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October 2011 Flipbook PDF
October 2011
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ASIA
Asia Today, LLC, 1050 E Ray Road, Suite 5 #318, Chandler, AZ 85225
• October 2011
TODAY
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Uniting all South Asians in the Valley
Monthly Newspaper • Vol-IV
• Issue-10
• Phone : 480-250-2519
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Miss Asia Arizona 2011
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Trendz… Hindi Musical
Eid Mela
• [email protected]
India’s legendary cricketer Tiger
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Pataudi
passes away at 70
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Shah Rukh Khan hopes Ra.
Ganesh Murti Making at Ekta Mandir By Deepa Walia August 28, 2011 he Indo-American Cultural and Religious Foundation organized an educational and fun event at Ekta Mandir on August 28, 2011 in honor of Ganesh Chaturthi. In order to make it fun for children, they organized an afternoon to create Ganesh Moorti’s out of clay for children ages 5-15. Over 100 children of various ages showed up and the event was a great success. As you can see in the pictures and quotes from the children that participated, the event was a great experience for them; the children had a lot of fun and learned about Ganesha. Congratulations to the organizing team and Indo-American Foundation for creating positive events that educate and teach our youth about made Ganeshas. We learned that Kailash Raman (Age 11) – “I think our heritage. it is symbolic of a God that removes that the Ganesh making was really Ved Narayan (Age 12) – “We obstacles.” fun. It was a fun • Continued on P3
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By Deepa Walia September 2, 2011
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he teams of Pakistan Information and Cultural Organization (PICO) and Dulhania Bazaar organized a spectacular free admission mela to celebrate Eid at Desert Shadows Middle School in Scottsdale. In addition to the various booths for food and shopping, • Continued on P6
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Ganesh Murti Making at Ekta Mandir art project and a way to learn about our culture.” Akshay Sudhakar (Age 8) – “It was fun because you got your hands messy and they said a bunch of devotional stuff and things you need to learn.” Aditya Sudhakar (Age 12) – ”Just being in the temple and making statues of Ganesha is fun and clams your mind. There is a lot of positive energy that comes out of that.” Shiva Rudra (Age 6) – “Making the Ganesha was fun, loved the belly because it is kind of big.” Punarvash Mitta (Age 5) – “Making the trunk was most fun, because it is like an elephant.” K a s y a p Chakravadhan (Age 8) – “Building the Ganesha
was my favorite because I like playing with clay.” Varshini Gorkalkar (Age 5) – “My favorite part of the clay making was the mouse and how
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he is holding the laddoo. He is like a small boy that is playing with us.” Varuni Gorkalkar (Age 9) – “Building the face was the best and
I learned about how to build Ganesha. He goes on the mouse and the mouse is like a car for him.” Samay Thirunagari
(Age 11) – “The ladoos were my favorite, because I like eating them. I knew a lot about Ganesha before because of my mom.
We do the poojas and I watch Ganesh cartoons.” Siddhard Adda (Age 5) – “I liked everything and making the Ganesha too.”
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From the Desk of Asia Today
• October 2011 Uniting all South Asians in the Valley
Monthly Newspaper
• Vol-IV • Issue-10 • October 2011 • [email protected]
Asia Today Team Marketing Director: Manju (Manjeet K Walia) Editor: Deepa Walia (MS CIS) (Sandeep Kaur) Publisher & Designer: Raja (BA) (Gagandeep Singh Walia) Patron: Mini from California (Damanjot Kaur Walia) Jyoti from New Jersey (Navjot Kaur Singh) Surinder Singh Pall (Reporter from New Jersey) Press Photographer Sameer Soorma www.sameersoorma.com
Amit Mitter Punjab, India Disclaimer Asia Today, LLC is not responsible for any claims made by advertisers nor does it endorse any product or services advertised in the paper. For concerns or questions related to these advertisements, please contact the business directly. Asia Today, LLC also does not endorse any views presented by volunteer writers. Those views are solely of the author and bear no indication to the views of Asia Today.
Please contact us at Asia Today, LLC 1050 E Ray Road Suite 5 #318 Chandler, AZ 85225 480/ 250-2519 For sale inquiries: [email protected] For additional inquires/comments: [email protected] www.asiatodayaz.com
performed, the religious get-together at your local As I sit here typing my monthly editorial, I am Gurudwara, Mandir, or Masjid. absolutely exhausted and my hands and fingers are In addition to that, we are also committed to literally hurting from typing but there is immense uniting all of the South Asians and promoting our happiness in this pain. No, I have not lost my mind culture and heritage. For this purpose alone, Asia but am just personally blown away by the flourish of Today has partnered with Mauj Entertainment activity that hit the Arizona scene catered specifically – a coming together of various individuals and to South Asians. As I sat to lay out this month’s businesses including our Press Photographer, edition with the rest of my team, we were struggling Sameer Soorma, to bring you Arizona’s First Annual to find room for all the events that we covered in the Editor’s Diwali Mela. This free admission event for the month of September. From musical acts like Kabeer, entertainment and coming together of the growing Trendz, Indian Ocean to religious celebrations South Asian community in Arizona will be held at like EidMela, Ganesh Chaturthi events, Onam Kiwanis Park on October 8, 2011 all day from Noon to celebrations to casual entertaining evenings such as PICO’s EkShaamAapkeNaam and IACRF’s Summer Camp, there 9 PM. So, please come join us as we celebrate Diwali with activities was a lot happening in the South Asian scene in Arizona last month. suiting all ages and a grand finale of an outdoor dance party on the The reason I am immensely pleased, even though it has more grassy lawns of the park DJ’d by our very own Deejay Isaac. Please than doubled our work load, is because Arizona is finally becoming visit http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=144718278947794 the state I always wanted it to be. When my parents first moved to for more information. We are very excited about attending and covering the upcoming Arizona in 1998, I move here with the intention of moving back to the Bay Area as soon as I graduated college. I was accustomed to events Arizona has in store for you in the month of October including the flurry of South Asian events in the Bay Area and disappointed in Diwali celebrations at all the various mandirs and gurudwaras and the lack thereof here in Arizona. As life moved on, things like work the Diwali Mela, Dulhlania Bazaar, Navratri celebrations, Mushaira, and family kept me tied to Arizona but my heart always remained KarvaChauth celebrations, and many, many more. Before being in the Bay Area. Now, I am starting to understand that this was not involved with the Diwali Mela, I had no idea the level of work and because of the area itself but what it offered and, with Arizona being effort that goes into a single event, events I casually attended and well on its way of becoming a South Asian destination of choice for enjoyed without paying much heed to the many organizations, entertainment giants, it is finally starting to feel like home. What a supporters, and volunteers working hard behind the scenes for our different time makes because the place I wanted to escape from enjoyment. Each month has brought us new and exciting events by when we first moved here is a place that I am proud to call home the different teams, groups, and organizations that are passionate today. And we, the Asia Today Team, are committed to letting our about promoting events of South Asian heritage and I now have a readers know about all the excitement that is happening here in newfound appreciation for the teams that make this events happen.I our hometown, regardless of what it does to our workload. We are personally commend and applaud the efforts of all those individuals a LOCAL newspaper and will always place an emphasis on local that comprise these teams and wish each and every one of them coverage, because let’s admit it – international and national news continued success in their future endeavors. Please come out, is readily available at our fingertips via social media channels, the support, and appreciate their hard work by attending as many of internet, mobile devices. But what differentiates us and the news these events as possible. we provide is that we are telling you about the events that affect - Deepa Kaur Walia your daily lives- the essay contest your son or daughter participated Editor, Asia Today in, the Mela or celebration where your friends or family members [email protected]
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nother day, another dollar! That’s how the saying us how there isn’t a real big celebration for Just Digoes right? I think it’s interesting how people spend wali. The Team of Asia Today AZ, joined forces with every second and every moment in their lives chasing MaujEntertainment to setup this event. It is anall day money. The chase never ends and your life revolves event starting at 12:00pm and ending at 9:00pm with around the things you have and eventually become a FREE ADMISSION. There are tons of festivities, perstaple to who you are. I am not sure who or what performances, events that will be happening. We have son first said “the things you own, eventually own you.” local vendors that are helping support the Diwali Mela Once you can afford a BMW class car, your next goal for everyone!Thank you to all our vendors, sponsors, is to get an exotic car; once you have a Porsche, your volunteersand of course our food vendors that will be Publisher’s goal becomes to get a Ferrari and so on. The houses there all day. Now here’s the kicker, from 6:30pm to get bigger and bigger, the cars get better and better, 9:30pm…there is an OUTSIDE DANCE PARTY! Yes and your life doesn’t get better. we’ll have a live DJ mixing all the hottest Punjabi/Hindi The job that pays you bazillion dollars a year is about as satis- tracks live! Definitely mark it on your calendars because this is one fying as being in a car crash. Your brain and mind go into autopilot event you won’t want to miss.So we have a lot of great local coverand then you start seeking answers. What makes you happy? What age, in fact I think majority of the pages have content from what’s do you like to do? All these questions that were left un-answered all been happening in Arizona in Sept. There is a lot of coverage in this of a sudden are what you’re trying to figure out. Now let me clarify, month’s issue so don’t just flip through it, find out what happened I am not saying in my perspective money is useless. What I am in Arizona in the South Asian Community in September. saying is that if you do something for the sole purpose of just gainAs much excitement circulated in Arizona and the festivities ing money, you might or might not be able to pull it off. If you do, that happened, I would like to offer my deepest condolences to all you have what you wanted...Money! If you don’t, you can always the victims of September 11th. I cannot understand your pain and try to find another way. I will definitely not try to relate to it. September 11th is a day no However if you focus on your talents on what makes you YOU, one can forget, its one day everyone willremember. I would like to you will get noticed. This path is hard and there will be times where thank the brave men and women of NY Fire Department and Police you question yourself, and worse your skills. If you have enough Department for their courage and bravery and everyone who has strength to fight through it and push through the darkness, the helped re-build the community after that day and continues to do light that shines on you will be brighter than any light in the world. everything in their power to make sure that day does not happen If it any point you believe you have accomplished everything, or again. God Bless America, a country where we all came to seek a hit some milestone faster than others just remember….you might better future and a better life for our families. -Raja Walia have gotten there first, but others got there smiling. Publiser, Asia Today I would like to invite everyone to the First Annual Diwali Mela [email protected] in Kiwanis Park! The event is for everyone who has been telling
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Local Coverage
• October 2011
Ganesh Sathapna by Oriya Association of Arizona
By Deepa Walia September 4, 2011 n response to an invitation by Ranjan Das, Asia Today had the opportunity to attend the Ganesh St-
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hapna by Oriya Association of Arizona. The Ganesh Moorti built by Mr. Ranjan Das himself was spectacular and a crowd of all ages gathered to participate in the decoration of the pooja mandap and the pooja.
The event was followed by a grand feast of prashad. Special thanks to Mr. Ranjan Das for the invitation and some moments capture during the event are shared with our readers.
Sixteenth Annual Brahman Samaj of North America Convention
By Deepa Walia September 3-5, 2011 he Brahman Samaj of North America, an organization dedicated to promoting Brahmanic Values, held its sixteenth annual convention right here in Phoenix, Arizona. The convention which lasted three days included networking opportunities, informational lectures on Brahmanic values, health, retirement planning, speeches from various delegates, as well as entertainment in the form of a cultural program and Kavi Sammmelan. The convention attracted international members from Canada, Europe, as well as members that travelled from India to attend. Asia Today proudly showcases some pictures from this event.
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the evening included dance performances by local residents, vocal performances by singers in multiple languages, and ended with an open floor dance party by DJ Adi. This event would not have been possible without the support of the many volunteers. Asia Today is proud to share some pictures captured during the course of this evening. www.asiatodayaz.com
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Local Coverage
• October 2011
A Compassionate Human Being with Vision and Justice
Greg Stanton for Mayor of Phoenix I
n selecting a candidate for the Mayor of Phoenix Arizona there are certain qualities that must be identified before time to vote. Once such qualities are not only identified but confirmed, then it’s time to speak out on behalf of that candidate. Having the opportunity to first meet Greg Stanton back in June at the June Teenth Celebration – right away I discovered something about him that was quite different from other politicians that I’ve met in the past. First of all, he was willing to hear what I had to say. He was quick to see the value of my message and didn’t hesitate to put it to use. He saw innovative talent that would truly benefit our youth in terms of education. Shortly afterwards, he endorsed my educational experiences on his letterhead asking others to join him in supporting the method I use. Of course these are some great signs of a real human being who deserve to be our next Mayor in the city of Phoenix Arizona. However, even though these were signs of honorable impact, I needed to see more. That’s when I decided to visit his campaign office and learn more by speaking to some of the people working and vol-
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unteering on his behalf. Here again, I was treated as if I were a person they had known for quite some time. Not one of them expressed a stand-off attitude or a feeling of rejection. Each worker came across as not being phony or misleading. This to me is what you would expect of a true leader and that is to attract people with character and professionalism as your own. I was thoroughly impressed. His campaign manager and others shared information and kept their word by having the equipment up and read to film me for Greg’s face book by using my poetic educational talent on his behalf. I continued meeting other people that I had already befriended who were also giving their support to Greg Stanton. On numerous occasions, I was able to visit his office and there sat Greg making phone calls just as he would expect others to do. I said to myself – he’s leading by example. He’s not asking others to do what he himself would not do. I’ve never seen him unwilling to smile or shake hands letting people see and know that he’s a down to earth human being. He’s quite reachable and is quick to share his compassionate compatible nature.
By the way, in reading many of the articles written about him, I was always inspired because of his concern for education. He recognizes that American education is far behind not only in Phoenix but in comparison to other countries. So, he as our next Mayor is willing to implement additional support to our schools and communities. He has expressed to me and others that he would rather see parents smiling rather than disappointed due to failing grades or retention of their children. In his primary victory, his wife spoke encouraging the standing room crowd only to continue to support her husband because he is a man of his word and his record of the
past proves his consistent worthiness. He’s just as concerned for the education of others as he is for his own two (2) children. The crowd applauded recognizing her words as accurate and meaningful as can be. Shortly afterwards, Greg came to the mike letting it be known that his primary victory was not a celebration as much as it was an excelleration into the future. He assured everyone that to vote for him would never be a waste of time. His message in the end was to return the next day with the same energy and vigor that awarded him the success thus far. He stated, let us not be over joyful when we still have more work to do. By the way, that’s another great quality Greg has and that is he knows the essence of remaining focused with maximum aim even at a time of victory or humor. Greg is a true worker and he’s prepared to go after what he knows he and the people of this city deserves. He’s thoroughly knowledgeable of what‘s needed to bring Phoenix in compliance with the potential that’s been dormant for too long. He’s aware and alert causing him to be most insightful and considerate of the needs, abilities and interests of others.
For comments or concerns, contact: Habibullah Saleem at [email protected] www.futureimpact.weebly.com
By Habibullah Saleem
In conclusion, I’ve seen and heard enough from the man who has earned being our next Mayor and that is none other than Greg Stanton. To vote for Greg we will never have to beg for education, jobs or respect. When voting for Greg Stanton you’re doing what’s best and correct. With such a priority he can’t go wrong. It is up to the voters to go to the polls or write in Greg Stanton for Mayor and not be misled by anyone else saying just the opposite. Greg’s record stands alone with his reachable and compassionate nature. For those who want to see the reality of a real productive life in Phoenix – Greg is the Man and he doesn’t mind being held accountable.
Getting a Tax Credit for Your Home Projects
t’s not too late to receive a tax credit when making your home more energy efficient. Although significantly reduced from 2010 levels, energy-efficiency tax credits are still available in 2011. The home energy credit applies to energy-related improvements, such as adding insulation, energy-efficient exterior windows, and energy-efficient heating and air-conditioning systems to an existing home that is your primary residence. The tax credit is not available on rental properties or new construction. The tax credit is 10% of the cost of the home improvement, up to a maximum of $500. There is a lifetime limit of $500, so if you took a $500 credit in 2010, you do not qualify in 2011. The tax credit expires December 31, 2011. The credits on some items have been reduced below $500: www.asiatodayaz.com
• Windows limited to $200; Energy Star qualification. • Air conditioners, water heaters, and biomass stoves limited to $300. • Furnace and boiler improvements limited to $150 and must meet certain standards. • $50 credit for advanced main air circulating fans. Further, the Residential Energy Efficient Property Credit is a nonrefundable energy tax credit that helps individual tax payers pay for certain alternative-energy equipment, such as solar hot water heaters, geothermal heat pumps, and wind turbines. The maximum amounts for a credit equal 30% of the cost of qualified property, with no upper limit. This credit expires on December 31, 2016, and is available for new and existing homes,
whether primary or secondary. Rentals do not qualify. What to Do If You Haven’t Filed Your 2010 Return The failure to file a federal tax return can be costly - whether you end up owing more or missing out on a refund. Here are some things to consider: • Failure to File Penalty. If you owe taxes, a delay in filing may result in a “failure to file” penalty, also known as the “late filing” penalty, and interest charges. The longer you delay, the more these charges grow. • Losing Your Refund. There is no penalty for failure to file if you are due a refund. However, you cannot obtain a refund without filing a tax return. If you wait too long to file, you may risk losing the refund altogether. The deadline for claiming refunds is three years after the original due date.
• Earned Income Tax Credit. Individuals who are entitled to the Earned Income Tax Credit must file their return to claim the credit even if they are not otherwise required to file. Whether you must file a tax return depends on a number of factors, including your filing status, age, and gross income. Last day to file your 2010 personal tax return is October 17, 2011 with the valid extension filed on or before April 18, 2011. Still need to file a tax return for 2010? Call us today. We can help you file your return and avoid additional fines and penalties. - By Sanjay Jawa, CPA 480-8319545 email: [email protected] www.facebook.com/asiatodayaz
Local Coverage
• October 2011
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In Support of Anna Hazare Article by Jagdish Sagar, IACRF Community Liaison Chair September 2, 2011 ndo-American Community of Arizona including IACRF,GCA, KSA, AZTA, PMMM, IA, RA, BCAA, AID, IACRF Seniors, AZINDIA, VIT, Oriya, AOL, Radio Khushi and many organizations joined hands “IN SUPPORT OF ANNA” and held a historic event in Phoenix to support Anti Corruption Movement in India on Friday September 2, 2011 at Indo-American Community Center on 2809 W Maryland Ave in Phoenix. Program included USA and India National Anthems, Patriotic programs by Children, Harsha Joshi, and other local artists, an Audio-Video Presentation on ANNA Movement to update attendees. Several Youth& Adult Keynote Speakers expressed their support and many signed a Petition in support of the anti-corruption movement to PM of India. Please see event photos. Sincere thanks to children in attendance to 88 year old Rajyaguru representing freedom fighters. Thanks to the community for their great support.
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Satyagraha…AZ for Anna by Deepa Walia August 27, 2011 small reflection of the Anna Hazare movement in India has also reached all corners of the world, including our Arizona. The AZ for Anna group organized a Satyagraha for Anna on 8.27/2011 to gather people to sign a petition in support Anna’s efforts. The evening began with a welcome address and assembly and included activities such as a small group fasting the whole day before showing up to the event, kid’s activities such as poster coloring to keep them entertained, a 20 minute maun vrath (time of silence), and ended with a beautiful candlelight vigil as evening dawned upon us. It was refreshing to see individuals from all age groups coming together to support such an honorable event, especially those that brought their children to expose them to what is happening in our homelands. The event was made possible by the support of Indo-American Cultural and Religious Foundation, India Association of Phoenix, Mr. Subhash Thathi, AID India, Art of Living, CRY Arizona, AZ Telugu, Maharashtra Mandal, Kannada Sanga, Tamil Sangham, Sameer Soorma Photography, Arizona Cricket Association, Asia Today Arizona, and many other volunteers. Efforts of these individuals resulted in over 250 signatures on the petition. Asia Today is honored to support such selfless efforts and shares some pictures from the event for those that were unable to attend.
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Voice of the people
• October 2011
GRAND OPENING OF AN ADDITIONAL INDIAN SENIORS CENTER
1. Deepika lighting “Ghee-Ka-Diya” at the Auspicious Opening of the seniors Center . 2. Deepika Bhallah and her father Dr. Rajinder Saigal performing the Seniors Center Opening. 3. Seniors at the Opening Ceremony his is excellent news for Seniors of T Indian Origin residing in the Phoenix Metropolitan area. Deepika Bhalla has
extended an additional opportunity to seniors to meet, mingle and socialize with a generosity of welcoming them on each Tuesday at the beautiful Le Soiree Banquet Hall located at 2915 W. Bell Road, Phoenix, AZ 85053. On September 6th 2011, Deepika and her beloved father Dr. Rajinder Saigal’s invitations were responded by forty seniors who were warmly welcomed by them on this very first day! A symbolic traditional Opening Ceremony occurred by lighting a lamp – “Ghee ka Diya” by Deepika followed by a Ganesh Pooja performed by Dr. Narayanbhai Ojha where Shreekantbhai Vaidya chanted Goddess Saraswati Devi Recitals and bhajan singing by all attendees creating an extraordinarily beautiful “Mahol” – atmosphere in the Hall! At the Opening, Deepika thanked everyone for coming! She expressed how much she loves seniors, and requesting them to put the hall to good use for a worthy cause for seniors to meet, mingle and, socialize as get-away and spending time with their favorite age group. She explained the goals and roles of the operations of the center. She stressed to observe the “Positivity” stating that
the hall is open with an expectation of a respect for all fellow seniors and to abide by the rules of the center for harmony and happiness! The center is opened with good intent. Items dealing with Housekeeping, Health & Hygiene, Fire & Safety, Security and Liability coupled with the required precautions thereto were outlined to ensure running of the Center effectively, efficiently, ethically, legally and democratically on a right path. The Center would not get involved nor support any political activities. Deepika shared that she has many good ideas for the seniors and she volunteered to lead and organize activities that could be interesting, recreational and beneficial to seniors. She requested for the support by seniors taking active part in them. The Hall is well-equipped with sound system, projector, screen, dancing floor, stage and other essentials for organizing musical, cultural, educational, social, religious, charitable and recreational activities. Absolutely clean and immaculate hall was well-set with round tables covered with beautiful table cloths decorated with lovely center pieces and chairs. The Hall was nice and comfortably cool with a fulltime attendant at all times taking good care of the seniors respectfully from 9:30AM till 2:00PM. Upon arrival of the seniors, Deepika’s warm and generous hospitality
by Jagdish Sagar September 9-11, 2011 ACRF Beat the Heat Summer Camp/ Retreat @ Camp Yavapines in Prescott, Arizona was held on Friday, Saturday and Sunday September 9, 10 and 11, 2011. The camp included great Food consisting of Mexican Fiesta, Indian Feast, Italian Dinner, Continental breakfast, Indian snacks, Falafel Lunch, Kesar Pista Indian Ice-cream and other savory mouth-watering items. Fun and healthy activities included Yoga, Hiking popular Thumb Butte Trail in Prescott, Volleyball, Lagori, Frisbee, Musical Chair, Water balloons catch, Left Center Right Dice Game, Follow the Leader Games, Avoid number 3 Game, Dumb Charade, Karaoke Singing, Talent show, Jokes telling and many other fun things to do. Everyone including children, youth,
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was evident that included delicious samosas with variety of chutneys, hot Indian tea, plenty of cashew nut barafi (kajoo katri), fruit juices, and more. Pooja Prasad was overwhelmed with so many versions and varieties of sheero, penda, barafi, lots of mixed dry fruit – nuts and traditional gud-dhana (gor-dhana). Obviously, everyone’s stomachs were so full, lunch had to be delayed till late which too was flooded with so much tasty Indian spicy foods! The seniors enjoyed socializing with lots of fun. Objectives of the Center: • To promote the welfare and assimilation of the Seniors of Indian origin in the mainstream of American life. • To foster friendship and understanding among its members and to develop common loyalties and mutual interests through literary, educational, social, religious, recreational and cultural activities. • EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES can include organizing lectures, forums, seminars promoting musical and drama programs; awarding scholarships and wellbeing of seniors. • CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES can include the relief work for the poor, distressed or underprivileged; elimination of prejudice and discrimination; preventing child abuse; and combating community
adults and seniors enjoyed spending the 3 days at the cool campsite in Prescott. All agreed to make this an annual event for IACRF members and many felt they can’t wait for 2012 camp. Thanks to everyone for attending the camp and making it a grand success and the IACRF Team for planning the fun camp in Prescott for the relaxation and fun of the community. Special thanks to Minaxi, Dhirendrabhai, Gautam, Mahesh, Jagdish and many others for all the hard work in preparing and hosting this FIRST EVER IACRF Summer Camp.
deterioration. • SCIENTIFIC ACTIVITIES can include promoting research work in various scientific fields for the benefit of mankind. • RELIGIOUS ACTIVITIES can include to the celebration of religious festivals. • CULTURAL ACTIVITIES can include to the celebration of Indian cultural festivals, such as Navratri, Diwali, Holi etc. • Undertake and carry out activities for the benefit of Seniors of Indian Origin for their good health and happiness. • To sustain and perpetuate the rich heritage of India. On this day, the attendees thanked His Almighty God for successful critical surgeries with full and fast recoveries of both Lataben and Shashikantbhai. All present were also shocked to hear the news of Kiranben & Sewabhai Dulai ‘s nasty car accident. Again, with God’s grace, they both escaped with tolerable injuries causing aches and pains at various parts of the body! The prayers were offered for their fast and full recovery. The attendees extended their sincere appreciation to Dr. Saigal and Drs. Ravi & Deepika Bhalla for their generosity of this additional opportunity to the seniors to enjoy the togetherness.
An Amazing IACRF Summer Camp!
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Local Thoughts
• October 2011
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Americans for Eight Hours, Indians for the Rest of the Day
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ankind from time immemorial has been motivated to explore new horizons. Such motivation stems from several factors. One of the main reasons for these adventures is a built-in natural quest in human beings to improve upon their life styles and that of their future generations, be it economical or social. Above all, there always has been a need amongst all the homo-sapiens on this earth for intellectual fulfillment through new knowledge, irrespective of their baseline mental frame. These needs at times lead some individuals from many different cultures on this earth, regardless of their resources, education and economical status to a distant and far away lands. Indians are no exception to this law of the nature. Consequently w h e n opportunity knocks at the door, many decide to physically walk away from the countries of their birth saying good bye to the familiar surroundings leaving their society and the culture behind and head for unseen and untested waters of a new life at distant shores. It is a fact of life however that the native culture gets ingrained in the psyche of human beings during the early developing years. We all know that certain aspects of life especially the ones to which one is exposed at an earlier stage are often difficult to change and one amongst them, on the top of this list happens to be the affinity and love affair for one’s culture. Upon migrating to a different environment, a feeling of internal loss, albeit to a varying degree keeps on lingering within the deeper layers of minds of the immigrants for many years to come. Within the cores of our hearts we, the expatriates carry a sense of having been robbed off some thing very special, something very near and dear to our emotional needs and health. And that some thing is “our native culture”. For variety of reasons we might not be able to define such loss or put it into succinct and comprehensive words. Unfortunately this awareness does not dawn upon us while we are part and parcel of our inherited culture in a majority setting but once we walk away from it, then it shows and shows well. Upon arriving here and on starting www.facebook.com/asiatodayaz
a new life, many amongst us often think ourselves to be sandwiched like a piece of meat in two loaves of bread except that these loaves happen to be two distinct cultures that are widely and diagonally apart. Our previous Indian cultural orientation had always been primarily tuned to the comforts of our soul in an un-witnessed next life that supposedly gets activated only after permanent departure from this earth. No one amongst the living
creatures that ever roamed on this earth had either seen or lived such experiences. They are mostly emphasized through abstract philosophies of different religions of the world, albeit to different degrees. The life style in this country on the other hand is much more materialistic catering to the instant gratification for the needs of our bodily comforts. Such a life style tries to affect and modify our well-established prior behavior and attitude that had developed over period of time. To a larger extent the effects of modifying behavior of this adopted culture is dependent upon the stage of mental development and the age of the person at the time of his or her arrival in this country. The modifications that cause a major shift in the wellestablished cultures of immigrants often lead to the hardships in the practice of a new life style of this new culture which they must now attempt to follow. Regardless of the duration of stay in their adopted homeland, immigrants often times seem to have a deep down burning desire to fill the vacuum created by this change. In order to do so they try to surround themselves with similar kinds of people and environments that they left behind. Often times, the members of the immigrant community end up living double lives as result of
deeply ingrained impressions of the past lives in comparison to conceptually different life styles of the adopted homelands. This scenario might not necessarily be good or bad. In order to create a balance and some kind of semblance in their lives, immigrants try to build an artificial partition at their mental levels. It is then reflected in their attitudes as well as behaviors during the working eight hours of the day that happens to be entirely different from the one they have within the boundaries of their homes or during their social lives. Arriving at work in the morning or for that matter at any time of the day depending upon the i n d i v i d u a l ’s profession, each one amongst us gets immersed into the culture of the adopted homeland and for obvious reasons. We talk and speak the language of the land. We intermingle with our co-workers and try to become part of them. We act and behave like others and we should. Come lunch time, we all go to eat out like any body else. Watching our such behaviors and see us act like rest of the crowd, the Americans at large would not be in a position to judge, understand, have an inkling or even try to care about the extreme metamorphosis, that the immigrants go through daily, day in and day out. Once we finish our tour of the duty, we turn our thinking and attitude back to our previously established culture and life style that we were used to back home. It is like turning the page of a book and opening a new chapter. All immigrants, given a choice would like to eat the food that they were used to, dress like they were used to, talk like they were used to and socialize with friends and relatives from same country rather same state and culture from where they have been. Our gettogethers at homes are geared to our own people in our own styles. Celebration of back home festivals and holidays are eagerly looked up to and
Dr. Jaswant Singh Sachdev, MD* Phoenix, Arizona
performed with even more gusto than what we did back home. Like an oasis in a desert every place where there is an ethnic Indian family, the rest of Indians and their Indian-ness will flock and bloom. We suddenly become more religious than before or at least try to show the others that we are. We try to become leaders of our religious places and whatever else comes our way and suddenly we metamorphose or at least try to pose as the most important, greatly needed and highly sought after person with “me better than any one else” attitude. In nut shell we seem to merge into our previous identities and life styles that we once had, after we are done with our daily American thing for eight hours i.e. making a living. Like a lotus flower, we exist, live and grow within the muddy waters of this culture yet we try not to wet ourselves and stay aloof. Is it good or bad? I personally do not have the answer. In fact many amongst us might not even be following such a pattern especially if they had decided for themselves that this kind of double phenomenon will not work for them. They might have come to a conclusion that sooner or later the children born and raised here ultimately are going to assimilate and become part of this culture any way so where is the need and why? For them the job is easy and is taken care of. Regardless, I for one believe that the built-in weight of the cultural baggage that immigrants bring along is too heavy and will keep on imposing its head. For those of us who try to maintain connections with our roots, the pleasant pangs of these sufferings will have to linger on. We will have to find devices and ways to maintain a balance between two facets of life styles. Hopefully one day the majority culture will ultimately see such a point of view and lend a helping hand in order to have a piece of the pie of what this great land has to offer to us, the immigrants, while we try to maintain our love affair with the native culture of the land we have come from. www.asiatodayaz.com
ASIA 12 TODAY
Local Thoughts
• October 2011
Miss Asia Arizona 2011
Article by Deepa Walia, Photos courtesy of Sameer Soorma Photography September 18, 2011 he Miss Asia Arizona Pageant Committee held a lovely, intimate reception on the evening of September 18, 2011 at Casino Arizona to introduce their sponsors and media partners to the beautiful faces that will compete in the upcoming Miss Asia Arizona Pageant on October 1, 2011. This year is special for the South Asian community as three out of the sixteen candidates competing are of Indian origin representing India in this celebration of beauty, elegance, and culture. Contestants Sheryl Ann, Malavika Mallya, and Allisha Kharbanda are representing our country with pride in this showcase of the rich culture and beauty
Official Press Release by Miss Asia Arizona Pageant Committee
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Miss Asia Arizona 2011 Pageant, Who should win?
present in the Asian continent. The pageant director, Mr. Gene Flores, kicked off the evening by thanking the sponsors and media partners for their unconditional support in the 8th annual Miss Asia Arizona 2011 pageant. After each candidate introduced herself and the country she was representing, the contestants were asked numerous questions from the
members of the audience and their responses reflected the intelligence and humility present in each and every candidate, in addition to their beauty. Each and every one of these girls deserves to win, but there will only be one Miss Asia Arizona 2011. Who will it be? Come see for yourself on 10/1/2011 at Moon Valley High Auditorium.
Preparation has begun for the 8th annual Miss Asia Arizona 2011 pageant. Produced by CityHits Entertainment, the Miss Asia Arizona Pageant displays the rich ethnic diversity of Asian, Middle Eastern and Pacific Islander society and gives the audience a glimpse into the multitudes of cultures that surround us today. The lavish parade of the national costumes, grace and elegance of the evening gown competition and the sensational swimsuit competition create an atmosphere of excitement, surpassing the audience’s expectation, time and time again. The delegate will not only be an epitome of beauty and intelligence but reflections of the unity and sociability of her country. The title is earned through hard work and demonstration of self-confidence, intelligence, beauty, and elegance. Rachanee “Joy” Jaurequi, 24year old Thai heritage - reigning Miss Asia Arizona 2010 to relinquish her crown and 16 lovely delegates will vie for the title to become Arizona’s Ambassador of Culture and Goodwill. The event will be held on October 1, 2011 @ 7:00pm at the Moon Valley High Auditorium, 3625 W. Cactus Road, Phoenix. $30 - $65. For more details, visit www. missasiaarizona.com or call (602) 509-9019. The goal of Miss Asia Arizona Pageant is to feature young Asian American women of Arizona in a high quality production that will best represent their culture, beauty, intelligence & talent. The candidates will have a scope to develop personal growth, leadership & marketing skills, friendship, teamwork & other invaluable experiences that will be with them for the remaining part of their lives. The winner will represent our state to the national Miss Asian America Pageant in August 2012 in San Francisco, California.
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Local Coverage by Deepa Walia September 4, 2011 he Indo-American Cultural and Religious Foundation of Arizona brought to Arizona a phenomenal performer by the name of Shekhar Sen, who mesmerized the audience with his unique musical mono act based on the life of Kabeer. It is extremely difficult for a single individual to capture and retain the attention of an audience for over 3 hours, but Mr. Sen accomplished this feat effortlessly. Mr. Sen’s mono act included changed voices for 38 characters, lyrics from 45 songs, and 43 ragas. He has performed 334 Kabeer shows and a total of 640 shows, including his other works. From the moment the show began until the end, everyone was glued to their seats and the community of Phoenix warmly appreciated the artist with a standing ovation. He was supported by Pankaj Mang on lights, Pathikrit Mukherjee as the Art Director, Ajay Pingle as the Music Operator, and Natraj as Stage Manager. The evening, hosted by Nitin Gupta, is a true testament to how far Arizona has come culturally and the vast array of activities now available to the South Asian community. Mr. Sen also profusely thanked Subhash Thathi for his relentless efforts in making his visit to Phoenix possible yet again and also graciously appreciated the venue by stating that this is the best venue, in terms of sound, lighting, etc., that he has had an opportunity to perform at in the states.
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• October 2011
ASIA 13 TODAY
Kabeer
Balgandharva…Marathi Movie ByDeepaWalia September 17, 2011 iran and Sneha Dhole and ArjunMuddaof Mumbai Beats Entertainment, a name synonymous with quality entertainment and unique productions, delighted the Marathi-speaking Arizonans by bringing to Arizona’s Tempe Cinemas the premiere of the Marathi movie titled Balgandharva. A movie rich with history, it is a musical delight based on the life of the amazing actor, singer, and female impersonator, BalGandharva (1888-1967). During times filled with turmoil when India was struggling for Independence from the British, BalGandharva’s led a tumultuous life filled with drama such as his affair with a Muslim singer and fluctuating patronage from the royal darbars. He was eventually pushed out of business as cinema picked up popularity and women who played women’s roles became more acceptable. A movie rich in history and music, Balgandharvawas directed by RavindraHarishchandraJadhav and produced by NitinChandrakant Desai. Cast included names such as SubodhBhave, Atharva Karve, AnandAbhyankar, AbhijeetKelkar, SidharthChandekar, Vidyadhar Joshi, KishorKadam, SagarTalashikar, AvinashNarkar, Suhas Joshi, SagarTalashikar, VibhavariDeshpande, Mukesh Rishi, AmolKolhe, ManojKolhatkar, PrassannaKetkar, Vikrant Aajgaonkar, KshitijiZarapkar, and Ajay Purkar. The soul-stirring music was directed by KaushalInamdar and sung by AnandBhate and Shankar, while the lyrics were given by SwanandKirkire. Congratulations to Kiran and Sneha Dhole of Mumbai Beats for bringing another glimpse of India’s rich culture and history to the valley of the sun. With each unique concept such as this being brought to Arizona by groups that are passionate about quality and variety of South Asian entertainment, Arizona is slowly starting to make its mark in the South Asian world as a must-stop destination in the USA.
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ASIA 14 TODAY
• October 2011
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• October 2011
ASIA 15 TODAY
Laboratory
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In
Local Coverage
• October 2011
Memory of Balbir Singh Sodhi
By Deepa Walia September 11, 2011 nce again, the community of Arizona came together to remember Balbir Singh Sodhi who
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ey, sleepy one, open your eyes and wake up. Good morning, do you remember how many days in a year and years of your life you have been spending sleeping and waking and waking and sleeping? First of all you lost your childhood. It was pleasant as a human being because everyone was happy and loving with you. Now you can never get it back. After that you became a younger teen and youth. What kind of education you got, established your lifestyle. If you are a working person you are struggling to live comfortably. If you are middle class you are working hard to compete in society. If you are rich you try to control those who are less than you. Remember it is unending phenomena. You cannot win this game with your own cleverness. The reason is you are missing a key point of the life. That is peace of mind. Money can give you a house not the home. You can have all the physical comforts but not a stable life because the more wealth you earn; in proportion, it will develop the five passions, to a higher degree in your life. If you like to live a peaceful life. Wake
lost his life tragically in a hate crime following the 9/11/2001 attacks. On the 10th anniversary of that horrific event, the community came together to pray and light candles in memory of Balbir Singh Sodhi
Awakening
and all those whose lives were never the same after the horrible events of that day. Asia Today’s sympathy is with the members of the Sodhi family and all those tragically affected.
ASU Garba & Raas
up early in the morning. Sit down quietly where you are and start to think; what am I missing in my life? You will feel; Iam missing the peace of mind. If you want to know what is the source of peace of mind itis God, a relationship with God. Now you need to understand how to establish a connection with the Divine. My friend believe it. God is the divine light. You are a part of that light. But you cannot see it with your physical eyes because Divine is internal and not external. Your next question will be: how do I see the internal light? In the reality the internal eye is faith. Start the prayer with faith. And say it:” Oh divine merciful and kind father give me thy vision by thy grace that I can see a glimpse of the divine light.” That day will come; you will see that spark of Divine. It is a beginning of a relationship with the Divine. Thank you
- Harbhajan Singh Sandhu
By Deepa Walia September 17, 2011 nited Society of South Asians at Arizona State University organized a Garba & Raas at the Student Recreaction Center on the evening of September 17. The event DJs were DJ Anokha and DJ Jiggy D and the event was possible through the efforts of the following committee members: Roni Patel and Jibran Charania (President), Divija Anireddy (Vice President), Shiela Lokareddy (Events Coordinator), Amrit Khela (Program Coordinator), Vineel Anireddy (Treasurer), Divya Mahendra (Secretary), Jay Joshi (Ambassador), Malavika Mallya (Historian), Ryan Merchant (Webmaster), Gaurav Kumar (Public Relations), and Wahiba Bhuvad (Advisor). Congratulations to the students on a successful event. Asia Today showcases some moments captured that evening.
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Local Coverage
• October 2011
ASIA 17 TODAY
Roobaroo..an evening with Indian Ocean
By Deepa Walia September 18, 2011 ssociation for India’s Development (AID) organized a lovely evening with Indian Ocean,ock band formed in New Delhi in 1990 comprised of artsists Susmit Sen, Rahul Ram, Amit Kilam, Himanshu Joshi, Tuheen Chakravorty, Sound Engineer Samir Kripalni, and Band Manager Archana Athalye. The band performs fusion music which integrates sholkas, Sufism, environmentalism, mythology, revolution, and rock – creating a phenomenal combination. Special thanks to the Grand Sponsors Dr. Girija Nadarajan and S. Chandra Mohan from Puja Dental Group, media partners AZ India, Asia Today, and Asian Express, photographers Babu CK and Easwar Sankar, and the following list of volunteers without whose support this evening would not have been possible: Nagendran Rangan, Hari Sundararaman, Raghu Nandivada, Venktesh Kalyanaraman, Radhika Murthy, Hemanth Krishnan, Chitra Mohan, Baby Samvidh, Prasun Mahanti, Runali Ghosh, Ashish Dhalll, Tanushree Ghosh Dhall, Ruben Reyes, Ayesha Vohra, Shilpa Panaganti, Amar, Sanjay Kote, Vidya Dyaberi, Baby Aarush Kote, Harish Yerneni, Bhargav Shah, Kushi Dave, Shikha Gupta, Abhinav Verma, Arjun Jayaraman, Shriya Seshadri, Kartik Talamadupula, Shabana Jabeen, Kapil Sekar, Karthik Karrupiah, Jothi Karthik, Dilip Babu, Maadhu Dilip, Krishna Srinivasan, Dhanya Athreya, Raju Kurra, Swati Rao, Poonam Arora, Sandeep Komirishetty, Pooja Wadhwa, Prathiba Bajaj, Vikram Dadwal, Suchita Kothari, Dananjayan Tirumalai,
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Archana Ramesh, Harish Kumar, Srinath Gowda, Arvind Ramachander, Sreedhar Vadlapudi, Sarath Chandran, Gokul Krishnan (India), Kaushik Ramesh (India). About AID Tempe AID is a voluntary, nonprofit organization committed to promoting sustainable, equitable and just development in India, by working with grassroots organizations and movements in India. AID supports and initiates efforts in various interconnected spheres such as education, livelihoods, natural resources, health, women’s empowerment and social justice. Since its inception in 1991, AID has focused on finding permanent remedies to deep-rooted problems plaguing rural India. AID adopts an holistic approach and strives to improve the villages of India by supporting projects in Education, Women Empowerment, Health Care, Vocational Training, Environmental Awareness etc. The Tempe Chapter of AID was started by students at ASU in November, 2002. Over the last 7 years they have funded several projects through concerts, fund-raisers and donation campaigns. Though it has grown to a much larger size than its initial founding now, with volunteers and donors from all walks of life from the Phoenix Valley, AID Tempe has retained its connection both to its student roots as well as the greater cause that it was formed to serve. Every event, every discussion and every project is a reflection of the thought that they have it in them to help those less privileged than themselves, and that any contribution - however small - will go a long way towards this goal.
October 1 to October 31
October 1 to October 31
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ASIA 18 TODAY
Hidden Gems
• October 2011
Hidden Gems . . . The Perspective of Paul Kalra by Deepa Walia September 27, 2011 wenty years ago, just like many other Americans, Paul Kalra watched the television PBC series on the American Civil War by Ken Burns. And just like those Americans, Mr. Kalra learned a few things that astounded him – the most prominent being the fact that African Americans during the time of slavery were not allowed to marry each other (not being able to marry other races was one thing but not being able to marry amongst themselves shocked him) and the other was that so many Americans died to free the slaves they treated as almost non-humans. He could not accept that the American Civil War, to which America lost more Americans than all other wars including Vietnam, World War I, World War II was purely fought to free the slaves. However, unlike most Americans, Mr. Kalra did not just accept these facts and started dedicated his time to understanding the different pieces that comprised this puzzle. He initially went to his friends and colleagues, natural born citizens of the USA, but even they could not answer his questions. An electrical engineer by trade, he is a problem solver. When faced with this story, he saw it as a problem that needed to be solved. Once he came across the problem, his main goal was to understand the reason behind it because if you can truly understand a problem, you can come up with solutions. And once he felt he had understood the problem, his next mission became to put it in the form of a book for others that may run across the same question. His book, “From Slave to Untouchable” explores a unique perspective on the Civil War, why it was really fought, and how it could have been avoided. In his book, he explores the two different types of slavery – Catholic versus Protestant slavery, one in which slaves are recognized as citizens and given basic rights such as marriage, family, etc. and the other where they are treated as non-citizens with no ability to mar-
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ry, have a family, etc. In his search, he found that the fault lay at the core of the constitution and a simple fix to the constitution could have avoided the bloodiest of civil wars. However, that small change is extremely difficult, given the not-so-democratic nature of America’s democracy. What is unique about this book is that Mr. Kalra does more than state the facts that one can look up themselves in a library, but using his problem solving skills, attempts to connect the dots and make sense of the Why instead of concentrating on the When, Where, How. Mr. Kalra’s main goal for writing the book is to help answer the question for others that may run across similar questions, as well as provide another perspective on how to avoid such bloody wars in the future. He also hopes that a better understanding of the American Constitution and political system will help people understand the political chaos currently happening in Washington DC. Even though not an author by trade, this is his second book. His first titled the American Class System helps set the stage and foundational
understanding of concepts in the US necessary to understand what transpired before, during, and after the Civil War. Since he is not an author by trade, he encountered many obstacles during his first book. Publishing in the USA is a very restrictive process, according to him. The message of the book is irrelevant if you are not a credible messenger so it is important for the author to have an educational background up to a Phd in writing or be a recognized expert; otherwise, publication houses will not even look at your manuscript. To help overcome these things, he sent his manuscript to authorities in the field like Dr. Stamp at Berkeley, who was an authority on slavery and the Civil War, many historians, and had Jesse Jackson Jr. write his foreword. He also hired a professional editor to edit the final manuscript. What really impressed me personally about Mr. Kalra and the reason I chose to highlight him in this month’s Hidden Gems was not just the book, but rather his tenacity towards finding answers and working to ensure those answers reach the rest of the
world. With so many obstacles in his way – starting with no knowledge of the history of the topic at hand, no experience in writing, challenges with getting publication houses to look at his manuscript, and many others – he had ample opportunity to give up. But, he didn’t. The concept so shocked him that he was dedicated to learning all about it and then dedicated to ensuring the answers he found reach the rest of the world. Very rarely do people take the time out of their busy lives to research and bring to light information from decades ago, because a topic touched them so deeply that they cannot rest. It is always a pleasure to speak with an individual passionate about something and Mr. Kalra has a passion for finding answers to the questions that life throws his way. Asia Today wishes him the best in his future problem-solving endeavors, which may result in additional interesting books. To read Mr. Kalra’s unique perspective on this historic topic, please purchase From Slave to Untouchable by Paul Kalra which can be found at Amazon. www.facebook.com/asiatodayaz
Local Coverage
• October 2011
ASIA 19 TODAY
Trendz…Hindi Musical
By Deepa Walia September 26, 2011 he Arizona Cricket Association with Chadrakant and BhagyashreeBarlingay (President of Akshaybhasha), Mahesh Naik (President of ACA), SandeepTonapi, Kiran, and Sneha Dhole of Mumbai Beats brought to Arizona another memorable evening that included a 50 year walk down memory lane. Trendz, a Hindi musical that showcased Hindi music from the last five decades, was an amazing representation of the evolution of music in Bollywood Cinema from 1950 to 2000. The evening was organized in support of another activity that has deep roots in South Asian culture (cricket) and it was pure genius to bring an event that showcases India’s rich musical history to support India’s rich sports history with cricket. Trendz, a sequel to the much-acclaimed Black & White (which only showcased music from Black & White movies), is the brainchild of Niche Entertainment, a company founded by group of young and creative minds with a passion for art, culture, and music. Since its inception in 2005, Niche has performed more than 400 shows all over India and over 100 shows internationally. This particular production was conceived and directed by the genius mind of Milind Oak and written by Dr. NinandThackare. I don’t have words to express appreciation for the talent that transformed this concept into a reality for the Phoenix audience. Rahul Solapurkar’s deep voice boomed in the audience as he anchored the program, dropping valueadded tidbits regarding what was happening around the world during each decade and how it impacted the music industry. The voices of singers HrishikeshRanade, JetendraAbhyankar, PriyankaBarve, and
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SwaradaGokhale combined with the lighting and set magic of AdityaDeshpande took us back to each of the decades from which the songs originated. The audience was captivated as the artists added charm to the songs originally sung in the legendary voices of AshaBhosle, LataMangeshkar, Mohammad Rafi, Kishore Kumar, and many more. The singers did more than justice to the legendary songs of their time as Mr. Solapurkar encouraged the audience to not only appreciate their depiction of famous hits from legendary singers, but to also support them so that someday, they will become the legendary artists whose hits newcomers will re-sing as they start their careers. Priyankahas already won many intercollegiate competitions and has just started as a leading actress for a SangeetNatak. Jetendra, who has a successful business with his Masters in Computers, sings professionally and commercially as a passion. He has done numerous TV and stage performances. Swarada, a finalist in Sa Re Ga Ma Pa, has also done wonders in both the classical and semi-classical world, as well as shared the stage with leading singers all over Maharashtra. Hrishikesh, a Sa Re Ga Ma Pa winner, sings in both Hindi and Marathi and has done playback songs for Hindi Songs by names such as ShankarEhsaan-Loy. After watching their mesmerizing performance, Iam confident that all four of the singers that addressed the Arizona audience will do great things in the coming decades. The event host would also like to thank Ajit and DipaliSathe for their support for this event. Congratulations to the Arizona Cricket Association for the South Asian event that brought culture, art, and history to the Arizona audience and gave the audience a chance to walk down memory lane from the last five decades.
Ek Shaam Aapke Naam
By Deepa Walia September 24, 2011 akistan Information and Cultural Organization (PICO) presented a beautiful evening filled with dancing, singing, and magic on the eve of September 24 at the Airport Marriott in Phoenix. The evening included a grand dinner and an opportunity to mingle with other attendees, followed by a series of breath-taking entertainment by Kevin Qais Essar, Neha and Kaviya, Mansoor Johar, and Mohammed Alyaqubi. Emcees for the evening Salim Jaffer and Gulnar Rai introduced the artists that sang in languages including Hindi, Punjabi, Arabic, danced to classical, semi-classical, and belly dance tunes to entertain the attendees. The evening finally came to an end with a grand finale magic show, The Circus of Illusion, that kept the audience mesmerized and laughing both at the same time. The event also attracted the Consult General of Pakistan from Los Angeles, Ms. Rifat Masood. Held at the Phoeinx Airport Marriott, the event could not have been possible without the support of Mr. Zafar Bhatti, General Manager of the Marriott, and all the sponsors and donors that contributed to make this evening possible. The event team, led by Zarina Jaffer, included volunteers Naqvi, Erum Hameed, Fauzia Rajabally, Mona Medhi, Sajid Mahmud, Riswana Raja, Shahid Hanif, Shaista Kanwal, and Uzma Babar, who worked hard so the attendees could relax and enjoy an evening that was truly dedicated to them. Amidst our crazy and demanding lives, it was a wonderful opportunity first class food and entertainment. Congratulations pleased to attend and shares some moments capto sit back, relax, and visit with friends while enjoying to PICO for a spectacular event. Asia Today was ture during the evening.
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ASIA 20 TODAY
• October 2011
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• October 2011
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ASIA 21 TODAY
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ASIA 22 TODAY
• October 2011
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Pervez Musharraf:
• October 2011
ASIA 23 TODAY
Why terrorists can help Pakistan
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akistan’s national interest is helped by the support of a feared terrorist group blamed for multiple attacks in neighbouring Afghanistan, former president Pervez Musharaf has suggested. Mr Musharaf told The Daily Telegraph that it was important for his country to spell out to the world why the Haqqani network was being allowed to operate on its soil. With the relationship between Washington and Islamabad deteriorating sharply, Adml Mike Mullen, Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, has accused Pakistan’s intelligence services of aiding the Haqqanis during an attack on the American embassy in Kabul. Mr Musharraf, speaking at his central London apartment, plans to return home from exile next spring and reenter politics after resigning in 2008 when he was accused of violating the constitution. He spoke before Adml Mullen’s comments but after the issue had been raised by Western intelligence analysts. Asked if Pakistan needed the support of the powerful insurgent family led by Jalaluddin Haqqani and linked to the Taliban, he said: “If I was in government I would certainly be thinking how best to defend Pakistan’s interests. “Certainly if Afghanistan is being used by India to create an anti-Pakistan Afghanistan, we would like to prevent that.” Mr Musharraf, the former head of Pakistan’s armed forces, who was regarded by the George W Bush administration as a key ally in the war on terrorism, said the Haqqani group was the source of a “terrible” lack of trust and confidence. “The United States must understand Pakistan has its own national interest. The United States must accept the compulsions of Pakistan and give assurances,” he said. He said Pakistan must “talk straight” about “what their national interest is, vis a vis why are they not acting against the Haqqani in North Waziristan [his stronghold], vis a vis was there any complicity in Osama bin Laden being found in Abbottabad.” He dismissed suggestions that the Pakistani military had colluded in hiding bin Laden but said the incident was “most embarrassing and negligence of a shameful order”. The former president said that if he www.facebook.com/asiatodayaz
that Pakistan needs to do more on terror. This is terrible, this is not good diplomacy at all. Britain we know to be very good diplomats but this is not good diplomacy.” Mr Musharraf admitted he had had an almost openly hostile relationship with Afghan President Hamid Karzai. “As time passed I realised that President Hamid Karzai is playing more in the hands of Indians who were trying to create an anti-Pakistan Afghanistan,” he said. “These were irritants that kept developing over the years and got converted into almost open hostility.” Mr Musharraf called for “ethnically representative, proportionally balanced, national government” that recognised the strength of the Pashtuns. But he added that Mullah Omar, the leader of the Taliban, was beyond Pakistani control and described him as “absolutely obstinate and semi-literate was in power he believed the Ameri- to India and you are supposed to be a and not aware of issues of the world, cans would have told him about their world power, you are lecturing Pakistan with very backward, sectarian views”. plans in advance. “I’m a straight talker and I accept straight talk,” he said. But the relationship between the United States and Pakistan was now “very poor” and suffered from “lack of trust and confidence” with “faults on both sides”. “The United States doesn’t understand the sensitivities of Pakistan - that the United States is in league with India, that Indians are allowed to do whatever they are doing in Afghanistan.” “When the coalition talk of leaving in 2014, Pakistan has to really think, what will be the environment and fend for itself against all the exterior pressures, all the exterior manoeuvrings and political manoeuvrings against Pakistan.” He said the distrust between the US and Pakistan was increased by drone attacks on the tribal areas, the killing of bin Laden and tensions over Raymond Davis, the CIA agent who shot dead two alleged robbers in Lahore earlier this year. “Are we some jungle people that you can do anything with? This is the feeling of the people of Pakistan. Are we some animal that they are treating us like this? We are a sovereign country and we have our own human rights.” He said the relationship with Britain was “a little better but not good”, adding that the Prime Minister’s comments about Pakistan’s failure to take on terrorism during a visit to India were “very, very negative”. “Isn’t it naive that if you are going www.asiatodayaz.com
ASIA 24 TODAY
• October 2011
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FOOD Corner
• October 2011
What is Hurry Mirch?
ASIA 25 TODAY
by Samarth Mohan Pathak
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hen I started this monthly column, I just wanted to share my passion for food because I think it is an integral part of all aspects of our life. Just like stars move around a black hole in galaxies, ourplanets move around a star, and how electrons move around the nucleus, I feel that everything in the universe moves around a central force or a concept.Even our everyday lives revolve around our families and love. This concept oflove and togetherness is the reason why we celebrate festivals and specialoccasions with friends, family, and loved ones. Be it a birthday, a graduation, an engagement, a wedding, a babyshower, or
any other gathering – they all signify our willingness to share andspread happiness with our loved ones. And when we talk about such gatherings,the central theme that we all share is the food served. It will not be an exaggeration if I said thatfood
is the fuel for any party. A groupof friends and family well fed with delicious food is a happy satisfied groupof people ready to dance and spill cheer all around. As I spread this notion around via my monthly column, now people are starting to wonder
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what exactly is Hurry Mirch – is it a restaurant, a catering business, etc.? Hurry Mirch is a concept and brain-child of an individual passionate about food and this column started as an outlet to share this passion with others and teach
them what he has learned in the wonderful world of food. With the response I have received from the readers, I believe it has now evolved to the point where it is ready for the next step – turning these ideas I have shared over the last few months into a reality at your special event. I would love to meet you well in advance and understand yourneeds and help design a food concept that will make your event a unique and memorableevent. My aim is to provide interesting, innovative ideas and follow through with truly amazing flavors of food. To contact me and follow the food journeys of Hurry Mirch, please visit http://www.facebook.com/#!/ hurrymirch.
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ASIA 26 TODAY
Kid’s Korner
• October 2011
Congratulations from Asia Today
“Population Effect on India’s Growth” C
By Swathi Ramkumar 1st Place Winner Grades 4-7 s the clock ticks, another baby is born. They say that every second, four babies are born somewhere in the world. This was probably in India, the second most populous country in the world, with a population of 1.21 billion, and a birth rate of 7.80 percent as of the 2010 census. The population in the 2000 census was 1,028,737,436, and has had a decadal growth of 17.64 percent. Along with the increase in the population, the Gross Domestic Product ( GDP) is improving. In fact, India’s GDP rate used to be 469 in 2000, and has increased to 929 in 2010, which means that the GDP rate has almost doubled since 2000. The GDP rate only boosted, because major developments have taken place in the technical industry, foreign trade industry, medical industry, and a various number of other industries. Since a large amount of India’s population consists of the comparatively younger generation, people in their twenties to fifties, in which most are highly educated, and are the main reasons why the industries flourish. However, the agricultural sector in India is gradually falling apart, due to most farmland not suited to modern technological methods and scarcity of water. Also, there is a lot of corruption in India’s government that slows down growth and development. Even though India has some major drags, we can still recover from them. If India has a corruption free gov-
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ernment, then India’s economy would boost sky-high, and the economy would be very strong. The agricultural sector would flourish with the installation of modern watering systems and also with the modern agricultural tools in place. Of course the government is educating the farmers in this area, and also offers financial help. Also, if India can improve on these downfalls, we will have a higher chance of being the next super-power country, and beating China and Japan in the race. The reason why India’s population is not affecting its development compared to Japan is because, 85 percent of Japan’s population consists of the older generation. Since most of them are not physically fit, they won’t be able to work, and the government will have to pay extra to take care of them. On the other hand, India and China are very similar. Both countries have almost the same population, with high exports, and both consist of a balanced population, although China is ahead of India in everything. However, the main advantage we have over China is our English skills. Most Indians can communicate well in English compared to their Chinese peer. So, it is important for India to recover from these areas that drag us down, that way we can exceed China in the race, and have a stronger economy than before. All in all, India’s population does help foster growth and development in many ways that we can even become the next superpower country.
Gandhiji and Netaj ByAbijith Krishnan 1st Place Winner Grades 7 and Higher n August 15, 1947, India finally gained its independence, after a ninety-year struggle against Great Britain; many give all of the credit to Mohandas K. “Mahatma” Gandhi. Why was Gandhi such an influential figure in India’s fight for independence? Mahatma Gandhi united the Indian people by reviving Indian culture. He favored peaceful protests and even inspired Martin Luther King Jr. However, Mahatma Gandhi and his friends, such as Jawaharlal Nehru, were not the only ones who struggled for Indian independence. Subhas Chandra Bose was another figure who drove the British out. “In 1956 Clement Atlee (British PM in 1947) visited India, AP Chakrabarthi the then Governor of West Bengal asked a question to him, why the British left India so soon after the allied victory in the world second world war. Atlee said that, there were so many reasons, but the most important reason was the activities of NetajiSubhas Chandra Bose” (“Netaji,” 2010, para. 4-5). However, Netaji also had many critics, including Gandhi himself. During his fight for Indian independence, Netaji first followed Gandhi’s preachings, but later he desired to fight Britain violently. He said, “The greatest curse for a man is to remain a slave. The grossest crime is to compromise with injustice and wrong. The highest virtue is to battle against inequity, no matter what the cost may be” (“Netaji,” 2010, para. 1). Netaji’s organization Forward Bloc aimed to seize political power from Britain and create a socialist economy. Unlike other freedom fighters, he created diplomatic relations with Nazi Germany and Japan. He created the Indian National Army and a provisional government to fight against the British, but his army and government fell due to the defeat of the Axis powers at the end of World
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War II. However, the INA sparked revolts in the Royal Indian Air Force and the Royal Indian Navy. Subhas Chandra Bose was an important figure in the struggle for Indian independence. When he travelled to South Africa, Gandhi faced racism and took part in passive protests. When he returned to India, he employed boycotts and protests to weaken Britain’s hold on India. For example, Britain owned a salt monopoly in all of India. To remove this monopoly, Gandhi marched with thousands of Indians to the sea and produced salt. These actions weakened the British economy, strengthened the Indian economy, and forced Britain to leave India. Gandhi once said, “Freedom is like birth. Till we are fully free, we are slaves” (Sunand Gandhi, 1996, para. 147). Both Gandhi and Subash Chandra Bose united India, but for different purposes. While Netaji tried to form an army, Gandhi used passive resistance. Nehru said about Gandhi: “Behind the language of peace and friendship, there was power and the quivering shadow of action and a determination not to submit to a wrong” (Lelyveld, 2011, p. 153). Gandhi’s teachings about peace persuaded the Indian people to fight for swaraj. Gandhi disapproved of violence and said, “Democracy and violence can ill go together”(Sunand Gandhi, 1996, para. 30). Netaji’s strategy of violence was not as effective as Gandhi’s strategy. Though he hastened the departure of the British, Britain would still have left India. Netaji created an Indian National Army to fight Britain; however, Britain had a strong navy and could replenish its troops quickly. India however had a weaker army and could not replenish its troops. When the British defeated the Indians, there would be no one to fight back. Without Gandhi, Mother India would not be the amazing independent nation it is today.
ongratulations to the 1st place winners of the essay content held at the Independence Day Celebrations organized by the IndoAmerican Cultural and Religious Foundation on August 14, 2011. Also, heartfelt appreciation for the parents, friends, relatives, and teachers that assisted these children and have dedicated time to keeping our history and heritage alive in the heart and mind of our coming generations. Asia Today is proud to showcase the winning essays.
What would you do as an Indian to help the poor villages of India? By Salil Naik 1st Place Winner Grades K-3
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n Indian village may appear very serene and charming . . . a cluster of mud houses, lush green fields, very few people and birds singing. But in reality, scattered throughout India are approximately 500,000 villages under subsistence level. Their life is full of hardships and uncertainty, without adequate infrastructure like roads, electricity, water supply, medical facilities and access to education. The main occupation, farming, has overdependence on unpredictable rain. We can help collect funds for digging wells, deploying rainwater harvesting & management programs or organize food drives for needy villages. Lack of education often forces villagers in manual labor work in nearby cities and slum dwellings. We should support Government and charitable organizations in promoting rural education. We can also donate gently used books, stationary & uniforms. What can we do, being so far away ?? The avenues are very many. There are social organizations dedicated for these causes that we can support. Some of them focus on increasing awareness about hygiene and providing health services which are often missing in villages. Deep in our heart we should always remember that thousands of miles away, in our home country, there are lots of people who aren’t as lucky as we are . . .
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Kid’s Korner
• October 2011
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TODAY
Crossroads
By Atharva Dhole he concept behind true justice is a difficult theory to comprehend. Some view it as an absolute abiding of the law whereas others choose the route of essential, (or so they claim) natural or innate rights. However, this proposes the question, what would YOU do in the sudden face of a test if your morals? Although a person may state the obvious, that they would hold true to their values and in instance of the question, they would rise to the occasion according to their beliefs. On the contrary, often is the case of support for the cognitive dissonance theory. This ideology theorizes that a person or persons’ actions are not held in accordance with their beliefs. That is, when placed under a pressure of some sort, a person acts contrary to how they believe. Allow me to suggest an example. Cited from Harvard professor of philosophy Michael Sandel, this scenario brings out the question of WHERE our principles went and WHAT happened to them. Imagine you are the conductor of a train that is careening out of control. You notice that the breaks are dysfunctional, much to your despair. Yet what frightens you further is that at the end of the track, you notice five workers, blissfully unaware of the approaching train. You know that the speeding train, if it hits them, will surely kill all five of them, at which point you begin to feel hopeless after your futile efforts to warn the men of their impending doom. As you start
ASIA 27
to anticipate the inevitable, you notice, a little further ahead, that there is a junction in the track, leading to a side track. At the end of that track, you notice a sole worker, one who is also unaware of your train. You tinker around and notice that your steering wheel works. At this point, the question is posed. What would you do? Would you turn the train onto the junction and kill the one man, sparing the five? Or would you take the former alternative, and run straight on the track, killing the five, but sparing the one? Most people would immediately answer that they would turn the train and run into the one man, killing him, thus avoiding the death of five other workers. To further this thought process, think to yourself: WHY did you decide to turn and sacrifice one man for the five? Or if you were in the minority and decided to drive straight into the five, killing them, and sparing the one: why did you decide to take this alternative? Deliberate for a while on this scenario, preferably with a partner to converse over different views on the topic. Now, let’s look at another example. Suppose you are on a bridge overlooking a train
H
ey guys! So, this month I want to share with you guys a story I wrote for my English class. It’s about finding who you are and living for today. I hope you enjoy reading it! Imagine trying to find who you really are for such a long time, but have trouble figuring it out? Yeah, that is what I am going through right now. It took me so long to really figure out who I am, and yet, I feel like, maybe I still have not. Maybe there is still apart of me missing that I am not sure about. Maybe I am not me, just what I think of myself. Figuring out who I am should not be about what I think of myself to be, it should be about what I do to shine and want to be. Ever since I was younger, I have tried so many different things, but none of them fit who I was trying to be. I tried piano, soccer, and all sorts of other things but I just felt out of place while doing them, like I was being forced to. And I hated that feeling, so I
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track. You notice that there is a train that is speeding towards five workers on a track. You feel helpless, especially because now you are watching this series of events take place. You know that if the train reaches them, the workers will without a doubt die. However, in this case, you notice that beside you, also on the bridge, is a man. You also come to realize that if you were to give the man a slight “nudge” that would send him over the bridge and onto the track, you could stop the train. Stopping the train would spare the five, but consequently, kill the man you pushed over the edge.
My Life
The question that is derived from this scenario is simply put: would you push the man over, or would you let the train carry on in its predetermined path? At this point, most people would take a similar stance as most? Harvard students took for this scenario. They would not push the single man over to spare the five. This proposes the question: What happened to the principle behind killing one to spare five? Where did it go? For those in the majority who would not push the man over the bridge, think to yourself your justifications. For those in the minority who would push him over, justify your belief. Also, try to see if your view altered from the previous example. Now some may argue that in the real world, they would never be forced to take part in a situation like this. Now I’m not attempting to say that at some point in a person’s life, they will be forced to decide the fate of another. However, I do stand firm to my belief that, going back to the concept of cognitive dissonance, that people often act contrary to their values or beliefs. This is seen every day, in all aspects of a person’s daily routine. You see vegetarians succumb-
quit. I always tried so hard to uncover my face from this mask as I did each of these activities. Maybe, I am just not accepting me for who I am, maybe I am just lost in the land of trying to fit in, when really I should be standing out. I always tell myself, to just be true to who I am and destiny will find away to bring me to myself. Unfortunately, that is one of my problems, worrying about if I will fit in or not, when really, I should be worrying about why I am not standing out. I have always tried to strive for perfection, day in and day out and I think I need to stop doing that. Sometimes, I think I have found myself, and once I try it again, I lose completely everything that I once thought I was. I stare at my reflection in the mirroras I roam the possibility of, maybe I have found myself but I am just not accepting it. Trying too hard to be
ing to social pressures, and eating meat, you see people smoking or drinking alcoholic beverages that they had once said they would never partake in, you see people indulge in such fantasies or luxuries that they would otherwise have spurned. It’s easy to forget the indirect impact that society and social pressure has on us. Each person attempts to fit into their own niche, however diverse it may be. People stereotype simply for self assurance. People discriminate or question when a man or woman or child acts inconsistent with our schemas of them. Social identity and out-group homogeneity dominate our lives and our actions, of which we are completely unaware of. To end this discussion, I’d like to propose a challenge to the readers. Within a typical day, attempt to calculate exactly how many times you find yourself being influenced or coerced into behaving in such a way you could never have seen yourself as acting. Who knows, you might surprise yourself!
someone I know I might not ever be is a waste of time. These past few years, I have been doing things that I am not positive I want to do, but hopefully, in the long run, it will guide me in the right path to finding who I am. Again, figuring out who I am should not be about what I think of myself, I should who I am destined to be. At the end of the day, maybe I am just rushing myself. So, when the time comes, everything will fall into perfect place. Although, it hurts to wait, I cannot take knowing that right now, I may be living a fake life, who knows I predict that in the future, somewhere, someday, that special thing will come to me and brighten my life and change it for the better. - Sanam Mallik
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ASIA 28 TODAY
Calendar of Events
• October 2011
October 2011 Sun
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* G.C.A. Navratri 2011 @ Greenway Highschool * Venkateswara Swami Puja @ Hindu Temple Of Arizona * Bathukamma Festival @ Eldora Park * BOL @ Pollack Tempe Cinemas - Hindi Movie(Starts@9:30)
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Meditation/Scriptural Readings @ Hindu Temple of Arizona * Serving Meals to Homeless on Gandhi Jayanti @ Saint Vincent de Paul Shelter * Ram Parivar Puja @ Hindu Temple Of Arizona
Meditation/Scriptural Readings @ Hindu Temple of Arizona * Shri Jagannathji Puja @ Hindu Temple Of Arizona *Swami Atmananda’s discourse & Sun Puja @ Hindu Temple Of Arizona
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* Meditation/Scriptural Readings @ Hindu Temple of Arizona * Dulhania Bazaar - South Asian Bridal Expo * Shivji Puja @ Hindu Temple * Murti Sthapna Anniversary Celebrations @ Hindu Temple Of Arizona * Dhana Lakshmi Puja by HH Chinnajeeyar Swamiji * Meditation/Scriptural Readings @ Hindu Temple of Arizona * Deepavali Kondaatam @ Chandler Center of Arts * Ganesh Ji Pooja @ Hindu Temple Of Arizona
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Satyanarayan Puja @ Hindu Temple Of Arizona
Navami - Navratri Ramayan Katha Conclusion @ Hindu Temple Of Arizona
Hanumanji Puja @ Hindu Temple Of Arizona
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* Meditation/Scriptural Readings @ Hindu Temple of Arizona * Balaji & Krishnaji Puja @ Hindu Temple * Hari Kandadai’s discourse & Sun Puja @ Hindu Temple
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Mahastami Durga Puja & Hanumanji Puja @ Hindu Temple of Arizona * Hanumanji Puja @ Hindu Temple Of Arizona * Durga Puja followed by Hanumanji Puja @ Hindu Temple
Hanumanji Puja @ Hindu Temple Of Arizona
Hanumanji Puja @ Hindu Temple Of Arizona
Diwali Celebrations with Kaali Mata & Lakshmi Mata Pujas @ Hindu Temple Of Arizona
Vijaya Dashmi/ Dassehra Celebrations @ Hindu Temple Of Arizona
Conquering the Demon Within @ the home of Yogi and Shivali Khopkar
G.C.A. Navratri 2011 @ Greenway Highschool
G.C.A. Navratri 2011 @ Greenway Highschool * Anwesha @ Scottsdale Center For Performing Arts * Gita & Vivekachudamani @ the home of Kohinoor & Rupali Kar
Chinna Jeeyar Swamiji Visiting Phoenix
* Life Bliss Program * G.C.A. Navratri 2011 @ Greenway Highschool * Kali Workshop @ Ramakrishna Ashrama * Diwali Mela @ Kiwanis Park * Venkateswara Swami Puja @ Hindu Temple
Swathi Thirunaal Day @ Maha Ganapati Temple of Arizona * G.C.A. Navratri 2011 @ G. Highschool * Kali Puja & Retreat Day @ Ramakrishna Vedanta Ashrama * Karva Chauth Celebrations @ Hindu Temple Of Arizona
Venkateswara Swami Puja @ Hindu Temple Of Arizona * Discourses on Sri Ramayanam, Srimad Bhagavatham by HH Chinnajeeyar Swamiji
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Venkateswara Swami Puja @ Hindu Temple Of Arizona
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star Monthly
• October 2011
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S ARIES
Mar 21 to Apr 20
low down this month. There are just too many irons in the fire for your own good. Take things one at a time. There is also the danger of getting caught daydreaming, as a new romantic interest could enter you life around the 11th. Be wise and keep things turn down to a low simmer. All is not as rosy as it appears. Be mindful of communications from those around you. Double think what you say before you say it as well.
TAURUS
April 21 to May 20
Y CANCER
ou’ve already started to look at those tax returns and things should be looking very good. Jointly held finances are in fine shape, however keeping a daily grip on things is advised, especially after the 16th. There is much activity on your job as well this month. Be careful not to overdo things and cause yourself some irritating illness.
Jun 22 to Jul 22
LEO
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LIBRA
Sep 24 to Oct 23
CAPRICOM
Dec 22 to Jan 21
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omance and marriage seem to be on your mind this month. If you’re already committed to another, concentrate on bolstering that relationship by showing your more sensitive side. If single, there could be a new someone who, while very intriguing, they may not be all they appear to be. After the 20th, your focus changes to jointly held finances and taxes. A raise could be in the offering this month.
T
VIRGO
he home front has your attention this month. Pressure from your career could create problems but someone may be making mountains out of molehills just to create a diversion regarding your attentions. Keep a close eye on your finances this month. A major setback could come your way after the 16th, if you’re prepared; you can short circuit the event in its tracks.
T
SAGITTARIUS
Nov 23 to Dec 21
Jan 22 to Feb 19
hile you have been spending the last month dreaming about what you want, now is the time to make the dreams come true. You shine this month and draw people to you. After the 11th, be wise in words that come and go between you and those committed to you, as deception is a key issue for the remainder of the month. On the 12th, you could encounter someone who catches your eye romantically. Interestingly, they may appear older and/or wiser than you and this may very well be the basis for the attraction.
here could be a tendency to overwork the first two weeks of this month, and that could lead to some health issues for the remainder of the month. Slow down and take things in stride. Also, avoid gossip in the workplace. After the 16th, concentrate on your home life. Make an effort to spend time with those who look to you for answers and comfort.
Aug 24 to Sep 23
W AQUARIES
ou must be on guard this month to avoid getting or giving the wrong impression to anyone. Consider others motives carefully before making decisions. If possible, postpone any big decision until next month when your thinking is clearer. After the 20th your career could get a boost. There is also the possibility of traveling for business reasons after the 16th.
May 21 to June 21
Oct 24 to Nov 22
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our finances are under fire this month, especially after the 16th. Watch your incoming as well as your out going cash. Trust little of what you hear and be careful about revealing secrets regarding your own financial position. Also, after the 16th, be careful not to overwork or extend yourself physically beyond your limits.
GEMINI
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SCORPIO
TODAY
Y
R
Jul 23 to Aug 23
he Sun lights up your house of romance this month. There could be more than one opportunity for romance. There is something of a warning here, though. Things may not be all that they appear, so be wise about your heart this month. After the 16th be careful with your words as they could get you into trouble. Take the time to think things through very carefully before you speak. Commit to nothing until next month.
our career is in full blossom this month and there is much activity there. Be careful about it taking too much time away from you home life. It could be doing damage you are unaware of, especially after the 11th. Shore up financial leaks this month and double-check your budget for errors. This will avoid a possible nasty surprise after the 16th.
ASIA 29
wo areas can create problems for you this month. If you know where they are coming from, you can do something about them. First, take good care with communications of all kinds. Secondly, there could be a showdown regarding your committed other. Be ready to listen to what they have to say. After the 20th, you’ll be spending more time at home. This will seem like a vacation from all that happens this month, as you will feel very safe there.
O
PISCES
Feb 20 to Mar 20
ctober is your down time month. Unfortunately, demands from your career keep you busier than you would like to be. Remember, you eat an elephant one bite at a time. After the 20th, the energy begins to flow back into your life. From the 11th on, be very wary of taking drugs, smoking or drinking as they could have a profoundly negative effect on you. Also, if you have any health problems, no matter how small, get a second opinion.
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ASIA 30 TODAY
Bollywood News
• October 2011
Zookeeper is stupid Film Review
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fter the portly (but this a Happy Madison production, so kind-hearted) Griffin Keyes sees his elaborate proposal (horse ride, fireworks, Mariachi band) to his girlfriend Stephanie (Bibb) brutally rejected, his lack of confidence comes in the way of his winning her back after she reemerges from obscurity half a decade later. Griffin, the titular zookeeper, soon learns he is competing with the sophisticated Gale (Rogan), for the attention of his lady, and is dejected. So anyway, animals could always talk since forever apparently and since Griffin was always fair in his dealing with them, they give him the lowdown about how to attract a mate. Yes you read that right. Later, Griffin following some misplaced advice from some beast or the other, beginsfaking a relationship with the much-hotter (though he is for some reason blind to it) but more down-to earth colleague Kate (Dawson) to make Stephanie jealous. Still later, he takes up a lucrative job to become a pompous jerk, renouncing the zoo - which is everything he stood for- all in a bid to win back the girl. A crossbreed between Doctor Dolittle, Hitch and the more recent Just Go with It, Zookeeper is downright stupid. There were some scenes such as the ones where animals were in a matter-of -factly doling out romantic advice and a surreal night on the town with a reticent (but misunderstood) gorilla posing as a human being which had this reviewer convulsing with laughter
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Film: Zookeeper (U/A) Director: Frank Coraci Cast: Kevin James, Rosario Dawson, Leslie Bibb, Ken Jeong, Joe Rogan Rating: *1/2
for all the wrong reasons.
One can imagine that once the
Shah Rukh Khan
uperstar Shah Rukh Khan whose dream project Ra.One is up for Diwali release, wishes stupendous business for his film akin to the recent ones that had a dream run at the box office. Hinting at the success witnessed by the movies of his friend-turnedfoe Salman Khan, SRK said although he is not competing with anyone he would still like for his movie to rise to those heights. “Every film has its own space. I am happy that in the recent past there are three or four films which have done great business. When it comes to box office, I hope even my film is good enough. We hope we will be able to touch the success of those films,” Shah
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filmmakers came up to the point where they knew the audience’s amount of suspendable belief would be reasonably exhausted, they probably decided against the film asking probing questions about human nature, as seen through the eyes of animals, since that sort of insight would possibly hinder their primary agenda: Making a corpulent guy falling flat on the ground, repeatedly and by various means, hilarious. Needless to mention, but this reviewer will anyway, they do anything but succeed in this herculean task. Performance-wise, nothing really sticks out, though the voice-acting behind the animals doesn’t really set the standards set by Disney. but this is a trivial complaint given the vapidness surrounding the dialogues, and the overall story. Sure, one could say that Zookeeper happens to be a family film. But such an excuse does little else than denigrate the genre itself. Yes, Kevin James is likeable, inauthenticity to one’s self and the world is flatly denounced and, how can we forget, talking animals! but how about some depth, freshness, wit and a finely-tuned screenplay?
hopes Ra. Rukh told reporters. Ra.One is superhero film directed by Anubhav Sinha, starring SRK, Kareena Kapoor and Arjun Rampal in lead roles. It is the most expensive film till date and will be released in 3D format worldwide, along with its dubbed versions in Tamil, Telugu and German. “When I started making this film it was a very expensive proposition but I thank all our partners not for the money that they have put in but for the belief that they have shown towards this film. And to recover the money the film will have to do business that has never been done before. The business exists...the return exists,” he said. The film releases on October 26. www.facebook.com/asiatodayaz
Bollywood News
• October 2011
Jimmy Shergill likes
ASIA 31 TODAY
portraying grey characters
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ctor Jimmy Shergill was appreciated for playing the baddie in his last release Tanu Weds Manu, but now it seems that he has taken a liking to portraying grey characters on screen more often. As his upcoming film will see him play another grey character. Jimmy says, “It has been one of the most challenging roles I’ve done. I feel in real life we all aren’t good. We all have a bad side and that’s what makes us what we are. Even while portraying a grey shade its not necessary that it has to be evil. It can be just be a little wicked. Right from my first film I have been playing characters that are real and to play a mindblowing character, it is important to have a little bit of a grey tinge to make it look real.” Films today, apart from getting real are also high on sex content. What
does Jimmy have to say about it? “Yes films are getting real. But sex doesn’t need to be added in films pointlessly. Bold scenes if done as per the script’s requirement is completely understood but doing it just to grab eyeballs is nonsense. Also such scenes need to behandled aesthetically or they end up looking cheap. Besides, cinema as a whole is a lot bigger than a bold scene,” says Jimmy. Ask him if he would prefer a big banner or a good script and he is quick to retort. “I would love if it has both. But frankly a good script can work wonders which a big banner cannot. As an actor the role and the story is far more substantial but that doesn’t mean that big banners are a bad choice. Banners give actors security and in today’s marketing driven industry, a good script has an upper hand. I also feel that dialogues are a very
important aspect of any film just like music. A heavy dialogue will also be lingering on audience’s
Paris Hilton keen to meet
mind. Remember Sholay or Mr India and recently Dabangg. The biggest high an actor gets is when he hears his dialogue being used by people while conversing,” replies Shergill as he was shooting for an upcoming episode of Date Trap.
Ranbir
Kapoor, but he has no time
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date with Paris Hilton was high on the social calendar of most movers and shakers of Tinselville, but the hotel heiress, who’s considered one of the most eligible bachelorettes apparently had her own to-meet-list as well. And according to sources, ranking high on it is actor Ranbir Kapoor. Insiders insist that Paris is well-aware that he’s a popular young Bollywood actor and is considered one of the most eligible bachelors too. “Paris has been enquiring about Ranbir Kapoor and even expressed a desire to meet him. In fact, she was actually looking forward to meeting him at the big bash that was hosted by Queenie Singh to welcome her,” reveals an insider. The big connect with Ran-
bir, for her was the fact that he’s considered one of the
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most eligible men here and it would be nice for her to meet
him as she’s won the tag of the most eligible bacholerette
as well, says the insider. The film angle works too. “She is quite high on Bollywood and fascinated by it. She was quite excited about meeting some of them too,” the insider added. However, Ranbir couldn’t make it as he was busy with his film Barfee. Apparently, the young socialite even tried to convey her message across to the actor. “We are sure that Ranbir too would have loved to meet her, but his work commitments couldn’t be avoided. Changing a date for him would mean reworking dates of everyone else involved in the film too. And he didn’t want to do that. But he’s keen to meet her as well. So maybe they’ll manage to catch up somehow,”a source adds. www.asiatodayaz.com
ASIA 32 TODAY
SPORTS
• October 2011
M
ansur Ali Khan Pataudi, one of India’s greatest cricket captains ever and whose flair and acumen inspired a generation of cricketers, passed away in Delhi on Thursday after battling a lung infection for the last few months. The 70-year-old cricketer, one of India’s early superstars and who was known as ‘Tiger’ in the cricket fraternity, was suffering from interstitial lung disease, a condition in which the passage of oxygen to the two lungs is less than normal. He is survived by his wife Sharmila Tagore, his actor son Saif Ali Khan and his two daughters Soha and Saba Ali Khan. His entire family was at his bedside when the end came at 5.55pm this evening. “He passed away around 5.55pm. His condition had deteriorated since yesterday. He was suffering from interstitial lung disease (interstitial pneumonitis) which worsens rapidly inspite of the best treatment available,” Dr SP Byotra, Department of medicine in Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, where Pataudi was admitted,
said. “He was unable to maintain his oxygen level in spite of maximal treatment. He continued to remain in the ICU for nearly a month. He had this disease which had been static since the last three months and worsened very acutely over the last four weeks, the doctor said. Dr Sumit Ray, vice chaiman, critical care, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital said he died of respiratry failure leading to cardiac arrest. He was was admitted on August 29 and was concious till yesterday evening. “He was in the Intensive Care Unit for last three days and his condition did not improve. His family in all probability will take his body tomorrow morning”, he said. Pataudi, who
lost his right eye because of an accident, played 46 Tests between 1961 and 1975 and was regarded as one of India’s greatest captains. Pataudi was given the leadership of the Test team in his fourth Test, when he was only 21, in Barbados in 1962, because the regular captain Nari Contractor was in hospital after getting hit on the head by Charlie Griffith. Pataudi, who was also known for his amazing sense of humour, was the youngest Test captain, a record that stood until 2004. He led India in 40 Tests and had a successful career despite impaired vision in his right eye, which was damaged in a car accident. He also captained Sussex and Oxford University. He scored 2793 runs in 46 Tests at an average of 35 and made six centuries, the biggest of which was an unbeaten 203 against England in Delhi in 1964. However, many experts rate his 75 against Australia in Melbourne in 1967-68 as his finest since he played that knock with an injured leg. Pataudi retired in 1975 after West Indies’ tour of India. After retirement, Pataudi served as a match referee between 1993 and 1996, officiating in two Tests and ten ODIs, but largely stayed away from cricket administration. Under Pataudi’s captaincy, India won nine Tests but it was he who instilled the belief in the team that it could win international matches. India achieved their first over-
seas Test victory under him, against New Zealand in Dunedin in 1968. India then went on to record their first overseas series win by beating New Zealand 3-1. The cricket fraternity reacted with shock and sorrow at the death of Pataudi and said his demise has left a huge void. Current cricketers like Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid and a gallaxy of former stars paid tribute to Pataudi and recounted his immense contribution to Indian cricket. Pataudi was the ninth and last Nawab of Pataudi until 1971, when the Indian government abolished royal entitlements through the 26th Amendment to the Constitution. He was also the editor of Sportsworld, the now defunct cricket magazine, and a television commentator in the 1980s but gradually withdrew from an active role, though he remained a strong voice in Indian cricket. Since 2007, bilateral Test series between India and England have been contested for the Pataudi Trophy, named after his family for their contribution to Anglo-Indian cricket. Pataudi’s father, Iftikhar Ali Khan, represented both England and India in Tests. Pataudi had taken ill since his return from England this summer after presenting the Pataudi Trophy to Andrew Strauss at the end of the fourTest series. He was also a part of the first IPL governing council but refused to continue in the role in October 2010, when the BCCI made significant changes to the league following the sacking of Lalit Modi as its chairman.
We didn’t deserve to win: Harbhajan Singh
M
umbai Indians might have edged out Trinidad and Tobago by one-wicket in a last-ball thriller of the Champions League Twenty20 here but skipper Harbhajan Singh said they didn’t deserve to win and the Caribbean side was the better team on Monday. “I must congratulate Darren and his team. They were the better side. We didn’t deserve to win. We didn’t bat
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sensibly,” Harbhajan said after the match. The India off-spinner said Mumbai Indians played too many unnecessary shots and unless they improved their batting, they will be knocked out of the tournament soon. “We needed to tick the ball around, but we looked to play too many shots. We just weren’t there with the bat. If we keep batting like this, we won’t be here for long,” he
said. “We won today, but if we want to be there for the semis, we can’t keep playing this kind of cricket.” Trinidad & Tobago skipper Daren Ganga said the defeat has shattered his team as they had fought really hard but still ended on the losing side. “Disappointing, the result. The guys are shattered. Imagine the manner we fought,
but didn’t come out winning. Definitely ordinary batting, we showed a lot of heart in the field,” he said. “That was the first thing, to play for the Super Over. It’s unfortunate, Denesh couldn’t hit the stumps, these things happen in cricket,” he added. Man-of-the-match Ravi Rampaul said his side showed a lot of character to defend a total of 98 and though they ended up on the losing side,
they would look to make use of the next three games. “Get the yorkers in, don’t go for many runs. Being bowled out for 98 we needed early wickets, so I went out attacking,” said Rampaul, who took three wickets for 17 runs. “We showed character and heart, and we have three games to follow. I found little extra bounce, and the shape, so the pitch helped,” he added.
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• October 2011
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ASIA 33 TODAY
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ASIA 34 TODAY
Chai With
• October 2011
Chai with... September 26, 2011
“
We help people help themselves to a better life.” Asia Today had the extreme pleasure of meeting a rare, selfless gem in today’s world filled with selfishness. Zarinah Awad, the Executive Director and Founder of The Cultural Cup Food Bank was raised in Oakland, California and completed college at Bennett College in Greensboro, North Carolina. Raised in a family that is used to giving back to the society in which they live, she was the child of a mother who was a social worker and school teacher and a father who was in the army. For those not familiar with the organization, the Cultural Cup Food Bank Inc. is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) corporation that specializes in providing food boxes to those in need with dietary restrictions. The organization is located in Phoenix and recently opened the Cultural Cup Free Clinic, which operates every Saturday 10:00 am - 2:00 pm. When asked what made her open a food back, she stated that she was in need of a food bank during the toughest times of her life. During this time, she visited a food bank and when she stated that she is a devout Muslim and in this religion pork (present in all the food boxes) is forbidden, the volunteer working the food bank coldly stated that that beggars can’t be choosers. From that moment on, she knew that if her luck ever changed and it was in her capacity, she would open a food
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Zarinah Awad of The Cultural Cup Food Bank Inc. Interview By Manju Walia, Article By Deepa Walia
bank to serve those with religious and health dietary restrictions. She worked hard to turn her tough times around and, when the opportunity arose, started The Cultural Cup Food Bank. Ms. Awad is truly an inspiration to all women and humans. Tirelessly working to overcome her personal physical and financial obstacles, she dedicated her life to helping others achieve the same feat as soon as she was able. A caring individual who does not judge those that are seeking help, she truly works at understanding their needs and helping them live their lives with dignity, even though the worst of times. Especially in today’s economy, when thousands of people have lost their jobs and homes, the food bank is an essential part of the community and is constantly flooded with those in need and Ms. Awad and The Cultural Cup do their level best to assist all those that walk through their doors. About The Cultural Cup Food Bank, Inc . . . The Cultural Cup Food Bank opened its doors in November 2003, with the support of the local community. However, many of the volunteers running the Food Bank have been actively providing emergency assistance from their homes, to members of the community for the last ten years, with the help of private donations. They are committed to: • Providing fresh, quality food in a manner that pro-
tects and maintains a high level of dignity and respect for people in need. • To acknowledge the diversity of those people when faced with dietary or religious food restrictions during times of hardship.
• Educating the community to the proper handling, preparation, and storage of hot and cold foods. • Utilizing the concept of volunteerism to enhance the quality of life for all community members.
• Building community relationships that foster unity in diversity. How Can You Help . . . Anyone can sustain the food banks’ mission by providing: • Financial Support – Dollars donated to the Food Bank, support programs, and food purchases • Food Donations – Non-perishable food items fill emergency food boxes yearround • Non-Food Donations – Non-food items such as diapers, powder, shampoo, toothpaste, soap, and other types of toiletries/household cleaners are a necessary addition to emergency food boxes • Volunteerism – Individuals and groups save Food Banks labor costs, while doing something wonderful for the community. Final Thoughts . . . It was heart-warming to meet Zarinah and hear her story, as well as the story of The Cultural Cup Food Bank and its mission. The Asia Today Team is in awe of her commitment to serving the poverty stricken and wishes her and the Food Bank continued success in helping people help themselves in the coming years. For additional information or to help with the cause of The Cultural Cup, please visit www.culturalcup.com or e-mail culturalcupfb@integra. net. They are located at 537 E. Osborn Road, Phoenix, AZ 85012 and can also be contacted via phone at 602-2668370
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• October 2011
ASIA 35 TODAY
Sant Baba Ishar Singh Ji Rare Waale Barsi By Deepa Walia August 28, 2011 ishkam Sewa Gurudwara Sahib of Arizona remembered Sant Baba Ishar Singh Ji on the occasion of his barsi (passing). Sant Ishar Singh Ji, born on August 5, 1905 in a village near Patiala called alowal, is from the family of Baba Ram Singh Ji, the head of htat village. He was always attached to the company of saints and was always in search of the truth. After completing his studies and excelling in everything from games, studies, social work, he had the privilege of being in the company of Sant Atter Singh Ji. During this time, he took Amrit and went back to Patiala completely changed from his earlier childhood days. In July of 1922, he left home and got involved in looking after Sant Attar Singh Ji at Rara Sahib. He firmly believed in two principles: belief in “Atam Marg” or the Spiritual Path where one constantly practices and preaches “Nam” and to always be upright and never beg for anything. At Rara Sahib, he got more and more immersed into spirituality and changed the lives of thousands of individuals. He passed away in Eng-
N
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land on August 25, 1975 after doing a lot of good for a lot of people in this world. With this event being so close to the 10th anniversary of the horrific attacks of 9/11, reporters Maria Romero and Gabriel Elizondo from the Brazilian TV channel Al Jazeera were also in town doing a national documentary all over the United States on 10 years after 9/11 and how communities af-
fected have recovered. They had chosen Arizona as a visit spot due to the incident with Balbir Singh Sodhi after 9/11 and were visiting Nishkam Sewa to see how the Sikh community is faring after the hate crimes that affected them post 9/11. Asia Today shares some pictures from the Barsi program and the Al Jazeera reporters. Having also visited
the Golden Temple in Amritsar, they were visiting gurudwaras in all the cities they were hitting from California to New York. In response to their visit at Nishkam Sewa, they both stated that it was a “beautiful temple” reminding them of the Golden Temple itself and that the people at the Gurudwara and the family of Balbir has been very hospitable.
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ASIA 36 TODAY
• October 2011
A Brief on “ONAM”
Malayalee Association of Arizona gathers to celebrate Onam
By Dr. John M. Johnson September 23, 2011 nam is an exclusive celebration of Malayalees (Keralites) once a year in the first month (Chingam) of Malayalam Calendar. It is a legendary, social, cultural, and meaningful celebration of all. It touches the whole humanity for goodness only. It translates amazing hospitality of a malayalee. The simple philosophy is “I am mortal, you are mortal, we are mortal.” I live, I let you live in this mortalge stage o our life. We find common ground for peace, harmony, and happiness. The center figure is Mr. Mahabali (The Great Sacrifice), a righteous ruler and king who ruled more than 4500 years ago. He was the son of a Godly king Mr. Prahalad who had vision from God and he followd it strictly. The message he practiced was “All human race is one, one brotherhood and one sisterhood.” Also, we should live without cheating or stealing from one another and co-inhabit as God intended. We are all great children of God. The sweet memory of his ruling is the hard core of Onam celebrations. In our time and generation to come we will have an ardent enthusiasm to carry on this legacy. It is magnetic. Seasonally, the nature itself bows for Onam occasion. The year ending monsoon season is over and the bright sky is shining the happiness of harvest. Everywhere beautiful flowers, the echo of beautiful birds singing. The nature instills live energy in everyone’s heart with hope and happiness. Actually, this is the time we see smiling faces everywhere. It is a Godly gift for Malayalees t have articulate sense of humor. Regardless of rich or poor, they use it all the time especially during Onam. They carefully pick one another to do this. Malaylees like sweet teasing to make other slaugh and be happy. Onam is the time of
O
amaste, and good evening everyone. N First and foremost I would like to thank you all for taking time out of your busy schedules to come share this very special occasion with me. Your attendance has truly meant the world to me and I could not be more grateful. Now, before I embark on the list of “thank you’s” that are warranted for this event, I would like to take just a few moments of your time to tell you about the Association for India’s Development. AID is an incredible nonprofit volunteer movement that has over forty chapters both here in the US, and in India. Established in 1991, this organization had prided itself as a unique “grassroots” movement, which is what I found most appealing and admirable. The mission of AID is not simply to pick a single issue and raise money in the hopes of remedying that problem, but rather to approach the problem from all angles from the ground up, and provide solutions in a sustainable, responsible, and equitable manner. They battle issues ranging from water quality, to women’s empowerment and education, realizing that these are not simply surface issues, but problems with roots that exist in poor infrastructure and regulation as well as the presence of corruption. Equipped with the right funds and manpower, AID has managed some truly remarkable projects in some of most rural villages in India. Whether is was the addition of alternate energy devices such as solar, wind, or micro-hydro to power electricity to village homes, or the creation of unique and creative educational tools to promote literacy rate and school attendance, AID has found myriad ways to make an already
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rest and relaxation. It is the tiem to take it easy. Every Malayalee nurtures creative imagination and fine thinking during Onam season. I can go on writing many of those good things but I will save some for next Onam. Peole have a mood for singing and dancing, especially folk dances. Onam is the time of yearly cleaning of our houses and throwing away all our junks. It is also the time of lceaning our yards and premises. Nature gives us beautiful new flowers everywhere. Children are so busy bringing flowers to decorate our houses. It is amazing to see and enjoy their creative design every hour of the day. The elders take time to go from house to house to encourage and given them monetary gifts. Onam is the time every Malayalee wears new clothes. They spent a lot of money to buy the best they like. Actually, there is a competition secretly to appear and show and excel. Even though Mr. Mahabali did not intent Malayalee to get intoxicated, in midterm time, Kerla uses alcohol beverages most during Onam which is very sad. The main part of Onam is “Sadhya” or the feast. Malayalees ar rice eaters. Every Malayalee rich or poor wants to have more items for the feast and countless sweets and different variety of papads and pickles. From house to house, there is competition. Kerala is a small beautiful state in the Southern Coastal area of India and some Malaylees call it the Jewel of India. Boat race is the vital part of Onam celebrations. People are very tenacious to win the race. The Aranmula Lake is the center for the race. It is a beautiful piece of real estate in Kerala, India. Actually during Onam the whole Kerala focuses on this lake. I still remember the official Sadhay with more than 60 items and 7 sweeets offered by Aranmula Temple free for everbody. I really enjoyed it and in my next visit to Kerala, I will pray it be in the Onsam season.
Arangetram thank you speech great country, even stronger. As a 17-year old, it is not often that one gets an audience of this size willing to listen, so I thought what better way to take advantage of this once in a lifetime opportunity than to give back to a country to which I owe so much. Growing up in the states, and attending school here has not deprived me of a great appreciation for my culture and heritage, but it has remained a limited appreciation nonetheless due to distance. India has given me my parents, my culture, amazing food, my religion, many of my clothes, Bollywood movies, and this beautiful art form that is such a huge part of my life, and it only felt right to use this window of opportunity to improve the lives of those who live in a land so rich and filled with culture, but are still less fortunate than I have been. I have been so blessed to grow up where I have and under the circumstances that I have, and I would sincerely appreciate it if any of you in the
audience tonight who were kind enough and generous enough to want to give me a gift of monetary value, to please make the check out to AID and help me make a difference. No amount is too small, and any and all donations are appreciated. I thank you all from the bottom of my heart for attending tonight, and I thank you in advance for considering making a donation to AID. Now to move on to the list of people who have played an integral part in my Arangetram. First and foremost, I would like to thank all of my gurus (NAME THEM ALL). Next I would like to extend my gratitude to the musicians without whom I literally would not have been able to do this; I am honored to have had such amazing talent accompany me tonight. I would of course like to thank my parents, whose unwavering support has been a constant positive force in my life in everything I have chosen to pursue. I would also like to thank all the
aunties who helped me from start to finish: Swarna auntie for the fantastic decorations – you are truly gifted and I am so blessed to have worked with you. Beenu Aunty for doing make-up, your time tested abilities to transform dancers, myself included, never ceases to amaze. Thank you to Prashanti Aunty, Sowmya auntie, and Nalini aunty for being the most efficient and reliable backstage managers I have had the pleasure of working with. My dear and wonderful sister-in-law Ranjani who emceed tonight –your vast knowledge of the arts, your constant support and affection are just some of traits I appreciate most about you and why you are such a role model in my life. Finally thank you to all my friends and family and the students of Nrityala Aesthetics Society and all their families for supporting me tonight. I would like to extend another special thanks to the Anantuni family who has provided unyielding support and guidance. Once again, thank you everyone, and have a wonderful rest of your evening. Namaste. Raji Ganesan
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ART & LITERATURE
Book Review Pakistan: Beyond T the Crisis State he dedication of the book says it all: “For the people of Pakistan who deserve better.” Pakistan: Beyond the Crisis State edited by Maleeha Lodhi can be termed as a triumph of hope over reality, given the situation in Pakistan today. But this collection of essays by Pakistan’s finest minds does not fall into the trap of reiterating all the problems. Instead, it focuses on solutions. The themes in the book are governance, security, foreign policy, energy, militancy, economic and human development and the country’s troubled past. In many ways, it is a poignant recording of the story of a hardworking and proud people so sadly shortchanged by an inept civilian leadership and a violently ambitious army. Historian Ayesha Jalal speaks of how a refusal to study the country’s history in a fair manner has acted as a barrier to people remodelling their emotional framework. An authority on contemporary Islam, Akbar S Ahmed writes with regret of Mohammed Ali Jinnah’s vision of an inclusive, modern State could have been the answer to the problems that Pakistan has faced in its tumultuous history. But Jinnah’s legacy has been frittered away, distorted by his political heirs, most of them unable to see beyond the here and now. Novelist Mohsin Hamid is highly optimistic in his essay about Pakistan’s ability to pull itself up by the bootstraps. He identifies poor and skewed tax collection as a reason for Pakistan’s coffers not having enough to fund its own development and being trapped in a client State mode vis-à-vis the US. He is upbeat about the richness of Pakistan’s tradition, its fledgling democracy and diversity as factors that will eventually pull it back from the brink. Like Banquo’s ghost, the Pakistani military features throughout the book, its influence in literally every sphere of life in the country. Saeed Shafqat is hopeful that the military that has held sway over the country for so many years
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since the creation of Pakistan will eventually be restricted by a national political consensus. Zaid Haider’s essay is perhaps the one that will be of most interest to Indian readers. It deals with Pakistan’s daunting struggle against extremism and militancy. He is critical of the wasted opportunity that presented itself to Zulfikar Ali Bhutto when he became the first civilian politician to rule Pakistan after a 15-year military rule. Coming to power on a populist platform, Bhutto at first settled on a hotch-potch ideology of Islamic socialism. But along the way, he turned more hardline, banning alcohol and gambling and declaring the Ahmadis non-Muslims. Launching Pakistan’s nuclear programme, it was Bhutto who came up with the concept of an ‘Islamic bomb’ to counter the ‘Jewish’, ‘Christian’ and ‘Hindu’ bomb. But the Bhutto years were a Sunday school picnic compared to the tenure of Zia-ul-Haq who saw Islam as part of the revolutionary process to overhaul Pakistan. His Islamisation drive did not leave any institution untouched, including the judiciary. He cultivated a pernicious strain of Islam and under his benign gaze, many of
the militant outfits which plague Pakistan and the region today began to flourish. Perhaps the greatest disservice he did to his country was the radicalisation of the army. His death did not make things better for Pakistan. In fact, it began a dangerous drift into political instability, isolation and jihadism, the effects of which are felt even today. Journalist Zahid Hussain builds on this with his essay on battling militancy. He documents the rise of the Taliban and its ruinous effect on Pakistan. He doesn’t see an armed response as the antidote to militancy but a more holistic approach in which there has to be political mobilisation of people to combat terror. No volume on Pakistan can be complete without the India factor and this is what Syed Rifaat Hussain deals with. Tracing the fractious relationship between the two countries, he dispassionately examines why India has insisted on recasting any dialogue with Pakistan around the issue of terrorism. Yet, for all the problems and hostility, he sees hope in Pakistan taking note of India’s rise in the global arena and setting its own house in order. The other option would be to step up jihadism so that India would bleed. But then again, so would Pakistan. He even sees Pakistan hitching its stars onto the Indian economic wagon while the two work out ways to bury the hatchet on a number of contentious issues. The other chapters on Pakistan’s nuclear quest, its economy, educational shortcomings and pursuit of energy make for compelling reading. Where this book scores is that it contains many viable solutions for a country that has so spectacularly failed to live up to its potential. If even some of the suggestions were to be taken up, it could be the beginning of the realisation of the vision of its great founding father.
• October 2011
ASIA 37 TODAY
Poet of the month M
Maya Angelou
aya Angelou was born Marguerite Johnson in St. Louis, Missouri, on April 4, 1928. She grew up in St. Louis and Stamps, Arkansas. She is an author, poet, historian, songwriter, playwright, dancer, stage and screen producer, director, performer, singer, and civil rights activist.
Still I Rise
You may write me down in history With your bitter, twisted lies, You may trod me in the very dirt But still, like dust, I’ll rise. Does my sassiness upset you? Why are you beset with gloom? ‘Cause I walk like I’ve got oil wells Pumping in my living room. Just like moons and like suns, With the certainty of tides, Just like hopes springing high, Still I’ll rise. Did you want to see me broken? Bowed head and lowered eyes? Shoulders falling down like teardrops. Weakened by my soulful cries. Does my haughtiness offend you? Don’t you take it awful hard ‘Cause I laugh like I’ve got gold mines Diggin’ in my own back yard. You may shoot me with your words, You may cut me with your eyes, You may kill me with your hatefulness, But still, like air, I’ll rise. Does my sexiness upset you? Does it come as a surprise That I dance like I’ve got diamonds At the meeting of my thighs? Out of the huts of history’s shame I rise Up from a past that’s rooted in pain I rise I’m a black ocean, leaping and wide, Welling and swelling I bear in the tide. Leaving behind nights of terror and fear I rise Into a daybreak that’s wondrously clear I rise Bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave, I am the dream and the hope of the slave. I rise, I rise I rise. www.asiatodayaz.com
ASIA 38 TODAY
Local Coverage
• October 2011
MEET Lilly G ~ A VISIONARY AND INNOVATOR WHOSE UNIQUE PHILOSOPHIES WILL MAKE A DIFFERENCE EVEN IN YOUR LIFE. THE VOICE for THE People ~ to the World
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hinking… Be~ing Human and Feeling it from within... Medi~T~ation Versa Medi~C~ation mental healing medicated healing 2 Words so similar…just one letter off, Trade a “T” for a C for such a different meaning, different Worlds surround them! ONE artificial ~the other all Natural Ingredients • Health ~ Why do we buy the FOOD we buy?…Do we know what we eat? our Health is what we consume. ~ Food is eating us ~ • Marketing / Advertisement ~ Why do we buy what People advertise?…We represent what we buy. The power of marketing tries to make you believe it is good for you… But it is just plain marketing. ~ Marketing is a license to lie ~ • Pollution~ Global ~ Physical ~ Mental ~ Emotional The Ozone level of our Minds is as polluted as the earth ou hear the Word “MEDITATION” so many times in so many Places but,.. Do people REALY get the meaning of IT!… unfortunately it’s easier for People to go to the Doctor & get a prescription of a MAGIC Illusionists Pill …even if Meditation is 1000s of YRS old …& its FREE versa medication that costs sometimes 100$ of Dollars. Meditation: It is very Traditional in the purpose and use of healing in other Countries & the only way of healing our Body ~ Mind & Soul. The other method we have in the Western World “Medication” just leads to more illness & the breakdown of Our immune System attacking Organs after a while …it weakens Our bodies…instead of strengthening them. The consumption of medication is way Over- rated for its healing success .I think in honesty in research , we would find that MEDITATION does a lot less damage to Our bodies & mind….& yes, it also heals us better because we heal our Selves. Meditation is connecting to Your inner self ... I know from listening to many people I come across, that they’re afraid of thinking of themselves in Depth & go beyond. They like to stay on the Surface and reflect only a Facade …& rather talk about meaningless subjects or Politics. That’s why the masses are overrun by the Media ~Ocre Pseudo World . We need to create a lot more AWARENESS …of the Alternative ways of healing Our self. IT should be the # 1st choice. Meditation over medication should be a lot more Researched & get it into main stream Media “PEOPLES HOUSEHOLDS” … Commercial adds have in every segment several Pharma ads that are supposed to make us believe that the HAPPY PILL exists in every PILL they’re pushing on Us & make us believe they are selling a happy life as a package deal & all YOUR problems are solved if YOU just take that pill & other & other …Why is the Consumer falling for this ??... have we asked our self how gullible we are...I’m happy to say I’m NOT buying in to this Illusion…but Millions Do?
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WHY?Because we are all searching for & dreaming of a MIRACLE HaPPy Pill You can find that Pill in MEDITATION w excellent SIDE effects instead of KILLING Your Body & Mind RE~storing ~ refreshing RE~rejuvenating it… we are all OUR own healers thinking from Within from Our SOUL base is the best way to start … Cleanse Your conscious body into health …through your sub~conscious ! The body, if you take care of it rejuvenates every 42 days, especially if You feed it the “Nutrition’s” it craves that are not connected to YOUR Eyes but Your inside it starts with Meditation ...only your inside Intuition knows what’s good for us, not the screaming label or seductive packaging on the Market Field of OVER dosed products to Scheme us Daily out of OUR Wallet …that’s what it comes down to all the time! $$$...when are we going to wake UP …& realize we are living in a Superficial artificial World surrounding us …if we don’t use our own healthy judgment of GOD & BAD! …Marketing is ONLY a license to Lie …& has no meaning to a healthy good product. ONLY MONEY supports & sponsors the Decision of needing & having it , not good healthy common sense …that’s why we owe it to Our inner intelligence to make the Decision to real solution’s we have. The choices we have are through Resources available to us …& should guide us w logic…if YOU think with Your inside! & not blinded by colorful seductive Billboards & commercials… The way to meditate is in many different ways... find YOUR way that you’re comfortable with …traditional ways like in combination w YOGA .I do this all my Life since was 6 yrs old growing up in Europe… we take a lot more care of our bodies especially INSIDE …physically & mentally . I meditate closing my Eyes to feel & see & listen to the Inside of my Being .I relax & focus & bring the World into my existence that has only Spiritual meaning !... let go of the System stress …it has no value to our Earth …become ONE w the earth connected to the universe within us …control Your breathing breath in Deep the Good Earth & out the Bad of the System Stress …You can do this in comfortable position as long as You can keep the Focus on the Inside don’t let ANYthing Noise or other distract YOU…what helps from distraction is light Music to guide You in to the meditative State …I even meditate hiking in Nature…find a way that suites YOU ...YOU will heal YOUR self out of any ailments ,because the BODY has its own way of healing, if YOU feed it the Right ingredients to create a Recipe for the individual YOU … the concentration to meditate is called “DHYANA” & the trance you meditate into is “SAMADHI” if You reach the trance state Your Body & BE~ing become one with Inside focus …you are slowly getting into the 3rd trance state & dissolve from your Identity into Your own spirit “NIRBIJA”. The results of this meditation…is to get the highest stage of bliss salvation & freedom from the cycle of birth & death.... a calm will overcome with no FEAR …that is the “Moksha” or the union with our universal SOUL …Surrender to YOUR SOUL!... YOUR SOUL reflects LOVE Wisdom~ will win over the intellect~ The Soul~ is more intelligent then the brain Guru G
Medical Cannibals vs. Medical Cannabis
by Chuck Ross he real pharmacy of life is within your own brain. The protein based receptors infusing neurological healthy chemicals attempting to offset so many man made PHARMA-toxins and dead chemical fillers that BIG Pharma assaults the masses daily thru remnants of profit in the water system of life. This universal infinite intelligence neuro pharmacy is within all of us . It can be changed by simply thinking different, creating different receptor points within the brains own web of memory neurons of past experiences but not able to predict the future. Most of us have consistent thought patterns and personalities creating a lesion at the receptor points in the brain. By simple thought pattern changes of paradigm perspectives one can change their own chemical makeup within the brain, creating a healthier chemical balance..no Big Pharma needed to cloud ones memories of the future. How many people do you see that are consistently angry. This angry is also represented at the neurological level in the brain as lesions from the constant electromagnetic activity. Just think of a welders torch on your car hood attempting to burn a hole after a while it succeeds. So quit thinking negative thoughts to avoid brain receptor burnout. One must stop as it happens in order to change the pattern. Avoidance of Brain receptor Burnout is where the BIG Pharma sales pitch comes in...usually on Television ordering us to ask our Doctors about a product that has a dirty laundry list of suicidal side effects on the side of the over priced bottle. I don’t care if it only cost four dollars, that just tells me it cost about 50 cents to produce so that Hyper-Walo-Mart can be the poison distribution system already in place. Its almost comical if it wasn’t so threatening. All the while the BIG PHARMA insiders ride the monkey of profiteering on our bottom line lives, getting every last bit of the pharmacy product dependent persons social security to pay for such profits. Most BIG PHARMA product dependent people essentially have become investment slaves for most of their lives feeding their Social security accounts for decades only to turn it over to Big Pharma in order to live through retirement. Most of us loose perspective on that level. At which point some have turned to medical Cannabis for relief from the quasi Madison Ave. ad Mans Big Pharma assault on the consciousness of the main street society. The only real concern is Wall Street profits with layers of lying Lawyers in order to protect their wallets from law suits of ill repute from the Human debris of the Big Pharma waste land of brain receptor burnout. Yet a young Iraq war veteran is shot 71 times and killed as SWAT descended in Tuscon on the wrong home...all over a natural cannabis plant that has been around for 10,000 years. No money and no drugs were found..only a dead veteran young widow with 3 children. Why have we not seen SWAT on FAUX NEWS descending on the Corporate head-Hunter Head quarters of big Pharma that have killed and maimed so many millions for decades past and future generations with Autism and many other off the charts ratios of occurrence. That data reflecting radical gains in disorders over the last fifty years. Its amazing how the politically conservative ill informed person always votes against their own best interest. Allowing a Governor such as Arizona’s Jan Brewer to file suit in reference to medical Cannabis dispensaries. Her actions against the will of the people after the issue has been approved by the voter citizens in majority. These ill informed voters put into office people such as Brewer that are owned by Big Pharma. The very Big Pharma that now owns some or most of their social security checks. The ones that are fighting the facade of the war on drugs. These ill informed conservatives never see the true results of their votes when they allow the ones they elect to wreck havoc on society for personal gain. Why doesn’t the ill informed conservative Jan Brewer file suit on WALO Mart for distributing Big Pharma products with a known history of human destruction far out weighing the well documented benefits of medical cannabis. No one has ever died from medical cannabis...ask any Shaman from the last 10,000 years.~
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• October 2011
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ASIA 39 TODAY
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ASIA 40 TODAY
• October 2011
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