Keraladigest 2013 02 by Kerala Association of Greater Washington

Kerala Association of Greater Washington

POEM

Dr. Smita Padmanabhan is an educator, freelance writer and author of two books. Her writings have been published in many national and international journals and magazines. Smita is presently employed as a lecturer with the Knowledge and Human Development Authority, Dubai. An avid reader, she spends her leisure time freelancing and conducting creative writing and business communication classes.

The Labyrinth of my Roots

Riots With spring’s ensign On the lunar skies Bonfires ignite to ward off evils eye and welcome the delights… Medleys of hue -Splash and spray Old foes forgotten in the colours game. Years have passed... I tread along my childhood alley, another full moon but all kids away… I peek the calendar The deafening silence Harks back roaring days. Why’s the day so pale? I crane from the sill Asking the silent shill Where are the riots of spring? A thud aloud! Gunshots trigger! New generation -- new ways ’TisHoliagain! Speeding down the stairs Frenzy mobs running astray Guns, revolvers and draggers! Colour rains on my body and face Torrid red riots reign !!! 86

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Dr. Smitha Padmabhan

After two decades of voyaging across different continents, I realized that my lifestill remained rooted there- where it had begunbeneath the shades of ‘my mango tree’! Sitting on board the aircraft, flying back to my home townin Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, I was gripped by anunusual feeling of excitement and melancholy, anxiousness and serenity. It had been twenty years since I left Jabalpur. Memories of the past resonated and overlapped, creating a mushy dense labyrinth of my childhood and adolescent days. As the flight towed forward, my thoughts recoiled. Reminiscing the past, the most conspicuous image that always exploded my thoughts had been of ‘my mango tree’, beneath whose shadewas strewed and buried, my childhood and adolescent days, till I left to explore the world beyond. Much had evolved since I parted from my abode. I attained adoctorate, changed status, furtheredthe family legacy, attained self-reliance, authored two books, developed acquaintances, explored new

terrains…, but in the midst of all these triumphs, what evaded me and what I craved for, was the serenity and security, the support and strength I had relished beneath my mango tree. Seated in the most luxurious airbus, I felt uneasy and claustrophobic. Modern life has provided man with infinite amenities, but stolen from him the experience of freedom, tranquility and comfort that nature renders gratuitously. As I twiddled in my seat, my kids, who were busy playing games on their personal TV screens, whispered, “Mom why are you so restless, just surf and find something for yourself” and on a second note added, “don’t try the games, you won’t be able to play it”. I smiled. Poor fellas, how would they ever appreciate the real thrill of gaming that I had played, and of which they only own a graphic digital mock. My childhood was sewed with real life games which I pleasured in the comradeship of my mango tree. As a kid under its shade I had explored the world, freely and intricately; its trunk supported me when I first endeavored to stand and walk, with my tiny trembling feet, its mangoes were the maiden fruits I independently handpicked to taste, its leaves and stalks taught me to discernt extures, colours, shapes and sizes. As I treaded into childhood, itchiseled and groomed my physical and mental dexterity. I swung from its branches andclimbed up its trunk, to develop my physical prowess; harnessed my creative and targetingacumenwhile I shot the ripened mangoes with myamateurish slingshot; learnt to guardthehatchlings in the nest when their mother wasn’t around, and explored life beneath the earth as Idug deep to hunt the treasure chest that grandma’s stories revealed. My mango tree, guided and guarded me through all the roughs of adolescence and kept my secrets safely concealed. During those moment of success I looked up at its loftiest boughs where the world rustled, and it taught me to handle victory with poise and humility. Its roots that stretched down to infinity in search for sustenance, showed me the art of perseverance without complaints. It was in its lap that I discerned the basic dictate: never to lose myselfin the highs and lows of life, and to build my own form to exemplify myself. Though life has progressed, but I’ve failed to discover a surrogate to my mango tree. Time, would soon unite me with my roots.As I peeped out of the window to look down, I heard my daughter say, “The land below looks beautiful”. Once again, I smiled - how wouldshe understand if I’d say- the world looks more beautiful when viewed atop my mango tree! Kerala Association of Greater Washington

FOR MALAYALEE AMERICANS, IT’S TIME TO ASSIMILATE

Benoy Thomas Benoy Thomasis the President of the Washington, DC,-based National Council of Asian Indian Associations. Mr. Thomas served as a Working Group member of Maryland Governor’s Council for New Americans.

Dr. Joy Cherian, a former Equal Employment Opportunity Commissioner under Reagan and Bush administrations, once said: “We Malayalee Americans dream that we are in Kerala, while sleeping on American soil.” During the last two years, as the General Secretary of Federation of Malayalee Associations of Americas (FOMAA), I had an opportunity tovisit every state where there is a large concentration of Malayalee population. I concur with Dr. Cherian’s observation. There is an estimated 300,000 Keralites in North America at the moment.More than half of them are first generation Malayalee Americans, who came to this country by our own choice. Like many other immigrant communities, we were not running away from oppressive regimes, or escaping religious persecution. In fact, most of the Keralitesimmigrated to this country are the highly educated professionals and high income earners. Many of us came to this land of opportunities to pursue higher education and better professional prospects. The immigration from Kerala began to trickle in the 1960s, gained momentum in the ’70s and reached its peak in the ’90s. We have enjoyed the benefits of the struggles and sacrifices made by early settlers from India and other Asian countries who fought discriminatory immigration laws.Their sacrifices made it easier for us tosucceed in our business ventures and break glass ceilings. We brought with us excellent values, such as passion for education, respect for elders, belief in the institution of marriage, caring for our aged parents and a desire to see our children grow up to lead a better life. Of course,these are values of our vibrant culture that we need to preserve and imbibe in to the next generation. Individually, many Keralites have made great strides in the United States.There is hardly a hospital in this country that does not have a Malayaleenurse. Ourdoctors have also donevery well in the health care

The writer with U.S. Congressman Dr. Ami Bera.

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industry. The story is not different in the information technology field. Our IT engineers and IT-based entrepreneurs are doing very well in Silicon Valley and other parts of the country. We have made our mark in the field of academia as well. A significant number of gas stations in Chicago are owned by Malayalee Americans. Dr. Rajen Anand, a Clinton, and now Obama appointee, who serves as the head of U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion, pointed out aboutdifferent Indian American groups, “We have also brought some heavy baggage of strong regional-ism and deep religious dogmathat have kept us divided.”The same is true of Malayalee Americans, who are by and large isolatedfrom the broader Indian American community and Mainstream America. In the ’60s and ’70s, we were Malayalees. In the ’80s, we became Malayalee Hindus, Christians and Muslims. In the ’90s, we became Nairs, Ezhavas, Marthomites, Syro-Malabarians, Knanaya, Orthodox, Jacobites, and Mappila Muslims.In addition to many national and state level Kerala associations, today we have organizations for Malayalees belonging to certain professions and people who belongto different cities. Kerala Catholics are now split into Knanaya, Syro-Malabar and Latin.We have strong affiliations only with people of our region and our sub-religious group. A number of thoughtful leaders and opinion-makers from Kerala have pointed out that we are more sectarian and casteist in our thinking and affiliations than the mainstream Kerala society. They have also observed that despite many impressive accomplishments, we Malayalee Americanshaven’t accomplished much as community, except building our own churches and temples.These observations should embarrass us. Time has arrived for us to alter our attitudes and behavior. We have to grow out of our strong affiliation only with our social, professional and religious subgroups. One of the areas we have fallen behind because of our failure to assimilate is in the political arena. The collective political influence of Keralites is very limited. There only a handful of elected Malayalee American office-holders.

It is sharp contrast to some of the other Indian American groups. At the moment, we have two Indian American governors, Bobby Jindalof Louisiana and Nikki Haley of South Carolina. Last year, Dr. Ami Bera became the third Indian Congressman when he got elected to the U.S.House of Representatives from California. There are several Indian Americans serving State Houses across the country.In the state of Maryland alone, there are three Indian American Delegates. Our community, by and large, lives in isolation from the mainstream American society. We spend most of our spare time watching Malayalam movies and televisionshows. Most important social activities in our calendar are organizing reception for visiting Kerala political leaders and other cultural dignitaries. Many of us don’t even know who are our Congressmen and Senators. A large majority of Malayalee Americans are not registered to vote; those who have don’t often cast votes on the election day. While we celebrate India’s Independence Day and Republic Day, many of us don’t bother to join July Fourth celebrations. Our first generation must increase their involvementin social, cultural and political activities of their adopted country and form bonds with other immigrant groups. Our second and third generations have easier time in being part of the larger American society, but they must get more and more involved in political activities, beginning at local level. For Malayalee Americansto gain clout in this country, we have to come to terms with the reality that a vast majority of us and our offspring are going to spend the rest of our lives in this society, not in Kerala. Instead of watching Asianet and other Malayalam channels, we must be tuning to American networks and cable channels. We have to overcome our narrow differences, find a common platform, agree on a common set of agenda, and collaborate with like-minded people to achieve our goals. We haveto develop and elect competent and selfless leaders who can offer a vision to succeed in today’s America.

Kerala Association of Greater Washington

Malayali Sports Festival in

Washington

Malayali community in Washington DC area witnessed variety of sports activities started from Early April 2013. There were 36 teams participated for almost 8 different games. There were ~200 participants from various teams for this stunning sports competition which finally ended at sports dayon Jun 8th.There were almost 350 people showed up for this sports day which 3 times higher than previous years.Every team enjoyed all the games and shown complete sportsmanship.This day and events organized under the partnership of KAGW â&#x20AC;&#x201C; KAIRALI Baltimore. Community Cricket Matches between 8 teams started 20th of April. Including Final there were 15 matches. Baltimore Khiladiz beaten MD Jaguars during the memorable final matches. Soccer and Badminton are the other two key sporting events introduced this year. Both games had overwhelming participation and real completion. Since both these games are newly introduced, that brought many logistical concerns, but team work and co-operation from our community made these two games were very successful. The day started in the soccer field where the kids from 4 teams fought hard to be crowned champions. The kids and adults then had the opportunity to enjoy a great day under the sun competing in various track and field events. The kids sprinted and jumped, adults even raced in a relay , all for the cause of winning in a tough, but recreational, environment under the cloudy but benevolent weather. Parents had their own share of fun , participating in events like 200m, 100m and 50m dash. If anyone had the expectation that this would be a friendly match,

Nirar Basheer

KAGW Sports Committee Chair they would not have gotten it any more wrong; fierce competition ensued. Competitions continued indoors and outdoors for various events such as Tennis, Throwball, Basketball and Volleyball. The day ended with the glitz and glamor of prize distribution. Baltimore teams were the big winners of the day gaining championships in Volleyball, soccer and cricket. St. Jude avenged the loss last year against Chill Hers by winning the title. The day was a colossal success with kids, families and the community joining together in rivalry and competitions. Well done and thank you to everyone who took part. The Malayali sports festival jointly organized by KAGW and Kairali of Baltimore was a massive event and what made it really successful was the huge community participation and support. It was great learning from an organizing perspective due to complex situation of some of the games and also communities serious interests to certain sports items. Both committeeswants to thank the community for their support and participation and looking forward to cater better oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s in future years. Kerala Association of Greater Washington

Kerala Association of Greater Washington

WINNERS OF MALAYALI SPORTS FESTIVAL JOINTLY ORGANIZED BY KAGW AND KAIRALI KAGW - KAIRALI MALAYALI SPORTS FESTIVAL WINNERS Team Badminton Tennis

First

Team

Second

Anoop

Balu

Shamsudheen

Jith

Fenil Mathew

Sebastian

Team

Third

Fr Binoy Ekalayil

Anoop Cricket

Baltimore Khiladiz

Austin

Best Batsman

Khiladiz

Minaj

Best Bowler

MD Jaguars

Ashok

Soccer Adult

Baltimore Khiladiz

Joe C

Best Soccer Player

MD Jaguars

Rio Rajan

St Jude FC

Shajan

Anand P

Basket Ball

3 Peat!

Holy Ramps

Volleyball

Baltimore Cobra

BW Kings A

Kids Soccer

MD United

St Jude FC Jr

Throwball

St Jude

Chillers

TRACK AND FIELD Winner 4x 100

3rd Place

Sujith John

Sudhir Y

Jai Mathew

Shaju Joseph

Mohsin Ibrabhim

Biju Jose

Rony Thomas

Jeanu Koshy

Anil Aloyshias

Regi Jose

George Koshy

Rajan Abraham

50 Miles

Girls 5-8 Years

Christina Perumattathil

Ria Joseph

Petlia Thattil

50 Miles

Boys 5-8 Years

Ismail Ibrahim

Deepak Menon

Alan Vithayathil

100 Meters

Girls 9-12 years

Ayshwarya Suryaprakash

Veena Jith

Merliaz George

Boys 9-12 years

Joffin Manjali

Karthik Nambiar

David Suraj

Girls 9-12 years

Ayshwarya Suryaprakash

Neha Regi

Suveena Sreenilayam

Boys 9-12 years

Marshal Nambiar

Rohan Regi

Harshal Nambiar

Girls 13-16 Years

Brianna Abraham

Sruthi Surendran

Stency Stephan

Boys 13-16 Years

Tom Thomas

Aby Abraham

Jonathan Cyriac

Boys 17-30 Years

Thoma Thekekara

George Koshy

Jinu Koshy

30 and above Men

Regi Jose

Sujith Abraham

Mohsin Ibrahim

30 and above Women

Bindhu Johnson

Molly Suresh

Seema Shanakar

200 Meters

100 Meters 100 Meters

100 Meters

Runners Up

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Wanderer’s

Dreams

As he drifted aimlessly in his path, the music from A faraway place stole into his subconscious self. Was it an angel’s voice, or the slender fingers Of a beautiful princess on her golden harp? Was she dreaming, or was she lonely And searching the heavens for her lover? Or was it the haunting melodies of the mermaids That drew mesmerized sailors to the ocean’s depth? “Princess of my dreams, how I wish I could Enter your magical palace, and by miracle, Carry you away in a mystical palanquin to my castle, Far away in the land of the fairy tales,” he dreamed. He offered his heart in a crystal chalice for her gift. Fragile and innocent, my enchanting princess, Keep it safe in your hands, as it will shatter to Pieces if you let it slip through your fingers. He wished he was the shining knight on a white horse She dreams about; he wished he could conquer her heart. He wasonly a lonely wanderer in search of his purpose, Only the kiss from his true love could awaken him.

SivadasanChannar

Sivadasan Madhavan Channar is a Professional Engineer. A writer, poet, sculptor and a Tabla artist, he is also a Senior Information Systems Engineer with AT&T. His short stories appear regularly in KAGW Onam edition. He lives in Northern Virginia.

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TECHNOLOGY TRENDS

Cloud Computing:

n this edition of the technology corner, we are introducing and discussing one of the leading technology trends called cloud computing. It doesn’t matter whether you are an IT or non-IT professional, business owner and/or simple home user; cloud computing is transforming your day-to-day life and business activities. In this article, one will learn about cloud computing and how it is changing our day-to-day digital life. What is cloud computing? We all consume software services for our day-to-day life and business activities. These software runs on the platform and platforms are created using infrastructure components such as network, compute and storage. In traditional setup, we own the software, platform & infrastructure and responsible for maintenance. In other words, we spend for initial setup and spend for the refresh and operations for the life. The cloud computing offers an option to consume software, platform and/or infrastructure services as pay-per-use model like utility bills. We only pay for the time we used these services without incurring the initial setup and maintenance cost. The building blocks for software services are software, platform and infrastructure. The

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Ravi & Jas

By Ravi Saraswathi and Jaswant Singh authors of the book “Oracle SOA BPEL Process Manager 11gR1 – A Hands-on Tutorial” ISBN: 978-184968-898-7. It is the comprehensive handson industry-leading-practice guide to deliver real-world SOA composite applications using the Oracle SOA Suite BPEL Process Manager platform. Ravi blogs at www.ravisaraswathi. com. Jaswant blogs at techblog.baghel.com. Ravi was also the editor of KAGW 2007. cloud computing primary delivery models are aligned with the building blocks of the software services. These delivery models are Software-as-a-Service (SaaS), Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) and Infrastructure-as-aService (IaaS). So What? I am an IT professional. How does it change my life? I am a business owner. What benefits it has for me? I am not an IT professional. Why do I care? I am a general user at home? What it offers to me? Why cloud computing? Ease of setup, access, automation,

flexibility and utilization; managed by industry experts that let you focus on your core competencies; and no setup cost. Cloud computing is transforming life for everyone. For business owner, it provides opportunities to transform the capital expense into operational expense for their IT needs and focus on your business core competencies. For IT professional, it provides an opportunity to reduce the risk and time to deliver IT services for business function but poses a challenge as well to learn to deliver business function utilizing cloud computing. For non-IT professional, you can expect better availability, accessibility and standardization for the services you are using to run your day-to-day business activities. In this article, we will discuss in detail the benefits for general user at home. We are assuming that general user these days are using some kind of computing, communication and entertainment platform such as smart phone, smart television, tablet, laptop and/or desktop with internet access. For your surprise, all of us are already using Software-as-a-Service for our modern life style. Some of us are even consuming Platform-as-a-Service and Infrastructure-as-a-Service to run our personal and professional life. Many of us at some point in our life lost personal documents, contacts, photos, music and videos due to hardware issues with computers at home and not able to access them while away from home. Imagine your desktop and/or laptop CPU, RAM and Disk sizes can be adjusted as needed in few moments and you are able to access and stop/start/restart from anywhere and you are guaranteed to not lose the your data with built-in recovery. It is all possible with cloud computing when you are utilizing Infrastructure-as-a-Service to provide desktop services. You can quickly create your personal blog, web sites and web applications with fraction of cost leveraging Platform-as-a-Service of Cloud Computing.

We all are using Email, Contacts, Calendar, Photos, Videos, Movies, Music, Documents and Drive as Software-as-a-Services from various service providers to run our day-to-day personal activities. The cloud computing delivery of these services enables easy collaboration & sharing and access from anywhere using a smart phone, tablet, laptop or desktop with internet. One needs to select a service provider based on their brand value and reputation as most of us are consuming the freemium services. Freemium is a business model by which a proprietary product or service is provided free of charge, but money is earned by either advertisements or charge for advanced features. The leading brands for these services are Goolge, Amazon, Apple, Yahoo, MSN, and Aol. Imagine your email, contacts, movies, music and documents are available to anywhere you go. It is all possible with cloud computing. Most of us have not used CDs and DVDs for Music & Movies for several years already and in near future we will not find CDs and DVDs similar to Audio or Video Tapes. Cloud Computing is enabling us to not worry about losing and/or upgrading a software, smart phone, tablet, laptop and/or desktop. Our critical data and services are always available and accessible from anywhere. Kerala Association of Greater Washington

The Wealth of

EDUCATION Achamma Chandersekaran

woke up early on August 17, 1962, the day I was to leave for the US, and went for mass as usual with my favorite cousin, Beeta. When we got back breakfast was ready, but I was too nervous to eat, just had coffee. On that day I was taking the first step to realizing my dream for a college education. My father and brother were ready to take me to Cochin where I was to board the ship to New York. Before leaving the house, as was the custom, I knelt down before the picture of the Sacred Heart to pray, along with everyone who had come to see me off. My father came and stood by me, put his hand on my head and prayed for several minutes. The special favor I asked God was to keep my father safe and sound until my return. When I finished praying I touched my father’s feet --an Indian custom to show respect and ask for blessing. I said goodbye to

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everyone else and we set off to the village center. It was difficult to say goodbye to everyone and everything that was dear to me and I was blinking away my tears. “Why are you crying when you are realizing your dream?” my cousin asked me as we walked to the village center where I was to leave from. A crowd gathered around me. They couldn’t believe that a young woman from among them with only a high school education was going to the US for higher studies. I joined my hands together and said “Namaste!” to the crowd and got into the car. Over 30 of my relatives were coming to Cochin to see me off to show that they were proud of me. Their cars went ahead of ours. I was in the last car with my father, brother, and Beeta. When we reached the harbor we had disappointing news: the ship would be sailing only the next day. There was no question of going back home as the local beliefs consider

going back as a bad omen once you start on a journey. So I was to stay at my sister’s convent close to the harbor. My brother took everyone for lunch. Then I shook hands and said goodbye to each one and saw them off instead of them seeing me off. Saying good bye to my father was very difficult, because I had come home from my teaching job in Hyderabad, nearly 700 miles away, to keep house for him when my mother died. But in a sense my leaving for the US was the realization of his dream also. We had talked about it many times and I knew he was happy to see me set off on my quest. I tried hard not to cry. When I said goodbye to him he said he would come back the next day. But I said, “Today or tomorrow, we have to say goodbye. Why do you want to trouble yourself?” He had not been in good health and the trip was tiresome. Silently, I prayed again for his long life. May be he knew that we wouldn’t meet again, but he didn’t say anything and he didn’t come the next day. When I got to the ship the next day, there was another group of relatives from the nearby town along with people from my village, Arthunkal, who came with my brother. They all climbed the precarious rope ladder that led to the deck to see my cabin. Finally, we said goodbye and I watched them all climb back down the rope ladder to wait on shore. In about 10 minutes the ship sounded the siren, pulled anchor and was on its way. From the deck I waved back to them, watching each one getting smaller until they were undistinguishable. As the land receded slowly taking the palm tree filled green coast with it, and the ship was heading to the Arabian Sea I began to think about what would happen when I got to the US. Until then all my attention was on realizing my dream of coming to the US. Now on a journey of no return, the thought of life in a new country began to worry me. Then I started thinking about the things I was leaving behind. The question my colleague asked me echoed in my head, “Achamma Teacher,” he said in the usual way of addressing a female teacher, “ Why do you want to go to the US leaving all the good things you have here? You have a good job, a good name as a teacher and a good position in the community. ” I could not explain my reasons to him though I knew I was going into a situation

where I would be a Nobody. My mother used to say, “Vidya dhanam sarvadhanal pradhanam” meaning the wealth of education is more important than all other wealth. She could say that because she was a teacher, the first and for a many years the only woman in the village who worked outside the home. Her father had sent her to a boarding school. Her saying had a big impact on me. Right from primary school no one had to remind me about doing my home work. In high school I worked hard and made use of every minute of the ‘study time’ in the boarding house. In the end it paid off, I passed the statewide final exam in First Class, the only one with a first class from my school that year. That was a good foundation for higher studies. During that time, I read a statement by an actress named Nimmi in the Times of India. She said that if one wished for something hard enough one could make it happen. My parents knew we had potential but could not do more than laying the foundation for whatever we wanted to do. Nimmi’s words gave me the impetus to start taking serious steps to come to the US for a college education because if one is out of the queue from high school to college, it is almost impossible to get into college in India. I corresponded with two colleges in the Chicago area and then with the College Board to make arrangements for taking the SAT in the nearby city of Kottayam. A professor there administered the test. I had prepared well for the test and so I did not find it difficult. I must have done well on the SAT as both colleges offered me scholarships. I am on my way to acquire the wealth of education that my mother had spoken of so often. Today if my colleague were to ask me why wanted leave my good job to go to a country where I would be a ‘nobody,’ this is what I would say: I had to let go of the good things I had to reach out for bigger and better things. Today I am a well educated, confident woman with many accomplishments. I would not be that woman today if I had not reached out for bigger and better things, if I had not left the Indian shore. The palm-tree filled green coast continued to recede as we headed further and further into the Arabian Sea. From the deck I watched the sun set and saw only water all around. Kerala Association of Greater Washington

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Kerala Association of Greater Washington

The good

old NRI Charm

Jiju Nair

Kerala landscape in many ways. Multicolored mansions resembling aircraft carriers started mushrooming all over the country side. Mackerels disappeared from fish markets at an alarming rate as gulf families feasted upon them with abandon. Twenty foot TV antennas started popping up in the hope of catching decent programs from places even as far as Sri Lanka. The oil rush was earnestly on in God’s own country!

Jiju resides in the Old Dominion state with his wife and two daughters. In his spare time, that basically constitutes most of his time awake, he recollects nostalgic memories as an NRI visitinghis hometown in Kerala. He laments about how NRIs have now become too common like Today, Kerala is experiencing a different kind of gold Maruti cars in Kerala. rush - the ‘real estate’ one. We, NRIs find ourselves at the Nowadays, it is not easy being an NRI (Non Resident long end of the stick whenever we visit our Motherland. Indian) in Kerala. The very sound, ‘yen aar eye’ used to Our dollars can buy only so much now in the new land represent sophistication accompanied with nose splitting of honey and milk. Cheap restaurants, discounted Sari cologne smell. There was always an aura about an NRI shops and affordable bars are now things of the past. Even that revolved around huge luggage bags, curiously beggars in Kerala now turn their backs on the NRIs and colored liquor bottles and casual conversations about target the native residents as they are more benevolent. horrible airline food. Bankers and insurance agents in NRIs now have to hire taxis from the airports in Kerala India used to treat us like the next best thing after Donald as their relatives no longer prefer to pick them up. To top Trump. At any rate, an average NRI used to have just as it all, we can no longer offer ‘foreign’ gifts to our ‘near much chutzpah and glamor as that of a movie celebrity. and dear’ as Chinese companies have started peddling the But alas, times have changed and we, NRIs now find same products there too. ourselves sidelined like never before. So, did our stocks as NRIs go down? Yes, Yes and Yes. When I was very young, the term NRI meant a bell To sum it up, we are not so much of a ‘hot item’ anymore bottom trouser wearing male lugging an oversized boom as we used to be ten years back. Let us blame it on the box walking down an airline exit ladder. Obviously, new found wealth amongst our relatives and friends in those were during the heady days of the 1980s when Kerala. When I came to the land of opportunity many every Kerala family competed with each other to send years back, I had to get some Indian money converted to at least one of their relatives to ‘gulf’. These fortunate dollars to spend the initial days here. Now, when I visit folks toiled hard in the desert lands and returned back Kerala, I convert my whole salary to Indian rupees just so home with hands full of dinars, riyals and whatnot. The that I can spend one week in Kerala. Well, facts are facts ‘gulf mania’, as it was popularly known then, changed the and we need to find ways to restore our lost reputation Kerala Association of Greater Washington

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as the glamorous NRIs. Here are a few things that we all can do to make sure we are relevant again in the lives of Keralites. •

Pretend that you own a few solar panel companies. With so much of buzz around solar panels and windmills nowadays, you can expect politicians and our own relatives knocking on our doors from day one itself.

•

Build a swagger that makes you look like a real estate Don. There is no respect for anyone in Kerala if you do not own at least one dozen real estate properties, with many of them bought on shady deals. Your friends will compete over each other to invite you to lunches and dinners.

•

Sling a cowboy hat and wear sunglasses to suggest that you are a reality TV show director. There will be long line outside your house even before you reach there. Apparently, anyone who is worth their salt in

Kerala likes to be in a reality TV show. You will be popular in 10 seconds. •

Finally, pose yourself as the great Mavelihimself who has come to visit them once in a year during Onam. This should win big points for you as your kith and kin have already forgotten about the old Kerala King and the Onam festival itself. You will certainly be invited to the Chief Minister’s office and will have a road named after you.

Let us all work hard to bring the luster back to the NRI family. The onus is on us to make sure that our identity as ‘hot shot NRIs’ remain intact in the face of changing landscape in Kerala. After all, there should be some reward for each one of us who work hard the whole year, borrow heavily on credit cards and fly thousands of miles to our motherland to show off our NRI status. Nothing should come between us and our beloved ‘once in a year’ glory time.This should be our pledge as NRIs during this Onam.

"The Importance of Extracurriculars" By Stacy Mathew

While it is essential that students always keep their focus on their education, it is also important that they seek extracurricular activities that cultivate their mind and body further more. In the diverse environments we are settled in, we must be able to hold our own unique cultural identity close to our hearts. This can be achieved by learning more about India's past and present through it's various art forms, which could involve, but is not limited to, reading and reciting literature pieces, acting out Hindu stories through dance, or singing an old folk song. Thought it must be our first and foremost priority to maintain our strong work ethic and dedication to school, allowing ones self to branch out and experience our Indian culture first hand through the arts is an excellent way to become a more culturally aware individual. As a graduate of Jayamangala Dance School for Bharatanatyam, I can whole heartedly say that enrolling in a dance class has improved my confidence, disciplined my mind and body, and most importantly, allowed me to learn things about the Indian culture that I had absolutely no idea about. When performing a skit that involves Hindu gods, I can confidently explain the history behind the skit to my audience, despite Hinduism not even being my religion. Dance has allowed me to become knowledgeable about many different aspects of my culture and has further provoked my desire to continue to learn about it. I strongly encourage everyone to take up an art form that allows them to educate themselves about where they are from and further shape the person that they are becoming.

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m H¶pw Hcp ta e m tI m ta e AXv Xn\p Im \-A-sÃ-¦nÂ cw BWv. A m s nI § h A . b m pw a h ` hÀWm ¶v Iq«npcp-¡-am Bfp-IÄ N m-e-t¯¡v H -Ênsâ Hcp \ I X a \ X w T t b m ] W ¡ â n{] s b sf F pw {]W {]W-bw. p. Rm³ \n§ p-sIms≠-¦ne ¶ pÊ \ ¡ na . Ã k z-IÄ a XS-Ê « aq¶p Ihn-X p Rm³ hni ] ¶ a s s pnÂ f ¡ n§ c nh S IÅw Bb bmWv Chns pw ]e kz`m nne ¡ ¦ W F n¯ pÅ À e mw. nÂ tIm W-tX-Xns¡m-p-t]m-I p-Xnb Htc K Hcp irwJ-e-b g n F qS n I b pw m S g m m e t¨À¡-t Xn-]m-ZnRm³ ]e-t¸ hn-X-bnÂ {] H¯ncn Iq«nI pw p S m c H ¯ t d ä s m vt\ th C¯cn a a\-ÊnÂ k -¸än \ap¡v f ³ m s X I . v e N v X s g ¶ m pta -h-¡ -d¡p hsâ Ah-X-cn-¸n-¡ -h-¯nsâ (D-Õ -bnse BÂ¯ mWv cwKw. A S X Õ \ D e ¶ pe ¼ ¡ ns nA c nÂ ¯ nHcp t£{X mbm-Ó-¯n-h ¬Xcn Im¯ -¯nepw Ib-d c m B k p nN c h ¯ H s pw ³ ne m k nh sâ S Nn´-b v Xpd-¡p-h ¡mw) Hcp Z hn¡v Bcps Xsâ a\Ê Cu IhnX F v I S p. p m ¶ c \ pt nH ¡ ! n® nÃ W ] w F¶ sf £ ln-¡p¶ s v Ftâ-Xm-hW n-eq-sS. . \n§-fpsS I®p-I X (A w c m N nNn´-I-f {]W-b-h aÀ¸n-¡p-¶p. T-\-Im-es¯ ] k v â ¡ v s b a F X ) ¸ämw! sâ {]nb -I-fn-eqsS F n´ N ¯ s C¶

Im¯n-cn¸v

thWp tKm-]me³ sIm-t¡mS³

F´nXp IjvSta F{Xtbm t\c-ambv ]´n-cl - n-Xa - mbv Im¯n-cn-¡p¶p Rm³ ]´w sImfp-¯p¶p Ad-nbm-sX-sb·\w Ip´w sIm≠m-bp-hm-\´ - n-sh-«¯ - nepw A¼-e\ - S- b - nse Ne-Ze - ¯ - W - e - n-embv IqS-Wª o-Sp¶ ]d-hI - Ä Npän-embv Nne¡p¶p Imdp¶p ]pW-cp¶p ]mSp¶p ]pe-¼p¶p Ifn-bm¡nsbsâ A´ÀKXw CXp Xs¶-btÃ AhÄ hcpw \S-hgn Xpd-¡p-hm-\p-s≠-\n-s¡sâ at\m-KXw t£{X-¯n-se-¡pt]mw angn-Isf ad-bv¡p-hm³ X{X-s¸«p Rm³ BÂ¯-da - o-sX-bmbv Zn\-Ic - ³ ad-bp¶p h«-ambv AÀ²-ambv

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]\-ap-If - nÂ s]m§p¶p `oa-\mbv A¼nfn an¶n-¯p-S§ - p-¶p-am-\¯v s]m«p-IÄ angn-IÄ Xpd-¡p¶p Iqc-IÄ ap¶n-embv hcptam hnt`m! C\n-bp-an-cn-¡tWm Xncn-ªpt]mw ]mZ-§f - m-«n-s¡m-t≠mÀ¯p Rm³ \pcªp ]X-bp¶p hnImcw ]e-hn[w F¦nepw Xncªp Rm³ kzb-am-iz-kn-¡p-hm³ A¼-tem-Õh - ¯ - n-\mbv F¯nSpw k©bw Ne-\§ - s - fm-s¡bpw \ng-em-«s - am-s¡bpw Ah-fp-tS-Xm- Ip-hm³ B{K-ln¨q

BK-a\w: Inep¡w hf-In-ep¡w Inep¡w aWn-In-ep¡w Iep-¦nÂ X«p¶ Xnc-ame t]mse

]mZ-kc-§f - mÂ Ip¸n-hf - I - f - mÂ ]mX-bn-eq-sSsâ am\-kp-µcn A¶-\S- b - nÂ Xpfp-¼p¶p IhnÄ¯Sw ]mdn-¸d- ¡ - p¶p hkv{X-Pm-e§ - fpw hnS-cp¶p tIiw ]c-¡p¶p hmbp-hnÂ HmS-¯n-eqsS t]mw \mcnsâ t]m¡p-t]mÂ tkzZ-_n-µp-¡f - nÂ X«p¶ civan-bmÂ hZ\w Xnf-§p¶p cXv\k - a - m-\a - mbv Im-ImWp¶qhc-IÄ ]pcn-Is - ¡m-Sn-If - mbv h®w Ipd-sªmcp N{µ-¡e t]mse Ft´m Xnf-§p-¶R - vP\w t]mÂap-Jþ ¯mlm! Xnf-§p¶ I®p-If - m-Wh apÃ-sam«pt]mÂ Xnf-§p¶ Z´-§t- fmþ aÂap-J¯ - nse Np≠nsâ ]n¶n-embv hnS-cp¶ ]q t]mse Np≠p-IÄ hnS-cp¶p h≠n-s\-t¸m-se-[cw \pI-cp-hm³ hÀ®-\m-Xo-Xa - mbv ku`m-Ky-Xm-ca - mbv h¶-Wª m-sfsâ knµq-ca - m-\kw

kam-Kaw: H¶p \nÂ¡tW Cu ]Ùm-hn³ \Sp-hnÂ \o H¯n-cn-tbm-Xp-hm-s\-\n-¡p-≠\ - h - [n! I≠q Rm³ \ns¶ F³ I®nW \ndsb ImWp-hm-\n-\n-\n-¶I - ¡ - m¼p am{Xw! F{Xtbm \mfmbv Im¯n-cn-¡p¶p Rm³ X{X-s¸-Sp¶o \nan-ja - n-tX-hsc hrYm-be - ªp Rm³ ImWp-hm³ \ns¶ hyà-am-bd- n-bp-hm-\b - ¨q kl-Ns - c. Zmln-¨p-t]mbn Rm³ \n³ kuc-`¯ - nÂ tamln-¨p-t]mw-Xcmw \mSy-`m-h§ - f - mÂ B - I - m-ctam lm! hiyw F´n-t\-sd, B{K-ln-¡m-Xn-cn-¡p-hm-\m-hptam! N´-¯n-sem-«pta Imcy-an-sÃ-¦nepw \ns¶ temeamw Nn´m-am-ec - p-IÄ Fsâ Nn´-If - m-Ip¶ h≠p-IÄ I≠q Item-Õh thZn-If - nÂ Fs¶ \mb-IØ - m-\¯v \nÀ¯ntbm \nsâ In\m-¡fmw A{`-¯n³ ]mfn-IÄ In«ntbm Xncp-Inb IS-em-kp-No-fp-IÄ t]\-IÄ¡p-Ånepw IpS-X³ aS-¡nepw apSn-bnÂ Xncp-Ip-hm³ Xc-s«-sb-¶m-in¨p A¼-e¡ - p-f¯ - nse B¼Â ]qhp-IÄ Icn-hn-f¡ - nse IcnsbSp-¯p«p Rm³ Bin¨p \n¶psS ]pcnIw an\p-¡p-hm³ Nn´n¨p t\m¡o Rms\sâ PohnXw

\obn-Ãm-sX-bm-bn-s«-§s - \-bm-bnSpw A´-hp-anÃm AXn-s\mcp N´-hp-anÃm F´pta sNmÃ-Ws - a-s¶mcp Xn«hpw am\-kk - c - Ê - n-sâ-tbm-c¯ - n-se-¯p¶p bpÜ-Km-\¯ - nse ioep-IÄ tI«p Rm³ Nncn¡q \o \nsâ a\-sam¶p Xpd¡q Ncn¡mw \ap¡o ]Ùm-hn-en-c«- b - m-bv t- IÄ¡p¶pt≠m ktJ JÞ-Imhyw DÄ¡m-¼n-ep-Zn-¡p-s¶mcp t{]a-Imhyw F{Xtbm Ime-ambv DZy-an-¡p¶p Rmþ s\¯p-hm³ sImXn-]q≠v \n³ Nmsc-bW - b - p-hm³ Xncnªp t\m¡o AhÄ s]mgn¨p \n¶q ]cn-]qÀ®-N{µsâ Bbncw civan-IÄ kvX_v[\ - mbv \n¶p Rm³ kwLÀj `oXn-bnÂ FÃm-ae - n-ªn-«n-ÃmsX Bhptam ]s£ samgn-ªh - Ä aWn-ap-¯p-IÄ t]mse \njvIf - ¦ - b - mbv kpkvta-ch - Z- \ - b - mbv \o Ab-s¨mcm h≠p-Is - fm-s¡bpw Xpc-¶n«p Ibdo F³ am\-k¯ - nÂ \o Cudp-t¯mcm B¼-enÂ ae-cp-IÄ Xncp-In-¯cq Cu Iq´Â¡-\§ - f - nÂ hnc-en³ Xp¼nse Icn-hn-f¡ - n³ Icn sIm≠p hcbv¡q ]pcn-Is - ¡m-Sn-Isf am\-kk - c - Ê - nsâ Xoc-¯n-cn-¡p-hm³ a\-Ênsâ PmeIw aeÀs¡ Xpd-¶q R - m³ C\n-sb³ In\m-¡f - nÂ \mb-IØ - m-\¯p \nsâbo hZ\w am{Xta ImWq B]m-ZN - qSw tIcn-¯c - n-¨p-t]mbv Btam-Za - {- ip-_n-µp-¡f - nÂ IpXnÀ¶p-t]mbv s]m-gn-¨p {]-Ir-Xn k-t´m-jm-{ip-t]meth s]m-gn-ªq P-eI-Ww XpÅn-t]mÂ a-µa - mbv X-gp-Io am-cp-X³ a-µa - m-bv X-temSn Xpg-ªq ]-£n-IÄ B-Im-ih - o-Yn-bnÂ aÀa-cw s]m-gn-¨q hr-£P - m-e§ - fpw aq-Ic - m-bv \n¶p-t]m-bv Po-hP - m-e§ - fpw B-{K-ln-¨p t]m-bv tem-ssI-IP - o-hnXw B-hÀ-¯o-¨o-Sp-hm³ \n-an-j§ - f - o-hn[w lm! {]-]© - t- a `m-kp-cw! `m-kpcw! l´! taml-\w Pn-hn-Xw tImafw! ]-Xn-¨q-a\ - § - Ä ]-ck - ] v- cw, Im-WmsX ]-Xn-ªq C-WI - Ä lm-ca - m-bv tNÀ¶p-t]mbv km-£o a-t\ml-co {]-Ir-Xn hn-`q-jntX kmZ-cw \-an-¡p-s¶¶m-tam-Za - m\kw Benw-K\ - ¯ - nÂ ad-¶p-t]mbv ]cn-kc - ¯mþ Iam\w \nd-ªpt]mbv ImWn-IÄ (XpSÀ¨ 73 Â)

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A Autumn of my life springtime jog in the

Mohan Viswanathan

It is a Saturday morning in April. A cloudy day. The rain that drenched the grass all night has become a drizzle. I feel like jogging. It is not too hot. No pollen in the air. Just wet. I put on my windbreaker on top of my t-shirt. How old is this windbreaker? Twenty years? It used to be waterproof. Rain drops used to slide off easily. Now they seep through the fabric. But it feels good to wear it. I step out into the breeze. The grass seeds I planted on the bald patch in the lawn have started to sprout. Is that another bald patch in the middle of the seedlings? It has the shape of a child's tiny foot. Running across the road to the path that leads to the small lake, I notice that the street is empty. I listen to my footsteps. The rhythm. The beats of a Bhangra song that my daughter constantly plays in her room starts to sound in my head. The rhythm of my feet blends into it. I start to synchronize my breathing to the beat. It always feels good at the beginning of a run. The ground is wet. Why do earth worms come out and crawl around when it rains? They seem to be going somewhere. It cannot be for food. Are they looking for a mate? All of them seem to crawl parallel to each other. When do they stop? All of a sudden, by the side of the lake, I see a gorgeous cherry tree with bright pink flowers. Like a young girl one suddenly notices when she blooms. It is too bad that by next week all those flowers will be gone. A heron flies low over the lake, almost touching the water. There are many geese in the lake this morning. I look all around for the white swan. Then, suddenly, I see it in the distance. Swimming all alone. I pass the heron standing in the water, still, frozen, waiting for fish. Thoughts of my dad, who abruptly lost his appetite, flash through my mind. He used to like fried fish my mom used to make. And then, one day he woke up and he didn't feel like eating. He just lies around. Waiting. I turn back along the way I came. I look at the foot prints I made in the mud. Should I step in them or avoid them? I can't decide. Sweat is streaming down my forehead. My breathing has become labored. I keep running. It is all uphill from now. I say to myself, "I'll stop when I reach the top". â&#x20AC;&#x153;This is reprinted wtih permission fromt he 1998 Summer edition of Image-in-Asian Magazine,â&#x20AC;? Kerala Association of Greater Washington

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The Terrace

that Beckons (This article is dedicated to those amongst us from the immigrant generation who have spent their childhood years in Indian cities with terraces as playgrounds and neighbors who are like family)

Lin Thomas

smaller residential buildings, tree tops with expansive foliage in various hues of green. The coconut trees swayed with the light breeze. And finally on the south side of the building, the pinnacle of all sights greeted me. A sight that remains fresh after all these years. The endless pristine blue, green aquamarine waters of the I hummed a Bollywood tune as I galloped through Indian Ocean. The sea gulls cawed in a distance. On a the flight of stairs that led up to the terrace above my quiet night, you could even hear the distant sounds of the apartment floor. It was the perfect place to finish my 6th high tide waves striking the rocks that lined the beach. grade Science homework on a quiet afternoon. With my I walked towards the south end of the terrace and peered notebook, blue ink-pen and heavy text book in hand I across the terrace wall to the balcony of Mrs. George hopped through the entrance door. A gust of fresh cool below. Her neat array of red and pink roses smiled breeze greeted me enthusiastically as I inhaled deeply. cheerfully. I go back to my books and squat on the This was several years ago when I lived at an apartment smooth floor. It was a peaceful environment conducive complex in Goa,India. I walk through the covered to studying. The background sounds blended together. entrance of the terrace which had with mosaic tiles in The occasional gentle hum of the elevator, the wind hues of chocolate, beige, cream and saffron. At seven that blew noisily at times and the cawing of the crow stories high, our building was one of the tallest in the perched above the lamppost, all added to the serenity. neighborhood. It was almost 5 PM now and I was done with my I looked around to see if I had company. It seemed homework. The terrace would soon transform from a like I was alone. I plopped my hard-cover books on peaceful locale to one bursting with liveliness. The little the mosaic tiles. Before delving into my homework, I kids would soon be ready to play.I pick up my belongings decided to feast on the sight around me. Straight ahead to return home.Adelicious aroma of chickpea flour lay miles and miles of houses that lined the hilly area in dipped fried onions and potatoes known as Bhajis starts front of me. It would take at least half an hour to get to emanating from my neighborâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s home. Few minutes later, one of the homes but it seemed so close from this side. my 8-year-old neighbor knocks our open door. She hands To my left, in a distance lay the downtown area. The me a plate of the delicious bhajis. busy scene of ancient landmark churches with Portuguese A little later, my 6 year old sister and her friends gather and architecture, modern buildings, cars, buses, autorace excitedly to the terrace. An hour later I return to the rickshaws, bicyclists, and scooters greeted me. The terrace to hang out with the older kids and teenagers.We vehicles traversing to our neighborhood honked with talk, laugh, gossip and sometimes just enjoy the scenery. zeal. To my right, it was quieter with acres of homes, Kerala Association of Greater Washington

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We play Scrabble, Chess or Carrom.The little kids run around and play with enthusiastic yells and laughter. I touch the hard cement floor and remember nostalgically the time I scraped my knee during a game of tag. The boys enjoy cricket on the make-shift field. Occasionally the cricket ball skyrockets into the busy road below. But the players know well how to retrieve it by juggling between the vehicles. Sometimes we wouldn’t even need to race to the road as a passerby would happily toss it back to the terrace.

and a girl will walk off to another edge of the terrace and all of us will sport suspicious grins and roll our eyes. Is there a romance blooming somewhere?

The older teenagers offer advice and career guidance to us middle-graders. Sometimes they may even help us with our Math. Friendships are strong and we all share the common bond of being neighbors. The hilly area is now all lit with yellow bulb lights in the smaller homes and silver-white light in the buildings. It seemed like a giant necklace of gold and platinum. The downtown It is almost time for the highlight of the day. I look over at area is still bright with the headlights of the vehicles. A the south side and the mighty sun is about to set. The azure gentle breeze blows from the beach on the south side and sky has various shades of carrot, ruby, pink, and golden. caresses my face. The sky lights up with shining stars. The clouds make various patterns and the sun gets ready to All of us start returning to our homes. The smell of fried gradually sink into the waters. Every day the scene seems fish wafts from my home. I return with my little sister to to be different, the patterns seem to change and the sight enjoy the delicious dinner that mom has prepared. What a doesn’t fail to inspire. The sun’s reflection can now be wonderful day it has been and now we need to get ready seen in the waters and the scene looks totally surreal. The for bed, so we can be early for our school bus. sky turns darker and the colors quickly change to darker Few years later, we moved out to a home of our own. shades of crimson and grey. It is dusk now and the sun Although we welcomed the larger home with a garden, sets gracefully. The cheerful moon greets us on the other the wonderful childhood memories remain fresh always. side. We turn on the lights of the towering lamppost on Living in an apartment complex full of friends; hanging the terrace. Yellow light floods the terrace. We continue out at the terrace, enjoying the sights, making friendships, various activities in small groups. We debate, brainstorm, and growing as a person. Simple joys, that last a lifetime. tease, advise, inspire, and encourage. For the most part the relationships are purely platonic. Occasionally a boy

Ferocious Deepak Menon

Ferocious likes to be Violent Ferocious’ friend is Flaming Wonderful is his enemy He wears a Red Shirt with a Skeleton Ferocious never gets tired! You’ll find him in the Underworld His Dad’s name is Angry His mom’s name is Blood Thirsty And his cousin’s name is Murderous.

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Hcp kwL-S\, Hcp hÀjw, klm-bn-¡ms\mcp Ip«n kvIdnb tateSw

(te-J-I³, jn¡m-tKm, \yqtbmÀ¡v, sSmdtâm F¶nhn-S-§-fnÂ\n¶p {]kn-²o-I-cn-¡p¶ "ae-bmfn kwKa-'¯nsâ FIvkn-Iyq-«ohv FUn-ä-dm-Wv. ZoÀL-Imew Cý³ FIvkv{]-knsâ sIm¨n-bnse {]n³kn-¸Â Id-kvt]m-âv Bbn-cp-¶p. scariameledam@gmail. com, Ph. 773 290 8330) PÌokv kq{_-Ò-Wy³ t]män tIcf sslt¡m-SXn No^v PÌokv Bbn-cp¶ Imew. F¶pw NqSpÅ hmÀ¯-IÄ tIcf sslt¡m-S-Xn-bnÂ\n¶v D≠m-hpI ]Xn-hm-bn-cp-¶p. PqUo-jyÂ BIvSn-hnk¯sâ XpS-¡-\m-fp-IÄ F¶p thWsa-¦nÂ ]d-bmw. \ntj-[n-¡-s¸« \oXn tXSn km[m-c-W-¡mÀ tImS-Xn-bpsS \Sp-ap-ä-s¯-¯n-¯p-S§nbXv A¡me-¯mWv. ]{X-hmÀ¯-Ifpw ]cm-Xn-¡-¯p-Ifpw, Fń\v Dua-¡-¯pIÄ hsc, dn«v lÀPn-I-fmbn IW-¡m¡n `c-W-IÀ¯m-¡sf tImSXn apÄap-\-bnÂ \ndp-¯n. sslt¡m-S-Xn-IÄ¡pw kq{]ow tImS-Xn-¡pw Cý³ `c-WLS\ \ÂIp¶ dn«v A[nIm-c-¯nsâ hym]vXn temIw Adn-bp-¶Xv A¡m-e-¯m-Wv. PqUo-jyÂ dnhyqhn\pÅ A[n-Imcw GXäw hsc t]mImsa¶v A¡m-e¯v kq{]ow tImS-Xn-bnÂ\n¶pw sslt¡mS-Xn-bnÂ\n-¶p-apÅ D¯-c-hp-IÄ hyà-am-¡n. R§Ä, sIm¨n-bnse ]{X-{]-hÀ¯-IÀ hmÀ¯-tXSn sslt¡m-S-XnbnÂ Ønc-ambn t]mbn¯p-S-§nbXv A¡m-e-¯m-bn-cp-¶p. ]n¶oSv tImSXn Hcp Øcnw "_oäm-bn'. C{Xbpw ]d-ª-Xv, -Hcp hyàn-sb-¸än ]d-bm-\m-Wv. No^v PÌo-knsâ sÌt\m-{Km-^-dmbncp¶ cmaN{µ-s\-¸-än. C{Xam{Xw \nb-a-Úm-\apÅ hyàn A`n-`m-j-IÀ¡n-S-bntem, "\yqkv sk³kp'Å hyàn ]{X-{]-hÀ¯-IÀ¡n-S-tem D≠mbncpt¶m F¶p kwi-b-amWv. hmÀ¯-tXSn No^nsâ tN¼-dn-se-¯p-t¼mÄ cmaN{µ³ ]dbpw A¶p- ]pd-s¸-Sp-hn¨ HmÀU-dpI-(C-S-¡me D¯-c-hp-IÄ)fnÂ, ]-dª PUvPvsaâpIfnÂ, ]cn-K-Wn¨ dn«v-A-¸o-ep-IfnÂ hmÀ¯m-{]m-[m-\y-apÅXv GsX-¶v. \qdpw \qä-¼Xpw t]PpÅ PUvPvsaânsâ kw{K-lhpw Xcpw. \nb-a-Úm-\-an-Ãm¯ ]{X-¡mÀ¡v

At±lw hen-sbmcp ssI¯m§m-bn-cp-¶p. hmÀ¯ "anÊm'-bXn\v FUn-ä-dpsS tNmZywsN¿-enÂ\n-¶v ]ecpw c£-s¸-«n-cp¶Xv cmN{µ-³aqeam-bn-cp-¶p. Ct±-l-sat´ A`n-`m-j-Is\m ]{X-{]-hÀ¯-It\m BbnÃ? ho«nÂ kml-N-cy-an-Ãm-bn-cp-¶p. {_mÒ-W-\m-bn-cp-s¶-¦nepw Zmcn{Zyhpw {]mc-_vZ-§fpw aqew DbÀ¶p ]Tn-¡m³ Ahkcw CÃm-sXt]mbn. h¡o-em-Im³ sImXn-¨n«v h¡oÂ Kpa-Ø-\mIm³ hn[n-¡-s¸« hyàn. ]ns¶ sÌt\m-{Km^n ] Tn¨v h¡o-em-^o-knepw, ]n¶oSv sslt¡m-S-Xn-bnepw sÌt\m{Km-^-dm-bn. C¶s¯ A{Xbpw ]T\ km²y-X-Itfm tPmen-Hgn-hp-Itfm A¶p-≠m-bn-cp-¶n-sÃ¶v Iq«n-t¡m-fp. cmaN{µ³ Hä-s¸« hyàn-b-Ã. At±-l-s¯-t¸mepÅ "ap¯p'IÄ kaq-l-¯nsâ Bg-¡-S-enÂ Bcpw ImWmsX InS-¸p-≠v. Ahsc ap§n-sb-Sp-¡m³ Bcp-an-Ã. tIc-f-¯n-emWv Gähpw IpSp-IÂ BUw-_-c-¡m-dp-IÄ hnä-gn-bp-¶Xv, B[p-\nI sIm«m-c-§Ä ]Wn-Xpbcp-¶-Xv, Gähpw hne-Ip-Snb hntZ-iaZyw IpSn-¨p-h-än-¡p-¶Xv, Fs¶ms¡ tI«v h©n-X-cm-I-cpXv. Cu ]W-s¡m-gp-¸n-\n-S-bnÂ ]W-an-ÃmsX ]T\w aXn-bm¡n ssIs¯mgn-en\p t]mIm³ \nÀº-Ôn-X-cmIp-¶-hÀ [mcm-fap-≠v. amXm-]n-Xm-¡-fpsS tcmKhpw ]«n-Wnbpw aZy-]m-\hpw aqew hf-cm³ Ign-bm-¯- a-¡Ä. Ahsc klm-bn-¡m³ Bcp-an-Ã. ]«n-I-Pm-Xn-¡m-cm-sW-¦nÂ kwh-c-W-sa-¦nepw In«pw. AÃm-¯-hÀ¡v BXpan-Ã. ]mh-s¸-«-h\v kwh-cWw \ÂIm³ \m«nÂ kwhn-[m-\-an-Ã, F{X anSp-¡-\m-sW-¦n-epw. ]«n-Wn¡pw ]cn-h-«-¯n-\p-an-S-bnÂ Hcp Ip«n ]Tn¨p c£-s¸«mÂ Hcp IpSpw_-amWv c£-s¸-Sp-¶-Xv. Hcp Xe-ap-d-bm-Wv. Nne-t¸mÄ H¶nÂ IpSp-XÂ. AXn-\mÂ ]Tn¨p-b-cm³ Hcp ssI¯m§v \ÂIp-¶-Xn-t\-¡mÄ henb Poh-Im-cp-Wy-{]hÀ¯-\-an-Ã. CXp ]d-bp¶Xv ""Poh-Im-cp-Wy-{]-hÀ¯-\-¯nsâ amXrI'' Fs¶ms¡ sIm«n-tLm-jn¨v Ata-cn-¡-bnse ae-bmfn kwL-S-\-IÄ Im«n-¡p-«p¶ AÀ°-iq-\y-X-bn-te¡p hncÂ Nq≠m-\m-Wv. "ae-bm-fn-kwL-\-I-fpsS kwL-S-\-'bmb t^mam Ignª hÀjw \S¯nb hen-sbmcp ""PohImcpWy {]

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hÀ¯\¯nsâ ]p¯³ amXrI'' Nnäm-dnÂ Hcp saUn¡Â Iym¼v kwL-Sn-¸n-¨-Xm-Wv. ""t^ma aäv- kwLS\IÄ¡vamXrIbmbn¡gnªpsh¶pw XpSÀ¶pw tIcf¯nsâ DÄ\mS³ {]tZi§fnte¡pw Ddh häm¯ ImcpWy¯nsâ kv-]Àihpambn IS¶psNÃW''sa¶pw DZvLm-S-\ NS§nÂ dm¶n FwFÂF cmPp G{_lmw ]dªp. cmjv{So-b-¡mÀ A§s\ ]eXpw ]d-bpw. A¯-c-samcp N-S-§nÂ Øew FwFÂ-Fbv¡v A§-s\btÃ ]d-bm--\mIq. AXp tI«v Ata-cn-¡³ ae-bmfn tImcn-¯-cn-t¨m? NS-§nÂ A²y£Xhln¨ t^mam {]knUâv- t__n DucmfnÂ ]dªXp tIÄ¡q: ""t^mabpsS e£ywXs¶ km[mcW P\hn`mK¯nsâ DbÀ¨bmWv. NnInÕ e`n¡msX, acp¶v- e`n¡msX Hcp tcmKnt]mepw tIcf¯nÂ D≠mhcpXv- F¶ al¯mb e£yamWv- t^mabv-¡pÅXv''. F{X al-¯mb e£yw! B≠nsemcp saUn-¡ÂIym¼v \S-¯n-bmÂ t\Sm-hp¶ e£yw! ho¼p-]-d-bpt¼mÄ ]nip-¡pth≠m F¶p Icp-Xn-¡m-Wpw t__n DucmfnÂ. ""Nnämdnse P\§Ä¡v- Iym¼v- hfsc {]tbmP\Icamhpw F¶XnÂ kwibaÃ. XpSÀ¶pw t^ma C¯cw taJeIÄ¡v{]m[m\yw \ÂIpw. IqSpXÂ AwK kwLS\Itfbpw aebmfn kwLS\Itfbpw Cu cwKt¯¡v- sIm≠phcpw'' t__n Ducm-fnÂ hmKvZm\w sNbvXp. ""t^mabpsS PohImcpWy {]hÀ¯\§Ä Ignª aq¶p hÀj§fmbn tIcf¯nse P\§Ä¡v- ] pXnb {]Xo£ \ÂIn''(!) F¶p sshkv- {]knUâvÌm³en Ifcn¡apdn. t^mabpsS c≠mw kt½f\¯nÂ XncphÃbnÂ XpS¡wIpdn¨ PohImcpWy {]hÀ¯\§Ä\mfnXphsc ""anI¨Xmbn apt¶m«psIm≠pt]mIp¶XnÂ NmcnXmÀ°yaps≠¶p'' ap³ sshkv- {]knUâv- tbml¶m³ i¦c¯nÂ! ]e saUn-¡Â Øm]-\-§fpw s{]mtam-jsâ `mK-ambn saUn-¡Â Iym¼p-IÄ \S-¯p-¶Xv \m«nÂ km[m-c-W-am-sW¶p- Ata-cn-¡³ ae-bm-fn-IÄ Adn-bp-¶Xv \¶m-bn-cn¡pw. Iym¼nÂ kuP-\y-ambn ]cn-tim-[n-¡-¸-Sp¶ tcmKn-I-fnÂ `qcn-`m-Khpw NnInÕ tXSn ]n¶oSv X§-fpsS Bip-]-{Xn-bnÂ¯s¶ F¯psa¶-XmWv Cu tkh-\-¯nse _nkn-\kv. GsX-¦nepw Hcp k¶-²-kw-L-S-\sb AhÀ AXn\p Ip«p-] n-Sn-¡p¶p. t^ma B≠n-sem-sc®w kvt]m¬kÀ sN¿pt¼mÄ ""NnInÕ e`n¡msX, acp¶v- e`n¡msX Hcp tcmKnt]mepw'' tIcf¯nÂ acn-¡m¯ AhØ h¶p-tN-cp-sa¶v Ata-cn-¡bn-en-cp¶v Duäw sImÅp-I-bp-amImw. asämcp "kwL-S-\-I-fpsS kwL-S\' Cu hÀjw sNbvX hensbmcp tkh\w Xncp-h-\-´-]p-c-¯p-\n¶p sIm¨n-bn-te¡p

"aXkulmÀ± ktµibm{X'- \S-¯nbXm-Wv. AXp-aqew tIcf-¯nse aX-ku-lmÀ±w XIÀ¶nÃ F¶XpsIm≠v ae-bm-f¡-cn-bnse P\-§Ä s^m¡m-\-tbmSv IS-s¸-«n-cn-¡p-¶p! ""aXkulmÀ± ktµibm{Xbv¡v N§\mtÈcnbnÂ Dujvaf kzoIcWw'' F¶ hmÀ¯ h¶p. ""s^m¡m\ jn¡mtKm anUv shÌv doPnb¬ sk{I«dn tPmjn hÅn¡f¯nsâ P·\mSmb N§\mtÈcnbnse s]cp¶bnÂ'' F¶v ]{X-tamô-knte¡v Ab-¨p-X¶ hmÀ¯mIp-dn¸nÂ {]tXyIw ]d-bp¶-Xn-\mÂ N§-\m-tÈ-cnbpsS {]m[m\yw hyà-ambn. ""{]kIv-XnbpsS \Spapä¯v- Cým {]kv-¢ºv-'' F¶-XmWv ]{X-tam-ô-knÂ In«nb asämcp hmÀ¯-bpsS Xe-s¡-«v. ""F´mWv- Cý {]kv-¢ºnsâ {]kIv-Xn F¶ tNmZy¯n\vsImfw_knsâ \m«nÂ aebmf¯nsâ A¨pIÄ \ nc¯nb Ime¯n\{Xbpw ]g¡ap≠v-. aebmf ]{X{] hÀ¯\w Atacn¡bnÂ XpS§nb BZy\mfpIfnÂ ChnsS aebmf `mj¡v- F´p {]kIv-Xn F¶mbncp¶p tNmZyw. At\IcpsS A²zm\w Atacn¡bnepw aebmf `mj¡vthtcm«ap≠m¡nbt¸mÄ F´p {]kIv-Xn F¶ tNmZyw F´p {]tbmP\w F¶Xnte¡v- hgnamdn. `mj ]ptcmKan¡p¶Xp sIm≠v- F´p {]tbmP\w F¶p tNmZn¡p¶hcpsS Dt±iip²nbpw s]mff¯chpw am[ya {]hÀ¯IÀ¡vFfp¸w Xncn¨dnbmhp¶Xmbncp¶p. s\Ãns\bpw ]Xncns\ bpw thÀXncns¨Sp¡p¶ Cu Xncn¨dnhnÂ \n¶mWv- am[ya Iq«mbv-abpsS Ahkm\hm¡mb Cý {]kv-¢ºnsâ ] ndhn.......'' A§s\ t]mIp¶p B hmÀ¯. ]{X-{]-hÀ¯\w Npt¡m Np®mt¼m F¶-dn-bm-¯-hÀ AwK-§-fmb Hcp "{] kv¢-ºn'sâ {]kànbnÂ AhÀ¡p-Xs¶ kwibw tX¶nsb-¦nÂ AÛp-X-an-Ã. ""t^ma tIcf I¬sh³j³ Ncn{X¯nse \mgnI¡Ãv-: tPmÀÖv- amXyp'' F¶mWv asämcp hmÀ¯-bpsS Xe-s¡-«v. ""P\phcn 10\v- sIm¨nbnse {Uow tlm«enev- Act§dp¶ t^ma tIcfm I¬sh³j\nÂ _nkn\Êv- {]apJcpsS kPohkm¶n²yw `mhnbnÂ t^mabpsS {]hÀ¯\ taJeIfnÂ {]Xo£IfpsS ]pecnshfn¨w \ÂIm³ DXIp¶Xmbncn¡psa¶v- {]knUâv-tPmÀÖv- amXyphpw sk{I«dn ¥mUv-k¬ hÀKokpw Hcp kwbpà {]kv-Xmh\ bnÂ Adnbn¨p'' F¶v eoUv. saUn-¡Â Iym¼pw aXkulmÀ± ktµibm{Xbpw \S-¯m\ pw tIc-f-¯nse cmjv{So-b-¡m-scbpw ]{X-{]-hÀ¯-I-scbpw Ata-cn-¡-bn-se-¯n¨v s]m¶mS NmÀ¯m\pw sNe-hm-¡p¶ XpI ]Tn-¡m³ kaÀ²-cmb \nÀ²\Ip«n-I-fpsS ]T-\-sëhv hln-¡m³ D]-tbm-Kn-¨n-cp-s¶-¦nÂ! {]Xn-hÀjw Hcp Ip«n-sb kvt]m¬kÀ sN¿m³ Hcp kwL-S\-bv¡m-hntÃ? Ata-cn-¡-bnÂ "Im¡-s¯m-Åm-bncw' kwL-S-\-I-fp-≠-sÃm.

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\m«nÂ Poh-Im-cp-Wy-{]-hÀ¯-\-¯nsâ kPo-h-am-Xr-I-bmb eb¬kv ¢º-s\-¸än Hcp Xam-i-bp-≠v: "c≠p hnI-emw-KÀ¡v hoÂ sNbÀ \ÂIm\pÅ NS§v kwL-Sn-¸n-¡m³ 100 hoÂsN-bÀ hm§m-\pÅ ]Ww sNe-hm¡pw'. XpSÀ¶pÅ ]mÀ«n-bnÂ IÅp-tam-´p-t¼mÄ FÃm-hcpw `mc-hm-ln-Isf tXmf-¯p-X«n A`n-\-µn-¡pw, sNbvX "al-m-Im-cy'-¯n-\v. Poh-Im-cp-Wy-{]-hÀ¯-\-§Ä¡p sNe-hm-¡p-¶-Xn-t\-¡mÄ XpI AXnsâ ]»n-kn-än¡pw hnX-c-W-¯n\pw sNe-hm-¡p¶ coXn Nne {]hmkn kwL-S-\-IÄ¡p-ap-≠v. k¶-²-kw-L-S\-Ifpw aX-Øm-]-\-§fpw, Ata-cn-¡-bnÂ\n¶p Xncn-¨p-t] m-bn-«pÅ ae-bm-fn-I-fp-w Hs¡-bmbn kl-I-cn-¨mÂ A[nIw sNe-hn-ÃmsX AÀlcmb Ip«n-Isf Is≠¯n klm-bn-¡m\m-Ipw. ]»n-knän sNehv Ipd-bp-t¼mÄ klmbw e`n-¡p-¶h-cpsS F®w Ip«mw. At¸mÄ ]t£, s]m§¨w ]d-bm³ Ah-k-c-an-Ã Fs¶mcp {]iv\-ap≠v. kwL-S\m t\Xm-¡Ä¡v

cmjv{Sob¡mcp-ambn kulrZw Øm]n-¡m\pw Ah-tcm-sSm¸w ]S-sa-Sp-¡m\pw Ah-kcw D≠m-hn-Ã. ]t£, Bsc-¦n-epsams¡ c£-s¸-Spw. AhÀ hntZ-i-a-e-bm-fn-Isf \µn-tbmsS HmÀ¡pw. tIc-f-¯nse A[n-I-am-fp-Ifpw c£-s¸-«Xv hyh-km-bhpw Irjn-bpw-sIm-≠Ã, hnZym`ymkw sIm≠m-sW¶v Ata-cn-¡³ ae-bm-fnIsf ]dªp t_²y-s¸-Sp-t¯≠ Imcy-an-Ã. D¶X-hn-Zym-`ymkw t\Sm³ Ign-bm-¯-Xp-aqew Ipen-¸-Wn-¡p-t] m-Ip¶ kaÀ°-cmb Ip«n-Isf klm-bn-¡p-¶Xnepw henb Imc-Wy-{]-hr-¯n-bn-Ã. NnIn-Õm-k-lmbw \ÂIp-¶Xpw hoSph-¨p-sIm-Sp-¡p-¶Xpw henb ImcpWy {]hr-¯nIÄ-X-s¶. ] t£, hnZym-`ymk¯nsâ {]m[m\yw kz´w ImenÂ \nÂ¡m\ pw kzbw tXSn-¯n-¶m-\papÅ hgn-bm-Wv AsX¶-Xm-Wv. "Hcp kwL-S\, Hcp hÀjw, Hcp Ip«n' F¶-Xm-Is« ap{Zm-hmIyw.

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DC Kitchen 2013 by K KRISHNAKUMAR, Social Services 2013 COMMITTEE CHAIRPERSON

Dear my Washington Malayalee's, I have a reason to be proud in our Greater Washington Malayalee community, a place where you see many people with kind hearts and enjoy giving to poor, helping those in need. Even more, tight unity under the umbrella of Kerala Association of Greater Washinton, The KAGW. I remember a fine day morning when our President, Sree Manoj Sreenilayam called me confirming my need as lead in Social work acitvities in 2013 Executive. I felt the lucky state since I knew the earlier said fact, All is well, our community likes "Give" and "Help". Sam Levenson, a well know Jewish writer and Teacher once wrote, “For Attractive lips, speak words of kindness. For lovely eyes, seek out the good in people. For a slim figure, share your food with the hungry. For beautiful hair, let a child run their fingers through it once a day. For poise, walk with the knowledge that you never walk alone. People, more than things, have to be restored, renewed, revived, reclaimed, and redeemed. Remember, if you ever need a helping hand, you will find one at the end of each of your arms. As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands, one for helping yourself and the other for helping others.” Lenvenson's this quote has significance when we look at KAGW's social activities. We have done many many social service activities in the past gone years, and year after year we matured in it, and this year it was nothing different under the leadership

of Sree Manoj. It took only a few weeks of efforts but very professionaly coordinated, the entire community responded largely to take part in a very genuine cause to help cook for for the poor as we do every year. On January 5th, 2013 more than 80 volunteers from the Malayali and KAGW community volunteered to cook over 4500 meals for the homeless and less fortunate in the District. The DC Central Kitchen states its mission as, “to use food as a tool to strengthen bodies, empower minds, and build communities”. Coming together to serve and help those in need also enables us to reinforce our bonds and strengthen our community. The teamwork and collaboration needed to coordinate and successfully complete the tasks of the day was at its best. This effort not only included volunteering time but also generous donations from participants and those who could not attend. A record amount was collected towards the cost of the food and handed over to the D.C. Kitchen administration. This event indeed epitomized the unity of the community as individuals and organizations such as NSGW, SNMC, Immanuel Marthoma Church of Sterling, St. Gregorios Indian Orthodox Church of Silver Spring and Manrunadan Malayali Muslims actively supported the event. People from all age groups and demographics joined the effort to make it a success. A relative new comer to such events and a local middle-schooler, Aishwarya noted, everyone is, “working together….and it is a good experience combined with fun”. The middle and high schoolers came out enthusiastically to support the noble cause. Once again thank you to the community for coming to gether for helping others, giving to others. Lets keep doing it... endless. Let me Quote Mother Theresa " “It's not how much we give but how much love we put into giving.”

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Time for Kerala Model 2.0 Interview with

Mr. Javad K. Hassan (CEO, NEST) by SoumyaPadmanabhan, Chairperson of KAGW 2013 Cultural Committee

Soumya

There has been a lot of buzz about "Kerala model" with Nobel laureates like AmartyaSen talking about it. Tell us more about this model ........................................................................................... Ever since the Center for Development Studies in Thiruvananthapuram came out with a study highlighting Kerala’s accomplishments in the areas of its material quality of living, health and education some four decades ago, the phrase “Kerala model” has had a life of its own. An array of eminent academics and public intellectuals most notably AmartyaSen - have relentlessly sung praise to the “Kerala model,” and encouraged others to adopt it. “Kerala demonstrates that a low-level economy can create

a decent life, abundant in the things - health, education, community - that are most necessary for us all,” American environmentalist Bill McKibben wrote in the 1990s after visiting the state. “Kerala stands out as the Mount Everest of social development; there’s truly no place like it.” It is true that the state’s achievements in raising the living standard of its people by investing in health and education have been extraordinary. As McKibben pointed out, the human life index in Kerala is comparable to the United States even though there is a wide chasm in per capita income between the two. In 2010, Kerala’s per capita GDP was roughly $1,400 as compared to $50,000 for America. ........................................................................................... Would you agree that the state’s obsession with the “Kerala model” has hampered new thinking and its progress? ........................................................................................... That is true, over the years, Kerala’s intelligentsia and politicians have repeatedly used the model’s success as a justification for not creating wealth and jobs, not investing in infrastructure, and not crafting and implementing any new development policies. What has also been conveniently ignored by many is the fact that the state’s much touted standard of living is being subsidized by remittances that its hard-working men and women make from abroad, mainly the Gulf. These remittances, which may be to the tune of anywhere from $5 billion to $10 billion, or between 10 per cent and 20 per cent of the state’s economy, are the biggest economic strength of the state. ........................................................................................... Kerala Association of Greater Washington

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So with all these remittances, why do you think the Kerala economy is still weak? ........................................................................................... Successive governments have failed to make proper use of these resources to create permanent jobs and spur the state’s economy. The result: the fundamentals of Kerala’s economy remain weak.Much of the remittance money is primarily spent in retail businesses, including gold, and consumer goods such as clothing and electronic appliances, and in land and housing construction. Zealous spending in retail goods is the reason all major consumer-oriented companies deem the state as the biggest concentrated market for their products. However, since many of these manufacturers are based outside the state, Keralites’ ravenous consumption doesn’t result in very many in-state jobs. With few big companies and manufacturers operating in the state, most of the private sector employment is provided by financial institutions, liquor distribution firms and consumer retail stores.The state government is the leading employment provider. However, statesponsored industrial institutions, which are managed by inexperienced bureaucrats and political appointees, are costing about 1 lakh rupee per industrial employee to the state exchequer, even though they show nominal profits on paper. A major source of the state government’s income is the sales and excise tax revenue. Most of this revenue is used to pay salaries and pension benefits to state employees, meaning there is no real money left for the economic development of the state. ........................................................................................... I get the impression that Kerala has been dangerously dependent on these remittances ........................................................................................... One doesn’t have to be an economist to know that an economy that relies on money orders to such a large degree risks long-term instability. Once the income flow slows down, the state’s revenue will be greatly impacted. Already, the trend in the Arab oil-producing countries is to gradually replace them with their own nationals. Kerala’s external dependence is not limited to just money. ........................................................................................... What other external sources is Kerala dependent on? ........................................................................................... Because of socio-cultural reasons, there is an overwhelming preference on the part of its population to do service sector jobs. With few willing to do physical and manual labor within the state, Kerala has been importing a large number of workers from other parts of the country for agricultural and construction works. Over-reliance on

the migrant workforce is sure to create social as well as economic problems in the long run.Fortunately, in spite of all its economic woes, the state has immense potential. It has two great assets, which, if tapped properly, can work wonders for the state: the seemingly endless reservoir of human capital and the rich and diverse eco-system. ........................................................................................... How has the Kerala model helped develop these assets? ........................................................................................... While the Kerala model was, to some degree, responsible for the development of the human capital -and had in turn benefited from it in the form of remittances, the latter has not figured on the state policymakers’ priority list.Even as its bureaucrats and politicians touted various human development statistics, Kerala’s God-given environment its clean air, rivers and mountain ranges, which boast great plant eco-diversity - were being eroded systematically, with quick, careless, profit-driven industrial initiatives and land development schemes. ........................................................................................... Do you have any suggestions on how Kerala can improve its economy? ........................................................................................... It is time Kerala looked at its economic situation with a fresh pair of eyes, and come up with a comprehensive and sustainable growth model, centered around its real assets. It should chart a new developmental path - a sustainable growth-oriented economic development model, which will also tap the entrepreneurial spirit of the hard-working, educated and skilled people of Kerala.It is imperative that the state stays away from the consumption-driven development model championed by the West. Blindly following that model is not an option for Kerala because that will ensure the destruction of the state’s precious eco system.(As a matter of fact, if India’s 1.2 billion people were to consume at the rate 312 million Americans do - they swallow 30 percent of global resources - the 5.8 billion living in rest of the planet will have nothing left!) What Kerala requires is a development model, which will, while retaining and sustaining the state’s ecosystem - its air, water and land- also build and improve infrastructure in areas such as modern communication, public transportation, education, healthcare and water and sewerage.Policies and plans for infrastructure creation should be the top priority of the state government. Prepare it and sell it to the people of Kerala. They deserve it. (Global India Newswire) (The Interview is the chairman of NeST Group, one of the largest independent electronics manufacturing services groups in India.) Kerala Association of Greater Washington

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Kerala Association of Greater Washington

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More Events, More Participants, More Winners, More Color and More Talent- That was the Talent Time 2013 in a nutshell. Talent Time 2013 got off to a solemn start on April 13th with the lighting of the traditional lamp on April 13th at University of Maryland, Shady Grove Campus. This year, we had added 4 more events as listed below. So the day was crammed with activity. Spelling Bee - This extremely popular event for kids of Indian origin was introduced in this year’s talent time. The students in the grades 1 to 8 were allowed to participate in this competition. The Bee had both written-elimination and oral on-stage rounds. The Reel Deal - Reflecting the interests of the YouTube generation, KAGW introduced a competition for youth and adults to showcase their video creation and presentation skills. Participants were to shoot the video using their mobile phone or a personal camcorder. The topics were prepublished. Let’s be CrafTee -KAGW introduced this event to provide a competitive platform for shaping and fine-tuning the design skills of the kids. It allowed kids to demonstrate their patterning and perspective skills. Kids were supposed to come to the event with their drawing & decorating tools, design different layouts and models at the venue. KAGW provided the Tee for them to design. The Great Debate - With the acknowledgement that debating skills are important in all professions, KAGW kicked off this event to sharpen the kids debating skills and prepare them for future careers. Participants were required to form a team of two. The topic was provided a week before the event. The events were scheduled in 5 stages. – Auditorium, Room 101, Room 102 andRoom 203/204. The main auditorium was packed by the public speaking and poetry recitation participants. Late in the afternoon, small kids enthralled the audience in the main auditorium with a enchanting fancy dress competition. The new competition, Great Debate, had its prelims organized in Room 102. Painting, sketching and let’s be CrafTeecompetitions took place in Room 203/204. About 200 kids rolled in and out on the first day of the competition. 126

Kerala Association of Greater Washington

The 2nd day of Talent Time 2013 got off to a great start at the Luther Jackson Memorial Middle school in Vienna, VA. The events were conducted in three separate stages in the school. The tempo of the competition was kept alive by several dance and music, solo and group, items throughout the day. It was a jam packed schedule because of the unusually high number of registrations. The parents and the participants cooperated very admirably with our volunteers to help organize the programs in as less stressful manner as possible. The spelling Bee had the largest number of participants for a single event – over 70, and the quality was outstanding. The rounds went on and on strengthening the assumption that Indian American kids have natural born talent to this type of competition. The Reel Deal competition brought out the creative and artistic skills of the community. Nine videos were submitted and were judged in a single category. It was evident that the teams had prepared weeks and weeks in developing and finetuning their product. The evening session got off to a bright start with the initial rounds of the prize distribution. The adult and kids fashion show, other local and international dance programs and combined with light humor from the host and the hostess, kept the audience generally captivated by the proceedings. The award ceremony at the end was a profound occasion that reminded us once more of the staggering talent that this region is lucky to be blessed with. We are very thankful to the community in pitching in with remarkable sincerity to help us conduct this program efficiently. We are prepared to improve and strive to make the program better. With the support of the Greater Washington community, there is no doubt in our mind that we can continue to strive towards developing this into a regal event that every one of us can be proud of.

KAGW TALENT TIME 2013 LIST OF WINNERS KALATHILAKAM Elizabeth Ipe

Runners-up Tessa Joseph

Minna Kuriakose

KALAPRATHIBHA Joseph C Rejive

Runners-up Alan Saji