Jul 2010 - Boston South Asian

Transcription

BOSTON South Asian
Monthly Community Paper | [email protected] | 617-334-6781 | Vol. 2 No. 7
Indian Muslim
Council of USA
By Zainab Lakhani, IMC-Boston
On the evening of Sunday, June
13th, over 100 people gathered
at the Portuguese
Riverview
Club
in
Hudson
Massachusetts for a
fundraiser
event starring comedian Azhar
Usman
of “Allah
Made Me Funny” fame.
The fundraiser event was put together by the dedicated members
Manmohan Singh
leaves for
Canada Friday
New Delhi, June 24
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh
leaves Friday for the G20 Summit in Toronto June 26-27 where
he is also set to hold talks with
his Canadian counterpart Stephen
Harper and sign a bilateral nuclear
cooperation pact on the lines India
has with the US.
(Continued On Page 15)
of the Indian Muslim CouncilUSA (IMC-USA) Boston chapter.
The objective was to raise money
a n d
awareness for
the organization.
IMCUSA is
a nonprofit
organization whose mission is to promote
peace, pluralism and social justice
through strategic advocacy. (Continued On Page 12)
Apaar Bangla – Music
without Borders
By Koushik Chakrabarty
There are winds of change
blowing in the Bengali music
scene in Boston. And a packed
audience of around 400 at a
Watertown MA auditorium on
June 5th would agree. Traditionally catered to by a solo
singer using the harmonium
or singing to pre-programmed
iPhone tracks, the audience
was witness to a rocking concert by Apaar Bangla. One of
the very few original Bangla
bands outside Bengal, Apaar
Bangla brings together melo-
Sorry, Says Canada 25 years
After Air India Bombing
By Gurmukh Singh
Toronto, June 24
Accepting “institutional failings
of 25 years ago”, Canada Wednesday formally
accepted
blame
for the
Air India
bombing
tragedy
and said
sorry to
the families of
the victims for the treatment meted out to
them by successive governments.
“We are sorry... your pain is
our pain... as you grieve so we
grieve,” Prime Minister Stephen
Harper told the victim families at
a memorial service here.
Wi t h o u t
naming
pro-Khalistan
elements
blamed
for
the
bombing,
the prime
minister said:
“ T h i s
was not act of foreign violence.
dy from Bangladesh and West
Bengal and percussion from
around the world.
inside
July 2010
Infosys to partner
with US Institute....02
India’s artificial
flower.....................03
No iPhone, Only
BlackBerry..............04
Track child’s school
progress on mobile.05
Obama Honours
Back to School
SPECIAL ISSUE
The band performed several original compositions on
themes
HAPPY
July 1 - Doctors Day
July 10 - Shabbe Mirag
July 13 - Rath Yathra
July 25 - Guru Poornima /
Parents Day
July 24 - 27 - Sai Baba
Festival
July 28 - Shabbe Barat
July 31 - Nag Panchami
August2010
[email protected]
617-334-6781
Indian Teacher.......05
Second Chicago
Hinduism Summit...06
Manisha Koirala
wedding..................07
Pray at Laila-Majnu’s
‘Tomb’.....................08
Beware frequent
fliers.......................10
Heat Cramps, Stroke
& Exhaustion..........11
Samskrita Bharati...12
Comm. Calendar ....14
Art-Culture special..16
Sturbridge Village...17
Akshaya Patra.........19
Check your sign......21
Entertainment........22
Meditation as
Medicine.................23
Boston South Asian
July 2010
Infosys To Partner with US
Institute For Research
Bangalore, June 8
Infosys Technologies and Georgia Institute of Technology,
US, plan to set up a research
institution here with centres
for excellence in information
technology and information
systems, energy systems, biotechnology and infrastructure
studies, the IT major said
Tuesday.
and information systems, energy
systems, biotechnology and infrastructure studies,” it said.
He noted that for several
years the partnership between Georgia Tech and
Infosys has been very
strong in Atlanta, where
the IT bellwether has rapidly expanded its local
workforce by hiring several hundred engineers.
Infosys Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Kris Gopalakrishnan and Georgia Tech’s provost and vice president for
academic affairs Gary Schuster recently signed a memorandum of understanding to
partner on potential research
and educational opportunities, Infosys said in a statement here.
“Georgia Tech is exploring the
possibility of establishing a small,
high quality post-graduate research institution in Hyderabad.
The proposed Georgia Tech facility will include centres for excellence in information technology
are collaborative opportunities in
both locations,” the statement said
quoting Schuster.
Infosys was recently
named “Employer of the
Year” by Georgia Tech’s
Division of Professional
Practice.
As part of the partnership, Infosys
will collaborate on research projects of mutual interest in these areas of technology.
“Since Infosys has a presence both
in Atlanta and Hyderabad, there
Aadhaarshila
an educational
institute
that lays
the academic foundation in Math
Science and English.
We offer:
Learning After School,
Saturday Enrichment Time,
Private Tutoring,
“Take out” self study materials,
Summer Enrichment.
Join us for:
Math contest every April,
Science contest every October,
Vocabulary contest every January,
Project nite every September.
“Georgia Tech faculty
and Infosys engineers
and scientists will now
have the opportunity to
work together on emerging computing and web technologies that
promise to add new efficiencies of
cost and scale to rapidly expand
markets in retail, manufacturing,
commerce, energy and finance,”
he said.
Gopalakrishnan
said:
“Infosys has been collaborating with leading
universities and research
institutions across the
globe, working with
some of the best and
brightest minds to develop and nurture ecosystems of research and
innovation. Our association with Georgia Tech
and the research programmes we undertake
will focus on emerging
technologies to develop
client-specific business
solutions.”
Infosys
strengthened
its presence in Atlanta
through recent acquisition of McCamish Systems, he said.
“Partnership with Georgia Tech further enhances our business opportunities in the US,” he
added.
Page 2
Crayfish Provide Clues To
Mystique Of Decision-Making
Washington, June 16
Psychologists have found that
crayfish make surprisingly complex, cost-benefit calculations
-- thus making an excellent, practical model for identifying the
specific neural circuitry and neuro-chemistry of human decisionmaking.The study at the University of Maryland (UM) is the first to
isolate individual crayfish neurons
involved in value-based decisions.
Currently,
there is no
direct way
to do this
with a human brain.
“Matching
individual neurons to the
decisionmaking
processes
in the human brain
is simply
impractical
for now,”
explains
s e n i o r
study author and UM psychologist Jens
Herberholz.
“The basic organisation of neurons and the underlying neurochemistry are similar, involving
serotonin and dopamine, for example,” says Herberholz.
The experiments offered the crayfish stark decisions - a choice between finding their next meal and
becoming a meal for an apparent
predator.
In deciding on a course of action,
they carefully weighed the risk
of attack against the expected reward, Herberholz says.
Using a non-invasive method that
allowed the crustaceans to move
freely, researchers offered juvenile Louisiana Red Swamp crayfish a simultaneous threat and reward: ahead lay the scent of food
and also the apparent approach of
a predator.
In some cases, the “predator” (actually a shadow) appeared to be
moving swiftly, in others slowly.
To up the ante, the researchers
also varied the intensity of the
odour of food.
To make a quick escape, the crayfish flip their tails and swim backwards, an action preceded by a
strong, measurable electric neural
impulse.
The
specially
designed tanks
could noninvasively
pick up and
record these
electrical
signals. This
allowed the
researchers
to identify
the activation patterns
of specific
neurons during the decision-making
process.
The crayfish
took decisive action in a matter
of milliseconds. When faced with
very fast shadows, they were significantly more likely to freeze
than tail-flip away.
The researchers concluded that
there is little incentive for retreat
when the predator appears to be
moving too rapidly for escape,
and the crayfish would lose its
own opportunity to eat.
This was also true when the food
odour was the strongest, raising
the benefit of staying close to the
expected reward, said an UM release.
A strong predator stimulus, however, was able to override an attractive food signal, and crayfish
decided to flip away under these
conditions.
The study will be published in the
Proceedings of the Royal Society
B, and is being released online.
Page 3
July 2010
Boston South Asian
India’s Artificial Flower Business Blooms Abroad
By Neha Tomar
New Delhi, June 17
These flowers look good, do not
disturb the environment and do
not fade in a hurry, but there’s a
catch - they cost five to seven
times more than fresh ones. Perhaps that is why artificial flowers
don’t sell well in India, making
manufacturers look to
Europe and
the Middle
East for a
blooming
business.
In India, the
market
is
still small
compared to
fresh flowers.
“It has a total turnover of around Rs.1,000
crore a year whereas the fresh
flower market has a turnover of
around Rs.8,000 to 9,000 crore a
year,” Vishal Gutgutia, managing
director of leading Indian florists
Ferns n Petals, told IANS.
He added that in India the total
natural flower business covers 60
percent of the floriculture market, artificial flowers contributes
30 percent of the total turnover
and 10 percent is taken up by dry
flowers.
According to the artificial flower
sellers in India, there are many
bulk producers of these
flowers, but with the
market here attracting
few takers, the producers have to look westwards.
“Since the Indian market is mostly ‘need
driven’, the demand for
them (artificial flowers)
is less here. Only the
affluent sections have
the pocket to splurge
on products such as
these to decorate their homes. We
usually export them to Europe and
the Middle East,” said Saif Shah
Nawaz, manufacturer, Candle &
Blooms.
Incidentally, due to vast improve-
ments in the quality of artificial
flowers as well as lifestyles that
demand low maintenance home
decorating accessories, the market
for them has grown into a multibillion dollar business in countries
like Thailand and China.
The higher price is perhaps the
main reason for the lower demand
of the artificial flowers in India.
Talking about the price range of
these flowers, Chetna Garg of
Delhi’s Ranga Rang Creations
said: “A natural rose flower costs
Rs.10, while an artificial rose
flower would cost a minimum of
Rs.50. The price may rise depending on the design and the material
used.”
Manoj Rajani of Mumbai’s AgroCare Products also agreed, adding
that artificial flowers are usually
priced five to seven times higher
than their natural counterparts.
“That is one of the reasons for
their lower popularity in the Indian market; so we export most of
our stocks. A limited quantity is
sent to local markets, that too at a
cheaper price,” he added.
SEPTEMBER 2010 ISSUE
Flower producers feel that these
flowers do have their advantages.
“People like to throw grand parties, so they want decorations to
be over the top. These (artificial)
flowers can be of good use without disturbing the environment
and they can be reused also,” Rajani told IANS.
As per retailers, there is still a
prevailing mindset that artificial
flowers mean that they are made
of cheap, shiny plastic - perhaps
with a plastic dew stuck to a petal.
“Most Indians are quite wary of
buying artificial flowers because
most of them think they are only
made of plastic, but in fact innovations and intricate work are
used nowadays,” said Mahesh
Setia, who sells artificial and dry
flowers at his shop, Florina.
Artificial flowers are available in
an infinite variety - besides plastic, they are made of paper, cotton,
parchment, latex, rubber, satin,
porcelain and dried materials, including flowers and plant parts,
berries, feathers and fruits.
“Our raw material comes from
China and Japan, and we put in a
lot hard work to make them look
like the real ones,” Setia added.
The people engaged in producing these flowers feel it is more
profitable to buy artificial flowers
as they require less maintenance,
lasts longer and are hassle-free.
Prominent beautician Shahnaz
Hussain is a lover of artificial
flowers and is known to decorate
her workplace and home with
them. “I feel they are a wonderful
way of adding beauty to the home
and surroundings. The colours
of the flowers and the leaves are
natural,” she told IANS.
It’s amazing how much
love and protection
a small red mark can carry.
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Boston South Asian
July 2010
No iPhone, Only BlackBerry For British Ministers
London, June 17
Ministers in the David Cameron
government cannot use Apple’s
iPhone as only BlackBerry smartphones have been sanctioned for
official use.
In a written reply to Labour MP
Tom Watson, Health Secretary
Simon Burns said ministers in
his department have been issued
BlackBerrys and that this will be
the case for all government departments.
He wrote in his reply on June 15:
“The department does not issue
Apple iPhones to staff as these are
not approved for government use
by the Communications-Electronics Security Group [CESG].”
The CESG is the information assurance arm of the Government
Communications Headquarters
(GCHQ), which provides advice
and assistance on the security of
communications and electronic
data in the UK.
Simon Ford, a director at secure
communications provider NCP
Engineering, said that though
iPhone had evolved into a popular
choice for businesses, the question of security should remain
paramount when it comes to ministers.
“We have to remember that the
iPhone was initially developed for
consumers but has since evolved
into a business phone rivalling the
BlackBerry, which critics claim
has the upper hand in its encryption technology,” he said.
BlackBerrys are also the device
of choice across a range of public sector organisations, including
police, fire and ambulance trusts
and city councils.
However, a major private sector
organisation -- StandardChartered
-- has turned its back on the BlackBerry. Standard Chartered has announced this May that it will offer
its users the option of an iPhone
instead of the device, according to
online technology news provider
V3.
Pattinson
Always Has 11
Bodyguards
Page 4
AUGUST 2010 ISSUE
London, June 25
British actor Robert Pattinson
needs 11 bodyguards to protect
him from overexcited fans, says
his “Twilight” co-star Kellan
Lutz.
Pattinson, who shot to fame by
playing Edward Cullen in the
vampire franchise, is always
hounded by fans and needs added
protection, reports contactmusic.
com.
“We’ve all stayed so down to
earth, and it’s just funny to see
life change for the people around
us, especially Rob (Pattinson).
It’s like, when a fan lunges at him
and you only see one bodyguard
around, and then 10 more jump
out of the crowd, where they’ve
been hiding,” said Lutz.
“God, it’s crazy to think about
needing a bodyguard, but Rob
can’t take any chances. He’s a
heartthrob, but he’s also a great
guy and we all love him because
he hasn’t changed as a person,” he
added.
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Page 5
July 2010
Track child’s school
progress on your mobile
New Delhi, June 16
Parents can now keep track of
their children’s progress at school
as well as get regular updates and
circulars through a new device.
Pinnacle Teleservices Tuesday
launched R-Fi, a device that will
enable parents to get regular
information and updates about
their school-going kids on their
mobile phones, along with other
relevant information from the
school like notices and circulars.
The cost of the service ranges
from Rs.600-Rs.1, 000 per year.
“R-Fi will help in bridging
the gap between the modern
urban parents and educational
institutes. In today’s hectic work
culture, parents are not always
able to reach the school to get
information about their children.
Now this application will solve
this problem,” Abhinav Bansal,
regional head (north) of Pinnacle
Teleservices, told IANS.
Six schools all over India have
been given this device to test on
its students. Two schools in the
capital - Vishal Bharati Public
School and Jain Bharati Model
School - have started using it.
“We have already launched the
system in our school and it is
helping us to give information
to the parents. We are getting
good response from them about
the system,” said Ajit Solanki,
chairman of Vishal Bharati Public
School.
Company officials claimed they
would be roping in 50 more
schools in the city within this year.
READ
BOSTON
SOUTH
ASIAN
Boston South Asian
Obama Honours Indian American
By Arun Kumar
Washington, June 8
Science Teacher
President Barack Obama has
named an Indian American science teacher Radhika Plakkot as
one of the 103 mathematics and
science teachers for the
prestigious Presidential
Award for Excellence
in Mathematics and
Science Teaching.
Plakkot, who teaches
biology at the Huntingtown High School, Calvert County in Maryland is the only Indian
American in the group.
She and other educators will receive their
awards in Washington, D.C. later
this year.
“Science and technology have
long been at the core of America’s
strength and competitiveness, and
the scientists and engineers who
have led America on its remarkable path to success share something very precious: science and
math teachers who brought these
critical subjects to life,” Obama
said in a statement.
“Today we honour some of the
best of these teachers and thank
them for their dedication. They are
inspirations not just to their students, but
to the nation and the
world,” he
said.
The Presidential
Award for
Excellence
in
Mathematics and
Science
Te a c h i n g
is awarded
annually to the best pre-collegelevel science and mathematics
teachers from across the country.
Each year the award alternates
between mathematics and science teachers teaching Kindergarten through 6th grade, and those
teaching 7th through 12th grades.
This year it goes to teachers teach-
ing 7th through 12th grades.
Winners of this presidential honour receive a $10,000 award from
the National Science Foundation
to be used at their discretion. They
also receive an expenses-paid trip
to Washington, D.C. for an awards
ceremony and several days of educational and celebratory events,
including visits with members
of Congress and science agency
leaders.
Last spring at the National Academy of Sciences, President Obama
called on all Americans to join the
effort to elevate science, technology, engineering and math (STEM)
education as a national priority.
The President’s public-private
“Educate to Innovate” initiative,
which was launched last autumn,
has attracted more than $500
million in donations and in-kind
support from corporations, philanthropies, service organizations,
and others to help inspire students
to pursue studies and careers in
math and science.
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Boston South Asian
Second Chicago Hinduism Summit
Passionate speeches, a rapt audience, reverberations of an auspicious conch, the sound of ancient
Sanskrit verses, a unique idol of
Lord Ganesh on display and an
exhibition of objects attacked
by ghosts were just some of the
highlights of the second Hinduism Summit held in Chicago on
Nija Vaishakh Krushna Ashtami
5112 (5 June 2010) ! The Summit
was held by the Forum for Hindu
Awakening (FHA) and the Lake
County Hindu Temple. Around
100 attendees in person and 200
attendees online took the benefit
of this event.
Shri. Dileep Thatte, an ardent student of Hindu philosophy, has presented his “Seven Stars approach
towards learning Hinduism” at
various universities, groups and
also at the recent World Parliament of Religions. Shri. Thatte
spoke on ‘Learn the basics of
Hinduism to counter misconceptions’. His lively speech spoke
about how to get the youth of today interested in Hinduism. In his
experience young people, around
the age of 16-17 start asking fundamental questions about Hinduism, which often parents cannot
answer.
He feels that if those questions
are answered clearly, the youth
today will stay interested in Hinduism and identify themselves as
Hindus. He shared a simplified
version of the basics of Hinduism like non-duality, soul, Law of
Karma, etc., to understand Hinduism and dispel common misconceptions about it.
Shri. Shrinarayan Chandak spoke
about the anti-Hindu bias in the
media. Shri. Chandak, a graduate
of IIT Madras and IIT Chicago,
and a long-time professional in
the fields of Technology and Management Consulting, is a founding
board member of Sewa Interna-
tional that is serving the needy
through healthcare and education. Shri. Chandak’s presentation
clearly illustrated the anti-Hindu
bias in the media, its reasons and
what can be done about it.
The solutions he presented were
based on Sree Krishna’s teachings
and resonated with the audience.
He shared examples of media coverage, of how he has worked with
the media to present Hinduism accurately and in a positive light. He
asked all organisations to work together in this cause and share media contacts.
The final speaker, Smt. Bhavna
had the audience spellbound as
she spoke about the current challenges the Hindu community is
facing. She emphasized that the
main reason for the conversion
and other problems faced by Hindus today is the lack of Hinduism
Education. She said that such is the
state of Dharma that the so-called
scholars and educators of Hinduism today are either non-Hindu
and often anti-Hindu, like Wendy
Doniger, a professor of Hinduism
at the University of Chicago. The
solution is to take and impart education about Hinduism that shows
its unique spiritual scientific basis.
Once anyone knows that, including the youth, like Hindus apply
vermillion (kumkum) for its spiritually pure properties that aid concentration, they will be inspired to
understand, live and preserve Hinduism. Smt. Shinde also shared
how to be a Hindu by promoting
spiritual purity in oneself and in
the surroundings. How the quickest way to attain the aim of Hinduism, God realisation, is through
the grace of the Guru. She ended
the speech with a saying that in
the current age of Kaliyug there is
strength in unity and urged Hindus
to make concerted efforts to preserve Hinduism.
July 2010
Page 6
Chocolate Boy To Desi Corleone, Kapoor Scion Grows Up
By Robin Bansal
New Delhi, June 10 He is being
dubbed as the true Kapoor scion
post- “Raajneeti”. After playing a
chocolate boy, a spoilt brat and a
salesman, Ranbir Kapoor has now
stunned all as the ruthless manipulator a la Michael Corleone in
“The Godfather”.
and scribes have highlighted it off
and on in their writeups.
“If one looks at Ranbir’s career
graph and pulls out any review, he
has always been praised universally. He takes a very intelligent
choice of script whether that is of
a goofy romantic in ‘Ajab Prem
Ki Ghazab Kahani’, an uncon-
Audiences and critics are applauding his role as Samar Pratap Singh
in Prakash Jha’s dark political
thriller that is in a sense inspired
by the Indian epic Mahabharata.
“Ranbir is fabulous in ‘Raajneeti’... He has a natural talent
for acting. His screen presence is
strong and engaging and he interacts very well with the camera.
The best part about Ranbir is that
he has no artifice,” film critic Anupama Chopra told IANS.
“He is young and should do every
role - from that of a psycho man,
romantic hero, action star, negative roles, everything,” she added.
When Ranbir, 27, made his debut
with Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s dud
“Saawariya” in 2007, very few
imagined he would climb the success ladder in no time and exhibit
the potential to carry a complex
role like Samar with aplomb.
“Ranbir is a surprise in ‘Raajneeti’. He holds his own in the
film despite having stalwarts like
Nana Patekar and Ajay Devgn. He
certainly reminds you of Michael
Corleone (played by Al Pacino) in
‘The Godfather’,” said a film buff.
His transformation from an apolitical, foreign returned, out of the
family business boy to a scheming
political animal under the umbrella of Nana, much like the character of Arjuna under Lord Krishna’s wing in the Mahabharata, has
pushed the actor’s radar.
“He is actually the backbone of
‘Raajneeti’. He brings a reinedin, steel-edged ruthlessness to his
character. For sure there is no other actor from his generation who
could have played this character,”
said critic Subhash K. Jha in his
review.
Another film critic, Omar Qureshi,
claims the young actor has exhibited his talent since his first movie
Kapoor.
But Ranbir is taking the praises
with a pinch of salt. “I am too
new to have an image and I really don’t care for it also. All I am
doing is working in good stories,
with good filmmakers, playing interesting characters and then leaving it for the audience. There is no
plan in my head; so I am just going with the flow and enjoying the
journey,” he told IANS.
Not many know that before venturing into acting, he worked as
an assistant director on Bhansali’s
“Black” (2005) and is now also
planning to revive his home banner - RK Studios - with uncle
Randhir Kapoor.
ventional pairing, a coming of age
story in ‘Wake Up Sid’ or a grey
character in ‘Raajneeti’,” said
Qureshi. “He is here to stay. He is
the future,” he added.
Ranbir’s debut vehicle, “Saawariya”, turned out to be a damp squib,
but he tasted success with his second release - Siddharth Anand’s
2008 romantic comedy “Bachna
Ae Haseeno” where he romanced
Bipasha Basu, Minissha Lamba
and Deepika Padukone.
In the following year, he struck
gold with Ayan Mukerji’s “Wake
Up Sid”. Set in the contemporary
milieu, the film had an unconventional pairing of Ranbir and
Konkona Sen Sharma, but the
story as well as the lead pair was
loved and appreciated.
The same year he delivered another moderate hit, “Ajab Prem
Ki Ghazab Kahani”, where he
teamed up with Bollywood’s most
sought after actress Katrina Kaif.
Three years in the industry, six
releases to his credit, Ranbir has
proved himself to be the true scion
of the Kapoor family that boasts
of stalwarts like his great grandfather Prithviraj Kapoor, grand
dad Raj Kapoor and father Rishi
Ranbir’s future projects include
Anand’s “Anjaana Anjaani” opposite Priyanka Chopra and Imtiaz Ali’s long-awaited “Rockstar”.
Also, he will be seen playing the
legendary singer Kishore Kumar
in a biopic by Anurag Basu.
Women Have
Superhuman Qualities
Aguilera
London, June 14
Singer Christina Aguilera thinks
she has superhuman qualities as
her ability to be both a mother and
a working woman takes beyond
average strength.
The singer has a two-year-old son
Max with husband Jordan Bratman, reports contactmusic.com.
“I think all of us as women have
this superhuman quality. We create life, we give life, we are the
sources of life for our children
we’re all pretty bionic,” Aguilera
said.
The 29-year-old, who recently
shot her first movie “Burlesque”,
says she is more confident about
her body since she became a
mother.
“For a while your body is definitely not your body and you very
willingly give it up for your child,
but now I feel more confident and
comfortable with what my body
can do,” she said.
Page 7
July 2010
Boston South Asian
Manisha Koirala weds Nepali businessman
By Sudeshna Sarkar
Kathmandu, June 19 In a fairytale
wedding, Bollywood actor Manisha Koirala tied the knot with Nepali businessman Samrat Dahal
in a traditional Nepali ceremony
Saturday morning after an elaborate engagement and mehendi ceremony a day before.
The 40-year-old was wedded to
the 33-year-old entrepreneur at the
picturesque Le Meridien resort in
Kathmandu Saturday morning.
Though her first hero in Bollywood, Vivek Mushran, flew to
Kathmandu to attend the four-day
extravaganza, as did Manisha’s
friend and director Deepti Naval,
there was not much of a Bollywood presence besides Sunita,
who stood in proxy for her husband Govinda.
There was also virtually no sign of
the Nepali film industry that has
impassively accepted her return
almost after two decades. Manisha returned to the Nepali film
industry a few months ago,
playing wife to its superstar
Rajesh Hamal.
opening a film city in Kathmandu
and persuading Bollywood to
shoot more of its films in Nepal.
Nepal’s bigwigs, including
political heavyweights, are
expected at the wedding
feast on Sunday, to be held
at the Soaltee Crowne Plaza hotel.
with Manisha in the lead, with an
additional tie to her motherland
now the old plans could be revived.
Dahal, an MBA from Texas,
comes from a non-filmi business family that is into education as well as leather goods.
He himself is involved in
launching a bio-gas factory in
Pokhara city, where Manisha
did a little bit of shooting recently for her new Nepali film
“Dharma”.
Bollywood director Subhash Ghai, who first
launched the doe-eyed
Manisha in Bollywood
with “Saudagar” in 1991,
has been invited.
The alliance has plunged him
from relative obscurity into
limelight, thanks to Manisha’s
Bollywood career as well as
family background.
The newly-weds plan to
throw a separate bash for
tinsel town stars in Mumbai, where Manisha will
continue to keep a foothold.
Her plans for Nepal had included
Though the plan was shelved
as well as the venture to make a
Nepali remake of “Mother India”
She is the granddaughter of
B.P. Koirala, Nepal’s first
elected prime minister, and
though she herself has not yet
shown any inclination to join politics barring a misjudged campaign
for deposed king Gyanendra’s
government four years ago, her
family boasts of three prime ministers, two deputy prime ministers
and two MPs.
Her father Prakash Koirala was
a minister in king Gyanendra’s
cabinet in 2005.
The deposed monarch has been
invited to Sunday’s reception,
as has been his arch-foe, Maoist
chief Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda. If both of them attend
the reception, it would be the first
time they would come face to
face.
Manisha, who had been busy
shooting in India less than a week
before her wedding, has not made
her future plans public as yet.
The couple will reportedly move
out of Dahal’s family home in the
Bansbari area of Kathmandu for a
pied-a-terre of their own.
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July 2010
1.6 Million Indians Make US Their Home
By Arun Kumar
Washington, June 10 With about
1.6 million foreign-born from India residing in the United States
in 2008, they have emerged as
the third-largest immigrant group
in America after Mexican and
Filipino immigrants. There were,
however, 2.3 million members of
the Indian diaspora residing in the
United States in 2008, including
455,000 native-born US citizens
of Indian ancestry.
Between 2007 and 2008, the
number of Indian immigrants surpassed the number of Chinese and
Hong Kong-born immigrants for
the first time since at least 1960,
according to a new report from
the Migration Policy Institute, a
Washington is think tank.
Indian immigration to the United
States, a fairly recent phenomenon, grew rapidly during the
1990s and 2000s, the report noted.
In addition, people with Indian
ancestry have also immigrated to
the United States from the Caribbean, East Africa, Canada, and the
United Kingdom.
Compared to other immigrant
groups, the Indian foreign born
are much better educated - nearly three-quarters of Indian-born
adults have a bachelor’s degree or
higher. About one-quarter of Indian-born men in the labour force
work in the information technology industry, the survey noted.
Highlights
* Nearly half of all Indian immigrants resided in California, New
Jersey, New York, and Texas.
* The Indian born accounted for
about one in 10 immigrants in six
states.
* Between 2000 and 2008, the
size of the Indian immigrant population more than doubled in 10
states.
* Over one in six Indian immigrants resided in the New York
metropolitan area.
* Indian immigrants made up at
least 10 percent of the immigrant
population in 10 metropolitan areas.
* There were 2.3 million members
of the Indian diaspora residing in
the United States in 2008, including 455,000 native-born US citizens of Indian ancestry.
* Over 40 percent of the Indian
foreign born arrived in the United
States in 2000 or later.
* Three of every 10 Indian immigrants in 2008 were limited English proficient.
* About two-thirds of limited
English proficient Indian immigrants spoke Hindi, Guajarati, or
Panjabi.
* Nearly three-quarters of Indian
foreign-born adults had a bachelor’s degree or higher.
* Indian immigrants were less
likely to live in poverty than natives.
* Indian immigrants were as
likely as other immigrants to own
their own home.
* About one in eight Indian immigrants did not have health insurance in 2008.
* More than 550,000 children under age 18 resided in a household
with an Indian immigrant parent.
Page 8
Make a difference: Walking
Walking is one activity that we
all do every day. We walk at
home, outside and in our yard.
Now more and more people
are recognizing that the walking activity itself can also be
an exercise for keeping fit and
healthy. It does not require
any special equipment except
a pair of shoes, and comfortable clothing. It is the cheapest
form of exercise.
Make it a practice to walk
when you are talking on the
phone. The cordless phones are
great devices and the mobile
phone according to me means
that it truly makes me mobile.
You can talk and walk without
knowing how easily you would
have walked for 20 minutes
when you are conversing with
someone on the phone. This is
how I get my walking done.
You can have group of friends
motivating each other by calling and walking. If you need
little more motivation then in-
vest in a pedometer. It can be
as low as five dollars. In fact,
sometimes dollar store sells
them for a dollar. You can
gradually increase your steps
daily and reach 10,000 steps a
day finally.
Believe me it is doable.
Now-a-days malls have walking clubs you can join and it
is a fun way to walk as well as
socialize.
Whether you are bored or
stressed you can take a walk
and feel your mood uplifted
and tension released.
As we age women over 40
need regular exercise and
walking will keep our muscles,
joints and bones healthy. Now
that the summer is here – it is
the right time to start walking.
Get going and see the change
in you.
Readers can send in their comments/suggestions at
[email protected].
Hundreds Pray At Laila-Majnu’s ‘Tomb’ For Immortal Love
By Anil Sharma
Binjore (Rajasthan), June 16
As the sun set on this dusty village
near the India-Pakistan border,
the sounds of qawwalis rent the
air and hundreds of couples from
across the country lay a chadar on
what they believed to be the tombs
of the legendary lovers Laila-Majnu with a prayer that their love
too would be immortal.
According to folklore, Laila-Majnu were two star crossed lovers
who were forcefully separated.
But on June 15 every year they
have been bringing hundreds of
couples together in this village in
Rajasthan’s Sriganganagar district, over 575 km from the state
capital Jaipur.
This year was no different at Binjore, which is just two kilometres
from the Pakistan border and according to legend has the tombs
of the famous lovers, whose romance took on a touch of divinity
to be retold generation after generation. Hundreds of newly weds
and unmarried couples descended
in hundreds Tuesday from farflung areas of the country to offer
their prayers at the tombs.
The fair, which started during
the day Tuesday, ended only late
night.
Historians deny the existence of
Laila-Majnu, calling them mythical characters, but that has done
little to dampen the ardour of
those who visit the village.
“Every year thousands of couples
descend on this place to seek the
blessing of Laila-Majnu. I do not
know whether there were any
Laila and Majnu but I know that
in the last 10-15 year I have seen
an increase in number of couples
visiting the tombs every year,”
Gaurav Kalra, a local resident
said.
This is a ritual that transcends
boundaries of religion.
“It is not that only Muslims and
Hindus come here, even Sikhs and
Christians come when the fair is
held,” Kalra added.
Hetram, a resident of a nearby village, said: “My grandparents told
me that according to the folklore
Laila and Majnu had drifted into
this part of the country in search
of water and that they died of
thirst and their tombs were set up
at the spot.”
A blushing Rekha, who has just
been married, said: “We heard
this is a Mecca for lovers and one
must visit this place for a long
and happy married life, so I have
come here with my husband.”
Some come here with wishes of
marital happiness while others,
in love but not married, pray that
they will be married soon.
“I have come here with my fiancé
so that I can get married soon.
Someone told me to visit these
tombs and seek blessings,” Sanjay Singh, a resident of Bharatpur
said.
Seeing the popularity of the tombs
and the curiosity they are generating the state government is planning to step in and upgrade the
facilities in the village.
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Page 9
July 2010
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July 2010
Page 10
Better Vision For Africa - With Help Of India
delivering healthcare in India was
much lower to the western model.
“In the western model, for each
operation, the entire setup, starting with the table, is changed. In
the Indian model, only the clothes
By Devirupa Mitra
New Delhi, June 13
sub-Saharan Africa has an average cataract surgery rate of 700.
Forty-three-year-old Keerti Pradhan, a health management specialist, went to Africa for the first
time in 2000. Since then, he has
become passionate about applying
India’s success in the eye care sector to Africa.
The first visit to Malawi and
Zambia on a consultancy trip to
improve eye care hospitals made
him see the opportunity for Indian help in the
sector.
He has been helping Africans improve their vision through lowcost Indian technology. And with
Indian private companies now
flocking to Africa, Pradhan hopes
one of these will adopt his pet
project as a community initiative
and spread it to the rest of the continent.
“I realised that
healthcare was
dominated by the
western model,
where the donor
agencies pump in
a huge amount of
money.... It was
like giving a person biryani when
they can only
eat dal and rice,”
Pradhan told IANS.
are changed,” explained Pradhan.
The western model of eye care
was unsuitable, he realised, for
African conditions, which had
minimal infrastructure and human
resources.
The difference in the cost of each
cataract operation is therefore
sharp - $15 for the Indian method,
compared to $75 for the western
model.
The technology and method of
In 2007, he persuaded an Indian
“Among all its health programmes,
India has done very well in the national programme for controlling
blindness,” he said.
A key indicator, the cataract surgery rate, which is the number of
cataract operations done per million population each year, has increased from 1,500 to 4,500 within 10 years in India. In contrast,
businessman in the Democratic
Republic of Congo to fund the
setting up an eye hospital in the
mineral-rich southern province of
Katanga at a cost of $250,000.
“Immediately, the results were seen...from
day one, it started seeing 100-150 patients
waiting at the OPD by
10 a.m. It is now delivering high quality eye
care with 2,500 surgeries and 50,000 OPDs
per year.”
Then, he followed it up
with projects in Cameroon and Ethiopia to
similarly increase capacity in existing units.
“The Cameroon hospital doubled
its surgery to 4,000 per year and
cost recovery went from 65-70
percent, up to 120 percent with
our intervention and approach in
six months’ time,” said Pradhan.
Next it was helping design the
national eye care plan for Rwan-
da and opening eye care units in
South Africa.
In nearly all these projects, he had
to take key technical staff from India for the initial period - a doctor,
an optometrist and a nurse.
Besides, he also brought 35 professionals from various African
countries for training at reputed
eye institutes in southern India in
2008 and 2009.
“After these five demonstration
projects were successful, I wanted
to go to other countries in the continent,” said Pradhan.
But the 2009 economic crisis
dried up his sources of funds.
Now Pradhan is looking at big Indian corporate houses to further
his plan by promoting it as an ideal corporate social responsibility
(CSR) initiative.
“If you put in $5, they can get a
return of $50 in terms of image
building. The impact is immediate,” he said.
Beware Frequent Fliers: Aircraft Cabin Air Can Be Toxic
By K.S. Jayaraman
Bangalore, June 25
Headache, breathing trouble and
other unexplained illnesses in frequent fliers just might be the result
of breathing toxic fumes circulating in commercial airline cabins,
according to a report.
“Aerotoxic Syndrome”, the unofficial name now being used to
identify symptoms, is caused by
breathing air contaminated with
oil fumes leaking into aircraft cabins, it says.
The report has been prepared by
London-based Aerotoxic Association founded by Former British
Aerospace pilot John Hoyte and
run by a group of aircrew “whose
careers have ended prematurely
due to Aerotoxic Syndrome”.
The air inside the cockpit and
cabin doesn’t come from the
“fresh air” outside the aircraft as
one might think. The outside air is
too cold and thin and in order to
make it fit for breathing, it must
be pressurized, heated, and then
circulated to the passengers.
At first, planes were designed
with mechanical compressors that
produced clean, cabin air. But
since the 1950s, most commercial planes have been redesigned
to make cabin air - in a less expensive way - by drawing in a
compressed supply of it from the
plane’s engines. Typically, this
“bleed air” is mixed with existing cabin air and re-circulated
throughout the flight.
In other words, the air in the passenger cabin is a mixture of recirculated cabin air and fresh air
that is compressed in the airplane
engine. The problem is that the
engine housing from where this
air is drawn is often contaminated
with toxic fumes from the hot oil
used to lubricate the various moving parts of the engine.
Sometimes so much oil mixes
with air being drawn into the cabin that passengers will literally be
able to see fumes and smoke filling the cabin - what is commonly
referred to as a “fume event”.
The synthetic oil used to lubricate
plane engines is specially formulated to endure extreme conditions. It contains all kinds of toxic
components, including ‘tricresyl
phosphate’, an organophosphate
that is used in pesticides and nerve
agents and is known for its neurotoxin properties, the Association
says. In addition, bleed air may
contain particles of heavy metals
from the engines, such as nickel,
cadmium and beryllium.
According to the Aerotoxic Association, these toxins cause dam-
age to the central nervous system
that varies from person to person. The symptoms may include
headaches, muscle tremors and
signs of paralysis, blurred vision,
light-headedness and dizziness.
For some, the symptoms may be
short-lived, but for others, persistent neurological damage may
occur.
The Association report quotes
from the numerous testimonies
from pilots, air filtration experts,
flight attendants and passengers
who have been harmed by toxic
cabin air.
The report said that virtually all
jet aircraft and turboprops continue to use bleed air. The new Boeing 787 Dreamliner is the only
type of plane that uses non-bleed
technology and no longer takes air
from the engines.
In a May 18 press release Indepen-
dent Flight Attendants’ Organization UFO in Europe demanded
a comprehensive study of cabin
contamination and also preventative measures such as filters and
warning devices.
According to the Aerotoxic Association, an amendment has been
introduced into the “Air Transportation Modernization and Safety
Improvement Act” that would
require the US Federal Aviation
Administration to complete a
study of cabin air quality within
one year.
READ
BOSTON
SOUTH
ASIAN
Page 11
July 2010
Boston South Asian
Summer Heat Cramps, Heat Exhaustion, & Heat Stroke
By
Nik Nikam, M.D.
Center for Disease Control (CDC)
reported 3442 deaths resulting
from exposure to extreme heat,
between 1999-2003 seasons. Preexisting conditions such as heart
disease or lung problems can
compound the adverse effects of
exposure to heat. Most of these
deaths and injuries could be
avoided
A Case in Point: It is 2 p.m, on a
hot summer afternoon. Imagine,
Shan, a 20-year-old boy playing
baseball in the field all afternoon
with smoldering heat and a
temperature of 104 degrees. He
collapses on the ground almost
unconscious. He is rushed to a
local emergency room at a nearby
hospital. He is weak, barely
able to talk. He complains of
intense thirst while drenched in
his own sweat and stuffed with
his baseball gear. He is severely
dehydrated; his eyes sunken,
pulse weak, and blood pressure
barely palpable. His electrolytes
are grossly abnormal. Doctors and
nurses rush to the scene, insert a
large intravenous catheter; and
pump 1 to 2 liters of balanced
electrolyte fluid in minutes. Shan
rubs his eyes while gazing at the
ceiling and wondering what went
wrong. It was a close call. He was
experiencing heat exhaustion and
was on the way to developing
a more serious problem--heat
stroke.
People involved in heavy physical
exertion, while being exposed
to extreme heat combined
with humidity, tend to sweat a
lot. The skin may feel warm,
moist, and flushed. Other heat
related symptoms include thirst,
dehydration, rapid and weak
pulse, low blood pressure, nausea,
headache, and concentrated urine.
When you are exposed to extremes
of heat, the skin temperature rises
rapidly. The body tries to
bring down the temperature
by increasing the skin
circulation to dissipate the
heat. In the process, the
body loses vital fluids and
minerals. However, when
you are working in an
extremely hot and humid
climate, the body cannot
dissipate the heat effectively,
and as a result, the core body
temperature rises. There are
three stages of heat related
responses namely the heat
cramps, the heat exhaustion,
and the heat stroke.
Heat Cramps: You may
develop muscle cramps
which are the mildest form
of heat related symptom. At this
stage you may have sweating,
fatigue, thirst, and muscle cramps.
Sweating causes loss of sodium,
potassium, and other elements
that cause muscle cramps. This
can easily be reversed by moving
to a cooler area, taking rest, and
drinking Gatorade or other type
of drinks that have a combination
of water and electrolytes that
are essential to prevent muscle
cramps.
Heat Exhaustion: This is a more
advanced response to excessive
heat. The person might be
over dressed which prevents
dissipation of heat. Alcohol may
impair your body’s ability to
regulate temperature. This may be
the case on very hot days, where
beach goers may be engaged in
drinking alcohol. Alcohol also
acts as a diuretic which leads to
dehydration. As you get more
dehydrated, the circulation to the
skin is diminished, thus reducing
your ability to dissipate the heat.
This vicious cycle could lead
to heat exhaustion or even heat
stroke.
Children younger than 4 years
and adults over the age of 65 are
more prone for development of
heat stroke. In young children
their body responses are not
well developed. In adults certain
medications, such as Beta
blockers may interfere with body’s
adrenaline response to heat stress.
Diuretics may cause dehydration
and reduce the circulating volume.
Obesity may also interfere with
your ability to handle heat.
Heat Exhaustion Treatment: Move
to a cooler place, away from the
heat.
Avoid any activities that produce
more heat in your body.
Remove heavy and tight clothes.
Use a fan to cool off your skin so
that it can radiate more heat from
the body.
Cool your body with a wet towel
or take a cold shower.
You may also try immersing in
tank of cold water.
Avoid alcohol.
Drink water or preferably
Gatorade or any sports drinks
that have balanced electrolyte
solutions.
Elevate your legs above the heart
level to return more blood to
the main circulation to improve
the blood pressure and increase
cardiac output to dissipate the
heat.
Cooling blankets are generally
used in the hospitals to bring
down the body temperature.
Heat Stroke: Heat stroke is a life
threatening condition associated
with body temperature in excess
of 104 degrees. It is brought on
by extreme heat or very strenuous
activities. It needs immediate
attention to prevent brain damage,
organ damage, or even death.
There is cessation of sweating.
When the temperature is high,
the skin may feel hot and dry.
However, if the heat stroke is
related to strenuous exercise, their
skin may be warm and moist.
Respirations may be rapid and
shallow. The pulse may be feeble
and rapid. Neurological symptoms
may include seizures, loss of
consciousness,
hallucinations,
mental confusion, or coma. Early
muscle cramps may be later
replaced by muscle rigidity.
The immediate danger of heat
stroke is shock. Shock results
when the intravascular volume
decreases due to excessive
sweating or fluid loss. There is
also swelling of the organs such
as the brain that can lead to
permanent damage.
Diagnosis: Blood tests may show
abnormalities of sodium and
potassium levels. The urine may
be dark and concentrated. The
elevation of muscle enzymes may
reveal severe muscle damage
such as rabdomyolysis.
Heat Stroke Treatment: This
is a medical emergency. The
immediate goal here is
to bring down the body
temperature as quickly
as possible. One such
technique is immersing
the body in a cold-water
tank. However, this would
interfere with other urgent
medical treatments that
need to be addressed
such as hydrations etc.
Sprinkling mist on the
skin while running a fan
might help to bring down
the temperature. A more
modern approach is to use
cooling blankets which can
lower the temperature to desired
levels quickly and easily without
any mess. It does not interfere
with other treatment modalities.
Excess
muscle
shivering
(shivering releases the heat that is
evaporated by the skin), may be
counteracted by muscle relaxants.
Prevention: Beware of the heat
related symptoms and how to
recognize them.
Wear loose and well-ventilated
clothes.
Avoid extremes of heat.
Use sun tan lotion all over the
body to prevent sunburn.
If your air conditioner breaks
(which generally happens) on the
hottest day, try to spend time in a
mall or a library during the day
time and use a fan in the evening
and night hours.
Drink plenty of fluids.
If you are dehydrated, you may
want to hold your water pills and
consult with your physician.
Note that your car’s inside
temperature could reach 160
degrees during hot and humid
days. Never leave your children
in the car, even if it is for a few
minutes as it can prove to be
dangerous.
When you get in your car that
has been baking for hours in hot
weather, don’t drive your car
immediately off the lot. Roll your
windows down, turn your cooler
on, and let the hot air move out of
the car. Let the air conditioner run
for a few minutes before you get
on the road.
Take extra precaution, if you
move from a cooler climate to
a hotter climate, as it may take
several weeks for your body to get
acclimatized to the new weather
changes. This is especially true for
older individuals who may move
from Maine to Miami.
Disclosure: The information
provided here is for educational
purpose only. Please consult with
your physician for any medical
advice.
Visit www.sugarlandheartcenter.
com for more information. P: 281265-7567
[email protected]
Boston South Asian
July 2010
Will Kerala’s Snake Boat Make It
To Thames River
By Sanu George
Thiruvananthapuram, June 8
(IANS) Kerala has sought the central government’s financial help to
showcase its famous snake boat
before the British queen on London’s Thames river next month.
Speaking to IANS Tuesday, state
Sports Minister M. Vijayakumar
said: “The state government has
earmarked a sum of money but
that is not enough. We have requested the central government to
help us but we are yet to hear from
them. The oarsmen, who have to
power the boat forward, are ready
but money is an issue.”
The proposal to this effect came
from an organization Keralyeem,
which has its roots in Britain, that
is interested in showcasing the
race as part of a trial run of the
inaugural ceremony of the 2012
London Olympics.
Queen Elizabeth II is expected to
watch the July 8 event.
The organizers of the event have
roped in superstar Suresh Gopi
as the brand ambassador for the
event.
Speaking to IANS, Gopi said that
the commitment that he has made
stands and he will foot the bill to
transport the boat to London.
“My fans’ association has agreed
to pool in Rs.20 lakhs required
to be paid to the Shipping Corporation of India for transporting
the snake boat to London. Other
things like arranging for the remaining funds and visa for close
to 120 oarsmen are still to fall in
line,” said Gopi.
The state government has already
sanctioned Rs.one crore for the
event but this is not going to be
enough.
“The air fares for the oarsmen are
also going to cost a hefty amount.
The organizers were supposed to
get back to me two days back.
“But we are not disheartened because we have been able to do
this much in such a short span of
time and if for some reason it (its
participation in London) does not
happen this time, we will do it
next year,” said Gopi.
The length of a snake boat made
out of ‘anjili wood’ varies from
120 to 140 feet. In view of the
high cost of transportation, if the
snake boat finally makes it to London, then after the event it would
be gifted to be placed in a museum
there.
The origin of the race dates back
to 1952 when an impromptu
event was conducted in honor of
the country’s first Prime Minister
Jawaharlal Nehru, who was visiting the state. Nehru was so thrilled
by the performance that he himself jumped into a snake boat.
On returning to Delhi, Nehru donated a silver trophy -- a replica of
a snake boat placed on a wooden
abacus with an inscription and his
signature.
This trophy is given away every
year to the winner of the boat race
held at Alappuzha.
Page 12
Indian Muslim Council- USA
(Continued From Page 1)
Established in 2002, IMCUSA is a Washington, D.C.
registered nonprofit 501(C)
(3) tax-exempt organization.
IMC-USA works with all segments of Indian and American society regardless of
religion. We work with all
like-minded
individuals
and organizations as long as
they share the basic values
of preserving the secularism and democracy of India. Coalition building is
one of our strongest aspects
to strengthening ourselves.
With the help of other Indian organizations, we can
work to implement India’s
constitutional rights.
The night was hosted by Hina
Kausar, the new president of the
IMC-Boston chapter. Sufia Salim,
past president of IMC-Boston and
now a National Board member of
IMC-USA, gave a presentation
about IMC and its various activities.
During the event, Dr. Omar Khalidi from MIT introduced the
new executive committee which
boasts three new members and
one from the previous committee.
Hina Kausar as the new president,
Amin Zama as vice president ,
Hasan Chowdhury as treasurer,
and Fakhera Retiwala as general
secretary.
The evening went on with a presentation from Kashif-ul-Huda,
founder of TwoCircles.net, a news
website that covers news from
marginalized sections of India.
While mainly focusing on Indian
Muslims, twocircles.net covers
and reports a whole range of issues affecting Indians, Muslims
and International issues.
Several vendors had stalls set up
where they sold various items
including Indian clothes and jewelry, keeping in theme with the
desi motif of the event. The food
was catered by a local restaurant,
Seema’s in Norwood.
After dinner and fundraising,
the entertainment began with an
opening act by Sameer Mon from
Cambridge. Then came the man
the audience had been waiting for,
Azhar Usman, from Comedy Central’s “Allah Made Me Funny.”
For one hour he had the crowd in
hysterics with his comedy which
was aimed at the hilarity of the
Indian and Pakistani culture, especially as viewed from the
eyes of a first generation
American born and raised
by parents who came from
India. Many young people
in the audience were able
to identify with that and the
rest were content in laughing at themselves.
Over-all the night was a
success in the awareness,
money and spirits that were
raised.
Another successful IMC-USA
Boston chapter event is the annual
Republic Day event celebrated in
January where you can enjoy classical Indian dance performances,
patriotic songs, fun quizzes and
presentations along with a variety
of activities for children. A highlight of this year’s Republic Day
celebration was the fashion show
put on by the kids of our locale
representing the diverse fashions
from different states in India.
Please join us next year when
we bring the community together
again to celebrate our Indian heritage.
Samskrita Bharati Greater Boston Chapter’s
Sixth Annual Shloka Recitation Competition
June 5th, 2010 – Chinmaya Maruti Centre, Andover, MA
“The great army of Räma crossed
the bridge constructed by Nala and
put a siege on the city of Lanka.
Even the
wind was
unable
to enter
Lanka,
being
s u r rounded
by strong
V ä n aräs who
w e r e
h o l d ing tree
trunks in
their hands.” - thus started the recitation of over 35 children as they
vied for top spots in their group
at the Sixth Annual Shloka Recitation Competition in the Greater
Boston Area, conducted by Sam-
skrita Bharati, at Chinmaya Mission, Andover. Needless to say,
the children were reciting in Sanskrit, while I end up writing about
it in English!
The setting this year was appropriately the Chinmaya Maruti Center, to host the competition that
focused on verses from Valmiki
Ramayanam’s Yuddha Kaandam
– chapters on war. The Andover
premises houses an inspiring statue of Hanuman, and the same Hanuman plays a very important role
in the search for Sita, subsequent
invasion of Lanka and Sita’s reunion with Rama.
Previous years had seen the children reciting from the relatively
simpler verses from the
(Continued on page 13)
Page 13
July 2010
Sorry, Says Canada 25 years After Air India
This atrocity was conceived in
Canada, executed in Canada by
Canadian citizens and its victims
were themselves mostly citizens
of Canada.”
The Air India flight 182 from
Montreal to Delhi was blown
off mid-air near Ireland June 23,
1985, killing all 329 passengers
aboard.
“It was evil, perpetrated by cowards, despicable, senseless and vicious,” he said.
“It should not have happened. It
should have not happened,” Harper said, drawing upon the conclusions of last week’s inquiry which
blamed the bombing on “a cascading series of errors” by Canada.
“I stand before you to offer on behalf of the government of Canada
and all Canadians, an apology
for the institutional failings of 25
years ago and the treatment of the
victims’ families,” the prime minister said.
Since almost all victims
were Indo-Canadians
and Canadian governments till now have
been reluctant to embrace it as a Canadian
tragedy, Harper added,
“Canadians who sadly
didn’t at first accept that
the outrage was made in
Canada accept it now.
(But) we wish this realisation had gained common acceptance earlier.”
In a blunt warning to pro-Khalistan extremists,
the prime
minister
said:
“It
is incumbent upon
us all not
to
reach
out to, but
marginalise those
extremists
who seek to import the battles of
India’s past here and then to export them back to that great and
forward-looking nation (India).
We must have none of it.”
There were many moist eyes
when Bal Gupta, who heads the
Air India Victims’ families Association, said: “The flight 182
victims included over 80 children
below 12. Twenty-nine families
were completely wiped out. Thirty-two persons were left alone.
Six couples lost all their children.
Two children - about 10 - lost both
their parents.”
He thanked the prime minister for
apologising for the tragedy.
After the apology, the victim families - who were given $20 million in an out-of-court settlement
- will now get an ex-gratia to be
announced soon.
Leaders of all three Canadian political
parties,
Indian
H i g h
C o m m i s sioner
Shashishekhar
Gavai,
envoys
from Japan, the
US and Ireland and Justice John
Major whose report last week
prompted the government’s apology attended the ceremony at the
Air India memorial overlooking
Lake Ontario.
Boston South Asian
Picasso Masterpiece
Auctioned In Britain
London, June 24
A masterpiece from Picasso’s
“blue period” sold for 34.7 million pounds ($51.8 million) at a
major auction of Impressionist
and Modern Art at Christie’s in
London Wednesday.
The 1903 painting, Portrait of Angel Fernandez de Soto,
had been expected to
fetch between 30 and 40
million pounds at the evening sale, which Christie’s said could yield a total of 230 million pounds.
However, the price for
the Picasso, formerly
owned by Andrew Lloyd
Webber, Britain’s foremost musical composer,
remained well below expectations. Christie’s had billed the sale
as the “most valuable art auction
ever to take place in London.”
The compelling painting, which
portrays Angel with a glass of absinthe and his pipe, smoke curling
upwards, had been withdrawn in
the last minute from an auction in
New York in 2006, following an
ownership claim.
Proceeds from its sale will go to
the Lloyd Webber Foundation, a
charity which promotes the arts.
The composer acquired the painting from the Stralem Collection at
a 1995 auction in New York for
$29.2 million.
A water-lily painting by French
Impressionist Claude Monet failed
to sell at Wednesday’s auction.
The 1906 painting, Nympheas,
was withdrawn after it failed to
reach its reserve price. It had been
estimated to fetch between 30 and
40 million pounds.
Other major works included in
the evening sale were paintings
by Matisse, van Gogh, Magritte
and Gustav Klimt, a leader of the
Austrian art movement known as
Secession.
Prices for good art have soared
recently, with Picasso’s 1932 picture Nude, Green Leaves and Bust
fetching $106 million in New
York last month, making it the
most expensive art work sold at
auction.
Samskrita Bharati Greater Boston Chapter’s Sixth Annual Shloka Recitation Competition
(Continued from page 12)
Baala Kaandam – chapters covering the youthful exploits of the
princes. Samskrita Bharati, USA
annually conducts this competition in many cities across the US,
most of them coinciding with other spring festivities.
An exiled princess is abducted, the
prince going to her rescue is aided
by animals and birds, accomplishing impossible things like building a bridge across oceans, returning by flight after accomplishing
the mission, and what weaponry!
The children must have had a
wonderful time preparing for the
competition. I am sure the parents
also had an enjoyable time helping the children with the practice.
The event started with an introduction to Samskrita Bharati and
the spirit behind the competition,
delivered by their Greater Boston coordinator Satyanarayana
Kanakagiri. “Training the children to learn and recite the Shlokas helps them become curious
about the Indian culture and heritage and remain connected”, he
said, introducing the judges. Giri
Bharathan, the east-coast coordinator explained the guidelines that
the judges would follow, in evaluating a child’s performance.
The recitation started with a creditable performance by the first
pre-schooler. The momentum was
maintained by all children, most
of them happily and confidently
taking the microphone and deliv-
ering the verses in their own adorable style. After a short break to
line up the next batch of kids, the
kindergarteners and First graders
took over the stage one by one
to demonstrate their diction and
memory skills. Concurrently, in
a different room, the recitations
done by the older children were
judged. In all, around 35 children
had participated. Dia and Aditya
Dafre, students of the Spoken
Samskritam classes at the Sri
Lakshmi Temple in Ashland, MA
undertook the responsibility of
announcing the names of the participants and getting them set on
the stage for recitation.
While the scores were being tabulated, the chief guest, Prof. R.
Subrahmonia Ayyar (Retd), took
the stage and talked to the attentive parents about the importance
of Samskritam in daily life. Prof.
Ayyar served as the Dean of Academic Programs at the Indian Institute of Technology, Mumbai,
India. He also has held visiting
faculty appointments at MIT and
Tufts University. In addition to
having an illustrious career as a
professor and researcher in the
field of Civil Engineering, he is
an erudite scholar who has extensively studied Hindu Scriptures
and Tamil Literature.
The children who secured the top
scores in each group were given
trophies and the rest of the participants were awarded participation certificates and medals. Venkatesh Tyagasamudram delivered
the vote of thanks. The bookstore,
featuring Samskrita Bharati’s signature publications – the Spoken
Samskritam VCD set and Pride
of India attracted as much attention as did the children’s books on
display.
“It was only because of the help
by all the volunteers that the event
went off smoothly” said Vimal
Kaji, who led this year’s planning
and execution efforts for the competition.
Vidya R, Everett, MA
Vidya R is a software engineer by
profession, a Samskrita Bharati
volunteer, and teaches Spoken
Samskritam at the Sri Lakshmi
Temple in Ashland, MA.
Boston South Asian
Community Calendar
July 2010
Page 14
July 2010 Community Calendar and Listing
July 02, Friday,
Time: 07.00 PM Onwards,
KATHODU KATHORAM A Melodious American Summer with
OUSEPPACHAN The Legendary
Music Director, National Award
Winner, Violin Magician A Versatile Malayalam Show of Music,
Dance and Comedy led by Legendary musician Ousepachan with
Playback singers Gayathri, Indian
Popstar Franco and Najim Arshad,
Cine artist and dancing sensation
Rima Kallunkal.Organized by
Malu Entertainment at Keefe
Technical School Auditorium,
750 Winter St, Framingham, MA
01702 . Cost: Single-$20, Couple --$35, Child-$10, VIP-$50
*Child- 12 years & below
Contact: 781-688-1512, 4016920289; Email: kathodu.kathoram@
yahoo.com Visit: http://mudra.tv/
kathodukathoram/
July 10, Saturday,
Time: 07:30 AM Onwards,
Tips for Happy Living
Pujya Guruji Swami Tejomayananda (Head of Chinmaya Mission Worldwide) will be leading
this 2-day intensive seminar. His
easy -to-remember ‘sutras’ and
simple commentary can effortlessly transform us from the ordinary to the extra-ordinary.
Location: Chinmaya Mission Boston, 1 Union St., Andover, MA
Cost: $475 before May 31st; $500
after May 31st
Contact: 978.749.0876. Web:
www.chinmaya-boston.org
Email: [email protected]
July 11, Sunday,
Time: 01:00 PM - 03:00 PM,
Imane Summer Cruise
Summer Cruise from Newport
-Rhode Island Network & socialize with Drs & their families catch
up with old friends &make new
ones at Newport cruise Rhode
Island organized by Indian Medical Association of New England.
Cost: $45-members $65-non
members Children under 12 -free.
Food: Indian-included .Contact:
Dr Manju Sheth Lyn da Layer and
Dr Geeta Trivedi. Web: Imane.
org. Email: [email protected]
July 11, Sunday,
Free SAT/PSAT/ACT Assessments. MATH Master is offering
diagnostic tests to Middle school
and High School students in the
New England area. For the benefit
of our society at large, the tests
are FREE of charge. Location:
21 Southwest Cutoff, Northboro,
MA. To get an independent assessment of your child’s standing in the standardized tests, or in
any area of Math/Science, please
call Mr. Budhinath Padhy @508393-9362.Contact:
Budhinath
Padhy 508-393-9362.Email: [email protected] Web: http://
www.mathmasteronline.com/
July 12, Monday - July 15 Thursday,
Time: 06.15 AM and 06:15 PM,
Sri Rama Gita & Dhyana Svarupam at Chinmaya Mission Boston, 1 Union, St., Andover, MA.
06:15 AM - Meditation 07:00 am
- Dhyana Svarupam
06:15 PM - Aarti
07:00 PM - Sri Rama Gita
Cost: Free. Contact: 978.749.0876
Web: www.chinmaya-boston.org.
July 13, Tuesday,
Time: 10:00 AM and 07:30 PM,
Mata Amritanandamayi, Renowned Humanitarian and Spiritual Leader’s Free public programs Organized by M.A. Center
at Best Western Royal Plaza Hotel/Trade Center 181 Boston Post
Road West (Route 20) Marlborough, MA 01752
Retreat: July 14th-16th Pre-registration required
Cost: Free. Food: Vegetarian
meals available for a nominal fee
Contact:
ammanewengland@
gmail.com or (781) 519-2297
Web: http://www.ammanewengland.org. Directions: Take exit
24B off Interstate 495 Hotel is one
mile on right
July 16, Friday,
Time: 07:00 PM Onwards,
DEVI BHAVA _FREE PROGRAM by Mata Amritanandamayi, Renowned Humanitarian and Spiritual Leader at Best
Western Royal Plaza Hotel/Trade
Center 181 Boston Post Road
West (Route 20) Marlborough,
MA 01752
Retreat - July 14th -16th (Preregistration required).
Cost: Free. Food: Vegetarian meals available for a nominal
charge. Contact:
[email protected]
or (781) 519-2297
Web: http://www.ammanewengland.org Visit: www.amma.org
For Retreat registration or call
510-537-9417. Directions: Take
exit 24B off Interstate 495 Hotel
is one mile on right
July 17, Saturday,
Cricket for A Cause
IDRF Boston Celebrates 10th Anniversary Of Cricket For A Cause
Six-a-Side New England Cup
(played with hard tennis cricket
balls at Burlington (MA) Hartford (CT) Franklin (MA) Nashua
(NH) Contact: Burlington (MA):
Sumesh 781.775.7844 Hartford
(CT): Swarun 781.864.6157
Franklin
(MA):
Amar
508.468.7572 Nashua (NH):
Kalyan 978.340.3366.Web: http://
www.idrf.org/dynamic/modules.
php?name=Hncontent&pa=show
page&pid=427
July 18, Sunday,
Time: 03:00 PM - 05:00 PM,
Justice of the Anklets - Dance
Ballet by Madurai Muralidaran at
Sorenson Center for Arts, Babson
College, Wellesley, MA. Concept
and choreography: Madurai Muralidaran. Chennai, India. This
dance ballet weaves the haunting tale of two women, the innocent Kannagi, a commoner, and
the gorgeous Madhavi, a famous
dancer who is hopelessly in love
with Kovalan, Kannagi’s husband. The intricately woven tale
culminates in a tragic but dramatic
finale with Kannagi transforming
herself into a powerful Goddess to
seek retribution and justice. Combining graceful Bharatanatyam
dance form, with vibrant music,
creative choreography and English narration, this story will make
for another rare treat for the senses. Contact: 781.333.5252.Web:
www.visionaid.org Email: info@
visionaid.org
July 18, Sunday,
MA. To get an independent assessment of your child’s standing in the standardized tests, or in
any area of Math/Science, please
call Mr. Budhinath Padhy @508393-9362.Contact:
Budhinath
Padhy 508-393-9362.Email: [email protected] Web: http://
www.mathmasteronline.com/
July 25, Sunday,
MA. To get an independent assessment of your child’s standing
in the standardized tests, or in any
area of Math/Science, please call
Mr. Budhinath Padhy @508-3939362.
Contact: Budhinath Padhy 508393-9362.Email: [email protected] Web: http://www.mathmasteronline.com/
July 25, Sunday,
IAFPE Health Care Panel Discussion! And Internship Award with
Fund Raising Event. Panel Discussion on “Health Care Reform:
Hype or Hope?” at Hilton Garden
Inn, 5 Wheeler Road, Burlington,
MA 01803
Panelists:
Dr. Sanjiv Chopra Faculty Dean
for Continuing Medical Education, and Professor of Medicine,
Harvard Medical School, will
chair the panel
Dr. John Goodson Associate Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, and Physician at Massachusetts General Hospital
Dr. Sanjay Saini Professor of Radiology, Harvard Medical School,
and Vice Chairman for Finance,
Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital
Mr. Mark Allan Faculty Director,
Health Sector Management Program, Boston University School
of Management, and Director of
Health Systems Development,
Department of Family Medicine,
Boston University School of
Medicine
Ms. Beth-Ann Roberts Vice President, Northern New England,
Harvard Pilgrim Health Care of
New England
Registration & Hors d’oeuvres
11:30 am Ticket: $30 in advance,
$35 at the door
Program 12 noon – 2:30 pm, followed by lunch OR Sponsor the
Internship Program
Gold Sponsor - $500.00 Silver Sponsor - $250.00 Bronze Sponsor - $150.00 Tickets - $30.00 (sponsors are entitled to 2 tickets)
Contact: Prof. Melvyn Menezes [email protected] (781) 8882530 Ms. Archana Vahalia [email protected] (617) 244-1435
Dr. Manju Sheth drmanjusheth@
gmail.com (781) 520-1342.Web:
www.iafpe-ma.org
July 31, Saturday,
Time: 08:00 PM Onwards,
Boston Harbor Cruise and Musical Show - NY’s “The Dhol xperience” will rock the boat in desi
style! Aaja Nachle Boston! Venue
at 1 long wharf, Boston, MA,
02210.
3 hours nonstop rocking Music
and Dance on the Boston Harbor
Cruise
Cost: $29 pp. Contact: Suresh
Gidwani
617.926.8778.Web:
www.unitedindia.net
READ
BOSTON
SOUTH
ASIAN
Page 15
July 2010
Gandhi Statue Unveiled In
Canadian Museum
By Gurmukh Singh
Toronto, June 17
A life-size statue of Mahatma
Gandhi was inaugurated Wednesday in the Canadian Museum of
Human Rights in Winnipeg.
Winnipeg, the capital of Manitoba
province, is about 1,500 kilometre
away from here.
The local Indian-origin cardiologist Naranjan Dhalla of Friends of
the Canadian Museum of Human
Rights had requested the Indian
government to donate the statue to
the museum in 2004. The 500-kg
bronze statue was jointly unveiled
by Indian high commissioner
Shashshekhar Gavai, Dr Dhalla
and Gail Asper of the museum.
Lauding Gandhi as the great advocate of human rights, Gavai
recalled the Mahatma’s commitment to non-violence when he
withdrew his civil disobedience
movement after a mob killed 22
policemen in Chauri Chaura in
1922.
Gail Asper, whose newspaperowning Jewish family is behind
the creation of the Canadian Museum of Human Rights, praised
Gandhi for his commitment to
non-violence.
“Mahatma Gandhi symbolized
the struggle for human rights and
dignity. This sculpture reminds us
of his tireless work and dedication
to change the world through nonviolent resistance to human rights
violations,’’ she said.
“It also embodies the museum’s
mission to enhance the understanding of human rights, to promote respect for others and to en-
courage reflection and dialogue,’’
added Asper.
She thanked the Indian government for donating the statue.
Local businessman Hemant Shah
presented her with a set of books
on the life of Mahatma Gandhi.
Thanking her for taking the initiative to install the statue at the
museum, Shah said, “It is a proud
moment for me to present you
the books on the life of Mahatma
Gandhi whose native state Gujarat
is celebrating its golden jubilee
this year.’’
The statue has been made by Indian sculptor Ram Vanji Sutar. It
will adorn the entrance of the museum when the building is finally
completed in 2012.
After Ottawa, Winnipeg is the
second Canadian city to have a
statue of the man called the Father
of India.
Manmohan
Singh Leaves
For Canada
On the way to Canada, the prime
minister’s special aircraft, Air India One, will make an overnight
technical halt in Frankfurt before
proceeding onward to a packed
itinerary at Toronto, officials said.
In a signal honour, Manmohan
Singh will be the only visiting
leader at the G20 Summit for
whom Harper will host a dinner,
soon after their bilateral talks, following the conclusion of the G20
Summit Sunday.
India and Canada are also expected to sign a host of other agreements during the visit, including
those covering energy, culture and
social security while also holding
talks on a host of bilateral, regional and multilateral issues, officials
said.
The G20 Summit will be no less
important as the leaders of rich
and emerging economies discuss
how to come out of the global financial crises that has sent some
countries to the verge of bankruptcy.
The prime minister returns to New
Delhi late June 29, again after an
overnight technical halt at Frankfurt.
Singing Is Better
Than Talking: Miley
Cyrus
London, June 11
Teen starlet Miley Cyrus says
that she
prefers
singing
to talking normally
because
i t ’ s
much
better
for her
voice.
“Singing is actually better for
your voice than talking, when
you talk you use the lower part of
your voice; when you sing you’re
using a different part of your
voice and actually it doesn’t hurt
your voice as much,” femalefirst.
co.uk quoted Cyrus as saying.
Boston South Asian
Babies Are
A Lot Smarter
Than We Think
Washington, June 16
Babies are a lot smarter than we
can think of, says a new study.
“It’s like we have a ruler in our
heads,” Lourenco says of the phenomenon.
It suggests that even before they
learn to babble, babies are organising information about numbers,
space and time in more complex
ways than previously realised.
Other tests show that when adults
are asked to quickly select the
higher of two numbers, the task
becomes much harder if the
higher number is represented as
physically smaller than the lower
number.
“We’ve shown that nine-montholds are sensitive to ‘more than’
or ‘less than’ relations across the
number, size and duration of objects,” says Stella Lourenco, Emory University psychologist, who
led the study.
Lourenco wanted to explore
whether our brains just pick up
on statistical regularities through
repeated experience and language
associations, or whether a generalised system of magnitude is
present early in life.
“And what’s really remarkable is
they only need experience with
one of these quantitative concepts
in order to guess what the other
quantities should look like,” adds
Lourenco.
Her lab designed a study that
showed groups of objects on a
computer screen to nine-monthold infants.
Lourenco collaborated with neuroscientist Matthew Longo of
University College London for
the study, scheduled for publication in Psychological Science.
In his 1890 masterwork, “The
Principles of Psychology”, William James described the baby’s
impression of the world as “one
great blooming, buzzing confusion”. Accumulating evidence is
turning that long-held theory on
its head.
“Our findings indicate that humans use information about quantity to organise their experience
of the world from the first few
months of life,” Lourenco says.
“Quantity appears to be a powerful
tool for making predictions about
how objects should behave.”
Lourenco focuses on the development of spatial perception, and
how it interfaces with other cognitive dimensions, such as numerical processing and the perception
of time.
Previous research suggests that
these different cognitive domains
are deeply connected at a neural
level. Tests show, for instance,
that adults associate smaller numbers with the left side of space and
larger numbers with the right.
“Babies like to stare when they
see something new,” Lourenco
explains, “and we can measure
the length of time that they look
at these things to understand how
they process information.”
When the infants were shown images of larger objects that were
black with stripes and smaller
objects that were white with dots,
they then expected the same colour-pattern mapping for moreand-less comparisons of number
and duration.
For instance, if the more numerous objects were white with dots,
the babies would stare at the image longer than if the objects were
black with stripes, says an Emory
release.
“When the babies look longer, that
suggests that they are surprised
by the violation of congruency,”
Lourenco says. “They appear to
expect these different dimensions
to correlate in the world.”
The findings suggest that humans
may be born with a generalised
system of magnitude. “If we are
not born with this system, it appears that it develops very quickly,” Lourenco says.
Boston South Asian
July 2010
Page 16
Art & Culture Special
Rangoli
By Padmini Bhat
When we visited a mandir, we
found Rangoli drawn outside the
entrance. What a beautiful drawing said my children.
Culture exists side by side.So as
ing courtyards and houses drawn
mainly by hand.Word come from
words Rang(colour) and avali
means row,so row of colours.
Rangoli designs are the motifs of
plants,flowers,leaves,birds
and
other animal. Some are geometri-
Art.To know the art of Rangoli,no
better to start than India.
It is an auspicious art of decorat-
cal patterns as well.Designs are
very attractive with ultimate patterns.
Any occasion is good enough
for this floor art.It explains
Hospitality,Almost every house,
rich or poor has Rangoli at the entrance.Everyone wants to express
the warmth welcome.That is India.
Material used for Rangoli is
white stone powder,coloured
powders are also used to mix in
Rangoli,combination with colours ,petals makes this art more
elegant.
Seeing the art drawn in front of
my house in Bangalore is more
fascinating and delightful experience.
Our friend who hails from Gujarat,
Rina Mandera says “In Gujarat it
is mostly seen during Diwali. And
in some part of village it is seen as
wall-art for decoration of outside
(sometime inside) of the house.”
Rural India still rules the art of
Rangoli.
Other friend Arthi Thiagarajan
who comes from Tamil Nadu
shares like this “Kolam is drawn
with white rice flour in front of
homes early in the morning. Kol-
am is believed to bring prosperity
by inviting Goddess Lakshmi into
the house. It also signifies welcoming all into one’s house and
harmonious living with nature”.
Names are different art is the
now a days.
In the absence of any formal
training,the art has been passed
from generation to generation.It
our duty to Practice ,Promote and
Preserve this art,no matter which
same.
Rangoli stickers are quite a rage
part of the world we all live.
Long live the Art of Rangoli.
Uday Shankar & Indian Dance
By Bipasha Guptaroy
[email protected]
(313) 333 8174
Uday Shankar was born in Udaypur, Rajasthan in 1900. His formal
art training began in Bombay in
1917 and later he travelled to London to study at the Royal College
of Art. It was here that he was initiated into dance by the legendary
Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova.
He created two ballets based on
Indian themes, Radha-Krishna
and Hindu Wedding for inclusion
in Pavlova’s program “Oriental
Impressions” and was her dance
partner in these pieces. Though
he had no formal training in dance
his association with Anna Pavlova
generated in him the idea of presenting Indian dance in a contemporary form. In 1931 he founded
the first Indian dance company in
Paris and toured Europe.
The style of
dance pioneered
by Uday Shankar maintained
a crucial balance
between traditional
Indian
dance forms and
modern dance
techniques of the
West. His works
had a unique
creative identity
and a universal
appeal
while
remaining
essentially Indian.
His dance style,
imbued with elements of Indian
classical, folk,
and tribal dances as well as those
from Rajput and Mughal paint-
ings, laid the foundation of modern Indian dance. Unlike classical
Indian dance,
this contemporary style
required
no
prior knowledge of Indian
dance,
religion,
or
mythology
to be appreciated.
His
experimentations with
presentation
of contemporary themes
through this
dance
form
found appreciation, both,
within
and
outside India. He revolutionized
Indian dance and his innovative
dance style paved the way for experimentations of fusion between
dance styles that is still practiced
to this day.
Uday Shankar is known as the father of Indian ballet. He created
a distinct form of Indian Ballet
combining Western methods of
presentation, stagecraft and lighting with his unique dance form
which although based on classical dance forms, was distinct from
them. He created a number of ballets; Rhythm of Life, Labour and
Machinery, and Shamanya Kshati
were stage presentations, Ramleela and Life of Buddha were technically intricate shadow plays,
while Kalpana and Shankarscope
were dance works for the screen.
(Continued on page 17)
Page 17
July 2010
Old Sturbridge Village
By Ch.Saibaba
Old Sturbridge is a “Must see
Destination” to experience early
New England life from 1790 to
1840.placed in the rolling hills of
Central Massachusetts, Old Sturbridge Village presents a vivid &
unforgettable portrait of life in a
country village in early 19th century of New England. This is one
of the largest living history museums, we have ever seen till date.
The OSV has a large workforce of
historians in costume, 59 historic
buildings on 200 acres, three authentic water powered mills and
two covered bridge. Visitors like
us enjoyed ride on horse driven
wagon and, viewed antiques, heirloom gardens, farm animals and
takes on part in hands-on craftsround. The landscape is re-crafted
with, original homes, craft shops,
meeting houses and mills bought
to the museum site from throughout New England.
Authentically costumed “Villagers” are known as, history interpreters, who demonstrated and
discussed in joy and fun convinced
every visitor the life, work, and
celebrations of early 19th century
Americans.Old Sturbridge Village
first opened to
the public on
June 8, 1946.
In the more
than 63 years
since,
more
than 21 million adults and
children have
visited the Village, and the
museum has
attained international recognition for its
innovations in
research and
education.
Old Sturbridge Village traces its
beginnings to the remarkable collection amassed by industrialists
Albert B. and J. Cheney Wells
of neighboring Southbridge. The
Wells family brought together
a wealth of early New England
artifacts,including tools,utensils,
furniture, glassware, and clocks.
The family later dedicated itself
to the idea of displaying the col-
lections within a working village,
where visitors could better understand how the items were originally crafted and used. Thompson
Bank branch built in Thompson
Connecticut 1834 did a yeomen
service to people in those days for
financial dealings and safe custody of their valuables, including
jewellery, cash, documents etc.
We were amazed to see such a
wonderful living culture museum
and experienced and felt the taste
of people’s environment of 19th
century in the current 21st century
is only a wonder to remember for
ever.
We also congratulate the OSV
management and operating staff
for taking pains and extra degree
of care since centuries to maintain the environment in “as it and
where it is state” is no words to
speak, but “One Should see it Experience it Believe it.”
Boston South Asian
What You Should Expect
from the Census Bureau
The 2010 Census will continue
through the summer visiting
households across the country to
collect their information. However, not everyone knows that Census Bureau representatives visit
or call a sample of households to
collect information for a variety
of important surveys administered
throughout the decade. In an effort
to avoid confusion, I would like to
clarify these operations.
For the 2010 Census, our enumerators are visiting housing units
from which we did not receive a
form, we did not receive a form in
time to update census workers’ assignments, or we received a form
that requires verification. Enumerators will ask for your information
even if you state that you mailed
back a form in order to ensure the
accuracy of the count.
In addition to the once-a-decade
census, Census Bureau field representatives collect data on a
monthly basis for a number of
other surveys, such as the American Community Survey and the
National Health Interview Survey.
These surveys provide invaluable data about a variety of topics
including health, education, income, employment, and disability
that guide representatives of your
community and organizations to
make more informed decisions
about vital services for our nation.
Please call 1-800-562-5721 to
learn if you are in a survey.
It is easy to identify a 2010 Census
enumerator or field representative.
He or she will have a census ID
badge that contains a Department
of Commerce seal and will provide supervisor and/or office contact information for verification, if
asked. Field representatives have
photo IDs and use a computer to
facilitate the collection of data.
Census workers will not contact
individuals by e-mail, but may do
so by phone. In addition, they will
not ask about immigration status
or for bank account or credit card
numbers. Remember that your responses to either the 2010 Census
or any ongoing survey are protected by federal law and cannot be
shared with any agency or person.
Please, step up and be counted
now in the 2010 Census. If your
household is selected for a survey, please participate to help us
collect vital information that will
help your community receive its
fair share of federal funding, representation, and effective planning. I appreciate your cooperation.
Kathleen Ludgate
Regional Director, U.S. Census
Bureau
Uday Shankar & Indian Dance
He returned to
India in 1938
and established
the ‘Uday Shankar India Culture Center’ in
Almora, where
he invited stalwarts of Indian
dance and music
to train his dancers. The Center
later moved to
Kolkata, where
it remains today
under the artistic direction of
his wife, Amala. In 1986 the
Center’s troupe
was invited to present the inaugural performance at the 50th an-
niversary of the American Dance
Festival in Durham, North Carolina. His daughter Mamata and
daughter-in-law Tanusree also
continue to teach and perform
world wide in his style of contemporary Indian dance. The
legacy of his innovative dance
style continues in the works
of many of his associates and
students trained at the Uday
Shankar India Culture center,
through their dance companies.
Bipasha Guptaroy
is the
Founder and Director of the
Srijan India Dance Company
and teaches in Uday Shankar’s
style of Indian dance in Troy,
Michigan. She is an alumnus
of Uday Shankar India Culture
Center
Boston South Asian
July 2010
Apaar Bangla – Music without Borders
(Continued from Page 1)
ranging from urban angst to pure
fun. What kept the audience to the
edge of their seats was the diversity of music – a romantic ballad
like Rainy Day was followed by
rock and roll compositions like
Corporate and Bhaag (Division).
There was also a fairytale love
song in Romeo and Juliet followed by a folk style cracker in
Ke bollo Bangla gaane nacha jay
na (Who said one cannot dance
to Bangla music?). The audience
was seen dancing and singing in
the aisle and as one elderly gentleman later said, “I just could not
stop swinging to the beat, it was
coming from within!” The band
also performed traditional favorites from both Bangladesh and
West Bengal.
The word Apaar in Bengali signifies the lack
of boundaries and this
is reflected
in the multiethnic composition of
the
band
and
the
choice of
instruments.
The band
comprises
F a w a d
(keyboards
and piano),
Prithwiraj
(lead
vocals), Kou-
shik (tabla, dhol, vocals), Ramananda (vocals, percussion,
harmonica), Laura (drums,
flute), Paul (bass guitar) and
Debu (lead guitar). Check out
the band at http://www.apaarbangla.com/ and keep following future events at http://
www.facebook.com/ApaarBangla
Page 18
China Endorses Bangladesh-Myanmar Road Project
Dhaka, June 17
Beijing has agreed to implement a
Bangladeshi proposal for a road link
via Myanmar, Prime Minister Sheikh
Hasina has announced after the visit
of Chinese vice president Xi Jinping.
She told parliament Wednesday
that a project financed by Bangladesh government called “Study and
Design for Bangladesh-Myanmar
link road” was underway. The road
project will be implemented in two
phases, she added.
Under the first phase two km of
road will be constructed from Ramu
to Gundum inside Bangladesh and
23 km will be constructed between
Taungbro and Bolibazar inside
Myanmar.
She said her government has actively
been trying to link Bangladesh with
members of the Association of South
East Asian Nations (ASEAN) and
China “in the interest of the people
of this country”.
“Effective roads and rail communi-
cations will be set up among the
ASEAN countries once the proposed project is implemented,”
she said.
Political, economic, commercial
and cultural relations with China
and other south-eastern countries
of Asia will be interrelated, she
added.
Hasina has on her returning to
power in January last year sought
to reach out to India and other
South Asian neighbours like Nepal and Bhutan seeking road and
rail links and greater trade.
Her deal with India that allows the
latter partial, project-based access
to the isolated northeastern region
has been criticised by Bangladesh’s opposition party.
In the second phase, the Myanmar
authorities will construct 110 km
of road link between Bolibazar
and Kyanktow in Myanmar. There
is a road link between Kyanktow
and Kunming, Hasina said.
Rabindranath Tagore’s 150th Birth anniversary
On June 13, 2010
Swaralipi, a Rabindrasangeet music academy based in Wayland,
MA organized an Indian classical raag-sangeet concert by Pandit Ajoy Chakrabarty, the much
celebrated vocalist from India at
J. Sleeper Auditorium of Boston
University. This event was cosponsored by Learnquest Academy of Music and Boston University School of Medicine.
The concert was organized to
commemorate the 150th birth
anniversary of Sir Rabindranath
Tagore, poet, novelist, artist,
statesman, philosopher, spiritual
leader and Nobel prize-winner.
Tagore is a cultural icon and
a ‘god-like’ figure to Bengalispeaking people around the globe.
Yet he has remained largely a ‘regional phenomenon’ in India. The
organizers of this concert hoped to
re-introduce the musical genious
of Rabindranath Tagore, particularly to an audience comprised of
non-Bengali-speaking Indians and
Westerners.
Pandit Ajoy Chakrabarty does not
need an introduction to the connoisseurs of Indian classical music, being one of the most talented
and versatile vocalists of India
today and a prime exponent of Patiala Gharana and Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khansahib. Importantly,
Pandit-ji, a Bengali is most wellsuited to
bridge
Tagore’s
music
(Rabindrasang e e t )
w i t h
Indian
r a a g sangeet.
H
e
achieved
this feat
w i t h
masterful eloquence and a superb performance.
The program began with a choral
singing of three Tagore’s songs
by a large group of vocalists and
instrumentalists associated with
Swaralipi under the direction of
Swapna Ray. This was followed
by felicitation of the centerpiece
artists with traditional Indian ‘Baran’ and gift-giving.
Then Pandit Chakrabarty and his
team (Jogesh Samsi-tabla, Ajay
Joglekar-harmonium, Brajeswar
Mukherjee-Tanpura and vocal
support) took the center stage of
the auditorium, decorated with
large pictures of Tagore. Pandit-ji
began his recital with a dhamaar
in raag Shri which morphed into
a Tagore composition in the same
raag. During the concert Panditji
occasionally paused to explain to
a more than 350-people audience
the raag-based roots of Tagore
compositions. Dhamaar was followed by a kheyaal in raag Megh
based on a bandish composed
by Padmabhusan Pandit GyanPrakash Ghosh, a vocal and tabla
maestro and Pandit Chakrabarty’s
guru.
Panditji was keen on giving demonstration of various forms of Indian raag-sangeet. Therefore, in
the second half he started with a
tappa based on a composition by
Kazi Najrul Islam. This was followed by the soulful thumri ‘Babul moraa’, and finally ending
with his own composition based
on a South Indian raag Kirwani
and a presentation mixed with
South and North Indian styles as
well as New Orleans jazz.
Pandit Chakrabarty charmed the
audience with his mastery of
taankaari and a superb gayaki.
Other musicians wonderfully
complemented Pandit Chakrabarty. Pandit-ji aptly noted that these
young and up-coming musicians
are to be watched as future torchbearers of Indian raag-sangeet.
In a private interview Pandit-ji
confided that his mission is to
bring Indian raag-sangeet in a
palatable and systematic form
to young people who are largely
turned away from it. However, he
emphasized that mastery of this
music will require rigorous discipline and devotion in the part of
the student and a scientific method of teaching and training in the
part of the teacher. He noted that
Shrutinandan, a music academy
in Kolkata that he has founded
is hard at work in achieving that
goal.
Finally, Swaralipi, as an organization needs to be commended
for eliciting the appreciation for
Tagore’s music, and Indian raagsangeet in general via a spellbinding performance by Pandit
Chakrabartyi and his team. It is
a unique undertaking by its own
merit.
Page 19
Finalists for 2010 Nonprofit
Excellence Awards
Boston, Mass. (June 11, 2010)
Massachusetts Nonprofit Network
(MNN) is pleased to announce
that New England Business Associates and Pioneer Valley Rebuilders CDC have been named as
finalists for the Excellence Award
in Nonprofit Innovation. Finalists
were chosen by a panel of community foundation leaders and
academics from across the state.
The winners of the Nonprofit
Excellence Awards will be announced at a State House gathering on June 14th. This event will
mark the second annual Nonprofit
Awareness Day to celebrate the
work of nonprofits and to recognize the winners of the Excellence
Awards. This year, Governor Patrick will be delivering welcoming
remarks and Speaker DeLeo will
deliver the keynote address at the
event.
With more than 37,000 nonprofits
employing at least 14% of Massachusetts’ workforce, nonprofits
across the state have touched the
lives of residents by improving the
overall quality of life, while also
providing significant opportunities for civic engagement, community building, human services,
environmental programming, as
well as social and cultural activities. Dedicated volunteers and
passionate employees of nonprofits in Massachusetts have worked
vigorously to enrich the cultural,
social, intellectual and economic
lives of all residents. These are the
people that will be recognized by
the Excellence Awards.
About the finalists:
•
New England Business
Associates has been providing
individualized employment support services to people with developmental disabilities since 1983.
Since its inception, NEBA has
consistently achieved an 85-92%
placement rate and is considered
one of the top employment providers in the state of Massachusetts. NEBA also operates an innovative program at Springfield
College, which allows individuals
with developmental disabilities
to enhance their academic skills,
while spending time in a college
setting. All students are paired
with interns from the colleges
which provide a mentor, a friend
and a wonderful learning opportunity for both the student and the
intern. Over the last few years,
NEBA has supported a number of
individuals to develop their own
businesses, and as a result of this
success, is now an on-site partner
in the local business development
center, the Andrew Scibelli Enterprise Center, which is part of
the national Small Business Development Center Network. This
program works to enable individuals with disabilities to access
the general business development
support, in addition to the support
received from NEBA. NEBA’s
services are unique in that they are
designed with a partnership between private industry, local one
stop career centers, local school
systems, Post Secondary Institutions, local vocational rehabilitation providers and individuals
with intellectual disabilities.
•
Pioneer Valley Rebuilders is a nonprofit construction
company. The Learn to Earn
program prepares non-violent
ex-offenders from the Hampden
County Sheriff’s Department for
work in the building trades. People emerging from incarceration
have little formal education, minimal employment experience, and
very few job skills. These citizens
have a dire need for relevant skills
training and employment experience.
What is Nonprofit Awareness
Day?:
The day was recognized and
signed into law by Governor Deval Patrick in 2007. Last year,
Massachusetts became the first
state in the nation to officially celebrate a Nonprofit Awareness Day
to honor of the work of nonprofit
organizations. Each year, Nonprofit Awareness Day is celebrated on the second Monday in June.
About MNN:
After three years of planning,
the MNN was launched in January 2007. The Massachusetts
Nonprofit Network currently has
over 600 members. Its mission is
to increase capacity, build public awareness and advocate for
nonprofit organizations. More
information about Massachusetts
Nonprofit Network can be found
at www.massnonprofitnet.org.
July 2010
Boston South Asian
Akshaya Patra Rocks
The Akshaya Patra Foundation
hosted a sold-out Food for Education Benefit Event on Sunday,
May 16 at the Westin Hotel in
Waltham. The event included a
keynote address by the worldrenowned Dr. Deepak Chopra,
and an astonishing $400,000 was
raised to benefit the school lunch
program for deserving children
in India. The 52-member host
committee included influential
community members and change
agents who were instrumental in
making the event a great success.
The event attracted 500 local leaders from diverse professions. The
festivities brought in not only
long-time supporters, but also
many people experiencing their
first introduction to Akshaya Patra. Madhu Sridhar, President and
CEO of Akshaya Patra, received
a thunderous applause when she
shared with the guests the Akshaya Patra’s success story and
the hope it has brought to millions
of children. She urged the crowd
to help make poverty history by
making sure hunger is not a barrier to education and added, “We
are gathered to bring smiles of
hope to five million children by
2020, the organization’s next goal.
It is our collective challenge, our
collective obligation, our collective responsibility and it will be
our collective joy when we meet
this next milestone. We can’t just
sit on the sidelines and watch this
happen. It is a measure of our humanity.”
Deepak Chopra, MD, a worldrenowned authority in the field
of mind-body healing, a bestselling author, and the founder of
the Chopra Center for Wellbeing,
delivered the keynote address. He
has been heralded by Time Magazine as one of the top 100 heroes
and icons of the century and the
“poet-prophet of alternative medicine.” Dr. Chopra addressed the
keys to human happiness and said
that “the most important way to
fulfillment is to make someone
else happy.”
In addition to donating money to
feed a large school for an entire
year on behalf of his grandchildren, the next morning Dr. Chopra wrote on his Twitter account
to his over 200,000 followers, “It
was a wonderful & humbling experience 2 see so much compassion in action. AKSHAYA PATRA
ROCKS!” At the request of Sridhar, Dr. Chopra graciously agreed
to speak for Akshaya Patra once a
year in the US.
The event was sponsored by
Leader Bank, MFA, Chitika,
A123 Systems, Abacus Software,
Venus Capital and Deshpande
Foundation. New corporations
that sponsored the event this year
included EMC, CSS, Patni, InteQ
and J.P.Morgan. In addition, enthusiastic volunteers from Leader
Bank helped the registration process go smoothly for a second
year in a row.
The event rose over $400,000.
There was a constant flow of donations made during the pledge
drive, led by Al Kapoor of Millennium Ventures and Sridhar. Two
meal delivery vehicles were sponsored at a cost of over $20,650
each; three large schools were
sponsored at a cost of over $12,600
each; two mid-sized schools were
sponsored at a cost of over $4,200
each; and 20 small-size schools
were sponsored for $1,400 each.
The rest of the money raised was
for providing healthy meals to deserving children in all eight states
in India where Akshaya Patra has
kitchens.
“I am overwhelmingly touched
by the generosity of all those who
are not only keeping their commitment to the Akshaya Patra
children year after year but also
introducing the Akshaya Patra
solution to eradicate hunger and
promote education simultaneously to the network of their friends,”
said Sridhar. “Organizations that
address vital issues and offer a
real possibility of bringing about
change attract individuals and
activists and keep them engaged.
Akshaya Patra is doing just that.”
About Akshaya Patra
The Akshaya Patra Foundation is
one of the world’s largest NGOrun midday meal programs, feeding 1.2 million children each day
in over 7,000 schools through 19
kitchens in eight states in India.
(Continued on Page 21)
Boston South
Asian
Editor: Bala Kumar
Operations:
Ram Ramaswamy
Jyothi K. Mariswaran
Madhumathy
Marketing:
Aparna Radhakrishnan
Publisher:
Vidya Kumar
Design/Layout/
Marketing/
Distribution:
Palepages llc
617-334-6781/
281-381-0744
Fax: 512-685-2324
email: info@Boston
southasian.com
www.Boston
southasian.com
©All rights reserved.
Boston South Asian
Queen Caught Driving
Without Seat Belt
By Venkata Vemuri
London, June 14
An elderly lady was caught driving a car without a seat belt. But
she wasn’t fined because she can’t
be. She’s the Queen!
Q u e e n
Elizabeth
drove her
J a g u a r
away from
a
polo
match in
Windsor
without
wearing
the
belt,
and
The
Daily Mail
caught her
on camera.
She was not on a pubic road, but
even if she was, the chance of her
getting a ticket was a zero.
Such driving is against the law,
but a reigning monarch cannot be
found guilty of it.
As British courts are established
on her behalf, the Queen cannot be a defendant in one -- as it
would mean she was prosecuting
herself.
The Queen is also the only person in Britain who is permitted to
drive without a
licence and is
not obliged to
have registration plates on
her vehicles.
For
ordinary
motorists,
the fine for
not wearing a
seatbelt is 60
pounds. It was
doubled from
30 pounds last
year after the
Home Office admitted the fine
was not acting as enough of a deterrent.
The Queen, 84, is said to enjoy
driving. During World War II, she
was a member of the Auxiliary
Transport Service.
WORLD TAMIL CONFERENCE
Coimbatore, June 22 More than
5,000 people from India and
abroad, including a large number of scholars, will take part in
the first five-day World Classical
Tamil Conference starting here
Wednesday.
President Pratibha Patil will inaugurate the conference that has
dramatically improved the infrastructure of Coimbatore, a throbbing Tamil Nadu city about 510
km from Chennai.
Thousands of delegates from India, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, South
Africa, Singapore, Canada, the
US, Greece and other countries
have confirmed their participation.
These include around 1,000 scholars who will submit research papers. About 200 of the papers will
come from 50 countries.
“The conference is expected to
raise the awareness level for cooperative and collaborative research
on the classical side of Tamil lan-
guage,” said Gregory James from
The Hong Kong University of
Science and Technology and author of “A History of Tamil Dictionaries”.
Tamil language has a recorded
history dating back two millennia.
It is estimated that 75 million people in the world speak Tamil, an
overwhelming majority in Tamil
Nadu in India.
Evidence of earliest Tamil civilization is the megalithic urn burials
found in Tamil Nadu dating back
to around 1,500 BC. The ancient
Tamil land was dominated by
three dynasties - Chera, Chola and
Pandya.
Originally from Tamil Nadu,
Tamils now live in large numbers in many countries including
Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Singapore,
South Africa, Canada, Fiji, Maruitius and Britain. \
July 2010
Page 20
Talks with Pakistan: PM says only time will tell
By Arvind Padmanabhan
On Board Air India One, June
29 (IANS) Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Tuesday said time
alone will tell what would be the
outcome of the revived dialogue
with Pakistan though the recent
talks between the home ministers
held out “some hope”. But he said
there has to be greater trust in the
relationship.
“The home minister has been in
Pakistan earlier last week,” the
prime minister said, referring to P.
Chidambaram’s meeting with his
counterpart in Islamabad Rehman
Malik last Saturday.
“I think there is some hope,” he
told the accompanying Indian media on his way back from the G20
Summit in Toronto, only to add an
immediate caveat.
“As I have said, in dealing with
Pakistan our attitude has to be
trust: Trust but verify. So only
time will tell which way the animal will turn.”
The prime minister also said that
US National Security Advisor
James L. Jones would be visiting India next month to begin the
preparatory work for President
Barack Obama’s maiden visit to
India in November.
“We have a really ambitious agenda,” Manmohan Singh said.
“He will be sending his national
security adviser in the second
week of July. He will meet our
National Security Adviser Shiv
Shankar Menon,” he said. “They
will chalk out the agenda for President Obama’s visit.”
At Toronto, the US president had
praised the statesmanship of Manmohan Singh and the rise of India
and said he was looking forward
and “excited” about visiting India
with First Lady Michelle later this
year.
Most South Asian Students
who travel 20000 plus
miles for studies in Boston
feel home sick within the
first 30 days of landing.
They would love to go
some place called home
and talk to or spend time
with a family.
ADOPT A STUDENT
Families interested in creating
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“It is a trip that I’m very much
looking forward to,” said Obama,
before holding talks with Manmohan Singh after the end of the G20
Summit where there was convergence of views expressed by India
and the US.
Email:
in part be explained by differing physiological responses to
competition.
a threat to their status, while
bonobos reacted as if a potential competition is stressful by
showing changes in their cortisol
levels,” said Victoria Wobber,
Harvard graduate student, who
led the study.
[email protected]
MALES REACT LIKE CHIMPS:STUDY
Some males react to competition
like chimps
London, June 29 (IANS) Prior
to competition, an average man
experiences hormonal changes
similar to a passive bonobo,
a dwarf chimp species, and a
“status-striving” man undergoes
changes similar to a chimpanzee,
says a study.
Researchers from Duke and Harvard universities revealed differing hormone levels in two closest
relatives of humans, bonobos and
chimpanzees, in anticipation of
competition.
Chimpanzees live in male-dominated societies where status is
paramount and aggression can be
severe.
In bonobos, the female is always
the most dominant and tolerance
can allow for more cooperation
and food-sharing.
Scientists have frequently
questioned whether differences
in competitive behaviour could
Researchers collected saliva
from the apes using cotton wads
dipped in Sweet Tarts candy, then
measured hormone levels before
and after pairs from each species
were presented with a pile of
food.
They found that males of both
species showed hormonal changes in anticipation of competing
for food.
Male chimpanzees showed an
increase in testosterone, which
is thought to prepare animals
for competition or aggressive
interactions.
By contrast, male bonobos
showed an increase in cortisol,
which is associated with stress
and more passive social strategies
in other animals.
“Chimpanzee males reacted
to the competition as if it was
Human males usually experience
an increase in cortisol before
many types of competition in a
similar way as seen in the bonobos.
However, if men have what is
called a “high power motive,”
or a strong desire to achieve
high status, they experience an
increase in testosterone before
a competition, said a release of
Duke and Harvard Universities.
“These results suggest that the
steroid hormone shifts that are
correlated with the competitive
drive of men are shared through
descent with other apes,” Wobber
said.
These findings were published
on in Proceedings of the National
Academy of Sciences .
Page 21
July 2010
Boston South Asian
CHECK YOUR SIGN
By “Pandit Parashar”
ARIES (March 21 to April 20):
You will be full of
energy and enforce
your ideas. Pending
issues with a government agency can
get resolved before
15th. You will be paying lot more
attention to a child and may also
go on an important trip in second
half of July. You will make a very
important contact this month.
TAURUS (April 21 to May 20):
You will be making some heavy
duty purchases before 15th. Money
will go on quality and not quantity
items. Some of you
may have to take an important
business trip to meet some influential person in second half of
July. Idea of seeking legal help to
prove your point is not a bad one.
GEMINI (May 21 to June 20):
You will have several bright ideas
and
implement
few of them before
15th and patiently
wait for the results.
Some of you will be travelling
across waters towards the end of
July. You will become more spiritual. Money will pour in from all
directions. You will be writing a
check to government.
CANCER (June 21 to July 22):
You will spend money on family,
friends and on a
travel before 15th.
Plans you put in
place recently will
start to yield positive results in second half of July.
There will be tremendous progress in career and you will have
the dream assignment in hands.
Keep playing the lottery.
LEO (July 23 to August 22): Positive changes before 15th will make
you feel very good about yourself.
You will gain more
popularity in society. Do not let slow
progress demoralise
you in second half
of July. Results will
come next month, so relax. Planets can create attraction towards a
person from different culture.
VIRGO (August 23 to September
22): You will be paying lots of attention to career in first half. Results will finally start coming for
efforts made in past
several months and
every body around
will be happy. You
may invite an important person at
your place towards the second
half of July. A debt will get paid
off.
LIBRA (September 23 to Octo-
ber 22): You will be working on
an excellent idea in
first half and see the
results during July itself. This project will
take you to a new
level in career. Meetings in second half will go well
and you will receive the assurance
quickly. You will call a government agency for clarification.
SCORPIO (October 23 to November 22): Time will be spent on
doing lots of research and collecting facts before you
really launch your
ideas. After 15th
you will feel luck to
be on your side and
the plan will take
off with positive feedback from
everyone. You may call and seek
blessings of a holy and elderly
person.
SAGITTARIUS (November 23 to
December 22): New venture and
partners before July 15th will be
lucky for you.
You have some
real easy money
coming
your
way in second
half. You will be
Akshaya Patra Rocks...
A public-private partnership, Akshaya Patra combines good management, innovative technology
and smart engineering to deliver
school lunch at a fraction of the
cost of similar programs in other
parts of the world. It costs $28 to
feed a child daily for the entire
school year.
With an average government subsidy of 50 percent, $28 feeds two
children. This meal gives these
children an incentive to come to
school, stay in school and provides them with the necessary nu-
By Pandit Parashar
trients they need to develop their cognitive abilities
to focus on learning. The organization also sources
its food stocks from local markets, thereby reducing
costs associated with transportation and food spoilage
while supporting the local economy.
In a short time, the foundation has grown to become
the largest, and certainly most innovative, school
lunch program in the world. Akshaya Patra is a great
example of what can be accomplished when the public sector, private sector and the civic society collaborate-- a cost effective, scalable solution with high quality service delivery. After reaching its goal of feeding
one million children each school day, Akshaya Patra’s
next milestone is to serve 5 million children daily by
2020.
For more information, please visit www.foodforeducation.org.
traveling to a nice place with family towards the end of July. Some
of you will be moving to another
house during the month of July.
CAPRICORN (December 22 to
January 19): You will overcome
many difficulties of past and see
competitors moving
out of your way before 15th. You will
be successful in cutting down expenses
and recover some
money also this month. You will
be tempted to travel long distance
but may change your mind on the
last minute.
important business trip towards
the end of the month.
PISCES (February 19 to March
20): Every one will enjoy the short
vacation in early part
of July. You will
have a good chance
to learn from your
competitors.
You
will sign some important documents only after making minor
changes. Money will come but go
out fast. You will call to seek advice from an old friend.
PA R A S H A R @ PA R A S H A R .
COM
AQUARIUS (January 20 to February 18): New alliance that will
occur before 15th will be good
and last for a very
long time. Good
deed performed in
the past will pay off
now in big way. All
issues involving a child will be
settled by 15th. You may go on an
Technologies for Inner Wellbeing
The Inner Engineering program is a rare opportunity for self-discovery. The program oﬀers
interactive discussions and meditations. You will take home a 21-minute practice that will
help you uplift and successfully manage your every day life – for the rest of your life.
Benefits Include:
• A highly focused and relaxed state of mind
• Increased energy levels that enable one to glide
effortlessly through a rigorous workday
• A state of inner peace that remains untouched by the
turbulence of external situations
• An effective health measure that helps in preventing
and even reversing chronic conditions like asthma,
hypertension, diabetes, rheumatism, arthritis, obesity, back pain, epilepsy,
anxiety, depression, migraines, sinusitis, allergies, skin and eye ailments
www.InnerEngineering.org
866-424-ISHA ( 4742 )
[email protected]
Boston South Asian
July 2010
Abhishek, Aishwarya saved my life
Mumbai, June 14
sonous snake was approaching
Bhojpuri superstar Ravi Kishan
is grateful to his “Raavan” costars Abhishek Bachchan and
Aishwarya Rai for saving his
life from a poisonous snake
while shooting in the jungle.
Releasing Friday, “Raavan” has
been co-produced by Reliance
BIG Pictures and Madras Talkies.
In the film, Abhishek will be seen
as villain Beera, while Aishwarya
is a dance teacher who is happily
married to a policeman, played by
Tamil superstar Vikram.
“I used to lie down either on
the river bank or in the bushes
between shots to take some rest.
I was lying on a rock when I
heard them screaming, ‘Get up
or you will die’. I got up and
saw that a nine-foot-long poi-
Karan Johar coming with
‘Koffee With Karan 3’
New Delhi, June 10 Ace Bollywood filmmaker Karan Johar has
confirmed that he is coming back
to the
small
screen
with
t h e
third
seas o n
of his
popular celebrity
chat
show
“Koffee With Karan”.
“I am indeed doing season three
of ‘Koffee With Karan’. Hopefully, with new lovers, new enemies
and new questions. I am doing it
and I am very excited. It will be
on air in August or September,”
Karan told IANS.
“Koffee With Karan” was first
aired in 2004, followed by the
second season in 2007. The show
saw Karan in some candid conversations with celebrities like Shah
Rukh Khan, Kajol, Rani Mukerji,
Kareena Kapoor, Hrithik Roshan
and Priyanka Chopra - most of
whom are his friends.
The filmmaker, who is looking
forward to the release of his home
production “I Hate Luv Storys”
July 2, was in the capital Wednesday to host Chivas Studio Spotlight as the brand ambassador of
Chivas Regal.
me,” said Ravi.
“If you are seeing Ravi Kishan
alive in front of you, it is just because of this wonderful couple,”
added the actor who is playing
Abhishek’s elder brother in the
film.
Aamir may
come on
Twitter:Big B
New Delhi, June 11
Aamir Khan may soon join microblogging site Twitter thanks to
Amitabh Bachchan who used his
powers of persuasion on him.
“At dinner with Aamir... coaxing
him to come on Twitter,” Amitabh
posted on his Twitter page. “Success come to those that dare and
act!! Convinced the inconvincible
Aamir over dinner to come on
Twitter.”
Big B affirmed that Aamir will be
on site soon and posted a picture
of them on the site with the caption - “With Aamir at dinner, Italian, good food and the smile on
his face is his excitement of being
convinced to come on Twitter”.
“A wonderful evening at Italian
Daniel Radcliffe Broke
Down In Tears
London, June 16
“Harry Potter” star Daniel Radcliffe broke down in tears while
filming the last scene for the final
instalment of the fantasy-adventure movie.
Pancham’s Birth Anniversary
New Delhi, June 16
Melody queen Asha Bhosle says
she will grace the “Indian Idol 5”
stage for a special episode to celebrate her late husband, legendary
music composer R.D. Burman’s
71st birth anniversary June 27.
“’Indian Idol’ planning a special
on Pancham for his upcoming
birth
anniversary. I will
appear
on
this episode. I
am appearing
on the show
primarily because it’s an
episode devoted to Pancham (Burman’s
pet
name)!
He
would have
appeared as
well and what
a show that would have been,”
Asha posted on her Twitter page.
Pancham is known for his peppy
tunes like the songs “O haseena
julfon wali” and “Aaja aaja”. He
also composed soulful numbers
ilke “Bahon mein chale aao, “Ek
ajanabee haseena se” and “Karwaten badalte rahe”.
The special episode will be broad-
cast June 22. Though Asha is
excited about her appearance on
the show, Asha laments that most
reality show participants are nowhere to be seen once the show is
over.
“I’m not against TV music shows.
Some performers are very good
but nothing seems to happen to
them once the
season is over.
To be fair,
winners
of
music reality
shows perform
many concerts
and
make
good money
but disappear
the moment
there’s a new
champion.
“Audiences
watch the triumphs,
anguish, failures and tears of contestants in reality shows. The shows
appeal to human voyeurism tendency,” she added.
Joining her for the Sony TV show
will be cricketer Irfan Pathan,
who will be coming as Reebok
brand ambassador to promote special “Indian Idol” merchandise by
the company.
Hindi Remake Of ‘Stepmom’ Titled ‘We Are Family’
New Delhi, June 19
The 20-year-old says that everyone present on the sets of the
movie were overcome with emotion as the shoot wrapped for the
final time, reports telegraph.co.uk.
“Everyone was really devastated.
It was really, really sad. We were
crying quite a lot. It’s a weird,
weird feeling,” Radcliffe said.
restaurant. Ronnie, Aamir, Kiran
and Jaya...delightful, meaningful
conversation (on) films, life, posterity,” said the 67-year-old.
Page 22
The movie series based on on the
novel by J. K. Rowling, is coming
to an end. The first instalment of
the two-part conclusion is set to
hit the big screens later this year,
while part two will be released in
2011.
After mulling over the title of his
Hindi version of Chris Columbus’
1998 comedy drama “Stepmom”
for a long time, Bollywood filmmaker Karan Johar has finally
decided to go with the name “We
Are Family”.
“Ok guys...here goes the title of
our official ‘Stepmom’ adaptation
- ‘We Are Family’...will post the
release date in a few days,” Karan
revealed through a post on microblogging site Twitter.
The 38-year-old filmmaker had
promised fans that he would announce the name of the film on
Twitter first, and he kept his word.
The movie is a heartwarming tale
about a terminally ill divorcee
who has to accept the new woman
in her ex-husband’s life as the
stepmother of her kids and the
problems they face to find a com-
mon ground of understanding.
While it was earlier being called
“Love You Maa”, Karan was still
on the lookout for a suitable title
and had even asked his Twitter
followers to suggest one.
“We Are Family”, directed by
Siddharth Malhotra, features Kajol, Kareena Kapoor and Arjun
Rampal. It is expected to release
in October.
Page 23
Hindus Gather for a
Temple to call their own
By Lakshmi Munugoor
Nashua ,NH June 5, 2010: The
Hindus of Northern New England
came together on Saturday, June
5th at Nashua for an evening of
cultural feast for a noble cause. It
has been a long pending dream of
the Hindus of Northern New England to have a temple of their own,
that will quench their religious,
spiritual and cultural thirst. This
was a fundraiser event featuring traditional Indian music and
dance concerts. The overwhelming response for this noble cause
was evident from the full house
attendance of music and dance
lovers.
The concert was a nice blend of
two ancient Indian art forms –
Carnatic Music and Bharatanatyam. Carnatic Music, a close
cousin of Hindustani Music, is a
form of classical music practiced
predominantly in South India.
Bharatanatyam is a form of classi-
cal dance practiced in South India
as well. As the name suggests, it is
the “Dance of Bharat” or “Dance
of India”.
The Carnatic Music performance
was no less than a symphony of
vocalists and instrumentalists
blending and rendering the great
Indian music in its most authentic form. The mellifluous performance was presented by leading
artist in the region, Aparna Balaji
with her frontline students , accompanied by leading instrumental artists K.V.S. Vinay on violin,
Dr. Ramachandran Balakrishnan
also on violin, Shankar Raman on
mridangam, Prayuth Naduthota
on flute, and Soundarya Ganesh
on veena.
True to the purpose of the fundraiser concert, the temple management presented a roadmap showing the current state of temple,
the roadmap for future and sought
support from all Hindus for the
noble cause. The temple management plans to develop the temple
in 3 phases. The first phase is to
procure a land for the temple in
2010-’11, the second phase is to
construct a temporary building for
the temple and the third phase is
to construct a complete, formal,
Vedic temple. It was obvious that
the audience was fully supportive
of the temple mission from the
feedback received after the presentation.
The second part of the concert was
the classical dance – Bharatanatyam, presented by another leading
artist in the region, Neha Parikh
and her star students. While
Neha is known to produce fantastic dance performances, this was
a show that would add a grand
feather to her already big hat.
The well coordinated, rhythmic,
July 2010
Boston South Asian
Meditation as Medicine
June 10, 2010
Watertown, MA
The Brahma Kumaris Learning
Center for Peace hosted a unique
and inspirational program last
evening,
entitled
simply:
“Meditation
as Medicine”. This
program, like all the
Brahma
Kumaris
offerings, was offered
free of charge as a
community service.
Special guest Dr. Pratap
Kumar Midha, the
medical director of the
J. Watumull Global
Hospital & Research
Centre
in
Mount
Abu, Rajasthan, India
explained to the crowd
that in modern health
care spirituality is the missing
link. Our health care systems
focus solely on the physical body,
yet most illness is caused by
lifestyle and emotional influence.
expressive, and dramatic performance brought the audience to the
edge of their seats.
The cultural experience was further enhanced by Mehendi (palm
decoration) from the local expert
Amolya Prabhala. A small store
offering religious literature and
other material also attracted people of all ages.
The sponsors of the event include
the Kumon Centers of Nashua &
Bedford, Gopu Grocery of Nashua, Meena’s Kitchen of Nashua,
Aloha Centers of Burlington,
Chelmsford and Nashua and Super Bazaar of Tyngsboro.
Studies show that people with a
strong sense of purpose in their
lives, who pay attention to their
spiritual and social health, have
stronger immune systems and
therefore less disease.
At the Global Hospital, the
population served is very poor.
Health care is expensive and
out of reach for most of these
While the cultural feast was a
great experience in itself, the performers, audience and the organizers were all united in the superior cause they had assembled for.
As the Indian immigrants seek to
make it their home in the United
States, the one thing they don’t
want to miss is the legacy their
forefathers have carried for millennia and earnestly passed on to
them – the Hindu heritage. The
Hindus left the concert with palpable elation for having made yet
another step towards the Grand
Hindu temple to preserve their
heritage.
tribal people. To bridge this gap,
the hospital combines the latest
modern care with alternative
treatments including acupuncture,
ayurveda,
electromagnetic
therapy, visualizations, and of
course raja yoga meditation.
The complementary treatments
recommended for ailments like
diabetes and heart disease are
usually simple – daily meditation,
exercise, and a vegetarian diet.
Yet despite the simplicity, the
healing effects of this regimen
have proven effective in studies
conducted by the hospital.
Based on his practical experience,
Dr. Pratap gave advice on how
to use meditation as a tool for
healing in our own lives. First, he
says, meditation should be simple.
Through Raja Yoga meditation,
one can learn how to sit quietly,
slow down the thoughts, and use
the creative ability of the mind to
facilitate healing. He recommends
the early morning as the best time
meditation. He also reminded us
that our state of mind is greatly
influenced by the company we
keep, the books we read, and
even the foods we eat. Our
entire lifestyle will influence our
ability to connect our minds to a
deeper place of healing. He stated
that keeping the mind focused
requires practice and discipline,
but that the stability of mind that
the discipline brings will serve us
well in every situation.
The Brahma Kumaris World
Spiritual
Organization
acknowledges
the
intrinsic
goodness of all people. It is a
worldwide family of individuals
from all walks of life who are
committed to spiritual growth
and personal transformation and
believes inner growth and change
are essential for the creation of
a peaceful and just world. The
Learning Center for Peace is one
center in a worldwide network
offering a variety of programs on
personal growth and spirituality.
For more information about the
programs offered by the Learning
Center for Peace, or to learn the
simple but powerful method of
Raja Yoga meditation, please visit
its website, www.bkboston.org, or
email [email protected], or
call 617-926-1230.
Boston South Asian
July 2010
Page 24
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