July 2017 Digital Edition by Nirupama Vaidhyanathan

Will Sambar Die With Me? By Praba Iyer

Waking Up to Midlife By Ranjani Rao

Paris Climate Accord and You By Monal Pathak

INDIA CURRENTS Fair the Unfair The

Fair

and

the Unfair

july 2017 • vol. 31 , no. 4 • indiacurrents.com • $3.95

A Brown Culture and Its Light Canvases: Does Art Reveal Color Bias? By Pavani Kaushik

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2 | INDIA CURRENTS | West Coast Edition |July 2017

The Pursuit of Happiness This July

nation defines itself through ideas. Every single day, ordinary Americans hurry to work and back, prepare meals and relax, rarely pausing to think about the ideas that they live by. A nation’s birthday is a good time to reflect on that collective national vision that illuminates ordinary living. The first phrase to describe American culture that entered my vocabulary was one I heard in graduate school: “Work Hard, Play Hard.” With journal articles strewn around them, students took up every library workstation on weekdays; come Friday night that very library was deserted with sounds of student merriment filtering in from restaurants and dorm rooms as they rested after toiling all week. Then, came the vision of America as an upwardly mobile society where anything was possible. The “pull yourself by the bootstraps” attitude that powered the creation of this nation was repeated often to serve as a model of behavior to all that lived here. Guiding all this toil was the pursuit of the American Dream—that hallowed ideal where dreams could be realized regardless of social class; where every individual yearned to be included into a collective conclave of achievement and lasting betterment. Of all that I have admired in American culture, two qualities strike a particular resonance within me: reinvention and philanthropy. Reinvention as it applies to career shifts fascinates me. Marci Alboher in a piece in The New York Times uses the term “slash careers” to describe this chameleon-like quality to one’s career. Lawyer/journalist could well become Ex-Lawyer/Freelancer/ Community College Lecturer and that could further become Writer/Community College Lecturer/Change Consultant. The slashes can change and the words on either side change in a continuum; a change this society supports wholeheartedly. Walking into a job interview to say with conviction that you are there looking for change is not frowned upon; in fact, it might well give you cache. Years earlier I toiled alongside Mark, my gardener who was once a police officer. In his youth, the allure of wearing a uniform drew him to a regimented life in the police department. On patrol rides

when he found that he yearned to work outdoors all day, he switched careers and became an avid gardener who started and ended his day with a smile. The smaller paycheck didn’t matter—what mattered was his personal sense of satisfaction of how he had spent his workday. The other quality I admire is the American way of giving. “The scope of private philanthropy is unparalleled anywhere on Earth,” says Boston Globe columnist Jeff Jacoby. In 2014 Americans gave $360 billion dollars, a staggering record. Private foundations and corporate giving account only for 19% of all giving. The rest comes from private individuals. This statistic does not include the 8 billion hours of community service done by 63 million American volunteers. From local history museums to libraries to state parks and hospitals, Americans give of their time in ways that are truly humbling. When I search for a visual to describe this nation’s spirit, my mind conjures up an image of a quilt. The creation of each

stitch in a quilt takes time and deliberation akin to the painstaking job of creating a nation-state. Given the bold fabrics that define Indian textiledom, each one of us can make a daring stitch in the American quilt by stitching our very own quintissentially American story. That American story will surely include fiery independence, hard work, personal reinvention, the giving of time and money, and above all, the pursuit of a lofty goal. Thomas Jefferson’s promise to the nation as outlined in the phrase—the pursuit of happiness—defines this country and its people in a way that is profound and definitive. It carries with it an image of striving and hope. Happy 4th of July! n

Nirupama Vaidhyanathan, Managing Editor

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INDIA CURRENTS July 2017 • vol 31 • no 4

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LIFESTYLE

The Pursuit of Happiness This July By Nirupama Vaidhyanathan

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PERSPECTIVES 8 | PERSPECTIVE Waking Up To Midlife By Ranjani Rao

30 | FILMS Review of Sachin: One in a Billion By Aniruddh Chawda

10| NOW AND THEN Menories of a Forbidden Love By Jaya Padmanabhan

36 | BOOKS Reviews of Everybody's Son and Swimmer Under the Stars By Jeanne Fredriksen and Raj Oza

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12 | The Fair and The Unfair A Brown Culture and Its Light Canvases: Does Art Reveal Color Bias? By Pavani Kaushik

18 | Environment How Can You Respond to the Paris Accord? By Monal Pathak

50 | Recipes Will Sambar Die With Me? By Praba Iyer

4 | INDIA CURRENTS | West Coast Edition |July 2017

54 | MUSIC Yeh Saala Salsa By Priya Das 72 | HEALTHY LIFE 10 Tips For Healthy Eating By Ashok Jethanandani 76 |DEAR DOCTOR Untold Stress Because of Coming Out" to my family By Alzak Amlani

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letters to the editor Our cover story in June, Ties That Bind: Why Women Don’t Walk Away from Abusive Marriages written by Rasana Atreya received an overwhelming response, with many women living here and in India writing privately to tell us that this was their story.

Impossible To Think of Domestic Violence in America

As a woman I am deeply disturbed by the facts and arguments presented in India Currents (Ties That Bind: Why Women Don’t Walk Away from Abusive Marriages, June 2017). If we are talking about low-class uneducated people living in Indian villages, we may find cases of physical abuse of women by their husbands and mothers-inlaw who burn them live. But in America it is impossible to even think of such abuse. One needs to find the real causes why these cases have started to surface recently. My reasoning is this: Most marriages are marriages of convenience. Men go to India for a couple of weeks and find a bride who is educated, so that both can fulfill the Indian dream of getting rich. However, since there is no emotional bond, their selfish motives overtake and the marriage begins to fall apart. The only way a woman can get legal status is by amnesty. In the case cited in the article the woman states that she came to America on a student visa and got married. To my knowledge people who are on F-1 or H1B visas marry for their selfish motives of getting green cards. They deceive their husbands by filing false reports of psychological abuse because they cannot file a report of physical abuse since there is no violence involved. These women know the loopholes in the immigration laws and abuse them in order to get legal status. During the last 10 years the number of illegal people from India has increased to over half a million. Organizations like Raksha (in Atlanta), and Maitri and Narika in the Bay Area help these women because in America we have shelters for battered women. These organizations get government help; so they have flourished. Indians have exploited another area which is daycare for senior citizens, because the government pays $95 per person per day! I despise the fact that Indians 6 | INDIA CURRENTS | West Coast Edition |July 2017

know how to circumvent laws. They are experts in sponsoring their distant relatives as blood relatives and they also bring their aged parents so that they can collect SSI and Medicaid benefits. Many seniors are snow birds and spend winter months in India in properties they have hidden from the American government. I ask—why not let elderly parents stay in India and give them financial support? We need to raise our moral standard, which does not come from the temples we build. It is time Indians stop deceiving the country that gave us a good life. Jyoti Mukherjee, Atlanta

Narika’s Work

This is in response to Jyoti Mukherjee’s letter following the publication of the cover story on domestic violence. (Ties That Bind: Why Women Don’t Walk Away from Abusive Marriages, June 2017). It is unfortunate that the letter writer has misconceptions about domestic violence. Last year Narika answered over 1200 calls on our helpline and helped around 33 families suffering from domestic violence. Narika has been helping victims of domestic violence for the last 25 years. 1) Domestic violence is happening in the Bay Area in our community. Recently the Neha Rastogi case has been in the media which clearly proves that domestic violence affects people belonging to various socio-economic strata. Apart from this case, there are several other cases of domestic violence that do not get media attention or as a matter of fact even reach out for help. 2) Securing immigration status through the Violence Against Women’s Act or U Visa is a rigorous process. In order to secure a U-visa one must have a Form I-918, Supplement B signed by and authorized official of the certifying law enforcement agency and the official must confirm that you were helpful, and currently being helpful, or will likely be helpful in the investigation or prosecution of the case. In order to self petition under VAWA one must provide credible evidence of battery or extreme cruelty. Many times, the cultural barriers faced by South Asian victims of violence prohibit them from calling 911 or filing for a restraining order which is a very important step to file for VAWA and U visa. Narika helps survivors navigate this legal process, and the idea that securing

immigration status is easy to obtain or easy to fake does not at all comport with reality. We are proud of our mission and will continue to help the vulnerable South Asian victims of domestic violence. Team Narika, email

Indian Culture Has Debated Colorism Before Colonial Raj

This is in response to Melanie Kumar’s article (The Color Black, June 2017). It appears that the writer is confused with the terms “black,” “brown,” and “white.” She implies that before the British Raj people were not conscious about skin color, which is not true. Our Indian culture has conflicting views of a person being black or darkskinned. Lord Krishna was dark-skinned and he used to complain to Yashoda why Radha was fair and he was dark. Goddess Kali is depicted not as dark-skinned but as black. Shiv ling is also displayed in temples made of black stone instead of white marble. Ancient historical records show that black people had migrated to South India ten thousand years ago and settled there. That is why a lot of Keralites have very dark skin and curly hair. On the other hand people of the North have descended from Middle-eastern countries; this is why their color is wheat-ish. Before people immigrated to America and other Western countries, we were not conscious about our skin color. Manju Ghosh, Georgia

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. letters@indiacurrents.com Errata: In the May 2017 issue, we carried the wrong name for the author in the article, Of Frescoes, Havelis and Adventure. The article was written by KAVITA KANAN CHANDRA, not Kavita Wadhwani. We made the change in the online edition. However, the print edition carried the wrong name. We deeply regret this error.

July 2017 | West Coast Edition | www.indiacurrents.com | 7

perspective

Waking Upto Midlife By Ranjani Rao

re you sure you want to do this?” he had asked. “Not sure but I would like to try,” I had replied, oh-so-casually but confidently. “This”—was the dawn climb up Mount Batur. Arun had done this a year ago. He was fit, athletic and always up for a physical challenge. I on the other hand, was the spouse with a contrarian view of life, whose idea of a perfect holiday was to laze by the pool in the shade with a book in hand. “What was I thinking?” I mutter into the darkness as climbers walk past us, clear and strong in their intent to get to the summit in time for the sunrise.

n the run up to turning 50 this year, Anu and I had embarked on this trip to Bali hoping for some alone time; just us girls, away from work and home, savoring the precious days before our big 5-0 birthdays. The majestic and still smoking Mount Batur volcano located on the mystical island of Bali, was both, an invitation and a challenge, to prove that we were ready for physical challenges, regardless of our preference for creature comforts. And so we found ourselves in a minivan, with six others having been picked up at 2 a.m. for the sunrise trek. In the first 30 minutes, the rest of our group races ahead, single-mindedly following the tour guide, their flashlights steady, their footsteps stable and sure as they lithely climb the incline, silhouetted against a sky full of stars that looks like an umbrella lit up from the inside. Very soon the stream of fellow walkers dries up. We are not just the slowest but also the last ones on the trail. Wasn’t I walking at a good pace? Yes, it had felt a little warm and I had taken off my jacket. Of course, I had spent a few minutes on a couple of rocks to rest. I had also paused every now and then to take a sip of water. How did all this add up to make us the last two tourists heading up the mountain? 8 | INDIA CURRENTS | West Coast Edition |July 2017

The gray hair and wrinkles tell a story; of goals and pursuits, dreams and demons, journeys and detours. They don’t tell the whole story though. There is no solitary signpost to indicate the tiny shift that has happened; the fundamental change about who I am and how I define myself. Well, this isn’t a race anyway, I thought. Everyone else is in their twenties (except the tour guide—but, he does climb this everyday). It’s better to tread carefully, speed is not everything. No point rushing ahead only to get breathless. Slow and steady, that’s the best way. The path is uneven. I stumble often. Overgrown grass brushes against my face on the narrow trail. The incline is steep at places. I wait for Anu to turn the corner. I give her a hand to help her up. “You go ahead,” she says. “I will take longer.” “I want to climb the mountain with you. It’s not a race.” I repeat. Perched on a ledge we look back at the distance we have covered. The lights of the village flicker in the distance. Is that an ocean that has surfaced in the valley? In the soft light, the smooth surface glows like a layer of foam. We look up at the mountain, not intimidated by the fact that the summit is 1717 meters above sea level. We are about half the way up. We are the only ones who have stopped —to observe the path we have taken, paused to appreciate the view, prepared to move ahead. It looks a lot like midlife. Midlife—it’s not the age that is of significance, it’s the pace. Everything seems to speed up and slow down at the same time, like a slow motion movie frame that heightens every emotion before it speeds up to its original pace. Each day seems loaded with moments that demand attention and seek introspection.

Did the sun not rise each day of the almost five decades that I have spent on the planet? Why do I feel the need to stop and admire it now? The gray hair and wrinkles tell a story; of goals and pursuits, dreams and demons, journeys and detours. They don’t tell the whole story though. There is no solitary signpost to indicate the tiny shift that has happened; the fundamental change about who I am and how I define myself. The younger me would have fretted over others who raced ahead on the mountain. Had I not wasted precious energy over promotions of undeserving colleagues, unexpected prosperity of peers, uneventful lives of friends? Why not me, I had wondered often. After completing my Ph.D., I had struggled to get my green card, my ticket to a job in America, not knowing that I would be surrendering it in a few years upon my return to India. The middle-aged me is peaceful not only with the successes of others but with my own failures. Accepting my limitations is something I do more gracefully now. I don’t want to save the world and be the best at everything. I just want to be the best “me,” doing what I can within the realm of what is possible. I know now that a whole universe of infinite future scenarios, way beyond my imagination, may still be available to me. This unfamiliar tendency to accept people and possibilities, the willingness to acknowledge my ignorance, is liberating. And it has taken only 50 years to get here! The tour guide comes downhill looking for us—“Hurry, the sun will rise over the hill,” he admonishes. The sky is tinged pink with anticipation. In the faint but

ever increasing light I comprehend that the sea of foam is a layer of clouds. We silently power through the last 50 meters of a steep gravelly slope to the top. The summit is buzzing with life. Couples and families occupy every available vantage point. Professional photographers point their cameras to the sky. Amateurs point their phones towards themselves. A tall woman balances on one leg in a grand yoga pose on a narrow ledge. Vendors sell Coca Cola and Snickers bars and offer to take our picture. There is a bright yellow spot on the horizon. Has the sun risen already? Are we late? A tiny red spot, like a blood stain, appears in the carpet of clouds. Cameras get ready. The stain grows into an angry rash. It pushes through the veil of the clouds, a red-hot glowing crystal. The sphere gets bigger and impossibly bright, revealing itself like a jewel harvested from the milky ocean of clouds. Within a few seconds the sun rises completely, assisted by an invisible hand and merges with the golden horizon in one glorious blaze. We cannot look at it anymore.

Mount Batur sunrise

This unforgettable trek has been worth every step and stumble; the climb symbolic of life itself. It has demanded every bit of strength, stamina and commitment to complete the course. The path has been as revealing as the destination. The company has made the journey worthwhile. Movement is necessary. Speed is not essential. Each journey, like each life, is unique. I know this stuff. Some I have been taught, some I have learnt the hard way. To

make sense of it all takes time. How long you ask? The time it takes to appreciate one spectacular sunrise.n To her great surprise, Ranjani Rao has found that midlife offers a unique lens to discover magic in the mundane.

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Now and Then

Memories of a Forbidden Love Story By Jaya Padmanabhan

y aunt passed away recently. She was 88 years old. She was born at a time when India was gestating her freedom from British occupation and Pakistan was not yet a fetus. My aunt arrived into a world of Hitler, Stalin, Tamaka Giichi, Ramsay MacDonald, Kemal Ataturk and Calvin Coolidge. She left a world of Angela Merkel, Putin, Shinzo Abe, Theresa May, Recep Erdogan and Donald Trump. On hearing the news of her death, I felt an incredible sense of loss, and it was more than the loss of a life that I had known and loved. I was also assailed by a feeling of anxiety that I couldn’t quite pin down. In his recent syndicated column titled, “What It Means When a Generation Dies,” Miami Herald columnist Leonard Pitts describes losing a community’s first-hand memory when a generation disappears and we become the “grown-up” generation. “But those of us who are of a certain age and also African American are losing those things, and other things specific to us.” I am now of that age when, like Pitts, my aunts and uncles are leaving me behind. And I, too, feel a sense of personal as well as a specific cultural loss. I fear I may not be able to speak lucidly of the ideas, places, people and situations that I grew up listening to and experiencing.

I feel a sense of personal as well as a specific cultural loss. I fear I may not be able to speak lucidly of the ideas, places, people and situations that I grew up listening to and experiencing. For one, I worry that I have begun to forget the little details of the stories I knew. So, I asked my mother to tell me once again what she remembered of my aunt, her older sister. My mother’s cloudy eyes brightened. “Akka got married when she was sixteen,” my mother started. “It’s unheard of today, isn’t it? Theirs was a love marriage too,” she remarked. My grandfather, it turns out, took a job as a math teacher in Thalavady village of Alappuzha district in Kerala. He rented a unit that was perpendicular to the school headmaster’s own house and my grandfather moved his family there. Then one day, the headmaster’s son, who was working in Dalmia, Bihar as an engineer at the time, came home and caught sight of my beautiful aunt. There was an instant connection, which was hastily and skillfully managed. “Their horoscopes were found to match and they were married,” my mother related as her face reflected the emotions she had once experienced at the quickly unfolding “forbidden” romance between her sixteen-yearold sister and brother-in-law. Those were my mother’s reminiscences, but for me, my primary memory of my aunt Subbulakshmi is of a woman of uncommon kindness. My earliest memory of her was when my parents 10 | INDIA CURRENTS | West Coast Edition |July 2017

were dropping me off at boarding school in Ranchi when I was four years old. Before heading to my school, we stopped at my aunt’s place. I remember her face looking down at me tenderly, even sorrowfully. As late as December of last year, she eagerly welcomed me into her son’s house with that same expression of tenderness that I remembered so well. Every generation’s memories are distinctive. My mother remembers her sister as a young girl, I remember my aunt as an affectionate and benevolent mother figure. And the way we reminisce and recall our pasts plays a role in our social and cultural history. Pitt describes this connection to history eloquently. “Firsthand memory of the Depression, the war, the Holocaust, is dwindling at a sobering pace, disappearing one heart attack, cancer diagnosis and stroke at a time.” For immigrants, autobiographical memory is further complicated by displacement to foreign countries and cultures. Our migrations add distance and distortion to our recollections. So not merely would we not be able to recount first-hand details of the Partition, Bengal Famine and Independence, but neither will we be able to convey a particular geographical intimacy when we narrate stories about Thalavady village of Alappuzha district in Kerala as our own childhood memories begin to fade. Maurice Halbwachs, the French philosopher and sociologist tells the tale of a young boy, nine or ten years old, found in the woods of Chalon in 1731, who described twice crossing great distances by sea and evinced deep emotion when he was shown pictures of Eskimo boats and huts when he was first discovered. “What will this child be able to retain” asks Halbwachs, “if he is abruptly separated from his family, transported to a country where his language is not spoken, where neither the appearance of people and places, nor their customs resemble in any way that which was familiar to him up to this point?” The romance of an old-world village in India will probably sound exotic to our children who’ve grown up knowing American cities and suburbs. How will succeeding generations conjure up the vibrant imagery of neighborhood women parlaying family politics as they synchronize the circular movement of their stone dosa grinders? How can our descendants reconcile the “forbidden” nature of a love story set in India in 1945? But perhaps it’s not all lost. Perhaps looking back to the past with a contemporary lens has its own charm. As Halbwachs explains, “Our greatest number of memories come[s] back to us when our parents, our friends, or other persons recall them to us.” The key is to listen for and excavate the stories we own and, more importantly, to keep telling the stories we know. n

Jaya Padmanabhan was the editor of India Currents from 2012-16. She is the author of the collection of short stories, Transactions of Belonging.

July 2017 | West Coast Edition | www.indiacurrents.com | 11

By Pavani It made me question the values I live by, my own internal conditioning. My biases. Many Indian-American parents have been forced to confront these very questions as they raise children here. Blond hair and blue eyed becomes a sought-after ideal to be. While Moana has her place on the toy shelf, Elsa takes the pride of place. Is it a testament to excellent marketing? Or a deeper bias? I am saddened that despite all the technological advances we have made, the subject of color still remains a controversial topic. And this remains especially salient if you are of Indian descent. I cannot speak for the experience of other races, but I am a product of my own experiences. Growing up, I was like my five-year-old girl today: curious and playful. I was also aware of the prejudices around me. Gender came with its own limitations, as did color bias and caste distinctions. Born into an upper middle class family where adults excelled in many areas, I witnessed some of these prejudices first hand. Through my formative years, I struggled to gain answers. And, with age, I learned to adapt while accepting some of these as “truths,” because I found them deeply enmeshed in the social and cultural mores around me. I grew up. I became less curious. Until I was forced to provide an answer to my 5-year-old daughter.n

Original Art by Pavani Kaushik

y five year old daughter can be many things. Energetic, loud, playful, adamant and by turns devilish and angelic. But, curiosity dominates her worldview. And this curiosity leads her to question the world around her. Her questions can come at the most inopportune moments—usually when we are in public with words uttered in a loud, clear voice. Sometimes the answer is simple, but there are times when I struggle to find an answer. Proudly displaying her class picture, she observed that she was darker than some of her friends. Also that while her own hair was curly, theirs was straight. I knew the probing questions would come later. And they did. “Why? Why don’t I have straight hair? Why is she lighter than me? How come she has different colored eyes?” Why, why, why. It wasn’t enough for me to tell her about the diverse world we live in. She insisted that she wanted to be like them! And then I was left with a “Why” of my own. Why were skin and eye color and hair quality so important to her? Was this normal? Did it just stem from a feeling of struggling to belong? Or was it the influence of a subtler prejudice unknowingly perpetuated? 12 | INDIA CURRENTS | West Coast Edition |July 2017

West Meets East—The Raja Ravi Varma Story

efore I could formulate an answer that would satisfy a five-year old, I had to first confront some questions on my own. I am a visual artist and acutely aware of the impact of visuals on the human mind. I started by questioning the nature of the visual representations that I grew up with. A recent sale by Sotheby’s made headlines in the art world— the sale of a painting titled Damayanthi by the Prince of Painters—Raja Ravi Varma. It netted over a million US dollars, after garnering a lot of interest the world over. Based on the protagonist from the Sanskrit epic poem Nala and Damayanthi, the painting is a wonderful example of a merger between the European academic artistic style and a distinctly Indian sensibility. It depicts the heroine Damayanthi, seated on a balcony or portico, lamenting the absence of her love, Nala. She is being fanned by her attendant Keshini. Her forlorn expression, head resting on her hand while she gazes out into the far landscape, speaks of her dejection and pathos. The balcony floor around the two women is strewn with flowers and the treatment of the darkening skies in the background further adds to the mood of the scene.

Kaushik

Paintings from L to R: Damayanthi and Keshini (Sold at Sotheby’s for over a million US dollars), Hamsa Damayanthi, The Maharashtrian lady and Lady playing sitar.

Artistically, Damayanthi is an excellent example of composition, style and treatment. The richly appointed saris jump off the canvas. The jewelry adorning the women is faithfully rendered. The European styled marbled balcony has been depicted beautifully. In these and a multitude of other details, the painting speaks of skill and sensitivity that makes for a great work of art. In the latter part of the 18th century, India attracted a number of European artists, who were eager for their share of the “Eastern” experience. They were frequent residents of the royal courts and enjoyed their patronage. In these courts, another kind of artistic exchange took place, with an adoption of a Western ethos by Indian artists, exemplified by the life of Raja Ravi Varma. Raja Ravi Varma belonged to the ruling house of Travancore in Kerala. His early life in a traditional matrilineal household was rich in the learning of classical music, Sanskrit, kathakali and the stories drawn from the mythology and lore of ancient India. His fledgling attempts at art was encouraged by an uncle who was an artist in the traditional and decorative Tanjore style of painting. Subsequent royal patronage and association with European artists at the palace in Trivandrum, contributed to Ravi Varma’s style. He acquired new materials and techniques that greatly revolutionized the representation of art in the Indian context. His work included large scale canvas paintings of both portraits and landscapes. It transformed the world of miniatures, murals and decorative manuscript paintings that were prevalent in India at the time. Raja Ravi Varma’s work centered on the realistic portrayal of his subject matter. His paintings frequently won prizes and Certificates of Merit at prestigious fine art exhibitions in India. He garnered international acclaim by winning a medal at the

Vienna Art Exhibition. In short, he was the most sought after artist amongst the British Raj elite and the royal courts in India. His paintings were included in the royal art collections of the Gaekwads and the Wodeyars, to name a few. His fame and status mirrored that of his European counterpart, John Singer Sargent —the noted portraitist of the Edwardian period. I remember a visit to the Jaganmohan Palace Art Gallery in Mysore. The gallery has a wonderful collection of Raja Ravi Varma’s art. Portraits of Maharaja Chamarajendra Wodeyar and many of his family members line its walls. While in awe at the scale and grandeur of his work, I was struck by a singular fact. Barring a handful, his portrayal of the human form—especially the women—were almost always light-skinned. His scenes from mythology depict Rama and Krishna in the traditional manner —blue tinged skin. But otherwise they are always shown “fair” of color. It was clearly a case of borrowing from the European palette and marrying it with the cultural fabric of India. And in doing so, it added another layer to the status of the class of people who could afford his work. It also created a strong archetype for the “ideal woman.” Ravi Varma did not stop at producing works of art for royalty and the gentry. He was keen on sharing his work with the masses. With a far-reaching vision, he established a lithographic printing press with his brother Raja Varma in Bombay. They embarked on an avant garde business model of producing oleographs (lithographs) of Hindu gods and goddesses, and scenes from Hindu mythology. This decision transformed Ravi Varma into a pop culture icon of that period—a sort of Andy Warhol-ish Indian if you will. His work was now available to households across social strata all over India. They remain in print to the present day. July 2017 | West Coast Edition | www.indiacurrents.com | 13

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These images are etched in the minds of millions of Indians. When Gods and Goddesses from the Hindu pantheon are depicted as being light-skinned, then, how can we truly measure the “color bias” that takes root within us? protagonist—Shakuntala. Based on Kalidasa’s classical Sanskrit poem Abhigyana Shakuntalam, she remains a favorite heroine through the ages with her story being told in a multitude of versions, through various media—paintings, plays and film. Ravi Varma painted Shakuntala in a number of versions and his lithoLithographs of Goddesses Lakshmi and Saraswati graph The Birth of Shakuntala won a coveted award. By Raja Ravi Varma Karline McLain, Professor of Religious Studies at Bucknell My grandparents’ household shrine (pooja room) was amply University in her book, India’s Immortal Comic Books —Gods, populated by Ravi Varma prints. I am sure my generation grew Kings and Other Heroes offers an unbiased, fresh perspective on up with them without sparing a thought as to their creator. They the social, cultural and global impact of ACK and other Indian were part of the popular culture; a fact accepted as par for the comic books. Her work has been awarded the Edward Cameron course. As the saying goes, “Imitation is the highest form of flatDimock,Jr. Book Prize in the Indian Humanities by the American tery.” Like Raja Ravi Varma’s initial attempts at art, I started out Institute of Indian Studies, and is considered by many to be the trying to render the beautiful lithographs around me and there “go to” resource for teachers and students alike. Reading the book were a fair handful of them strewn around me when I was young. has provided me with an opportunity to critically examine my Lakshmi, resplendent in her red sari, standing on her lotus connection with ACK comics. amidst an idyllic forested lake. Saraswathi, clad in pristine white, McLain goes into the ways of visual characterization of heseated on a rocky river bank, playing her veena, a peacock in the roes, heroines and villains in ACK comics. She also dedicates a foreground gazing up at her. Vishnu astride a mighty Garuda, section to the portrayal of ACK’s female protagonists and the flanked by his consorts Sridevi and Bhudevi, flying above the inspiration drawn from the archetype set by Raja Ravi Varma’s clouds. Yashodha and baby Krishna, in a sweet scene with a calf. visual representation of the “ideal” woman. These are forever etched in my memory through my attempts at In my reading of Professor McLain’s research on Ravi trying to sketch them. Varma’s work, I was intrigued to discover that while he enjoyed great success and fame as an artist, there were voices that spoke up Amar Chitra Katha—The Comic Book against his artistic style. A group of artists and scholars formed the Carries Forward Bengal School of Art under the leadership of artist Abanindranath Raja Ravi Varma’s body of work greatly Tagore and denounced Ravi Varma’s “moderninfluenced another aspect of popular culture in istic” methods. They maintained that his work India; its comic book industry. When a respected lacked “Indianness” and felt that he reduced epic educationalist visualized a series of comics based Indian icons and subjects to a common man’s on purely Indian values, he had to look no furlevel, treating them without the dignity they dether for inspiration to base his cover images on. served. They clearly supported a more traditional Anant Pai’s ever popular Amar Chitra Katha Indian aesthetic. This group, closely linked to series (ACK) was a household name during my the nationalist movement in India, secured the childhood and continues to be part of children’s dismissal of Ravi Varma from high art circles bookshelves all across the world. at the dawn of the 20th century. Despite this As an Indian-American parent, I find myself turn of events, his art endured. His lithographs constantly looking for sources to inculcate in succeeded in influencing India’s visual art and my daughter the values and traditions I grew culture for the ages yet to come. up with. And I find myself going back to Amar Amar Chitra Katha printed the stories of Chitra Katha almost as much, or possibly even other female protagonists—Savitri, Padmini, more often than my collection of Asterix the Gaul Damayanti, Sita, Mirabai. They were all porBook by Karline McLain or The Adventures of TinTin, which were also an trayed in a similar vein—distinctly feminine important relic of my childhood. and light-skinned. Since its inception in 1967, the ACK series The first ACK comic book, Krishna, was printed in 1969. has sold over 100 million copies worldwide. Raja Ravi Varma’s The second book printed in 1970 was the first to feature a female influence extended into the popular world through Anant Pai’s July 2017 | West Coast Edition | www.indiacurrents.com | 15

comics where the “ideal” idea of light-skinned femininity was further extended.

hile my daughter is eager to ask her questions, I will ask a few of my own. How far back can we trace this bias of “fairness” that has nothing to do with honesty or justice? Was it always a part of our psyche? How firmly rooted is it in our cultural and social ethos of present day? From Mumbai to Manhattan, the birth of a child is cause for celebration. While the health of the newborn and mother are enquired over, the discussion moves on very quickly to the vital statistics. Weight, height, gender, and name are discussed and exclaimed over. And then comes the comment about color. Albeit well intentioned, this particular qualifier is swiftly inserted into the list of adjectives used to describe the newborn. Amidst a torrent of gushing adjectives and glowing remarks there is a subtle pause...and the “but” makes its appearance, followed by an observation about the baby’s complexion. Often times the commentator is unaware of their own bias. But the verdict is given. If it escapes the list at this time, it will enter the fray even before the child can begin to speak its first word. And somewhere down the years it will worm its way into the child’s self image. Is this what we want for our children? Is this fair? In an interesting turn of events, a Bollywood actor Abhay Deol recently started a debate by calling out products in the cosmetics industry that cater to color bias. His Facebook campaign shed light on ads featuring internationally famous brand names—both products and the stars who endorse them. Fair and Lovely and certain products of its ilk are endorsed by well known Bollywood actors and actresses. In Facebook posts titled “2-in-1 Fairness Cream” and “We Are Not a Racist Country,” Deol used sarcasm and humor to shed light on how color bias has permeated

Amar Chitra Katha covers of female heroines

the social and moral consciousness in India and the world over. As a counterpoint to these posts he hailed fellow actress and filmmaker Nandita Das. Her “Dark is Beautiful” campaign was an important and refreshing change, he said. With the tag line “Stay Unfair, Stay Beautiful,” the campaign ad features her own face with dusky complexion, with no hint at help from Photoshop or otherwise. The message included in the ad actually calls for a social debate on color bias and the ensuing pressure to look “fair.” Abhay Deol’s bold stance and Nandita Das’s effort at going up against popular notions and ideas are applause worthy. While neither act might sway public opinion on a grand scale, they have stirred vigorous debate and will hopefully cause a shift in impressionable minds. I know I will have to delve deeper yet to erase the remnant of such biases within me. Confronting them is one thing, erasing them is quite another task. For me, writing this piece has been cathartic. Maybe the very act of reading this article is the start of a debate in you. Your very own personal, internal debate. A debate that goes beyond the belief that beauty is relegated to the paleness of a skin tone. A debate that celebrates the power of life—in black, white and all the shades of brown—with the pride it deserves. One can but hope! n Pavani Kaushik is a visual artist who loves a great book almost as much as planning her next painting. She received a BFA from the Academy of Art University, San Francisco. She has held art shows in London, Bengaluru and locally. She is a mother to a rambunctious little girl. When she is not trying to find answers to “why,” “what” and “how,” she loves to dabble in all things creative, and keep life interesting for her family.

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environment

By Monal Pathak

ave you ever thought about the ecological stresses associated with modern agriculture? To put it simply, it all starts with our food supply. Specifically, let’s talk about my food supply! I spent three hours last Sunday at Seattle’s largest farmer collective, the yearround Ballard Farmers Market. I wanted to know, in such a progressive city how many of the farms were organic? How many practiced no-till permaculture techniques? The answer to the first question is a full 23% of the 109 farms in attendance. The latter was harder to gauge without a protracted conversation, and I’ve left this to a later date in the not-too distant future. In the three hours that I spent at the market, I chatted with street musicians and vendors—some of whom make the weekly journey via a 2-hour ferry ride from Port Angeles at the opposite end of the Puget Sound. I sipped a tonic iced coffee infused with an herbalicious plume of lavender farmed one county to the north. And when the caffeine hit my neurons, I began an inquiry into the relationship that our food supply has with its overbearing spouse, climate change. My inquiry led me to an examination of modern techniques in permaculture both here and abroad. Permaculture is an ethical design science that seeks to mimic nature and match the wisdom of land management as practiced by indigenous peoples throughout human history. It also incorporates concepts of self-regulating

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perennial plant systems, prolonged and thoughtful observation, and it places an emphasis on relationships that bring about both ecologically sound and economically prosperous human communities. While its scope expands beyond merely growing food, in a purely agricultural sense these principles have been long-employed from small suburban gardens to 5000-acre farms. Why should we be concerned with agriculture? The Paris Agreement (as well as its forebear, the Kyoto Protocol) points out that one major way of addressing environmental concerns is through the control and reduction of the greenhouse gases that we put into Earth’s atmosphere. The journal Nature reported in 2012 that a full one-third of global greenhouse gas emissions come from agriculture, and that reducing the “carbon footprint” of this ubiquitous activity is central to limiting climate change. Also, all farming activity related to growing food represents about 86% of total agricultural carbon emissions, followed by fertilizer production and refrigeration. All of these factors— farming, fertilizer, refrigeration, and transportation—can be effectively addressed by growing as much of our food as possible for strictly local consumption, using permaculture methods of farming. Outside of growing this food on our own (which certainly isn’t practical at a large enough scale for the majority of us), we can make decisive impact by trading the income we earn from non-agricultural activities for food that’s exclusively produced in

these sustainable ways. The late Masanobu Fukuoka of Shikoku Island in Japan relied on sustained, patient experimentation to develop what has become known globally as the OneStraw Revolution. He argued, much as the practitioners of permaculture do, that it’s a great misconception and malpractice to fight against nature to meet our needs. While his father was a wealthy landowner and politician who practiced what we today call monoculture farming—setting aside large tracts of land to grow one crop at a time—young Masanobu developed his framework of “how about not do this?” Instead of tilling and sowing with machine-precision, fighting disease and insects with industrial chemicals, and maximizing yields with genetic engineering, he touched upon a profound realization: nature has succeeded in growing all manner of foods and flora on this planet for eons, as well as supported human life in this same “automatic” way for millennia. His major discoveries in agriculture have been distilled into four tenets: the earth cultivates itself (there is no need for plowing or turning the soil); the unaltered natural environment—the growth and decay of plant and animal life—fertilizes the soil without any help from man (there’s no need for chemical fertilizers); the balance of beneficial vs. invasive species of flora can be observed in naturally biodiverse landscapes (no weeding by tillage or herbicides is needed); and if the soil is healthy, and biodiversity is allowed to flourish, there will be no need for chemical pesticides. This approach does not conflate “doing nothing” with not planning; in fact, Fukuoka recognized very early on in his experimentation that it takes a nuanced, deliberative effort to mimic the natural environ

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-ment while also promoting food production. Any landscape architect worth their training could outline the creativity and energy required for this type of land use relationship to flourish. To conduct a personal inventory of weekly food consumption and its attendant greenhouse emissions, simply ask yourself the following questions: Where are the fruits, vegetables, grains, and legumes that I consume grown? Are they in season for my region right now? How far and by what method do I travel to acquire these foods (where is my nearest farmer’s market?). How resource-intensive are these foods themselves—were herbicides, fungicides, and pesticides used in their production? How much water needed to be pumped in because of poor soil quality, which cannot hold adequate reserves of water on its own? How much water was irrigated from far off because of poor rainwater catchment design?

epending on your household income, these factors become increasingly easy to control for. As an example, a white collar professional is highly unlikely to live in a food desert where access to fresh fruits and vegetables presents a great burden to the individual who seeks it. Such an individual can directly impact their share in the emission of not only greenhouse gases, but also chemical pollutants, by purchasing their food directly from local farmers who produce it using organic, holistically managed agricultural practices. For those of us who eat out frequently, it is worth asking the ownership of our favorite restaurants how important they consider ethically sourced food supplies, and to what extent they participate in this network of mutuality. When we make the choice to purchase sustainably-produced food from local farmers, we are explicitly reducing our share of the stress placed on wilderness and forest edge-lands. These are the places into which monoculture farms expand, and these expansions regularly occur outside of the United States as well. Per the USDA, approximately half of America’s fresh fruit and fruit juice consumption needs are met through imports, and the total volume of US agricultural imports has increased by an average of four percent per year since 2000. Our business-as-usual food demands 20 | INDIA CURRENTS | West Coast Edition | July 2017

Are there individual actions we can take in the face of maddeningly powerful mega systems that capriciously crush our efforts to safeguard the environment on a whim? The answer is yes. place a burden not only on the environment but also on the quality of life among subsistence farmers around the world, who are among those conscripted to produce our food on ever-expanding monocrop plantations. Let’s take the example of coffee, nearly one-hundred percent of which is grown outside of the United States. When it’s produced in a nonsustainable way, the ensuing forest and soil degradation drastically reduces the availability of nutritionally rich wild roots, tubers, mushrooms, spices, and fruits for the subsistence farmers who rely on these foods to supplement their food crop cultivation. The Journal of Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems recently detailed that such commercialization of agriculture, which shifts subsistence farmers into cash crop cultivation for our benefit, detrimentally impacts their nutritional security over the long term.

bstinence from non-locally grown foods is not realistic—recall our inescapable network of mutuality—but given a certain level of expendable income, the bounds of which families should certainly decide for themselves, the choice to consume ethically produced foods can be made a consideration of utmost importance. The late Toby Hemenway, author of the landmark sustainable agriculture book Gaia’s Garden, noted that we individually authorize the continuation of resourceintensive monoculture, which kills biodiversity and contributes mightily to global warming, whenever we shop at the supermarket. The economic efficiency of our global supply chain makes discount shopping unbelievably enticing. But the reality of unfair labor practices and ecologically disastrous farming techniques should like-

wise make that same type of grocery shopping an opportunity for deliberation; it can serve to be one of the easiest forms of environmental activism available to us. I was tuned to NPR recently when the 45th President of the United States announced his withdrawal from the Paris Climate Agreement with the nowinfamous line, “I was elected to represent the citizens of Pittsburgh, not Paris.” It was an announcement I had expected since the election in November, but which left me stunned nonetheless. So I decided to ask myself what could be done. What if one is inclined, on a personal level, to care about climate change and its cousin-sister ecological concerns— fresh air, clean water, and unpolluted lands on which to live and grow our food? Are there individual actions we can take in the face of maddeningly powerful megasystems that seem able to capriciously crush our best efforts on a whim? The answer is “yes!” We can take the direct action of shopping local, seasonal, and organic food sources as often as possible. In the three hours that I spent at the Ballard Market, I saw one IndianAmerican couple outside of the three that I came with—and this at a market that supports two-hundred stalls plus 30 additional brick-and-mortar small businesses. Later in the week I stopped by the Safeway down the block where I saw IndianAmericans galore and sighed. n Monal Pathak has been an ecologically-minded American since his childhood in Maine, where summers were spent picking strawberries, raking blueberries, and planting a fantastic vegetable garden with his mother. His work includes time with the Environmental Protection Bureau of the NYS Office of the Attorney General. He writes from Seattle.

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Desi Lens

By Kalpana Mohan

suppose the block party last July at the end of our road was a success even though everyone in attendance knew that one family—let’s call them the Chens—treated the front yard of their home as if it were a dumping ground, totally unmindful of how their home was an eyesore on our road. The evening of the party, however, everyone was civil. We set aside our differences to share our favorite foods and mingle. “I’m even willing to pay for a dumpster for yard clippings and pay for some of the labor,” my neighbor—I’ll call her Anna— wrote in an email about the disastrous sight of the Chens’ home. “We had company from Southern California last weekend and they commented on their yard.” Anna’s resentment had been growing. Her home looked onto the Chens. Every morning, as she drank coffee, the sight that greeted her was that of a home that showed little pride of ownership. When she complained to the city, the officials told her that nothing could be done if people did not care enough about curb appeal. Anna was the opposite of the Chens. She returned home after a whole day’s work to tend the plants in her garden. She was always planting, pruning, weeding, deadheading and watering and since my home looked out into her manicured yard, I realized how lucky I was to have her as a neighbor. In the meanwhile, on my walks, I watched the front yard of the Chen residence with horror every time I strode past it. The vegetation was the color of wheat. Wildflowers rose and died between bark and bramble. Chicken wires, plastic bins, chairs and cardboard boxes lay in disarray behind the bushes and undergrowth. I remember how on an evening many years ago, I’d worked up the courage to go over to talk to the Chens. I walked up the small path to their porch. Halfway, however, I retreated. I left a voicemail instead. Just as I expected, it went unanswered. Years later, while I was away on one of my long trips to India, Anna’s husband decided to broach the topic of cleanup. Spotting one of the Chens outside their home, he walked over and offered to help them in finding a gardener to spruce up their yard. The Chens balked at the offer. Anna told me how different things used to be when she was growing up in Saratoga. “It was our duty and in everyone’s best interest to keep our own yards in good shape out of respect to our neighbors.” I suspected that as neighborhoods morphed, Anna and many of the older residents on our street were increasingly anxious about how to deal with new neighbors who brought different values. Often, first time immigrants moved from countries where the upkeep of the yard and surroundings were nonexistent or unimportant. In India, broadly speaking, civic sense outside one’s home mattered less than cleanliness inside. In the upscale parts of Indian metropolises or in the poorest villages, the sense of community was much stronger, owing to common values and peer pressure.

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But even in India, I rarely saw an unkempt home on a given road unless it was under litigation for a fight over property. Last summer, during the heat of the drought, I sent an email to Mrs. Chen. “I came by,” I wrote. “I wished to talk to you about your front yard. I feel it’s a fire hazard. I’m nervous about it, especially owing to the water shortage. I’m happy to recommend gardeners who can give you a quote.” I received a polite response by the end of the day with an explanation that they planned to clean up the yard and that many of the plants that were brown were “going through a natural part of their life cycle as California native plants.” She also mentioned that her life was further complicated by her mother’s chronic illness in the past year. By email I commiserated with Mrs. Chen regarding her mother’s health. I let her know that I too had had a problem while my father lay dying in India. I mentioned that through the challenges of my own life, while I’d shuttled to and from India, my husband had supervised our home and yard. I told her that we all had a responsibility towards our neighbors when we belonged to a community. I didn’t receive a reply to my last email but now the Chens began clearing their yard. When they were done, it wasn’t obvious which state was prettier—the before or the after. Anna felt, however, that it was an improvement. At the block party, I said “hello” to the Chens even though I was annoyed that they didn’t follow the unwritten code of our neighborhood. Perhaps I could have tried a different approach. While I had got to know some of my other neighbors, I had never reached out to the Chens in the same way. Anna, some other neighbors and I helped one another out when we traveled. We talked when we met on the road, exchanged emails and texted, if needed. Appearances were often the only barometers we used to judge neighbors when we first began the process of getting to know one another. The upkeep of a home reflected the attitude of the owners towards the rest of their street-mates and thus our relationships with neighbors were built on respect and mutual consideration. I saw how many of the world’s border disputes, too, often stemmed from a tangle of skirmishes and misunderstandings as mine with my neighbor. At the party, Anna’s husband steered clear of the Chens. But the kids on the block played with one another. I heard peals of laughter. The food was almost gone. Some of us became friends on Facebook. At a superficial level, we were all friends, at least until the wildflowers went to seed. n Kalpana Mohan writes from California’s Silicon Valley. http://kalpanamohan.com

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analysis

Our Great American Shame By Tara Kumar

very time I travel abroad, I am reminded of the immense power of American status, culture, politics and influence. American culture is inescapable and despite the stereotypes of a “dumb American tourist,” the actions of the world show that they are truly impressed with American status, a status bestowed on anything drawn from American shores. As an avid traveller, I am regularly confronted by admiration for everything American. From a small cafe in Uruguay where American pop music blared as patrons who spoke no English sipped traditional mate to a semester in Paris in 2012 where the front page of Le Monde was primarily focussed on the minute details of the American presidential election rather than the ongoing European financial crisis at the time, American culture and politics holds sway all over the world. In India, I have felt the furthest from my American lifestyle. People wear mostly Indian clothes, traffic rules are non-existent and a cornucopia of sights and sounds with constant stimulation remind me at every second that I am far from home. Yet, American cultural facets still manage to seep in and define what it is to be “cool,” even when seemingly irrelevant to the local environment. Growing up in India, my cousins watched the show Friends religiously, much before I discovered the show here in the United States. They could quote every line and joke from the show, even when the reference seemed so quintessentially American. They didn’t have to understand the context of the joke because to them, Friends represented the lifestyle of being American and that was cool in and of itself. In India, Dominos and Pizza Hut are considered to be somewhat elite institu26 | INDIA CURRENTS | West Coast Edition | July 2017

tions. My family goes to these pizza chains for celebrations and they are reserved for the middle and upper class. They represent an aspiration for the elitism of living in America with their uniformity, cleanliness, and the perception that America affords a worry-free lifestyle. It didn’t necessarily imitate my American experience, but surely appealed to the American experience that was envisioned there. Taxi drivers often ask with wonder about the lavishness of my American lifestyle. I once was asked if it is true that Americans don’t wash their clothes because they can just throw them away after each wearing. When I start speaking my American accent can be heard distinctly; in appearance, my dark skin and short stature makes me average at best by Indian standards but my American identity bestows on me an indescribable elitism. The backdrop of a somewhat fawning American appreciation the world over makes me realize the blatancy of our flaws as a nation when they are brought up in conversation. When I talk with members of my family in India, there is a lot of ribbing and questioning from uncles and aunts about America. I regularly defend America when family members try to push my buttons hoping to elicit a passionate outburst. In my opinion, the ribbing usually reflects the close mindedness of a conservative Indian mindset rather than a failure of American values. I am usually able to build a cohesive argument on how their criticism actually speaks to American progressivism and is

testament to a culture which, I believe, fosters independence and diversity. But my strong defense of America falters when it comes to gun violence. As a proponent of stricter gun control measures in America, I live in a culture which fights for incremental protections that don’t impinge on gun owners’ rights. To my family in India, the fact that so many people own guns posits a distinct lack of freedom and poses a risk to public safety. They are perplexed that we use arguments of freedom to defend gun owners’ rights. The Second Amendment with the right to bear arms is stated endlessly as an essential part of defining American freedoms. When I try to use the text of the Second Amendment to explain the rights of gun owners, I am reminded that the goal of the amendment is to be able to form a militia to keep government honest, not to support vigilante justice against personal threats. My defense soon falters. The constitutional defense of gun owners does not convince me, my family and much of the world. There are several moments of honest bafflement at how we fail to protect our own citizens. Gun control propositions remain as footnotes in candidate platforms rather than taking center stage to help fix one of our largest national tragedies. Every day 93 people die and 309 people are shot in murders, assaults, suicides and suicide attempts, unintentional

shootings and police intervention (Brady Campaign statistics). Beyond the deaths, it is startling to think about the 200 or so victims who are wounded daily by gun shots; think of the limbs amputated, the dreams derailed, the lives changed. On June 14th, I woke up to a report of a shooting of four Congressmen on a baseball field in Washington D.C. As we go to press, Congressman Steve Scalise is still in the hospital, and we do not know how long his recovery will take. On June 20th, Kelly Mcevers in an NPR radio broadcast made this incredibly sad announcement. “We’re going to hear about something radical that a group of kids in Chicago did near the end of this school year. They played in a nearby park. That is radical because shootings in the area have meant the kids had to spend their recesses inside for more than two months this year. So eighth graders decided to organize a protest against gun violence.” Four hundred and fifty students marched in the West Side neighborhood around their school, Polaris Charter Academy, and ended by playing in that park. These heartbreaking incidents that hap-

pened just in the past 10 days keep adding up through the year. These instances are jarring, but instead this has become part of our normal. Defenders of gun rights regularly claim that guns don’t kill people, but rather people kill people. The Washington Post recently reported that toddlers have shot 23 people this year alone. Guns do kill people as indicated by this statistic inflicted by toddlers who we can all agree are innocent. Even when victims are the politicians who have the power to shape the law such as the Republican congressmen who were shot recently, there will likely be no serious gun control legislation to arise out of the tragedy. We fail to be shaken by the daily violence in our communities, in my opinion, because it is too trying. Acknowledging the enormity of this everyday national tragedy is emotionally draining and debilitating. With the recent elevation of hate crimes and the publicity of violence against Indian immigrants in the United States, my family, like many others in India, is shaken. The charmed American lifestyle is still coveted, but there is now an inherent risk in living

in the United States in their eyes. I find myself defending the safety of Indians here by noting that others are worse off, hardly a good selling point. The risks in India are also grave but in seemingly different ways, I say. Road accidents for example are rampant and the threat of death is likely higher for those in India than for Indian immigrants to the United States. I continue to defend the United States as one of the safest places to live, but that argument falls on deaf ears, and rightfully so. If we let the rest of the world’s reaction be an indicator to us, not dealing with guns is one of our largest tragedies. The fact that gun violence has never been addressed radically by politicians is our greatest national shame. n Tara Kumar is a woman, the child of Indian immigrants, and an activist. With the recent political climate, she is exploring issues of American identity through her personal experience. She has a BA in Economics and Political Science from the University of Chicago and is particularly interested in issues of social justice, politics, and government. She currently lives in Los Angeles.

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relationship diva

5 Conversation Starters You May Not Have Thought Of By Jasbina Ahluwalia

reaking the ice” can be one of the most daunting steps in meeting a new woman. Try these five unique conversation starters.

settings could be, “Hey there, I’m new to the area and looking to meet cool people. What do you like best about living here?” 3. The Door-Opening “Hi”

Try this approach when you are at a club or event where you and the lovely lady will be in attendance for awhile. Walk by her and simply but directly say “Hi” while smiling warmly and making eye contact—then keep walking to show her you had no agenda. This simple conversation starter can set the stage for future interactions during the event.

1. The “Thinking Out Loud” Technique

This approach can work very well in public settings where someone has caught your eye. If you see someone you’re attracted to at the grocery store, make a humorous comment about a headline in one of the tabloid magazines. Or you might muse sarcastically about the strange items in the “impulse buy” section near the cash register. It will seem like you’re just thinking out loud, but a smile in her direction may very well earn you a laugh and a reply.

4. Create Customized Conversation Starters

Think about the top three places you tend to meet women; some examples might be at the gym, in clubs/bars or at the park while walking your dog. Now develop 5 to 10 relevant, customized conversation starters specific to each situation.

2. “I’m New Here”

An easy way to talk to someone new at a gathering is to say, “Hey, I don’t know many people here, so I thought I’d come over and say hello.” A variation for public

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Some guys get so wrapped up trying to think up clever new pickup lines that they lose sight of one of the most valuable and effective approaches: being authentic. Come up with a way to express the truth: “Hey, I couldn’t help but notice you and just had to come up and say “hello” or, “You caught my eye, so I just had to meet you.” At the very least, you’ll make her day; and who knows it could lead to something more! Meeting new women can seem daunting, but the right approach can definitely help to get the conversation started. n Jasbina Ahluwalia is the Founder-President of Intersections Match by Jasbina, the only premier dating coaching firm for Indian singles in the US, Canada and the UK. Jasbina@Intersectionsmatch.com

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My Sister A Star, A Star Shining so Bright She fills us all With her Radiance and Light Beauty and Grace, in full form She blessed this Earth, from the day she was born A kinder soul, I never did meet The truest friend, she was to me Wisdom and courage beyond her years Sister, Sister, oh so Dear An ocean of memories floods through my heart Her joy, her love, her food, her art A lifetime of service, so many lives touched She carried them all, within her heart Loved by so many, treasured by all She danced on this earth for awhile, with us all Dear Sister I ask, in my empty room Where are you now, may I see you soon? A dove appears next to the orange bloom With sweetest face and a soulful Coo… Dear one, I am there in all that you do In your mind, your heart, your soul so true Carry me forth wherever you go And brighten the world with your own special glow My message is true, so hear it well You are with me, and I am with you

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Swinging Second to None By Aniruddh Chawda SACHIN–A Billion Dreams. Director: James Erskine. Music: A. R. Rahman. Marathi, Hindi and English with Eng sub-titles. Theatrical release (200 NotOut Productions)

o matter how one approaches an entry like Sachin: A Billion Dreams, either as docu-biopic or nostalgia trip down sporting glory memories, one thing become abundantly clear. India can get as crazy about cricket as, say, Argentina or Brazil get about soccer, Americans about football, Canadians about ice hockey and Cubans about baseball. That is to say the entire nation goes completely gaga around major cricket events in the year. The other takeaway is that the story of Indian cricket, indeed the story of all cricket, cannot be complete without a chapter or two on Sachin Tendulkar, the Indian cricket king who, as outlined pretty well in Sachin: A Billion Dreams, elevated the sport and the nation along with him to new heights. Etched out as an origin story in the early going, Tendulkar’s middle-class Bombay upbringing is nicely reinforced with the story of his father Ramesh Tendulkar, a professor of Marathi, and his homemaker mother Rajni. Taken under the wing by older brother Ajit from Sachin’s early teens, the spark of raw talent showed promising potential. From a prodigy selected to play in a test match against Pakistan at a record-setting and astonishingly young age of sixteen to his courtship and eventual marriage to his wife Anjali, that part of the meteoric arc flows with ease. A portrait begins to coalesce; that of unassuming, modest by any measure, and surprisingly grounded personality more interested in keeping in touch with his close-knit family then with any scoring statistic. As appealing as it is, Sachin: A Billion Dreams, in part because Erskine’s movie has Tendulkar’s early childhood events staged with actors to maintain narrative

30 | INDIA CURRENTS | West Coast Edition | July 2017

cohesion, goes lacking as a true documentary. The overall feel is that of Tendulkar sitting down to narrate his life-story and then news footage or play-acting getting inserted for dramatic flair. Sachin: A Billion Dreams falls somewhere between fictitiously made biopics of real-life sport starts (Mary Kom, Baag Milkha Baag, Paan Singh Tomar, Azhar, M. S. Dhoni: The Untold Story or even Dangal) and outside observers connecting lost footage or home movies, formal or scratchy-mike informal interview and press clippings. In Hollywood, Steve James’ Hoop Dreams (basketball) and Stacey Peralta’s Dogtown and Z Boys (skateboarding) sway in that direction. Where Sachin: A Billion Dreams misses out takes away absolutely nothing from Tendulkar as a phenomenal cricketeer, second perhaps only to the legendary Australian batsman Don Bradman as the all-time greatest, who broke and still holds so many records in test matches. The feeding frenzy Tendulkar inspired in Indian cricket —making him by the far the greatest sports figure in India’s history—resulted in a mass following where the entire country practically shut down when this great player was doing his magic on international cricket pitches in televised games. The closest popular figure to compare to such mass adulation would arguably be the following that movie star Amitabh Bachchan—a megastar of a different kind —generated in his prime. Tendulkar’s arrival on the big cricket stage more or less paralleled the unveil-

ing of “New India” under Rajiv Gandhi as Prime Minister. For international satellite channels first pitching globally-linked broadcasting tents in India, Tendulkar’s ascent pretty much summed up the story of India. A talented/outward looking, young/youthful, man/nation, breaking out onto the world stage, to batting invincibility/as a budding regional superpower. The sports star symbolized the nation as much as the nation idolized this star. Sachin: A Billion Dreams is more than nostalgia dressing and more than the true story of a sporting figure’s achievements as a first-among-equals modern gladiator with kill ratios that count on non-lethal charts. Sachin: A Billion Dreams may be appealing to something deeper. This simple surefire legend of a grounded mortal, whose followers may readily believe that his feet don’t necessarily touch the ground, resonates today when there is a subliminal hunger for truth, when many news stories are suspect, the ground rules are being rewritten and perhaps even the playing field is shifting. Let Sachin: A Billion Dreams resonate. n

Globe trekker, aesthete, photographer, ski bum, film buff, and commentator, Aniruddh Chawda writes from Milwaukee.

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Make Sitaarre TV your proud Media Partner Contact for value-built packages POONAM BAJAJ Executive Producer Email: sitaarre@gmail.com Cell: 510 – 304 - 8654 ü Outreach to 12 Million + Households nationwide via Comcast ü Event Promotion Ø Commercial and Infomercial Video Production Ø Telecast on TV (multiple times) Ø Social Media (YouTube, Facebook, Twitter - continuous promotion) Ø Focus on Bay Area and Central Valley ü Event Coverage 32 | INDIA CURRENTS | West Coast Edition | July 2017

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ask a lawyer

When Divorce Papers Are Served By Madan Ahluwalia

Q A

I have been served with divorce papers; what do I do?

which is important to you. A good lawyer is worth every single penny.

In my conversations with clients, I get the feeling that lot of people, no matter how rocky their marital relationship has been, find the fact that they have been served with the divorce petition to be shocking. Here is some practical advice. 1. Get over the shock. The fact that you are shocked or overwhelmed indicates that you need to come out of denial and embrace the reality. Denial is what got you in this mess in the first place.

3. File a response within 30 days.

2. Find a good lawyer. Find a good

lawyer based on following criteria such as location, area of expertise, personal and cultural background, years of experience, language, hourly rate, or any other criteria

34 | INDIA CURRENTS | West Coast Edition | July 2017

If you don’t file a response within 30 days, the other party can obtain a default. I have seen too many gullible parties, who believe that the other party is not going forward with the divorce. Then, they find themselves stuck with the bad end in the deal. Do not be confused by verbal assurances from the other party that you can work things out. If they make verbal representations, get him or her to put it in writing.

4. Follow the Restraining Orders on Summons. Once the petition is filed,

summons are issued and a party is served, automatic restraining orders regarding certain actions and conduct apply. You should follow such orders and do not engage in

any proscribed actions such as transfer of moneys, closure of accounts, removal of one party’s name from health insurance, or taking a loan against a property.

5. Follow the Attorney’s advice.

Listen to legal advice carefully. For example, your lawyer can explain the concept of what property and assets is community property and you can take an inventory of the assets, and then decide what assets you want to keep and how to divide such assets. Certain issues are a lot simpler than you imagine. Your own attitude and a lawyer’s approach can make all the difference. n Madan Ahluwalia is a lawyer since 1995. He handles family law and immigration matters. His website is www.ahluwalia-law.com. He can be reached at 408-416-3149.

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July 2017

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books

By Rajesh C. Oza

Swimmer Among the Stars by Kanishk Tharoor. Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2017. 239 pages.

anishk Tharoor is both a nomadic writer and a city-dweller. Currently making New York his home, Tharoor, as evidenced by his imaginative writing, is equally at home in other geographies and chronologies. Perhaps a peripatetic childhood across multiple continents fueled his globalist outlook. And perhaps having grown up surrounded by books (his mother, Tilottama is a humanities scholar and his father, Shashi, is a writer, politician, and former Under-Secretary General of the United Nations). Tharoor was destined to beat literary filigree from gold and silver. “Filigree” is one of many words in Swimmer Among the Stars that seem to be drawn from another place or time. Rather than referencing the occasionally fusty OED, let’s click on the Oxford Living Dictionary website to search the meaning of filigree: “Ornamental work of fine (typically gold or silver) wire formed into delicate tracery.” There is much in this definition that applies to Tharoor’s writing. First, like the Oxford Living Dictionary, his short story collection is alive; it breathes life into ancient words and worlds. And the stories, while ornamented with lovely metaphoric language are substantial in the way of precious metals and delicate in the manner of fine jewelry. “Tale of the Teahouse” is one such story. With all quarters of our contemporary world seemingly under siege, the mythic quality of this tale reminds us that in the midst of the gloom and doom of impending destruction, one can find refuge in humor and philosophy. When a laborer snarls at the denizens of the teahouse saying, “We are about to be destroyed and all you do is make fun of us,” one is reminded 36 | INDIA CURRENTS | West Coast Edition | July 2017

of late-night television comedians snarking while Washington burns. But it is not all fun and games in this teahouse, for the tea drinkers are also philosophers. The city of the teahouse is about to be attacked, and “two days before the khan’s army razed the city, the tea drinkers invited a shadow puppeteer to preside over the day’s discussions …on the necessity of vocation.” The puppeteer describes nomads who “tend the fires..make the bows and fetch the arrows..draw milk from the mares.. beat filigree from gold.” She differentiates

city dwellers from nomads by suggesting that “a city like ours has a teahouse, and keeps men of inaction—who produce nothing, whose only responsibility is to the leisure of thought.” The puppeteer proceeds to defend the vocation of thinking, for “it is we who give this city meaning.” Indeed, Tharoor’s thoughtful writing gives meaning to the varied subjects he explores. The subject of the title piece, “Swimmer Among the Stars,” is the last person who speaks a dying language: “At school, they made her speak the common language. The teachers slapped her wrists if she ever misspoke and emitted the unwelcome sounds of her own tongue. As she grew older, the living room was overtaken by the radio, then the television… The language survived a little while longer in the kitchen, nourished by the memory of food.” But what happens when it is only the ethnographers videotaping this speaker who will remember the language? The language will become like photos stored on a computer hard disk stored as a fond memory, but lost as a unique identity. In reflection, Tharoor writes, “It is sad, but sad in an unremarkable way. Humans always lose more history than they ever possess.” This hint of melancholy touches many of the stories, but Tharoor’s ability

Tharoor writes, “It is sad, but sad in an unremarkable way. Humans always lose more history than they ever possess.” This hint of melancholy touches many of the stories, but Tharoor’s ability to pump life into history makes the sadness a part of the reader’s life. The impact is like that of a talented journalist who brings distant tragedies to the newspaper at our breakfast table, making those stories a part of our lives.

legal & tax to pump life into history makes the sadness a part of the reader’s life. The impact is like that of a talented journalist who brings distant tragedies to the newspaper at our breakfast table, making those stories a part of our lives. Indeed, I was reminded of “Swimmer among the Stars” while reading a recent article in The New York Times about Sphenia Jones, one of the last speakers of Haida, an indigenous Canadian language that is nearing extinction. The echo of Tharoor’s “teachers slapped her wrists” is said in a remarkably vivid way: Ms. Jones recalled her childhood when she was sent away from home so as to be assimilated into a Western way of life; at her faraway school, when she attempted to speak her own language, “the teacher yanked out three fingernails.” Some of the stories in this collection veer into the world of the whimsical (“Elephant at Sea” which is playful in the manner of a fable for children) or of science fiction (“A United Nations in Space” which reminds us that climate change is not fake news) or of the subaltern (“Portrait with Coal Fire” which scolds photojournalists and their editors for anonymizing lower status subjects by omitting their names in photo captions). But this reader kept being pulled closer to stories that touched on loss. Like the aforementioned “Tale of the Teahouse” and “Swimmer Among the Stars,” stories like “The Fall of an Eyelash,” “Cultural Property,” “The Phalanx,” and “The Loss of Muzaffar” encourage one to hold on to aspects of life that are slipping away. It is perhaps the immigrant’s dilemma to try to hold onto what is lost. Or perhaps it is a more universal condition. Or perhaps we are all immigrants. Regardless, I was moved to tears by the bittersweet “The Fall of an Eyelash.” Kanishk Tharoor reminded me that I can wish for most anything while blowing away an eyelash that has become unmoored from its eyelid; however, as one who has left the golden desert of my Rajasthani ancestors, and as one whose Anglicized tongue struggles to shape itself around my ancestral Marwari dialect, I am home and I am not. “While an exile can escape her country, she can never escape her exile.” n

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For Rajesh C. Oza’s parents—Chhaganlal and Vijayalaxmi—his gold and silver. July 2017 | West Coast Edition | www.indiacurrents.com | 37

books

Race, Privilege, and Politics By Jeanne E. Fredriksen

Everybody’s Son by Thrity Umrigar. Harper, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers: New York. 352 pages. $26.99 hardcover. Also available as digital book, paperback, and Audible.

write to make sense of the world and to make sense of my own, often contradictory emotions and feelings.” That’s the first thing a visitor to Thrity Umrigar’s web site reads. Never content to rely on tried and true storylines, character types, or easy solutions, each of her novels is a product of that statement. In her latest offering, Everybody’s Son, Umrigar challenges herself more than ever by tackling contemporary hot-button issues such as racism, privilege, and politics plus the universal power of love. Nine-year-old Anton Vesper—beautiful, bright, biracial—finds himself in the foster care system after having spent a week alone and locked in a stifling apartment waiting for his crack-addicted mother to return. However, his new foster father, David Coleman, a judge with a political pedigree, will do anything to keep the boy and his mother from reuniting, even if it means doing something shrouded in deceit and corruption. He feels it’s his duty and, in the Coleman family, duty outranks justice. After all, he only wants to protect Anton and give him the opportunities his own son, James, would have had. Having lost his teenaged son several years earlier, Coleman and his wife had failed to find anything that could fill that gaping void in their lives. Anton might be the answer and all of their lives will be better for it. Despite being biracial, Anton assimilates well into the rich, white, and privileged world of the Colemans. With all the advantages that money can buy, Anton easily follows in his father’s footsteps. When his own past and his father’s deeds collide, Anton’s carefullycrafted identity is shattered but he discovers a love he never knew existed. Anton is a much-loved child who blossoms into an adult. There isn’t a single

38 | INDIA CURRENTS | West Coast Edition | July 2017

character who doesn’t, in their own way, feel genuine love for him no matter the circumstances. He alone is the contrast between the scared, under-served child of the projects and the serious, accomplished man he is raised to be in the Coleman family tradition. The result is a novel with layers of unconditional love and hard truths about accessible, imperfect characters drowning in issues larger than themselves. Umrigar’s storytelling is both complex and simple, unearthing chasms that shield issues and secrets. Her probing pokes holes in the belief that we’re living in a post-racial country. The telling is forthright and not given to embroidery of language or embellishment of emotion —she keeps it honest and above board.

She gives no pass to racism or white privilege and addresses the consequences at all levels of society. She examines each issue carefully and demands answers, even if the solution isn’t always realized within the pages of the book. One of the most interesting vehicles for exploring racism is Carine, Anton’s African-American girlfriend at Harvard. She is from a fairly well-to-do family, yet she challenges the way Anton was raised, and why he never talks or asks about his birth mother. Following dinner with his parents and grandfather, a retired U.S. senator, a topic of discussion is quickly shut down. Carine boldly counters that in her house, everything is open for debate because her immigrant father believes that’s what it means to be an American. Later, she tells Anton, “I can’t decide if you’re the blackest white man I’ve ever met or the whitest black man.” In another scene, Anton is stopped by a white policeman simply because he’s a well-dressed black man sitting in an expensive car on the side of a rural road. This is a new experience for Anton, and he has no ready tools for diffusing a potential clash. He knows that this shameful reality exists for other African-American men, and he knows these stops could potentially lead to bloodshed. But this reality had never entered his world before. Racism’s equally-uninvited sibling, white privilege, is found on nearly every page of this novel. Like its true manifestation, it lingers and lurks when not openly exercised, and even then, it never has to be acknowledged to be awarded. White privilege is a relatively-new topic in open

Having lost his teenaged son several years earlier, Coleman and his wife had failed to find anything that could fill that gaping void in their lives. Anton might be the answer, and all of their lives will be better for it.

national conversation. With the population of America becoming less white, I wondered if Umrigar had any thoughts about how white privilege could change. “I don’t think changing demographics necessarily means there will be less white privilege because privilege is not about numbers, it is about institutional power,” she said in an e-interview. “Look at South Africa—blacks outnumbered whites by large percentages, but the levers of power were always in the hands of the white population.” And so, too, in this novel, the levers of power are firmly in white hands. Politics is a divisive topic, and when the recent presidential election cycle began in 2015, it’s all many people could talk about. Democracy is messy as a rule, it’s difficult on good days, and all of that is woven into this novel. Could this story have been told as effectively had the Colemans been engaged in some other highprofile profession? “That’s a very interesting question indeed,” said Umrigar. “I don’t think it would have worked in quite the same way if the Colemans were not a political family, for the following reasons: One, from the aspect of plot, I think that

the corruption that’s at the heart of this story is facilitated by the fact that David Coleman is a judge and the scion of a political dynasty. I think this makes people eager to help him while also trusting him. Two, I wanted to explore the limits of liberal piety. And having Coleman be a politician made that exploration clean.” Everybody’s Son is Umrigar’s first that is fully American with no Indian characters. She’s acutely aware of that fact, but it’s also a part of her growth as an accomplished writer. “More and more, I was seeing myself as an American writer and not just as an Indian-American writer,” she said. “And what is more of an American topic than race? But I wasn’t actively casting about for a story. This particular story came to me in a flash. All I had to do, was write it down. Having said this, there’s a great responsibility that comes from weighing in on issues as fraught with symbolism and history as racial relations. In a sense I talk about similar issues in The Weight of Heaven and in The Space Between Us, but I guess I could take some liberties there in that most critics would think of the setting of those novels as ‘my culture,’

despite the fact that I have lived longer in America than India, and indeed have spent my entire adult life in America.” When I asked her what gave birth to this story, I thought about the 2016 election cycle, the shift in social issue awareness, and the polarization of the country. She was straightforward with her answer: “This book was written a few years ago, when the Black Lives Matter movement was ascendant and the Obama era was at the beginning of the end,” she said. “I’m sure those things were swirling around me and within me.” Everybody’s Son is timely and reflective, uncomfortable at times and completely engaging. Filled with hope and wonder, challenges and obstacles, this is the perfect vehicle for making sense of one’s own world, emotions, and feelings. And what a perfect time for all of us to do just that. n Jeanne E. Fredriksen lives in North Carolina, where she is the managing editor of a monthly newspaper and is a Books for Youth reviewer for Booklist magazine, a publication of the American Library Association.

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travel

Liming in Grenada – The “Real” Caribbean By Riz Mithani

Colonial St. George

n implausible scent concocted from the grime on the streets of Market Square blending with that of nutmeg and cinnamon from the spice vendors is characteristic of the experience one can expect on this steamy tropical island—Grenada. It is part of the windward chain in the Eastern Caribbean that are generally the larger in size in the West Indies. It would behoove you at some point during your stay to drive on the left side of the road, or preferably ride with someone who can better navigate the extraordinarily hilly streets of the island to Gouvaye on the west coast. Here, you can take a tour of the fragrant nutmeg processing station which is right on the dusty main thoroughfare of the town. The pescetarians amongst you could stay back for the world famous fish fry, where the seafood is grilled, broiled, steamed, baked, sautéed and of course fried which you can partake while jamming to calypso, soca or reggae. 42 | INDIA CURRENTS | West Coast Edition | July 2017

A coconut seller

The term “liming” is literally derived from having nothing more demanding to do but squeeze limes under a lime tree.

The term “liming” is literally derived from having nothing more demanding to do but squeeze limes under a lime tree. Your typical day of liming in Grenada would start out with swimming in the amazingly calm waters off the Grand Anse Beach. Once you have rinsed off the sand from the crevices of your body either in the pool shower or the bathtub in your room, you can make your way to Wall Street whose only connection to its namesake in New York City is a shabby Western Union outlet in disrepair. What really brings you there is the promise of breakfast with grilled items laid out for your purchase behind the glass sneezeguards which could use a good scrubbing with Windex. Fruit stalls beckon, and I walk over to one. For Cody (not his real name), the pleasure of engaging in a Sunday of liming is unfortunately unattainable. He has a fruit stall on Wall Street stacked with tropi-

cal fruits like bananas, pineapples, papayas, sugar apples and mangoes which you can either nosh on in their solid state or get them juiced in his handy-dandy blender. On weekdays Cody commutes in a packed minivan from his village; it does not run on Sundays; he walks almost four hours that day to his fruit stall and its effect is evident on his muscles despite his diminutive build. He does not wish to miss out on earning on Sundays, as he is focused on saving for a better future. Cody speaks Creole English with his fellow Grenadians but switches to English when speaking with us. It is quite interesting when a Brit joins in on the conversation one day. With his British accent, Cody’s West Indian and my East Indian one, although we are all speaking English, to a casual observer it might as well have been three different languages. Cody expresses his concern about the degradation of moral values and seems remiss about whether he will find a “good” island woman who will do a day of honest work, who he could marry and raise a family with. As Cody breaks up one more coconut and pours the heavenly liquid within its shell, a red minivan, not unlike the one that Cody takes in on weekdays, with Number 1 emblazoned on its windshield stops to let out a few passengers on Wall

Author at Grand Anse Beach

Street. When the three in our party go on board, the van looks as packed as if no one had disembarked. The driver’s assistant gives us an assuring look and confidently waves us in, packing us in like sardines as we head to the central terminal in St. George, which is one of the six parishes on the main island of Grenada. We are driving to a spot that hosts incoming cruise ships on a daily basis. The cruise ships let off their passengers into the corridors of a decidedly expensive mall with stores that sell souvenirs, imita-

Daredevil diver at Concord Falls

tion jewelry and designer clothes with prices marked in US Dollars and Euros. When these passengers finally walk out into town, they are bound to encounter street vendors who sell similar souvenirs, jewelry and designer knock-offs at cheaper prices; further, these unsuspecting transients, the modern day sea voyagers do not realize that the prices quoted in dollars in town do not refer to the greenback but to Carribean dollars which are roughly 2 and ½ times less expensive! A fool and their money are soon parted goes the pithy maxim that describes this best. For lunch, the touristy part of the Island of Grenada has no dearth of restaurants, if you do not mind your creole sauce made from ketchup! With some effort you should be able to locate a more authentic experience partaking the national dish of “oil down” made from local spices; it is made from a base of breadfruit and comes in both vegetarian and meat varieties—if you are up to it they could make it spicy with a dash of hot Congo Pepper. All in all, “oil down” can be heavy on your stomach and you might want to spend the rest of the afternoon lounging on the beach, a choice activity that is part of the liming experience. You can simply nap or bury yourself in a good book, or do a bit of both. While liming in this fashion, be sure to purchase a trinket or two from beachside vendors without bargaining; they are selling their wares cheaper than the stores and depend on your generosity to improve their basic livelihood. The area near the Central Terminal where the cruise ships dock in St. George

July 2017 | West Coast Edition | www.indiacurrents.com | 43

is bustling during the day but it looks like something straight out of the Pirates of the Caribbean after dark. It is safe to say that it is not safe for you to be there at night, even though Grenada has one of the lowest crime rates in the Caribbean. Just stick to vendors near your hotel, including those on Wall Street that may serve up packets of freshly made popcorn or juiced sugarcane depending on the season. Wall Street is agog with parties with an abundance of food, drinks, and music until six in the morning on Fridays and Saturdays. If you are tired of liming, (yes it can happen), then you can make a day out of visiting the Grand Etang rainforest in the central part of the island and you can also take in the attractions on the East Coast. The terrain flanking the Grand Etang Road is very different from the sandy beaches on the coast. The National Park bearing the same name boasts of quite a few hikes that chase waterfalls. If you head to Amandale Falls where you are certain to spot a lanky Caribbean dude doing daredevil dives off the cliff into the large pool

Spice Market in St. George

formed by the waterfall; remember itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not a paid attraction and he is risking his life for tips from the likes of you and me. Along the East Coast, north of Greenville, you may like the tour of the River Antoine Rum Distillery, a self-sustaining marvel if there is one; it generates its energy from a waterwheel fed by the river which powers the machines that crush the sugarcane, whose husk is used to fire up an old fashioned furnace that heats up ancient concrete vats which distill the sugarcane

juice converting it into rum with an alcohol content of 69%! If the alcohol content was 70% they would not be able to export it as at that level the distilled spirit would be combustible. Now you know! Whatever you do, donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t confuse Granada in Spain with Grenada in the Caribbean, the former being a formidable tourist destination with its Nasrid Palaces in the UNESCO Heritage site at Alhambra. In fact, back in 2014, an American dentist lost a $34,000 lawsuit against British Airways when he was flown to Grenada instead of the medieval city of Granada. Now of course, you know better than that! n Riz Mithani graduated from IIT Bombay in the previous century and currently ekes out a living in the Bay Area managing a team that peddles technology solutions to highly complex first world business problems. When he is not dancing, singing or traveling, he blogs occasionally at rizmit.wordpress.com

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recipes

By Praba Iyer

y cousin Ravi and his wife Radha were visiting America for the very first time. One day, as I was waiting to pick them up for a drive around town, Radha was unusually late. As she slowly stepped into the car, she handed me a small box, saying “this is what made me late, wanted to warm it up for you.” I could smell the treasure. “Elai Adai!” I screamed with joy (translates to leaf pancake). The last time I had savored this heavenly dish was at Radha’s daughter’s wedding in India about three years ago. I was teary and grateful for her thoughtfulness. All through the car ride we reminisced over my grandmother’s cooking and the culinary precedent her ancestors had set. The taste goddess had blessed my family tree with amazing cooks. In Tamil, there is a term for this, kai manam, which means “aromatic hands” meaning that whatever one cooked was filled with flavor and taste. We talked about my great-aunt Rashamma who lived alone in a big house surrounded by her paddy farms, mango and jackfruit groves, rubber plantations, and

Rashamma’s Keerai Masiyal

Ingredients 2 cups tightly packed fresh spinach 1 tablespoon coconut oil 1 teaspoon mustard seeds 1 teaspoon urad dhal 3-4 dry red pepper

50 | INDIA CURRENTS |West Coast Edition |July 2017

cows. Rashamma was known for her “kai manam.” She worked and managed the farms by herself; she was quite the busy landlady. Cooking was the last thing on her mind. But when she stepped into the kitchen, she created magic with the least amount of ingredients. I can never ever forget her keerai masiyal (a mashed spinach dish), that she whipped out with the bunch of spinach that she had just picked. Every time I make this dish it always takes me back to her kitchen. All this talk about food and family tree made me wonder—what will happen to my cooking lineage? My cousin and I wondered what our kids will cherish when it comes to our culinary heritage. Will elai adai and keerai masiyal die with me, along with sambar and rasam? Will my two boys ever know the value of the dishes I ate as a child or savored as a grown-up? Will it matter to these Indian American kids, who prefer In-N-Out burgers to idly sambar, that the idly is also a part of who they are? I almost had a panic attack thinking of the-almost-extinct dishes of my heritage. For example, I fear the endangerment of A pinch of asafetida 3-4 green chilies sliced 3-4 curry leaves ¼ cup fresh coconut scapings Salt to taste Method Clean, chop and cook the spinach in little water. Puree it and set aside. Heat coconut oil and add mustard seeds and let it splutter. Add urad dhal, dry red pepper, curry leaves, asafetida and green chilies. Add the fresh coconut scrapings and sauté for a few minutes. Once it is a little toasted add the pureed spinach, mix well and season with salt. Serve as a side dish with rice.

Avial

This is a famous Kerala side dish that is served at feasts and weddings. There are many variations to this basic recipe.

the quintessential Avial (a mix of many vegetables like long beans, winter melon, pumpkin, drumstick, raw mango, raw plantain, in a coconut green chili paste with yogurt) which is scorned at my dinner table with a “Yuck! Who invented this dish that looks bad and tastes bad?” sending a dagger through my heart bred in Kerala. The pavakkai pitla (bitter gourd in a tamarind coconut sauce), which is welcomed at the dinner table with “I think I’ll make myself a sandwich” or “I’m going out to eat,” I relegate to the dinosaur category. And the list goes on. That evening as I walked into my home, I could smell garlic and basil simmering on the stove. My son was cooking dinner. He asked me to taste the one-pot pasta he had made. He noticed the longing in my eyes and continued, “I will cook all your dishes one day, but for now it’s just pasta.” I chuckled and smiled hugging my son, for it really didn’t matter if its pasta or pitla that he was cooking. What did matter was that I had passed on the love for cooking to the next generation. Hopefully, the “heritage” recipes will come in time! n Ingredients Vegetables used are winter melon, raw plantain, long beans, pumpkin, carrots, and drumstick. Raw mango (a few pieces) 2 cups of vegetables julienned ¼ teaspoon turmeric 1 tablespoon coconut oil 3-4 curry leaves 1 cup sour yogurt Make into Paste 1 cup fresh coconut scrapings 3 to 4 green chilies Method Place the vegetables in a large flat sauce pan with winter melon at the bottom. Season with salt and add coconut oil, salt, curry leaves and turmeric. Cook the vegetables in a medium flame without mixing too much. Use a flat ladle to gently mix

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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 52 | INDIA CURRENTS |West Coast Edition |July 2017

Classes in Agoura Hills & Simi Valley, CA (Skype lessons offered)

818-292-8043 centreformohiniyattam@gmail.com www.vijayalakshmi.net

NRITYODAYA KATHAK ACADEMY Dancing is the loftiest, the most moving, the most beautiful of the arts, because it is not mere translation or abstraction from life; it is life itself~ Havelock Ellis

BHAIRAVI KUMAR

Founder/Director Since 1989 Contact: 909-630-8558 bhairavipkumar@yahoo.com www.kathaksocal.com

Kathak classes offered in Walnut/ Diamond Bar, Tustin/Irvine, Santa Ana

Affiliated with Hindustan art & music society, Calcutta. Students receives official accreditation, diplomas and degrees from India.

Nupur Academy LA Inc.

Institute for Indian Clasical Performing Arts - A Not For Profit Organization

Geeta & Sanjiv Munshi Arts Academy “Bringing you Music & Dance for 25 successful years!” Call us for LIVE MUSIC & DANCE PERFORMANCES!

• Vocal Classes • Instrument Classes • Dance Classes

Prachi Dixit Founder/Director Kathak | Tabla | Vocal Torrance, Cerritos & Venice

Call for classes in your location GSartsacademy@yahoo.com www.GSArtsAcademy.com

(310) 872-7061

Nishi Munshi

nupuracademyla@gmail.com • www.nupuracademyla.org

Miss India California

CELEBRATING DANCE 1977 to 2016

(562) 946-0496 (909) 556-6070

Viji Prakash

/indiacurents @ indiacurents

Founder/Director

Shakti School of Bharata Natyam Classes in West Los Angeles, Torrance, Cerritos, Orange/Irvine, Woodland Hills

“dance is the song of the soul” www.shaktibharatanatyam.com info@shaktibharatanatyam.com

INDIA CURRENTS Celebrating 30 Years of Excellence

70,000+ FOLLOWERS! n Latest news n Exclusive content n Digital extras

To advertise on Social Media Call

(408) 324-0488

ACADEMY OF KATHAK DANCE Classes offered at La Habra Heights, Whittier, Cerritos, Yorba Linda ( Classes can potentially be offered in your area - inquiries welcome)

Visiting Artist and Teacher Abhay Shankar Mishra Aarti Manek

Head of Kathak Department (Bharatiya Vidhya Bhavan, London, UK)

Contact: 1.714.595.3735 1.714.299.3525 shankaradance@gmail.com www.shankaradance.com

Bharata Natyam Folk Dances Classes: Duarte,Cerritos, Riverside,Chino Hills

Paulomi Pandit Recipient of Post Diploma from

Kalakshetra, India paulomi@rangashree.com www.rangashree.com

626-590-5547 July 2017 | West Coast Edition | www.indiacurrents.com | 53

music

Yeh Saala Salsa! By Priya Das

n 2014, Grammy award winner Christian Tumalan had spent 13 years in America and considered himself not fully American but “getting there.” He is band-lead of the 19 member Pacific Mambo Orchestra and believes that (net) working with DJs and local talent is one of the reasons the band is doing so well; he has developed a solid fan base. Of his latest joint-venture with Giju John called Bachata Indu, he says, “The one thing it is, is unique. There is no other album out there with a fusion of traditional Bachata and Indian sounds!” Who is Giju John and what is Mambo or Bachata for that matter? Well, John is a San Francisco Bay Area based Latin-Indian musician and dancer. He was part of the internationally touring Salsamania Dance Company for ten years, before investing in the idea of melding Latin and Indian sounds and rhythms. He hails from Kerala and as a child, he trained in Carnatic music and bharatanatyam. But it was love at first sight when he came to America and experienced Salsa. Salsa itself, like its culinary namesake, is a mix of many Latin and Afro-Caribbean influences. It is said that the name originated in New York, to mean a mix of dance/music from Cuba, the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico. Mambo literally means “Conversation with the Gods,” and was invented in the 1930s in Cuba. Bachata is from the Do-

Yogesh Karikurve 54 | INDIA CURRENTS |West Coast Edition |July 2017

Giju John

minican Republic, originally considered a poor cousin of the more traditional Bolero, but today, far more popular. There are many variations, but generally, Salsa music is in 4/4 time; the dance consists of 3 steps (2 quicks and 1 slow or a pause). Mambo is 4/4 too, but can range from 32 to a dizzy 56 beats per minute! Bachata is also played 4/4 but danced with 3 steps and a tap. John sees Bachata Indu as Indian Bachata, by introducing Indian sounds such as the santoor and vocals in Hindi. It is an EP (Extended Play) album with three songs, which he has co-produced with Tumalan. “Mi Corazon” begins mellowwith the guitar ushering in a soft ballad delivered via Hindi-Spanish lyrics. “Mas Bhangraton” is a contrast, with metallic, hard-edge guitaring moving into the tuntuna of Bhangra music, moving on to Pop; then some rap-style Punjabi lyrics—overall upbeat. “Yeh Saala Salsa” (Indian Mambo) is an out-an-out-for-dance track. The lyrics have found an elegant fit, though they take a backseat to the intense and fantastic rhythm. Tumalan certainly makes his presence felt here. The album is good for Indians who like Latin rhythms and want some familiar ground. It is tasteful musically; the lyrics serve the purpose of breaking down the rhythm, making it easier to keep up with the frenetic pace in the last track. It’s like a sampler dish, with each track having a distinct flavor. It would be a great gift to someone who has been hesitant about the

style of music and/or dance; and a great addition to any dance party. Just as John fell in love with Salsa and now is a mover and shaker in the LatinIndian genre, interestingly, one of the original forces behind the Salsa movement in Mumbai is someone who returned to India after a stint in the United States. Yogesh Karikurve got hooked into the Latin scene while he was studying here; he fully expected to insert himself into an already thriving Salsa scene in Mumbai. He was shocked to find on his return, that virtually nobody had heard about it; in fact, he felt compelled to dance to some of his own Latin music collection at a party where “La Bamba” was being passed of as Salsa music. That was sixteen years ago and it started a trend where he would conduct Latin-themed dance parties and workshops. International stars like Ricky Martin and Enrique visited India only to make Latin music more popular in other cities. The music caught the fancy of the masses as it started getting integrated into Bollywood songs. Now, annual salsa festivals have become the norm. Nightclubs play Latin music on designated nights— mostly on weekdays, to draw a niche audience to boost their business on slack days. Instructors who have started classes find these clubs a good place to market themselves and attract more students. Salsa India is an organization that claims to be the largest in India and has taught over 10,000 students across cities. There are dedicated clubs and those that do Salsa Tuesdays or Wednesdays in every major city here too. These start with instruction followed by dancing, when the club opens its doors to the experienced Salseros. In fact, Los Angeles and New York have their own sub-genre or style of Salsa. Bay Area citizens can visit www. salsabythebay.com to follow the local Salsa scene. n Priya Das is an enthusiastic follower of world music and avidly tracks intersecting points between folk, classical, jazz and other genres.

Swami Sukhabodhananda

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On Saturday Aug 5th 6 to 7:30pm VEDA Temple 475 Los Coches St (Hall#489) Milpitas, CA 95035 (next to ICC) "Emotional detox-enhancing life" is a four hours interactive workshop focusing on stress, fear , diffidence, frustration, hurt...and how to deal with them effectively and creatively through interaction, meditation and group dynamics.

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July 2017 | West Coast Edition | www.indiacurrents.com | 55

Kuchipudi Art Center

(Artistic Director: Smt. Sunita Pendekanti) presents

Kuchipudi Rangapravesam of

Snigdha Uppu August 5th 2017, 3:30 PM Musicians

Nattuvangam: Smt. Sunita Pendekanti Vocal: Smt. Chandrika Pai Mridangam: Sri. Balaji Mahadevan Flute: Sri. Srinivas Kommu Veena: Kumari. Geeta Shankar Violin: Sri. Susheel Narasimhan

DVHS Performing Art Center

10550 Albion Rd, San Ramon, CA 94582 For More Information Contact:

Ram Uppu: (925) 876-7133 ram_uppu@yahoo.com ADMSSION FREE, ALL ARE WELCOME

Bharatanrityam arangetram Disciple of Smt. Radhika Shankar, Artistic Director

Showcase of Western Dance Student of Yokoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Dance & Performing Arts Academy

Sonya Shankar

Saturday, August 5, 2017, 3.00p.m. CET Theatre, 701, Vine Street, San Jose, CA.

56 | INDIA CURRENTS |West Coast Edition |July 2017

July 2017 | West Coast Edition | www.indiacurrents.com | 57

ADVERTISE IN

INDIA CURRENTS Celebrating 30 Years of Excellence

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“Thanks in large part to your service, I have a large Indian clientele. Appreciate the service you have performed for my practice. - Bill Gray, MD “We would like to thank India Currents for the wonderful opportunity it has offered ‘Most Unique Parties & Ponies’ to meet and entertain the fun and friendly Indian families of the Bay Area.” - Mike & Sari Most Unique Parties & Ponies

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“ The ad looks superb. I also received a box of India Currents which flew faster than the hot samosas last weekend.” - N. Muralikrishnan Music Class on Demand “ You posted a full page ad for my show Eastern Structures Western Sounds. It was a great success and I want to thank you very much” - Saku Rodrigo Om Linga Perf. Arts

CALL: (408) 324-0488 | (714) 523-8788 Mythili Kumar Artistic Director, Abhinaya www.abhinaya.org Tickets: $35 (VIP), $20 (General), $15 (Kids below 11), Senior Citizens get 20% off Buy tickets online at http://tinyurl.com/GandhiSanRamon or http://www.ci.san-ramon.ca.us/parks/theater/dvpac.htm For more details, visit www.indianclassicalarts.org or fb.com/IndianClassicalArts or call Venkatesh (925) 858-2392. 58 | INDIA CURRENTS |West Coast Edition |July 2017

Email: ads@indiacurrents.com www.indiacurrents.com Write: 2670 S White Rd., Suite 165, San Jose, CA 95148 Deadline: 20th of every month

dance . music

BharathaKala Kutiram

Music Performing Class Enrich it by listening to Dr. Madhuwanti Mirashi

Artistic Director:

Jayanthi Sridharan

(disciple of Pt. Omkarnath Thakur) Available for performances for all occasions.

offers Bharathanatyam Classes in Berryessa, North San Jose

Vocal Music: Light and Classical Instruments: Tabla, Harmonium, Synthesizer (Casio, Yamaha) Music Appreciation: (Hindustani) Voice Culture: (Indian Method)

Call: (408) 251-3438

Phone:(408)

e-mail: bkkdanceschool@gmail.com

246-1643

msmirashi@hotmail.com

Geeta & Sanjiv Munshi Arts Academy “Bringing you Music & Dance for 25 successful years!” Call us for LIVE MUSIC & DANCE PERFORMANCES!

• Vocal Classes • Instrument Classes • Dance Classes Call for classes in your location GSartsacademy@yahoo.com www.GSArtsAcademy.com Nishi Munshi

Miss India California

KALANJALI Dances of India

Private Lessons ALL AGES & LEVELS

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(562) 946-0496 (909) 556-6070

Establshed in 1975

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• Saxophone, Guitar, Flute, Clarinet Writing, reading & speaking skills • Classical, Jazz & Pop styles • Prepare for high school and college • Includes comprehensive program of playing, • Word choice, vocabulary, grammar, diction rhythm & ear training, theory, recitals, etc. • Essay, academic & creative writing • Qualify for local youth symphonies, wind ensembles, jazz bands, & college music. Peter: (408)

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Bansuri Bamboo Flute

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Dances of India

Srividya Eashwar Artistic Director and Choreographer

l Classes offered in a combination of style

including Indian Folk, Film and Fusion.

l Multiple Locations in San Jose and Cupertino.

Now starting at Saratoga!

l New Session for kids and adults and Summer

Camp Registrations now accepted.

408-838-3079 / 408-246-3005

www.facebook.com/xpressions.sanjose

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July 2017 | West Coast Edition | www.indiacurrents.com | 59

events JULY

Californiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Best Guide to Indian Events Edited by: Mona Shah List your event for FREE!

AUGUST issue deadline: Thursday, July 20 To list your event in the Calendar, go to www.indiacurrents.com and click on Create Event

Check us out on

special dates U.S. Independence Day

July 4

Guru Purnima

July 9

Raksha Bandhan

Aug. 7

Krishna Janmashtami

Aug. 14

India Independence Day

Aug. 15

CULTURAL CALENDER

July

1 Saturday

Elements: Nature Inspired Art Show by Bhavna Misra. Featuring

artist, Bhavna Misra, with a collection of oil paintings that include local landscapes, sky-scapes and wildlife portraiture. Organized by City of Milpitas. 10 a.m. Phantom Art Gallery 457 E Calaveras Blvd., Milpitas. https://bhavnamisra.com/ (510) 862-4169.

Carnatic Vocal Concerts. 2:15-4:45

p.m. Pranav Kikkeri (vocal) accompanied by Narasimha Kikkeri (violin) and Akshay Venkatesan (mridangam). 5-7:30 p.m. Keerthana Sankar (vocal) accompa-

60 | INDIA CURRENTS | West Coast Edition | July 2017

Gurukul Kathak Retreat. With Guru-in-Residence Pandita Maneesha Sathe from Pune, July 11.

nied by Vignesh Thyagarajan (violin) and Vignesh Venkataraman (mridangam). Organized by SR Fine Arts. 2:15 p.m. - 7:30

p.m. Community Of Infinite Spirit 1540 Hicks Avenue, San Jose. www.srfinearts.info (408) 569-0860.

events DANCE

Inaugural Season of the Newly Formed Chitresh Das Institute

DI emerged following the untimely death of Pandit Chitresh Das in January 2015. Founded in September 2016 by Executive Director Celine Schein Das, Artistic Director Charlotte Moraga, and Chitresh Das Institute School Director Preeti Zalavadia, the Chitresh Das Institute is committed to carrying forward and expanding the legacy of Pandit Chitresh Das (1944-2015) by developing education, community building and presenting programs that will make it the nerve center of Indian classical arts in the West. Perhaps, on paper, Charlotte Moraga was not the most likely candidate to become Artistic Director of the Chitresh Das Institute. She is not of Indian descent; born and raised in Florida she trained in jazz and ballet, but when she stepped into Pandit Chitresh Das’ class in 1992, her life changed forever. Moraga is not only a brilliant dancer, with tremendous speed and clarity of technique, delicate grace and searingly powerful abhinaya—she also is a brilliant choreographer. The performances at Z Space, with none other than the great master of tabla Pandit Swapan Chaudhuri, will give audiences a chance to see Moraga as the masterful traditional kathak

Charlotte Moraga and Pandit Swapan Chaudhuri

soloist that she is—from vandana, to bolparan, to abhinaya. The opening performance by the Chitresh Das Youth Company will showcase Moraga’s creativity, in a piece she choreographed, Shradhanjanli, in tribute to her Guruji. Additionally, Moraga will

perform an excerpt from a new work she’s creating, Mantram, which will have its full premiere in 2018. n July 21, 22; 8-10 p.m. July 23, 2 p.m. Z Space 450 Florida Street, San Francisco. https://tinyurl.com/y7gxj26d

PARADE

51st Annual Festival of the Chariots

ndian Americans, along with other devotees of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, will gather to celebrate Ratha Yatra, the chariot festival of Lord Jagannatha. Performed at the spiritual seaside resort of Puri, India for more than 2000 years, this centuriesold festival, involve devotees of Sri Jagannath—the Lord of the Universe—pulling him in his current form as Krishna, back to Vrindavan. Typically at this annual interactive parade, people pull three large chariots by ropes throughout Golden Gate Park, ending at Sharon Meadow on the corner

of JFK Dr. and Stanyan Street around 1 pm for the Festival of India. Kids also get to pull the chariots, and there are a lot of family friendly activities planed. Balloons, face painting, books and exhibits explaining science of reincarnation, BhagavadGita, dramas depicting pastimes of Lord Krishna, dances, devotional songs and music. n Sunday, July 30, Golden Gate Park, San Francisco. Parade Begins: 11 am (JFK & Transverse, GG Park). Festival: 1 pm (Sharon Meadow). Iskconberkeley.wordpress.com. July 2017 | West Coast Edition | www.indiacurrents.com | 61

events

California’s Best Guide to Indian Events

July

9 Saturday

Toba Tek Singh—A Grand Musical in Hindi. It is 1948. The governments

of India and Pakistan decide that, as has happened with the rest of their population, lunatics in their mental asylums must be exchanged. Muslim lunatics in India are to be sent to Pakistan, while Hindu and Sikh lunatics in Pakistan will be sent to India. In an asylum in Lahore, a Sikh lunatic whom everyone calls Toba Tek Singh refuses to go. Based on Saadat Hasan Manto’s celebrated short story. Organized by Naatak. 4 p.m. Woodside High School Performing Arts Center 199 Churchill Ave., Woodside. http://www. naatak.com/portfolio/toba-tek-singh-2017/.

Sevathon 2017. 5K, 10K, half mara-

Fanna-Fi-Alah Sufi qawwali concert, July 9

Bharatanatyam Arangetram of Devayani Varma. Student of Katherine Kalanjali, Artistic Director of Kalanjali. Accompanied by musicians from India. Organized by Kalanjali. 4 p.m. Richard Brunelle Performance Hall Davis Senior High School 315 West 14th Street, Davis.

July

6 Thursday

Fremont Summer Comedy Bash Live. Featuring Kabir “Kabeezy” Singh

who is fresh off his work on the latest season of Fox’s hit comedy show The Family Guy. Organized by Kabir Kabeezy Singh. 8-9:30 p.m. Kirby’s Sports Bar 42312 Fremont Boulevard, Fremont. https://www. eventbrite.com/e/fremont-summer-comedybash-live-at-kirbys-tickets-34905053956?aff =efbeventtix.

July

8 Saturday

62 | INDIA CURRENTS | West Coast Edition | July 2017

Bharatanatyam Arangetram of Meera Suresh. Student of Navia Na-

tarajan, Artistic Director of Navia Dance Academy. Organized by Navia Dance Academy. 3:30 p.m. Cubberley Community Center Theatre 4000 Middlefield Road, Palo Alto. www.navianatarajan.com. (408) 781-2176.

San Francisco Ethnic Dance Festival. The largest and most comprehen-

sive world dance and music event with performances by 24 Bay Area-based world dance and music groups at the San Francisco War Memorial Opera House. The lineup includes six groups making their Festival debuts and the season will feature five world premieres created specifically for the 2017 Festival. Organized by SF Ethnic Dance Festival. 6:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m. War Memorial Opera House 301 Van Ness Ave, San Francisco. sfethnicdancefestival.org (415) 392-4400.

thon and marathon of Surya Namaskars (Sun Salutations) to raise funds for the charity of your choice. Sevathon is the walkathon that aims to set the standard as the largest social and service platform of its kind. It recognizes, supports, and nurtures a spirit of giving by empowering individuals of diverse backgrounds to unite and strengthen their communities. Organized by India Community Center. 7:00 a.m. Arena East Green, San Jose. http://iccsevathon.org/register (408) 5043765.

Fanna-fi-Allah Sufi Qawwali Concert. Qawwali music celebrates the great

Sufi mystics of old, and relishes in the love of the Divine through poetry. Sung with a powerful and soaring melodious chorus and accompanied by entrancing energetic rhythms of tabla and group clapping, the Beloved is celebrated with ecstatic devotion. 7:00 p.m. Great American Music Hall 859 O’Farrell St., San Francisco. http://www.slimspresents.com/event/fannafi-allah-gamh-sufi-qawwali-concert-filmpreview/ (530) 687-2697.

July

11 Tuesday

Gurukul Kathak Retreat. With Guruin-Residence Pandita Maneesha Sathe

events

California’s Best Guide to Indian Events

from Pune, India. Maneesha belongs to Nataraj Pandit Gopi Krishna’s Benaras Gharana of Kathak. She shares her secrets behind the variety, synchronicity, youthfulness and energy. Organized by Shambhavi’s International School of Kathak and Meenal’s Academy of Performing Arts. 4:00 p.m. Mount Madonna Center 445 Summit Rd., Watsonville. (650) 930-0328.

Everything’s Fine in Chinatown. A new body of work from photojournalist, Iqvinder Singh. This series looks at the Chinatown beyond the tourist perspective. Refreshments will be provided. 5:00 p.m. Throckmorton Theatre 142 Throckmorton Ave., Mill Valley. http://throckmortontheatre.org/ (415) 383-9600.

July

15 Saturday

Surmala—Hindustani Classical Music Concert. Vocalist Sujata

Ghanekar presents Hindustani Classical ragas, accompanied by Preeti Pisolkar (harmonium) and Arshad Sayied (tabla). This will be followed by instrumental tabla percussion on 13 tablas by Arshad Sayied. Organized by Classical Music Series. 5:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. India Community Center 525 Los Coches St., Milpitas. www.indiacc.org.

San Francisco Ethnic Dance Festival. The largest and most comprehen-

sive world dance and music event with performances by 24 Bay Area-based world dance and music groups at the San Francisco War Memorial Opera House. The lineup includes six groups making their Festival debuts and the season will feature five world premieres created specifically for the 2017 Festival. Organized by SF Ethnic Dance Festival. 8:00 p.m. War Memorial Opera House 301 Van Ness Ave, San Francisco. sfethnicdancefestival.org (415) 392-4400.

Aarat—A Kathak Workshop on Thumri. Taught by Deepali Vichare.

This workshop will focus on abhinaya, adaa, and expressions taught on thumri. Organized by Aarat USA. 2:00 p.m. San Jose. https://www.facebook.com/aaratusa/

Aarat—A Kathak Workshop on Thumri. Taught by Deepali Vichare, July 15

408-332-2392.

Santoor and Sarangi Concert. Pankaj

Mishra and Sandip Chaterjee perform in a sarangi and santoor jugalbandi concert accompanied by Subhajyoti Guha on tabla. Organized by Basant Bahar. 5:00 p.m. Jain Temple Auditorium 722 S Main St., Milpitas. www.basantbahar.org 5106516386.

July

20 Thursday

Vinod Khosla on The Future of Technology. Khosla will discuss how

to harness the entrepreneurial spirit to develop the clean technologies we desperately need. Organized by The Commonwealth Club. 6:15 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. Oshman Family JCC, Schultz Hall 3921 Fabian Way, Palo Alto. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/ vinod-khosla-the-future-of-technology-tickets33911675735?aff=sv060517.

July

21 Friday

Chitresh Das Institute Inaugural Season. World Premiere of The Art of

Kathak, a traditional Kathak solo performance by Charlotte Moraga accompanied by tabla master Pandit Swapan Chaudhuri. The evening will also include a performance by the Chitresh Das Youth Company, and excerpts from Mantram, Moraga’s newest work-in-progress. Organized by Chitresh Das Institute. 8:00 p.m.10:00 p.m. Z Space 450 Florida Street, San Francisco. https://www.chitreshdasinstitute. org/calendar (415) 342-5691.

July

22 Saturday

Chitresh Das Institute Inaugural Season. World Premiere of The Art of

July 2017 | West Coast Edition | www.indiacurrents.com | 63

events

California’s Best Guide to Indian Events Chitresh Das Institute Inaugural Season. World Premiere of The Art of

Kathak, a traditional Kathak solo performance by Charlotte Moraga accompanied by tabla master Pandit Swapan Chaudhuri. The evening will also include a performance by the Chitresh Das Youth Company, and excerpts from Mantram, Moraga’s newest work-in-progress. Organized by Chitresh Das Institute. 2:00 p.m. Z Space 450 Florida Street, San Francisco. https://www.chitreshdasinstitute.org (415) 626-0453.

Tales of Transformation from Chuang Tzu —Readings and Book Signing. Ray will read tales reflecting

Summer comedy bash with Kabir Kabeezy Singh, July 6 and 23

Kathak, a traditional Kathak solo performance by Charlotte Moraga accompanied by tabla master Pandit Swapan Chaudhuri. The evening will also include a performance by the Chitresh Das Youth Company, and excerpts from Mantram, Moraga’s newest work-in-progress. Organized by Chitresh Das Institute. 8:00 p.m.-10 p.m. Z Space 450 Florida Street, San Francisco. https://www.chitreshdasinstitute.org, (415) 626-0453.

the theme of transformation from the first seven Inner Chapters/Nei Pien of The Chuang Tzu, an ancient Chinese Taoist work characterizing transformations in human being and living. 11:00 a.m.-12:15 p.m. Cultural Integration Fellowship 2650 Fulton

Gandhi. A dance drama based on Mahatma Gandhi’s life. Organized by Abhinaya Dance Company. 6:00 p.m. Dougherty Valley Performing Arts Center 10550 Albion Road, San Ramon. www.abhinaya.org. (408) 871-5959.

July

23 Sunday

7th Annual Summer Comedy Bash w/ Kabeezy. Featuring Kabir “Kabeezy”

Singh who is fresh off his work on the latest season of Fox’s hit comedy show The Family Guy. Organized by San Jose Improv. 7 p.m. San Jose Improv Comedy Club, 62 S 2nd St., San Jose. http://sanjose. improv.com/comedian/tw-artistinfo/7th+An nual+Summer+Comedy+Bash+w%2F+ Kabeezy/ Naatak’s play in Hindi, Toba Tek Singh, July 9 – 29 64 | INDIA CURRENTS | West Coast Edition | July 2017

events

Californiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Best Guide to Indian Events

St., San Francisco. www.culturalintegrtionfellowship.org. (415) 668-1559.

July

30 Sunday

Ratha Yatra 2017. Annual interactive parade, people pull three large chariots by ropes throughout Golden Gate Park, ending at Sharon Meadow on the corner of JFK Dr. and Stanyan Street around 1 p.m. for the Festival of India. Kids also get to pull the chariots, and there are a lot of family friendly activities planned. Balloons, face painting, books and exhibits explaining science of reincarnation, Bhagavad-Gita, dramas depicting pastimes of Lord Krishna, dances, devotional songs and music. Organized by ISKCON. 11:00 a.m. Golden Gate Park, San Francisco JFK & Transverse, GG Park. iskconberkeley. wordpress.com. Virasat and Dhvanyaâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;A Kathak and Bharatanatyam Show. With

kathak artists, Maneesha Sathe and Shambhavi Dandekar presenting Virasat in the first half. Bharatanatyam artist, Chitra Chandrasekhar Dasarathy presents Dhvanya in the second half. Organized

Asha Bhosle and Javed Ali live in concert, August 12

by Yuva Bharati. 5:30 p.m. Mission City Center for Performing Arts 3250 Monroe Street, Santa Clara. www.yuvabharati.org. (650) 565-8859.

August

5 Saturday

Bharatanatyam Arangetram and Showcase of Western Dance by Sonya Shankar. Student of Radhika

Shankar, who trained in the Nrithyo-

daya tradition under Padmashri Dr. Padma Subrahmanyam. Accompanied by Radhika Shankar (nattuvangam) Sindhu Natarajan (vocals), Aditya Ganesh (mridangam) and Priyanka Chary (veena). Organized by Radhika Shankar. 3:00 p.m. CET, 701 Vine Street, San Jose. (510) 2521761.

August

6 Sunday

Snekha Senthilkumar Bharatanatyam Arangetram. Student of Mythili

Kumar, Artistic Director of Abhinaya Dance Company. Accompanied by a live orchestra. Organized by Abhinaya Dance Company. 4-6 p.m. Mission City Theater 3250 Monroe St., Santa Clara. www.abhinaya.org. (408) 871-5959.

August

12 Saturday

Bharatanatyam Arangetram of Shatoparba Banerjee. Student of Shreelata

Suresh, Artistic Director, Vishwa Shanti Dance Academy. Organized by Sayantika and Subhasis Banerjee. 3:30 p.m.-7:00 p.m. Cubberly Theater 4000 Middlefield Road, Palo Alto. (650) 678-5419.

Asha Bhosle and Javed Ali Live.

Tales of Transformation from Chuang Tzu, July 23

Organized by Asha Bhosle. 8:30 p.m. Event Center at SJSU 290 S 7th St., San Jose. https://www.facebook.com/ events/1908270819428843/?active_ tab=about.

July 2017 | West Coast Edition | www.indiacurrents.com | 65

events

California’s Best Guide to Indian Events

Southern California CULTURAL CALENDER July

1 Saturday

Musical Night. Organized by Dipika

Desai. 8:00 p.m. Amaya Banquet and Lounge, 7850 Beach Boulevard, Buena Park. (562) 884-5727.

July

8 Saturday

Bharatanatyam Arangretram of Kanhi Patel. Student of Malini Krish-

namurthi, artistic Director of Natyanjali. Organized by Natyajali. 6 p.m. (909) 489-4327.

July

12 Wednesday

Indian Wedding—A Play. Join sisters Amrita and Sunanda on Sangeet night as they present a variety of comedy, dance, and music acts in celebration of their brother’s wedding. Expect all the vivacity, volume and vibrancy of a Bollywood Extravaganza. Organized by Amrita Dhaliwal & Sunanda Sachatrakul. 8:00 p.m. The Three Clubs, 1123 Vine Street, Los Angeles.

July

15 Saturday

Sri Krishna—A Bharatanatyam Dance Performance. Performances by

students of Malini Krishnamurthi, Artistic Director of Natyanjali School of Dance. Accompanied by Malini Krishnamurthi (nattuvangam), Raghuram Rajagopal (vocal), Srihari Rangaswamy (mridangam) and Narasimhamurthy Ramamishra (flute). Organized by Natyanjali School of Dance. 5:00 p.m.University Theater, Bldg. 25, 3801 W. Temple Ave., Pomona. www. IndianDanceSteps.com (626) 383-8541.

July

16 Sunday

Thillalangadi Mohanambal—A Tamizh Comedy Play. Featuring YG 66 | INDIA CURRENTS | West Coast Edition | July 2017

Sri Krishna, a bharatanatyam dance performance by students of Malini Krishnamurthi, July 15

Madhuvanthi Arun and team. Appuswamy is in a dilemma. According to his mother’s will, he can only inherit her property on the day of his marriage. And there is another clause that says he has to marry before or on his 30th birthday, which is just a week away. The problem is his girlfriend has eloped with his roommate. Now he needs to find someone before the deadline or lose everything. Organized by Southern California Tamil Manram. 4:30 p.m.-7:00 p.m. Facility in Irvine (TBA) https://goo.gl/fpszzc (562) 653-6120.

July

22 Saturday

Golf Tournament–Gala Charity Fund Raising. Followed by drinks,

DJ, dance and dinner. All proceeds will benefit the disabled veterans. Organized by Global Initiative Of Veterans. 4:00 p.m. Van Nuys Golf Course 6550 Odessa Avenue, Los Angeles. www.give2016.com (818) 8762092.

Taranun—The Melody of Music.

Featuring harmonium maestro Sanatan Goswami as he displays his deftness on the xylophone. Accompanied by Abhijeet

Banerjee on tabla. Organized by Kalanjali. 6:00 p.m. Chinmaya Rameshwaram 14451 Franklin Ave, Tustin. (714) 469-6268.

July

23 Sunday

Prayaag—Confluence of Rivers, A Bharatanatyam Dance Drama. Or-

ganized by Rangashree Dances of India. 5:00 p.m. William Bristol Civic Auditorium 16600 Civic Center Drive, Bellflower. http:// rangashree.com, (626) 590-5547.

July

29 Saturday

Shravan Sandhya 2017. Featuring Kamalini Mukherjee. Organized by Dakshini. 7:00 p.m. Hoover Middle School Auditorium 3501 East Country Club Dr., Lakewood. (714) 483-0853. Kuch Toh Log Kahenge—A Play In Hindi. Organized by Super/Dylan

Entertainment LLC. 7 p.m. Wilshire Ebell Theatre 4401 West 8th Street, Los Angeles. (310) 600-5058. © Copyright 2017 India Currents. All rights reserved. Reproduction for commercial use strictly prohibited.

July 2017 | West Coast Edition | www.indiacurrents.com | 67

Safe Routes 2 School Celebrates Another Year!

date! Due to the growing success of family bike rides in the City, we will be introducing different “heats” to future rides, so that riders can find the right ride for them.

upertino Safe Routes 2 School aims to improve safety conditions around schools and foster an environment that empowers students to walk, bike, and carpool to school. This program, which began in 2015 celebrates another year of success as the 2016/17 school year draws to a close. Among the many events that took place this year, we’d like to highlight a few program achievements, as well as list a few top priority goals for the 2017/18 school year. What We’ve Done: School Expansion: In the 2016/17 school year, Cupertino SR2S ended its 6-school pilot phase and expanded the program to include all 14 schools located in Cupertino! All schools now have supportive SR2S staff and parents working on projects related to walking, biking, or carpooling for their students. Engineering Audits: Using partial grant funding and partial local funds, Cupertino Safe Routes 2 School hired Alta Planning to conduct walk audit studies at all 14 schools in Cupertino. These audits brought together City staff, school staff, and parent volunteers to observe traffic patterns during pick-up and drop-off times and used that observation data to create reports for recommended infrastructure and pro-

68 | INDIA CURRENTS | West Coast Edition | July 2017

grammatic improvements both on and around each campus. Cupertino’s Transportation Division will integrate these recommendations into their work plans moving forward. Built a Team: Through extensive community outreach, Cupertino Safe Routes 2 School recruited parents and school staff to become Safe Routes 2 School Champions! This robust team of change-makers brings equal representation to all Cupertino schools and works together to implement programs that encourage active transportation and safety for students. To become an SR2S Champion at your school email saferoutes@cupertino.org!

What We’re Going to Do: Route Maps: For the 2017/18 school year, Cupertino Safe Routes 2 School will introduce “Suggested Route to School” maps for every school in Cupertino. These maps will identify the suggested routes for families to get to school by walking or biking. These maps have been created through an ongoing collaborative process between City GIS staff, school communities, and school districts. Walking School Buses: Safe Routes 2 School kicked off its first Walking School Bus at Lincoln Elementary School this Spring. These walking school buses are essentially walking carpools that allow families to meet at a location near school in the morning and walk together as a group to help alleviate car traffic and add more exercise to their day! Due to a growing demand, we will be organizing Walking School Buses at more elementary schools next school year.

Bike Safety in the Classroom: SR2S knows that knowledge is power, and in the case of bicycling- it means safety. In partnership with the Santa Clara County School Resource Officers and Cupertino Union School District, Cupertino SR2S is bringing in-class bicycle and pedestrian education lessons to Cupertino 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th graders. We will continue this education for the 2017/18 school year.

Bike Rodeos for 3rd Graders: Cupertino Safe Routes 2 School hosted its first parent-run bike rodeo for 3rd graders at Stevens Creek Elementary last May. Bike rodeos give students a chance to practice safe bicycling habits in a contained environment so they can develop the crucial skills they need for riding on-road. Cupertino SR2S hopes to work with at least three more elementary schools to plan rodeos in the coming year.

Our Biggest Ride Yet: At Cupertino’s Earth and Arbor Day this past April, the SR2S ‘Pedal 4 the Planet’ Family Bike Ride attracted over 70 riders – by far our biggest ride to

To find out more about Cupertino Safe Routes 2 School, visit Cupertino. org/saferoutes or email saferoutes@ cupertino.org!

Om Sri Mathre Namaha Vaidica Vidhya Ganapathi Center SRI LAKSHMI GANAPATHI TEMPLE

(408) 226-3600

32B Rancho Drive, San Jose, CA 95111

(Capitol Expressway West and Montrey Road Junction, Opposite and 1 Block from Capitol Cal Train Station)

www.vvgc.org or siliconvalleyhindutemple.com Tuesday July 4th: Independence Day Weekend Timings.

Archana. Friday August 4 : Sri Varalakshmi Vratha Pooja th

Thursday July 6th: Evening at 6.00 PM, Pradosham, Shiva Sri Rudra Abhisheka Aarati and Manthra Pushpa.

6.00 AM 1st Batch 7.00 AM 2nd Batch Sunday Guru Purnima Vyasa Pooja 8.00 AM 3rd Batch afternoon at 2.00 PM, Sri Pournami 9.00 AM 4th Batch Vratha, Sri Sathya Narayana Swamy 10.00 AM 5th Batch Pooja / Vratha, Aarti and Manthra Pushpa. 11.00 AM 6th Batch All are welcome to participate with family. 12.00 Noon 7th Batch

Aaseervadham, and Theertha Prasada Viniyogam. 1st Batch 6.00 AM 2nd Batch 8.00 AM 3rd Batch 10.00 AM

Please Make A Note:: Temple Address:: 32 Rancho Drive, San Jose CA 95111 Temple Timings: Week Days Morning 10.00 Am To 12 Noon, Evening At 6.00 pm To 8.00 pm Week Ends And Holidays 10.00 am To 8.00 pm

FOR BHAJAN'S RELIGIOUS DISCOURSES, MUSIC AND DANCE PERFORMANCES, PRIVATE POOJAS PLEASE CONTACT TEMPLE FOR FURTHER DETAILS MANGALANI BHAVANTHU,SUBHAM BHUYATH,LOKA SAMASTHA SUKINO BHAVANTHU, LOVE ALL SERVE ALL LOVE IS ALL

For Pujas & Rituals Contact: PANDIT

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(408) 245-5443 / Cell: (925) 209-7637 E-mail: srikalahatheeswara@yahoo.com

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July 2017 | West Coast Edition | www.indiacurrents.com | 69

INDIA CURRENTS GRAPHICS (408) 324-0488

Please bring the following items for the Upakarma Avani Avittam Pancha Pathhira Uththanai, plate (thambalam), rice, moong dhal, jaggery, black sesame seeds, (black / ellu, till / naala nuvulu), verities of fruits, flowers, coconut, beetle leaves 4 nos, th Please bring the following items for the Sri beetle nuts 2 nos and prasadam for Wednesday July 12 : Sri Sankata Hara naivedyam. Vara Lakshmivratha Pooja: turmeric Chathurthi, Evening at 5.00 PM, Sri powder, kumkum, sandal powder, Lakshmi Ganapathi Homa / Sri Lakshmi Please bring the following itmes for Thalai Ganapathi Abhisheka Aarati and Manthra agarbathi, camphor, beetle leaves 6 nos, beetle nuts 4 nos, coconut, varieities of Avani Avvittam, 1st Year Prathama Pushpa. fruits and flowers, Sri Vara Lakshmi deity Sravanam Brahmacharis Sundal, appam, (silver mukham), silver kalasam (if you and prasadam for naivedhyam. Please Sunday July 16th: Sri Dakshinayana have in your house), pancha pathra contact the temple for further details. Punyakalam. uththrani, kalasa vasthram, small deepam th and prasadam for naivedyam. Tuesday August 8th: Morning at 7.00 AM, Wednesday July 19 : Evening at 6.30 Gayathri Japam / Homam. All are PM, Adi Kritikai Vratha, Sri Valli Deva Evening at 4.00 PM, Sri Bhuwaneswari / welcome to participate with family. Sena Sametha, Sri Subramanya Sri Lalihta Devi Abhisheka continued with Abhisheka, Aarati and Manthra Pushpa. Sri Lalitha Sahsra Nama Chanting, Aarati Friday August 11th: Sri Maha Sankata st and Manthra Pushpa. Evening at 6.00 PM Hara Chathurthi. Evening at 4.00 PM Sri Friday July 21 : Pradosham Evening at Sri Samoohika Sri Varalakhsmi Vratha Bhuwaneswari / Sri Lalitha Devi 5.00 PM, Sri Bhuwaneswari/ Sri Lalitha Abhisheka, continued with Sri Lalitha Devi Abhisheka, continued with Sri Lalitha Pooja, Aarati and Manthra Pushpa. Shasra Nama chanting. Evening at 5.00 Sahasra Nama Chanting Evening at 6.00 Please bring the following items for Sri PM, Sri Lakshmi Ganapathi Homa / Sri PM, Praodhsam Shiva Sri Rudra Vara Lakshmi Vratha Samoohika Pooja: Lakhsmi Ganapathi abhisheka Aarati and Abhisheka Aarati and Manthra Pushpa turmeric powder, kumkum, varieities of Manthra Pushpa. fruits, flowers, and prasada for naivedyam. Thursday July 27th: Ththiruvadi Pooram Monday August 14th: Evening at 6.30 Evening at 6.00 PM, Raghu Ketu Peyarchi th Monday August 7 : Rig / Yajur Upakarma PM, Sri Krishna Janma Ashtami, Sri Spcial Homa and Archana. All are Gokula Ashami, Special Pooja Aarati and (Avani Avittam) Bhramacharis welcome to participate with family. Manthra Pushpa. Samithathanam, Kamokarishith Japam, Evening at 7.00 PM Sri Bhoga Srinivasa Brahma Yagnam, Maha Sankalpam, Moorthy Abhisheka Aarati And Manthra Noothana Yagnopaveedah Dharanam, Tuesday August 15th: Aadi Kritikai. Pushpa Akndha Rishi Tharpanam, Sri Vigneswara Evening at 6.00 PM, Kavadi Festival, Sri / Sri Vishwekshena Aaradhana Pooja, Valli Deva Sena Sametha, Sri Friday July 28th: Sukla Sashti Vratha Varuna Sahitha, Sri Veda Vysya Pooja, Subramanya Abhisheka Aarati and night at 8.00 PM, Sri Valli Deva Sena Manthra Pushpa. Sametha, Sri Subramanya Sahasra Nama Homa, Sri Veda Arambaham,

70 | INDIA CURRENTS | West Coast Edition | July 2017

ö XI m;;F;e n;m;/ All kinds of Hindu traditional Pujas and homas Ganapathi, Navagraha, Vasthu, Ayushya Homas, Marriages, Seemantham, Nama-karnam, Upanayanam, Sathyanarayana Puja, Lakshmi Puja, Durga Sapthasathi Yanthra Puja. Hiranya Sradha and last rites. American born children’s horoscopes.

Pt. Ganesh Shasthry 880 E. Fremont Ave., #302 Sunnyvale, CA 94087

Home (408) 245-5443 Cell (925) 209-7637 Kabalikarpaga@hotmail.com

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July 2017 | West Coast Edition | www.indiacurrents.com | 71

healthy life

10 Tips for Healthy Eating By Ashok Jethanandani Illustration by Silvia Müller

ood is one of the sources of prana, our vital energy. When we eat wholesome food, it is digested and metabolized to form the bodily tissues and gives us strength, immunity, and luster. But if the food is not properly digested, it disturbs all the doshas, and ultimately causes disease.

The Three Doshas and Their Role in Health and Disease

2. Eat unctuous food (that contains a sufficient amount of fats and oils). This tastes better while also fuel-

ing the digestive fire, so the food gets digested quickly. The unctuousness of the food helps in the downward movement of vata. Fats help to build body mass and strength, promote sensory perception, and improve skin complexion.

3. Eat the right amount.

Dosha is a key concept of ayurveda, unWhat is the right amount? If you visualize that derpinning a holistic understanding of your stomach has three parts, one part should health and disease. be filled with solid food, one with liquid, Good health is the result of a and the third left empty so that the balance of three doshas in the contents can be churned easily. This body: vata, pitta, and kameal then moves down the gastropha. They are physiologiintestinal tract, and gets digested cal entities that maintain easily and comfortably. the proper functioning of the body. Vata actu4. Eat only after the ates all movement and previous meal is dihelps with communigested. cation and control; pitThis is a guideline that is ta carries out digestion most often flouted in today’s and all the metabolic world of abundance. Temptaprocesses; kapha protions lurk everywhere; in refrigvides structure, stability, erators, pantries, cafes, and parties, and lubrication. When beckoning us to indulge. We fool their balance is disturbed, ourselves into thinking that a small these same doshas cause dissnack will not cause any harm because ease. The ayurvedic approach it is a healthy food, or that since it is only to health therefore is to maintain a few calories it won’t bust our daily budget. homeostasis of these three dynamic What we don’t check is—Am I feeling hungry entities. Notes from Charaka Samhita at this time? So while the previous meal is still halfBy choosing healthy foods we can keep digested in the stomach, and we are not really hungry, we eat doshas in balance. But even the healthiest of foods some more. Now the half-digested previous meal gets mixed with will not be beneficial if not digested properly. How we eat, and the undigested snack in the stomach. Unable to process these two how much, determines whether that food is properly digested separately, the stomach empties before digestion is complete. Incomto yield its benefits.

Eating Guidelines

Guidelines for proper eating are discussed most lucidly in Charaka Samhita, a 3,000-year-old treatise of ayurveda.

1. Eat warm food because it tastes better; it enhanc-

es agni, the digestive fire, and thereby digestion proceeds faster. The warmth of the food helps to regulate vata and kapha, thus facilitating movement of the food down the digestive tract through peristalsis and lubrication.

72 | INDIA CURRENTS | West Coast Edition | July 2017

pletely digested food quickly increases all the doshas. If our digestive fire is strong, it will help us recover from this abuse. But if this kind of snacking is habitual it is likely to result in an imbalance of doshas that leads to disease. The Charaka Samhita asks us to eat only after the previous meal is digested. Then the food is properly metabolized to form bodily tissues and promotes a long, healthy life.

5. Eat foods that are not incompatible. Foods that increase the doshas are called viruddha, or incompatible. They cause

many ailments like skin diseases, boils, abscesses, emaciation of the body, loss of tejas (luster), fever, piles, fistula, and urinary disorders. Some examples of incompatible combinations are: milk with fish, milk with sour foods, milk with salt, yogurt with chicken, heated yogurt, radish with urad dal, radish or other raw vegetable followed by milk, honey in hot season or with hot water, honey and ghee and oil in equal proportions, and honey or alcohol with heating foods.

6. Eat in a pleasing environment with pleasing accessories. Calm surroundings and a clean table setting bring a tranquility of mind that helps us enjoy the food. If our mind is distracted by anger, grief, disgust, or other disturbing emotions, we lose our appetite and if we eat then, that meal does not get digested properly.

7.Don’t eat too fast. If you eat fast, there is a chance the food may enter the windpipe and get stuck. Also, when we eat hurriedly we don’t appreciate the aroma, taste, or other good qualities of the food. Eaten without awareness, even wholesome

food does not impart its full benefits.

8. Don’t eat too slowly. If you eat slowly, then you don’t feel satiated and there is a tendency to overeat. Also, if you spend more than half an hour on a meal, partly digested food mixes with undigested food in the stomach, upsetting your digestion.

9. Avoid talking or laughing, and focus on the food. Talking or laughing pose some of the same hazards as eating too fast. Food may enter the windpipe. Or we end up eating without paying attention to the qualities or the defects in the food.

10. Knowing yourself, eat what is beneficial for you. From personal experience you may already know which foods suit you and which don’t. Some people have lactose intolerance; some have gluten sensitivity, while others are extremely allergic to nuts. Often, we adapt well to foods we have eaten since childhood.

Keeping all this in mind, choose foods that you know are beneficial for you. So, the next time you feel tempted to indulge

in candy, crackers, or even a few harmless nuts, ask yourself, “Am I really hungry right now?” Perhaps you are not, and the snack fulfills some other need. Perhaps you are thirsty, and a light beverage like herbal tea or water will satisfy the urge. Or you may just need a quiet moment to observe how you are feeling. Eventually, when you do feel strong pangs of hunger, you will know that it is true hunger. That is a good time to eat, and not just a snack but a full meal. This discipline alone will regulate your appetite, strengthen your agni, and will help prevent most digestive disorders.n Reference: Charaka Samhita, English translation by R.K. Sharma and Bhagwan Dash. Chowkhamba Sanskrit Series Office. Vimanasthana 1:24 Ashok Jethanandani, B.A.M.S. and Silvia Müller, B.A.M.S. are graduates of Gujarat Ayurved University, Jamnagar. Jethanandani now practices ayurveda in San Jose. The illustration is an original work by Silvia Müller. The concepts presented here are based on the classical texts of ayurveda. www.classicalayurveda.com.

July 2017 | West Coast Edition | www.indiacurrents.com | 73

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dear doctor

Untold Stress Because of “Coming Out” By Alzak Amlani

About five years ago when I turned 27, I came out as a lesbian to my parents and family. They immediately grilled me about my attraction to other women and whether I had really given men a chance. I told my story of discovering my sexuality and that I had even tried to date guys, hoping that lesbianism was a phase. None of that worked for me, although I enjoy friendships with men. I have tried many things to help them understand and accept my sexuality. They have met my girlfriend who they like and respect as a person. However, their shaming comments about homosexuality and their highly heterosexist attitude makes me feel unaccepted and distant from the family. Unfortunately, none of my siblings or extended family members are coming around, except for one cousin who lives in another state. For five years I have been trying to make a bridge, reaching out to them regularly and giving them lots of time to learn and appreciate me as I am. Each time I end up feeling more rejected and less hopeful.

In January I decided to let them reach out to me, but for almost six months I haven’t heard from them. I am letting that be instead of continuing to try. It feels incredibly sad, but it is better than trying hard, without receiving any positive response. I want to have some sort of closure to let them go and create a sense of family with the people in my life who do love me and support me as a lesbian. How do I move forward with this?

This sounds very challenging and it’s commendable that you have stayed persistent and patient with the whole ordeal. Sounds like a simple but meaningful ritual could really help you make this transition. I trust you have good friends who are like family for you. I trust that they know of your situation with your parents and siblings. How about inviting them for a ritual one afternoon or evening? You can tell them your history and the process regarding your family and that you need to put energy now

into creating family with your friends, who accept you unconditionally and are more like you. Allow yourself to feel the grief of the loss with your family of origin and to feel embraced by your “new family.” Let them appreciate you for who you are. Share your feelings, needs and tell them about the kind of support you need from them currently. You can add music, poetry, symbols, photos and food to this ceremony so it is nourishing and reflective of you. Such a process will help you receive the kind of mirroring support and love you desire and release people who are not interested in being in your life in an intimate and accepting way. n Alzak Amlani, Ph.D., is a counseling psychologist of Indian descent in the Bay Area. 650-325-8393. Visit www.wholenesstherapy.com

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AD INDEX ď Ž 67 ISKCON Berkeley Entertainment Legal 68 Lakshmi Ganapathi 33 Alam Accountancy 24 Gilroy Gardens Announcements Temple 35 Arjun Verma 29 Gomathy Naranan 71 Ravichandran Iyer 34 Aruna Venkidu Events 7 Santa Clara County 71 Swami Anubhavananda 35 Habbu & Park 58 Indian Classical Arts Parks & Recreation 55 Swami Sukhabodhananda 35 Indu Liladhar-Hathi Academy 69 City of Cupertino 32 Narayan Travelstead 56 Kuchipudi Art Center Tax & Accounting 3 Yuli Law 49 Natyanjali Classes: Computers 37 Alam Accountancy 56 Radhika Shankar 5 Strategism 37 Jessie Tax Services Nursery / Plants 57 Shri Krupa Dance 37 Kent Tax 51 Papaya Tree Nursery Foundation Classes: Dance 67 Sri Karunamayi 53 Arpana Dance Company Travel Real Estate & Loans 59 Bharathakala Kutiram IBC Rainbow Tour Hawaii BC Deleon Realty Fabrics 48 Indian Dance Center 46 3S International Travel IBC Nirmalya Modak 27 Elegant Drapery 59 Kalanjali Dances of India 45 A World Travel 5 Aarax Home Loans Concepts 52 Kalyani Shanmugarajah 47 Amber Travel 29 Aarax Home Loans 52 Nrityodaya Kathak 47 Amglo Travels Grocery 14 City Ventures Academy 47 BB Travel Experts 25 Deleon Realty 17 India Cash & Carry 53 Nupur Academy 48 Narmadha Travels 79 Deleon Realty 19 Madras Groceries 53 Rangashree 46 Punjab Travel 29 Nila Patel 80 New India Bazar 52 Rangoli Dance Company 47 Span Travels & Tours 28 Rapid Capital Funding 53 Shakti School 46 Trips & Travel Health 29 Sue Bose of Bharatanatyam 47 Yaan Travels 41 Taylor Morrison 75 Asmath Noor, DDS 53 Shankara Dance Academy 75 Ayurveda Clinic 52 Vijaya Lakshmi Restaurants TV/Media 74 Ashok Jethanandani 59 Xpressions 70 Diya TV 51 Jai Bharat Restaurant 76 Jyoti Sahdev 32 SitaarreTV 40 Oasis Palace 73 Liberty Dental Classes: Music 75 Paruâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Indian Restaurant 74 Mamta Desai, DDS 53 Geeta Munshi Videos & Photos 75 Nilima Mamtora 59 Jeff Whittier Services 27 Suneel Photo 74 Prema Kothandaraman 59 Madhuwanti Mirashi 76 Maitri 59 Peter Block Legends: Insurance 74 Narika IFC: Inside Front Cover 31 All Solutions Insurance Construction/Remodelling Spiritual IBC: Inside Back Cover 31 Amar Sehgal 2 Best Tile BC: Back Cover IFC ISKCON 31 G1G Insurance 11 Deco Kitchen Cabinet 71 Balu Shastri 31 Global Health Insurance NEXT DEADLINE: 29 Lucky Kitchen & Bath 71 Ganesh Shasthry 1 Visitors Coverage Inc July 20, 2017 Education 71 Hindu Heritage 31Visitors Insurance CALL (408) 913-1619 23 Insight Education ads@indiacurrents.com Endowment

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the last word

Letter to Prime Minister Modi

By Sarita Sarvate

ear Mr. Modi: I am not your devotee, nor have I followed your career very assiduously. To tell you the truth, I am not even one of your citizens, having long forsaken my Indian passport. But I am writing today to bring to your attention a rare opportunity. As you are perhaps aware, America has abandoned its role as the “the leader of the free world.” Of course some people question if the United States was ever a moral leader, or even free, for that matter. A case in point is its treatment of African-Americans. Another is its support of autocratic regimes sheerly based on its economic and geopolitical interests. Still, millions have come here from other parts of the world, seeking liberty and the pursuit of happiness. But now that the world’s second largest democracy has chosen an isolationist president, many are wondering who will fill the vacuum; who will be that shining city on the hill. Some are even looking to China, which is ludicrous, since China is neither a democracy nor a free country. So Modiji, I put it to you. Why not India, the largest democracy in the world? If the U.S. Declaration of Independence cites the lofty words, “We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal,” India’s constitution proclaims a loftier ideal, Satyameva Jayate, Truth Alone Triumphs. The American democracy was originally formulated to give a voice only to white landowners. The Indian democracy categorically includes all races and creeds. If America seems like a democratic marvel, then India, with its 1652 languages, 645 tribes, and dozens of religions, is a living, breathing experiment in plurality. Every time I return home, I wonder at its dynamism, its energy, and its optimism. So, Mr. Modi, step out of your petty regional, religious and caste politics and look at the world. Since you love boasting of Hindu culture, educate Donald Trump about the Sanskrit dictum, Vasudeva Kutumbakam, the world is one family. You have already taken the first step toward your global role. You have vowed to go beyond the goals set by the Paris Accord and protect the climate. You have proclaimed a partnership with France’s new President. I congratulate you on these actions. But you have a long way to go. Your legacy of communal violence plagues you. Amnesty International recently published a report saying you are fostering a climate of intolerance through arbitrary arrests, caste-based discrimination, and extra-judicial killings. This will simply not do. You need to move away from your party’s Hindu nationalistic agenda and assume an inclusive posture. Noblesse Oblige, it is said, and once you begin to see yourself as a world leader, you will be able to resist the BJP’s petty agenda. You will realize that you cannot be a global leader and mistreat your Muslim citizens. India has what no European democracy has, limitless intellectual capital. If Indian workers left the high tech industries of 78 | INDIA CURRENTS | West Coast Edition | July 2017

the United States and Europe, their economies would collapse. What’s more, India has the largest population of young people. In 2020, the average age in India will be just 29, compared with 37 in China and 48 in Japan. The median age in the United States will be 37, but only because of the influx of immigrants. I wish these demographics were different; I do believe that the world’s population needs to be controlled if we are to battle climate change. But since Indian cultural norms dictate that everyone should get married in their twenties and produce one or two children, it is unlikely that the statistics will shift. So let’s put this reality to good use. With our skilled workers, our journalists, our writers and our social innovators, we can not only influence the world, we can change the global paradigm. Some of the most innovative policies in public health, affordable housing, education, and renewable energy are being developed in India. At the same time, the American Congress is embracing retro policies of producing electricity from coal and controlling women’s wombs through denial of contraceptives. One even wonders if the United States is slowly regressing into a medieval serfdom. But that’s hardly surprising when one looks at the fact that in the historical context, America’s role as a world leader was purely accidental. In the wake of the Second World War, America’s industrial machine thrived to produce munitions as Europe lay in ruins and Asia and Africa smothered under the chokehold of colonialism. American intellectuals are quick to point the finger at the three wars that India and Pakistan have fought, conveniently forgetting the needless conflicts that America has waged against remote countries that posed no immediate threat, such as Vietnam, the Philippines, and Korea. Remind them that India has never colonized another country; that our tradition of ahimsa or nonviolence originates in our ancient scriptures. Don’t fall prey to America’s rhetoric about Islamic terrorists; remind the world that India has lived next door to Pakistan, a US-backed dictatorship, without blowing it up in a nuclear apocalypse or festering a decade-and-a-half long war, as America has done in Afghanistan and Iraq. Tell the world that almost as many Muslims live in India as in Pakistan. Shed your tendency of looking back to the distant past, centuries before the British arrived on our shores, or even centuries prior, when the Mughal invaders came from the Middle East. That is as foolhardy as an exercise as Trump’s slogan to Make America Great Again. Instead, demonstrate to the world the practice of diversity. Show that there is another, better way. Modiji, don’t preach Hindu philosophy, practice it. n Sarita Sarvate (www.saritasarvate.com) has published commentaries for New America Media, KQED FM, San Jose Mercury News, the Oakland Tribune, and many nationwide publications.

July 2017 | West Coast Edition | www.indiacurrents.com | 79

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