September 2011 Southern California Edition by Nirupama Vaidhyanathan

A Salute to Teachers 1885 Lundy Ave., Suite 220, San Jose, CA 95131 Phone: (408) 324-0488 (714) 523-8788 Fax: (408) 324-0477 Email: info@indiacurrents.com www.indiacurrents.com Publisher & Editor: Vandana Kumar publisher@indiacurrents.com (408) 324-0488 x 225 Advertising Manager: Derek Nunes ads@indiacurrents.com Northern California: (408) 324-0488 x 222 Southern California: (714) 523-8788 x 222 PR and Marketing Manager: Malini Patel subscribe@indiacurrents.com malini@indiacurrents.com (408) 324-0488 x 221 Graphic Designer: Nghia Vuong EDITORIAL BOARD Managing Editor: Vidya Pradhan editor@indiacurrents.com (408) 324-0488 x 226 Calendar Editor: Nadia Maiwandi events@indiacurrents.com (408) 324-0488 x 224 COLUMNISTS Forum: Rameysh Ramdas Films: Aniruddh Chawda Dear Doctor: Alzak Amlani The Last Word: Sarita Sarvate Uncubed: Krishna Sadasivam Contributors: Jasbina Ahluwalia, Khorshed Alam, Nidhi Asthana, Priyanka Chaurasia, Deepak Chandani, Jeanne Fredriksen, Malar Gandhi, Indu Liladhar Hathi, Geetika Pathania Jain, Tara Menon, Alakananda Mookerjee, Jaya Padmanabhan, Ankita Rao, Teed Rockwell, Suchi Sargam, Mamta Singh, Mani Subramani Cover Design: Nghia Vuong. INDIA CURRENTS® (ISSN 0896-095X) is published monthly (except Dec/Jan, which is a combined issue) for $19.95 per year by India Currents, 1885 Lundy Ave., Ste 220, San Jose, CA 95131. Periodicals postage paid at San Jose, CA, and at additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to INDIA CURRENTS, 1885 LUNDY AVE., SUITE 220, SAN JOSE, CA 95151-1285. Member, MEDIA INDIA GROUP India Currents: Northern & Southern California Khabar Magazine: Atlanta, Ga.

Actor Matt Damon made waves recently at a Save Our Schools rally when he said, “A teacher wants to teach. Why else would you take a sh*tty salary and really long hours and do that job unless you really love to do it?” He was responding to a question about whether job security for teachers made them lazy. Teaching is a much maligned profession in the United States these days. There is a tendency to dismiss teachers as union lackeys who, once they get tenure, are just marking time before they retire with handsome benefits. Two myths about teachers contribute greatly to this opinion. The first is that teachers get paid for 12 months despite working for only 10. This myth finds currency especially in bad economic times but can be easily refuted by the simple explanation that the annual salary is just divided into monthly installments. The second myth, a more pernicious one, is that teaching is a cushy occupation with a shortened workday and terrific holidays. Anyone who has ever personally known a teacher will tell you that this is a ridiculous assertion. My mother taught for several years across different schools, and my lasting memory is of her hunched over her table late into the night, correcting notebooks, grading exam papers, and preparing report cards. Over the summer, teachers in the United States attend training sessions and symposia designed to keep them

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up to date with developments in education. The American teacher often spends her own money to decorate the classroom and fill it with supplies. The same unions we deride today for their inflexibility and defense of tenure made teaching a possible career for people who genuinely love kids. Yes, I have come across the rare teacher who is burnt out and still on the job because of pension or retirement calculations. But my children’s teachers have been, by and large, inspirational, lovable, hard-working, and flexible. They deal with allergies, behavioral problems, special needs, neglectful parents, intrusive parents, and budget cuts on a daily basis and do it with a smile on their face. Even in the India of two decades ago, I had teachers who inspired me, recognized my potential, and urged me to dream big. As I prepare to send my children back to school next week, I am confident that I am entrusting them to talented educators who only have their best interests at heart. The education system in the United States may not be perfect, and there may be some merit to the clamor to reform teacher hiring and firing practices but, to me, the individual teacher is an unsung hero.

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india currents • september 2011 • 1

Southern California Edition

Controversial director Prakash Jha discusses his latest movie Aarakshan with Suchi Sargam

Four out of every 1,000 Californian homes face foreclosure. Jaya Padmanabhan looks at the impact of the housing crisis on Indian Americans.

Nidhi Asthana travels down the amazing village on the Tonle Sap river in Cambodia

56 LIFESTYLE

PERSPECTIVES

RELATIONSHIP DIVA: The challenges of long-distance relationships. By Jasbina Ahluwalia

RECIPES: The humble yet exotic naan. By Malar Gandhi

THE HEALTHY LIFE: Living with migraines. By Mamta Singh

PERSPECTIVE: Qwerty, my muse. By Alaknanada Mookerjee

DEAR DOCTOR: Drawing personal boundaries. By Alzak Amlani

TAXATION: Cancellation of debt must be treated as taxable income. By Khorshed Alam

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

YOUTH: What is a slum? By Ankita Rao

Q&A: Naveen Jain is the founder of Moon Express, a space exploration company. By Vidya Pradhan

REFLECTIONS: The mysterious arrival of Nrsimhadeva on 9/11. By Deepak Chandani

FICTION: “Mustard Seeds,” the Katha 2011 third place winner. By Jaya Padmanabhan

25th ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL: Passion on the pagesredux. By Jeanne Fredriksen

FILMS: Reviews of Aarakshan and Singham. By Aniruddh Chawda.

THE LAST WORD: Hazare, my hero. By Sarita Sarvate

BOOKS: Reviews of Microfinance and Its Discontents, Saraswati’s Way, and Six Meters of Pavement. By Priyanka Chaurasia, Tara Menon, and Geetika Pathania Jain.

MUSIC: Indian music on Pandora. By Teed Rockwell

EDITORIAL: A salute to teachers. By Vidya Pradhan

LETTERS

FORUM: Who is responsible for the debt ceiling drama? Two opinions. By Rameysh Ramdas and Mani Subramani

DEPARTMENTS 26 27 62

Ask a Lawyer Visa Dates Uncubed

2 • india currents • september 2011

WHAT’S CURRENT

EVENT HIGHLIGHTS

44 52 58

45 48

Cultural Calendar Spiritual Calendar Classifieds

Alzheimer’s Walk Hariprasad Chaurasia in Concert

india currents • september 2011 • 3

letters

Persian Story is Pre-Islamic

In the article (Bharatnatyam in Persia, July 2011), the author, Priya Das in her comments on Malini Krishnamurthi’s stage production, “Tales and Legends,” that adapts a story from the Persian epic Haft Paykar, writes “.. the stage backdrops will display the Sphinx and pyramids, an ancient market scene will be brought to life with hawkers and tricksters; even as serious business folk call for prayers chanting ‘allah hu akbar.’ Since the setting is Islamic literature, Krishnamurthi has opted to incorporate a qawwali vignette,.....” I would like to point out that although Nizami Ganjavi, the author of Haft Paykar (“Seven Beauties”) was a Muslim, the stories in his epic are about a pre-Islamic Persian king, Shah Behram Gur (421-438 C.E.), who was a follower of Iranian prophet Zarathushtra (Zoroaster). The reference to chants of “allah hu akbar” is misleading, because prophet Mohammed was not yet born during the king’s reign. Laurel Victoria Gray, founder and artistic director of the Silk Road Dance company, in her article in Azerbaijan International (2005), confirms this with her comment “The marriages of Bahram Gur echo the ancient preIslamic ritual of the Sacred Marriage between the King and the land.” Maneck Bhujwala, Huntington Beach, CA

Domestic Worker Rights are Important

Domestic workers need to be assured of their basic rights, period (Should California Pass the Domestic Workers Bill of Rights, August, 2011). As a young girl, I was banned from a friend’s household for teaching the the maids English. They brought them from Texas to California, and kept them virtually in slavery. It was shocking to me then and is now. There is no reason domestics should be exempt from these protections. If some seniors require low-cost care, then we need to figure out a way they can have it, but not at the expense of the worker who is providing it. Lily L. Diamond, online

Alcohol Shouldn’t be Celebrated

I am disappointed to see writers in India Currents approving of the use of alcoholic beverages in a recent article (Soma Rising, July 2011) and in readers’ letters. Consumption of alcohol is a causative factor in many of the evils of society, including fetal alcohol spectrum disorders, drunken driving, dementia, and cancer. A report of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control estimates that medium and high consumption of alcohol led to 75,754 deaths in the United States in 2001. Fetal alcohol exposure is the leading 4 • india currents • september 2011

known cause of mental retardation in the Western world. Many reports state that about 73% of felonies are alcohol-related. One survey shows that in about 83% of homicides, 80% of wifebattering, 72% of stabbings, 67% of childbeating cases, and 41% of forcible rape cases, either the attacker or the victim or both had been drinking. Over-consumption of alcohol is one of the leading preventable causes of death worldwide. One study links alcohol to 1 in every 25 deaths worldwide and that 5% of years lived with disability are attributable to alcohol consumption. Mike Sage, Santa Clara, CA

Elections 2012 Are you a South Asian involved in American politics? India Currents is planning a series of articles leading up to the Presidential elections in 2012. We are looking for varied viewpoints—from the grassroots organizer to the seasoned campaigner. To share your experiences and perspectives, get in touch with us at editor@indiacurrents.com with the subject line “Elections 2012.”

Let’s Be Civil

I really enjoyed reading the editorial (Dishing it Out, August 2011). I thought it hit the nail on the head and the last line hammered it home. I have often wondered about the comments section on blogs being the repository of undue hatred in terms of gender and nationality. I read the article (Shaadi Dot Kya, July 2011) and found it humorous. Only after scrolling down to the comments section did I realize the writer had opened a veritable Pandora’s Box. Sometimes people miss the point. An article reflects the writer’s viewpoint and, while you have the reason and right to disagree, it is important to maintain civility and not name-call or resort to judgmental comments. On a different note, I found the piece on Offshore Voluntary Disclosure Initiative (Re-

port Foreign Investments Now, August 2011) very informative, since most of us are unaware of these amendments. Meera Ramanathan, Danbury, CT

More Adventures in Online Dating

I found this article extremely entertaining and very well written (Shaadi Dot Kya, July 2011). I have had my own share of funny experiences. There was “Hairy Dude,” “Desperado,” “Cute Yet Boring Google Guy,” “Gold-digger IIT Guy,” “Searching for Citizen,” and so on! One thing about this whole dating game is that it helps you learn exactly what you want and don’t want in a potential husband. All we girls are looking for is a normal guy who is ready to accept the girl for who she is. The super hot desi guys are stuck up and shallow, the hot ones are players and not ready to settle down, the not so hot ones are super sweet and extra nice( which can repel a girl and make her want to be just friends!) I am not trying to be shallow, but where the heck are the good-looking, funny, genuine guys out there? Are they all taken? Megha, online

Dating Does Involve Personal Criteria and Preferences

I am a non-Asian, married for 25 years to a foreign-born South Asian. I am sitting here open-mouthed at some of the silliness passing back and forth in this [online)]discussion (Shaadi Dot Kya, July 2011). Back in my dating days, I was called shallow for not wanting to seriously date anyone without a college education. The fact was that I had put myself through college and I wanted someone who shared my expectations and outlook since I was looking for a possible husband, and not just someone to spend time with (that’s called a “friend.”) If something happened where I had to go back to the dating pool at this stage in my life, my reactions would be different, since I would have different expectations about what I was looking for. Everyone has their own private list that is, hopefully, somewhat flexible as to what they want in a spouse. To deny that is to pretend to be someone you are not, no matter how much you wish to be more politically correct, open-minded, or liberated. It is hard to know, from the brevity of the article, how much the author shared of herself with her dates, and which men might have dumped her as well. We can argue back and forth about fairness and equality, but in the end, all that matters is the honesty of an individual connection—will it work or not. One lives in the real world, not the ideal. Mary Arulanantham, online

India Currents is now on

www.indiacurrents.com Most Popular Articles Online: 1) Northern California Cultural Events (August 2011) Nadia Maiwandi 2) Masala Gourmet (August 2011) Priya Das 3) Dark and Beautiful (August 2011) Jula Periera 4) Shaadi Dot Kya (July 2011) Preeti G. 5) Lanka is Drowning (August 2011) Anirvan Chatterjee 6) Super Reporter Girl (August 2011) Geetika Pathania Jain 7) Fire Up the Grill (August 2011) Meera Ramanathan 8) Quilted Together (July 2011) R. Benedito Ferrao 9) A Whiter Shade of Brown (August 2011) Sandip Roy 10) Chemistry Lessons (July 2011) Rupa Dev

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forum

Who Was Responsible For The Debt Ceiling Drama? Rameysh Ramdas

Mani Subramani

The buck stops at the White House

The extremist Republican party of today is to blame

ur nation was subjected to an unnecessary circus—the acrimonious debt ceiling debate and a messy deal which resulted in a deep slide in the stock market that was also precipitated by the S&P credit downgrade of the United States, a first in our nation’s history. This circus and the resulting economic chaos were entirely preventable if only we had a capable President as the ringmaster. A circus troupe of members of Congress, including the Tea Party, took the debate in their hands, framed the national dialog and produced a deal that pleased no one, while the President was reduced to being a bewildered spectator who took to the airwaves occasionally to blame and name call. As President Truman said, the buck stops in the Oval Office. An astute President would have seized on the many opportunities available since 2009 to raise the debt ceiling and lead the way with a plan to grow the job market and tax revenues in the short term, while still offering a credible long term proposal to address the debt. A shrewd President would have negotiated the debt ceiling increase in December 2010 using the extension of the Bush tax cuts as the bargaining chip. When a reporter asked him on Dec 7, 2010, why he would put off the debt ceiling increase when he would have no leverage over the GOP and agree to the Bush tax cut extensions now, Obama did not even comprehend the question! Our nation’s woes are largely because investors, job creators and consumers are on a “confidence deficit” that a capable President is in charge. We are now reduced to receiving a scolding from China, our largest debtor. The White House has started a drum beat of demonizing the Tea Party for all our woes. While I vehemently disagree with the Tea Party’s short sighted demand to cut spending now, our democracy allows them the right to market their ideas and be heard of as a part of the debate. We had this circus play before in 1995 with Newt Gingrich and the then fiery freshman GOP members shutting the government down. However, the ringmaster of that day—President Clinton—commanded the national dialog with the strength of his ideas, specificity of plans and ability to sell them, and reined in the Republicans without compromising public priorities like Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, education, and the environment. We went on to have the largest economic expansion in a generation. The real deficit that is hurting us and our standing in the world is the leadership deficit in the White House. n

ritics of the President say the buck stops at the White House. But it is patently clear that the debt ceiling debacle is a direct result of wrong-headed Republican ideology, the fiscal ignorance of members of financial and budgetary committees, and GOP tactics that disregard the consequences to the country. First some facts: The debt ceiling is periodically and routinely raised by Congress to allow the treasury to sell more bonds to meet spending obligations that have already been voted and approved by current and past Congresses. In refusing to raise the debt ceiling the Republicans effectively wrote the checks but refused to pay them when they became due. It is not just unethical but unpatriotic to do so. Past budget battles are ot analogous to the current situation. In the spirit of compromise President Obama offered significant spending cuts in return for very modest tax increases on the wealthiest 1% of Americans and reductions in tax loopholes. But the GOP walked away from negotiations. The reason for such intransigence can be attributed to the fact that 235 members of the house of representatives and 41 senators—overwhelmingly Republican—have signed Grover Norquist’s No Tax pledge for fear of primary battles funded by Norquist’s think tank Americans for Prosperity. Shadowy interest groups and uninformed Tea Party freshmen drive the GOP today. In early 2009, Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell declared that his goal was to make Obama a one-term president. The GOP has bluntly implemented this goal by obstruction and delay. More than 60% of administration appointees have been put on legislative hold—one of the highest in history. Even when the financial system was falling apart there were less than three Republican senators prepared to approved TARP-2( the second tranche of the Troubled Asset Relief Program). The debt ceiling is just the latest hostage. The rise of the Tea Party which took 20% of the house seats in 2010 mid-terms has pushed the GOP fiscal agenda to an intolerable and illogical extreme. On July 19, 2011 Rep Joe Walsh (IL-8), just back from a debt ceiling vote, could not answer correctly when asked the size of the U.S. economy. When pressed, he blurted out $3 trillion, where the real number is ~$15 trillion. Such ignorance may be okay for an average voter but not for an elected representative who is voting on relevant legislation. This is the quality of candidates fielded by the Tea Party who decide whether the largest economy on the planet is going to pay its bills. Elections have consequences and the people who elected the extremist GOP need to take note. n

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

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

A shrewd President would have used the extension of the Bush tax cuts as the bargaining chip to pass the debt ceiling hike.

6 • india currents • september 2011

In refusing to raise the debt ceiling the Republicans effectively wrote the checks but refused to pay them when they became due.

india currents • september 2011 • 7

q&a

Vidya Pradhan

Reach For The Sky! Entrepreneur Naveen Jain’s is over the moon with his latest venture

aveen Jain, the founder of information services companies Infospace and Intelius, recently founded Moon Express, Inc, a privately funded lunar transportation and data services company. I met Jain at the official launch of the company on July 21, 2011, an event that included a tour of the facilities and a look at the prototype moon lander. In this new venture of moon exploration, how much is science, how much is commerce, and how much is fun? There comes a time in one’s life when one is not inclined to do anything that is not fun. But having said that, you only get involved in things that make good business sense, whether it is Intelius or Moon Express. Unless, of course, you are involved in philanthropic work, which I happen to think is great fun. For example I am on the board of the X Prize Foundation where we are funding the Digital Doctor Prize that aims to bring health care to billions of people around the world. That is an extremely exciting project, but that is not commerce. Similarly we are looking at how we can use neuroscience to completely reinvent education because the more I learn about how the brain works and how we teach our kids, I see that the two are completely different. But that venture is not commerce. I’m hoping many people will come up with good business ideas through the prize that I am funding. But when you look at things like Intelius and Moon Express they are fun and they are great businesses. I believe that the biggest industries that will be created in the next 10 years are going to be in the fields of space exploration and genetics. And I believe that the developments in the fields of genetics and synthetic biology will allow us to solve many problems in health care that have been unresolved so far. Once you sequence the human genome and proteome, many drugs can be tested for their efficacy through statistical regression and not just through clinical trials. My interest is in seeing what I can do to commercialize these ideas and at the same time, use these technologies for philanthropic work. Coming to the space industry, there are two parts to this. There are going to be the people who build the highways. To use an internet analogy, these would be the people laying down the fiber. In this case laying down 8 • india currents • september 2011

the fiber would mean building rockets. These are companies like Orbital Science, Elon Musk’s Space X and Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origins, and a whole bunch of other people like the Chinese government and the Indian government. There’s going to be lots of competition in this space. The second part of this is the last mile solution. Again to use the internet analogy, these would be the people who take that fiber and bring it into people’s homes and bring direct access to the consumer. History tells us that people who build the last mile solutions end up creating great businesses. Moon Express is building the moon lander but not the rocket itself. We plan on using existing rockets developed through other organizations. The biggest part of exploration of any space objects, whether the asteroids or the moon is the last 10 feet. How do you land safely? So far people have done it by essentially crashing into the moon. The spaceship bounces around and then lands. We are taking a very different approach. What we are determining is if we can have a safe landing with a micro-propulsion system; the lander would have its own autonomous radar to see under it and it would hover around to find the safest place to land. The second problem is that rovers in the past have tended to get stuck. Either their wheels have got stuck in the soil or they have encountered a rock and they don’t know how to move around that rock. Our lander, a hovercraft, would not have these problems. It would hop around. How is this different from the Apollo spacecraft technology? They were mostly rovers. They were mostly crash landed. They would parachute down and bounce around. Even the ones with the astronauts? That was a human flight. I am talking about non-human flights. In the future even if we decide to colonize the moon at some point we would have to send robots to make the environment suitable to humans. This would mean creating something like lava

tubes to create spaces of moderate temperatures. Additionally we could use solar energy to break down the water in the moon into hydrogen and oxygen; hydrogen can create an energy source to create a fuel depot and the oxygen can be pumped into the lava tubes to make it habitable for humans. I was reading a New York Times article about the Moon Express and one of the readers commented, “I want what Mr. Jain is smoking!” because what you were proposing sounded so much in the realm of science fiction. It is very interesting you say that because every advancement in technology goes through that phase. The first time people talk about it feels like science fiction and when it is done people say, “Why did it take so long?” Before the television was invented I am sure there were people going, “What are you smoking? You mean to tell me I can see people far away in a little box?” I am glad people think of it as science fiction, because that is the first step towards realization of the idea. You’ve said in previous interviews that you felt like an Internet pioneer when you created Infospace. Do you feel the same way about Moon Express? You could say that pioneers are people who go out and start executing things that other people think are science fiction. People who explored the West were called pioneers. I feel we are early enough in the stage of space exploration that all of us are pioneers, not just me but everyone who is thinking and working on it.

What advantages does your company have over your competitors? The biggest advantage we have is our team; a team that is made up of either very experienced people or people that are passionate about the idea. Dr. Alan Stern, our chief scientist, was an associate administrator in NASA. Bob Richards has been in this space all his life. We are currently the only company that is contract with NASA to be able to use all of NASA’s technology, license it, and utilize it. That gives us a tremendous leverage to use what NASA has learned over the last 30 years about the moon, upgrading it, and essentially taking over from where they left off. In some sense, when people ask whether the United States has given up on the leadership of space, I think President Obama has the right idea—we have already been to the moon, so why not let private companies commercialize that technology and create good businesses out of it and let the government focus on the next challenge, which is to take people to Mars and the asteroids. Eventually that technology will also be available for commercialization. A lot of the resources on the moon come from the asteroids that crash on the moon. Unlike the Earth, the moon has no tectonic shifts and no atmosphere. So any asteroids on the moon are likely to be sitting right on the surface and can be mined. How did this tie-up with NASA come about? Why was the Moon Express favored over others? We were not favored. It is just that we have a great team and NASA felt that we would be able to leverage and enhance what NASA has developed into a successful commercial venture. Other companies are free to apply for a similar partnership but it is up to NASA to approve them or not. You’ve said in the past that in the early days of a business it is not so important to be profitable. Do you feel the same way about this venture? I have always said the reverse. I have always bootstrapped our businesses. We never took any venture money for Infospace or Intellius. I am a big believer in creating a business model that is self-sustainable so you don’t have to worry about other people’s money. I believe that in Moon Express we will build a profitable business. This is not a research project for us, it is a business. You are going to spend a 100 million dollars on this lander. Not true at all. Lander development will be around 20 million dollars or so. Then another 40-50 million is the current cost of the rockets. However, we think those costs are coming down significantly and we think they are likely to come down to the range of 15-20 million dollars soon. We we can also share the costs of the rocket with some other companies. There are still so many variables to the success of this project.

I wouldn’t say that this is not rocket science (laughs) but this is rocket science that is well understood. This is not as much of a technical challenge as it is a business execution challenge. If you had the right amount of money, you could launch today. The hold-back is essentially creating the business model to make it work. It will take some time to create a successful business model. Our revenues could come from mining the moon for platinum and helium 3, delivering scientific payloads, and delivering digits, atoms, and DNA to the moon. Additionally, we’ve created the “Moon is Me” tagline to capture the imagination of people and get them to share thier personal passion for the moon with us. When it comes to space exploration, people have never felt that they have been part of it. I think all of us have this romance with the moon. We believe that Moon Express can create a phenomenon where people want to be involved in romantic journey with us. Think about it, wouldn’t it be nice if you could send a picture of your family, your DNA or your pet’s DNA or even your grandfather’s ashes to the moon? Since there is no atmosphere, it will sit there for billions of years in a time capsule. Wouldn’t it be nice if you could control a high-powered telescope or a robot on the moon through a web interface? What if you could write a message on the surface of the moon and take a picture and send it to someone—perhaps a “moon proposal” or a “moon love note!” We don’t know what people will do once you create that excitement and platform to capture the imagination of people. If you think about it, when the IPhone platform was announced a few years ago, I don’t think anyone anticipated that the three of the top five applications on that platform would be about shooting birds at pigs. What you are saying that it is not a technological issue, and what is really preventing significant progress is commercial viability. What I am trying to say is that the technology is well understood but still needs to be developed. There are no technological challenges that require breakthroughs in basic sciences. It will still take us 12-18 months to complete all the work. The autonomous software and the micro-propulsion systems still have to be built. If it is going to cost us 50 or 70 million dollars, we want to be able to create a business model that is sustainable for the long term. I guess it could be easy to build a lander as a hobby for someone who could spare that kind of money. So who are the investors and what are they looking for?

Moon lander test vehicle

These are people who are passionate about space exploration and essentially believe that Moon Express is a good business. What is the initial level of funding? We have not announced that so far. All I can say is that we are well on our way to execute on our business plan. And competing for the Google Lunar X Prize is an important part of the plan? Or it is simply incidental to the commercial venture? Everything helps when you are trying to get a business venture going. So it is not just the Google Lunar X Prize, it is also the NASA prize, a matching 30 million dollars. We do intend to win these prizes, but it will be wonderful to be the first private enterprise to explore the moon from an entrepreneurial perspective. You left Infospace under a cloud of sorts. Was it tough to rebuild your credibility? It was a simple misunderstanding where I had created a trust for my children and somebody made up a story saying we were taking money from our own children, which is absolutely ridiculous. You know, being Indian, that we never take anything from our children, we only give to them. The local media in Seattle wrote a nasty story because they couldn’t stand an immigrant doing well. Thankfully no one took that crazy story seriously. I am having great fun at Intellius and Moon Express with board members like Admiral Bill Owens and Peter Diamandis. I am also on the board of the X Prize Foundation with people like Larry Page, Elon Musk and Ratan Tata. As you can see, it hasn’t affected me at all. What learning do you bring from your previous ventures to this project? I bring an understanding of consumer behavior and building successful businesses that consumers can get excited about. You are on the board of trustees of the X Prize Foundation and also competing for the Google Lunar X Prize. Isn’t there a conflict of interest? No, there is no conflict of interest. I always excuse myself from any board meeting that involves the Lunar X Prize. Everyone is pleased that members of the board also want to compete! n india currents • september 2011 • 9

By Jaya Padmanabhan

arly this year, 46-year-old Rajesh Patel cashed in half of the retirement savings in his IRA and used the money to pay Wells Fargo what he owed in overdue mortgage payments on his Saratoga home. This was only a desperate stopgap solution, however, for Patel continued to have cash flow issues and no clear strategy on how he was going to avoid inevitable foreclosure. Patel does not sound like the typical foreclosure candidate. He has a Master’s degree, is a senior engineer at a large Silicon Valley company and owns three properties in the San Francisco Bay Area. “I came to this country to study and settle down and, just like everybody else, I believed in the U.S. economy,” explains Patel. A successful startup guy, Patel, like his neighbors and fellow entrepreneurs, invested in real estate during the housing boom. Then the economy began sliding down the fast ramp. In the past two years, Patel has seen his investments erode in value and his homes depreciate. The rental income from his two other properties barely covers the mortgages on them, and he is unable to sell the properties, because of the taxes he will have to pay. As the foreclosure crisis enters its fourth year, middle-class professionals like Patel are becoming its newest victims. 10 • india currents • september 2011

“This is a very typical scenario,” says Martin Eichner, Director of HUD (Housing and Urban Development) Counseling for Project Sentinel, a non-profit organization that educates and counsels homeowners and members of the housing industry. He advises homeowners to make sure that they have the financial wherewithal to continue their mortgage payments. “Some properties are just simply under water, i.e., more is owed on the property than what it is worth,” Eichner clarifies. Patel still lives in his Saratoga home, but he knows that he will have to move soon. His family is stressed about moving to a less desirable school district but he has few options.

endemic and no economic class is immune.

Our Sacred Home

The Long and Winding Road

Home ownership confers prestige and status on an upwardly rising class. It’s a step up into the privilege of freedom within cedar and concrete boundaries. Getting a foot into that seemingly affordable first home is like a chest swell of success. It has its own celebratory event, the house warming, which, as the name suggests, creates bubbles of heat and envy in the have-nots. For the South Asian, a house deed is usually secured safely with the family heirloom jewelry. It is part of a dream that can only be transcended by the birth of a first child. Generally speaking, one leads to the other. I have attended combined house-warmingbaby-shower parties. I have attended baby showers where the talk was about moving into a home. I have attended house-warmings where there was fond discussion of imminent parenthood. The idea of a home leading to happier occurrences in life is perpetuated by Hindu scriptures where the grihapravesha (entry into the home) is performed by priests who repeat sacred slokas to keep away evil spirits from entering the doors of the new abode. Vaastu and feng shui have become accepted and well-researched practices in many Western countries. Homes built and laid out according to these practices are believed to create energy and engender peace. Too bad the economics of a failing economy pay no heed to any of that.

The Statistics

In June 2011 there were 20,223 loan default notices issued in California and 22,936 notices of sale registered. Most default notices were sent to owners of homes that were about 1,500 square feet in size. This indicates first time home owners, a few years into their careers, starting families, ambitious, optimistic, and believing in real estate as the path to prosperity. A much smaller percentage of larger homes registered on the foreclosure tracking system. There were 213 notices of default sent out to homes with more than five bedrooms, compared to 8,146 to homes with three to four bedrooms. Though the ratios are skewed, it is clear that this problem that has become

California Bills Fail to Pass There are no well-defined state or federal policies that can redress the grievances of foreclosed homeowners. Three state bills that dealt with foreclosures did not make it beyond committees: Senate Bill 729, State Assembly Bills 935 and 1321. 729 would have required banks to inform homeowners before initiating foreclosures and Bill 1321 would have cut down the time it took the county to record foreclosures. State Assembly Bill 935 sponsored by Bob Blumenfield, D-San Fernando Valley, would have leveled a $20,000 fee on banks and other lenders on every foreclosure and that fee could have been waived in cases where an effort was made to modify loans and reduce payments and thereby provide an incentive to avoid foreclosure. But this was not to be.

42-year-old Southern California resident Arshad Ali lives in an apartment in Lake Elsinore, a charming city in Southern California. He is a musician, has three children and has learned to live simply, frugally and with economic restraints. Five years ago, his biography would have read, “Lake Elsinore homeowner, manufacturing engineer, and able provider for a growing family.” His story is one we’ve heard before. Ali was working for Netlist, a company that manufactured memory chips, when he was laid off during a restructuring operation. At the time he was living in a three bedroom starter house. His wife was not employed and with three young children, options were limited. Ali realized that manufacturing jobs were scarce, because “most companies were moving their manufacturing operations to China.” It was ironic, Ali explained, how he was responsible for training the Chinese to do his job, in effect making his own position obsolete. When he lost his job, he was confident that he would find another one soon enough. After all, he’d moved from India to find this sweet spot, a haven for the hard working. In the meantime he began to sing and perform at events, just to pay a few bills. He slipped behind on his mortgage payments and received his first warning notice. Thus began the long and winding road to foreclosure.

Loan Modification

Once that first delinquency notice is received it is a short path to the lending agency filing a “notice of foreclosure” with the county. Then the homeowner’s options are limited to loan modification, where the monthly payments are reduced; short sale, where the property is sold; and walking away where, as the name suggests, the home owner just walks away from the unaffordable property. Most people facing foreclosure would like to have their loans modified to more affordable payments and thereby retain their homes. Under President Obama’s Making Home Affordable (MHA) plan, $75 billion in loan modification incentives were earmarked for families in order to infuse some vitality into the housing market. But there is no watchdog

agency that can enforce the execution of this program. The latest MHA numbers are staggering. Out of 3.7 million eligible candidates for the program, there have only been about 633,459 active permanent modifications as of May 2011. Patel was hopeful when he filled out a financial worksheet as part of the process for loan modification, but his application was rejected. However, he did enter into a forbearance agreement with Wells Fargo for a period of four months. In essence, Patel was given a four-month respite on his delinquent account. According to Patel, that didn’t achieve anything. “Wells Fargo sent me a letter at the end of the forbearance period, indicating that if I didn’t become current with my payments, they would initiate foreclosure acceleration. That’s when I decided to cash in part of my retirement fund.”

The Race Card

In Ali’s case his application for loan modification was rejected twice. “The lending industry created this mess,” Ali says, “They help some people and not others.” Ali ascribes another reason to his problems. “Our faces, the color of our skin, tell a different story.” The terse way the bank dealt with him and the rapid deterioration of his situation was what he remembers. “In the same neighborhood that I lived in, a Caucasian family was in a similar situation and their loan was modified.” Ali explains how the neighbor’s bank reduced his mortgage payments to $900. “The family got an instant credit of 70,000 dollars and their interest rate was lowered to 3%. They still live in the same house.” A recent report by the California Reinvestment Coalition indicated that there might be some basis to Ali’s claims. About 42% of housing counselors interviewed for the report indicated, “borrowers of color are receiving worse outcomes than white borrowers seeking to avoid foreclosure.” Other details that emerge from the report paint a gloomy picture. 94% of housing counselors have clients who have lost their homes while in the midst of loan modification. Patterns of ethnic and racial disparities are emerging for borrowers. Incomplete applications, lost documents, and rejected modifications are more frequently applied to india currents • september 2011 • 11

non-white borrowers. Eichner explains that the loan modification process is not arbitrary. It is essentially the net-present-value formula; if overall debt as a ratio to income is below 55%, there is very little chance that the loan will be modified. But from all first hand accounts, it seems that while the formula is useful as a guideline, there are other impediments to acceptance.

Left in Limbo

Banks and other lenders tend to drag out the whole process of loan modification. Applications sit for six to eight months, “leaving people in limbo,” says Eichner. This, despite a clause in the MHA and HAMP (Home Affordable Modification Program) putting a timeline of three months on the approval process. Sheena Wadhawan, Vice President of the South Asian Bar Association and a public interest attorney in Oakland agrees with Eichner. “Banks are generally abusive of people seeking modifications,” she says, making no bones of her disapproval. They ask homeowners to submit and resubmit the same paperwork. Each time the homeowner has to deal with a different person at the bank. Several times, conflicting advice is given. There are even instances when banks “wrongfully foreclose,” according to Wadhawan. Foreclosure Radar, an independent firm in Discovery Bay, reported that it took an average of 317 days to foreclose a home in California in June 2011. This was an increase from 261 days a year ago. The number of foreclosures also dropped by 34% from the previous year. Sean O’Toole, CEO and Founder of Foreclosure Radar cautioned against assigning any significance to these numbers. “We do not see it as signaling an end to lenders looking to avoid losses that they can’t afford by continuing the extend and pretend policies of the past.” Lenders are just taking longer to process foreclosures and possibly artificially deflating the numbers. This is where scam artists show up. Predatory agents spin the hope tale in order to make a quick buck. Patel hired a lawyer to help him deal with the bank. Eichner, however, cautions strongly against a lawyer’s intervention. “It is against the law to charge a fee in ad-

The Scene in India There are fewer home loan defaults in India and the reason is more cultural than financial. According to an article in The Hindu, “The hard core default of home loans is around 3 per cent.” Perhaps it is because most homebuyers in India have the support of family and friends who are willing to help. Secondly, there is a flourishing private(non-bank) moneylending sector that can be applied to for recourse. 12 • india currents • september 2011

Renting vs. Buying To rent or to buy is a subject of many a real estate forum. The answer boils down to a few critical tests, age, long-term affordability, and job flexibility. A two-car garage home in the suburbs is not particularly tempting to the young and upwardly mobile. Childless families may find the single-family home a bit of an encumbrance. Job flexibility or the fluidity to pick up and go might deter any longer-term investments. People who travel a lot would rather stay in an apartment somewhere. Some cities are more amenable to renters than others. San Francisco is more renterfriendly than the bedroom community of Fremont, for example. If neighborhood is a factor, then it might be easier to rent for a particular school then buy. Moving into your “own home” makes sense when you have a steady job, have the possibility and wherewithal to sustain your lifestyle and have young kids who have put shackles on your wandering feet. As the mid-30s loom so does the desire for hearth and home. An interactive graphic by the New York Times allows you to plug in your life factors to do a comparison to determine whether renting or buying is the best option for you at any particular moment. Check out http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/business/buy-rentcalculator.html vance in foreclosure cases.” Unscrupulous lawyers and real estate agents continue to come up with creative schemes where they make money off these desperate, cashstrapped clients, while they stay just this side of the law. It might be okay to work out a contingency agreement with a lawyer, in case the loan modification goes through and the mortgage is significantly lowered.

Social Stigma

Possibly one of the most inhibitive aspects of South Asians going through foreclosure is their need for secrecy. Both Patel and Ali feel that foreclosure is a failure of sorts. Patel declares that the perception of normalcy counts for a lot within the Indian community. He says he’s under tremendous “social” pressure to maintain the family’s lifestyle. For Ali, since it is an event of the past, he is better able to discuss it openly. Wadhawan agrees that her South Asian clients suffer from this malaise. “Our people feel a lot of embarrassment and are rarely forthcoming about their situation. There is hesitation to even seek help. The worst thing for a family going through some stage of foreclosure is to do nothing and all too often people end up doing just that.” As for seeking help from counselors and advisors, Ali scoffs at it, saying counseling cannot bring back income, or pay his bills.

Why Me?

Federal Reserve Policy maker Fred Kroszner lays the blame on adjustable rate mortgages (ARMs) as the leading cause of foreclosures. Offering low initial interest rates and down payments, these mortgages balloon dramatically after the first year. ARMs were marketed to low income buyers, who were happy to get into a home with little or no initial capital but were also unlikely to afford the higher mortgage payments. When it sounds too good to be true,

it usually is. Predatory lending practices contributed significantly to the housing collapse. Telemarketers aggressively advertised lower monthly rates and refinance options. They offered the possibility of home equity to be used on remodeling, consolidating credit cards, buying a boat or RV, and in some cases even taking a vacation. Unsuspecting homeowners fell victim to this stratagem and ended up losing their homes. Under investigation for fraud, Angelo Mozilo, the CEO of one of the largest lending firms, Countrywide Mortgage, admitted in internal emails that some of the mortgages sold were “poison,” and “toxic.” It’s sad that companies interested in making a quick buck can so easily ignore the long-term fallouts of such deleterious business methods. For most homeowners under foreclosure, it is usually an unlucky combination of personal circumstances that plays the villian in this bad plot: a lost job, illness, death, college fees, bad advice, or too many investments coupled with inflating payments. In some cases, homeowners are told not to worry about the increase in payments because refinance is always and easily an option. But when the time comes to refinance, qualifying becomes an issue. According to Wadhawan, non-English speaking homebuyers are particularly at risk. They don’t have the financial literacy to comprehend documents in English and often end up being victimized. Homebuyers, too, are culpable. In their desperation to qualify for a loan, borrowers lie about their income in loan documents, usually with the collusion of loan agents. “These liar loans,” Eichner says, “are given to people who never should have borrowed money.”

The Seven Year Sting

The hidden long-term cost of a foreclosure is the impact on credit rating. Patel realizes that losing his home to foreclosure would af-

fect his credit for seven years. “This would be bad for the future since I have one son in college and another going into middle school.” Whether it is a trustee sale, a short sale, or a walk away, the transaction becomes part of the homeowner’s credit history. Patel is eager to get out of the mess he’s in. He hopes the bank will approve a short sale of his property, though “there is no real advantage to a short sale,” Eichner emphasizes. Realtors tend to promote short sales, but the reality is that there’s little value in it for the homeowner. It still goes on record as a default. Realtors, however, make money on short sales. If there’s no way to avoid the credit hit, then maybe a prudent walk-away is the answer? “We advise our clients not to keep putting money into a bad investment. Better to walk away and start afresh,” agrees Eichner.

Lesson Learned

“I have really seen ups and downs,” Patel says sadly. “Unless unemployment and the housing market improve, we are all in trouble. At the end of the day, my kids and family get priority. I will do what it takes to give them security, whether it is living in an apartment or a smaller home.” The process from receiving that first warning letter to losing a home is disturbing, disruptive, and fraught with anxiety and “it was especially hard on the children. But it’s a lesson they’ll never forget,” Ali says, as the

A Partial List of Resources Northern California

• Project Sentinel: a non-profit agency providing services to help people resolve housing problems. Offices in Fremont, San Jose, Sunnyvale, Gilroy, Modesto and Redwood City. Website: www.housing.org; Email: mediate4us@housing.org • Homeowner’s Hope Hotline: Homeowner’s HOPE™, a counseling service provided by the Homeownership Preservation Foundation. Website: hopenow.com; Phone: 888-995-HOPE • Community Housing Works: Website: www.chworks.org • SpringBoard, Fresno Housing Assistance: Website: www.homeownership.org; Email: housinghelp@credit.org. • Neighborhood Housing Services, Silicon Valley: Website: www.nhssv.org; E-mail: areynoso@nhssv.org

Southern California

• Anaheim Housing Counseling Agency: Website: www.anaheim-hca.org; Email:gcontreras@anaheim.net • Neighborhood Housing Services of Orange County: Website: www.nhsoc.org; Email: Kenm@nhsoc.org. • Spring Board, Long Beach: Website: www.homeownership.org; E-mail: housinghelp@credit.org • Operation Hope: Website: www.operationhope.org; Email: lance.trigg@operationhope.org only positive to this ugly business. There are probably more than a few Patels and Alis among us, and calamity could just as near as the next monthly household spreadsheet. Their stories make us realize the impermanence of our worldly goods. Losing a home, with all the familiar nooks and crannies of our existence, can be traumatic, but

ultimately happiness doesn’t hinge on owning a home.n For stories of other ethnic communities affected by the foreclosure crisis visit http://special.new americamedia.org/foreclosure/index.html Jaya Padmanabhan is a prize-winning fiction writer.

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fiction

Mustard Seeds F

ire is like a Fibonacci sequence. It spirals into infinity, if left unchecked. It’s a function of fate, a sequence of life. F(n) = F(n-1) + F(n-2)… It was in the eighth grade that Mrs. Saxena taught me all about Fibonacci sequences. My desk was on the far side of the window and my imagination on the stiletto of sunlight that shone on part of the sequence on the blackboard, illuminating it. 0,1,1,2,3,5,8,13,21,34,55,89,143,232… The number thirteen stood out limned by light and shadow. Oddly, it was the only one of the sequence written on the board that was made up of more than one digit and the digits didn’t repeat or contain successive numerals. I was 13 when I fell in love for the first time. I remember her clearly. Maya. Her large eyes fell on me in class and the words disappeared from my tongue. I would sit there with my hand raised and my eyes visualizing our joined sequence. The first time she talked to me, I felt a physical ache more powerful than what is about to happen to me. Will she remember me? Will she reconstruct our interactions? “Jaan, I knew this

Katha 2011 Results

sh award $300): FIRST PLACE (ca YAN RE SH by Tapas and I , RA IT M H UK MAY Santa Clara, Calif. (cash award $200): SECOND PLACE by ANIRVAN Lanka is Drowning CHATTERJEE, Berkeley, Calif. sh award $100): THIRD PLACE (ca YA Mustard Seeds by JA N, HA AB AN PADM lif. Los Altos Hills, Ca ENTION: HONORABLE M by KAUSHIK ct) tra (ex Windhorse ly. BARUA, Rome, Ita ENTION: HONORABLE M LA JAYWANT, EE Two Gurus by SH Mumbai, India.

14 • india currents • september 2011

man. He used to be crazy in love with me at one time. Hahaha. What a joke it was. You’ll never believe it. He asked me to marry him when we were fifteen. His was my first proposal. I hope they don’t come around looking for me because I knew him in high school. Will they? Oh my God. What do we do?” Or it might go, “Why are they doing this? This was a good man. He asked me to marry him when we were teenagers. He was a little insane. Crazy insane. I could have loved him though. Do you know how and why they caught him? I cannot bear to think about it. This weekend can we go to the beach?” The day I proposed to Maya was the day that Rio told me the story of the fire in a warehouse in Kashmir. The winter cold had formed icicles around the warehouse and an untended kangdi had resulted in a raging fire. Fire and Ice. The pictures were breathtaking, Rio had said. The cold icicles held its form despite the heat from the burning building. Maya was the fire that would melt my icicle, I thought. With a rare burst of resolve, I went looking for her. I found her just as she was about to enter the restroom in school. I called her name and she turned to look, her long earrings swinging like tribal dancers. There was impatience on her face. I dove to my knees in front of her and grabbed her hand. “Will you?” I asked. “What?” “Will you…marry me?” I whispered “Let me go.” “Not until you give me an answer.” “This is not even legal,” she said, indignantly. “Is this your idea of a joke? Are you making fun of me?” “No joke, Maya. We’ll marry when we’re eighteen.” “Let go of my hand. I need to go to the bathroom.” I remember clutching her hand tighter and her face wincing and then her great burst of rage, swinging her fist at the back of my head, my falling forward and her clutching her groin as she violently freed herself and ran into the bathroom, crying.

s the skin fries off my bones, will I be dead already? Asphyxiation is what kills; I know this because of Rio’s fascination with fire. I remember, when I was 11, observing Rio strike a match and watching as it crept slowly down to his thumb and

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forefinger. Then just as it reached his skin he threw it on the ground and lit the next one. The second time, I saw the fire touch his flesh and I yelped in distress. He smiled at me and threw the match down. “Nothing will happen,” he assured me. “Watch one last time. The fire will die down on its own.” He struck the third match and I paid close attention as it lit his thumb a full 10 seconds before he pinched it dead. Rio showed me his thumb and forefinger. There was proof that this was not the first time he’d done this. “The fire will first attack the nerves and kill it. After that you won’t feel anything. Try it!” he told me. “If you’re ever trapped in a burning building, more than likely it will be the smoke that will kill you. It’s like drowning,” he explained. Instead, I was burned by the encounter.

hen I inhale, I will smell burning flesh. It is a smell that comes to me when I think of train compartments full of people sealed and set afire and widows forced to enter the funeral pyre of their dead husbands and people trapped in burning buildings waiting for rescue and Tamil rebels in Sri Lanka tied to trees with tires hung around their necks and set aflame. I am a rebel. I am a man born to a Religion and a Country. My mother is my Country and my father my Religion. Both have let me down. I wait here today, my eyes covered by a strip of gunnysack, waiting for flames to devour me. My captor smells of something visceral. Of sweat, cigarette smoke, and polyester. Funny thing about polyester is that it is highly flammable. How ironical. I feel my condemned mouth stretching.

think the fire will be ignited around me. When the police came for me, it was halfpast one in the morning. The floor will be covered with straw and gasoline will be liberally poured around me. “Traitor,” they yelled at me, shoving me and pushing me. “People like you don’t deserve to live.” It will need just a single match. I watched my sister weep, begging for mercy. “Don’t hurt him, don’t hurt him.” The flames will rise slowly first warming my feet. I heard my fourteen-year-old brother, his stutter loading the mirth on the men’s faces. It will seem like a mere walk on hot coals. They mocked him and imitated him, while I lay supine at their feet and my sister’s voice reached madness. Then it will rise. “S-S-S-St-

Sto-Stop i-i-i-i-t,” they said before slapping her and grabbing her breasts. First attacking the nerves on my feet. I met my brother’s eyes and pointed with my chin. He walked across the room to assist my sister. There they stood, a silent, scared ragtag army of two. Quickly devouring my shins and broken kneecaps. I got to my feet, dragging their attention back to me. The flames will attack my anus, my digestive tract and the lining of my lungs. In a few violent seconds I was on the floor again. From the floor I looked at my siblings, commanding them to stay still and unresponsive, without the words ever being said. I will then lose consciousness. I was dragged out and pushed into a waiting car. At last I will be consumed by eternal peace.

arbon monoxide, they say, is odorless; it is so much easier to deal with an unsuspecting killer. I recall movies I’ve seen, where the killer creeps into the heroine’s room with a knife. She is usually sleeping oblivious to the deafening sonata of suspense. Then she wakes up, just as the hero appears clumsily, noisily, and captures the silent killer, while the heroine completes her wakeup routine, wiping the sleep off her mysteriously unsuspecting face, clad in a black or red or white negligee, and looking with exaggerated horror into the face of what might have been. My eyes are sealed shut to my might-have-been.

n these few moments awaiting my pyre, I have never been freer. We are invariably tied to a goal, an ideal, a motive, or desire that pulverizes the idea of freedom. Yet, there is a constant struggle to find that elusive sense of abandon. The fleeting moments rarely add up to a sustained perception of liberation. In my life, liberty was measured out like tonic. In small, spare doses. The past tense seems very apt here, for the future is just a thought away. When I was told about the death of my journalist father, who died in prison after a year of incarceration, the sense of relief that overwhelmed me was my moment of freedom. Freedom was when my fragile, beautiful mother killed herself. She had tumbled into the pewter pits of melancholy and depression and couldn’t see her way out. Or when my sister broke off her love affair and returned to us. Or when my brother got a scholarship for the coveted computer science program of a well-known university. Or when I joined the outlawed party of the people. Freedom was a word, an ideal that we met and talked about. But we were bound by the very act of desiring freedom.

s that the sound of music, I hear? As a youth, I’d heard of the rock star rebels who’d created music and sold it under the shallow guise of art, but it was more passion and politics that had pulled me into their record banner. The lyrics of nationalism and courage, I thought, in my supreme naïveté, would shield

me behind anagrams of combat and conflict. But the government spoke the same language with different words. Their words were obey, adhere, respond, and surrender. They solved our anagrams, parsed our rhetoric, and deciphered our allegorical references. Yet, I played my violin to the rebel drumbeat. I played in alleyways, in coffee shops, in college libraries, and in private homes. With the rage of past injustices thrumming inside me, I played to stray dogs and old ladies and babies in bassinets, and brothers and sisters and teachers and vegetable sellers. I forgot about the price I would have to pay. The music I hear today is nothing like the angry rhythm I am used to. It is soft and melodic and heralds the coming of my angels.

ach flame will rise up a little higher, curling at the very tip, like a batik pattern across space. The baby was in discomfort, her breathing painfully labored, as I laid her beside Gaia on the narrow bed. The afternoon sun reflected the brown batik pattern of Gaia’s sheet onto her translucent skin, and it seemed as though the child’s entire body glowed from within. The fire was inside her body. I looked down at the mother and child on the bed and exhaled loudly, willing my breath to cut across their thresholds. My wife and my child. That night the fragile child recovered but the mother died, giving up her battle easily, peacefully. Wrenched by the prospect of a life without Gaia, I left my child behind. It had been at my cousin Sachi’s wedding that I finally muscled up the courage to approach Gaia. I had seen her around town. She worked at a restaurant, waiting on tables. I made it a point to visit the restaurant once a week. She never once acknowledged me, never indicated that she recognized me or even that she knew what my order was going to be. “What would you like to eat?” she’d ask each time, with the same inflection of assumed obliviousness. “Breadbutterjamandtea,” I’d say, all in one breath. Each time, she laboriously wrote it all

out in her little pad. At the wedding, I watched her stride towards the buffet table, marveling at the fact that she was the tallest woman there, almost three inches taller than me. She loaded her plate with food and then she stood in a corner by the trash, and proceeded to remove all traces of mustard seeds from her plate with a fork. Dip, pick, trash. “Why do mustard seeds bother you?” I asked as I threw my cigarette butt into the trash. She cast a quick glance at me, laughed loudly, and continued on with her routine. Dip, pick, trash. “Do you know mustard gas blisters the skin? Small little mustard seeds form.” “It’s not as though you can taste them.” “Then what value do they serve?” she asked meeting my eyes. In one smooth swoop, she dumped her whole plate in the trash. “Let’s go get something to eat,” she said, pulling me by the hand. “I want to sing,” she said, later that evening, her voice lilting and tilting each word into a tune, and I didn’t know whether she wanted me to know that because she’d heard of my music. She finally sang at our wedding. She put words to my violin. Six months later, she was pregnant and in prison. She survived prison but died in childbirth. I played my violin at her funeral.

nd then the flames will engulf, crackling and dancing in the inferno. Just as I danced as a young boy, when my father received an award for fearless journalism. Those were the days when writing an expose meant ceaseless effort and endless praise. My mother had not stopped smiling. I’d worn a black suit and red tie to the event and watched my father rise up higher than anyone else. My last memory of my father was of a man whose body had rotted away in the damp of prison walls. Even after he died india currents • september 2011 • 15

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of pneumonia, pamphlets of his writing still found their way to street corners. I collected them assiduously and created a folder titling it, “My Prison, My Future.” My sister is on the path to losing her future. I’ve seen her striated arms. When confronted, she denies it, and then remonstrates, “How could you think that of me?” I suspect that it is the hand of the government, feeding her narcotics to control her. My brother’s stammer is worse, these days. I patiently waited for him to finish when he told me last week, “Fuck You-youyou-you…you are the won, won, one that is the cau-cau-cau-cau-cau-cau-use of all our trou-trou-trou-trou-trou-troubles. I wish you would go away.” I asked him if our sister was on drugs and he told me to let her be. Later he apologized. I lost my day job as a welder in an auto parts factory, a few days ago. My boss told me that I was on the government watch list and the company would lose its license if they continued to employ me. I withdrew all my savings and left it in the “My Prison, My Future” folder. I play a word association game. Sachi, safe; Rio, radiation; Gaia, gone; Maya, memory; Father, fallen; mother, miserable; sister, sad; brother, bright; baby, blue; government, gleeful; future, fuck; rebel, rampage; childhood, cheerful; violent, victory; youth, yearning; music, martyr; now, nothing; violin, vindication; me, maudlin. Dip, Pick, Trash. I attend to the sound of a footfall. “We have good news for you,” a voice announces. I shift from one foot to the other. “We’ve decided to let you go.” I stay quiet, wrapped within my solipsistic preoccupation. “Did you hear me?” a strident demand. “We’ve decided to let you go!” A hand clutches my polyester shirt. “Yes, you’re going to be free!” Another ebullient voice. I hear the sound of a striking match.n Judges’ comments: Shilpa Agarwal: This is a story about the utter destruction of a family because of their political beliefs. I appreciated its temporal balancing act—suspending the story in a single present moment while simultaneously revealing the protagonist’s past and gesturing toward his certain, irreversible future. The theme of fire is a smoldering presence throughout. Ronica Dhar: We had a remarkable number of submissions written in 1st person, and I found that this story showcased the best that perspective offers: it sustains a compelling and original voice. Jaya Padmanabhan is a prize-winning fiction writer.

16 • india currents • september 2011

india currents • september 2011 • 17

I C films Aniruddh Chawda

On Hollowed Ground AARAKSHAN. Director: Prakash Jha. Players: Amitabh Bachchan, Saif Ali Khan, Deepika Padukone, Manoj Bajpayee, Prateik Babbar. Music: Shanker Ehsaan Loy. Theatrical release (Reliance).

or dwelling on topical, politically charged themes, few Indian filmmakers have attracted as much attention in recent years as Prakash Jha. Gangaajal (2003) borrowed from the true story of a wave of police brutality in response to frustration over their powerlessness in Jha’s native Bihar. Apaharan (2005) again returned to gangland Bihar after a wave of sensational political kidnappings swept the region. Rajneeti (2010), Jha’s biggest box office hit, also attracted attention for plotting a powerful political matriarch that drew parallels to Sonia Gandhi. With Aarakshan, Jha turns his attention to the hot button topic of affirmative action, in favor of the so-called scheduled castes, ordered by Indian courts in recent years.

18 • india currents • september 2011

Enlisting Bachchan in one of his most pivotal role in recent years, Aarakshan is well-made and well-intentioned, but it rushes to get to the precipice and then pulls back just when it most urgently shouldn’t. The jewel in Jha’s crown here is definitely Bachchan, who plays Prabhakar Anand, an educator with a stellar reputation. Anand’s teaching methods—he himself is an ace mathematician—promote traditional learning without regard for a student’s family background or means to pay. The extremely high rates of matriculation from Anand’s school inevitably draws attention from the payfor-play-minded, scheming Mithilesh Singh (Bajpayee), who connives his way into becoming the school’s vice principal. After a local court issues an edict for schools to integrate students from traditionally disadvantaged groups, Singh exploits the controversy into having Anand removed as the school head. Undeterred, Anand sets up shop across the street and starts a brand new school. In the central role, Bachchan’s screen presence is both forceful and reverent. This is best put into focus in a couple of very long shots where Anand and Singh silently stare from their respective ivory towers a couple of hundred feet apart. Singh gazes with a sinister sneer while Anand remains cool and non-judgemental—at such distance and even spectacled, his eyes sparkle only with impish curiosity of one who would much rather be teaching instead of becoming the center of a vast controversy. Boosting Bachchan, there is a wonderful cast of supporters. The interplay between Bachchan’s protagonist and Bajpayee’s antagonist is drawn out sharply and both are stunning in their deliveries. There is Khan as Deepak Kumar, one of Anand’s former students and math whiz who returns from America to help his traditionally disadvantaged community join the mainstream. Deepak’s attachment to Anand’s daughter Poorbi (Padukone) puts their restrained love to test in a battle of wills pitting Anand against just about everyone

else. There is also Sushant (Babbar), an upper class scion who undergoes an awakening of sorts on his own. Shankar Ehsan Loy are known for delivering finger-snapping, bouncy musical scores (Dil Chahta Hai, Bunty Aur Bubli, Rock On!). Here they run counter with a laid back score. “Kaun Si Dor” is a memorable classical vocal piece by Pandit Channulal Mishra and Shreya Ghoshal. To get the 75-year old Mishra on a soundtrack is a milestone indeed. Also notable is “Roshanee,” a groundswell thematic hymn crooned by Shankar. Affirmative action in India is one of the last remaining taboos in Hindi movies. “Polite” Indian society frequently shuns any discussion related to the social inclusion of the groups that Gandhi collectively labeled “Children of God.” For raising that bar, Jha deserves a great deal of credit. What Jha needs to be figuratively scolded for, however, is not having Anand formally commit to either side. While the neutral ground is fertile and covered with thought provoking moments, combined they are not enough to ignite a core conviction. Anand’s “punishment” —him being removed from his respected post—turns on a mere misunderstanding in the media. With a slightly more judicious treatment and forceful point of view, Jha could have turned Aarakshan into a powerful measuring stick on a charged subject.n EQ: B

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Suchi Sargam

Courting Controversy

Aakarshan Director Prakash Jha thrives on provocative movies about social and political issues

ollywood director-producer Prakash Jha’s latest film, Aarakshan, released to much hype and controversy in August 2011. Made with a Bollywood A-list star-cast of Amitabh Bachchan, Saif Ali Khan, Deepika Padukone, and Manoj Bajpayee, the film deals with the sensitive subject of reservations in the Indian education system, and predictably brought about a fierce discussion among the various stake-holders in the issue. The film faced bans in various states. In an interview prior to the release, Jha, who has previously made hard-hitting films like Gangaajal (on the constraints on the police), Damul (on bonded labor) and Apaharan (on kidnappings for hire), suggested that his motivation in picking the topics of his movies was trying to portray the conflicts that arose with changing times. When did you start working on Aarakshan? The idea for the movie has been around for a long time, around seven years. I have been reading articles, meeting people, thinking about it, assimilating things .... It was a major social movement and the way it brought about basic fundamental changes in our society (led me to make this movie). What are some of these changes? The rise of this new political class of Lalu Yadav, Mulayam Singh Yadav, Nitish Kumar... the politics of Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh... in Southern India we already had the domination of the backward castes, but in North India it all happened post 1970s and early 80s. But that is one development. The whole education format changed then, and one can see that, in the post-Mandal Commission-era (post 1980), there has been a rise in the business of education. Because of “Mandalisation,” because of reservation, the number of seats (in education institutes in India) got reduced, increasing competition, and thus there are more specialised coaching institutes (in the country). The capitation fee [school donation] also increased as kids who could not get admission in government institutes went to private medical institutes, where they gave money and got admission. People began to see huge (commercial) opportunities in education. In an open market economy, which was the case in the post-90s economy, there was a lot of need of specialised managers, engineers, and the like, and suddenly the whole

texture of education changed. Until then, kids were studying B.Sc, M.A., B.A., and the like. No one today in India studies pure humanities, or pure physics, or chemistry, or mathematics. They are all going to become engineers, managers, or get some kind of specialised jobs. These are some of the things I had been observing. And I came across an emotional story Prakash Jha of a principal’s life seven years ago. Not a true story. But between me and my cowriter Anjum Rajabali, we felt that yes, here is a structure we can talk about—this story and commercialisation of education, in the backdrop of reservation. Then I went to (Amitabh) Bachchan and narrated the character and story to him, about seven years ago. And we had been talking for a long time about work together. I thought if he could do it, it would be fantastic. He really liked it too. It took seven years to start working on it. And of course, I had a commitment to do Apaharan (2005) and Rajneeti (2010) in between. Aarakshan was scheduled after Raajneeti. Did you think the title Aarakshan is loaded with meaning and controversy to begin with? So let us talk about it. If it is there in our society, then why not talk about it? The more we talk about it the more natural it will become. It is a constitutional truth... isn’t it? We are living in a society which is castebased, and we cannot deny it. Our polity is caste-based, our thinking is caste-based. So what’s the harm in it? Is it only India that you see as castebased? It is everywhere. Balkanisation, ghettosim, racism... I mean, affirmative action took place in America as well. Didn’t it? While the movie does not take a stand for or against aarakshan (reservation), what is your personal take on it?

Asking me “Are for reservation or against it?” is useless. The point is, whether you are for it or against it, it is there. Let’s learn to live with it and understand the pain of people who have been bearing it for centuries. Let’s understand the pain of children who are dealing with policies which are caste-based. By God’s honest truth, I have no opinion on it. I am somebody who has been observing things. If you ask me, in Apaharan, are you for Tabrez Alam’s character (played by Nana Patekar) or for Ajay Shastri’s (played by Ajay Devgn), I can’t be judgemental. I am telling a story. Even if my generation went through the trauma of Mandal Commission, the fact of the matter is, in a society where you have subjugated a large section of people, how do you bring them into the mainstream? How do you create an opportunity for social mobility for them? The look of Prabhakar Anand (played by Mr. Bachchan) in the movie is based on your real-life look and style. How did you feel about this? It’s just a look, you know. I cannot look like him. It’s just happened that while talking (about the character and the look of the film) we decided to base his look on me. He grew his own beard for the first time for this role. He had never ever grown his own full beard for any character before. Even in Mohabbatein (Aditya Chopra’s Bollywood film, 2000, where Bachchan had a long-beard look), it was not real. Incidentally, this is also the first time in india currents • september 2011 • 19

his 40-year-old career that he is doing a social issue-based film. Do the similarities between Prabhakar Anand and Prakash Jha end at this stylisation or is there something more to it? No, no. It is just this much. Which Indian state is the film based in? It is based in a Hindi speaking state. We have shot it in Madhya Pradesh, India, so you may say so. Many of your earlier works, like Damul, Mritudand, Apaharan, and Gangaajal, were based in Bihar. Was this one consciously not in Bihar? I did not base Rajneeti in Bihar. It was Bihar only until Apaharan. When I did those movies, the times were like that, society was like that. Now on, (my films) could be based anywhere. Your films have the country’s political system as an integral part of it. Even you contested election from Bihar in 2004 and 2009. What does this system mean to you? I am not a politician. I wanted the job of a Member of Parliament. I applied to the people. They rejected me. That is the end of it. I no more have the ambition of becoming a Member of Parliament. Was it a disappointment, being rejected when you were working towards the betterment of the people at the grassroots in the state.? Of course, when you don’t succeed you will be disappointed. But that’s the way you go. If a film doesn’t work, what do you do? Since Aarakshan talks of real problems, are there any real life episodes in it? I don’t think there are any real life incidents, but there are several experiences from real life. But nothing major. Like a student getting admitted (to college) on a capitation fee. Or the son of a close friend of mine not getting an admission at Jamia Milia Islamia (one of the top ranked universities in India, situated in Delhi) because there is 51.5% reservation there. Why the initiative to open a multiplex cinema hall in Patna, Bihar? I wanted the people there to have the experience of multiplex, and no one was building it there, so I built one. Why do you think your hard hitting movies (like Apaharan and Gangaajal) have done better than family dramas like Dil Kya Kare and Rahul? I have no idea about that. I make movies my kind of way. A good story will always work, whether hard-hitting or not. A story has to be told in an engaging manner. When my films are releasing, I am always tense about whether I have been able to tell it in an engaging manner. So I keep my fingers crossed. What will be your next project? It will deal with the concept of development in India. I have been working on a script, and we will shoot early next year. n Suchi Sargam is a journalist in India. 20 • india currents • september 2011

The Lion’s Den SINGHAM. Director: Rohit Shetty. Players: Ajay Devgn, Kajal Agarwal, Prakash Raj, Sonali Kulkarni. Music: Ajay-Atul. Theatrical release (Reliance).

he reason Hindi movies are often referred to as Bollywood movies is because Hindi movies have a rep for borrowing plots from Hollywood movies. While that is true in a some cases, Hindi movies of late have borrowed generously from South Indian cinema, that other India-based movie powerhouse that churns out regional movies by the truckloads. Recent Salman Khan Hindi language hits Ready, Wanted, and Tere Naam were all remakes of movies originally made in southern India. Rohit Shetty’s remake of the hit 2010 Tamil entry Singham would have to pass muster as a throwback, retro 1970s-style action flick from a genre presumed to have bit the dust along with bell bottoms and disco. In much the same way as Once Upon A Time In Mumbai managed to do with a well-made retro feel, and despite both cultural and linguistic regional barriers, Shetty’s Singham manages to hold its own. Taking dress, make-up, uniform, dark sunglasses, shirtless and bare-chested cues directly from Salman Khan’s playbook, Ajay Devgn finds himself as Bajirao Singham, a newly minted cop who lands in a criminal cesspool where Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Goa meet. The geographical vortex is crucial since Singham’s nemesis is the dreaded Jaykant Shikre (Raj), who hails from an uppercrust political family and delights in belittling the provincial cultural identity that Singham represents. In a polished package that resembles Salman Khan’s Dabangg in a nice way, the stage is set for a brute force battle of wits and guts between the stoic, soft-spoken Singham and the always strong-arming Shikre. Singham is the lion-hearted, one-man army up against Shikre, who is a one-man swarm of locusts nibbling away furiously at the fringes of a fragile, tattered balance between order and anarchy. Singham’s first name Bajirao, in a nod to 18th century Marathi cultural and military hero Bajirao Bhatt who

scored major victories over both the Mughals and the Portugese, also readily molds into an iconography that is exploited for a super-regional cultural appeal. The ethnic flair is extended to the use of colloquial Marathi, some Gujarati, and also Tulu, a smaller yet distinct language with proto-Dravidian roots. As urban legends go, it is a foregone conclusion that Shikre’s unrelenting legions of paid informants, corrupts police officers, ruthless henchmen, and gangsters must eventually blink first against the weight of the far gentler—and, hence, far more weighty—voices that Singham brings to his aid. The chief proponent of Singham’s cause is the grieving widow (Kulkarni) of the last guy who held Singham’s job. In a restrained role, Kulkarni infuses an air of genteel dignity to the widow as she assuredly and patiently bids for Singham to uncover the truth behind her late husband’s mysterious death. Even though Singham finds time to dilly-dally with gorgeous local lass Kavya (Agarwal, in a decent entry to a Hindi female lead role), the moral compass is always imperceptibly pointed elsewhere on the horizon. For his turn, Devgn’s character, playing so much like a stand-in for Salman Khan’s role from Dabangg, begs the possibility that the rascally, gray-shaded “cop role” may be the new norm for Hindi film protagonists in this decade. This may be the surest proof that the legacy gifted to Indian cinema by Bachchan’s “Angry Young Man” from the 1970s was no mere fluke. Rohit Shetty’s lessons from his father, the legendary action choreographer Shetty, are brilliantly apparent in how well the mano-amano fight sequences blend into the story. Yes, there are a couple of stops when the wires are just barely visible. However, given the rapid pacing, there is hardly any time to notice as Singham neutralizes yet another band of Shikre’s goons. Director Shetty and lead Devgn have had a string of remarkable boxoffice hits (the Golmaal franchise, Zameen). After Zameen, Singham may be the first effort that scores equally by both critical and mass appeal measures. These kinds of remakes we don’t mind at all!n EQ: B+ Globe trekker, aesthete, photographer, ski bum, film buff, and commentator Aniruddh Chawda writes from Milwaukee.

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perspective

Alakananda Mookerjee

QWERTY, My Muse I type, therefore I am

n June 25, 2010, I’d tweeted: “Have the new technologies made us stupider or smarter? I feel I’ve become sharper in their advent. But that may have little to do with them.” But, today, I’m not certain I agree with the assertion that technology has no impact on our cognitive skills. I’m stating the obvious when I say that in the last fifteen years, or so, my mental terrain has changed drastically. We all evolve with age. And with age, I have grown intellectually brawnier, if I say so myself. Whether or not that belief has factual accuracy is beside the point. That I feel so viscerally is of significance. My impression of myself as a young girl is of someone who struggled endlessly with many-layered narratives, math sums, road directions. No one who meets me today, after a decade-long gap would tell me so on my face, but they would be remiss in their observation of me, if they didn’t notice that the passage of time has only made me far sharper, far quicker on the uptake. (The flip side of that is that I get distracted very easily. I can’t focus on any one activity for more than a maximum of 30 minutes.) Having recently read Nicholas Carr’s mind-expanding book, The Shallows: What The Internet Is Doing to Our Brains, I’m inclined to believe that the “passage of time” has nothing to with it. Technology has.

Carr cites the instance of how Frederick Nietzsche’s typewriter shaped his writing. In early 1882, when the German philosopher’s health was failing, and he could no longer trust his hands to write for him, he ordered the then recently invented Danish made Malling-Hansen “writing ball,” “an oddly beautiful instrument” that resembled an “ornate golden pincushion.” A few months later, a Berlin newspaper reported that he was faring much better. “But the device,” Carr writes, “had a subtler effect on his work. His prose had become tighter, and more telegraphic. There was a new forcefulness to it, too, as through the machine’s power—it’s ‘iron’—was, through some mysterious metaphysical mechanism, being transferred into the words it pressed into the page.” One doesn’t have to be Nietzsche to be affected by a tool. It is my intense relationship with the computer and the Internet, which has shaped me as I am today. I am quite convinced that my brain has rewired itself, due to my prolonged engagement with the QWERTY keyboard, hyperlinks, RSS feeds, “rich content.” I have essentially been transformed by the gadgets I own. Carr’s book has helped me make a monumental self-discovery, a fact that might help explain how, in fact, I am composing this piece. It wouldn’t be possible without the QWERTY keyboard. Yes, the (seemingly)

inanimate implement that I type on. My muse, it turns out, is a machine. What a pencil and a sheet of paper couldn’t accomplish for me, the QWERTY did. It made me write, produce semi-coherent prose. It made me a journalist. Unlike Carr and folks of his generation, who had an “analog youth,” I had an “analog childhood.” I went to elementary school carrying a coarse satchel that contained a triad of writing and recording instruments: a couple of ball-point pens, a few softcover, wide-ruled notebooks, a spiral jotter. I read linear text, printed on frowzy paper pages, broken now and then with a handful of smudgy illustrations. I wrote in longhand, on paper pages. I worked hard at making my handwriting neat, a perfect gradient of cursive. I played board games on boards made, in fact, of thick cardboard. That was in India, in an era, long before the arrival of the personal computer, the Hyper Text Markup Language-built Web pages, the RSA encrypted information. Maybe the educational system of the time, with its intolerable emphasis on rote memory, did all it could to mask my creative talent. Or maybe, it was just me—plainly obtuse. But I recall how I sweated over single paragraphs for essays. My originality went no further than blindly “copying” a section of a textbook, and “pasting” it with utmost care on a workbook. Then, around the mid-1980s, I got my very first computer, a distant precursor of the iPad, which brought to mind the image of a large, square box each time I tinkered with it. It instantly became my favorite toy. Back then, I used to spend a few hours daily, coding in BASIC, a computer language that’s extinct now, I played games, but I rarely used the word-processing function. Still, a change was underway.

t wasn’t until a decade later, however, that I fully adopted the tool, and attempted to use all its bells and whistles, the most exciting of which to me was the Internet. By then, I’d moved on from the Mac to the PC. My first browser, the first-generation Netscape, though nowhere near as efficient as Google in its present avatar, still opened up myriad informational pathways. The desire to navigate its streets, lanes, alleyways, occasioned learn22 • india currents • september 2011

ing how to use the mouse and the keyboard. The change proceeded. At first, I went slowly. With one hand, I’d type no more than the URL addresses of the sites that interested me. As I became progressively more familiar with the layout of the keys, I was tempted to open a word document, if only just to see what it could do and what it couldn’t. I would type a phrase. Highlight it. Then, delete it. Type a short sentence. Highlight it. Then, delete it. Type a still longer thought. Highlight it. Then, delete it. It was like a game, almost. At the time, the process by which this dematerialization happened appeared less technological, more magical. I watched goggle-eyed, my mind quivering with wonder at the idea of how a strip of text could vanish without a trace at the mere tap of a button. How was erasure possible without leaving either a trail of faint gray smudge, or a strikethrough, or a curmudgeonly graffiti in ink, on a surface? One may argue that the pen and the paper preserved all record of my intellectual toil. But that is precisely what obfuscated my ability to think. The more I saw the signs of my mental labor, the harder it got for me to write, make any headway with my thoughts. Typing was different. “The world of the screen,” Carr writes, “is a very different place from the world of the page.” The very act of editing a word, a line, a paragraph, on an illuminated screen, allowed me to array my ideas, to sort through them, to arrange them, to reshuffle them—all without leaving an ungainly mess. What helped me move forward was the apparent absence of mental effort I put into creating textual content. So while I continued to be enthralled by the technological novelty, on another plane, at the neural level, certain synapses in the area of my brain associated with writing skills may have been getting fired. I did not know. But I could feel. Cobwebs were beginning to scatter, clear, wither away. Far lower in decibels than the sound of type bars striking against the ribbon spool of the old typewriter, the soft clicking of the keys hitting the board affected the mind, unconsciously. It made my thoughts crisper, sharper, cleaner. Only brief e-mails came in the beginning. As that transformative phase in my life intersected with my entry into the news business as a rookie reporter, I began to craft stories. By and by, the role of the keyboard and screen swelled. Now, I can’t even conceive of a life without the QWERTY keyboard. But I guess I have to readjust—again. The keyboard killer, the touch-screen device, has arrived. n Alakananda Mookerjee writes for fun and studies trends in business and design when she is not bemoaning the decline in cultural standards.

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Northern California Anniversary Sale at the Ritz Carlton in San Francisco, Sept. 3rd, 2011 • 11 am - 6pm Showcasing Sabyasachi's Fall Collection. (By Invitation Only)

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I C ask a lawyer

Indu Liladhar-Hathi

Petitioner Death and Immigration Status The death of the petitioner is no longer an obstacle for some immigration seekers

mmigrating to the United States to live here permanently is an important and complex decision. In general, to immigrate a foreign citizen must be petitioned or sponsored by a U.S. citizen relative(s), U.S. lawful permanent resident, or by a prospective employer, and be the beneficiary of an approved petition. Thereafter, the beneficiary must wait the required amount of time. If the sponsor is a U.S. citizen spouse or employer, the beneficiary will have to wait only for the paperwork to be completed. If the sponsor is another relative, then they will have to wait in line for their priority date to become current. Each year, the demand for immigrant visa numbers for family-based and employmentbased sponsorships far exceeds the supply. This has resulted in massive backlogs with immigrants waiting years for their priority date (their place in line) to become available. For many years, United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) had taken the position that the law did not permit the

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beneficiary of a visa petition to obtain approval of the petition if the petitioner died while the petition remained pending. In those cases, USCIS automatically revokes the immigrant visa petition, leaving surviving family members with no means to obtain immigrant status based on that petition. On October 28, 2009, President Obama passed into law a landmark immigration bill, ending the automatic revocation of a visa petition when the petitioner dies. This has provided significant relief to immigrants and their families who have waiting for their priority dates to become current only to have the petition revoked upon the death of the petitioner. The new law changes the governing regulations with respect to an alien who is seeking an immigration benefit through a deceased “qualifying relative.” Specifically, under this new law, surviving family members residing in the United States at the time the petitioner or principal beneficiary died, may

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adjust status to permanent residence when their priority date is reached, as long as they continue to reside in the United States. This includes the continued processing of the immigrant visa application for the spouse of the U.S. citizen or the unmarried child under age of 21 of a U.S. citizen, even if the U.S. citizen petitioner dies while the immigrant visa petition is pending or has been approved. This option is also available for spouses and unmarried children of permanent residents, unmarried children over the age of 21 of U.S. citizens, married children of a U.S. citizen, brothers and sisters of U.S. citizens and the derivative children as well as derivative beneficiaries of pending or approved employment-based immigrant visa petitions. Note: This change does not benefit family members residing outside the United States.n Immigration and business attorney Indu Liladhar-Hathi has an office in San Jose. (408) 453-5335.

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September 2011

H1-B PERM LABOR CERTIFICATION FAMILY PETITION ADJUSTMENT IN STATUS CITIZENSHIP E, L, K, & V VISAS

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EMPLOYMENT-BASED VISA DATES Preference Dates for India 1st Current 2nd April 15, 2007 3rd July 8, 2002 Other June 1, 2002 Workers 4th Current Certain Current Religious Workers 5th Current Targeted Current Employment Areas The Department of State has a recorded message with visa availability information at (202) 663-1541, which is updated in the middle of each month. Source:http://travel.state.gov/visa/bulletin/ bulletin_5542.html india currents • september 2011 • 27

books

Priyanka Chaurasia

Challenging the Concept of Microfinance MICROFINANCE AND ITS DISCONTENTS by Lamia Karim. University of Minnesota Press. Paperback. 296 pages. $25.

n March 2, 2011, the New York Times reported that Nobel Peace Prize Winner Muhammad Yunus was forced out of the Grameen Bank, which he had founded. Yunus’s bank pioneered microcredit, the provision of small loans to female village entrepreneurs in Bangladesh to fight poverty. Yunus’s dismissal, which was enacted by the central national bank and upheld by the Bangladesh High Court, was ostensibly because he had passed the retirement age. However, his termination also came in the wake of controversies surrounding microfinance in Bangladesh. Sheikh Hasina, the Prime Minister of Bangladesh, alleged that microfinance institutions (MFIs) were “sucking the blood from the poor in the name of poverty alleviation.” Yunus’s dismissal marks a rupture in the rosy narrative of microfinance. Does microfinance improve the lives of rural women? Yunus and the Grameen Bank frequently cite their high repayment rates as an indicator of both the reliability of the poor as borrowers, and as evidence of entrepreneurial success of the borrowers. In her recently published book, Microfinance and its Discontents, Lamia Karim explores what she calls a contradiction between the rhetoric of MFIs and the lived realities of their female clients. What is the story behind repayment rates? Which social factors do these numbers conceal? Karim begins by addressing the claims of microfinance. Grameen claims that rural women are natural entrepreneurs when, in fact, female borrowers’ husbands are often the de facto users of the loans. If men are the ultimate users of the loans, does microfinance empower women? Further still, repayment rates do not necessarily indicate an increase in women’s income. Women may be investing in existing low-income activities or their husband’s activities. Finally, repayment rates do not measure intra-household power relations. Women may still have to take care of their children, and often take a daughter out of school to help with the housework. Thus, a high repayment rate does not necessarily indicate female empowerment. Microfinance might even disempower women because women face unequal burdens upon default. The Grameen Bank has celebrated its 98% repayment rates, but Karim argues that many loans are forcibly recovered. Karim is most forceful in condemning microfinance’s use of shame to enforce loan repayment. 28 • india currents • september 2011

NGOs (non-governmental organizations) essentially transfer the administrative costs of loan recovery to rural communities, as other women in the group publicly humiliate women who cannot repay their loans. NGOs are also known to “break homes” of defaulters, meaning stripping one’s home and selling it for parts. Karim also recounts cases of NGOs locking defaulters in the NGO office or calling the police to arrest defaulters. Then, when the women are taken to court, they are doubly humiliated in public. In rural Bangladeshi society, where women are repositories for family honor, husbands have often abandoned their “shamed” wive after such humiliation at the hands of NGOs. Karim also emphasizes that not all MFI employees support such tactics, but many feel trapped by institutional demands for loan repayment. Many authors have exposed the weaknesses of MFIs in empowering women. However, Karim goes one step further and describes how the microfinance sector has become a pseudo-government in Bangladesh. She starts the narrative by describing Ziaur Rehman’s support of women-in-development (WID) issues in the mid-1970s to gain Western support for his government, as well as Lieutenant General Ershad’s sponsoring of the NGO sector to garner Western support in the 1980s. However, this relationship became complicated when Western donors preferred to conduct development work through the NGOs, claiming NGOs were more efficient and well equipped to work with the communities. What is the true meaning of empowerment? What did these powerful NGOs do for the poor? Karim describes how these

influential NGOs shifted focus from addressing structural inequalities to financial services. The shift was gradual and political, and today, Karim argues, the NGO sector focuses almost exclusively on financial solvency. Karim questions whether the NGOs’ newfound emphasis on making profits empowers women at all. Karim provides one example in which BRAC (Bangladeshi Rehabilitation Assistance Committee) managers “often intimidated and coerced the women into accepting [a] ‘poultry farm concept.’” Since BRAC would make money off of women’s poultry farm enterprises, BRAC eagerly conscripted existing female borrowers into becoming poultry farmers. Women were generally ignorant of the risks and expensive inputs involved in poultry farming, and rarely earned the high income promised by BRAC officials. Karim’s research is thorough and her insights, fascinating. However, at times, she extrapolates too far. Where some examples discuss one particular MFI, usually Grameen, she makes claims about “NGOs” in Bangladesh. Her insights about the NGO in question are compelling enough; it is unnecessary to apply those insights to the NGO sector as a whole. Further, Karim has the peculiar habit of referring to herself as a native researcher. Throughout the book, Karim refers back to her native perspective, contrasting it to that of (white, male, Western) foreign researchers. For example, she does not have to rely on NGOs to access the local people. In fact, her ethnographic site, Pirpur Thana, is incredibly inconvenient to get to from Dhaka, and has largely been ignored by foreign researchers. She prides herself on these qualities. However, while Karim is from Bangladesh and knows the language, customs, and verbal and non-verbal ways of communication, she is not as “native” as she claims to be. She relies heavily on two native research assistants, and often admits she would be unable to do her job without them. In one humorous anecdote, Karim describes how her short hair raised so many questions among Bangladeshi women that her assistant told the women that Karim had been sick and had to shave her head. Should a researcher’s “native credentials” lend more credibility to his or her work? Karim seems to think so. But her consistent claims of “nativeness” were more of a distraction from her otherwise thoughtful and provocative research.n Priyanka Chaurasia recently graduated from Columbia University with an MA in Human Rights.

Geetika Pathania Jain

Tara Menon

A Hard Life

SARASWATI’S WAY by Monica Schroder. Frances Foster Books. 240 pages. Hardcover. $16.99.

onika Schroder, a librarian at the American Embassy in New Delhi and former teacher at international schools in Chile, Egypt, and Oman, has made a second career for herself as an author of middle-grade children’s novels. Knowing the hopes and aspirations of children and being acquainted with different cultures give her an advantage as a writer of literary fiction for kids. Her debut novel, The Dog in the Wood, is set in World War II Germany and features a family of refuges. Her forthcoming and third book, My Brother’s Shadow, takes place in post-World War I Berlin. Saraswati’s Way, her current and sole nonhistorical fiction novel, features an orphan in India facing harsh realities reminiscent of Oliver Twist. It has already garnered a few honors, including the Notable Social Studies Tradebook for Young People. Schroder’s matterof-fact narrative style blunts the impact of the sad events in 12-year-old Akash’s life for the young reader. One of the most tragic events has already occurred at the start of the novel; his mother has died, giving birth to a baby that lived only for three days. Akash has no recollection of his mother despite his attempts to remember what she looked like. He lives with his extended family in a two-room hut, but they live in dire poverty. Akash, however, has been blessed with a gift for numbers and his greatest desire is to win a scholarship to a better school. Shortly after his father dies, Akash’s grandmother sends him away with their landlord so Akash can ease their debt by working on the man’s quarry. Eventually, the boy runs away to Delhi, where he falls into the company of a gang of railway children who pick pockets and inhale glue to stave off their hunger. (Each of the kids has their own heartbreaking story, invoking the compassion of the reader for the parentless boys and girls who frequent train stations.) Sometimes, Akash has to face moral dilmmas, but no matter what he does, the boy comes off as a believable and likeable protago-

Second Chances nist. His undiluted love for mathematics, his courage to survive his ordeals, and his determination, in the face of countless obstacles, to get into a school are all endearing traits. Schroder’s language is poetic and vivid. “Their bare branches ended in thick knobs held upward like the fists of angry men. The drought had left the soil cracked, and the spice plants looked starved. Sometimes a trickle of rain speckled the ground enough to give off the promising smell of wet mud. But after this cruel teaser the sky … gave no relief from the sticky heat … like a punishment with no end in sight.” The writer also conveys a good sense of culture with her descriptions of festivals and Akash’s father’s funeral rites, without indulging in them for the sake of inclusion. (Her one inconsistency, though perhaps intentionally done for clarity, is referring to the village boy’s uncle and aunt as Uncle Jagdesh and Aunt Kamla while using Indian terms for his father and grandmother—Bapu and Dadima.) Her author’s note would have been more helpful if she had explained that the majority of Hindus worship God in many forms and call Him by different names, but they believe the many forms to be aspects of the same God. Schreoder does not underestimate the child reader’s ability to grapple with serious issues, including a vignette of a molester trying to lure Akash. She shines the spotlight on underprivileged lives in Saraswati’s Way and acknowledges in her author’s note that in real life there would only be a “slim chance” for a boy like Akash to fulfill his dream. Readers will find the novel enlightening about the preferential treatment of boys, child labor, Vedic shortcuts for math, and Indian culture. Young readers may feel grateful for the education they receive as well as an understanding that others less privileged than them also possess dignity, courage, and aspirations and that all children deserve to have the chance for a good life. n Tara Menon is a freelance writer based in Lexington, Massachusetts.

SIX METERS OF PAVEMENT by Farzana Doctor. Dundurn Press. 340 pages. Paperback. $22.99.

ix Metres of Pavement tells a moving story of the coming together of a “prefab family” of a man, woman, and child. The reader is left with a firm idea that a family can take many forms, traditional and otherwise, a cause promoted by gay families continuing their struggle for political legitimacy. The six metres become emblematic of the small divides that can frequently prevent us from finding each other, gay or straight, brown or white. The “child,” 20-year-old Fatima, is by far the most interesting character, a feisty bisexual University student whose parents have had an extremely adverse reaction to the revelations of her sexuality. Homeless and running out of funds, Fatima turns to the main protagonist, Ismail, for help. Ismail, the “man,” is a rather melancholy middle-aged character full of regrets and selfrecrimination, unable to give up reminders of “an old love and an enduring mistake.” An accident that happened almost twenty years ago has left an emotional scar that has healed insufficiently. Luckily for us, the “woman” Celia draws Ismail into a sweet late-life romance even as the palette of her monochromatic widow’s wardrobe becomes more colorful. Through Celia’s character, Doctor interrogates the psyche of a widow who has served her family all her life and is now quite literally looking for a room of her own. Defying societal expectations that grandmothers simply fade away as they age, Celia is experiencing a new vitality and sense of independence. The narrative is set in the northerly climes of Toronto, this chilly adopted homeland providing the site for a writing class attended by Ismail and Fatima. The self-referential allusion to the art of writing itself is an interesting literary device. The reader is allowed an insight into how these characters see each other, and the stories they create of their own lives, much like a Russian doll of story within story. The book is populated with a cast of desi stereotypes. Our characters have found themselves transgressing the strict moral codes of the desi immigrant. Fatima can find only censure and paranoia from her parents Hassan and Shelina, who entreat her to reform and become a “good girl.” Nabil, a pillar of the community, is emblematic of the model immigrant who has become successful and can now dispense advice to his brother Ismail, who, as a divorced loner who drinks too much, must listen. For Ismail has made the mistake india currents • september 2011 • 29

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of giving up on his dreams: “A starter home is supposed to be temporary. Ismail was supposed to be the sort of husband who would ascend through the ranks of the public service, his income rising with each annual promotion… they’d move to a detached four-bedroom with a big backyard and a two-car garage in an [sic] postal code where the property taxes were higher and the schools better.” Ismail’s inability to stay away from the Merry Pint, a local watering hole, and his unsatisfactory hookups with the Merry Pinters, women who frequent the bar, have left him with self-loathing and self-pity that make Hunter Thompson seem well-adjusted. He cries frequently. It was while reading about another of Ismail’s lachrymose lapses that I found myself speculating about a cinematic adaptation of the book, and who would populate it. The book falls with ease within the rich tradition of the social problem novel. Six Metres of Pavement does an important job of making homosexuality acceptable, promoting multicultural understanding, and sympathizing with the aspirations of women. No wonder the Toronto Arts Council and the Ontario Arts Council have supported this work. Some readers might question whether Six Metres of Pavement has an “edutainment” agenda. Remember the first Indian soap opera Hum Log (1984) commissioned by the Indian government broadcast television channel, Doordarshan? Tucked away within the storyline were messages encouraging family planning and other pro-social values. I am happy to report that any such edification in this book has been well integrated within the human drama that the author describes with skill and flair. n Geetika Pathania Jain earned her doctorate in International Communications. She lives in Cupertino and teaches media courses for the University of Phoenix Online.

taxation

Khorshed Alam

Cancellation of Debt (COD) Income I

n the current economic climate foreclosures and short sales have become more commonplace. When a taxpayer negotiates with a creditor to settle his/her debt that is $600 or more, then the taxpayer should know that he/she will receive a Form 1099-C (Cancellation of Debt) from the financial entity, which may be a federal government agency, a bank, a credit union, or any organization in which a significant part of its trade or business involves the lending of money. The taxpayer should be aware of the fact that such financial institutions are required to file Form 1099-C with the IRS when a debt is forgiven. In 2010 well over three million of these forms were sent by creditors to taxpayers and the IRS. Accordingly, this debt cancellation has to be recognized in tax returns this year. Generally, if a debt for which a taxpayer is personally liable is canceled or forgiven, other than as a gift or bequest, the taxpayer must include the canceled amount in income. When the money was borrowed the taxpayer was not required to include the loan proceeds in income because he/she had an obligation to repay the lender. When that obligation is subsequently forgiven, the amount received as loan proceeds is normally reportable as income because the taxpayer no longer has an obligation to repay the lender. Internal Revenue Code Section 61 defines gross income as the money constructively received by the taxpayer during the year having no obligation to repay, irrespective of its source. When a taxpayer receives a Form 1099C it is important not to ignore it because it could have substantial tax implications. It may create a tax liability for the taxpayer because the canceled debt is considered income for tax purposes, unless statutory exceptions apply. The taxpayer may have the ability to reduce or eliminate this Cancellation of Debt (COD) Income, if they were insolvent immediately before the cancellation. The amount of debt forgiven must be reported on Form 982 (Reduction of Tax Attributes Due to Discharge of Indebtedness) and this form must be attached to the taxpayer’s tax return. Insolvent taxpayers are required to provide a statement showing their total assets and total liabilities at the point in time immediately prior to the cancellation of debt indicating that the liabilities were greater than assets. For the purposes of completing Form 982, the IRS considers a taxpayer insolvent if the total of all of the person’s liabilities exceeded the fair-market value (FMV) of all of that person’s assets. To determine insolvency, assets include everything the taxpayer owns,

e.g., car, house, condominium, furniture, life insurance policies, stocks, other investments, or pension and other retirement accounts, including assets that serve as collateral for debt and exempt assets which are beyond the reach of creditors under the law, such as interest in a pension plan and the value of a retirement account. Liabilities include the entire amount of recourse debts, and the amount of nonrecourse debt that is not in excess of the FMV of the property that is security for the debt. If the taxpayer hasn’t listed the income on their tax return and the creditor has provided the information to the IRS, the taxpayer could get a tax bill or an audit notice which could end up costing a lot in terms of additional taxes, interest, and penalties. In such situation, the first thing to do is to figure out whether the taxpayer qualifies for an exclusion or exception. The most common situations when COD Income may not be taxable involve: • Insolvency: As mentioned above, if the taxpayer is insolvent when the debt is cancelled, some or all of the cancelled debt may not be taxable. • Qualified Principal Residence Indebtedness: This is the exception created by the Mortgage Debt Relief Act of 2007 and applies to most homeowners. If the debt was from a mortgage on a primary residence lost in foreclosure, sold in a short sale, or from a restructured mortgage, the taxpayer still needs to include this forgiven mortgage on their tax return, but on Form 982, and shouldn’t face any tax penalty on it. Debt reduced through mortgage restructuring, as well as mortgage debt forgiven in connection with a foreclosure, qualifies for the relief. This provision applies to debt forgiven in calendar years 2007 through 2012. Up to $2 million of forgiven debt is eligible for this exclusion ($1 million if married filing separately), as stated in IRS Publication 4681. • Bankruptcy: Debts discharged through bankruptcy are not considered taxable income. The debt will be discharged in bankruptcy (unless the debt was incurred for business or investment purposes). • Certain Farm Debts: If the taxpayer incurred the debt directly in operation of a farm, more than half the taxpayer’s income from the prior three years was from farming, and the loan was owed to a person or agency regularly engaged in lending, the cancelled debt is generally not considered taxable income. • Non-Recourse Loans: A non-recourse loan is a loan for which the lenders only rem-

edy in case of default is to repossess the property being financed or used as collateral. That is, the lender cannot pursue the taxpayer personally in case of default. Forgiveness of a non-recourse loan resulting from a foreclosure should not result in COD Income. However, it may result in other tax consequences. • Student Loans. Student loans forgiven by an educational institution that is taxexempt are exempt if the taxpaper works for a certain number of years for a qualified employer. The taxpayer’s student loan cancellation will not result in taxable income if they agreed to a loan provision requiring him/her to work in a certain profession for a specified period of time, and they subsequently fulfilled this obligation. Additionally the student loan must have been made by (a) the federal government, or a state or local government or subdivision; (b) a tax-exempt public benefit corporation which has control of a state, county or municipal hospital where the employees are considered public employees; or (c) a school which has a program to encourage students to work in underserved occupations or areas, and has an agreement with one of the above to fund the program, under the direction of a governmental unit or a charitable or educational organization. The Internal Revenue Service Publication 4681 contains more information on the tax consequences of canceled debt. It also contains specific instructions on how to complete Form 982. When a taxpayer receives a 1099C, it should be kept with the taxpayer’s tax documents. Be it noted that such document should be made available to the tax preparer and provide the tax preparer with information regarding the taxpayers total liabilities and the FMV of assets as they were immediately before the cancellation of debt. State tax laws for cancelled debts may differ from that of federal tax law. When in doubt, consult a tax professional to help determine the tax consequences of COD Income.n The tax information contained in this article is of a general nature and should not be acted upon in your specific situation without further details and/or professional assistance. Khorshed Alam is a practicing CPA and Business Valuation Analyst. Check out http: //alamcpatax.com or call (408) 445-1120. india currents • september 2011 • 31

32 • india currents • september 2011

india currents • september 2011 • 33

music

Teed Rockwell

Thinking Outside Pandora’s Box Sameer Gupta brings Indian music to Internet radio

hen I first found myself wanting to play Indian classical music I was, like many young lovers, scared of commitment. It was bad enough when I was a rock and country musician who wanted to play jazz in coffee houses, where most of the jobs paid little or nothing. I was living on the East Coast, and didn’t know of anyone else who would even listen to Indian music, let alone pay for it. Even the so-called alternative radio stations never considered Indian music to be a viable alternative, even if they played Sun Ra and Ornette Coleman. Sometimes I fantasized about starting my own radio program that played nothing but Indian music, but I never had the time or the faith to pursue the idea. Until now, that is. Thanks to Pandora Internet radio (www.pandora.com), I have created “narrowcast” stations in less than a minute by typing into my cellphone. These stations have names like Ali Akbar Khan Radio, Carnatic Violin Radio, or Indian Slide Guitar radio. By hooking my cellphone into my car stereo system, I can listen to each kind of music wherever I go and whenever I want, with a sound quality that surpasses FM. Pandora’s “music genome” automatically selects songs that are similar to these artists and genres, and creates a playlist as artfully as the most knowledgeable radio host. This process is computerized in a certain sense, but it is not a souped-up version of the airlines message machine that hears the difference between the words “departure” and “arrival.” The actual listening is done by a team of 25 highly skilled musicians, who have listened to over 900,000 songs and rated them for possession of 450 different attributes. The computer assembles their ratings into a multi-dimensional similarity space, so that selecting one song will automatically connect you to a similar one. If a song comes up that I don’t like, I can click on the “thumbs down” button. This will not only bypass that song, but also reshape the station so that it will no longer select that kind of song for that radio station in the future. Listener’s choices are also statistically analyzed to reshape the selections offered on similar radio stations created by other listeners. “We rely both on our experts and on the wisdom of crowds,” says Pandora founder Tim Westergren. “The genome is really a hypothesis generator, and we use customer feedback to confirm or deny its hypotheses.” Pandora is available only in the United States because of copyright issues (all Pan34 • india currents • september 2011

Sameer Gupta

dora musicians receive royalties each time their music is played), so it is understandable that the music genome initially focused on western music. Eventually the music genome expanded to include respectable selections of different kinds of world music: African, South American, Chinese etc. The selection of Indian music, however, is especially outstanding. This is almost entirely the work of Sameer Gupta: Pandora music analyst, jazz drummer, and tabla player. Gupta was brought in as a jazz analyst, but he has strong family ties to India. Although he was born in the United States, his family visited India every year when he was growing up, and he continues to study in Calcutta with his tabla guru Anindo Chatterjee. He wanted a broad range of Indian music in the genome, including all kinds of folk, classical, and popular music. Similar requests were coming in from employee’s friends, and from customer support emails. So Westergren decided to fund Gupta’s next trip to India, and gave him a generous budget for buying CDs in both Calcutta and Delhi. “I didn’t want to make just the obvious choices,” says Gupta, “I wanted people who selected Ravi Shankar to discover other sitar players like Nikhil Bannerjee and Shahid Parvez. I also wanted help finding artists that I hadn’t heard yet.” His first expedition was to Melody Music in Calcutta, near the Rama Krishna Mission at Gol Park. Gupta tried to explain what he wanted to the store owner, but Gupta speaks no Bengali and the store owner’s Hindi was uncertain at best. On his

fourth visit, Gupta realized that the owner must have learned his Hindi primarily from Bollywood films, and adjusted his accent accordingly. Once the owner understood Sameer’s mission, he gave the project his personal touch, selecting the classic songs from every era, and making sure the CDs contained no overlapping tracks. In Delhi, which was Gupta’s family home town, his Hindi served him well, and a music store near Connaught place treated him like a long lost native son. “They were so excited about what we were doing, they welcomed me into their home and gave me the full Indian hospitality treatment; chai, biscuits, namkeen. I was glad I skipped the big chains; I really appreciated that personal touch.” On his return, Gupta developed a set of attributes for placing Indian music in the music genome, such as which taals were used, and which swaras were in the melodic scale. He even developed a method for measuring which notes in a given scale were used most frequently, which enabled him to identify ragas that had similar vadi and samvadi. He then had to teach these attributes to a team of five other music analysts. “I was the only one who knew any of the Indian musical terms, so I had to do things like refer to komal re as a flatted second. I showed them pictures of all the instruments, and went through chart after chart of ragas. It was a lot of work, but I’ve managed to create some hard core Indian music fans.” Gupta acknowledges that he learned as much as he taught during this process. “When I was a kid, I had no interest in the Bollywood music my parents were listening to. I started out liking heavy metal, then graduated to jazz, then Hindustani classical. But doing this project, I really learned to appreciate the golden era of Bollywood, when the playback singers also did ghazals and other semi-classical music, and before more pop elements were brought in during the 70s and 80s. My father usually doesn’t pay much attention when I do my music analysis on the computer in the living room. But I when I was analyzing this music, he would sit next to me on the sofa, and say ‘come on, let’s do the next one.’ It was a great bonding experience for both of us.” n Teed Rockwell has studied Indian classical music with Ali Akbar Khan and other great Indian musicians. He is the first person to play Hindustani music on the Touchstyle Fretboard.

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Date

september 2011 • 35

youth

Ankita Rao

What is a Slum? It’s hard to define these cities within cities

he spring day is out of storybooks— warm sun, cool breeze, shouts of playing children. Everything but the rustling leaves; there aren’t many trees in this neighborhood. I sit on a rope cot with the matriarch of my adopted family, my host grandmother, watching kids play cricket with a stick from the nearby construction in progress. Dadi’s face is etched with age, her silvered hair covered with a white scarf. She smiles and jokes with me, her usual volatile anger tucked away until evening. There are elements of my latest home that I could only romanticize about when I was in suburban Florida; Bapu Dham is a community where everything is shared, from food to clothes to children who roam in and out of neighbors’ houses. In the evenings mothers take their kids to the park, gossiping about a scandalous wedding while kids coast down the broken slide. There is no alone here, there is no laziness. But this is a slum. This is the place that people in other parts of posh Chandigarh continue to forget about; some of them don’t know it exists. If they do mention it, they talk about the violence, the dirtiness, the poverty. They tell me: Be careful. Don’t play Holi in Bapu Dham, you will get hurt and sick. Don’t drink water there. Don’t roam around after 6 p.m. Part of it is true. I’ve been living in and out of family homes in this community for nine months now. Long enough to know about stealing and sickness. Long enough to know about the “Bapu Dham cough,” that everybody suffers from. I know that one block doesn’t trust the others, that mothers hide their daughters from the boys who I see as my biggest helpers. I’ve lost sleep over kids plucked out of school and our library to spend hours repairing motorcycles. I’ve met women with AIDS, male prostitutes that fit in nowhere, toddlers who may never walk because surgery is too expensive. But I still don’t know exactly what a slum 36 • india currents • september 2011

is. The word denotes poverty—evokes illegal huts and dirt lanes filled with trash and water and mosquitoes. There are development terms: marginalized community, scheduled caste, migrant laborers. Then there’s the effect of Hollywood, of Slumdog Millionaire and Born into Brothels, of any developing country-documentary that makes it to the big screen. But defining a slum is a task beyond my grasp. Though I prefer the word to any politically correct term when describing my proj-

ect, I feel unsettled classifying Bapu Dham, in all its diversity, as such. From what I’ve seen, these communities are often the running, supporting legs of a city, filled with people who make other, richer people’s lives easier. This is where the tasty street stall pani puris are originally rolled and fried, and the fabric grocery bags are sewn. This is where the sweepers, moppers, drivers, cooks, and carpenters sleep at night. If parties are planned and events organized, the origin of the decorations, the labor, the food is usually here. This society is complicated, fitting nowhere in the neat, urban planned grid of Chandigarh. There are three phases, varying in income levels, livelihoods and family size. There is the Great Divide between the pukka and kaccha houses, the cement apartments

and temporary huts, respectively. And therein exists an unorganized division of caste, Indian state, language, religion, and even crime rate. This is a city, perhaps even a country, within a city. Lack of education, income and awareness—the pillars of poverty—cannot be quantified in bar graphs here. In one nearby household, the oldest girl was pulled out of school in seventh grade while the younger daughter continues to excel in the best public school available. My current host family buys ice cream every week and has marble floors while the next lane’s ten families share a single, inconsistent water tap. There is nobody here I’ve met who doesn’t know that smoking is bad, school is good and that they can have better quality of living. But the issues persist, leading to untimely deaths, dropouts, preventable illness, and bad reputations. To make peace with figuring out development, my project or this neighborhood, I’ve let go of definitions. I can’t look at a slum in any city now without fitting it into the puzzle of the greater population. I recognize that the flaw is not in the people or the locality, but in the system of oppression that blinds the rich and the poor. The task of labeling becomes less daunting, less important, when working with the kids in Bapu Dham, whose talent and enthusiasm have little to do with BPL cards or government schemes. In the end this is a neighborhood. It is the place that the children think of when they want familiar comfort, their mothers, their homes. It is where tired women continue to work and exhausted men find shade from the ceaseless day. And for all that it is and can be, Bapu Dham continues to reveal its points of light, its sharpened edges, its quickened pulse.n Ankita Rao is an August 2010 Indicorps Fellow. Based in Chandigarh, she is partnered with Yuvasatta and focuses on creating positive after-school learning environments.

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I C relationship diva

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Long-distance Relationships Q

I recently had a few great phone conversations with a guy introduced to me by my parents (via family friends). This is the first guy in the last few years with whom I felt I really connected. The only problem is that he’s based on the East Coast, while I’m clear across the country on the West Coast. Given the geographical distance, should I even bother?

Long-distance relationships can face a number of challenges. Spending time together (not easy to do when living on opposite coasts) can generally be helpful in getting to know a prospective partner well enough to assess mutual compatibility on a number of different levels. That said, as your experiences suggest, really connecting can be relatively rare. In my opinion, geographical distance need not necessarily be an insurmountable hurdle to exploring the potential of your connection further (unless there’s reason to believe eventual relocation would be absolutely impossible on the part of either of you should things get serious). In fact, our matchmaking service introduces people from different cities throughout the country all the time.

Should you decide to explore the potential of your connection with this guy, below are some general suggestions to keep in mind: • Invest the time/energy/money required to meet in person prior to getting emotionally invested. Since far easier said than done, I generally advise people to meet sooner than later, as opposed to investing considerable time, energy (and heart) into voluminous email and/or telephone exchanges. While traveling to meet does require a certain level of time and money, meeting only after engaging exclusively via email/phone/IM’s/texts can be far costlier on many different levels in the long-run. • With geographical distance, it can be difficult to get a sense of each other’s authentic everyday way of being from day-to-day (as opposed to the substantially more limited personality during periodic and relatively brief fun-intensive visits together). For this reason, I generally recommend both people be vigilant of advancing the relationship too quickly as a way of resolving the infrequency of contact; as well as spend time while together doing more typical or mundane day-to-day

activities, i.e. errands, cooking, and/or simply co-existing with each other in private, as opposed to exclusively limiting together time to places like restaurants, lounges, theaters, concerts, and museums. • Invest in regular contact via phone calls and visits as the relationship unfolds; and • Address any potential “emotionally unavailable” issue head-on in the event the other person’s behavior gives reason to suspect he/she may be seeking out a long-distance relationship as a means of maintaining emotional distance. Remaining mindful of the above suggestions will likely mitigate common pitfalls in long-distance relationships.n Jasbina is the founder and president of Intersections Match, the only personalized matchmaking and dating coaching firm serving singles of South Asian descent in the United States. She is also the host of Intersections Talk Radio, a monthly lifestyle show featuring conversations with published authors/experts on relationships, health and wellness. www.Intersections Match.com.Jasbina@intersectionsmatch.com

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india currents • september 2011 • 41

recipes

Malar Gandhi

The Humble Yet Exotic Naan N

aan bread is a staple in Central and South Asia, including Afghanistan, Pakistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Iran, and India. The word “naan” may trace its etymology to an old Persian word, “nagna,” which means naked or bare, perhaps referring to the style of baking it uncovered. Today the word simply means bread in its land of origin, though in South Asia it has come to mean a specific kind of leavened bread. According to one hypothesis, both tandoori roti and naan came into existence in Indian cuisine after Hindu refugees from Afghanistan migrated to India in the early 1300s. They brought with them a kind of clay oven called the tandoor, which eventually became popular throughout India. Amir Khusrau, a noted poet of the times, describes naan-e-tanuk (light bread), and naan-e-tanduri (cooked in a tandoor) in his work. The Mughal emperor Jahangir is credited with making the tandoor portable. However, a variety of naan may have been baked as early as the Harappan period. Exca-

Garlic Naan Ingredients 4 cups all-purpose flour 1⁄4 ounce dry active yeast 4-6 teaspoons sugar salt to taste 3 tablespoons whole milk 6 cloves garlic, minced 1⁄4 cup clarified butter (ghee) In a wide bowl, mix 1⁄4 cup of warm water, sugar, and yeast. Let this stand for about 10 minutes, or until frothy. Add salt, milk, and flour and knead to a soft dough. Leave this in a well-greased, lidded bowl. As the dough will rise to 2-3 times its original volume, make sure that the bowl is large enough. Allow this to stand for at least 4-5 hours at room temperature. Divide the dough into small balls of about 4 centimeters diameter each. Add about a 1⁄4 teaspoon of minced garlic to each ball and knead thoroughly. Then press it into a teardrop shape. Sprinkle minced garlic on top and glaze with melted butter. Heat up a charcoal oven and wait till it is reddish hot. Grill for about 2 minutes on 42 • india currents • september 2011

Peshawari Naan, top Sheermal, left

vations at Kalibangan, (Rajasthan, India) show evidences of mud-plastered small clay ovens in primitive kitchens which resemble the tandoor very closely. Naan is typically leavened with yeast, though it was also left to ferment naturally in the past. Cooks also add milk or yoghurt to the

each side. Wait till they are slightly puffed and lightly browned. The naan can also be baked in a conventional oven for 30 minutes at 350° F. Serve warm with a curry of your choice.

Sheermal

A light sweet snack from the naan family.

Ingredients 1 cup all-purpose flour 1⁄4 ounce dry active yeast 4-6 teaspoons sugar 2 tablespoons whole milk 1 tablespoon golden raisins 1⁄4 teaspoon saffron 1⁄4 cup clarified butter Prepare the liquid starter as mentioned in the Garlic Naan recipe. Add milk, saffron, and flour and knead thoroughly to a soft dough. Place the dough in a well-greased, lidded bowl. Let stand for at least 2 hours at room temperature. Divide the dough into small balls of 2 centimeters diameter each. Roll into a thin square flatbread and stud with raisins. Glaze with melted butter. Bake in a conventional oven for about 20

dough to make it soft and fluffy. Over time, variations have sprung up all over the subcontinent. We have regional specialties like Afghanistan naan, seasoned with cumin or caraway seeds; Pakistani naan is made aromatic with rose petals, saffron, or khus (vetiver); Myanmar naan bya is served during breakfast with tea or coffee, often accompanied with boiled peas and soup; Indian naan is usually glazed with ghee and flavored with garlic while the Peshawar and Kashmir variations are enriched with dry fruits and nuts. Malar Gandhi is a freelance writer who specializes in culinary anthropology and gourmet Indian cooking. She also blogs about Indian food at www.kitchentantra.com

minutes at 350° F. Wait till the breads are slightly puffed. Serve warm as a snack along with tea or coffee.

Peshawari Naan Ingredients 4 cups all-purpose flour 1⁄4 ounce dry active yeast 4-6 teaspoons sugar salt to taste 3 tablespoons whole milk 1⁄4 tablespoon coarsely grated almonds 1⁄4 tablespoon coarsely grated cashew nuts 1⁄4 tablespoon coarsely grated pistachios 1⁄4 cup clarified butter Make dough as mentioned in the Garlic Naan recipe above. Divide the dough into small balls of about 4 centimeters diameter each. Add 2 teaspoons of mixed grated nuts to each ball and knead thoroughly. Then press each ball into a teardrop shape. Glaze the dough with melted butter. Grill the naan in the charcoal oven or conventional oven for 30 minutes at 350° F. Serve warm as a main course.

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Edited by: Nadia Maiwandi List your event for FREE!

october issue deadline: Tuesday, Sept. 20 To list your event in the Calendar, go to www.indiacurrents.com/submit-event and fill out Web form

Check us out on Facebook and Twitter!

special dates Onam

Sept. 1

Ganesh Chaturthi

Sept. 1

Labor Day

Sept. 5

Navratri begins

Sept. 28

Gandhi’s Birthday

Oct. 2

Navratri ends

Oct. 5

Dashera

Oct. 6

Sharad Purnima

Oct. 12

cultural calendar

September

2 Friday

Bollywood Bhangra Bash. Le Mast Mast

club night, featuring Indian food, Bollywood music. Organized by Le Mast Mast. 9:30 p.m.-2 a.m. Torch Restaurant, 7850 Beach Blvd., Buena Park, 90620. Info: (805) 5879144, Venue: (714) 523-8880. lemastmast.com.

September

3 Saturday

KALA Onam Celebrations 2011.

Onasadhya followed by procession and cultural programs. Organized by KALA. 11: 30 a.m. Lindbergh Middle School, 1022 E. Market St., Long Beach, 90805. $5. (818) 939-2487, (818) 331-0371, (310) 938-7827. anandjk@yahoo.com, zavierpi@gmail.com. 44 • india currents • september 2011

Abhiman Kaushal (above) and various other musicians will perform in “Sampurna: The Abundant Circle,” a program that aims to juxtapose classical ideology with modern sensibility, on Sunday, Oct. 9 in Glendale.

www.kalaonline.org.

Saahab: A Tale of a Boy Next Door. A

musical play in Hindi. Written, composed, sung, and acted by Shekhar Sen. Organized by The Shah Foundation. 7 p.m. La Mirada Theatre, 14900 La Mirada Blvd., La Mirada, 90638. $25-$75. (310) 541-8367, (310) 753-8990. krushmi@aol.com. Tickets: http: //sulekha.com.

September

8 Thursday

A Widow of No Importance. World premiere of comedy “A Widow of No

Importance,” by Shane Sakhrani and directed by Shaheen Vaaz. In association with South Asian Network. Deepa has been a widow for two years. Her only desire now is to see her daughter married so that she can die in peace. But when her recently divorced neighbor, also her son’s best friend, professes his love for her, her inner-cougar emerges to break tradition and start living again. A smart and sexy comedy about carving new paths and leaping for the stars. This project is supported in part by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts. Featuring: Anjali Bhimani, Parvesh Cheena, Puja Mohindra, Lina Patel, and Sunil Malhotra. Set design by John Iacovelli, lighting design

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Praveena Raman

A World Without Alzheimer’s Annual walk and awareness campaign in Los Angeles and Dana Point

n New Year’s Eve 2010, I was at the Fremont Temple with my family when I ran into my friends, Nanda and Girish. After the initial greetings and pleasantries, Nanda said, “I know you are involved with the Alzheimer’s Association and I was wondering if you could help us.” Girish’s father who was living with them was being treated for symptoms of cognitive decline associated with Alzheimer’s Disease. Earlier, at the end of a routine trip to India, Girish’s parents were detained at the airport for overstaying their visa without registering with the police. His father, a meticulous and diligent person, was shocked that he had forgotten this formality. Sadly, this incident triggered other associated medical events that started a rapid decline. His ability to read English and Marathi and recite prayers in Sanskrit, which had remained intact for several months, had also declined to the point where he would open the prayer book and stares at it trying to read it. Girish mentions that his father’s speech has also been affected and is incoherent. “We cannot figure out what he is trying to say and he probably realizes that as well. On very rare occasions he is able to express something that we can piece together and guess what he is saying. “It is heartbreaking for me to see a man who had such stupendous memory, recollecting extracts from various books and sharing childhood anecdotes, now barely able to comprehend or express,” Girish says. The prevalence of Alzheimer’s Disease in the Indian population is thought to be quite low; however, instances of the disease are present and might even be on the rise. Edie Yau, director of Diversity and Inclusion at the Northern California chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association, is working on having more outreach and education programs in the Indian community. The Association has information and programs to support and help patients, families, and caregivers taking this heartbreaking journey. It also supports research in the form of awards and much needed grants to young and established scientists working in academic institutions.n

Los Angeles walk: Sunday, Oct. 9, 7 a.m. Century Park, Century City, L.A. (323) 930-6228. brian.welch@alz.org. http://2011walktoendal z.kintera.org/faf/home/. Dana Point walk: Saturday, Oct. 15, 7:30 a.m. Doheny State Beach, Dana Point. (949) 757-3708. andrea.mcdonald@alz.org. http: //2011walktoendalz.kintera.org/faf/home/. Praveena Raman is a volunteer at the Alzheimer’s Association and has been a member of the San Francisco Walk Planning Committee for the past two years. She is also the founder and team captain of F.A.S.T. (Fremont Alzheimer’s Support Team) Walkers in Northern California.

The prevalence of Alzheimer’s Disease in the Indian population is thought to be quite low; however, instances of the disease are present and the Alzheimer’s Association is working to increase its outreach and education programs in the Indian community. india currents • september 2011 • 45

by Jose Lopez, and costume design by Melanie Watnick. Special performances: Thursday, Sept. 15, $5 minimum donation; Wine Down Fridays: Complimentary glasses of red or white wine during the regular performance run (must be 21 and over). Ends Oct. 9. Organized by East West Players. 8-10 p.m. East West Players Theater, 120 Judge John Aiso St., Los Angeles, 90012. $26-36. Student/senior $5 off regular price. (213) 625-7000. chuynh@eastwe stplayers.org. www.eastwestplayers.org/on_the_ stage/widow.htm.

September

10 Saturday

Karnatik Music Concert. Featuring

Ghatam Karthick and the HeartBeat Ensemble. Organized by South Indian Music Academy. 5 p.m. Hoover Middle School, 3501 Country Club Drive., Lakewood. $20 general; $15 student/senior. (626) 333-6108, (626) 6795878, (909) 861-8381. simala.us.

Vocal Concert. By Veena Sahasrabuddhe,

who comes from a family of musicians. Her father, Shankar Shripad Bodas, was a disciple of Vishnu Digambar Paluskar. Young Sahasrabuddhe started her musical education with kathak dance. She was initiated into Khayal singing by her father and her brother, Kashinath Shankar Bodas. Balwantrai Bhatt, Vasant Thakar, and Gajananbua Joshi have also contributed to her education. The style she has created for herself retains the fundamental values of Gwalior gharana while borrowing somewhat from Kirana and Jaipur gharanas. Apart from Khayal, she is sought after for her rich repertoire of bhajans. She has sung at all the prestigious venues and occasions including Tansen Samaroh in Gwalior and Sawai Gandharva in Pune. She has been awarded the Uttar Pradesh Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for the year 1993. Sahasrabuddhe will be accompanied by Abhiman Kaushal (tabla)

and Vivek Datar (harmonium). Kaushal represents the Farukkabad and Lucknow styles of tabla. Having been initiated into the art by his father R.B. Kaushal, who was a disciple of the legendary Amir Hussain Khan, Kaushal later continued his training under the famous Sheikh Dawood of Hyderabad, India, and the ustad’s senior most disciple, B. Nandkumar. He has recorded a soundtrack for National Geographic’s “Man Eaters of North India,” for the movie “Zoolander,” and performed for MTV’s Aerosmithicon show. Datar learned harmonium from the late Vinayakrao Kale and continued his learning from Seema Shirodkar. Datar has been accompanying for more than 20 years, and has performed both in India, as well as the U.S. and Canada. Organized by Rupak School of World Music. 6-8 p.m. Loyola Marymount University, Ahmanson Hall, 1 Loyola Marymount University Drive, Los Angeles, 90045. $30 general, $20 student. Tickets: http://sulekha.com. (610) 585-7951.

September

17 Saturday

Jugalbandi: A Coming Together of Musical Traditions. Jugalbandi

vocal concert with Gundecha Brothers (Hindustani) and Malladi Brothers (Karnatik). Two sets of brothers, masters in their own genres, unite to explore the melody, technique and rhythm of their respective genre accompanied by reputed percussionists relevant to the musical styles. Join for this unique fusion of Northern and Southern traditions seldom heard in Southern California. Organized by Ektaa Center. 7-10 p.m. Chinmaya Rameshwaram Auditorium, 14451 Franklin Ave. Tustin, 92870. $25. Tickets: http: //www.brownpapertickets.com/event/194376. (949) 300-8912. harish@ektaacenter.org, info@ektaacenter.org. www.ektaacenter.org.

Santoor Concert. Tarun Bhattacharya

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

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internationally acclaimed interpreter of Indian classical music on the santoor live in concert. His musical education came from his father, Robi Bhattacharya and from Dulal Roy, both famous names in Bengal. Later study with Ravi Shankar led to the development of his own unique musical style. Tarun Bhattacharya has made a number of modifications on his multistringed instrument allowing him to produce musical elaborations not possible earlier on the traditional instrument thus changing forever the art of playing the santoor. His technical

Tarun Bhattacharya will give a santoor concert on Saturday, Sept. 17 in Los Angeles.

brilliance as well as aesthetic sensitivity renders his performances a rare combination of lyricism and precision. Traversing the globe many times over performing in prestigious venues, and the release of over 100 recordings have led to his acclaim as a master musician in world music. Adding to the musical experience at this concert will be the artistry of Pravin Godkhinde (flute), Subrata Bhattacharya (tabla), and Vinod Venkataraman (mridangam). Organized by The Music Circle. 8-11 p.m. Herrick Chapel, Occidental College, 1600 Campus Road, Los Angeles (Eagle Rock), 90041. $35 general, $5 student, discount for Music Circle members. (626) 449-6987. MusicCircle@aol.com. www.MusicCircle.org.

September

18 Sunday

Karnatik Music Concert. With Sikkil

Gurucharan. Organized by South Indian Music Academy. 4 p.m. Hoover Middle School, 3501 Country Club Drive, Lakewood, 90712. $20 general; $15 senior/student. (626) 333-6108, (626) 679-5878, (909) 861-8381. simala.us.

October

9 Sunday

Walk to End Alzheimer’s. Walk to End

Alzheimer’s is the nation’s largest event to raise awareness and funds for Alzheimer’s care, support and research. Events are held annually in the fall in nearly 600 communities nationwide. Organized by Alzheimer’s Association. California Century

P l a c e y o u r e v e n t f o r f r e e : w w w. i n d i a c u r r e n t s . c o m / s u b m i t - e v e n t 46 • india currents • september 2011

Park, Century City, Los Angeles. (323) 9306228. brian.welch@alz.org. www.kintera.org/ FAF/home/. (See story.)

October

10 Saturday

Karnatik Quest: Saxophone Concert. By Kadri Gopalanath. Organized by Indian Fine Arts Academy San Diego (IFAASD). 6 p.m. Performing Arts Auditorium, Neurosciences Institute, 10640 John Jay Hopkins Drive, San Diego, 92121. (858) 792-7953. www.indianfinearts.org.

October

2 Sunday

Hariprasad Chaurasia in Concert.

Living legend Hariprasad Chaurasia performs an evening of spiritual music on the bansuri (North Indian bamboo flute). His consummate artistry and inimitable style have delighted audiences around the world for over forty years. Chaurasia’s concerts are renowned for their soulful, meditative, and mystical qualities. In this performance, he will be accompanied by Jay Gandhi (bansuri flute) and one of Indian’s foremost percussionists Subhankar Banerjee (tabla). Presented as part of the World Festival of Sacred Music taking place Oct. 1-16. Organized by Skirball Cultural Center. 8 p.m. 2701 N. Sepulveda Blvd., Los Angeles, 90049. $30 general; $25 Skirball members; $20 full-time students. (310) 440-4500. www.skirball.org/programs/pandit-hariprasadchaurasia. (See story.)

October

8 Saturday

A Sufi Experience with Zila Khan.

One of the most powerful Sufi singers in the world, Khan comes from an impeccable lineage representing the seventh generation of legendary Hindustani classical musicians. All proceeds with benefit the Niswa Association, a nonprofit organization serving women and children in underserved communities. Organized by Niswa Association. 7 p.m. Hyatt Regency Orange County, 11999 Harbor Blvd., Garden Grove, 92840. $125. (818) 388-5361, (714) 296-6897, (951) 317-9963.

Sitar Virtuoso Shahid Parvez in Concert with Subhajyothi Guha on Tabla. The dazzling virtuosity and innovative genius of Shahid Parvez Khan has earned him a legacy as a giant of the sitar. He is a seventh generation heir in the great sitar family of musical royalty, the Etawah gharana that included such greats as Imdad Khan and Vilayat Khan. Khan achieved artistic success at an early age after beginning first vocal and tabla study before initiation to the sitar

Malladi Brothers (top photo) will perform Karnatik music and the Gundecha Brothers will perform Hindustani in the vocal concert, “Jugalbandi: A Coming Together of Musical Traditions,” on Saturday, Sept. 17 in Tustin.

under his father, Aziz Khan. Khan immerses himself in music during a performance, using the power of music to draw everyone into the raga’s mood. Accompanying is Subhajyothi Guha, once a disciple of the late Allarakha Khan who was so loved by Music Circle audiences. Subhajyothi is a highly talented, young tabla player, one of the new genre of tabla exponents elevating percussion performance to greater heights in the 21st century. Organized by The Music Circle. 811 p.m. Herrick Chapel, Occidental College, 1600 Campus Road, Los Angeles (Eagle Rock), 90041. $35 general, $5 students with valid I.D; Admission is free or reduced with Music Circle Membership. Tickets sold at the door a half-hour before concert and Music Circle

membership will be available for purchase at event. (626) 449-6987. MusicCircle@aol.com. www.MusicCircle.org.

October

9 Sunday

Sampurna: The Abundant Circle. In a

time where tradition and innovation coexist, the shared program “Sampurna: The

Check out IC online at www.indiacurrents.com.

india currents • september 2011 • 47

recommends

Shyamal Randeria-Leonard

World Festival of Sacred Music I

nspired by a simple request by his holiness the Dalai Lama 14 years ago, the fifth World Festival of Sacred Music (WFSM) seeks to bridge communities while conveying peace and global solidarity through the elemental and sacrosanct mediums of music and dance. Apart from the entertainment qualities of the event, it will be the audience presence that fuels and morphs into a collective will for global improvement. For 2011, the festival will be a versatile assemblage of more than 800 local and international performers who cross cultural disparities to express and present a bevy of artistry in roughly 30 historic and public locales across Los Angeles. WFSM is a project of Foundation for World Arts and UCLA Center for Intercultural Performance and will run Oct. 1-16. Four previous festivals took place in 1999, 2002, 2005, and 2008. One of the many world-renowned artists who has responded to WSFM’s call for action is bansuri virtuoso Hariprasad Chaurasia, a man often credited for the popularization of Indian classical music abroad. Music ignites spirituality and this fused mood “free of everything but the pure, while creating peace and harmony,” says Chaurasia, “a necessity for people worldwide who are suffering mentally and physically.” Chaurasia will perform solos and select playful ragas particular to the time of the performance. The spell-binding blend of rhythm and pitch from the bansuri and tabla evoke melodic forms called ragas. Each raga evokes a mood often by lengthy improvisation that is passed on to the listener. Indian sages have long recognized the power of sound emanating from music and its resulting spiritual effects. Ancient music schools created ragas to activate specific centers and streams of internal power. Chaurasia will be accompanied by his senior student, Jay Gandhi, on second bansuri flute and renowned tabla player Subhankar Banerjee. Shyamala Rajender will play the tanpura. Playing the bansuri arose as a burning 48 • india currents • september 2011

spiritual passion within Chaurasia when he was only 14. It is this passion that he urges young music lovers to pursue. “Try to keep the foundation that your teacher provides you. It is one thing when the teacher asks you to perform but when you become a music lover, your approach changes as you want to demonstrate for the teacher that you are the best,” he says. He progressed to hone his breathing and blowing skills that allow him to play fast tempos and incredible ranges. His training is in the Senia gharana, which he draws from while integrating other styles as well. Beyond his worldwide live performances, which earned him international recognition, Chaurasia is a recipient of multiple awards including the Padma Vibhushan, the secondhighest civilian award in India. He has been knighted by the French government, honored by the Royal Dutch family and has performed in many major concerts worldwide. A notable concert was the 1998 Nobel Peace Prize Concert in Oslo where classical Indian music

was introduced. In 1996, he established the Brindavan Gurukul in Mumbai, an academy dedicated to the teaching and promotion of performing arts. He currently heads the world music department at Rotterdam Music Conservatory in the Netherlands. In addition to performing solo, Chaurasia has collaborated with Western musicians such as the late Yehudi Menuhin, Jean Pierre Rampal, John McLaughlin, and many others. Currently in his 70s, Chaurasia’s energy continues to surge fueled partly by the spiritual callings of his flute. From a 24-hour performance honoring Lord Krishna during the holy festival of Janmashtami to mixed European stops in August, Chaurasia comes to the U.S. to begin an independent, 10 city nationwide tour beginning with the WFSM performance. The tour will continue through October. Subhankar Banerjee’s tabla and vocal prowess matured from the early age of 5 into a well-earned reputation as master

soloist and accompanist to well known celebrities such as the legendary sitarist and composer Ravi Shankar, Amjad Ali Khan, and others. Banerjee’s global performances have won numerous accolades and awards from the president of India and esteemed filmmaker and writer Satyajit Ray. Banerjee also had the honor of performing with Chaurasia at the Nobel Peace Prize concert in Oslo in 1998 and has performed for Prince Charles, as well as the presidents of Pakistan, Mexico, and South Africa. Jay Gandhi is one of Chaurasia’s devoted students who has excelled as a bansuri player and has performed in India, Europe, the Middle East, and America. Gandhi’s musical pursuits also involve a great love for the music of the African diaspora and jazz. In 2004, he completed an Individual Major in Jazz Performance at Oberlin College/ Conservatory of Music (Ohio), studying privately under such jazz luminaries as the saxophonist Gary Bartz and trumpeter Marcus Belgrave. Shyamala Rajender, an attorney by profession, has been playing the tanpura for the last 20 years and has not only accompanied Chaurasia on stage but is a personal friend who coordinates his U.S. tours. The tanpura provides a firm anchor and harmonic base for the music according to Rajender who prizes the custom made instrument tuned to E scale to play with the master. The bansuri is a natural woodwind flute made out of bamboo and ranging in 29 sizes. The tabla is famed for being one of the most sophisticated pair of finger drums in North Indian classical music and in the world of percussion. Both musical instruments date back to the Vedic civilization. Also on the festival's roster are music programs "Sampurna: The Abundant Circle" on Oct. 6 and "Bridges: East & West" on Oct. 14. Please see event listings.n

Abundant Circle” juxtaposes steadfast classical ideology with a pursuit for modern sensibility. The first half of the concert features young Americans who bridge time and culture through an exciting fusion of South Indian classical music and jazz. Vocalist and percussionist Aditya Prakash joins forces with progressive jazz outfit Le J Trio to perform a collection of improvisations that breaks boundaries and pushes convention aside. With their musical roots intact, the quartet encourages an open dialogue as they build upon each other’s respective traditions. The second half of the concert showcases a classic presentation by Suman Laha (veena) and Abhiman Kaushal (tabla). The duo’s mastery of North Indian classical music combined with an astonishing level of technical precision give them the freedom to create music that is sublime, introspective and ecstatic. As the raga (mode) of the 17string veena is uplifted by the tala (rhythm) of the tabla, a direct path to the divine opens from within. Organized by World Festival of Sacred Music 2011. 3-5 p.m. Brand Library & Art Center, 1601 W. Mountain St., Glendale, 91201. Free. (818) 548-2051. www.brandlibrary.org.

October

14 Friday

Bridges: East & West. Sitar player Paul

Livingstone and Arohi Ensemble join forces with organist Christoph Bull for a dynamic concert of traditional and contemporary music steeped in the classical architectures of India and Europe. Exploring diverse forms from Indian raga to Baroque fugue, the

concert features solos, duos and ensembles in a unique breadth of form and collective improvisation. Bull is the fifth university organist at UCLA. He has performed in cathedrals worldwide, including Moscow and Salzburg. Paul Livingstone is one of the leading sitarists in America. He has toured in India, Europe, and Latin America and composes “ragajazz chamber music” for Arohi’s unique combination of virtuoso artists. Livingstone leads Arohi with Venezuelan world wind phenomenon Pedro Eustache. Their 20-year collaborative relationship includes studies under Amiya Dasgupta, Rajeev Taranath, and the legendary Ravi Shankar. Organized by World Festival of Sacred Music 2011. 8-10 p.m. First United Methodist Church of Santa Monica, 1008 11th St., Santa Monica, 90403. (310) 393-8258. www.santamonicaumc.org.

October

15 Saturday

Walk to End Alzheimer’s. Walk to End

Sunday, Oct. 2, 8 p.m. Magnin Auditorium, Skirball Cultural Center, 2701 N. Sepulveda Blvd., Los Angeles. $30 general, $20 student. Tickets: www.skirball.org, (877) SCC-4TIX, (877) 722-4849. For more details on the festival, go to www.festivalofsacredmusic.org. www.hariprasadchaurasia.com. Shahid Parvez will give a sitar concert on Saturday, Oct. 8 in Los Angeles. india currents • september 2011 • 49

reflections

Deepak Chandani

The Arrival of Nrsimhadeva T

he timing of Sri Sri Laxmi Nrsimhadeva’s arrival at the ISKCON (International Society for Krishna Consciousness) temple in San Jose was astounding. On Sept. 11, 2001—at the exact time terrorists were attacking the World Trade Center in New York City—Nrisimhadeva, famous for being the protector of His devotees, made His appearance at our temple. Devotees at an ISKCON preaching center in Tijuana, Mexico—seeking protection from persecution by extreme religious groups in their area—had taken up the worship of this deity of Nrsimhadeva. Later, after they moved from Tijuana, they brought Nrsimhadeva to ISKCON San Diego, where He stayed at the home of the temple president, Gandharvika Dasi, for one year. Desiring that Nrsimhadeva receive a more opulent standard of daily worship, Gandarvika Dasi, called one of the devotees at ISKCON of Silicon Valley (ISV) in San Jose. After hearing Gandharvika Dasi’s proposal, they were eager to receive Nrsimhadeva. After that, there were only some vague plans for someone to bring Him from San Diego to ISV, but no one was clear exactly when Nrsimhadeva would actually arrive. One day, a devotee making the 600mile drive up the coast, showed up at our temple with Sri Sri Laxmi Nrsimhadeva. Amazingly, His arrival came during the 9/11 attacks, a time when people all over the world were afraid and wondering where to find shelter. All the devotees at ISV took this as Nrsimhadeva’s special mercy on them. Since that day, the devotees at ISV have been worshiping Nrsimhadeva and His eternal consort Sri Laxmi Ji, beholding their beauty and opulence, praying for their special mercy. This year, marks the 10th year that the devotees of ISV have been blessed with continuous association, causeless mercy and much needed protection through serving their Lordships, Sri Sri Laxmi Nrsimhadeva. Lord Krishna incarnates time and again 50 • india currents • september 2011

to deliver the souls of this world. Among his incarnations, however, His appearance as the half-man, half-lion, Nrsimhadeva, is especially merciful. Millions of years ago, Nrsimhadeva first incarnated to save His devotee, the 5-year-old boy Prahlada, from the hands of Prahlada’s cruel father, Hiranyakasipu. Hiranyakasipu, an ardent materialist and demon, was bent on dominating the universe and did so after performing severe austerities and being rewarded by Brahma. Hiranyakasipu considered the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Visnu, to be his archenemy and held a special hatred for Him because Visnu had killed his brother, Hiranyaksa. When Hiranyakasipu found out that his own son, Prahlada, was a pure devotee of Visnu, he became so disturbed that he tried to kill Prahlada. Nrsimhadeva then appeared from inside a stone pillar, killed Hiranyakasipu and rescued Prahlada. Nrsimhadeva not only protects His devotees from all dangers, he also removes

obstacles on their pathway to perfection in devotional service. This is one reason that sincere devotees pray to Nrsimhadeva, who is Krishna himself (“Kesava dhrta narahari rupa”) asking His assistance in achieving complete purity of heart. Nrsimhadeva is well known and regularly worshiped in South India, especially Andhra Pradesh. However, in America, people rarely get to see a deity of Nrsimhadeva. This year, out of this sense of appreciation the devotees decided to do something special to celebrate His divine appearance day, which they observed on Monday, May 16. With gusto, the devotees at ISV opened the doors of the ISV temple, inviting people from all over the Bay Area to come receive the blessed glance of Nrsimhadeva and His consort, Sri Laxmi Ji, the Goddess of Fortune, who sits upon Nrsimhadeva’s lap. Leading up to this event, community members at ISV held a month-long festival that included the distribution of transcendental books, prasadam and the holy names of God for the benefit of others. Participants went door to door, distributing books and invitations to come to see Nrsimhadeva. They also went to parks and street corners and performed public sankirtana (the congregational chanting of God’s holy names). Their motive behind organizing these events was to emulate the mood of Prahlada, who felt compassion toward souls suffering in the material world. Prahlada taught that the best service to these suffering souls is to teach them about Krsna consciousness, bringing them closer to Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The festival of Lord Nrsimhadeva was a grand success, and now the devotees of ISV are eager to invite visitors to 951 S. Bascom Ave., San Jose, to see Sri Sri Laxmi Nrsimhadeva. For more information, contact teamisv@gmail.com.n Deepak Chandani works at Apple and is the director of communications and publicity at ISKCON of Silicon Valley.

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spirituality and health

September

3 Saturday

Keys to Success. A talk by Sunit Kumar

Gupta, a world-renowned motivational speaker and Vedic astrologer, palmist, pyschic, tantric, tarot card reader, healer. Saturdays, Sept. 3, 10, 17, and 24. 4 p.m. Kwality Indo-Pak Foods and Fashions, 2252 S. Mountain Ave., Ontario, 91762. Free. (909) 3916766, (909) 868-7334. www.sunitgupta.com, www.2oum.com.

September

4 Sunday

How to Improve Your Health and Defend Yourself. Sunit Gupta, chairman of

Ashihara Karate International North America, is offering a seminars on the essence of Karayoga and Ashihara karate. Sundays, Sept. 4, 11, 18, and 25, 7 p.m. 7 p.m. Kwality

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Shrine, 17190 Sunset, Pacific Palisades. (310) 454-4114. Hollywood Temple, 4860 Sunset Blvd., Hollywood. (323) 661-8006. Glendale Temple, 2146 E. Chevy Chase Drive, Glendale. (818) 543-0800. Fullerton Temple, 142 E. Chapman Ave., Fullerton. (714) 525-1291. Encinitas Temple, 939 Second St., Encinitas. (760) 436-7220. San Diego Temple. 3072 First Ave., San Diego. (619) 295-0170. Call temples for times. Organized by Self-Realization Fellowship. yogananda-srf.org.

September

11 Monday

The Unlimited Power of the Mind. SRF

Lake Shrine, 17190 Sunset, Pacific Palisades. (310) 454-4114. Hollywood Temple, 4860 Sunset Blvd., Hollywood. (323) 661-8006. Glendale Temple, 2146 E. Chevy Chase Drive, Glendale. (818) 543-0800. Fullerton Temple, 142 E. Chapman Ave., Fullerton. (714) 525-1291. Encinitas Temple, 939 Second St., Encinitas. (760) 436-7220. San Diego Temple. 3072 First Ave., San Diego. (619) 295-0170. Call temples for times. Organized by Self-Realization Fellowship. yogananda-srf.org.

September

18 Monday

Ave., Fullerton. (714) 525-1291. Encinitas Temple, 939 Second St., Encinitas. (760) 4367220. San Diego Temple. 3072 First Ave., San Diego. (619) 295-0170. Call temples for times. Organized by Self-Realization Fellowship. yogananda-srf.org.

September

25 Monday

Our Immortal Nature. SRF Lake Shrine,

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

October

15 Saturday

Inner Engineering. Inner Engineering is

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

Be a Smile Millionaire. SRF Lake Shrine,

Share your health stories with India Currents readers! We are accepting original submissions that focus on health and wellness. Send your 600-800 word essay on disease prevention, exercise, ayurvedic cooking, or any other health-related topic to Nadia Maiwandi at events@indiacurrents.com.

P l a c e y o u r e v e n t f o r f r e e : w w w. i n d i a c u r r e n t s . c o m / s u b m i t - e v e n t 52 • india currents • september 2011

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the healthy life

Living with Migraines Mamta Singh

or most women who suffer from migraines with no history in the family, the learning curve begins slowly and usually after a couple of years have been spent grappling with the horrors of repetitive episodes. My learning began four years after I started having migraines. Today, seven years on, I have learned to tackle them fairly successfully. I believe migraines in women caused by fluctuations in their hormone levels can at best only be managed, not cured. Though demystifying of the Why, What, When, and How took me through reams of research material that were available in books and on the Web, I found them esoteric for a layperson to assimilate in a short while. So I took to experimenting and settled on a rather strange mix that worked well for me. The bonus was that since I was the architect of the blueprint, it suited my lifestyle to a T! In 2002, I joined a program of the popular Art of Living Foundation. There, we were made to go through cardiovascular workouts before practicing the various pranayams and meditation techniques. I realized that shortly after each session, I felt lively and positive about life. After moderate-intensity exercise session beyond 20 minutes, the body releases a chemical called dopamine. Its secretion is linked to increased heart rate, blood pressure, and rise in body temperature. It acts as an inhibitory hormone, which stops the anterior pituitary gland from releasing prolactin —a polypeptide associated with pain alertness and reception of the body amongst other functions. It works in axis with serotonin—a key neurotransmitter deficient in the migraineur’s brain that triggers a chain of events eventually triggering migraines. Every time I got off the exercise regime for a couple of months, citing a busy schedule of a mom of young twins, I got myself into the low dopamine and low endorphin cycle, triggering migraines. So working out every day became a medicament for me. There is a gamut of aerobic activities that one could choose from to do on a pain-free day—step aerobics, pilates, yoga, kickboxing, martial arts, jogging, walking, hiking, interval training, weights, dancing, etc. Daily workouts have reduced both the frequency and the intensity of my migraine episodes. When I began the workouts, I did them every other day. I found them tiring with a young family to raise. On the off days, I practiced my pranayam—the ones I had learned at the Art of Living courses, as well as those 54 • india currents • september 2011

of Baba Ramdev whom I had watched on TV. Though each of us is born with a natural breathing rhythm, we seem to alter it unconsciously reacting to the various experiences in our lives. It was a revelation when I noticed that my breathing patterns were actually running in reverse—with abdomen deflation during inhalation! I rectified this and stayed focused while I breathed. Imagine having to learn how to breathe at the age of 32! I would like to share that Bhastrika Pranayam, AnulomVilom Pranayam, Kapalbhati Pranayam and the Brahmari Pranayam benefitted me in particular. Barring the Anulom-Vilom, the other three actually help reduce the frequency of migraines over a period of time through normalising the serotonin levels beyond the blood-brain barrier. Incidentally, the practice of Sudarshan Kriya taught at the Art of Living classes got me off the migraine path for a six months. Procrastination made me give up on them and the pain returned to haunt me. I would not be true to myself if I didn’t mention that I also used modern medicine to fire-fight migraines. When the migraines started after the twins were born in 1998, I took paracetamols. Later I toggled from aspirin to paracetamol every six months when one chemical stopped having its effect on the pain. I also noticed that taking a pain-killer along with an antiemetic always bore better results for me. I was also prescribed with Beta-blockers (Propanolol 10 mg) at one point as a prophylactic and these I found particularly helpful. I was

later weaned off them when my situation stabilized. Asking a migraineur to eat right is like asking a typist to check for typos. The norm. They have probably tried to keep off almost everything even mildly dubious. I did, too, until I was weak enough not to be able to keep myself and my household running. It occurred to me just before bedtime one evening to see what chemicals could help me and if there were available in foods we eat. To my surprise I found that minerals such as magnesium, calcium, tryptophan, omega-3 and conezyme Q10 were my saviours. I included foods that contained these on a rotation but made sure I had at least two of the items in the list every day. To my regime, I’ve also added to my advantage massage, homeopathy, ayurveda, stretches, aromatherapy, and reiki. Most of these therapies are sciences unto themselves with minimal or no side-effects. My migraine mix, as I call it, guided me toward the alternatives and long-term solutions available for prevention, management and treatment. Today my migraines still occur but they are milder, infrequent and I can still go about the activities of the day without giving up too much of my life or hope. Though not an easy walk, here is hoping that every migraineur finds their own road to freedom.n Mamta Singh is a certified fitness instructor and author of “Migraines For The Informed Woman,” “Mentor Your Mind,” and “The Urban Woman’s Integrated Fitness Guide.”

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travel

Nidhi Asthana

A Village on the Tonle Sap

Vending on the river

he past sometimes unfairly overshadows contemporary delights. The ancient temples of Khajuraho are held up as magnificent examples of Indian history and culture, but what I remember from my visit there is the blind beggar singing folk songs outside an ancient temple in Khajuraho. He used a one-stringed ektara to keep time and weave a musical backdrop to the high-pitched dirge about a tragedy from the Ramayana. The temple is now a hazy image in the mind’s eye, but the song lives on in my memory. Similar, perhaps, is the tragedy that the natural beauty of the Tonle Sap, the great lake south of Angkor, is condemned to. It will always live in the shadow of the Empire That Was and the great temples at Angkor. The Khmer Empire (9th to 13th centuries AD) stretched over parts of modern Laos, Thailand, Vietnam, Myanmar, and Malaysia at various times. The site of its capital at its zenith is Angkor in modern day Cambodia, famous for its astonishing architectural masterpieces. Had we not arrived in Siem Riep, the gateway to the Angkor region, after the “closing time” of the great Angkor and Bayon temples, we would probably have never bothered with the floating village on the 56 • india currents • september 2011

Tonle Sap. Luckily, a whole evening had to be whiled away. A two-hour ride on a noisy motorboat took us to see the sun setting on the Tonle Sap. The locals call it the “sea of fresh water.” I soon saw why. The moment we broke away from the kilometre-long inlet the shores were nowhere to be seen. The impact was even more dramatic because we had to leave the blinkers of the inlet to sail into the wider expanse of the lake. My guidebook told me that the Tonle Sap is 140 kilometers (87 miles) long and covers an area of 3,000 square kilometres (1,150 square miles).

t has been recorded and acknowledged that the Tonle Sap lake was the lifeline of the Khmers. Its waters undergo a natural annual phenomenon that elicits fascination: the southern end of the Tonle Sap lake is linked to the Mekong River by the Tonle Sap river. When the snows melt in the faraway Himalayas, the waters travel right up to China to enter the Mekong. They then travel south as part of the Mekong, which may not always be able to accommodate these extra waters. When the Mekong backs up, the overflow forces the Tonle Sap river to flow in the reverse direction. When this happens every year, between July and

October, the Tonle Sap river feeds the Tonle Sap lake, which doubles in size (and here I was—thinking that it couldn’t get any huger!) At the end of this season, the extra waters drain off and the Tonle Sap river reverses its direction, causing the Tonle Sap lake to revert to its original size. The best part about the tale of the two rivers—the Mekong and the Tonle Sap—was that it evoked a lot of mental imagery: the trees I had just passed actually go under water and the people on the banks (who I definitely could not see) abandon their homes to move to the hills. Apparently, some homes also stand on stilts to accommodate this annual drama.

he young boy steering our boat sailed into the sunset with single-minded focus because this is what we were there to do—to see the sun disappearing into the great lake, a beautiful sight indeed. But why hadn’t anybody hyped the sights we passed while sailing into the horizon? It was a village on the lake, spread around us! Pedestrian activities took on magical contours because they were being played out on water. I could imagine people on ships, but here was a whole village on floating homes and boats. Think village, think farming: we saw small

patches of floating crops—just hydroponics … on a bigger scale. Some homes had fenced off areas adjacent to them; these were no backyards, but fish farms. However, not all the animals we saw were aquatic. Other than the pet cats and dogs that seemed perfectly at home in their floating dwellings, we saw a floating pig sty; porcine bottoms peeped out from between the wooden beams that made up the walls. Think village, think petty commerce: Not only were vendors of groceries and food rowing their wares to buyers’ homes, there were also proper stores and shops; a colorful and chaotic jumble—tin and cardboard boxes, jars and bottles, sachets, ketchup and shampoo—as Asian mom-and-pop stores are wont to be. These gaily painted shop/homes had balconies in front—a suitable landing stage for the clients. A prosperous home, with a wrought iron swing on an extension, had cut-outs on the walls of flashy models in fashionable poses. A hair dresser? I couldn’t be sure. The long arm of law easily reached here—there was a police station. Then there was a series of very dull colored cabins strung together like the carriages of a train. A little way off was the “engine”—bigger and much brighter; its second floor was covered by a wire mesh. This whole ensemble was the village school. The cabins were the classrooms. The area inside the mesh, then, was the outdoor gym and assembly hall! What exactly were the denizens of the fascinating village doing that evening? Perfectly ordinary things, of course. Here was a girl paddling off in her canoe, probably to dock at a friend’s for a chat. And there a family of Vietnamese descent, the woman’s hat a give-away, rowing away vigorously for what probably was just an evening jaunt— father, mother and three beautiful children. The Vietnamese, we were told, arrived here not just since the war with America. The Mekong has linked the peoples of Cambodia and Vietnam for hundreds of years: rarely peacefully. Arrivals in modern times are attributed to the fact that “It is easier to make money in Cambodia,” contrary to what economists would have us believe! Immigrants, as always, are resented and are held responsible for the fish population going down. The sighting of the Vietnamese family and the ensuing conversation immediately explained the family altars we had seen in some of the homes. Their red and gold glory had been visible from afar, proudly proclaiming the Chinese influence on their Vietnamese culture. One other thing shone constantly, even in the shabbiest of homes—the utensils on the wall of the kitchens. The kitchens were just open spaces at one end of each boat-home. Each kitchen had a roof but no outer walls, except for the one of the adjacent cabin (making the rear). It was sheer pleasure to

Sun setting on the Tonle Sap

Vietnamese Family

look at neat rows of bottles and jars stacked on racks and the gleaming colanders, pots, and pans hanging at neat intervals from nails on the rear wall. Some kitchen fires, made with wood in the old-fashioned way, were going at this evening hour; it made the utensils reflect the rich orange. I saw no contradiction in wood burning merrily surrounded by water because I saw how it was stored—atop high platforms on stilts, to keep it dry. Not all homes were humble; a few boasted music systems, televisions, carpets … the works. However, even the more prosperous ones seemed to have tiny tin toilet-sheds at the back. How the smaller boat-homes managed was not so evident. Did I feel awkward about gaping and gawking? Strangely, no, because nobody seemed to be noticing the tourists; not in the deliberate manner of those fed up of outsiders, but of those unconcerned about visitors. This made the whole experience genuine and refreshing. There was not a single soul smiling shallow smiles at any of the tourist boats. The only people who took notice of us were small children who made it a point to wave, but their faces were unsmiling, too. Could it be the travails of living on water? It couldn’t possibly be all fun. Mosquitoes, for instance. There was no discernable system for sewage management, so diseases could not be far away. I didn’t see a floating hospital, though I hope there are doctors floating around there somewhere. A living proof that tourism hadn’t caught the imagination of the village folk were two big restaurant boats or mini-ships. They

were alien to the setting. A few tourists were lounging around on the upper decks, but the crew seemed to be imported from elsewhere. That they could mill around and sell handicrafts to the few visiting tourists had probably not occurred to the villagers. Yet another proof that they were still untouched by commercial forces. The biggest tragedy about tourism in adulthood is not that food doesn’t taste that good anymore. It may have more to do with loss of wonder; reading travel guides and making detailed arrangements do take their toll. I rediscovered some of that wonder and curiosity in the floating village. It came with the realisation that broadening of some people’s horizons comes at the expense of the loss of innocence of some others. n How to get to the Tonle Sap Lake: The closest airport is at Siem Reap in Cambodia. It is well connected to the major cities in South East Asia—Phnom Penh, Bangkok, Singapore, etc. Overland travel is possible from the surrounding countries of Laos, Vietnam, and Thailand. There are taxi, bus, and van services between Phnom Penh and Siem Reap, but the crossing at Aranyaprathet is the closest to Siem Reap. There is also a ferry service between Phnom Penh and Siem Reap. Local taxis are available for hire in Siem Reap. An arrangement could be worked out to bring you to the boats. Till she became an “accompanying spouse” to her peripatetic husband, Nidhi Asthana was an India-based educational technologist. india currents • september 2011 • 57

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25 years

Passion on the Pages—Redux

The South Asian American literary scene has exploded in the last few decades

By Jeanne Fredriksen

ne sultry evening in June 2000, a chance meeting in an unpretentious movie house showing the Shahrukh KhanAishwarya Rai starrer Josh provided an interesting twist to my professional life. A man named Aniruddh Chawda (A Lotus from the Nile, June 2011) engaged me in conversation during the intermission, and his first question was a more than fair one: “Why are you watching a Hindi film and one without subtitles?” (After all, I’m an American woman from the upper Midwest whose hair has been white-blonde since graduate school in the 1970s. Not your typical Hindi film-goer at all.) I explained to him that I’d long been interested in Hong Kong films—also without subtitles—and, in 1998, an online HK film friend had suggested I might like Hindi films. My undergraduate and graduate studies had been in Theatre Arts, so she thought I’d love the spectacle and the music of the films. She was right. I was hooked from the first film I rented (Pardes), and I still am. Being an avid reader and a writer, the next logical step was to dive into Indian fiction. Again, hooked! Post-film coffee and dessert with Aniruddh ushered in a new and continuing friendship. At the small, throwback-to-the-1950s café, Aniruddh spoke of writing film reviews for a magazine called India Currents, and I casually mentioned that I, too, was a writer. Many movies, meals, and visits to Chicago’s Devon Avenue later, Aniruddh alerted me to an opportunity to write a film review of Monsoon Wedding. He was writing the cover story about Mira Nair, and then-editor-now-publisher Vandana Kumar wanted someone else to write the review. Without wasting time, I sent a piece. Vandana put her stamp of approval on it, asking what else I might want to write for the magazine.

The answer was simple: book reviews! I also pitched article ideas to her, which resulted in a feature that looked at the perception of NRIs in Hindi films (NRI Number One, August 2002) and another that was an annotated bibliography/review of Hindi film books (Passion in the Pages, November 2003). As for the magazine, I learned quickly that it is a platform for change and challenge, a guardian of culture and ideas, and a monitor of the present and future for its diverse readership. It is a thoughtful, contemporary publication that is open to differing points of view and embraces a high standard not often found in most mainstream periodicals. Every issue reinforces the fact that the staff not only knows what their readers want but, more importantly, the quality their readers expect. Longevity is the result of its attentiveness and diligence. Longevity means much, particularly in these days of rapid and startling changes in all facets of the publishing world. India Currents (IC) continues to improve and thrive in the world of magazines when many are folding, compacting, or relegating themselves to a strictly online or downloaded presence. IC invests a great deal of ink and space on the arts—music, dance, cinema, books—and that alone makes it special. In a time when many believe the sole focus of education should be on science, technology, engineering, and math, India Currents recognizes that art is an important part of our lives. By freely giving space to books of all genres, IC promotes that idea and, as a bonus, literacy.

etween January 2001 and September 2011, nearly 300 books have been reviewed and myriad authors have been interviewed by virtually 60 contributors. Approximately 200 authors have been recognized by India Currents. Numbers aside, it is clear that literature is an important part of the magazine’s body. Among the books reviewed, there have been and will continue to be dozens of debuts by new and exciting voices that make my job so delightful and fresh with each assignment. It is that attention to new authors that makes India Currents a valuable resource and a champion for those who write about the South Asian experience. The Books section has grown from straightforward reviews to reviews incorporating the authors’ own words about their work to full author interviews and now even audio files of those reviews.

ut what is the attraction to South Asian literature that makes it such a vital part of every issue of India Currents? Beyond the obvious, I believe that if you want to learn about a people, you must read what they are writing. Whether fiction or non-fiction, the writing is about what collectively matters to them, what’s happening to them, what’s affecting them. It’s their body of stories, their reflections of their world. Without bias or censor, IC has looked at books about everything from films and music to cuisine and history. Books covering socioglobal politics, religion, and spirituality have shared pages with biographies, memoirs, and accounts of immigrants’ issues. South Asian fiction comes in all sizes and shapes from mystery, historical, and political to family drama, family comedy, and 60 • india currents • september 2011

insurgency. The “chick lit” genre emerged and included South Asian authors, while coming-of-age fiction is a literary mainstay. Poetry, collections of essays or short stories, and anthologies are as easily represented. Travel narratives and self-help books amuse, enlighten, and guide. And no one is left out because the books that are reviewed cover everyone from pre-readers and emerging readers to independent and middle grade readers to young adults and adults. From Salman Rushdie to V.S. Naipaul to Shashi Tharoor, from Jhumpa Lahiri to Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni to Fareed Zakaria, the pages of IC have sparkled with names that are attached to best sellers and known the world over. Equally important, however, are the many new and promising authors such as Kiran Desai, Khaled Hosseini, Monica Ali, Roopa Farooki, and Indu Sundaresan (who now has been reviewed 5 times) to name only a few. Their introduction to IC’s readers has been important because they belong to the new crop of writers who will continue to interpret their world with keen, critical eyes and a global perspective.

ertainly many featured authors write from India but, it can be said, as many have begun their lives in or near the subcontinent and now write from an assortment of points around the globe. For example, Amulya Malladi, who has been reviewed four times, lives and writes in Denmark. Roopa Farooki was born in Pakistan but splits her writing time between England and France. Tahmina Anam, a native of Bangladesh, was raised in Paris, New York City, and Bangkok. She now resides in London. Chicago-based Mary Ann Mohanraj began life in Sri Lanka. Khaled Hosseini lives in the United States, but both of his highly-acclaimed books reflect life in his homeland, Afghanistan. Azhar Abidi was born in Pakistan but now makes Australia his home. Their location and where they’ve been influence their writing, their themes, and their perspectives. This gives us readers many opportunities to realize that when film director Subhash Ghai coined the phrase “global Indian,” it extended to the community of contemporary South Asian writers and literature. There is one other group of South Asian authors making an impact: children of immigrants. Authors such as Ronica Dhar write about their own unique experiences, including the reverse immigrant question. Their own issues, conflicts, and beliefs, often rise in stark contrast to those of their parents and the generations before. Now it is less about the arranged marriage and more about the love or interracial marriage. A divorce or remarriage might be mentioned in a story. Now it is less a culture clash as an expected by-product of leaving India as it is straddling two cultures, finding one’s place, and understanding who one is in the world. It is less the traditional

Delhi or India and more the “new” Delhi and the “new” India, signaling the recent changes in India’s economic growth, modern attitudes, and alternative lifestyles. I believe it is fair to say that these new voices take the concept of universal themes a step further and integrate the day-today issues and conflicts experienced by their generation with basic themes that resonate with readers around the world.

he topics and themes that concern today’s South Asian writer are as varied as the sheer numbers of books. When I read Alzak Amlani’s 25th Anniversary article (Being Indian In America, July 2011), I was struck by the parallels between the progression of issues that brought clients to his office and the progression of topics and themes surfacing in the writing by and about South Asians. My immediate impression was that art was not merely imitating but clearly reflecting life. Culture shock. Culture block. Women’s rights, politics, socio-economic issues, immigration, emigration, sexuality, and other social concerns have been moving from the shadows to front and center in both contemporary non-fiction and fiction. South Asian literature is shifting and expanding to absorb and include more controversial subjects. Taboos are examined, traditions are questioned, and the immigrant’s experiences aren’t necessarily the solo story in the spotlight. This is not to say that India’s history, traditions, and customs are being shoved in a box in a dark and dusty attic. Those vital components of being Indian remain in South Asian writing. Without them, the stories, the accounts, and the perspectives would become generic—perhaps “globally generic,” but that is not the same as “universal.” The difference is that these factors must learn to share space with the changes in focus, taste, and current events. With a pool of strong and gifted observer-authors, the traditional and contemporary coexist in harmony and offer an extraordinary body of work.

decade after I began writing for India Currents, waiting for Ranjit Souri’s comedy troupe to begin at Chicago’s famed Improv Olympics, India Currents editor Vidya Pradhan and I chatted about how this is a great time to be a South Asian author. “Does it seem as if it is easier to be published as a South Asian author these days?” she mused. I agreed that there seemed to be many more published South Asian authors these

days and said, “You know, I was thinking of changing my name to something like ‘Jee Firangi.’ Maybe, when I start to peddle my own novel, that name might get me noticed quickly.” Jokes aside, this is without question an enormously exciting time for South Asian writers and their readers. I am not “of” that certain population of people, but I am proud to be a long-time member of the India Currents family. During this first decade of the new millennium, I have been privileged to work with four outstanding editors: Vandana Kumar, Ashok Jethanandani, Ragini Tharoor Srinivasan, and now Vidya Pradhan. Each brought their own sensibilities, experiences, and viewpoints, propelling the magazine to increased respect and readership. And each has been a writer’s dream: painless to work with and effortless to learn from. I can’t thank them enough for the opportunity not only to continue to explore a variety of authors and genres of South Asian literature but also to do two of the things I love the most: reading and writing. I was only kidding about adopting the pen-name Jee Firangi, but I am not kidding when I say that 50 book reviews after Monsoon Wedding, the IC experience continues to enrich my life through association with the staff and writers-contributors, through the words I read and contemplate, and through the conversations I’ve had with a variety of authors. It is my hope that you, the India Currents audience, have found and will continue to find pleasure in the books my and my colleagues’ reviews have suggested. n Jeanne E. Fredriksen now reads and writes from the Raleigh-Durham area, a location that loves the arts and their artists. Almost immediately, she happily found a theatre there that specializes in Hindi films. She would also like to thank her good friend Aniruddh Chawda for being at the Des Plaines Theater that one summer evening. india currents • september 2011 • 61

uncubed

Krishna M. Sadasivam is the cartoonist behind UNcubed, a weekly online auto-bio comic, focusing on life as an Indian guy in the United States. When he’s not creating comics or working as a freelance illustrator, Krishna teaches full-time in the Media Arts and Animation department of the Art Institute of Tampa in Florida. See more of his work at http://www.uncubedthecomic.com/

62 • india currents • september 2011

I C dear doctor

Alzak Amlani

Drawing the Line Q

I am a 17-year-old girl with an uncle in his forties. He is mildly retarded and has never had a girlfriend. He grew up with a lot of abuse and hasn’t been able to have much of a relationship with women. He is very sweet and, in many ways, kind and innocent. I empathize with his struggles and have always been kind to him. I also feel sorry for him because he is so lonely. I know he feels very comfortable with me and seems to find me attractive and likes to get close to me and put his arm around me. It seems he expects me to be his friend. I get a little uncomfortable around him and don’t totally trust his impulses. My parents expect me to be accepting of him and not make him feel bad about his needs. However, I get scared that he will touch me sexually and will get upset or angry if I tell him not to. So there are times when I don’t want him around at all. I don’t quite know how to feel safe around him.

You are clearly being very sensitive about this issue and your uncle’s challenges and the familial-cultural expectations around you. When you care about someone and the

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inappropriateness is more subtle, it’s quite challenging to set a clear limit. Nonetheless, you are pointing to enough infringement and lack of safety that you need to take some measures. First, letting your parents and family know that you care about your uncle, but that you need to trust that you won’t be touched in a sexual way is absolutely necessary. Unless they are negligent, think you are lying, or want to stay in complete denial, they need to support you. Ideally they need to speak to your uncle about what is okay and not okay in his relationship with you. This doesn’t have to be done in a harsh or crude way. They simply need to let him know that you feel uncomfortable in certain ways, and therefore, he needs to stop. Your parents need to find out if there is any history of him being inappropriate with other girls. They can ask other relatives and other people who know him. If he has been inappropriate then parents of these girls will need to be notified, so they can take appropriate measures to protect the girls. This can be a very delicate situation and you don’t want to

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accuse anyone falsely, however, it’s too important an issue to take lightly. You also have a right to set boundaries around how anyone touches you, no matter how lonely they are, how much they like you or you them. For any relationship to sustain, that clarity and boundary has to be honored. What do you fear in his anger? For now, you ought to not be alone with him in any room, so he is inhibited and you have support if you need to say something and he has an outburst. You can physically hold your distance or stand close to another person when he is around. This will make it harder for him to have immediate access to you. Lastly, you can make a simple statement such as: “Please don’t put your arm around me.” Every person needs to learn such boundaries so they can relax and be themselves. Some assertiveness training could be helpful for you.n Alzak Amlani, Ph.D., is a counseling psychologist in the Bay Area. 650-325-8393. Visit www.wholenesstherapy.com

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india currents • september 2011 • 63

the last word

Sarita Sarvate

Hazare, My Hero

n this age of globalization, when India thrives on foreign business, and celebrity culture dominates its news media, Anna Hazare evokes a bygone era of austerity, nationalism, and self-reliance. With his penchant for fasting and his traditional garb, Hazare evokes comparisons with Gandhi. But the irony is that Gandhi was fighting against a foreign power; Hazare is forcing his own government to be less corrupt and more honest. Anna has clearly hit a nerve among the masses of India, who are fed up with bureaucracy, bribes, and red tape. But there is more to Hazare than meets the eye. While the world has focused only on his latest anti-corruption campaign, his lifelong achievements include the development of a model eco-village with its own grain bank built as a protection against droughts, a watershed of small dams, canals, and percolation tanks created with shramdan or volunteer labor, and improvements in techniques for milk production. In Ralegan Siddhi, Hazare’s village, untouchability has been eliminated and education levels, particularly among girls, have risen with the help of a charitable trust. The gram sabha, or village government, makes all the policy decisions. But Anna Hazare has not stopped there. He has recognized that social reform has to be accompanied by cultural change as well. So, with the help of a youth group, he has organized communal marriages, aimed at preventing peasants from going into debt over wedding expenses. Of course Western media has almost entirely ignored all of these achievements, focusing only on one aspect of the story, namely, corruption in the Indian government. And why not? After all, the more Americans can point to corruption in other countries, the more smug they can feel about their own government. The truth of course is quite different. Corruption in America surpasses corruption anywhere else in the world. It was in these pages that, nearly 20 years ago, I wrote an essay titled, “Corruption is not a Third World Disease.” I think the statement holds truer today than ever. The only difference is that corruption in India is often on a small scale and illegal; corruption in America is of astronomic proportions, but conducted entirely with the blessings of the law. In India, policemen often take bribes. I still remember the night when a policeman stopped me for riding my cycle without a light. The city was under complete blackout then, whether for load shedding or for one of our numerous wars with Pakistan, I can’t remember. So the man gave me a ticket. When I came home, my baby brother asked, “Don’t you know you are supposed to give him a few rupees?” I did not. I guess I was like Anna Hazare. Not only did I not approve of bribes, but I did not even know how to give one. Looking back now, I can sympathize with that policeman. The poor man had such a small salary that he was forced to supplement it with the largesse of the population. The same goes for clerks issuing passports in India

Corruption in America surpasses corruption anywhere else in the world. Where is the American Anna Hazare?

64 • india currents • september 2011

or peons handing out ration cards. Here, in America, on the other hand, policemen, who get much better salaries and benefits, who often drive around in their squad cars doing precious little for the citizenry (I am speaking from experience of the police force in my own city, which has repeatedly failed to protect me—a topic for another column), have little incentives to take bribes. Corruption in American government occurs on a different scale and in a different arena all together. When an oil company buys the loyalty of a political hack like Rick Perry, is it not corruption? When the U.S. Supreme Court steals an election away from a guy who got more votes than the guy who eventually occupied the office, is that not corruption at the highest levels of government? When a company like Standard and Poor's looks the other way while investment bankers plunder the country with their fancy derivatives, but gives the Obama administration a poor rating in order to oust it from office, is that not corruption on a monumental scale? My father used to say that the British never did anything illegal; they always passed a law before perpetrating any act of violence. They passed the Rowlett Act, for example, before they committed the Jallianwala Bagh massacre. I wonder; where is our American Anna Hazare? Where is the outrage against our system of government? Why is no one conducting a satyagraha in front of the New York Stock Exchange to protest the control of our government by Wall Street hacks like Larry Summers, Timothy Geithner, and Hank Paulson? Why is no one sitting down to fast until the Pentagon stops taking bread out of our children’s and seniors’ mouths? The trouble is that American leaders like Noam Chomsky have only used words but have not set examples by their acts. Chomsky has a lot to say in critique of our government, but what has he actually done? The man cannot even suggest an alternative to the status quo, let alone lead us to where we can follow him. I am grateful to Anna Hazare for reminding us of a different era, when idealism reigned, when the peasants of one of poorest countries of the planet were able to oust an imperialist power from its borders, when moral righteousness ruled. It is heartening that the tradition of andolan—nonviolent resistance—lives on in India more than six decades after Independence. If the likes of Anna Hazare are speaking up against abusive governmental practices in India, leaders like Vandana Shiva are pointing out exploitation of tribal lands by industrialists like the Ambani brothers and protesting the destruction of our farms and farmers by foreign corporations like Archer Daniels Midland. Not only does America lack the likes of Anna Hazare, the tragedy of American politics today is that its only grass roots movement, the Tea Party, was started by the billionaire Koch brothers whose only agenda is to reduce taxes for corporations and wealthy people. Only a poorly educated populace could be so foolish and ignorant as to organize against its self-interest. This begs the question: should we invite Anna Hazare to America and ask him for tips on how we can wake up the American public and make it demand its rights? n Sarita Sarvate writes commentaries for Pacific News Service and KQED. Visit www.saritasarvate.com