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India Post
October 14, 2011
www.indiapost.com
Hindu protests get Husain exhibition cancelled India Post News Service
NEW YORK: The Forum for Hindu Awakening last week led protests from the Hindu American community resulting in the cancellation of an exhibition of the Late M.F. Husain's paintings in New York. An exhibition of Husain's paintings was to be held in conjunction with a dance performance by veteran actress and danseuse Hema Malini, organized by the South Asian Music and Arts Association (SAMAA), at New York University's Skirball Center on Oct 1. According to the Forum, upon learning about the scheduled exhibition, members of the Forum and others concerned sent protest emails to the organizers, who apparently then decided to cancel the exhibition. The organizers apparently wrote to the protesters, "On behalf of SAMAA, we
apologize to all of you if we hurt your sentiments. Hemaji was unaware of such an exhibition. As soon as we received your emails, we cancelled the exhibition. As
An exhibition of Husain's paintings was to be held in conjunction with a dance performance by veteran actress and danseuse Hema Malini, organized by the South Asian Music and Arts Association soon as Hemaji came to know about the exhibition, she totally opposed it and did not want to be any part of it."
The Forum said that the organizers also forwarded a confirmation from officials of New York University (NYU) Skirball Center for the Performing Arts, where the concert was held, that no painting of M. F. Husain was displayed at the center. The NYU Skirball Center's Senior Director, Michael Harrington wrote, "It is our understanding that no work of the artist in question was displayed at either the Skirball Center or Kimmel Center on October 1." As well, Jonathan Ross of NYU wrote, "To add to Michael's email, the university will not be making a formal statement, but I can certainly assert that as per our agreement (on Saturday), no works by MF Hussain were displayed at the Kimmel or Skirball Centers at NYU." The Forum said that on Oct 1, it had received a complaint about the exhibition to be held during the post (Hama Malini) concert
Steve Jobs was an innovative man: Manmohan Singh NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has said he was saddened at the demise of former Apple CEO Steve Jobs, calling him an innovative man who had taught the world new ways to communicate and connect. "I am deeply saddened to learn of the demise of Steve Jobs. He was truly an innovative man and taught us new ways to connect and communicate," the Prime Minister said in his condolence message. Jobs, the visionary co-founder of Apple who revolutionized the world of technology, died yesterday at the age of 56. Jobs was a pancreatic cancer survivor and had undergone a liver transplant several times in 2009. He had been on a leave of absence since January this year his third since his health problems began - and stepped down as Apple CEO in August, handing over the reins of the company to Tim Cook. PTI
Steve Jobs
Buddhism -- India's gift to Steve Jobs NEW YORK: Like it has done to so many icons across the world, India was the source of spirituality to Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, who later converted to Buddhism. Jobs had taken a "spiritual retreat to India" and "traversing through the country had
sparked Jobs' conversion to Buddhism," a CNN report said. Jobs had traveled to India in the late 1970s, with money he had saved working as a technician at a video games manufacturer in the US. He reportedly visited the Neem Karoli Baba at his Kainchi Ashram with a Reed College friend Daniel
Kottke in search of spiritual enlightenment. Born in 1955 in San Francisco, Jobs grew up amid the rise of hippie counter-culture. Bob Dylan and the Beatles were his two favorite musical icons and he shared their political leanings and antiestablishment views.-PTI
reception that evening. The Forum immediately appealed to Hindus across the US and India to write to the event organizers, requesting cancellation of the exhi-
‘Within hours, many Hindus had promptly protested by email and phone to the organizers, and tried to reach Hema Malini via Bharatiya Janata Party contacts,’ the Forum claimed bition by Late M. F. Husain, who has "blatantly denigrated Hindu Deities through his paintings". Considering Hema Malini's
standing as a public official (she is an ex-MP and current official of India's political party, the Bharatiya Janata Party), the Forum apparently urged Hindus to reach out to Bharatiya Janata Party contacts and Hema Malini, and to request her to perform only if the Husain exhibition was canceled. "Within hours, many Hindus had promptly protested by email and phone to the organizers, and tried to reach Hema Malini via Bharatiya Janata Party contacts," the Forum claimed. "Despite the short notice, a Caribbean Hindu gentleman, Patanjali Rambrich had also stood outside the concert venue, giving out flyers to the concert goers, creating awareness about the issue." "Upon receiving the news of the cancellation of the exhibition, Hindus worldwide are paying gratitude to the divine," the Forum said.
Sydney church is now Hindu Shakti Temple
India Post News Service
SYDNEY: Sydney Shakti Temple in Australia, which used to be Old Toongabbie Uniting Church, now regularly performs poojas, abhishekams and aartis, according to reports. Sydney Shakti Temple, Cultural & Education Centre of Hindu Society of NSW; a non-profit organization whose mission includes "providing an opportunity for understanding and promoting Hinduism…"; opens everyday and organizes daily aarti; monthly Durga pooja, hawan and
abhisekam; and celebrates Hanuman Jayanti, Thaipoosam and Kavadi Pooja. This Temple offers forum and space for worship, prayers, teachings, and other religious-philosophical activities. It is planning to build its own car park and make some other alterations. Jim Venkteshwar is Vice President of the Society. It can organize poojas at devotees' homes also. Its website suggests: "Before visiting the temple make sure you eat vegetarian food that day and wear clean decent clothes."