October 2011 Southern California Edition

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Writing Ethnic in America

Verdict Without a Trial

Exiled at Home

IndiaCurrents Celebrating 25 Years of Excellence

october 2011 • vol. 25 , no .7 • www.indiacurrents.com

Indian Americans find environmentally responsible ways to celebrate this festival season.

The Price of Silence 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

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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 © 2011 by India Currents All rights reserved.

Fully indexed

by Ethnic Newswatch

Recently I got into a political argument with a friend, which, rather predictably, ended with us retreating to our respective corners to nurse our wounds. After tempers had cooled, I mulled over the incident. Perhaps my vehemence had been inappropriate, but was I right to engage?

They say you should never discuss religion or politics in public, and I can aver from personal experience that my forays into political debates with friends and family have, almost always, been met with yawns, eye-rolls, and barely disguised disinterest or discomfort. That is understandable. People lead busy lives. The combative nature of modern politics is dispiriting and a media environment that relishes contests and ignores substance is unhelpful. Then there is the information overload, which makes us retreat into cocoons, hoping that our circle of friends will act as trusted filters. It hasn’t helped that a myth of individualistic success and obstructionist and ineffective government has been perpetuated so successfully as to become pervasive. Yes, it is understandable.

But it is not acceptable.

Because we are inundated with a neverending tirade of demagoguery, and because affairs of state are reported irresponsibly in a he-said, she-said template, we forget that, underneath it all, decisions that affect our lives

are taken each day by people who we have had the opportunity to elect or reject. Minor bills are passed that can have major impacts in our lives. No amount of wealth or influence can protect us from the e-coli in our spinach, nor can a fancy car protect us if we are driving over a bridge that has not been repaired due to lack of funds. No gated community can protect us from the criminality that arises from inequity or the natural disaster that is untended because of cuts in emergency personnel.

We may elect our politicians because we like the cut of their jib or the sparkle in their smile, but behind their rhetoric is actual voting history, bills tendered and passed. We may despise a politician for not delivering on an issue we care about, or having weak negotiating stances but, once again, they have complete records in black and white for us to peruse.

And we can choose to educate ourselves and others, or we can pretend it is all happening to someone else. We can choose to let uninformed opinion stand, or we can become the trusted provider of facts. For the 99 people who cannot be moved, there will be the one who says, “Really? Tell me why you are right and I am wrong.” Or, better yet, one will say, “Let me tell you why I am right and you are wrong,” and we will learn something new.

Vidya Pradhan

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india currents • october 2011 • 1

Southern California Edition

PERSPECTIVES 1 EDITORIAL: The price of silence. By Vidya Pradhan 4 LETTERS 6 FORUM: Are employee unions still relevant in the

United States? Two opinions. By Rameysh Ramdas and Mani Subramani

Veena Patwardhan looks at creative ways of celebrating festivals in an eco-friendly fashion while still staying true to our traditions

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7

TECHNOLOGY: Software vs. science. By Vivek Wadhwa

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PERSPECTIVE: Meeting the surrogate: the second article in a series on surrogacy. By Yamuna Kona

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DESI VOICES: Do we deliver a verdict on adultery without a trial? By Chetan

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25th ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL: Writing “ethnic” in America. By Ragini Tharoor Srinivasan

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REFLECTIONS: Navratri is more than a celebration.

By Satya Kalra

64 THE LAST WORD BY SARITA SARVATE: Exiled at home.

Author Bharati Mukherjee discusses her new book Miss New India

LIFESTYLE 42 RECIPES: A sure sign of autumn. By Shanta Sacharoff 54

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THE HEALTHY LIFE: Ten popular beauty foods.

By Malar Gandhi

63 DEAR DOCTOR: Making a difference. By Alzak Amlani

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT Kalpana Sunder timetravels to the ancient city of Anuradhapura in Sri Lanka

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DEPARTMENTS 26 27 62

Ask a Lawyer Visa Dates Uncubed

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MUSIC: Indians in the blues music scene. By Priya Das

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FILMS: Reviews of Mere Brother Ki Dulhan, That Girl in Yellow Boots, and Mausam. Interview with Imran Khan. By Aniruddh Chawda, Suchi Sargam, and

Madhumita Gupta

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BOOKS: Reviews of Miss New India and Last Man in Tower. By Girija Sankar and Lakshmi Mani.

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FICTION: “Home Where all the Stories are Born,” a Katha 2011 honorable winner. By Kaushik Barua

WHAT’S CURRENT

EVENT HIGHLIGHTS

44 53 60

45 49

Cultural Calendar Spiritual Calendar Classifieds

Be the Cause!

“Moghul Court” Dance by Chitresh Das and Chhandam

india currents • october 2011 • 3

IC

voices

Don’t Put Down Teachers’ Unions

As an educator, I enjoyed this heartfelt and truthful piece and appreciate the input (A Salute to Teachers, September 2011).

So many people blast teachers unions without an understanding that they—the NEA, the AFT, and other unions that larger cities might have (i.e., the Chicago Teachers Union)—are not there to protect bad teachers; they exist for many other reasons that benefit education workers and, ultimately, the students themselves. And people, for some reason, feel comfortable complaining about teachers and their “cushy lifestyle and benefits” when clearly they don’t have any understanding of a teacher’s nearly 24/7 “lifestyle” or how their benefits work.

Teachers, firefighters, police, and public medical employees are not the drain on state budgets that they have been made out to be.

Rather, it is the states’ mishandling of, misappropriation of, and robbing from the pension funds that created the problems that so many state governments face today. It is a shame that the worker has to shoulder the burden of correcting other peoples’ mistakes.

To any IC reader who is employed as an educator of any kind, I say “be proud of what you do and be joyful in how your work affects generations of children, our future.”

Jeanne E. Fredriksen, online

The Widening Economic Gap

The United States created this housing crisis and may get out of it (The American Dream? September 2010). But I am more worried for people in emerging markets—being set up by sharks inside and outside their communities to be “the new indebted middle class of servitude.”

You might be surprised how much gap exists between professions. People with PhDs are paid peanuts, while those who pay capitation fees to get medical degrees make millions. Educators, who shape minds and society, are paid peanuts, while entertainers make millions. Brilliant thinkers make peanuts while mediocre marketing people make huge bucks. Where are the American values?

Debt might have been avoided in a more balanced society where “money, wealth, accumulation of wealth and profits” are not the only priority. Unfortunately immigrants always seem to say that they came to America for its money, wealth, economic opportunity or profitability, rarely for culture, education, social ideals, etc.

If greed got you into debt then you need to fend for yourself. On the other hand, if you got into debt because of bad information and deception then you deserve our sympathy and

4 • india currents • october 2011

support.

Next time worship your social scientist who knew these problems in advance, and the social workers who help in spite of people’s stupidity, naivety or greed.

Meera Srinivasan, online

Too Simplistic

I enjoy reading Ms. Sarvate’s column.

However, I worry that she sometimes makes extremely uncritical observations and is quiteprone to sweeping generalizations.

Why worry about that? Because India Currents is a dominant forum for engaging the South Asian “voice” in America, and it

Elections 2012 Are you a South Asian involved in American politics? India Currents is planning a series of articles leading up to the Presidential elections in 2012.

We are looking for varied viewpoints—from the grassroots organizer to the seasoned campaigner. To share your experiences and perspectives, get in touch with us at editor@indiacurrents.com with the subject line “Elections 2012.” is our civic duty to ensure that the voice isn’t sneaking in false assumptions and drawing of unexamined “similarities” between otherwise different things as the “truth.”

In “Hazare, My Hero,” (September 2011) Sarvate does wonderfully well when she appreciates Anna Hazare’s satyagraha against corruption in India. In the specific Indian context, Hazare’s movement blossoms into concrete and meaningful political action.

It is only when she tries to lift the Hazaretype action lock, stock and barrel and tries to dump it into a totally different context— American politics—that she begins to lose credibility in my eyes.

Claims like “there is more corruption in America than there is in India” sound plain silly. Of course, corruption is a part and parcel of governance the world over, as is structural violence built into political systems. But such

a sweeping comparison reflects fuzzy thinking.

It is impossible to imagine an “American Hazare” because historically and culturally, America is not attuned to voices like that of Hazare’s. There have been voices like those of MLK, who adapted and adjusted Gandhi’s voice to suit American purposes. And if you will, MLK’s great contribution was “words.”

Your primary claim that “words” ought to be subservient to “actions” smacks a bit of antiintellectual smugness.

Noam Chomsky ’s “ words” help us understand mass-media hegemony (which is a universal problem) and corporate power (again something that is an Indian problem as well) with a great deal of clarity. “Words” lead to action, if not physical, then ideological and mental.

Elizabeth Warren is someone I admire, and she, to me, represents an American Hazare with a difference, just as Anna Hazare could be an Indian Warren with a difference.

And why would somebody do a satyagraha in front of the New York Stock Exchange? I don’t understand.

Lastly, I’m sorry that she has been mistreated by her hometown police force in CA. But that’s no reason to condemn an entire police force as “corrupt.” And I’m shocked that she justifies corruption among members of the Indian police force by saying that they’re too poor!

Sharmila Mukherjee, online

Microfinance Not Implemented Properly

The concept of microfinance is excellent, but its implementation was wrong, especially the role played by NGOS, with their callous attitude towards women (Challenging the concept of Microfinance, September 2011).

The government, instead of helping, criticized the scheme. Dismissing Muhammad Yunus, a Nobel Prize winner, from the Grameen Bank which he founded to alleviate the poverty of women, is disgraceful.

Rajendra Mandal, online

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.

India Currents is now available on Kindle Follow us at twitter.com/ indiacurrents Find us at facebook.com/ indiaCurrents Online Extras: • Easy access to our current content and decade-old archives of diverse articles • Special web-only articles and videos • Digital issue of the magazine • Interactive event listings • Advertising access to a niche, high-value segment of the community • Comments highlighted on home page • A full-color experience • RSS feeds and newsletter subscriptions

Most Popular Articles Online: 1) The American Dream (September 2011) Jaya Padmanabhan 2) Northern California Cultural Events (September 2011) Nadia Maiwandi 3) Going the Distance (September 2011) Uttara Sivaram 4) Southern California Cultural Events (September 2011) Nadia Maiwandi 5) Passion in the Pages-Redux (September 2011) Jeanne E. Fredriksen 6) Thinking Outside Pandora's Box (September 2011) Teed Rockwell 7) Growing Up Muslim in a Post-9/11 World (September 2011) Zaineb Mohammad 8) Asha Bhosle Comes to the Bay (August 2011) Priya Das 9) Hazare, My Hero (September 2011) SSarita Sarvate 10) American Graduates Head to India For Employment (September 2011) Video india currents • october 2011 • 5

IC

forum

Are Employee Unions Still Relevant in the United States?

Rameysh Ramdas

Mani Subramani

Today’s global economy needs strong unions

Unions have outlived their usefulness

or over a century since the advent of industrialization, unions have shaped American workers lives and industry in profound ways. The Clayton Act of 1914 paved the way for unions by exempting human labor from being considered a commodity or article of commerce and thus allowing for collective bargaining. While union membership has been in decline since the 1960s, it is still widely prevalent in representing many industries in our economy such as auto workers, teachers, nurses, and the police.

Unions have succeeded in making many reforms at the workplace, such as the 40-hour workweek, overtime pay, sick leave, unemployment insurance, workplace safety and hazard protections and ending child labor, that have benefitted all workers in America, not just those that belong to a union.

Wisconsin Republicans, led by Governor Scott Walker, stripped that state’s public employees of any collective bargaining rights in March 2011. That assault on the employee unions now stands poised to spread nationwide, fanned by the Republican Party.

While some may argue that unions have lost their purpose and do not benefit the workers they represent, the truth is far from that. In this age of rapid globalization, outsourcing, off-shoring, and unfettered pursuit of profits and savings by both corporations and the public sector, often at any cost to the workers, unions remain the last bastion of support and defense for many American workers. At the same time, I would acknowledge that the unions need to focus on their basic function and renew their partnership with the employers rather than have an adversarial unyielding stance.

An example of a positive cooperative union-employer endeavor is a proposed labor agreement that General Motors and the United Auto Workers union reached in September 2011—with win-win provisions that would re-employ about 570 GM previously laid off workers, revive a now-idled assembly plant in Tennessee and pay one-time bonuses of about $5,000 for each current worker, and yet allow GM’s cost structure to remain within their goal. Such cooperation benefits both workers and allows employers to add jobs.

Another opportunity for such cooperation is the proposal to address the San Jose City budget shortfall—Mayor Reed has a pension reform plan that is expected to save $67 M in the next year. The employee union should consider reasonable compromises that will preserve city jobs while still providing for a fair pension.

The answer to our country’s economic woes is not the destruction of the unions but rather their reform to partner with employers, including the public sector. Unions and employers must work together to grow the competitiveness and profitability of the employers while still ensuring that the employees’ legitimate interests are protected.

We need employee unions now more than ever in this global economy to step up and advocate for the American worker. n

he union movement in the United States peaked in the 70s, when they represented about one quarter of the workforce.

Unions have been in a steady decline since and make up about 12.4% of the entire workforce and only 7% of the private workforce today. While unions in the past helped maintain wages and the standard of living for the middle class, this trend is unsustainable. Economists have proved that unionization frequently produces higher wages at the expense of fewer jobs, and given the current economic climate, we should not be advocating for policies that depress jobs.

Also, the future of our workforce is changing. As of 2009, a third of the workforce participated in freelance or independent activities.

Money magazine estimates the number to grow to 40% over the next decade. A study by the University of Maryland suggests that the social media “app economy” is responsible for 182,000 jobs. Then there is the example of a new company called Task Rabbit which uses an online tool to connect people with time to spare with “employers” to run errands. Collective bargaining, pension benefits, improving working conditions etc., become irrelevant in a free and flexible workplace.

We need a new safety net for these employees when they trapeze between contracts and employers. A new social contract, perhaps a Medicare part P(private) which would cover anyone under certain conditions. We ought to be thinking regulated, defined benefit pension plans similar to social security, funded and owned by employees. Instead our attention has been diverted by the attempt of Republicans to demolish these archaic institutions that have not evolved in step with the dramatic changes to the way people live and work.

That public support for unions is low can be demonstrated by the reaction of voters after the egregious union busting in Wisconsin. Despite protests by unions and substantial press coverage of these events, Democrats failed to win sufficient seats in the recall elections to gain majority in the state legislature.

Such apathy is understandable. The few remaining unions often take intransigent positions in negotiations, such as the one taken by postal employees unions, which will not give up the “no layoff” clause, or the San Jose public sector unions’ refusal to negotiate pension benefits. In the latter case the city had to let go of 10% of the police force so that the remaining 90% would have comfortable pensions. Teachers unions have weird rules protecting bad teachers and dispensing with newer, better ones on the basis of seniority.

Union managements often become bureaucracies that lose touch with rank and file members, thus defeating their objective of representing them fairly. We have all heard of overpaid employees in every branch of the public sector who fight tooth and nail to keep their cushy retirement benefits continuing. It is this attitude that alienates trade unions for most people.n

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

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

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In this age of rapid globalization, unions remain the last bastion of support and defense for many American workers.

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Collective bargaining, pension benefits, improving worker conditions etc. become irrelevant in a free and flexible workplace.

IC

technology

Vivek Wadhwa

How Software is Harming Science and Engineering

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recent column by Netscape co-founder, software entrepreneur, and noted Silicon Valley venture capitalist Marc Andreesen caused a stir in the tech community. Andreesen postulated that the software industry was “eating the world” and “poised to take over broad swathes of the economy.”

This is delusional.

It’s a clear case of someone with a hammer—Andreesen developed software, ran software companies, and now invests in software companies—seeing everything as a nail.

The irony is, software is hardly a hotbed of innovation.

While technology races ahead in many other fields, software has advanced but meagerly in the past 20 years. In terms of solving grand challenges, software has largely failed to deliver. Take the case of voice recognition. It’s much better than it was in areas like airlines’ reservation phone trees. But despite billions of research dollars no company has produced commercially available, affordable voice recognition software that can understand and transcribe, from voice to text, conversations involving multiple voices.

Likewise, voice recognition software requires training to work well—it’s not speaker independent. Yes, an IBM team did take on live Jeopardy! champions and beat them but the Herculean effort required to program a supercomputer to accomplish this just illustrates the enormous chasm that continues to exist between software and the solution of truly great challenges.

Compare this to advances in fields like DNA profiling and decoding. Over the course of a mere two decades, the ability to sequence or perform tests on DNA has become orders of magnitude cheaper—even to the point that sub-$100 DNA testing services will likely emerge within the next three years.

Or how about the field of 3D printers, a mind-bending class of devices that fabricate 3-dimensional objects and even devices with moving parts. It can do this in a matter of minutes by layering precise patterns of materials painstakingly and accurately, with the help of software and smart computers (note: software plays a supporting role here). In the race to innovate and serve the developing world, companies like General Electric are

Photo Credit: UC Davis Science Labs

Advances in science and engineering have been much more remarkable than advances in software over the last decade

developing medical imaging technologies that cost 1/10th or 1/20th the price of comparable devices sold in the U.S. Yes, software has made some limited progress in key areas. Search engines have had a material impact on the world. Some types of enterprise software have made a huge difference in business efficiency. But I’m hard-pressed to think of any other softwarebased product that has enabled revolutionary changes in society due to the innovative nature of the product and not to the innovative way people use the product. And, of course, Andreesen does give a nod to the other enablers of the growth of software such as cheap Internet-ready devices, the global telecommunications grid, and the microprocessor.

Andreesen’s portfolio of companies includes many that are highly touted but thoroughly unoriginal. Twitter is, basically, another way to do SMS using the Internet.

Facebook is Friendster 3.0 hacked up by some kids in a door room that has enjoyed good timing and deployed excellent UI. And then there’s Groupon, an enterprise that has achieved a single feat of innovation—creating dubious new accounting terminology to justify inflated IPO valuations.

In fact, I’ll make a bold statement: I believe that software is draining talent needed in other areas of science and engineering. Smart kids in college major in computer science rather than mechanical engineering because that’s where the money is. Yet some smart kid coding social games for Zynga serves very little societal purpose—particularly when that same kid could have instead decided to build innovative low-cost drip irrigation systems to serve famers in the developing world where irregular irrigation, dwindling water supplies, and poor infrastructure are a crushing trifecta.

The last thing we need is a world consumed by software, Marc. Please invest in more startups that seek to change the world in a meaningful way, and not just to make a mint in social media and useless software companies. n Vivek Wadhwa is a visiting scholar at University of California-Berkeley, senior research associate at Harvard Law School, and director of research at the Center for Entrepreneurship and Research Commercialization at Duke University. You can follow him on Twitter (@ wadhwa) and find his research at wadhwa.com. india currents • october 2011 • 7

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perspective

Yamuna Kona

Our Meeting With The Surrogate Part two of a series on one woman’s experience with surrogacy

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n July 26, 2011, we receive a call from the Senior Embryologist, Dr. Rajyalakshmi, of Dr. Rama Devi’s Institute of Fertility. The embryo will be formed tomorrow—on my birthday—and will be implanted in the surrogate’s womb. The day after, we’ll finally get to meet the woman who could make our family complete. Wow! And the joy begins with the 11-page contract emailed from the clinic’s legal department. With a smile on his face and anxiousness in his tone, my husband asks, “Ready to make this legal? Wait-a-minute, are we the ‘2nd Party’ or ‘intended parents’?”

Our lawyer reviews and confirms the contract is legitimate and fair per Indian regulations. The clinic’s main concern is that the baby(ies) should have a loving home, whether or not we—the “2nd party” and “intended parents”—separate, or one or both die during this process, and we must provide a name and contact information of another, responsible, guardian, should any of the above occur. We read it three times, but it’s still so confusing.

And there are sections we don’t agree with, but I suppose there’ll always be restrictions and guidelines in any path we choose. And we just have to keep faith that the good will outweigh the not-so-good. My heart freezes for a moment, as my husband reads aloud, “The surrogate is not responsible if the fetus is stillborn, born with an illness, defect, or has a miscarriage. Fetus reduction may occur when one more may be eliminated if it poses a threat on the surrogate’s health, or to one of the other fetuses. However, the intended parents are to compensate the surrogate, even if the surrogate miscarries, or doesn’t deliver a normal, living baby.”

I can’t seem to sit still, and my husband can’t stop smiling, and keeps fussing with his iPhone while we wait in the doctor’s office. I thought he would have hesitations, act ashamed, or be less involved in the process and appointments. But he reminds me of every other expectant father I’ve seen.

With every creak and footstep, my eyes move to the shadows in the hallway, wondering if the young woman passing by is the SM—surrogate mother. We’re told our doctor is tied up in the Operation Theater down the hall, and soon I hear moans of another surrogate in labor. I smile. We could be the lucky 8 • india currents • october 2011

couple in nine months.

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he contract is signed and we’re waiting to meet the surrogate. Months ago I envisioned a young woman sitting in front of me, making me feel like she was doing me a favor, or like I was less than a woman. But Sumalatha doesn’t appear to be smug, or like she has the upper hand. She’s 25, quiet, and she doesn’t talk much at all. She smiles a lot, and nods her head. With the counselor in the room, it feels awkward. She says the medicines she takes to help the embryo to attach to the uterus are making her nauseous, and she is a bit sore from the implant but, otherwise, she is feeling ok.

The clinic advised us not to meet the SM, for fear that she may grow attached to us, and they didn’t want to encourage any type of emotional fix on the child that is biologically ours. But after reading umpteen positive stories of patients from this clinic and others, we decide that we need to be a part of the process and witness the development. The fetus hasn’t formed … yet, but meeting the woman who is helping our embryo grow is calming and brings a sense of reality to our dream.

Sumalatha needs to lie down, so a nurse helps her up to the patient’s ward on the fifth floor. We’re told she will be there for at least 21-30 days, and she’ll be monitored several times a day, fed different medications to assist in the transformation of the embryo into a fetus. Rajyalakshmi tell us that it will take anywhere from 15 to 21 days for a fetus to form, but for full confirmation, it is safe to make it official on the 30th day.

My husband and I smile at each other. It’s like anticipating a Christmas gift, only a hundred times better. At this point, we both realize it’s really no different if the SM has our child (or children) or if I do, and when we’re alone for a moment, he whispers, “Don’t know why we waited 11 years to do this.”

I only smile, because I want to be positive, but I know it can still go either way.

On our way out of the hos-

pital, we meet Sumalatha’s husband, Ram Krishna, who isn’t much older; he is 27, and used to work as an ambulance driver. My husband tells Ram Krishna to let us know if Sumalatha needs anything, and we exchange phone numbers. His only response in his mother-tongue, Telugu, is, “We just want this to be successful for you both.”

Sumalatha and Ram Krishna seem like a decent couple. What is the driving force for this couple to endure such a painstaking and tedious endeavor? Monetary compensation?

S

ince the couple lives only a block away from the clinic in Ameerpat [Hyderabad], Sumalatha isn’t required to reside in the hospital quarters, as the other surrogate mothers are. She can stay in her home, but a morning and evening nurse will monitor her on a daily basis when she leaves the hospital after 30 days, and there is final confirmation of a fetus (es). The nurses will bring her breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks and any additional vitamins—the diet as prescribed by her nutritionist—and they will check her vitals, and administer any medications needed to facilitate a smooth pregnancy. Should everything go as planned, she will have an examination and an ultrasound at the clinic every 15 days, for the first six months, which we will be present for.

Thereafter, until the eighth month, she’ll have an examination every week. Once the eighth month arrives, she will reside at the clinic for the duration and be monitored every day. After thorough examination and confirmation that the baby is fully developed, all surrogates

At this point, we both realize it’s really no different if the surrogate mother has our child (or children) or if I do are usually scheduled for a C-section at the end of their eighth month, unless the full nine month term is needed, says the doctor. She explains, “This is because the surrogates have been administered medications to push along the pregnancy and development, and 95% of the time, labor must also be induced.”

After 15 days, we receive another call from the clinic. The blood test proves we’re pregnant! On the first try! I can hardly breathe.

I never imagined this overwhelming feeling of elation. Tears fill my eyes. I’ve forgotten all about the surrogate, the process, the unconventional method. Now I can relate to an expectant mother. BUT… it’s still too early to celebrate. We’re told that we should be cautiously optimistic, because the fetus hasn’t formed yet, and there’s always a risk, as with any pregnancy. So we’re supposed to hang tight, hope for the best, and try to relax for the next 15 days and maybe even longer.

After signing more paperwork, and handing over another payment, we meet Sumalatha and Ram Krishna outside the clinic. I find

it strange that they keep looking over their shoulder. For a moment, I feel like I am in an action movie and we are in the middle of a drug deal. They admit they are waiting for us here, because the clinic regulates our contact, and under contract they aren’t permitted to meet us independently. I can certainly understand the clinic’s point of view. After all, the clinic is trying to protect us and itself. Even though we have signed a contract dissolving the clinic of any liability, they strongly discourage intended parents becoming emotionally attached to the surrogate. But I’m realizing more and more every day that it’s near impossible to be impassive, especially because the surrogate has something very precious of ours. It’s only natural to want to give in to all her requests. I suppose the next few months will be a great balancing act.

Sumalatha looks well. She’s not pale, and is dressed in a simple sari, with her hair in a loose braid. She wears a thick turmeric coated yarn necklace, in place of the traditional a gold mangalsutra. Ram Krishna smiles as he says, “It’s been hard leaving our four-year old daughter with my mother-in-law for the last couple of months.”

Sumalatha gets emotional. “I feel like crying when my daughter asks me why I’ve left her, and starts wailing for me to come back.

Krishna can stay with her every day since he lost his job a few months ago, but he wants stay with me. We decided to do this for our

daughter. We don’t have much. My father is gone, and my husband lost both of his parents at a young age. Since we have no inherited land or assets of our own, we thought this was a good idea, and at the same time it’s helping someone.” She looks at me, grabs my hand, and suddenly we make a connection, clinic policies notwithstanding.

On the way home we start coming up with baby names. There’s a good chance that we may end up with twins, so we are goofing around with pairs of names, even though we both know it’s completely premature. If the embryo doesn’t attach to the surrogate’s uterus then we have two more tries in the package “deal” we’ve already paid for. And while most would say to believe in William E. Hickson’s quote, “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again,” timing and coordination with the surrogate’s body is everything in this game, plus there’s a money factor, not to mention our visas. The antes are up, but we’re betting our faith will be the perfect “ace” in our sleeve, and we won’t fold just yet. n Part one of the series, titled “Rock-a-bye-baby Chronicles” can be found in the June 2011 issue of India Currents and online at http:// www.indiacurrents.com/articles/2011/06/24/ rock-bye-baby-chronicles Yamuna Kona will continue to share her journey of becoming a parent via surrogacy in future issues of India Currents.

india currents • october 2011 • 9

Celebrate this festival season the eco-friendly way

T

By Veena Patwardhan

he farmer pauses in his task of adding finishing touches to the Ganesh idol.

He has lovingly sculpted it out of clay scooped from the nearby river that nourishes his crops.

“How’s the garland coming along?” he shouts out to his daughter seated in the shade of the gulmohar tree in their tiny courtyard.

“It’s almost ready, Baba,” she replies, adding one more flower to the others she has strung together using fibers from the stem of one of their banana trees. “Mother is plucking a few more mogras and jaswandi flowers from the garden,” she adds.

It is Ganesh Chaturthi. The family has been up since dawn and in a short while, will instate their idol and start the puja. There will be no pomp, no show, just a profound gratitude for the bounties of nature and a heartfelt prayer that the next year be as harmonious and prosperous as this one. And on the day of immersion, the small Ganesh idol will be reverently immersed in the same river flowing nearby, where it will slowly disintegrate and become one with the source from which it has come.

Rituals like these above, once a loving tribute to the circle of life and gratitude to the regenerating powers of earth and water, have been subverted into noisy, commercial, public affairs, leaving in their wake a trail of environmental destruction and pollution.

But with increased environmental awareness, trends are changing, as Indians at home and abroad are figuring out ways to celebrate their festivals in a way respectful to the environment, while staying true to their traditions.

10 • india currents • october 2011

F

estivals like Ganesh Chaturti and Durga Puja were once simple family events. The image of Ganapati, the Lord of the “Earth” element (the other four elements or tatvas being water, fire, air, and ether), was once shaped out of mud and then worshipped. The significance of immersion of the idol, whether that of Ganesh, the elephant god, or Durga, the destroyer of evil, was a symbolic portrayal of the truth of returning to the essence of being after having taken physical form, one that is also embodied in the phrase “From dust to dust, from ashes to ashes,” that is recited during Western burial services.

Today eco-friendly earth or clay has been replaced by a man-made substances like Plaster of Paris (PoP) that takes months, even years to disintegrate; safe, natural colorants like turmeric have been supplanted by chemical colors laced with toxic substances like lead, chromium, and mercury that kill aquatic life and adversely affect eco-systems and, through the food chain, affect human health as well. Instead of using only flowers as adornments, we now use decorations made out of non-biodegradable substances like styrofoam, plastic, and zari.

Imagine the collective effect of such harmful substances on our eco-system when hundred of thousands of such idols are immersed in Indian wells, lakes, rivers, and seas, in the fall months year after year. Last year, around 190,000 Ganpati idols were immersed in Mumbai alone, over 10,000 of which were large community idols, some so gigantic they required cranes to immerse them. A similar number of Durga idols are immersed each year, amounting to thousands of tons of nonbiodegradable waste in the sea and other water bodies.

With fresh water being a dwindling resource, the repercussions of water-polluting activities are likely to be catastrophic. Caught up in religious fervor, messages about environmental pollution and its consequences have been slow to percolate into the mainstream.

Other Festivals and Pollution

Festivals like Diwali, Dassera, and Holi can also be toxic for the environment. Diwali is now more a festival of noise rather than a festival of lights. Despite warnings from doctors about the harmful effects of the sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide, and carbon dioxide fumes released into the atmosphere, the practice of lighting firecrackers continues unabated.

Holi, meant to be a joyful celebration of the arrival of spring, was once celebrated with natural colors prepared from blossoms. Now toxic chemicals like lead oxide, copper sulfate, and Prussian blue, and even carcinogenic chemicals like aluminum bromide, and mercuric sulfite are used for preparing Holi colors.

The gulals (dry colors) are made up of a toxic, heavy metal-containing colorant, and the base is usually asbestos or silica, both of which are

known to be harmful to health.

In the United States, apart from the July 4th celebrations that mimic the noise and air pollution of Diwali, Christmas can be an orgy of energy consumption as houses compete to dazzle with outdoor displays.

Encouraging New Trends

Thankfully, the future is not entirely gloomy. Spurred by environmental education and activism, India is witnessing a revival of the ancient practice of worshiping “green” Ganpati idols. Though still a trickle, the flow towards environment-friendly celebrations has been gathering strength. Thanks mainly to the tireless efforts of organizations like eCoexist, the Jignyasa Thane Trust, Mumbai’s Save Powai Lake Committee, IIT Bombay, the Mumbai-based Sadguru Shree Aniruddha Upasana Trust, the National Green Corps, Andhra Pradesh, and scores of environmentally conscious individuals and groups

Date’s coconut shell Ganpati

across India and around the world, a steadily increasing number of worshippers and even Ganesh mandals are now switching over to clay idols. The trend of using metal or stone re-usable idols is also gaining in popularity. eCoexist (www.e-coexist.com), based in Pune, has always been committed to environmental education and promoting naturefriendly festival celebrations. Manisha Gutman, the founder of eCoexist says, “We realized that we needed to give people a solution as well, and we started the production of eco-friendly Ganesh idols.” Her organization uses the services of skilled artisans from the villages of Pen in Maharashtra and Sirsi in Karnataka to make a range of clay Ganesh idols in a variety of designs, all colored with natural pigments.

Devotees in India have also begun using and creating idols made out of recycled paper or natural fibers. Mumbai-based sculptor Ramesh Date has gone a step further down the eco-friendly route. Date’s beautifully handcrafted coconut shell Ganpati idol is a collapsible, re-usable, three-piece marvel. The only part that has to be replaced each year is the whole coconut that forms the belly of

the idol. After the final puja, the coconut is symbolically immersed in a bucket of water at home, following which it can be distributed as prasad, or soaked in water for a few weeks till it sprouts a shoot. Subsequently it can be planted to grow a new coconut tree.

Asked what made him choose coconut shells as a medium, Date explains, “Ancient Hindu texts refer to the coconut tree as kalpavruksha, a celestial tree. Moreover, the coconut itself has a special place in Hindu rituals and is also called shreefal, a divine fruit.”

Impressed by Date’s novel concept and his superbly sculpted creations, my own family switched from using PoP Ganpati idols to Date’s coconut shell murti two years ago. So far, we have planted two coconut palm saplings, one each year, and the experience has been very gratifying.

Preserving Our Traditions and the Environment

Uday Kunte and his wife Vera of Yardley, PA, symbolically immerse a silver idol they have been using for years. Vera also uses the floral offerings to prepare compost for her garden.

While metal or stone idols can be reused each year, clay or paper mache ones can be left to disintegrate in a tub of water at home, though the latter takes a long time to do so.

Gutman says, “If you immerse the clay idol in a bucket and pour the water into a garden, you are sending it back to nature, which is soil in this case. So, it’s not only traditional but also eco-friendly.”

Many NRI associations across America organize community Ganeshotsavs and pack away their idol after the final puja each year to re-use it the following year. Nitin Vaidya, Presi

Ganpati immersion at Stony Brook University, Long Island,NY india currents • october 2011 • 11

Holi celebrations at Iowa State University

dent, Maharashtra Mandal of South Florida, says, “For Ganeshotsav, though we do aartis and the traditional puja, we mostly skip having noisy processions and the immersion. We re-use the same idol every year, so the issue of polluting the environment doesn’t arise.”

Prasad Prabhu of State University of New York, Stony Brook, concurs. “We use a PoP Ganpati idol, but we only immerse it for a few minutes into a small tank of water prepared by us, and use the same idol each year.”

Dakshini, an organization that serves Bengalis in Southern California, has begun curtailing the amount of disposable waste at their Durga Puja celebrations. Says founder Sarnath Chattaraj, “We try and minimize the use of plastic by opting for banana leaves and other compostable serving material.” The pandal at Dakshini’s puja is also made with as much recyclable material as possible and water fountains are created for the devotees’ use to minimize the use of bottled water.

“We also don’t immerse the idol,” adds Chattaraj, whose festival attracts over 1,200 celebrants each year, “we reuse it. Instead we immerse the flowers and leaves used in the celebration in the sea or compost them.”

Asked how they incorporate eco-friendly practices into their Holi celebrations at Iowa State University, Divita Mathur, President of the university’s Indian Students’ Association says, “For Holi, we use only natural colors.

We celebrate this festival on campus in one of the grounds so that the water used is absorbed by the lawn. Apart from that, we are very particular about cleaning up the place whenever we have an event—be it inside the campus or outside in a park.” Abhishek Bharad, President, Indian Student Association, Louisiana State University, says, “We celebrate Holi with gusto at LSU, but we use natural, not synthetic colors.”

12 • india currents • october 2011

Greening Christmas

Cynthia James and her environmental geologist husband Paul from Plano, Texas, have cut out outdoor lighting all together, putting out just a lone Christmas star instead, a symbol that is perhaps a much more poignant reminder of the heartwarming story of the star of Bethlehem that led the wise men to the infant Jesus.

Artificial or real Christmas trees—which is the more eco-friendly option? As Paul puts it, “Where you live should help you pick the better option. In my home state of Maine, where there is an abundance of pine trees, it makes more sense for people to use real trees which are later recycled as mulch. But in places like say, the southwest where tree farms are unsustainable, an artificial tree that can be re-used year after year would perhaps be the smarter option.” At the annual Christmas party organized by GEMs (Goans, East Indians and Mangaloreans), an organization of which Cynthia is a member, they use the same artificial Christmas tree each year. But Cynthia adds, “Of course, however hard we try, we could never invent anything more recyclable than a real tree.”

Rohan and Isabella James learning to make home-made Christmas decorations

There are lots of options today for celebrating Christmas the more eco-friendly way.

Those who love the smell of pine as it makes the whole house smell like Christmas, yet would rather not have a real tree, could opt for a fresh pine wreath or garland instead. And for those who would prefer to keep plastic trees out of landfills and would rather support the cultivation of real Christmas trees there’s a modern solution. Companies like the Living Christmas Tree Co. in Southern California and San Jose Christmas Tree Rentals in the SF Bay Area let you rent a tree for Christmas and take it back after New Year’s Day. The tree is then replanted at the farm. Some people hang strings of lights and other decorations on one of the potted plants or trees in their garden and use it like a Christmas tree.

Cynthia and her family also recycle old Christmas cards to make gift tags, and she encourages her children to make their own decorations. Last year, the James children, Isabella and Rohan, learnt how to make home-made Christmas decorations at an event organized by a church nearby.

I

ndian Americans have also figured out a way of leveraging technology to reduce waste that accrues with planning large events like festivals. Subodh Kirtane, Secretary, Seattle Maharashtra Mandal, says, “We have almost completely eliminated paper-based communications. We use periodic email blasts to intimate our members about festival celebrations and other upcoming programs.”

To the concerns that such attention to the environment detracts from the enjoyment of the event, the Kuntes suggest that being spared the cacophony of loudspeakers blaring from morning till night, the deafening “music” belted out during processions, and the earsplitting noise and toxic fumes of crackers—all of which have become an integral part of our festivities in India—makes for a deeper spiritual experience.

D

esis can also take a page from the rising trend in eco-friendly music festivals in the United States. Large music festivals have traditionally been sources of many different kinds of pollution—air pollution from the diesel generators and cars of attendees, garbage from cans, cups, and plates, chemical toilets, and discarded food. Partying is an inseparable part of most festivals, but it also creates millions of tons of non-biodegradable trash. Now festivals vying to be the most responsible have a “leave no trace” policy and enlist volunteers to clear garbage and sort out recyclables.

Some offer solar-powered booths and bicycle powered cell phone chargers for the convenience of the concert-goers. Even musicians have got into the act, preferring bio-diesel touring buses and redesigning their itineraries to minimize travel.

At Iowa State, Mathur says they try to follow some of these practices not just during

For more details about eCoexist products, environment-conscious devotees in the United States can contact Natalie Leek (nrleek10@ gmail.com).

Those interested in finding out more about Date’s innovative idols can contact him at (91-9869124306).

Veena Patwardhan is a Mumbai-based writer, copyeditor, and science journalist, and Assistant Editor of Let’s Travel magazine (www. letstravelzine.com).

Green Ideas For This Festival Season For the worshipper or festival enthusiast, being environmentally conscious doesn’t imply having to make any significant compromises in either the spirit of the festivals or the traditions we try so hard to maintain. Here are some sensible choices we can make in the upcoming festival season: •If you are keen on going through the immersion rites, get a clay idol or any ecofriendly/biodegradable one. Getting a reusable metal or stone idol that can be reused is also a good idea, as it is the symbolism that is most important, not the disintegration.

•Participate in community celebrations. By performing rituals in a communal fashion rather than individually, you can help reduce usage of possible pollutants.

•When it comes to Holi, always use natural colors. You could even make some in your own kitchen using materials like leaves, flowers, turmeric, beetroot, or pomegranate peel. Here’s some information to help you get started. http://hinduism.about.com/od/ holifestivalofcolors/a/naturalholi_2.htm •Use diyas (earthen lamps) instead of electric lights this Diwali. They may not produce the same kind of wattage, but their soft light will help you connect to the traditions of your ancestors in a way no set of string lights can. They are also reusable.

•Use bio-degradable or reusable cups, plates, and flatware in your celebrations. These are now widely available even in box stores and discount warehouses.

•The festival season is often a time to shop for new clothes. Take a moment to clear your closet and donate your well-preserved items to a local charity. Consider exchanging infrequently worn festival outfits with friends or family. Look for apparel rental services.

•Recycle whatever you can. Last year’s decorations, gift wrap, and even the greeting cards can be saved and re-used. Re-invent these items and give them a new lease on life.

•Consider renting a Christmas tree from a tree farm.

•Real trees for Christmas must be recycled in accordance with your city’s regulations.

Check your city’s website for more information.

•Look for LED lights this Christmas; these are more energy efficient than traditional bulbs.

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parties but also at all events where they serve food and beverages. She adds, “We strictly use disposable plates and dishes that are recyclable.” Such “green” products may have a slightly higher price tag, but they certainly don’t cost an arm and a leg. With many restaurants in California adopting compostable containers for take-out, one hopes that the practice will slowly gain currency in private celebrations as well.

A change to eco-friendly practices is a slow process. But the message about “greening” our celebrations would be more widely acceptable if we can convey that such behavior actually takes us closer to our traditions and that protecting God’s creation—nature— is a wonderful way of worshipping Him. n

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Email: ads@indiacurrents.com india currents • october 2011 • 13

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desi voices

Chetan

Verdict Without a Trial Before we rush to condemn adultery, let’s understand its root causes

U

nconscionable! Shameless liars! Sinners!

A popular social networking site was abuzz with comments on adultery recently.

As I read through the comment thread, I realized that I had become an unwitting witness to a section of society publically denigrating people they deemed to be unfaithful to their partners. Their comments reflected a mob mentality that serves a judgment on impulse rather than reason. I felt as if I was right in the middle of a scene from the old Bollywood movie Roti where a group of villagers pelt stones at a woman accusing her of prostitution. The only difference here was that this mob did not pelt stones; rather they unleashed a verbal tirade on social media.

As I mulled over the issue, I wondered— is it healthy for a society to crystallize something as intimate and personal as moral righteousness into “one size fits all” and enforce it upon everyone? Do we as a society tend to sacrifice common sense for the sake of morality? As external observers, are we privy to all the details of why a relationship is the way it is? Without giving the “accused” an opportunity to tell his or her story, isn’t the verdict fundamentally flawed?

not an arrangement for two minds. But we often see marriages that are merely social arrangements out of need or convenience. The oft unspoken rationales for matrimony, especially in Indian society, include the fulfilment of social, cultural, physical, economic, or legal needs, the assuagement of family elders’ wishes or very simply the mounting pressure of aging. This means that a) one or both the partners may not have the right maturity and outlook to unify with another soul or b) souls lacking harmony at the mental or a deeper level may attempt unification through marriage. In either case, the disharmony creates an imbalance which can take away meaning from the relation and prevent it from achiev-

I

believe it is one thing to be against adultery, another thing to presume that all those who have transgressed must have no conscience, no dignity and no self-worth.

I certainly do NOT advocate insincerity to your partner. Adultery is neither a matter of pride nor a welcome change in the social ethos. But I would also not jump the gun to term someone a “sinner” just because he has deviated from widely accepted norms of right and wrong. It is very easy to condemn and scorn someone who has acted against your ideas of morality and, thereby, shaken the social fabric that comforts you. However, it takes prudence to step back and re-look at the issue objectively. Sometimes a different picture may emerge.

I

t is a well-known fact that many Indian marriages are not born out of love. A beautiful relationship such as marriage tends to lose its meaning when people jump into it without understanding its primal component—synchronicity of two souls. The basis of marriage should be the union of two souls, 14 • india currents • october 2011

discontentment. Meeker souls often choose to suffer silently and divert their attention to other areas of life such as children, friends, or career to seek acceptance and meaning.

And for ones more zealous to life, digression becomes a real possibility, either to fill-in the gaps or just for the thrill of feeling alive again.

C

ynics would argue that divorce is always an option. I agree. But it is also true that the same society that condemns adultery is also not very accepting and encouraging of divorcees. Women especially, are taunted (directly or indirectly) and chastised for giving up on their marriage. They are constantly reminded of the stigma associated with divorce. This creates a toxic atmosphere of fear and despair that can sap vital life energy from a person who feels pressured to continue in the dysfunctional marriage rather than ruffle any feathers. If divorce is a matter of shame and adultery a sin, I humbly ask—isn’t this indirect repression as equal a matter of shame as divorce?

Isn’t condemning someone to a life of useless arguments, blame, accusations, “silent treatments,” and unspoken despondency as sinful as adultery?

A

ing its true potential. This disharmony may eventually level out in some marriages but in the remaining, it is only a matter of time before the cracks appear.

Many accept this dysfunction as an inescapable reality of matrimony and remain muted to its toxicity. In such couples, the dysfunction manifests as a gradual fading of the passion and interest in their partner and concomitant loneliness. The idea of returning home to the partner or spending time with him no longer stirs excitement. In other couples where the dysfunction is not readily accepted, it becomes more and more evident in the form of frequent disagreements, fights, disappointments, criticism, and mutual resentment.

Whether muted or apparent, the dysfunction does create an undercurrent of gloom and

ny meaningful discussion on this issue is moot without understanding the root cause of these dysfunctional relationships. At the root of all ills that plague human relationships. including ego, jealousy, insecurity, and insincerity, lies a weakened human spirit. This weakening is a direct or indirect consequence of social and moral conditioning that forces individuals to act and react in a pre-programmed manner. That is why we see people marrying and staying in unhappy marriages for the wrong reasons.

Such a malnourished seed cannot grow into a healthy tree. Love, respect, trust, and commitment, which are the true fundaments of a meaningful relationship, cannot grow out of guilt, inveiglement, coercion, or collective enforcement from the outside. In reality, even when the love has not blossomed from within, people go on pretending to love because the social conventions of marriage demand you must love your partner. Even when there is no commitment, they feign it because the marriage implies commitment. These presumed

“should” and “should-nots” affixed to marriage trap people in their own mind, creating immeasurable misery and suffering. The relationship becomes one of bondage, not of joy.

PARU'S

I

believe that, to address this difficult issue, we must aim to empower individuals by investing significantly into their spiritual development. Often the primary focus is on developing one’s mental and intellectual ability to excel in the material world. This impetus tends to create individuals who may achieve material success but are often disconnected from their true self. This disconnect is the root of mental ills such as ego, anger, and possessiveness that undermine human relationships. If marriage is a spiritual union of two souls, how can we expect an individual, who is disconnected and fragmented from within, to build a meaningful relationship with another?

It is, therefore, important to encourage those preparing for matrimony to enquire into the significance of marriage beyond the mere fulfilment of a social and cultural duty.

Rather than matching horoscopes and comparing caste, religion, education, or affluence levels, mutual harmony should be the most important criterion. To build that harmony, they must work to create a solid foundation through open and honest communication, and development of mutual respect based on a deep understanding of each other’s direction and purpose in life.

W

hen a relation has fallen prey to dysfunction and one or both the partners have resorted to digression, it is essential that we refrain from taking sides and not focus our energy on criticism, reprehension, and mud-slinging. The best approach would be to allow the concerned couple to introspect and seek a mutually acceptable solution. After all, we cannot expect to cure a dysfunction that has arisen out of anomalies in the structural elements of our own society through a single panacea derived out of morality. It is the hallmark of an intelligent and tolerant society that it does not fixate on concepts of morality. There is a glowing example of such open-mindedness in Indian culture. For eons, Indians have worshipped the divine union of Krishna and a married woman Radha. But no one ever calls Radha an “adulterer” or Krishna a “sinner.” That’s because their love is considered so divine that it transcends the socially defined boundaries of moral behaviour. In fact, their union remains the timeless epitome of love. If we can worship Radha-Krishna with our heart and soul, then it behooves us to show restraint in dealing with the “sinners” among us.n Chetan writes on new dimensions of understanding in love, relationships, and human consciousness. This article is excerpted from his forthcoming book. He blogs at www.theloverumor.com

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music

Priya Das

Desi Blues

Indian musicians are making a mark in the genre

S

lide to Freedom, a popular Indian-Canadian blues and country band, is releasing their third album, called 20,000 Miles, in October 2011. It will appeal to anyone who enjoys blues, folk, alternative, country, world, or Indian classical music. Yes, that is a lot of genres, but that is what you get when the artists involved are so diverse. The artists on this album are India-based Salil Bhatt (son of Grammy winner Pt. Viswa Mohan Bhatt) on the satvik veena, Canada-based Cassius Khan (tabla) and Doug Cox (on dobro and vocals), and the American Campbell Brothers and Betty Soo, on guitar and vocals respectively.

The “Slide” refers to the different slide instruments being used. Bhatt is the creator of the satvik veena, a 19-string instrument made of a 100-year-old oak wood block. The traditional veena has two inverted covered domes on both ends. The satvik veena looks like a guitar on one end, and a veena on the other.

It can therefore sound like either, both, or neither, depending on which strings are being used. It is played by placing it on the lap, and sliding a tube of steel along the long end while plucking the strings as on a guitar on the other.

Cox plays the dobro, which is also a kind of guitar, played also with a “steel,” typically favored by blues musicians. The Campbell brothers are known for their gospel music, highlighting the electric steel guitar, and powerful vocals. Khan is well known in many music worlds as the tabla-playing ghazal singer. Soo is the rare Asian-American blues singer from Texas.

The origin of Slide to Freedom was in 2005, when Bhatt and Cox first played together. When it was time to work on an album together, the goal was to find a musical space where the Indian musicians weren’t trying to fit into Western ideas and the others didn’t have to mimic Indian music. They have stayed

true to that goal in all their albums, which explains why Slide to Freedom’s work has been able to reach a broad spectrum of musiclovers.

The previous album, Slide To Freedom 2: Make A Better World, won a nomination for the Juno award, Canada’s Grammy, and featured Ramkumar Mishra on the tabla, in addition to Salil Bhatt and Doug Cox. 20,000 Miles has additional musicians, and is being marketed as blues and country music, which makes sense whenever Soo and Cox sing.

There are two tracks that are indicative of the group’s synergies: In the first, called “Still Small Voice,” Bhatt starts with a very Indian sounding tune, closely followed by the other instruments. Soo then opens it up with gusto, the string instruments punctuating her rendition with a matching rhythm. In the second, called “Suislide,” Khan enunciates the bols (lyrics) against an electrifying string backdrop.

Soo cries out in response, with Bhatt providing alaap (purposeful humming in Indian classical style). The influence of the Campbell brothers is evident in “Revival,” where the strings open up to Soo crooning, “…no husband beating his wife, no child hungry and alone...Hallelujah is this revival …” “Anjuman” is a classical Indian piece. “Angel of Death” has both Cox and Soo with moving lyrics and music. In “Spooky,” the band starts with a smooth riff on the strings, the sharp veena sound complementing the deep tones in Cox’s singing, which is very Bhupen Hazarika-like.

Surprisingly, Slide to Freedom is not the only Indian blues band. Consider this: There was a blues music festival in Mumbai earlier this year; an Indian blues band played at the Memphis festival in the United States; there is a blues club in Delhi; there are a few blues bands in India that play regularly at clubs and

Slide to Freedom

Rudy Wallang and Tipriti Kharbangar of Soulmate

music festivals. So yes, there is a desi blues scene.

The conventionally accepted “blues” music, the legacy of the African American slaves is characterized by lyrics and vocals embodying the sound of anguish or long suffering, supported by the flattened notes of a string instrument, typically the guitar. The flattened notes, in music parlance, are called the blue notes. Why does this music appeal to desis?

Tipriti Kharbangar, vocalist in the Shillongbased band Soulmate, that represented India in 2007 and 2009 at the International Blues Challenge in the Memphis, TN said in a recent interview, “It’s because it’s simple, powerful, and easy to relate to. I’m a very simple woman with simple thoughts, so this is the best way for me to express what I feel.” To Tips, as Kharbangar is called, blues don’t have to be about pain, there can be happy or sexy blues. Her musical partner Rudy Wallang, is a living legend in Indian guitaring circles.

Soulmate has three albums, available online on their myspace page http://www.myspace. com/soulmateshillong.

Another band, Blues Conscience, is Chennai-based and plays blues-influenced music, with a rich, smooth sound. The band comprises Anek Ahuja on bass and vocals, Aum Janakiraman on guitar and vocals, and Neil Smith on the drums. Their work is available on their website www.bluesconscience. com There are a few other bands, but their work is not easily accessible. The increasing maturity of the desi blues market though, is something one needs to look out for. Interestingly, while Slide to Freedom has introduced Indian instruments into the blues, the only claim to des by the other bands is that they are Indians playing in India, with some lyrics that are India-inspired (such as “Shillong” by Soulmate and “Kamasutra” by Blues Conscience). It will be very interesting to see how the desi blues scene evolves and whether it will make it big in the U.S. or international market. Or perhaps given the growing audiences, India will become a mecca for all music blue! n 20,000 MILES by Slide to Freedom. Audio CD. October 2011 $14.78.

Priya Das is an avid follower of world music.

16 • india currents • october 2011

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www.mezban.net india currents • october 2011 • 17

I C films Aniruddh Chawda

Sibling Thievery MERE BROTHER KI DULHAN. Director: Ali Abbas Zafar. Players: Imran Khan, Katrina Kaif, Ali Zafar, Parikshit Sahni, Kanwaljit Singh. Music: Sohail Sen. Theatrical Release (Yashraj).

T

he Yashraj brand has become synonymous with romance and romantic comedies. Their last offering Band Baja Baraat (2010) fit that formula hand-in-glove and also turned into a box office hit for the label. Even as the production house, headed by father-son team of Yash Chopra and Aditya Chopra, prepares for yet another installment of the surprisingly resilient Dhoom franchise (Dhoom 3 will break out in 2012), the label never strays far from the marketing model that has made it so successful in a history spanning five decades. Their newest offering is Mere Brother Ki Dulhan, which even sounds like a Yashraj entry. Purely romantic, never serious, and often hilarious, Dulhan proves again how sticking to a successful formula can lead to even more mid-tier success.

Set primarily in Delhi and the hill country in Dehradun, Dulhan ropes in Kush Agnihotri (Khan) who gets marching orders from his parents to find a suitable bride for his brother Luv Agnihotri (Ali Zafar, newbie Pakistani actor/singer, no relation to the director). When Kush zeroes in on the best match for his

brother Luv, its only too late that Kush realizes that Luv’s would-be wife is none other than the free-spirited Dimple Dixit (Kaif), Kush’s former college party friend. As both camps prepare for Luv and Dimple’s nuptials in the foreground, everything goes haywire in the background as Kush and Dimple brush off their campus tiffs-gone-by and rekindle an unusual alliance.

While this is all predictable, formulaic Filmmaking-101 type stuff, Yashraj packages it with enough shine and airtight space to keep it from going stale. Kaif, whose Hindi diction requires her voice to be dubbed (and, in spots, the dubbing is painfully apparent) continues her charge up the hill after racking up some of the biggest box office hits in recent years (Singh is Kinng, Rajneeti, Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara, New York). Kaif is now the highest paid female actor in Hindi films. Wisconsin-born Khan, fresh from the box office success of Delhi Belly, easily essays the recent college grad routine. In support, in addition to Zafar as Luv, Sahni and Singh as parents from opposite families also bring a touch of egalitarian class. The lush country vistas of the Himalayan foothills and the charms of Delhi rooftop conversations add to a romantic and earthy grounding that director Zafar makes sure his vehicle does not stray from.

Recent arrival Sohail Sen, who earlier

made a splash with What’s Your Rashee?

(2009), here orchestrates some of the catchiest tunes this season. Any soundtrack that opens up with the words “Matrimonial si aankhen” (matrimonial eyes) has got to have playful mischief up its sleeve. Foremost is Neha Bhasin’s “Dhunki, ”which tosses up dance-worthy electric guitar work infused into an outdoor, put-your-hands-in-the-air mood true to its staging on the back of a moving truck and also on a train. Then there is Rahat Fateh Ali Khan’s “Isq Risk.” Khan has a rep for rock-solid sufi-inspired vocals hailing from the same music clan as his legendary uncle Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. In this sleeper tune, Khan is both effortless and effervescent. With “Choomantar,” Benny Dayal, who moonlights into playback singing when he is not fronting for the pop group S5, gets help from what can only be described a chorus of chipmunks—which takes nothing away from this mid-tempo dance ditty. Accompanied by Irshad Kamil’s credible lyrics, Sen’s score sets itself up as an early contender for the most popular, if not the best, soundtrack of the year honors.

Another trait Yashraj banks on is better marketing. A 74-theater U.S. release netted $400,000 on opening weekend, roughly the same as Ajay Devgn’s Singham managed over its entire 5-week U.S. run, despite a blockbuster status in India. That easily added to Dulhan as a hit and net moneymaker for Yashraj, even before satellite TV and DVD/ video sales come in. The studio smartly relies on the go-to formula of movies like Mere Brother Ki Dulhan even while they engage in full-throttle A-plus budget, action flicks like the Dhoom franchise. We don’t mind them as family friendly, musically inclined outings even though they add up to, as Dulhan does, little more than a case of sibling thievery.n EQ: B

LATA

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FLIC 

K PI

CKS

Faltu

Shaitan S ingham Khap A arakshan

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Double Dh amaka 

Bin Bulaye Baraati Zi ndagi Na M ile.. Hiss

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Zokkomon

18 • india currents • october 2011

Suchi Sargam

Going Suburban

Imran Khan is happy that his latest film Mere Brother Ki Dulhan is a hit with the masses

I

mran Khan’s latest big screen outing Mere Brother Ki Dulhan (MBKD) had many expectations riding, given the critical and commercial acclaim of his last film Delhi Belly.

Dulhan has fared fairly well at the box-office both in India and abroad. In a post-release interview, the actor, who happens to be superstar Aamir Khan’s nephew, shares why he is happy with his decision to do MBKD. How satisfied are you with the response to MBKD? I am thrilled. So far, it has been the biggest opener for me. That is a very big deal.

Has this been bigger than Delhi Belly (DB) which released in July 2011?

This one has opened much, much higher than DB. DB had opened to some pretty high numbers but this has overtaken it.

In terms of performance and creative satisfaction, which of your eight movies has been your best so far?

The best will always be Jaane Tu... Ya Janne Na (JTYJN). JTYJN is my first film and there is an emotional connect to it, apart from everything else. My reason to do MBKD was to do something which would connect more with the heartland of India. Until this movie, whatever I have done has been a much more urban thing, be it an I Hate Luv Stories (IHLS), or Break Ke Baad, or Delhi Belly. MBKD, of all other films I have done, has performed stronger in the heartland of India—in UP, Punjab, Gujarat. This market was not my strong point until now. With this film performing so well in these markets, it

means I am expanding my market, which is something an actor really wants to do.

Did it matter to you that MBKD was a Yash Raj banner production?

You know there are three things that I look at—script, director, and producer. You need to have a script that you find entertaining and makes you feel like you might watch the movie. You must have a director who can convince you that “this guy will execute the script,” and make an exciting and entertaining film. And you must have a producer who can support and promote the film correctly.

The best of scripts and directors, if let down by the producers, will not be able to make a good film. All three are important for me.

Do you feel that the character you play in MBKD is very similar to what you played in IHLS? In MBKD, my character Kush is a very well behaved boy, from a middle class family, doesn’t drink, smoke, date girls. In IHLS, my character (Jay Dhingra) did everything, partied heavily, and was with a new girl every night. I didn’t see any similarities. Kush is really not similar to him.

MBKD has quite a few entertaining incidents—your being kidnapped under sedation, the risky-looking scooter balancing act ... any such interesting episodes in real life?

Not really. I have generally been a responsible and well-behaved individual. (smiles) Of your eight movies so far, four are under debutant directors, including MBKD under Ali Abbas Zafar. Was that a conscious decision?

You know, I meet anyone who calls me.

I sign on to projects that excite me. For the most part, I meet directors who are closer to my age. We tend to speak the same language, tend to have similar interests in life, so I think the stories that they are telling tend to connect with me. I react at an emotional level.

If I hear a story from a guy, and it catches my attention and interest, then I want to do that script.

What do we expect from you next?

Currently I am shooting Ek Main Aur Ek Tu for Dharma Productions that has me and Kareena (Kapoor) working together for the first time. It is scheduled to release by February 2012. At this point I am not allowed to talk about it. Karan (Johar) will make the announcement. n Suchi Sargam is a journalist in India.

Aniruddh Chawda

Riding Hood THAT GIRL IN YELLOW BOOTS. Director: Anurag Kashyap. Players: Kalki Koechlin, Naseeruddin Shah, Gulshan Devaiya, Prashant Prakash. Theatrical Release (Big). Strong parental advisory.

A

nurag Kashyap has, without doubt, one of the most eclectic film careers in Hindi cinema. Along with highly lauded writing credits for both Satya and Udaan, Kashyap is also known for making the off-beat cult fave Dev D and the upcoming Gangs of Wasseypur, about mafia hegemony over coal mining in India’s Jharkhand state. Now, teamed up with Koechlin, who Kashyap married earlier in 2011, he delivers one of the most disturbing entries in recent Hindi film annals. That Girl in Yellow Boots is less about fashion footwear than it is a profoundly in-your-face diatribe on obsessive compulsions that cross family, geographical, cultural, and sexual boundaries.

Parked entirely in a seedy looking Mumbai, which serves as an anonymous whathappens-here-stays-here setting, co-written by Kashyap and Koechlin, the story follows Ruth Edscer (Koechlin), a young Indian-British girl who is working in Mumbai in hopes of discovering her long-lost Indian father. Overstaying her tourist visa, Ruth helps out at a massage parlor in hopes of making connections to “foreign returned” men who may help her reunite with her father. Ruth also carries on with the two-bit junkie, Prashant (Prakash). Prakash’s india currents • october 2011 • 19

transgression with Gowda (Devaiya), a minor underworld don, invariably leads to Ruth’s path crossing that of Gowda on a lukewarm trail that may lead to Ruth finding her father.

Because Yellow Boots spirals in and out of control over the search for a lost father, it is similar to, in some ways, and very different from Zoya Akhtar’s Zindago Na Milegi Dobra.

In an age where non-traditional relationships are increasingly commonplace, here are two very different quests for biological roots in hopes of soothing an unsettled heart and mind. In a revisionist approach to Yellow Boots as a fairy tale, the resonance to Red Riding Hood surely cannot be brushed aside. Like Riding Hood getting side-tracked on the way to grandma’s, Yellow Boots can just as easily be taken as a complex follow-the-rules-or-else fable about the loss of both moral and sexual innocence.

The sexual imagery that Yellow Boots conjures up is no less frightening. In a world where the Lolita-like Ruth caters to mostly older men, there is an undercurrent of close calls to two powerful universal taboos—pedophilia and incest. Shots of massage room close-ups are clinical and without fanfare.

They are all the more disturbing because sex is taken so lightly. One has to keep reminding oneself—this is a Hindi movie, this is a Hindi movie! Koechlin’s Ruth is a rare “exotic” creature in a city built on one-dimensional beauty and lots of money. The beauty is controlled by women and the money supply is controlled by the middle-aged, often nondescript, sexually repressed hordes of male bureaucrats who are power brokers. Koechlin, after a limited role as a rich princess in Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara, emerges as a surprisingly strong central driver here of what is essentially a feminist outreach for self-definition. She absolutely nails the fresh-faced “foreigner” look.

Along with the frank depiction of a seedy sexuality, there is the cussing. Yellow Boots has perhaps the most out-there, anatomically descriptive, Hindi expletive-filled dialog in memory. Like much else going on here, after the first few outbursts, the lingo also recedes into the domain of the mundane. While Ruth’s story lacks the fascist zealousness that pervaded, say, Manish Jha’s chilly Matrubhoomi: A Nation Without Women (2003)and its pursuit of female infanticide, Yellow Boots is groundbreaking, nonetheless. Originally screened at the Toronto Film Festival in 2010, where it was received well, Yellow Boots received wide release only recently. While it is far from average family viewing, for discerning viewers, this is powerful stuff. n EQ: AGlobe trekker, aesthete, photographer, ski bum, film buff, and commentator Aniruddh Chawda writes from Milwaukee.

20 • india currents • october 2011

Madhumita Gupta

Spanning Seasons of Conflict MAUSAM Director: Pankaj Kapoor Players: Shahid Kapoor, Sonam Kapoor, Supriya Pathak, Anupam Kher. Music: Pritam. Theatrical release: CinergyPictures, Religare

T

he first Mausam (1975) had the creative Gulzar at helm and starred stalwarts Sanjeev Kumar and Sharmila Tagore. The actress, who till had been known more for an affected style of delivering her dialogues, bloomed under Gulzar’s sensitive touch and went on to win the National Film award for Best Actress award that year.

After 36 years, celebrated actor Pankaj Kapoor, well-known for his masterful portrayals as the eponymous Maqbool (Vishal Bhardwaj’s interpretation of Macbeth) and the cocky detective Karamchand on television, has picked up the reins of direction of the new Mausam, a period film which transports us from the lush fields of Punjab to the ballrooms of Scotland with poetic ease.

Spanning the years between the turbulence in Kashmir in 1992 and the present, Mausam is an interesting juxtaposition of love blooming in the backdrop of communal and racial hatred in India and the world.

Aayat (Sonam Kapoor) comes with her aunt (Pathak) to the peaceful village of Mallukoot in Punjab when communal riots began tearing her homeland of Kashmir apart. She is wooed relentlessly by the mischievous Harry (Shahid Kapoor) who falls for her at first sight. The love story barely picks up steam when fate intervenes and they separate, only to meet years later in Scotland.

They pick up the threads of their love story till, once again, fate steps in.

The beauty of the movie is that it is an unadulterated love story after a long time on the Hindi screen. And what makes it a compelling watch is that the crests and troughs of this love story synchronize with the worst cases of communal disharmony in recent memory. They meet for the first time due to terrorism in Kashmir and from then on the Babri Masjid incident, Mumbai bomb blasts, Kargil, 9/11, and finally the Gujarat riots, all become turning points in their story, with a

message of love triumphing over hatred. The recurring motifs of trains and large cementpipes work well and take us to the Raj Kapoor and Rajesh Khanna era.

A word about the performances—this is quite possibly the best Shahid has ever done.

His progression from an irrepressible village boy with a passion for racing against trains and a knack for sneaking free lunches and rides to a serious fighter pilot and a forlorn lover is very credibly done. Sonam is good as the giggly girl but just about adequate as the grown-up undergoing various upheavals of life. One wishes that veteran actor Kher had a more substantial role.

Pankaj Kapoor and his cinematographer Binod Pradhan have captured a Punjab very unlike the swaying mustard fields a la Yash Chopra. This Punjab is peopled with delightful but true-to-life characters, whether it is the vitriolic tai or the forgetful but belligerent chief.

Kudos to the director for this very lifelike environment and its people. One deft touch which tells of the existing camaraderie is that no territories—not even boundary walls—are shown in this village where all live as one family.

Another strong point of the films is its music.

It has been a while since we had had a whole album this good. Pritam manages to cock a snook at his detractors by making Mausam one of his best. From the opening strums of the acoustic guitar in “Rabba Mein Toh Mar Gaya Oye” Shahid Malliya is gorgeous. The rustic dholak beat works beautifully with the very modern sounds of the guitar. Malliya’s range can be gauged by the reprise track, later on in the movie, which speaks of love and loss equally evocatively.

Made with a lot of love and affection, the only drawbacks of Mausam are its length, the unfortunate lack of chemistry between the lead couple, and some irrelevant sequences towards the end.

All in all, a worthy first attempt by the debutant director. Here is looking forward to more from you, Mr. Kapoor! n EQ: A

IC

travel

Kalpana Sunder

Echoes From the Past Time travelling in Sri Lanka

The magnificent city of Anuradhapura is refulgent from the numerous temples and palaces whose golden pinnacles glitter in the sky. The sides of its streets are strewed with black sand, and the middle is sprinkled with white sand; they are spanned by arches bearing flags of gold and silver on either side are vessels of the same precious metals, containing flowers and in niches are statues holding lamps of great value.

In the streets are multitudes of people armed with bows and arrows; also men powerful as gods, who with their huge swords could cut in sunder a tusk-elephant at one blow.

—Translation from a native book by James Ricalton in “The City of the sacred Botree (Anuradhapura).”(1891)

I

t is a fascinating destination for both amateur and professional archeologists. One of the ancient world’s largest monastic cities, founded in the 4th century B.C., and sacred to Buddhists, Anuradhapura was once a capital city of the kingdom of Sri Lanka.

It was a walled city where the arts, hydraulic technology (there were vast reservoirs around the city), and Buddhism flourished and lasted for 1400 years. It had a royal palace, a quarter for nobles, a place for foreigners. Outside its city walls were the

Bodhi tree

monasteries. Just like the pyramids constructed by the pharoahs of Egypt, the kings of Anuradhapura erected bell shaped stupas called dagobas which were magnificent architectural achievements of their time.

L

Buddhist monk in Anuradhapura

egend has it that Anuradhapura was the fabled capital of King Ravana in the Ramayana! Today it is effectively two worlds—the well-laid out modern city and the ancient city to the north-west.

The ancient city is a sprawling complex of shrines, stupas, tanks, temples, and monasteries. We see crowds of pious pilgrims, stalls selling brilliantly colored frangipani in intricately woven baskets, multi-hued prayer flags fluttering in the breeze, and saffron clad monks walking barefoot in mindful contemplation at the bubble shaped Ruwenweli Mahaseya. This is a white washed dagoba initiated by the King Dutugemunu, or Dutthagamani (circa 140 B.C.), and finally completed by his brother after his death. It is said that the brother simulated the finished stupa with bamboo frames and white cloth, so that the king on his deathbed could admire his wonderful creation.

Apart from food, clothing and other extras the king was supposed to have paid 6.4 million coins in wages to the labourers who

built this magnificent stupa. The walls of the dagoba are made up of lime plaster elephants that, according to mythology, carry the weight of the world on their sturdy shoulders. An ancient limestone statue, on the dagoba’s south side, is supposed to represent Dutugemunu contemplating his masterpiece.

A

nuradhapura is famous for its Bodhi tree, an offspring of the famous peepul tree in Bodhgaya, India, under which Lord Buddha attained enlightenment. In 246 B.C., King Devanampiya asked the emperor Ashoka to send a branch from the fabled Bodhi tree. It was brought to Ceylon (the old name for Sri Lanka), by Ashoka’s daughter Sanghamitra.

It is probably the oldest documented tree in the world, more than 2,000 years old, and still looks in the prime of health. It has been tended to for 23 centuries, even when the city was abandoned and shrouded by jungle. It stands on a special platform, protected by a gold railing dotted with younger peepul trees and festooned with colourful prayer flags.

W

e drive past the red brick Jetavana dagoba, which, at 120 meters, was the third tallest structure in the world after the pyramids of Giza at the time of its construction! This was the work of the heretic king india currents • october 2011 • 21

ver and pearls. Today all that is left of this magnificent structure is 1600 pillars, set in parallel lines. The rest of the structure was made of wood and was completely burnt over the years.

We end our visit to Anuradhapura at the Isuruminiya Vihara, a stunning rock temple built between basalt boulders. This dates from the 3rd century B.C and stands near mirror-like ponds. It is decorated with statues of frolicking elephants. Our guide points out a mural of two lovers seated on a bench.

They are supposed to be Saliya, King Dutugemunu’s son, and his wife. They met in the pleasure gardens, fell in love. Because the girl was not of royal blood, Saliya is said to have given up his claim to the throne!

Anuradhapura has been magical. We feel like intrepid explorers, who have stumbled upon a fabled “lost city.” Our imagination has been fired by images of bygone riches, sprawling palaces, tales of love and war, and an advanced ancient culture.

Elephant Pond

Mahasena (circa 300 B.C.) and took a quarter of a century to build.

Our guide takes us to the ruins of the Abhayagiri monastery, which remained the largest monastery in the region for over 600 years and housed more than 5,000 monks. It is said that, in 44 B.C., King Vattagamini was taunted by a Jain hermit of the Giri monastery while fleeing after losing his throne to South Indian Chola kings. He remained in hiding in jungle caves for 14 years. When he Ruwenveli dagoba

22 • india currents • october 2011

came back to power he razed the Jain monastery to the ground and built a Buddhist monastery in its place.

We see the Kuttam Pokuna, ornamental twin ponds which are an ancient engineering marvel. These man-made ponds were created for the use of the thousands of monks who lived on the premises. On one side is a trapping mechanism which filters the mud and dirt, after which the water flows into a chamber before entering the pond. The precise geometry, the flights of stairs with balustrades, and the verdant greenery in the background make it a beautiful and tranquil place. Nearby is the “Elephant Pond” another large pond which was once used by the monks for bathing. It’s fascinating to hear that these ponds are contemporaries of the Roman baths like Caracalla that have been restored to their former glory.

What fascinates me are the “rice-boats” in the remains of the Mahapali Refectory— stone troughs that were once filled with rice. The monks used to line up here with their bowls and food would be doled out to them. Our guide says that this trough could fill 3800 bowls. Famous Chinese monk and traveler Fa Hien visited Anuradhapura and is said to have received alms from this very kitchen.

Close to the Bodhi tree is a building called the “Brazen Palace,” because once it had a gleaming bronze roof. It was once an exalted building nine stories high. The Mahavamsa (a historic poem about the kings of Sri Lanka, written in the Pali language) describes it as having a thousand rooms, and an ivory throne inlaid with gold, sil-

F

rom Anuradhapura, we drive to another of Sri Lanka’s UNESCO sites—Dambulla.

We climb up uneven rocky stairs, taking in the spectacular landscape and panoramic views (including that of the rock fortress of Sigiriya), followed by an assortment of vendors, an enthusiastic band of macaques, and a snake charmer with a king cobra. There are stalls with semi-precious stones, the ubiquitous postcards, and serene Buddhas. Teenage monks in red, orange, and brown robes sprint up the steep stairs effortlessly.

The Dambulla caves in Sri Lanka form a UNESCO World Heritage Site dating back to the 1st century B.C. Buddhism has had a tradition of rock-cut caves where monks meditated or lived away from human habitation. These caves were also occasionally used as a hide-out for dethroned kings. These humungous rock caves once provided refuge to King Vattagamani who lost his kingdom to Tamil invaders in 43 B.C. and was forced into hiding for a period of 14 years. When he reclaimed his throne, he had a temple constructed among the caves as a mark of his gratitude. These temples are a riot of paintings, murals and Buddha statues. King Nissankamalla (1187-1196 A.D.) gilded many of the statues and the caves began to be called Ran Giri or Golden Rock. The rock caves are reached by a flight of steep stairs cut into the rock face. At the bottom of the steps is the kitschy Golden Temple topped by a huge seated Buddha. A sign claims that it is the largest Buddha in the world—it certainly is the gaudiest, with bright colours and gilt!

The caves have gabled entrances and drip ledges to keep the water from seeping in. We start our explorations at the first cave. It is named after the god Vishnu, who is credited with creating these caves. A first century Brahmi inscription outside commemorates the founding of the temple. Inside this narrow

cave is a sleeping Buddha with gold paint and his disciple Anandha standing near his feet.

There are old, eroded murals blackened by burnt incense and some clumsy new repainting. Outside is a bo or peepul tree with bright and colourful prayer flags and lit lamps. Pilgrims offer prayers here, lighting incense and offering fruits and lotus flowers.

The “Cave of the Great Kings” is spectacular. Its dull lighting creates an aura of mystique. There’s an enormous collection of Buddhas here, of all sizes and poses, built out of brick, wood, and granite and covered with stucco and paint. The reds and golds of the innumerable statues and deities shimmer in the dark interiors. The only sound that is audible inside the cave is the trickle of water, from the roof, which is said to never run dry. Devotees believe that this water has healing properties.

The walls and ceilings are covered in murals with scenes from the Buddha’s life, ranging from a dream his mother had during her pregnancy to his struggle for enlightenment and holding of the first sermon. The murals follow the contours of natural rock formations and look like flowing tapestry.

The other three caves are more recent and are also covered with colourful frescoes and filled with meditative Buddhas and Hindu deities. One cave has a sloping ceiling and looks like a gargantuan tent. All the statues are carved out of solid rock here—an outstanding feat! We see paintings and statues here in the

Wall painting, Dambulla

typical Kandyan (after the historic city of Kandy) style. Outside is a pond filled with brilliant purple lotuses where the king is supposed to have washed his feet before prayers.

History, beauty, and artistry can really be a potent combination! n Getting there: It is possible to get to Anuradhapura on the A9 highway from Kandy. The drive from Colombo is approximately five hours by bus; or 4 hours by private vehicle.

Buses travel along this highway, as well, and there is a bus station in the Anuradhapura New Town. A train service also runs to Anuradhapura from the south, with two sta-

tions being in and near Anuradhapura.(Source: Wikipedia) Besides Anuradhapura and Dambulla, Sri Lanka’s Golden Triangle of UNESCO Heritage sites has cities like Sigiriya and Polonnaruwa which bear testimony to a advanced civilization where art, architecture and town planning flourished when Europe was still in the dark ages. After years of civil strife, these historical treasures are accessible to tourists, which combined with the good hotels, friendly currency, and warm people make this a great destination.

Kalpana Sunder is a Japanese language specialist and travel writer based in Chennai, India.

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Pia Ka Ghar wishes you “A Happy & Prosperous Festive Season”

Welcome to our Fall 2011 Concert Series The Academy is Proud to Present SUNDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2011 at 4:00 pm Dr. Kadri Gopinath - Saxophone at the Hoover Middle School Auditorium A. KANYAKUMARI B. HARIKUMAR RAJENDRA NAKOD

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The Academy Proudly Presents SATURDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2011 at 5:00 pm Aditya Prakash, Arun Ramamurthi & Nirmal Narayan at the Hoover Middle School Auditorium Upcoming Concerts: Gayathri Venkatraghavan - Nov. 5, 5 pm; Sangeetha Sivakumar - Nov. 19, 5 pm

Tickets: Regular - $25; Seniors $20; Students - $15. Credit Cards accepted at website. Cash & Check only at the hall.

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india currents • october 2011 • 25

I C ask a lawyer

Madan Ahluwalia

Child Custody Issues Custody of children is often the most contentious element of a divorce

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has to go through family court. The Office of Family Court Services performs child custody mediation, emergency screening, and evaluation services upon court referral. The law says parents who cannot agree about custody and visitation must go to mediation. It serves as a neutral territory and allows parties to get information and knowledge and work differences out with the help of a trained counselor.

For example, in Santa Clara county, parents go to a Family Court orientation class first to learn about what will happen in mediation. You will get a handbook called “Kids, Court, and You" that will help you get ready for your mediation. The handbook gives information on child custody and visitation, child development, co-parenting and parallel parenting arrangements, and tips on how to avoid arguments.

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• The safety and welfare of the child.

Needless to say, a parent with “bad’ history—drug usage or criminal background, for example, will be less favored over the other.

• “Frequent and continuing contact” with both parents and shared parenting. The court also has to take into account Family Code section 3011 which encourages frequent and regular contact with each parent.

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• Sole physical custody.

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Explanations for the above are beyond the scope of this article. It is highly recommended that you work with a competent attorney to handle your divorce if young children are involved.n Madan Ahluwalia is a California Lawyer. He can be reached at 408-416-3149. His website is www.ahluwalia-law.com.

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n a divorce, there are typically four types of issues which are decided—marital status, support (spousal support and child support), child custody, and property division.

Child custody is often the main bone of contention for divorcing couples. Because it directly affects spousal and child issues it acquires increased significance. Each parent feels he or she is a better parent and wants to have sole custody or more custody of the child than the other parent. Regardless of the facts, the issue can become a tug of war between divorcing individuals. Child custody issues don’t go away until the child has turned 18 and this can bring the divorced parties back to court repeatedly.

The court has to balance the interest of the parties and uses legislation as a guide.

However, in the absence of clear directive, public policy and discretion of the court (the judge) dictates and drives the process. In the California court system, there is built-in protection in the sense that the divorcing couple

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IC

books

Lakshmi Mani

Girija Sankar

The Zeitgeist of Modern India

The Last Honest Man

MISS NEW INDIA by Bharati Mukherjee.

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Hardcover. 336 pages. $25.

LAST MAN IN TOWER by Aravind Adiga.

Alfred A. Knopf. Available in the United States in September 2011. 560 pages. Hardcover. $26.95.

A

njali Bose is a small town girl with big city dreams. In defiance of her parent’s wishes for her to be married soon after high school, Anjali seeks bigger and better things. Her aspirations and her journey from small town Gauripur to Bangalore, 21st century India’s city of hopes and dreams, is writer Bharati Mukherjee’s final offering in a trilogy dealing with the clash of contemporary and traditional India, following Desirable Daughters and the Tree Bride.

Fast paced, and with too many characters clamoring for the reader’s attention at times, Miss New India attempts to capture the zeitgeist of a young, modernizing country through Anjali’s journey, both literally and figuratively.

In Bangalore, India’s Silicon Valley, Anjali finds a place to stay at Ms. Minnie Bagehot’s, an Anglo-Indian landlady and certainly one of the more colorful characters of the book.

Every setting in the book offers contrasting views of India. In Miss Bagehot’s house, Mukherjee portrays the old fading India of the Raj era. The Dollar colony, the ersatz American suburb transplanted in Bangalore, functions as the symbol of the new India. Anjali’s parents represent the old guard of custom, tradition, and family honor while her new friends in Bangalore represent the dynamism of the modern generation.

But Mukherjee expects the reader to accept that small town values are perforce contradictory to big town sensibilities, an assumption not even her central character seems to maintain consistently. Anjali’s characterl, despite being the focus of the story, is not well developed. Everything, from Anjali’s decision

28 • india currents • october 2011

to acquiesce to being seen by prospective grooms, her bus journey across the country, her new friendships and new life in a big city, seem rushed. Her naiveté and apparent lack of confidence in some areas and brazenness in others contributes to a very foggy portrait of the character. And the many partially developed side plots—the cantankerous landlady, the gay mentor, the young American photographer friend, the roommate with dangerous liaisons—dilute the central plot and with, the character of the protagonist.

The story ends through a serious of rapidly unfolding events, some more contrived than others.

Miss New India, in trying to portray all that is happening to India—the rapid social, economic and cultural changes—perhaps offers too little in the process, quite like a 13day 14-country tour of Europe. It might work for some, but others might prefer a meandering 7-day trip through just one country instead.

Mukherjee, however, excels in her detailed portraits of the social life and work culture in Bangalore.

The reader gets a ringside seat into the everyday operations of call centers and the closely related language training institutes.

Miss New India is a primer on 21st century India to readers who are unfamiliar with the country and its culture. One gets a sampling of the traditional family mores and values, the small town mentality, and the still-present gender bias. But one also gets a good helping of the newness in Bangalore, and the fast -talking call center operators.

While offering nothing new in its story arc, Miss New India lends credence to the idea that 21st century India is the perfect muse for a story teller with all its dynamism, internal contradictions, and a billion stories within.n

A

fter a collection of short stories, Between the Assassinations, Adiga comes back to the novel form, setting Last Man in Tower in Mumbai, where real estate can be the fast track to riches.

In Last Man in Tower, India has not changed much in the three years following Adiga’s debut novel The White Tiger, which garnered him the Booker Prize. The story takes place in the buildings (known as “towers”) of the Vishram Cooperative Society.

Set in the suburb of Vakola, the residential complex becomes a target for developers as the area gentrifies and appreciates in value.

When Masterji resists the overture of the developers, he dies under mysterious circumstances. The cover-up by the perpetrators and their attempts to label his death as a suicide makes the reader question if the moral compass of modern Mumbai is completely broken, though one must admit that there is plenty of cinematic precedence for that kind of behavior.

Adiga does not leave us with this bleak conclusion. There is at least one other man who refuses to barter his freedom to choose where he wants to live. Adiga’s portrayal of his characters shows them as flawed but not without humanity. Ajwani, the broker, feels guilty even though he does not participate in the murder of Masterji. The Puris are good citizens who accept the deal because they have an 18-year-old son with Down Syndrome, and need the money for his medical care.

Money corrupts these ordinary people with normal lives and aspirations even as they experience feelings of guilt and sorrow over the death of the last honest man in their midst.

Unlike the cynicism of White Tiger, here Adiga seems to suggest that one individual can make a difference, even if it is only in the hearts and minds of the people he leaves behind. n Lakshmi Mani writes on American and Indian-American literature, and is a National Endowment for the Humanities fellow.

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A Country Undergoing Seismic Social Change Bharati Mukherjee discusses her new book Miss New India, the last in a trilogy that began with Desperate Daughters and continued with Tree Bride hat was the inspiration for Miss New India? In previous interviews, you had mentioned visiting Bangalore and meeting call center customer specialists … can you elaborate on that? Did the character take shape over time or was it any one person who provided the creative spark?

I visited Bangalore many times. A first cousin of mine also lives there; she used to work for the UN, and later bought some land and built a house in Dollar Colony [ed: a place that is mentioned in the book], a place where people could reserve land only with international currency. Only expats who could afford it would buy there.

I have always been interested in immigration, but what I was witnessing in India now was a seismic social change, in gender relations and in social relations. There is now internal migration in India—people from small towns, like Anjali, who would never go to an IIT, or Yale, but still have the opportunity to strike it big in the metropolises of India.

People like Anjali attend missionary schools, learn English, and want to go places that their parents wouldn’t have even dreamed of. I was witnessing, on these trips, a whole new middle-class emerging—young women from modest backgrounds, whose only escape would have been marriage, moving to a big city, interested in adventures for themselves, with no chaperones, no community to show their disapproval; I got to know a lot of them during my visits. Some stayed at Anglo-Indian boarding houses; some were pooling their resources together and renting apartments. I made several trips to get to know these women. I also got to know the trainers who work at call center training centers. Some trainers whom I’d met on my first trip to Bangalore had already moved on and started their own training business the next time I met them!

What I hope I have gotten across through the book is that there are both winners and losers in the new India. There are the young Anjalis who have significant disposable incomes and seem to be caught up by the wave of consumerism. There is this sense that I have made it, I can go to the mall, and buy a Versace or a Gucci with my salary, my money. Their parents would not have been able to do it.

But there is also corruption and land grabbing. I recently read in the New York Times about the farmlands are being compromised and being sold off for commercial real estate.

Also, even though I hadn’t interviewed anybody that was raped I have read about the gang

30 • india currents • october 2011

Photo Credit: Chip Cooper

W

raping of women employed in call centers in places like Gurgaon.

There is both corruption and empowerment. I have tried to capture both in the book.

Was there any one individual in particular whom you’d met that provided the backdrop for Anjali’s character?

There was a young woman who came with her parents for high tea to my cousin’s place. The parents thought I might know of Silicon Valley bridegrooms for their daughter. The conversation was flowing well, until all of a sudden, the father and the daughter started quarrelling. The girl must have been in her late 20s. She told me that she would come back and visit me the next day. She did come back and poured out her story, about her dreams and ambitions, about how she bought a condo for her parents and yet the power dynamics between parents and children had not changed. Parents continue to control their adult children’s social activities. She told me how women of her age were no longer interested in marriage as the only goal in life, but rather as one of many goals. Her story is not Anjali’s story, but hers and the many others that I later encountered on my trips to India provided the initial sparks for Miss New India.

I also interviewed venture capitalists

who had started companies in India.

As an essayist or a sociologist, you write about general trends. But as a novelist, you write about a single character that seems ordinary but has extraordinary interests. This is what I tried to do with Anjali.

Minnie is a very interesting character. Miss Minnie Bagehot reminded me of Mrs. Harter, our neighbor in Ooty who lived in an old bungalow. How did this character take shape for you?

Oh, I have known several of them all my life! In Kolkota, where I grew up, there were many such Anglo-Indian ladies. In Bangalore though, they seem to be a dying breed. Again, I wouldn’t say that everything in the book is a perfect reflection of reality. After all, it takes memories and imagination to transform perceived reality into fiction.

Did you actually sit-in on a training session for “accent enhancement” at the training centers?

I didn’t sit through a training session. But I did spend much time with the trainers and got many hours of interviews with them. I also pored through their training manuals.

In your research did you find that the new corporate culture or even the sub-culture of Bangalore erased or disguised class, caste, and communal lines? Would you characterize it as positive or is it merely a superficial thing?

There are seemingly two corporate models in Bangalore—the old traditional business model and the new IT corporate culture, which in turn seems to be a replica of Silicon Valley. The IT city in Bangalore is in fact called Silicon City! There is much more fluidity and interaction between different ranks of people in the new IT culture, which contrasts with the structured tier-conscious culture of the old business model. Also, pay scales today are very different. In the IT corporate culture, it really doesn’t matter where you come from. Caste or class doesn’t matter as much as your ability to get the job done! I found that very striking.

But of course, this new corporate culture still has to contend with poor roads, and outdated infrastructure.

What kind of a reaction has the book received so far from the Indian audience in India or in the United States?

Back in May, USA TODAY named it one of 10 must-read books. The book has already been featured on a number of book blogs, clubs, reading groups.

I think what the Indian audience likes about the book is the main characters’ belief in their right to happiness. Also, the book

What I was witnessing in India now was a seismic social changes—people from small towns who would never go to an IIT, or Yale, but still have the opportunity to strike it big in the metropolises of India. deals with the idea of immigration in reverse.

People like Peter Champion, a white American who immigrates to India; or people like Parvati and Auro who move back to India, or even Anjali, who migrates internally, within India. These are themes that resonate with the Indian audience.

Do you see yourself writing more about the new India?

I really couldn’t tell you what sparks the idea for a new novel. Writing a novel is a major undertaking. Currently, I am working on two projects—the very beginnings of a novel

and a collection of stories.

Any books that you read recently that have really caught your interest?

I plan to read Solo by Rana Dasgupta.

With all the flying that I do between San Francisco and New York, I expect to find some reading time in flight!

I am thrilled that Indian writers in English are now moving on from subjects related to India or the immigrant experience and taking on whole new projects. The trouble, say 15 years ago, was that people treated Indian fiction about India or the immigrant experience as sociology or ethnography. Writers like me had to persuade people to see past the ethnography and treat our work as literature and imaginative work. We had to say, if you want to read about tribes, then read scholarly work.

Is it easier to get published these days if you’re Indian American? How is this different from when you started out?

There is a sense now, and quite rightly so, that very fine literature is coming out of India, and the Indian diaspora. This did not exist when I started out. But at the same time with all the problems that the publishing industry in general is going through right now, I just don’t know if books as we know them will exist anymore. When some publishing companies are being owned by oil conglomerates, who knows what shapes books will take.

I think that we now have a large group of

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Anglophone writers of Indian origin. English was a foreign language that history bestowed on us Indians. If India had been colonized

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What kind of advice would you offer fledgling writers amongst the readers of India Currents? What do you tell your students?

I tell my students to read as much as they can and to write with passion; if you don’t have passion, then writing is simply going to be an exercise; it will also end up seeming like an exercise. In my creative writing workshops, I urge my students to read, read, read; you don’t always have to read works of writers who write like you … you can learn from both good books and bad books.

I would like to hear your take on recent debates in India about who can write the big India book? Do you have any comments on that?

I thought India Calling by Anand Giridharadas, [ed: see the August 2011 issue of India Currents] was a very moving book and I enjoyed it very much. n

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india currents • october 2011 • 33

25 years

Writing “Ethnic” in America A columnist grows up with India Currents

By Ragini Tharoor Srinivasan

M

y grandmother made me an American Girl, and an Indian one. I remember my grandparents visiting from India in 1993: my cosmopolitan Papa, as at home eating on a banana leaf as with fork and knife, and my ambitious Ammamma, who had moved from a Kerala village to London as a teenager, and seemed always to be renegotiating the shock of that initial encounter with Western cultures, values, and norms. They visited us often, and we them. My parents, who had come to the United States in the late 1970s for higher education, made it a priority—financial, temporal, psychic—to take my brother and me to India regularly. I went to India first at two months old and thus never registered the event of a first encounter. My Papa’s granddaughter, I ate comfortably with my hands. I would later laugh but never fully appreciate jokes about ABCDs and coconuts, so well-adjusted did I feel to my so-called hybrid identity.

But I thought a lot about what it meant to be Indian in America. I was eight years old in 1993 and had recently begun receiving my very own subscription to American Girl magazine. As I have written before in these pages, the magazine featured real-life girls as paper dolls, and I was to be the centerfold of the August/September 1995 issue. I take no credit for that early foray into minor celebrity.

My Ammamma saw the magazine, realized that they had yet to feature an Indian American, and gathered together the requisite photos and stories about my foremothers. The result was a paper pop-out version of me with accompanying text: “Meet Ragini Srinivasan—and some of the remarkable women in her family. Ten-yearold Ragini lives in San Jose, California. She can trace her family back 100 years, to her great-great-grandmother, who lived in India!”

So much meaning inheres in a single exclamation point. I was only able to trace my matriline back to 1906; previous paper dolls had taken readers to Ohio, 1783, and Iceland, 1834, to their greatgreat-great-greats, and so on. The fact of my being Indian compensated for my limited genealogy, something which my grandmother, perhaps because of her own experience as the lone sari-clad woman on London streets, had intuited: the allure of the exceptional and unusual ethnic subject. Sixteen years later, I read that introductory text as an announcement not just of an Indian-American girl to the motley readership of American Girls, but of the constellation of issues which would occupy my thinking, writing, and scholarship in the years to come. I have been interested in the ways in which we are each determined—by space, place, speech, and economies of culture, by birth and family, by social, political, and legal institutions. I have been interested in the ways in which we stage our “introductions,” to deploy the word in the broadest sense.

Meet Ragini: I have writ-

34 • india currents • october 2011

ten for India Currents since 1999, when, encouraged by my mother, I submitted two unsolicited pieces to the magazine. It is perhaps not an overstatement to say that IC and I grew up together. When, as an 8th grader, I submitted my first piece, titled “Why I Never Became a Girl Scout,” India Currents was just 12 years old.

IC was by then a mainstay in Indian homes, and I had often heard my parents remark on the quality of the articles and opinions.

Unlike certain other diasporic rags, IC did more than ethnic cheerleading, more than feel-good stories of spelling bee wins (though there was, and remains, a context for that kind of content).

I began contributing a regular column in summer 2001, after having been invited to do so by then-editor Vandana Kumar. For six years, my column ran on the “Youth” page. Unlike IC’s film, music, or book reviewers, recipe or advice columnists, or even features writers, I wrote creative nonfiction, fragments of memoir, and personal essays, very much in the spirit of “Desi Voices,” Ranjit Souri’s “Personal Items,” Lakshmi Palecanda’s “Bottom Line,” and even Sarita Sarvate’s “Last Word.” Mine was an “early” word from the second generation, the American-born children of India Currents’ original readership. In the years since, scores of other second-generation voices have filled the magazine’s pages, complicating its narratives, and revealing other sensibilities.

My first columns dealt with a mélange of teen issues (college applications, dating, driving, conformism), interspersed with sociopolitical reflections (on feminism, multiculturalism post-September 11th, animal testing, child labor, literary conventions) as well as attempts to interrogate (my) Indian-American identity. I had spent over a decade learning bharatanatyam, for example, and I wanted to understand the desire to preserve “authentic traditions” in diaspora. I attended an all-girls Catholic high school, and my columns reflected my evolving conceptions of mentorship and guru-ship, the nuances of sexism and racism in the classroom, and the politics of religion.

In 2003, I entered Duke University in North Carolina, where I did my undergraduate work in literature, anthropology, and women’s studies, and where my understanding of race, gender, and cultural production in America was necessarily complicated. My articles for India Currents grew more nuanced, reflecting my exposure to grassroots activism in Durham and engagement with crises like the lacrosse scandal and Hurricane Katrina from a position of painful proximity. My time at Duke provided me an invaluable perspective on the American South and enabled me to cultivate a more expansive understanding of “Americanness” itself, as a project inclusive of varied political attachments, cultural ideals, and historical investments.

During my college years, under editor Ashok Jethanandani, my writings for IC became explicit attempts at “translation,” attempts to pose theoretical questions concretely, communicate scholarly ideas in accessible, productive ways, and to engage in public life through writing. I became more attuned to the disparate expectations and interests of India Currents’ diverse readership, which continue to guide the writing I do today in the “Zeitgeist” column under the editorship of Vidya Pradhan. Whether writing about my wedding, my great-grandmother, or the philosophy of history, I

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strive to bring the same critical sensibility to the page while maintaining an ethos of honesty and generosity toward the reader whom I would hope to engage.

An Editor’s Questions

In mid-2007, I assumed the editorship of India Currents, a position I would hold for two years. Editing IC will always remain one of my greatest privileges and responsibilities.

I learned a tremendous amount from the IC team, our writers, and from the imperatives of producing a text each month that could serve as a voice “of” and “for” a community both real and imagined. Throughout my tenure, I found myself alternately challenged, inspired, and perplexed by the demands of the magazine. What was our purpose, and why? For whom did we write?

Publications like India Currents, which have ethnic-specific niches, operate on the logic that the content we produce is that which has been or would be excluded from or ignored by the mainstream media. Our motivation has historically been twofold: to profile individuals, highlight achievements, and circulate ideas which would otherwise never be published, and to inculcate in our readers the belonging, pride, and recognition that cannot be achieved through the consumption of mainstream media.

Ethnic publications thus first demarcate territory according to the perceived need for coverage of our minority communities. This need is expressed in different ways: our young people need role models; we must be able to “see ourselves” in the faces on TV and in newspapers; the dominant culture does not value our achievements, dances, movies, books, religions, or successes. We must “tell the stories” that wouldn’t otherwise be told.

This raison d’être is called into question when, for example, the New York Times or the San Jose Mercury News has already profiled the young Indian filmmaker, say, whom IC is highlighting next month.

The question of “telling our stories” is one I broached in a pair of editorials (“Hyphenated Writing,” May 2008; “Stories without Limits,” June 2008), asking the following: In what ways do the concerns of a diasporic publication differ from those of India-based publication? How can we think critically about the vocabulary that is being used to describe the diasporic experience? What limits do we place on the content we produce? And what criteria do we uphold for the knowledge and experiences we communicate to our readers?

Responses I received from certain incredulous readers were telling, particularly one suggestion that I look to our magazine’s name for a clue to appropriate subject matter.

But IC had always inhabited a more critical stance on identitarian issues, and I was never content with simply running “Indian” 36 • india currents • october 2011

or “Indian-American” content. What did that mean, anyway? Weren’t there enough outlets out there running all-things-desi? The South Asian Journalists Association’s SAJAforum, for example, used to pick up anything and everything “desi in the news,” from bylines in major papers, to crime-beat appearances, to e-mail spam that arrived in the name of an imaginary Indian: “Wilson Patel wants to transfer money into a safe foreign account …” Today, SAJAforum is more discriminating about its posts, which perhaps reflects the proliferation of other desi-identified blogs.

Of course, critiquing what it meant to “tell our stories” did not mean that IC could escape that most difficult of questions: “Why is this article in India Currents?” When I was editing IC and we ran stories on subjects like poetry, social work, or global warming, we had to answer the question by profiling Indian poets and Indian social workers, by asking Indian environmentalists to share their journeys with our readers. We made it Indian—if not by authorship then by interviewee—in order to publish it in India Currents. Our content, then, was structurally and methodologically quite consistent, even when we were exploring new thematic grounds.

I sometimes found this a frustrating constraint on our material, but I struggled to come up with a better answer to the question of what merited publication in IC. My editorship also made me more aware and appreciative of the magazine’s unique business model. Since 1987, IC has been a community resource. That means that it has maintained incomparably low advertising rates, a free distribution model, and a reliance on freelance contributions to generate editorial content.

Chris Anderson of Wired magazine has for some time been discussing the “new” economy of “free.” India Currents has employed a “freeconomic” model for years, realizing (as Google has now) that advertising can effectively subsidize the reader’s experience of the magazine. Of course, IC maintains the necessary “separation of church and state”like chasm between the advertising and editorial departments. But the free model has enabled us to stay connected to—and support the continued existence of—small businesses, groceries, law firms, salons, and realtors. In a hyper-corporatized world of WalMarts, Starbucks, and oligarchic financial institutions, it is a creditable achievement.

Cultivating a Critical Readership

In 25 years, India Currents has come to command a certain commitment from its readers, advertisers, and contributors. As a longtime writer for the magazine, I believe we must continue to do the work we do, publish the stories we do, address the issues we do, and represent the readers we do. And, I believe we must be able to answer a very simple question

from would-be detractors: Why? There are many answers. Here’s one: A side effect of having an ethnic or communityidentified readership is that many of our writers use “we” language. This has varying effects on readers. In India Currents’ case, those who identify as Indian, or in some cases South Asian, are faced with the choice of whether or not they want to be implicated in the narrative, argument, or anecdote in question. “Am I,” they must ask in response to every sentence read, “part of this ‘we’ or ‘us’ being deployed?”

And to what end? Those who identify as non-Indian, who read the magazine as a text representative of “an-other” culture, must reconcile their own “otherness” to the shared assumptions, knowledges, and bilingual asides of an “imagined” and actual community of writers and readers.

Certain letters that I received during my editorial tenure confirm that readers are often engaged in this kind of work. Consider this response from an Indian reader to Sarita Sarvate’s August 2008 story on yoga vacations.

Sarvate had traveled to Kerala for a yoga retreat, only to find herself in a new age ashram populated primarily by Caucasian Americans and Europeans. Her article tried to come to grips with her conflicted feelings of belonging and entitlement, of being a tourist among tourists in her “native” land, of cringing at mispronounced slokas and being unable to assume standard yoga positions. The reader’s letter—a criticism of what she perceived to be the writer’s hostility to non-Indians at the ashram—was almost conspiratorial: “I would advise,” she wrote, “that we avoid creating misunderstandings between Indians and American readers.”

By asking readers to engage with the persistent deployment of ethnicity, and by providing open, progressive forums within which different visions of community might be complicated and challenged, India Currents is doing work that cannot be done by mainstream outlets, whether because of the muzzle of political correctness or the precedence that “news” often takes over commentary. We are perhaps even fostering new ethical reading practices, since our texts demand from readers a heightened level of investment, shared responsibility, and attention to potentially problematic representations.

Herein may lie the greatest potential of the ethnic and community media: Against the dictates of journalistic impartiality, and in spite of academic movements away from the privileging of knowing subjects, we have placed our bets on the enduring value of critical self-awareness. It is a privilege and an honor to be part of this ongoing effort with India Currents. n Ragini Tharoor Srinivasan is a Ph.D. student at the University of California, Berkeley.

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IC

recipes

Shanta Nimbark Sacharoff

A Sure Sign of Autumn!

I

pumpkin weighed almost a ton!) there are some tiny varieties too.

Perhaps due to their large and colorful appearance, pumpkins have been woven into fairy tales of almost every continent. In fact there is even a variety known as the fairy tale pumpkin.

In the United States, pumpkins are used as carved decorations for Halloween, but these pumpkins are not ideal to cook with. For soup, pies, bread, or a stew the sugar pie pumpkin works best. It is less stringy than larger varieties and its meat is sweet and fine grained.

For a soup recipe, select a medium-sized pie pumpkin with a bright orange skin that weighs about 2 to 3 pounds.

In addition to being easy and gratifying to cultivate, pumpkin is also very nutritious.

It is low in fat and sodium and high in other important nutrients.

Pumpkins are easy to cook. They can be

either baked or steamed. To bake, preheat the oven to 350°. Cut the pumpkin lengthwise into two halves. Using a spoon, remove the seeds and strings. (Seeds can be saved, roasted, and served as a healthy snack.) Oil the surfaces inside and outside the pumpkin and set the halves on a baking sheet with the cut side down. Bake for about 45 minutes or until the meat is soft when a fork is inserted, but still firm enough to be cut into chunks.

To steam, cut the pumpkin in half lengthwise and remove seeds and strings.

Steam the two halves in a steamer for about 20 minutes. Cook them just enough to loosen the skin while keeping the flesh firm and intact. Cool, peel, and cut into chunks. n

Gujarati Kadhi with Pumpkin

peanut oil ¼ teaspoon black or brown mustard seeds teaspoon cumin seeds 2 to 3 whole red chilies A large pinch of asafetida A few fresh curry leaves and/or 1 table spoon of chopped cilantro Whisk together water, yogurt, garbanzo flour, powdered spices, and salt until smooth.

Add the garlic/cayenne paste. Bring the mixture to a boil in a pot, then turn the heat down. Cook for 15 minutes stirring constantly until the soup has a creamy texture. Add the pumpkin and continue to cook for a few minutes.

For the final step, in a separate small pot, heat the oil and then add the mustard and cumin seeds. After the seeds start to pop, add the chilies and the asafetida.

Stir, and then add this smoking mixture to the pot of kadhi.

Cover immediately, and keep it covered for five minutes.

Taste, correct for saltiness, and top with fresh curry leaves and/or cilantro. Serve hot with rice and/or bread. Instruct the diners to remove the whole chilies and curry leaves, or you can take them out as you are serving.

Some food historians believe that the word “curry” came from a British mispronunciation of the name of a yogurt soup called kadhi. In Gujarat in northwestern India, kadhi is considered a comfort food. It can clear the sinuses and relieve other symptoms of the common cold. It is easy to digest and can lift your spirits when you are feeling down.

Kadhi is a simple, light soup with a sauce-like consistency that is made with lots of water, some yogurt or coconut milk, and a bit of garbanzo flour. Other ingredients such as peanuts, green beans, okra, yams, or pumpkin can be added to embellish the soup.

Ingredients 2 cups cooked pumpkin, cut into small cubes 6 to 7 cups water 1 ½ to 2 cups plain low-fat yogurt 3 tablespoons besan (garbanzo flour) ¼ teaspoon each turmeric and coriander powder 2 cloves of minced garlic mixed with ¼ teaspoon cayenne powder and made into a paste using a rolling pin or a mortar and pestle ½ teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon mild cooking oil such as corn oil, safflower oil, canola oil, or 42 • india currents • october 2011

Illustration: Serena Sacharoff

n the SF Bay Area, sometimes the only clear signal that the season is changing is the arrival of new fruits and vegetables in the market. Sweet summer produce such as corn and stone fruits are replaced by root vegetables and big squashes such as bright orange pumpkins—as if nature is preparing us for autumn’s cooler temperatures and reduced daylight by offering vegetables with an abundance of vitamin A for eyesight, and the nutrients and fiber needed to support the immune system.

Pumpkins have a history as an edible fruit in many ancient cultures. They are native to Central America and Mexico, but have spread all over the world. Pumpkins come in all different colors and sizes. The familiar color is orange, but some varieties of pumpkin are even green, white, or even pale blue! While we associate pumpkins with massive sizes, (the current record holder for the biggest

Shanta Nimbark Sacharoff, author of Flavors of India: Vegetarian Indian Cuisine, lives in San Francisco, where she is a manager and coowner of Other Avenues, a health-food store.

music . dance CELEBRATING DANCE 1977 to 2011 Thai Pumpkin Soup with Coconut Milk

Viji Prakash

Thai food can be very similar to Indian food in flavor. This recipe was modified with a memory of a soup I had in South India and by mixing a few Thai recipes until I came up with a version which is especially quick to prepare.

If you are using canned pumpkin or previously prepared steamed or baked pumpkin, it can be ready in 25 minutes!

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Ingredients 2 cups freshly made pumpkin puree or 1 15 oz can of puree 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, any type 2 cups water 2 cups or one 15 oz can of coconut milk 1 teaspoon salt 1-2 tablespoons of prepared Thai red curry paste (found in specialty or health food stores) or prepare your own curry paste with the following ingredients Thai red curry paste 1 or 2 red dry chilies or 1 teaspoon cayenne 1 stalk of lemon grass chopped into small pieces 2 tablespoons chopped shallots or white parts of green onion 3 cloves of chopped garlic ¼ teaspoon chopped lime peel (skin) 2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger 1 tablespoon cilantro leaves with their stems 1 teaspoon each powdered coriander and powdered cumin 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice To prepare the Thai curry paste, place all the above ingredients in the jar of a food processor or a blender and puree into a coarse paste. Store in a glass jar. For this recipe you will need only half of the amount you have made.

The remainder can be saved in the refrigerator for upto a week.

Heat the vegetable oil in a pot and add 3 tablespoons of the Thai curry paste you have prepared. (Store-bought paste is denser so you may need less.) Stir-fry for 2 minutes, and add the water. Bring to a boil and simmer for a few minutes. With a slotted spoon, remove any rough fibers of the homemade paste that rise to the surface.

Lower the heat and add the coconut milk.

Cook over a moderate heat for five minutes, stirring constantly. Add the salt and pumpkin puree. Lower the heat again and continue to cook for about 15 minutes, stirring frequently until the soup thickens to a cream-like consistency. Adjust seasoning, adding more paste if desired. Serve with bread and/or rice. n

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Edited by: Nadia

Maiwandi

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A Widow of No Importance. World premiere of comedy “A Widow of No Importance,” by Shane Sakhrani and directed

by Shaheen Vaaz. In association with South Asian Network. Deepa has been a widow for two years. Her only desire now is to see her daughter married so that she can die in peace. But when her recently divorced neighbor, also her son’s best friend, professes 44 • india currents • october 2011

Chitresh Das will perform in India Jazz Suites on Friday, Oct. 21 in Long Beach.

his love for her, her inner-cougar emerges to break tradition and start living again. A smart and sexy comedy about carving new paths and leaping for the stars. This project is supported in part by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts. Featuring: Anjali Bhimani, Parvesh Cheena, Puja Mohindra, Lina Patel, and Sunil Malhotra.

Set design by John Iacovelli, lighting design

by Jose Lopez, and costume design by Melanie Watnick. Special performance: Wine Down Friday: Complimentary glasses of red or white wine during the regular performance run (must be 21 and over). Ends Oct. 9. Organized by East West Players. 8-10 p.m. East West Players Theater, 120 Judge John Aiso St., Los Angeles, 90012. $26-$36.

Student/senior $5 off regular price. (213) 625-7000. chuynh@eastwestplayers.org. www. eastwestplayers.org/on_the_stage/widow.htm.

Arohi: Raga Jazz Rhythms and Soundscapes. Featuring Paul Livingstone

(sitar), Dave Lewis (drums), Peter Jacobson (cello), and Javad Butah (tabla). Paul Livingstone is one of the leading sitarists in America. Dave Lewis is sought after for his sharp musicality and proficiency as a drummer, as well for his extensive experience as a pianist and composer. Peter Jacobson is a performer with eclectic influences ranging from his Western classical training and Indian music to reggae, hip hop, and other popular music styles. A disciple of world-

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recommends

Jennifer Marshall

Walk for Hope

Be the Cause gears up for its 10th annual walk

L

ong Beach volunteer group, Be the Cause, hosts its 10th annual Walk for Hope. The event never fails to muster community support for up to 50 nonprofit organizations from Southern California, with 100 percent of proceeds raised from the event distributed to beneficiaries.

Be the Cause founder Sukh Chugh describes the walk as two miles of “pure goodness” and “a reminder of the things that matter most in life—a metaphor for the movement that we are all engaged in.

By laying one foot on the ground the other follows. Only by beginning can we move forward,” he says.

Be the Cause has been an active volunteer organization since its foundation in 2002 when Chugh, a young Punjabi man in his 20s at the time, masterminded the concept of “compassion cells” in response to the terrorist cells responsible for the 9/11 attacks. He envisaged the cells as groups of like-minded volunteers working together to coordinate projects and provide “meaningful opportunities of service.”

Chugh and his organization have fulfilled their mission time and time again.

Be the Cause has completed over 400 projects worldwide since its inception and has been honored by the Urban Outreach Center as an “Outstanding Community Partner.” Chugh also received the prestigious Orange County Human Relations Award in 2009 for his services to the community.

In the past, various nonprofit organizations have partnered with Walk for Hope to urge walkers to support their commitment to social change. South Asian charities such as the Sankara Eye Foundation, whose gift of vision has opened over 730,000 eyes in India, and Sahara, a local organization that champions the rights of victims of domestic abuse and provides crucial support through its telephone helpline, have been avid supporters of the event. Money raised by walkers has contributed to many ongoing aid programs supporting those in need in the local community and disenfranchised South Asians living overseas.

This year’s Walk for Hope is a chance for walkers to support their chosen cause and to “pour a little love back into the community.” A monument will be erected by the stage offering people an opportunity

to contemplate things they would like to change before they die and a garden of kindness created with paper flowers will convey messages embodying the charitable spirit.

Chugh explains, “The quotes along the route, the activities, the music, even the lunch, are all prepared by volunteers to remind us of what is most important in life.

The Walk for Hope is our gift to you.”

An outdoor concert and free lunch will be provided to all participants and there is no registration fee to take part.n Saturday, Oct. 15, 10 a.m. El Dorado Park, 7701 E. Spring St., Long Beach. Free. Register: www.bethecause.org.

“The quotes along the route, the activities, the music, even the lunch, are all prepared by volunteers to remind us of what is most important in life.”

-Sukh Chugh

Be the Cause, founder

india currents • october 2011 • 45

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recommends

Dancing in the Moghul Court Shyamal Randeria-Leonard

C

hitresh Das Dance & Chhandam School of Kathak (CDDC) will present a spellbinding evening of tabla and kathak solos in “Moghul Court: A Celebration of Dance and Music of North India” at the fifth World Festival of Sacred Music (WFSM).

Tabla master Javad Ali Butah, student of renowned artist Anindo Chatterjee, and prolific kathak artist Rina Mehta, student of legendary artist and guru Chitresh Das, are joined on stage by Ramesh Mishra on sarangi, recipient of the prestigious Sangeet Nantak Akademi award, as well as renowned sitarist Jayanta Banerjee from Kolkata.

The evening will unfold and capture the mood of a forgotten time when Moghul nawabs and Hindu maharajas beckoned temple dancers, bards, and courtesans for lavish court entertainment. The show begins with an often-improvised tabla solo and sarangi and sitar accompaniment, mustering the mood for the much-anticipated kathak performance.

The performance soars to a crescendo as the visual narratives of kathak mingle with vocals by the dancer and the dynamic sounds of tabla, as the drum engages the rhythmic patterns of kathak footwork. The combination of rapid foot movement, pirouettes, and crisp stances called “thaat” is attributed to the Islamic influence on Indian dance in Moghul courts. Kathak dancer Mehta says she will also demonstrate Das’ groundbreaking collaboration, kathak yoga, which highlights the sophisticated mathematics and layers of musicality inherent in kathak dance.

Butah captures the essentiality of solo performances as these “allow mood and movement experience with regal dramatic openings and slow progressions towards the climactic portions of the art form,” he says. “This allows audiences to encounter a dynamic journey with live music and all of the musicians on stage.”

For Mehta, “Every Indian classical art form requires training in complementary arts—we are not just tabla players or dancers, we are all musicians in the full sense of the word as we are trained in additional instruments as well as the raga system,” she says.

When asked how the selection of the theme accentuates WFSM’s vision of global harmony, Butah says, “The Moghul court time period in India ushered a cultural renaissance, a syncretic relationship where Hindu influence flourished with acceptance

46 • india currents • october 2011

Rina Mehta

of diversity.”

Mehta adds, “This unique time period in history points to an exchange between the Islamic Sufi movement and the Hindu Bhakti movement where diverse view points were held without conflict. Art from both music and dance represents how religion and cultural traditions can exist side by side while enhancing one another.”

Inspired by the His Holiness the Dalai Lama 14 years ago, WFSM seeks to bridge communities while conveying peace and global solidarity through the elemental and sacrosanct mediums of music and dance. For 2011, the festival is a versatile assemblage of more than 832 local and international performers who cross cultural disparities to

express and present a bevy of artistry in roughly 32 historic and public locales across Los Angeles.

WFSM is a project of Foundation for World Arts and UCLA Center for Intercultural Performance and will run Oct. 1 through Oct. 16. The four previous festival took place in 1999, 2002, 2005, and 2008.

Mehta, noted by the website exploredance.com as a “jaw dropping human wonder,” is founder and director of Chhandam’s newest branch in Los Angeles, and executive producer of UPAJ, a documentary on Chitresh Das’ inspiring collaboration with tap star Jason Samuels Smith. Since joining the

renowned tabla master Anindo Chatterjee, Javad Butah’s comprehensive approach to the instrument reflects his training at the hands of one of the finest tabla artists alive. Organized by Arohi. 4:30-5:30 p.m.

Eagle Rock Music Festival, Dublab Global Stage, 2225 Colorado Blvd., Eagle Roc, Los Angeles. Free. tanpura.com/whats_new. htm#UpcomingPerformance, www.facebook. com/event.php?eid=291738504174559, www. centerartseaglerock.org/index.php/calendar/ event/id/638.

Karnatik Quest: Saxophone Concert. By Kadri Gopalanath. Organized by Indian Fine Arts Academy San Diego (IFAASD). 6 p.m.

Performing Arts Auditorium, Neurosciences Institute, 10640 John Jay Hopkins Drive, San Diego, 92121. (858) 792-7953. www. indianfinearts.org.

Javad Ali Butah

Chitresh Das Dance Company in 2000, Mehta has performed in critically acclaimed productions such as “Pancha Jati,” “Shabd” and “Sita Haran.” She is the recipient of numerous awards, such as the Alliance for California Traditional Arts Apprenticeship Grant. Mehta has performed at prestigious venues and festivals nationally and in India and has collaborated with VidyA, the acclaimed Karnatik jazz ensemble, and many well-known artists. Mehta is trained in both the Lucknow and Jaipur gharana.

Javad Ali Butah, hailed by The Los Angeles Times and The New York Times as “flashy, spectacular” with “virtuosic form,” respectively, has had the honor of accompanying world-renowned artists such as Ustad Sultan Khan, Sri Alam Khan, and Sri Shakir Khan. He has performed in worldwide venues including the Peter Norton Symphony Space in New York, Yale University, Columbia University, the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, and the Saptak Music Festival in Ahmedabad, India.

Butah is trained in the Farukhabad and Lucknow gharana.

CDDC performs nationally and internationally to critical acclaim and has over 500 students around the world from San Francisco to Mumbai.

Additional South Asian performances at the festival include bansuri master Hariprasad Chaurasia in “Sacred Traditions: An Evening of Classical Indian Music” on Oct. 2, which was featured in India Currents’ September issue; “Sampurna: The Abundant Circle” on Oct. 9; and the Arohi Ensemble on Oct. 14 (check calendar for details).n Sunday, Oct. 16, 6-8 p.m. Barnsdall Gallery Theater, Barnsdall Art Park, 4800 Hollywood Blvd., Los Angeles. $15 general; $10 students.

Tickets: www.bgttix.com. (323) 644-6272. www.festivalofsacredmusic.org.

Raas Garba. Featuring music by Juhi Buch, Dhiren Buch, and Jalpa Buch. Ends Oct. 2.

Organized by Shri Shirdi Saibaba Sansthan LA. 7:30 p.m. 144 Fourth St., Montebello, 90640. (323) 721-1772. www.shirdisaila.org.

Navratri. Three days of Raas Garba, other

days are Saturday, Oct. 8 and Saturday, Oct. 15. 8 p.m. Bren Center, UC Irvine, Irvine. $10. Tickets: www.sulekha.com/losangeles.

(714) 765-8970, (562) 865-8171, (949) 8245000. www.LAGarba.org.

Ninth Annual Navraatri Raas-Garba and Dandiya Night. A colorful beginning of the festival season of Hindus with San Gabriel Valley’s most enjoyable annual Navraatri Raas-Garba & Dandiya Night.

Those new to the dances can get lessons to enjoy the event, and food booths will be available to keep the energy levels high.

Come, enjoy, and celebrate!. Organized by Hindu Temple and Heritage Foundation of Pasadena (HTHF). 8-11 p.m. Arcadia Community Center, 365 Campus Drive, Arcadia, 91006. $10; children 5 and under free. Free parking. (626) 351-0664, (626)

991-4789, (626) 447-8089. imu8@yahoo.com, anandkhosla@charter.net. www.facebook. com/event.php?eid=286445408039488, www. pasadenahindutemple.com.

Raas Garba. Third annual Raas Garba from Sargam Group of Southern California.

Come celebrate Navratri at this familyfriendly event. This year, the group is working with Care for the Cause to raise money for SAHARA. Featuring musicians Rajendrabhai Sanathra and Shriishbhai Kothari. Also Saturday, Oct. 8. Organized by Sargam Group of Southern California. 8 p.m.

University High School, 4771 Campus Drive, Irvine. $6. Free parking. (714) 478-8927, (714) 312-6022, (714) 721-8502. sargamgarba@ gmail.com. www.sargamgroup.org.

Raas Garba. Featuring music by Hemant Mehta and group. Ends Oct. 2. Organized by RadhaKrishna Mandir. 8 p.m.-2 a.m. Cal Poly Pomona, Pomona. $7. Free parking. (951) 2033433, (714) 308-3288, (562) 760-5229. www. radhakrishna.org.

October

2 Sunday

An Evening of Indian Classical Music and Dance. Featuring: Alokparna Guha

(kathak dance), Paul Livingstone (sitar), Pankaj Misra (sarangi), and Subhajyoti Guha (tabla). Alokparna Guha is an accepted young performer in kathak. She started her training at the tender age of 5. Paul Livingstone is one of the leading sitarists in America today. He has been rigorously trained for the past 25 years in India and the U.S. under the Amiya Dasgupta, Rajeev Taranath, and Ravi Shankar. Pankaj Mishra was born into a lineage of exceptional musicians, being the son of Satyanarayan Mishra, grandson of Mahadeo Prasad Mishra, and great-grandson of sarangi virtuoso Saraju Prasad Mishra. Subhajyoti Guha, a highly talented, young tabla player from Kolkata, India, is one of the new genre of tabla

Bansuri virtuoso Hariprasad Chaurasia will perform on Sunday, Oct. 2 in Los Angeles. india currents • october 2011 • 47

exponents of the 21st century. Organized

by Sangeet School. 5-8 p.m. The Folly Bowl, 1601 E. Loma Alta Drive, Altadena, 91101. Suggested donation $15 general; $10 students. http://www.skirball.org/programs/ pandit-hariprasad-chaurasia.

and festival. (805) 955-9070. dakshinila@ yahoo.com. www.dakshini.org.

Annual Charitable Golf Tournament.

A Sufi Experience with Zila Khan.

Awards for first, second, and third place, closest to the pin, longest drive, and hole in one (BMW). Organized by Deemas Charitable Foundation. Lost Canyons Golf Club, 3301 Lost Canyon Drive, Simi Valley, 93063. $200. (310) 828-4466, (425) 9859337, (805) 304-1039. info@deemas.org. www.deemas.org.

Hariprasad Chaurasia in Concert.

Living legend Hariprasad Chaurasia performs an evening of spiritual music on the bansuri (North Indian bamboo flute).

His consummate artistry and inimitable style have delighted audiences around the world for over forty years. Chaurasia’s concerts are renowned for their soulful, meditative, and mystical qualities. In this performance, he will be accompanied by Jay Gandhi (bansuri flute) and one of Indian’s foremost percussionists Subhankar Banerjee (tabla). Presented as part of the World Festival of Sacred Music taking place Oct. 1-16. Organized by Skirball Cultural Center.

8 p.m. 2701 N. Sepulveda Blvd., Los Angeles, 90049. $30 general; $25 Skirball members; $20 full-time students. (310) 440-4500. www. skirball.org/programs/pandit-hariprasadchaurasia.

October

October

8 Saturday

One of the most powerful Sufi singers in the world, Khan comes from an impeccable lineage representing the seventh generation of legendary Hindustani classical musicians.

All proceeds with benefit the Niswa Association, a nonprofit serving women and children in underserved communities.

Organized by Niswa Association. 7 p.m. Hyatt Regency Orange County, 11999 Harbor Blvd., Garden Grove, 92840. $125. (818) 388-5361, (714) 296-6897, (951) 317-9963.

Sitar Virtuoso Shahid Parvez in Concert with Subhajyothi Guha on Tabla. The dazzling virtuosity and innovative genius of Shahid Parvez Khan has earned him a legacy as a giant of the sitar. He is a seventh generation heir in the great sitar family of musical royalty, the Etawah gharana that included such greats as Imdad Khan and Vilayat Khan. Khan achieved artistic success at an early age after beginning first vocal and tabla study before initiation to the sitar under his father, Aziz Khan. Khan immerses himself in music during a performance, using the power of music to draw everyone into the raga’s mood. Accompanying is Subhajyothi Guha, once a disciple of the late

Navratri. Three days of Raas Garba,

including Saturday, Oct. 1 and Saturday, Oct. 15. Featuring music by the Hemant Mehta Group. Organized by ISSO. 8 p.m. Anaheim Convention Center, Anaheim. (714) 7658970, (562) 865-8171, (949) 824-5000. www.

LAGarba.org.

Raas Garba. Third annual Raas Garba from Sargam Group of Southern California.

Come celebrate Navratri at this familyfriendly event. This year, the group is working with Care for the Cause to raise money for SAHARA. Organized by The Sargam Group of Southern California. University High School, 4771 Campus Drive, Irvine. $6; children under 5 free. Free parking. sargamgarba@gmail.com. www.sargamgroup.org.

Raas Garba. Featuring music by Meena

Modi and group. Organized by RadhaKrishna Mandir. Cal Poly Pomona, Pomona. $7. Free parking. (951) 2033433, (714) 308-3288, (562) 760-5229. radhakrishna.org.

7 Friday

Raas Garba. Featuring music by Hemant Mehta and group. Organized

by RadhaKrishna Mandir. Cal Poly Pomona, Pomona. $7. Free parking. (951) 203-3433, (714) 308-3288, (562) 7605229. radhakrishna.org.

October

9 Sunday

Walk to End Alzheimer’s. Walk to

End Alzheimer’s is the nation’s largest event to raise awareness and funds for Alzheimer’s care, support and research.

Events are held annually in the fall in nearly 600 communities nationwide.

Organized by Alzheimer’s Association.

California Century Park, Century City, Los Angeles. (323) 930-6228. brian.welch@alz. org. www.kintera.org/FAF/home/.

Dakshini Durga Puja 2011. Oct. 7,

7:30 p.m.: Aneek Dhar live in concert with Dipanwita Choudhury (Hungama); Oct. 8, 7:30 p.m.: Abhijit Ghosal (Bollywood songs); Oct. 9, 2:30 p.m.: Jayati Chakraborty; Oct. 15, 7:30 p.m.: Arundhuti Holme Choudhury and Sivaji Chattopadhyay. Ends Oct. 15. Organized by Dakshini Bengali Association of California. 7:30 p.m. Mira Costa High School, 1406 Artesia Blvd., Manhattan Beach, 90266. Oct. 7 & 8: $45; Oct. 9: $30, Oct. 15: $25; all four days: $130.

Prices include event, lunch and/or dinner,

Allarakha Khan who was so loved by Music Circle audiences. Subhajyothi is a highly talented, young tabla player, one of the new genre of tabla exponents elevating percussion performance to greater heights in the 21st century. Organized by The Music Circle.

8-11 p.m. Herrick Chapel, Occidental College, 1600 Campus Road, Los Angeles (Eagle Rock), 90041. $35 general, $5 students with valid I.D; Admission is free or reduced with Music Circle Membership. Tickets sold at the door a half-hour before concert and Music Circle membership will be available for purchase at event. (626) 449-6987. MusicCircle@aol.com. www.MusicCircle.org.

Sampurna: The Abundant Circle.

Abhiman Kaushal and others will perform in “Sampurna: The Abundant Circle,” Sunday, Oct. 9 in Glendale.

In a time where tradition and innovation coexist, the shared program “Sampurna: The Abundant Circle” juxtaposes steadfast classical ideology with a pursuit for modern sensibility. The first half of

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 48 • india currents • october 2011

the concert features young Americans who bridge time and culture through an exciting fusion of South Indian classical music and jazz. Vocalist and percussionist Aditya Prakash joins forces with progressive jazz outfit Le J Trio to perform a collection of improvisations that breaks boundaries and pushes convention aside. With their musical roots intact, the quartet encourages an open dialogue as they build upon each other’s respective traditions. The second half of the concert showcases a classic presentation

by Suman Laha (veena) and Abhiman Kaushal (tabla). The duo’s mastery of North Indian classical music combined with an astonishing level of technical precision give them the freedom to create music that is sublime, introspective and ecstatic. As the raga (mode) of the 17-string veena is uplifted by the tala (rhythm) of the tabla, a direct path to the divine opens from within. Organized by World Festival of Sacred Music 2011. 3-5 p.m. Brand Library & Art Center, 1601 W. Mountain St., Glendale, 91201. Free. (818) 548-2051. www. brandlibrary.org.

October

14 Friday

Bridges: East & West. Sitar player Paul Livingstone and Arohi Ensemble join forces with organist Christoph Bull for a dynamic concert of traditional and contemporary music steeped in the classical architectures of India and Europe. Exploring diverse forms from Indian raga to Baroque fugue, the concert features solos, duos and ensembles in a unique breadth of form and collective improvisation. Bull is the fifth university organist at UCLA. He has performed in cathedrals worldwide, including Moscow and Salzburg. Paul Livingstone has toured in India, Europe, and Latin America and composes “ragajazz chamber music” for Arohi’s unique combination of virtuoso artists. Livingstone leads Arohi with Venezuelan world wind phenomenon Pedro Eustache. Their 20-year collaborative relationship includes studies under Amiya Dasgupta, Rajeev Taranath, and the legendary Ravi Shankar. Organized by World Festival of Sacred Music 2011. 8-10

Navratri and Raas Garba events will take place in Irvine, Arcadia, Montebello, Pomona, Anaheim, and many other cities. Check calenar listings for details.

p.m. First United Methodist Church of Santa Monica, 1008 11th St., Santa Monica, 90403.

(310) 393-8258. www.santamonicaumc.org.

October

15 Saturday

Walk to End Alzheimer’s. Walk to End

Alzheimer’s is the nation’s largest event to raise awareness and funds for Alzheimer’s care, support and research. Events are

held annually in the fall in nearly 600 communities nationwide. Organized by Alzheimer’s Association. Doheny State Beach, Dana Point. (949) 757-3708. andrea. mcdonald@alz.org. www.kintera.org/FAF/ home/.

10th Annual Walk for Hope: Be the Cause. The Walk for Hope, unlike other

walkathons, is free of charge and its sole purpose is to build an inspiring event that

Have you had an inspirational experience?

Share it with the readers of India Currents!

India Currents runs monthly spiritual essays written by members of the community. We accept spiritual or religious-themed essaysfrom any religion or denomination, or lack thereof.

Please send your 600-800 word submissions to Nadia Maiwandi at events@indiacurrents.com.

Shahid Parvez will give a sitar concert on Saturday, Oct. 8 in Los Angeles. india currents • october 2011 • 49

encourages individuals to make a difference in their community, one step at a time. The path, adorned with handcrafted inspirational quotes and interactive artwork, greets the walkers at the finish line with entertainment by international musicians and homemade food prepared by volunteers. The 3.5K walk will be surrounded by nonprofit organization booths that educate and encourage Walkers to take action to Be The Cause of something greater than themselves. Every year, Walk for Hope promotes participation in an interactive activity; this year Candy Chang’s “Before I die…” project will take center stage. The Walk will feature a 32-by-8 foot monument with recorded statements of individuals sharing their aspirations of what they’ll do before they die. The Walk for Hope also provides an opportunity to raise community awareness about your favorite nonprofit group. Organized by Be The Cause. 10 a.m.-2 p.m. El Dorado Park, Golden Grove Picnic Area, 7701 E. Spring St., Long Beach, 90815 . Free. (949) 254-3538, (714) 243-8246, (949) 689-8629. sonalif@ bethecause.org, sukh@bethecause.org, info@ bethecause.org. www.bethecause.org. (See story.)

Navratri. Features music by Preetysha

& Sameer with the Shree Shakti Band.

Organized by ISSO. 8 p.m. Anaheim Convention Center, Anaheim. $10. Tickets: www.sulekha.com/losangeles. (714) 7658970, (562) 865-8171, (949) 824-5000. www.

LAGarba.org.

October

16 Sunday

Bharatnatyam Fundraiser for Murugan Temple. By renowned dancer, Sheejith

Krishna of Kalakshetra, Chennai and Tharini Shanmugarajah. 4-6:30 p.m. Bellflower Civic Auditorium, 16600, Civic Center Drive, Bellflower, 90706. $15-$100. rajprasad31@ hotmail.com. www.woodlandsinla.com.

Moghul Court: Dance and Music of North India. Moghul Court takes us

A SUGGESTION: India Currents goes to press as much as six weeks in advance of some events listed in it. Even though organizers do their best to stick to the announced schedule, in rare cases events are rescheduled or cancelled. To avoid disappointment, we recommend that you always check the organizer’s website, and

CALL TO CONFIRM!

50 • india currents • october 2011

back in India’s history to an era of artistic and cultural renaissance–a time when music, dance, theater and poetry flourished in the lavish courts of the Muslim nawabs and Hindu maharajas. This IndoIslamic syncretic culture was at its heights with the arts leading the way for a rich and enduring exchange between Hindu and Islamic traditions. The evening presents performances of the traditional tabla and kathak solos by Javad Ali Butah, disciple of renowned artist Pandit Anindo Chatterjee, and Rina Renowned dancer Sheejith Krishna will perform for the Murugan Temple Mehta, disciple of legendary fundraiser on Sunday, Oct. 16 in Bellflower. artist and guru, Chitresh Das. In the hands of consummate professionals, kathak creates a complex dynamic between dance, melody, in and propagate the great cultural heritage rhythm, poetry, storytelling, and song. of Indian classical music. Panesar has been Organized by World Festival of Sacred Music giving startling performances across the 2011. 6 p.m. Barnsdall Art Park, Barnsdall U.K. On her debut tour of the U.S., Panesar Gallery Theater, 4800 Hollywood Blvd., Los will be performing in an intimate baithak Angeles, 90027. $15 general, $10 students. (concert) at residence. This special Diwali (323) 644-6272. www.bgttix.com. (See story.) gift, promises to be a concert to remember and a rare opportunity to listen to the young and promising artist. Panesar will be October Friday accompanied by the talented Debashish Chaudhury, who has accompanied numerous India Jazz Suites. Kathak and tap dance renowned artists and toured all over the with renowned masters Chitresh Das world for musical concerts. He is also an All (kathak), Jason Samuels Smith (tap), and India Radio artist and recipient of numerous Debashish Sarkar (vocal), Jayanta Banerjee prestigious awards. Organized by Prashant (sitar), Biplap Bhattacharya (tabla), Theo Kulkarni. 6 p.m. Saleem Hai’s Residence, 3426 Hill (piano), Rashaan Carter (bass), and Viewfield Ave, Hacienda Heights, 91745. $25 Channing Cook Holmes (drums). Ends suggested donation. RSVP required. (949) Oct. 22. Organized by Chhandam School of 742-2003, (949) 351-3272, (714) 299-2494.

Kathak. Carpenter Performing Arts Center, nuovo7@hotmail.com, kkatti17@gmail.com, Cal State Long Beach, 6200 Atherton St., santoshpai_99@yahoo.com.

Long Beach. Info: (415) 333-9013, Venue: (562) 985-7000. chhandam@kathak.org. kathak.org, carpenterarts.org.

November Saturday

21

5

October

23 Sunday

Bakasur Badh. By Manipuri Dance Visions

Youth Ensemble. An excerpt of “Gostharas” as performed traditionally in the temples of Manipur depicting child Krishna being attacked by the crane demon Bakasur. The young lord fights bravely and kills the demon.

Organized by Oktoberfest by Kidspace Museum, Pasadena. 10-11 a.m. Kidspace Museum, Pasadena, 480 N. Arroyo Blvd., Pasadena, 91105. www.kidspacemuseum.org.

October

29 Saturday

Divali Special Classical Sitar Concert.

By U.K. sitar player Rupinder “Roopa” Kaur Panesar. Panesar represents a generation of young musicians from the West, who believe

HTHF Annual Divali Cultural Program 2011. The longest running Divali Cultural

event in San Gabriel Valley, featuring an eclectic mix of diverse Indian culture, food, inspirational skits, comedy, and classical, folk, and popular dances songs. Divali sweets are distributed to each family. Dinner is served in the cafeteria at 6 p.m. Cultural program 7 p.m. Organized by Hindu Temple and Heritage Foundation (HTHF). 6-10:30 p.m.

Clifton Middle School Auditorium, 226 S. Ivy Ave., Monrovia, 91016. $10; children under 5 free. (626) 991-4789, (626) 351-0664. imu8@ yahoo.com, anandkhosla@charter.net. www. pasadenahindutemple.com.

© Copyright 2011 India Currents. All rights reserved. Reproduction for commercial use strictly prohibited.

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reflections

Satya Kalra

Navratri More Than Just Celebration N

avratri (Nav Durga) is a nine-day festival of Hindus honoring the Mother Goddess. This celebration occurs twice a year: The first one is in the spring during March/April, and the second one is in the fall during September/October, based on the lunar cycle. This year, the holiday begins Sept. 28.

Navratri is not just a time to celebrate and of joy but is to attain everlasting happiness, peace, and anandam (bliss) through self-discipline, self-control, and sacrifice. It is nine days of living in Mother Goddess consciousness and experiencing her grace and love.

During this time, people celebrate by performing different types of pujas and ceremonies. Also, many Hindus observe fasting; eating only fruits, vegetables and dairy products, perform specific sadhana, prayers, practice celibacy, and visit temples. Many temples, as well as private homes, offer special prayer programs called jagran with singing and music throughout the night.

On the final day, young girls up to age 9 are worshipped as goddesses and given gifts as an offering of gratitude to mother goddess for her blessings. It is believed that at that age the girls have pure energy like mother goddess. In some parts of India, the idol of the Goddess Durga is immersed in the holy rivers on the 10th day (Dashehra).

The festival signifies the nine glorious aspects of the Divine Mother and is celebrated not only in India but in many parts of the world. Mother Goddess is also called Shakti, the energy of God. She is the energy of the trinity, as the creative aspect of Lord Brahma, sustaining aspect of Lord Vishnu and destructive aspect of Lord Shiva are all encompassed within Her. The divine trinity of Goddesses Durga, Lakshmi, and Saraswati together represent feminine energy that provides protection, love, prosperity, and knowledge to all their devotees. Goddess Durga is known to remove evil, misery, and pain from our lives.

Goddess Lakshmi is the goddess of wealth, and Goddess Saraswati is known as the goddess of knowledge. Nav Durga is therefore a special time to worship and sing the glories of the goddesses, and pray for good health, prosperity, purity of mind, love, peace, and Anandam/bliss. As large numbers of people pray during this time, the collective energy 52 • india currents • october 2011

becomes very powerful and it is said that the prayers offered are often heard by the goddesses.

Navratri (Nav Durga) is spiritually significant because it represents the three stages of an individual’s spiritual journey: self-purification, self-transformation, and self-realization.

Self-purification (eradication of the negative tendencies of our minds and hearts): During the first three days, the Goddess Mother is worshiped in her powerful, destructive and terrifying form of Kali/Durga.

People pray to Mother, asking Her to use Her destructive power to destroy all imperfections and faults (eradication of the negative tendencies of our minds and hearts), and purify them enough to become a receptacle of her divine energy.

Self-transformation: After self-purification, the next three days of Navaratri aredevoted to worshipping the goddess in Her prosperity-bestowing form as Mahalakshmi.

Goddess Mahalakshmi does not merely bestow material prosperity, but also grants qualities which a sincere spiritual seeker requires, namely, calmness, peace, equanimity, compassion, and love. By worshipping and praying to Her, one starts developing positive

attributes and experiences inner prosperity, peace and happiness (self-transformation).

Self-knowledge: During the last three days, Goddess Saraswati is worshiped as the bestower of the true light of knowledge, wisdom, and understanding. Once one is purified by Goddess Durga (vices being annihilated), transformed by Goddess Mahalakshmi by receiving the spiritual wealth of inner peace, calmness, compassion and love, then the devotee is ready to receive the true light of understanding. By worshipping and praying to Goddess Saraswati, the devotee is now blessed with true wisdom (self-knowledge).

Navratri is not just a time to celebrate Goddess Durga’s victory over the demons; it is also the time to pray to Durga to remove our enemies/vices within us, like anger, selfish desires, greed, ego, and undue attachments. We must pray to her to destroy our inner enemies/vices. Only then can we attain self-purification, self-transformation, and self-knowledge—everlasting happiness, peace, and anandam, “Sat Chit Ananda.”n Satya Kalra is the founder of Path to Anandam. She can be reached at satya@pathtoanandam.org. www.pathtoanandam.org.

I C spirituality and health October

1 Saturday

Navratri: Nine Nights of Mother Divine. Nine evenings and a 10th morning of

inner silence, singing, and food, along with special ceremonies to nurture the subtle impulses that govern nature and our own nature. Known as the nine nights of Mother Divine, each night is designed to rejuvenate a different aspect of the individual and atmosphere through the ancient science of yagya. Just as a person spends nine months in the womb, during this event, nine nights are spent going inward, harmonizing the feminine forces in creation, erasing negative karma, and emerging transformed in pure love. Art of Living founder Sri Sri Ravi Shankar is sending a special teacher from India to lead this event. Freewill offering, plus opportunities for personal sankalpa (intention).

Ends Oct. 7. Organized by The Art of Living Foundation. The Art of Living Los Angeles Center, 948 W. Adams Blvd., Los Angeles, 90007. (310) 820-9429. lacenter@artofliving. org. artoflivingla.org.

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Call temples for times. Organized by SelfRealization Fellowship. yogananda-srf.org.

October

7 Friday

Dakshini Durga Puja 2011. Oct. 7, 7:30 p.m.: Aneek Dhar live in concert with Di-

panwita Choudhury (Hungama); Oct. 8, 7:30 p.m.: Abhijit Ghosal (Bollywood songs); Oct. 9, 2:30 p.m.: Jayati Chakraborty; Oct. 15, 7:30 p.m.: Arundhuti Holme Choudhury and Sivaji Chattopadhyay. Ends Oct. 15.

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Palisades. (310) 454-4114. Hollywood Temple, 4860 Sunset Blvd., Hollywood. (323) 6618006. Glendale Temple, 2146 E. Chevy Chase Drive, Glendale. (818) 543-0800. Fullerton Temple, 142 E. Chapman Ave., Fullerton.

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

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

October

15 Saturday

Inner Engineering. Inner Engineering is

a simple step-by-step process, gleaned from the science of yoga, which will help you transcend the limitations of who you are and allow you to attain higher levels of consciousness. This will be the Shambavi Mahamudra program with Sadhguru. Ends Oct. 16. Organized by Isha Foundation. Los Angeles. (877) 331-2705. innerengineering.com.

October

16 Sunday

8006. Glendale Temple, 2146 E. Chevy Chase Drive, Glendale. (818) 543-0800. Fullerton Temple, 142 E. Chapman Ave., Fullerton.

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

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

October

23 Sunday

How to Read Others’ Character and Improve Your Own. SRF Lake Shrine,

17190 Sunset, Pacific Palisades. (310) 4544114. Hollywood Temple, 4860 Sunset Blvd., Hollywood. (323) 661-8006. Glendale Temple, 2146 E. Chevy Chase Drive, Glendale. (818) 543-0800. Fullerton Temple, 142 E. Chapman Ave., Fullerton. (714) 525-1291. Encinitas Temple, 939 Second St., Encinitas. (760) 4367220. San Diego Temple. 3072 First Ave., San Diego. (619) 295-0170. Call temples for times.

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

October

30 Sunday

The Scientific Art of Living. SRF Lake Shrine, 17190 Sunset, Pacific Palisades. (310) 454-4114. Hollywood Temple, 4860 Sunset Blvd., Hollywood. (323) 661-8006. Glendale Temple, 2146 E. Chevy Chase Drive, Glendale. (818) 543-0800. Fullerton Temple, 142 E. Chapman Ave., Fullerton. (714) 525-1291.

Encinitas Temple, 939 Second St., Encinitas.

(760) 436-7220. San Diego Temple. 3072 First Ave., San Diego. (619) 295-0170. Call temples for times. Organized by Self-Realization Fellowship. yogananda-srf.org. © Copyright 2011 India Currents. All rights reserved. Reproduction for commercial use strictly prohibited.

Spiritual Laws That Govern Healing.

SRF Lake Shrine, 17190 Sunset, Pacific Palisades. (310) 454-4114. Hollywood Temple, 4860 Sunset Blvd., Hollywood. (323) 661-

Have you had an inspirational experience?

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

Send your 600- to 800-word submission to Nadia Maiwandi at events@indiacurrents.

A SUGGESTION: India Currents goes to press as much as six weeks in advance of some events listed in it. Even though organizers do their best to stick to the announced schedule, in rare cases events are rescheduled or cancelled. To avoid disappointment, we recommend that you always check the organizer’s website, and

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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 • october 2011 • 53

IC

the healthy life

Eating for Beauty Malar Gandhi

B

eauty, as defined by Webster’s Dictionary, is “the qualities that gives pleasure to the senses or exalt the mind.” Beauty is predominantly a concern for the female population.

There is an old saying that “beauty is in the eye of the beholder.” However, there are definite social concepts of physical beauty, and individuals who are perceived to be beautiful enjoy advantages than their less attractive counterparts. Women in particular always faced pressure to conform to a particular standard of beauty. However, men increasingly face the pressure to look good as well.

Through the decades, women have managed their appetite by rigorous fasting and concentrating more on extracurricular activities. In India, fasting is one of the common practices. Many women were and are inclined toward ritual-based fasting and distanced themselves from the act of eating.

They believed only through severe fasting and abstinence one mind exercise and improve.

Ayurveda (ancient medical compendium) describes how to be content with simple food like porridge and soup in order to enhance one’s creativity.

Many of our religious rituals are based on scientific principles of good health, although most of them have become so steeped in superstitious beliefs that the original ideas on which they were founded have become lost and forgotten. However, it originated as a means of restoring, rejuvenating, and preserving good heath. In ancient times, regular fasting was followed by enlightened sages as a method of internal purification, based on the idea that one fasts, the body processes are allowed to rest.

Beauty, health, and food are connected.

Food is the primary thing that affects us. “You are what you eat” is a concept that has been known in every culture and civilization. People are becoming aware of the links between food, health, and beauty. This has made them more receptive to the idea of personal care through proper diet, nutrition supplements, and physical activity. Eating right and getting more exercise are the best ways to enhance appearance and restore a sense of well-being.

Eating a nutritious and balanced meal regularly can increase the chances of living a longer and more robust life. And looking good is also an interesting side effect of healthy eating. The good thing is that many of the same foods that are good for heart, brain, and other vital parts of the body are said to be great for external appearance as well. Nutritional com-

54 • india currents • october 2011

ponents of specific foods can help one with complexion and overall appearance. A diet rich in “phyto-compounds” can stimulate DNA repair, increase collagen production, reduce inflammation, and improve blood flow.

Traditionally, Asian countries such as India, China, Thailand, and Japan offer dishes full of rice, legumes, and seafood. The Indian meal is delicately balanced with all food groups, mainly based on a vegetarian diet.

Being more beautiful could be as simple as having regular cups of warm chai. According to Ayurvedic medicine, staying warm burns toxins. Practitioners say drinking hot fluids, eating spicy foods, and taking warm showers stave off the sick seasons as well. For the biggest dose of antioxidants, eat five servings of colored vegetables and fruits a day.

10 Popular Beauty Foods Curry Leaves are loaded with iron.

Using mature leaves in cooking promotes healthy, strong hair.

Many Ayurvedic texts points out that having amaranth greens along with mung dal (split green gram) will make one’s eyes sparkle.

Fenugreek seeds are natural body coolants, it also helps to flush the toxins out of body. Using them in sambar and curry regularly will help reduce acne and clear the skin.

Gooseberries are rich in vitamin C, which prevents pigmentation clumping and strengthens capillaries so that it doesn’t

break or bruise easily. Honey-preserved gooseberries are found in Indian stores, and is an added bonus. Taking one fruit a day will supply all the essential vitamins to the body.

Blueberries are rich in antioxidants, which decrease aging by lowering inflammation. Antioxidants can also increase collagen production and tighten the skin, making one look younger and healthier.

Taking cucumber in juice form along with other vegetables will make tired eyes brighten up. For instant relief, one can cover his or her eyes with cucumber slices.

Snacking on almonds will be beneficial to cell restoration. It gives skin a more youthful appearance and will in turn help fight the early signs of aging (fine lines and wrinkles).

Using poppy seeds in health drinks or applying its paste on dark lips may eventually lighten the pigmentation and pinken lips.

Pomegranate is rich in antioxidants.

Taking one cup of pomegranate juice a day, will enhance health, and give a radiant complexion, and bright, clear eyes.

Mangoes are rich in carotenoid; having a cup of mango chunks along with warm milk before bed time may help keep your skin supple and smooth.n Malar Gandhi is a freelance writer, who specializes in culinary anthropology and gourmet Indian cooking.

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fiction

Home, Where All The Stories Are Born

Kaushik Barua Katha 2011 Honorable mention

1947, Kham, Tibet

I

n the semi-darkness of his childhood evenings, Lhasang’s father, Tsepon, enacted the life of King Gesar of Ling. Tsepon leaped and swirled, dodging arrows here, thrusting a sword there, the sleeves of his chuba, hanging well below his hands, rustling as they kept up with his heroics. “I am King Gesar,” Tsepon said, “Sent by the gods to save the dharma. And to kill the enemies of the Buddha.” He swung his sword in a wild arc. The performance ended with Tsepon swooping down to lift Lhasang into the air.

Or it ended when both father and son were grounded as Pema, Lhasang’s mother, hustled them into the kitchen for dinner.

Lhasang was six when he first saw Gesar being performed outside his house. The wandering drungpas who performed the epic visited Lhasang’s village. As soon as he heard about their arrival, Lhasang ran to the tent that had been set up for the drungpas. “Hurry up, Pa-la,” He screamed to Tsepon who fol-

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56 • india currents • october 2011

lowed, panting, behind him. But when he reached the drungpas, his enthusiasm was sobered by the first sight of the performers.

They were too quiet, settling with a rehearsed ease on the cushions waiting for them.

“But they look … they look …,” He turned to Tsepon, “ordinary!”

“No, they’re only acting normal now.

That’s because they’re saving their energy,” Tsepon said.

“For what?”

“For the evening. When they perform.

Just wait and you’ll see.”

In the evening, Lhasang got to sit in front, the children forming the first ring around the bards. Beside a bonfire, dried barley flour, tsampa, was sprinkled to form a temporary stage for the singers. The evening began with a prayer for the life of their Kundun, the Dalai Lama. After the gods had been pleased, the drungpas started. Their shoulders were padded, heavy gold brooches hung down their chests. And from the crowns on their heads, four poles with flags shook in the wind as they leaped, their arms slicing the air. They were giants in the evening!

As the embers faded, Lhasang heard the whispers that were rippling through the audience. Those closer to the arena swore they saw hoof marks appear in the tsampa as Gesar’s ghost joined them. Lhasang felt the chill of the night close in. He looked behind him and saw Tsepon, one eye fixed on Lhasang. Lhasang turned back towards the performance, reassured. He peered through the flames, searching the ground for Gesar’s presence.

Later, he admitted to Tsepon that he was scared. “Always remember Kundun,” Tsepon said, “He will always keep you safe.”

Lhasang heard that many of the drungpas had learned the epic by magic. At home, he told Pema his theory, “They suddenly wake up from sleep. And they already know all the verses. It’s a seed of magic in their heads.” But Pema was quick to dislodge this idea. “All magic is nonsense,” she said. “But you see, sometimes real life is more magical than magic. Hundreds of times, the story has been passed. From an old man’s lips to a waiting young man’s ears. Each time one dies, another takes his place. Isn’t that magic?” “Actually, I don’t care if it’s magic or not,” Lhasang concluded, “I still prefer Pa-la’s performance.”

R

.

iwoche, where Lhasang grew up, in 1947 was a little village in the Kham province of eastern Tibet; to call it a town would have been ambitious though official records might have done so. About thirty kilometers northwest of the village was a monastery that preceded the village by at least six hundred years.

Riwoche nestled on the banks of the Dzachu River. Lhasang learned early never to venture into the Dzachu. “You do not ever enter the river!” Pema screamed when she saw him step into the water, her fingers twisting his earlobe around, “Do you want to be taken away by the lu-naga spirits hiding there?”

Riwoche’s proximity to the monastery meant the villagers could make the short trek to the monastery and tap into the hearts and wallets of the pilgrims. Tsepon went further than most, braving expeditions to different corners of the country. He returned from his excursions with goods that could again be fed into other travelers’ routes to sate the hunger of the larger cities: Kathmandu to the south or the Tibetan trading centre of Chamdo on the east. Often the dregs of his exchanges were stored at home, becoming momentarily a treasure trove for Lhasang—tea from Yunnan dried into cakes and wrapped with yak hide or salt from the lakes of the northern changtang plateau. And the most bewitching of his father’s hauls—the rare coral, lapis or turquoise—which in other hands and ears would have denoted nobility. But in Lhasang’s palms, they were just a seductive palette of colours.

Safe as the world may have seemed to Lhasang, it was not. And since nature refused all that humans needed, they had to steal from one another. Thus some of the nomads who roamed Kham had to pounce on trading caravans, forcing the redistribution that a frugal geography denied. Traders often had to cross perilous passes in the mountains, where bandits lay waiting. A good bargain didn’t guarantee a successful deal. A trader also needed a sure foot and a surer gun. But Tsepon never carried a weapon.

“Why don’t you carry a gun? I heard everyone who goes outside the village needs one,” a concerned Lhasang asked Tsepon during one of his daily prayers.

“Come here,” Tsepon patted his knee. He fished out an amulet hanging from his neck under his chuba, “You see this?” Lhasang

Photo credit: ctsnow

fingered the cylinder; it contained little paper scrolls crammed inside.

“This is from the Jokhang. The House of the Lord in Lhasa. All the gods that protect Bod have blessed this. You must remember— if the gods want to protect you, then no human can touch you. And if the gods want you dead, then no gun can save you,” Tsepon said.

“All the gods? How many are there in Tibet?”

Tsepon screwed his eyes closed, “I don’t know. As many gods as there are humans I think. But if you have to choose one, then choose Kundun—the Dalai Lama. He watches over all of Tibet. The whole of Bod might be just a swamp, but he is the lotus. He will always keep you safe.”

“Then how come you have never told me any stories about him?”

“Because he has just been found; he is still a boy. There are many miracles that he will perform in his life, but we have to wait. Do you want to hear the tale of Padmasambhava tonight; the man who brought Buddhism to us?”

“No Pa-la, I don’t want to hear about any more lamas,” Lhasang complained, “Tell me about the man with the black cloak. The assassin.”

“Lhalung Pelgyi Dorje,” Tsepon squeezed his head with his fingers, as if he was kneading the story out of his mind, “The man who conquered fear. And killed the godless king…”

For Lhasang the boundaries of fear lay much closer, at the sight of the neighbour’s mastiff, straining at a rope that tied him to the door. Thankfully his mother Pema was always available, clapping at the dog as she did to repel evil spirits. Pema was, in Lhasang’s world, already a source of magic and protection, someone who could shield him from forces he

could not comprehend, who could even transform the nature of things. For had he not seen clumps of yak-hair, laid out on the floor, foam up into balls of fluff when she trashed them with a thin cane, the stick whistling through the air as it flexed back and forth? And had he not carried with his own hands the yak milk that she transformed into the hard balls that he kept snuggled in his mouth for hours before they softened and the first hint of cheese trickled through? Pema also assumed the role of protector. So Lhasang’s play zone was restricted to their courtyard, under the sometimes-watchful-sometimes-vicious eyes of the mastiff. In fact, sometimes if he was being too frisky and she was busy in the kitchen, she just bundled him into a blanket so he couldn’t disappear into the fields outside. And she left him squirming inside the blanket, dumped on his mattress, for an hour or two. “That is no way to treat a six-year-old kid,” Tsepon complained to Pema’s back. “What do you know about how to treat children?” Lhasang, from inside his blanket, heard Pema huff. “Well, I have one, don’t I?” “I’ll let him out when I finish cooking,” Pema said and Lhasang heard the ladle scratch the noodle bowl from his blanket-world, “You don’t know your own son, Tsepon. He only pretends to obey. But he never does. He needs hard love. Especially if he must survive Kham.”

Thus Lhasang grew up between reality and stories, straddling the uncompromising fact of his mother and the untiring fiction of his father. Pema rebuked him all the time: “Don’t go out alone,” “Don’t tease that dog,” “Don’t stand behind the mule downstairs when it’s eating.” And Tsepon fed him stories every evening: about Padmasambhava, who came to Tibet from the Swat valley at the insistence of the ruler Trisong Detsen; who

had subdued the demons of the land, spread the words of Buddha; who even convinced his consort—temporarily converted into a flying tigress—to give him a lift to Bhutan where he worked his wonders again. About Milarepa, who started his life with great evil but found enlightenment later; whose heart was as white as his robes and whose skin turned as green as the nettle tea he drank all day.

“Why do you have to spend all your time telling him these fantastic tales?” Pema sighed.

“Because,” Tsepon would insist, “These are the saints who have created Bod, who have shown us the dharma.”

“Saints?” Pema said, “Now Bod has more bandits than we have saints.”

Lhasang nodded at both of them; he couldn’t understand either anyway.

That year—he was six—Lhasang was taken by his parents to the nearby monastery for Losar. Their mules followed the river north for two hours, first cantering along the road, then grappling for some time with the gravelly slush of the narrow path where the river lapped the foot of the hills, and finally climbing a ridge to see the Riwoche monastery sprawled in front of them. It was a brilliant sight for Lhasang: a massive, squat building like a giant wrestler crouching on his toes. The vertical stripes of red, white and brown on the walls enhanced the height of the main structure but it was still the breadth—spanning for almost half a mile—that seemed extraordinary. There was a smaller second floor topped with a shingled roof that curved outwards. And above that, in the centre, a spire-like tower reached upwards, like a lotus stem on a lake. And though he had heard of many wondrous buildings in the tales that filled his evenings, this immense structure suddenly seemed very alien, it even india currents • october 2011 • 57

When they crossed the bend in the river, Lhasang knew the village would sneak out from behind the next hill. And soon, despite the reluctant yaks, he would be home. Where he could sink, like butter in the morning tea, into the world where he belonged. seemed frightening.

Tsepon swung Lhasang down from the mule. Lhasang was also dressed in a chuba like his father, swathes of lambskin hanging down from both shoulders and tied at his waist by a leather belt. His braid had grown so long that when he was play-acting as a Khampa warrior, he could whip his hair around till it reached his mouth and therefore he could ride his steed into battle with a dagger clenched between his teeth. However, his bravado melted when he absorbed the scene in front of him.

They entered through the huge doors on the eastern flank into the dukhang, the large inner courtyard. It was imposing even when bare and now looked endless, filled out with a sea of praying monks in their orange robes.

On the fringes the crowd pushed forward and still couldn’t unglue itself from the walls.

Lhasang walked into the hall, and was lost at once in the bear-hug chaos of the monastery.

The crowd of the faithful had a life of its own, swirling like the ocean that the gods had churned for nectar. Darker clumps of chubas filtered into the lake of maroon and saffron that led the chanting. Initially the three of them hugged the walls, even Tsepon taken aback by the thousands of monks and laymen who had gathered. Guttural incantations bounced off the corners till echo and voice met midway, in the closed eyes and open hearts of the crowd. As the crowd sank further into their faith, Tsepon shut his eyes and loosened his clutch on the immediate.

Pema, usually wide eyed in vigilance, also shut herself off in prayer. Lhasang stood in front, his vision cut off by the grey-brown walls of people around him. Like the gods they were beseeching, the crowd too moved in inexplicable paths carrying believers along, moving people this way and that. Soon Lhasang had been swept away by a surge of the ardent.

There was no way he could move on his own, or find his way back, in the crowd. When Lhasang realised he had been separated from his parents, he looked to the walls for reference. Craning to see over heads, he saw the 58 • india currents • october 2011

statues and murals lining the hall, but no sign of Tsepon or Pema. Among the numerous Buddhas he saw the thousand armed version of Avalokiteshwara, an eye embedded in each palm looking down on Lhasang’s despair. And all around him, there was a wall of people.

He felt giddy with desperation, it seemed like the prayers were rising from everywhere. And soon the gods seemed to be mocking him.

“You Khampa warrior! You little Gesar!” they screamed, “You can’t even find your parents now?” He clawed his way through some of the legs surrounding him, but none of the lurching figures were his parents.

His screams for “Ama-la” and “Pa-la” faded into the chants. And the reverberations that shuddered through him gave birth to many fears—not seeing his parents again, never being able to find his way back home.

He tried to remember home; maybe concentrating on his desire would somehow bring it closer. He remembered squinting as he entered the ground floor and his feet shuffled through the straw, the four mules tethered to the central pole, chewing their fodder and shitting, he remembered feeling the yak-dung wall till it led him to the inclined tree trunk, climbing the trunk to his parents’ bedroom, walking to the little corner where his mattress lay bundled. Suddenly Lhasang was snapped out of his visit back home and he was back in the anguish of the monastery; he felt a large hand planted on his shoulder.

“Are you Tsepon’s little one?”

“La ong. I am Tsepon’s son,” Lhasang whispered.

“We’ve been combing the whole crowd for you. Where did you disappear?”

Lhasang waved his arm around, signalling the general direction—which was everywhere.

In front of him, a thick man’s eyes followed his arm. The man had his hair tied in concentric loops above his head, wrapped in a black tassel and topped with a silver nugget.

A turquoise earring dangled from his left ear and was almost as long as his beard. His name was Dawa and he was a senior dignitary of the region who knew Tsepon. And part of the crew of searchers his parents wailed into action when they realised the little hand holding on to Tsepon’s chuba was not Lhasang’s.

“Come; let’s go find your parents. They must be going crazy with despair.”

Dawa grasped Lhasang’s hand and eased his way through the gathering. The cloud lifted from Lhasang’s mind. He held on tight to Dawa’s hand. They searched all over the monastery, squeezing through the crowd, trying to fish out his parents, but couldn’t find them.

“Where are Tsepon and Pema?” Dawa roared at the crowd.

A hail of replies followed, “They went upstairs” “No, Tsepon went up to the ridge” “Pema was talking to the dob-dob lamas; they’re riding towards the river now.”

“Bah,” Dawa spat out, “I have to leave for the village. Tell Tsepon I’ve found the kid, and I’ll be taking him back home. I’m not leaving him here with all you lkug pa—you fools will lose him again. They can come back, no need to scamper all over the hills.”

They didn’t wait for Tsepon; Dawa was an impatient man. And Lhasang didn’t know what to say as Dawa explained, muttering under his breath, the need for communication in such times. Dawa pitched Lhasang onto one of his yaks and set off for Riwoche.

While Dawa and the other men gripped the yaks with their legs, Lhasang’s legs stuck out on both sides, and he had to rely on the good temper of his ride for safety. Each time the yak hunched over to climb a slope, he had to grab a handful of yak hair to stay perched.

And when the yak group flagged, one of Dawa’s servants whipped out a large stone, pounding their behinds, and the beasts— mildly irritated—picked up their pace again.

When they crossed the bend in the river, Lhasang knew the village would sneak out from behind the next hill. And soon, despite the reluctant yaks, he would be home. Where he could sink, like butter in the morning tea, into the world where he belonged.

Home finally, where all the stories were born. And where all stories should come to rest. n Judges Comments: Shilpa Agarwal: This first chapter in what I hope will develop into a full novel stood out for me for its beautiful language and its ability to evoke a certain time and place in Tibet. The child-protagonist’s perspective was well done, especially the juxtaposition between his wonder at the traditional stories told in his village and his growing consciousness of the frightening changes that have come to his world.

Ronica Dhar: As the first chapter of what I trust is an epic novel, this submission distinguished itself for its ambitions around historical and mythological themes.

Kaushik Barua works with the United Nations and is mostly based in Rome. He has written for The Guardian, the literary journal Pyrta and the poetry journal Kritya. His first novel Windhorse will be published by Harper Collins India in 2012. Windhorse follows a group of Tibetan refugees who set up a guerrilla resistance force against Chinese occupation. It is set in Tibet, India, USA and Nepal from the 1940s to the 1970s. The novel follows two main protagonists, Lhasang and Norbu. Lhasang loses his home and all that is familiar when the Chinese occupy Tibet. As a refugee, he realises that to regain his life, he must defy his family and his faith. Norbu grows up in an affluent expatriate Tibetan family in India. As he moves towards the Tibetan resistance, he prepares to forsake more than just his family fortune. The extract describes Lhasang’s childhood in eastern Tibet.

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60 • india currents • october 2011

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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 • october 2011

I C dear doctor

Alzak Amlani

Making a Difference Q

I often wonder and worry about the disparity I see among various people in the world. This seems to exist along class, caste, race, and many other human characteristics. I believed that all the work that people have been doing towards social justice for years was resulting in more equity and less privileged-based opportunities for people. However, seeing the shrinking of the middle class in America and the large financial scams of the last decade, I feel that the greed of the few has more power than the good intentions of the majority. As an individual I feel weak and powerless in the face of such forces. How I can influence any positive change?

A

Classism, racism, sexism and other -isms that exist in the world have been present for centuries in various forms. I believe it is more recent that such issues can be dealt with in a socio-political setting where people with much less power can have some influence.

However, I believe, that to address these deep cultural issues, we also need to look at the individuals that we have become over the

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centuries due to collective training. We have been trained to believe that the few people in power will be interested in the common good and, therefore, don’t spend much of our own time participating in the democracy of this country. Freedom and personal power to influence society require a tremendous amount of responsibility and participation. Most of us are preoccupied with our individual and familial needs of economic survival and acquisition of personal success in a highly materialistic and self-oriented culture. We rarely put in the the time and energy to think more deeply about the issues you raise and very few of us are intelligently participating in creating a living democracy. It is not surprising that our representatives do not adequately represent us and it is corporations that are involved heavily in politics to influence policy.

I believe we can only move towards social justice as a nation if more of us realize how asleep we actually are to these realities and how much the cultural myth of material acquisition and security controls our time and lifestyle. This would wake us up to class dis-

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parity and lack of real community and motivate us to get engaged. We are seeing pockets of this, partly due to the frustration about, and confrontation with, the larger forces that you have named.

Americans can learn from the struggles and revolutionary strides made this year by the societies in the Middle East. As more of us come together in public and find collective ways to demonstrate what we want, more people will be moved to leave their lonely lives striving towards the next personal achievement or object, and engage in civic life, where we collectively struggle and work for the quality of society we want for people of every class, background, and identity. This movement can be fulfilling, empowering and might be the only way that the majority who want to share resources can begin to trust each other and, thereby, build lives and policies on new ethics.n Alzak Amlani, Ph.D., is a counseling psychologist in the Bay Area. 650-325-8393. Visit www. wholenesstherapy.com

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the last word

Sarita Sarvate

Exiled at Home I

bought my ticket to India the other day. The next day, I wanted to cancel it. Because it hit me that my parents were gone. That I was an orphan. Without a country.

I realized then that our idea of home is closely linked to our parents.

For, without my parents, what is India but a collection of people and buildings?

When did I first have the notion of homeland? Was it when my father, Dada, helped me paste photographs from the Illustrated Weekly of India into my first grade picture book? Those images of Jawaharlal Nehru playing with his grandsons on the lawn of Teen Murti, the Prime Minister’s residence, became indelibly etched in my mind as symbols of India. There was a picture of the peak of Kanchanjunga, the second highest Himalayan peak, and a kathakali dancer wearing a mask. Later, in dance class, my teacher would tell us about kathakali, but it would not be until 2008 that I would actually see it performed, in a Yoga Ashram in Kerala, six years after my father’s death. The dance evoked memories of my father for me then.

My mother gave me a different vision of my country. For her, India’s epitome was Bombay (now Mumbai), that cosmopolitan metropolis where Parsi ladies visited the racecourse and where Anglo-Indian girls in short skirts worked beside her at the General Post Office. Recently, I saw a short film of Bombay from an even earlier era, circa 1932, its colonial buildings and statuary still intact, and it brought tears to my eyes.

India remains fixed in the imagination of my generation of Indian Americans, a country frozen in memory and time. International long distance phone calls were unheard of in the 1970s, and the only mail was through the postal service. Internet, Skype, and calling cards did not exist. Neither did multiculturalism. The way to succeed was to assimilate, so we adapted to American ways.

I remember playing some music from Bollywood (which was not called Bollywood then), for my housemates in Berkeley, and feeling sheepish when they ridiculed it. Who would have thought that one day the same music and dance would become trés chic in America?

Traveling back home was expensive then, not something to be undertaken every year.

India changed, but its transformations jarred us every time we went to visit. The streets, the buildings, the traffic, the people, everything slowly changed, until little was recognizable except that little oasis called home where the same voices spoke the same boring and yet comforting anecdotes of a bygone era. Often, I sat in the front room, listening to my parents telling the same stories again and again, and wishing we could discuss more profound topics. Now that even those mundane conversations are beyond reach, I long for them.

For us immigrants, a parent’s death is a loss twice visited. In a way, we lost them long ago, when we first crossed the seven seas. When we finally lose them from this mortal world, grieving becomes impossible because nothing around us connects us to them.

Now when I go to India, I will have to discover a new meaning in everything. I will have to elicit memories of my parents from long-lost relatives. I will have to connect with old friends and ruminate about old times. And while I am going through the motions, I will have to wonder, why am I here? What ties me to this place now?

For me, the greatest song ever written about country was Manna

To be born and to die in the same place, surrounded by your family, is a privilege that many no longer have.

64 • india currents • october 2011

Dey’s “Ae Mere Pyare Watan” (Oh My Dear Country) from Kabuliwala (1961). It moves me every time I listen to it. It talks of sunrise and sunset, of the fragrant air of the Kabuliwala’s home country, Afghanistan. But those are just metaphoric expressions of the man’s longing for home. What he really yearns for is summarized in the next to last stanza; Ma ka dil banake kabhi seene se lag jaataa hai tu Aur kabhi nanhi si beti banke yaad aataa hai tu Jitna yaad aataa hai mujhako Utna tadpataa hai tu Tujh pe dil qurbaan Sometimes, you come to me as my mother’s heart, he says, and sometimes, like my little girl, and every time I remember you, I ache.

Of course I cannot even imagine what it must be like to leave a child behind, as many immigrants from Latin America are forced to do, but leaving a mother is hard enough.

In the era when that song and that story was written about a Pathan Kabuliwala, thousands of Afghans came to India to work. In fact we had our own Kabuliwala who came twice a day to make chapattis, well into the 1970s. I have no idea if Pathans still come to India. I would suspect not, given all the post 9/11 madness. But in that era, the idea of settling permanently in another country was novel. Only working class people were forced to do so. Middle class folk went to England, and returned home.

Exile was an alien concept. We would never want to live like a second class citizen in a Western country, I remember people saying. Yes, many countries did have the system of second class citizenships then.

Now, millions of people live in places they were not born in.

I was surprised to find a Bangladeshi working as a manager in my hotel in Venice, Italy, for example, and a Palestinian woman running a restaurant in La Paz, Bolivia. Mass migrations of people have changed the world landscape today. You can find a Sikh almost anywhere. And if you can’t find one, you know that the place has to be really parochial.

Yet, deep down, our longings have not shifted. To be born and to die in the same place, surrounded by your own people and family, is a privilege that many no longer have. And yet the people I have left behind cannot comprehend my loss. They think of me as the one who escaped to the land where streets are paved with gold.

Luckily for me, I have my sons here. Who, for whatever reasons, feel no particular ties with India, except for its food, which they love. So I know I will die here, in this land. I know that hundreds of relatives will not attend my last rites. I am torn by conflicting loyalties, and affinities, and bonds.

I can no longer identify with the words, Hum jahaan paida hue us jagah pe hi nikale dam Where I was created, There I will take my last breath.

But I wish I could. n Sarita Sarvate writes commentaries for Pacific News Service and KQED. Visit www.saritasarvate.com

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4.250 3.500 4.125 3.250

3.625 3.625

NOTE: 1. Rates are for owner-occupied purchase and rate and term refinance . 2. Conf-Jumbo is for loans between $417k and $625,500. 3. Rates for Jumbo loans vary with amount. * APR as of September 19, 2011. Rates may vary daily. APR based on maximum loan amounts for various ** No cost rates require impound accounts. Purchase rate could be higher or lower depending on pro-ration of buyer and seller expenses. Advertised rates are only a sampling of loans offered by us. Please call for custom quotes.

180 day early closure fee and other restrictions may apply on all loans.

Note: Rates quoted are for approved loans and are subject to change without notice. UP FRONT locks available on new loan applications at 0.125% higher rates and need 0.25pt lock in deposit. Additionally, there may be other restrictions that could apply in specific loan scenarios that could change the actual rates applicable. Rates provided as a general guideline only.

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RAMESH BHAMBHRA

Care-Mor Home Loans Carefully Planned Mortgages

Our Specialty—No Points, No Cost Loans!

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“Service Never Stops”

RAMESH BHAMBHRA Knowledge, Integrity, and Service with a Smile

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360 Kiely Blvd., Suite 235, San Jose, CA 95129 Bus. (408) 243-3155 ext. 201

1 (800) 4 BHAMBHRA • 1 (800) 424-2624 Approved Broker Dept. of Real Estate, CA. Lic. #896358