AFCS Topics

Perfect & Perfection

2010-12-20T03:20:00.000-08:00

A while ago I wrote the foreword to a field journal entitled "Six Degrees North" authored and compiled by men and women of the Andaman and Nicobar Command. The piece was inspired by another Shloka from the Upanishads; of which it is said that should it be all that survives of vedic literature; even so, the core of vedantic teachings and philosophy can be found in its words. I want to share with all not just the sweep and delicate majesty of the shloka but also the foreword that it inspired.

" Purnam adah Purnamidampurnat Purnam udachyate

Purnasya Purnam aadaaya Purnamevavashisyate."

This Shloka in the Sanskrit deifies the perfect nature of creation. The last line voices the relationship between Origin and Form for, 'after perfection has left, what remains is also perfect'. The power of the verse lies in its simple belief of the natural cosmic bond between the Real and that which is not Perceived. Six Degrees North took for its canvass the many splendored Andaman and Nicobar archipelago and mused over its marvels and treasures and the activities of man within its limitless space. Its pages search for and seek out the very perfection that nature has conspired to paint in all things small and gigantic as this celebration of man and the riotous palette of nature weave a tapestry of mythical proportions.

At Baratang, one is at first enthralled by the stirring beauty of the open limestone caves. Stalactites and stalagmites hang and stand as some steadfast guards to a spectacular secret, open to the skies - Yes! That is Perfect. The beaches at Neil speak to you with a softness that makes you want to caress the sands and yet what fearsome storms must have created the rock formations that garland the very same beaches leaves one
baffled; this is not the work of a celestial Michael Angelo but that of a sublime sculptor whose chisel dances to some cosmic score - Yes! This is Perfect. And if you dive amidst the Rutland reefs, one enters a new world of spectacular glittering life that moves at a placid balanced pace.Colonies of creatures never seen before and a carnival of colours march by in an eternal parade - Yes! We are surrounded by Perfection.

As twilight descends on Middle Andaman the sound of bird calls from every note in the scale and out of every perceptible octave fills the air like the heavens have conjured to raise a thousand upon thousand musicians to a resounding climax. They lilt, they thunder, they rise to a crescendo and then slowly the calls you heard fade away and all that is left is the sound of wings in the air in a home bound salute and then all mutes to a mellow retreat. Another nights' velvet shroud has fallen over Parrot Island - Yes! Neither can you add nor remove from Perfection. Overwhelmed by the blues that one encounters from the deepest sapphire to the most delicate Maya blue, one merging and emerging as the other till the whole sensuous whorl pirouettes in a magnificent vortex that takes you through time and space, embraces you with a lovers passion, lifts and sways and sweeps you in ethereal surf, tows you gently out and brings you back again - Yes! When Perfection has left - Lo, you perceive Perfection again.

Vijay Shankar

Indian-Americans Punching in their Weight

2010-07-11T05:58:00.000-07:00

We have heard about how a legion of doctors, engineers and motel owners transformed the American landscape in the 1970s and 1980s. Today their sons and daughters are migrating into the American salad bowl and are represented beyond their numbers on the political landscape. The two most prominent are: Bobby Jindal, governor of Louisiana, and for some time touted as the other Obama for the GOP; and Nikki Haley, a possible shoe-in for Governor of South Carolina. There are so many other IA's running for Congress in Kansas. In addition to Nikki 'Randhawa' Haley, who brushed aside allegations of marital infidelity and an ethnic slur to become the Republican nominee for governor in South Carolina, Indian Americans are campaigning this year for congressional seats in Pennsylvania, Kansas, California, New York and Ohio. More than a dozen others serve in senior positions in the Obama administration, including US Chief Information Officer Vivek Kundra and USAID chief Rajiv Shah. And there is a new TV series debuting this fall called "Outsourced"

There is some criticism that Haley and Jindal changed their name/religion to be accepted in Bible belt. But if you look back on American history many Italians, Jews, Polish immigrants Anglicized their names to be accepted (see Bobby Darin, Dean Martin, Kim Novak, for example). Chinese immigrants from HK and Mainland China routinely have alternate "American" names on their business card. We Indians do have a distinct advantage over the Chinese: we fit into the democratic mold in Corporate America where invidualism, communication and are more inclusive. Less so are the Chinese.

So Rudy aka Ramesh (but I had my nickname bestowed by my family) signing off.

Baingan, Bindi and Bakwas

2010-05-31T04:07:00.000-07:00

Lately there were some mouth-watering e mail tete-a-tete on cooking: the glories of vegetarianism, should Indian men-- those spoiled SOBs-- learn to carry their weight in a marriage and cook, and clean and understand; and what were the best dishes. So the brave ventured forth with recipes: no doubt motivated by that 2-day event planned in November where we expect to party all night, eat prodigious amounts, drink like there is no tomorrow and still get up the next day like it was all in a day's work. Reality will hit us even before we take those hurried trips to the lavatory. So G&G's,boys and girls, aim for that one-glass of wine so that you can get up the next day and not embarass your spouse. If she is not there.. :-)

There there was the exposition on bindis, lady finger's (what a quaint name?) or okra for those in the United States. There is nothing to beat a straight forward, no-nonsense, bindi subzi that needs little or no garnishment. Both these reliable main entree dishes have stood various assaults on their being and yet come out great. Baingan-- or eggplant-- is probably the most versatile. In Italy of course the famous eggplant parmesan. Roasted or baked egg plant with parmesan cheese melted in a great marinara (tomato sauce) between the sides of a six- or 12-in long roll (or sub as we call it here). You could add hot peppers, oregano. Yummy!! There are the Indian versions, each delectable in their own way. The bhartha is the most popular-- baked till its skin peels and then sauteed with spices and relishes, with some Naan, simple dal and basmati rice...wow!! Bindi's too can delectable but they can be simple to boot. When I came to America over 40 years ago, okra and for that matter many Indian foods were not found easily even in large metropolitan areas. In our infrequent trips to Philly and DC, we would pick these veggies up and Saurabh, my roomate back from IIT, would get to work. He is still the best cook I know.

And that leads to Bakwas.. you know men indulge in this much more so than women. I suppose women do but in a controlled manner. No lie is too large, no tale garnishment too embarassing, no feat too impossible for the person at hand, no mountain too tall to climb and yes many many things to conquer before we lay down our weapons for that long goodbye. Which brings me to the November get together. Restrain yourselves guys. It is for the weekend only. Some of us are probably going to experience jet lag for perhaps both the days. You know what is worst for jet lag? you guessed it a-l-c-o-h-o-l. For the locals, party on, dudes. And let us not reach for too much, or expect that we can even get along. But no doubt the email exchanges over the past few months has been helpful. So guys.. I mean the guys only-- let us not screw up in November. Remember the thankless efforts of Gurumani, Kamal, Uday and many others who did the dirty work.

Anjan-- an AFCS Top Gun

2010-04-26T03:54:00.000-07:00

It is 1969 and Anjan was just a few years in the IAF. In 1969 he and two other pilots (left) grabbed a rare honor. The 101st fighter pilots course was the first to fly the Hunter fighter bomber after commission. They were the first three to solo on this (supersonic)jet. Anjan recieved the trophy for the best in Air to Ground firing.

The 1971 denounement with Pakistan was to follow and am sure Anjan and his buddies served the country well in their new armour. Anjan, we are proud of your service and applaud the hear restoration work you are doing now.

Coincidentally, all three of them now live in the U.S.A. !

OCENTA! Where Have you Been

2010-04-24T04:32:00.000-07:00

Ramnik Saund dug up a treasure in his loft. It is smudged, manual-typewriter document, errors shown bare naked and I sure the author must have dirtied his fingers adjusting the ribbon. The contents show the alumni members from AFCS as of January 1967 who had gathered-- much like what we are doing now. All are recognizable names. Padam Dev Law, Aikta Kohli, Arvind Bhatt, Asha Gaur, Jyoti Gurbaxani, Vijay Sitaram, Geeta Sehgal, Arun Mehta and Kanwal Chatwal. Stand up and take an applause (! hand clapping). And the cricket team. Top scorer Rajpal Chaudury (the author). No validation done on the veracity of the claim. Especially the star batsmen in that crowd Uday Heble scored an anemic 5.Now nobody believes Uday could be dismissed so cheaply.

PIGEON CURRY!

2010-04-04T04:09:00.000-07:00

Geeta Jaisim threw a cat among the pigeons. The claws came out. Feathers flew. Some watched on the sidelines others added their mirch masala. And this was the spicy result.

The Cat: Reflections on India – by Sean Paul Kelley
If you are Indian, or of Indian descent, I must preface this post with a
clear warning: you are not going to like what I have to say.

My criticisms may be very hard to stomach. But consider them as the hard words and loving advice of a good friend. Someone who’s being honest with you and wants nothing from you. These criticisms apply to all of India except Kerala and the places I didn’t visit, except that I have a feeling it applies to all of India, except as I mentioned before, Kerala.

Lastly, before anyone accuses me of Western Cultural Imperialism, let me say this: if this is what India and Indians want, then hey, who am I to tell them differently. Take what you like and leave the rest. In the end it doesn’t really matter, as I get the sense that Indians, at least many upper class Indians, don’t seem to care and the lower classes just don’t know any better, what with Indian culture being so intense and pervasive on the sub-continent. But here goes, nonetheless.

India is a mess. It’s that simple, but it’s also quite complicated. I’ll start with what I think are India’s four major problems–the four most preventing India from becoming a developing nation–and then move to some of the ancillary ones.

First, pollution. In my opinion the filth, squalor and all around pollution indicates a marked lack of respect for India by Indians. I don’t know how cultural the filth is, but it’s really beyond anything I have ever encountered. At times the smells, trash, refuse and excrement are like a garbage dump. Right next door to the Taj Mahal was a pile of trash that smelled so bad, was so foul as to almost ruin the entire Taj experience. Delhi, Bangalore and Chennai to a lesser degree were so very polluted as to make me physically ill. Sinus infections, ear infection, bowels churning was an all to common experience in India. Dung, be it goat, cow or human fecal matter was common on the streets. In major tourist areas filth was everywhere, littering the sidewalks, the roadways, you name it. Toilets in the middle of the road, men urinating and defecating anywhere, in broad daylight. Whole villages are plastic bag wastelands. Roadsides are choked by it. Air quality that can hardly becalled quality. Far too much coal and far to few unleaded vehicles on the road.

The measure should be how dangerous the air is for one’s health, not how good it is. People casually throw trash in the streets, on the roads. The only two cities that could be considered sanitary in my journey were Trivandrum–the capital of Kerala–and Calicut. I don’t know why this is. But I can assure you that at some point this pollution will cut into India’s productivity, if it already hasn’t. The pollution will hobble India’s growth path, if that indeed is what the country wants. (Which I personally doubt, as India is far too conservative a country, in the small ‘c’ sense.)

More after the jump. The second issue, infrastructure, can be divided into four subcategories: roads, rails and ports and the electrical grid.

The electrical grid is a joke. Load shedding is all too common, everywhere in India. Wide swaths of the country spend much of the day without the electricity they actually pay for. With out regular electricity, productivity, again, falls. The ports are a joke. Antiquated, out of date, hardly even appropriate for the mechanized world of container ports, more in line with the days of longshoremen and the like. Roads are an equal disaster. I only saw one elevated highway that would be considered decent in Thailand, much less Western Europe or America. And I covered fully two thirds of the country during my visit. There are so few dual carriage way roads as to be laughable. There are no traffic laws to speak of, and if there are, they are rarely obeyed, much less enforced. A drive that should take an hour takes three. A drive that should take three takes nine. The buses are at least thirty years old, if not older. Everyone in India, or who travels in India raves about the railway system. Rubbish. It’s awful.

Now, when I was there in 2003 and then late 2004 it was decent. But in the last five years the traffic on the rails has grown so quickly that once again, it is threatening productivity. Waiting in line just to ask a question now takes thirty minutes. Routes are routinely sold out three and four days in advance now, leaving travelers stranded with little option except to take the decrepit and dangerous buses. At least fifty million people use the trains a day in India. 50 million people! Not surprising that waitlists of 500 or more people are common now. The rails are affordable and comprehensive but they are overcrowded and what with budget airlines popping up in India like Sadhus in an ashram the middle and lower classes are left to deal with the over utilized rails and quality suffers. No one seems to give a shit. Seriously, I just never have the impression that the Indian government really cares. Too interested in buying weapons from Russia, Israel and the US I guess.

The last major problem in India is an old problem and can be divided into two parts that’ve been two sides of the same coin since government was invented: bureaucracy and corruption. It takes triplicates to register into a hotel. To get a SIM card for one’s phone is like wading into a jungle of red-tape and photocopies one is not likely to emerge from in a good mood, much less satisfied with customer service. Getting train tickets is a terrible ordeal, first you have to find the train number, which takes 30 minutes, then you have to fill in the form, which is far from easy, then you have to wait in line to try and make a reservation, which takes 30 minutes at least and if you made a single mistake on the form back you go to the end of the queue, or what passes for a queue in India.

The government is notoriously uninterested in the problems of the commoners, too busy fleecing the rich, or trying to get rich themselves in some way shape or form. Take the trash for example, civil rubbish collection authorities are too busy taking kickbacks from the wealthy to keep their areas clean that they don’t have the time, manpower, money or interest in doing their job. Rural hospitals are perennially understaffed as doctors pocket the fees the government pays them, never show up at the rural hospitals and practice in the cities instead.

I could go on for quite some time about my perception of India and its problems, but in all seriousness, I don’t think anyone in India really cares. And that, to me, is the biggest problem. India is too conservative a society to want to change in any way. Mumbai, India’s financial capital is about as filthy, polluted and poor as the worst city imaginable in Vietnam, or Indonesia–and being more polluted than Medan, in Sumatra is no easy task. The biggest rats I have ever seen were in Medan!

One would expect a certain amount of, yes, I am going to use this word, backwardness, in a country that hasn’t produced so many Nobel Laureates, nuclear physicists, imminent (sic) economists and entrepreneurs. But India has all these things and what have they brought back to India with them? Nothing. The rich still have their servants, the lower castes are still there to do the dirty work and so the country remains in stasis. It’s a shame. Indians and India have many wonderful things to offer the world, but I’m far from sanguine that India will amount to much in my lifetime.

Now, have at it, call me a cultural imperialist, a spoiled child of the West and all that. But remember, I’ve been there. I’ve done it. And I’ve seen 50 other countries on this planet and none, not even Ethiopia, have as long and gargantuan a laundry list of problems as India does. And the bottom line is, I don’t think India really cares. Too complacent and too conservative.
*************************** *************************
Sean Paul Kelley is a travel writer, former radio host, and one-time asset manager for a Wall Street investment bank that’s barely alive. Gave up a job in Singapore with SolarWinds, a software company based out of Austin, to travel. He founded The Agonist, <[ http://www.agonist/]http://www.agonist. org/> in 2002; also the Global Correspondent for The Young Turks, <[on satellite radio and Air America.

The above came in March 27^th. Within moments Pavan wrote:

Hey Geeta,
Lets have your views first!! Otherwise its like setting the cat amongst the pigeons, to use a cliche, and getting a ringside view. The best. Pavan
PS My view is that his is only a superficial view. He has not even scratched the surface. More later.

Geeta gets back

March 27th from Geeta Jaisim
Well!
I cant help agreeing with much of what he says :

While there are a lot of good things about India and Indians, and while there are a lot of people (you and I and so many of our
group too) who are trying to do our bit to improve matters, the majority - and the powers-that-be – don’t seem to care.

Especially the filth and garbage part: while garbage may move out of our houses and the immediate vicinity, there does not seem to be a comprehensive plan to deal with it - it just ends up on the outskirts of our cities, polluting them and making the lot of those who live there
even more miserable.

And the lack of public toilets - but even if they are there, will people use them? People don’t seem to care about urinating and defecating in public.

Why does my neighbour bring his dog to do its stuff outside my gate?
Why, why why?

OK - now I've said my say!
Geeta

March 28 Bala rolled up his sleeves and socked out with…
Dear all
I think the major contribution to the chaotic conditions in India is sheer size of its population! Everything else like Education, Health and Infrastructure will fall in place, with time, if we control the population. India has reached a stage now, when drastic measures are required to check population growth rates. China introduced 'one child' policy (I think in the late nineties) but even that was a bit late and that is why their systems are also a bit chaotic! Such measures are not popular though.

And the heat picked up Gurumani joins the fray

March 28th from Gurumani
Hi all,
From my experience of working in the area of social development for the last decade, here is my take on this:
--It will be good for people like us to contribute our bit to clean up the system. What Pammy did with the policeman is a very good example of that. May be we all as a group that has had the benefit of a good education and have done well for ourselves can come together and take up one issue and work on it. Don’t know which one, but it will be good to talk about it.
--In my view, the biggest obstacles to things getting better in India are two E's: Elitism and Execution.
Elitism kills all good ideas, like universal education, better healthcare, infrastructure. Everyone focuses on the elites who constitute probably 10% (at best). Because this minority dominates all media, judiciary, and the political establishment, the bar is set very low in terms of delivery. Budgets that are allocated to various programs are largely used to meet the requirements of the elites. The disproportionate allocation to VIP security is a good example.
Execution is a huge challenge both because of the conservatism and the chalta hai attitude of the Indians and the way our checks and counter checks in the Westminster system inhibit decision making. Indian agriculture, which has steadily been losing ground, is a good example. Then, of course, there are thousands of examples of delayed projects, initiatives abandoned, foundation stones laid without any follow up.

Overall, the forward from Geeta is a good reminder of a lot that is wrong with us.

Warm regards,
Guru

Someone had to add haldi for healing and digestion:

March 28th from Rudy
Guru: As they say, “you not only talk the talk but walk the walk”! Your decades of experience in the social arena clearly spell out the enormous issues not the least brought on by the elitism many of us practice. I read the “White Tiger” and was reminded of the elitism that separates middle class Indians and the economically deprived against whom the middle class are downright hostile. Not sure how this can change but I have long admired Nandan Nilekani’s and his current work to make every Indian brought under a social umbrella. Read http://www.washingtonpost.com/wpdyn/content/article/2010/03/27/AR2010032701460.html

And some garnishing of course!

March 29, 2010 2:46:52 AM
Dear Guru
Great thoughts. Unless each of us (the "elite") is willing to fight for the rights of the less fortunate not to have to pay bribes to get their work done (by not paying any ourselves, even at the cost of appearing stingy!!) nothing will change. I for one am ready to argue (sometimes!) with the auto driver who won't switch on his meter, the cop who has billed me for illegal parking (my car was nowhere there! and this money is part of the "target"), the municipal authorities who want kickbacks for everything, but how many of us posting here would just as soon pay the amount as the "real cost of doing business" rather than
fight - not for themselves, as I said, but for those who can't afford this "real cost"?

Even the foreign visitors who deplore the corruption, find it convenient to make use of connections to get back their lost luggage, get their travel plans through to sensitive areas, etc etc. And the connected people, one on one, are the most "bhola" you could ever find. No one seems to think it is wrong to circumvent the system by making use of connections, and this is how the corruption subtly enters even those who may not be guilty of paying a single actual bribe.

So - if you ask for your rightful due in this system, no one is going to respond. They would far rather do you a favour, which can be called in at a later time.

Sorry if that sounds cynical. I have suffered the last throughout my career, hence speak from experience.

And I would have to say I have been guilty of one or other transgression too. I have paid an auto driver whatever he asked more than once, I did pay an out of hand amount rather than a fine for not having used my seat belt (once, and the only reason I did it was that the cop wanted me to drive up to his senior and get the official bill/rect made out, which I had no time for, but it makes me blush), and I have watched my daughter pay the "cash" due during registration of her apartment (we were spared that as a lawyer handled all the unsavoury parts but we paid the amounts due,to the builder and the law firm, all payments by cheque! ...)

So, as they say, let him who is without blemish cast the first stone. But certainly things should be helped along the path of improvement. And by us.
Mallika

There were many other additions, comments, thoughts. Next time, those on the e-mail list jump in, or place comments here. If I’ve left any significant ingredients out please forgive, I only clean the floors here J

Parminder returns and one Bad Cop is going to learn a lesson

2010-03-26T14:31:00.000-07:00

I am finally home after two months in India. It was getting hot in Chandigarh. The weather here is really nice. Good to be back during spring. Bradford pears along my driveway are in full bloom, trees are snowy white, Yellow Forsythia bushes are beautiful. Hostas and other plants that were dormant during the winter have started to peak out of the ground. Tender green leaves have started to appear on the trees, soon the woods around my house will be green, Spring is everywhere!

All our bird feeders are empty, so we have to start loading them up with bird seeds, that requires a trip to Sams club or Costco so I can buy 40 lb bags. Soon I will have to make a trip to the nursery to buy flats of plants for Tejpal to start planting so we can have a good show of colour in the summer. I thought I would have a few days of rest, but once you get home, work starts immediately. Had to cook a brunch and dinner yesterday, and tackle two large USPS boxes of two months of accumulated mail! 80% was trash, and they talk about saving trees, I wish they would stop sending junk mail!

It was nice seeing Gurramnik and Anita in Chandigarh. Met up with Saroj, she will attend the reunion, I will let her know when everything is finalized. It was nice of Amitava, Jhilmil and Ipsita to visit us in Chandigarh for tea. Spoke to Rupinder, but someone in Delhi will have to convince her to attend the reunion. She had promised to come to Chandigarh, but being such a busy person, she did not make it.

I am looking forward to coming to India in November, I hope I can convince Tejpal and my mom to come at the same time. Otherwise, I will have to fly back and then come again in January 2011.

I wish I could have made it to Delhi and met up with everyone there, just could not leave Chandigarh. I am glad I could accomplish 95% of what I had set out to do. My mom is really proud of me. Did all the property and asset transfers without paying a single Rupee to anyone!, stood in line myself and intimidated the hell out of the Babus! Did not argu, nor raise my voice but made sure I had all my paperwork in order and they could just not dilly dally. Everyone thought I should have paid someone to do this work, if I can do it myself, then why hire someone else, moreover, I had all the time on my hands.

The only bad experience was during our trip to Agra, on our way back a DP cop stopped us. Here is the complaint, I made to the commissioner of police:

Parminder Kaur Dhillon

March 10, 2010

Mr. Y.S. Dadwal IPS

Commissioner of police, Delhi

P. Box # 171 GPO, New Delhi

YS.dadwal@nic.in

Ref: Extortion of money by a Delhi Policeman, Joginder Singh DP, Motorcycle # DL ISN 8330.

Dear Sir:

I wish to bring to your attention, an incident that happened with me on March 6, 2010.

We were passing through Delhi around noontime, on our way from Agra to Chandigarh on Saturday, March 6, 2010. Our driver was trying to take the exit from the outer Ring road on to the GT road towards Karnal. His car swayed a bit as he was getting different directions from us as we were not exactly sure which way to go. 2 policemen riding a motorcycle followed us. They overtook us and directed us to stop. We immediately stopped the car on the flyover exit. They also stopped another motorbike ridden by 2 youth and they stopped behind us. The policeman instructed my driver to disembark and show his driving license. While he presented the license he was subjected to verbal abuse, alleging that he did not know how to drive. He was instructed to open the trunk of the car. As nothing illegal was found in the trunk and the license was in order, my husband came out of the car to ask the officer what the problem was. By this time he had figured out by noticing the contents of the trunk of the car and his manners that he was an NRI. He asked him to present the car documents. We presented the available documents, which included copy of the car registration, and pollution control certificate and a copy of the insurance certificate. The cop wanted to see the originals and I explained that the car belonged to my father who had expired recently. I explained that the original RC was with the car registration office in Chandigarh for the transfer of ownership. I also suggested he speak to the Insurance agent for verification; he said he is not interested in talking to anyone. He was not interested in any explanation and declared that since the originals were not in the car, he was impounding the vehicle and I should make arrangements for an alternate car to continue the journey. He also mentioned that the owner of the car could release the car after the production of the originals personally. Since the owner is dead and the car had not been transferred to my mother’s name yet, we were presented with an impossible situation in the midday hot sun on the concrete pavement. The average age of the occupants of the car was 75 and 3 of the passengers were ladies. Moreover we did not belong to Delhi. Besides the driver, none of us could drive the car. If the driver’s license were taken away, he would not be able to drive us to Chandigarh.

While this was going on with us another side scene was being enacted. When the owner on the motorbike presented a copy of the registration, the officer promptly tore it apart and gave to him. When he begged for relief and mercy, he was given a sharp slap on his face. Perhaps this was to intimidate us and show us that he means business. He returned to me, asked me what I want to do. I asked him what my options are. He told me that he trusts me since I am an educated person and that I have broken the law and the punishment for the violation is Rs. 13,500. I briefly mentioned that I do not have that much money, he then asked me if I had a brother and I answered “no”. At this he stated that I should consider him as a brother or son as he is giving me a present of Rs. 10,000 by not impounding the car and letting us get away with Rs 3500. I asked if he would give me a receipt, he looked a little annoyed at that suggestion, and said I should try to understand the situation.

The heat of the day and the gravity of the situation were getting frustrating and I, after consultation with my aged mother, consented to part with the money and pay the ransom. The cop mentioned to me that we look like NRI’s and there must be laws in my country, which require the papers to be in the car. Not wanting to indulge in any unnecessary conversation and discussion with him I smiled and moved on. This was a great introduction to the Indian Justice system where I had the instant decision by the cop who acted as an accuser, prosecutor, the judge, the jury and executioner. We all left the scene extremely frustrated and felt violated as our innocence and vulnerability had been taken advantage off.

For the remaining journey to Chandigarh, we were wondering what crime we had committed? We have all the necessary papers needed to own and operate a car in India. We did not have the originals for a good reason. Our driver had committed no violation such as speeding, drunk driving, driving without a license, or violation of a traffic signal. We were not in any accident of any sort. My only fault we figured out was that I ventured to visit the country of my birth to fulfill the last rites of my father, who retired as an Air Marshal of the Indian Air Force and had received a PVSM for his services to the country. I had to deal with the so called the protectors of law, i.e. the Police. My ignorance of my rights in India, if I have any, resulted in my being taken advantage of. I felt humiliated and angry with myself. I am an educated person who comes to India frequently with my husband who comes to do voluntary work as a physician in his retirement. If the police of the nation can behave like this to a person of my status and position, you can wonder the situation for the common poor and uneducated masses of this country.

I hope and pray to the almighty that this particular policeman does not represent the attitude of the rest of the police of Delhi or India. My only satisfaction is that I did not offer the bribe to this individual, as I am incapable of doing so. I am however guilty of acceding to his demand since I had no choice under the circumstances. By wearing the uniform of a policeman and performing the act of a robber he brings a bad name to the police force.

I am requesting that his matter be investigated and this Policeman be punished for mistreating four senior citizens for a matter that could have been handled amicably. For preying on an out of state car and taking advantage of the vulnerability of its occupants.

We did receive the RC transferred in the name of my mother on 9/3/10.

Thanking you for your time.

Sincerely,

Parminder kaur Dhillon

As a follow up, I have received two responses from the DP, they promise to investigate the matter. I have also asked a relative to follow up.

Now, I dread having to open up my bags and put the things away. After two months of being thoroughly spoilt in my mothers home, I now have to get back into the routine of things here, shopping, cooking, cleaning, laundry etc. Still trying to locate my part time help, who may have found another job by now. My dear husband has conveniently left to go to the golf course to play 18 holes of golf!

Now, all of you try to eat healthy foods, excercise, stay well so we can all meet up in November! I am going shopping now to get some fresh salad ingredients, soak up almonds for our daily dose, make fresh yogurt and cook a healthy meal for dinner!

Vichitra Nayyar AFCS1962 Passes Away After a Brave Battle

2010-03-25T04:13:00.000-07:00

Vichitra Nayyar

(1945 - 2010)

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing away of Mrs. Vichitra Nayyar, who finally lost her 28 year battle with cancer on March 24, 2010. Vichitra was a loving daughter, mother, wife, grandmother and friend to many. As a pioneering TV producer, director, host and entrepreneur she was an inspiration to all. She will always be remembered for promoting goodwill, honesty and tolerance among different communities.

Vichitra Nayyar was a South Asian media pioneer and had been an active community leader since her arrival in Chicago in 1971. Born in 1945, Vichitra was an accomplished sportswoman, a promising dramatist through college theatrical productions, and a humanitarian, leading school drives to help raise money for the poor, the infirm and the elderly. After graduating from Lady Shri Ram College with a Masters in English Literature, she married Sarv Nayyar, emigrated to the US, and assumed the traditional roles of housewife and mother.

Soon, however, the new environment triggered her interest once again in South Asian arts. Vichitra’s immense pride in her homeland and heritage, and love of her new country compelled her to dispel stereotypes, reinforce traditions among the youth, and share South Asian culture with the American mainstream.

She started Sangeeta, the first Indo-Pak radio program in the US, to share her appreciation of the Indian subcontinent’s music and traditions, and to create an outlet for homesick South Asians living here. Thousands of families tuned into 1240 AM - WSBC on Thursday evenings to hear her host an hour-long show of their favorite songs. As Sangeeta’s popularity created the demand for more cultural avenues amidst a growing community, Vichitra decided to extend her efforts.

Transforming her hobby into a life-changing career, Chitrahar TV was born on May 6, 1982. Indians, Pakistanis, Bangladeshis – and all South Asians in the Midwest – tuned in to the first South Asian TV program in the country on WCIU, Ch. 26. This ground-breaking event was an even more significant milestone for Vichitra and her family than it seemed, as at the age of 38, Vichitra was diagnosed with breast cancer. She persevered through a radical mastectomy and chemotherapy, and just two weeks after her surgery, she went on the air for the first, live Chitrahar TV program.
But there were countless other issues that the community was struggling to cope with and Vichitra took every opportunity to address these concerns. She presented panel discussions on Chitrahar regarding “Mixed Marriages” to focus on the trend of inter-racial marriages, a special on “Aging in America” to draw attention to the issues Asian elderly were experiencing in the US, “Teen Suicide” to address the alarming number of suicides among South Asian youth, and countless other forums and discussions for youth to come forward and talk about the challenges they faced growing up with multiple cultural identities. Vichitra believed that children would never really know where they were going, unless they could relate to where they came from.

Chitrahar gained the reputation of being an entertaining, informative, family-oriented and provocative program. Vichitra invited members from all walks life from within and outside of the South Asian community to join her efforts to bring people together. Segments like “Health is Wealth,” “Chicago Sheher Ki Charcha” (local events/ news), “Samachar Darpan” (news from the subcontinent), “Rasoi Ghar” (cooking and recipes), and “Chitrapat” (Bollywood Film Review), gave individuals the opportunity to express their talent on Sangeeta Radio and Chitrahar TV. Today, many local entrepreneurs and artists credit her with the encouragement and foundation they needed to pursue their own careers in TV, radio, print media, and event planning.

The South Asian business community also flourished from the ability to broadcast to a large and diverse community. Business owners knew that the most effective way to get the word out about their ethnic groceries, video or clothing stores, restaurants, services, products, and events, was to advertise on Chitrahar.

Chitrahar soon became the pulse of the community, as well as its voice. Vichitra covered three Indian prime ministers’ visits to Washington DC, as well as countless other international, national and local dignitaries, humanitarians, religious leaders, social activists, artists, singers, dancers, producers, and directors. Because she shared the achievements, activities and arts of the South Asian diaspora with the mainstream American community, Vichitra was fondly labeled as India’s cultural ambassador to Chicago and the “Oprah” of the South Asian community.Chitrahar Night, an annual event showcasing the community’s local talent and highlighting the accomplishments of South Asians in all fields and a beauty pageant, was the next significant step. Much to Vichitra’s gratification, third-generation South Asian children today perform at Chitrahar Night, which is now celebrating 25 years. Most importantly, she provided children and young adults with a forum to voice their opinions, express their talents, and meet political leaders, cultural icons and potential role models. She taught generations of children about their respective religions, emphasizing that despite their differences, they must recognize one another, first and foremost, as human beings.

Vichitra was one of the founding members of the India League of America and the Indic Magazine. She was on the City of Chicago’s Commission on Human Relations, and has won countless awards for her selfless commitment and dedication towards creating diversity awareness and fostering cross-cultural understanding. As she battled with cancer, she participated in Y-ME breast cancer awareness walks and was an active board member of the Nargis Dutt Cancer Foundation. Vichitra is survived by her loving husband and two daughters. Her passion for creating a better world for will never be forgotten.

Funeral Services for Vichitra Nayyar:

Oakridge Glen Oaks Cemetery

4301 W Roosevelt Road

Hillside, IL 60162-2029

(708) 344-5600

Saturday, March 27th

11 am – 1 pm

www.chitrahar.com

anjali@chitrahar.com

Marginalization by Kavery

2010-03-04T02:55:00.001-08:00

Marginality is not always within our control. Certainly, for a large section of people, it is not. Society has rendered them voiceless; they are easy meat for exploitation. As a doctor and a writer, It is my business to lend them a voice. Those who have marginalised themselves out of choice can help those whom society has marginalised. Marginality is fluid, and in continuous flux. Its meaning will change too, with the times. You could say that right now, in Indian politics, Rahul Gandhi is the epicentre. Tomorrow he might find himself marginalised, pushed to the periphery, like his grandmother was once,after the Emergency. If the political climate decides the destiny of certain people, then the financial status, cultural identity, caste or race might decide the destiny of others.

Those of us who have escaped such marginalisation, are the lucky ones. I come from a tribal community in south India. We are called Kodavas from Kodagu which is also known by its British name, Coorg. We were hunters and ancestor-worshippers and had no inkling of the Hindu gods until the 17th century when neighbouring kingdoms invaded, built temples and gradually Hinduised us. There are several tribal communities in Kodagu but the one I belong to happens to be the dominant tribe. In the last couple of centuries we have exploited the other tribes, taken over every bit of land and more or less crushed them. Some have no choice but to work on our land in order to survive. Many face extinction.

I don't feel proud to say any of this. I only state it as a fact. One of my novels, The Scent of Pepper deals with this issue. We have done is exactly what the white Americans did to the Red Indians, what the upper caste Hindus did to the lower castes. From my position as a writer, I do not see literature as separate from
life. In literature too, marginality can be a strength or a curse. The Second World War gave birth to a certain type of Jewish literature which reminds us of the base levels to which human cruelty can descend. In India, Dalit literature gave tongue to a huge section of oppressed people. Until the 1970's, except for Mulk Raj Anand who wrote feelingly about the cruel, oppressive force of the caste system, there was little in Indian literature that highlighted the suffering of Dalits to a larger public. The Marathi writer Namdeo Dasal came on the scene, threw every rule in the literary cannon in the ditch and wrote in a hurtfully original voice. It humbled the non-Dalits into accepting the fact that true literature is not elitist, it is just human.

Mahashweta Devi has spent a life-time writing about the plight of tribals. In recent years there have been several gifted writers have emerged from the North-East. We are able to read their work, thanks to good translations. Marginality, however, is a delicate issue. One can become obsessed with one's vicitmhood and that is dangerous. Marginalised people (feminists, gays, Dalits, minority religions, to name a few) will serve their purpose better if they are open to criticism and deeper analysis of their condition. They must be able to doubt their own idelogy and reflect upon it from time to time. And political correctness should not make others shy of being critical, when they have to. Internet has given tongue to many issues of marginality which until recently were not known of widely. Internet can be a great platform for debate and dialogue. But increasingly, one finds a great deal of shrill argument that is prejudiced and often, hate-filled or rhetorical.

I guess this too is essential, as a vent to supressed anger and hatred. But if we are to move forward, ou minds must learn to separate the grain from the husk. For me, the only way of doing this is to doubt myself. As a writer, I want to retain my freedom to doubt myself, my beliefs, my victimhood. I want to be able to doubt my heroes – the Gurus, Gods, Gandhis, Ambedkars and the Obamas. And I want always to respect that freedom in others.

Coming back to the literary conference and the several papers I listened to, how worthwhile were they? Merit, especially in literature, is vindicated by posterity. Marginal or otherwise, the job of a writer is to write. The less I talk about it, the better.

Chunni Goswami Comes to AFCS

2010-02-22T12:52:00.000-08:00

The time was 1959 and the Mohun Bagan club had chosen AFCS as a practice facility for the Durand Cup. We had the famous Chuni Goswami-- a rake by today's standards-- who posed with some of the AFCS boys. L-R: Pavan Nair, Vijay Shankar, Not Identified (NI), Vijay Paul, NI, Chuni Goswami, Rudy Shankar, Gopal Subramaniam, NI, NI.

The assembly field is in the background. The persons are facing the school buildings which then did not have the tin structures that we were to occupy in the 10th class/grade.

This photgraph had turned a sepia tone over the years.

Fly the Friendly Skies

2010-02-22T08:49:00.000-08:00

This picture was provided by Pammi (She is the glamorous one, half-way up the stairs with the perfect regal wave). This picture was taken at Safdar Jang airport around 1959-60 where the entire sixth grade class hijacked the IA plane (Just kidding!)

You know we were able to recognize a couple of others: Kamal Puri, Jagdeep Jagad, Gautam Bhasin, Surinder Upadhya, Googly Paul, and Mr NK Choudary. Can you spot them?

The ride was Rs. 5 per head, I think. No guarantees.

How Cute is This?

2010-02-22T05:04:00.000-08:00

Many AFCS classmates from 1964 were born in the late 1940s-early 50s and our common military roots and India's newly acquired independent state meant a number of our parents gravitated to the same cantonment/mess areas. So we had the following posts:

Pammi and Bala may have been in kindergarten together in the early 50s and Bala reminisces:

Pammi, I think I can now vaguely recollect you in Jalahalli. You must have been that little fair girl with plaited hair! You were tall and slim even then. You sat in the second row...am I right!? There were only about 4 rows in class! So there must've been only one section per year......:-) Do you remember the lady class teacher who made us sleep whilst sitting with one cheek rested on the desk top and hands around? OK, all collectively, AAUUUHHHHH

Vijaya remembers meeting Bala, Amitava after leaving school but variously remembers walking home with Pavan and being poked with a pencil by Suren. Was an accident, right?
Geetha Menon (nee Narayan) who joined the yak-festival recently described the emails as "madly energetic exchange"
We have intelligence on whereabouts of Gopa Lal, Sudha Chaturvedi, Lally Sen, Rupinder Kaur, Googly Paul, Saroj Lal, Prassana Patnaik (leg spin bowler and singer), Ajay Das, and Shailaja. It will be nice to round them up and get em on the AFCS merry go round

Indian Accents

2010-02-20T05:08:00.000-08:00

Now for something completely different. Indians are very good at making fun of themselves and their keen ears can discern oh-those-subtle regional accents firmly in english. We had some wonderful descriptions of Punjabi, Malayali and Bengali accents. They are described below. For the unitiated, take my word: local Indian languages not only have different scripts and wonderful sounds, varying from the melodious, to soft sing song to, well, "skeletons-making-love-on-a-tin-roof" type, but have colorful cuss words that can juxtapose and intertwine animal, vegetable or thing with your near and dear relatives. That may be another topic.. So here we go.

PUNJABI (Pavan Nair's contribution)

After reading Adarsh's missive , here is an original composition pertaining to us punjus. Yes I am an original pedigreed one from the land of the five rivers! Enjaay!! Pavan (Nayyar). Myself hailing from Vill Kunjah, Dist Sialkot, West Punjab. PS This was inspired by a similar exercise which someone had circulated for Bongs.

A is for Agriculture, the only culture available locally.
B is for Balle Balle - - -
C is for ’Chak de Phate’
D is for Daru which flows abundantly in Dhabas.
E is for England pronounced Ing-land, see I below
F is for ‘Fikr not- - ‘
G is for gaalan of various types.
H is for ‘haan jee’
I is for Ing-Land which has a fair sprinkling of the sons of the soil.
J is for Jhalla, lots available everywhere
K is for Khalas ghyo available and consumed in abundance.
L is for Lassi which is consumed with an additive. See M below
M is for ‘malai ‘ which has various uses.
N is for Nalaik,
O is for O teri - - -
P is for what else but Punjabi Puttar (son of the soil)
Q is for queue, unheard of in the land.
R is for Roger Uncle Mike
S is for Sarson da saag eaten with lots of makki di rote. See T below
T is for ‘Twinkal Twinkal littal satar, - - - ’ Am excluding the next line.
Ju, bee, dublu, axe, bhy te zed are hardly used. Shava Shava!

Malayali (contributed by Adarsh Seth)
1) What is the tax on a Mallu's income called?
IngumDax
2) Where did the Malayali study?
In the ko-liage.
3) Why did the Malayali not go to ko-liage today?
He is very bissi.
4) Why did the Malayali buy an air-ticket?
To go to Thuubai, zimbly to meet his ungle in Gelff.
5) Why do Malayalis go to the Gelff?
To yearn meney.
6) What did the Malayali do when the plane caught fire?
He zimbly jembd out of the vindow.
7) How does a Malayali spell moon?
MOON - Yem Woh yet another Woh and Yen
8) What is Malayali management graduate called?
Yem Bee Yae.
9) What does a Malayali do when he goes to America ?
He changes his name from Karunakaran to Kevin Curren.
10) What does a Malayali use to commute to office everyday?
An Oto
11) Where does he pray?
In a Temble, Charch and a Maask
12) Who is Bruce Lee's best friend ?
A Malaya-Lee of coarse.
13) Name the only part of the werld, where Malayalis don’t werk hard?
Kerala.
14) Why is industrial productivity so low in Kerala?
Because 86% of the shift time is spent on lifting, folding and re-tying the lungi
15) Why did Saddam Hussain attack Kuwait?
He had a Mallu baby-sitter, who always used to say 'KEEP QUWAIT' 'KEEP QUWAIT'
16) What is the Latest Malayali Punch Line?
Frem Tea Shops To Koll Cenders , We Are Yevery Where
17) Why aren't Mallus included in hockey and football teams ?
Coz Whenever they get a corner , they set up a tea shop.
18) Now pass it on to 5 Mals to get a free sample of
kokanet oil.
19) Pass it on 10 Mals to get a free pack of
Benana Chibbs.
20) Pass it on to 15 Mals to get a set of
BROGUN bones....

BENGALI (contributed by Amitava Sen Gupta)
We Bongs are not going to be left behind.

Viva "Mamata didi".

A is for Awpheesh (as in Office). This is where the average Kolkakatan goes and spends a day hard at work. And if he works for the 'Vest Bengal Gawrment' he will arrive at 10, wipe his forehead till 11, have a tea break at 12, throw around a few files at 12.30, break for lunch at 1, smoke an unfiltered cigarette at 2, break for tea at 3, sleep sitting down at 4 and go home at 4:30. It's a hard life!
B is for Bhision. For some reason many Bengalis don't have good bhision. In fact in Kolkata most people are wearing spectacles all the time.
C is for Chappell. Currently, this is the Bengali word for the Devil, for the worst form of evil. In the night mothers put their kids to sleep saying, 'Na ghumaley Chappell eshey dhorey niye jabe.'
D is for Debashish or any other name starting with Deb. By an ancient law every fourth Bengali Child has to be named Debashish. So you have a Debashish everywhere and trying to get creative they are also called Deb, Debu, Deba with variations like Debopriyo, Deboprotim, Debojyoti, etc. thrown in at times.
E is for Eeesh. This is a very common Bengali exclamation made famous by Aishwarya Rai in the movie Devdas. It is estimated that on an average a Bengali, especially Bengali women, use eeesh 10,089 times every year. 'Ei Morechhey' is a close second to Eeesh.
F is for Feeesh. These are creatures that swim in rivers and seas and are a favourite food of the Bengalis. Despite the fact that a fish market has such strong smells, with one sniff a Bengali knows if a fish is all right. If not, he will say 'eeesh what feeesh is theesh!'
G is for Good name. Every Bengali boy will have a good name like Debashish or Deboprotim and a pet name like Motka, Bhombol, Thobla, etc. While every Bengali girls will have pet names like Tia, Tuktuki, Mishti, Khuku, et cetera.
H is for Harmonium. This the Bengali equivalent of a rock guitar. Take four Bengalis and a Harmonium and you have the successors to The Bheatles!
I is for lleesh. This is a feeesh with 10,000 bones which would kill any ordinary person, but which the Bengalis eat with releeesh!
J is for Jhola. No selfrespecting Bengali is complete without his Jhola. It is a shapeless cloth bag where he keeps all his belongings and he fits an amazing number of things in. Even as you read this there are two million jholas bobbling around Kolkata, and they all look exactly the same! Note that 'Jhol' as in Maachher Jhol is a close second.
K is for Kee Kaando !. It used to be the favourite Bengali exclamation till eeesh took over because of Aishwarya Rai (now Kee Kando's agent is trying to hire Bipasha Basu).
L is for Lungi, the dress for all occasions. People in Kolkata manage to play football and cricket wearing it not to mention the daily trip in the morning to the local bajaar. Now there is talk of a lungi expedition to Mt Everest.
M is for Minibus. These are dangerous half buses whose antics would effortlessly frighten the living daylights out of all James Bond stuntmen as well as Formula 1 race car drivers.
N is for Nangto. This is the Bengali word for Naked. It is the most interesting naked word in any language!
O is for Oil. The Bengalis believe that a touch of mustard oil will cure anything from cold (oil in the nose), to earache (oil in the ear), to cough (oil on the throat) to piles (oil you know where!).
P is for Phootball. This is always a phavourite phassion of the Kolkattan. Every Bengali is born an expert in this game. The two biggest clubs there are Mohunbagan and East Bengal and when they play the city comes to a stop.
Q is for Queen. This really has nothing to do with the Bengalis or Kolkata, but it's the only Q word I could think of at this moment. There's also Quilt but they never use them in Kolkata.
R is for Robi Thakur. Many many years ago Rabindranath got the Nobel Prize. This has given the right to all Bengalis no matter where they are to frame their acceptance speeches as if they were directly related to the great poet and walk with their head held high. This also gives Bengalis the birthright to look down at Delhi and Mumbai and of course 'all non-Bengawlees'! Note that 'Rawshogolla' comes a close second !
S is for Shourav. Now that they finally produced a genuine cricketer and a captain, Bengalis think that he should be allowed to play until he is 70 years old. Of course they will see to it that he stays in good form by doing a little bit of 'jawggo' and 'maanot'.
T is for Trams. Hundred years later there are still trams in Kolkata. Of course if you are in a hurry it's faster to walk.
U is for Aambrela. When a Bengali baby is born he is handed one.
V is for Bhaayolence. Bengalis are the most non-violent violent people around. When an accident happens they will fold up their sleeves, shout and scream and curse and abuse, "Chherey De Bolchhi" but the last time someone actually hit someone was in 1979.
W is for Water. For three months of the year the city is underwater and every year for the last 200 years the authorities are taken by surprise by this!
X is for X'mas. It's very big in Kolkata, with Park Street fully lit up and all Bengalis agreeing that they must eat cake that day.
Y is for Yesshtaarday. Which is always better than today for a Bengali (see R for Robi Thakur).
Z is for Jebra, Joo, Jipper and Jylophone

Racism -- Harmeet Kaur Dhillon's Essay

2010-01-12T06:10:00.000-08:00

The neighbor's son who threatened to call the Ku Klux Klan on our family in rural North Carolina, classmates in public school who made fun of my long braids and funny name. Friends and relatives who were denied jobs unless they shaved their beards, cut their hair and removed their turbans. Friends who wanted to join the military but were turned away due to the government uniform policy. In the wake of 9/11, Sikhs who were arrested wearing their kirpans, targeted by slurs of "Osama bin Laden", "raghead", "towelhead", "diaperhead", and worse, or even firebombed, shot and killed solely because of their religious appearance.

So begins article by Harmeet Dhillon in the book whose cover appears alongside. (Publisher: Ashgate, December 2009). Harmeet, a talented lawyer, and the daughter of our very own Pammi (Parminder Dhillon), has dedicated considerable pro bono work to worthy causes. I wanted to share this with all since it is so well written but more importantly it shows her dedication to the South Asian community in the United States and the Sikhs in particular. Her article is on pages 167-178 of the book shown to the left. I have added five- page excerpt below (click on the image for a readable view):

Racism -- Discussions on Racism

2010-01-12T05:45:00.000-08:00

From Kris Balakrishnan

Dear Adarsh

Thanx for sending us the text of Mr Swapan Dasgupta's article on racism. I lived in India for 42 years and now have lived in Australia for 18 years. I think I can make a reasonable comparison between the two countries. I came to Australia at a mature age. I was about 42 and Jayshree was 35 yrsof age. Sneha had crossed 5. I'm glad that we as batchmates are able to be 'open minded' with each other. That is a good sign and we should welcome different views and free expression of thoughts/feelings(within limits ofcourse!). The wife murderer prime suspect is her husband(Sydney) who also happens to be an Indian(same state/village). I recently had lunch with a Major Mohan(Retd-Indian Army-settled in Melbourne). His parents came from Rawilpindi (to New Delhi) during the partition days and he had a few stories to tell me! He also told me that a lot of Indian girls come here(Australia) on a student visa mainly with a view of tricking the system to migrate permanently. Some of them get a spouse from India after coming here(on a 'spouse visa'). The spouse has no restrictions on hours worked per week(student visa allows only 20hrs work per week). So these girls effectively get a 'slave' from India to fund their studies/migration to Australia. These boys are not able to communicate in English properly and move around in gangs talking loudly in public places in their mother tongue mostly. They misbehave with girls here and get into trouble often. Their manners and behaviour is atrocious. They also resort to all sorts of corrupt practices. Once the girl gets residency, the boy automatically gets PR as well. The girl later divorces the boy and they each go their way! What arrangement/contract they sign with each other in India, we do not know(perhaps there is some money also exchanged in India)! The recent stabbing case. It seems the Indian man was a labour contractor(for picking fruit) and his clients were mostly these young boys(from the Indian Sub-continent) who come as 'part time' spouses/slaves. In a lot of these cases, the boy and the girl do not even live with each other!! There was a social gathering amongst them during which there was a big fight after drinks at night! Later on that night the contractor was found murdered. Two Nepali students were apprehended at the airport trying to leave the country and their passports have been confiscated and are being questioned. Hearsay is that the students were not paid their wages!! Also, it is not only Anglo-Saxons who look white here. We have migrants from more that 140 countries(from all the 5 continents!). There are Italians, Greeks, Norwegians, Americans(USA), Japanese, Chinese, Lebanese, Turks, South Americans and black Africans etc etc etc. Some of the inter-racial products(eg between native Aboriginals and Anglo-Saxons etc) look white for all practical purposes. So unless we establish the ethnicity of the attackers, we should not jump to conclusions(I had mentioned this before also). No one is catagorically ruling out racism, including the Australian Govt. All they are saying is that there is no concrete evidence that these crimes were motivated racially(though some of the attacks may actually be due to perceived threats). It is impossible for the police force to be patrolling each and every inch of the ground. Due to scarce population, the suburban streets and parks are practically deserted after about 9pm in the night! These boys should also take responsibility for their own safety by avoiding parks and lonely dark alleys late at night. Australia issues Permanent Residency to people with the required 'skills set' after background and health checks. These 'skills set' requirements change every year. Nurses and Engineers are in demand. There was a time when a lot of Indian doctors migrated. A lot of these would be barbers and chefs have no intention of pursuing those careers once they obtain their PRs. These students do not join the top institutions like Sydney Uni or Uni of NSW etc. A lot of these institutions I have never heard of......:-). So there is a lot of 'racketeering' going on begining/originating in India itself! These cases would never succeed if they go through the normal 'points' system of approval for PR. The Indian Agents are corrupt and so are their counter parts in Australia. These institutions are run by private operators(they get their licence ofcourse) who relax all the requirements to encourage more international students to join the following year! Some of them are run by Indians themselves!! They have become 'earning' centres rather than 'learning' centres as brought out by Swapan in his article. The Australian Govt has withdrawn the licence of tens of them lately! I personally feel Australia is the Number 1 country in the world today. I came here with very little(I had arrange about AUD 5,000= in Sydney in 1991 with an Australian friend in exchange for Rupees in Inda). I have bought my own property here. My daughter, who is 25 yrs now(started work 3 yrs ago), also bought her own property last year. I have worked here continuously for the last 18 yrs here in Australia and so also Jayshree. Everything under the sun is available here. Purchasing power of the AUD is good. People are generally nice and helpful. Corruption is rare. In 18 yrs the electricity has gone off about twice! Water is drinkable from the taps! Water supply has never stopped! Roads are clean and have wide pavements everywhere! We do not have problems like Regionalism and Casteism. English is the common language(National and Official!). Ofcourse, I agree that in sports, they are bad losers....:-). The average Australian does not care what you do during your spare/private time. They respect your way of life as long as you respect their way of life(whatever way or faith it may be!). It is certainly not a repressed society! So I'm trying to dig for faults here in comparison and I'm not getting anywhere with it.....:-). One should not be 'a bull in a china shop'! Regards. Bala

From: Adarsh Seth

Date: Tue, 12 Jan 2010 13:13:31 +0530Subject: Cooks, barbers and Australians

Here is an article I wanted to share:

Sunday Pioneer, January 10, 2010
by Swapan Dasgupta at 11:20 AM
Cooks, barbers and Australians

For an emerging international player, the Ministry of External Affairs should have an iconic status. In the past weeks, the MEA has, unfortunately, acquired an image of frivolity with its junior Minister constantly getting into scrapes over his Twitter-ing ways and the senior Minister being mocked for being more preoccupied with his appearance than his charge. The perceptions may well be unfair but they have contributed to an overall feeling that South Block could do with an injection of gravitas.There are times, however, when flippancy may serve an unwitting purpose. Last week, SM Krishna made a telling comment on Australia’s education industry and what he thought was Indian gullibility: “One can understand students going there (Australia) at the university level, at the IIT level or at the level of some other institution of excellence. When I went there, I was shocked to see so many students in courses they don’t need to go to Australia for — such as learning hair-styling or doing facials.”Krishna needs to be complimented on his belated discovery that the 66,000 Indians who went to Australia last year on student visas aren’t exactly interested in rocket science and that they are unlikely to be short-listed in future for the Nobel Prize. Australia has cleverly used its education industry for two strategic ends. First, to earn itself a whopping Au$ 15 billion, of which the largest share comes from India, each year; and, second, to use bucket shops (masquerading as institutes of ‘higher education’) as a primary point of immigration. The Minister would have been surprised to learn that hair-styling, which he ironically looks down on, and commercial cookery were two of the recognised vocations for converting student visas into residence permits. Australians, it would seem, were short of barbers (or hair stylists if you prefer) and cooks (or chefs if you so like) and were glad to facilitate their entry into the country. The country had the additional satisfaction of knowing that the bulk of these preferred immigrants have paid for the privilege of meeting the manpower shortage.Australia must be congratulated for evolving a unique, revenue-generating immigration model. It is qualitatively different from that of the US which doles out generous scholarships to the best and the brightest students from India and allures them into the American dream. The US has believed that a particular type of immigrant enhances the creative and competitive thrust of its economy; Australia has used education to cope with basic labour shortages — and not merely in hair-dressing saloons and restaurants. What has made Australia attractive to India’s less academically-inclined students is the fact that studies are at a serious discount. The students pay a whopping fee to an institute and then devote themselves to earning money driving taxis or working as shop attendants in retail establishments, particularly those that are open late into the night. Australian universities, an unnamed academic is quoted in the Sydney Morning Herald, “used to be a place of learning; now they are a place of earning.”I don’t know why Australia persists with the fiction of issuing student visas: These are short-term work visas with a steep entry fee. This is not to mention that all Australian education is an eye-wash. There are well-regarded universities in the country, maybe even in Melbourne too. The question is: How many of the one lakh plus Indian students are enrolled in them?It is pertinent to point out the grim reality of what passes for education, particularly in a city such as Melbourne, to disabuse ourselves of the notion that Indian ‘students’ are being targeted by Australians. It is not a town versus gown clash that has made Indians the favourite whipping boys of every disgruntled lout emerging from a pub. Those who are being targeted are Indian workers, the reserve army of potential immigrants.This doesn’t make the attacks any less heinous. If Australians are repelled by the growth of Indian ghettos in the suburbs of Melbourne and disgusted by the curry smells and Hindi film songs, they must realise that it is a problem of their own creation. It is they who wanted cheap labour and there is a social price to be paid for this luxury.There is a social problem that is affecting Melbourne and whether Australia likes it or not, it has a strong racial dimension. The crime statistics suggest that Indians are 2.5 times more vulnerable to attacks than others in Melbourne, and yet Australian authorities pretend that crime is colour-blind. The argument is patently disingenuous.Australia won’t lose brownie points if it honestly admits that the State of Victoria has a serious problem of race-related crimes. It is not going to take away from the fact that the country has travelled a long way from the ‘Whites only’ immigration policy it pursued until the 1960s. Nor will India question the right of Australia to cut down student visas in future because MEA has already recognised that most of the courses aren’t worth spending hard-earned money on. But Australia cannot expect India to sit by idly as its citizens are set upon by goons and harassed and even killed.The Ku Klux Klan analogy of an Indian tabloid may be an exaggeration (and it certainly wasn’t very funny) but the response to Indian shrillness is not stone-faced Australian denial. Nor does it lie in shrill Australian indignation over the sheer effrontery of India calling someone else racist.The point which Australia has recognised insufficiently, and which Indians don’t seem to have recognised at all, is that India means something quite different to what it meant 30 years ago. If the race attacks don’t cease, it would be worth the MEA’s while to make the travel advisory more stringent and, as a final resort, advise the Reserve Bank of India to stop all fresh money remittances to Australia for ‘education’ purposes.

From: Ramnik Saund
Subject: Re: Racism
Date: Wed, 6 Jan 2010 11:25:51 +0000

How very interesting - the wide spectrum of experiences and views from the Class of '64 on how the world treats its visitors and citizens. There are a number of tales and experiences of my class mates I can empathise with as a migrant from India to Britain back in '68 but despite this I believe UK is more of a level playing field than the one I left behind. I say more because it certainly is not perfectly plain. There are a whole lot of influencing dynamics which shape individual destiny.

In my case they were - a foreign sounding name (mine giving problems even in my motherland - my Sanskrit guru had a number of variations!), unrecognised educational attainment (a degree from Panjab University), being told either being too qualified or having no experience when applying for a job, and then latterly the subtle glass ceiling which stifled corporate success. Socially, the very unpleasant experience of being a target of skinheads in the '70s, cultural isolation in the absence of an Indian community, and so on ands so forth. All that has changed now in the 40+ years I have lived here.

But, despite the bad experience, I have met many local English people in my life journey who have shown compassion, provided help and unconditional assistance, friendship both individually and who became fast family friends. So, provided one keeps faith in human nature, this life journey can be an interesting and fascinating kaleidoscope of ups and downs and ultimately depends on which of the half full or half empty syndrome one prefers!

One thing I will say - the sound grounding we had in English at AFCS proved invaluable when I first came to the UK. I had a much better command of English than the locals and they would often stand there with mouths resting on their chins at what came out of mine.

By the way, I shall be visiting India with my wife Anita from the 11th till 26th March on a family visit to attend a wedding. I plan to be in Delhi on 25th and would love to meet up with whoever is free and willing to share some moments, reminisce and put the world to right! Do let me know if this sounds something worth doing. If there are several of us who can get together then may be we can meet up somewhere like the Defence Services Club, Dhaula Kuan (one of you ex-soldiers should be able to swing it - the drinks will be on me!

Best wishes
Gurramnik

From: Anjan Muhury

Indians, settled in the U.S. by large, enjoy a better quality of life when compared to most Asians and South Americans. They work hard. The ones that complain are the dishonest ones, the crooks who are here for easy money. You will be surprised that there are two types of doctors here: The first type are high end professionals, and are exemplary in their character. The second type are the "scum", from West India. These doctors are constantly frauding the local and state governments. I get the Medicaid Quarterly Review, and you will see that a number of Indian doctors lose their providerships for false billing, tax evasion, misrepresentation, and other lesser forms of white collar criminal intent.

It would be fair to state that Indians do not have to resort to such unethical means to prosper, but they persist. Something to do with their genetics. The motel industry, run by Patels have another behavior pattern. They are corrupt to the bone !!!
They are involved in drug trafficking and prostitution. If only these Indians became less greedy, and less opportunistic, and show better character, they will enjoy being Americans.

They only reason why Indians here have a problem blending with other Americans is religion. This is definitely the cause of cultural separation, and prevents the blending process. Indians like to show off their GODS !. You can see them displayed in their drawing rooms, bumper stickers, school bags, grocery stores etc. Christians believe that one's connection to the Holy Spirit is personal and private. Indians think otherwise. They make temples out of their backyards, and blast religious music, just like India.

Bottom Line: Indians are here to milk this country. I came here for a different reason, to live and die American !

Injun.
________________________________________
From: Madan Gopal SinghDate: Tue, 5 Jan 2010 21:27:20 +0530
Subject: Re:Racism

Dear Rudy,
I must say you write with feeling and it makes interesting reading.Americans asa class of people are not that racial as the British.That has been my experience. When I spent time with the USAF in USA it was a nice experience.Even in the corporate world the Americans are over all nice people.But some of them are now realising that the sun is setting on their dominance and the new power will be China and to a lesser extant India.
I was in london last month and a inherent racism is there.You cant define it-but you can sense it. Anyway cheers to the rise of the Asian nations.Its inevitable like the wheel.
LUV
MG
( madan Gopal)

---------- Original message ----------
From:"Rudy Shankar
Date: 05 Jan 10 16:08:41
Subject: Racism
To:

Great discussion guys and thanks Rohini for prodding me! and as Bala the Great so appropriately stated maturity plays a more moderating role even as we discuss this subject. Struggling to see how I can integrate this into a blog on our web site . Any ideas.
Just BTW- Rohini and her family spent a wonderful evening with us after Christmas and was it was so nice to meet all. I mentioned to her that this meeting every 45 years will be difficult to keep up and so let’s look forward to 2010 for the Big Bash. So in 2009 I met with Abha, Rohini, Kanwal, Geeta. Just wanted to say all you ladies look greeeeeeeeat!!
When I came to America I was all of 21. Even then America was transfixed in India’s minds and the country has never disappointed me in its generosity, liberalness and, frankly, its immaturity. That’s another story. In the past 40 years I have seen American racism , such as it was, change from one of distinguishing between black and whites to today one between Christians and non-Christians. This was no doubt triggered by 9/11. The first day I came to the US—the very first day—I was completely broke (since we had foreign exchange restrictions) and stranded 10 miles from my destination. Yet a State policeman stopped, gave me a ride, and gave me $5 to get something hot to eat. The University I was to attend, opened its dorm and I had a job the following day cleaning tables for $1.65/hr—free food thrown in. I think America at its base is very open and accepts so many div erse people. My Indian experience of 40 years ago seemed to set my own attitudes towards people, open mindedness and frankly about the noble habit of Christianity’s predilection toward giving. Later in life still as grad student my apartment was completely destroyed in a fire and only had my clothes on my back. The American red Cross gave me more clothes, motel for as long as I was resettled.
For most of my adult life, I have been in “real” world working and meeting and travelling to many parts of the US and the world. Except for Montana I have travelled to every State. The beauty of the North East, Adirondacks and the Berkshires, the Appalachian, the Rockies, the Plains, the untamed Northwest and deserts in Arizona and New Mexico are stunning. And it never surprises me that while people are different America is very liberal in opening its heart and laid back. As a young engineer in the 70s travelling in Mississippi with my Italian boss who was “weirder” than me with hippy like hair and flower print shirt and a more tongue-twisting last name than mine, I noticed that he drew more attention than I did although he was a couple of skin tones lighter than me. Another time in Virginia shopping for groceries, the check out lady saw my driver’s license and noti ced that my “race” was Indian and went into a long apologetic spell into how humiliating it must be for me after being mistreated all the centuries. I only slowly realized that Indian confusion lives on since Columbus made the errant wrong turn. But then again she assumed that I had been in the country forever! Many Americans still cannot place Iraq or Afghanistan on a world map, yet their tax dollars are supporting massive efforts. It is this “what me worry” attitude toward the world that throws many people off.

Indians in the US today punch well above their size as you all know. Patel Motels flourish because of hard work and low cost. So many Indians in high positions in so many industries. The best doctors who provide the best care are Indians. They have the bedside manners that patients admire. This is not to say that everything has been hunky dory. I was denied promotion 25+ years ago for reasons that I attributed to racism. But looking back it could have been something else about my own shortcomings. I was hired once to come to a Southern town to “straighten” out the organization. Knowing what my mission was and the constituents that I had to deal with had several moments I did not relish. I have been called a f**ing Indian but that was in NYC by a person I seemed to have slighted getting into a subway train. I have been called a nigger by a total stranger but that was in Lo s Angeles, where one least expects it. I have been advised to go back from where I came and gently reminded that guy that he would be thinking of Washington DC (those days I was there).

Even while traveling in other parts of the world where I have spent quite some time—Japan, Europe, Russia, China, South America—I feel a distance that easily dissolves in America. That may be the Old World attitude where everybody is supposed to know their station in life.
Today, America’s rage is against Muslims & Islam. America will never forget 9/11 since the outrage was so enormous, so stunning. And frankly to stage such an attack with so few resources was a shocker. And so the “Shock, and Awe” war that turned Afghanistan into more rubble than it was. Even now it flounders after a young, wayward Nigerian passenger clumsily tried to set a bomb Christmas day.
America is a far different country than what I adopted 40 years ago: it is not the center of attention, it is not the once great superpower it was, non-white and Latinos are majorities in several cities and yes, we have an African-American President. I never imagined that there would be such a day in my life. But Obama did not become President by stressing his African , or that his white grandparents raised him, or that it was culmination of the civil rights movement: he stressed old fashioned American morals and values to have brought him to where he is. And yes he has a Muslim middle name.
Cheers all!
From: Rohini SunderamSent: Tuesday, January 05, 2010 2:30 AM

Uday, you're right in some ways; and Bala; I really agree with your views re maturity at the time of immigration. when we went to Canada, we didn't face any racism; but once a colleague (named Christopher) said to me, "Rohini, why don't you get a good Canadian name?" He was only teasing, but I responded, "Christopher, when you get a good Canadian name I will," so he said to me, "what do you mean?" So I responded, that his name (which I knew he didn't know) was Greek, and the day he got a MicMac (aboriginals of nova scotia) name I would. There was much laughter all around and the better information de-fused the situation. But there are "racist" attacks everywhere. Here too in Bahrain, poor Indians are often targetted by Bahraini youth, although they would never do the work of a labourer, they find them easy targets to vent their frustration against the monarchy. An d so on. It's been wonderful reading everyone's view-points on both this and the greater issue of the soul. perhaps some of this could go on to the blog...Rudy, where are you? Awfully quiet these days :)
________________________________________
Date: Tue, 5 Jan 2010 12:44:31 +0530
From: udayheble@gmail.com

Dear All
This subject is very argumentative with all of us having diverse non-agreeable views....please put it to rest and let us all pray for everybody's well being in this to be furious year......some things will never change...especially hard nosed human nature
Be Happy

Uday

Mallika ChellappaOn Tue, Jan 5, 2010 at 12:33 PM,
Dear all,

Let's not confuse racialism, which is very ugly, with a reaction to perceived threat, esp. from someone who is
"different". When I was a student in the US, in the early days, I only had a few of the Indian clothes I had taken with me, and as an Indian wife I also sported the bindi. Those were the days of the dot-busters in the NE, and although I was in Texas, someone took one look at me (on the street) and said - "why don't you go back to your country and DIE". I was momentarily non-plussed, but said only "Thank You". People around were unanimous in castigating the unfortunate local (perhaps not - maybe from the NE?). That person clearly felt threatened by the presence of us brown Indians in his country - maybe?

Anyway, I never felt unsafe in Austin, Texas, and we all know Tx is one of the redneck states. I went everywher e by bus, walked home with my groceries and was never mugged or otherwise threatened, apart from that one incident. Of course this was way back, and the economic climate has worsened since then, leading to more intense reactions to that same perception of threat everywhere.

--
A few Indians from Andhra Pradesh have been murdered in the US - this has not had the same media interest as the fate of Indian students
in Oz

All the best

Mallika

Date: Tue, 5 Jan 2010 11:36:18 +0530

From: Adarsh Seth

Bala
Lets not mince words - the attacks on Indians are racial and Australian economy will loose the big money made from providing higher education to Indians
• A lot of money is made from ' the business of Higher Education ' ( in India it is already a racket with many politicians running universities and colleges).
• The Australians have been heavily promoting & selling 'Australian higher education' in India in the past few years ( they were loosing this Indian business to USA & UK)
• ' Phoren education for children' is a ego-trip for the new rich in India, and a possibe means to migrate your children abroad.
• The Australian education is not the best or the cheapest. Its also not the best and the brightest students that are going to Australia - its ones whose family has enough money
• A lot of Indian students have gone to Australia in the last few years and the locals find these hoards strange and a threat to their lifestyle / job prospects etc. (similar to the situation in UK in the 50s) - resulting in racial attacks
If the Australian government is making money from this activity, they should have the sense to provide security to these people. Any community has a price to pay for making money - in this case having to adjust with ......

Kris Balakrishnan:
On Tue, Jan 5, 2010 at 9:00 AM,

Suren
I wish one human soul with an average state of awareness/consciousness like me could change the whole world! For such a task we would need another great God created Avatar to be born on this Earth (not the hollywood filmy type!). By the way, I saw the film Avatar (man made!) on 3D last week.
I live in Sydney and not Melbourne. We are always playing 'one up manship'....!
Having said that, a few days ago, an Indian woman was murdered in Sydney by her Indian husband. Her husband Mr Singh was subsequently arrested in Melbourne as the alleged perpetrator! No reports of outrage in the Indian media. I'm sure most of you would not have even heard of it! An Indian student is murdered in Melbourne and all hell breaks loose in the Indian media. Is Australia at fault here? Perhaps we should all (including the Indian media) wait for all the facts to become available before leeping into the deep end. I'm not however ruling out racism here.
Racism exists in all parts of the world to various degrees and hues. You only have to look as far as the matrimonial columns in the Indian dailies! Sometimes it is also simply a matter of perception .
This is an awful crime but let us put it into perspective. India is considered the murder capital of the world with 2008 statistics estimating about 37,000 per annum. It is so easy to be pious when it suits. The attacks on Indian/Asian students is mostly confined to one metro in Australia, that is Melbourne.
OK, there have been a number of attacks on Indian students in Melbourne over the last one year(including a few fatal). There have also been attacks on students from Asia and other parts of the world, although much less in numbers. The victims in Melbourne have been Nitin Garg, Kamal Jit, Vikrant Rajesh Ratan, Nardeep Singh, Shravan Kumar, Baljinder Singh, Sourabh Sharma, Sukhraj Singh, Jalvinder Singh, Kanan Dharbanda and Dr Zhongjun Cao(probably mistaken to be an Indian!). There are students from other states of India like from Maharashtra, Gujerat, Tamil Nadu, Andhra, Bengal, Karnataka etc and even from Bangladesh and Pakistan besides from Fiji and the Gulf countries - typical names from these Indian states and countries mentioned do not figure in the victims list. This I find intriguing. Most importantly, the ethnicity of the attackers has not been established! If the Australian Government is aware of their ethnicity, they should disclose it to the public! For example, the Italian Mafia were the biggest perpetrators of crime against their very own brethern- internecine gang warfare(in Italy and in other parts of the world!). Yes, at the outset I agree policing in Melbourne seems to be highly insufficient so far!
Furthermore, it is the Indian students who are not as well off as the locals(exchange rates being one of the reasons) who work hard after classes late in the night(even the Chinese students are better off coming from 'single child' families!) to earn a few extra bucks. They live in not so safe suburbs, more isolated streets(rents are cheaper there) and travel more often by public transport or by foot late at night. They are also larger in number as students compared to other ethnic groups. So they are easy soft targets for 'muggers'. A mugger waiting in a dark alley for a victim does not consider ethnicity or country of origin once a potential prey comes along! So it is for the potential victim to be more educated/aware and be more street smart. Walking alone accross a park in the middle of the night is surely asking for trouble, you would all agree! We cannot also rule out that young Indians in Melbourne are being targeted by other ethnic groups?!
So matters are not as simple and straight forward as they seem. We also do not know how much of aggravation has been caused by some of these very students towards the locals! I myself have found them misbehaving in public transport in a typical 'dadagiri' style which is overlooked in India but not here. 'When in Rome do as the Romans do' the old saying goes. One has to respect the local culture and customs. Assimilation is ofcourse both ways. What would be the reaction of locals if an Australian bikini clad woman walks along in one of the streets in Kabul?
In the end, if the Indians are not happy with the security and safety levels in Melbourne, they should simply boycott that city for study or work/settlement. There are plenty of other safer cities in Australia and other countries. Why bang your head against a wall if you feel the result is going to be the same!! If things have not improved over the last one year, then just avoid the city, there is absolutely no compulsion! I cannot fathom why parents are still sending their children there to study, paying so much in foreign exchange, when they worry about their security and safety?? I ask why?? That will be the best lesson for those educational institutions, cities, state/province and country!!
You also asked me whether I experienced any racism. I came to Australia when I was 43 yrs. I was in a much better state of mind to face racism at that age. Moreover I was more worldly wise having travelled overseas earlier and coming from an Air Force family and with my own Indian Army career behind me! Only about 5 to 10% of any population is racist(this is true of any country). Sometimes you have to tackle it headlong and sometimes you have to be tactful and avoid the issue and live to fight another day! Racists have their own problems of insecurity and lack of education. It is mostly their problem and not yours. You can also contribute to it by being insensitive. There is always a right place and right time for everything. That is where your decision making skills come into play. Having a technical , qualifications and work experience, it was easier for me to land a job upon arrival. Ofcour se, due to my military , I can also easily visualise the difficult experiences of a young student in a totally alien environment/work culture! Add to that a bit of racial confrontation and I would not have been able to handle them as tactfully had I come here as a young student in his twenties! Well, that is only speculation....:-)
Regards. Bala

Suren Abhyankar

Just when i thought the ozzies had done with bashing our brethren up there they go and do a youngster in n for what. do u ever face the racialism that is evident from reading the reports in the news.why don't u teach some spirituality and brotherliness to yr oz friends.
suren