self Realization Fellowship. www.yoganandasrf.org.

April

19 Thursday

Darshan of Your Divine Self. Experience the ener-

gies of the Divine Mother during these programs. Organized by Ekatvam. 7 p.m. Ariven Temple, 7819 Toland Ave, Los Angeles. $25. www.ekatvam.org.

April

20 Friday

Sacred Geometry Healing Workshop.

Powerful restorative energies from Sri Chakra Yantra permeate the core of your being in these workshops. This energy activates intense healing at all levels. Organized by Ekatvam.

5-10 p.m. Ariven Temple, 7819 Toland Ave, Los Angeles. $60. www.ekatvam.org.

A Commentary on the Upanishads by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar. In this series, Sri Sri

will unveil the often inaccessible philosophy of the Upanishads in sessions suited to the spiritual seeker, the scholar and the layperson alike. Ends April 22. Organized by Art of Living Foundation. Art of Living Foundation, 948 West Adams Blvd. Los Angeles. $1,100.00 (until April 6). (310) 820-9429. www.artofliving.org.

April

21 Saturday

Sayujya Yoga Workshop. Learn a simple set of integrated teachings and meditation practices that you can apply everyday. Organized

by Ekatvam. 9 a.m.-7 p.m. Ariven Temple, 7819 Toland Ave, Los Angeles. $116. www. ekatvam.org.

April

22 Sunday

Healing by God’s Unlimited Power. Sun-

Swami Shanmuga and Amma Adi Sakthi of Ektavam

day Service. Lake Shrine Temple and Retreat, 17190 Sunset Blvd., Pacific Palisades. (310) 454-4114. Hollywood Temple, 4860 Sunset Blvd., Hollywood. (323) 661-8006. Glendale Temple, 2146 East Chevy Chase Drive, Glendale. (818) 543-0800. Fullerton Temple, 142 East Chapman Ave., Fullerton. (714) 5251291. Encinitas Temple, 939 Second Street, Encinitas. (760) 436-7220. San Diego Temple, 3072 First Avenue, San Diego. (619) 2950170. Call temples for times. Organized by Self Realization Fellowship. www.yoganandasrf.org.

Sacred Geometry Healing. Powerful restorative energies from Sri Chakra Yantra permeate the core of your being. Organized

by Ekatvam. 2-8 p.m. Yoga Jones, 105 S. Oak St. Suite 200, Ventura. $60.

April

29 Sunday

What Is Love? Sunday Service. Lake Shrine Temple and Retreat, 17190 Sunset Blvd., Pacific Palisades. (310) 454-4114. Hollywood Temple, 4860 Sunset Blvd., Hollywood. (323) 661-8006. Glendale Temple, 2146 East Chevy Chase Drive, Glendale. (818) 543-0800. Fullerton Temple, 142 East Chapman Ave., Fullerton. (714) 525-1291. Encinitas Temple, 939 Second Street, Encinitas. (760) 436-7220. San Diego Temple, 3072 First Avenue, San Diego.

(619) 295-0170. Call temples for times. Organized by Self Realization Fellowship. www. yogananda-srf.org. © Copyright 2012 India Currents. All rights reserved. Reproduction for commercial use strictly prohibited.

Have you had an inspirational experience?

Share it with the readers of India Currents. We are accepting spiritual or religious-themed essays for print, from any religion or denomination, or lack thereof.

Send your 600- to 800-word submission to: Mona Shah at events@indiacurrents.com.

P l a c e y o u r e v e n t f o r f r e e : w w w. i n d i a c u r r e n t s . c o m / s u b m i t - e v e n t india currents • april 2012 • 53

IC

the healthy life

Priya Dharan

Our Family’s Wake Up Call O n a warm summer night in 2008, I nearly lost my husband of 20 years, and my children then seven and six nearly lost their father.

On the night of July 26, my husband, Murali Dharan (46) complained of chest pain. He had a very full day that day. He had worked out, lifted weights, played a round of golf and had a nice evening. The one thing that wasn’t on my mind was the possibility that right then and there he was having a heart attack in front of my eyes. He didn’t have any of the symptoms that I thought would accompany a heart attack, other than the really obvious big one, chest pain! I did not call 911 or react with the sort of urgency that was needed.

It was an inconvenient hour with the kids already asleep. Plus, I had looked up the symptoms on Google and learned that the pain could be due to inflammation of the cartilage that connects a rib to the sternum. The Mayo Clinic site, which I trust, had said that pain caused by corticochondritis could mimic that of a heart attack. I allowed my judgment to be clouded and just gave him a painkiller and let him fall asleep.

I still shudder when I think back to that night and just how close I came to the edge of the unthinkable.

Murali’s chest pain lasted for a day, but disappeared thereafter. By some stroke of luck, he saw his physician who did not order an EKG, for Murali’s risk of heart disease, let alone a heart attack, was not apparent to him. Murali got his EKG and stress tests anyway. The results were abnormal, but it took Cardiology several days to communicate their observation to us.

When we finally did meet, the cardiologist explained that Murali had had an event.

We did not even realize that an “event” in cardiologist-speak meant a “heart attack.”

Murali’s right coronary artery was nearly a 100 percent blocked and he needed a stent immediately. We were devastated.

How could a heart attack happen so suddenly with no prior symptoms? How could the occlusion in the artery be so severe?

How come his physician did not foresee any of this?

This rising storm of questions led my husband to research the topic in depth.

We were in our forties, and despite being well-educated and savvy healthcare consumers, we had no inkling of our genetic

54 • india currents • april 2012

predisposition to heart disease. And, when the cardiologist recommended that Murali change his lifestyle, we were bewildered. What aspect of our lifestyle was unhealthy enough to lead to a heart attack? We soon realized, that even though we were vegetarians, we were not necessarily healthy vegetarians.

We were eating more grains than greens and not enough fresh vegetables and fruits and were not regular with exercise either. We live literally two miles from the South Asian Heart Center, and yet in our ignorance, we might have well lived a million miles away. I wish that we had aggressively tested for heart disease and made the lifestyle changes that Priya and Murali Dharan, at home adding vegetables and fruits to the Family Meal.

Photo:Elliott Burr/Los Altos Town Crier can reverse heart disease, earlier. your risk factors assessed and addressed.

Here are some take away lessons from our My family faced a crisis, out of the crisis wake up call. came an opportunity to reform our lifestyle. * Ignorance is not bliss. For Indians and Our story does have a happy outcome: thanks South Asians, being in the 30s or 40s is not to my husband’s incredible motivation and sufficient protection against cardiac disease. will power, he is now fitter, and healthier We have to know our risks. than he has ever been in his life. The lifestyle * If you or someone you know develops chest changes we have made are here to stay. We pain, call 911. Don’t second guess the sympwatch what we eat and love our vegetable-rich toms like I did. salads and soups much like we used to relish * You can make lifestyle changes that can our fried potatoes and crispy dosas. We also prevent or reverse heart disease. Even vegsigned up with a health club close to home etarians need to re-access their diet. Vegetarso we can exercise regularly. We do not want ians have low intakes of total fat, saturated to be caught off-guard or passive ever again. fatty acids and cholesterol. But, their intake We will celebrate our 25th anniversary of polyunsaturates is equal or slightly higher this year.n than that of nonvegetarians. * Many physicians, like ours, apply commonly used standards that underestimate risk in Priya Dharan is the voluntary Chair of Marketour population. So, educate your physicians ing at the South Asian Heart Center. about the genetic predisposition of Indians and South Asians to heart disease and have

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travel

Shivam Khullar

Hawaii–A Visual Feast!

Pu’uhonuao Honaunau Park

N

ohea (lovely) Big Island! Be it a book, a conversation, a cup of coffee or a vacation in Hawaii, everything can be enjoyed with the right frame of mind With that packed in our suitcases, we headed to the Big Island for Thanksgiving last year.

Why is it named so? Because of its size. It is the biggest island amongst the five islands of Hawaii.

Alaskan Airlines flies directly to Kona International Airport. It is a five hour flight, but the complimentary Mai Tais served on board the flight made it seem shorter.

The weather on the Kona side of the Island was perfect—25 degrees Celsius with light winds. It can get wet in parts of the island, especially in Hilo during winter. The feeling of ease kicks in as you land and ride the shuttle from the terminal to the rental car office. Clear blue skies, gushing sounds of the waves and pink bougainvillea trees welcome you to Kona. A quick tip regarding the rental car: regardless of the size of the car you requested at the time you made a reservation, it doesn’t hurt to request an upgrade at the counter. They usually have excellent deals on convertibles in Hawaii.

The virtual exploration involved in researching a vacation destination interests me a lot. I enjoy exploring the place on my own—finding routes to places, using Yelp for the best food options, and figuring out the geography of the locale. Sitting by a pool and sipping cocktails is not yet my idea of a vacation. I think age and commitments in life has brought me to that realization. But for now, I love being a voyager.

56 • india currents • april 2012

There are several lodging options on Big Island. You can rent villas by the bay, or go the conventional route and book a hotel. It is important to know enough about the area when picking a hotel. We wanted to stay close to the freeways, walking distance to the beach, with enough dining options and local attractions closeby. So we chose the Kona coast.

You can also look into Hilo, Kohala coast or Waikoloa village. The Sheraton property that we stayed at is by the Keahu Bay. The balconies offer beautiful vistas of the bay on one side and the volcanoes on the other. The service was good and the property was clean and well maintained.

As you head towards Pu’uhonuao Honaunau National Historical Park from Kona, you will see a row of contiguous coffee plantations. If coffee interests you, then a trip to one

of these plantations is highly recommended.

We did not visit a coffee plantation, but we took time to visit The Coffee Shack, a coffee shop that received a rave review in The New York Times. This local favorite is a real gem and lived up to its praise. As you sip your coffee, take the time to enjoy the gorgeous views of the bay and the island’s coastline. It will keep you spellbound.

Pu’uhonuao Honaunau Park is along the coast, and has an ancient village feel to it. It has lots of complex wooden structures, huts and handmade wooden boats. It is definitely very picturesque here and you can spend a few hours exploring the grounds.

The beaches in Kona and Keahu are mostly crowded with tourists, so we drove further up to Hapuna State Beach. Crystal blue waters welcome you at this beach which is

Hapuna State Beach

surprisingly quiet and less visited by tourists.

Driving in Hawaii can be slow, because the streets are really narrow along the coastline.

But, it is a relaxing experience. Remember to pack your audio connector and a car charger for your phone. With the Pandora and Saavn apps on our phones we enjoyed listening to melodious Hindi songs, while driving in a convertible Mustang, with the top down, along the beautiful coastline in Hawaii.

The drive to Hapuna is marked with an ever-changing landscape. From the industrial belt of Big Island to black lava fields to a vast expanse of clear skies and, at times, the sight of volcanoes reaching into the clouds. No words can do justice to these vistas. They are breathtaking and you are left to wonder at nature’s gift to humankind. If you visit Hapuna Beach, chances are you will eat at Paradise Grill. It is the only food option in this area!

The menu is limited, but the quality is good.

One of the top attractions of Big Island is the Mauna Kea volcano. Due to its high altitude, dry climatic conditions, and stable airflow, Mauna Kea’s summit is one of the best sites in the northern hemisphere for astronomical observations. You can drive up to the summit if you have a four wheel drive, or take a guided tour to the summit. If you take the tour it is advisable to make your reservations early. The tour came with a guide, who was well informed about the local geology of Big Island, the types of lava flows, the number of volcanoes on the Island and other trivia about the islands of Hawaii. We booked a tour with Mauna Kea Summit Adventures but I am sure there are several competing companies that offer similar itineraries.

The summit is at 13,792 feet and it was quite a drive to get there.The visitor center is at about 9,000 feet and is a good place for a restroom stop. As we ascended, we watched cinder cones lay their shadows in the sun.

The temperature is usually below freezing point at the summit. The good thing is that the tour company provides jackets and gloves, since no one packs for -10 degrees in Hawaii.

The observatories are all perched at the very top, all the better to capture the skies in the Northern and Southern hemisphere. We learned about the history of telescopes and enjoyed a picturesque sunset. It was mesmerizing to see the sun dip under thick clouds. It was most definitely the best sunset I have ever witnessed. Even now it feels like a dream that we were up there, under the bed of stars, with thick clouds beneath us. If only I had had a pair of wings!

Big Island also has Volcanoes National Park that is about 95 miles from Kona. It is an interesting drive along the coast, and you witness the changing landscapes as you leave Kona and enter Hilo. We spent almost an entire day in the park covering its highlights. We decided to drive down to the ocean along the Chain of Craters road down to the Holei Sea Arch. I highly recommend this drive. It is only

at the end of this drive that you see the road that is now blocked by lava that was heading to the ocean. The drive is beautiful through rain forests, craters, lava fields and steep hills, with fascinating views of the ocean. The contrast of blue and black is spectacular and you surrender to the grandeur of the volcanoes around you. It is intimidating to be a speck of life amidst these large creations of nature. On one side are the volcanoes and on the other, the bold ocean.

We also visited the Jaggar Museum, Thurston Lava Tubes and Steam Vents in the national park. There was an ongoing eruption right outside Jaggar Museum that could be seen from up close. But the Crater Rim drive was closed due to sulphur emissions from the eruption.

Big Island is a food haven. From one of most amazing sushi houses to rusty yet amazing breakfast joints, the variety is unlimited.

Kenichi Pacific is tucked inside a shopping complex and can be a little difficult to find.

It has the best sushi in Big Island. The Yellow Tail with lime and jalapeno rings and the Black Miso cod. Make reservations in advance, since this place can get crowded on weekends.

Bonjo Ben’s Island Café close to the Kailua Kona shopping area, is a wholesome innovative breakfast place. They serve fresh Mahi Mahi with biscuit and fruits, in addition to several other delicious items on the menu.

You can sit here, soak in the sun and watch the ocean waves while sipping mimosas.

Bamboo’s Restaurant and Gallery near the Kohala coast is a long way to go for a meal, but the food was here fantastic and the lilikoi margaritas were out of this world. They also sell cute cups made of coconut shells. Make sure to bring some back with you. They make really good souvenirs.

Another must-do in Hawaii is to attend a Lua’u. We enjoyed one at the Fairmont Orchid hotel in Waikoloa Village. Lua’u is a feast from four different cultures—Samoa, New Zealand, Hawaii and Tahiti. There was a buffet spread of the best dishes from these cultures, some fire shows, lots of free alcohol and a cultural extravaganza. Again, make reservations in advance.

These events sell out soon.

There are plenty of shopping attractions in Big Island, but I must mention the Pacific Gold Jewelry shop. The seller there handcrafts most of the jewelry and has some excellent Tahitian black pearls. For souvenirs, there are several ABC Stores all over the island. You can

Holei Arch

pick up your fridge magnets and Hawaiian shirts and dresses from here. They usually have good deals available. These stores are also great for picking up water, soda or a light breakfast.

I loved Big Island and its endless attractions. The warmth of the island and its residents completely won me over. Hawaii has a magical appeal. Mahalo Big Island, we will be back someday. Once I retire, I will be available for visitors at the cozy coffee shop attached to a small bakery and a coffee plantation that you will see on your right as you drive ... n Shivam Khullar is an astute business consultant, an opinionated writer, an avid reader, a creative cook, a hopeless coffee lover, a light traveler and a loving wife.

india currents • april 2012 • 57

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on Inglish

Kalpana Mohan

SO Much Ado About Curry The English lexicon has many words, like curry, that were adopted from India, which reflect how language is not immune from global influences.

P

lease, if you should visit me any evening between 4 and 5 p.m., I’ll be busy rustling up a quick curry for dinner. Now that’s my South Indian “curry”, whose origin is the Tamil word kari, which means “to blacken” or “to roast,” a word that was likely spun from the means used in cooking: coal in the olden days. There are many other such words that are part of modern day spoken English and they are seldom recognized as being of Indian origin. Most of these words were assimilated during the period between the 16th and 20th century when the British followed an aggressive imperial policy in the Indian subcontinent.

Savor this morsel about British rule in India. Lord Thomas Babington Macaulay, essayist and politician, introduced English education in India, calling for an educational system to build a class of anglicized Indians who would serve as cultural intermediaries between the British and the Indians. In his Minute on Indian Education that was submitted to the Parliament in 1835, he made it clear that all Indian literature could be beaten to pulp: “It is, I believe, no exaggeration to say that all the historical information which has been collected from all the books written in the Sanskrit language is less valuable than what may be found in the most paltry abridgements used at preparatory schools in England.” Isn’t it ironic then that so many Indian words—from Sanskrit, Urdu, Tamil, Telugu and many other languages in use in the country—were absorbed into the English language during the British Raj?

M

ind you, I’m not thinking about history and etymology when I’m making my curry. I’m hungry. I’m dying to stuff my face with hot phulkas (thin flat bread) and potato curry before 5:30 p.m., when my diet gong goes off. Of late, I don’t eat after the gong sounds for I will be in danger of not fitting into my Haute Curry tunics, a line of clothing that I bought when I was in India last. Haute Curry is a young and funky ethno-fusion brand feted by Anoushka Shankar for today’s young and trans-global fashion divas who might fish out their curry combs and brush their hair and fix themselves the way one might curry a horse as part of grooming him.

And no, you will not, I repeat, not curry favor with me if you smirk and say that I’m fifty, and well past the age at which to groom, preen and squeeze into Haute Curry. I will tell you, “No” and, baby, will I show you how. Right after I make my potato curry, that is.

For that, I’ll splutter mustard and cumin seeds in a teaspoon of hot oil in my cast iron pan, tossing in a couple of finely diced shallots.

And in a few minutes, when my onion is limp and caramelizing ever so slightly and the red and yellow toss pillows in my family room have soaked in the aroma, I’ll add a dash of red chilly and turmeric powder and a pinch of salt. I’ll let it all ruminate a bit before I finally throw in my three chopped, peeled potatoes that will roast on medium-high until my curry is wet and dry and crunchy and moist at the same time.

No, I don’t use curry powder for this dish and if you’re Caucasian, 58 • india currents • april 2012

The word, “curry,” has now become iconic of India and everything Indian.

We cannot think of curry without thinking of India.

never, ever say: “Oh, you’re Indian? You must eat a lot of curry then.”

That, my friend, is like arsenic in my turmeric. That, amore mio, is like asking an Italian if he eats a lot of marinara.

Instead, ask me these questions: So, what is curry? Are there many different kinds of curry powder? Is the South Indian curry different from, say, chicken curry or Goan curry? And I’ll tell you how, deep inside every Tamilian soul, a corner gloats over how this Tamil word, “curry”, has now become iconic of India and everything Indian. We cannot think of curry without thinking of India, can we?

I

mustn’t also forget to mention how “curry,” in Britain’s vast empire, became an umbrella term in the west to refer to almost any spiced, sauce-based dish cooked in various South and Southeast Asian styles.

For instance, “curry” was also attributed to any Indian dish that was prepared with a secret powder that gave it sharpness and pungency.

There is the other misconception. Not all Indian food contains curry powder.

Most recipes for curry powder, a sharp seasoning made of ground spices, usually include coriander, turmeric, cumin, fenugreek, and red pepper in their blends. Almost always, however, this all-important powder is actually a mix of spices collectively known as garam masala.

It is added to some dishes along with other spices to enhance their flavor and aroma.

One word of caution to avoid being sautéed by the savvy: a dry chicken dish sans sauce must never be referred to as a curry.

So the curry powder is really a masala which, by the way, is now a word in the English lexicon borrowed from Hindi. But that must be a subject of another tangy discussion.n Kalpana Mohan writes from Saratoga. To read more about her, go to http://kalpanamohan.org and http://saritorial.com.

This is the first article in On Inglish, a new column on Indian words that have become an accepted part of the English lexicon.

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recipes

Malar Gandhi

Khichdi–A Comfort Food

K

hichdi is India’s comfort food, made from rice and lentils. The word “khichdi” and its alternate spellings khichri, khicheri, cutcheree, kedgeree and kushari come from a Sanskrit word “khicca,” meaning rice and pulses based dish.

Authentic khichdi is considered a light, nutritious meal, devoid of strong spices. It is an easy alternative for infants, sick people, and those with more fragile constitutions. It is appreciated by many who follow the Saatvik diet (Ayurveda). The moist version, given to invalids, is called “gini-kitchri” and the dry version of “bhuni-kitchri” is for general consumption. It appears that khichdi is the traditional daily meal of the Kutch people (near Gujarat) and they make several varieties of it.

French traveler, Jean-Baptiste Tavernier, who came to India six times during 1640–1685, mentions that khichdi was prepared with green lentils, rice and butter and that it was

a typical peasant evening meal. Even before that, Seleucus Nicator, a Greek ambassador (ca. 358 BC–281 BC), records the popularity of this rice and pulses meal in South Asia.

Mughal cooks certainly knew how to take a simple country food from the streets and enrich it in the palace kitchens for royals.

They are the ones who gave this humble meal, a rich gourmet appeal. During the Mughal dynasty (1400—1700s), the traditional khichdi went through various adaptations. They made it rich by adding strong spices, dry fruits and nuts. In Ain-i-Akbari, a 16th century document about King Akbar, Abu’l Fazl mentions nearly seven variations of khichdi preparations A Russian adventurer, Afanasiy Nikitin, who traveled to India during the 16th century, declared that the Mughal Emperor Jahangir popularized this dish and it is believed that Emperor Aurangzeb was particularly fond of khichdi.

Gujarat Khichdi Ingredients 1 cup long grain rice ½ cup split mung lentils (moong dal) salt to taste ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder 3 green chilies, sliced 1 large onion, sliced 10 cashew nuts 15 raisins 1 bay leaf 3 cloves 1 cinnamon stick 1 tablespoon ghee

Method Heat ghee in a wide crock pot, fry cashew nuts and raisins till they turn to golden brown. Set them aside.

In the same oil, add bay leaf, cinnamon stick and cloves.

Followed by green chillies and onions, fry till they turn golden brown.

Stir-in rice and lentils. Add salt, turmeric and three cups of water. Cover and cook over medium heat for 10-12 minutes.

Once the rice and lentils are tender, remove from heat.

Garnish with fried cashew nuts and raisins.

Serve warm as a main course.

60 • india currents • april 2012

During the British colonial rule (1858— 1947), the khichdi recipe was modified to suit the Anglo Indian palate, by adding fish and eggs to the ingredients. Kedgeree, as it was called, became popular during the British era as a staple breakfast food. It soon spread outside India to the UK during the reign of Queen Victoria.

According to one hypothesis, however, the dish originated in Scotland; it was taken to India by Scottish troops during the colonial period, where it was said to have become part of Indian cuisine. Later the dish found its way back to UK. This hypothesis is documented in The Scottish Kitchen, by Christopher Trotter, a National Trust for Scotland book. Trotter traced the origins of kedgeree to books dating back to the year 1790. Despite that, general opinion still considers khichdi a quintessential wholesome, mildly spiced Indian dish. n

Tamil Nadu Khicheri Ingredients 1 cup basmati rice ¼ cup split pigeon peas (thuvar dal) 3 dry red chilies 4 cloves garlic 1 large onion, chopped salt to taste ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder 3 cloves 1 cinnamon stick 1 teaspoon cumin seeds oil few teaspoons

Method

Heat oil in a wide crock pot. Add whole spices and let this sizzle for a minute.

Add chilies, garlic and onions and fry for two minutes.

Stir-in rice and lentils. Add three cups of water, salt and turmeric.

Cover and cook over medium heat for 10-12 minutes. Once the rice and lentils are tender, remove from heat.

Serve warm as a main course.

Variations: While tempering and cooking methods remains the same, one could use wide range of lentils for variations. Like whole green gram, black lentils, chick peas, horse gram, etc. n Malar Gandhi is a freelance writer who specializes in Culinary Anthropology and Gourmet Indian Cooking. She also blogs about Indian food at www.kitchentantra.com

I C relationship diva

Jasbina Ahluwalia

De-Listed Q

I hear a lot of conflicting advice: some people say it’s very important to have a detailed “checklist” of all the things you want with respect to a partner, while other people warn me that a checklist not only doesn’t help, but can hurt your chances of finding someone.

So what do you think? Is a list a good or bad thing?

A

As a matchmaker and dating coach to highly selective men and women searching for their partner, I can tell you that this is a very common question among commitment-minded people.

In my opinion, creating a list can be a productive asset in your search for a life partner if done with a mindset that serves you; and can be a counterproductive liability in your search as well. I think that is one of the reasons there seems to be so much conflicting advice out there. So let’s talk about what I mean by that.

I strongly believe that gaining a high-level of clarity regarding what kind of relationship you seek is an important starting point in your

search for a partner.

For some people, a list can serve as a constructive tool in gaining and maintaining a high-level of clarity.

If you do choose to create a list, make sure it’s a list which will serve you by expanding rather than limiting your pool of potential partners.

How do you do that?

Ask yourself three questions: First, ask yourself the “why” behind every item on your list For example, if your list says your partner must have a certain degree or be part of a certain profession: • Ask yourself exactly which qualities underlie that particular requirement • Could it be that you associate a certain level of intellect with those professions?

If so, keep in mind that the level of intellect you seek may be found in partners working in a wide variety of careers, including those which require less formal education.

• Perhaps you associate those degrees

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Jasbina is the founder and president of Intersections Match, the only personalized matchmaking and dating coaching firm serving singles of South Asian descent in the United States.

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with a proven ability to work hard or persevere—what other accomplishments may indicate these abilities?

• Ask yourself whether the why speaks to your own needs, as opposed to your perception of others’ expectations.

Second, ask yourself—who or what do I have to be to attract a partner having the qualities on my list? Consider that finding the right partner involves being the right partner.

Third, since happily married people have often found their spouses in packages different from that which they envisioned, make sure your list does not foreclose the possibility of a partner in an unexpected package. n

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uncubed

Krishna M. Sadasivam is the cartoonist behind UNcubed, a weekly online auto-bio comic, focusing on life as an Indian guy in the United States.

When he’s not creating comics or working as a freelance illustrator, Krishna teaches full-time in the Media Arts and Animation department of the Art Institute of Tampa in Florida. See more of his work at http://www.uncubedthecomic.com/.

62 • india currents • april 2012

I C dear doctor

Alzak Amlani

Juggling Roles Q

I have been married for fifteen years and in the last five years, my in-laws have been living with us. They are my husband’s parents.

We have gotten along pretty well, and even when there are differences, we respect each other very much. We often spend a lot of time together, in the home and I attend to their needs, diligently. They have also helped with taking care of our children, especially when they had more energy. Recently, I enrolled in graduate school and spend ten to fifteen hours a week on my studies. My attention isn’t as focused on my in laws’ needs and my husband has picked up some of the responsibilities. However, my in laws believe it ought to be my duty to take care of them. They feel as though they are no longer a priority for me. I feel torn, as I understand their needs and the Indian cultural preferences but I also need time to pursue my education.

What are some ways to deal with this dilemma?

A

You sound pretty conscientious about your desire to help care for them and are

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quite aware of their feelings. Most people get used to a certain structure and lifestyle and don’t want things to change. You have obviously initiated a significant change in your life and they are feeling it. Communicating why you have chosen to study is a good conversation to have with your in laws. Share with them how your studies is impacting your life and career and how in the long run that would also benefit the family. They also need to be reminded that they are not being replaced or forgotten just because you have another commitment. Speak about how you respect them and are still involved in their lives. Doing even little things to symbolize that is a good way of communicating as well. Aging makes many people afraid of becoming a burden on others. There is a vulnerability that is hard to speak about directly, especially if they see that you are busy. They might wonder if you are resentful of them and want to get away from their needs.

You do have actual needs that are your

own. As priorities change, people’s roles have to adjust. Essentially there is less of you available for the family. Walking this cultural tightrope puts a lot of pressure on the wife.

This is where your husband needs to communicate with his parents and explain how life is different here in the States than it may have been in India. If this is done in a sensitive manner, it will be heard. Let them also hear how much you have to juggle to educate yourself in mid-life with children to raise. If your husband plays the role of the interlocuter between you and your in laws, they will most likely be more accepting of these changes.

This ought to give you more breathing space and support from the family as you continue your studies. n

Alzak Amlani, Ph.D., is a counseling psychologist in the Bay Area. 650-325-8393. Visit www. wholenesstherapy.com.

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india currents • april 2012 • 63

IC

the last word

Sarita Sarvate

Truth or Beauty?

A Memoirist’s Dilemma

W

hen I was growing up, memoirs were written only by famous people. They were not works of literature, but rather, chronicles of historic achievements.

The first memoir I read was in Marathi and was written by Sane Guruji. Guruji’s anecdotes of his mother patching up saris or offering her children fake milk made of flour and water brought tears to my eyes.

Years later, Charlie Chaplin’s autobiography about his poverty-stricken mother going insane in London of the Raj era not only evoked echoes of Sane Guruji, but resonated personally with me.

When Chaplin mused that if only his mother had had a cup of tea that afternoon, she would never have gone mad, I felt a pang.

Because I, too, had grown up with a mentally ill mother.

The first American memoir I was enchanted by was Angela’s Ashes by Frank McCourt. I read parts of it aloud to my children.

“Nothing can compare with the Irish childhood,” he wrote, “The poverty; the shiftless loquacious alcoholic father; the pious defeated mother moaning by the fire; pompous priests; bullying schoolmasters…” McCourt mined such pathos and humor that I sat up all night reading his book.

That was in 1996, when controversy had not yet surrounded the memoir genre. James Frey, the author of A Million Little Pieces, changed all that, when, in his memoir, he invented drug addiction, jail time, and rehabilitation.

Controversies still plague the memoir genre. Dave Eggers’ A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius was a self-deprecating, admittedly fictionalized account of raising his young brother after the deaths of his parents. His sister blamed him for not giving her any credit for the critical role she played in caring for their younger sibling and later committed suicide. Readers were so stunned. Some even wondered if the suicide was invented too. It was not.

What Eggers had committed was the sin of omission. He simply focused on his own interaction with his brother and thereby offended his sister.

When I read Eggers’ memoir, I did not know about the suicide, yet I wondered how, at the age of 21 or 22, he was able to be such a perfect parent to his younger brother. But I loved the book so much that I did not care if he had invented the whole thing. Because his writing was mesmerizing. The book, which was nominated for the Pulitzer, would have been popular even if it had been fictional.

Ann Patchett, a writer of blockbusters, wrote a memoir about her friendship with the late Lucy Grealy, titled, ironically, Truth and Beauty. Because Ann Patchett had such a literary cachet, her book overshadowed Lucy Grealy’s own memoir titled Autobiography of a Face, about her bout with cancer of the jaw and the resulting facial surgeries and disfigurement she faced all her life. Lucy’s sister protested the clingy, needy person that Ann had portrayed her sister to be. I felt saddened by the controversy, because, Lucy Grealy, who died of a heroin overdose, will remain for me one of the finest American writers.

Whether a writer deliberately invents scenes of her life or purposefully exaggerates them for dramatic effect, the truth is that no one can know, nor depict, the absolute truth. Everything

To live someone else’s life is a rare privilege, and one that I cannot stop relishing.

64 • india currents • april 2012

is subjective. Particularly when it comes to life experience.

As I write my own memoir now, I ponder the nature of memory.

My younger brother has a habit of always prefacing every conversation with, “I am telling you the truth.” He does that even when he is telling me things that supposedly happened to me. I always wonder; how can he know more about my life?

Wouldn’t I be the best person to recall details of my past? But he feels sure of himself. He sees things in his mind’s eye and thinks they are the truth. It does not occur to him that memory can be deceptive.

Yet studies on memory have shown that memory is anything but reliable. We remember things that are important to us. And we remember them in the context of our own biases and perceptions. As the oldest and the female child, what I remember about my mother’s illness is vastly different from what my brother remembers. He does not remember me slogging in the kitchen or riding my bicycle late at night to fetch the doctor. He does not remember my father getting up at five o’clock in the morning to light the charcoal stove and make us tea so we could go to school. What he remembers is my father’s temper. What he recalls is the sense of abandonment he felt when I left the home to marry a stranger.

When I went back to my hometown recently, I said to my brother, “After we go away, what each of us will remember of this meeting will be different.”

I don’t think he quite understood.

So what is a memoirist to do? Clearly, Frank McCourt had to dramatize certain dialogues that took place when he was four, five, or six years old. Ultimately what was important was the truth of his experience, not the literal truth about what words were exactly uttered.

Fortunately, I can remember a lot. As a child, I had a photographic memory; lessons I had read only once or twice were memorized by heart. When I went to India recently, my cousin told me that my essay about my mother’s mental breakdown had evoked for her the very picture of her aunt she had witnessed years ago.

Yet, my memory is only mine. Therefore, my truth is only my truth.

So I ponder the dilemma, should I dramatize certain scenes for effect? Should I make a composite character out of two professors, say, just for convenience? As long as the kernel of the experience doesn’t change, does it matter? Will my relatives in India, who have never openly discussed my mother’s mental illness, deny it altogether out of a sense of taboo? It is a possibility.

But then again, when I met my childhood friend recently, she remembered the names of the tranquilizers Equanil and Tofranil we used to go to the pharmacy together to buy for my mother. I felt reassured that my memory had not lied to me.

Memoirs remain for me a favorite literary genre. To live someone else’s life is a rare privilege, and one that I cannot stop relishing. When I read Eggers’ descriptions of my favorite Tilden Park, I was there, riding a bike alongside him. I hope that memoirs do not suffer from a backlash just because of a few detractors.

At least not until my own one is published. n Sarita Sarvate writes commentaries for Pacific News Service and KQED. Visit www.saritasarvate.com

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