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Friday, March 12, 2010 | Vol. 29, No. 11

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In IAN this Week

Pakistan’s Prospects for Stability Explored at Asia Society Speaker Series

Story on Pg 3

Story on Pg 3

Seeds of Hope Gala to Benefit Daya’s Commitment to Halt Scourge of Domestic Abuse Story on Pg 5

Honey! We Killed Constitutional Rights: Muslim Woman Fired for Wearing Headscarf Story on Pg 15

Shreya & Atif Aslam Live in Concert in Houston

Bollywood’s top duo singers, Atif Aslam and Shreya Ghoshal are performing live in downtown Houston on Saturday, March 13 at Jones Hall.

Sindwanis to Retire After 28 Years of Service

By Pramod Kulkarni

HOUSTON: An era of LEAVING A LEGACY: Dr K.L Sindwani passion for community ser- 1975: Moved to Houston in 1975 and taught

at TSU as a professor of Sociology. vice is coming to a close.

Dr. K.L. Sindwani and Mrs. 1976: Joined the only Indian Organization ICC and served as Secretary, later Mohini Sindwani, are retir- became President for two terms. ing to spend their twilight 1982: Started Indo American News as years with their son and an experiment and today is the his family in Wichita Falls,

most read South Asian Weekly.

Texas.

The Sindwanis moved to Houston in the early 1970s when he joined Texas Southern University as a professor of sociology after earning his Ph.D. from Ohio State University. Mrs. Sindwani is a psychotherapist and has spent several decades in helping young children and families in distress.

But the Sindwanis will be known forever in the Houston’s South Asian community for their passionate devotion to social service.

Dr. Sindwani spent two formative terms as the president of the India Culture Center (ICC) and is recognized for setting up the first ICC House in a residence off Hill- Dr. K.L. and Mohini Sindwani enjoy time with each other and their passion: Indo-American News. croft.

Mrs. Sindwani is known for

FIIs Cross Rs. 100,000 Crore Milestone

Help your community by filling out the US Census 2010 Forms, your will be receving in March

FOOD TALK

This Week’s Review: Bhojan Vegetarian Restaurant Story on Pg 40

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MUMBAI (HT): In what could be a high point in a rollercoaster year that saw the economy rebound from lows, the net investment by foreign institutional investors (FIIs) into India in the current fiscal year crossed a milestone Rs 100,000 crore mark on Wednesday — a record figure for a single fiscal year.

The day closed with an influx figure of Rs 100,533 crore.

That topped the earlier record figure of Rs. 53,042 crore in 2007-08.

“Indian and China have shown signs of resilience and quality growth and FIIs have taken a view on that,” said R. Venkataraman, executive director, India Infoline.

While investments by FIIs was strong between April and December 2009, it dropped in the past two months. Funds bounced

back as the Union Budget on February 26 brought local cheers, global clouds cleared as European

nations moved to bail out crisis-hit Greece and US jobs data showed an uptick.

The FII inflow in March has been very strong and totalled up to Rs 10,243 crore in the seven trading days so far.

“There is lot of money in the two largest economies of US and Japan with little investment options.

Hence in the longer term I see the FII investment growing,” said Venkataraman.

In 2008-09, FIIs hit by the global financial crisis pulled out Rs 47,729 crore from the Indian markets.

As India emerges as a highgrowth economy surpassed only by China, it is also considered by investors as safe haven on the back of a strong domestic market and a stable financial system.

serving as a priest for many religious services. Together, they launched the Vedanta Center for followers of the Ramakrishna Mission.

All of us here at IndoAmerican News are saddened at the retirement of our founder and publisher.

Mrs. Sindwani provided database administration and mailing services for the newspaper for more than 25 years.

Dr. Sindwani has been a tireless worker and is credited with making sure that the newspaper did not miss a single issue in all these 28 years.

The Sindwanis will continue to enjoy their reading and religious activities and are expected to visit Houston from time to time. IndoAmerican News will continue as their brainchild.

Please send the Sindwanis your best wishes at indoamericannews@yahoo.com INSIDE: Read Dr. Sindwani’s final Publisher’s Message on Page 16.

Ambanis in Rich List 2010 Mexican tycoon Carlos Slim is the new richest person in the world, knocking Microsoft founder Bill Gates into second spot, Forbes said on Wednesday.

It is only the second time since 1995 that Gates has lost the crown, said the magazine.

Here is Forbes ranking of The 20 richest people in the world as per Forbes rankign are: Carlos Slim (Mexico), Bill Gates (USA), Warren Buffett (USA), Mukesh Ambani (India), Lakshmi Mittal (India), Larry Ellison (USA), Bernard Arnault (France), Eike Batista (Brazil), Karl Albrecht (Germany), Ingvar Kamprad & family (Sweden), Christy Walton & family (USA), Stefan Persson (Sweden), Li Ka-shing (Hong Kong), Jim Walton (USA), Alice Walton (USA), Liliane Bettencourt (France),S. Robson Walton (USA), Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Alsaud (Saudi Arabia), David Thomson & family (Canada).

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Indo American News • Friday, March 12 , 2010

online edition: www.indoamerican-news.com

Indo American News • Friday, March 12 , 2010 • Online Edition: www.indoamerican-news.com

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Pakistan’s Prospects for Stability Explored at Asia Society Speaker Series

By Kalyani Giri

HOUSTON: Former United States Ambassador to Pakistan Nicholas Platt delivered an informed assessment of that country’s rocky past and its potential for a stable future at the Wells Fargo –sponsored Speaker Series luncheon hosted under the auspices of the Asia Society Texas Center (ASTC). The event, held at the Junior League of Houston on March 3, was the first in a series of three talks by experts on South Asia exploring the convoluted historical, cultural, political, business and diplomatic perspectives of that area in relevance to America and the rest of the world.

Following a brief welcome address by ASTC’s Executive Director Martha Blackwelder, Asia Society Trustee Charles Foster introduced Platt to the capacity audience. In his keynote talk on Pakistan: The Prospects for Stability, career diplomat Platt, who had accompanied President Richard Nixon on his historic 1972 trip to China, advised gatherees humorously that one had to read Rudyard Kipling in order to understand the multiple layers and textures of Pakistan.

“It’s a country of 170 million, a religious country where people do extraordinary things,” said Platt.

Pakistan is the least known and perhaps most misunderstood of

Former Ambassador Nicholas Platt speaking at March 3 Asia Society Texas Center luncheon at the Junior League.

Photo: Jeff Fantich

the Muslim countries with which we deal on a daily basis, said Platt.

“The media describes it as the most dangerous nation on earth - suicide bombs, tensions with India. There have been serious mistakes in military and civil rule. Autocrats (like Zulfikar Ali Bhutto) turned Pakistan into a grandiose club for the elite. Vast majorities of the population there are under 35 years of age and want domestic democracy which is toxic but essential to sta-

bility,” added Platt.

South Asia may be halfway around the globe from the United States, but what happens there, as the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, by al-Qaeda showed, can affect all Americans. The challenge to U.S. policy is to design and implement a stable and sustained approach that will strengthen bilateral ties with key countries in that region and give the United States an opportunity to influence

major regional developments, said Platt.

The Chairmen’s Report of an Independent Task Force on New Priorities in South Asia is detailed in the book New Priorities In South Asia: U. S. Policy Toward India, Pakistan, And Afghanistan (Dec 2003) jointly written by Platt, former U.S. Ambassador to India Frank G. Wisner, and President of the Chicago Council on Foreign Relations, Marshall M. Bouton.

The three men chaired the special task force and benefited from the findings of more than fifty members with a wide range of expertise in government, business and finance, the law, and academia.

The report assesses the strengths and weaknesses of India, Pakistan, and Afghanistan and recommends how U.S. policy can best take advantage of the opportunities while addressing the dangers that are present. Their discoveries recommended new initiatives to solidify the partnership with an economically and militarily stronger India; carefully calibrated support for Pakistan in its efforts to become a moderate Muslim state; a new framework for, and a close watch on, proliferation issues in the region; and redoubled support for the Hamid Karzai government’s security initiatives in Afghanistan.

“Mountbatten when slicing India apart to form Pakistan, left the

forceps in the wound,” said Platt.

Pakistan needs to keep its relationship with India on an even keel, recommended Platt. The Chairman’s Report called for a more active, facilitative U.S. role in the volatile Kashmir conflict.

Upcoming events in the Asia Society Texas Center calendar include The India Way – How India’s Top Business Leaders are Revolutionizing Management by Professor Harbir Singh on March 24, and India and the United States: Can They Reinvent Partnership? by former US Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Teresita C. Schaffer, on April 15.

For more information on Asia Society Texas Center, visit http:// www.asiasociety.org/centers/texas.

If you receive your paper more than 4 days after the Dateline, please file a complaint with your post office or call the USPS Consumer Affairs Office at 713-226-3442 Indo-American News (ISSN 887-5936) is published weekly on every Friday (for a subscription price of $30 per year) by Indo-American News Inc., 7457 Harwin Dr., Suite 262, Houston, Texas 77036, Tel: 713-789-6397, Fax: 713-789-6399, Email: indoamericannews@yahoo.com.

Periodical postage paid at Houston, Texas. POSTMASTER: Please send address changes to Indo-American News, 7457 Harwin Dr., Suite 262, Houston, Texas 77036.

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Indo American News • Friday, March 12 , 2010

online edition: www.indoamerican-news.com

Indo American News • Friday, March 12 , 2010 • Online Edition: www.indoamerican-news.com

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Society

Indo American News • Friday, March 12 , 2010

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Seeds of Hope Gala to Benefit Daya’s Commitment to Halt Scourge of Domestic Abuse

By Kalyani Giri

HOUSTON: When a group of strong-minded women came together and founded Daya in 1996, it was with such purity of purpose and relevance that it forced the South Asian community to examine its collective conscience and pay heed to the clarion call against domestic violence. Over the past fourteen years, Daya has morphed into a beacon of hope for many, providing succor to women and children navigating the path toward a life free of abuse; the non-profit organization also offers comfort, non-judgmental counseling, and optimism to those still trapped in abusive relationships, who cherish the hope of being free someday.

On March 28, 2010, at 5.00pm, Daya will host its 14th Anniversary Gala Fundraiser Seeds of Hope at the Chateau Crystale. The incredibly funny Paul Varghese (whose performance credits include HBO Comedy Festival, Comedy Central’s Live at Gotham, Showtime’s Russell Peters Presents, and NBC’s Last Comic Standing) will headline this not-to-bemissed event. Jennifer B. Varela, Director of Family Violence at the

Harris County District Attorney’s Office, will deliver the keynote address. Samia Adil (The Samia Show on Hum Tum Radio City) will serve as Mistress of Ceremonies for the evening. President of Daya for 2010 Nighat Ahmed and her team of volunteers and staff are optimistic that the community will turn up in large numbers and support the event.

“Our goal for this year’s gala is $100, 000. I feel it is a modest and achievable goal even in these economically difficult times,” said Ahmed. “ I am continually inspired by the community’s support and look forward to seeing what we can achieve this year.”

Daya suffered a setback in July 2009 when a fire broke out and destroyed the organization’s headquarters in southwest Houston, compelling the staff to relocate to a smaller location. All services though temporarily reduced, were swiftly restored and the client call volume continues to increase every year with Daya becoming a household name. The organization is expanding on core services such as outreach, legal advocacy, and financial assistance to survivors of domestic violence. Daya has yet

Paul Varghese, who began doing stand-up in 2001, opened for Canadian-born comedian Russell Peters in a short theater-tour through Los Angeles, San Francisco, Boston and New York in 2005. That led to his headlining a 16-city Gurus of Comedy tour in the spring of 2006. File photo

to bounce back from a financial deficit incurred in 2009 and rebuild operational reserves. There are plans to purchase a transitional home for clients and have it fully operational this year, with help from the community.

Statistics show that two out of five South Asian women have experienced partner violence, a rate disproportionately higher than any other minority group. It is an issue, a sore point, that has been overlooked or insufficiently ad-

dressed in the community. Often victims are rendered vulnerable by barriers caused by cultural and religious beliefs, linguistic challenges, isolation from family, feelings of shame, lack of knowledge about one’s legal rights and resources, lack of visa status, and involvement of in-laws. The number of distress calls that Daya received has grown 22-fold over the past six years, from 189 in 2003 to 3847 in 2009.

Daya client advocates are comprised of South Asian and other culturally competent staff which allows them to communicate in the client’s native language, explain legal and immigration laws and information about rights; provide relief assistance and referrals for attorneys, housing, counseling, medical care, education, employment, transportation, ethnic food, clothing, child care and other necessary services; provide transitional housing as necessary; and conduct community outreach and education events.

For more information about Daya and to purchase tickets for the Seeds of Hope Gala Fundraiser, visit www.dayahouston.org.

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Indo American News • Friday, March 12 , 2010

SOCIETY

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HGH to Organize Special Events in 2010 to Spread the Message of Peace

By Radha Dixit

HOUSTON: Hindus of Greater Houston (HGH) hosted an informative dinner for various Houston-based Hindu organizations on Thursday, February 25th, 2010 at Madras Pavilion. The event had over seventy-five attendees. The main goal was to inform the organizations about upcoming events in the community.

A number of speakers and community leaders spoke about concerns within the Houston Hindu community. The evening began with Girish Naik , president of Hindus of Greater Houston (HGH), welcoming the attendees and outlining the achievements of Hindus of Greater Houston. Partha Krishnaswamy updated everyone about the exciting news that Janmashtami 2010 has been booked at the George Brown Convention

Center for August 28th, 2010. The group will also assist the Hindu American Foundation with its annual awareness and fundraising dinner on May 22.

Dharminder Dargan updated everyone on the website www. hindusofhouston.org and encouraged the different organizations to post their events on this site. Tara Narasimhan discussed the importance of celebrating Hindu festivals and participating in interfaith activities. Dev Mahajan from Arya Samaj of Greater Houston encouraged all Hindu organizations to work together to support HGH. He mentioned that the sale of reusable grocery bags did not go as expected due to participation by only a few organizations. “HGH will be a strong organization only if all Hindu organizations come forward to help it and work together,” he con-

From letf: Radha Dixit, Tara Narasimhan, Girish Naik and Partha Krishnaswamy at the event.

cluded.

The Bhutanese refugee situation in Houston was discussed by Suryansh Purwar of Sewa International who asked everyone to assist in any way possible. Sunny Mehta spoke about the young Hindu students and their involvement in

various activities which promote understanding of Hinduism Two very special events will be coming to Houston soon. “Shanti: A Journey of Peace” is a multi-media concert with several hundred participants which will be held on March 13, 2010 at the University

of Houston Cullen Performance Hall. Mr. Jayakumar spoke about the importance of this concert and how it will promote peace in society.

Hindu Mandir Executive Conference will be hosted by Houston this year on October 22, 23, and 24, 2010. Yogesh Naik, zonal coordinator of Vishwa Hindu Parishad of America, and Sharma Tadepalli, secretary of Meenakshi Temple Society, encouraged everyone to participate in this event which will take place later this year.

In addition to Hindu based organizations, the community organizations of India Culture Center and Gujarati Samaj were also present. Following the presentations, there was a vote of thanks to the participants as all enjoyed a delicious dinner while continuing to network.

Change of Hands at IIT Alumni of Greater Houston HOUSTON: IITAGH celebrated the appointment of Prabhu Murugan as the president of the organization on March 6th.

Prabhu Murugan took over the president’s duties and responsibilities from the former president, Dr. Roopa Gir. Roopa in her role as a president served the organization for more than 3 years. She was tremendously successful in growing the organization and increasing the awareness of the organization inside and outside of the Indian community in Houston.

The dinner-social event was attended by the Honorary Consul General of India, Mr. Sanjeev Arora and many prominent Houstonians from the Indo-American community, including representatives of various community organizations such as ICC, GOPIO, IACF, UNICEF, APAHA,

Daya, Samskriti, Pratham, TiE, IAPAC, IACCGH, IAA, AID Houston, AIM for Sewa and India House. The dinner was also attended by IITAGH trustees Mr. Richard D’Souza , Mr. Sanjay Sood, Mr. Sundy Srinivasan, Mr. David Raj, Mr. Sunil Pangarkar and Mr. Sunil Singhal.

The new president emphasized the mentoring, educating and networking goals of IITAGH and the advisory role of IITAGH trustees in his speech. IITAGH congratulates Prabhu and wishes him best of luck in keeping up the good work of former IITAGH presidents and growing the organization further.

IITAGH is a non-profit organization helping foster closer interactions among the alumni and the local community. To know more about the IITAGH, visit www.iitagh.org

Indo American News • Friday, March 12 , 2010 • Online Edition: www.indoamerican-news.com

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SOCIETY

Indo American News • Friday, March 12 , 2010

‘Jihad Jane’: New Face of Terror in U.S.

By Chidanand Rajghatta

WASHINGTON (TOI): The “war on terrorism” just got a little more complicated with the indictment of an average white American female dubbed “Jihad Jane” on charges of plotting with Islamic radicals, bringing even the so-called soccer moms under the radar.

Colleen LaRose, 46, a Pennsylvania native, has been charged with trying to recruit Islamic fighters and plotting to assassinate a Swedish cartoonist who made fun of Prophet Muhammad, according to a federal indictment unsealed on Tuesday.

What is striking about the case is that Colleen LaRose, who called herself Fatima La Rose, is a regular workaday housewife. Blonde and green-eyed, she would have easily slipped under scrutiny that typically focuses on non-whites.

In fact, that is precisely what she and her jihadi consorts whom she reached out to over the internet banked on as they discussed plans to kill a Swedish cartoonist.

In 2008, LaRose allegedly posted a video on YouTube calling herself JihadJane and stating she was “desperate to do something somehow to help” ease the suffering of Muslims, a move that attracted the attention of law-enforcement authorities.

According to the indictment, in

den... find location of (resident of Sweden)... and kill him... this is what i say to u”. The target Soccer mom turns radical: Colleen LaRose aka w a s identiFatima LaRose fied as email exchanges with five unin- Lars Vilks, a cartoonist dicted and unnamed co-conspir- who had drawn Prophet ators in South Asia, Eastern and Muhammad with the Western Europe, LaRose allegedly body of a dog. agreed to recruit people for jihad, LaRose was instructto raise money for fighters. She ed to kill Vilks in a way also agreed to one jihadist’s re- that would frighten quest to marry him to enable him “the whole Kufar (nonto get inside Europe. believer) world.” She LaRose stated “that her physi- was arrested in October cal appearance would allow her to 2009 but the case was ‘blend in with many people’ which kept under seal as au‘may be a way to achieve what is thorities pursued leads in my heart,’” the indictment said. to track down her jihadThis is the first time a white ist contacts.

American female has signed up for The indictment was jihad. According to the indictment, unsealed on Tuesday in March 2009, shortly before she after the arrest of seven made the You Tube video, LaRose Muslims in Ireland, in a allegedly received a directive from case that was said to connect “Jiher jihadist contacts to “go to Swe- had Jane” to the plot to kill Vilks.

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society

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Rama Navami: Birthday of Rama, the Ideal Man

An incarnation of God, an ideal man, dutiful son and just king: these are just a few ways to describe Lord Rama, an exemplar of honor, reverence, self-control and duty. He fought battles, became king, married a Goddess, traveled far and befriended exotic beings who were steadfast in their loyalty and courage. Rama Navami is the celebration of His birthday, when Hindus honor and remember Him with devotional singing, dramatic performance and non-stop recitation of His remarkable life story, the Ramayana.

When is Rama’s birth celebrated?

Rama was born on navami, the ninth day of the waxing moon, in the Indian month of Chaitra (late March or early April). Sometimes the festival is observed for nine days before or after navami.

How do Hindus observe Rama Navami?

Devotees fast or eat only fruit or special food offerings prepared for the day. They participate in nonstop reading of the 24,000-verse epic Ramayana, at home or in a temple. Images or statues of baby Rama are placed in cradles and rocked by devotees. Homes resound with singing. In the evening, crowds attend Ramalila, in which storytellers and dance-drama troupes depict the Ramayana.

It is common to remain awake the whole night, engaged in devotional practices. Devotees contribute generously to temples and charitable organizations. They make buttermilk and a lime drink called panaka, serving them to the public without charge. Some temples make khoa, a sweet made from thickened milk. This festival is especially popular in Uttar Pradesh, where Rama’s kingdom of Ayodhya is located.

Is the festival observed at temples?

Many temples hold grand celebrations on this day, especially those with shrines for Lord Rama,

His wife Sita, His brother Lakshmana and His loyal friend Hanuman, Lord of Monkeys. Panaka and garlands of the sacred tulsi plant are offered as families pray for “Rama-Rajya,” a time when dharma will once again be upheld in the world. In South India, the day is celebrated as the marriage anniversary of Rama and Sita.

A ceremonial wedding is held at temples with great fanfare.

Why is Rama so popular?

Rama is one of the ten avatars or incarnations of Lord Vishnu. He is revered as the perfect husband and ruler, who held duty to king and country above all else. He held strong to his ideals in the face of tremendous trials, including exile from His kingdom and separation from His beloved wife, Sita, herself an embodiment of virtue and truth. He is honored and glorified for His unshakable adherence to dharma, righteousness. The story of Rama is deeply influential and popular in the societies of the Indian subcontinent and across Southeast Asia.

What is the story of Rama?

A tale of love and separation, the Ramayana has moved the hearts of millions of Hindus over the ages.

To honor a promise made by his father, King Dasaratha, prince Rama abandons His claim to the throne and spends 14 years in exile. Wife Sita and brother Lak-

shmana join him in exile, a time of perils and tribulations. Sita is abducted by Ravana, the monarch of Lanka. After a long and arduous search, Rama discovers Sita’s whereabouts, with the help of Hanuman. A colossal war ensues against Ravana’s armies. In a duel of majestic proportions, powerful and magical beings wield mighty weaponry in formidable battles.

Rama slays Ravana and liberates Sita. Having completed His exile, Rama returns to be crowned king, loved by one and all.

Tidbits About Rama Who wrote the epic? Some 25 centuries ago, a sage ordered a thief to sit under a tree and chant “ma-ra” until he returned. Years passed, and an ant-hill covered the man, who had lost himself to the chant. The sage returned and broke the anthill, naming the thief Valmiki, meaning “from an anthill.” Inspired by his expanded awareness, Valmiki immortalized Rama by composing the Ramayana, a work unmatched in poetic excellence and longevity. Shri Ramcharitmanas by Tulsidas in Hindi and the Kamba Ramayanam by the poet Kambar in Tamil stand alongside Valmiki’s epic in Sanskrit.

Who was Sita? Sita was a powerful, gifted, beautiful woman, utterly devoted to her husband.

Found in the fields as a babe by King Janaka, Sita was raised a princess. She walked alongside Rama in exile. When abducted by Ravana, she was unshakable in her faith that her husband would rescue her. She walked through fire to prove her purity. To prevent further slander, Rama sent her away to the forest. She patiently bore separation from her husband a second time and bore twins named Lav and Kush. When they were reunited with their father, she commanded Mother Earth to swallow her. The Earth split open and Sita disappeared.-HT

Ram Navami Celebration at the site of New Gaudiya Matha HOUSTON: On March 27th, Govindaji Gaudita Matha Temple located at 16628 Keith Harrow off Highway 6 North in Houston’s Northwest, will host a festival in honor of the birth of Lord Rama and inaugurate the construction of a temple which will provide regular worship of Sri Sita Rama, Hanuman & Laxman; Sri Radha Govinda, and Gaura Nitai (Chaitanya Maha Prabhu and his brother). In the future there will be a Guru Kula in which spiritual, cultural, social and, moral values will be taught according to the Vedic tradition along with a standard academic education. There will also be a Vedic cultural and arts center where music, theater and, fine arts and will be presented for the up-liftment of our whole community/society.

Indo American News • Friday, March 12 , 2010 • Online Edition: www.indoamerican-news.com

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society

Indo American News • Friday, March 12 , 2010

FIS: Bringing India Closer through Education In its 5th year of operation, the organization continues to spread awareness on India’s rich cultural heritage and history to all Houstonians through higher education and academic exposure.

HOUSTON: The Foundation for India Studies (FIS), has been partnering with the University of Houston (UH) since 2004 to promote India through higher education. A large number of Indian students routinely enroll in UH because of its affordability compared to other institutions, but find very few courses to choose from on India as compared to a variety of courses offered at the university in European, Arabic, Chinese and Vietnamese studies. In this global-

ing modestly with a few courses in Hinduism, Jainism and Hindi classes, FIS and UH have a long way for introducing the minimum number of credit courses required for students to earn a Minor Certificate in Indian Studies, the challenges being availability of qualified teachers and necessary financing.

Moving forward in its 5th year, the Foundation has assembled a vibrant and energetic team of young and enthusiastic professionals and

of the Houston community, both American and Indian.

FIS is honored to have on its Advisory Board Hon. Sanjiv Arora, Consul General of India; Dr. Renu Khator, Chancellor of UH System; Dr. John Antel, Senior V. P. for Academic Affairs and Provost of UH; Dr. Saleha Khumawala, Asst.

Professor in Bauer College of Business UH; philanthropists Dr. Durga Agrawal, Dr. Brij Agrawal and Sister Cities of Houston President, Ms. Ellen Goldberg. The Execu-

From left : Swapan Dhairyawan (Hon. CPA), Vatsa Kumar ( Secretary), Sarath Menon Chembottil,UH (Communications), Rajesh Verghese ( Treasurer), Kiran Parthasarathy, Parul Fernandes (Vice Chair), Raj Bhalla (Fund raising), Sujit Sansgiry,UH (Programs), Ellen Goldberg (India Study Tours), Dr. Saleha Khumawala (Advisor), Krishna Vavilala (Founder, Chairman), Richard Morales (Advisor), Bashist Sharma ( Hon. General Counsel).

Not in the picture: Praveena Lakshmanan , Dr. Sreerekha Subramanian (Advisor), Dr. Haku Israni(Advisor) and Omkar Khare (GISO, president).

ized economy where India’s economic power is rapidly growing, main stream American students as well our own Indo-American students raised and brought up here will be at a disadvantage if they do not study and understand India’s diverse cultures and languages.

With this in mind, FIS was established as a non-profit 501(C3) organization for the purpose of establishing an endowed Chair for Indian Studies at the UH and to introduce numerous India related courses on India’s religions, languages, cultures, history and anthropology etc. Although start-

formed a strong board for the year 2010. Organized in a three tier fashion, the new board comprises of an Ex-Officio Advisory Board, Executive Board and Directors-atlarge assisted by a General Counsel and a CPA. FIS board members are selected from various states and linguistic groups of India to reflect India’s immense diversity. FIS is not a membership organization and its directors are recruited by referrals and recommendations based on the value they bring to the table.

FIS revenues come from donations received from generous members

tive Board consists of Mr. Krishna Vavilala, founder Chairman, Ms.Parul Fernandes, Director of International studies and programs at UH as Vice Chairperson and Mr.Vatsa Kumar, as the Secretary.

The Directors-at-large who are the backbone of the organization are shown in the accompanying photo with their names and respective portfolios. The Foundation is also in search of suitable candidates from Kashmir, Orissa and Bihar to join its board.

Since its inception, the Foundation has contributed substantial continued on page 17

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Anasuya Devi: Grand Dame of Telugu Folk Music

Houston resident releases five volumes of Andhra Pradesh’s unique tradition collected, compiled and chronicled by her

By Savitha Gautam

CHENNAI (The Hindu): She turns 90 in a few months. But that has not slowed down Kalaprapoorna Dr. Avasarala (Vinjamuri) Anasuya Devi from composing and promoting Andhra Pradesh’s unique music tradition of janapada geethalu (folk music) and lalitha sangeetham (light music). “What began as a hobby became my passion and my profession,” says the spirited lady who released five volumes of her collection of Telugu folk songs at an informal function in Chennai recently.

Since the five volumes are in some way connected with women, Anusuya Devi wanted five well-known female ambassadors of the arts and culture to release them. Therefore, educationist Padma Shri Mrs. Y.G. Parthasarathy, dancer/actress Padma Shri Vyjayanthimala Bali, dancer/ choreographer Vasanthalakshmi Narasimhachari and playback legends Padma Shri P. Susheela and Kalaimamani S. Janaki were chosen to do the honors. To receive them was old friend and fellow musician Padma Vibhushan Dr. M. Balamuralikrishna.

The Carnatic great was at his humorous best when he spoke in chaste Telugu about his association with Anusuya Devi. “We be-

Padma Shri Mrs. Y.G. Parthasarathy releases one of a five volume collection of Telugu folk music authored by Kalaprapoorna Dr. Anusuya Devi (center). Padma Vibhushan M. Balamuralikrishna receives first copy of the book.

Photo: K.V. Srinivasan

gan our careers almost simultaneously. Those days, every important function in the city would have two performers for sure. One, a lad of 10, and the other, a pretty girl. People came to listen to the boy, and look at the girl. The boy believed the crowd was there to listen to him. Only later did he realise they were actually waiting for the girl to take the stage! Well, that boy was me and the girl, Anusuya

akka.” He went on to say that classical music has its roots in the folk tradition, and therefore, Anusuya Devi’s books are priceless in that direction.

Mrs. Y.G. Parthasarathy, her neighbor at one point in time, recalled the days when every festive occasion meant a vocal presentation by Anusuya and her sister Seetha Devi. “She is one remarkable woman. She has taken it upon

herself to promote folk music and preserve the genre for posterity.”

Vyjayanthimala Bali was like another daughter to the veteran musician. “My earliest memory is sitting on Anusuya amma’s lap and listening to her sing when I was about four or five.” Susheela and Janaki, who have also been associated with Anusuya Devi for a long time, preferred to sing, much to the delight of the audience. Vasanthalakshmi too reiterated the fact that the richness of folk music must be preserved for posterity and Anusuya Devi’s work is a treasure trove.

For the author, these books are a result of a lifetime spent collecting and notating songs from every source possible… villagers working in the fields, mendicants and sometimes, even beggars! For somebody whose first recording was released when she was just eight, music was naturally an inseparable part. Born into a family of poets and musicians (father Padma Shri Vinjamuri Narasimha Rao was a Telugu-Sanskrit scholar, mother Venkata Rathnamma launched Telugu’s first women’s magazine Anasuya and uncle Padma Bhushan Devulapalli Krishna Sastry was a renowned poet), Anusuya and her sister Seetha took to light music and soon became household names.

Anusuya Devi has many firsts to her credit. First woman music composer/musicologist in Andhra Pradesh, first woman music director in South India, first woman music composer in AIR, first to sing classical, folk and light music on radio and concert, first to publish Andhra’s light and folk music in Carnatic notation… she is truly the grand dame of the Telugu folk tradition.

Today, Anasuya Devi devides her time between her children; in Houston with Rathna Kumar (Founder/Director of Anjali, Center for Performing Arts) and Krishna Giri (Partner & Marketing Manager, Indo-American News); in Chennai with Seetha Ratnakar (Station Director, Door Darshan); in Washington, DC with Kamala Srikar (Assistant Director AFSCME; and San Jose, CA with Neehar Giri (President & Chief Solutions Officer, APTTUS Inc.).The book release event at the prestigious Bharatiya Vidya Bhawan in Chennai was conceived and coordinated by Seetha Ratnakar.

(Published by TTD Press, Tirupati, the five volumes – Laali Paatalu, Mangalaharatulu, Pandiga Paatalu, Stree Paatalu and Samvadala Paatalu - are available at all leading Carnatic music store and online at www.indoamericannews.com)

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Muslim Teen Fired for Wearing Headscarf FOSTER CITY, CA : A 19-yearold Muslim teen, allegedly fired by retail clothing giant Abercrombie and Fitch for refusing to remove her headscarf at work, filed a complaint Feb. 23 with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

Hani Khan, a Foster City, Calif., resident of both Indian and Pakistani

descent, had worked at the Hollister clothing store at a local shopping center since October 2009. Hollister is operated by Abercrombie and Fitch, which features provocatively clad and largely Caucasian models in its advertising.

Khan, a political science student at the College of San Mateo, told IndiaWest she had worn her headscarf when she interviewed for the job, and was told then only that she would

have to conform to the company’s colors, which are navy, gray and white.

“They didn’t really focus on my headscarf at the interview,” she said.

Khan was hired as a stockroom associate, and would occasionally go out on to the floor to re-fold and put away clothing discarded by customers. She said she faced no opposition to her headscarf from customers or from fellow associates at the store in the five months she worked there.

But on Feb. 9, a district manager came into the store, and glanced Khan’s way. Later that week, he brought Khan into the office and put her onto a phone call with Abercrombie and Fitch’s human resources department.

“They told me my headscarf was not in compliance with the company’s ‘looks policy’ and that I was being taken off the schedule roster,” said Khan.

A week later, Khan received a call from human resources, asking if she would remove her headscarf while on the job. She refused, citing her religion.

She was then told that she was fired.

Iska Hain, a spokeswoman for Abercrombie and Fitch, told India-West

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Thank You and Goodbye

I came to Houston in September 1975 to teach at Texas Southern University (TSU) as a professor of sociology. At that time, there were about 1,000 Indian families in Houston and the only cultural organization was India Culture Center (ICC). I joined ICC in 1976 and became a life member. In 1978, I became Secretary, and later on, its President for two terms.

In order to keep the members connected, we started a monthly newsletter and mailed it to all the members. With the steady increase of the Indian population in Houston in early 1980s, ICC newsletter was not considered an adequate medium of communication for the community.

In 1982, I and my wife Mohini started IndoAmerican News as an experiment to keep the community connected through a newspaper. We published 2,000 copies every two weeks and distributed them free through Indian grocery stores. The experiment lasted six months and the feedback was positive so we continued the paper by getting help from Pramod Kulkarni. Later, Jawahar Malhotra and Koshy Thomas joined us and, subsequently, we expanded the service on a weekly basis.

Mr. Thomas left the team in 1987 and started Voice of Asia.

Then we hired Rajiv Gadgil as a full time Managing Editor and he worked with us for 9 years before he started India Herald in 1996. All three papers are still continuing and performing good community service. Mohini and I are leaving Houston by the end of March and joining my son and daughter- in-law in Wichita Falls, Texas.

Before we retire and leave Houston, we would like to personally thank all the subscribers, advertisers and other community members who have been supporting us for the last 28 years. I will miss you all but I am confident the newspaper, under the direction of Pramod Kulkarni, Jawahar Malhotra, Krishna Giri, Manasi Gokhale, Vanshika Vipin, Jacob David and Hussain Mandvivala, will be continuing to serve the community in future years.

Thank you once again for all your support.

Dr. K.L. Sindwani

Best Wishes from the IAN Team Here’s wishing Dr. K.L. and Mohiniji a great post-retirement life. For all we know, people in Wichita Falls should get ready for branches of the ICC, India House and Vedanta Society, and a local edition of the Wichita Falls Indo-American News! Once a publisher, always a publisher!

Pramod, Jawahar, Krishna, Manasi, Vanshika, Jacob, Hussain, and all past members of the IAN Team

e d ito r i a l

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Being Civil to Your Servants

By M. J. Akbar A hundred years ago, according to a recent book, domestic servants constituted Britain’s largest source of employment. That simple statistic reveals, better than anything else, the inequality of a class-driven society, and the partnership between wealth and power in Victorian and postVictorian Britain. The Industrial Age was well under way, but had not achieved the critical mass that would broaden the working class and spawn the Labour Party. The British upper classes were not cruel to servants, although there were strict distinctions: in a grand house, servants were permitted to eat and drink as much as they wished, but could only live downstairs.

The meltdown of the ancient regime was evolutionary in Britain, rather than revolutionary, as in Russia, even though British democracy was a strained and evolving process, full of rotten boroughs and inbuilt inequity. Democracy needed a lot of latitude if as famous a prime minister as William Pitt – the Elder could be considered elected, when the total electorate in his constituency consisted of five voters. Women got the vote even later than the “lower classes”. It took two world wars, and the death of millions of poor in the service of an empire designed to fatten the rich, before the privileged system withered.

Nineteenth century America did not have servants, it had slaves; and slavery reinvented itself in many forms after its official abolition before it withered. The British attitude towards colour was far more sophisticated, and many nuances of racism could survive under a veneer of wit.

Samuel Johnson, famously, had a devoted Jamaican servant, Francis Barber, as well as a pet cat. Barber was not allowed to carry the cat as it would be demeaning to both.

More to the point, today the word “servant” has disappeared from the popular lexicon of both America and Europe. If it survives it is only within the construct of a “civil servant” — who is definitely not a servant, and very often not particularly civil either.

Today, the word “servant” has disappeared from the popular lexicon of both America and Europe.

If it survives it is only within the construct of a “civil servant” — who is definitely not a servant, and very often not particularly civil either.

Of course, there is still a population that earns from service at homes in the West: the huge demand for “illegal” immigrants confirms this. But the terms of reference have changed in favour of the servants. Only a thin elite can afford full-time house servants, since their cost is high, and beyond the reach of the professional middle class.

There are, at least to my knowledge, no statistics available, but it would be a safe bet to claim that the largest source of employment in contemporary India is domestic servants.

In that sense, we are where Britain was a century ago. There is a world of difference between the service economy and a servants’ economy; India claims the first and lives in the

second. The domestic servant is the first rung of aspiration for more than half of India.

The tensions are palpable, particularly in urban India, which has neither the sense of neighbourhood nor a culture of sympathy. The servant is both the provider as well as the potential assailant, particularly if male, for he belongs to a world that is distant both geographically and psychologically.

The young man cleans utensils only because he is a prisoner of necessity.

The rewards are pitiful; the treatment pitiable. The threat of servant violence is the regular diet of the media; but cruelty towards servants is largely ignored, perhaps because journalists are part of the middle class and complicit.

Developed societies in the West created robotic machines, like the dishwasher, to fill the gap, even as they lifted the poor into an expanding middle class, loosely defined as a group with enough for food, clothing, shelter and basic education. The Indian attitude to washing machines is unique: we hire servants to use them.

Those who cannot afford washing machines can still afford servants to wash clothes the older way. Some overlap is understandable in the transition phase, but the incremental rise in upward mobility is a flickering fact, not a sustained reality. The tension of denial is evident on the visage of those servants who haven’t reconciled to their dull fate. It’s true that the majority of servants have no dispute with their economic destiny, since this maximum-effort, minimal-reward employment prevents starvation. But that, surely, is not a pleasant reality.

The good news about India is that plumbers and electricians are becoming more expensive. The rising cost of skills is proof of some transfer of wealth. A tongue-in-cheek view suggests that India will not become a modern economy as long as there are civil servants. Let me assert, tongue firmly in right place, that India will become a modern economy only when domestic service is treated as civil, and a service that deserves the salary available to the starting circle of government jobs. TOI

IndoAmerican News Publisher Emeritus: Dr. K.L. Sindwani Editor: Pramod Kulkarni Business Manager: Jawahar Malhotra Marketing Manager: Krishna Giri Community Reporter: Kalyani Giri Community Editor: Manasi Gokhale Administrative Manager: Vanshika Vipin Marketing & Food Correspondent: Jacob David Production Manager: Hussain Mandviwala correspondents Chicago: Nand Kapoor Ottawa: Avinash Gavai ®All rights reserved. No material herein or portions thereof may be published without the written consent of the publisher. The deadline for advertising and articles is 5 pm on Monday of each week. Please include self-addressed, stamped envelope for return of all unsolicited material. Published at 7457 Harwin Drive, Suite 262, Houston, Texas 77036. Tel: 713-789-NEWS or 6397 Fax: 713-789-6399, email: indoamericannews@yahoo.com, website: indoamerican-news.com

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Muslim Teen Fired for Wearing Headscarf continued on page 15

the company had no comment on the complaint. Abercrombie’s Web site stresses its commitment to diversity.

“We are committed to increasing and leveraging the diversity of our associates and management across the organization.”

“Those differences will be supported by a culture of inclusion, so that we better understand our customers, enhance our organizational effectiveness, capitalize on the talents of our workforce and represent the communities in which we do business,” says a statement on the site.

But the clothing retailer has been the target of several previous suits.

In 2004, Abercrombie agreed to pay out $45 million in a class action suit which accused the company of giv-

ing preferential treatment to its white employees. In 2009, Riam Dean, who worked at a London store, was told that her prosthetic arm did not fit the company’s “looks” policy. A British tribunal awarded her $15,000.

Also in 2009, 17-year-old Samantha Elauf applied for a sales position at Abercrombie Kids in Tulsa, Oklahoma, but was told she could not wear her headscarf on the job. The EEOC has filed a complaint against Abercrombie on Elauf’s behalf.

Khan has worn her headscarf since kindergarten, and said no one has ever made it an issue in the culturallydiverse San Francisco Bay Area.

While her parents initially asked her to wear the scarf, Khan said she was never forced by them, and decided when she began high school that she

would wear her scarf everywhere.

“It is such an important part of me,” said Khan, who plans to transfer to a UC this fall, and eventually go on to law school. Zahra Billoo, executive director of the San Francisco Bay Area chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, told IndiaWest that despite the previous suits, “this company continues to violate the law and disrespect its clients.”

“On a personal level, if a company tells me ‘you don’t fit our look,’ I will say, ‘well you don’t fit mine,’” said Billoo, adding that she had a favorite sweater featuring the company’s logo that she will no longer wear.

“The law will determine the line, but so will consumers,” said Billoo, noting, however, that CAIR is not seeking a boycott of the stores. - IW

FIS: Bringing India Closer through Education continued from page 9

sum of scholarship money for students at the University of Houston and organized several events promoting India. FIS intends to raise more scholarship money in the future Last year Houstonians saw the Foundation organize a lecture by former Ambassador T.P.Sreenivasan in association with Asia society on India’s role in the world as part of its “Distinguished Lecture Series” and a number of stimulating panel discussions on the Oscar winning movie

“Slumdog Millionaire” to examine whether it has helped or hurt India’s image around the world.

On April 24 th, the Foundation is presenting Padma Vibhushan Dr. E.C.G. Sudarshan in a lecture titled “Modern India’s Expanding Role in Science”.The Foundation has some exciting projects in development such as the Study India Tours, “Know India” Quiz contest, Oral history of Indian immigrants, an International Conference to celebrate Sri Krishnadevaraya’s 500th Anniversry,

Lectures on Indian Constitution and India’s anti-terror preparedness, a panel discussion on Indian Journalism and last but not the least, a fund raising event. Though ambitious in many ways, however, with the community’s support, FIS is hoping to accomplish all these projects.

If interested to contribute, support and get involved with the Foundation for India Studies in any of the above projects, please feel free to call Mr. Krishna Vavilala at (713)795-5169 or visit WWW. Foundationforindiastudies.org.

Indo-American News

29 years in publication, chosen 1st among readers Thank you!

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TANA Celebrates Telugu Language Day at UT - Austin DALLAS:The UTTelugu Students Association and the Telugu Association of North America (TANA) convened this special event to celebrate the success of the Telugu language program at UT-Austin on February 24th, 2010. Prasad Thotakura, President-elect, TANA, declared that

Members of TANA at UT Austin

TANA along with the collaboration of various Telugu associations in Texas is committed to working hard to generate more financial support to develop the program at UT Austin.

The San Antonio Telugu Association announced two more awards for outstanding Telugu students at the University of Texas at Austin. On the occasion of the Telugu Language day held here at the GSB Events Hall on February 24th, Dr. Madhava Rao Govindaraju, President, Telugu Association of San Antonio, made

this announcement. Professor Joel Brereton, Chairman of the Department of Asian Studies, particularly mentioned the efforts of Dr. Afsar in developing new teaching materials and strategies to continually improve the quality of the Telugu program.

The increasing number of students

of TANA, congratulated all Telugu learning students and encouraged them to speak Telugu at home, watch Telugu movies, read and write to enhance their language skills.

Murali Vennam, TANA South West Regional Director assured the continued TANA support of allocating of

taking Telugu clearly shows the success of the program, he said. Dr. Lakshmanna Vishnubhotla, a representative from the Austin Telugu community congratulated the consistent efforts in developing the program.

“Its our fortune to have a well-known Telugu writer and scholar such as Afsar teaching this program, and the entire Texas community should take advantage of this unique opportunity,” he said.

Ramki Chebrolu, Chairman of the “Telugu Language committee

$100,000 for five years. He thanked Prof. Afsar for taking extra personal care to teach Telugu.

Divya Yalamanchili and Deepica Mutyala, President and Vice-President of the UT-Telugu Students Association announced the new board of members of their student body. With two more awards, the UT-Telugu program now has four awards for outstanding Telugu students. These awards will be given in a special event in Fall, 2010.

Traffic Jam Leads to Maryland House of Delegates Bid MARYLAND: Sam Arora was stuck in his car in a traffic jam at a stoplight in Montgomery County, Maryland, when he reflected on the back-up: “Why doesn’t somebody do something about this?”

It then “crystallized” for him, he told that, to paraphrase Mahatma Gandhi, he needed to be the change in the world he wanted to see.

An ex-staffer for Senator Carl Levin, D-Mich., and former U.S. Senator and current Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, the 29-yearold Arora is currently running for the Democratic nomination for a seat in the Maryland House of Delegates in District 19.

The district, north of Washington, D.C., includes all or parts of Silver Spring, Olney, Wheaton, Aspen Hill, Laytonville, Gaithersburg, Kemp Mill, Four Corners and Arora’s home town of Layhill.

As the epiphany at the stoplight would suggest, reducing traffic congestion is one key plank of his campaign platform, along with attracting more jobs and high-tech companies to locate in the area.

“I think Annapolis needs to do a better job of tackling some of the long-term challenges we face,” he told one local newspaper recently.

Arorahasraisedmorethan$100,000 since he announced his candidacy six months ago, an amount one local political blog called remarkable.

Arora said he is taking a page from the campaign blueprint employed

Sam Arora

by Ohio state legislator Jay Goyal, D-Mansfield, who swept into office through successful fund-raising and a grass-roots campaign.

Goyal told India-West in an e-mail, “I’ve known Sam for a number of years now, and he is someone who has the character, integrity, intellect and work ethic to make a great public servant. It is my pleasure to endorse and support him in his bid for the Maryland legislature.”

Arora said there are two other Democrats who have announced they are running for three seats being contested in the district in the Sept.

14 primary.

Political observers have speculated that at least one of the three Democratic incumbents may not run for reelection to seek another office, but nothing is official yet. The filing deadline is in April.

The three Democrats who receive the most votes will face off against the

top three Republicans vote getters in the general election. The three Democrats are expected to be favored in a district with a registration edge to the Democrats.

Arora told India-West that, despite his young age, he has been active in Democratic politics for a decade. He has sought advice from Maryland House Majority Leader Kumar Barve, Kansas state Representative Raj Goyle and Ohio’s Goyal.

Arora graduated in 1999 from a high school in Layhill and received a bachelor’s degree in political science from Columbia University in 2003. He is currently completing a law degree at Georgetown University.

A former aide to Clinton when she ran for reelection to the Senate and in her presidential campaign, after Clinton lost in the 2008 primary, Arora volunteered for President Barack Obama’s campaign.

He is currently vice president of business development at the Arora Group, a family-owned business in Gaithersburg, Md., that provides health care services nationally to military personnel, their families and veterans.

Arora’s campaign can’t be hurt by the fact that he was named in 2006 one of the “50 Most Beautiful People” on Capitol Hill by The Hill newspaper. One blog said he has an “uncanny resemblance to actor Ben Stiller.” - IW

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NRI’s Light Wins UN Green Prize NEW YORK: A portable light that can be recharged by pedaling for 20 minutes and was developed for use in areas not wired for electricity, has won a Canadian of Indian origin the prestigious Sasakawa Prize of the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP).

The device has been developed

by Nuru Design (Nuru means light in Swahili), headed by social entrepreneur Sameer Hajee, a Canadian national with roots in India and Kenya. Speaking from Bali where he received the award, Hajee said a pilot project was already in place in Madhya Pradesh and Orissa and he expected the units to be rolled out by this summer with 300,000 units in place by the end of the year.

The device, called the Nuru light, is essentially a lighting system that can be recharged by a pedal generator - the Nuru POWER-

Cycle. Accor-ding to the UNEP statement announcing the award, “gentle pedaling for 20 minutes using feet or hands, bicycle-style, can fully recharge up to five Nuru lights.The lights give up to two

weeks of bright light on a full recharge.” The system has been field tested in the African nation of Rwanda.

Nuru Design will use the Sasakawa Prize money to replicate the success of the lighting system in India by the end of this year and also in the African countries of Burundi, Kenya and Uganda. “India is one of our biggest markets and one of the areas with the greatest need,” the Toronto-based Hajee said.

He said that he had “an affinity” with India because of his “own heritage”, as he did with Kenya. Hajee said a modified marketing model will be used for India, with units initially being rolled out in areas with erratic power supply, before rural franchisees take it to villages.

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Bollywood is Set to Roll Over Mainstream Canadians

By Avinash Gavai As has been reported in the pages of IAN over the last year - India’s ties with Canada have dramatically improved over a number of different fields. Political, economic, and educational ties have finally overcome the stodgy inertia that has been epitomized ties between the two nations. Another element now is slowly rising in the public consciousness of Canadians - Bollywood.

The Conservative government headed by Prime Minister Stephen Harper has in recent time provided logistical and financial support to programs and schemes with overt cultural overtones. Harper himself was at the forefront of this cross-cultural exchange in a series of carefully choreographed photo opportunities.

In his visit to India last November, the Prime Minister and his wife Laureen visited the set of “Dance Premier League” in Mumbai where they both awkwardly shook a leg or two in a decidedly intense and chaotic ‘mujra’ item song.

“Harper recognizes that the Indian diaspora is becoming increasingly important in Canada as a viable vote bank and as a conduit and channel for increasing commercial opportunities between India and Canada, said David Akin, a correspondent with Canwest (one of the largest international media organizations in this country) who was one the main Canadian reporters covering the India visit.

There are now close to 970,000 people who consider themselves as being Indo-Canadians, with the main concentrations being centered in the HYPERLINK “/wiki/Greater_Toronto_Area”Greater Toronto Area and around Vancouver. A canny and pragmatic politician such as Harper therefore must be cognizant of the need to appease and appeal to a large potential political support base.

To view the recent cultural engagements as an exercise in pure electoral politics may be an overly cynical view however. Canadian governments for time immemorial have often been described as the instigators of multicultural ideology in the western world because of its public emphasis on the social importance of immigration.

Canadian Prime Minster, Stephen Harper at a session of ‘Dance Premier League’ in Mumbai last year.

Far from pleading multiculturalism’s neutrality in matters of national unity, successive Canadian governments have argued that the policy promotes the national interest by breaking down social and cultural barriers. Many observes see the overtures to Indian culture as a natural progression of these multicultural policies.

Last week, the NorthAmerican edition of Reuters reported the opening of the ‘the first known governmentbacked Bollywood acting school in North America.’ The initial batch of wannabe starlets will graduate in April from the Canadian Institute of Management and Technology’s Bollywood acting diploma.

“Here, I’m opening the doors of Bollywood and Hollywood together,” said Lucky Sanda, program director of the diploma, and former child actor, appearing in more than a dozen Bollywood films including “Do Anjaane” and “Mein Tulsi Tere Angan Ki”.

Sanda, 46, said production com-

panies in Toronto want South Asian actors in their TV ads and films to represent the changing population and have already been contacting him.

The government support for this initiative is consistent with other recent actions that have been made at a federal and provincial level. Last December, Bollywood juggernaut Akshay Kumar was seen carrying the Olympic flame in downtown Toronto as part of a $26-million strategy by

the federal government to leverage tourism opportunities presented by the recently concluded Vancouver Games.

India’s representatives to Canada have been quick to capitalize on this mood. The Indian Council for Cultural Relations and the High Commission here have already begun preparations hold a year-long Festival of India in Canada in 2011.

“The Festival of India will be a

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series across-the-board activities performances by Indian artists, exhibitions and seminars on India,” said High Commissioner S.M. Gavai to an huge gathering of Indian Canadians at the annual gala dinner of the IndoCanada Chamber of Commerce late last year in Toronto.

The center piece of the Festival of India will undoubtedly be the 12th Indian Film Academy Awards (IIFA,) will be held in Toronto, the first time the Indian version of the Oscars will be held in North America.

“Indian cinema today, is now a very valuable and visible brand. The Canadian public and the government here have shown a tremendous amount of enthusiasm for bringing in IIFA,” said Viraf Sirkari, the director of event management company giant Wizcraft, during a visit to the Indian High Commission in January. The same company had also brought the ‘Unforgettable’ tour into Houston and other North American cities back in 2008.

Hunsdeep Singh, the resident DJ and producer of Ottawa’s Mirch Masala radio show also attributes the gaining momentum of Bollywood culture on the increasingly visible displays of youth pride in Indian culture.

“Young Indo-Canadians have been a major catalyst for the growing popularity of desi movies and music, which is manifested, amongst other mediums, in Bollywood films.,” he said. “They are the ones that have shed light on the sheer entertainment value of this part of our culture, and this had in turn ignited interest on a much larger scale.”

Community Events

Picnic with Gudhipadva Celebration Saturday, March 13, Brazos Bend State Park www.hmmhouston.org

History of Wells Fargo & Genealogy

Thursday, March 25, 4.30pm @ Federal Reserve Bank, Houston Branch Building

Rama Navami Celebration

Wednesday, March 24, 7pm @ Hare Krishna Dham, 281-235-3590 @ Sri Saumyakasi Sivalaya, 281-568-1690

Masala Chai Hour with Rathna Kumar

A program focusing onIndian Performing & Visual Arts, Literature

Saturdays 10-11am on 1480AM, Masala Radio, 281-277-6874 INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, MARCH 12 , 2010• ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

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Indo American News • Friday, March 12 , 2010

online edition: www.indoamerican-news.com

INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, MARCH 12 , 2010 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM