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INDEX Letters to the Editor....................................A2 People...........................................................A35 Immigration................................................A40 Business......................................................A30 NGO Special...............................................A43 Magazine.....................................................M1 Sports...........................................................A33 Pages: 56+20+12=88

Friday, December 28, 2012 Vol. XLIII No.13

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2012: THE YEAR THAT WAS

The International Weekly Newspaper founded in 1970. Member, Audit Bureau of Circulation INDIA ABROAD (ISSN 0046 8932) is published every Friday by India Abroad Publications, Inc. 42 Broadway, 18th floor, New York, NY 10004. Annual subscription in United States: $32. Canada $26. India $32

LETTERS

India Abroad December 28, 2012

INTERNATIONAL: By Regular Mail: South America, the Caribbean, Europe, Africa, Australia & Middle East: $90. By Airmail: South America, the Caribbean, Europe, Africa, Australia & Middle East: $210 Periodical postage paid, New York, NY and at additional mailing offices. Postmaster: Send address changes to: INDIA ABROAD, 42 Broadway 18th floor, New York, NY 10004 Copyright (c) 2006, India Abroad Publications, Inc. Ajit Balakrishnan Chairman and Publisher Nikhil Lakshman Editor-in-Chief Rajeev Bhambri Chief Operating Officer-US Media THE EDITORIAL TEAM IN NEW YORK Aziz Haniffa, Editor Arthur J Pais, Editor, Features Ajit Jain, Managing Editor, Canada Suman Guha Mozumder, Associate Managing Editor, US George Joseph, P Rajendran, Deputy Managing Editors Paresh Gandhi, Chief Photographer Parimal Mehta, System Manager Production: Dharmesh Chotalia, Production Supervisor. Harish Kathrani, David Richter CONTACT EDITORIAL Call: 212-929-1727 Fax: 212-727-9730 E-mail: editorial@indiaabroad.com MUMBAI Vaihayasi Pande Daniel, Editorial Director, Features Dominic Xavier, Creative Head Uttam Ghosh, Joint Creative Head Sumit Bhattacharya, Associate Managing Editor Monali Sarkar, News Editor Sanjay Sawant, Satish Bodas, Creative Directors Rukmani Sah-Mehta, Assistant Editor Shailaja Nand Mishra, Senior Production Coordinator THE BUSINESS TEAM DISPLAY ADVERTISING CONTACT THE DISPLAY ADVERTISING TEAM Toll free: 1-866-702-2650 Fax: 212-627-9503 E-mail:displayads@indiaabroad.com Geeta Singh Sales Executive Jitender Sharma Associate Sales Manager CLASSIFIEDS WANT TO INSERT A CLASSIFIED/MATRIMONIAL AD? Call: 1-800-822-3532 Fax: 212-691-0873 E-mail: classified@indiaabroad.com Shahnaz Sheikh Classified Manager Sujatha Jilla Classified Assistant Manager Jim Gallentine Classified Representative CIRCULATION CONTACT THE CIRCULATION DEPARTMENT Call: 212-645-2369 Fax: 212-627-9503 E-mail: circulation@Indiaabroad.com Subscription toll free number: 1-877-INDIA-ABROAD (1-877-463-4222) Anjali S Maniam Associate Vice President, Marketing & Special Events THE INDIA BUSINESS TEAM Nikita Pai, Deputy Chief Manager. Call: 91-22-24449144, extension 320 REDIFF.COM EDITORIAL TEAM Saisuresh Sivaswamy, Senior Editorial Director. Sheela Bhatt, Senior Editorial Director, News Ivan Crasto, Editorial Director, Sports Shobha Warrier, Associate Editorial Director Prithviraj Hegde, Editor, News, Nandita Malik, Editor, Business Savera R Someshwar, Archana Masih, Syed Firdaus Ashraf, Managing Editors Rajesh Karkera, Joint Creative Head A Ganesh Nadar, Indrani Roy Mitra, Seema Pant, Ronjita Kulkarni, Swarupa Dutt, Associate Managing Editors Prasanna D Zore, Vikash Nanjappa, Deputy Managing Editors Rupali S Nimkar, Senior Assistant Managing Editor Onkar Singh, Sanaya Dalal, Assistant Managing Editors N V Reuben, Senior Art Director Uday Kuckian, Art Director Puja Banta, Chief Features Editor Vipin Vijayan, Sanchari Bhattacharya, Chief News Editors Harish Kotian, Deputy Sports Editor Patcy Nair, Bikash Mohapatra, Chief Features Editors Abhishek Mande, Senior Associate Editor Rajorshi Sanyal, Deputy News Editor Gauri Ghadi, Senior Assistant Editor Sonil Dedhia, Principal Correspondent Mahipal Soni, Director, Operations (Editorial) Aslam Hunani, Joint Director, Operations (Editorial) Ashish Narsale, Associate Director, Operations (Editorial) Rajesh Alva, Manager, Operations (Editorial) Manisha Deshpande, Senior Visuals Coordinator Anant Salvi, Visuals Coordinator India Abroad Publications, Inc A subsidiary of Rediff.com India Ltd. Ajit Balakrishnan Chairman and Chief Executive Officer EDITORIAL & CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS 42 Broadway, 18th floor, New York, NY 10004 MAIN OFFICE: Call: 646-432-6000 Fax: 212-627-9503 Web site: http://ia.rediff.com

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A candlelight vigil to show solidarity with a rape victim outside a hospital in New Delhi, December 20. Thousands of protesters took to the streets in various parts of the country to demand urgent action against the men who took turns to rape and grievously assault a 23-year-old woman on a moving bus on December 16, local media reports said.

Delhi rape a national shame

The recent news of gang-rape of a 23year-old medical student in a New Delhi bus December 16 made me ashamed of my Indian heritage. Such incidents occur every minute in some town and city in India. Some happen openly, others in someone’s office or home. Sadly, most of them go unreported because of the fear of reprisal or humiliation. I have heard many horror stories of rich people (and their teenage boys) raping their female servants and then taking them to some shoddy doctor for abortions, even letting them die to save face. In the film industry if a new female actor wants a part, she must do favors to the director, assistant director or some crony. If a young woman goes for a job interview, she will get job not because of her credentials, but because of her attitude with the boss. Women can’t get ahead in life without doing favors. Put your sister or daughter in some one’s place and then see how you react. We may brag about our pious culture and heritage, but we have double standards. All rape and murder scenes should also be banned from movies. As we all know, gangsters, villains or heroes in every movie initiate romance by teasing, chasing and harassing a girl. If God has created us in His image, we cannot live like animals. It is our moral obligation to treat every woman as if she is our mother, wife, sister or daughter and instill these qualities in our children. We need drastic changes in our thinking, behavior and outlook towards women if we want to walk with our heads

high. Remember, the hands that rocks the cradle, rule the world. Vinubhai Shah By e-mail II The ‘rape’ of a student in Delhi has shaken India. Even an otherwise nonperforming Parliament stood up, with the women members demanding that the accused be hanged. Well, there is another way to deal with them. Parade the culprits on the roads in the vicinity of the crime scene, with their faces uncovered, to enable early identification, and charge them with attempted murder, robbery and disturbing the peace. A charge of rape may be added to seal the case. Mukund B Kunte New Delhi

A victim of arrogance and history Jacintha Saldanha’s apparent suicide should make many of us immigrants from India to America glad we do not live in a place like the UK with their kings and queens and dukes and duchesses and other domineering royalty. Saldanha worked as a nurse in a hospital with a nauseously regal name: King Edwards VII Hospital. This is a private hospital for the elite, including the British royalty, with privacy from the paparazzi ruthlessly enforced. In this context, is it likely that Saldanha did not die from a shaming ‘royal dressing down,’ as the Brits like to say, for having

breached privacy? When the prank call came, claiming to be from the queen, Saldanha may have felt so intimidated that she became unquestioning while taking orders over the phone from those claiming to be royalty. Why else would one of her notes indicate some criticism of the hospital, which now is disclaiming it had disciplined her and asserting that it gave her and the other nurse involved ‘full support’? Look at the language here. ‘Support’ today is also when an employer supports an employee’s performance by straightening them out. It happens all the time. Blaming just the pranksters is a diversionary tactic by the hospital, the media and the rest of England. For them not to specifically acknowledge their part in Saldanha’s suicide, and to not work to dismantle their obsolete monarchy, only rubs salt into our colonial-era wounds. Arun Anand Ahuja Albuquerque, New Mexico

The US is the best option The letter by Sundip Mundkur (December 21, 2012) about Indo-US business ties is ill conceived. Let me know which country is better than the US in the world. Even your own country is not fair. Nowadays everything works globally with cost effectiveness and efficiency being priorities. You buy where things are cheap and of good quality and you invest where the atmosphere is conducive to business.

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LETTERS

India Abroad December 28, 2012

Page 2 India earns $2 billion from the US for software work. Besides, you have to be powerful to send a message out loud and clear, India always kneels down and ask the US for protection from Pakistan. The opportunities to do business with other countries are not as great as you think. The discrimination, bullying, arm twisting and harassment suffered is not limited to Indians in the US, but to US citizens, too, because of the presence of power lobbies and self interested politicians. Things are worse in other countries, with no judicial remedy anywhere that can compare with that found in the US. Let me know who does not look after his own interest in this world. Do you think everyone else is Mother Teresa? Do business interests in India always take the high road? See what happened to Vodafone in the tax case. Shalbhadra Bafna West Bloomfield, Michigan

Beware of the builders So you are planning to retire and go back to India to buy your dream apartment. Here is a summary of how the fraudulent Indian builder will likely cheat you in metropolitan areas, including Gurgaon, Faridabad and other cities of India. They make you sign one-sided contracts that you will not be allowed to change. It will include open-ended final charges for extra super area while net carpet area will be the same. Charges for electric connections etc could be substantial. The project could be delayed by years and the small compensation promised will never be paid. Don’t rely on courts to help you. The matter could take years, even in the consumer courts. You also will not be able to sue the builders as the fine print you signed off on will often mention that disputes can be settled only before a designated arbitrator. If you decide to sell your apartment in frustration before taking possession, they are likely to slap you with huge illegal transfer fees that can run into hundreds of thousands of rupees. If you pay installments late you may be slapped with interest rates as high as 24 to 36 percent. The builders will often engage in deceptive practices, likely showing you sample apartments with marble flooring and high quality fixtures while yours will have cheap substitutes, with the quality of construction being a lot poorer. You will have no recourse, but take what’s given to you. The club facilities won’t be ready for years after possession and yet you will likely pay very high maintenance charges that will include facility charges. Besides payment notices you will receive few communications from the builders. No money will ever be returned nor will the builders ever respond to your complaints or e-mails. They can also demand cash payments.

An insult to the South I am shocked that you published a letter in a recent issue of India Abroad (December 14, 2012) from K Bose, who makes ridiculous claims. To say that Jindal and Nikki Haley got elected by ‘fooling illiterate Southerners’ is an insult to the people of South Carolina, and your decision to publish such rubbish seems to suggest that you concur with such a viewpoint. Jindal and Nikki Haley have chosen a path to worship God that is different from that of Bose’s, and they chose that path earlier on in their lives when they never ever thought of being governors of their respective states. I think Bose is completely off base regarding the values of this country. Furthermore, he is insensitive to those who are in inter-denominational marriages because what religion they follow as a couple, and pass it on to their children, is their concern and not the society’s. If Bose loves his religion and culture so much then perhaps he should consider returning to his beloved country. You cannot have your cake and eat it, too. Shangar Nandra By e-mail II I do not agree with Bose. The American identity is unique. It is not about where you came from, to what religion or culture you belong, or what color you are. It is all about what one does

You will not get possession till all dues have been cleared, including last minute ransom charges, including for extra super area, running into hundreds of thousands of rupees. Blackmail and extortion at the time of possession has become a norm. Many builders will also default on construction after taking several installments up to 40 percent of the total charges from you before any real construction begins. You are unlikely to get your money back and will be wasting your time trying to recover your money through help from the economic offense wings or the courts. Harbir Singh Plainsboro, New Jersey

Protect the innocent

Dr Amalendu Chatterjee’s letter addressing the prime minister of India in India Abroad (December 7, 2012) is noteworthy. I have examined the Mujibur RahmanIndira Gandhi pact of 1974, but found nothing regarding the plight of Hindus in Bangladesh. Whether it be the people on the streets of Calcutta or Hindus in Bangladesh, the 1947 Partition disproportionately affected Hindus. There had been articles in India Abroad before about the plight of the Hindus in Bangladesh and I remember them all with heart-breaking sorrow. I request Dr Chatterjee to prepare a petition to India’s prime minister with a thousand signatures. Agitation is the key. Vatuk B Prasad Hyde Park, New York

in this free country and how one contributes to society. Most of us have accomplished something or other, that we never dreamed of while living in India. Here, we have made a difference in the lives of other people. Jindal and Haley’s change in faith is none of our business. I do not care about my past Hindu identity or the blood lineage. I no longer have faith or belief in the Karmic philosophy of Hinduism nor do I just believe Jesus as my savior. But I am active in a local liberal and evolving church. According to Bose’s myopic view, I may be a fool. Personally, I have found the heart of Jesus powerful, meaningful, challenging and liberating and it is my free choice. Does that make me a religious Christian? I do not think so. The only identity I need to recognize is that I am the child of God and I choose to carry His will in this world. K T Kishan Warsaw, Indiana III K Bose’s letter is a complete joke and your editorial board chose to highlight it. Really, people? Bose has displayed his complete ignorance. I’d love to introduce him to some Southerners he considers illiterate — they may teach him a painful lesson in good Southern manners. Raj Paul Houston

WANT TO JOIN THE INDIA ABROAD EDITORIAL TEAM? India Abroad would like to hire journalists with a background in the Indian-American community. Ideal candidates would be excited by the opportunity of reporting a good story, who can report and write features of interest to Indian Americans and Indophiles of every generation. Among other things, assignments could include covering community events, and reporting news, business and other stories of interest to the Indian-American community. Applications are invited in two categories: Correspondent: We’d like to hire an energetic, indefatigable, writer with a background in news, a strong understanding of the needs of the first and later generations of the Indian-American community, and

the ability to work with a team. You will write for both online and newspaper readers. Social networking skills, knowledge of video and other online skills are a bonus. Reporter: We’d like to hire an enthusiastic, self-starting, youngster willing to report stories that highlight her/his generation as well as pioneers in the IndianAmerican Diaspora. You will write for both online and newspaper readers. Social networking skills, knowledge of video and other online skills are a bonus. Please contact Deputy Managing Editor P Rajendran at (646) 432-6045 or e-mail rajendra@indiaabroad.com with a copy to sumitb@rediff.co.in with 'Application for India Abroad' as the subject line.

NEWS SPECIAL/CONNECTICUT TRAGEDY

India Abroad December 28, 2012

‘We stand together’ The community mourns the Connecticut shootings. Arthur J Pais reports

ithin hours of the news of the Sandy Hook Elementary School breaking, Sikhs in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, began to call up friends and family members and decided to hold a prayer vigil at the Brookfield gurd-

wara. A few months ago, the same gurdwara had an interfaith prayer meeting, attended by Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker, his wife Tonette and hundreds of others, after the mass shooting at the Oak Creek gurdwara in Milwaukee in which seven worshippers were killed. Raj Sandhu, a Brookfield gurdwara member, said though no Sikh children or teachers were killed in the Connecticut shooting — in which Adam Lanza, 20, killed 26 people including his mother and 20 children before committing suicide — they were mourning the violence that senselessly and abruptly ended the lives of so many Americans. “We remembered how much we had felt comforted by the outpouring of love and sympathy we had received after the Oak Creek murders,” said Gurcharan Singh Grewal, president, Brookfield gurdwara. “We spontaneously thought we should offer comfort to the people in Newtown.” His voice choked as he said, “We thought what happened at the Sikh temple was the worst thing to happen because it was a place of worship. But this is worse.” High school student Jyoti Grewal, Gurcharan Grewal’s daughter, proposed that a poster — signed by many who attended the vigil — should be sent to Sandy Hook. At the top, it said: ‘We stand together.’ Over 150 people had signed the poster, she said, and she would be sending it to the school. “We had held a similar vigil for the victims of a salon killing that followed the gurdwara killings,” said Gurcharan Grewal. “The salon victims were not

A vigil in Derby, Connecticut. Below, the poster signed by attendees at the Brookfield gurdwara, Wisconsin

Sikhs, they were not Indians, but we showed we shared the pain of the larger community.” The Brookfield vigil brought in people of different nationalities and faiths, he said. “Our wounds are still fresh and we’re still trying to heal,” Grewal said. “We want to let those in Newtown know that we stand by them and we will pray for them.” Those gathered at the gurdwara prayed along with words from the Guru Granth Sahib, the Sikh holy book. Grewal felt parents must spend more time with their children, telling them about respecting others, the importance of shunning violence and teaching family values. “It will take time and multiple factors in eliminating violence like this,” he admitted, “but it can be done.” The Sandy Hook killings, the second-worst school shooting in United States history after the Virginia Tech massacre in 2007, stirred the Indian-American community across the country. There were prayers in temples,

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‘It’s too easy to get a gun. Something has to be done’ ARTHUR J PAIS

‘I

don’t want this to be the new normal,’ Jyoti Grewal, a high school senior, said last week addressing more than 150 people at an interfaith meeting held at the Brookfield gurdwara in Wisconsin. ‘We need legislation to fix the problem. There are too many loopholes. It’s too easy to get a gun. Something has to be done.’ She remembered how white supremacist Wade Michael Page had killed Sikhs at a nearby gurdwara in Oak Creek before being shot by police and killing himself. She does not believe in the argument that the situation could have been averted if there were people with guns inside the temple. ‘Of course, you can do a lot of harm with other weapons,’ she said. ‘But guns create the worst harm.’

The teenager joined an increasing gun control demand across the country that now includes prominent voices like that of Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni, the bestselling novelist. She echoed President Barack Obama’s thoughts at an interfaith vigil for the 26 people massacred in Newtown. ‘We have been through this too many times,’ Obama had said. ’We’re going to have to come together and take meaningful action to prevent more tragedies like this, regardless of the politics.’ Jyoti Grewal’s anti-guns views had begun to become stronger when there was an attack on a spa near the Oakfield temple. Radcliffe Franklin Haughton, the estranged husband of a spa worker, committed suicide inside the spa six hours after the shooting, but not before he had killed three and injured six people.

Jyoti, who joined a vigil in October for the spa victims, also got the participants in a gurdwara vigil to sign a big poster and delivered to the spa when it reopened. She says she was overcome with emotion when she delivered the poster. ‘Especially, hugging all the ladies there,’ she told a local newspaper. ‘They were all really nice to me. I got a hug from everyone I talked to. It was really emotional, especially experiencing tragedy not so long ago ourselves.’ Based on production data from firearm manufacturers, there are roughly 320 million firearms owned by civilians in the United States. Of these, about 100 million are handguns. Over 60 percent of the murders committed in America are by guns. Roughly 16,272 murders were committed

in the United States during 2008, for example; of these, about 10,886 or 67 percent were committed with firearms. Divakaruni pointed out that even in the Indian-American community, killings have happened because the murderers had easy access to guns. Over a decade ago, Biswanath Halder, who was in his late 50s, sought to settle a grudge against Case Western Reserve University and went on a shooting rampage at the campus, killing one and injuring several others. And an abusive husband who could not imagine his wife had left him killed her during an Indian language mass in a New Jersey town several years ago. “Our community has also suffered at the hands of a crazy man who had easy access to

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NEWS SPECIAL/CONNECTICUT TRAGEDY

India Abroad December 28, 2012

ARTHUR J PAIS

he took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and meditated for some time to quiet her inner turmoil. Her 8year-old son was coming home from school. He might or might not have heard of the Sandy Hook School killings, Khyati Joshi, associate professor at Fairleigh Dickinson University, New Jersey, whose work also focuses on promoting cultural and religious pluralism in the United States, thought. She turned off the television. She did not want a sensory overload for him. She found out the news had not yet spread across the students at the school. So she told him in a few words what had happened, reassuring him that his school was safe and that his parents and teachers were there to protect him and other children. “Instead of telling him things, I asked him what was going on in his mind,” Joshi said. She told him that she did not know all the facts, but she had to tell him about a gun being used in the carnage. “I was careful to tell him that the Constitution gives the right to bear arms,” she said. “I also told him that in the hands of the wrong people, guns do a lot of harm.” Don’t overwhelm your children, Joshi continued. “Keep it short, to the point and — what I also tell parents — probably the best thing you can do is to listen. Because kids will have questions and some of them may be difficult questions like: ‘Why would someone do that? Or why should anyone kill little children?’” Schenectady, New York, psychologist Dr Rudy Nydegger said while parents everywhere should say something to their young children about the killings in Sandy Hook, brevity should prevail. He would not recommend telling kids such a thing could not happen at their school. He told a newspaper: ‘What I think is a good thing to say is, “As awful as this is — it’s a terrible, terrible thing — but even as awful as it is, this does not happen very often, it’s much more likely that some other terrible thing would happen than something like this, schools are really pretty safe.’ Like millions of fellow Americans, Indian-American parents also struggled with a visceral fear for their children, as well as questions about how to explain the killing of young children. The task was even more difficult to teachers working in public schools prone to violence and student vendetta. “For years, I have been hiding my fears for my safety,” said an Indian-American teacher who did not want to be named. “You hear all the time that a student who was disciplined or given a low grade going after the teacher. But when children are killed, you forget about your own self and start wondering about the safety and security of your children.” “The thought of sending your kid out into a world where even schools can be dangerous is terrifying. I have a friend from Bangladesh who hoped coming to America would give her and her children a safe haven, but she is shaken by the recent killings even more than Virginia Tech killings because there were young victims, some of them close to her son’s age. But we have also to understand, though it is difficult to do for quite some time, violence is pervasive and no place is really safe.” The reaction of parents like Joshi is the course some psychologists advocate. Matthew Biel, a professor at Georgetown University, offered this advice: ‘If they bring it up, ask what they know about the event and ask if they have any questions. Use simple, direct, honest answers and employ age-appropriate language and explanations. Children who don’t discuss the event shouldn’t be prodded by parents — kids will let us know when they are ready to talk.’

Page A4 guns,” Divakaruni said, referring to Oak Creek rampage. She and Grewal want more voices from the Indian community be heard for restricting guns. “Some people have been saying that bad people can always get hold of weapons,” said Divakaruni, mother of two college-going

How to talk to your child about a terrible tragedy

Sophie Bell, 9, holds a sign at an interfaith candlelight prayer vigil to end gun violence outside City Hall, Los Angeles, California, December 19 That is what physician, professor and staunch Gandhian Manoj K Jain did with his high school-going son Rishyab in Memphis. His son had known of the carnage before he came home as the school had held a counseling session. Even so, Jain switched off the television for hours. “But we discussed the nature of violence,” he said. “We also discussed the need to have some kind of gun control.” Joshi, Jain and many other parents found out that switching off the television was a smart thing; many trauma psychologists have been recommending it. ‘If it’s causing you a great deal of anxiety, it is alright to step away from the computer and away from the television, and find out the entire story, as much as possible, in a few days,’ said Deborah Gilboa, a family physician who advices parents through her Web site www.AskDoctorG.com The American Academy of Pediatrics also recommends limiting a child’s exposure to media reports about traumatic events. Helping your children focus on the goodness that often follows tragedy can also help them cope, Gilboa said, adding that just as adults may feel the urge to donate to charity or do something useful in the wake of a tragedy, children can be comforted by simple actions like making cards for survivors or coming up with ways their school can help. That suggestion has been followed by children across America including Sikh kids who still traumatized by the Oak Creek Gurdwara killing.

JASON REDMOND/REUTERS

“The first question many of our kids asked was if these were Sikh children,” said a Sikh community leader. “Every child in our community knows what happened at the Oak Creek gurdwara. Even as we assured that these were not Sikh kids, we also had to tell them they were all God’s children and nobody deserves a violent fate, least of children.” Like many parents whose children are mentally challenged, an Indian-American friend in a New Jersey town was worried for his 4-year-old child who has minor autism. He had heard that children and adults saying that the reason why Adam Lanza shot little kids is because he had autism. The teachers at the school told him that they had told the older students clearly that autism doesn’t make people shoot other people. “Yet I am deeply worried over the repercussions when my child grows up,” he said. “As it is many of the classmates make fun of her because she is vegetarian and she is an Indian.” Some parents also discussed death, telling their children that everyone dies. And in doing so, parents like Joshi were encouraging children to express feelings openly, even letting them cry. They did not tell the children how they should or should not feel; they offered warmth, physical presence and affection. “I was also able to tell my children,” Joshi said, “that one of the best things about America is that when some really bad things happen, everyone becomes united and offers support.”

‘It’s too easy to get a gun. Something has to be done’ sons. “They give the example of a man who slashed over two dozen children with a knife. But no one died, right? I discussed this on my Facebook page. I also believe that it is easier to overpower a knife-wielding person. As for people carrying guns to protect them,

I cannot think of people not getting panicky when confronted by a gunman.” And most probably they may not be able to shoot straight, she added. Manoj K Jain, Memphis physician and father of three, said people intent on suicide

often finds guns handy. He lives in Tennessee, where guns are very popular “But we cannot ignore the issue,” he said. “We should have serious and earnest discussion about this, and the Indian-American community should participate in it.”

NEWS SPECIAL/CONNECTICUT TRAGEDY

India Abroad December 28, 2012

‘A lot of stigma about mental health treatment’ ARTHUR J PAIS

nce parents explain to their children about a tragedy like the Sandy Hook school killings, they ought to spend quality time with their children and look at their own lives and the lives of people who are close to them, says Priscilla Pathmavathie Dass-Brailsford, associate professor of psychology, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC. “The Connecticut killing has brought up

a lot of discussion about the need for gun control, but also about mental health,” said Dass-Brailsford, who is also a childhood trauma expert. Adam Lanza, the Sandy Hook gunman, reportedly had autistic issues and his mother had even thought of committing him to a mental institution. The men behind similar mass murders — at Virginia Tech, Northern Illinois University and a Tucson gathering for United States Representative Gabby Giffords — all suffered from serious mental

health conditions. “We should not wait for things like this to happen and start talking about mental health,” says Dass-Brailsford. “We talk a lot about the need for medical intervention and mental health when something like this happens, but we also quickly forget.” Mental health plays a big role in violent incidents involving domestic settings, she adds. Over a dozen murders in the IndianAmerican community in the last few years could have been avoided if the perpetrators had sought or been directed toward mental

health treatment, experts note. Dass-Brailsford has studied the impact of community support, spirituality and individual personality in helping the children of ethno-cultural conflict and adaptation among Sri Lankan and Sudanese immigrants, and how the young immigrants cope with emotional and mental health issues. She was a first responder in New York after 9/11 and was deployed to New

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An interfaith prayer meeting near Las Vegas where Rajan Zed, fourth from left, recited the Gayatri Mantra in remembrance of the slain teachers and children

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‘We stand together’ Page A4 churches, and interfaith gatherings. Rajan Zed joined an interfaith meeting near Las Vegas at the Reno First Congregational Church in Nevada, where he recited the Gayatri Mantra. Chitra Banerjee Divakarni, prominent novelist who is also a professor at University of Houston, joined thousands of fellow Americans in demanding gun control. Yoga buff Madhu Sheth, who had already offered fast and a vow of silence, started calling up her friends, family members and readers of Indian newspapers and television program viewers, telling them “how the silent majority can act on its own while leaders and politicians continue debate for a real action.” She urged observing silence for two to eight hours, fasting and meditating. Swaranjit Singh Khalsa, a resident of Norwich — about an hour’s drive from Sandy Hook — and member of the Connecticut Sikh Association and convener, Sikh Sevak Society International, joined several interfaith meetings.. He and other Sikhs carried signs that read: ‘Sikhs can feel the pain’, ‘Sikhs Of CT are with You’, ‘Prayers from Sikhs.’ Many Indian associations and individuals are collecting dolls to send to the children in Sandy Hook. Some are sending books too. Several Sikh gurdwaras in Connecticut have decided to hold fundraising drives and give away the money and donated items to homeless shelters in the state in the name of Sandy Hook victims. “We are not just mourning this tragedy,” Khalsa said, “but are also praying no such things should happen to anyone and anywhere. But we are also aware of the need to share, and this we shall do while remembering the innocents who died in Newtown.”

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India Abroad December 28, 2012

NEWS SPECIAL/CONNECTICUT TRAGEDY

Teach your children well… As the year ends with the second-worst school shooting in US history, can we please introspect?

itting far away in India, where gun controls are rigidly strict, it is extremely difficult to understand as a mother, why another mother would have such a fascination for guns. Why Nancy Lanza would keep not one — perhaps for self defense? — but a selection of them at home? Equally unfathomable is why she would expose her children to these weapons and not have them in a secure place, inaccessible to her sons. Twenty-year-olds are still kids, really. Even more preposterous was Nancy Lanza’s need to buy guns when there was an unstable child in her home, a youngster apparently suffering from Asperger’s syndrome, that causes individuals evidently to lack feelings of pain and empathy. Thousands of miles, and vast differences in culture, history and religion, of course, divide attitudes towards guns. We Indians, whether we live in Cerritos or Gurgaon, are sure to immediately pat ourselves on the back, send letters to the editor of this newspaper, or other papers, believing ourselves as not capable of worshipping the gun the way the Lanzas do. We will be full of pride in our nonviolent culture. But the fact is that in all cultures, the world over, even our own, attitudes to violence are subtly changing. And it is not merely about guns. It is about the acceptability of violence. It is about the inevitability of violence. And the lack of surprise at the violence that colors our society. Whether you live in India or the United States or Peru or

India Abroad December 28, 2012

We have to work to make our children less immune to violence, whatever it takes. The other much tougher angle is building empathy, over and above sympathy, and curbing the effects of a dog-eat-dog competitive, aggressive world on your child. Everyone these days is hustling to get ahead — we have millions of self-help books available on being powerful, succeeding and encouraging attitudes of selfcenteredness. But what about tempering ambition, teaching humility and humanity, giving our kids an understanding of failure, in themselves and others, and letting your child know that he is not the center of his environment and merely a small factor in an ecosystem where other beings dwell? At a makeshift memorial A child, at some point in his growing for Sandy Hook shooting victims years, needs to empathetically understand in Newtown, Connecticut, the meaning of misfortune. He needs to be December 19 able to fathom misfortune to be able really understand the meaning/value of happiJOHN MOORE/GETTY IMAGES ness and satisfaction. Most present-day kids are too cocooned by money, gadgetry, privilege and unreality and a too strong Ukraine, changing the attitudes to violence is a parent’s job sense of Me, to know how the rest of the world lives. — to prevent the rise of more Adam Lanzas. Teaching a certain awareness of world events and situaI feel parents, wherever they are, need to devote a lot more tions can slowly bring humility, in my personal experience as attention to reducing the amount of violence their kids are a parent. exposed to. That’s a no brainer. A child has to be carefully, repeatedly taught how not to And more importantly, and more difficultly, keep building cause even the tiniest pain, physical or mental, to any being empathy in their children. in his environment needlessly and instead how to engender We need to make our society gentler, and make the envihappiness, in an almost mantra-like fashion, from a very ronment around our children even gentler than it is. It is not early age. That doesn’t mean you don’t bring them up tough. at the moment. According to a recent New York Times article forwarded to It may be very old fashioned to control what your child me, children develop empathy early. ‘The capacity to notice watches on television, including carthe distress of others, and to be moved by it, can be a critical toons, or the games they play or the component of what is called prosocial behavior, actions that toys you buy them, but that is the point benefit others: individuals, groups or society as a whole.’ to start. Prosocial behavior, it continues, is ‘voluntary behavior It obviously follows that if bloodintended to benefit another… Such behavior is often examshed/gore on screen is so celebrated ined through the child’s ability to perceive and react to someand such routine viewing for your chilone else’s distress. Attempts at concern and reassurance can dren, will they feel as much horror when they see it in real be seen in children as young as one.’ life? The Times article further adds: ‘Parental modeling is Or if killing 66 fellows with the painless press of a button important, of course; sympathy and compassion should be on a video screen is so fascinating, could the fascination grow part of children’s experience long before they know the off screen? words... Empathy, sympathy, compassion, kindness and True crime television programs like Blood, Lies & Alibis charity begin at home, and very early.’ and The First 48 may inspire a rash of youngsters to seek So while I feel sympathy for Nancy Lanza, who was brutalcareers as detectives and crime investigators, but they could ly killed at the hands of the disturbed son she so faithfully also grow a population of criminals. cared for, I have no empathy for the mother who brought up All debatable, acknowledged points, but yet points to seriher children near guns, the most serious symbol of violence. ously consider.

VAIHAYASI PANDE DANIEL

Page A6 Orleans immediately after Hurricane Katrina. She has returned to the area several times to work with mental health providers. Her book A Practical Approach to Trauma was inspired by her work with the survivors of Hurricane Katrina, and offers testimony to their resilience. “Right now there is a lot of talk about mental health issues,” she adds. “But if we learn anything from the past, it is that we forget about it very soon. There is still a lot of stigma about mental health treatment.” Immigrant communities are not immune from the stigma, she says. “It is not enough to think of getting help for mental problems,” she continues, “but getting proper help and the

‘A lot of stigma about mental health treatment’ need to follow up with counseling and medication (is paramount).” Parents, she says, also need to take care of themselves if they want to take better care of their children, adding that they should not hesitate to seek mental health professionals or even call a parenting hotline. And parents, she adds, can also get some help from school counselors in dealing with emotional trauma and find appropriate means to deal with their children. “Children look to their parents for

emotional cues,” she says, “and when parents appear overly anxious, they cannot deal well with their children’s traumas and fears. I tell parents, ‘Make sure you don’t communicate that (trauma) to your children. Communicate love and care, but don’t communicate anxiety. A lot of hugs and kisses and reaffirmation of your love for them is very important.” There are many people suffering from mental health disorders, she points out, and being proactive could avoid tragedies.

Priscilla Pathmavathie Dass-Brailsford

India Abroad December 28, 2012

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NEWS SPECIAL/CONNECTICUT TRAGEDY

Bullets to chew on

KEVORK DJANSEZIAN/GETTY IMAGES

Workers clean Smith & Wesson revolvers recently rented by customers for target practice at the Los Angeles Gun Club, December 7. Gun enthusiasts rent the the weapon to try out before making a purchase at a gun store

‘G

uns do not kill; it is the people that kill,’ may be true, but if people turn mad, what can we do? It was a question asked by the Reverend Dr Francis Luke Nambiaparambil, chaplain at the Danbury Hospital which treated the injured at the shooting at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut. He attended some of the funerals of the children at the St Rose of Lima Catholic Church in Newtown, where he occasionally joins for service. Andrew Arulanandam, the public face of the all powerful National Rifles Association as its director of public affairs, has said earlier: ‘Nothing can stop a criminal or a person undergoing severe crisis from committing illegal acts. We can not regulate irresponsible behavior.’ The NRA, he had said, does not support giving guns to people with criminal records, a history of violence or mental illness and that the current laws are enough to enforce this. When crimes occur, Arulanandam said, prosecutors overlook the violation of the gun laws and focus on other sensational aspects of the crime to make it newsworthy. Though the Connecticut school shooting has shaken the nation, the Indian-American community is slow to react or understand its implications. We forget that such things happened in our own community and could happen again. We react only when a crisis knocks on our doors. The Indian-American community has a fascination for guns. If so many desis do not buy guns, it’s only because of the fear of becoming a suspect in the eyes of law enforcement. Many youngsters love to own a gun. Sergeant Tomy Methipara, the first Indian to become a police officer in Chicago two decades ago, said he does not carry a gun most of the time, though he is allowed to. He and police officers across the country advise people: Guns will not protect you. “When tragedies like the one we had in Connecticut occur, people talk about gun control passionately. But guns are part of American culture,” Methipara said. Chicago had the strictest gun control laws among big cities in the US, he pointed out. But the Supreme Court declared the city’s gun restriction laws unconstitutional a couple of years ago. Recently, a federal court in Chicago

directed Illinois to pass some laws on ‘conceal and carry’ guns. Illinois is the only American state that does not allow citizens to carry concealed guns in any form. The court has given the state six months to come up with legislative measures in this regard. A spate of gun murders in the Indian community in 2007 and 2008 prompted an inquiry by India Abroad about the phenomenon of guns in the community. In November 2007, Sanish Joseph Pallippurath, 27, traveled from Sacramento, California, with two guns in his vehicle to confront his estranged wife Reshma, 25, who had moved in with an aunt on the East Coast. He found her in the St Thomas Knanaya Church in Clifton, New Jersey. He opened fire inside the church during mass, killing her and Dennis John, a young man who came forward to help. Reshma’s aunt Silvy Perincheril sur-

GEORGE JOSEPH vived, but lives with at least one bullet in her head. Sanish was sentenced to life in prison without parole last year. A month before that, the body of 45-year-old Karthik Rajaram, who had a master’s degree and once worked for PriceWaterhouseCoopers, a gun clutched in one hand, was found by the police at his home in the San Fernando Valley, California. The police, summoned by family and friends, found five members of the family shot dead by an unemployed Rajaram, who was facing a financial crisis. The victims, who were killed in their beds, were his wife, his three sons and his mother-in-law. Rajaram had no record of mental disabilities, nor had he made contact with mental health professionals. In April 2008, in Santa Clara, California, Devan

India Abroad December 28, 2012

Kalathat, 36, an engineer with Yahoo!, killed his two children and three members of his family before killing himself. His wife Aabha survived with grievous injuries. She still does not know why he went berserk. Kalathat bought two semi-automatic guns a month before his murderous attack. These cases attracted national attention and led to some soul-searching in the community. Such crimes have not been reported recently in the Indian community. But if America reels under gun violence, it affects us too. Father Luke blamed the culture of violence and worshipping the best shooter and musclemen. “The wider question on the shooting incident should be the grave situation of broken families, mental health issues, etc,” Methipara noted. “The easy accessibility to guns was an aggravating factor in this case. Just imagine the mentality of a young man who could shoot his mother by shooting her in the face several times! Even law enforcement officers — who often see horrific crime scenes — cannot find justifiable answers to such an act.” “The shooter had obvious mental health issues, had issues with schools, did not get along with his brother, was addicted to violent video games, had issues with his parents’ divorce, etc. We have to put all these pieces together to try to find some reasonable answer as to why he acted the way he did.” Guns, said Muzzafar Siddiqi, the first South Asian on the Houston police force, “are part of everyday Texas life. Having a gun in Texas is like having a television or radio in your home.” Texas Governor Rick Perry has termed gun control appeals after the Newtown shooting as knee-jerk reactions. Surely it’s not knee jerk to ask if people should have the right to buy/possess assault weapons? The restrictions on these weapons expired several years ago and Congress has not acted upon extending them. In Newtown, the weapons used were purchased legally. Can there be a restriction on the number of weapons a citizen can possess at any given time? “Then the gun rights people would argue that there is no restriction as to the number of vehicles one can buy,” Methipara said. Siddiqi has seen shootings and robberies involving many South Asians, mostly convenience store owners. Recently his brother-in-law, a convenience store owner, became a victim. “People mostly buy guns to protect their homes,” Siddiqi said. “Lot of businessmen carry guns. Most of the convenience stores and 90 percent of gas stations in Houston are owned by South Asians. Most of them have guns.” He had some advice for businessmen, especially convenience store owners: “When a person comes to a store, the owner does not know what he carries. If he steals and leaves, don’t try to fight. Obey his order. Money or property are not more important than your life and his life. In case you own a gun, stay away from it until you have proper training to handle it. If you have a gun, you may use it. But even if it is legally justified, you will regret it later.” New York Police Lieutenant Liju Thottam said the belief that guns will protect you is a myth. Many small businessmen buy and keep guns for safety. But when a robber enters with guns, the shop owner does not have an opportunity to open a drawer and pull out his gun. On the other hand, Thottam pointed out, when a person has a gun he may feel more courageous. If he has had a couple of drinks, he will be more aggressive. Minor arguments could lead to violence. Methipara had some advice for the community: “All our religious and cultural associations foster and promote ‘success’ in their own way; there is no room for accommodating even a slight failure in our lives in our society. For the failed ones it leads to desperation and hopelessness, which in turn leads to incomprehensible violence, with loss of lives. Do we have a place for counseling for troubled minds? That’s our core problem. Many who came here from small towns cannot take the pressures of living in a sophisticated and troubled society. Unless we change our focus these tragedies will reappear frequently.”

US NEWS

India Abroad December 28, 2012

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Community rallies for Aneesh Chopra es their full potential, expand access to capital so new businesses have the fuel to scale, and lower health care costs by paying for value.’ ith the elections behind them, ‘This last General Assembly session took us the politically active Indianin the wrong direction — attacking women’s American community in the rights and rejecting a judicial nomination soleWashington, DC area has rallied around ly based on sexual orientation,’ he said. the campaign of Aneesh Chopra, ‘The message Republicans in the General President Barack Obama’s first Chief Assembly sent was bad for Virginia and bad for Technology Officer, in his quest to our economy.’ He added, ‘As a father of two become the Lieutenant Governor of the young daughters, I want them to grow up in a Commonwealth of Virginia in 2013. Virginia that will afford them the best opporChopra quit the White House earlier tunities now and in the future — a Virginia this year after a two-and-a-half year stint that celebrates diversity, allows them to make to focus on his campaign. their own reproductive health care decisions, Supporters from Virginia, Maryland demands equal pay for equal work, and values and DC, came together recently at the their professional contributions to make the Maryland home of Democratic Party stalCommonwealth a better place..’ wart Dr Suresh C Gupta to write out Chopra described his family’s journey to the checks for Chopra’s campaign, which if United States, and recalled how his father after successful could be a catalyst for a future immigrating in 1966 to enroll in Villanova’s run for the US Senate or for the governorgraduate engineering program, had earned ship. three patents for his work on refrigeration sysAfter being introduced by Dr Anuj tems and ‘worked hard to ensure his kids had Gupta, a classmate from Johns Hopkins access to great public schools.’ University, who said, ‘Aneesh was always He said his father and mother, a botanist destined to go places,’ Chopra spelled out who started her career as an entry-level clerk his motivation to run for office. He said, ‘I’m running for Lt Governor of Aneesh Chopra, second from right, with wife Rohini, Dr Suresh Gupta, second from left, and Adarsh Gupta, and worked her way up to became a financial project manager in the publishing industry, Virginia to finish what I started when I left, at the fundraiser ‘instilled in me a belief in the positive virtues of first joined the government — harnessing education and the importance of service to country.’ Chopra, who had also served as Virginia’s Secretary of the innovative capacity of the country to solve problems… Gupta shared his pride in the fact that the first generation Technology under Governor Tim Kaine, said, ‘Virginia has Across the Commonwealth, people are looking for praggot involved in the political process through fundraising, rightly earned accolades for fiscal management and its matic solutions that address our biggest problems — edubut now had started electing ‘our next generation as state business friendly environment… (but) if we are to successcation, the economy, health care — and create opportunidelegates and governors.’ fully compete in the 21st century, we need to catalyze ties to improve their lives right in their own neighborThe fundraiser garnered over $25,000. breakthroughs to personalize learning so every child reachhoods.’ AZIZ HANIFFA

AZIZ HANIFFA

ebecca Gale Mathis Somers, 55, a quintessential Indophile, and wife of Ron Somers, president, United States-India Business Council, died in Valencia, California, December 13, after battling breast cancer for over three years. Born to Filizi B Fessl, a German war bride, and Frank M Mathis of Houlka, Mississippi, a distinguished veteran of World War II who participated in the D-Day invasion and who also fought in Vietnam, Rebecca was born December 18, 1956 in Chateauroux, France, and apparently given the middle name ‘Gale’ to spur her on to become a stormy force of nature for the good. She was educated in Europe and across the United States during the Cold War, putting herself through college to earn a BA degree with distinction from the University of California, Berkeley. Her early career in energy facilitated extensive travel through the unspoiled landscapes of the western US, aligning her pulse and imagination with the American spirit and exposing her to the beauty of the country’s heartland. A patriot and advocate for civil liberty, and one who never failed to stand-up for human rights and to protect the innocent as well as the environment, she found the medium of film a powerful motivator to advance causes. She organized film festivals in the San Francisco Bay area, attracting adults and students, expanding horizons and opening minds

‘She loved India with such a passion’ at every opportunity. An avid environmentalist, identifying herself as an ‘undeveloper,’ she helped pioneer new concepts in renewable energy and conserve lands and open space in California and in Massachusetts and Maine. Rebecca met her husband in 1978 in Columbus, Mississippi, and they traveled and worked as a team across the US and Asia, living in India for 12 years from 1992 to 2004, supporting India’s liberalization and its arrival as a global economic power. Ron Somers told India Abroad, “We faced this together at the Oceana Hotel in Santa Monica, where we had access to superb care at the UCLA Medical Center and the place where we stayed overlooked the Pacific and each evening we would do our best to enjoy the sunset, knowing how precious each of these moments were.” “These past months have been a blessing. We have had 34 good years together, till finally her liver was overtaken by the breast cancer and began to fail.” “Rebecca’s fondest memories of her adult life were derived in and from India — in the Nilgiris, on the laterite cliffs of Varkala, overlooking the sal forests of Rishikesh, mahseer fishing on the

Rebecca Gale Mathis Somers 1956-2012

Cauvery. She loved India with such a passion and even more so the people.” “She was all heart, and this opened her to an extraordinary communion with the Indian people and these memories and the friendship of the people of India and the innumerable Indian-American friends we had after returning from India after 12 wonderful years is what brings me great solace.” Vishaka Hussain Pathak, senior advisor at the USIBC and close friend and confidante of the Somers, told India Abroad, “I remember Rebecca as a very warm, compassionate and wonderful person who understood India in all of its dimensions and cherished her and Ron’s times there very much. I have also had the pleasure of meeting her brother and mother when they attended USIBC’s Annual Summit Gala where Rebecca always found time to go out of her way to reach out to USIBC’s team appreciating all the work and long hours it took to put annual summits like USIBC’s together.” “And, of course, she was Ron’s pillar of strength,” She added. Rebecca died in her mother’s arms with family and close friends at her side. The family said donations in her memory can be sent to Responsible Pet Care of Oxford Hills, which is building a new wing for its animal care facility at PO Box 82, Norway, Maine 04268. Memorials celebrating Rebecca’s life were to be held in 2013 in California in early spring before the sagebrush blooms, and in Maine during fall foliage. Her ashes were then to be conferred to the Pacific, to the Ganges, to her sanctuary at North Pond, and at the Mathis family farm in Houlka, Mississippi.

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INDIA SPECIAL/GUJARAT ELECTIONS

India Abroad December 28, 2012

The long road to Delhi Gujaratis have given Narendra Modi the verdict he deserves, says Sheela Bhatt

Leuva-Patel community. The Patels were dividujaratis have used the electoral machined, but the division of votes harmed the ery judiciously and intelligently to give Congress party more than the BJP, and helped what is due to Gujarat’s hero, Narendra Modi in a big way. Modi. The third consecutive victory is by all Second, cash transfers to tribals contributed yardsticks a superb achievement. All sections of handsomely to Modi’s victory. Modi has used the society have given the Bharatiya Janata Party cash transfer scheme efficiently to his political their votes. advantage. Except in north Gujarat, the BJP seems to Much before Indian Finance Minister P have not lost much anywhere. The emphatic vicChidambaram boasted about it, the Modi govtory is because of the urban middle class’s idenernment transferred more than Rs 9 billion tification with Modi and Modi’s identification ($163 million) to poor people all over Gujarat. with them. Modi concentrated heavily on the southern tribGujarati voters gave Modi exactly what he al belt. He appropriated the entire credit for the deserved — and refused to allow him to be in the scheme by organizing garib melas and won over league of the Congress party’s Madhavsinh the tribals. Solanki, who won 149 assembly seats in 1985 on The BJP lost Sanand, where Modi gave land the basis of the KHAM (Kshatriya, Harijan, and huge benefits to the Tatas to produce Nano Adivasi, Muslim) theory conceived by party cars. But it says something for Modi’s developstrategist Jinabhai Darji. ment model that the BJP has won in tribal areas The hyped expectations will slow Modi down where cash was disbursed without being awardfor some time, but it won’t restrict his ambied Nano-type of factories. tions. Modi’s government has distributed benefits In Gujarat, even smaller towns have an urban worth millions of rupees to around 10 million sensibility and rural areas are increasingly compoor Gujaratis through hundreds of garib melas ing under the influence of the urban ethos. Modi so far. This suggests that in coming days one will has reaped the benefits of Gujarat’s urbanization see a change in Modi’s model of development. once again. But Gujaratis have not given Modi The BJP has lost less-than-expected seats in enough to make him the BJP’s ‘undeclared’ Saurashtra, but it has lost its tight grip on north prime ministerial candidate too soon. The Gujarat and gained in south Gujarat. In central Congress party has lost disgracefully, but someGujarat it has more or less remained at the same where its strategy has worked in not giving Modi level as it did in the 2007 election. ‘open skies’, as Congress party leader and Indian It was known that there was anti-incumbency External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid said. against the Modi government in Saurashtra. The hype around Modi has been belied by a Modi countered it by non-Patel (anti-Patel complex verdict. Modi the victor has been emotion was not raised to ensure that the BJP’s trapped by the voters’ verdict. He has fallen vicPatel candidates didn’t suffer) mobilization in tim to the web of hype, exaggeration, hardsell the BJP’s favor by organizing the Vivekanand that he wove around his personality. Yatra to keep the youth on his side and by injectHis party’s boast of getting 151 seats impacted ing energy in the administration in tribal areas. last week’s celebration. Urban Gujarat, by using middle-class muscle Modi has become larger-than-life, but the verto dominate Modi’s agenda, helped. It is a mutudict is one where Gujaratis have gained more ally beneficial relationship. Modi favors urban than Modi. Gujarat in his development agenda and middleThe verdict favors the people of Gujarat. And class Gujaratis give him votes. they are saying, ‘Narendrabhai, please serve us! It is a wonderful result delivered by Gujarati There is still time to shift to Delhi!’ voters. They know best what is good for them. The voters are saying: ‘We want Modi. He This is a ‘faida no saudo’ (profitable deal), as gives us a peaceful and safe atmosphere to earn SONIL DEDHIA/REDIFF.COM typical Gujarati voters see it. our life and livelihood, he gives us a sense of The less than 125-plus seats means Modi will strength by his vision of development and he Narendra Modi’s third consecutive election victory is by all yardsticks a major achievement be compelled to concentrate on Gujarat for raises hopes for a promising future.’ some time. This mandate will give Modi food for thought. Congressism’ is alive in Gujarat and they have shown conVoters have not given Modi bountiful votes to cross the He presided over a cabinet, many of whose members have tempt for Congress party leaders by kicking out of the politpsychological hurdle of earning significantly more than the been rejected ruthlessly by voters. It is certainly a reflection ical arena veterans like Arjun Modhwadia (Porbandar), 125 seats that the BJP itself declared as its goal this time. on the BJP under Modi in Gujarat. Shaktisinh Gohil (Bhavnagar), Kunvarjee Bawalia (Botad) Delhi’s political setup would have experienced tremors But Modi won unqualified success in crushing the and Sidhartha Patel (Dabhoi). had Modi won above 125 seats. Modi did not leave any Congress party’s efforts to stand and be counted in Gujarat The entire range of the Congress party and BJP leaderstone unturned to get it — he went on Google Hangout, after two decades. This will worry Congress party leaders in ship, cutting across castes and class, has been wiped out for used 3D technology and spent millions of rupees to project New Delhi. the next five years. Modi’s Home Minister Praful Patel, himself. He did everything within his command to market There remains no doubt that Modi has won in spite of Agriculture Minister Dilip Sanghani, Health Minister himself so that he could move on to the next stage of leadanti-incumbency against many of his party’s candidates Jaynarayan Vyas and Minister of Social Welfare Fakirbhai ership, but intelligent Gujarati voters applied the brakes on and the fact that the Hindutva card was absent. This gives Vaghela all lost the election. More ministers would have exaggeration. him the edge which he did not have even in his 2002 and lost had they not been helped by Modi when he declared on Modi exaggerated his strengths and the Congress party 2007 victories. the election campaign, ‘Don’t look at your candidate, look exaggerated Modi’s weaknesses. Now voters have chosen One should not have any doubt that Narendra Modi is at at me!’ Modi with a caveat. They have given him power because the doorsteps of New Delhi. A 125-plus verdict would have What he actually meant was: ‘Ignore the taint on them, they want to get on with life. given him automatic advantage right away. Now Modi will ignore their corruption and give me your vote.’ The BJP’s losses carry the message that all was not well maneuver his way because the third consecutive victory Modi’s day has been made by two trends. First, with Modi’s governance. will make him more impatient than ever. Saurashtra has rejected outright the caste card of the At same time they have given a clear signal that ‘anti-

India Abroad December 28, 2012

SONALI RANADE

he Gujarat electorate has thrown up a conundrum for India that raises deep philosophical questions about the future of its polity. First, electoral compulsions have once again prevailed over the rule of law. The difference between brute mobocracy and a fair democracy is the rule of law. Second, Gujarat has again tacitly approved a rather contemptuous message to its minorities that says you are irrelevant. This has implications on national politics. For these reasons alone, Gujarat’s political choices need careful scrutiny. It may be useful to recall the Bharatiya Janata Party’s general electoral strategy of polarization along the communal fault line to generate a larger share of votes for it. I am by no means implying the Congress party strategy of polarization along caste lines is less harmful to the BJP’s polarization along communal lines. Both are terribly debilitating for India. My effort here is more geared to showing why Gujarat cannot be scaled up to India. For the purposes of a crude but simple model that helps explain the strategy of polarization, consider the total electorate to be made up of four blocs: These are the Upper Castes or UC, Middle Castes or MC, Lower Castes or LC, and Muslims, M. The size of these blocs varies from state to state, district to district, town to town. Furthermore, there is significant difference in size and composition between urban and rural areas. Muslims in particular cluster around town and cities and shun rural areas unless they happen to have a significant majority by themselves. For the purposes of understanding the dynamics, assume UC is 20 percent, MC is 40 percent, LC is 20 percent and M is 20 percent. This also roughly corresponds to the caste composition of the Hindus that one observes in practice. An increase in the degree of polarization works differently on the four blocs. A working political assumption is that UCs tend to polarize favorably towards the BJP, LCs and Ms against. MCs is where the real battleground lies. Note, as an initial condition, a majority of UCs is aligned with the BJP, and Ms and LCs against it. So the real gain or loss from an increased degree of polarization comes from the MCs. The other groups are more or less committed in their preferences. The above configuration, very back of the envelope, gives the BJP roughly 30 percent of the vote without any polarization. With maximum polarization, the vote percentage goes to about 40 percent to 45 percent range. So the real battle for the BJP is to find an emotive issue that polarizes the MCs into voting along communal lines. It helps the BJP to have MC leadership at the state level to gain some extra leverage. Ever since the Ayodhya affair, the BJP has pursued the same electoral strategy without any change. In Gujarat, Muslims constitute no more than 9 percent of the population against a national average closer to 18 to 20 percent. Other minorities in Gujarat are insignifi-

INDIA SPECIAL/GUJARAT ELECTIONS

Why Gujarat is not scalable to India cant at less than 1 percent. This changes the composition of Gujarat’s electorate to the BJP’s natural advantage. Without any polarization, the BJP comes in with a 40 percent share of the vote compared to others (including the Congress party) at something close to 30 percent. No wonder, therefore, Gujarat has traditionally been a BJP stronghold. Note, issues and the electorate’s mood change from election to election. What we are taking of is general tendencies. The fact is, the BJP doesn’t need polarization in Gujarat to win. It needs that outside Gujarat.

Kumar, the BJP just cannot find the winning combination on its own, no matter what the degree of polarization its ideologues drum up. With Gujarat not being scalable to the rest of India, what options does the BJP have to capture power? If the BJP is to be the main player in a winning coalition, the BJP needs a degree of emotive polarization. However, that by itself is useless without an alliance with other MC leaders. That is the basic reason why we find ourselves in an era of coalition politics.

REUBEN NV/REDIFF.COM

Sweets are distributed in Ahmedabad Therefore, Gujarat is a model to be sold to the electorate outside Gujarat — preferably in a different garb: More development rather than naked polarization. The basic arithmetic changes drastically once you step outside Gujarat. Firstly, the Muslim vote aligned against the BJP jumps to 20 percent. The degree of polarization required to offset that is much higher because the BJP needs to get more than 50 percent of the MC votes in order to win as opposed to 25 percent in the case of Gujarat. Moreover, extreme polarization generates a backlash in lost UC vote share. Under such circumstances, the BJP is an under a compulsion to find a Middle Caste leader, well disposed to its ideology, who can pull in the additional votes necessary to put together a winning combination. As we see from history, the BJP has done well in states where MC leaders lead it. Modi himself is an MC leader, which sort of seals the arithmetic in Gujarat for the BJP. The same play was evident in Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka and in the BJP alliance with Nitish Kumar in Bihar. When the MCs have their own leader of stature like Mulayam Singh Yadav or Nitish

The BJP just cannot win on its own steam given the rival Congress party’s strategy of polarization along caste lines. India is locked into divisive politics of one sort or the other. If the Gujarat model is not scalable, what are Modi’s chances of leading the assault on Delhi?

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Nitish Kumar, and other MC leaders like him, will find Modi’s creation of a cult around himself too hard to swallow. Furthermore, aligning with Modi’s hard Hindutva will lose them the critical M vote on which they depend to keep the Congress party at bay. Given the Congress party strategy of coalition-building, the BJP will have to find leaders acceptable to its potential coalition partners in order to win. And Modi, with his near contemptuous disdain for minorities, together with his strenuous efforts to build a personality cult, has more or less ruled himself out of the game. Can a softer, more balanced narrative rehabilitate Modi after his power struggle within the Sangh Parivar is settled in his favor? Modi faces stiff competition from a gaggle of BJP national leaders but few of them have his electoral reach or access to corporate war chests. The latter is critical in the BJP because central leaders have no separate access to resources that are needed to reward corporate generosity. Their funding comes entirely from regional satraps like Modi. Also, it is not clear that the Brahmins of Nagpur are ready to surrender their vast cultural organization to an MC leader like Modi. The BJP has no organizational muscle of its own. It depends more or less entirely on the cultural reach of the RSS and its cadres to pull in voters. The RSS is the political party of cadres and the BJP the political party of leaders. The latter is nothing without the former. Modi has supplanted BJP/RSS cadres with his own people in Gujarat. Will the Brahmins of Nagpur risk losing their only crown jewel to a relative outsider? This is not a question to be taken lightly. Whatever be its merits or demerits, the RSS remains one of the most potent political organizations in India. Much of Modi’s obduracy towards minorities is predicated on his need to win the battle for supremacy within the Sangh Parivar. As a shrewd politician with an eye on Delhi’s throne, he would have made the appropriate noises of remorse and regret for 2002 long before this, but for the need to keep his firebrand supporters by his side. Modi needs to win over either the RSS or his rivals in Delhi to emerge as the undisputed leader within the Sangh Parivar. Without one or the other, he cannot win. This triangular contest is what constrains Modi’s emergence as a national leader in his own right. Modi has various other options open to him, one of which is to be less aggressive and perhaps join the collegium of BJP leaders in Delhi and become a team player and bide his time. Provided he mellows down, the BJP could then use him as the polarizing factor to lead the Hindutva charge for power. If Modi were to consent to play L K Advani to a more acceptable BJP leader as Atal Bihari Vajpayee, he would give the BJP the chance it needs to build a winning coalition with MC leaders. Is Modi really larger than his image? If you find him retaining his chief minister’s post in Gujarat and consenting to work for the greater good of his party, you will have your answer.

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India Abroad December 28, 2012

A larger story beyond Modi

Celebrations in Ahmedabad REUBEN NV/REDIFF.COM

SHREEKANT SAMBRANI

‘T

hank you, chief minister,’ said Gujaratis of all descriptions December 13 and 17. They gave Narendra Modi a victory less substantial than he expected, but an effective one nonetheless. Most voters knew their mind quite early, but some got swayed not so much by the Congress party as by the veteran Keshubhai Patel, leading to unexpectedly close contests in Saurashtra. In effect, that prevented Modi from reaching his cherished goal of 150 seats in the assembly. Nevertheless, Gujarat clearly said in 2012, as it did in 2007, that it has never had it so good. Congress party men tried to assert that other states had done well too, and Gujarat had always been relatively prosperous. Media and academic critics trawled data and dug up indicators to say that Uttarakhand and Bihar had grown faster, while Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu had done just as well. At any rate, Gujarat had an abominable record on distribution of gains and had horrendous ghettos. The average Gujarati seemed to say, ‘Don’t treat us as aliens. Come and see for yourself what Gujarat is truly like.’ Bibek Debroy, the economist, did just that and came back with an impressive and objective analysis to support the Gujarat success story.

Shekhar Gupta, editor of The Indian Express, also came at election time and did brilliant reportage of Gujarat shining, cutting across regions, activities and population groups. Unlike the critics who selectively quoted from convenient data to point out lacunae in the Gujarat saga, Gupta appeared to concur with Debroy’s overall conclusion that denying the role of the present political leadership — read Modi — would ‘violate the facts and be dishonest.’ Gujarat’s answer to its critics in essence was: ‘Look at our consistent growth, look at our factories and farms, our continuous power supply, our beautiful roads, our urbanizing tribals, our relatively clean and glitch-free administration. Show us one single state where all these conditions prevail at the same time. Show us one state, one large city, free of “horrendous ghettos” and read M J Akbar on the representation of Muslims in administration in Gujarat. So, thank you for your concern, but we will keep our state government.’ Modi’s third triumph on the trot also showcases his evolving style of leadership and persuasion. Early on, he targeted the United Progressive Alliance government by claiming that it was treating Gujarat in a step-motherly fashion. It allocated resources to Gujarat far less in proportion to the taxes it collected from the state and acted as a spoilsport by blocking the state’s

initiatives. The Congress party leadership was forced to be on the defensive and it proved no match for Modi’s aggressive campaign, buttressed with many a telling anecdote and instance. He broadened his attacks to include the Gandhis and Manmohan Singh, taking care to remain within the edges of seemliness, albeit just barely so. And he never forgot the original Modi identity. In his quest for the Modi supremacy, he singled out the powerful Congress party general secretary who hails from Bharuch as Ahmed Miyan Patel and accused him of nursing chief ministerial ambitions. His late reference to a possibility of a backroom deal with Pakistan on Sir Creek left his core constituency in no doubt that their man had not abandoned them. The question now will inevitably be of the Modi legacy. His acolytes have already started the drumbeats for the advancement of Modi to the national stage and he has left no doubts about where his sights are set. Yet, it would be wrong to read the renewed Gujarat mandate as a clarion call for a triumphant march to Delhi. The election results say that Gujarat wants Modi’s continuance. The absence of anyone else even remotely able to fill his shoes is a factor that cannot be ignored. Even assuming that Modi somehow finds a loyal and able satrap to carry on his work, his path to the top of

his own party would still be slippery. Then he would have to contend with the compulsions of coalitions. Whether his leadership would still keep the National Democratic Alliance intact, leave alone cohesive, is a thorny question. Should he overcome this hurdle and the NDA somehow cobble together a majority in 2014 — by no means an assured possibility as of now — he would certainly find governing a fractious India with strident regional parties and a wounded Congress party no cakewalk.Should he then trade undisputed power over a premier state of India for this shaky crown of thorns? Huey Long, governor of Louisiana (1928 to 1932) and Lee Kwan Yew of Singapore (who was prime minister for three decades) are the leaders closest to Modi who enjoyed comparable powers gained through democratic means, exercising unfettered control over their parties and regions. Long had national ambitions and worked hard for it before his assassination in 1935. He would have been disastrous as president of the United States. Likewise, Yew would have found the task of molding federal Malaysia into an economic miracle wellnigh impossible given the fact that the Malay majority would have chafed under the exactitude of his Chinese leadership style. Modi would do well to draw his lessons from this, rather than dismiss it as idle speculation. The Gujarat election of 2012 tells us a much larger story going beyond Modi. This victory effectively applies closure to 2002. It is unlikely that Modi will offer anything more than a purely symbolic doffing of his cap to heal the hurts of that calamitous year in his pursuit of greater glory. More importantly, most non-Muslim Gujaratis want to put the past behind them. And as Shekhar Gupta discovered, they may find many Muslim takers for this proposition as well. This does not mean condoning what happened a decade ago, leave alone justifying it. The judiciary has shown admirable zeal in pursuing the wrongdoers so far and there is no reason to fear that the process will slacken. What does closure then mean? To me, it is coming to terms with the tragic events even as Gujarat continues to seek its place in the sun. That process can only accelerate in the wake of the elections, empowering all Gujaratis in the bargain. The question of erasing the marks of 2002 troubled me while reviewing Bibek Debroy’s impressive new book on Gujarat recently. I wondered whether there will ever be an answer to it. By a remarkable coincidence, an event that took place between the two dates of the election (December 13 and 17) did just that. Darshak Itihas Nidhi, an NGO, had organized a symposium on port towns in

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Absurd to deny Modi a US visa ASEEM SHUKLA

our legislators stood at a podium on another unseasonably warm December day in the shadows of Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. Somber and stern, they took turns delivering blistering monologues into microphones that outnumbered the stray staffer milling about. As America’s attention sits riveted on a lame duck Congress that should be consumed with the fiscal cliff, four Congressmen had time for this — a theater of the absurd. Absurd, because the calumny they heaped were on a democratically elected leader thousands of miles away, Narendra Modi, over a visa to the United States that he covets not. Absurd, because at issue is a tragedy 10 years passed over which dozens have been sentenced and held accountable, but the Indian Supreme Court’s Special Investigative Team absolved Modi of guilt. And absurd, because in the ostensible goal of ostracizing Modi, this act will likely play as another attack on Gujarati asmita, or pride, and certainly did not weaken his hand for the state elections. It is telling that at Ground Zero in Gujarat, Modi’s culpability in the aftermath of the Godhra train arson is a non sequitur during election season. Neither Sonia Gandhi nor any Gujarat Congress party worker, even in the heat of the campaign, ever once recalled 2002 — the issue is dormant for Gujaratis. But just as aspirational entities as Dalitistan, Khalistan, and Nagalim find life from time to time in the annals of the US Congressional Record, a mix of new and old actors in Congress fancy themselves jury and judge in the case of Modi, and the theater commences. Even putting aside the terrible optics of American legislators disrespecting the free and fair democratic ballot in India, not to mention a fiercely independent judiciary that has convicted many — but absolved Modi thus far — for the riotous aftermath of Godhra, it is instructive to make note of the cast that rendered judgment. Keith Ellison, Joe Pitts, Trent Franks and Frank Wolf are well known ideological and religious activists vis-à-vis India, and their history of engagement with Indian Americans speaks to motive. Trent Franks (Republican, Arizona) is a far-right evangelical Christian conservative that most recently made news in joining the redoubtable Congresswoman of Minnesota, Michelle Bachmann, and only two others in calling for a sweeping investigation of the Muslim Brotherhood’s insidious infiltration among American Muslims. Working along with his longtime foreign policy advisor, Melody Divine, who serves on the board of the Dalit Freedom Network, a Colorado evangelical church-based group, Franks routinely provides a Congressional forum to that group that ties caste-based discrimination directly to Hindu scriptures and promotes conversion to Christianity as the only solution. Despite requests from Hindu Americans, Franks refused to sign another Congressional letter to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton asking that American engagement with Pakistan be predicated upon ending ongoing persecution of Hindus, Christians, and Ahmadiyyas there. An ideological soul-mate to Franks, Pitts is another evangelical conservative who has made opposing not just Modi, but the Bharatiya Janata Party, specifically, a target of several Congressional hearings.

PUNIT PARANJPE/REUTERS

BJP workers a protest against the US decision to deny a visa to Narendra Modi, near the US consulate in Mumbai, March 19, 2005 From inviting activist Teesta Setalvad — whom the same Indian Supreme Court’s SIT reportedly condemned for perjury by fabricating affidavits implicating Modi — to Capitol Hill hearings and repeatedly co-sponsoring bills on behalf of Christian Dalit leaders, Pitts also trumpeted his hosting a film screening, India’s Hidden Slavery, that was sponsored by Christian Solidarity Worldwide. Perhaps Pitts faced his greatest embarrassment when his Indian agenda focused on Gujarat, Orissa, and Dalits began congealing with that of Dan Burton, that anti-India stalwart (who also signed the letter against Modi), and expanded to parroting the Pakistani view on India. Those calls for a plebiscite in Kashmir, forming the Congressional Forum on Kashmir, and benedictions to erstwhile president Pervez Musharraf were the ones Pitts likely hoped to retract when the Federal Bureau of Investigation revealed that after Burton, Pitts was the highest recipient of largesse from the Virginia-based, convicted Pakistani Inter Services Intelligence agent, Ghulam Nabi Fai. Modi may be a polarizing figure in India, but what to say about that same visa-deprived Gujarati who manages to bring together onstage Trent Franks, whose conservative.org rating is 100 percent, with Keith Ellison (Democrat, Minnesota) whose rates a meager 8 percent? Bipartisan unity — however fleeting in Washington these days — notwithstanding, the only Muslim in Congress, Ellison, bitterly opposed Franks’ Muslim Brotherhood hunt. It was the hurt that Ellison tearfully conveyed that resonated with a Hindu American Foundation delegation, including Minnesotans, that met with him over two years. The delegation hoped to find in Ellison a person with an understanding of political engagement as a religious

minority. A potential ally in shared goals for a liberal society. The encounters did not go well. Two years ago, the Congressman opened his meeting with the HAF with a direct query: “Are you affiliated with radical Hindu nationalist groups?” And he began with probing for ties to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and other Indian groups he considered ‘Hindu radicals’. The team, of mostly American-born Hindu American lawyers, engineers, students, and business owners, was stunned. What did their agenda of the separation of church and state, liberalizing of the religious worker visa, educating Americans about Hinduism, international human rights, and the like have to do with radicalism? Had the Congressman presumed that South Asians identifying themselves as Hindus must be suspect of a hidden agenda? Did he presume that Hindus in America must be tied in to socio-political realities in India? The following year, it only got worse. Due to a ‘scheduling conflict,’ instead of the Congressman’s office, the HAF delegation was escorted to the cafeteria to meet with a staffer. This staffer, a former outreach director for the Indian Muslim Council and blogger who often alleged Modi’s direct involvement in the 2002 riots, blindsided the delegation with a grilling about the HAF’s opposing a move by Indian Communist groups to cancel Sadhvi Ritambhara’s US visa tour raising money for her Vatsalyagram charity project. Ellison’s activist not only criticized HAF’s positions, but implied dark affiliations and sympathies to violence against Muslims in India. Several of the HAF delegates stormed off in disgust, as did the staffer, and HAF found itself combat

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Absurd to deny Modi a US visa Page A15 ing a false narrative rife with innuendo and accusations. And what to make of the array of organizations that orchestrated the event? From the Forum of Inquilabi Leftists to the Association of South Asian Progressives, from Coalition Against Communalism to Friends of South Asia, the potpourri of self-professing Indian radical groups joined with the Indian Muslim Council and the Federation of Indian American Christian Organizations to push an agenda to overrule the Indian judicial system and perpetuate a visa ban on one man. Is a decade-old riot the only contemporary human rights issue deserving a coalition of the concerned? Will these Indian leftists be called out for doling out the morally dubious imprimatur of legitimacy to the anti-India and antiHindu antics of a Burton, or Pitts or Franks? Hypocrisy is never a lonely noun on Capitol Hill. The United States protects the leader of Rwanda despite his support of genocidal Tutsi rebels in the Congo. Chinese leaders enjoy visits here despite their violent religious persecution of Tibetans, and Burmese leaders got a President Barack Obama visit in spite of that government’s summary executions and rape of the Indian-origin Rohingya people. For Theatre du Modi, the absurd first act in Washington is over. Shall the next act be left to the voters in Gujarat and the Supreme Court of India?

PHOTOGRAPHS: REUBEN NV/REDIFF.COM

Celebrations in Ahmedabad

Dr Aseem Shukla, MD, is co-founder of the Hindu American Foundation and a pediatric urologist in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The views expressed here are his own.

A larger story beyond Modi Page A14 Gujarat during those days at Daman. Most such events are dry and dull, where academics read out boring papers soon to be mothballed. Not this one, though. A galaxy of Indian and international historians and archaeologists vividly brought to life the long dead Harappan towns of Lothal and Dholavira. They conjured up images of Cambay and Bharuch at their peak in the medieval period, causing envy among European visitors and chroniclers. Surat, the once and future metropolis, attracted plunderers from Maharashtra as well as the East India Company but continued to flourish anyway, as it does today, plague and floods notwithstanding. More important than places are the people and the culture. Gujarat is among the earliest civilizations in the subcontinent, going back some four millennia. The word civilization goes beyond mere settlements. It encompasses infrastructure and systems

of governance. The ancient and medieval Gujarat habitats not only possessed high orders of civic amenities, but also reasonably egalitarian and just administrative mechanisms. Gujarat was and continues to be the true Gateway of India. It has attracted traders from abroad from ancient times. They were dazzled by its wealth and industriousness. Some, like the Zoroastrians, became adopted children of the land and added immensely to its variety and industry. Even today, workers from areas less well off come in search of livelihood and often remain in Gujarat for generations. The wealth also drew invaders, whose campaigns left bitter tribal memories which persist to date. This bitterness could explain, but not justify, the communal conflagrations that engulf Gujarat from time to time. It also affected the 2007 elections (‘Separate and unequal: the Muslims in Gujarat,’ Business Standard, December 25, 2007). The point is that Gujarat recovers

and marches on even after the worst bouts of bloodletting. Yet, on the whole, Gujarat has successfully managed its affairs involving all communities. In the pre-colonial era, Muslim princes ruled, Hindu and Jain traders engaged in commerce, and Hindu and Muslim artisans produced goods for exchange. Prosperity was shared, though obviously not equally. The adventurous Gujaratis of all stripes traveled far and away in pursuit of fame and fortune, but mostly returned to their native land. This circulation (and not necessarily a Diasporic movement) meant that Gujarat was globalizing long before the term gained currency. That process continues apace even into the 21st century. Governments are supposed to facilitate greater economic activity through enabling provisions of infrastructure and communication. That Gujarat does so better than most other states is evident from the results. But this takes for granted an even

more important precondition for the free flow of capital and material, an atmosphere of peace and harmony. That, too, exists in all parts of Gujarat in good measure, which does not need much proof. Gujarat not only has industrial peace, but also safe streets where women are not afraid to walk unescorted even in the dead of night — and not just because the roads are well lit. That is something one cannot say about most of the rest of India. What makes this possible? The answer in one word is enterprise. This spirit has characterized the Gujaratis generation after generation, Hindus, Muslims and tribals alike. No amount of demonizing has diminished it. That is what is bringing a closure to 2002 after this election and will prevail long after Modi becomes history. Dr Shreekant Sambrani taught at the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad, and helped set up the Institute of Rural Management, Anand.

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India Abroad December 28, 2012

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Is it mere hype?

or weeks one had been bombarded by the Narendra Modi blitzkrieg whose intensity was of a scale that would induce large-scale distortion of perception and reality, something like what mass hypnotists do to a spellbound audience. Rather like those conjurers, Modi, it seemed, was everywhere thanks to his 3D projections. There was nowhere you could run: He was there virtually, in Google Hangout, and in the pinpoint carpet-bombing by his followers on social media. If you let yourself be mesmerized by this you would believe, as a few vocal ones do, that Modi is the future; that the Gujarat election was merely the first stepping stone in his impending trek to the prime ministership. Thankfully, there is something called a reality check that, well, reality enforces on you. And that moment arrived December 20. All along, one had been brainwashed into believing that Gujarat was Modi’s pocket borough, and the state, barring the ‘pseudo-seculars’ acting at the behest of the Congress party, would rally behind him as never before. The never-before part is interesting. On the heels of the 2002 carnage of Muslims, which pitchforked Modi into national prominence, not all of it the positive kind, was his high point. Bagging just a tad less than 50 percent of the vote, he romped home with 127 seats in the assembly. This time, we were told by his numerous followers for who he has by now assumed the form of the 10th avatar of Vishnu come to save mankind — okay, not all of it but at least to save Bharat — the number would be phenomenal. One-twenty-plus was the minimum (never mind, it would still be less than 2002) but in sight was the 145 seats scored by the Congress party under Madhavsinh Solanki in 1985. That was thanks to mobilization of another kind. Now that the numbers are out and it is nowhere near as spectacular as expected/feared by some or hyped by many — Modi has bagged just 115 seats, his lowest in three elections — it is a sobering thought. Is this the best he can do? Yes, Modi has won his third consecutive term which maybe something to cheer about for the Bharatiya Janata Party (it really shouldn’t cheer about him if it knows what is best for it and the nation), but is nothing new. Sheila Dikshit has done in it Delhi trouncing — who else! — the BJP. Naveen Patnaik has done it in Orissa, first in league with the BJP and then against it. So has Tarun Gogoi in Assam. And this is only in the recent past. So if Modi has neither won an unprecedented mandate in either seats or number of terms, what is all the hype about? Or is that not a question that should be asked at a time when the vocalites are telling us the future is him? These voices will only get shriller in the day as more elec-

A supporter with a mask of Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi on his turban attends an election rally at Pavagadh town, Gujarat, October 11

tion data pours in. Already, that the BJP, despite not putting up a single Muslim candidate, has won in some community boroughs is being held up as a vindication of the state government’s dubious role in the 2002 anti-Muslim riots. If poll results are meant to wash away the stains from the past, the judicial function may as well be handed over the Election Commission of India. By talking of 2002 one runs the risk of getting branded as being stuck in the past when the affected community has so clearly moved on. Or get poked with another popular rejoinder: Anyway, wasn’t the Congress party guilty of a similar crime in 1984 when it targeted Sikhs? I don’t think either the Muslim community has moved on, or that the analogy to the Congress party’s misdeed in 1984 is correct.

SAISURESH SIVASWAMY

Taking the second one first, the Congress party has more than atoned for its sin by making a Sikh the prime minister since 2004. On the contrary, the BJP has not made a Muslim a chief minister, not in Gujarat or elsewhere, so there has neither been a verbal nor active expression of grief till date. And the first point, about Muslims not moving on, takes me to a recent community event where I happened to be the lone non-Muslim. Since there was nothing about me, neither dress nor language, to show the others I was not one of them, tongues wagged freely in my presence despite the somber occasion. Since men are prone to discuss politics at any event, the talk turned to Narendra Modi. From anger to dismay, the sentiments ran the entire gamut. One of them was articulate, comparing what Modi has done to the community in Gujarat to what Aurangzeb had done to Hindus in the past, and spoke of the present as a time when they were paying for past sins. I realized then, that despite all talk of normalcy, moving on, for a large number of non-Hindu Indians Modi’s ascendancy is a petrifying thought. As for me, speaking purely as a practicing Hindu Indian, what he represents is in tune with neither the religion I believe in nor with the ideals of the nation I belong to. The BJP, claiming to speak for both, is in reality speaking only for itself. Shellshocked by its defeat in 2004, and silenced by its realization that there is no vote-catcher in its midst, it is casting its lot with the Gujarat chief minister. Despite the Modi cult running counter to everything the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh stands for, there is a silence of complicity in a party filled with papier mache leaders. AMIT DAVE/REUTERS No wonder Modi, with his three consecutive terms, seems like the new demigod. Aware that his Achilles heel will hobble his national ambitions, the Modi we saw in 2012 was not the same we saw in 2002 and 2007. The BJP, despite all the pro-Mandir polarization, bagged just 20.3 percent of the vote in the 1996 Lok Sabha election, the figure creeping up to 25.6 percent in 1998 and 23.8 percent in 1999. That was the best the moderate Atal Bihari Vajpayee could manage, and Modi knows he needs to do much better to dispense with pesky allies like Nitish Kumar. Hence the new mantra of development that he has been harping on, a mantra that many more qualified and knowledgeable than me have picked holes in. Everyone knows that the prerequisite for economic development is peace. Gujaratis, given their industry and drive, have bought into Modi’s recipe for peace. But the rest of India needs to remind itself that peace can also be found in a graveyard. Is that what we seek for the nation, too?

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2012 THE YEAR THAT WAS

India Abroad December 28, 2012

US-INDIA TIES

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton listens to India's then foreign minister Somanahalli Mallaiah Krishna speak during a news conference in New Delhi, May 8

SHANNON STAPLETON/REUTERS

Riding the US-India bicycle A year when Washington and Delhi pedaled on — to prevent falling over

eing election year — both Presidential and Congressional — in the United States, foreign policy in general, which included the any forward movement on the US-India strategic partnership, in 2012 was very much relegated to the backburner. In US-India relations, the envisaged strategic partnership remained very much on autopilot. Washington and New Delhi went through the motions with some high-level visits and ironing out wrinkles like Iran and economic issues like Washington’s displeasure over New Delhi’s reluctance to allow foreign direct investment in retail (India acquiesced toward the end of the year). Transformational manifestations like the US-India civilian nuclear deal remained in limbo and a possible major irritant loomed on the horizon. The year began with Washington still smarting over India’s decision to not cave into US pressure and award the multi-billion fighter aircraft deal to American defense manufacturers. That hurt seemed to heal quickly; US companies, particularly Boeing, clinched contracts from India that in totality exceeded $10 billion. The single-most major bilateral event for the year, the US-India Strategic Dialogue in mid-June, was in danger of being contaminated by the growing irritant between Washington and New Delhi over Iran. It was then that Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, in a surprise addition to her itinerary, included a visit to India on her way back to

Washington, DC after co-chairing the US-China Strategic Dialogue in May to lay the hand on Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh — so that she could assuage the concerns of a skeptical Congress. Despite the sugar-coating, so grave was the issue that Dr

AZIZ HANIFFA Singh and then Indian external affairs minister S M Krishna, obviously cognizant Clinton would warn of sanctions against India if Delhi didn’t dramatically cut its trade with Tehran, sent an SOS to Indian Ambassador to the US Nirupama Rao to come to Delhi to be part of the discussions with Clinton. Sources at the time had told India Abroad that besides having enormous faith in Rao’s counsel, both the prime minister and Krishna wanted to be extensively briefed by Rao since she had been engaged in intensive discussions with Obama administration officials and US lawmakers in

explaining India’s position and constraints in terms of a radical diminution of Iranian oil imports. Even as she was making clear that India was on the same page with the US and the international community — against a nuclear Iran. As India Abroad continued to report prior to Clinton’s visit, US diplomats, not to mention their Indian counterparts who had been walking a tightrope on the issue, were horrified at the prospect of sanctions. Hence, the Clinton overdrive, which resulted in India being granted an exemption from sanctions, which was later extended toward the end of the year as Delhi continued to forsake Iranian oil imports even more significantly The last thing Clinton wanted to be her legacy was the triggering of sanctions against India. In one of her first major foreign policy addresses three years ago, she had declared she wanted to take US-India relations to the next level. She also wanted to be on the same page in terms of the third US-India Strategic Dialogue in June, which would be her swansong before she retires from public service — and not have the Iran issue contaminate the areas on tap to be discussed and institutionalized at that dialogue. Sources at the time had pointed out that this Iran issue had an immediacy about it. The administration’s hands would be tied if India’s non-compliance resulted in the legislation

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Riding the US-India bicycle Page A18 pertaining to sanctions being triggered. The sources also warned that — because of the perception that Israel faces a grave threat from a nuclear Tehran — US lawmakers, including India’s best friends in Congress, could go ballistic, as already had been seen when Clinton and the new US Ambassador to India Nancy J Powell appeared before Congressional committees, where already there was a perception that India was trying to circumvent the sanctions against Iran. There were other contentious issues, the sources acknowledged, but they argued at the time that these issues had no particular deadline and could be negotiated, but not so Iran. It posed a real threat to unraveling the US-India Strategic Dialogue, which had taken years of commitment and dedication by both sides to construct. Thankfully, the Strategic Dialogue was without hiccups, and the discussions reinforced commitment in a gamut of areas — from education to energy, defense to science and technology.

ut there was a sense that the much ballyhooed strategic partnership — that envisioned major regional and global roles for India in concert with the US — had lost its oomph. Worse, perhaps it had become a damp squib. Thus, in late October, even an erstwhile senior IndianAmerican Obama administration official, Rahul ‘Richard’ Verma, challenged the senior-most US career diplomat, Deputy Secretary of State William Burns, in reflecting a growing consensus among many South Asia watchers: ‘All of the time and energy put into the (US-India) relationship hasn’t lived up to that promise.’ Verma echoed the view of many inside-the-Beltway skeptics, not to mention the business industry. He told Burns — who, ironically, was at the Center for American Progress to address the topic of ‘India’s Rise and the Promise of the USIndia Partnership’ — that many believed that even after President Obama ‘invested a lot of time and energy’ on India, the US had ‘been stiffed’ by India ‘in many different areas — on civil nuclear cooperation, on economic liberalization, on cooperation to put out some of the hotspots around the world.’ At the time, Burns had just returned from India after meeting with senior Indian government officials to seek assurances that this was not so. ‘I understand the frustration and sometimes the disappointments — I lived through some of them myself,’ he said. ‘The reality is, when you take a step back, the partnership which is emerging between the United States and India is far wider and deeper than anyone could realistically have imagined even a decade ago.’ This, he said, doesn’t mean ‘that you are going to measure this partnership in dramatic breakthroughs every year or two.’ At the end of the day, he said, it was ‘the everyday work we need to focus on… in a range of issues, whether it’s in terms of our economic relationship, the defense relationship, as well as our wider global interests.’ Burns asserted: ‘Strategic partnerships do not emerge fully formed; you have to work at them and it takes a lot of time and effort. And that’s what we are committed to doing.’ Earlier, in his keynote address, Burns had said, ‘Keeping a partnership on track between two proud, noisy democracies takes vision and steady commitment. It’s a little like riding a bike; either you keep pedaling ahead, or you tend to fall over… Progress between us won’t always be meas-

PARWIZ/REUTERS

Afghan villagers pray over the graves of girls who were killed by an explosion in Jalalabad, December 17. A blast killed 10 Afghan girls, between nine and 11 years old, as they were collecting firewood in eastern Afghanistan ured in dramatic breakthroughs, like President (George W) Bush’s civil nuclear initiative, or dramatic moments like President Obama’s declaration of support for India permanent membership in a reformed UN Security Council. It won’t be measured in diplomatic honeymoons which never end. It won’t be measured in some special alchemy that magically transforms strategic convergence and powerful aspirations into meaningful cooperation.’ But the disappointment seemed palpable even as the year drew to a close, despite areas like FDI in retail — which the Indian Parliament voted to allow — and even as New Delhi seemed to be taking on the responsibility of rehabilitating war-ravaged Afghanistan and being left to fight the US-led war on terrorism in the region. US Senator Mark Warner, the influential Democratic cochair of the US Senate India Caucus, bemoaned the much ballyhooed US-India civilian nuclear deal still being in limbo. ‘It still lies out there,’ he said, despite ‘all of the grand announcements.’ In his opening remarks at a recent conference pushing for the implementation of a US-India investment treaty, Warner had said the US-India relationship ‘will be, if not the key, one of the key relationships for our country in the coming decades…’ ‘There are so many areas where just our individual national interests align — the threats of terrorism, emerging challenges in Asia, military cooperation, enormous collaboration economically, the enormous potential and power of the Indian American Diaspora to be that kind of cultural and business link between our two great nations.’ All of this was coupled with a caveat — undoubtedly prompted by issues like the comatose nuclear deal: ‘Even with a good friend, you are going to have some bumps along the way.’ Strategic affairs expert Ashley Tellis argued in a November article that future policies that seek to deepen

the partnership with India on multiple dimensions could ‘prove challenging and will require strong resolve,’ particularly since the second Obama term would likely confront a series of potentially serious dangers relating to Iran, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Syria, and possibly China — in addition to all the domestic challenges of accelerating a slow economic recovery. Given these realities, Mumbai-born Tellis wrote, ‘It is possible that the task of exploiting breakthroughs will be shortchanged amid the struggle to overcome calamities… addressing the urgent invariably dominates engaging the important.’ ‘Continuing the renovation of US-India ties represents an opportunity to be realized rather than a crisis to be overcome,’ Tellis added. Anything short of that could result in the evolving USIndia strategic partnership simply languishing, he wrote, ‘as yet another historical curiosity embodying some vague potential.’ Retired Admiral Walter F Doran, former commander in chief of the US Pacific Fleet whose association with India goes back 34 years to attending the Indian Defense Services Staff College in Wellington, Tamil Nadu, said recently he wanted the US-India strategic partnership to have been consummated yesterday. ‘We tend to want to move very quickly, our businesses report to Wall Street every quarter — our publicly-trade businesses,’ Doran said. We have an election every four years, we tend to want to see immediate results and return on invested capital…’ ‘India, quite frankly for the United States, from a very selfish point of view, is too important, and will continue to be too important to either be ignored or put on the backburner or be allowed to succumb to this feeling of fatigue to a certain degree that has come over the discussions right now.’

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January Rising political star Shefali Razdan Duggal was chosen as the Most Powerful and Influential Woman in California by the National Diversity Council. Sabrina De Sousa, who was sentenced in Italy in the Central Intelligence Agency’s alleged kidnapping of a Muslim cleric in Milan in 2003, lost a case against the government. She had filed a civil case, alleging that as a consular officer, she had been entitled to diplomatic immunity, which the government didn’t declare for her and the other accused. Later in the year, Italy’s highest criminal court upheld her conviction along with 23 Americans. She could be arrested if she travels outside the United States. Atlanta got an Indian consulate that would serve also serve Alabama, Florida, Mississippi, South Carolina and Tennessee, as well as the US Virgin Islands and the US commonwealth of Puerto Rico. Lyvita Gomes died after a hunger strike in the Lake County Jail in Illinois. It was the end of a tragic saga that began with a failure to answer a jury summons and ended with her succumbing to dehydration and malnutrition. Mumbai native Dr Protul Shrikant made a path-breaking discovery that led to a clinical trial for a cancer vaccine at the Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, New York. The State Department sent three Indian-American comedians — Hari Kondabolu, Rajiv Satyal and Azhar Usman — to India to Make Chai Not War, a comedy diplomacy endeavor.

March One of India’s closest friends on Capitol Hill, United States Representative Gary Ackerman decided to not seek re-election for a 16th term. President Barack Obama appointed Dr Sonny Ramaswamy, dean, Oregon State University’s College of Agricultural Sciences, as director, Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture. Dr Zach Zachariah, longtime Republican Party stalwart, sued his one-time protégé Dr Akshay K Desai, another leading GOP activist, alleging that Desai not only unilaterally and improperly kicked him off the board of directors at their jointly owned company, but subsequently issued 57 million additional shares of common stock without any shareholders or board meeting, reducing the value of Zacharia’s ownership share in the company from 20 percent to about 14 percent. Kashmiri separatist leader Syed Ghulam Nabi Fai, who headed the Kashmiri American Council was sentenced to 24 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for conspiracy and tax violations in connection with a decade-long scheme to conceal the transfer of at least $3.5 million from the Pakistan government to fund his Kashmir-related lobbying efforts in America. Nurse Aparna Hande received the California 56 Assembly District Woman of the Year award in a ceremony held on the floor of the California state assembly.

Captain Pratima Dharm organized the first Holi festival for United States Army personnel at the chapel at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland.

February The exodus of senior Indian-American Obama administration officials continued. The nation’s first federal Chief Technology Officer Aneesh Chopra quit to focus on running for Virginia lieutenant governor. The father and son combination of Suresh and Aditya Kumar — the only such duo in the Obama administration and perhaps a first in any United States administration in the Indian-American immigrant experience — quit their Department of Commerce and White House positions, respectively. Parita Shah, deputy director for public affairs at the Commerce Department, quit to join a lobbying firm. Five Indian Americans were among those honored with India’s Padma awards. Arvind Panagriya, Vidya Dehejia, Homi K Bhabha and Jose Pereira were accorded the Padma Bhushan and Jagadish Shukla the Padma Shri. Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen was awarded the National Humanities Medal. The economist is the first Indian to receive the coveted honor in its 16-year history. The National Foundation for American Policy discovered that data culled from the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services showed a dramatic increase in the denial of petitions for both L-1 (intra-company transfer) and H-1B (temporary work visa) categories in the past four years for India-born professionals and researchers compared to those from other countries. The Institute of Medical Education in the Bay Area, founded by Sunil Vethody, was shut down by California state regulators, alleging that it had violated laws. A court recommended that Neena Malhotra, a former consul at the Indian consulate in New York, and her husband Jogesh, an engineer, pay $1.5 million to their former domestic help, Shanti Gurung for forcing her to work without pay. Goa-born Bernadette D’Souza, a longtime legal aid attorney, was elected as a judge to head up the first family court in New Orleans. She became the first Indian-American woman to be elected a judge in the Cajun state.

April Tshering Rinzing Bhutia, a student from Sikkim, was among the seven people killed in the shooting at Oikos University in the San Francisco Bay Area. Dawinder Kaur was shot in the arm and Sonam Choedon, a Tibetan born and raised in India, was also killed. Khalid Awan, a Pakistani-Canadian, was sentenced to 14 years in jail for providing material support to the Sikh militant group Khalistan Commando Force. Four years after outsourcing visa related services to Travisa Outsourcing, the Indian embassy and consulates outsourced the work related to Indian passports to VFS Global. MIAN KHURSHEED/REUTERS Suja Lowenthal, vice mayor, Long Nancy J Powell took over as the first woman Beach, California, was re-elected to the United States ambassador to India. city council from the 2nd district. In a rare honor, Indian Ambassador Nirupama Rao delivered the graduation address at the University of Florida’s doctoral degree commencement ceremony. Maneesha Kelkar, executive director, Manavi, one of the oldest South Asian organizations in the United States, stepped down. The Hindu American Seva Charities, the White House Office of Public Engagement and Intergovernmental Agencies and the White House Office of Faith Based and Neighborhood Partnerships co-hosted a historic briefing and conference.

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May

July

Ohio legislator Jay Goyal, who was elected to the state House of Representatives at age 25 — the youngest to win a seat to state office in at least three decades since current US Senator Sherrod Brown won his seat from the same district — decided not to run for re-election, instead shifting focus to his family business. Several South Asians were among the 107 medical professionals charged for alleged participation in Medicare fraud schemes involving approximately $452 million in false billing, while six South Asians were arrested for their alleged role in a long-running unemployment and disability fraud scheme in California’s Sutter and Yuba counties. Krittika Biswas, daughter of New York-based Indian diplomat Debashish Biswas, who was wrongly accused and arrested from her school in 2011, filed a federal lawsuit claiming at least $1 million in punitive damages in addition to other reliefs. Vikram J Singh, who was the senior defense adviser to the late Richard Holbrooke was appointed to a key Pentagon post — Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for South and Southeast Asia. Six months after he was nominated by President Barack Obama as a commissioner, Federal Communications Commission, Ajit Varadaraj Pai was confirmed by the Senate. The Washington, DC Metropolitan Police Department allowed officers to serve while keeping their articles of faith, the first major metropolitan police department in the country to do so.

The capture of the Higgs Boson — the most wanted sub-atomic particle in physics, partly named after Indian scientist Satyendra Nath Bose and the top scientific breakthrough of the year — had a strong Indian connect. Vivek Sharma, professor of physics at the University of California, San Diego, headed the Switzerland-and-France-based CERN’s Compact Muon Solenoid experiment — one of two large particle physics detectors built on the Large Hadron Collider — team that found the Higgs Boson. Many Indian scientists, representing the Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics in Kolkata, the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research in Mumbai, the Harishchandra Research Institute in Allahabad and the Institute of Physics in Bhubaneswar were also involved in the experiment. Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal and South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, both Republicans, pilloried the Supreme Court’s upholding of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, and vowed not to implement it in their states. A settlement was reached in the case involving India’s Consul General in New York Ambassador Prabhu Dayal, who was sued by his domestic help last year for alleged subjection to forced labor and psychological coercion. Dr Sunita Kanumury, who was the 30th American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin president and only the second woman to hold the position, handed over the reins to Dr Narendra Kumar. Five House Republicans, led by Minnesota Congresswoman Michele Bachman, said Huma Abedin, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s deputy chief of staff, was part of a conspiracy by the Muslim Brotherhood to infiltrate the government. Leading Republicans slammed Bachman and her group. Pawan Sinha, Sridevi Vedula Sarma, Biju Parekkadan and Nepali-American Parag Pathak received the Presidential Early Career Awards for Scientists and Engineers, the highest honor bestowed by the government on science and engineering professionals in the early stages of their research careers. President Barack Obama nominated Bharata Natyam exponent Ranee Ramaswamy as a member to the National Council of Arts. Lina Sinha, daughter of a pioneer Montessori school founder in New York, began serving a two to seven year prison term for having sex with a 13-year-old student. Professor Sreenath Sreenivasan was appointed chief digital officer, Columbia University. India’s consul general in Houston Sanjiv Arora’s term came to an end. He was succeeded by Parvathaneni Harish.

June

Bollywood star Saif Ali Khan was the grand marshal, at the India Day Parade in New York

Vin Gopal was elected chairman of the Monmouth County Democrats in New Jersey. Legal luminary Srikanth ‘Sri’ Srinivasan, who in August 2011 was named principal deputy solicitor general, was nominated by President Barack Obama to serve on the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia. He becomes the first South Asian American to be nominated to a seat on a federal circuit court. Natwar Gandhi was reappointed as District of Columbia chief financial officer for another five-year term, making him the longest-serving CFO anywhere in the United States. The United States Junior Chamber or Jaycees named Sanjay ‘Ram’ Ramabhadran as one of the 2012 Ten Outstanding Young Americans. Writer Siddhartha Mukherjee was awarded the Taraknath Das Award for Indo-American Understanding. Piramal Healthcare Limited director Swati Piramal, an alumna of the Harvard School of Public Health, was elected to Harvard’s prestigious Board of Overseers to serve a six-yearterm. A survey by the Pew Research Center, The Rise of Asian Americans, found Indian Americans as the top-performing segment among Asian-American groups — whether it be on economic, educational, or social indicators.

August Jerry Wang, chief executive officer, Herguan University and University of East-West Medicine in Sunnyvale, California, was arrested, striking a big blow for international students of Indian origin studying at these universities. Massachusetts-based PARESH GANDHI Biswamohan Pani, 36, a former Intel employee, was sentenced to three years in prison for stealing chip manufacturing and design secrets. Dalbir Singh was shot dead in Milwaukee when he was locking the doors of a shop. Mahesh Guda, who has served in Afghanistan with the 3rd Special Forces Group, Airborne Division and is now deployed in South Korea, was conferred with the US Army’s Commendation Medal. Vivek Shah, an aspiring actor, was arrested for trying to extort money from Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, West Virginia coal magnate Christopher Cline, Buffalo Sabres owner Terry Pegula, Groupon founder Eric Lefkofsky and the daughter of late Texas oilman Dan Duncan. The Immigration and Customs Enforcement shut down the PC Tech Learning Center LLC in New Jersey, reportedly owned by Dhirenkumar Parikh. Kashmir Singh Manes, a store clerk, was killed in Fresno, California, during a robbery. The Dharma Civilization Foundation gifted $3.24 to the University of Southern California School of Religion for establishing the first chair of Hindu studies in the United States. The California state assembly passed a resolution recognizing August 15 as India’s Independence Day.

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September

October

November

A federal jury ruled that Wahl Clipper Corporation, manufacturer of the Groomsman Beard and Mustache Trim, was not responsible for the death of Ishan, son of filmmaker Shonali Bose and National Aeronautics and Space Administration scientistturned filmmaker Bedabrata Pain. As part of an effort to revive the hitherto comatose Indian American Forum for Political Education — the oldest IndianAmerican political organization founded over 30 years ago — its new president mooted a Florida chapter. The organization resurrected its annual Congressional reception and dinner on Capitol Hill. President Barack Obama appointed multimillionaire Silicon Valley entrepreneur Dr Romesh Wadhwani to the Board of Trustees of the John F Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. California Governor Edmund G ‘Jerry’ Brown Jr signed two bills to promote civil rights and religious freedom. Bill AB 1964 clarified that wearing religious clothing or religious headgear as a belief or observance was protected under the Fair Employment and Housing Act, and SB 1540 required the state board of education to consider adopting a revised curriculum framework and evaluation criteria for instructional materials in history and social science. A Northwestern University, Illinois, student, Harsha Maddula, was found dead at the Wilmette Harbor, Lake Michigan. Former University of Alabama Professor Amy Bishop, who shot dead three colleagues, including Professor Gopi K Podila, chairman, biological-sciences department, in February 2010, was sentenced to life in prison without parole. A United States federal judge ruled that India’s Congress party had been ‘properly served’ with summons in the November 1984 Sikh genocide case as per the Hague Service Convention and denied a motion of the party to dismiss the case.

Pennsylvania-based Raghunandan Yandamuri was arrested for the murder of a grandmother and granddaughter in a botched kidnapping attempt. Dr Kiran C Patel and Dr Pallavi Patel donated $12 million to the University of South Florida aimed at creating the Patel College of Global Sustainability. A jury sentenced former Houston police officer Abraham Joseph to two life terms for two counts of aggravated sexual assault on a Hispanic woman. Sonal Shah, who quit the Obama administration as its first director of the White House Office of Social Innovation last fall, joined the Case Foundation as a Senior Fellow, even as she remains a Resident Fellow at Harvard University. Ramanathan Prakash was sentenced by United States District Judge Morrison C England, Jr to a statutory maximum 10year prison sentence for health-care fraud. Zachariah ‘Reggie’ Zachariah, Jr was appointed to the influential Broward County Judicial Nominating Commission by Republican Governor Rick Scott. The gurdwara in Stockton, California — the first Sikh settlement in the United States — celebrated its centenary and the establishment of the Gadri Baba Museum. New York’s signature Diwali Mela celebrated its 25th year.

Vice President Joseph Biden led the White House Diwali celebrations November 13. Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal, who had gone around the country on a bus tour campaigning for Mitt Romney, slammed the Republican nominee for the way Romney ran his campaign. While the number of international students at colleges and universities in the United States increased by 6 percent in the 2011-2012 academic year, the number of Indian students in the US dropped nearly 4 percent compared to the previous year, according to the 2012 Open Doors Report on International Education Exchange. Two people were stabbed and a few others injured outside a Sikh temple in Tierra Buena, Yuba City, California, when two groups clashed over control of the shrine. Sanjay Sarma was appointed the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s first director of digital learning. Nearly two-and-half years after Divyendu Sinha’s murder in New Jersey, one of the five individuals charged in connection with the crime pleaded guilty. Steven Contreras, 19, entered a plea agreement and will now testify at the trial of the four co-defendants — Julian Daley, Christian Tinli, Cash Johnson and Christopher Conway — charged with Sinha’s murder. Vitaliy Krasnoperov was sentenced to life in state prison without the possibility of parole for the 2007 double homicide case in which Anaheim Hills resident Jayprakash Dhanak, 56, and his daughter Karishma, 20, were murdered and their bodies burnt. Dhanak’s wife Leela, 54, was also severely injured and was in a coma for months after the attack. He was sentenced for his role in a revenge-murder and attempted murder conspiracy targeting the family of a co-defendant’s ex-girlfriend, Shayona Dhanak, who was then 18. Millionaire Raveesh Ravi Kumra was killed by intruders who barged into his home in Los Gatos-Monte Sereno, California Vishakha Desai, who left her position as president and CEO, Asia Society and joined the Guggenheim Foundation as a senior adviser for global policy and programs earlier this year, was appointed by President Barack Obama as member, National Museum and Library Services Board. Making a historic appointment, President Barack Obama picked Sachin Dev Pavithran, a visually impaired program director of the Utah Assistive Program, Center for Persons with Disabilities, Utah University as a member of the Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board, also known as the Access Board. The board was created in 1973 to ensure design standards across the country to enable access to people with physical disabilities. Paula Gangopadhyay was appointed to the National Museum and Library Services Board.

December Indian-American doctor Dilip Joseph, of the Morning Star Development aid group, was abducted in Afghanistan by the Taliban. He was freed by US and Afghan forces in a joint operation that killed seven of his captors. Dr Meera Sachdeva of Mississippi was sentenced to 20 years in prison and ordered to repay nearly $8.2 million for fraud at the Rose Cancer Center she ran. The indictment said Sachdeva and her co-defendants defrauded

Medicare and Medicaid by billing for chemotherapy treatments given to patients when no physician was present at the Rose Cancer Center, billing for services that were never rendered, and for causing serious bodily injury to a patient. Syringes were re-used and different patients’ chemotherapy drugs were drawn from the same bag. Sachdeva administered substantially smaller amounts of chemotherapy drugs to her patients than what she claimed to be giving them. Kaushik Jayantibhai Thakkar pleaded guilty to being part of a scheme to smuggle undocumented immigrants from India into the United States for money. Atul Nakhasi, a thirdyear medical student at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, Maryland, was elected national chair for the Medical Student Section of the American Medical Association. Captain Pratima Dharm organized the first Diwali celebration at the Pentagon Memorial Chapel in the Department of Defense headquarters in Arlington, Virginia.

SONIA BHAGAT

First Lady Michelle Obama made a brief appearance at the third White House Guru Nanak birthday celebrations.

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At the India Day parade in New York

PARESH GANDHI

he planet has again circumnavigated the sun, and the solar system swung less than a 100 billionth of its way around the Milky Way. Which makes it time for some hurried stocktaking — some measured and thought out, others just annual tics that result in involved narratives being built around comparatively short-term changes. What is not evident from yearly roundups is the slow but definite changes in the Indian-American community and across the generations over time, and some issues that refuse to go away. The first big wave of academically oriented professional immigrants that hit the United States in the 1960s lacked strong cultural support systems and had to put together their own or strengthen the weak ones that existed. By 1977, the first temple in an Indian tradition was built in Flushing, Queens, New York, and others followed. These provided some help for the first generation to hold onto one’s roots in a way someone in the old country might not need to. Unlike the first generation, the second generation could not draw solace from memories of a secure identity. They went to schools, colleges and workplaces here where they were unlikely to run into other Indians and so often had to swallow any pride and learn to assimilate. Even allowing for those who could find some safe middle ground, there were many who found this polarized their families. Because of a selection bias — the first big wave of immigrants consisted essentially of the highly educated that tended to encourage their children to study too — it was concluded that most Indians were better at nerdy activities and ought to stick at being doctors, engineers and professors. By the time of the second big wave in the 1990s — call them the H1-B professionals though there were others besides people with those visas — things were a little different. The professionals now came from a little more Westernized India, their entry eased by more reading material, some preparation over the Internet, easier communication with family back home, and the availability of cheaper air tickets. Their children were born in an America with more Indians, where people were more used to the commu-

I for identity nity, and where South Asian stores and culture — Bollywood, salwars, etc — were not as exotic as in the 1960s. But while reduced, there was still polarization: The second generation still couched their ideas of reality in a different context than the first. By the mid-2000s, India was suddenly Shining, what with Thomas Friedman taking taxi trips through India and asserting the world was flat from Bangalore to Santa Clara and others writing books saying why India, the largest democracy, was the next world leader. Mainstream Americans were watching Bollywood with a mixture of awe, amusement and bewilderment, and Bhangra and its beat had challenged the position Bharata Natyam, Kuchipudi and other dances and Carnatic and Hindustani music held earlier as defining Indian art forms. It seemed everything about India, and by extension the Diaspora, was bristling with energy and that Indians could do little wrong. The complaints about bad responses from call centers were put down to barely concealed racism, the complaints about corruption and chaos in India to sour grapes. Now, that sheen is fading and a more realistic picture is emerging — a little tattered at the edges but not irredeemably damaged. Already, Indians were out there, venturing into areas their parents would think twice about — acting, art, politics, comedy. Other than in comedy, when accents, arranged marriages and toilet practices can be the butt of much tired humor, the cardboard cutout Indian has been getting a little more rounded. Through all this the divide still remained between the pioneers and their progeny, with the first often trying to ensure a continuity of tradition through religious and cultural practices, holding onto an idea of India defined by when they left the country. An example of this is how often

P RAJENDRAN

the time a person left India can be gauged from the music that s/he deems best. There are those in the first generation who, despite their numerous successes, still feel uncomfortable interacting with those in the mainstream, a result of bad experiences, natural awkwardness, or both. Perhaps, the community could gain from the experience of the high-achieving Jewish Diaspora in the US that has been able to tease apart faith from culture, and thus ensure that their children do not necessarily pull out their roots altogether. That group is not much larger than the Indian one and its original immigrants had often escaped bad situations in their countries of origin and to work their way up from the bottom. But while that community has spent much money on synagogues, it has invested far more on universities, endowments, scholarships and cultural centers, such as the 92nd Street Y in Manhattan. There are Indian counterparts to this. Consider the India Community Center in Milpitas, California, which provides non-religious camps, familiarizing children with Indian history, geography, art, games and Vedic math. These may not be free as some Jewish camps, but are a good first step in cultural immersion without the stress. Then there is the Upakar Foundation scholarships that provide up to $2,000 for Indian Americans or Green Card holders from India. Again a beginning, but nothing compared to the variety of scholarships and college seats available to Jewish students. If a New Year resolution is to be made, why not one to accept and support the growing community of people, some not so young any more, that identify themselves as Indian American or South Asian and not just as Indians? Perhaps those born in a new land need to be informed of where they come from without the often attendant defensive pride, be given an idea of one identity that does not trample on the others that come with the territory. There are many groups already helping communities back in the home country. Perhaps in time there could be as many nonprofit groups here nurturing those from the second and later generations with roots in the subcontinent but who do not identify themselves only by their country of origin or religion. Who knows, it may result in a stronger, long-lasting community that is less likely to be insular and yet be comfortably proud with itself.

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2012 THE YEAR THAT WAS

India Abroad December 28, 2012

YEAREND WIDE-ANGLE

PARESH GANDHI

At the India Abroad Person of the year awards. From left, Captain Pratima Dharm, Major Kamaljeet Singh Kalsi, and Sukanya Roy, winner of the India Abroad Special Award for Achievement 2011; Lloyd I Rudolph, who along with his wife Susanne H Rudolph (not in the photograph) was honored with the India Abroad Friend of India Award 2011; Dr Thomas Abraham, winner of the India Abroad Award for Lifetime Service to the Community 2011; Anita Desai, winner of the India Abroad Award for Lifetime Achievement 2011; Preet Bharara, the India Abroad Person of the Year 2011; Neera Tanden, winner of the India Abroad Publisherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Special Award for Excellence 2011 and Dr Shwetak N Patel, winner of the India Abroad Face of the Future Award 2011.

Paresh is Chief Photographer, India Abroad

Rally against Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi in New York, March 3

Different voices

Overseas Friends of BJP celebrate Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s victory in New Jersey

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YEAREND WIDE-ANGLE The garba festival in Somerset, New Jersey

Yoga at Times Square

Freida Pinto walks the red carpet at the premiere of Trishna in New York, July 10

PARESH GANDHI Paresh is Chief Photographer, India Abroad

The Swami Vivekananda cottage in Thousand Island Park where the Indian scholar spent seven weeks, over 115 year ago

Hurricane Sandyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s aftermath in New Jersey

MAGAZINE India Abroad December 28, 2012 The International Weekly Newspaper

THE

BEST OF TIMES

COURTESY: AMI BERA

THE BEST OF TIMES

THE MAGAZINE India Abroad December 28, 2012

Ami Bera made it to Congress, seen here with former President Bill Clinton’s

It had only happened twice before. In 1957, Dalip Singh Saund became the first Asian American and the first Indian American to be elected to the United States Congress. In 2005, Bobby Jindal became the second. Ami Bera followed in their footsteps in November, also becoming the first desi doctor in the House. His election capped a year of landmark political victories for the community. In January, Satyendra Singh Huja took over as Charlottesville, Virginia’s first Sikh mayor, while Aney Paul took office in Rockland County as the first Indian-American woman legislator in New York. In March, 27-yearold Raj Mukherji

became the youngest deputy mayor of Jersey City. In November, Tulsi Gabbard, though not of Indian origin, became the first Hindu in Congress and Samir Singh became the first Indian American in the Michigan House of Representatives.

The Ami Bera phenomenon

Tulsi Gabbard STREETER LECKA/GETTY IMAGES

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India Abroad December 28, 2012

Kal Penn at the Democratic National Convention with Michelle Obama

Ishwar Singh, president, Sikh Society of Central Florida, creates history at the Republican National Convention, becoming the first Sikh American in United States history to deliver an invocation at a national party convention.

Desi surge

JOE RAEDLE/GETTY IMAGES

The number of Indians with United States citizenship crossed the 1 million mark, reaching 1,154,308, and doubling the number of Indian-origin voters between 2000 and 2010. Within months, the firstever poll of voter attitudes among Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders found that support for President Barack Obama was the strongest among Indian Americans. Gopal T K Krishna, the most influential IndianAmerican Republican in the important caucus state of Iowa and the only Indian American on the GOP’s policy-making Platform Committee, pushed through unprecedented language about India as a ‘geopolitical ally’ and ‘strategic trading partner’ in the National Republican Platform. Dr Akshay K Desai was appointed finance chairman of the Republican Party of Florida — likely the first time an Indian American was chosen to head the finance committee

of any party in an entire state. Ishwar Singh, president, Sikh Society of Central Florida, created history at the Republican National Convention in August, becoming the first Sikh American in history to deliver an invocation at a national party convention.

No community becomes truly powerful till its force is recognized in politics. More than any past Presidential election, recognition of the clout of the desi voice came in 2012.

South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley laid the foundation for higher office as the warm-up act for Ann Romney, GOP nominee Mitt Romney’s wife, in prime time at the Republican National Convention. Actor Kal Penn, California Attorney General Kamala Harris and Sainath Iyer, a student at Virginia Commonwealth University, were among the 35 national co-chairs of President Obama’s re-election campaign. Kal Penn and Kamala Harris were accorded prime speaking slots at the Democratic National Convention in North Carolina.

Dr Akshay K Desai, second from left, with Mitt Romney, left, on the Republican candidate’s plane. Desai was finance chairman of the Republican Party of Florida

MARK WILSON/GETTY IMAGES

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THE MAGAZINE India Abroad December 28, 2012

Spelling Bee queen Snigdha Nandipati

At the National Geographic Bee, Rahul Nagvekar, 14; Vansh Jain, 13; Varun Mahadevan, 13; and Raghav Ranga, 14, bagged the top four positions respectively. Snigdha Nandipati clinched the 2012 Scripps National Spelling Bee, becoming the fifth consecutive Indian American to win the title, and the 10th in the last 14 years. In the Geography Bee, this was yet another desi steamroller performance, with Stuti Mishra coming in second and Arvind Mahankali finishing third. After having none among the top 10 last year,

Indian-American kids came roaring back in this year’s Intel Science Talent Search, dubbed the junior Nobel Prize in science. Nithin Tumma, 17, took the top slot for his research on breast cancer treatments. He is the second Indian American to win the competition since its inception in 1942. The sixth place went to Neel Patel, 17, and the seventh to Anirudh Prabhu, 17.

STEPHANIE MITCHELL/HARVARD STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Economist Raj Chetty, who at age 29, just eight years after graduating summa cum laude from Harvard College, became one of the youngest tenured professors at Harvard University, won a MacArthur Foundation Fellowship, nicknamed the genius grant. Of the nearly 900 MacArthur Fellows over four decades, less than 12 have roots in India.

Indian-American kids, who have virtually taken ownership of the National Spelling Bee, also dominated the National Geographic Bee and the Intel Science Competition.

Deepika Kurup, 14, was named the winner of the 2012 Discovery Education 3M Young Scientist Challenge or simply put America’s Top Young Scientist for her innovative, cost effective and sustainable water-purification system. Among the winners were Anin Sayana in third place and Anishaa Sivakumar in fourth place. Manoj Kanagaraj, Saumil Bandyopadhyay, Naomi Shah, Anand Srinivasan and Vaishnavi Lakshminarasimha Rao bagged the Davidson Fellowships and 12 of this year’s Presidential Scholars were Indian Americans.

ALEX WONG/GETTY IMAGES

The reign continues

MacArthur Genius Raj Chetty

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India Abroad December 28, 2012

Commanding Space

Sunita Williams’s second trip to the International Space Station was a record breaker on several fronts. Williams is only the second woman of Indian origin to have been selected by NASA for a space mission after the late Kalpana Chawla.

During her 127 days in

space this time, part of

which she spent as

commander of Expedition

Below, a space walk with Sunita Williams during her second stint on the ISS Left, Williams returns to earth

NASA/REUTERS

SERGEI REMEZOV/REUTERS

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THE MAGAZINE India Abroad December 28, 2012

Undocumented UCLA students at a graduation ceremony for UCLA ‘Dreamers,’ or Dream Act students, in Los Angeles, June 15, the day the Obama administration decided to allow deferred action that could spare them deportation

Hope of a DREAM President Obama’s historic decision to introduce a deferred action for DREAMers (those who come under the Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors Act) or undocumented aliens, starting August 15 gave relief to many Indian Americans.

JONATHAN ALCORN/REUTERS

People attend an orientation class on filing up their application for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program at the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles, August 15, the day it came into action

It gave hope to approximately 1.4 million DREAMers, of which 112,000 are Asian American and Pacific Islanders. DREAMers got the right to apply to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services for relief from deportation or from entering into deportation proceedings. The deferred action qualified them to work legally for the next two years. KEVORK DJANSEZIAN/GETTY IMAGES

MAGAZINE India Abroad December 28, 2012 The International Weekly Newspaper

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SWAT officers surround the Sikh Temple of Wisconsin, August 5. Lieutenant Brian Murphy arrived at the gurdwara within four minutes of the 9/11 calls and even though grievously wounded, saved more lives by his heroism

DARREN HAUCK/GETTY IMAGES

10 minutes of horror When Wade Michael Page entered the Sikh Temple of Wisconsin August 5, he brought in his wake the worst 10 minutes for the community. The white supremacist killed six devotees and injured four others, including a police officer, before turning his gun on himself. It brought home like nothing had so far â&#x20AC;&#x201D; not even the attacks on Sikhs after 9/11 â&#x20AC;&#x201D; the need for the FBI to track hate crimes against the community.

Baljit Singh with his slain father Suveg Singh

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Rajat Gupta has been sentenced to two years in prison, a $5 million fine and one year of probation

Rajat Gupta was the face of all that was good in the community. He came from humble beginnings in India and rose to the pinnacle of power and prestige in the United States. He conquered Wall Street, but was also a revered philanthropist. Yet the idol crumbled — breaking a bit of the community’s heart — June 15 when the jury in Manhattan’s federal court found him guilty of four counts of insider trading. Several Indian Americans before Gupta were found to be involved in insider trading and more names continue to crop up, but none shocked and disheartened the community as much as his conviction and two-year prison sentence.

Fall of an icon PARESH GANDHI

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Verdict of shame P RAJENDRAN

On trial: Dharun Ravi, with his mother Sabitha Ravi

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The wronged: Tyler Clementi’s parents

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Some hated Dharun Ravi, some had sympathy for a young man’s prank gone tragically wrong. But when he went on trial after his prank led to his roommate at Rutgers, Tyler Clementi, committing suicide, what stood out the most and shamed the most was his unwillingness to apologize for what he had done. He was found guilty of using a webcam to watch Clementi with another man in September 2010. Clementi committed suicide, after learning of it. He was also found guilty of invasion of privacy and witness and evidence tampering. He was sentenced to 30 days in jail plus 300 hours of community service, counseling and a $10,000 fine toward a program to help hate-crime victims. Yet his apology came only after the judge flayed him for not apologizing: ‘I heard this jury say guilty 288 times: 24 questions, 12 jurors, that’s the multiplication. And I haven’t heard you apologize once.’ And it came — grudgingly at best — through his lawyer. Whether this was a reflection of who Dharun is, his upbringing or how society treats differences, we will never know. But it was, without a doubt, a shameful low for the community.

PARESH GANDHI

Many voices: The case evoked strong pro- and anti-reactions

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India Abroad December 28, 2012

The exit of Vikram Pandit — the man who brought the Citi Bank back from the brink — marked the end of an era on Wall Street

Wall Street blow

Vikram Pandit took over CitiBank at a time when the world was on the brink of an economic meltdown and the banking business was about to see its worst days. He trimmed the third-biggest bank in the United States by hiving off businesses, paid back the $45 billion bailout packages the bank received from the government and cleared its balance sheet after massive losses on bad mortgages that were made before he took charge. While doing all this he accepted only a token $1 in compensation in 2009 and 2010. So, it came as a huge shock when he was forced to resign in October, a day after a strong third quarter report that lifted Citi’s stock price by more than 5 percent.

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Fareed Zakaria

CHRIS HONDROS/GETTY IMAGES

When idols fall off the pedestals we put them on, they bring down with them the community’s pride. Fareed Zakaria admitting to plagiarism was a particularly low moment for the community. ‘Media reporters have pointed out that paragraphs in my Time column on gun control… bear close similarities to paragraphs in Jill Lepore’s essay in the April 23rd issue of The New Yorker,’ he said. ‘They are right. I made a terrible mistake. It is a serious lapse and one that is entirely my fault. I apologize unreservedly to her, to my editors at Time and CNN, and to my readers and viewers everywhere.’ Though Time and CNN reinstated Zakaria within days, the taint is unlikely to wash off soon.

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2012 THE YEAR THAT WAS INDIA

THE WEEK THAT WAS India Abroad December 28, 2012

Fatwa galore.. The year saw a series of fatwas issued by Muslim seminaries. The most bizarre among them included a fatwa against the yogic exercise Surya Namaskar, firecrackers, beauty parlors and women receptionists. A Kashmiri Muslim group also joined the fatwa bandwagon and asked tourists visiting the state to follow proper dress code.

..And village council’s Taliban-llike diktats A village panchayat (local self-governing body) in Uttar Pradesh banned love marriages and unescorted evening walks by young women in the village July 13. It also barred young men and women from using mobile phones on roads and directed women under 40 to cover their heads while stepping out of their homes.

Salman Rushdie chose not to attend the Jaipur Literature Festival held January 20 through January 24 due to security reasons. Some Islamic groups had called for the controversial novelist to be banned from entering the country for hurting their sentiments through his 1998 book, The Satanic Verses. Rushdie said he had been told of intelligence reports from the Mumbai and Rajasthan police that assassins had been hired to target him in Jaipur.

country’s railway minister — she was behind Dinesh Trivedi’s ouster from the railway ministry March 20 — or forcing the federal government to rethink the fuel price hike. After keeping the United Progressive Alliance on tenterhooks and threatening to withdraw support to the federal government several times, Banerjee finally withdrew support September 18 over foreign direct investment in retail. Her bid to bring down the UPA coalition government fizzled out November 22 when she pushed for a no-confidence vote — specifically aimed at the government’s move to allow foreign direct investment in retail — against the federal government on the first day of the Indian Parliament’s winter session, but could not get the requisite numbers to move the motion.

Being Mamata Banerjee

Army chief loses age war

West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress party head Mamata Banerjee remained in the news throughout the year, whether it was by replacing the

February 10, India’s Supreme Court upheld the federal government’s decision on the army chief General V K Singh’s age issue and said it was not in favor of entertain-

Row over Rushdie

ADNAN ABIDI/REUTERS

Pranab Mukherjee became India’s 13th President

Assam: teen assaulted A 16-year-old girl was molested and beaten up by 20 men in Assam’s capital Guwahati July 14. The girl was attacked while returning home from a party at a city bar. A local television reporter filmed the episode, which went viral on YouTube.

ing Singh’s petition that May 10,1951 — which would make him eligible to be in office till May 31, 2013 — be treated as his official date of birth. Singh withdrew the case after the court held that there was no prejudice against him and the government’s decision on his date of birth would continue. General Bikram Singh succeeded Singh May 31.

Two dead fishermen and a diplomatic dispute Two fishermen were shot dead February 15 by Marines aboard an Italian cargo vessel, near the Kerala coast, after being mistaken for pirates. The issue escalated into a diplomatic row after two marines were sent to police custody. The marines are out on bail. Although they had to surrender their passports to the Kerala police, a court allowed them to visit Italy for Christmas.

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Delhi: Girl gang raped in moving bus

Raw deal for women

Haryana’s rape horror A Khap panchayat (village council) in Haryana suggested that the marriageable age for girls should be reduced to 16 from 18 to prevent rapes in the state. The diktat came after a Dalit girl set herself on fire in the state’s Jind district, October 16.

Battered, baby girls left to die January 18, the nation watched with horror as television news channels flashed images of an abandoned two-year-old girl — with fatal injuries and human bite marks — who was admitted to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Delhi, by a teenager claiming to be her mother. A probe into the case led the Delhi police to a sordid tale of human trafficking and the sex trade. The baby died March 15. In a similar incident, a three-month-old baby, allegedly battered by her father for being born a girl, died April 11 after battling for her life in a hospital in Bengaluru.

College students in Jammu protest against the rape in Delhi, December 20

/REUTERS

A 23-year-old medical student was gang-raped by a group of men inside a moving bus in south Delhi, December 16. The girl’s male friend, who was also with her at the time of the incident, was beaten brutally by the men. The duo were dumped at some distance after the assault. At press time the girl is in a critical condition. The issue rocked India’s Parliament, with Opposition parties demanding immediate action and stringent rape laws. Protests were held all over the country against the attack.

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INDIA

Caricature controversies Anti-M Mamata cartoons

Ambedkar cartoon row

A Jadavpur University professor was arrested April 13 for allegedly posting a derogatory cartoon on a popular social networking site featuring Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

The Lok Sabha was disrupted May 10 after some members protested against an objectionable cartoon, ridiculing B R Ambedkar, the father of the Indian constitution, in school text books.

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Caught in child custody cases Two non-resident Indian children, who were kept in foster care by Norwegian child welfare authorities for nearly a year, arrived in New Delhi April 22, after they were handed over to their paternal uncle. The Norwegian authorities had taken the children away from the parents, saying that they were not competent to care for them. In another incident, December 4, a court in Norway sentenced an Indian couple to prison terms of over a year for trying to discipline their seven-year-old son.

Nature’s fury Sixteen army personnel, including five officers, were killed and nine others injured in two avalanches in Ganderbal and Bandipora districts in Kashmir, February 23. Assam faced a grim flood situation with over 100 people

Cartoonist in trouble Cartoonist Aseem Trivedi, was arrested September 8 on sedition for cartoons that allegedly mocked India’s national symbols. He was released after nationwide protests about the government’s intolerance toward dissent.

dead as the Brahmaputra and its tributaries continued to flow above the danger mark in July. In Sikkim flash floods and landslides caused heavy damage and killed about 30 people in September. Thirty-four people were killed and many went missing as incessant rains battered Uttarakhand, August 4. Cyclone Nilam that hit the Tamil Nadu coast October 31 claimed eight lives in the state and three in neighboring Andhra Pradesh. The cyclone brought heavy showers that flooded several districts in the two states. M T Pratibha Cauvery, a cargo ship with a 37-member crew, ran aground off Chennai’s coast under the impact of high velocity winds, leaving three crew dead.

Israeli diplomat’s wife injured in car bomb attack An Israeli diplomat’s wife was injured when a magnetic bomb stuck to an embassy car in New Delhi exploded February 13. Israeli diplomatic missions in India and Georgia were targeted in attacks linked to the anniversary of a Hezbollah terrorist’s assassination in Lebanon four years ago.

Victory over polio India marked a major success in its battle against polio after the World Health Organization removed it from the list of countries plagued by the crippling disease March 9. WHO took the decision after the country passed one year without registering any new cases.

Unusual protests

Agni V fires India into elite missile club The indigenously developed nuclear-capable missile, which can hit targets anywhere except for America and Australia, was launched from Wheeler Island on the Odisha coast April 19.

Maoists on abduction spree COURTESY: NARMADABACHAO.WORDPRESS.COM

Jal satyagraha Bowing down to protesters — who undertook a jal satyagraha (water protest) in Madhya Pradesh’s Khandwa district and stood in neck deep water August 24 through September 11 days — the state government agreed to reduce the height of the Omkareshwar dam on the Narmada river and provide land to villagers displaced by it.

Maoists abducted two Italians from forests in Kandhamal district, Odisha, March 17, and set

B MATHUR/REUTERS

Pakistan Peoples Party President Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, second from left, visited the shrine of Sufi saint Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti at Ajmer, Rajasthan, April 8, with his father, Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari (not in the picture)

demands for their release, including halting of antiMaoist operations in the state and the release of jailed leaders. The hostages were released April 12 after the Odisha government released the wife of a rebel leader. A Biju Janata Dal lawmaker was also abducted March 24 from the same area and freed after 33 days on the condition that he would resign as a legislator.

Srinagar shrine fire At least 55 people, including 10 policemen and 15 firefighting personnel, were injured in clashes after a fire gutted a 300-year-old shrine, the Peer Dastageer Sahib, in Srinagar June 25. Devotees alleged that the fire brigade arrived at least an hour after the blaze — apparently triggered by a short circuit — was reported.

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Parliament turns 60

Both Houses of the Indian Parliament held a special session May 13 to mark its 60th anniversary. Then President Pratibha Devsingh Patil presented mementos to 92-year-old Rishang Keshing, who was a member of the first Lok Sabha in 1952.

Peasant march About 50,000 landless farmers, including tribals from at least 25 states, began a 217-mile jan satyagraha march from Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, to New Delhi October 3, demanding land rights. The peasants ended their march after 9 days in Agra when the Indian government assured them of a new land policy. PIB

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India Abroad December 28, 2012

INDIA

Assam burns

Over 50 people were killed and over 400,000 displaced from their villages after ethnic violence between the Bodos and minority Muslims broke out in Assam in July. Public property worth millions of rupees was also destroyed in the attacks.

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Terrorist Abu Jundal deported to India Abu Jundal alias Sayed Zabiuddin Ansari, a Lashkar-e-Tayiba handler, involved in several terror attacks in India, including the 2008 Mumbai massacre, was deported to India from Saudi Arabia June 25.

Split in Team Anna, Kejriwal forms new party Social activist Kisan Baburao ‘Anna’ Hazare chose to part ways with the Arvind Kejriwal-led group early September, opposing the latter’s plans to form a political party. Kejriwal launched his political party October 2 and announced its name a month later, calling it the Aam Aadmi Party. In Kejriwal’s line of fire Soon after announcing the formation of his political party Kejriwal trained his guns on: Robert Vadra, Congress party president Sonia Gandhi’s son-in-law, for allegedly pulling strings to help realty giant DLF in Haryana. Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani for allegedly dictating federal policies. India’s current External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid for allegedly misappropriating government funds meant for a non-governmental organization run by him. Mukesh Ambani and his brother Reliance Dhirubhai Ambani Group Chairman Anil Ambani for allegedly stashing billions of dollars in Swiss banks.

COURTESY: WWW.SAMAJWADIPARTY.IN

India in the dark For the first time in Indian history, three inter-state transmission networks — the northern grid, eastern grid and northeastern grid — tripped together July 31, leaving 19 states and two Union territories without electricity for several hours.

Verdict on Gujarat riots Ten years after 97 people were killed in one of the worst atrocities during the 2002 Gujarat riots, 32 people were convicted by a special court in Ahmedabad, August 29. A special court also sentenced state lawmaker Dr Maya Kodnani to 28 years imprisonment and handed a life term to Bajrang Dal leader Babu Bajrangi in the riots case.

Coalgate paralysis in Parliament The monsoon session of India’s Parliament was frequently disturbed by Opposition parties demanding Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s resignation over irregularities in coal block allocation between 2006 and 2009 when the coal ministry was under his charge. The controversy erupted after India’s official auditor revealed that lack of transparency in allocation of blocks to private companies cost the exchequer $33 billion in lost revenues.

The Samajwadi Party returned to power in Uttar Pradesh April 12 after a long stint in the political wilderness. Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav’s son Akhilesh Yadav — who was pitted against Congress party general secretary Rahul Gandhi — scripted history by becoming the youngest chief minister of the state. He is 39.

Ireland changes abortion laws after Indian woman’s death

After the death of 31-year-old Indian dentist Savita Halappanavar created worldwide furor, the Irish government pledged to legalize abortion. Halappanavar had died November 14 after being denied an abortion by doctors who cited the country’s laws.

Mumbai: Indian American awarded 5 years in hit and run case November 1, a special court sentenced India-born US citizen Nooriya Haveliwala to five years rigorous imprisonment for causing death due to rash and negligent driving. Two people were killed and four others injured when Nooriya’s car hit them in south Mumbai January 29, 2010.

Ajmal Kasab hanged After a four-year legal process, Ajmal Kasab, the lone Pakistani terrorist caught alive during the November 2008 siege of Mumbai, was hanged November 21.

Pakistan minister’s controversial India visit Pakistan Interior Minister Rehman Malik’s India visit December 14 through December 16 to India was futile as there was no assurance from him on contentious issues like action against Lashkar-e-Tayiba founder and 2008 Mumbai terror attack mastermind Mohammad Saeed. Malik stoked fresh controversy by alleging that 2008 Mumbai attacks accused Abu Jundal worked as a source for an Indian intelligence agency and could have turned into a double agent.

India’s 100th space mission India successfully launched its 100th mission with its workhorse Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle-C21 placing in orbit two foreign satellites in a flawless flight from the spaceport in Sriharikota, near Chennai, September 9.

S M Krishna quits cabinet Salman Khurshid took charge as India’s external affairs minister after S M Krishna resigned from his post and quit the federal cabinet October 26.

Family members of Jacintha Saldanha, the nurse who committed suicide in London after a prank call by two Australian radio presenters, at her funeral in Mangalore, December 17 DANISH SIDDIQUI/REUTERS

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Not a bad year at the UN Some movement on Palestine, as well as on India’s demand for a permanent seat on the Security Council

ndia was able to build further this year on its last year’s successful presidency of the United Nations Security Council as a non-permanent member, thanks to its re-election for the second consecutive year as a council member in November 2012. If 2011 was a banner year for India at the world body, this year was even better, with its successful diplomacy with regard to Palestine’s getting observer status at the UN for the first time, Delhi’s eloquent argument for the reform and expansion of the Security Council in particular and the UN in general, and its contribution to resolution of situations in global hotspots, including Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo where India has a close to 5,000-strong peacekeeping contingent. Last year, India came onto the council after a gap of 19 years. It is among the 10 non-permanent members of the Security Council. The non-permanent members have a rotating one-month council membership for a year. The rotation is decided by alphabetical order and since India starts with the letter I, New Delhi got the non-permanent membership this year as well, becoming one of the fortunate few to get two presidencies in two consecutive years. Normally, the incumbent president is able to hold one or two thematic debates. But this year as council president, India was able to hold four thematic debates — a significant achievement. For the first time in the history of the UN and the Security Council, India organized a thematic debate on piracy, an issue of major importance and concern to India. India was also able to get a PRST (Presidential Statement), an important achievement, on the issue. India also conducted other thematic debates, including organizing a special session of the counter-terrorism committee on terrorist financing. India also had a thematic debate on reform of working methods of the Security Council during which Ambassador Hardeep Puri, India’s permanent representative to the UN, reiterated Delhi’s position on the issue very eloquently. ‘Genuine reform in the working methods of the Security Council requires a comprehensive reform in the membership of the council, with expansion in both permanent and non-permanent categories, not only improvement in its working procedures. This is essential both for the credibility and continued confidence of the international community in this institution,’ he said during the debate earlier this year. ‘The permanent members of the Security Council must recognize, not only individually but also collectively, that the council must be reformed to make it reflect the contemporary realities of the international system.’ ‘Second, the international community as a whole must be cognizant that enlarging the Security Council to reflect contemporary geopolitical realities would improve its representative character and grant greater legitimacy and credibility to its decisions.’ ‘And third, there is need for real improvement in its working methods to enhance the council’s effectiveness and efficiency. We believe that cosmetic changes to working methods alone will not help.’ India, he added, has ‘been able to demonstrate that it has

Aakash 2, the world’s cheapest tablet computer, is unveiled at the United Nations. From left, UN Secretary-General Ban Kimoon, Ambassador Hardeep Singh Puri, and Suneet Singh Tuli, CEO, Datawind, the maker of Aakash PARESH GANDHI

SUMAN GUHA MOZUMDER the credentials for being a member of the Security Council on a more long-term basis.’ During its presidency of the council, India was not able to make any positive contribution towards the cause of Palestine’s becoming a UN member. The PLO was given a non-member observer status, to facilitate which India worked with other members of the international community behind the scenes. For that, India played a stellar role. It was the first non-Arab country to recognize the Palestine state and after that has been consistently advocating statehood for Palestine. There are difficult issues involved in granting full membership to Palestine, basically opposition by Israel, the United States, and its allies. “There is no magic wand,” Ambassador Puri told India Abroad. “You have to negotiate, you have to persevere, and it has taken a very long time for the Palestinians to move

forward, to be able to achieve this enhanced observer status. They are still not fully a member state, because that will require the endorsement by the Security Council where it is blocked just now.” The enhanced observer status gives the PLO access to other international organizations under the UN, and to the use of the International Criminal Court — a major step forward. India’s role — both inside the Security Council, and as a member of the General Assembly — on the issue of the PLO was that Delhi was upfront in asking for observer status. Another key question for the UN is how early can Israel get membership, given that it has observer status. The fact that after 65 years or more the PLO has got enhanced observer status is a major step forward, but the most important thing is for peace negotiations to begin for full membership. There has to be resumption of IsraelPalestine direct negotiations. India’s demand to be a permanent Security Council member also saw some movement this year, although it is a steep, uphill climb. One of the positives was that India’s outreach program with the African delegation known as the C10, (Committee of 10 African States) has reached a very advanced stage. “We should keep our fingers crossed,” Puri said. “All difficult issues take time to negotiate.”

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2012 THE YEAR THAT WAS BUSINESS

BUSINESS India Abroad December 28, 2012

January Q United States Attorney Preet Bharara announced charges against Sandeep Goyal and six other investment professionals, for an insider trading scheme that allegedly netted over $78 million in illegal profits. Q The bipartisan US Call Center Worker and Consumer Protection Act was tabled in the House of Representatives to make companies that move call centers overseas ineligible for grants or guaranteed loans from the government, to stem the tide of

jobs heading to nations like India. Q A study by the United States National Foundation for American Policy revealed that nearly half of America’s top 50 venture-funded companies were started by immigrants and the most common country of origin for these founders was India. Q Professor Soumitra Dutta, founder and faculty director of a new media and technology innovation lab at INSEAD, France, was named dean of the Samuel Curtis Johnson Graduate School of Management, Cornell University. Q Ashu Garg, co-founder of the Aptech Internet, an Indian online services startup founded in the starting days of the Internet in India, was promoted to general partner at Foundation Capital, California.

Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan unveils India’s first supercar, Avanti, designed by automobile style guru Dilip Chhabria’s DC Design at the 11th Auto Expo 2012 in New Delhi, January 5 RAJESH KARKERA/REDIFF.COM

February Q Top Indian information technology firms started making efforts to raise local hiring in the United States. Infosys would later announce that it planned to hire about 2,000 people in the US this year, while HCL Technologies would announce plans to hire 10,000 people in the US and Europe. Q The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services Entrepreneurs in Residence Initiative was launched to boost immigration pathways for foreign entrepreneurs. Q The Department of Justice filed a consent decree, January 25, for permanent injunction against Ranbaxy Laboratories Ltd, which had several generic drugs in the American market — a major hurdle on its road to capturing a large slice of the generic drug market. Q India, which imports 12 percent of its oil from Iran, said it would not scale down its petroleum imports from Tehran despite United States and European sanctions against the Islamic republic. Q Giga Omni Media, Inc acquired ContextNext Media, including the British and American paidContent sites, from Britain’s Guardian News & Media to bolster presence in New York and Europe. Q The Walt Disney Co announced that it would acquire a controlling interest in Mumbai-based UTV. Q Sahara Group and Turner Construction International entered a joint venture to undertake building work in India for the Sahara group and elsewhere.

March Q An Illinois court halted operation of two companies owned by an Indian American after the Federal Trade Commission charged them with collecting ‘phantom loan debts’ from American consumers, who received collection calls from India. Q BlackBerry set up its server in Mumbai, following intense pressure from the Indian government to provide a mechanism for lawful interception of its messenger services. Q Ratan Tata gifted a classroom at the Taj Lands End hotel, VIVEK PRAKASH/REUTERS Mumbai, to his alma The crash of Kingfisher Airlines began with major banks declining to mater, the Harvard extend further loans after flight cancellations, resignations of pilots and Business School, which refusal of the income tax department to unfreeze its bank accounts was looking to set up a permanent facility to provide executive education programs in India. Zein Abdalla, they were being seen as potential successors to Indra Nooyi, who Q Sun Pharmaceutical Industries got an remains chairman and chief executive offiapproval from the Food and Drug cer. Administration for its drug application Olanzapine, used in the treatment of schizQ Srilata Zaheer was appointed dean of ophrenia and bipolar disorder. the University of Minnesota’s Carlson School of Management. Q Naveen Selvadurai, the India-born cofounder of Foursquare, left the company Q India’s National Association of Software three years after he established it. and Services Companies released a report to quantify the trends and benefits behind Q Boutique investment bank Greenhill & the investments by India-based information Company hired Vikram Gandhi, a veteran technology and business process outsourcbanker with a history of deal-making in ing companies in the United States in an Asia. aggressive effort to counter some of the Q PepsiCo promoted its Americas Foods’ misperceptions about outsourcing of jobs to chief John Compton to PepsiCo president, India. and Brian Cornell, a former executive, was brought back from Wal-Mart to fill his posiQ John Bryson made his first trip to tion. Along with PepsiCo’s Europe head India, as new commerce secretary, with a business development mission. Q Vyomesh Joshi, a long-time HewlettPackard executive in charge of its printer group, left the company amid a reorganization that folded HP’s printer group into its PC division. Q The government announced that those Indians renewing B1, B2, C and D visas, valid or expired, within four years were likely to get waiver for a personal interview. Q India’s Planning Commission reduced poverty line to Rs 28.65 (56 cents) per capita daily consumption in cities and Rs 22.42 (44 cents) in rural areas, scaling down India’s poverty ratio to 29.8 percent in 2009-2010, as per a controversial formula. Q Concerned about personal identity theft of Californians, Attorney General Kamala Harris announced that market leaders in mobile applications — Amazon, Apple, Google, Hewlett-Packard, Microsoft and Research In Motion — had agreed to the California law requiring mobile apps that collect personal information to have a privacy policy. Sahil Lavingia, 19, launched Gumroad, becoming the youngest Indian American CEO ROBERT GALBRAITH/REUTERS

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BUSINESS The exchange rate of the Indian rupee to the dollar is displayed on a screen at a trading firm in Mumbai, May 24, 2012.

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April Q It was announced that there would be no hike in fee for H-1B work visa for professionals next year. After two years of significantly lower demand for the H-1B visa, this year saw a reversal of trend. Q Ajay Banga, president and chief executive officer, MasterCard Worldwide, became the third Indian American to be named chairman of the United States-India Business Council since its establishment in 1975. Q A California court allowed two former employees of Tata Consultancy Services Ltd to proceed with a class action lawsuit against the information technology giant over wage dispute and breach of contract. The case that started with two plaintiffs could then cover 13,000 TCS employees who worked in the US between 2002 and 2005. Q Glenmark Pharmaceuticals received final approval from the Food and Drug Administration to market its oral contraceptive Desogestrel and Ethinyl Estradiol tablets in the American market. Q Four years after being banned by the FDA, Ranbaxy Laboratories resumed exports of finished drugs to the US. Q India dragged the US to the World Trade Organization over ‘wrongful’ imposition of penal duties on its steel exports and an increase in the professional visa fee in the US. The US sought similar consultations with India over the import ban imposed by the country on poultry and poultry product imports because of the bird flu scare. Q Mukul Pal, Shefali Sarangal, Charu Malhotra and Vivek Puri won the grand prize at NYC BigApps 3.0 for creating New York Trip Builder — a travel site that helps users personalize a trip in a few quick steps. Q Standard & Poor reduced India’s outlook to negative and gave it a rating of BBB(-) due to slow progress on its fiscal situation and slow economic growth. Q The Indian civil aviation ministry allowed increasing utilization of foreign bilateral rights for Indian carriers to 40 percent. Indian carriers were utilizing only 22.7 percent of the total foreign bilateral rights; foreign carriers were much ahead.

May Q Air India faced one of its biggest crises when pilots began to go on strike. Adding to the labor dispute were issues like rising fuel costs, competition, a beating to its reputation and inability to pay employees on time. The crisis would play out for 58 days — the longest strike in Indian aviation history. Q Dunkin’ Donuts entered India with its first store in Delhi. Q While Americans continued to struggle to retain their home after the economic downturn, a National Association of Realtors report revealed that a significant share of home purchases were being made by people

whose primary residence was outside the US. Indians were the third-largest buyers on the list. Q Sanjay Jha stepped down as chief executive officer of Motorola Mobility Holdings, Inc after Google’s acquisition of Motorola Mobility Holdings, Inc. Q Indian drug maker Lupin Ltd said it would launch its generic version of the anti-HIV drug Combivir in the US. Q Infosys founder N R Narayana Murthy won the Global Leadership and Free Enterprise award from the University of South Florida. Q Pradeep K Khosla, dean, Carnegie Mellon University’s College of Engineering, was selected to serve as the eighth chancellor of the University of California, San Diego.

VIVEK PRAKASH/REUTERS

Yusuf Hamied’s Indian generic drug maker Cipla started looking to cut prices of its cancer drugs

VIVEK PRAKASH/REUTERS

June Q Reema Shah, a California-based portfolio manager at an asset management firm managing billions of dollars in mutual funds and a hedge fund, pled guilty in a Manhattan federal court to committing securities fraud. Q India-born Suma Chakrabarti became president of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. Q Automobile dealers from across the United States filed a lawsuit accusing India’s Mahindra & Mahindra of ‘fraud, misrepresentation and conspiracy.’ The lawsuit alleged that M&M duped hundreds of dealers and walked away with more than $60 million in cash and trade secrets. Q Dr Reddy’s launched its generic ropinirole hydrochloride XR tablets, used for

treating Parkinson’s disease, in the American market. Q The rupee, which had been on a particularly downward slide since May, weakened beyond the psychologically important 57 per dollar mark June 22. It hit a record low of 57.37. Q By the middle of the year, Indian politics had dealt a hard blow to the Indian economy. There was a steady rise in prices of foods and other essential items like petrol and diesel. Growth dropped from what was once 9 percent to the nine-year low of 5.3 percent. The pinch was felt by the poor and the middle class. Q Wharton Professor Anjani Jain was appointed senior associate dean for the fulltime masters program in business administration at the prestigious Yale School of Management.

July Q Tata Sons Chairman Ratan Tata was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Rockefeller Foundation for innovation in philanthropy. Q The Internal Revenue Service announced a plan to help United States citizens living overseas — including dual citizens — catch up with tax-filing obligations and provide assistance for people with foreign retirement plan issues. Q General Motors, which outsources 90 percent of its information technology requirement, planned to slash this to merely 10 percent over the next three years. Q Insider trading accused Anil Kumar, a former McKinsey and Co executive, was let off with two years probation instead of a prison term. He had pleaded guilty and was the prosecution’s star witness in its biggest insider trading cases — against Galleon chief Raj Rajaratnam and former Goldman Sachs board member Rajat Gupta. Q Chetan Kapur, the sole managing principal of ThinkStrategy Capital Management, LLC, who allegedly deceived investors in two hedge funds he managed and advised, was arrested with seven counts of indictment, including securities fraud, investment adviser fraud, and wire fraud. Q Five Indian-American physicians of a Michigan-based holding company for a medical professional liability insurer were charged for insider trading. They consented to the entry of final judgments ordering them to pay disgorgement, prejudgment interest, and financial penalties, and permanently enjoining them from violating the law. Q HSBC’s staff in India came under the Senate scanner for deficiencies in their role as ‘offshore reviewers’ of the banking giant’s compliance to safety mechanism against money laundering and terrorist financing. Q Microsoft re-launched hotmail, co-founded by the India-born Sabeer Bhatia, to break Gmail’s hegemony. Rajiv L 'Raj' Gupta, erstwhile chairman and chief executive officer of the global specialty materials giant Rohm & Haas — where he worked for 38 years on three continents — gifted $1 million to his alma mater, Cornell University, in his parents’ memory.

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August Q After a gap of about four years, P Chidambaram returned as finance minister after the country’s earlier finance minister Pranab Mukherjee became India’s new president. Q Satya Dev Tripuraneni, a US citizen who worked as an accounts manager at Infosys’ California office, sued the company over alleged abuse of visa rules. Q Keshub Mahindra exited as chairman of Mahindra & Mahindra, a post he held for 48 years. Anand Mahindra took over. Q Cognizant pipped Infosys Technologies to become India’s second largest software company. It continued delivering higherthan-expected numbers, widening its revenue gap with Infosys. Q Mumbai-based Wockhardt received the Food and Drug Administration’s approval to market clopidogrel bisulfate tablets used for reducing the risk of heart attack in the US market. The company would receive nods for other drugs through the year. Q Without going for a trial, an Alabama judge dismissed whistleblower employee Jack Palmer’s lawsuit, alleging misuse of H1B and business visas, against Infosys. Q An Indian-American woman, a former owner of two Donut shops, sued the company in a New Jersey court for discrimination. Q Neurosurgeon Dr Arvind Ahuja was convicted for hiding $8 million in secret offshore accounts in India, Q Ranbaxy Laboratories withdrew 27 drugs from the United States market due to commercial reasons. Q The North Carolina-headquartered Krispy Kreme Doughnuts set out to open its first Indian store. Q India and Pakistan agreed to allow two banks each from both countries to set up branches across the border. Q Budget carrier GoAir decided to launch international operations.

September

RAJESH KARKERA/REDIFF.COM

Starbucks inaugurated its first store in India in October a joint venture with Tata Global Beverages

October Q Intel Corp’s former managing director Rajiv Goel, charged with providing inside information to Galleon founder Raj Rajaratnam, was spared jail time as he turned government witness. Q Gururaj ‘Desh’ Deshpande, one of the top desi tech entrepreneurs in Silicon Valley, decided to shut his company Sycamore Networks. Q Remittances from non-resident Indians in the current fiscal year were likely to exceed $75 billion, up from $66 billion in 20112012. Q A study led by Professor Vivek Wadhwa and published by the Kauffman Foundation, America’s New Immigrant Entrepreneurs: Then and Now, found that Indian immigrants were the leading group of new entrepreneurs. Carrying forward the big-ticket reforms agenda, the Indian government hiked the foreign investment ceiling in the insurance sector to 49 percent from 26 percent and green signaled FDI in pension funds, setting the limit at 49 percent. Q Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner and Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke visited India for the 3rd Cabinet Level Meeting of the Indo-US Economic and Financial Partnership.

Former International Monetary Fund chief economist Raghuram G Rajan, known for predicting the 2008 global financial crisis, assumed charge as India’s chief economic advisor. Q Kaushik Basu, a former government of India chief economic adviser, was appointed the World Bank’s chief economist and senior vice president. Q General Motors began initial production of its first Chinese-designed car for the Indian market. Q The Indian government cleared 51 percent foreign direct investment in multi-brand retail, 49 percent FDI in civil aviation, and approved FDI in broadcast and power sectors. Q Vikram Sakhuja was appointed the global chief executive of Maxus, a leading GroupM media agency network. Q Billionaires Romesh Wadhwani and Manoj Bhargava committed to the Giving Pledge, the campaign spearheaded by the Microsoft’s Bill Gates and Berkshire Hathway’s Warren Buffet to get the rich to pledge half their money to charity. Q

Q Imprisoned hedge fund founder Raj Rajaratnam sought reversal of his conviction on insider trading charges. Q Mathew Martoma was arrested on insider trading charges for helping C R Intrinsic Investors, where he worked as a portfolio manager till he was fired in 2010, avoid losses of about $276 million. Q Liquor baron Vijay Mallya lost his billionaire tag with the trouble with his aviation business dragging down his net worth to below the $1 billion mark, according to Forbes. Q America Inc complained to the Obama administration regarding constraints on H-1B and L-1, intra-company transfer visas and said it had become the bane of its members at an event in Washington, DC. Q Sun Pharmaceutical Industries announced it would acquire Massachusetts-based DUSA Pharmaceuticals to gain an entry into dermatological treatment devices. Q Indra Nooyi, chairman and chief executive officer, PepsiCo; Neera Tanden, president, Center for American Progress; and Deepak Bhargava, who heads the Center for Community Change, were invited by President Barack Obama for consultations to help fix the country’s economic malaise. Q 5-Hour Energy, the popular energy drink produced by a company founded by Manoj Bhargava, one of the richest Indian Americans, came under the scanner after reports of 13 deaths possibly linked to the energy shots. Q India launched the second version of the world’s cheapest computer tablet, Aakash 2. It was also unveiled at the United Nations. Q Neha Juneja and Ankit Mathur and their Greenway Grameen Infra won the 2012 Intel Global Challenge. Q Vivek Bantwal, Amol Naik and Gaurav Seth were among Goldman Sachs 70 new ‘partnership managing directors’.

December Q India’s Enforcement Directorate began probing alleged violation of foreign direct investment regulations by WalMart. Q The first-ever business delegation from Jammu and Kashmir visited the United States. Q Delhi entrepreneur Sharik Currimbhoy, who studied at Columbia University from 1998 to 2002, pledged $12.12 million — the largest donation from an alumnus in India — to his alma mater. Q Kingfisher Airlines announced it was discussing a stake sale with Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Airways. Q Ratan Tata was to retire as chairman of the Tata Group, December 28. Cyrus Mistry is to take over the mantle. Tata will be conferred the title of chairman emeritus.

Air-India’s long wait for the Boeing 787 Dreamliner ended with the first of the long-haul planes arriving in India. The Indian national carrier placed orders for 27 of these aircraft six years ago

MANSI THAPLIYAL/REUTERS

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SPORTS Bye Bye Baichung Former Indian soccer captain Baichung Bhutia, who announced his retirement from international soccer last year, played his farewell match against German giants

India in the T20 series against New Zealand in September.

Curtains for cricket legends

Senior Indian cricket players Rahul Dravid and V V S Laxman retired from international cricket. While Dravid hung up his boots March 9 after India’s Test debacle in Australia, Laxman announced his retirement August 18 though he was picked for the India-New Zealand Test series

IPL 5: season of controversies

Milestone man Sachin Tendulkar scripted history March 16 by becoming the first cricketer in the world to score 100 international centuries. The master blaster added another feather to his cap when he was sworn in as a member of the Upper House of India’s Parliament, June 25. Recognition also came from abroad as Tendulkar was awarded the Order of Australia November 6.

ANDREW BIRAJ/REUTERS

The fifth edition of the Indian Premier League, which began April 4, was rife with controversies ranging from a spot-fixing scandal — after which the Board of Control for Cricket in India suspended five uncapped Indian players May 15 from the IPL — to a superstar scuffle — Bollywood actor and Kolkata Knight Riders owner Shah Rukh Khan’s ugly spat with Mumbai Cricket Association officials at the Wankhede stadium May 16. Royal Challengers player Luke Pomersbach courted more negative publicity for the IPL June 1 after an Indian-American woman accused him of molestation. The charges were dropped later.

Bhupathi, Sania win French Open mixed doubles ADNAN ABIDI/REUTERS

India’s Baichung Bhutia, center, greets Bayern Munich star Bastian Schweinsteiger, left, during a friendly soccer match in New Delhi January 10 Bayern Munich in New Delhi January 10. Bayern, the four-time Union of European Football Associations Champions League winners, defeated India 4-0

Yuvraj returns

Cricketer Yuvraj Singh faced the toughest battle of his life off the field when he was diagnosed with lung cancer in February. After chemotherapy sessions at a Boston hospital, followed by a recovery period in London, he returned to India in April. The left-handed batsman who played his last match in November 2011 returned to Team

Sania Mirza and Mahesh Bhupathi won their second Grand Slam title together and their first French Open trophy after crushing Klaudia Jans-Ignacik and Santiago Gonzalez in the mixed doubles final in Paris, June 8.

The great Indian tennis tussle

Mahesh Bhupathi cited personal differences and refused to partner Leander Paes, despite the duo being named as the only Indian men’s doubles team for the London Olympics by the All India Tennis Association June 19. The drama continued when Rohan Bopanna — who was asked by the AITA to pair with Paes — refused. When Paes threatening to withdraw from the Olympics, the AITA decided to send two men’s doubles teams, pairing him

Kolkata hails its winning Knights West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee celebrates the Kolkata Knight Riders win along with the team and owners, including Bollywood actors Shah Rukh Khan and Juhi Chawla. The Knight Riders defeated the Chennai Super Kings by five wickets to clinch the IPL title, May 27 ADNAN ABIDI /REUTERS

Indian cricketer Yuvraj Singh with his mother Shabnam at the Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi, April 9

with a much lower-ranked Vishnu Vardhan and Bhupathi with Bopanna.

Chhetri’s Lisbon stint

Indian soccer captain Sunil Chhetri was signed by Sporting Clube de Portugal, popularly known as Sporting Lisbon, July 8. Chhetri briefly played for Sporting Kansas City 2010-2011

India win U-19 World Cup

India Under-19 skipper Unmukt Chand hit an unbeaten 111 to lead the country to a six-wicket win over Australia in the Under-19 World Cup final August 26.

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Anand retains world chess title Viswanathan Anand successfully defended his World Chess Championship title after beating Israeli challenger Boris Gelfand 2.5-1.5 in the four-game rapid chess tie-breaker, in Moscow, May 30.

aside by the Andhra Pradesh high court. The court lifted the ban, saying there was no evidence against Azhar to prove that he succumbed to any pressure while playing cricket.

The Indian cricket team was at an all time low with a Test series whitewash against Australia (in January), and the series loss against England at home in December.

India’s Olympic bronze medalist shooter Gagan Narang waves the flag as Red Bull driver Sebastian Vettel crosses the line to finish first.

Super Saina clinches Denmark Open

A first in F1

Saina Nehwal clinched her fourth title this year, with the Denmark Open Super Series Premier trophy and a dominating win against sixth-seeded German Juliane Schenk, October 21.

India-born Austrian Monisha Kaltenborn became Formula One’s first lady team principal October 11 after taking over the job at the fourth oldest F1 team — Sauber.

Argentine soccer legend Diego Maradona jived to Latin music, and mesmerized hundreds of fans in Kerala’s Kannur town, October 24. Brazilian star Carlos Dunga was felicitated by the West Bengal government October 23 in Kolkata.

Court strikes down life ban on Azharuddin Former India cricket captain Mohammad Azharuddin was a relieved man November 8 after the life ban imposed on him for alleged involvement in match-fixing, was set

STEFAN WERMUTH/REUTERS

Soccer legends’ India visit

Leap of faith

Girisha Hosanagara Nagarajegowda gave India its first medal, a silver, at the Paralympic Games in London, September 3. The 24year-old with a leg impairment finished second in the men’s high jump event.

India’s best-ever Olympic outing...

Gagan Narang

Yogeshwar Dutt

GRIGORY DUKOR/REUTERS

Sushil Kumar

Saina Nehwal

Mary Kom

...Could be last under national flag The International Olympic Committee suspended the Indian Olympic Association December 3, claiming it was unhappy with the Indian government’s interference in the association’s election process. As a result India’s athletes will be barred from competing in Olympic events under the national flag, but they can participate under the IOC banner.

SERGIO MORAES/REUTERS

MICHAEL REGAN/GETTY IMAGES

SUHAIB SALEM/REUTERS

LARS BARON/GETTY IMAGES

India won six medals, including two silvers and four bronzes in the London Games. Shooter Gagan Narang, wrestler Yogeshwar Dutt, boxer Mary Kom and shuttler Saina Nehwal won bronze medals. Wrestler Sushil Kumar and shooter Vijay Kumar bagged silver in their respective events.

India should have dominated the World Twenty20 — given that the team won the 50-overs World Cup last year, and many from that team played in the tournament in Sri Lanka — but India failed to qualify for the semi-final, even after defeating South Africa by 1 run October 2. The only silver lining was the team’s Test series win against New Zealand in September.

Vijay Kumar

VIVEK PRAKASH/REUTERS

DENIS SINYAKOV/REUTERS

Testing times for Team India

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The peak and break up of Das Racist

as Racist — Himanshu Suri (aka Heems), and Victor Vazquez (aka Kool A.D.) and Ashok Kondabolu (aka Dap) — closed out 2011 on a high with their first official album being ranked 4th on Spin magazine’s 40 Best Rap Albums of 2011, and 28th on Rolling Stones 50 Best Albums of 2011. They broke our our hearts in 2012 with the announcement that the band had broken up. India Abroad December 28, 2012

New challenges

aju Narisetti went from the Washington Post — where he integrated its digital and print teams as managing editor — to managing editor of The Wall Street Journal’s digital network. Within months he took over as head of the WSJ’s digital network. Madhulika Sikka was promoted to ‘a position overseeing all news coverage for’ NPR after serving as executive producer of the Morning Edition for six years. Aparism ‘Bobby’ Ghosh was promoted from deputy international editor at Time to the magazine’s editor-at-large. S Mitra Kalita, deputy global economics editor, WSJ took her considerable ‘start-up smarts’ to Quartz, which is primarily aimed at tablet users.

M.I.A flips it at Super Bowl

Desi highlight at the Grammys

he Tedeschi-Trucks Band’s (Susan Tedeschi and Derek Trucks) album Revelator took home the Grammy for the Best Blues Album. And a significant contributor to the win was Alam Khan’s sarod licks. The late Ustad Ali Akbar Khan’s son — Trucks incidentally trained under the legendary Ustad — was featured in the song These Walls, one of the highlights of the album.

Yale honors SRK

More brown on screen and stage

ooking guru Madhur Jaffrey returned to television after 17 years with a 10-part show, Madhur Jaffrey’s Curry Nation, about the impact of curry on the United Kingdom for the Good Food channel. Mindy Kaling brought her new show, The Mindy Project, to television, becoming the most wellknown and powerful face among the fast-burgeoning fraternity of Indian-origin actors in the American entertainment industry. M Night Shyamalan made a foray into television with a show titled Proof for cable network Syfy and Lost Horizon for NBC. n April, Bollywood superstar Shah Raza Jaffrey came to our Rukh Khan became the first television screens as Dev Indian movie personality to be Sundaram on NBC’s honored with the prestigious Chubb Fellowship at Yale University. Smash, while Poorna Jagannathan scooped up parts in films like Peace, PARESH GANDHI Love and Misunderstanding and Thanks For Sharing. She also landed a meaty role in HBO’s Criminal Justice, which Runway to Win campaign. stars The Sopranos star James Gandolfini, is written by And having wooed the White House, Naeem Khan made his mark at the year’s biggest red carpet events: The Emmy, Oscar nominee Richard Price (The Color Of Money) and the Golden Globes, the SAG Awards, the Tonys and even directed by the Oscar-winning Steven Zaillian (Schindler’s the White House Correspondents’ Dinner. It was no surList). prise that he bagged the Mercedes-Benz Presents title for While Parks and Recreation was on hiatus, Aziz Ansari the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in New York in February. joined the cast of The Apocalypse. Archie Panjabi had a good year, scoring her third Emmy Cooking in Washington nomination for her role in The Good Wife and landing a role in BBC Two’s upcoming drama series The Fall. hef Vikas Khanna, along with chef Ali Loukzada, The stage was no different. Aasif Mandvi returned —a prepared a multi-course dinner for an Obama decade after he starred in Oklahoma! — as the protagofundraiser in May. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton anointed Vikram nist in Disgraced. Sunderam, executive chef at Rasika, Washington, DC, as Others like Manu Narayan in Glengarry Glen Ross, Anjali Bhimani in Metamorphoses, Nick Choksi in Love’s State Chef as part of the State Department’s Diplomatic Culinary Partnership initiative. Labor Lost, and Jolly Abraham in Figaro were also seen in meaty non-traditional roles.

CHRISTOPHER POLK/GETTY IMAGES

Madonna was the star at the Super Bowl halftime, yet it was the flipping of a middle finger by guest singer M.I.A that is most remembered about this year’s show. Fortunately, that was not the only desi connect at the event. Contributing to the pomp was Kanika Saluja. The Indian-born designer — who started the Nikka New York label — reportedly accessorized Madonna’s troupe for the half-time show.

The design gurus

ndia-born, New York-based designer Bibhu Mohapatra not only continued rocking the runway at fashion shows, he also caught the eye of Michelle Obama. The First Lady chose to wear his creation for her appearance on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno in August. Indian-American designer Rachel Roy and Nepali-origin Prabal Gurung designed for President Obama’s

The unlikely Bollywood heroine

unny Leone kick started her Bollywood career. Jism 3 released; she bagged a role in Ragini MMS 2; and hosted the South Asian Rising Star Film Awards Gala at the South Asian International Film Festival in New York with filmmaker Jay Chandrasekhar.

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Awards and honors

ayatri Chakravorty Spivak, a professor in the humanities at Columbia University, won the Kyoto Prize, the highest private award given in Japan for global achievement. Spivak’s work focuses on those marginalized by Western culture. The National Council of Asian Indian Associations presented Aziz Haniffa, Editor and Chief Diplomatic and Political correspondent, India Abroad, the Most Outstanding Journalist Award. Novelist Siddhartha Deb won PEN’s Open Book Award, conferred upon an author of color. Pulitzer Prize winner Jhumpa Lahiri walked in the foot-

Learning from the Ustad

Vijay Iyer scores again

part from kicking some serious groove with his new album Accelarando, Vijay Iyer picked up the Greenfield Prize, awarded by the Hermitage Artist Retreat and the Greenfield Foundation. He also won in a whopping five categories of the 60th annual DownBeat International Critics Poll, taking honors for jazz artist of the year, top jazz album, top pianist, and top jazz group. And he was the winner in the rising star composer category too, and on the Downbeat cover. Iyer’s musical brother Rudresh Mahanthappa was voted alto saxophonist of the year for the second time in a row.

LINDA CICERO/STANFORD UNIVERSITY

PeeCee turns singer

Ustad Amjad Ali Khan did a stint as a music teacher at Stanford University. The sarod maestro became the first Indian melody soloist to lecture at the university steps of the likes of Toni Morrison when she was voted into the American Academy of Arts and Letters. Sculptor Anish Kapoor was made an honorary member. University of South Florida Professor Autar Kaw was chosen as the Outstanding Doctoral and Research Universities Professor of the Year. Indian cinematographer Santosh Sivan became the only cinematographer in the Asia-Pacific region to be granted the invitation-only membership to the American Society of Cinematographers. Politico journalist Manu Raju scooped up the Merriman Smith Award for Excellence in Presidential Coverage under pressure in the print category at the White House Correspondents’ dinner. Filmmaker Deepa Mehta received the Governor-General’s Performing Arts Award in Canada.

The Dinesh D’Souza debacle

idiculous as it seemed to many, Dinesh D’Souza’s anti-Barack Obama docudrama 2016 Obama’s America made it to the top 10 in North America. Soon, he had to resign from his post as president of King College in New York when it was revealed that he was having an extra-marital affair.

Rushdie’s story

alman Rushdie remained in the news through the year. Part of it was because he finally told his story of the decade he spent in hiding in his memoir Joseph Anton, and partly because Deepa Mehta rolled out the screen adaptation of his Booker Prize-winning novel Midnight’s Children.

ollywood star Priyanka Chopra debuted her single In My City, featuring will.i.am, at Thursday Night Football in September.

Padma loses custody battle

Padma Lakshmi lost the battle over her daughter Krishna to Adam Dell, who had sued her last year after DNA tests proved that he was the child’s biological father. The dispute was settled privately, out of court. Dell got improved visitation and custody rights.

Zarin Mehta retires

arin Mehta retired as president and executive director of the New York Philharmonic. He held the position from 2000.

Hollywood ties

From left, Amitabh Bachchan as Meyer Wolfsheim, Tobey Maguire as Nick Carraway and Leonardo DiCaprio as Jay Gatsby he ties between Hollywood and Indian cinema continued to grow. Argentinean filmmaker Pablo Cesar found a new muse in Rabindranath Tagore and hoped to convince Amitabh Bachchan to play Tagore in the film titled Thinking Of Him. Bachchan, meanwhile, took up his first Hollywood venture. Australian director Baz Luhrmann convinced him to play Meyer Wolfsheim in his screen adaptation of The Great Gatsby, which stars Leonardo DiCaprio as Jay Gatsby, Carey Mulligan as Daisy Buchanan and Tobey Maguire as Nick Carraway.

he year also saw Anupam Kher star in David O Russel’s well-received Silver Linings Playbook. He picked up a Screen Actors Guild nomination in the Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture category, while the film picked up other nominations at SAG and the Golden Globes. Indian director Dheeraj Akolkar wrapped up Liv & Ingmar, a film about Liv Ullman’s stormy and passionate relationship with legendary director Ingmar Bergman.

Nikki Haley turns author

outh Carolina Governor Nimrata ‘Nikki’ Randhawa Haley made her debut as a writer with Can’t Is Not an Option: My American Story. She described with candor the racism, sexism and bigotry she endured.

Sir Venki

r Venkatraman ‘Venki’ Ramakrishnan, the IndianAmerican scientist whose pioneering work in molecular biology won him the 2009 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, was conferred a knighthood by Queen Elizabeth II.

Athaiya returns Oscar statue

ndia’s first Oscar winner, Bhanu Athaiya, who won the coveted award for costume design for the Richard Attenborough - directed film Gandhi in 1983, returned the trophy to the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, so that it stays safe.

PRADEEP BANDEKAR

From left, the Life Of Pi team in Mumbai — actor Irrfan Khan, director Ang Lee, actress Tabu and Suraj Sharma, the debutant who plays the protagonist. When Ang Lee took up Life Of Pi, based on Yann Martel’s Booker-winning novel, he was warned against shooting in India. But the man who had previously made Oscar winners like Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon and Brokeback Mountain took the chance and is glad he did. For Irrfan Khan, this was his second outing in a Hollywood film this year; he was earlier seen in a small role in The Amazing SpiderMan.

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India diaries

mong the other celebrities who visited India this year was Richard Gere, A who brought in the New Year with a visit

SAHIL SALVI

The country remains a popular destination for Western stars

QAMAR SIBTAIN/INDIA TODAY GROUP/GETTY IMAGES

COURTESY: BRIANA BLASKO, © YOKO ONO/VADHERA ART GALLERY

Carlos Santana performed in India in October. The year saw a slew of international performers heading east. Among the big names were Guns N’ Roses, Enrique Iglesias, M.I.A, Sean Paul and Megadeath.

Oprah Winfrey visited India in January to shoot for her new show, Next Chapter, in which she travels around the world interviewing celebrities and news makers. Apart from shooting for the show, the chat show diva partied with Mumbai’s glitterati

Oscar-winning director (The Hurt Locker) Kathryn Bigelow, right; actors Kyle Chandler, left, and Edgar Ramirez arrive on location in Chandigarh, Punjab, March 6, for their movie Zero Dark Thirty. The film is based on the hunt for Osama bin Laden, and Pakistan’s Abbottabad, the town where he was killed last year, was recreated in the Indian city. The movie has received rave reviews.

Conceptual artist and activist Yoko Ono, the late John Lennon’s widow, made her India debut, January 13, with an exhibition titled Our Beautiful Daughters

with the Dalai Lama. Arnold Schwarzenegger, the actorturned-former-California-governor, was in India for the 12th Delhi Sustainable Development Summit. Supermodel Naomi Campbell went there twice: Once to Kerala for an Ayurveda wellness session, and later to Rajasthan for her partner Vladislav Doronin’s birthday bash in November. Rapper Kanye West visited Mumbai in connection with his women’s fashion label, while singer Katy Perry visited Chennai for her Indian debut performance at the Indian Premier League opening ceremony in Chennai in April 3. Actor Ashton Kutcher was in Delhi to shoot for his new film on Steve Jobs, and he squeezed in a visit to Apne Aap, a non-governmental organization that deals with victims of sex trafficking. Socialite Paris Hilton attended the India Resort Fashion Week in Goa, and then visited Mumbai with boyfriend River Viiperi. She visited an orphanage and Mumbai’s revered Siddhivinayak temple. Filmmaker M Night Shyamalan and his wife Bhavna visited Nagpur in Maharashtra, where their M Night Shyamalan Foundation is spearheading a project for the economic development of a slum community. Feminist pioneer Gloria Steinem’s trip to India turned out to be ‘life-changing.’ She and 10 others, including Peter and Jennifer Buffett and Tony-award winning actress Sarah Jones, did an Apne Aap Women Worldwide Learning Tour through Delhi, Bengal and Bihar. Sports stars were not far behind. Tennis great André Agassi went there on a personal engagement and was spotted living it up with Bollywood celebrities, while Shane Warne, along with partner Elizabeth Hurley, visited on a professional engagement.

AJAY VERMA/REUTERS

For whom the wedding bells tolled

Actress Vidya Balan married Siddharth Roy Kapur, chief executive officer, UTV, in a simple ceremony — combining Tamil and Punjabi customs — December 14

Bollywood power couple Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor married October 16

Lisa Ray and Jason Dehni, a vice president at Scotiabank, were wed in the picturesque Napa Valley, California, October 20

Actress Esha Deol, daughter of Bollywood legends Hema Malini and Dharmendra married Bharat Takhtani in a traditional South Indian ceremony in Mumbai, July 1

Bollywood stars Riteish Deshmukh and Genelia D’Souza tied the knot in a lavish Maharashtrian wedding February 3, followed by a Christian wedding February 4

2012 THE YEAR THAT WAS

A38

India Abroad December 28, 2012

From left, Anil George, Niharika Singh and Nawazuddin Siddiqui attend the Miss Lovely photocall in Cannes, May 24

The year of Nawaz The actor from a small Uttar Pradesh town is the man to watch out for

arly this year when I would mention actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui’s name to friends, film aficionados and strangers, I would often be asked a question like this: ‘Remind me again, what films has he acted in?’ And so I would start off by describing his character in Peepli [Live], the earnest journalist who dies in the end, or in Kahaani, where he is the cocky federal detective Khan, who struts around scaring the hell out of local cops in Kolkata. And then people would seem to remember him. Things have changed dramatically for Nawaz in 2012, as he has been seen in many more films — at festivals and in theaters in India and the US. This year, Salman Khan had a couple of huge hits, Shah Rukh Khan turned the late Yash Chopra’s final film into the Bollywood event of the year, and Aamir Khan had a big success with his hard-hitting television show. But if you look at the number of films in which one single actor has appeared and has given the most solid, consistent performances, then that would be Nawazuddin Siddiqui. The year 2012 was virtually a one long film festival of Nawaz, and for that reason he definitely deserves the title

of Actor of the Year. Given the state of distribution of small independently produced films, some of his work has yet to be seen in India and in the United States. But just look at the sheer breadth of his film work. In Chicago filmmaker Prashant Bhargava’s Patang, he was Chakko, a wedding band singer in Ahmedabad, who resents his wealthy relatives from Delhi, holding them responsible for his father’s death. In Los Angeles filmmaker Bedabrata Pain’s Chittagong, he was Nirmal Sen, an idealist freedom fighter who has a hard time expressing his love for a colleague. In Mangesh Hadawale’s Dekh Indian Circus — winner of the audience award at the 2011 Busan International Film Festival — he is a poor villager, a mute man and father of two, who has to face his children’s disappointment when they realize he cannot take them on an outing to a circus. And in Anurag Kashyap’s five-plus-hour-long saga Gangs of Wasseypur 1 and 2, he plays the younger son of a rural gangster who reflects the nervous energy of Freddie

ASEEM CHHABRA

ANDREAS RENTZ/GETTY IMAGES

Corleone and also the aspiring confidence of Michael Corleone. In May, Nawaz was in Cannes celebrating the world premieres of three of his films — the two parts of Gangs and Ashim Ahluwalia’s Miss Lovely, a peek into the world of the C-grade horror and semi-porn films produced on the fringes of Bollywood. It is a rare achievement for an actor unknown on the world stage to have three films in Cannes, by all accounts the leading international film festival. In the fall, all three films also played at the Toronto International Film Festival. Miss Lovely was also screened in October at the Mumbai Film Festival. And if these diverse, rich performances of Nawaz were not enough, we saw a set of pictures from Cannes showing the Miss Lovely team — dressed up, posing under a cloudy sky. Along with Ahluwalia, and his other cast, I saw the dashing Nawaz, far from the life of his village near Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh, dressed in a black suit, narrow tie

and a crisp white shirt. Earlier this year when I interviewed Nawaz for Rediff.com, he told me that the village he comes from only gets two hours of electricity in a week. While his parents had a television at home, he had not bought them a DVD player and the first film of his they watched was Kahaani, when they took a trip to a movie theater in big city close to their village. That is Nawaz, the 38-year-old graduate of New Delhi’s National School of Drama. When I met him in person in New York this summer — he was here to promote Patang — he told me his years of struggle were behind him and he had 10 films waiting to be released in India, including Reema Kagti’s Talaash. Talaash opened November 30. In the film, with three of Bollywood’s biggest stars — Aamir Khan, Kareena Kapoor and Rani Mukerji — in the lead, Nawaz stood out on his own, giving a solid performance. Some critics and audiences may have had issues with Kagti’s work, but nearly all mentioned that Nawaz as Tehmur, the scheming, henchman of a pimp, was the real highlight of the film. Meeting Nawaz in person in New York City, I began to think about what marks a good actor. And I looked at Nawaz. He is unassuming, a bit shy at first. He has none of the arrogance that one sometimes sees in big stars. His eyes sparkle and his smile is infectious. He is gifted with a lot of charm and there is a certain energy in him that helps him transform into the diverse characters he plays on screen. The Hindi film industry is cluttered with Bollywood stars who rarely take risks and play anything other than the onenote characters the audience want them to be. Nawaz, on the other hand, is a rare actor, a human chameleon. And that may be one reason why people often do not remember him from his supporting roles in the films from past years. That has certainly changed as 2012 comes to an end.

India Abroad December 28, 2012

2012 THE YEAR THAT WAS

A39

OBITUARY Amit Saigal

captured a woman like him.’ — Lara Dutta, model-turned-actress

Father of Indian Rock (1965January 5, 2012) ‘There’s a real place for musicians now, a future, a ‘scene’ and we owe it all to this one man.’ — Aditya Ashok, drummer and producer

Vilasrao Deshmukh Lawmaker (1945-August 14, 2012) ‘He was a wonderful gentleman.’ — Shah Rukh Khan, actor

Homai Vyarawala

Pioneering Photojournalist

A K Hangal

Rajesh Khanna

Actor (1917-August 26, 2012) ‘The real grand old man of Hindi cinema.’ — Gulshan Devaiah, actor

Rajesh Khanna

Actor, (1942-July 18, 2012) ‘The frenzy and the following he garnered was a sight to behold.’ — Amitabh Bachchan, actor

Suresh Saraiya

Homai Vyarawala (1913-January 15, 2012) ‘A pioneering woman who chose an unconventional profession. — Sabeena Gadhoke, friend and biographer of the legend

Mehdi Hassan

Ghazal maestro (1927-June 13, 2012) ‘The uncrowned king of Ghazal.’ — Vishwa Mohan Bhatt, Grammy-winning musician

Abid Hussain

Diplomat, (1926-June 21, 2012) ‘He is remembered with deep affection as the people’s ambassador, as a builder of bridges between Indians and Americans.’ — Nirupama Rao, Indian ambassador to the United States

Dara Singh

Actor (1928-July 12, 2012)

Cricket commentator (1936-

Father of India’s White Revolution (1921-September 9, 2012) ‘Thank you for giving us Hausla, Pragati & Anand.’ — The Amul mascot, in tears for the first time

Sunil Gangopadhyay Novelist (1934-October 23, 2012) ‘A literary culture in which languages embrace and enrich each other – this was a gift that Sunil-

Remembering those we lost this year

July 18, 2012) He could woo listeners with his meticulous preparation and infinite enthusiasm. There is an eternal magic to radio and he was a big part of it. — Harsha Bhogle, cricket commentator

da gave to me and many others’ — Amitav Ghosh, writer

Yash Chopra

Filmmaker (1932-October 21, 2012) ‘The man who taught the country how to fall in love.’ — Riteish Deshmukh, actor

Prithvi Nath Dhar

Economist (1919-July 19, 2012) ‘A public servant of the highest pedigree who embodied the finest values and principles of public service’ — Dr Manmohan Singh, Indian Prime Minister Freedom fighter (1914-July 23, 2012) ‘Selfless service is her enduring legacy.’ — Brinda Karat, politician

‘I owe my career to Dara Singh.’ — Mumtaz, actress

SAVERA SOMESHWAR/REDIFF.COM

Into the ages

Lakshmi Sehgal

Dara Singh

Verghese Kurien

Bal Thackeray’s funeral procession

Prabuddha Dasgupta

Photographer (1956-August 12, 2012) ‘It was every woman’s dream to be shot by Prabuddho! No one

Bal Thackeray Politician (1926-November 17, 2012) ‘He gave Maharashtrians a sense of belonging, an identity.’ — Shobhaa De, writer

Chandra Kumar Arora Journalist (1940-November 24, 2012) ‘CK was the political pundit of our time. — Tarun Basu, journalist

I K Gujral

India’s former prime minister (1919-November 30, 2012) ‘Gujral was much more than a far sighted politician. He was an enormously decent human being whose politics reflected his personality.’ — Rehman Sobhan, chairman, Center for Policy Dialogue

Pandit Ravi Shankar Sitar maestro (1920December 11, 2012)

Jaspal Bhatti Brajesh Mishra JACK GUEZ/AFP/GETTY IMAGES

Brajesh Mishra

Career diplomat (1928-September 28, 2012) ‘India’s first intelligence tsar.’ — Satish Chandra, former diplomat

Varsha Bhosle

Columnist (1956-October 8, 2012) ‘She pushed me to be at my best.’ — Dilip D’Souza, Columnist

Comedian (1955-October 25, 2012) ‘So few can be satirical, topical, intelligent and yet roaringly popular.’ — Vishal Dadlani, musician

K C Pant

Politician (1931-November 15, 2012) ‘He steered the ministry at one of the most critical junctures of history as the Indian Peace Keeping Force was deployed in Sri Lanka as a stepping stone to the tortuous journey for peace in the island nation.’ — A K Antony, Indian defense minister

Pandit Ravi Shankar ‘He did more for our music globally than anyone I know.’ — Annapurna Devi, Panditji’s first wife

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India Abroad December 28, 2012

Visa availability AVAILABILITY OF IMMIGRANT VISA NUMBERS – JANUARY All Chargeability Areas Except Countries Separately Listed China

India

Mexico

FAMILY-SPONSORED CATEGORIES 1st Unmarried Sons and Daughters of United States citizens (F1)

22DEC05

08JUL93

2A Spouses and Unmarried Children of Permanent Residents – (F2A)

22SEP10

01SEP10

2B Unmarried Sons and Daughters (21 Years of Age or Older) of Permanent Residents (F2B)

08DEC04

22NOV92

Married Sons and Daughters of US Citizens (F3)

22JUN02

08MAR93

4th Brothers and Sisters of Adult US Citizens (F4)

08APR01

22JUL96

EMPLOYMENT-BASED CATEGORIES 1st Priority Workers (E1) 2nd Professionals Holding Advanced Degrees or Persons of Exceptional Ability (E2)

08DEC07

01SEP04

3rd Skilled Workers and Professionals (E3)

01FEB07

22SEP06

08NOV02

01FEB07

Other Workers (Unskilled Workers) (EW)

01FEB07

01JUL03

08NOV02

01FEB07

4th Certain Special Immigrants (E4)

4th Certain Religious Workers (SR) (E4)

5th Employment Creation (Investors) (E5)

5th Employment Creation (Investors in Targeted Employment Areas) (E5)

C = Current; Cut-off date The cut-off date for an oversubscribed country is the priority date of the first applicant who could not be reached U = Unavailable within the statutory limits. Only applicants who have priority dates earlier than the cut-off date may be allocated a number.

By Allen E Kaye VISA AVAILABILITY IN THE COMING MONTHS Family-sponsored preferences: • The first preference (unmarried sons and daughters of United States citizens) category moved to December 22, 2005 for all chargeability areas, China (mainland born), and India. Mexico moved to July 8, 1993. The Philippines moved to December 22, 1997. • The 2A second preference (spouses and unmarried children of permanent residents – subject to per-country limit) category moved forward to September 22, 2010 for all chargeability areas, China (mainland born), India, and the Philippines. Mexico moved to September 1, 2010. •The 2B second preference (unmarried sons and daughters, 21 years of age or older, of permanent residents) category moved to December 8, 2004 for all chargeability areas, including China (mainland born) and India. Mexico moved to November 22, 1992. The Philippines moved to April 15, 2002. • The F3 third preference (married sons and daughters of U.S. citizens) category moved forward to June 22, 2002 for all chargeability areas, China (mainland born), and India. Mexico moved to March 8, 1993. The Philippines moved to August 8, 1992. * The F4 fourth preference (brothers and sisters of adult US citizens) category moved to April 8, 2001 for all chargeability areas, India, China (mainland born). Mexico remained at July 22, 1996. The Philippines moved to April 15, 1989. NOTE: ‘Immediate relatives’ (husbands and wives, under 21-years-old unmarried children and parents of US citizens over 21 years of age) are not included in this listing of family-sponsored preferences as they do not need a visa number. Employment-based preferences:

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• The E1 first preference (priority workers) category remained current for all chargeability areas including China (mainland born), India, Mexico, Philippines. • The E2 second preference (professionals holding advanced degrees or persons of exceptional ability) category is current for all chargeability areas, Mexico and Philippines. India moved to September 1, 2004 and China moved to December 8, 2007. • The E3 third preference (skilled workers and professionals) category moved to February 1, 2007 for all chargeability areas and Mexico. China (mainland born) moved to September 22, 2006. India moved to November 8, 2002. The Philippines remained at August 15, 2006. • The EW third preference (other workers – unskilled workers – category moved to February 1, 2007 for all chargeability area and Mexico. India moved to November 8, 2002. China remained at July 1, 2003. The Philippines remained at August 15, 2006. • The E4 fourth preference (certain special immigrants) category remains current for all chargeability areas, China (mainland born), India, Mexico and the Philippines • The E4 fourth preference (certain religious workers,) category is current for all chargeability areas and China (mainland born), India, Mexico, and Philippines. The E5 fifth preference (employment creation – investors – category remains current for all chargeability areas, China (mainland born), India, Mexico, and the Philippines. The employment creation – investors in Targeted Employment Areas – category remained current for all chargeability areas, China (mainland born), India, Mexico, and the Philippines. Pilot programs are current for all chargeability areas, China (mainland born), India, Mexico, and the Philippines.

American Life Inc

NUMERICAL LIMITS 1. Section 201 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) sets an annual minimum family-sponsored preference limit of 226,000. The worldwide level for annual employment-based preference immigrants is at least 140,000. Section 202 prescribes that the percountry limit for preference immigrants is set at 7 percent of the total annual family-sponsored and employmentbased preference limits, ie, 25,620. The dependent area limit is set at 2 percent, or 7,320. 2. Section 203 of the INA prescribes preference classes for allotment of immigrant visas as follows: Family-sponsored • First: Unmarried sons and daughters of citizens, 23,400 plus any numbers not required for fourth preference. • Second: Spouses and children, and unmarried sons and daughters of permanent residents, 114,200, plus the number (if any) by which the worldwide family preference level exceeds 226,000, and any unused first preference numbers: A. Spouses and children. 77 percent of the overall second preference limitation, of which 75 percent are exempt from the per-country limit; B. Unmarried sons and daughters (21 years of age or older), 23 percent of the overall second preference limitation. • Third: Married sons and daughters of citizens, 23,400, plus any numbers not required by first and second preferences. • Fourth: Brothers and sisters of adult citizens, 65,000, plus any numbers not required by first three preferences. Editor’s Note: Allen E Kaye is an attorney who has practiced United States immigration, naturalization, visa and consular law in New York City for the past 30 years. He is a graduate of Queens College (CUNY) (BA), Columbia University Law School (JD) and New York University Law School (LLM)

A41

India Abroad December 28, 2012

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A42

2012 THE YEAR THAT WAS

India Abroad December 28, 2012

C'est la vie T

he trauma of passing out on a suburban train, being kicked by a passenger — “Wake up, wake up, you drunken bum,” he said, without knowing I have not touched alcohol for decades — and taken to a hospital in an emergency van and subjected to endless questions was eating me even as I was waiting for an angelic doctor to soothe my nerves. The doctor assigned to me in the New Jersey hospital near Hoboken was in her mid50s, and seemed very professional. I thought I would put off discussing my medical condition for a few minutes. I told her that I am from India, and was curious to know where she was from. “Skopje,” she said, a bit sternly. “I bet like most people in America you have not heard of it.” I told her how some 35 years ago, while traveling across Europe on an Enfield motorcycle, my friend and I — I was the pillion rider — had spent three days in Skopje, two of them in the barn of a farmer who had put us up next to three horses, four donkeys and half a dozen cows. “It is in Macedonia, isn’t it,” I said, forgetting for a moment my throbbing headache and aching body and the suspense over my medical condition, reliving the pleasure of visiting little-known places. The doctor was not in a mood to talk about her country. “I am an American now,” she said in her Slavic accent. “I don’t think of Skopje anymore.” No one really likes visiting a doctor, even if the news could be good, or surely waking up in hospital after a sudden collapse on the street or in a train car. Nervous people like me try some conversation with the physician. I know doctors have limited time. I also know they are in a hurry to discuss my medical condition. Yet, I will seek some distraction, hoping the bad news could wait, or disappear! But you are not successful all the time. What could I do with a doctor of Polish origin who seemed totally unimpressed that I had traveled across his country some three-and-half decades ago and heard jokes about the Soviet Union, a nation the Poles hated? I had no luck with the story of how a Gujarati prince who had met a few exiled Polish leaders in Switzerland during World War II had welcomed over 100 Polish orphan children to Gujarat from the camps in Russia. They were the children of Polish army officers killed by the Russians as they occupied a large chunk of Poland. As the war dragged on, and Russian resources were depleting, Stalin was in a hurry go get rid of some 2,000 orphans. Many were sent to countries like Australia and South Africa, in addition to Gujarat in British India. On another occasion recently, an older Polish doctor asked, “Do you remember any of the jokes?” I remembered a medical student in Warsaw telling me about the Russian leader Alexei Kosygin’s visit to India. Other Soviet leaders including Leonid Brezhnev were at the airport to receive him. Brezhnev was perplexed to see a bright bindi on Kosygin’s forehead: ‘Comrade, what do you have on your forehead?’ Kosygin did not grin when he said, tapping his forehead, ‘Mrs Gandhi said I should have something up here.’

Illustration: Uttam Ghosh

This was one of the jokes I had written in an article which was to be published in the Illustrated Weekly, but it was banned during the state of Emergency imposed by then Indian prime minister Indira Gandhi. The article was published soon after the free press was restored in 1977. The Polish doctor laughed heartily. “You know, I had heard a version of that joke too,” he said. He was also curious about my first visit to Warsaw and what I remembered most. I mentioned the sprawling Stalinist building called Palace of Science and Culture constructed by Stalin using forced war labor. You could never miss the building. It was meant to be Stalin’s gift to the Polish people, but knowing its history of forced labor, the Poles hated it. A medical student had pointed to the building and said with a deadpan face, “So small and so beautiful.” Then he had broken into a wan smile, “If you want to get a good picture of Warsaw, anything in Warsaw, you must take it from

the top of that building. That way this monstrosity is not in your picture.” Even when I interview doctors who are in the news — for winning something like a MacArthur Genius award or writing a noteworthy book — I am keen to know what they read, what kind of films they see, and the kind of food they like. Atul Gawande, the bestselling writer (The Checklist Manifesto, How to Get Things Right), Harvard University medical professor and surgeon, is a voracious reader, devouring Hemingway (who knew a lot about medicine and battleground injuries) and Chekov (who was a doctor too). But Gawande surprised me when he admitted he enjoyed thrillers from the likes of Eric Ambler, who wrote brilliant books like A Coffin for Dimitrios and Journey into Fear in the 1950s and 1960s. “As in life, thrillers and espionage books deal with high uncertainties; and the good ones offer unexpected events,” Gawande said. On a recent visit to my primary care doctor Sudhanshu Prasad, who gives all news — good and bad — gently, but also makes time to chat with his patients, I told him that he is the kind of doctor the Stanford University professor and doctor Abraham Verghese would love. Verghese, who is also a bestselling novelist (Cutting for Stone) and nonfiction writer, has been advocating better bedside manners and empathy for patients among American doctors. Several months ago, Dr Prasad gave me the news that my kidneys had hit rock bottom and dialysis was imminent. I was devastated, but soon we were discussing life and death in literature and films. He was reassuring me that I could still have an active life and career with dialysis. The other day, after he had checked my latest blood report and given me the good and bad news (mostly good), we started discussing Indian literature. Prasad, who has been working in America for nearly three decades and running a private practice with his entomologist wife Dr Surabhi Sachan, is a great admirer of Premchand, the pioneering figure in modern Hindi literature and one of the initiators of realism in Indian fiction. Dr Prasad reads the great writer in Hindi. “I have just completed his novel Rang Bhoomi,” Dr Prasad said, confessing it had taken him six months to read it. Like Dr Verghese, Dr Prasad also believes that reading good fiction gives one insights into the human mind and soul, and helps in guiding the patients. Dr Prasad was in a mood to talk about Premchand, but his assistant knocked on the door and gently said, “Doctor, you have three patients waiting.” We ended our conversation, but not before telling each other we shall meet socially soon and discuss Premchand, the admirable movie Shatranj Ke Khiladi that Satyajit Ray made out of a Premchand story, and much more.

ARTHUR J PAIS

Ind a Abroad December 28, 2012

Special Supplement

Photo: Frank Peters

HOUSES OF WORSHIP/NEWS India Abroad December 28, 2012

Prayers for the New Year Ritu Jha finds out what temples in the San Francisco Bay Area have planned for devotees

Rath Yatra at the Fremont Hindu Temple

t has became a tradition of sorts for many Hindu families to visit temples and seek blessings on New Year’s Day, say temple administrators in the San Francisco Bay Area. The temples too try to put their best foot forward. “Every devotee coming would be given a packed prasadam whether they come during breakfast time, lunch or dinner,” said Anand Gundu, board member at the Shiva-Vishnu Temple in Livermore, California. On New Year’s Day, he said, devotees come from not just the Bay Area but also from Nevada, Los Angeles and Las Vegas. One of the oldest Hindu temples in the Bay Area, the Shiva-Vishnu temple was incorporated in 1977 primarily to meet the need for a place where the Hindu community can pray, study religion and have cultural programs. The temple, Gundu said, was consecrated July 13, 1986. On New Year’s Day, he added, “we decorate our devotees. Like Lord Vishu’s attire would be made of flowers, Goddess Shakambari’s (Parvati) attire would be made of fruits and vegetables. Each year thousands come on January 1.” The Sunnyvale Hindu Temple in Sunnyvale, California, will be offering Maha Mangal Aarti at midnight December 31 and is expecting 300 people. January 1, the temple will open at 7:30 am. At 9:30 am onwards Lord Ganesh and Lord Ram’s family abhisekham (a religious bathing ceremony) will be performed. There will be Kalyana Utsavam of Sri Balaji, a wedding ceremony of the lord for world peace and prosperity, wealth and happiness in life. That ceremony starts at 4 pm. “It’s a whole-day service and we are expecting 6,000 people to attend,” said Pandit Kambhampati Bala Krishna Sarma, head priest at the Sunnyvale Hindu Temple. “There are many who ask

for special prayers for their family… The temple renovation project is 95 percent done and 100 percent we are going to move to the newly renovated building.” Another famous temple in the Bay Area, the Fremont Hindu Temple, will host bhajan singing from the evening of December 31 till midnight, said Rakesh Kapoor, chief administrator at the temple. January 1, there will be archana, a special prayer, every 30 minutes so that people coming in can participate. “The temple has been doing it for years as a New Year routine,” Kapoor said. “The temple is expecting about 2,000 people. But the main attraction would be the evening bhajans… We have a new committee that hosts Mata Ka Jagran, and has been getting popular in the community. We invite professional singers and also make it into a small play and make it look more creative.” The jagran is held every second Saturday. This year the Maha Vishal Jagran that will run until 4 am is January 12. A newly established temple in San Jose is the Balaji Temple. “We have Sri Balaji Suprabatham and abhishekam 8:30 am to 10:30 am and all day will be conducting archana for all gods and goddess upon request by devotees,” said Lakshmi Vittala Dasi, secretary at the temple. “We are expecting 1,000plus people. We pray for their wellness and a social prayer for the community. We also offer group prayer if someone requests.” Ruta Iyer, who visits the temple every year January 1, said, “I do visit the temple every week and New Year is definitely a special time of the year and we will be visiting around that time also.” Iyer said in the San Francisco Bay area her favorite temple is the BAPS Swaminarayan Mandir. She also visits the Jain Mandir and the Livermore ShivaVishnu Temple.

HOUSES OF WORSHIP

India Abroad December 28, 2012

TEMPLES ALABAMA Shri Swaminarayan Mandir (BAPS)

500 Biscayne Dr. Birmingham, AL 35206 Phone: (205) 833 3287

The Hindu Temple & Cultural Center Of Birmingham

200 N Chandalar Dr Pelham, AL 35124-1258 Phone: (205) 621-1155

Hindu Cultural Center of North Alabama

14854 Smith Dr Capshaw, AL 35742 Phone: (256) 771-7772

ALASKA The Sri Ganesha Mandir

2507, Blueberry Ave Anchorage, AK 99503 Phone: (907) 349-3707

ARIZONA Babaji Lingam Temple

5750 W. 8th St Yuma, AZ 85364

International Society of Divine Love

315 E Eugie Ave Phoenix, AZ 85022-4727

International Society for Krishna Cons. (ISCON)

100 S Weber Dr Chandler, AZ 85226 Phone: (480) 705-4900

Krishna International Society

711 E Blacklidge Dr, Tucson, AZ 85719 Phone: (520) 792-0630

Maha Ganapati Temple

51933 W. Teel Rd Maricopa City, AZ 85239 Phone: (520) 568-9881

Hindu Temple of Arizona

3109 North Hayden Rd Scottsdale, AZ - 85251 Phone: (480) 874-3200

BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir

7918 East 1st Ave Mesa, AZ 85208. USA Phone: (480) 357 9922

Palaniandavar Temple

Hindu Temple of Northern California

420 Pennington Pl, Danville, CA 94526

Concord Shiva Murugan Temple

1803 Second St Concord, CA 94519 Phone: (925) 827-0127

Devi Mandir

5950 Highway 128, Napa, CA 94558 Phone: (707) 966-2802

Hindu Temple Society of Southern California Calabasas

1600 Las Virgines, Canyon Rd., Calabasas, CA 91302 Phone: (818) 880-5552

Hindu Temple and Indian Cultural Center

5750 West Eighth St Yuma, Arizona 85364 Phone: (928) 783-7239

21213 Devonshire St, Chatsworth, CA 91311 Phone: (818) 772-6020

Guru Nanak Dwara Ashram

Hindu Temple of Inland Empire

2302 N 9th St Phoenix, AZ 85006 Phone: (602) 271-4480

Self-R Realization Fellowship Temple and Ashram

6111 North Central Ave Phoenix, AZ 85012-1232 Phone: (602) 279-6140

PARESH GANDHI

The Ganesha temple in Flushing NY

3676 Delaware Dr. Fremont, CA 94538 Phone: (510) 659-0655

ARKANSAS Sri Sathya Sai Baba Center

4119 Longview Rd, Little Rock, AR 72207

Vedanta Society of Arkansas

10224 Nash Lane Mabelvale, AR 72103

Ganesh Temple of Arizona

1270 W Derringer Way, Chandler, AZ 85248

CALIFORNIA Chino Hills Hindu Mandir and Cultural Center

15100 Fairfield Ranch Rd, Chino Hills, CA 91709 Phone: (909) 614-5000

Hindu Temple of Fresno

9292 Magnolia Ave, Riverside, CA 92503 Phone: (909) 359-4743

Vedantic Center

3528 North Triunfo Canyon Rd, Agoura, CA 91301 Phone: (818) 706-9478

Vivekananda Foundation

3038 Marina Dr., Alameda, CA 94501

Chinmaya Mission

899 S West St., Anaheim, CA 92802 Phone: (714) 991-5274

Dhyanyoga Center

P O Box 319, Antioch, CA 94531 Phone: (925) 757-9361

Hindu Temple of Kern County

6700 Valley View Dr, Bakersfield CA, 93306 Phone: (661) 872-9396

Sunnyvale Hindu temple

Phone: (310) 549-4492

Phone: (916) 236-9819

Black Mountain Rd San Diego, CA

Badarikashramai San Leandro, CA

Shree Mandir, San Diego, CA

Sri Lakshmi Ganapathi Temple

32 Rancho Dr, San Jose, CA 95111 Phone: (408) 226-3600

ISKCON Rukmini Dwarakadish Temple

3764 Watseka Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90034 Phone: (310) 836-2676

Hindu Community and Cultural Center

1395 Heather Lane, Livermore, CA 94550 Phone: (510) 449-6255

ISKCON Temple of Silicon Valley Bhakti Yoga,

951 South Bascom Ave San Jose, CA 95128 Phone: (408) 293-4959

Hare Krishna Temple

285 Legion St Laguna Beach, CA 92651 www.lagunatemple.com

Mandir

Divine Mother Goddess Hindu Temple Cultural Center

530 East 231st St, Carson, CA 90746

Shree Ramkabir Mandir

Iskcon Temple

1030 Grand Ave San Diego CA, 92109 Phone: (858) 272-8263

Shiva Vishnu Temple

7930 Arjons Dr San Diego, CA 92126 Phone: (858) 549-3940

Swami Paramahamsa Nithyananda

Life Bliss Foundation 9720 Central Ave. Montclair CA 91763 Phone: (626) 205-3286

ISKCON Temple

305 Rose Ave, Venice, CA 90291 Phone: (310) 401-0418

144 South 4th St Montebello, CA 90640 Phone: (323) 721-1772

Radha Govinda Temple

Jain Temple of California

Sanathana Viswa Dharma Temple of Cosmic Religion

722 South Main St Milpitas, CA 95035 Phone: (408) 262-6242

Swami Narayana Temple

1430 California Cir Milpitas, CA 95035 Phone: (408) 262-0707

Shree Ram Mandir of Modesto

897-B East Kifer Rd Sunnyvale, CA 94086 Phone: (408) 705-7904

SAVC Sri RadhaKrishna Temple, Fullerton, CA

12401 Pellissier Rd. Whittier, CA 90601 Phone: (213) 699-9507

174 Santa Clara Ave Oakland, CA 94610 Phone: (415) 654-4683

13927 Florine Ave. Paramount, CA 90723 Phone: (213) 408-6091

3401 Claus Rd, Modesto, CA 95355 Phone: (209) 551-9820

Sri Gayatri Chetna Center

1407 N 10th St San Jose, CA 95112 Phone: (408) 971-7852

Gayatri Mandir

22116 Pioneer Blvd Hawaiian Gardens, CA 90716

Shirdi Saibaba Temple

ISKCON Hare Krsna Temple

7699 E Alluvial Ave, Clovis, CA 93611 Phone: (559) 325-7770

Swaminarayan Temple,

1430 California Circle San Jose CA 95035 Phone: (408) 262-0707

1030 Grand Ave, Pacific Beach San Diego, CA. 92109 Phone: (619) 483-2500

2011 E. Chapman Ave Fullerton, CA 92631 Phone: (714) 870-1156

Sri Satya Narayana Swamy Devasthanam

15602 Maubert Ave San Leandro, CA 94578 Phone: (415) 278-2444

16540 Aston St Irvine, California 92606 Phone: (949) 222-2283 www.mandir.ws

450 Persian Dr, Sunnyvale, CA 94086 Phone: (408) 734-4554 2334 Stuart St Berkeley, CA 94705 Phone: (510) 540-9215

2446 W. Orange Ave Anaheim, CA 92804 Phone: (714) 281-3458

Sri Siddhi Vinayaka Cultural Center

Swaminarayan Temple

Shirdi Sai Center

Swami Narayan Temple

Shree Laxmi Narayan Mandir

7495 Elder Creek Rd Sacramento, CA 95824 Phone: (916) 383-4206

Vedic Temple

9720 Central Ave Montclair, CA 91763 Phone: (909) 625-1400

4679 Aldona Lane Sacramento, CA 95841 Phone: (916) 483-4760

COLORADO

Sri Shri Vrindavan Dham

Hindu Temple

8013 Golden Ring Way Antelope (Sacramento) CA 95843

Page S4

HOUSES OF WORSHIP

Page S3 8375 South Wadsworth Blvd Littleton (Denver) CO 80128 Phone: (303) 948-9693

Vishwa Hindu Parishad

6752 S Lamar St Littleton, CO -80525 Phone: (303) 979-4193

Radha-K Krishna Temple

1400 Cherry St Denver, CO 80220 Phone: (303) 333-5461

CONNECTICUT Connecticut Valley Hindu Temple Society

11 Training Hill Rd Middletown, CT 06457 Phone: (860) 346-8675 www.cvhts.org

Shree Ram Sharnam, New Delhi branches in USA Amritvani Satsang program SCHEDULE NEW JERSEY 1st Sunday 2nd Sunday 3rd Sunday 4 th Sunday 5th Sunday

ISKCON Of Connecticut

PHONE 908-412-0745

Drs. Kishan & Sushma Agarwal Anju Bhambri

732-494-4684

Akash and Ambika Chabra Romesh and Pushpa Sharma

609-298-6887

Ashwani and Veena Gupta

516-248-4991

Amit & Rup Nayyar

240- 632-8433 14000 Darnestown Road, Maryland 20878

MARYLAND Every Saturday

Hindu Society of Northeast Florida

714 Park Ave Orange Park, FL 32073 Phone: (904) 269-1155

DELAWARE

Hindu Temple of South Florida

Hindu Temple

FLORIDA Jyoti Mandir,Inc

514 Paul St Orlando,Florida,32835 Phone: (407) 822-8057

Saraswati Devi Mandir

1453 N Pine Hills Rd Orlando, FL 32838

Shri Devi Bhavan

6206 West Amelia St Orlando, FL 32835 Phone: (407) 822-8057

Hindu Temple

1994 Lake Dr Casselberry, FL 32707 Phone: (407) 699-5277

732-649-1200

ADDRESS 1304 Maplecrest Ave Edison, NJ 08820 450 Plainfield Road Edison, NJ 08820 11 Lisa Cour Colonia, NJ07067 7 Crestview Court Bordentown, NJ 08505 59 Rue Chagall Somerset, NJ 08873 107 Marcus Ave, New Hyde Park, NY 11042

www.shreeramsharanam.org

1683 Main St East Hartford, CT 06108 Phone: (860) 289-7252

760 Yorklyn Rd, Hockessin, DE 19707 Phone: (302) 235-7020

732-381-6083

12511 SW 112 Ave Miami, FL 33175 Phone: (305) 792-2494

Sai Darbar Orlando

5230 Cone Reef Court Orlando, FL 32810 Phone: (407) 445-2520

Shri Swaminaryan Mandir

1325 West Oakridge Rd Orlando, FL 32809 Phone: (407) 857-0091

Shiv Mandir

300 NW 29th Ave Oakland Park Blvd Fort Lauderdale, Florida Phone: (954) 735-3560

Florida Vishnu Mandir

4070 South Goldenrod Rd Orlando, FL 32822

Shri Lakshmi Narayan Mandir

Shiva Vishnu Temple

5661 Dykes Rd, Davie, FL 33331 Phone: (954) 680-8571

Hindu Temple of Southwest Florida

CONTACT Neelam Verma

NEW YORK Every Saturday

Shirdi Sai Baba Temple

749 Say Brook Rd, Unit# A101 Middletown, CT 06457 Phone: (860) 347-5878

India Abroad December 28, 2012

Phone: (813) 962-6890

Santoshi Ma Temple

10900 Park Ridge Gotha Rd Windermere, FL 34786 Phone: (407) 292-4281

South Florida Hindu Temple

13010 Griffin Rd Fort Lauderdale, FL 33330 Phone: (954) 252-8802

Vishnu Mandir

5303 Lynn Rd Tampa, FL 33624 Phone: (813) 654-2551

Ambaji Mandir

10991 58th St Pinellas Park, FL 33782 Phone: (727) 537-9445

Hindu Mandir

150 Madison Ave Daytona Beach, FL 32114 Phone: (386) 254-8818

12552 Plantation Rd Fort Myers FL 33966 Phone: (239) 561 5866

Sri Saraswati Devi Mandir

1021 NE 34th St Oakland Park, FL 33324

Swaminarayan Mandir

Iraivan Hindu Temple

7345 Kuamoo Rd Kauai, HI 96746 Phone: (808) 822-3012

IDAHO

GEORGIA

1615, Martha St, Boise ID 83706 Phone: (208) 344-4274

Hare Krishna Temple

1287 S. Ponce de Leon Ave NE Atlanta, GA 30306 Phone: (404) 377-8680

Greater Atlanta Vedic Temple

492 Harmony Grove Rd Lilburn. GA Phone: (770) 381-3662

Hindu Temple, Augusta

Rt. 2 Luke Rd. Box. 3388 Augusta, GA 30901 Phone: (404) 860-3864

Hindu Temple of Atlanta

5851, Georgia Highway 85, Riverdale, GA 30274-0298 Phone: (770) 907-7102

Shree Shakti Mandir

1450 Huie Rd Lake City GA 30260 Phone: (770) 968 3490

India Cultural & Religious Center

1281 Cooper Lake Rd. SE, Smyrna, GA 30080 Phone: (404) 436-3719

Swaminarayan Temple

3518 Clarkston Indian Blvd Clarkston, GA 30021 Phone: (404) 297-0501

Gujarati Samaj

700 James Burges Rd Suwanee, GA 30224 Phone: (404) 320-9194

9100 Apalachee Parkway Tallahassee, FL 32311 Phone: (850) 877-8823

Kadavul Hindu Temple

Kauai's Hindu Monastery 107 Kaholalele Rd Kauai, HI 96746 Phone: (808) 822-3012 www.saivasiddhanta.com/hawaii/

9556 Fowler Ave Thonotosassa, FL 33592 Phone: (813) 986-5473

Brevard Hindu Mandir

1517 Avenida Del Rio Melbourne, FL 32901 Phone: (321) 723-2190

51 Coelho Way Honolulu, HI 96817 Phone: (808) 595-3947

Shirdi Saibaba Mandir

Hare Krishna Hindu Temple

INDIANA Swaminarayan Mandir

350, N County Rd, 900 East Avon, IN 46123 Phone: (317) 271-1577

Hindu Temple of Central Indiana

3340, German Church Rd Indianapolis, IN 46235 Phone: (317) 891-9199 www.htci.org

IOWA Hindu Temple and Cultural Center of Iowa

33916, 155th Lane Madrid, IA 50156 Phone: (515) 795-2635 www.iowatemple.org

Hindu Temple of Eastern Iowa

1700 Naoma Dr SW Cedar Rapids, IA 52404 Phone: (319) 396-3196

KANSAS Hindu Temple & Cultural Ctr

6330 Lackman Rd Shawnee Mission, KS 66217 Phone: (913) 962-1113

Hindu Temple of Greater Wichita

South Florida Hindu Temple

251 Klondike Ave, Pine Hills, Orlando, FL 32811 Phone: (407) 654-0826

Shiva Vishnu Temple

2949 Coastal Highway Saint Augustine, FL 32095 Phone: (904) 819-0808

714 Park Ave Orange Park, FL 32073 Telephone: (904) 269-1155

Gujarati Samaj Hindu Temple

9100 Aplalachee Pkwy Tallahasee, FL 32311 Phone: (904) 877-8823

Shri Saraswati Devi Mandir

16220 Livingston Ave Lutz, FL 33559 Phone: (813) 264-1539

2331 Brockett Rd Tucker, GA 30084 Phone: (770) 938-6673

4213 Accomack Dr Louisville, KY 40241 Phone: (502) 429-8888

Hindu Temple of Florida

Vedic Cultural Society

HAWAII

Bharatiya Temple and Cultural Center

13010 W Griffin Rd, Davie, FL 33330 Phone: (954) 438-3675 5661 Dykes Rd, Davie, FL 33331 Phone: (954) 680-8571 www.shivavishnu.org

Shanti Temple,

1137 31st St, Orlando, FL 32806 Phone: (407) 648-9003

Radha Krishna Mandir

5501 Lynn Rd Tampa, FL 33624

Hindu Society of Northeast Florida Inc

408 Ulrich Rd Fort Pierce, Florida 34982

Shiv Mandir

5675 Jimmy Carter Blvd Norcross, GA 30071 Phone: (770) 521-1885

Vedanta Centre of Atlanta

ISKCON Hawaii

320 N Zelta St Wichita, Kansas 67206 Phone: (316) 684-1556 www.htgw.org

KENTUCKY Hindu Temple of Kentucky

Page S6

India Abroad December 28, 2012

two sunday programs with

his holiness

sant rajinder singh ji maharaj WESTIN HOTEL / LOMBARD, IL

SU NDAY JAN UARY 1 3 2:30 pm – Satsang

S UNDAY J A N UA RY 2 0 2:30 pm – Satsang

“Meditation as Medication for the Soul”

“Explore Divine Higher Realms”

Westin Hotel, 70 Yorktown Center, Lombard IL 60148

To learn more or to register Call 630-955-1200; www.sos.org/usa/naperville

WWW . SOS . ORG

S ANT R AJINDER S INGH J I M AHARAJ ’ S BOOKS ARE AVAILABLE AT : AMAZON . COM

D NOBLE WWW . BN . COM BARNES

SCIENCE

SPIRITUALITY

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THROUGH

INTERNATIONAL

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UNDER

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FAITH

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ORGANIZATION OF

SANT

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RAJINDER

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TO JI

PERSONAL MAHARAJ

HOUSES OF WORSHIP

Page S4

Phone (301) 625-5134

3050 N. Cleveland Rd Lexington, KY 40516 Phone: (859) 294 4277 www.btccky.org

6300 Princess Garden Parkway Lanham, MD 20706 Phone: (301) 552-4889

LOUISIANA Hindu Temple Society of New Orleans

P.O. Box 761 Kenner, LA 70063 Phone: (504) 466-0322

Datta Temple & Hall of Trinity

6221 Equity Dr Baton Rouge, LA 70809 Phone: (225) 751-8949

Hindu Center

710 S. Kenilworth Parkway Baton Rouge, LA 70820 Phone: (504) 769-8671

Sri Siva Vishnu Temple

6905 Cipriano Rd Lanham, MD 20706 Phone: (301) 552-3335 www.ssvtemple.html

Shri Mangal Mandir

1870 Rolling Acres Way Onley, MD 20832

Hindu Temple: Washington Kalibari

16126 Columbia Pike Burtonsville, MD 20866 Phone: (301) 476-8152

Matas Durbar VHP of America

17225 Founder Mill Dr Rockville, MD 20855 Phone: (301) 869-3729

Hindu Temple

46 Norwood Rd Silver Spring, MD 20905 Phone: (301) 384-5009

3804 Transcontinental Dr Metairie, LA 70006 Phone: (504) 454-3444

MAINE The Yoga Center

675 Main St, Marketplace Mall Lewiston ME 04240 Phone: (207) 786-0100 www.yogacenterofmaine.com

MARYLAND Hindu Temple of Washington DC

10001 Riggs Rd Adelphi, MD 20783 Phone: (301) 434-1000

Swaminarayan Mandir

4320 Ammendale Rd, Beltsville, MD 20705 Phone (301) 931-3135

Harsiddhi Maata Mandir

Address: 8521 Riggs Rd Adelphi MD, 20783

Murugan Temple of North America

Hindu Samaj Temple

6406 Quin Dr Baton Rouge, LA 70817 Phone: (504) 753-3000

Chinmaya Mission

India House of Worship

1428 Chilton Dr Silver Spring, MD 20904 Phone: (301) 384-4090

Shri Mangal Mandir

Vraj Temple, PA 15 Manor Road, Schuylkill Haven, PA 17972 Nootan Nandalaya (Temple), an abode for God ShriNathji (a manifestation of God Krishna), is built on a 300 acres of bountiful land of VRAJ surrounded by the grandeur of the hills and the accentuated with the tranquility of the wooded valleys and the serenity of the lush green meadows. This spellbinding natural ambience augments the spellbinding beauty of the Haveli (temple) that is situated on the bank of Chandra Sarovar (lake), in the rich tradition of the royal Rajasthani architectural mystique. Haveli is 60 feet tall, three stories high and has over 50,000 sq. feet of built-up area. VRAJ, an Institute of Indian Heritage, is a prominent ReligiousSpiritual-Social-Cultural center for all Hindus in addition to being the foremost bastion of PushtiBhaktiMarg (Hinduism’s Path of ‘Bliss through Love-Devotion’) in the Western World. Hindus of all faiths come to experience not only the spiritual serenity uniquely bestowed over VRAJ, but also to celebrate their cultural and social events. Founding Members of VRAJ earnestly believed that in today’s world it has become imperative for any temple to transform itself into an establishment that facilitates an integration of society’s Religious, Spiritual, Social and Cultural needs of the time. Keeping up with the changing world, VRAJ has evolved into an institution bridging the gap between the diverse needs of the Hindu community settled in North America. To bring together the Hindu Youth, to educate them about the Indian heritage and to pass on to them the traditional value system of India, VRAJ organizes summer Youth Camps (www.vrajyouth.org) year after year in addition to sustaining several youth oriented activities round the year.

MICHIGAN The Hindu Temple of Canton

44955 Cherry Hill Rd Canton, MI 48188 www.thehindutemple.org

Sri Balaji Vedic Center

2567 Metropolitan Parkway Sterling Heights, MI 48310 Phone: (586) 826-8711

Parashakthi Temple

551 W. Kennett Pontiac, MI 48340 Phone: (248) 322-4731 Email: om@parashakthitemple.org www.parashakthitemple.org

Bharatiya Temple of Lansing

955 Haslett Rd, Haslett, MI 48840 Phone: (517) 339-6337

Visvanatha Kasi Temple

1147 South Elms Rd Flint, MI 48532 Phone: (810) 733-5790 www.kashitemple.org

Indo American Cultural Center & Temple

Address: 2002 Ramona Ave Portage, MI 49002 Phone: (269) 324-8224

MINNESOTA Hindu Society of Minnesota

1835 Polk St. NE Minneapolis, MN 55418 Phone: (612) 788-1751

17110 New Hampshire Ave Silver Spring, MD 20905 Phone: (301) 384-8193

Phone: (508) 756-1030

Mangala Mandir

1120 Fairland Rd Silver Spring, MD 20904 Phone: (301) 384-8193

Krishna Temple

72 Commonwealth Ave Boston, MA 02116 Phone: (617) 247-8611

1, Union Street Andover, MA 01810 Phone: (978) 474-4114

Maryland Hindu Milan Mandir

Mangal Mandir

117 Waverly Street Ashland, MA 01721 Phone: (508) 881-5775

10537 Noble Ave. N Brooklyn Park, MN 55443

Ramkrishna Vedanta Society

2300 Freeway Boulevard Brooklyn Center MN 55427 Phone: (763) 278-2288

Sadhu Vaswani Center of New England

MISSISSIPPI

16921 New Hampshire Ave Silver Spring, MD 20905 Phone: (301) 476-7838

MASSACHUSETTS

17110 New Hampshire Ave Silver Spring, MD 20905 Phone: (301) 384-8193

International Swamiarayan Satsang Organization

403-405 Andover St Lowell, MA 01852 Phone: (978) 934-9390

Chinmaya Mission

Nagral Residence, 5 Faulkner Rd Shrewsbury, MA 01545 PARESH GANDHI

The Shiva Vishnu teple in Lanham, Maryland

India Abroad December 28, 2012

Satsang Center

1 Pleasent St, Woburn, MA Phone: (617) 489-4281

Shri Swaminarayan Mandir

Chinmaya Mission Boston

Sri Lakshmi Temple

58 Deerfield Street Boston, MA 02115 Phone: (617) 536- 5320

1827 Bridge St Dracut, MA 01826 Phone: (978) 452-3399

Sarva Dev Hindu Mandir

50 Stedman St Lowell, MA 01851 Phone: (978) 458-4444

6 South Main St Oxford, Mass 01540 Phone: (508) 987-8441

Shri Swaminarayan Mandir

New England Shirdi Sai Temple

300 Hartwell St Fall River MA 0272 Phone: (508) 676-2277

Shri Dwarkamai Vidyapeeth & Shirdi Sai Baba Temple

267 Boston Rd, Suite 9 North Billerica, MA 018062 Phone: (978) 276-9724

290 Littleton Rd, #4 Chelmsford, MA 01824 Phone: (978) 528-1985

Vishwa Hindu Parishad

43 Valley Rd Needham, MA 02492 Phone: (781) 444-7313

Sri Saibaba Mandir

1835 Polk St NE Minneapolis, MN 55418 Phone: (612)-789-7729

Geeta Ashram

Shri Swaminarayan Mandir

Hindu Temple Society of Mississippi

139 Chinquipin Cove Ridgeland, MS 39157 Phone: (601) 856-4783

New Talavana Dham

31492, Anner Rd Carriere, MS 39426 Phone: (601) 749-9460

Shri Swaminarayan Mandir

2390 Greenway Dr, MS 39204 Phone: (601) 922 4343

Hindu Temple Society of Mississippi

167 Vernon Jones Ave,

Page S7

HOUSES OF WORSHIP

India Abroad December 28, 2012

Page S6 Brandon, MS 39042

Swaminarayan Mandir

2390 Greenway Dr Jackson, MS 39204 Phone: (601) 922-4343

MISSOURI Hindu Temple of St. Louis

725 Weidman Rd Ballwin, Missouri 63011 Phone: (636) 230-3300

Swami Narayan Temple BAPS

8705 St Charles Rock Rd St. Louis, MO 63114

Hare Krishna Temple

www.hindutempleoflasvegas.org

Shirdi Sai Mandir, Iselin, NJ

NEW HAMPSHIRE

Shirdi Sai Center, Nori Foundation Inc, 465 Lincoln Highway, Iselin, NJ-08830

Hindu Temple of New Hampshire, Inc

1 Progress Ave, Nashua, NH 03062 Phone: (603) 578-1141

NEW JERSEY Ananda Mandir

269 Cedar Grove Lane Somerset, NJ 08873 Phone: (732) 873-9821

India Cultural Hindu Temple

3926 Lindell Blvd St. Louis, MO 63108 Phone:(314) 535-8085

714 Preakness Ave Wayne, NJ 07470 Phone: (973) 595-7117

Vedanta Society of St. Louis

Hindu Mandir

205 South Skinker Blvd St Louis, MO 63105

1 Gaston Ave, Garfield, NJ 07026 Phone: (973) 546-7331

NEBRASKA

465 Lincoln Highway, Iselin, NJ-08830, Telephone: 732-283-1800 www.saimandirusa.org

Hindu Temple

13010 Arbor St Omaha, NE 68114 Phone: (402) 697-8546 www.hindutemplenebraska.org

NORTH CAROLINA Hindu Centre

1023 Worthley Ct Charlotte, NC 28211

Hindu Society of North Carolina

309 Aviation Pkwy Morrisville, NC 27560

Hindu Temple, Inc

4608 Hiddenbrook Dr Raleigh, NC 27609

NEVADA Hindu Temple

1701 Sageberry Dr Las Vegas, NV 89144 Phone: (702) 304-9207

Shirdi Sai Center

Hindu Temple

25 E. Taunton Ave, Berlin, NJ 08009 Phone: (856) 768-3134

Hindu Samaj Inc

Sri Shirdi Sai Baba, a saint of the present century of Indian origin practiced multi religious philosophies of Hinduism, Christianity and Muslim religion advocating the oneness of God. Baba pledged to the suffering humanity, material success happiness and prosperity through His 11 promises. The efficacy of Babaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s pledge for alleviation of the distress of mankind and fulfillment of their wants is well established. The magnificent marble statue, which is 6 ft high and sculptured over base rock, weighs approximately three tons, with all the silver ornaments, including the Special Pujas/Festivals throne, crown, umbrella, Aksharabhyasam makaratoranam, swastikas and Annaprasana lions. The life size statue, a Naming ceremony replica of the one at Shirdi in House-warming ceremony Maharashtra, is carved by Kalyanam (marriage) world-renowned Pembarthi Lakshmi Puja artisans, the same family that Navagraha Abhishekam carved the original statue. It Navagraha Puja was inaugurated in its Iselin Rudrabhishekam Sai Satya Vratam location March 1, 2008. Head of operations/contact: Satynarayana Vratam Dr Dattatreyudu Nori and Dr Upanayanam (thread ceremony) Mrs Subhadra Nori (732-283- Vahana Puja (car puja) Homam (havan) 1800, 732-283-1835) And many moreâ&#x20AC;Ś Web site: ww.saimandirusa.org

Woodbridge NJ 08820 Phone: (732) 572-1234

Sri Guruvayurappan Temple

31 Wooleytown Rd Morganville, NJ 07751 Phone: (732) 972-5552

NEW MEXICO Hanuman Temple

416 Geronimo Lane Taos, NM 87571 Phone: (575) 758-3025 www.nkbashram.org

Hindu Temple Society of New Mexico

8418 Zuni Road SE Albuquerque, NM 87108 Phone: (505) 833-3322

NEW YORK Shirdi Sai Center, Baldwin

Grand Avenue, Baldwin, NY 11510 Telephone: 516-867-8008 Web: www.saimandirusa.org

Durga Shiv Hindu Temple

1120 Beach Ave, Bronx, NY 10472 Phone: (718) 430-9577

Bhavani Mandir

2312 Bruckner Blvd, Bronx, NY 10473

Bronx Hindu Temple

247 West Ramapo Ave Mahwah, NJ 07430

Lawrenceville, NJ 08648 Phone: (609) 737-1986

Phone: (201) 285-0311

1606 Townsend Ave Bronx, NY 11237

Sri Krishna Brundavana

Sri Venkateswara Temple

2500 Woodbridge Ave Edison, NJ 08817 Phone: (732) 572 1234

1216 Noble Ave, Bronx, NY 10472 Phone: (718) 893-1435

Sanatan Mandir

4 Louisa Pl Weehawken, NJ 07086 Phone: (201) 865-3987

18 S Main St, Edison, NJ 08837 Phone: (732) 283-8982

New Jersey Arya Samaj

780 Old Farm Rd Bridgewater, NJ 08807 Phone: (908) 725-4477

Inc. Humanitarian Mission 191-193 Woodlawn Ave Jersey City, NJ 07305 Phone: (201) 938-0220

16 Jean Terrace Parsippany, NJ 07054 Phone: (973) 334-1819

Om Temple

Shree Dwarkadhish Temple

Shri Swaminarayan Mandir (BAPS)

Swami Narayan Temple

Shree Swaminarayan Satsang Mandal

Vishnu Mandir

Cypress Hill Jyoti Mandir

275 Etna St Brooklyn, NY 11208 Phone: (718) 235-5385

Brooklyn Hindu Temple

3105 Ave D Brooklyn, NY 11226 Phone: (718) 469-2165

124-126, Joralemon St Belleville, NJ 07109 Phone: (973) 759-5480

717 Washington Rd Parlin, New Jersey 08859 Phone: (732) 254-0061

1667 Amwell Rd Somerset, New Jersey 08873 Phone: 732- 873-8000

Radha Krishna Temple

Ved Mandir

1 Ved Mandir Dr Milltown NJ, 08850 Phone: (732) 821-0404

Swaminarayan Mandir NJ

4 Louisa Pl Weehawken, NJ 07087 Phone: (201) 865 3987

114 Arlington Ave Brooklyn, NY 11207 Phone: (718) 348-0107

Durga Mandir

Swaminarayan Mandir

239 Sheridan & McKinley Aves Brooklyn, NY 11208

357 Lawrence Station Rd

PARESH GANDHI

The Bridgeater temple in Bridgewater, NJ

4240 RT 27 North South Brunswick, NJ 08824 Phone: (609) 683-3760

Gayatri Chetna Center

240 Centennial Ave Piscataway, NJ 08854 Phone: (732) 357-8200

ISKCON of New Jersey

100 Jacksonville Rd Towaco, NJ Phone: (973) 299.0970

United Hindu Temple

208, Powder MIll Rd Morris Plains, NJ 07950

1, Carnegie Plaza Cherry Hill, NJ 08003 Phone: (856) 751-7600

Vaikunth Hindu Jain Temple

571, S Pomona Rd P.O Box 810 Pomona, NJ 08240 Phone (609) 965-1348

Swaminarayan Mandir

2000, Tonnele Ave N Bergen, NJ 07047 Phone: (201) 865-6555

Swaminarayan Mandir

2500, Woodbridge Ave

Sri Durga Mandir

Bhavanee Maa Mandir

Bhuvaneshwar Mandir

307 Stanhope St Brooklyn, NY 11237 Phone: (718) 628-9322

Maha Shiv Durga Mandir

644 East 5 St Brooklyn, NY 11218 Phone: (718) 633-8287

Rameshwar Mandir

390 Crescent St Brooklyn, NY 11208

Page S8

HOUSES OF WORSHIP

Phone: (718) 827-6249

45 52 Kissena Blvd Flushing, NY 11355 Phone: (718) 784-0287

Sanatana Dharma Mandir

Hindu Temple Society

Page S7

125 Irving Ave Brooklyn, NY 11208 Phone: (718) 739-4847

14307 Holly Ave Flushing, NY 11355 Phone: (718) 460-2500

Shri Maha Kali Devi Mandir

Hindu Cultural Society of Western New York

170 Van Sicklen Ave Brooklyn, NY 11207 Phone: (718) 277-6264

Shri Rama Krishna Mandir

561, 39 St, Brooklyn, NY 11232 Phone: (718) 871-4391

1595 N North French Getzville, NY 14068 Phone: (716) 439-3148

Shree Vaishnav Temple

Shri Satya Mandir

196-43 Foothill Ave Holliswood, NY 11423 Phone: (718) 217-5054

Sri Ram Mandir

204-11 Jamaica Ave Hollis, NY 11423 Phone: (718) 479-3513

Vighaneshwar Mandir

8624 Parsons Blvd Hollis, NY 11432 Phone: (718) 297-6456

Shiva Mandir

8141 Liberty Ave Hollis, NY 11417 Phone: (718) 641-2459

324 Lincoln Ave Brooklyn, NY 11208 Phone: (718) 738-5873 265 Crescent St Brooklyn, NY 11208 Phone: (718) 277-6601 190 Shridan Ave Brooklyn, NY 11208 Phone: (718) 235-0780

32-56 110 St East Elmhurst, NY 11369

Hindu Sanatan Mandir

23-75 89th St East Elmhurst, NY 11369 Phone: (718) 835-5226

Satya Narayan Mandir

7515 Woodside Ave Elmhurst, NY 11373 Phone: (718) 899-8863

Shri Sitarama Hanuman Mandir

1082 Dickens St Far Rockaway, NY 11691 Phone: (718) 523-5420

Shirdi Sai Center

46-16 Robinson St Flushing, NY 11355 Phone: (718) 321-9243

Neelkanth Dham Temple

Sri Chinmoy Meditation Center

Sudama Mandir

American Sevashram Sangh

153-14, 90 Ave Hollis, NY 11432 Phone: (718) 523-7515

Jagat Satya Sabha

88-20, 170 St Jamaica, NY 11432 Phone: (718) 523-0443

Prem Bhakti Mandir

87-56, 168 Pl Jamaica, NY 11432 Phone: (718) 657-3098

Shri Devi Mandir

92-30, 173 St Jamaica, NY 11432 Phone: (718) 526-0091

Shri Surya Narayan Mandir

Shiv Shakti Peeth

204-11, Jamaica Ave Jamaica, NY 11432 Phone: (718) 740-7052

Ganesha Temple

147-07, 88 Ave Jamaica, NY 11435 Phone: (718) 479-1795

43-45 Main St Flushing, NY 11355 Phone: (718) 445-0918 45-57 Bowne St Flushing, NY 11355 Phone: (718) 460-8484) www.nyganeshtemple.org

Swaminarayan Temple

43-38 Bowne St Flushing, NY 11355 Phone: (718) 539-5373

Geeta Temple Mandir

9209 Corona Ave Flushing, NY 11373 Phone: (718) 592-2925

Hindu Center

USA Pandits Parishad Mandir

Hindu Campus Ministry at the University of Buffalo

34 Embassy Square Tonawanda, NY 14150 Phone: (716) 833-2507

Capital District Hindu Temple Society

450 Albany-Shaker Rd Loudenville, NY 12211 Phone: (518) 459-7272 www.albanyhindutemple.org

Bharatiya Mandir

355 Bloomingburg Rd

India Abroad December 28, 2012

Shirdi Sai Center, Baldwin, NY Sai Mandir USA Nori Foundation Inc 1889 Grand Avenue, Baldwin, NY 11510

Queens Village, NY 11418 Phone: (718) 468-2213

Natraja Mandir

93-04, 210 Pl Queens Village, NY 11428 Phone: (718) 465-3953

Satya Sanatan Dharma Mandir

Sri Shirdi Sai Baba, a saint of the present century of Indian origin practiced multi religious philosophies of Hinduism, Christianity and Muslim religion advocating the oneness of God. Baba pledged to the suffering humanity, material success happiness and prosperity through His 11 promises. The efficacy of Babaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s pledge for alleviation of the distress of mankind and fulfillment of their wants is well established. The magnificent marble statue, which is 6 ft high and sculptured Special Pujas/Festivals over base rock, weighs approxi- Aksharabhyasam mately three tons, including all Annaprasana the silver ornaments, including Naming ceremony the throne, crown, umbrella, House-warming ceremony makaratoranam, swastikas and Kalyanam (marriage) lions. The life size statue, a replica Lakshmi Puja of the one at Shirdi in Navagraha Abhishekam Maharashtra, is carved by world- Navagraha Puja renowned Pembarthi artisans, the Rudrabhishekam same family that carved the origi- Sai Satya Vratam nal statue. It was inaugurated in Satynarayana Vratam its Baldwin location July 4, 2002. Upanayanam (thread ceremoHead of operations/contact: ny) Dr Dattatreyudu Nori and Dr Mrs Vahana Puja (car puja) Subhadra Nori (732-283-1800, Homam (havan) 732-283-1835) And many moreâ&#x20AC;Ś Web site: www.saimandirusa.org

88-17, Hollis Court Blvd Queens Village, NY 11427 Phone: (516) 489-1201

Krishna Mandir

87-24, 126 St Richmond Hill, NY 11418 Phone: (718) 297-8647

Maha Lakshmi Mandir

121-15, 101 Ave Richmond Hill, NY 11419 Phone: (718) 846-7048

Nirvaan Satsangh

102-95, 102 St Richmond Hill, NY 11419 Phone: (718) 739-2370

Parvati Mandir

134-01, 97 Ave Richmond Hill, NY 11419 Phone: (718) 641-4470

Pavan Sut Mandir

87-20, 125 St Richmond Hill, NY 11419 Phone: (718-0 849-5611

Shri Lakshmi Narayan Mandir

Middletown, NY 10940 Phone: (845) 692-0467

Sri Ranganatha Temple

Ozone Park, NY 11416 Phone: (718) 641-9880

Shri Radha Krishna Mandir

125 Old Route 202 Pomona, NY 10970 Phone: (845) 364-9790 http://wwwranganatha.org

126-04, 133 St South Ozone Park, NY 11420 Phone: (718) 641-7205

Sri Nitai Gauranga Mandir

114-37 Lefferts Blvd South Ozone Park, NY 11420 Phone: (718) 848-9010

New York Hindu Milan Mandir

120 Pinnacle Rd Pittsford, NY 14534 Phone: (716) 427-8091

Science of Spirituality

94-06, 214 Street

48 Ave B New York, NY 10009 Phone: (212) 674-0698 104-18, 106 St Ozone Park, NY 11417 Phone: (718) 641-2330

Meditation Center - New York 79 County Line Road Amityville, New York 11701 Phone: (631) 822-7979 ext 3

Vedanta Society

34 W 71st St New York, NY 10023 Phone: (212) 877-9197

Maha Shiva Mandir

610 Laurelton Blvd Long Beach, NY 11561 Phone: (516) 431-6596

Bronx Sevashram Sangha

2081 Grand Concourse New York, NY 10453 Phone: (718) 295-5922

Shree Trimurthi Bhavan

101-18, 97th Ave

Shri Krishna Chaitanya Mandir

Hindu Temple of Rochester

Mahakali Temple

128-04, Liberty Ave Richmond Hill, NY 11419 Phone: (718) 945-4963

Sudama Mandir

101-51, 115 St Richmond Hill, NY 11419 Phone: (718) 441-9425

Sri Rajarajeswari Peetam

6970 East River, Rd Rush, NY 14543 Phone: (716) 533-1216

Shanti Mandir

51 Muktananda Marg Walden, NY 12586 Phone: (845) 778 - 1008

Page S12 The Venkateswara temple in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

India Abroad December 28, 2012

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Special Response Feature

Response Feature

India Abroad xxxxx , 2012

Yoga master Siddhanath plans US workshops The US tour will include several experiential healing workshops, Kriya Yoga empowerment discourses and New Life Awakening retreats.

shops, Kriya Yoga empowerment workshops and New Life Awakening retreats. In the experiential workshops, Yogiraj will impart a direct experience of SHIVAPAT - which is a Still Mind Awareness of Peace and Bliss, and SHAKTIPAT - which is transmission of Kundalini Healing Energy. Yogiraj also offers seekers an opportunity to get empowered into the sacred science of Babaji’s Kundalini Kriya Yoga. In the empowerment, seekers can learn sacred Kriya Yoga techniques to eliminate seeds of nega-

rom Mid-July through October 2013, a series of Kriya Yoga meditation and healing energy transmission gatherings will be hosted by Yogiraj Siddhanath, a Himalayan Kriya Yoga master and founder of the Siddhanath Yoga tradition. Yogiraj Siddhanath is a spiritual master from the ancient Indian Nath lineage, householder Kriya Yogi, UN Keynote speaker and author of numerous acclaimed books, the award winning DVD “Wings to Freedom” and most recently the spiritual classic, “Babaji The Lightning Standing Still.” A master is one who has tamed the mental storm. Living 24 hours in a state of super-conscious bliss, Yogiraj has made his mind subservient to his natural "no-mind" awareness, and teaches his yoga and meditation methods to help ordinary people master their own minds while carrying on work and family duties. Yogiraj’s workshops include healing ener-

Yoga master Yogiraj Siddhanath gy transmissions, intriguing discourse mixed with a refreshing dose of humor. Yogiraj travels the globe holding workshops as well as giving empowerments into the sacred path of Mahavatar Babaji Kundalini Kriya Yoga in an effort to fulfill his vision, “Earth Peace through Self Peace.” Yogiraj spent his early years among the Himalayan masters and completed his transformation with a direct personal experience of Mahavatar Babaji Gorakshanath, the same babaji introduced in Paramahansa Yogananda’s “Autobiography of a Yogi.” The US tour will span New York, Southern and Northern California and Seattle and will include several experiential healing work-

1/2 Page ad here

tive karma from their DNA, purify their astral nerves and flush out disease and toxins. These techniques help practitioners achieve harmony and balance of body, mind and spirit, aware themselves into the now and lastly awaken their dormant Kundalini to gradually achieve the super-conscious state of Samadhi Questions on Yogiraj’s US tour, schedule, and interview and media requests can be directed to info@siddhanath.org or 866YOGI-RAJ or online by visiting www.Siddhanath.org.

S10 A00

Special Response Feature

Response Feature

India Abroad December 28, 2012 India Abroad xxxxx , 2012

‘Higher purpose of the human existence is to know ourselves as a soul’ The Science of Spirituality teaches meditation as a science, so it can be practiced by people of all countries, cultures, and backgrounds.

ant Rajinder Singh Maharaj is considered among the world's leading spiritual masters, teaching meditation on the inner light and sound. He heads the Science of Spirituality, a non-profit, nondenominational organization with centers in 40 countries. The centers provide a forum for people to learn meditation, experience personal transformation, and bring about inner and outer peace and human unity. He has presented his powerful, yet simple technique to millions of people throughout the world through seminars, meditation retreats, television and radio shows, magazines, Internet talks, and books. His method of achieving inner and outer peace through meditation has been recognized and highly respected by civic and spiritual leaders. His numerous books and publications, include Empowering Your Soul through Meditation, Inner and Outer Peace through Meditation, with a foreword by the Dalai Lama, Silken Thread of the Divine, Spiritual Thirst, Ecology of the Soul, Education for a Peaceful World, and in Hindi, Spirituality in Modern Times, and True Happiness. Sant Rajinder Singh Maharaj is active in helping humanity. He has started meditation centers throughout the world, and oversees social service activities such as free allopathic, homeopathic, and ayurvedic clinics and free eye operation camps. His organization has provided assistance to people who underwent natural disasters such as the volcano in Colombia, the earthquake in Mexico, floods in Delhi, and the hurricane in Florida. Excerpts of an interview: Why was the Science of Spirituality established? The Science of Spirituality is a nonprofit, nondenominational organization that was established to teach meditation as a science to people of all countries and religious backgrounds, so they could achieve self-knowledge and realization of the divine within them. It also helps people develop ethical virtues that make one a human being filled with love, nonviolence, truthfulness, humility, and service to others. There are free meditation classes and meditation retreats, talks on a variety of spiritual topics, and classes and conferences focusing on meditation and spirituality organization. They are not asked to go on blind belief, but to perform the experiment accurately in order to see for one’s self the light within us and to hear for one’s self the sound or inner music. How has your background and education in engineering helped your

Left, Sant Rajinder Singh Maharaj, who heads the Science of Spirituality. Right, followers at a meditation workshop. understanding of mysticism and science? Science and mysticism, which is another term for spirituality, both aim at solving the mysteries of life. In fact, we call this the science of spirituality. The reason it is called science of spirituality is that it is practiced like science, in which we experiment in the laboratory within ourselves. I was brought up in an atmosphere that was a blend of science and mysticism or spirituality. My grandfather and father were both saints who practiced and taught meditation on the inner light and sound, a technique that leads to a firsthand experience of our soul and the divine within us. This practice was not based on blind belief, but on practical experience in which one could prove the existence of our true self, spiritual realms that exist within us, and of a divine power that brought all creation into being. Along with learning meditation and the spiritual science, I also attended I.I.T, (Indian Institute of Technology) Madras and received my B.Tech degree in Electrical Engineering. I attended graduate school in I.I.T. (Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago where I received my M.S. degree and went on to a career in the field of engineering, computers, and technology, working in the research and development division for one of the leading telecommunications company in the world. With my scientific background in education and the spiritual foundation I received from two great spiritual masters of meditation on the inner light and sound, I found that science and spirituality were two sides of a coin, both leading to firsthand experience and proof of the mysteries of the beyond. Because the Science of Spirituality teaches meditation as a science, it can be practiced by people of all countries, cultures, and backgrounds. What is the universal message that the Science of Spirituality seeks to promote? The universal message promoted by Science of Spirituality is that the higher purpose of the human existence is to know ourselves as soul, realize god, and reunite soul with the divine in this lifetime through mediation on the inner light and sound. In the

East, this method has been called Surat Shabd Yoga. Surat means our attention, Shabd means the inner light and sound, and yoga means to unite. It is thus a process of uniting our attention with the inner light and sound. It is a simple method that does not require any difficult postures or practices. It is an easy method that can be practiced by young and old, healthy and those with health problems, and people of all social, educational, or cultural backgrounds. To do this, one sits in any comfortable pose in which one can sit the longest. One can sit on a chair or sofa, on the ground, or can even lie down. Lying down is not recommended though unless one physically needs to, because that position is more conducive to falling asleep. In meditation, we want to be wide awake. While sitting in a position in which one can sit for the longest possible time, one closes one’s eye gently just as one does when going to sleep. There should be no pressure or tension in the eyes. The eyes should remain in a horizontal position, looking in front. One may see a field of darkness. One should look into the middle of the field lying in front of us with closed eyes. It is not the physical eyes that are actually doing the looking. Rather, it is the soul or attention that is gazing. To keep the mind from distracting us with unwanted thoughts, in our form of meditation, five charged words given by the spiritual master at the time of initiation, are repeated. For those who wish to try this, they can get an idea of the process by repeating any name of god with which they feel comfortable. The names are repeated mentally, with tongue of thought. They are repeated slowly, with a brief interval between them--not too long that it gives the mind space to start talking to us, and not to short that the names run together. Through help and guidance, we can begin to see light appear within. We may see lights of any colors, or any inner spiritual vista may open up. We will become absorbed in the light and have a variety of spiritual experiences. These experiences will fill us with joy and peace, and will make us conscious of our true selves as soul and aware of spiritual realms within us.

There is another practice in which one also meditates on the inner sound current. It is celestial music that uplifts our soul into the realms of spirit. While meditating to experience inner peace and bliss, we also get some by-products of the process. Meditation helps to slow down the brain waves to a state of calm. Researchers have tested brain waves and found that when we are going about our workaday life, driving in traffic, and experiencing stress on our job, our brain waves are in the beta state of 13-20 Hz or more. When we are in a creative state of learning, it goes to the alpha state of about 912 Hz. When we are in a state of calm, it is in the theta state of 5-8 Hz. In the theta state, our mind is calm, our heart beat slows down, and the body is more relaxed. Deep sleep is the delta state of 1-4 Hz. Through meditation, we are bringing our mind and body into a state of relaxation. This will reduce the opportunity for our body to be in the state that can cause stress-related ailments. Medical researchers have reported, and there are some research quotes in my book, that meditation can reduce risks of some diseases aggravated by stress such as heart disease, digestive problems, breathing problems, headaches, and other ailments. We are coming to learn of the body-mind connection. When the body is relaxed, the mind can begin to relax. When the mind is relaxed, the body is calmer and stress is reduced. Meditation contributes to both mental and physical relaxation. Another benefit of meditation is that we are able to concentrate more. Meditation increases our ability to concentrate. This increase in concentration affects other aspects of our life. Many students who meditate have told me of improvements in their test scores. We also have better concentration on our job. I met the manager of one company that provides a one-hour meditation time for all employees before they begin their workday and have done measurements to show how their productivity increased. The increased concentration and relaxation that we receive through meditation can help us deal with time pressure, stress on the job, and multiple tasks in a calmer, easier, and more efficient way.

India Abroad December 28, 2012

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S12

HOUSES OF WORSHIP

Page S8 Hindu Samaj Temple

3 Brown Rd Wappingers Falls, NY 12590 Phone: (845) 297-9061

Sri Rajarajeswari Peetam

33 Park Circle Rochester, NY 14623

Sri Dasavathara Temple

38 Tor Rd Wappingers Falls, NY 12590

NORTH CAROLINA Swaminarayan Temple

4100 Margaret Wallace Rd Charlotte, NC 28105 Phone: (704) 573-0805)

Hindu Center of Charlotte

7400 City View Dr Charlotte, NC 28212 Phone: (704) 535-3440

Hindu Temple

1420 E 14th St Greenville, NC 27858 Phone: (919) 752-2670

Hindu Society

309 Aviation Pkwy Morrisville, NC 27560 Phone: (919) 481-2574

Hindu Temple Inc

4608 Hiddenbrook Dr Raleigh, NC 27609

OHIO Bharatiya Temple of Central Ohio

3671 Hyatts Rd Powell OH 43065 Phone: (740) 369-0717

Sri Saibaba Temple Society of Ohio

6599 Dublin Center Dr Dublin, OH 43017 Phone: (614) 799-8411

Hindu Temple of Dayton, Ohio

2615 Lillian Lane Beavercreek, OH 45324 Phone: (513) 429-4455

Shiva Vishnu Temple

2222 Olive Rd Suite B Dayton, OH 45426 Phone: (678) 234 6885

Hindu Temple of Ohio

Vishal's Ranch, 2222, Olive Rd Dayton, OH-45426 Phone: 1-888-808 1418

Hindu Temple of Toledo

4336 King Rd Sylvania, OH 43560 Phone: (419) 841-3109

Swaminarayan Temple

2915 Laurel Rd Brunswick, OH 44212

India Abroad December 28, 2012

Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh 121 Hawthorne Court Rockaway, NJ 07866

Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh USA, Inc, (HSS), a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt charitable organization, seeks to achieve world peace and global prosperity through the efforts of a dynamic and flourishing global Hindu community. As the first step to creating such a global Hindu community, HSS seeks to organize the Hindu-American community by promoting self-discipline, self-confidence, and a spirit of selfless service for humanity through its structured values education program for Hindu children and adults. HSS conducts its structured values education program through its 150 local branches nationwide. This program promotes self-discipline, self-confidence, and a spirit of selfless service for humanity through a combination of athletic, academic, and cultural activities. Athletic activities include yogasana, games traditional to India such as kho-kho and kabaddi, besidesAmerican games. Participants acquire physical fitness and learn about balancing competitiveness with teamwork. Academic activities are age-specific and cover a broad range. Younger children learn episodes from Hindu scriptures, such as the Purana, Ramayana, and Mahabharata. Older children and adults learn various aspects of Hindu culture, history, and philosophy. In addition to its weekly values education program, HSS also conducts several special projects. • HSS launched the Health for Humanity Yogathon, or Surya Namaskara Yajña, as an annual event in 2007 to create awareness about yoga and its advantages in achieving a healthy body, mind, and spirit. The Yogathon begins on Makara Sankranti in mid-January and continues for two weeks. Along with HSS members, civic, cultural, and religious associations, schools, and yoga clubs participate. Several cities and states have also issued proclamations commemorating the event. • Hindu Education Foundation, a project of HSS, observes Teacher Appreciation Week (the first week of May) by honoring schoolteachers in the traditional Hindu way of Guru Vandana. Children invite their teachers to a special event where they have the opportunity to showcase their Hindu culture. • HSS celebrates Raksha Bandhana as 'Universal Oneness Day,' broadening its scope from the family to the community with the simple idea that we should all love and protect each other. Volunteers meet with civic leaders and public safety officers throughout the country and offer them the 'Protection Connection' by tying rakhis on their wrists. Past participants have included local police officers and firefighters as well as mayors, members of state legislatures, and members of the US House of Representatives. • In collaboration with Sewa International USA, HSS volunteers have initiated the Bhutanese Empowerment Project, which helps thousands of Hindu refugees from Bhutan who have resettled in the United States. The assistance provided includes teaching them English as second language and such important skills as driving and the basic use of computers, and helping them find employment and raise children in the United States. HSS also publishes two periodicals, the quarterly Balagokulam children’s magazine, and the monthly Tattva magazine produced by Hindu YUVA, an HSS project for Hindu university students. For more information about HSS, please visit www.hssus.org.

Phone: (330) 220-4020

Greater Cleveland Shiva & Vishnu Temple

7733 Ridge Rd Parma, OH 44129 Phone: (440) 888-9433 www.shivavishnutemple.org

Hindu Temple of Greater Cincinnati

4920 Klatte Rd Cincinnati, OH 45244 Phone: (513) 528 3714 www.cincinnatitemple.com

Hindu Temple Society of Northeast Ohio

6464 Sedom Hutching Rd Girard, OH 44420 Phone: (330) 539-4077

Hindu Society of Greater Cincinnati

524 Dixmyth Ave Cincinnati, OH 45220

Bharatiya Temple of Central Ohio

3903 Westerville Rd,

Columbus, OH 43224 Phone: (614) 459-8673

5614 Moreland Ct Mechanicsburg PA 17055

Hindu Temple Society

Sringeri Vidya Bharathi Foundation

233 W McKenley Way Poland, OH 44514

Hindu Temple Society of Northeast Ohio

200 Briarbrook Court Warren, OH 44484

OKLAHOMA Hindu Temple

7200 N Coltrane Rd Oklahoma City, OK 73121 Phone: (405) 478-0787

Hindu Temple of Greater Tulsa

16943 East 21st St Tulsa, OK 74134 Phone: (918) 438-3850

OREGON Portland Temple

11515, SW Hall Blvd Tigard, OR 97223 Phone: (503) 598-3073

Swaminarayan Hindu Mandir

5205, N Interstate Ave Portland OR 97217 Phone: (503) 285-2556

PENNSYLVANIA Bhavani Charitable Trust

460 Wartman Rd Collegeville, PA 19426 Phone: (610) 489 9109

Bharatiya Temple & Bharatiya Cultural Center

1612 County Line Rd Montgomeryville, PA 18936 Phone: (215) 997-1181

RD 8, Cays Rd Stroudsburg, PA 18360 Phone: (570) 629 7881

Shree Swaminarayan Spiritual & Cultural Centre

2120 Clearview Rd Coplay PA 18037 Phone (610) 502-1100

Shri Swaminarayan Mandir

2021 Fairgrounds Rd Hatfield, PA 19440 Phone: (215) 799-2277

Shri Swaminarayan Mandir

1561 Woodbourne Rd Levittown, PA 19057 Phone: (215) 269-7680

Siva-D Dakshinamurti and Ganesha Temple

Arsha Vidya Gurukulam 5050 Hamilton Rd South Saylorsburg PA 18353 Phone: (570) 992-2339

RHODE ISLAND Vedanta Society of Providence

227 Angell St Providence, RI 02906 Phone: (401) 421-3960 www.vedantaprov.org

SOUTH CAROLINA Hindu Temple & Cultural Center of South Carolina

5704 Old Bush River Rd Columbia, SC 29212 Phone: (803) 772-9650

Hindu Temple

Hindu Temple Society

1130 Fairview Church Rd Spartanburg, SC 29303 Phone: (864) 599-7048

BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir

TENNESSEE

4200 Airport Rd Allentown, PA 18103 Phone: (610) 264-2810

2021 Township Line Rd Hatfield, PA 19440 Phone: 215-799-BAPS (2277)

HARI Temple Hindu American Religious Institute

Hindu Community Center

8580 Hickory Creed Rd Lenoir City, TN 37771 Phone: (615) 988-3820

Murari Sevaka

301 Steigerwalt Hollow Rd New Cumberland, PA 17070 Phone: (717) 774-7750

532 Murari Ln Mulberry, TN 37359 Phone: (931) 759-6888

Sri Venkateshwara Temple

India Cultural Center and Temple Inc.

1230 South McCully Dr Penn Hills, PA 15235 Phone: (412)373-3380

Sri Shirdi Baba Temple

1449 Abers Creek Rd Monroeville, PA,15146 Phone: (412) 374-9244

Institute of Higher Understanding

12005 Hwy 64 E Eads, TN 38028 Phone: (901) 867 0400

Sri Ganesh Temple

521 Old Hickory Blvd Nashville, Tennessee 37209 Phone: (615)-356-7207

Page S13

HOUSES OF WORSHIP

India Abroad December 28, 2012 10353 Synott Rd Sugar Land, Texas 77478-1130 Phone: (281) 568-1690

The Swaminayaran temple in Houston

Swaminarayan Temple

1150 Brand Lane Stafford, TX 77477 Phone: (281) 765-2277

Shirdi Sai Jala Ram Mandir

5645,Hillcroft Rd, Suite 104 Houston,TX,77036 Phone: 713-789-7486

Swaminarayan Temple

5044 N Loop 1604 West San Antonio, TX 78249 Phone: (210) 492-4008 PARESH GANDHI

Page S12

Plano, TX 75023 Phone: (972) 422-1600

North Texas Hindu Mandir

Hindu Cultural Society

10309 Baronne Cir Dallas, TX 75218

Hindu Cultural Center of Tennessee

1605 N. Britain Rd Irving, TX 75061 Phone: (214) 445-3111

6400 Wildwood Dr Brentwood, TN 37027

Sri Ganesh Temple 521 Old Hickory Blvd Nashville, TN 37221 Phone: (615) 356-7207 www.ganeshtemple.org

DFW Hindu Temple

Sri Shirdi Sai Baba Temple

Hindu Temple of Nashville

2109 West Parker (Parker Plaza) Suite 212, Plano, TX 75023 Phone: (469) 467-3388 www.shirdisaidallas.org

TEXAS

910 West Parker Rd. Suite 340 Plano, TX 75075 Phone: (972) 423-2009

2025 Priest Rd Nashville, TN 37215

Austin Hindu Temple

Sri Lalitha Peetham

Hare Krishna Dham

Hindu Temple of Central Texas

4309, Midway Dr Temple TX 76502 Phone: (254) 771-1270

Hindu Society of Brazos Valley

23300 State Highway 6 South Navasota, TX 77868 Phone: (936) 825-8088

10401 McKinzie Rd Corpus Christi, TX 78410 Phone: (361) 241-0550

Sai Baba Temple

4848 N. Mesa, Suite 67 El Paso, Texas 79912 Phone: 915-351-8388

Sri Guruvayurappan Temple

UTAH

Meenakshi Devasthanam

1142 W 10400 South S Jordan, Utah 84095 Phone: (801) 254-9177

Barsana Dham

400 Barsana Rd Austin, TX 78737 Phone: (512) 288- 7180

Hare Krishna Center

10700 Jonwood Way Austin, TX 78753 Phone: (512) 835-2121

Swami Narayana Temple, Houston

10080 Synott Rd Sugar Land, TX 77479 Phone: (281) 530-2565

Chinmaya Mission West

Sri Ganesha Hindu Temple

Krishna Temple

Swaminarayan Satsang Mandal

ALASKA Sikh Society of Alaska

Qila Punjab, 11651 Hillside Drive, Anchorage, Alaska 99507

ARIZONA Siri Guru Singh Sabha

12419, Issaquah hobbart Rd SE Issaquah, Washington 98027 Phone: (425) 954-1495

820 West Tulane Drive, Tempe, Arizona USA Phone: (480) 777-1340

Sanatan Dharm Mandir

CALIFORNIA

Sri Venkateswara Temple

3185 Highland Ave, Selma, California Phone: (559) 896-3646

Vedanta Society of Western Washington

2716 Broadway East Seattle, WA 98102-3909 Phone: (206) 323-1228

Sikh Gurdwara Selma

Sri Guru Nanak Sikh Temple

2269 Bogue road, Yuba City, California 95991 Phone: (916) 671-9816

Shri Guru Ravidass Sabha Pittsburg

Sanatan Dharma Temple

2150 Crestview Drive, Pittsburg, CA 94565 Phone: (925) 439-2355

Nithyananda Vedic Temple

2785 Quimby Rd, San Jose, CA 95148-2915 Phone: (408) 274-9373

Hindu Temple

14335 S. Cedar Avenue, Fresno, California 93725 Phone: (209) 896-4969

Address: 19826 SE 232 St Maple Valley, WA 98038 Phone: (425) 413-8900

2877 152nd Ave NE, Bldg 13 Redmond, WA 98052 Phone: (425) 749-7073

Sikh Gurdwara San Jose

Pacific Khalsa Diwan Society

Vedic Cultural Center

2252 Julie Way, Live Oak, California 95953

WEST VIRGINIA

Live Oak 9939 "P" Street, Live Oak, California 95953 Phone: (916) 695-8908

Rajdhani Mandir

Swaminarayan Temple

Hindu Worship Society Temple

Hindu Temple

11321 Webbs Chapel Rd Dallas, TX 75229 Phone: (214) 243-8669

2223 Wirtcrest lane Houston, TX 77055 Phone: (713) 957-4608

217 Dominion Blvd Chesapeake, VA 23320 Phone: (804) 497-2508

Sri Ganesha Temple

Vedanta Society of Greater Houston

Durga Temple

221 W. Parker Rd, Suite 470

3818 212th St SE Bothell WA 98021 Phone: (425) 483-7115

GURUDWARAS

VIRGINIA

10353 Synott Rd Sugar Land, TX 77478 Phone: (281) 568-9520

Shri Ram Mandir

Hindu Temple

N4063 W243 Pewaukee Rd Pewaukee, WI 53072 Phone: (262) 695-1200 www.hindutemplewis.com

19826 SE 232 St Maple Valley, WA 98038 Phone: (425) 413-8900

Hare Krishna Temple

6508, K-Avenue Plano, Texas 75074 Phone: (972) 943-9543

WISCONSIN

8628 South Main St Spanish Fork, Utah 84660 Phone: (801) 798-3559

4525 Pleasant Valley Rd Chantilly, VA 20151 Phone: (703) 378-8401 www.radhanimandir.org

5430 Gurley Ave Dallas, TX 75223 Phone: (214) 821-5999

Hindu Temple and Cultural Center

South Texas Hindu Society

Shirdi Sai Baba Temple of Austin

17130 McLean Rd (CR104) Pearland, (Houston) TX 77584 Phone: (281) 489-0358

Hare Krishna Temple

1420, 228th AVE SE Sammamish, WA 98075 Phone: (425) 391 3293

18109 NE 76th St. Suite 108 Redmond, WA 98052 Phone: (425) 367-4532

18518 Bandera Rd Helotes, TX 78023 Phone: (210) 695-9400

Moundsville, WV 26041 Phone: (304) 843-1600

WASHINGTON

Hindu Temple of San Antonio

1320 W. 34th St Houston, TX 77018 Phone: (713) 686-4482 11620 Ormandy St Houston, Texas 77035

Gayatri Pariwar

11121 Glade Dr Reston, VA 22091 Phone: (703) 758-0232

27123 104th Ave SE Kent, Washington 98030 Phone: (253) 859-3200

9801 Decker Lake Rd Austin, TX 78724 Phone: (512) 927-0000

2509 W. New Hope Dr Cedar Park, TX 78613 Phone: (512) 260-2721

6051 Springfield Rd Glen Allen, VA 23060 Phone: (804) 346-9954 www.hinducenterofviriginia.org

S13

1420 228th Ave NE Sammamish, WA 98075 Phone: (425) 246-8436

Hindu Center

6051 Springfield Rd Richmond, VA 23224 Phone: (804) 346-9954

Hindu Temple of Hampton Rds

5906 Cypress St Houston , TX 77074 Phone: (713) 270-1127

8400 Durga Pl Fairfax Station, VA 22039 Phone: (703) 690-9355 www.durgatemple.org

217 Dominion Blvd Chesapeake, VA 23320 Phone: (804) 497-2508

Sri Saumyakasi Sivalaya

Hindu Center of Virginia

RD 1 Box. 319 A

New Mathura Vrindavan

Sikh Council of North America

Sikh Gurdwara Sahib

Sikh Temple

884 B Street, Livingston, CA 95334 Phone: (209) 394-3160

Sikh Gurdwara Sahib

1930 S Grant Street, Stockton, CA 95206 Phone: (209) 946-9039

Siri Guru Singh Sabha

Page S14

S14

HOUSES OF WORSHIP

Page S13 101 S. Chapel Avenue, Alhambra, California 91801 Phone: (626) 284-2151

Riverside, California 92507 Phone: (909) 685-9701

Guru Ram Das Ashram Gurdwara

Valley Sikh Temple

16000 SW 60th Street, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33331-1476 Phone: (954) 680-0221

8433 Morrison Road, New Orleans, LA 70127 Phone: (504) 245-2541

15302 Morris Bridge Road, Thonotosassa, FL 33592 Phone: (813) 986-6205

MARYLAND

GEORGIA

12917 Old Columbia Pike, Silver Spring, Maryland 20904 Phone: (301) 384-2133

Sikh Temple

The Sikh Foundation

7400 Jorden Avenue, Canoga Park, California 91303 Phone: (818) 884-2007

12269 Oak Knoll Road, Poway, CA 92064 Phone: (858) 486 1231

Gurdwara Sahib

300 Gurdwara Road, Fremont, CA-94536 Phone: (510) 790-3755

Sikh Gurdwara Sahib

2301 Evergreen Avenue, West Sacramento, California - 95691-3009 Phone: (916) 371-9787

Sikh Society of Florida

United Sikh Religious & Ed

Gurdwara Sahib/Sikh Study Circle

1821 S Hairston Road, Stone Mountain, GA 30088 Phone: (770) 808-6320

COLORADO

Guru Singh Sabha Augusta

The Sikh temple in Bakersfield, CA

4031 Evans Lock Road, Evans, Georgia 30809 Phone: (706) 863-7391

SEWA Gurudwara Sahib

10590 Woodstock Road, Roswell, GA, 30075-2971. Phone: (770) 640-9697

ILLINOIS Gurdwara Sahib

2341 West Devon Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60645 Phone: (773) 274-3133

Gurdwara Gurjot Parkash Sahib

217 W. State Road. (Route 176) Island Lake, Illinois 60042 Phone: (847) 526-5688 PARESH GANDHI

Gurdwara Sahib

Guru Amar Das Niwas

3550 Hill Crest Road, El Sobrante, California 94806 Phone: (510) 223-9987

3540, Baseline Road, Boulder CO 80303 Phone: (303) 494-6806

Gurudwara Guru Nanak Prakash

Colorado Singh Sabha

16101 West Grant Line Road, Tracy, CA Phone: (209) 836-0971

Sikh Temple

2948 Rockwell Road, Fairfield, California 94533 Phone: (707) 434-1400

Guru Ram Das Ashram

6097, S Jamaica Court, Englewood CO 90111

Guru Ram Das Ashram

494, North Sherwood Drive, Grand Junction, CO 81501 Phone: (970) 243-5451

CONNECTICUT

Gurdwara Guru Nanak Darbar

1532 Pruess Road, Los Angeles, California 90035 Phone: (310) 858-7691

Southington 1610 West Street, Southington CT 06489 Phone: (860) 621-3015

The Sikh Temple

Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji Foundation

1966 North Vermont Avenue, Los Angeles, California 90027 Phone: (323) 665-7707 Sikh

622 West Ave, Norwalk, CT 06850 Phone: (203) 857-4460

Gurudwara of Sadh Sangat Norco

Sikh Society of Central New England

2784 Reservoir Drive, Norco, California 91760 Phone: (951) 372-0788

39 Forest Hills Drive, Farmington, CT 06032 Phone: (203) 677 9430

Sikh Temple

FLORIDA

21725 Box Springs,

West Des Moines, IA 50265 Phone: (515) 255-5755

3233 Security Avenue, Oviedo, FL 32762 Phone: (407) 366-8265

1390 Waller Street, San Francisco, California 94117 Phone: (415) 863-0132

1373 5th Street, Turlock, CA 95380 Phone: (209) 632-4653

Sikh Society Of Central Florida

India Abroad December 28, 2012

Sikh Religious Society of Chicago

1280 Winnetka Street, Palatine, IL 60067 Phone: (847) 358-1117

INDIANA Gurdwara Sahib Indianapolis India Community Center

4420 West 56th Street, Indianapolis, Indiana Phone: (317) 291-0131

Guru Nanak Sikh Society Indiana

3301 Van Buren Street, Indianapolis, IN 46203-3319 Phone: (317) 786-2331

Sikh Religious Society of Indiana

10005 Colorado Street, Crown Point, Indiana 46307 Phone: (219) 793-9446

Gurdwara of Indianapolis

10950 Southeastern Avenue, Indianapolis, IN 46239 Phone: (317) 862-7454

IOWA

Iowa Sikh Temple

1115 Walnut Street,

LOUISIANA The Sikh Society of South Inc.

Guru Nanak Foundation of America

Sikh Association of Baltimore

Guru Ram Das Ashram Ferndale

484 Academy, Ferndale, MI 48220 Phone: (248) 584-3442

Sikh Gurdwara Rochester

6780 Orion Road, Rochester, MI 48306 Phone: (248) 651-1139

Sikh Gurdwara of Michigan Williamston

765 E Sherwood Road, Williamston, MI 48895 Phone: (517) 655-4507

Sikh Society of Michigan Madison Heights

3423 Chapman Road, Randallstown, MD 21133 Phone: (410) 521-7568

990, E-Lincoln, Madison Heights, MI 48071 Phone: (248) 547-0927

Baltimore Sikh Society Dundalk

Gurudwara Singh Sabha of Kalamazoo

1731 Rita Rd, Dundalk, MD 21043 Phone: (410) 284-1000

Guru Gobind Singh Foundation Rockville

5828 Cheshire St, Portage, MI 49002 Phone: (269) 323-8899

13810 Travilah Road, Rockville, MD 20850 Phone: (301-309-9528

MINNESOTA

MASSACHUSETTS

5831 University Avenue, NE Fridley, MN 55432 Phone: (763) 574-0886

Guru Ram Das Gurudwara (American Sikh Gurudwara)

359 Village Street, Millis, MA 02054-1736 Phone: (508) 376-2804

Guru Ram Das Ahsram Gurdwara

438 Long Plain Rd, Leverett, MA 01054-9739 Phone: (413) 548-9607

New England Sikh Study Cicle Gurudwara Sahib

104 E Main Street, Milford, MA 01757-2710 Phone: (508) 478 -2469

Gurdwara Guru Nanak Darbar

226 Mystic Avenue (Route 38), Medford, MA 02155 Phone: (781) 641-1376

Sikh Cultural Society of Central New England

39 Forest Hills Drive, Farmington CT 06032 Phone: (203) 677-9430

MICHIGAN The Sikh Society Of West Michigan

4356-4380 Quiggle Avenue SE, Grand Rapids MI Phone: (616) 676-4288

Guru Nanak Sikh Temple Plymouth

42290, Five Mile Road, Plymouth Twp MI 48170 Phone: (734) 420-2645

Sikh Society of Minnesota

MISSISSIPPI The Sikh Society of Mississippi

4324 Welota Drive, Jackson, Mississippi 39209 Phone: (601) 922-8202

MISSOURI Sikh Gurdwara of St. Louis Sikh Research & Educational Center

655 Old Riverwoods Ln, Chesterfield, MO 63017 Phone: (314) 576-9830

Sikh Study Circle St. Peters

116 Willis Road, St. Peters, MO 63376 Phone: (636) 926-3731

Sat Tirath Ashram

3525, Walnut SE, Kansas City, MO 64111

NORTH CAROLINA The Sikh Gurudwara of North Carolina

3214 Banner Street, Durham, NC 27704 Phone: (919) 220-0630

Atlantic Coast Sikh Association

216 Gordon Street, Cary, NC 27511-3806 Phone: (919) 467-4856

Page S16

S15

India Abroad December 28, 2012

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The Thoughts Fixed on the Lord is Blissful

The Name of the Lord is Assuring

The Path set by Him is Always Fruitful.

Size: 40 cmâ&#x20AC;?

Lord Venkateswara, popularly known as Balaji, is the presiding deity of the Tirumala Hills.

Ram Creations- Balaji

Reserve Your Piece Today!

29214 Orchard Lake Road Farmington Hills, MI 48334

(248) 851-1400 / info@ramcreations.com www.ramcreations.com

HOUSES OF WORSHIP

S16 Page S14 Gurdwara Sahib

1760, Stoney Creek Road, Charlotte NC 28262 Phone: (704) 541-0350

NEVADA Reno Sikh Temple

790 E.2nd Street, Reno, Nevada 89503 Phone: (702) 327-4322

Sikh Dharma

Las Vegas, NV 89119 Phone: (702) 739-9642

Gurdwara Baba Deep Singh

6341 W Lone Mountain Road, Las Vegas, NV 89130 Phone: (702) 839-1890

NEW MEXICO Albuquerque Sikh Gurudwara

1905 Alvarado NE, Albuquerque, NM 87110

Guru Nanak Gurdwara Albuquerque 3 H O Foundation,

219 Amherst Dr SE, Albuquerque, NM 87106 Phone: (505) 266-637

Sikh Dharma International Espanola 1 Ram Das Guru

Phone:(505) 367-1315

NEW JERSEY Sikh Temple Gurudwara Basking Ridge

977 Washington Valley Road, Basking Ridge, NJ 07920 Phone: (908) 658-9805

Sri Guru Singh Sabha Inc.

Glenrock 541 Prospect Street, Glenrock, New Jersey 07452

Guru Nanak Sikh Society of Delaware Valley

1960 Delsea Drive, Sewell, New Jersey 08080 Phone: (609) 464-9835

Gurudwara Singh Sabha Carteret

941 Port Reading Avenue, Port Reading, NJ 07064 Phone: (732) 541-4411

NEW YORK Gurudwara Makhan Shah Lobana Sikh Centre

13-10 101 Avenue, Richmond Hill, NY 11419 Phone: (718) 805-6941

Gurudwara of Rochester

2041 Dublin Road, Penfield, NY 14526 Phone: (716) 377-2771

Pl # A, Espanola, NM 87532

Glen Cove Gurdwara

PARESH GANDHI

Children at a Nativity scene at the St Thomas Apostle church in West Hempstead, NY

100, Lattingtown Road, Glen Cove, NY 11542 Phone: (516) 674-6793

Gobind Sadan New York

Graves Road, Central Square, NY 13036 Phone: (315) 668-9155

Sikh Center of New York

3817 Parson Blvd, Flushing, NY 11355 Phone: (718) 359-9520

Gurdwara Sikh Temple

9530 118th Street, South Richmond Hill, NY 11419 Phone: (718) 441-2106

Guru Gobind Singh Sikh Center

1065, Old Country Road, Plainview, NY Phone: (516) 931-9304

OHIO Guru Gobind Singh Sikh Soc of Cleveland

38 Tarbell Avenue, Bedford OH 44146 Phone: (440) 232-1702

Sikh Religious Society of Dayton

1038 Forest Drive, Dayton, OH 45434 Phone: (937) 427-1868

Guru Nanak Foundation Richfield

4220 Broadview Road, Richfield, OH 44286-9495 Phone: (330) 659-3748

Gurdwara Of Central Ohio

This listing covers many of the places of worship in the United States but does not presume to cover them all. This list may be updated in future versions, so do let us know of any errors made and of places of worship we may have missed in your area, too.

India Abroad December 28, 2012

2580 W Dublin Granville Road, Columbus, OH 43235-2711 Phone: (614) 761-0007

OREGON Sikh Gurdwara of Eugene

TEXAS Gurudwaras in Houston

5512 Breen Road, Houston TX 77086 Phone: (281) 447-7360

Gobind Dham

6402 Springfield Avenue, Laredo, Texas 78041 Phone: (956) 722-0889

Gurdwara Singh Sabha of North Texas

PENNSYLVANIA

1201 Abrams Road, Richardson Texas 75081 Phone: (972) 235-3388

Gurudwara Sikh Sangat Euless

1400 West Euless Blvd., Euless, TX 76040-6910 Phone: (817) 267-7664

WISCONSIN Sikh Religious Society of Wisconsin

3675 N Calhoun Road, Brookfield, WI 53005 Phone: (262) 790-1600

CHURCHES

PENNSYLVANIA

MARYLAND

Philadelphia Sikh Society

Pittsburgh Sikh Gurudwara aka

Sikh Gurudwara Montoeville 4407 McKenzie Drive, Monroeville, PA 15146 Phone: (412) 372-8890

TENNESSEE Sikh Center Of The Mid South

2508 Mt. Moriah Rd, Ste-552 Memphis TN 3811 Phone: (901) 246-1739

St. Mary's Orthodox Church

65 Great Road Maynard, MA Phone: (781) 899-6554 www.stmarysboston.org

3635 Hilyard Street, Eugene, Oregon 97405 Phone: (541) 686-0432

6706 Garden Court Road, Millbourne, PA 19082 Phone: (610) 352-4733

St. Thomas Orthodox Church

13505 New Hampshire Avenue Silver Spring, MD Phone: (301) 384-1154 www.st-thomas-orthodox-dc.org

St. Thomas Orthodox Church

7321 Windsor Mill Road Baltimore, MD Phone: (410) 944-5900 www.stthomasbaltimore.com

St. Thomas Orthodox Church

28201 Kemptown Road Damascus, MD Phone: (301) 570-3614 www.stthomaschurchdc.com

St. Gregorios Orthodox Church

2337 Fairland Road Silver Spring, MD Phone: (301) 384-3833 stgregorioschurchdc.org

St. Gregorios Orthodox Church

4136 Hulmeville Road Bensalem, PA Phone: (610) 544 2742 www.stgregoriosphila.org

St. John's Orthodox Church

4400 State Road Drexel Hill, PA Phone: (610) 734-0930 www.sjioc.org

St. Mary's Malankara Orthodox Church

1424 Orthodox Street Philadelphia, PA Phone: (215) 289-4822 www.stmaryscathedral.net

St. Thomas Indian Orthodox Church

Philadelphia, PA Phone: (215) 342-1500 www.stthomasphiladelphia.org

St. Thomas Orthodox Church

5422 Mascher Street Philadelphia, PA Phone: (215) 904-7398

VIRGINIA St. Mary's Orthodox Church

P.O. Box 134, Fairfax, VA Phone: (410) 560-3470 www.stmarysnova.org

Page S17

HOUSES OF WORSHIP

India Abroad December 28, 2012

Page S16

NEW JERSEY St. Stephen's Orthodox Church

52 E Johnson Avenue Bergenfield, NJ Phone: (201) 384-1144 www.ch.ststephensbergenfield.org

St. Gregorios Orthodox Church

1231 Van Houten Avenue Clifton, NJ Phone: (215) 279-8452 www.stgregorioschurchnj.org

St. Thomas Orthodox Church

Franklin Square, NY Phone: (516) 561-7377 www.stbasilchurchny.org

Phone: (631) 589-7026 www.stmaryswestsayville.org

Holy Cross Mission Congregation

99 Park Avenue White Plains, NY Phone: (516) 922-3127

St. George Orthodox Church

3720 61st Street Woodside, NY Phone: (516) 328-2977 www.stmaryschurchny.com

New York, NY Phone: (516) 922-3127 360 Irving Avenue Port Chester, NY Contact Information Phone: (914) 937-9000 www.stgeorgeorthodoxchurch.org

St. Baselios Orthodox Church

360 W. Blackwell Street Dover, NJ Phone: (718) 470-9844 www.njstthomas.org

401 Seneca Avenue Ridgewood, NY Phone: (718) 456-3281

St. Mary's Orthodox Church

2000 Highland Ave Rochester, NY Phone: (716) 243 1445

40 South Fullerton Avenue Montclair, NJ Phone: (718) 477-2083 www.stmarysnj.org

Sts. Baselios & Gregorios Orthodox Church

17 Seminary Place New Brunswick, NJ Phone: (732) 238-7825 njorthodoxchurch.org

St. Thomas Orthodox Church

Sts. Peter & Paul Orthodox Church

416 Valentine Avenue Sparkill, NY Phone: (845) 634-2152 www.sparkillchurch.org

Mar Gregorios Orthodox Church

NEW YORK

Staten Island, NY Phone: (718) 524-7407

St. Thomas Diocesan Chapel

St. George Orthodox Church

80-34 Commonwealth Boulevard Bellerose, NY Phone: (718) 470-9844 www.neamericandiocese.org

75 Cedar Grove Avenue Staten Island, NY Phone: (718) 351-5585 www.stgeorgechurchsi.org

St. Mary's Orthodox Church

60 Bedford Park Boulevard Bronx, NY Phone: (718) 584-1900 www.stmarysbronx.org

St. Mary's Orthodox Church

940 4th Avenue Brooklyn, NY Phone: (908) 688-4166

St. Baselios Orthodox Church

1840 Atherton Avenue Elmont, NY Phone: (516) 812-6161

St. Gregorios Orthodox Church

339 Route 82, Fishkill, NY Phone: (845) 596-5373 www.stgregoriosny.org

St. Gregorios Orthodox Church

130 Park Avenue Staten Island, NY Phone: (732) 780-0145 www.stmarysi.org

St. John's Orthodox Church

Suffern, NY Phone: (845) 504-5764

St. Mary's Orthodox Church

66 E. Maple Avenue Suffern, NY Phone: (845) 369-9620 www.stmarysrockland.org

St. Thomas Orthodox Congregation

St. Mary's Orthodox Church

38 Cherry Avenue West Sayville, NY

The faithful at prayer at a mosque in Jamaica, NY

St. Gregorios Orthodox Church

42 Park Hill Avenue Yonkers, NY Phone: (718) 295-8289 www.stgregorioschurch.com

St. Gregorios Orthodox Church

100 Underhill Street Yonkers, NY Phone: (845) 469-5850 www.stgregorioswestchester.com

St. Thomas Orthodox Church

2 Riverview Place Yonkers, NY Phone: (914) 965-5586

MOSQUE ALASKA The Islamic Center of Alaska

5630 Silverado Way, Ste A-11, Anchorage, Alaska 99518 Phone: (907) 562-4241

ALABAMA Birmingham Islamic Society

1810 25th Court South Homewood, AL 35209 Phone: (205) 879-4247

CALIFORNIA Islamic center of Vallejo

Masjid Quba

4 Tompkins Ave West Nyack, NY Phone: (845) 267-8003

17 Randolph Avenue

St. Gregorios Orthodox Church

20 Buckingham Rd Yonkers, NY Phone: (718) 464-7695 saintgregoriosbronx.org

St. Gregorios Orthodox Church

St. Thomas Orthodox Church

St. Basil's Orthodox Church

St. Mary's Orthodox Church

725 Sonoma Blvd, Vallejo, CA 94590 Phone: (707) 558-8229

987 Elmont Road Valley Stream, NY Phone: (516) 285-4147

262-22 Union Turnpike Floral Park, NY Phone: (516) 746-5086

St. Mary's Orthodox Church

523 West Onodoaga Street Syracuse, NY Phone: (718) 470-09844

175 Cherry Lane Floral Park, NY Phone: (516) 775-2281 www.stgregorios.com

S17

707 Haigth Ave. Alameda CA 94501 Phone: 510-337-1277

Islamic Center of Alameda

901 Santa Clara Ave. Alameda,CA 94501 Phone: 510-326-0850

Masjid Waritheen

1652 47th Ave Oakland, CA. 94601

Phone: 510-436-7755

Muslim Community Association

3003 Scott Blvd Santa Clara, CA 95054 www.mca-sfba.com

Masjid Al-N Noor

1755 Catherine Street Santa Clara, CA 95050

Masjid Annur

6990 65th St. Sacramento, CA 95823 Phone: (916) 39-Annur (26687) www.masjidannur.com

FLORIDA Masjid: Leesburg Islamic Center

2201 Montclair Rd. Leesburg, Florida 34748 Phone: (352) 255-4708

GEORGIA Al-F Farooq Masjid of Atlanta

ILLINOIS Mahdavia Islamic Center

3419 N. Western Ave Chicago, IL 60645 USA

MINNESOTA Masjid Ar-R Rahman

8910 Old Cedar Avenue Bloomington, MN 55420

MASSACHUSETTS Islamic Society of Western Massachusetts

377 Amostown Road, West Springfield, MA - 01089 Phone: (413) 788-7546

Worcester Islamic Center

248 E. Mountain St. Worcester, MA 01606

NORTH CAROLINA Islamic Center of Greensboro

442 14th Street NW Atlanta, GA 30318

2101- E Patterson St., Greensboro, NC 27407 Phone: (336) 851-1014

NEW YORK

Islamic Center of High Point

Masjid Al-A Aman (no website)

200 West Market Center Dr. High Point NC 27260 Phone: 336-885-0786

Islamic Center of Long Island

3034 Fayetteville Street, Durham, NC 27707 Phone: (919) 683-5593

203 Forbell St, Brooklyn, NY 11208 Phone: (718) 277-3976

835 Brush Hollow Road Westbury, NY 11590 Phone: (516) 333-3495 www.inliny.org

NEW JERSEY Bridgeton Islamic Center

Jamaat Ibad Ar Rahman

NEW MEXICO Dar AL Islam

342 Circle 155, Abiquiu, NM 87510 Phone: (505) 685-0880

22-24 Coral Avenue, Bridgeton, NJ 08302. (856) 451-4651

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HOUSES OF WORSHIP

Page S17

OHIO Dar AL Islam

342 Circle 155, Abiquiu, NM 87510 Phone: (505) 685-0880

PENNSYLVANIA Indiana Mosque (Indiana, PA)

132 1st Street Indiana, PA 15701 Phone: (724) 463-1561

TEXAS El Paso Islamic Center

143 Paragon, El Paso, TX 79912. Phone : (915) 581-7729

The Islamic Society of South Texas

JAIN TEMPLE Jain Center 24 W. Interlacken DrivePhoenix, AZ - 85023

Jain Center of Greater Phoenix 6202 S. 23rd Avenue Phoenix, AZ 85041 (602) 863-1073 jcgp.org

CALIFORNIA Jain Center of Northern California 722 S. Main Street Milpitas, CA 95035 (408) 262-6242 jcnc.org

Jain Center of Southern California

Islamic Society - ISGH North Zone

Jain Society of Greater Sacramento

6641 Bellfort Houston, TX 77087 Phone: (713) 649-7789

Masjid Muhammadi in Houston

11830 Corona Kirkwood, Houston, TX Phone: (281) 498-6666.

World Muslim Congress

2665 Villa Creek Drive, Suite 206 Dallas, TX 75234 Phone: (214) 325-1916

(407) 295-8694

Jain Vishwa Bharati

COLORADO Jain Center of Colorado 10976 W. 66th Avenue Arvada, CO 80004 (303) 420-7049

FLORIDA Arun Jain Inter-C Cultural

2008 N Ware Rd McAllen, TX 78501 Phone: (956) 618-4180

Houston Masjid Of Al-IIslam

Storrs, CT 06268 (860) 487-0607

ARIZONA

8072 Commonwealth Avenue Bueno Park, CA 90621 (714) 739-9161 jaincenter.net

1209 Conrad Sauer Drive Houston, TX 77043 Phone: (713) 464-4720

India Abroad December 28, 2012

5239 Fair Oaks Blvd. Carmichael, CA 95608 (916) 488-2601

Jain Society of San Diego 1830 Anna Lane Vista, CA 92083 (760) 440-5246 jssd.org

CONNECTICUT Jain Center of Connecticut 7 Trailling Ridge Road Brookfield, CT 06805 (203) 775-1906

Jain Center of Greater Hartford 23 Fellen Road

233 North Ocean Drive Daytona Beach, FL 32018

Jain Association of NE Florida 1832 St. Lawrence Way Jacksonville, FL 32223 (904) 273-4124

Jain Association of Palm Beach 3949 Whaleboat Way Wellington, FL 33414 (561) 793-3564

7819 Lillwill Avenue Orlando, FL 32809 (407) 852-8964 jainvishwabharati.org

GEORGIA

jsne.org

MICHIGAN Jain Society of Greater Detroit 29278 W. 12 Mile Road Farmington Hills, MI 48334 (248) 851-5246 jain-temple.org

Augusta Jain Community

Jain Society of Greater Lansing

408 Hastings Place Martinez, GA 30907 (706) 863-6976

1047 Prescott Street East Lansing, MI 48823 (517) 203-0888

Jain Group of Atlanta 1281 Cooper Lake Road Smyrna, GA 30082 (404) 469-7385

Jain Society of Greater Atlanta 669 S. Peachtree Road Norcross, GA 30071 (404) 325-0627 jsgatemple.org

MINNESOTA Jain Center of Minnesota 147 14th Avenue SW St. Paul, MN 55112 (612) 788-2566 jaincentermn.org

Jain Temple at Hindu Temple

6759 Highland Pines Circle Fort Myers, FL 33912 (239) 561-2731

ILLINOIS

10530 Troy Lane North Maple Grove, MN 55311 (763) 425-9449 hindumandirmn.org

Jain Center of South Florida

Jain Society of Metropolitan Chicago

MISSOURI

435 N. Rt. 59 Barlett, IL 60103 (630) 837-1077 or (630) 837-1088 jsmconline.org

Jain Center of Fort Myers

1960 N. Commerce Parkway #11-12 Weston, FL 33326 (954) 431-5957

Jain Society Inc. of Tampa Bay 5513A Lynn Road Tampa, FL 33624 (813) 962-2487

KANSAS Jain Society of Kansas City

Jain Society of Central Florida 407 West Citrust Street Altamonte Springs, FL 32714 (407) 323-3509 jsocf.org

Jain Society of Southern Florida 6100 Old Winter Garden Road Orlando, FL 32835

15404 W-79th Terrace Lenexa, KS 66219 (913) 599-4582

LOUISIANA Jain Center of Southern Louisiana

Jain Center of Greater St. Louis 725 Weldman Road St. Louis, MO 63011 (636) 230-3330 jcstl.org

NORTH CAROLINA Jain Study Center of North Carolina (Raleigh) 509 Carriage Wood Circle Raleigh, NC 27607 (919) 469-0956 jainism.org

Jain Study Group of Charlotte

3829 Deer Creek Lane Harvey, LA 70058 (504) 340-4283

7400 City View Drive Charlotte, NC 28212 (704) 535-3440

MARYLAND

NEW JERSEY

PARESH GANDHI

Jain Society of Washington

233 Runnymede Road Essex Falls, NJ 07021 (908) 329-3236 jaincenternj.org

MASSACHUSETTS

Jain Sangh of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, & Delaware

Jain Center of Greater Boston 15 Cedar Street Norwood, MA 02062 (781) 762-9490 jcgb.org

Jain Sangh of New England The Siddhachalam Jain ashram in Blairstown, NJ

Jain Center of New Jersey

1021 Briggs Cheney Road Silver Springs, MD 20905 (703) 620-9837 jainsocietydc.org

124-A Cummings Park Drive Woburn, MA 01801 (781) 245-0051

3401 Cooper Avenue Pennsauken, NJ 08109 (856) 662-2627 jainsangh.org

Jain Vishva Bharati 151 Middlesex Avenue Iselin, NJ 08830 (732) 404-1430 â&#x20AC;¢ jvbna.org

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HOUSES OF WORSHIP

India Abroad December 28, 2012

Page S18

Jain Society of Buffalo

Siddhachalam

1560 North French Road Getzville, NY 14068 (716) 634-7469

65 Mud Pond Road Blaristown, NJ 07825 (908) 362-9793 siddhachalam.org

NEW YORK Jain Association of Elmira 108 Lincoln Road Horseheads, NY 14845 (607) 796-9065

Jain Center of America 43-11 Ithaca Street Elmhurst, NY 11373 (718) 478-9141 nyjaincenter.org

Jain Center of Syracuse 4013 Pawnee Drive Liverpool, NY 13090 (305) 622-3287

Jain Meditation Center 401 East 86th Street #20A New York, NY 10028 (212) 362-6483

Jain Sungh of Hudson Valley 3 Brown Road Wappingers Falls, NY 12590 (845) 297-9061

Jain Center of Cincinnati & Dayton 6798 Cincinnati-Dayton Road Cincinnati, OH 45044 (513) 885-7414

Jain Society of Albany

Jain Center of Toledo

450 Albany-Shaker Road Loudonville, NY 12211 (518) 785-7470

Jain Society of Long Island

7219 Cloister Road Toledo, OH 43617 (419) 841-8985

Jain Society of Greater Cleveland

614 Woodbury Road Plainview, NY 11803 (516) 942-0258

Jain Society of Rochester 14 Ambergate Rise Pittsford, NY 14534 (716) 264-9834

14835 Lancelot Lane North Royalton, OH 44138 (440) 748-3420 jsgc.org

OKHLAHOMA Tulsa Jain Sangh

NEVADA Jain Society of Las Vegas 1701 Sagberry Drive Las Vegas, NV 89144 (702) 304-9207 hindutemplelv.org

8707 E. 133rd Place Bixby, OK 74008 (918) 369-3163

OREGON Jain Society of Oregon

OHIO

5432 S.W. Seymour Street Portland, OR 97221 (503) 292-1965

Jain Center of Central Ohio

PENNSYLVANIA

2770 Sawbury Boulevard Columbus, OH 43225 (614) 596-7887 • jcoco.org

Jain Center of South Central PA

301 Stelgerwalt Hollow Road New Cumberland, PA 170706 (717) 898-6173

Jain Sangh of Allentown 4200 Airport Road Allentown, PA 18130 (610) 868-1231

Jain Society of Pittsburgh 1010 Summer Ridge Court. Murrysville, PA 15668 (724) 327-6570

Samarpan Hindu/Jain Temple

TENNESSEE Jain Society of Middle Tennessee 2273 Pewitt Drive Clarksville, TN 37403 (931) 648-9535

Jain Society of Greater Memphis 2173 East Glendalen Drive Memphis, TN 38139 (901) 775-3600

TEXAS Jain Center of West Texas

6515 Bustleton Avenue Philadelphia, PA 19149 (215) 537-9537 hsamarpantemple.org

1110 Juneau Avenue Lubbock, TX 79416 (409) 295-1600

Samarpan Jain Sangh, Inc

Jain Society of Houston

9701 Bustleton Avenue Philadelphia, PA 19115 (215) 464-7676 hsamarpantemple.org

3905 Arc Street Houston, TX 77215 (713) 789-2338 jain-houston.org

SOUTH CAROLINA

Jain Society of North-T Texas

Jain Group of Greenville 108 Meaway Court. Simpsonville, SC 92681 (803) 967-4605

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538 Apollo Road Richardson, TX 75081 (972) 470-0606 dfwjains.org

Special Response Feature

‘Universal peace through dharma and yoga’ The HSS organizes Hindu-Americans to develop unity and harmony in their local communities he Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh, USA, is a tax-exempt charitable organization, which seeks to achieve world peace and global prosperity through the efforts of a dynamic and flourishing global Hindu community. As the first step to creating such a global Hindu community, the HSS seeks to organize the Hindu-American community by promoting self-discipline, self-confidence, and a spirit of selfless service for humanity through its structured values education program for Hindu children and adults. Currently, the HSS operates nearly 150 branches with an average weekly attendance of 3,000 nationwide. Among many, the HSS focuses on the following programs: Balagokulam, the program for younger children, teaches Hindu heritage in a fun environment. The program emphasizes the development of leadership qualities and becoming confident representatives of dharma. A well-structured syllabus for different age groups is used at the Balagokulam. A detailed teacher training guide has been prepared that can be used by adults interested in organizing Balagokulam in their local community. As part of the Balagokulam activities, the HSS publishes a quarterly magazine in which children contribute much of the content. The magazine features articles, poems, paintings, puzzles, stories, and plenty more. Various contests for different age group are a regular feature of the magazine. The

The HSS volunteers tying rakhi to Pam Iorio, former mayor of Tampa, Florida, as part of the group’s “Universal Oneness Day.” Balagokulam website was rated as the “Best Hindu Children's Website in America” by Hindu Net. The HSS launched the Health for Humanity Yogathon, or Surya Namaskar Yajna, as a nationwide annual event in 2007 to create awareness about yoga and its advantages in achieving a healthy body, mind, and spirit. The Yogathon begins on Makara Sakranti in mid-January and continues for two weeks. Along with the HSS members, civic, cultural, and religious associations, schools, and yoga clubs participate. Several cities and states have also issued proclamations commemorating the event.

The Hindu Education Foundation, a project of the HSS, observes Teacher Appreciation Week (the first week of May) by honoring school teachers in the traditional Hindu way of Guru Vandana. Children invite their teachers to a special event where they have the opportunity to showcase their Hindu culture. Sewa is our duty. Sewa is a means. The uniqueness of Hindu Dharma and the culture, as practiced by the Hindu community, has a significant contribution to make for the benefit of humanity. It is therefore essential for Hindus living in America to develop unity and harmony in their community to effectively promote these salient features. Their contributions to the economic, social and cultural life is widely acclaimed. The HSS volunteers all across the US conduct various projects during festive occasions and assist the needy in emergency situations. Deriving inspiration from the ancient Hindu knowledge, and understanding the mammoth task confronting the young Hindu-Americans, Hindu Yuva aims to provide a platform to preserve, practice, promote and protect Hindu Dharma by bringing together Hindu youth across college campuses in United States. The HSS celebrates Raksa Bandhan as “Universal Oneness Day,” broadening its scope from the family to the community with the simple idea that we all should love and protect each other. Volunteers meet with civic leaders and public safety officers throughout the country and offer them the “Protection Connection” by tying rakhi on them. Past participants have included local police officers and fire-fighters as well as mayors, members of state legislatures, and members of the US House of Representatives.

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India Abroad December 28, 2012

Grand New Year Celebration at

Sai Mandirs in New York & New Jersey

Sai Mandir USA Baldwin, NY 11510 10th Year Anniversary

Shirdi Sai Center 465 Lincoln Highway, Route 27, Iselin, NJ 08830 4th Year Anniversary (At Both Mandirs A Life Size Statue of Baba is consecrated, which is an Exact Replica Of The One At Shirdi, India)

WISHING ALL THE DEVOTEES A VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR May Baba’s Blessings be With You and Your Family

Sunday, January 1st 2013 - PROGRAM 10 am to 12 noon - Special Baba’s Abhishekam ALL DAY ARCHANAS Puja for other Dieties will also be performed all day. 7:30 pm to 8:30 pm Bhajans PLEASE REGISTER EARLY FOR ABHISHEKAM

Sai Mandir USA Phone: 516.867.8008 • Shirdi Sai Center Phone: 732.283.1800 WWW.SAIMANDIRUSA.ORG • WWW.SHIRDISAINJ.ORG

Ind a Abroad December 28, 2012

Special Supplement

COURTESY: JULIEN LAGARDE

Making A Difference The quiet crusaders for positive change

s Caterer & ers n n a l P dding

Neil Bhat

New

enue v A e d i s l 2024 Hil NY 11040 rk, Hyde Pa 5

930

52(516) 3

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NGO Special/News

India Abroad December 28, 2012

American philanthropy, Indian beneficiaries ARTHUR J PAIS

hen Slumdog Millionaire raised a huge controversy about its depiction of Indian street children and many Indians across the United States condemned the film, Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni, bestselling novelist and literature professor in Houston, argued that millions of children live under worse conditions than shown in the film. She also wrote an op-ed piece about her views and extolled the work of the nonprofit Pratham, which works in urban slums, rural outposts, prisons, labor sites where children are employed, and many other areas in India. Its mission is, ‘Every Child in School and Learning Well.’ Divakaruni also serves on the board of Pratham Houston. Pratham was established in 1994 to provide preschool education to the children in Mumbai slums. Last year, it served 2.6 million children in 28 Indian states with the help of 62,000 volunteers. Pratham has the backing of some of the most successful Indian Americans. Avinash Ahuja, for instance, is president and chief executive officer of Magnum Producing, LP, an oil and gas company based in Corpus Christi, Texas. Sudesh Arora is president and CEO of aerospace and defense electronics company Natel. And Vijay Goradia is founder and chairman of Houston-headquartered global distributor of chemicals and polymers Vinmar International Limited. He is also the founder and chairman emeritus of Pratham USA. Among Pratham’s programs is Education for Education, and the movement, largest of its kind in India, speaks happily about many of its success stories, especially that of Khurshid. Khurshid hails from Ranipur, a small village of about 350 households and a population of 2,000 — a majority of them Muslims — in West Bengal. Pratham first arrived in the village in 2009 but faced resistance from the villagers due to some prior unfavorable experience with religious conversions. This situation changed in 2011, thanks to EFE, and the entry of Khurshid into the Pratham fold. He is currently a volunteer teacher for Pratham under the EFE program, while also studying as a sophomore in a local college. Unsuccessful attempts to find work in Mumbai and an unhappy stint with the merchant navy had led him back home with many dreams but few means. Upon hearing about Pratham’s EFE, he decided to teach children and improve his own employment prospects at the same time. Pratham is one of the over two dozen organizations that were started in India which in the past decade have added North American chapters. Among them are CRY America, Akshaya Patra, and Shankara Netrayala. There are also many faith-based organizations, like Prasad run by the Siddha community based in New York State. Many Diaspora Indians including physicians V K Raju and Dina Pahlajani back charitable foundations. Not to forget dozens of schools and clinics started by Diaspora Indians including Piyush Agrawal, who has established a college in Uttar Pradesh to educate women. If the voluntary work of hundreds of Diaspora Indians and their American friends were to be financially valued and the actual operating budgets added, it could easily exceed $100 million a year. Many of these philanthropic foundations look beyond India. Some including Prasad and Children’s Hope also help children in American cities. Children’s Hope India, Inc was started, its founders

Infosys founder N R Narayana Murthy makes a pitch for Akshaya Patra at a fundraiser PARESH GANDHI

say, 20 years ago with a group of women sitting around a kitchen table wanting to share their blessings and good fortune with thousands of disadvantaged children in India. What started with $1,000 supporting one preschool project for 25 children has grown into over 25 projects reaching out to 50,000 children. Children’s Hope has raised millions to support a multitude of projects across major cities in India providing education, food, shelter, and health services to thousands of children. In New York, Children’s Hope has given out 50 percent tuition scholarships to South Asian students from India, Pakistan and Bangladesh to help them pursue their academic and career goals. Food, shelter, health care, and education can mean all the difference between life and death, believes Kavita Lund, president, Children’s Hope, as do its directors. CH’s projects are developed in conjunction with reputed nongovernmental organizations in India, and the impact of CH-funded programs is closely monitored. Unlike many other organizations, Children’s Hope is a 100 percent volunteer-based organization — with no salaries, expense accounts or other fixed or overhead costs — hence all the funds raised go directly toward programs. It raises funds through corporate sponsorships, individual donations, fundraising galas, and cultural events. All board members of the organization are volunteers who travel to India at their own expense to personally research and monitor the projects funded. Children’s Hope has also receives support from dozen of second generation Diaspora Indians through CH2. Monica Lund, who is on the board of CH2, recently raised over $15,500 towards the cause of ‘Providing Sight for the Sightless.’

“CH2 has found a novel way of turning the quintessential New York party into a vehicle for creating good karma,” she adds. Another organization that works for the underprivileged in India is the 12-year-old Akshaya Patra. From a small setup which fed 1,500 children in five schools way back in 2000, Akshaya Patra, with the help of government agencies reaches more than 1.3 million children today, across nine Indian states and 19 locations. In August it reached the remarkable milestone of serving its billionth midday meal. Akshaya Patra leaders point out that one-third of the world’s malnourished children live in India, (57 million children are malnourished according to a UNICEF report) and malnutrition is the underlying cause of over 2 million deaths of children under age 5 in India each year. Backed by innovative entrepreneur Gururaj ‘Desh’ Deshpande, Akshaya Patra’s US branch is a quite visible movement in many American cities. Akshaya Patra has been recognized by President Barack Obama as ‘an imaginative approach that has the potential to serve as a model for other countries.’ Akshaya Patra Foodforeducation.org Children’s Hope India 7 Edgemere Drive, Searingtown, NY11507 Phone: 516-625-0754 http://www.childrenshopeindia.org/ info@childrenshopeindia.org Pratham 80 Broad St. New York (212) 504-2950 Prathamusa.org

A45

India Abroad December 28, 2012

1-866-SANKARA GIFTOFVISION.ORG

Bring the Gift of Vision to Uttar Pradesh

Sankara Eye Hospital, Kanpur Marching Funds Challenge! Sankara has received a matching challenge of $800K for the UP Project - Please donate now and double your impact!

Need to raise $800K by December 2012 to receive matching funds and complete construction by Dec 2013

Please help us build the Kanpur Hospital Become a Founding Donor

$1000: Silver Wall of Founders $5000: Gold Wall of Founder $10000: Platinum Wall of Founders

A46

NGO Special/News

India Abroad December 28, 2012

‘Great things are never done by one person, they are done by a team of people’ ARTHUR J PAIS

r Vadrevu K Raju recently spent four days in Mumbai’s Dharavi slum area, working with the Aditya Jyot Foundation and screening the children for eye problems, giving glasses when needed or bringing them to the hospital when surgery was needed. “I would like to start a project in Dharavi and few other lowincome localities similar to the one we are backing in Rajahmundry, Andhra Pradesh, which trains school teachers to help detect early visual problems in children and get their vision corrected,” he says. “Each treatment costs less than $1, thanks to the voluntary work of doctors and health professionals.” Raju is among a handful of Indian Americans who have started philanthropic organizations to give back to the society that nurtured them and nudged them towards greater excellence in India and abroad. “There are so many wonderful Indian organizations in the US but surely we can do better,” says Raju, who through the Goutami Eye Institute has fought for early detection of eye diseases especially among children and whose work has saved thousands of eyes in India, particularly in Andhra Pradesh, and in Iraq and Afghanistan. “Among all the ethnic groups (in the US), Indians are on the top in their earnings. If Indian groups work together, that is true leadership. Both the US and India can be benefited. As Steve Jobs once said, ‘My model for business is the Beatles. V K Raju They were four guys who kept each other’s kind of negative tendencies in check. They balanced each other and the total was greater than some of the parts.’ That is how everything works; great things are never done by one person, they are done by a team of people.” Raju, who runs the Monongalia Eye Clinic in Morgantown, West Virginia, is also clinical professor, Department of Ophthalmology; West Virginia University, and founder and medical director, The Eye Foundation of America. The foundation also works with the New York and New Jersey-based Heart & Hands for the Handicapped and Ekal, which is present all over the United States Raju is a recent recipient of the Excellence in Medicine Award, given by the American Medical Association Foundation to honor physicians who represent the highest values of altruism, compassion and dedication to patient care. Apart from backing Goutami Eye Institute in Rajahmundry, Raju’s EFA has also offered help for treating eye problems in Nigeria, Peru, Namibia, Uganda, Mali, Malawi, Ethiopia, Philippines, Vietnam, India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan, Cambodia, and Indonesia Last year, the Andhra Pradesh state government with

the help of many non governmental organizations started the Chinnari Choopu – Samrakshna (right to sight) program to help over 80,000 children overcome visual problems and the threat of blindness. The program aims at identifying the children with visual defects with the help of about 7,000 education teachers and volunteers across the state. Trained persons will screen all schoolgoing and out-of-school children. During the second phase of the project (December 5, 2012 to January 31, 2013), camps are being organized at the local level with teams of optometrists under the supervision of the District Blindness Control Society. The children with treatable refractive errors will be provided with plastic lens with a frame chosen by the child. The children requiring further intervention — medical or surgical — will be referred to the third phase, district-level screening by empanelled eye hospitals across the state. The program is inspired by the Vision for children program initiated in 2007 in Rajahmundry by the Goutami Eye Institute led by B V K Madhu, executive director, and Dr G Madhavi, surgeon and medical director. Raju serves as chairman of Goutami. The organization also sponsors a free, 6-month certificate program that trains local young men and

women to become ophthalmic assistants. “We pay them a living stipend during training and often hire graduates to staff our hospitals,” says Madhavi. “The career training we provide helps them support themselves in places where jobs are difficult to find; 80 percent of the graduates come from poor families.” There is a lack of awareness about eye care among the general public and many eye-care myths are passed from one generation to the next, Raju, Madhavi and other physicians with Goutami believe. This is often more pronounced in developing countries, where there may be few alternative sources of information. Apart from counseling parents who have children with eye care problems and educating and advising teachers in children’s outreach programs, Goutami also distributes eye-care brochures in multiple languages and shows educational videos. Raju is also a tireless advocate of fighting diabetes, which has ravaged his own family, and has been advocating a holistic way of life to fight it. “In the case of eye problem, you need only a surgeon and a nurse to attend to the patient,” he says. “In treating diabetes, especially the disease spread over the years, not only the endocrinologist but many others including nephrologists and foot doctors are involved.” Diabetes, he stresses, “is going to be the most disastrous problem all over the world especially in developing countries. India is a highly developed country with developing country problems. Hyderabad could become the diabetes capital of India. If the mindset changes, nothing is impossible in India. We always talk about cataract blindness but diabetic blindness is going to be 10 times worse if we are not prepared for it. The Achilles heel is early detection of diabetic retinopathy. During the last 25 years, tremendous technological and basic sciences advances happened. Again, the most modern technology is of no use if it is too late.” He lost his mother to diabetes when she was hardly 50. “I am always conscious of what I eat,” he says, “and how I meditate to take out of the stress. A long time ago I realized that you don’t have to eat a whole lot of food to have a good life. Nutritious and tasty food can be enjoyed in moderation. The simpler the food is, the better the body will be.” An avid reader of Ayurvedic literature in Sanskrit and other Indian languages, Raju notes, “Susruta Samhita (though nobody is sure of the dates – it dates a few centuries BC) described Prameha, a Sanskrit word that means diseased flow of the urine. The surgeon Susruta wrote: ‘It may be prognosticated that an ideal

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India Abroad December 28, 2012

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A48

India Abroad December 28, 2012

‘Indians living abroad are increasingly concerned with development in India’ ARTHUR J PAIS

ast summer, Nikita Bhatia, 15, e-mailed Child Rights and You’s America chapter, offering to start a center in New Jersey to help the organization which supports hundreds of non-governmental organizations in India and a few in the United States. “Any apprehensions I had about Nikita’s age were quickly dispelled when I talked to her,” says Monica Kharkar of CRY. Nikita, Kharkar says, has become one of the most active of the 2,000 volunteers the 10-year-old American chapter of CRY has. The organization is over three decades old. “The eloquence and passion with which she described how she wanted to make a difference in the lives of children were very inspiring,” Kharkar continues. “With the support of CRY America’s CEO (Shefali Sunderlal), we authorized Nikita to be a coleader of the new New Jersey action center along with her mother, who would handle the accounts.” In just seven months since its founding in July 2011, the New Jersey action center has been able to raise about $6,000 with two events and a Walk for Child Rights. CRY America has raised about $1.2 million each year for the past few years. It aims to raise over $2 million in 2013. With the support of over 17,000 donors and 2,000 volunteers, the organization says, it has impacted the lives of over 411,359 children living across 2,254 villages and slums through support to 56 projects in India, and a few in the US. In America, CRY is supporting Children’s Rights, which was started in 1995 and has used litigation, advocacy and public education to reform child welfare systems and improve the lives of hundreds of thousands of children across the US in states like Georgia. Nikita’s group has five core team members and 15. They use social medial like Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr to recruit more volunteers and influence students around New Jersey to start CRY clubs in their schools with their project High School Spread, says Kharkar. So far they have established three CRY clubs and 11 other schools are attempting to start clubs. In the established clubs they were able to raise awareness, advertise events and raise funds. She also organized a first Walk for Child Rights in New Jersey August 14, 2011, where even in a downpour they were able to gain 50 walk participants and raise around $3,000 with their walks in the rain and apple picking. “CRY America does not believe in charity and does not believe in band-aid,” says Sunderlal, who has spent over 22 years with the organization starting in Mumbai. “And that is why we are seeing so many ideal and yet practical people involving in our work. But of course given the huge problem of children in India, we could welcome thousands and thousands

Page A46 man, who indulges in day sleep, or follows sedentary pursuits or is in the habit of taking sweet liquids, or cold and fat making or emollient food, will ere long fall an easy victim to this disease.’” The World Health Organization’s def-

From right, CRY America CEO Shefali Sunderlal; David Bloss, Knight International Journalism Fellow, Georgia and India, International Center for Journalists; Bobby Ghosh, editor at large, Time magazine; and chef Maneet Chauhan at an event to celebrate 10 years of CRY America volunteers and donors.” Cry does not run schools, orphanages or dispensaries. Instead, it partners with NGOs working with children, their parents, and community. “We take a holistic approach involving not only NGOs and children but also parents and teachers,” Sunderlal adds. “And that means our role in these partnerships goes beyond mere funding; we work hard to bring about long-term and sustainable change to the lives of children, by empowering communities to address the root causes of illiteracy, poverty, discrimination and exploitation. We have realized that child rights cannot be ensured unless families have their livelihoods assured.” The organization has been able to help underprivileged children, including street-children, girl children, children bonded in labor, children of commercial sex workers, physically and mentally challenged children and children in juvenile institutions, Sunderlal says. “We also take pride in our accountability,” she continues. “We report periodically to all our supporters’ donors and volunteers on the progress of each of the initiatives we support.” The support of the overseas communities is vital for the progress of the organization, she adds. “Indians living abroad are increasingly concerned with development in India,” she says. “Their voices are heard by policymakers and they have the resources to enable bigger changes. Our hope is that this community will continue to join CRY America’s efforts in larger numbers to ensure the rights of underprivi-

leged children and help make this issue into a national and international priority. Annual events like CRY benefit dinners — Pledge in New York and Uphaar in Seattle — and CRY Walk for Child Rights organized across 22 cities in the US, offer us a platform to amplify the voice of underprivileged children.” She could give the example of many success stories, she says, but one or two stories keep coming up again and again. Shravani, from the CRY America-supported project Shramik Vikas Kendra in Mahabubnagar village, had dropped out of school and was forced to get married when she was 7. But when she was enrolled in the public school and local children’s group, Shravani, now 15, is working towards a college degree. In another village in Kutch, where the CRY America supported project Gujarat Swaraj Sangh works, Sheetal longed to go to school and play with other children. But age-old traditions forbid her from doing so. The nearest school was a mile away. Not too far for the boys, but out of bounds for girls like Sheetal. Being born a girl was the biggest barrier to getting an education. Sheetal was lucky. Her mother stood by her, pushing the boundaries of tradition and supporting her to finish school. Having passed grade 10, she is a confident and happy girl today. In 2013, CRY America aims to impact the lives of an additional 100,000 children, taking the cumulative impact to more than half a million children. www.america.cry.org

‘Great things are never done by one person, they are done by a team of people’ inition of health, Raju points out, emphasizes the presence of physical, mental, socioeconomics, and spiritual well-being, not the absence of sickness.

“Look what Charaka said centuries ago,” Raju adds. “Moderation, regularity, rest and activity leads to balance. Today we do not have balance and there

are extremes in everything we do. Ayurveda says, eat right, exercise right and don’t take yourself too seriously.” www.eyefoundationofamerica.org Goutami Eye Institute RV Nagar, Korukonda Road Rajahmundry - 533 105 Andhra Pradesh info@goutami.org

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India Abroad December 28, 2012

Age 7 - Starting Housework Age 15 - Finishing School From burdened with housework and dropping out of school to now being ready to graduate, Anitaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s journey stands for lasting change. CRY America addresses and works on the root causes that prevent children from getting their rights. Support us to reach out to 100,000 more children like her.

Donate

Online at www.america.cry.org

CRY America supported project Society for Advancement in Tribes, Health, Education, Environment (SATHEE), Jharkhand, India.

Impacted the lives of 411,359 children

in 2,254 villages and communities through 56 projects

with support from over 17,000 donors and 2,000 volunteers

In the last 10 years, CRY America has

CRY - Child Rights and You America Inc. (CRY America) is a 501c3 non-profit organization driven by its vision of a just world in which all children have equal opportunities to develop to their full potential and realize their dreams. For more information, please write to us at support@cryamerica.org, call 617-959-1273 or visit www.america.cry.org

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NGO Special/News

‘Our spiritual practices and service to humanity go hand in hand’ ARTHUR J PAIS

‘

Welcome to my garden,’ said the farmer to the worm, a volunteer for the philanthropic organization Prasad recalls an encounter in a rural pocket of Maharashtra. Some folks see a worm and say, ‘Eew!’ But farmers who attended Prasad’s training on vermiculture and organic composting know better. In this self-sustaining process, dozens of farmers pile up paddy husks, dirt, leaves and other free waste. After mixing and aging the recipe, they add the worms. Within 60 days, the worms turn the waste into vermi-castings. The farmer has a pile of clean, nutrient-rich castings for his crops, and he still has his worms to start the process all over again. Multiply that six or seven times and it becomes a tremendous asset to the farmer, at a minimal cost. Prasad is also showing farmers how to keep pests away with a recipe for natural pesticide. If 8 lbs of garlic are not enough to repel the bug, the chili peppers should do the job. Farmers in Prasad’s Orchard Project in rural Maharashtra also learn to enrich the pits for trees with layers of leaves, compost and other organic material to give each young tree the best possible start. With these methods, there are no toxins. More than eight years since Bhagavan Nityananda began a philanthropic outreach program and offered food and care to villagers of the Tansa Valley in Maharashtra, the organization — which came to be called Prasad two decades ago — continues to offer community development, health care and education that, it says, improve the lives of 75,000 individuals annually. Most of its work is in India but it also offers dental care for children in the United States and eye camps in Mexico. Its Children’s Dental Health Program, with its mobile clinic, provides dental care and dental health education to more than 4,000 children every year mostly in upstate New York and in Mexico. Surgeries to remove cataracts and correct strabismus (crossed eyes.) are also conducted. Prasad has plans to increase its activities in a number of countries ranging from Italy to Australia where it has a token presence. Its work was carried on under Swami Muktananda through the 1960s and 1970s. Between 1973 and 1982, among its achievements was the construction of over 1,000 homes for poor families in Tansa Valley. In 1978, volunteers began offering medical services through a mobile health clinic, known today as the Shree Muktananda Mobile Hospital.

In the early 1980s, Gurumayi Chidvilasananda, Swami Muktananda’s successor as the spiritual head of the Siddha Yoga path who is working mostly through New York, increased the number and the scope of these initiatives to include nutrition, community development and specialized medical programs. In 1992, she brought all these projects together under the name, The Prasad Project. Chidvilasananda’s organization has chapters in most American states and in more than 50 countries. Volunteers and devotees from worldwide are associated with her charitable work. From Nityananda to Chidvilasananda, the Siddha organization has been aware that spirituality cannot exist in a void and community empowerment work has to be a mission ‘As we walk the spiritual path, the inner work of our spiritual practices and the outer work of service to humanity go hand in hand,’ she reminds the faithful. ‘As we understand and experience oneness with all of creation, we are drawn to serve others. In the Siddha Yoga tradition, a number of charitable and service projects exist to support this longing of the heart to give.’ Prasad — short for Philanthropic Relief, Altruistic Service And Development — bases its humanitarian work on essential aspects of Siddha Yoga philosophy and culture: Service, commitment, and respect for all people regardless of their race or belief. Chidvilasananda also supports The Prison Project, dedicated to disseminating the Siddha Yoga teachings and practices to incarcerated individuals. It is part of the Siddha Yoga philosophy and culture area of the SYDA Foundation and is based in the Siddha Yoga Ashram in Oakland, California. Muktananda, Chidvilasananda’s guru, founded the project in 1979. Six thousand inmates in over 1.500 prisons in North America, Europe, Canada, and Australia are enrolled in the course. The project has over 70 trained satsang facilitators who conduct satsangs in prisons. Chidvilasananda has said, ‘The gift of life must always be recognized and never be taken for granted. Why is life so precious? In Siddha Yoga philosophy, we recognize that in this human life we have a rare opportunity. We can transform an ordinary perception of this universe into an extraordinary vision. To be on this planet and to behold the universe from the divine perspective is a sign of an illumined heart. To put this vision to best use in the best way possible is a human being’s highest duty.’ www.prasad.org

India Abroad December 28, 2012

True 20/20 vision RITU JHA

omething about the work done by the Sankara Eye Foundation in Coimbatore caught Murali Krishnamurthy’s eye. That, and some impetus from pressure from his uncle P Balasubramaniam, who used to volunteer there, led him to establishing the Sankara Eye Foundation,USA in 1998. “The turning point came when my brother Sridharan visited the hospital in Coimbatore in 1997. He came back very impressed. He told me, ‘Murali, you may not have a good impression of charities in India but divine work is happening at this hospital in Coimbatore. It is so clean and they give such loving care to the patients.’” And that led to the the forma- Murali Krishnamurthy tion of the US wing of the organization. Considering setting up a non-governmental organization is one thing but keeping it running is another. It happens, though, that Murali’s neighbor Ahmad Khushnood Kazi is a CPA, who could help him with the paperwork and handhold him through the filing for 501 c-3 (non-profit) status. Within a year, Murali, Sridharan and Ahmad set out to eradicate curable blindness by 2020. “Our volunteer Rajeev Chamraj suggested a big vision – Vision 20/20 by 2020. Now this movement has increased from 8,000 free eye surgeries in 1998 to 140,000 plus free eye surgeries at nine hospitals in 2012. This movement is now unstoppable,” Murali said. Murali first feared that people would avoid him if sought money from them, but the grassroots movement now has over 45,000 donors from all over the country. In 2012 alone, Sankara organized around 20 small and big events all over the country, including in parts of Southern California, the Bay Area, Seattle, and the states of New York and New Jersey. The events aimed to raise awareness, especially in new areas while also raising funds. Direct revenue, including donations, could reach 500,000 dollars. In addition, Sankara also puts up booths at various events organized by other organizations across the country. It earned $50,000 from the Chase Community Giving Campaign and Sevathon. The India Community Center, Milpitas, honored it with the Seva award. “It’s going to be the best year in revenue for Sankara so far,” Murali said. “But there’s a need to do a lot more in Southern California, the states of Texas, Illinois and other areas of the country.” It helps that the Sankara Eye Care Institutions in India have received the Right to Sight award for the best community eye care hospital in India. The money helps SECI, India perform over 150,000 free eye surgeries, making Sankara the largest totally free eye care provider in the world. Sankara has already helped perform over 140,000 free eye surgeries at nine Indian hospitals – in the states of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Gujarat, Punjab, Uttarakhand and the Union Territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli. The tenth hospital should be ready in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, in early 2014. Sankara needs to build 11 more hospitals to achieve its goal of 20 hospitals in India by 2020. It plans to launch several projects simultaneously and to reach out to a great many more people. “We will surely build 20 hospitals by 2020 but my personal dream is to build many more than 20. That can happen only if we get a lot more support from foundations, the government and individuals,” Murali says. “We want to do more but at the same time keep the overheads low. How do we do it is the main challenge. We need to automate processes and work smarter,” he says. “Many children all over the country are foregoing their birthday gifts and seeking donations be given to Sankara. Couples are seeking donations to Sankara in lieu of marriage gifts,” he said, adding that people are calling friends home to let them learn about Sankara’s work. Sankara’s work has given him a purpose in life, Murali says. “I have made thousands of friends all over the world and that has enriched our lives tremendously. I am learning every day – how not to be prejudiced,how to do things more efficiently, and how to work smarter,” he said. The only other passion in Murali’s life is song. "Jyot se jyot jalate chalo, prem ki Ganga bahate chalo, raha mein aye jo deen dukhi, sabko gale se lagate chalo," is the song he sings at all fundraisers. Murali certainly lives up to those standards. www.giftofvision.org

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India Abroad December 28, 2012

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India Abroad December 28, 2012

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India Abroad December 28, 2012

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Employment Employment Services HOUSE KEEPER AVAILABLE Need baby sitter/house keeper, Pay $500/-. Call (718) 445-2790

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India Abroad December 28, 2012

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WHITE POINT: Furnished large 1BR apt. 2 full-baths. Ground floor. $1250 incl. Utilities. (718) 746-4924

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Apartment House To Share

JACKSON HEIGHT: Large studio attached bathroom walk-in closet. Share kitchen. Near EFGRM7 train. ELMHURST: For male, Internet, near Rent $850. (718) 429-3963 subway, furnished. Call Singhal SEPARATE room near Subway (646) 344-9619 available. (646) 407-0008. ELMHURST: Wanted a lady for a furnished room. Call (718) 651-9319.

Continued from Page A53

Services / Miscellaneous Public Notice

Apartment/ House To Rent

I Paresh Chandrakant Panchal, US Passport Holder residing at 13 Sherry Lane, Saddle Brook, New 4 Room house in Woodside at Jersey 07663, will henceforth be reasonable rent available. (646) 4070008 known as Paresh C Panchal.

REAL ESTATE

ASTORIA / LIC: Large 1BR apt. Kitchen/bath, near park/transportation, newly renovated. $1300, heat & hotwater included. Ideal for sharing. HILLSIDE: 1 Block from subway living, Call (718) 278-4491/ (718) 521-6300. dining, kitchen, bathroom. Call (347) 841-4441 REGO PARK: Basement studio for

Room For Rent

JACKSON HTS: Bed spaces, single/male. Separate entrance. separate rooms available, reasonable 2 windows. $600/- including everything. (718) 271-5818. rents (646) 407-0008.

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Place your ad online www.indiaabroad.com/classifieds

A55

India Abroad December 28, 2012

BUSINESS/SERVICES DIRECTORY

Phone: (212) 760 -1124 • Fax: (212) 760 -1142

NEW YORK

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OFFSHORE ACCOUNTS SPECIALIST TAX PLANNING & PREPARATION FOR INDIVIDUAL, CORPORATION & PARTNERSHIP • New Business Set-Ups • Accounting & Audit Services • Payroll & Sales Tax Preparation • Estate & Trust Planning CALL FOR FREE INITIAL CONSULTATION

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(Opposite Walgreens)

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Your Tax Advisors

APNA GHAR CONSTRUCTION INC. Extension, New Home, Dormer, Renovations, Kitchen, Bath, Finish Basement, Roofing, Siding, Electric, Plumbing Contact A.J. (718) 286-9400/ (516) 315-8000 032913A

030813A

We Are

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020813A

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NEW JERSEY

FRIDAY, December 28, 2012

INDIA ABROAD

www.indiaabroad.rediff.com

Bulletin Board To advertise in the Bulletin Board call toll free (800) 822-3532 ANNOUNCEMENTS Looking for Kidney Male, 53, Type AB+, Expenses Paid.

Nick (917) 282-3771 nikolaos1959@gmail.com

Feature Film Casting Call for Indian girl, age 10 with accent.

Visit: www.ioriginsmoviecasting.com or Email: casting@callericasting.com

HELP WANTED Manager, Captain,

REQUIRE MANAGER for a leading established Indian Restaurant group in the country based in SF Bay Area. Candidate must have bachelorette degree in Culinary or Hospitality Management, at least 5 years management experience, excellent communication skills and performance driven. Competitive salary and bonus structure. Eligible candidates please contact

Waiters & Kitchen Staff.

Call Raj (848) 203-7205 / (401) 792-3999

HELP WANTED 7-ELEVEN Need Two Counter Persons

BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES EXCELLENT OPPORTUNITIES! Investors Seeking Active/Passive Participants

for Day & Night shift in central New Jersey. Retail experience required. Accommodation available.

to buy businesses & below market RE properties generating good income. More than 10% returns. Cash on cash.

Shipping Manager (Mass Market) w/Experience

Ramesh Y. (732) 423-8291

shipping7004@gmail.com

Call (732) 456-4637

Email: Lauren@amber-india.com Phone: 650.444.1383

Fashion Jewelry & Accessory Company (NJ). Willing to travel.

Web: www.amber-india.com

Still using hands or toilet paper to clean yourself?

Cold Water

FREE SHIPPING

West Coast customers, please call Peter Singh/Kaur (818) 219-2233

Enter INDIA ABROAD in Discount Code to get 10% off before checkout.

Warm Water

Territories available for distributors. 1-888-MY-LOTTA or 1-888-695-6882

The Bidet Shop LLC. 2 Timber Lane, Unit 101, Marlboro, NJ 07746

WWW.SMARTLOTTA.COM ANNOUNCEMENTS Q: ANY QUESTIONS ON ISLAM? A: WATCH: WWW.PEACETV.TV

BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES Prime Upstate NY Restored Hotel, Full Bar & Restaurant 2.1 Acres (91,476 Sqft), $649,000.

Broker (718) 781-2024

BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES Hotel Company

HELP WANTED Seeking Experienced Manager

Selling Franchised Hotel. Please Call

for Regency Inn & Suites, 66 unit motel, Saint Genevieve, Missouri. Must have experience in hotel/motel management & speak English fluently. Accommodation provided. Competetive wages. Serious inquiries.

(770) 856-7587

HELP WANTED Gas Station Cashiers Sam (225) 205-3999 Fax Resume: (225) 767-4406

ABSON INC. Direct Importers of Corals, Jades, Pearls, Precious, Semi-Precious Stones & Ready-Made Jewelry. We Sell Natural Yellow Sapphire (Pukhraj).

(937) 626-9854

HELP WANTED Need South Indian Chef & Waiter in Boston area.

(781) 964-9573

Restaurant in Staten Island, New York Needs Tandooria & Curry Cook.

Call (646) 673-2529

Showroom by appointment only.

Tel: (732) 574.0101 • Fax: (732) 574.0071 Email: info@absoninc.com • 216 St Georges Ave, Rahway, NJ 07065

Visit ABSONINC.COM to buy a few selected items online.