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The Pittsburgh Patrika, Vol. 19, No. 2, January 2014
Vol. 19 No. 2 January 2014
www.pittsburghpatrika.com
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The Pittsburgh Patrika, Vol. 19, No. 2, January 2014
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The Pittsburgh Patrika, Vol. 19, No. 2, January 2014
The Quarterly Magazine for the Indian Diaspora
Vol. 19 No. 2 www.pittsburghpatrika.com January 2014
4006 Holiday Park Drive, Murrysville, PA 15668
Phone/Fax: (724) 327 0953 e-mail: ThePatrika@aol.com
“Like” us on Facebook at
www.facebook.com/pittsburgh.patrika
Highlights in this issue... ... ...
President Obama Buys Time & Averts a Crisis
By Kollengode S Venkataraman..................................................... 2
Bill Peduto Slated to be the Mayor Pittsburgh
By Kollengode S. Venkataraman.................................................... 5
The Need to Recognize Depression in Youth
By Dr. Mani Balu............................................................................ 6
Working to End Violence Against Women
By Namita Luthra......................................................................... 10
The India Day Celebrates Everything Indian
By David Downey........................................................................ 12
A Very Unusual Last Goodbye
By Cindy Koller............................................................................ 14
Are There Any Truths in Mythological Stories?
By Kollengode S. Venkataraman.................................................. 19
How Running in a Marathon Changed My Life
By Paul Grossi.............................................................................. 20
Dr. Subra Suresh Shares His Vision for CMU
By Anonymous............................................................................. 24
Swami Vivekananda: His Influence in America
By Prakash Mullick..................................................... 28
Ha! Ha!
By K. S. Venkataraman................................................. 32
On the cover: The Gandhi Mural (15’x 20’) on the wall of Coriander,
the Indian restuarant on Murray Ave. in Squirrel Hill. Story on p. 9. •
3
The Pittsburgh Patrika, Vol. 19, No. 2, January 2014
The Quarterly Magazine for the Indian Diaspora
Vol. 19 No. 2 www.pittsburghpatrika.com January 2014
Phone/Fax: (724) 327 0953 e-mail: ThePatrika@aol.com
Vested Interests Feed US Angst on India
By Kollengode S Venkataraman
• When it was known last October that Narendra Modi could be the
prime ministerial candidate of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for elections
in April 2014, The New York Times’ Editorial Board wrote a scathing
piece (http://tinyurl.com/nyt-modi-Edit) blaming Mr. Modi for the
2002 Godhra communal violence, among other things. However, as the
editorial itself noted, Indian Supreme Court’s Special Investigating Team
(SIT) appointed to inquire into the Godhra communal violence, cleared
Modi of any wrongdoing. Besides, Modi is in his fourth successive term
as Gujarat’s popularly elected chief minister, and under his rule, Gujarat
has transformed itself for the better on many fundamental measures. Read
Milan Vaishnav here: http://tinyurl.com/Crngy-Endmnt.
• The US Government denied Chief Minister Modi diplomatic visa in
2005. New Delhi protested only through bureaucrats, not through cabinet
ministers. The US Embassy in Delhi interpreted India’s muted protest
thus: India’s UPA government, after having “gone through the motions”
by protesting the U.S. decision, was “unlikely to ratchet up the pressure
further.” (www.tinyurl.com/ncrpl4k). Getting even visitor visa, we know,
is a privilege, not a right. But we can imagine how the US Government
would react if even an American mayor is denied visa by any nation.
• In mid-November in 2013, a bipartisan resolution (HR No 417)
introduced in the US Congress praised the US Government for its 2005
decision to deny Gujarat Chief Minister and BJP Prime Ministerial candidate
Narendra Modi a visa to enter the U.S. The resolution urged the US
“to publicly oppose the exploitation of religious differences and denounce
harassment and violence against religious minorities, especially in the
run-up to India’s general elections in 2014.”
Without naming Modi or BJP, the House resolution says, “Contrary
to the tolerant and pluralistic traditions of the Hindu faith, strands of the
Hindu nationalist movement have advanced a divisive and violent agenda
that has harmed the social fabric of India.” The House resolution also
recommends that the US-India Strategic Dialogue raise the issue of reli-
4
The Pittsburgh Patrika, Vol. 19, No. 2, January 2014
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The Pittsburgh Patrika, Vol. 19, No. 2, January 2014
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The Pittsburgh Patrika, Vol. 19, No. 2, January 2014
gious freedom and related human rights “directly with federal and state
Indian Government officials when appropriate.” US Congress introduces
resolutions like this only at the urging of the Administration or heavy
lobbying from social, political, and religious groups to sway the outcome
of Indian national elections in April.
That aside, replacing “Hindu” with “Christian” and “India” with “US”
in the resolution, one can see parallels between India and the US. It is
educative here to know the Baptist-Presbyterian Christian majority’s intolerance
(http://tinyurl.com/Mizo-Intlrns) in India’s Mizoram towards Sikhs
and Hindus and how such incidents are rarely reported in the West.
If this is what the US Congress wants, its members can visit India
or it can ask the US. Embassy in India to meet with Indian elected
leaders like Mr. Modi they have issues with. And talk to them with civility
due to any popularly elected leader. Inviting, or granting visa to Mr. Modi
to visit the US is another way to hear him out. But this will not happen,
given the hold of lobbyists on US governments. Consider these:
• Since the right to make representation to government is enshrined in
the US Constitution, professional lobbying by agents on behalf of vested
interests is how things get done in Washington. According to Reuters,
Washington has over 12,000 registered federal lobbyists; but seven times
that number, or 90,000 people (excluding support staff) from diverse business,
political, social, and religions backgrounds are engaged in lobbying
that do not fit the legal definition of a registered lobbyist.
• And several resourceful Christian denominations whose enshrined
creed is proselytizing all over the world (often not caring for local sensitivities)
have great influence on elected, appointed, and military officials
in the US at every level. India with its over one billion people is a free
and fascinatingly diverse country on many measures including faith—more
so than many European nations. So India, with its 80% Hindu population
that is loose, diverse, stratified, fragmented and poor, is a soft target for
increasing the market share of proselytizing religions like Christianity (and
Islam) that aggressively seek converts. Proselytizing is something they
cannot easily do in China, Indonesia, Pakistan, Malaysia, and Bangladesh,
not to speak of the Middle East, Central Asia, even Russia.
• And then we have influential commentators, social scientists and
economists both in India and the US, most of them Indians and Indian-
Americans, educated to gaze at India only through Western lenses and
paradigms. These people are intellectually incapable of, or unwilling to,
even consider alternative narratives, hypotheses, and approaches for understanding
and addressing India’s complex social and economic issues.
These factors synergistically influence official US policies on India
to serve the interests of these special interest groups. •
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The Pittsburgh Patrika, Vol. 19, No. 2, January 2014
Raw Data for You to Interpret in Your Own Way
We give below two plots showing two key measures of economic
activity of the nation since 2008 Fall (Obama’s first election) through
his till November 2013. The first one, the Dow Jones Industrial average,
has doubled over
the last five years,
from ~7000 in
March 2009 to
over 16,000 in
end of November.
Other key measures
such as S&P
500 and Nasdaq
numbers track the
DJ average very
well.
The second one
is the unemployment
numbers
published by the
Bureau of Labor Statistics. The umemployment rate, peaking at 10% in
the Fall of 2009, has steadily dropped to 7.2% by November 2013.
We all have our own opinions and political affiliations that cloud
our interpretatiion.
Besides, Even in a
booming economy,
parts of the population
are left out.
During protracted
wars, all industries
related to defense
reap huge profits
while everybody
else suffers, with
many sacrificing
in blood. So, in
the abstract, there
is nothing objective
in these matters. So,
you can interpret these plots in your own way. — KSV •
.
8
The Pittsburgh Patrika, Vol. 19, No. 2, January 2014
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The Pittsburgh Patrika, Vol. 19, No. 2, January 2014
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The Pittsburgh Patrika, Vol. 19, No. 2, January 2014
A New Gandhi Mural in Squirrel Hill
By Premlata Venkataraman
In late October, Som Sharma, a long-time resident of Monroeville, told us
of a 15’ x 20’ mural on Mohandas Gandhi. This mural was painted on a
wall in Squirrel Hill by OM, a student organization at CMU. We contacted
through e-mail Vijay Jayaram, President of OM, an organization committed
to Hindu spirituality and culture at CMU that spearheaded the project.
Their website states their mission: “To provide a a venue for students to
enjoy the richness of Hindu spirituality and its associated culture… …
[and] learn about the universal ideals of the Hindu dharma.”
members wanted to “permanently memorialize Mohandas
OM’s Gandhi in Pittsburgh” through a large mural, which requires
multiple skill sets, commitment and hard work so that “students could
appreciate the legacy and enduring relevance of Gandhi’s message.”
Working with MLK Mural, a Pittsburgh-based organization that paints
murals around Pittsburgh and the Squirrel Hill Urban Council, OM at CMU
held a design contest for proposals from artists and designers. They selected
the design
s u b m i t t e d
by Adelaide
Cole, a senior
in Art Major
at CMU.
MLK Mural’s
director Kyle
H o l b r o o k
gave OM-
CMU all the
artistic and
technical details
and support
needed
for creating
the mural.
The rest
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The Pittsburgh Patrika, Vol. 19, No. 2, January 2014
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mission. Most of the mural painting was completed on Sunday, October
6th when AHINSA had organized the Gandhi Day at Frick Auditorium
(Story on Page 22). MLK Mural completed the work with critical finishing
touches and weatherproofing that took several days.
From start to finish, it took two months. MLK Mural took the responsibility
for finding the location and receiving permits. When Holbrook
of MLK Mural approached Mr. Victor Barboza, who owns Coriander,
the Indian restaurant on Murray Avenue, he readily gave OK for using
the outer wall of his restaurant for the mural. Barboza is from Karwar,
Karnataka and grew up in Mumbai. Gandhi’s commitment to peace and
nonviolence made it easy to get community support.
OM and MLK Mural made the on-site painting of the mural open to
anyone. Students from CMU, Pitt and citizens from Squirrel Hill, and
even random passersby participated. The actual painting was done on the
weekend for not conflicting with classes. But they did spend lots of their
free time earlier to plan, promote and get the job done.
“We at OM thank MLK Mural for all their help in finalizing the design
details, and finding a nice place for the mural. We also thank Mr. Victor
Barboza for generously giving permission for using his restuarant’s outer
wall for the mural,” said Jayaram. •
Royal Enfield Motorbikes Comes to Our Region
Royal Enfield’s 500-cc Bullet motorbikes will bring nostalgic memory
for Indians. Even with many Japanese
brands available now in India, Royal
Enfield has loyal customers. Now,
Royal Enfield bikes are availabe in the
US. Seltzer PowerSports in Altoona,
is one of the 100 delerships in the US
for Royal Enfield Motorbikes. For details, call 866 544 3000. •
12
The Pittsburgh Patrika, Vol. 19, No. 2, January 2014
For the fourth year in a row, Sewickley Academy partners with Silk Screen
to present three films that focus on Asian cultures and global issues.
The films are free and open to the public.
“Girl Rising”
Saturday, January 11, 2:00 PM
“Girl Rising” is a ground-breaking feature film
about the strength of the human spirit and
the power of education to transform societies.
“Born into Brothels”
Saturday, January 25, 2:00 PM
A tribute to the resiliency of childhood and
the restorative power of art, “Born into Brothels”
is a portrait of several unforgettable children
who live in the red light district of Calcutta.
“Every Day Is a Holiday”
Sunday, February 9, 2:00 PM
“Every Day Is a Holiday” explores the bonds of
the father-daughter relationship and places
themes of growing older, immigration, and
racism in the context of “living history.”
Register at www.sewickley.org/sewickleyseries
13
The Pittsburgh Patrika, Vol. 19, No. 2, January 2014
Gandhiji’s Message is as Relevant Today
By Rashmi K. Ravindra, Pittsburgh, PA
e-mail: rashmi.rkoka@gmail.com
In this year’s Gandhi Remembrance Day, the keynote speaker, Prof. Ed
Brantmeier emphasized how interconnected and interdependent our lives
are, something we do not always recognize in our individualistic and “atomistic”
pursuits. His message was: Recognizing
this holistic nature of life is necessary to reduce
conflicts both within and without, individually
and also collectively. We need to walk together
doing service to others and living in harmony.
Brantmeier is the Assistant Director for Faculty
Innovation and Assistant Professor at the College
of Education, Gandhi Center at James Madison
University in Virginia.
The event was held at Frick Fine Arts Auditorium
in Oakland on Sunday, October 6 under
the aegis of AHINSA (Alliance for Humanitarian
Initiatives Non-violence and Spiritual Advancement),
an organization founded by our long-time
Ed Brantmeier in the stage.
resident, Mr. Som Sharma of Monroeville.
Brantmeier walked his audience through breathing exercises and meditation
and asked them to talk to each other’s nearest neighbors on any
topic. My neighbor spoke to me on peace and his travel to India with his
family. The idea was to make people to open with each other.
The eclectic Brantmeirer’s choice as this year’s keynote speaker was
most appropriate. As a Fulbright Scholar he was at the Banares
Hindu University, and is the co-author of Spirituality, Religion & Peace
Education, among others. The book looks into teachings and practices
of Buddhism, Christianity, Confucianism, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism,
Quakers & Sufis, and focuses on the impact
of competition, consumerism and materialism
in the current education system.
Brantmeier was emphatic that children
need to be taught the principles of peace very
early. Given the poverty in many parts of the
world, society, he said, has an obligation to
teach financial literacy and basic education
even for rag-picker kids. Children can learn
the power of word and numbers through such
basic literacy.
14
Ed Brantmeier playing the Native
American bamboo flute.
The Pittsburgh Patrika, Vol. 19, No. 2, January 2014
Brantmeier connected very well with his audience by referring to current
issues in our education system, by emphasizing the need for unity
and not duality. Stressing on the theme of vasudeva kudumbam (Sanskrit,
meaning “We all belong to a large universal family”), he rendered the
melodious Peace song Blooming on the Native American flute.
The program also included a panel discussion moderated by N Srinivasa
from the S V Temple, with Rabbi Art Donsky (Jewish, Temple Ohav Shalom),
Sanjay Mehta (Hindu, Hindu-Jain Temple), and Dr Azmat Qayyum
(Islamic, CAIR) in the panel. The panel covered diverse topics including
the political stalemate in Washington DC between the Democrats and the
Republicans.
Abhijit Joshi, Seethalakshmi Madhavan and Saraswati Chelleuri sang
melodious Bhajans. Children and young adults spoke on Gandhi’s impact
and relevance through history and even today in conflict resolution.
Jennifer Creamer of the Asian Studies Center of the Uni-
Earlier, versity of Pittsburgh, stressed how relevant Gandhi’s teachings
are today, with distrust and violence running amok in many parts of the
world, including the US. Som Sharma, the Founder of AHINSA introduced
the keynote speaker, and Srinivasa with organizational help from
Sanjay Mehta emceed the program, keeping it moving. Vijayasekhar
Reddy offered the customary Vote of Thanks. •
15
The Pittsburgh Patrika, Vol. 19, No. 2, January 2014
Designing Indian Weddings is Our Specialty
By Rana Khan, Pearl Celebrations
Phone: 412-721-0924 e-mail:rana@pearlceleb.com
Editor’s Note: Rana lives with her family in South Hills.
Living in Pittsburgh and having gone to Indian weddings all my life, I
realize how much planning and organizing go to make the
event elegant and unique. In India, with large extended
families get-ting into the act, this is not difficult. But here
in the United States, bringing together all the elements
of mandap, flowers, linens, and lighting is quite a feat.
Having close ties to India while growing up here makes
me better understand what a desi bride is looking for to create her dream
wedding. I have professional experience in academic research as well as
corporate IT and management. With these diverse skills combined with
a love for creative design and experience, we organize distinctive and
memorable events.
More importantly, we realize that wedding planning is not only for
large elaborate weddings. We also design weddings where the parties want
modest, yet elegant and aesthetic celebrations. Using our services, you
will make informed choices for elegant décor that fit within your budget.
As a premier event-planning company, we work with our commitment
that each event is unique deserving our greatest respect and consideration.
From total-event-planning to coordination services to décor-only, no event
is too large or small for us.
All our mandaps are custom-made in India, but we also design
and create stages here and incorporate current wedding trends in
our designs while keeping the Indian touch. We help families in choosing
linens, creating floral
centerpieces, and everything
they need to design a unique
and beautiful event. We can
do as little or as much as you
need.
Often Indian weddings
are conducted at short notice.
We’ve organized weddings
with one-month notice! Six months is ample lead time for a well-organized
event. We also plan baby showers, engagement parties, birthday events
and anniversaries. So, for your next event, give us a call and leave the
design and planning worries to us. •
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The Pittsburgh Patrika, Vol. 19, No. 2, January 2014
DobleTree Pittsburgh-Greentree Inaugurates
Its Fully Refurbished Hotel for Banquets
DoubleTree Pittsburgh-Greentree inaugurated its fully refurbished 460-
room hotel in a gala on November 21. Located off the Parkway West in
Greentree minutes from downtown, the completely renovated hotel with
its large multipurpose banquet/wedding hall can seat over 400 people for
a formal dinner.
The large banquet hall also is the place for religious Indian weddings.
“We have conducted Hindu religious weddings, and we will continue to
do so in our aesthetically refurbished new facility,” said Ms. Kelly Thornton,
the hotel’s Catering Sales Manager.
The facility has the latest audiovisual resources including large screens
for projecting the main event, given the large size of the banquet hall.
“With ten suites in addition to the 460 rooms, ours is a self-contained
facility for housing the wedding guests, conducting religious weddings and
also for holding wedding dinners and receptions,” said Mr. Frank Colega,
Director of Catering. The facility also has seventeen meeting rooms for
holding smaller functions and business meetings. For details contact Ms.
Kelly Thornton at 412 353 8155. — KSV •
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The Pittsburgh Patrika, Vol. 19, No. 2, January 2014
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The Pittsburgh Patrika, Vol. 19, No. 2, January 2014
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The Pittsburgh Patrika, Vol. 19, No. 2, January 2014
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20
The Pittsburgh Patrika, Vol. 19, No. 2, January 2014
The Absurd Way We Use English Phrases
“I have travelled across the length and breadth of India and I have not seen
one person who is a beggar, who is a thief; such wealth I have seen in this country,
such high moral values, people of such calibre, that I do not think we would ever
conquer this country unless we break the very backbone of this nation, which is her
spiritual and cultural heritage and, therefore, I propose that we replace her old and
ancient education system, her culture; for if the Indians think that all that is foreign
and English is good and greater than their own, they will lose their self-esteem, the
native culture, and they will become what we want them, a truly dominated nation”.
— Thomas Babington Macaulay in his address to the British Parliament in 1835.
The way we indiscriminately use English expressions not realizing their
contextual absurdities, Macaulay will be both pleased and wincing in his grave.
Consider these:
• The Deccan Chronicle published from Hyderabad, India, recorded
the death of Lalgudi Jayaraman, the violin maestro, thus: “The mortal
remains of violin maestro Lalgudi Jayaraman were laid to rest here on
Tuesday.” Jayaraman was not “laid to rest,” a nuanced expression for
burying the dead. But Jayaraman was cremated. In the very next sentence,
the Chronicle writes without realizing the absurdity, “His son… Krishnan
lit the pyre ... ... at the crematorium...” (Reference: http://www.tinyurl.
com/Lalgudi-Death). It did not say how Krishnan could light the pyre
after laying to rest his father’s mortal remains.
Here is another beauty: An anglicized reader comments thus on a
Narendra Modi story in The Hindu: “Sardar Vallabhai Patel must be turning
in his grave over the controversy roused by N.Modi... ... that Pandit
Nehru and Patel had differences of opinion.” It is impossible for Sardar
Patel to turn in his grave because he too was cremated.
• Here is a gem from Hindustan Times on the declining Indian
economy. (Reference: http://tinyurl.com/pdlg7pp) :
“The sharp slide in the rupee is likely to knock up prices of almost
everything along the value chain from farm to fork, effectively negating
gains from a potentially bountiful summer harvest…”
How many people in India use forks while eating even in India’s Metros?
In India people routinely and elegantly eat using fingers. This type of
writing betrays how disengaged India’s English reporters are from their
hinterland. Was the writer looking for alliterative words? Then forms to
fingers or the euphonious farms to palms is closer to the Indian reality.
Why no Indian editor pays attention to these types of contrived writing?
• During memorial services for deceased Hindus, we routinely hear
“May his/her soul rest in peace,” a solemn expression they hear in the
Absurdities in our English... ... Continued on Page 23
21
The Pittsburgh Patrika, Vol. 19, No. 2, January 2014
Alberto Pinto Kyoon Hasta Hai?
Aur London Gora Kyoon Rota Hai? *
The Colonial Occupation’s Blowback
By Kollengode S Venkataraman
*Why Is Alberto Pinto Laughing and the London Gora Is Crying?
I remember the title of an artsy 1980s Hindi film Alberto Pinto ko
Gussa Kyoo Ata Hai? — Why is Aberto Pinto Getting Angry? — with
Nasruddin Shah in the lead. The film revolved around a good Goan auto
mechanic (Nasruddin Shah) in Mumbai who keeps his affluent customers
happy. He gets angry at workers who go on strike since he believes that
if you work hard and emulate the rich, one day you will be rich too. In
the film towards the end, Alberto is still angry, not at the workers, but at
the exploitative Indian capitalists.
Now, all Goans like Roberto Pinto born before 1961 have a rare
opportunity not only to smile, but also to have their last laugh
at the twists and turns of history and globalization that they could now
exploit to their advantage.
Goa along the balmy Arabian Sea in India was a Portuguese colony since
1510. The Portuguese colonial occupiers in Goa under the leadership of
St. Xavier unleashed the atrocious and well-documented Goan Inquisition
on Hindus living in their occupied colonized land. After independence in
1947, India militarily liberated Goa in 1961.
Understandably, the Portuguese, calling it “invasion,” determined that
people of its occupied territory were forced(!) to take Indian citizenship
involuntarily. So, Portugal declared that Goans born before 1961 and their
children were eligible for the Portuguese citizenship.
Several Goans did take up the offer and went to Portugal — about
80,000 of them are in Portugal by one estimate, and many are doing very
well. But for most Goans used to their balmy Konkan weather, easy-going
lifestyle, food, and Goa’s syncretic culture, the idea of living in Portugal
had no appeal. After all, Portugal is Europe’s poor cousin, its economy
worse than India’s in the European context. And most younger Goans
were unfamiliar with the Portuguese language and culture.
But since 2011, there has been a sudden surge in the number of Goans
applying for Portuguese citizenship —some 2,000 every year.
This has created consternation not only in Lisbon, but also in London.
You may wonder why. Here is the reason:
Portugal joined the European Union (EU) in 2011. For these Goans
22
The Pittsburgh Patrika, Vol. 19, No. 2, January 2014
seeking Portuguese passport, Lisbon is only a stopover, Their destination
is much further north, London to be exact. This is because EU rules allow
citizens of member-states to live and work anywhere in EU. And EU is like
India — polyglot, multicultural, multi-ethnic, and multiculinary—and Goans
will fit in right there with their pheni, vindaloo, and Konkani too.
That is where the rub is for the Brits. The Brits are afraid. They know
that the Goans applying for Portuguese passports are heading to London via
Lisbon. And once they are in London with their red Portuguese passports,
they are eligible for UK’s state benefits. The Deccan Chronicle reports that
in one small UK town, they have 8000 Goans with Portuguese passports
having their Church services in Konkani. “This loophole must be closed,”
declared Migration Watch, a Right-leaning UK Think Tank.
Indians with not exactly complimentary feelings towards The Empire
Where The Sun Never Set till it collapsed under its own weight, can
smirk at the discomfiture of the Brits. After all, situations like these are
the blowback not only for Britain, but also for other erstwhile European
colonial powers like France, Belgium, Italy, the Netherlands, and Portugal
for trigger-happily colonizing the whole of the Indian subcontinent and
most of Africa in the 19th cne 20th centuries.
Even the Portuguese, being he poor cousin in EU, can join the Indians
in laughing at the Brits’ discomfiture. •
Absurdities in our English... ... Continued on Page 21
burial services of Christians.
However, as followers of the Dharma-based religions, what we seek
while living—but rarely get, we must acknowledge—is freedom from
yoyoing from one extreme to the the other like sukham/duhkham (happiness/unhappiness),
success/failure, profit/loss, pleasure/pain, etc. This is
the typical way our undisciplined mind responds to outside events . And
so, what we wish at the end of our sojourn on earth is that at least at our
departure we transcend these pairs of opposites and merge into Brahman/
Paramatman, the Primordial Source we believe we came from. There is
a precise non-translatable term for this—Mukti or Moksha in Sanskrit, or
veedu in Tamil, which approximately means freedom or liberation [from
the pairs of opposites].
This is what happens to people when they uproot themselves from their
culture even while living in India and fall head over heels to get Anglicized.
You have seen similar laughable absurdities in our use of English
phrases without any discernment (vivekam). Please share your observations
with readers in this space. We all can laugh at ourselves. Such laughter
will make us to be careful so that we mean what we write/say.
— By Kollengode S Venkataraman •
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The Pittsburgh Patrika, Vol. 19, No. 2, January 2014
Phipps Conservatory Celebrated Diwali
Lighting up the Indian Tropical Rainforest
By Priya Ranganathan e-mail: prr29@pitt.edu
Note: Priya is a junior at the University of Pittsburgh majoring in Environmental Studies
and Biology with a certificate in South Asian Studies.
One of Pittsburgh’s most beloved attractions—Phipps Conservatory
and Botanical Gardens—celebrated Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights,
on October 25 from 7 to 10 pm in the India Tropical
Rainforest exhibit. The celebration showcased Indian
dance, music, and most importantly, Indian food.
The atmosphere crackled with good spirits and excitement,
with tiny lamps shining from in between the
lush green leaves and behind flowers, and strains of
Indian music wafting along the paths. With fragrance
of jasmine perfuming the air, the event attracted a
diverse crowd: Indians, Americans, adults, college students, and children.
“There was just a feeling of incredible joy,” said the event coordinator
Dr. Ritu Thamman, a Pittsburgh resident. Dr.Thamman also added: “This
is a historic moment because Phipps has been around for so many years
but this is the first time they are celebrating Diwali.”
The program began on time with dance recitals by youngsters from the
Pittsburgh area. Among the performances were a set of Bharatanatyam
dances by the senior students of Guru Jaya Mani of Slippery Rock. Other
items were upbeat Bollywood dances, including students of the Guiding
Star Dance Foundation based in Sewickley. Then lively Bollywood music
serenaded guests as they walked among the flowers absorbing the ambience.
Guests could sample the delicious food from Billu’s Indian Grill and
get henna designs applied by members of Pittsburgh’s Indian community.
Diyas dotted every surface and hanging flower garlands and bright banners
attracted the eye. Colourful tablecloths draped artistically over tables and
across the walls of the hall created the feel of an Indian setting.
The guests at the event came away with a newfound understanding of
and respect for one of India’s best-loved festivals. University of Pittsburgh
sophomore, Stefan Poost, said: “It’s a very warm ambiance that makes
me think of India.” While most of the guests were Indian, the non-Desi
guests had a chance to learn about India and Hinduism. Additionally, event
sponsor Andrew Watson said, I’m impressed by the number of people
watching the program... ... it’s a nice blending of two cultures.”
The Phipps Conservatory successfully created a forum fostering
Diwali at Phipps... ... Continued on Page 29
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The Pittsburgh Patrika, Vol. 19, No. 2, January 2014
Immigration Reform
By Mark Harley, Schneck & Harley Immigration Law Group, LLP
Phone 412 532 1374 Ext 102 e-mail: mharley@shimmigration.com
Editor’s note: The author is the immediate past chair of the Pittsburgh Chapter of the
American Immigration Lawyers Association and is a partner in Schneck & Harley Immigration
Law Group, LLP. He also served as an Immigration Advisor to a Member of Congress.
The United States Congress has recently taken up the issue of Immigration
Reform. Some may recall that this was a hot topic several years
ago, and was a key agenda item of former President George W. Bush.
However, due to a number of reasons that proposed reform stalled and
never became law.
After the elections of 2012, both Democrats and Republicans again
turned to the topic of Immigration Reform and it looked like the government
was finally going to act. Both parties recognized that the present
immigration system is crippled and needs overhauled. The question is
how to do so?
Arising out of these discussions about reform, the Senate passed
S. 744, the “Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration
Modernization Act” on June 27, 2013. However, the House of Representatives
is currently pursuing their own agenda with immigration reform and
piecemeal bills. The House of Representatives is unlikely to review the
Senate version of the bill and comprehensive immigration reform appears
to have again stalled until the House bill is introduced.
There is much discussion of the proposals in the Senate bill, but as a
keen observer of the U.S. political process will know, the final resulting
law seldom looks like the proposed bill. With a topic as complex as
immigration reform and no House bill yet, any attorney should tell you
that it is best to be overly cautious and not speculate on this topic until an
actual law is signed. Please use caution and always seek the advice of an
attorney whose primary practice is immigration law. Additionally, no
attorney should be signing up any cases until reform is passed.
Nevertheless, one must also be aware of the provisions in the Senate
bill and its positives and negatives. It is important to ensure that the favorable
provisions make it into both the House bill and the final law. The
best action that you can take is to contact your U.S. Representative and
U.S. Senators and ask that they support favorable immigration reform.
You should ask your elected representatives to take out any provisions
that you do not agree with.
In the context of family immigration, the Senate proposal is to reduce
the extreme backlog, however, it also harms family reunification by
eliminating the ability of U.S. citizens to petition for their siblings or adult
married sons and daughters over the age of 31. If this affects you, now
is the time to contact your elected officials.
Immigration... Continued on Page33
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The Pittsburgh Patrika, Vol. 19, No. 2, January 2014
A Vignette from Indian Classics
An Old Man Reminscing His Youth Long Gone
Puranaanooru is an anthology of verses in the Tamil Sangam Literature,
written by poets, both men and women, 2000 to 2500 years before our
time or even earlier. These verses are in classical Tamil with very few
Sanskrit words interwoven, which clearly indicates that Tamil’s history
is parallel to Sanskrit’s. In the verse discussed here, the only Sanskrit
word is maayam.
The Puranaanuru verses deal exclusively with secular themes. They
describe the valor, pride, pettiness, cruelty, generosity, and even philandering
of kings; they admonish kings to be loyal to their wives; they advise
kings not to let their employees to run amok and harass citizens; they
describe the grinding poverty of ordinary citizens during wars… ...
In the following verse written over 2000 years ago, the poet, Todittalai
Vizhuttandinaar, in his very old age, recalls with vivid imagery
the innocent days of his youth long gone. The sentiment he expresses is
so universal that it transcends time, place, language, faith, culture and
every other facet that divides humanity into groups. Here is the content
of the verse in free-style English:
I feel sad to think about it now.
On the sandy edges of the pond with cool water,
we played with girls who made dolls with the thick sand,
decorating them with flowers plucked from trees nearby.
Holding hands in the innocence of youth and without guile,
we hugged each other, swaying this way and that.
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The Pittsburgh Patrika, Vol. 19, No. 2, January 2014
Climbing the Marutha (Arjuna) tree on the bank,
with its branches sagging towards the pond,
We dived into the pond with a “thud” and splash.
Reaching the bottom, we returned showing
to the amazed onlookers on the shore
fistful of sand grabbed from the pond’s floor.
Where did that innocent youth go?
Isn’t it pitiful that having become old, I now walk trembling,
holding a metal-capped stick while coughing,
barely uttering a few words in between?
For these who are interested in classical Tamil, I give below the Tamil
verse, written over 2000 years ago. The Tamil you read in today’s weeklies
and dailies may not be helpful to appreciate the nuances in the verse.
Source: http://sangamtranslationsbyvaidehi.com/purananuru-201-250/
By Kollengode S. Venkataraman •
South Asian Bridal Show in April 2014
Erin Calvimontes, an accredited Bridal Consultant, is organizing her
second South Asian Wedding Show in April 2014. Here are the details:
When: Sunday April 6th 2014, 1:00-5:00 PM
Where: Omni William Penn Hotel in Downtown Pittsburgh.
For details/business opportunities visit www.pghsabridal.com. •
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The Pittsburgh Patrika, Vol. 19, No. 2, January 2014
YouTube Takes Indian Cuisines to New Heights
By Premlata Venkataraman
When it is time to make Diwali sweets I am filled with excitement and
anticipation. In the beginning it is all optimism with a lurking doubt that
not everything will come out a success! With a 2-year old grandson to
introduce to the Diwali festivities, I was very excited.
What was surprising this year was I didn’t have to look at my voluminous
recipe folder even once! Those painstakingly collected recipes from
mothers and mothers-in-law, friends and foes alike. These were handwritten
using pens of all colors on scraps paper — one even in a crayon!!
My collection adorned with numerous stains, make sense only to me.
Then came the Internet and YouTube. All I did was to scour the web
for recipes and came up with a list. I got not only the recipe, but also
techniques in video clips from a plethora of web sources. It was so much
fun researching the techniques, evaluating them and wondering if they
would translate into my old favorites.
Finally, the wonderful and wide-ranging cuisines of India—with many
different regional flavorful variations for the same item—have been
elevated onto the world stage. It is about time! Many Indian women—and
a few Indian men as well—all excellent in their culinary skills, have found
a medium in YouTube to share with others their recipes with step-by-step
instructions easy to follow for even novices.
With techniques and shortcuts to simplify recipes, microwaving to reduce
long stove-times, and health-conscious suggestions to reduce calorie
counts have pretty much erased the mystique in making Indian sweets and
snacks. With detailed video clips showing the critical stages, there are no
more hidden secrets—it is all out there for the curious cook to discover.
Here are items I made this Deepavali. Pedas that reduced prep time to
15 minutes using the microwave from www.showmethecurry.com. Gulab
Jamuns from www.madhurasrecipes.com taught in the pleasant voice of
a woman old enough to be my daughter!! Of course, Manjula’s Kitchen
hosted by Manjula Jain, taught me so many techniques for eating healthy,
and is now my Go-To site for making dinner. The reduced-fat recipe for
Mysore Paak from Jeyashri’s Kitchen cut down sugar and ghee by half
allowing me an almost guilt-free indulgence of this calorie-laden sweet.
Thattais and murukkus I got from Raks Kichen, and for the delicious
Andhra recipes I go to Sanjay Thumma’s VahreVah.com. And of course,
Sanjeev Kapoor’s khanakhazana.com is my teacher for recipes for the delicious
items made on the streets of Mumbai to the villages in of Punjab!
So I brought Diwali 2013 into my home through the Internet. •
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The Pittsburgh Patrika, Vol. 19, No. 2, January 2014
Staying
after class.
You’re welcome.
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not just teachers, they’re mentors. They
help students discover new interests,
share in their successes and support
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Learn more and find admissions testing dates at www.ThankYouShadySide.org
Diwali at Phipps... ... Continued from Page 24
international awareness and appreciation that is important in our
multicultural community here in Pittsburgh. Learning about Diwali, one of
the most-widely celebrated festivals in the world, is one way for Pittsburgh
to embrace its international flavour. We hope that Phipps will continue
to host such festivals in the years to come! •
“
Learning the names, forms and terminologies in
scriptures in themselves will not make one viveki,
or wise. Not that these are not important. They are
important only in that they are the entry point in our
spiritual journey. We need to go forward, linking this
with our reasoning, contemplation and insight using
our mind, intellect, and the psyche—what today’s
engineers call “forward-integration.”
Only then we can progress towards wisdom, and
finally to get mukti, or freedom from yoyo-ing from one extreme to the
other.” — Vijayashankar Mehta in his saral (easy-going) Hindi discourse
on Devi at the Hindu-Jain Temple during Deepavali in November,
as understood By KSV with his limited grasp of Hindi. •
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The Pittsburgh Patrika, Vol. 19, No. 2, January 2014
Obituary: Dr. Harakh Vasanj Dedhia (1947-2013)
Decades of Dedicated Service in Critical Care in Morgantown, WV
Dr. Harakh Vasanj Dedhia, 66, professor of medicine at the Health
Sciences Center (HSC)of West Virginia University (WVU), and a prominent
pillar of the Indian-American community in the
Morgantown region, WV passed away on September
1, 2013 after courageous battle with lung cancer. He
was a non-smoker and a vegetarian.
After graduating from the Grant Medical College,
Bombay (1970), Dr. Dedhia completed his residency
and fellowship in the US during 1972- 1977 in internal
medicine. He joined WVU’s HSC as a faculty member
in 1979, becoming the medical-surgical director of the
intensive care unit (ICU) in 1983. His medical career
was devoted to understanding and treating acute shock, acute respiratory
failure and related problems of ICU patients.
An active researcher with over 140 publications and book chapters on
critical care, he led over 30 single- and multi-center clinical trials. Wellliked
by patients and colleagues, he received many awards from WVU
Hospitals. A plaque reading “In grateful appreciation of our friend and
colleague Harakh V. Dedhia MD for his years of service to patients in the
medical intensive care unit at Ruby Memorial Hospital” will be placed at
the entrance to the ICU. In honor of his parents, he established the WVU
Sarkaba V. Dedhia Pulmonary Critical Care Fund, income from which is
now used to train future doctors in critical care.
After the funeral service at McCulla Funeral Home in Morgantown
attended by over 200 people on September 3, 2013, Dr. Dedhia’s mortal
remains were cremated following Hindu rites led by Shri Suresh Chandra
Joshi of the Pittsburgh’s Hindu-Jain Temple. A Memorial Service celebrating
Dr. Dedhia’s dedicated life was held on September 7, 2013 at
the Riverside Apostolic Church in Morgantown. Following bhajan singing
by family members and Shri Joshiji, colleagues, family and friends paid
heart-felt tributes to Dr. Dedhia for his inspiring humanitarianism, humility
and pride; and for his compassion towards working for the greater good.
A prayer by Anuja (Dr. Dedhia’s wife) and a 2-minute silence for the
departed soul followed by prasad concluded the ceremony.
Dr.Dedhia leaves behind his loving wife Anuja, three sisters & four
brothers & their families living in India and the U.S, and a large number
of friends. He was inspired by the Jain-Hindu spiritual ethos and
traditions. — By Mohindar Singh Seehra, Morgantown, WV •
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The Pittsburgh Patrika, Vol. 19, No. 2, January 2014
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The Pittsburgh Patrika, Vol. 19, No. 2, January 2014
Rama Karamcheti (1948-2013), A Librarian
By Rama Kalipatnapu Rao
e-mail: ramakrao65@gmail.com
Rama Karamcheti, 65, a resident of Washington, PA passed away on
October 2, 2013 in her home after battling multiple myeloma for seven
years. She was born on February 22, 1948 in Vizianagaram, Andhra
Pradesh, India. Her father was a WW II veteran as a physician. In 1969
she married in India Anand Karamcheti, a physician. She came to the US
in 1972 with her husband and had two sons Aditya and Deepak. They lived
in Morristown, NJ, New York City, and Pittsburgh, before settling down
in 1977 in Washington, PA where Anand set up his urology practice.
In 1982 Rama earned her Master’s degree in Library Science from
the University of Pittsburgh, attending classes by commuting from Washington,
PA to Oakland. For ten years, she was the head of reference
department at Ohio County Public Library in Wheeling, WV. Later, she
was a reference librarian at Citizen’s Library in Washington, PA. As a
librarian, she provided remarkable service to the community.
She battled with multiple myeloma, which was diagnosed in 2006.
Rama’s simplicity, courage and incredible endurance, serene demeanor,
hard work, elegance, friendly nature, and positive outlook are well known
to her friends. She never complained of fatigue or other signs of poor
health, and kept herself busy with light household activities, grandchildren
and friends. She found joy in taking her grandchildren to swimming pools,
parks and reading stories from scriptures. She enjoyed helping an ailing
friend in need, or having an informal soup party with friends at her home
or going out with friends. She never worried about how she was going to
be the next day and found joy in spending time with family and friends.
Rama’s parents, Venkata Ramaniah and Suryakantham Praturi, died a
few years ago in India. Rama is survived by her husband Anand; elder son
Aditya and his wife Erenia; younger son Deepak and his wife Manjula;
grandchildren Ram, Anand Jr, Jaya and Kush; and her sisters Shanta in
India, Aruna in Boston and brother Srinivas in India.
After a brief private funeral services, Rama was cremated at the Washington
Cemetery in Pennsylvania. Rama’s demise is a great loss to her
family and her many friends. •
On our multiple identities: Wali Khan, a Pashtun nationalist, the son
of Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan, said in the 1980s: “I have been a Pashtun for
4,000 years, a Muslim for 1,400 years and a Pakistani for 40 years.”
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The Pittsburgh Patrika, Vol. 19, No. 2, January 2014
Immigration... Continued from Page 25
NOTE: The November 2013 Visa Bulletin lists the wait times for India
as follows: Unmarried Sons and Daughters of U.S. Citizens - October
22, 2006; Spouses and Children of Permanent Residents – September
8, 2013; Unmarried Sons and Daughters (21 years of age or older) of
Permanent Residents – March 22, 2006; Married Sons and Daughters of
U.S. Citizens – February 8, 2003; Brothers and Sisters of Adult U.S.
Citizens – August 22, 2001.
In the context of business immigration, while the process for Permanent
Immigration seems to be favorable, the reforms come at the expense of
temporary immigrants (H-1Bs and L-1s) whose employers will face new
requirements that may discourage them from filing the applications in the
first place. If this affects you, now is the time to contact your elected
officials.
NOTE: The October 2013 Visa Bulletin lists the wait times for India as
follows: EB-1: Priority Workers (extraordinary ability in the sciences, arts,
education, business, or athletics through sustained national or international
acclaim) – Current; EB-2: Members of the Professions Holding Advanced
Mahendra’s Musings
33
Degrees or
Persons of
Exceptional
Ability
– June 15,
2008; EB-3:
S k i l l e d
W o r k e r s ,
Professionals
and Other
Workers
– Septemb
e r 2 2 ,
2003; EB-5
(investors)
– Current.
The next
few months
will possibly
determ
i n e t h e
future of the
immigration system for years and generations to come. Now is the time
to make your opinions known. •
The Pittsburgh Patrika, Vol. 19, No. 2, January 2014
Ummm mmm mmm... ...
Football folks are heroes when they deliver. But when they perform
poorly, God save them. All these years, Mike Tomlin was
a hero. Early in this season, Tomlin is hauled over burning coal in the
local media.
Half way through the season he was interviewed in November after
the disastrous 31-55 loss to Patriots and a pitiful 2-6 performance.
Tomlin was asked about his confidence in his defensive coordinator
Dick LeBeau following the worst statistical performance. The Steelers
allowed a franchise-record 55 points and 610 yards against the Patriots.
Reporter: Do you still have confidence in Dick LeBeau’s ability to
stop opposing offenses?
Tomlin: Certainly.
Reporter: Why?
Tomlin was terse “Because he’s Dick LeBeau.” He continued: “Does
that answer your question?”
If only corporate executives, mayors, and elected church and temple
officials get such “Whys” when their organizations perform badly.
Here is another: Jonathan Dwyer, Steelers’ reserve Running Back
in his 4th year with Steelers was let go last August. Unable to
find a place in any of the other NFL teams, he was unemployed.
With a long list of injuries this season, Steelers re-hired Dwyer in November.
Dwyer performed well against the Browns, rushing for 139 yards,
averaging 4.8 yards per carry. Tomlin lauded him for the good job.
When asked if Dwyer has changed because the Steelers released him in
late August, Tomlin said, “I would imagine unemployment does that.”
That is how brutal and humiliating the working enviroment is in NFL.
Would you like to work in an environment like that?
Wanting to start dating to get married? Then beware of Missionary
Dating: It appears that there are some fundamentalist churches that
encourage dating and marrying nonbelievers and then trying to convert
them. It’s called “missionary dating.” Even Wikepedia has an entry on
it. Yon call this new phenom Date and Switch.
“Arranged” marriages all over the world have their own versions of
this. A guy and his family project a squeaky clean image of themselves
till the bride and the groom tie the knots. Then he shows his real persona—drinking,
smoking, gambling, philandering... There are also female
versions—a docile ghar-ki-ladki before marriage morphing into a demon
-- there are two versions of this, passively and actively aggressive types
-- wrecking the new husband’s sanity soon after. •
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The Pittsburgh Patrika, Vol. 19, No. 2, January 2014
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The Pittsburgh Patrika, Vol. 19, No. 2, January 2014
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