Ananda Sangbad 2024 Q3

Ananda

Mandir

269 Cedar Grove Lane

Somerset, NJ 08873

Ananda Sangbad

A Quarterly Publication of Ananda Mandir, New Jersey July 2024

ON PLANNING AND ENJOYING RETIREMENT

After twenty-two years in the US pharmaceutical industry, I was laid off. I remember that day very well— a bleak winter morning rendered bleaker by the verdict, a devastating blow. No job, no regular pay checks, no routine or fixed schedule in my life. How will I manage? It was disorienting. What should I do now, I pondered. Get another job? With my background and experience that would not be too difficult. But, do I want to? Same old, same old did not appeal to me. Why not try something different. But what? Decisions, decisions! What if I retired? Could I afford to? I had meticulously planned for it by carefully saving and investing since my first job. I assessed my finances. Thatplanning and foresight had finally born fruit. I had enough for our needs. No need to toil day after day to earn my daily bread. I realized I was free, free to do what I want when I want. I wasn’t answerable to anyone. It was a liberating moment.

I was fifty-eight. I could now enjoy life on my own terms. And the fateful layoff kick-started it all. A seeming disaster turned into the proverbial blessing in disguise. Eleven years have gone by since that bleak winter morning. For me, retirement has been wonderful, a blast. I am busy working, not because I have to but because I want to, doing things I love— traveling, writing and giving Travel-Talks on my adventures and experiences in other lands. I ceremoniously got rid of my alarm clock. No need for artificial clocks any more. I let my circadian clock guide my daily routine—taking a walk, listening to birdsong, the smell of roses, a good book, a glass of wine, the sunset.

Retirement was not an instantaneous process. It needed a period of adjust-

Ranjan Mukherjee (Pennsylvania)

ment. A speeding car does not stop immediately when you hit the brakes. It gradually slows before stopping. Similarly, I had developed a deeply ingrained habit of working over many years. So much free time felt awkward at first. I wondered—is this the right decision, should I look for work, is there more to aspire to? But after some months, those thoughts subsided. I remember one particular snowy morning when I woke up and realized that I did not have to get up and drive over treacherous, icy roads to work. What a blessing! I snuggled back into the sheets for more shut-eye. Life was good.

I had observed my father slip happily and effortlessly into retirement. He would sit on the porch with a beatific expression on his face, read the paper or watch the world go by. That was the impression I retained of retirement— happiness, tranquility and beatitude. Perhaps, throughout my busy, eventful life across three continents, that is what I had unconsciously aspired to.

I have often been asked how I had planned for retirement. There are four parts to the story: Learn, Work, Invest, Retire. It starts decades earlier.

My schooling was at Ramakrishna Mission Vidyalaya, Narendrapur, a residential school with a rigorous academic curriculum and a strict, semi-monastic life. Good habits are emphasized; frugality, discipline, independence, courage and understanding. Plus, a wellrounded education, crucial for personal development and earning a living, all useful assets in life.

After my M.Sc. (Calcutta University), I taught science to tribal high school students in Arunachal Pradesh. We

were surrounded by dense jungle teeming with wildlife that then included tigers, leopards and elephants. Shortly after that adventure, I came to the University of Delaware to do my Ph. D in physics. Within weeks I had to switch fields. I chose biology, completed my Ph.D., and after a post-doctoral stint joined the pharmaceutical industry.

In school I learned how to make do with little. It enabled me to live within my means. That, in turn, enabled me to save, even when I was a penurious, married Ph.D. student. My stipend was about $10,000 per annum. With that I supported my wife and myself. It wasn’t difficult— we had a university owned married-student apartment and a stick-shift Datsun. We traveled, ate well (food was cheap and my wife is an excellent cook), were newly married and had fun. Lots of it. Looking back, those were some of the happiest years— no worries, responsibilities or mortgages. We also saved enough for two plane tickets to Strasbourg, France (via Kolkata), where I did my post-doc in the lab of Prof. Pierre Chambon, an expert on gene transcription. My wife, whom I had first met in a German class, and I, speak French and German. We therefore had no language problems in Europe. There we developed a love for cheeses, breads and wines, especially Riesling and Gewürztraminer, the two famous wines of Alsace. In life, planning is important. When I was a Ph.D. student, we decided not to have children. We could not afford to. As a post-doctoral trainee in France, which has an excellent health care system that covered us, we decided to start a family. Our son was born within a year. Mother and son stayed in the hospi-

tal for a week and received excellent care. I did not have to pay a single franc out of pocket. We were impressed. At home, with her son in her arms, my wife decided to become a stay-at-home mom and wife, a homemaker. That was her decision. I, therefore, by default, became the sole breadwinner. Expectations had to be reset. We decided to limit ourselves to one child. She took care of the house and all it entails. I worked and took care of the finances. The old-fashioned spear and distaff, but it has worked for us, so far.

After three wonderful years in France, we returned to the US and I began my professional life as a scientist in the Biotech and Pharmaceutical Industry. I worked in three different companies; Ligand Pharmaceuticals (San Diego), DuPont Pharmaceuticals (Delaware), and BristolMyers Squibb (New Jersey). Over time, I did bench science, published papers, filed patents, attended meetings, led discovery teams, gave talks and chaired conferences. I learned to play golf at Torrey Pines (I still remember the unique scent of the pine and eucalyptus trees) and ski in Whistler. It was exhilarating.

I also taught myself the fundamentals of investing from the financial section of

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Ananda Mandir

Calendar of Events (Dates are subject to Change) Please check our website frequently www.anandamandir.org Tel: 732-873-9821

NOTE: For Puja time please contact temple or visit our website: anandamandir.org

JUNE 2024

Phala Harini Kalika Puja, Wednesday, 5

Ganga Puja & Dasha Hara, Sunday, 16

SnanJatra & Satyanarayn Puja, Saturday, 22

JULY 2024

Shyama Puja, Friday, 5 Jagganather Ratha Jatra, Sunday, 7 Bipadtarini Puja, Tuesday, 9 Ulto Ratha Jatra & Satyanarayan Puja, Monday, 15

AUGUST 2024

Shyama Puja, Saturday, 3 Rakhi Purnima & Satyanarayan Puja, Monday, 19 Janmashtami, Monday, 26

SEPTEMBER 2024

Shyama Puja, Monday, 2 Ganesh Chaturthi, Saturday, 7 Satyanarayan Puja, Sunday, 15 Biswakarma Puja, Tuesday, 17

(*) See www.anandamandir.org or Call Mandir for details

Special Religious Services: Upon request, the priest of Ananda Mandir offers services such as in-house Shraddhas, Rituals associated with Cremations (Antyesti Kriya), Shraddha Anniversaries, Pre-wedding rituals (Naandimukh, Ashirwad, etc.), Upanayan (Paitey), Annaprasan, Wedding Ceremonies & Wedding Anniversaries, Griha Prabesh (Bhumi Puja), Consecrations of new cars (New Car Pujas) and others. If you have needs for any of the above or more, please feel free to contact Biswabhai @ 732-873-9821

Ananda Sangbad

A Periodical Newsletter Published By

ANANDA

MANDIR

(A Tax-Exempt, Non-Profit Organization)

269 Cedar Grove Lane Somerset, NJ 08873

Phone: 732-873-9821

Website: www.anandamandir.0rg

HIGHLIGHTS OF ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

By Arun Bhowmik, General Secretary

Ananda Mandir 2024 Annual General Meeting was held on May 25.

The meeting was held in an informal setting.Attendees sataround dining tables with tea and snacks, in a pleasant, relaxed ‘Chat Room’ style.

Debajyoti Chatterji Executive Editor (Acting)

All queries, articles, news reports and letters should be directed to debsmees572@gmail.com Phone: 908-507-9640

For general information, please contact the following executives of Ananda Mandir:

Anjan Lahiri President

Jai Prakash Biswas Vice President

Debajyoti Chatterji Vice President

Ashok Rakhit Vice President

Arun Bhowmik General Secretary

Sanchoy Das Treasurer

Pradip Majumdar Assistant Treasurer

BECOME A MEMBER OF ANANDA MANDIR AND PARTICIPATE IN THE COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES TO ENRICH YOUR FAMILY

Biswabhai opened the meeting with a blessing. We then observed a moment of silence for the departed souls of our beloved members, before we formally started the meeting.

Ananda Mandir’s General Secretary, Arun Bhowmik, formally opened the meeting with a brief welcome address, then invited the president of Ananda Mandir to say a few words.

Anjan Lahiri, President of Ananda Mandir, presented a summary of the current status of Ananda Mandir, its mission, performance, financial status, and gave a brief report onTagore Hall activities. It was a very positive report, basically showing that we are doing well and going in the right direction.Anjan thanked all members that are working constantly to keep the institution running well.

Arun Bhowmik, General Secretary, then requested all Committee Chairpersons to present the status reports of

their respective committees.

Mita Sinha, Chairperson of Puja Committee, presented a very positive report mentioning that all puja-related activities went smoothly throughout the year with no issues at all. The revenue generated by the Puja committee and related activities amounted toalmost one-third of the total revenue of Ananda Mandir for the whole year.

Sanchoy Das, Treasurer, presented a detailed report on 2023 Revenue and Expenses and2024 Budget.He presented all the data in a highly organized and easyto-understand format. The most significant points presented by Sanchoy were: (a) Through successful fundraising and careful cost control, Ananda Mandir generated a significant surplus in 2023, and (b) Ananda Mandir continued to pay off outstanding loans from members, reducing the loan to approximately $1 million (from the original amount of $3.2 million).

Sajal Mukherjee, Cultural Committee Chair, reviewed the great cultural programs we had in 2023 (Sarod recital by Abhisek Lahiri, Summer Festival jointly with Kallol of NJ, musical evenings with Sandip Bhattacharjee and

Aditi Mohsin). The schedule for 2024 included restart of Ananda Sandhya, program by Bongo Next-Gen, Santoor concert by Suddhasil Chatterjee, a dance-drama, Rakta Karobi. These were all very good shows and greatly enjoyed by the audience. There are plans for a theater and performance by Next-Gen during our Annual Fund Raising. Sajal commented that footfall in our cultural programs is a challenge due to the many events these days in NJ.

Ashok Rakhit, Construction Committee Chairperson, reported that there are no major construction activities planned for the immediate future.

There are several other committees, some are visible, some not so visible, but all committees are important to run the place smoothly.

Debajyoti Chatterji, Vice President, spoke briefly for all these committees. There are about 25 committees, approximately 100 members. He mentioned briefly about visible committees (Puja, Fund raising, Cultural, Publications, etc.), and also talked about the not-so-visible committees (Property Maintenance, Food preparation/ distribution, account maintenance, membership database, Food Bank support, Blood

Drive, Neighborhood Relationds, etc.). He mentioned that all activities of Ananda Mandir are now back in full swing after COVID.

After Debajyoti Chatterji’s presentation, the floor was opened for “Questions and Answers” session.

There were no further questions from the floor. It was obvious that the attendees were happy with the way the institution is being managed and operated.

Kamalesh Sarkar, Election Committee Chairperson, mentioned that there were 2 Trustees who have retired and 2 new candidates have submitted nomination forms for Trustee position, who have been accepted by the Board. Therefore, there will be no election this year. The new Trustees are Animesh Mojumdar and Shankha Ghosh. The retiring trustees (Chhanda Aditya and Sumit Ganguli) were applauded for their dedicated service during their tenures.

Arun Bhowmik gave a vote of thanks to all attendees for coming to the meeting, thanked all volunteers for their untiring support, and welcomed Shankha Ghosh and Animesh Mojumdar to Ananda Mandir family.

The meeting was concluded at this time (1:00 PM), followed by a lunch.

SUVO-DA’S DARLING DAKSHINEE

By Mandira Chattopadhyay (Ohio)

As we all were celebrating the 163rd anniversary of Tagore’s birth this year, my attention turned to the musical program broadcast that night on “Aakash Aath” a Kolkata TV station.

The artists performing that night were Sreya Guha Thakurta, and Saheb Chatterjee, both alumna of the famous Rabindra Sangeet institution,Dakhshinee. Towards the end of the program Saheb commented, “We should be commemorating Suvo Guha Thakurta for his outstanding commitment and contribution towards popularizing Rabindra Sangeet.” I was also a student of Dakshinee and would like to share some of my experience there, along with some sweet memories of Suvo Guha Thakurta.

Let me first highlight some of the achievements of Suvo Guha Thakurta, popularly known to us as Suvo da. He founded the premier Rabindra Sangeet institution, Dakshinee. At a very young age, he was introduced to the Brahmo Samaj and its Upasana sessions. In one of such sessions, he saw Rabindranath and was absolutely elated, and it was a turning point in his life. Although the

sessions were mainly on Brahma Sangeet, some of the lectures turned towards Rabindra Sangeet. During the days of his numerous visits to Brahmo Samaj, he developed a consciousness which got heavily influenced by the philosophy of Brahmo Samaj, Rabindra sangeet and the depth and details of Rabindranath’s works. He was encouraged to take classes on Rabindra Sangeet with Shailaja Ranjan Majumdar and by none other than Kanika Bandyopadhyay, who noted Suvoda’s interests and talents. After finishing two years of regular classes, he was asked by his teacher to write notations for the songs that were taught in the class. He had the innate ability of transforming a tune into a page of perfect musical notation in no time. He was then given the responsibility of notating numerous songs, the handwritten pages of which have been archived very carefully.

Tagore was strongly interested in having his songs and creations go beyond the boundaries of Shantiniketan and sought the help of Shailaja Ranjan, who turned to Suvo da to utilize his resourc-

es and entrepreneurial instinct to contribute towards spreading of Tagore’s ideas and the songs in the city of Kolkata. Thus, in 1941, with the blessings of Rathindranath and Indira Debi, Suvo da created a Visva Bharati affiliated school of Rabindra Sangeet, Gitabitan. However, there was a difference in opinion between Suvo da and senior members/ teachers who wanted to introduce other forms of music in their curriculum. Suvo da told them that he had given word to Rathindranath regarding the exclusivity of Rabindra Sangeet in a institution like theirs. Suvo da left Gitabitan in 1946 and began to save funds for his own school exclusively for the teaching of Rabindra Sangeet. Dakshinee was born on May 8, 1948. The first batch of teachers included among others, Subinoy Roy and Suchitra Mitra. Suvo da wrote the book titled “Rabindra Sangeeter Dhara,” in 1950 to educate people about the richness and variety of Tagore’s compositions and their classification into 17 streams (parjays). This book was then incorporated into the curriculum and remains so today. It serves as a background to Rabindra Sangeet. Suvo da was instrumental in bringing Tagore

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APHEMIA

By Nupur Gangopadhay Lahiri (New Jersey)

I woke up. It was dark outside the window.

I tried to call Andor, but I couldn’t move my mouth to make a sound. I could only moan… I was trying to scream. I could only make a howling sound. Sunam was right there at my side of the room. Andor yelled at me, “What’s the matter? Why are you screaming and moaning?” I was mute but at the same time I was wailing.

Intuitively, Sunam perceived that something was terribly wrong with her ma’am. Something sinister was going to happen to her ma’am… Sunam tried to signal Andor…

I wrote on my cell phone.

Need to have aspirin, six of them, regular ones, some aspirins… give me….give… Then I called 911 ….

By the time the ambulance came I was sure I had a stroke.

I tried to tell the EMTs that I was a physician but words failed to come out. I laid still in the ambulance until it reached Robert Wood Johnson Hospital in New Brunswick.

The staff at the emergency ward was not prompt to take me to the Radiology Department. I gestured to them to have my head examined and they completely ignored me. The ER physician took her own time to attend to me. However, as vital signs were not taken immediately, there were further delays to any treatment.

At the same time, I was not sure what happened to Dev, my son, and Andor.

Several minutes later, I was taken to the Radiology Department to get an MRI and a CT scan.

The MRI room was freezing cold and I shivered the whole time. Though I couldn’t utter a word, I tried to get attention from the nurses and the staff. I could only howl and moan and freeze to death!!!

I was a drowning man clutching for straw. I thought if I could remember the name of flowers, I was not too far gone. I recalled names of flowers. Marigold came to my consciousness instantly. Then Peony, Poppy, Pansy came slowly… I was determined to remember ten flowers in the next few minutes. Lilly, Rose, Geranium…. Then I lost it.

I was sure that I had become demented but I tried to think and remember what I had in the kitchen…microwave...stove...toaster… I was going to remember five things in my kitchen...that was easy. Oven, sink, and blender… I got it!!!

I have to go back to name the flowers. I tried and tried and panicked… It was not going to come easily. I was trying too hard to remember. Take a deep breath and try again, I assured myself. I closed my eyes. The room was pitch dark.

Lotus…Jasmine…Lavender…Gondhoraj…Golap… I did it!!!

Now the challenge was how to articulate. Mythili came to my rescue.

She downloaded the text-to-speech app Vocable onto my iPhone where I was able to type a command and that’s all I needed. The robotic British lady from Vocable sounded nothing like me. Not like my voice, pronunciation, or accent but nonetheless, I had a voice.

I practiced on the iPad keyboard every chance I could get and regained some control over my life. I was feeling less threatened by my hostile surroundings.

The neurologist, Dr. Marisol, came to evaluate me with a huge entourage of fellows, residents, and medical students that morning. The fellow, who was on call the day I was admitted, gave a presentation of my case history.

She glossed over important details from the timeline of my account such as the delayed vital signs, MRI, and CT scan. She also neglected to report that Streptokinase was not administered because the golden sixty minutes window for maximum effect after my stroke had lapsed.

I showed off my intact memory and cognition and the strict determination that in no cir-

The Stones of Haridwar

By Ranajit Mitra (New Jersey)

It was a crisp, cold, early morning in January when I stepped out of my hotel in New Delhi. Waiting by the car door with a broad smile on his face was Jit Singh, the driver of the car I had rented for a two-day trip to Haridwar and Rishikesh. After a few words of welcome from Jit, we were on our way.

The city was shrouded in dense fog, as we sped through the city, but Jit seemed to be a good driver and quite unconcerned.

Very soon we were passing by Humayun’s tomb. The second Mughal emperor was buried there after he fell and died while descending the steps of his library with a handful of books. He heard the Ajan’s call to prayer, bowed his knees in reverence, and tripped. His son Akbar succeeded him as Emperor and went on to become the most powerful, wealthy monarch of a vast domain the world had seen till then.

Passing by the enormous and beautiful Bahai Temple we were soon on National Highway 334. The road was

still quite foggy but, in an hour, or so, the sun broke through, and we sped up. At times though, we had to slow down, as farmers on bullock carts, with large loads, were also sharing the road.

We stopped at a rest area with a restaurant, where I asked for a coffee and was queried with “Latte or Cappuccino sir”? India had evolved!!

In a couple of hours or so, we were at a toll booth as we crossed the state line. The large signboard above said “Welcome to Uttarkhand –The Abode of the Gods”.

Around midday we arrived at Haridwar.

Haridwar is a city situated on the right bank of the river Ganges at the foothills of the Himalayas. It is one of the oldest, continuously inhabited, cities in India, mentioned in ancient Vedic texts like the Puranas and the epic Mahabharata. In Hindu mythology, after the churning of the oceans (Samudra Manthan), the nectar of immortality (Amrita) of the Gods was be-

The Stones of Haridwar

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ing carried by the celestial bird Garuda in a pitcher (Kumbha), when some drops spilled over four locations, one of them being Haridwar. The spot where it fell is called the Brahmakunda, which is a large pond adjacent to the river bank known as Hari ki Pauri (footsteps of the Lord).

Haridwar is one of the holiest sites for Hindus; thousands come every year to bathe in the river to wash away their sins, and to pray. The city is called Haridwar (gateway to Hari or Vishnu), and also Hardwar (gateway to Har or Shiva). Fittingly, for a vast number of pilgrims, the city is the starting point of their journey to two of the famous Char-Dham temples in the Himalayas – Badrinath, temple of Vishnu at an elevation of 10,000 feet, and to Kedarnath, temple to Shiva at 12,000 feet, as well as to other, higher, sites such as Gongotri and Gomukh, the ‘mouth’ of the glacier where the river Ganga originates.

Jit had parked the car in a lot not far from Hari ki Pauri so I set out on foot for the ghats. There were hundreds, if not thousands, of people milling around. Brahmakunda is shaped like a very large swimming pool with a concrete patio and steps all around it, a tall clocktower standing on one side. It is fed by an inlet from the river. A great many people in various stages of dress and undress were bathing in it. Families with children were in the water; some praying others just having fun. On the surrounding patio many others were sitting or standing in prayer, some led by priests performing holy rites. In the, now, hot sun, the place was ablaze with color, flowers, and burning incense. A chaotic scene as if from an epic movie. I sat on a stone bench for a while, taking in the spectacle.

I then walked to the river bank. The Ganges is, at this location, is an enormous and wide river, full to the brim; the current so strong that the bathers, all grown men, had to hold on to the chains that are attached to the sides of the riverbank, so that they wouldn’t be swept away. I dipped my hand in the torrent – the water was crystal clear and very cold.

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A scene flashed into my mind. On another trip; this one a journey to Kedarnath temple, we had stopped for the night, somewhere between Rudraprayag and Gourikund. The bus had let us off at a hotel in the darkness. Next morning, I woke up to the gurgling noise of water and stepping out of the building, I saw this beautiful stream cascading down the mountainside. This was the Alakananda, one of the two main water flows, the other being the Bhagirathi, that originate in the glaciers, and which, combine with other streams, to form the river, Ganga. To think that these waterfall-like flows were the source of this mighty river that I now witnessed, was indeed, mind boggling.

I walked back to the car and Jit and I drove to a wayside eatery to have lunch. Haridwar restaurants, by local regulations, can serve vegetarian food only. Nonetheless, our meal of rice, chapatis, dal, and vegetable curries was very satisfying.

By now the sun had started its downward journey, and it was time to find a place for me to stay the night. Jit called a local friend on his mobile, who recommended that we find this particular hotel some distance away. Driving there we found this large dwelling, on the banks of one of the offshoots of the main river. Apparently an NRI businessman who lived in the US, had bought the hotel and was renovating it. A sign outside proclaimed the name – the “Ganga Kinare” hotel and restaurant. I walked inside, but the place seemed to be devoid of people. Walking into an office marked ‘Manager’ I met the official who told me that the place was shut down for the winter and would reopen in Spring. I liked the location and the place, and wanted to stay, so after some back and forth, I offered him cash in US Dollars which seemed to do the trick. He told me to leave my luggage and come back later, promising to get the ‘best room’ cleaned for my stay.

Jit said that we should go to Rishikesh and see the Ganga Aarti. He drove me there via a somewhat longer route so that we could cross the Lakshman Jhula bridge. This suspension

cumstance I would be transferred to a rehab.

Dr. Marisol had a diagnosis for me - Aphemia, a rare variation of Aphasia. That was like a consolation prize…!!!

Editor’s Note: Aphemia is a rare medical condition in which a patient loses ability to verbally communicate to others. The patient’s memory may remain intact, and his/her cognition may remain unimpaired. Aphemia usually follows a stroke, so it is important for the patient to receive prompt medical intervention.

Nupur Bandopadhyay Lahiri is a retired psychiatrist and a well-known member of the NJ Bengali community. She is a poet, a playwright, an actor and a community leader. She is a member of Ananda Mandir’s Publications Committee. She is currently under medical care at home.

bridge (now closed) was built by the British Raj in 1927 and has a 450 feet span, high above the river. The ride across the bridge was quite thrilling; it sways slightly, as hundreds of cars, bicycles, motorcycles, and pedestrians pass over it.

After stopping briefly at the temple of Lakshman, who along with Rama, is said to have crossed the Ganges at this spot, Jit parked the car in a lot, and in the gathering darkness we walked through a series of narrow alley ways lined with brightly lit shops. Emerging through them we found ourselves on the banks of the Ganges, where Jit led me to a large Ghat. It was a very well-maintained set of wide steps that descended from the temple complex at the top, to the river bank at the bottom. At the entrance of the temple, we bought offerings to the Ganga; small earthen pots filled with flowers with a votive candle in the center.

The steps were very crowded with hundreds of seated people but we managed to find seats. I noticed a large number of foreigners in yellow uniforms; Jit explained that they were French men and women from a nearby Ashram.

I looked across the river, and saw about a hundred feet, or so, away, a huge statue of Shiva partly submerged in the water.

Soon a number of priests in saffron robes came down to the river’s edge. Their long hair and flowing beards along with the white painted Trishuls on their foreheads made them striking figures.

They started to light fires in the log filled concrete receptacles awaiting them, and very soon multiple fires of the ‘Hom’ were burning brightly and casting sparks in the darkness.

There followed a half hour of loudly chanted prayers, the worship of mother Ganga, which many of the onlookers and worshippers joined in.

At the end of the Aarti, all of us were asked to descend the steps and offer our prayers and then light the candles in our offerings. I went down to the river and floated mine onto the water. We climbed back up the steps and looked back. In the intense darkness, hundreds of lighted candles were floating on the water towards the statue of Shiva while the dying embers of the fires of the Hom cast an eerie set of light and shadows that pierced the night. A beautiful sight to remember.

On the way back we stopped at a wayside stall to have a dinner ofKochurisand potato curry. Jit dropped me off at the hotel and drove off to stay with his friend.

The manager greeted me and took me up to my allotted room on the top floor. The space was dimly lit but I was amazed to find a beautiful room with newly installed parquet floors, and with a bay window and small balcony overlooking the river. After

he left, I unpacked, then sat for a long while on the balcony in the freezing cold. The full moon was high in the sky, its bright glow lighting up the white mountain peaks ranged in front of me, while the river gleamed below. A sight to die for!!

Later I came back inside, and called the front desk to complain about the cold room. The manager said he would take care of it and in a few minutes a Nepali man came to my door bearing two large, rough, woolen blankets! I got in bed put them over me and was soon asleep. I woke up at the crack of dawn, and putting on a warm jacket, went down to the river’s edge. This body of water was an offshoot of the Ganges but the water was flowing fast and furious over the rocky boulders. As it got a little brighter, I noticed a lone man far from the bank, standing motionless, half submerged in the cold water. He was evidently praying. I stared in amazement wondering how much faith it took to do this, a quality I am so lacking in.

Suddenly the sun leapt up from the water and a beautiful glow lit up the sky, and the mountain sprang to life, bathed in a bright orange hue. The man raised his arms in prayer to the sun. Two large birds, who were perched on a rock jutting from the water, were startled by the man’s motion and sprang into the air. Their dark purple wings outstretched, they soared upwards. In a few minutes they vanished in the valley haze and I looked towards where the man was. A faint moving speck in the water told me that he was swimming away.

I strolled back towards the hotel, when, amidst the thousands of boulders of all sizes in the water, my eye caught sight of two yellowish stones, lying side by side in the water. They were the size of duck eggs, their surface polished smooth by the water, over time. I picked them up and took them back to my room.

The manager had opened the newly refurbished restaurant for me; a beautiful glass walled space overlooking the water. I had a delicious breakfast of Aloo Parathas and came back to my room, packed up, and checked out.

Jit was waiting for me and soon we started our drive back to New Delhi. A long time has passed since this trip but the beautiful sights and sounds of Haridwar and Rishikesh continue to brighten the corners of my mind.

I still have one of the stones. The other is far away. My fervent hope is that one day I will revisit their home and lay the two stones back in the river, at the same spot, so that they will be reunited, and pass their time together, forever, in the land where time stands still.

And maybe I too, will again see two beautiful birds soar in unison into the blue sky, their wings stretching to lift them towards the snowclad mountains.

The Abode of the Gods.

AN UNREAL ENCOUNTER

By Ashish Saha (Massachusetts)

It was an April morning at the University of Michigan a couple of years after arriving for graduate studies from India.in 1984 The daffodils and crocuses were announcing the beginning of Spring across from the student center. I had adjusted well and loved every bit of my student life with one ambivalent exception. During semester breaks the campus became unusually sedentary. There was hardly anybody in the streets and library, stores had shuttered or had limited hours. A semester break was coming, and I knew the campus was about to empty out. Much like the entire student body, I was longing to get away too. I stood staring at the bulletin board inside the student center. It had handwritten ads on index cards for ride shares to distant cities. These were the students that were part of the exodus at breaks visiting their parents. As I browsed the ads, there it was! A guy named Raj - an Indian! Was looking for someone to share the cost of gas to Chicago. My classmate from India was doing his PhD at the University of Chicago. And his professor had just received the Nobel prize in Physics! I was excited at the idea of visiting my friend and the prospect of seeing the labs of a Nobel Laurette.

A few weeks passed and it was the morning of our drive to Chicago. Raj pulled up by my on-campus apartment in his little blue sedan and we set off. He seemed unfriendly as I started to make small talk. To my disappointment, all I got back were single-word replies……. Yes…No…ok… sure. The ride bore an air of unusual coolness and silence. Funnily enough, few days earlier I had heard about ABCDs when I described a scene from another day of campus life to some Bengali friends. Three of us were walking in the campus when three pretty Indian girls were coming from the opposite direction. Our hearts made music as we were passing them, when they muttered “Three more” when they passed us. Later my Bengali friends told me they were ABCDs, and I

should think nothing ill of them. ABCDs for American born confused Deshi’s. So, I concluded this student driver was such an ABCD and settled in for a l-o-n-g four hours to Chicago in his tiny box on wheels. I was going to soon reunite with my good friend, so nothing could cloud my mood!

A clear blue sky and not long after the waters of Lake Michigan sparkling like a thousand diamonds, almost made up for the indifference inside the car.

Not long after, I saw the exit sign for the University of Chicago but to my utter surprise, we went past it! I turned to Raj but before I could ask, he answered,“University of Chicago is not in a safe area. There is a lot of crime and a very high black population.”He flatly announced that he will not go there. He will drop me in downtown instead. “You can take a train from there”. The words hit me like a ton of bricks! Prior to the rideshare arrangement, we had already AGREED that I shall be staying with my friend on campus at the University of Chicago!!

During the prior semester break, I had visited Columbia University which sat very near Harlem. That was a black area, and I was fine! I felt terrible about his reneging on our agreement and being utterly irrational! I had no plan B, so I tried to reason with him. Butit was like speaking to a wall. I sat in stunned disbelief. He kept driving and told me that he would drop me off near a train station in downtown Chicago. He gave me no guidance on how to meander through the maze that must be the train system. Soon the car stopped. I grabbed my stuff and got out, bracing against the chilly Chicago wind. The taillights on his sedan disappeared in the distance along with my excitement for the day.

I wandered around for some time until I found the Amtrak station. It was HUGE and there were no signs to tell me which train I needed to take. I called my friend from a payphone. But he had no clue how to help

me. In contrast to my adventurous nature, he had never ventured outside the campus. He promised to stay near his phone so we could communicate as needed. I was starting to get worried now.

The late afternoon sun was casting long shadows, and my day was turning dark. I tried telling myself ‘Come on, you can do this!’ Just then, a police car drove up by the station entrance. I signaled for help. The officer stopped and rolled down his window. He was white, in his 50s and wore a pleasant smile. I felt a small surge of relief – perhaps things would be ok now. But instead, he said the university is in the southside which is a black area with a lot of crime. “Murders… It’s the crime capital… If I were you, I wouldn’t go there at night!” With that he drove off and for the 2nd time in a few hours, I was looking at the disappearing taillights of a car with growing despair. How was I going to make it to UChicago that night?!

I suddenly remembered an older Bengali friend who had moved to Chicago from Ann Arbor few months earlier with a job transfer. In the short time we had interacted in Ann Arbor it was the most pleasant of times, sharing stories and foods from our distant land. He was a most exceptionally generous and kind person, often spending time with us young students every weekend, despite being newly married. Considering I was struggling as the evening lights were casting longer shadows on the streets lining the Union Station, I dialed this friend from the payphone. I was shocked, however, at how uncharacteristically cold and distant he sounded. I couldn’t even bring myself to ask for help. Many years later when I reconnected with my friend, he told me this was a most unbearably difficult time in his life. At the time I had called him from the station that day, he was cradling his newborn daughter, while feeling alienated and tortured in his own house as his wife and his motherin-law were building up towards what followed - a bitter divorce!

By this point in time, my

stress had reached its peak. I was a new immigrant AND a student, so a hotel was out of the question. The station bench looked like the only option – a really scary option. I began to pace frenetically outside the station. The street was suddenly empty, and my eyes fell on a man, seemingly walking toward me. He had a sort of ‘halo’ around his head… was I hallucinating? He came closer, and I realized the ‘halo’ was in fact a head of golden blonde hair. The setting sun behind him was making it glow. Next thing I knew he was standing right in front of me. He was tall, good looking, well-dressed, young and white. There was a warmth about him, his smile was kind. “You look a little lost. How can I help?” I was intrigued that a stranger could sense my trouble so well from a distance. I told him my whole sorry tale…my Indian ride abandoning me, the white cop earlier scaring me about the Southside at night. He listened patiently, then shook his head, almost as if he was trying to shake off the cop’s words. “I wouldn’t believe everything you hear about Black people, my friend,” he said with a wry smile. “My girlfriend is black, and I’ve been to the Southside many times. I’m still here, aren’t I?” With that, he took me by my elbow and walked me away from the station… “You’re at the wrong place! Trains to the University of Chicago plows from the local train station…” he said.

He gave me meticulous instructions on how to board, where to get off and then… he handed me a train ticket! I had seen him buy a ticket but had not realized that it was for me! I instantly reached for my wallet and pulled out some bills but when I looked up…he was nowhere! I frantically looked near and far but ….it was like he had vanished! I didn’t even get to thank him.

My head was spinning. Heard rumbles of the train pulling in, and I hurriedly got on it still hoping I shall catch a glimpse of him, but none. The doors closed and I took a deep breath to steady myself. What a day! When I looked around, I saw that everyone in the compartment was black. Suddenly, all the fears that had been

planted in my head - by Raj, by the white police officer –came rushing back. I tried to calm myself down... It’d be ok, I told myself. But still, I could feel that my entire body was tense. My eyes went to a man pointing to an empty seat next to him. He must have thought me odd - – disheveled, sweaty, scared even. But I did sit down. There was something about the man that made me begin to relax slowly. He smiled at me, and that warmth broke through my anxiety. I smiled back. Then I sat back and for the first time, really looked at the people around me. Two men chatting and laughing loudly, someone listening to music on their Walkman, another person reading, a young girl at the end of the compartment asleep with her head on the shoulder of her mother. No one was even looking at me, let alone threaten me. It took me back to the crowded local train rides in India. I finally began to relax and enjoy my ride. A few folks near me made small talk with me even if I may not have appeared remotely talkative, still heart fluttering. I set my sights on the familiar face of my classmate at the train stop. By then I had not seen my friend in over 1 or two years. It would certainly be a most joyous time-sharing stories from our paths in the intervening time. Time indeed passed rapidly and, in an hour, or so, I saw the yellow station lights illuminating the signs of my stop. I gently waved at a few folks by my seats and stepped off, with my first smile of the day seeing my friend waiting for me. As the doors of the train closed, I glanced at the man who had been sitting next to me. I smiled at him, and waved goodbye. It was a wonderful week after this day, visiting Nobel laureate Prof Chandrasekharan’s lab where my friend conducted research. Visiting the Art Institute, enjoying the magnificent lake shore drive and also quiet reflects of our days since IIT Kanpur, one of us in Michigan, another in Chicago. The worries of that day vanished much as the golden hair gentleman did after I had my train ticket in my hand for the University of Chicago.

Dr. Ronald Ross: Transmission of Malaria and its Control

Hath placed within my hand

A wondrous thing; and God Be praised. At his command, Seeking his secret deeds With tears and toiling breath, I find thy cunning seeds, O million-murdering Death. I know this little thing

A myriad men will save, O Death, where is thy sting? Thy victory, O Grave?

Dr. Ronald Ross wrote the above poem at Secunderabad, India to celebrate August 20th, 1897 as Mosquito Day and sent it to his wife on August 22,1897. Sir Ronald Ross, FRS, FRCS, was a British medical doctor who received the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine in 1902 for his work on the transmission of malaria, becoming the first British Nobel laureate, born in India. His work on malaria has thereby laid the foundation for successful research on the disease and methods of combating it. Dr. Ross is a versatile genius. His literary works include Selected Poems (1928), In Exile (1931) and the notable novels like The Child of Ocean (1899 and 1932), The Revels of Orsera, The Spirit of Storm, Fables and Satires (1930), Lyra Modulatu (1931). Ross was appointed to the Professorship in 1902 and retained the Chair until 1912, when he left Liverpool, and was appointed Physician for Tropical Diseases at Kings College Hospital, London, a post which he held together with the Chair of Tropical Sanitation in Liverpool. He remained in these posts until 1917, when he was appointed Consultant in Malariology to the War Office, his service in this capacity, and in special connection with epidemic malaria then occurring on combatant troops, being recognized by his elevation to the rank of Knight Commander in 1918. He was later appointed Consultant in Malaria to the Ministry of Pensions. In 1926 he assumed the post of Director in Chief of the Ross Institute and Hospital of Tropical Diseases

By Alok Bandyopadhyay (Pennsylvania)

and Hygiene, which had been created by admirers of his work, and he remained in this position until his death. He was also a President of the Society of Tropical Medicine.

Ronald Ross was born in Almora, India in 1857 to Sir C.C.G. Ross, a General in the Indian Army, and his wife Matilda. At the age of eight, he was sent to England to be educated and spent much of his childhood with an aunt and uncle on the Isle of Wight. During his early years he developed interests in poetry, literature, music, and mathematics, all of which he continued to engage in for the rest of his life.

At age 17, Ross declared his ambition to become a writer, but his father immediately rejected it. On the contrary his father insisted Ronald to become a medical doctor. In Ronald’s own words: “I wished to be an artist, but my father was opposed to this. I wished also to enter the Army or Navy; but my father had set his heart upon my joining the medical profession and, finally, the Indian Medical Service, which was then well paid and possessed many good appointments; and, as I was a dreamy boy not too well inclined towards uninteresting mental exertion, I resigned myself to this scheme….” Forced by his father, he joined the St. Bartholomew’s Hospital in London in 1875. Most of his time in medical school was spent composing music or writing poems and plays. Not surprisingly, he completed his medical studies “without distinction” and flunked the qualifying examinations for the Indian Medical Service. When his father threatened to cancel his allowance, he took a job as ship’s surgeon on a vessel sailing between London and New York. In 1881 he repeated the qualifying examinations and this time ranked seventeenth out of twenty-two successful candidates. After four months’ indoctrination at the Army Medical School, Ronald Ross finally fulfilled his father’s wish by entering the Indian Medical Service in 1881.

With his non-impressive result, Ross was commissioned for the Madras service, the least prestigious of the three Indian Presidencies (Bengal and Bombay were the more desirable appointments) and worked in many places like Mysore and Madras and served in the Burma War and in the Andaman Islands. Ronald used to suffer as a child seeing the malaria attack of his grandfather Lt. Col. Hugh Ross and was determined to find a cure

of the disease. While in Madras, a large part of his work was treating soldiers ill with malaria. The treatment with quinine was successful, but many died because they failed to get treatment. He also studied mathematics which he applied to the study of malaria, later. Ross was engaged in mosquitoes from the early part of his work in India. In 1883, Ross obtained the post of Acting Garrison Surgeon at Bangalore. Although Ross found the bungalow that was provided for his accommodation pleasant to live in, he was irritated by the large number of mosquitoes which constantly buzzed around the rooms. He also noticed that there seemed to be more mosquitoes in his bungalow than in others and that there was a particularly large swarm around a barrel of water that was kept outside the window. When Ross investigated the barrel, he saw lots of “wriggling” grubs breeding in the water, which he identified as mosquito larvae. Ross tipped the barrel to empty the water and found that the number of mosquitoes had reduced. This started him thinking that if the places where mosquitoes were removed it might be possible to eliminate them completely. But local people did not approve of this solution and the same apathy from governments.

Afterwards, Ross was deputed to Bangalore as a Sanitary Officer to investigate the outbreak of Cholera. Since there were no mosquitoesat Bangalore, Ronald Ross was very unhappy, but he worked hard to check cholera through proper massive sanitization (Drainages, Cleanliness, etc.). Ross was an adroit environmentalist. Between 1895 and 1897, he made Bangalore a clean and healthy city by dint of his meticulous planning and leadership.

At Sigur Ghat, near Ooty, India he saw “dappled winged” brown mosquitoes with peculiar posture. These dappled winged mosquitoes were species of the genus Anopheles. He discovered that female anopheles’ mosquitoes were the vectors of Malarial Parasite at Secunderabad on August 20, 1987. He declared August 20, as Mosquito Day. He wrote a poem (shown in the top of the article) and sent it to his wife, Rosa Bessi Bloxam, andto his mentor, Sir Patrick Manson, then physician to the Seamen’s Hospital Society, who became the Medical Advisor to the Colonial Office and the founder of the London School

of Tropical Medicine, on August 22.Afterwards, he confirmed his findings at Ross Laboratory, Presidency General Hospital, Kolkata (now Sambhunath Pandit Hospital) During the First World War (1914-1918), Ross was appointed a consultant physician on tropical diseases to Indian troops and was sent to Alexandria for four months to investigate an outbreak of dysentery that was hampering troops in the Dardanelles, Turkey. In 1917 he was appointed a consultant physician to the War Office and in 1919 he received an honorary post as consultant to the Ministry of Pensions.

In 1926 the Ross Institute and Hospital for Tropical Diseases was opened on Putney Heath, London by the Prince of Wales as a memorial to and in recognition of Ross’ work. The focus of the Institute was the study of the nature and treatment, propagation, and prevention of tropical diseases. Ross assumed the post of Director in Chief, which he held until his death in 1932. The Institute was incorporated into the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine in 1934.

Ross saved virtually everything about himself: correspondence, telegrams, newspaper cuttings, drafts of published and unpublished material, and all manner of ephemera; he also retrieved a fair number of his own letters while preparing his memoirs. In 1928, Ross advertised his papers for sale in Science Progress, making it known that he needed the money for the provision of his wife and family. They were bought by Lady Houston for £2000, who offered them to the British Museum.

While Ross is remembered for his malaria work, he was also a mathematician, epidemiologist, sanitarian, editor, novelist, dramatist, poet, and an amateur musician, composer, and artist; many of these facets are represented in the archive collection.

Ross discovered that female anopheles mosquitoes were the vectors of Malarial Parasite in 1897. One hundred twentyyears later, we can observe that our sanitization processes including Drainages, Cleanliness were developed to free us from the contraction of possible diseases. This effort caused malaria in localized areas. Moreover, a hundred years of research yielded malaria vaccine which met the specification of World Health Organization (WHO) with 75% efficacy (September 2021). Now this vaccine is used for prevention and saves the lives of a few million people.

THE HOLLOWING OUT PHENOMENON: MIGRATION, LEGAL AND ILLEGAL, FROM INDIA

By: Tathagata Ghosh (New Jersey)

In Gujarat, there is a village called Dingucha. Hundreds of families have migrated away from this village through an illegal process called Dunki made famous by a recent movie by the same name. The tortuous illegal route takes them through multiple countries. One such family of four, was trying to cross from the Canadian border into the US with two children. They froze and died on the border – the northern border of the US.

Gujrat, Punjab and Haryana are the top Indian states from where this mostly illegal migration is taking place. Estimates range from 25-60 lakhs in 2019.

From the statistics from 2023, almost 100,000 illegal Indians were caught trying to cross into the USA. The number was split almost equally amongst the two borders, the northern and the southern borders.

India has the largest diaspora population in the world with 18 million people from the country living outside their homeland in 2020, according to a report by the United Nations. The migration of Indians, forced, illegal and legal has been going on over many centuries.

Migration from India – postslavery

Millions of Indians from the sub-continent were forcibly moved /relocated in the 19th century. The 1833 abolition of slavery, in most parts of the British Empire, transformed the colonial system, replacing slavery with indentured servitude. In the eight decades that followed, the United Kingdom relocated millions of bonded Indian workers to colonies across Africa, Asia, and the Caribbean.

Apart from forced migration, hundreds of thousands of Indians took active part in the two World Wars with or without their consent.

Recent migration

There are over 13 million Indians abroad by official Government of India estimates. The recorded number of Indians in Australia is a little over 250,000. Canada has over a million immigrants, Malaysia close to 3 million Indians.A lot of the workers go to ECR countries (UAE etc.) on work permits; where there are approximately 5 million Indians.

These are the numbers of legal migrants and workers in these countries. In some of these countries there will certainly be a significant number of illegal migrants too.

Recent data from the US government indicates that 4.5 million Indian immigrants call US their home. But there is a huge population of illegal

immigrants too. In recent years, thenumber of undocumented Indians in the United States has grown by 70 percent, the fastest growth of all nationalities. By some estimates, there are about ½ million to ¾ million Indians who are illegal in the US, forming the third largest illegal immigrant group in the US.

Similarly in the UK, there is a surge of illegal immigrants from India. The number of Indians applying for legal immigration has also surged. About 1000 Indians risked their lives crossing the English Channel from Europe, becoming the second largest group attempting to cross over the English Channel. Now with the British government threatening to ship the immigrants over to Rwanda for processing, it remains to be seen how this will affect the urge to illegally immigrate.

The movie Dunki(or donkey route), captures this illegal route with a preposterous claim that illegal migration into UK is justified because the British had invaded and colonized us before. The mindset of the people, the villagers trying to flee for a better life in UK, is still captured adequately in the movie.

Why emigrate?

The pressure to emigrate through legal channels and illegal channels is only getting stronger.

Traditionally a large contingent of Indians leave for higher studies. Approximately a million students go abroad for better opportunities to about 100 countries. During the Russia Ukraine war, we realized how many students studied in Ukraine when they were trapped there. Recently we even heard that people were tricked into fighting for Russia on the pretext of getting a visa to Russia.

There are undoubtedly economic opportunities that are more lucrative than what is available in India. This could be the desperation of people trying for better economic opportunities and possible better social conditions. The economic opportunities for both skilled and unskilled labor exists in other countries. There is a tremendous amount of frustration amongst the graduates in India who do not find appropriate jobs matching their skill sets. In many industries, there are just not adequate or fulfilling opportunities for one’s skills.

A small but significant marginalized group of people also migrate who seek better social conditions. The LGBTQ community, who do not have true freedom or equality in India, look to the western countries to finally live as they want to. There are other marginalized sections, who also migrate for the religious reasons or to escape political persecution.

Problems of unemployment and under-employment in India

Is there an existential crisis fueling this immigration both legal and illegal? There is a desperation of younger people to risk it all to leave India for better opportunities.

The population crisis is one of the major reasons behind the necessity for migration from a country. Being the most populated country in the world is not great if there are few employment opportunities. As the population continues to grow, currently about 1.44 billion, there is going to be even more unemployed people, even among qualified graduates. As we have seen in many cases, people continue to pursue educational degrees in the faint and often false hope that this may lead to employment opportunities. The resultant is that there are many educated people but mostly under-employed. Many are being employed in situations that do not match their skills. The few government jobs that are available have thousands of applicants for every job. If job growth does not keep pace with population growth it leads to desperation.

Almost 50% of the youth,with ages from 20-24, are currently unemployed.

The employment opportunities are slowly being squeezed out. For all the talk about the youth dividend, it is actually a crisis, if there is massive unemployment or underemployment.

Per the official statistics, the agricultural sector is still the largest employment sector for over 40% of the population. The services sector is slowly growing. The industrial sector employment of about 25% has almost stayed static for almost a decade. It does look like the sectors like food delivery etc. are growing. The real growth that needs to happen in the industrialized sector but that employment is barely moving in spite of huge capital investments. The recruitment into IT sector is now on the wane.

The under-employment and parttime employment are rising sharply every year, to an official number of about 20%, per World Bank statistics. The real unemployment would far outstrip these official figures. There seems to be a consensus that there is a mismatch of skills between the graduates who are graduating and the skills that are needed for employment.

Many of the engineering colleges that mushroomed at a record pace are now closing down. Engineering colleges could have helped in the transition of students to specialize in the manufacturing sector but that does not seem to be happening. Vocational training is lagging behind whereas it should be an important component in the education portfolio. Courses relating to hospitality and para-medical can be employment generators in an

exploding population base but probably there are limited training opportunities in this field.

There are many welfare schemes being provided by the government so as to alleviate the distress but these are just Band Aid’s for a huge structural problem. The government jobs are cornered by political parties and famously there are bribes required to get a job. This is true of constables or even menial workers.

There is also an inter-state migration happening and It is very noticeable in recent times. Migrants from many North Indian states are migrating away in search of better prospects and travelling to places like Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Gujarat and Maharashtra where there are probably more available jobs.

The future of migration from India

There will continue to be a gradual hollowing out of the upper middle class and upper class who will seek educational and economic opportunities abroad. They will try to use the legal migration routes.

The lower middle class, political refugees will seek first to migrate to less desirable places and if all else fail will go the route of illegal immigration. There is a growing sector of brokers who are fueling this illegal immigration. It is an inevitability.

The political parties are unable to address this because in some ways the problem is overwhelming. There are no easy solutions to generate the required number of jobs in India.

Even if there are jobs, the allure of better educational opportunities, better economic prospects and expectation of social justice will always be an attraction for a large section of people.

Sources:

https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/indians-form-third-largestillegal-immigrant-population-in-us-pewresearch-estimates/article67561291.ece https://www.washingtonpost.com/ world/2024/03/03/india-undocumented-immigrants/ https://www.mea.gov.in/populationof-overseas-indians.htm https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/ nri/migrate/indians-are-leaving-thecountry-in-droves-heres-where-they-areheaded-and-why/articleshow/96847173. cms?from=mdr https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/ nri/migrate/indians-are-leaving-thecountry-in-droves-heres-where-they-areheaded-and-why/articleshow/96847173. cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_ medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst https://www.cnbc.com/2024/04/04/india-stares-at-high-youth-unemploymentas-hiring-in-its-it-sector-slows.html https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_ students_abroad https://www.migrationpolicy.org/article/india-migration-country-profile

Spring is gone and summer is almost here. After a few months of cold winter, we are looking forward for a few invigorating months of good weather. Warmer weather and longer days are mean fun for the kids, vacation from school, and parents can spend somequality timewith their kids. Our devotees visit the Temple more often during summer time when the kids are home. Winter or summer our puja activities at Ananda Mandir go on throughout the year.

The first puja for the month of April was our monthly Shyama Puja. A lot of devotees came to the temple for this puja. After the puja all of us had a good dinner.

PUJA ACTIVITIES FOR APRIL-JUNE, 2024

Reported by Mita Sinha, Chair, Puja Committee

On April 14 we celebratedthe Bengali New Year. On this day the Mandir stayed open for longer hours. A large number of people from the Bengali community visited the temple. It is customary for us to start the New Year with a visit to the temple. People try to maintain this tradition, so visitors dropped by all day long.

Satyanarayan Puja in the evening. This was a busy day for us. On April 18 we had Bijoya Dashami. On this day people bid farewell to the Goddess. All of us enjoyed this puja.

Basanti Puja started on April 14 and ended on April 18. This puja falls on the first day of the Chaitra Shukla Paksha. It marks the arrival of spring and celebrates Goddess Durga. This is a five-day festival, celebrated at our temple. The rituals of Basanti Puja are similar to Durga Puja. We had Sandhi Puja on the afternoon of 16th and many people came to watch the Sandhi Puja. On April 17 we hadthe celebration of Ram Nabami Puja and a

May was also a busy month at Ananda Mandir. The month started with monthly Shyama Puja. Lots of Devotees came to the temple. After the Puja, Hom, and Aarati, we all had sumptuous dinner.

On May 10 we celebrated Shri Krishner Chandan Jatra in the morning. Chandan Jatra marks the start of the summer season. Lord Krishna was adorned with sandalwood paste on this day. Akshaya Tritiya was also celebrated on this day. Akshaya Tritiya is not only religious in nature.Believers also indulge in charity

work on this day for their spiritual upliftment and growth. In Bengal some businesses start their new Haalkhata on this day.

Next puja in May was Ram Thakur SmaronUtshab (Memorial of Ram Thakur) and Satyanarayan Puja. This was a special day in our Puja calendar at Ananda Mandir. A group of people (Kirtaniyas) were invited to come from New York City to do kirtan (singing of religious songs) at our Mandir every year. Our members love this special day, and we all participated with them in kirtan. We have a number of disciples of Ram Thakur in our area, and they all came to the Temple on this day to join with us in the festivities. After the Kirtan, we had our Satyanarayan Puja. A special dinner was

served in the evening after the puja.

The first puja for the month of June was Phalaharini Kali Puja. This day is celebrated in the month of Jyeshta as per Bengali Calendar. This auspicious day is dedicated to Goddess Kali who is the Goddess of strength, power and destroyer of evils. Phalaharini is the one who takes away the fruit of our bad actions. We had a beautiful Aarati, and prasad distribution took place after the puja.

On June 16 we had Ganga Puja and Dashahara. Ganga river is the most revered river of India. People believe that taking a dip in the holy river of Ganga can cleanse their sins and help them have a better and positive outlook towards life. We celebrated this Puja in the morning at Ananda Mandir.

The last puja for the month of June was SnanJatra and Satyanarayan Puja. SnanJatra is a bathing festival of deities celebrated on the Purnima day of the month of Jyeshta. It is the auspicious birthday of Lord Jagannath. It is an important festival for Hindus. We had our monthly Satyanarayan Puja in the evening. Temple was full of devotees and after the puja all of us had a good dinner.

Puja is an essential practice of a Hindu family. At Ananda Mandir we do pujas following the Bangla Calendar. We want all of you to come and enjoy the pujas with us at Ananda Mandir. Also, we welcome kids to participate in our puja activities and learn about our culture. Please come to the temple with your family and involve your kids to different activities. Enjoy your summer with us. Our puja calendar is posted at our website www.anandamandir. org. Puja dates and times are all listed in our website (and on Page 1 of this news magazine). We ask all of you to come and participate and volunteer for our beautiful temple.

HIGHLIGHTS OF CULTURAL COMMITTEE ACTIVITIES

Reported by Subhrojit Dutta (New Jersey)

Fourmajor cultural events were presented to the Ananda Mandir community in the last quarter (Apr – Jun 2024). The first was “Ananda Sandhya”, the second was “Tagore’s 163rd Birth Anniversary”, the third “Banga Next Gen’s Pohela Boishakh”, and the fourth was “Summer Concert”.

Ananda Sandhya

The signature event of Ananda Mandir namely “Ananda Sandhya” is back after a long break, on popular demand. The first session of Ananda Sandhya was held in the basement of the old building on Friday (April 26) evening at 8 pm. The vocalists were Tandra Das(Rabindra Sangeet), Bidisha Mukherjee (Adhunik), Sumanta Mukherjee (Classical).and AmitDas was the tabla maestro. This session was organized by Priya Ranjan Das and Suranjan Bhanja Choudhury with support from Sucharita Das.

Tagore’s 163rd Birth Anniversary

Ananda Mandir hosted an evening of music and dance-drama as the world celebrated “Tagore’s 163rd Birth Anniversary”, on May 12th. The community enjoyed thoroughly Tagore’s RoktoKarobi(Red Oleander). This presentation of RoktoKarobi was conceived and directed by Moumon Mitra, and the performers included actors from local fraternity. The dance-drama was followed by a first-time ever Santoor Concert in Tagore Hall by none other than Suddhashil Chatterjee (disciple of Pt. Shiv Kumar Sharma), accompanied on tabla by Anirban Roy Chowdhury.

Banga NextGen’s Pohela Boishakh

The community celebrated the Bengali New Year with “Banga NextGen’s Pohela Boishakh” on May 19th in Tagore Hall. It was a day filled with cultural delights, delicious treats, and joyful activities. The event was organized by Banga Next Gen, and Ananda Mandir was a co-sponsor.

The attendees got an opportunity to immerse themselves in the rich traditions of Bengali culture (from traditional delicacies to engaging games and mesmerizing performances) and welcomed the new year with joy and happiness. We would like to thank everyone in the tri-state area for participating in this event, making it memorable and a great success.

Summer Concert

Ananda Mandir’s summer concert was a concert series on held on June 23rd.

Padma Shree and Sahitya Academy award winner Sumitra Guha’s “Veer Meera” was a musicalpresentation on empowering women that delves into the extraordinary story of Meera Bai, an emblem of strength and resilience. Meera’s unwavering devotion and fearless pursuit of her beliefs inspire women to challenge societal norms and embrace their paths. Sumitra

was accompanied by Satyajit (keyboard), Sudipta (dance), Samia (vocal support) and Abhijit (tabla). Avirup Sengupta’s (an Internationally acclaimed Odissi dancer and choreographer) recital had the audience spellbound.

We also listened to our next generation singers paying tributes to Late Ustad Rashid Khan and Shri Pankaj Udhas. The performers: Shankha, Aratrika, Om, Somnil, Debayan, Madhurima, Reshmi, Suman, Ranjan, Neil and Makarand. This tribute was directed by Satyajit Bhattacharya.

THEIR EYES HAVE IT

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of a reserved person and a temptress with hidden passion. Her long love affair with married Raj Kapoor is one for the story book; her eyes were always shining like stars in movies with him. My favorite scenes featuring her are her singing the song “Jago Mohan Pyare” in the movie “Jagte Raho” and her performance in the song “Ye raatbheegibheegi” from “Chori chori”.

Hema Malini: Hema Malini was affectionately known as the “dream girl”. Her face looks literally like the face of a religious idol like goddess Durga with big eyes and a pleasant peaceful expression. She stole my heart with the mujra “Main twaifhoon“ in the movie “Mehbooba” where her eyes showed the pain of a broken heart and at the same time well wishes for her lover on occasion of his wedding to another woman. Her dance routine with the song “Jab takhaijaan” from the blockbuster “Sholay” probably started her romance with Dharmendra and led to their marriage.

Suchitra Sen: Suchitra Sen brought a quiet dignity and grace to the screen with her reserved mannerism and controlled smile. Her dark eyes with the song, “Chal re sajni” from “Bombai ka Babu” can only be compared with those of a doe and remind me of Tagore’s line “Dekechiitaar kalo horinchokh” (I have seen her dark doe eyes). Although her pairing with the actor Uttam Kumar created a legendary duo in Bengali movies, she has demonstrated more versatility in Bollywood, from playful role in the song “Dekhne me bhola“ in the movie “Bombai ka Babu” to mujra in “Mamta”.

Aiswarya Rai: Aiswarya Rai has been often described as the “most beautiful woman in the world” during the early part of this century. She has unique captivating “sea blue” eyes, and her intelligence is reflected in her looks. Her eyes are one of the most searched eyes on Google, only surpassed by those for Elizabeth Taylor’s eyes. Her eye color is all natural without any contact lenses. With the beauty of her eyes and dancing skill, she does not need any other make-up to win our heart as she has demonstrated in the song “Barso re meghamegha” from “Guru” and “Taal se taal mila” in “Taal”.

Madhuri Dixit: Madhuri Dixit’s eyes reflect her positive personality; always cheerful, always full of love and compassion, always friendly and occasionally perhaps even mischievous. She can carry any scene with her dance moves and her eyes dance with her. Although her facial features cannot be quantified, she has a unique sensational look. Her mesmerizing dance routines with the title song of “Aaja Nach le” and with the song “Dola re” in the movie Devdas (together with Aiswarya Rai) are a feast for both eyes and ears.

Sharmila Tagore: If Aishwarya Rai’s eyes are exotic, Sharmila Tagore’s eyes are divine. Satyajit Ray exploited this in casting her in the lead role in her Bengali movie “Devi” where her father-in-law saw in her eyes his Goddess Kali. She excelled opposite Shammi Kapoor in her Bollywood debut “Kashmir Ki Kali” with her shy but inviting looks. Her seductive eyes made her roop “mastana” in that unforgettable scene with Rajesh Khanna in “Aradhana”. She can adjust her eyes to be a housewife in a conservative family or a cabaret dancer in a French nightclub. In the romantic song “Kuch dil ne kaha” from the movie “Anupama”, her eyes told what her heart was trying to say.

Sridevi: Sridevi has been described as the “first female superstar” of Indian movies. Although somewhat introverted off-screen, she commands the silver screen. Her real appeal is that she exudes feminine power, energy and confidence with her large eyes. Her dance numbers “Mai teri Dushman” in Nagina and “Hawa Hawai” in “Mr. India” are iconic and she is one of the best dancers coming out of Bollywood. Her face has a cuteness not matched by other South Indian actresses like Vaijantimala and Padmini.

There have been, of course, many other stunning beauties in Bollywood from the time when I was a teenager to present time. My honorable mention goes to Nutan of yester years and Nargis Fakhri of present era both of whom have sparks in their eyes, expressing joy, curiosity and optimism.

Acknowledgement: I would like to thank Prithu Mukhopadhyay who told me about his obsession with women’s eyes and in the process made me realize that I share his passion.

UNIQUE BENGALI CONNECTION WITH RAJASTHAN

By Partha Sircar (California)

Three months back, on my trip to India, Devjani and I, had a brief but wonderful trip to Rajasthan. Our younger son Neelanjan, and his wife Khushi, were there with us. The trip was really brief: we traveled only to Jodhpur and Jaisalmer and the wonderful desert. But this is not about that brief tour, though it starts with Jaisalmer.

Jaisalmer is a wonderful little town within the Thar desert all round, and quite close to the border with Pakistan. The dominant feature of the town is the imposing fort made famous by the memorable film Sonar Kella by Satyajit Ray. In fact, it appears that the fort has seemingly lost its old name. Even the locals like the auto and cab drivers called it Sonar Kella, which juiced up my Bengali pride. This pride received added fillip when we saw a picture of Satyajit Ray prominently displayed in one of the stores.

The fort and the photo of Satyajit Ray stirred up some ‘interesting’ thought currents in me. I started wondering if there was more to it in the connection between Bengal and the faraway Rajasthan, almost in the other end of the country. And no people are less alike - the Bengalees with their apparent pride in intellectual superiority and the tall, well-built Rajputs with their history of chivalry and valor. And then I was reminded of the iconic pieces of literature in Bengali about Rajputs.

carrying it away all the way to Delhi. This information is proudly showcased in the Jaipur Palace. I also came to learn there that the principal credit as the architect of the wonderful city of Jaipur is given to one Vidyadhar Bhattacharya. He was a resident of Naihati, which happens to be where my own ancestral roots are, and surely made me feel good at the moment. I was told that his descendants still live nearby in Jaipur.

I am talking about Abanindranath Tagore’s Raj Kahini; Romesh Chandra Datta’s fine historical piece Rajput Jeeban Sandhya, and the wonderful historical novel Mewar Patan by Dwijendra Lal Roy. Most, if not all the Bengalees of our and our previous generations are familiar with them. As surely was Satyajit Ray. To me, it is somewhat unique, somewhat unusual that Bengal and Rajasthan would be connected in this way. I cannot readily think of any other part of India being a part of Bengali psyche as was Rajasthan.

And there is more. Bengal’s special connections with Rajasthan and Rajputs may have started in the sixteenth century when Akbar sent out his general Man Singh, the King of Jaipur, for the conquest of Bengal from the Pathans. It was a singular event in the history of Bengal. In my trip to Jaipur several years back, I learned about Man Singh’s capturing the image of Kali from the Jasoreswari temple in Jessore as part of the spoils of war and

The important connection between Swami Vivekananda and Maharaja of Khetri in Rajasthan is another important episode. Swami Vivekananda during his travels through India met Maharaja Ajit Singh of Khetri. The Maharaja was extremely impressed with Swamiji. So much so, he helped Swamiji in various ways, particularly for his trip to America. It is believed that it is the Maharaja who gave Swamiji the name of Vivekananda a name, which made him famous all over the world (he was previously going around as Vividishananda). The Maharaja is also known to have impressed upon Swamiji the ochre robe and the pugree. Swamiji also held him in high regard and showered some good advice on him. Swami Akhandananda, a brother disciple of Swamiji also had useful contacts with the Maharaja. There is more to Jaipur’s connection to Bengal and Bengalees. The famous Gayatri Devi, Maharani of Jaipur, was the daughter of the erstwhile Maharajah of Cooch Behar. She had the reputation of being one of the prettiest and most elegant ladies of her time. And while visiting Jaipur, I came to learn that in the early twentieth century, there was a longtime Dewan of the Maharajah of Jaipur named Sansar Sen. We came across an important road there named after him.

And while talking of the connections between Rajasthan and Bengal, how can I forget the prominent businessmen of Calcutta: theBirlas, Goenkas, Dalmias and the others, who have been prominent fixture for Kolkata and Bengal for years. They originally hail from Marwar, which is another name for the kingdom of Jodhpur, which I visited recently as I said. And that reminded me of Jagat Seth, the arch co-conspirator with Mir Jafar in the famous Battle of Plassey. He also hailed from Marwar.

ON PLANNING AND ENJOYING RETIREMENT

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the local papers and websites. I started contributing to my 401k plan and maximized contributions as soon as I could. I understood the importance of starting early, contributing regularly and the value of compounded returns over time. I saw no reason to hire expensive financial advisors. Index funds are comparable to and sometimes outperform actively managed funds in the long term. I made them a large part of my portfolio. The financial crisis of 2007-2008 was a valuable lesson. It showed that if you have the wherewithal to ride out a market downturn, you will do well on the rebound. For that, a cash cushion is necessary. I now have a well-diversified portfolio that I manage, which, along with our Social Security payments and an annuity, should take care of our needs. I have made it as worry-proof as possible and this gives me the peace of mind to enjoy retirement.

Finances are crucial but not the only issue for retirement. One also has to invest in health and family.

A healthy body is the vehicle with which to enjoy life and retirement. No point in being a billionaire restricted to a wheel chair. We are a product of nature and nurture—genes and environment. We have no control over the genes we inherit. But we have control over how we live, work, eat, exercise, relax and a whole lot more. Modern life and work are stressful, not conducive to good health, one reason I stopped working early. We eat delicious and healthy home-cooked meals in moderation. That’s the key— moderation. My exercise routine involves walking in the neighborhood and parks with some weights and stretches at home. I used to smoke but gave it up years ago. I consider myself reasonably healthy for my age. No serious issues except two replaced knees.

A close-knit family is a blessing. Who else to enjoy life with! My wife and I have been friends since our college days and now married for thirty-nine years. We were separated for five years while I was doing my Ph.D. in the US and she was in India. I went back, married, and, since then, have always been together. Our son did his Ph.D. at Weil-Cornell Medical College in New York and then switched to the financial services industry, a bold but lucrative step. He is a fine young man, independent, yet close to us.

In retirement there is plenty of free time. But, if the mind is not productively engaged, it can be dangerous. I keep it active and engaged. I pondered—whatwould I want to do if I had the time and money? Pursue my hobbies— reading, writing and traveling.

I started writing small articles on my travels. They were published in local newspapers and websites. I traveled to Nepal, saw the rising sun bathe Annapurna in liquid gold and on an elephant, tracked and photographed a onehorned rhino in Chitwan National Park. I visited the distant Andaman Islands, a

godforsaken penal colony under British rule, and jet skied in the warm turquoise waters.

I started my website and blog ranjanmukherjee.com. Publishing is now easy— write, edit and when satisfied, click ‘publish’. Done. It’s online. These activities keep me happily engaged. I don’t have a boss except my wife who still gives me four delicious meals a day, the fourth being afternoon tea and jolkhabar. And I take a nap, dibanidra, at noon. What bliss! Once a Bengali, always a Bengali.

I was invited to join a group of writers with the goal of translating selected Bengali short stories into English. These were published as “Treasures from Bengal, An Anthology”. I had never translated before, a new experience.

Unexpectedly, I received an invitation to speak at a scientific conference in China. I accepted. They must have liked what I said and how I said it for they invited me again, to write a book on their research program. I agreed, on condition that I have time to do some sightseeing. On that trip, I visited Beijing where I saw the Great Wall and had an excellent Beijing Duck in a famous restaurant just south of Tiananmen Square; Shanghai, where I went to the top of the Oriental Pearl Tower; Zhuhai, where I saw the long bridge connecting the mainland to Hong Kong and zipped to Hangzhou and Wenzhou by bullet train.

After the COVID-19 pandemic subsided, my son and I visited the national parks of the southwest and the sites of ancient Mexican civilizations (Teotihuacánto ChichénItzá). In June we plan to see the Canadian Rockies.

I give Travel-Talks at libraries and retirement homes. This is my new gig. These slide and video presentations are lively discussions where I get a lot of questions. People are curious to learn about life and culture in other countries and this understanding brings people closer. Hopefully, I am able to help a little.

Retirement may require a mental adjustment. At this point we don’t have an exalted job title, the corner office, a corporate jet and all the perks. Do we need them? A Zen attitude helps. Money is necessary, up to a point. Beyond that, the constant need to work and earn more leads to restlessness.

I found this quote from Einstein enlightening, “A calm and modest life brings more happiness than the pursuit of success combined with constant restlessness.”

Relax. Let go. Be free. Enjoy life and retirement.

Editor’s Note: Readers interested in additional information on author’s life and insights on retirement may wish to look up his book, “Living Free, Living Well: My Life as a Zen Bon Vivant”. It is available on Amazon.com(https://amzn. to/456Njtp).The author can also be contacted through email (ranjanmuk21@ gmail.com) in case of any questions.

Evergreen Club Activities

(January – June, 2024)

Reported by Prabir Biswas (New Jersey)

In the months of January and February, no sessions were held. Reason being, un availability of participants. Traditionally, most of the members spend the winter months in warmer places. This year also no different. Not enough members were available to hold even a Virtual meeting.

First meeting of 2024 was in March. It was an on-line meeting. Most of the members returned home from their winter getaway. It was an open session. Major item of discussion was about their India trip experience.

April and May meetings were in-person get-together at Ananda Mandir’s front building. Over 20 members joined the April the

meet and about 15 at the May meet. Evergreen members were eager to meet others in-person. After a delicious light lunch, the session began. A new member joined the club. Various subjects were discussed, both serious and funny and in-between. A good amount of time was spent on Rabindranath Thakur in the May session. The session ended with plans to meet again.

June session will be a virtual meet. Virtual meets afford distant and mobility- restricted members to join. We decided to alternate our sessions between virtual and in-person sessions on a monthly basis. Let us see how that works.

WRITERS CLUB ACTIVITIES

(January – June, 2024)

Reported by Debajyoti Chatterji (New Jersey)

Writers Club is a forum for individuals who like to write, in Bengali or in in English, to share their original works with their peers and receive constructive feedback in return. The meetings are informal, held on Friday evenings, and last no more than 2.5 hours. Depending on availability of writers, meetings are held on a monthly or bimonthly basis. All the meetings are held on-line, permitting several nonNJ individuals to participate. Physical distance is not a barrier for Writers Club get-togethers!

The first meeting of the reporting period was held on Friday, January 12. Five authors presented their recent writings: Rahul Ray (“Rabindranath Sighting”, in Bengali), Anandita Chowdhury (A “micro-story”, in Bengali), Shamita Das Dasgupta (Bengali translation of a work by a young Palestinian poet), Nabanita Sen (A poem in “open prose” style, in Bengali), and Soumi Jana (A poem in Bengali).

The next meeting was held on Friday, March 29. Biswadip Chakraborty (Kolkata) was an invited guest for this session. He joined the meeting, even though it was around 4 AM in Kolkata! Biswadip used to live in Ann Arbor, MI, and was heavily in-

volved in many literary activities. He was one of the principal organizers of Kathamala, a literary meet that was held over three days and attracted almost 100 literature-lovers from states across the US. After settling back in Kolkata, he has substantially increased scope of his literary activities. He briefly described these activities to the members of our Writers Club. Other presenters in this session were Arnab Goswami (“Surprise”, a short story in English) and Aditi Ghosh Dastidar (“GorobiniKamolini”, a short story in Bengali). This session attracted a large number of attendees.

The third meeting took place on Friday, May 17 and featured on “anugolpo” (micro-story) writing. All the attendees were asked to begin their micro-stories with the same two sentences, handed out to the members ahead of the session. The resulting basket of micro-stories was a wonderful display of creativity and style! The following authors presented their stories: Rahul Ray, Sophia Mitra, Shamita Das Dasgupta, Sangrami Lahiri,Anasuya Sen, Utpal Sengupta, Ranjana Sanyal, Prabir Biswas and Debajyoti Chatterji.

The date for the next meeting is Friday, July 12.

Community Service News

Please donate blood on Tuesday, August 13!

For severalyears, Ananda Mandir has organized blood donation drives for American Red Cross. The most recent drive was held on April 23, 2024 with good results.

The next drive will be held on Tuesday, August 13. Tagore Hall is the venue for this commu-

nity service provided by Ananda Mandir. Doors will open at 2 pm.

Please contact Utpal Sengupta (Chair, Community Services Committee) if you are interested in donating blood or have any questions. He can be reached at usengupta2@gmail.com

GSCA CORNER

Reported by Pradip R. Das (New Jersey)

Annual General Meeting

On Saturday, March 23rd, GSCA conducted its inperson annual general meeting of members. The venue was Mirchi India Restaurant at Iselin, NJ. The attending members were treated to a sumptuous lunch buffet of south and north Indian delicacies.

After duly meeting quorum, the meeting started off with a welcome note by the chairman of the board. This was followed by an address by the secretary and the treasurer’s report for the past year. Subsequently, the budget for the current year was also approved by the members. The coordinators of the nine GSCA committees then proceeded to report on their activities for the past year and give their thoughts and suggestions for moving forward more effectively. A lively Q & A session that ensued was constructive and provided insights into the active involvement of members in the organization. All the new members who came on board this year were introduced to the general assembly and were accorded a warm welcome to the organization.

GSCA Baishakhi

GSCA Baisakhi held on May 4th, 2024, at the South Brunswick Senior Center, was a resounding success, bringing together the community to celebrate Poila Baishakh with enthusiasm and cultural pride. Theprogram was started by GSCA members with a beautiful blend of recitation, song, and dance, centered around the theme of ChoitraSesheBorshoboron, setting the tone for a festive evening.

One of the event’s highlights was the children’s recitation program titled “Sobujer Avijan,” featuring second-generation Bengalis aged 7-15. The young performers impressed the audience with their flawless pronunciation as they recited versatile poems from legendary to modern Bengali poets, describing the 12 months of the Bengali calendar.

The play “The Thanksgivings,” written and directed by JhaleJholeOmbole of New Jersey (JJONJ), captivated the audience with its poignant dramatization of a family event during the tragic times of COVID-19, leaving a lasting impression without revealing too much of the plot. The excellent performances and emotional depth of the play were highly praised by attendees.

Any Bengali event would be incomplete without the traditional “khaoadaoa”. Attendees were treated to snacks and a sumptuous five course dinner, making the day a complete cultural extravaganza.

GSCA’s Baisakhi event embodied a harmonious blend of tradition, talent and togetherness, highlighting the community’s spirit and cohesiveness.

GSCA Philanthropy Cyclone Relief Fund

GSCA Philanthropy Committee is organizing a fundraiser to help those devastated by the impact of Cyclone Remal in the areas of Patharpratima, Raidighi and Mathurapur in the Sundarbans. GSCA is partnering with Mukti, whose ground volunteers are coordinating relief efforts in the form of Ration Kits Support, Baby Food and Hygiene Kits Support, Tarpaulin Support and Vegetable Seed Support.

GSCA seeks community support in NJ to help in restoring normalcy and rebuilding lives in the Sundarbans. Donate generously to GSCA Philanthropy at www.gsca.us

COMMUNITY NEWS

Maitree

Association of America (MAA) came into inception on Akshay Tritiya of 2022. As a new organization formed on principles of cordial and open friendship amongst members in order to foster Bengali socio-cultural talent and activities, we have organized two successful Durga puja (2022 and 2023), Saraswati puja, Lakshmi puja, Baisakhi, Picnic, and Diwali celebrations. In addition, our members have enthusiastically participated in Quiz (Kallol Quiz Contest held in December 2022 and 2023) and Antakshari (SBA) and won first place consistently. Our nascent organization is proud of these member teams.

In 2024, in particular, we have organized Saraswati Pujo on February 25 at Tagore Hall, Ananda Mandir with a stellar line up of local talents and youngsters who performed songs, dances, and played instruments. On April 7, we organized our second Annual General Meeting where the members unanimously voted

MAITREE CORNER

Reported by Arundhati Sanyal (New Jersey)

to adopt the By-Laws of the organization. We then hosted the Baisakhi (Barsha Baran) celebrations on May 4 at Tagore Hall, Ananda Mandir, to a packed audience who enjoyed a mixed medley of group dances, group songs and orchestra, along with several bands that ranged from young adolescents to adults. Particularly heartwarming was the tribute paid by the next generation to Rabindranath Tagore’s songs which they infused with rock music and beats.

Also, for the second year we hosted the successful Maitree Sundari, Maitree Kids, Maitree Couple, and Maitree Men’s fashion show. Members and guests walked enthusiastically on the red carpet flaunting their attractive fashion and style as the au-

ICC CORNER

By Pratap Das (New Jersey)

Empowering community growth: Recent achievements and future goals of ICCGS As abeacon of cultural preservation, ICCGS -- these initials resonate with pride and purpose. Rooted in the heart of New Jersey, Indian Community Center of Garden State (ICCGS) has carefully maintained the rich and colorful heritage of Bengali culture. Here, traditional practices, mesmerizing art forms, and cherished customs are not mere relics; they are celebrated, passed down, and kept alive for generations to come. Imagine stepping inside and feeling the warmth of shared stories, the resonance of laughter, and the hum of collaboration. ICCGS encourages active participation. Here, community bonds are forged, strengthened, and woven into the very fabric of existence. ICCGS not only facilitates cultural immersion but also offers valuable resources, stage opportunities for performers, inspiration for talented children, encouragement for donations, and active participation in philanthropic activities. Within its supportive environment, dreams take root, and encouragement flourishes like a thousand blossoms.

Saraswati Puja:As the year 2024 unfolds, ICCGS has already marked two significant milestones by successfully celebrating Saraswati Puja and Baisakhi. These festivals, deeply rooted in

our cultural heritage, serve as a testament to our community’s resilience, unity, and commitment to preserving our traditions. Celebrating Cultural Heritage: Saraswati Puja 2024 One of the hallmark events of ICCGS is the annual Saraswati Puja. The 2024 Saraswati Puja was a grand affair, marked by devotion, joy, and cultural richness. Held at the First Presbyterian Church, Rockaway, NJ, the event saw the participation of many community members, making it one of the most attended celebrations. The idol of Saraswati, beautifully adorned with flowers and garlands, was the centerpiece of the celebration. The puja was followed by cultural performances, including classical music, dance, and poetry recitals by local artists and children. These performances not only showcased the immense talent within the community but also highlighted the importance of cultural education and preservation. Additionally, the traditional Bengali feast, complete with an array of delicious dishes, brought the community together, fostering camaraderie and shared joy.

Baisakhi 2024:Baisakhi is another major event celebrated by the ICCGS. The 2024 Baisakhi celebration was a vibrant and colorful affair, symbolizing new beginnings and community unity.

Held at Greek orthodox church, Randolph, the event drew many

dience applauded heartily.

Maitree seeks to be a consistent presence in philanthropic activities and to that end we are partnering with Bharat Sevashram Sangha in order to donate and sponsor the education of minority and tribal communities, particularly women in West Bengal, India. We are donating consistently and substantially to soup kitchens in New Jersey.

In parting, we would also like to acknowledge two of our Founding Members who left us in the past nine months, Late Srimati Sandhya Guha (who passed in August 2023) and Late Sri Asit Ray (who passed in January 2024). We miss them profoundly but find inspiration in their leadership of the organization.

community members, all eager to participate in the festivities. This event was nothing short of fantastic, true evidence to our community’s spirit and dedication to celebrating our rich heritage. From the moment the festivities began, it was clear that Baishakhi 2024 would be an event to remember. The array of scintillating cultural programs dazzled us all, showcasing the vibrant and diverse traditions that make up our beautiful culture. We were treated to mesmerizing dance performances, and soul-stirring music that transported us to the heart of Bengal. Each performance was a testament to the talent and dedication of our community members, who worked tirelessly to bring these cultural expressions to life.

And who could forget the sumptuous food? The culinary delights served at Baishakhi 2024 were a feast for both the eyes and the palate. Traditional Bengali dishes, prepared with love and authenticity, allowed us to indulge in the flavors of our homeland. From mouthwatering sweets to savory treats, every bite was a reminder of the rich culinary heritage we are so proud of. The meticulous planning and execution by our volunteers ensured that the food was not only delicious but also abundant, adding to the overall experience of the event. The success of Baishakhi 2024 was not just in the programs and food but also in the attendance. The event was exceptionally wellattended, with friends and families coming together to celebrate

SUVO-DA’S DARLING DAKSHINEE

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music from All India Radio, Brahmo Samaj and Shanti Niketan to the middle-class Bengali community of Kolkata. Apart from this, he demonstrated that the instruction of Rabindra Sangeet could be a legitimate form of education, something not heard of before. Dakshinee now boasts a total of about 6000 graduates thus far. At least a hundred such students are now well placed in the music world, primarily in Rabindra Sangeet.

The instruction of Rabindra Sangeet at Dakshinee is not individual-centric, in that not a single person is involved at a given time. But a strong emphasis is placed on timeliness and discipline. They take pride in the fact no class was ever canceled or started late. Suvo da thought of himself as a teacher throughout his life. He could teach the most difficult Tagore song in a very lucid manner. He was never a proponent of being a performer on stage and emphasized that to his students. He would call it a hankering for popularity, and also advised students not to brag about how many songs they could sing. He was a stickler of discipline.

The discipline Suvo da wanted to maintain in his institution helped indirectly in the lives of the students like us. As soon as the students would land in Dakshinee after attending their respective schools and colleges, they would see Suvo da clad in pure white shirt, with the end of his white dhoti tucked in the side shirt pocket. He used to wait for every student as they arrived, and through his thick eyeglasses, he would loom on us, as if he was trying to read each of us individually. We, as students, were not able to avoid his penetrating glances. The classes would begin exactly at the right time, and there was never a few minutes’ delay at all. If we were a bit late, we were not allowed to go to the class right away, and that’s how he would embarrass us. In other educational institutions the students could sneak through other entrances to the classroom when they were late. But a classroom at Dakshinee had only one door, so there was no way to sneak in. I have personal experience of being punished for being tar-

dy, though I would come to the institution gasping. But as soon as one entered the classroom, one could experience the tranquility of this institution.

Suvo da had a spiritual aura in him. Dakshinee was in no way a religious institution, although the Saraswati Puja was celebrated in a strict religious fashion. When the classes were over, we, the students, would hang around in a small enclave near an arch of flowers next to the main building, talking in whispering tones. Suvo da always insisted that we should take the best advantage of being there as a student, justifying the best return on our parents’ investment towards our music education. At the end of every term, the report cards would be issued, but not be handed out to the students. Instead, they were mailed out to their parents or guardians. In our time, musical talent of girls was appreciated in the community as their potential to become a future bride. Dakshinee was never noisy but as the classes were on session, one could hear the voices, music and sound of ankle bells of the dance students. I was indeed fortunate to come across a towering personality like Suvo Da. Some of the very serious students of Dakshinee think that it is not a good idea for successful alumna of Dakshinee to switch to different genres of vocal music, something some of them pursued.

Suvo da always emphasized that the students during their training at Dakshinee should master the two components associated with the Rabindra Sangeet, namely, pronunciation and feelings (Bhava) through the depth of inwardness. Dakhshinee did not specifically require students to master the harmonium, although if someone would like to use it, that was fine.

Some critics of Dakhshinee have complained about two aspects of the instruction fostered at this institution, namely, enforcement of severe discipline (‘kathorniyomobortita’) and extolling the talent for imitation (‘anukoronpratibha’). In my opinion both these complaints are mute, and unfounded. Discipline plays an extremely important role in learning Rabindra Sangeet and reflects strongly on the commitment

of students to learning. The aspect of imitation is important too, in that by imitating the rendition of a famous artist, one can develop a unique style. This is evident as we listen to the renditions of Rabindra Sangeet by Rezwana (Banya) and her mentor Kanika Bandyopadhyay, and we can see how the style of singing gets transferred from one generation to the next. In the absence of an order, the music gets completely scattered, and this is contrary to what Tagore wanted in his music.

As we listen to the songs of Sreya Guha Thakurta and Saheb Chatterjee, and other alumna of Dakshinee, it takes us to our wondrous journey through time. Dakshinee program is trapped in our minds – we have a sudden vision of the time we spent at Dakshinee. When we heard Suvo da was no longer with us, we felt that the giant guardian of music at Dakhshinee had left us. Suvoda’s commitment to spread Tagore’s music had led to the birth of our darling Dakshinee. Many years later when I returned to Dakshinee, I could still recognize the smell of the old building and could still hear the voice of Suvo da beckoning us.

We did not have the opportunity to see Tagore in person, but he surely became our sole guru. I always regret that I could not take lessons in Tagore music at Shantiniketan, but when I see successful students like Kamalini Mukherji, Sreya Guha Thakurta, Srikanto Acharya, and a host of other Dakshinee alumna, tears come to my eyes when I observe how they maintain the style of Dakshinee in their rendition of Rabindra Sangeet.

The healing power of Rabindra Sangeet we learned at Dakshinee is immense. Whenever a tragedy looms on us, we cling to the numerous Tagore songs we learned there. That institution has intoxicated us with a kind of elixir that we can use as much as is needed. The training a t Dakshinee has given us ‘Jivan Shakti’ (life force) and has been a comfort zone for all of us. Upon completing four years, on the day of graduation, we all hugged each other in tears, as if Shakuntala was leaving her favorite ‘Tapovan’ (spiritual haven).

ICC CORNER

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and reconnect. It was heartening to see so many familiar faces and to welcome new members into our community. The atmosphere was filled with joy, laughter, and a sense of belonging that is truly unique to our gatherings. The networking opportunities provided by the event were invaluable, fostering new friendships and strengthening existing bonds within our community. Such a remarkable event does not come together without a tremendous amount of effort and dedication. I extend my deepest gratitude to all the Executive Committee members and volunteers who poured their hearts into making Baisakhi 2024 a reality. Baishakhi 2024 was a shining example of what we can achieve when we come together with a shared purpose and passion. It was a celebration of our culture, our community, and our collective spirit.

Recent Focus: Building a Stronger Community

The past year has been marked by significant achievements for ICCGS, reflecting the organization’s commitment to community empowerment and cultural preservation. In addition to cultural and recreational initiatives, ICCGS has been actively involved in community service and outreach programs. The organization has partnered with local non-profits and community groups to support various causes, including food drives. These efforts have not only strengthened the bonds within the Bengali community but have also enhanced ICCGS’s reputation as a socially responsible organization. A Moment of Pride ICCGS celebrated a crowning achievement—the “GaanerLorai” competition, organized by the Maitree Association of America. ICCGS emerged victorious, claiming the FIRST position. Our talented performers -- Bhabrabi Chakraborty, Arpita Saha, Dela Banerjee, and Moumita Hait -- stole the spotlight with their exceptional performance. Their dedication and artistry have made all of us immensely proud.

Future Goals

Looking ahead, ICCGS is committed to furthering its mission of empowering the Bengali community through cultural preservation, and social engagement. ICCGS also envisions greater community involvement in social service initiatives. The future is indeed bright for ICCGS, and with the continued support and participation of its members we are looking forward to a future filled with cultural richness, educational excellence, and a strong, empowered Bengali community.

Unique Bengali Connection

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I will end my piece with a memorable episode we had in Jaisalmer. We were shopping along the street lined with shops on both sides selling curios and other things of interest to the tourists. Our guide brought us to a curio store. We were amazed to find that the storeowner spoke perfect Bengali without trace of any accent (though in appearance, he looked somewhat non-Bengali). I am sure our guide knowingly took us there, sensing we were Bengalees. And this gentleman had quite an interesting story to tell. He said that he had grown up in Kolkata and still owns a flat near South City Mall. Hesiod that he attended Bhowanipore Academy and had practiced rowing in the Dhakuria Lakes. He said that his last name was Parekh and that his grandfather had migrated to Murshidabad.

On asking how he ended up in Jaisalmer, he started out by saying “It was all due to Manik-da” (Manik is the pet-name of Satyajit Ray). Apparently, he came out with Ray during the shooting of Sonar Kella. And then, circumstances made him stay on. Mr. Parekh did not miss pointing out a commendation from Ray’s son, Sandip, hanging in his store. I have done due justice by including a picture of Mr. Parekh and the commendation. Needless to say, my wife bought some curios from him. And thus ends my piece on the unique connection of Bengal and Rajasthan as I discovered.

Postscript: Perhaps I should have mentioned. There was seemingly one area of similarity between the Rajputs and Bengalees. They both practiced the Sati (the cruel tradition of throwing the widows into the funeral pyre of their recently deceased husbands). In fact, while showing the monuments dedicated to the Satis, our guide specifically mentioned Raja Ram Mohan Roy and his role in the abolition of this cruel practice. It appears that the practice was not as prevalent in other parts of the country.

“Rabindranath Tagore-The Best of Tagore”: A Book to be Treasured!

By Chiranjib Sen (Gurugram, Haryana, India)

Aselection of Tagore’s writings in English (some written in English by Tagore himself but most are translations from Bengali by reputed writers) is now widely available. This 840-page book is edited and introduced by Rudrangshu Mukherjee and published by Everyman’s Library, Alfred A. Knopf, New York, London & Toronto, 2023.

Rabindranath Tagore was a multifaceted genius, who dominated the cultural landscape of Bengal during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. His output was prolific, flowing through poetry, song, novels, short stories, plays, essays and paintings. A century later, his work still stirs the hearts and minds of Bengali-speaking people across the world. However, Rabindranath was much more than a Bengali poet. He belonged to India. His writings embody a deep knowledge of Indian history, civilization, culture, philosophy, and traditions. As a public intellectual, he addressed major social and political issues of his time. As an educationist, he established rural schools and also the Visva Bharati University as an “international center of humanistic values”. Tagore wrote mainly in Bengali, and his work spanned many genres and thousands of pages. Though translations exist, the wide range of his work has not been accessible in a compact form to non-Bengali readers. This book, edited and introduced by Rudrangshu Mukherjee presents a diverse selection of Tagore’s work, in English, collected in an elegant volume of about 800 pages. The book contains selected short stories, a novel, plays, essays, poems written for children, songs, and poetry. A few of the pieces were originally written in English by Tagore or were translated by him. But the majority is translations by other authors that have been published earlier.

The introduction by Rudrangshu Mukherjee provides a short biography of Rabindranath Tagore (1861- 1941). A well-researched table details the main personal events in each year of Tagore’s life. It also lists the major literary publications by other authors and the major historical events that occurred in that year. This provides a valuable backdrop for understanding the man and the context of his work.

In his early twenties, Rabindranath travelled extensively in East Bengal (now Bangladesh), managing his family estates. This exposure profoundly influenced his creativity and social conscience. Tagore was moved by the beauty of nature. He also observed the difficult lives of ordinary people. These themes found expression in many of his famous short stories and poems.

By 1905, Rabindranath became politically active. He opposed Curzon’s plan to communally divide Bengal. Tagore supported the ‘swadeshi’ movement but rejected the use of coercion to enforce the boycott of foreign goods. Nationalism became a recurrent theme in his writing. By 1906, he advocated initiatives for improving the welfare of the villagers. In his own family estates, he established free health centers, primary schools, adult education classes at night, and also a rural bank to fight moneylenders.

The depth and variety of the writings included in this book provide a comprehensive exposure to Tagore’s creative endeavors from different phases of his life. However, one may ask: Why read Tagore today? Is he relevant to our life and times? From this perspective, Rabindranath’s writings can be broadly classified as follows: (a) Those that do not belong to any era; (b) Those that reflect a particular historical period and society; and (c) Those that address grand themes like civilization, nationalism and philosophy.

The songs and poems belong to the first category. Tagore’s songs are of exquisite lyrical beauty and their themes (love, nature’s beauty, the changing seasons, prayer, sorrow and hope) transcend time and place. Tagore composed over 2200 songs. He said that many of them arose in him spontaneously. The book contains the translations of 30 of his best-known songs. Of all his writings, however, the songs are the most diffi-

cult to translate. In the original, the words and music blend magically. Their beauty transports the listener to another plane of awareness. It is extremely difficult to convey the subtle nuances and emotive content of these songs in English. Hence, it may be a good idea to provide web links to the original songs that are available online. Readers of the translated lyrics would appreciate them more fully by hearing them sung.

There are 46 poems in the book. They are powerful and beautiful. Their themes vary. I will comment on a few to convey their flavor. ‘The Spring Wakes from Its Dream’ is famous. It records the poet’s actual spiritual experience in his teens, which awakened the fountain of his creativity. ‘I Won’t Let You Go’ is a poignant poem about a little daughter’s reluctance to let her father leave. The poet sees in the little girl’s cry a reflection of the eternal contest between love and inevitable farewell that resonates through all creation. Some poems are patriotic. ‘Now Turn Me Back’ highlights the poet’s role in a time of political struggle. The poet must sacrifice for the cause. He “must walk life’s thorny path silent, alone, patient through joy and grief.” In the iconic poem ‘Where the Mind Is Without Fear’, Tagore articulates his vision for independent India—free and fearless, independent yet open to the world, grounded in truth and justice, and shunning petty divisions. In ‘Pilgrimage to India’, Tagore sees India’s grand civilizational role as a great unifier of humanity. On India’s sacred shore, the poet says, down the ages successive waves of different races have arrived. India has absorbed them all and unified them. Her inclusive mission, to forge a common humanity, still continues. ‘The Flying Geese’ (Balaka) is profound. Beside the Jhelum River, in the hushed twilight—the immense silence is suddenly broken. A flock of geese streaks across the evening sky. The sound of their fluttering wings transports the poet spiritually. He perceives the universal longing in all creation to merge with the infinite. There are many more poems here to delight the reader. In the second category are his short stories, plays and novels. This volume contains seventeen short stories. A few, like Kabuliwallah, The Post Master, and The Hungry Stones have inspired award-winning movies. These stories reflect the social conditions of Bengal in that period. Tagore’s keen power of observation, his sympathy for ordinary folk coping with life’s difficulties, his depiction of the social relations between master and servant, of the rigidity of social customs paint a vivid picture of rural life in late 19th century Bengal. In many of the stories, the central characters are girls and women who confront social obstacles. ‘The Ghat’s Story’ is about a sweet young girl, Kusum. She is married off as a child, is widowed early and returns to her village. But after the disgrace of widowhood, as she grows to be a beautiful woman, there are no options for her to experience normal emotions. ‘The PostMaster’ is about a young, orphaned girl. She works as a domestic servant for an urban young man who is appointed a postmaster in her village. He is lonely and a misfit in rural society. The two form a sweet, innocent, almost brother-sisterly friendship. He starts teaching her. She takes care of him when he is ill. However, when he leaves the village, the power of the social barrier between them becomes apparent. The simple girl’s human feelings are real, but his attitude remains fundamentally transactional. ‘The Living and the Dead’ is a strange tale about a young widow, who lives with her relatives. She loses consciousness and is mistakenly presumed dead. Her cremation is delayed inadvertently. She wakes up alone and escapes unnoticed from the unlit pyre. However, when she finally returns to her relatives, she finds it impossible to convince them that she is actually alive. The story reveals that identity and status are socially conferred. ‘The Little Master’s Return’, portrays the feudal relationship. Raicharan is a devoted servant in a wealthy household. He has served the young son of the fam-

BOOK REVIEW

ily since latter’s childhood. The young man eventually becomes the head of the family, marries and has a son. Raicharan is asked to look after the zamindar’s little son. He does so with love and zeal. Unfortunately, the child drowns accidentally while in his care. Raicharan departs for his village. Soon, he has a son of his own, but loses his wife. He brings the child up like a ‘little master’. Having exhausted his resources, Raicharan finally takes the boy to the zamindar’s home and claims that he had abducted the zamindar’s child. His story is believed. The young boy is accepted by the zamindar, but Raicharan is kicked out.

Some stories cast a critical eye on the behavior of the urban wealthy class. ‘The Patriot’ exposes the hypocrisy of a ‘patriot’ who boycotts Western cloth and wears khaddar but refuses to help a sweeper who is being thrashed for accidentally touching an upper caste individual. ‘The Laboratory’, published in 1940, is a critique of urban, wealthy Bengal society. The characters push against traditional boundaries and customs. Tagore is candid in his description of sexuality, seduction, inter-caste, inter-community and extra-marital relationships. The society is amoral, decadent, and commercially driven, in which the characters are cunning, manipulative and dishonest. Tagore criticizes the contemporary Bengali male through the personalities of key characters--a scientist who is studious but unworldly and weak, an engineer who is brilliant but corrupt, and a professor who gets sexually manipulated.

In the third major category of work are his essays. In these works, the author addresses major issues of his time. During the 1920s and 1930s, he travelled extensively and lectured in Asia, America and Europe, where he spoke against blind nationalism, war and violence. He articulated his views in essays on nationalism, colonialism, and the crisis of civilization, several of which are included in this volume.

Though these essays were written a century ago, they remain surprisingly relevant. Tagore’s message of universal humanism and cultural understanding is inspiring and thought provoking. A core argument running through them is that man is primarily a moral creature. Morality is grounded in affinity with nature, community, social bonds and cooperation. India, he says, should abandon the social customs of the caste system “that generated a want of self-respect” and also the “lazy habit of relying upon the authority of traditions”.

However, when societies are mobilized into machines for material aggrandizement and organized aggression, a “dense, poisonous atmosphere of worldwide suspicion and greed and panic” is created. Colonized countries are exploited. But the rich also suffer by “bartering the higher aspirations of life for profit and power” leading to the “wreckage of your soul. In these conditions “the moral man remains behind”. Our task, according to Tagore, is to reclaim our full humanity. For people of different races to thrive together, we must acknowledge real differences where they exist, and yet seek a basis for unity. For this, Tagore recommends the message of great saints like Nanak, Kabir, and Chaitanya. Human beings will have to exert all their moral power of love and clarity of vision to comprehend, what Tagore terms, the “whole world of men”. There is much more in this volume to commend Rudrangshu Mukherjee for this excellent book. English readers will benefit from reading it and I recommend it wholeheartedly to them.

Chiranjib Sen is Distinguished Professor in the School of Liberal Studies at the BML Munjal University, India.

Editor’s Note: This book review was originally published in theJanuary 1, 2024, issue of The Wire(https:// thewire.in/books/a-selection-of-rabindranath-tagores-wide-variety-of-work-all-collected-in-a-singlevolume). The review is reprinted here with kind permission of the editor of The Wire.

AN APPEAL TO SUPPORT VILLAGERS OF SUNDARBANS TO RECOVER FROM RECENT DESTRUCTIONS BYCYCLONE REMAL

As you all know, on May 27th, cyclone Remal hit much of Sundarbans in South 24 Parganas. This cyclone was highly unusual from past cyclones in both lasting over 30 hours with over 40 hours of rainfall and wind speeds reaching 100-135 km/hr. It passed through key areas of Sundarban villages of Patharpratima, Raidighi and Mathurapur where well-known NGO, Mukti, operates. Reports indicated extensive damages: many mud or weak bamboo houses were totally destroyed, numerous trees uprooted and roads were inaccessible for days. Several river embarkments were breached, causing river water to flood many areas like Sagar, Namkhana, Patharpratima, Kultali, Raidighi, Amtali, Kumarmari and Bali Island among others.

The appeal from President of Mukti Foundation (see below) is for help to support their disaster management efforts, focusing immediately on short-term needs with dry food, rations, cooked food, tarpaulins, baby food, women’s hygiene products and medicines. Immediately afterwards, they would also need to support farmers, water pumps to clear saline water, house repairs and medical support.

Here is a summary of the damages:

1. Housing: Weak mud and semi-brick houses were damaged by wind and rain water. It was estimated that about 7% of Sundar Bon population were affected totaling about 45,000 families across 15 blocks.

2. Agriculture: High land areas normally used

By Ashok Rakhit (New Jersey)

for vegetable gardens were largely damaged. The survey estimated that 35% of those farmers were affected amounting to 225,000 farmers in 15 blocks.

3. Trees: A large number of non-mangrove trees were uprooted or broken.

Mukti has provided immediate and short-term support as follows:

1. Ration Kit: Each unit containing rice, dal, oil, soap, biscuit, soybean, salt, and puffed rice costing Rs. 500 for each family.

2. Baby food and hygiene kit: Each unit containing milk powder, biscuits, soap and Dettol with unit cost of Rs. 500.

3. Tarpaulin: One unit per family costing Rs. 1000 as temporary support for families with damaged houses.

4. Vegetable seed support: Each unit containing 2-5 types of seeds costing Rs. 500 were given to affected farmers.

Long-Term support:

1. Sustainable Housing: Mukti has been promoting sustainable cyclone- and flood- tolerant housing in Sundarbans for few years and has built over 100 such houses to date. Notedly, CAB/NABC from USA donated about $50,000 in 2020-’21 from a virtual concert during Covid-19 after last cyclone ‘Amphan’ for sustainable housing projects. Mukti is requesting the

NRI friends to pledge for one sustainable house for a villager family at a cost of about 2 lac ($2500) individually or a group of 2-3 friends.

2. Plantation: Mukti’s Green Defense Program will continue to plant fruit, flower and mangrove plants. Mukti is seeking pledge from NRI Donors each supporting 1000 plants including one year maintenance costing Rs. 50,000 (~$ 600).

Mukti appeals to concerned NRIs and philanthropic organizations to extend their hands for this disaster recovery operations to help restore normalcy to villagers of Sundar bon.

Contact: Ankita Kothiyal, Ankita.kothiyal@ muktiweb.org or +91 81920 34977 (WhatsApp)

For more update on Remal disaster support initiative https://muktiweb.org/disaster-recovery/remal-cyclone/

For Direct Donations by NRIs(Any amount, large or small, is welcome!): https://www.paypal.com/donate/?cmd=_sxclick&hosted_button_id=C9ZKHDHY3VUCG&s srt=1716791505084

Note: Mukti is recognized by UN as a certified NGO working in Sundarbon areas and is a taxexempt 301 (c)(3) for NRIs in US. For more information contact: Ashok Rakhit at ashokrakhit@ gmail.com or Sankar Halder at sankar.Halder@ muktiweb.org