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The Pittsburgh Patrika, Vol. 18, No. 4, July 2013
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ittsburgh
atrika
Vol. 18 No. 4, July 2013
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The Pittsburgh Patrika, Vol. 18, No. 4, July 2013
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The Pittsburgh Patrika, Vol. 18, No. 4, July 2013
The Quarterly Magazine for the Indian Diaspora
Vol. 18 No. 4 www.pittsburghpatrika.com July 2013
4006 Holiday Park Drive, Murrysville, PA 15668
Phone/Fax: (724) 327 0953 e-mail: ThePatrika@aol.com
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Highlights in this issue... ... ...
China: Unintended Consequences of Progress
By Kollengode S Venkataraman..................................................... 2
An Alternative Critical View on Globalization
By M. D. Nalapat.......................................................................... 10
At the Silk Screen Gala
By Kollengode S. Venkataraman.................................................. 14
The List of Graduating Seniors
By K S Venkataraman................................................................... 18
Shakuntala Devi – A Remembrance
By Samar K. Saha........................................................................ 20
Caring for Values in Our Pursuits
By Sriram Palghat......................................................................... 23
Sri Srinivasan Appointed to the US Court of Appeals
By Kollengode S. Venkataraman.................................................. 24
Guru Jaya Mani’s 100 Arangetrams
By S. V. Krishnaswamy................................................................ 25
“All India” Offers A Wider Choice in Indian Cuisine
...................................................................................................... 27
Who Said Our Ancestors Had It Easy?
By K. S. Venkataraman................................................................. 32
On the cover: The Buddhist Temple in Qingdao, Shandong Province,
China. •
3
The Pittsburgh Patrika, Vol. 18, No. 4, July 2013
The Quarterly Magazine for the Indian Diaspora
Vol. 18 No. 4 www.pittsburghpatrika.com July2013
Phone/Fax: (724) 327 0953 e-mail: ThePatrika@aol.com
China: Unintended Consequences of Progress
By Kollengode S. Venkataraman
This past March I was in China on work spending nearly a month in one
place. It was not Beijing or Shanghai. I was in Huangdau, a third tier city,
in the extended metropolitan region around Qingdao, a beautiful second
tier city along the Yellow Sea. See the map.
The enviable economy of China with 10% growth year after year and
lifestyles of those who benefited
in the growth are well
known. But the growth came
with a price. In cities the skyline
is often covered with smog.
The evening sun looks like the
full moon, and folks walk with
1” = 500 miles
4
masks over their face.
The Chinese government
in the Mao Zedong era,
alarmed at the rapid increase
in population, enforced the
draconian one-child-per-family
policy. This contained the population
growth. But as predicted, this policy led to married couples born in
that era now in their 40s and 50s and both working, having to take care
of four elders – his and her parents. With longevity guaranteed because
of genetics, lifestyle and eating habits, this
poses serious social and economic problems
in China where family ties and obligations are
taken seriously.
With the equivalent of Medicare and Social
Security practically absent, the responsibility
Boom time for Luxury
for elderly care in terms of money, time, and resources are on the single-son
and single-daughter of the seniors. People powerful enough in the party,
or who became rich enough in the economic boom, have the resources to
meet their obligations. But middle-income families are under strain. Gov-
The Pittsburgh Patrika, Vol. 18, No. 4, July 2013
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The Pittsburgh Patrika, Vol. 18, No. 4, July 2013
ernment is re-thinking its one-child-one-couple policy, partly because of
the predicted shortage of work force down the road.
The one-child-one-family policy ensured the reduction and even
reversal in population growth, but this did not address the Chinese
preference for boys over girls. Nature unaided by technology for gender
selection has kept the gender ratio over a narrow range, with around 105
boys for every 100 girls.
But with the marvels of modern technology for
detecting the gender of fetuses—amniocentesis,
ultrasound and digital imaging techniques—many
married couples in China, both educated and notso-educated,
opt for terminating pregnancies if the
child conceived is a girl. This gender selection has
skewed the gender ratio. Now they have 120 boys
for every 100 girls nationally. In pockets the gender
ratio is skewed badly with 150 boys for 100 girls.
The situation is identical in India, where they have
112 boys for 100 girls. However, in pockets of
Punjab, Gujarat, Rajasthan, UP, and Bihar, far more
Shops in an upscale mall
boys are there for 100 girls.
Mara Hvistendahl in recent her book Unnatural
Selection notes that the skewed gender ratio makes societies more prone to
violence. “[T]he dearth of women along the frontier in the American West
probably had a lot to do with its [the West] being wild. In 1870, the sex ratio
west of the Mississippi was 125 men to 100 women. In California it was
166 to 100. In Nevada it was 320. In western Kansas, it was 768.”
The skewed gender ratio in China has led to an unintended consequence
based on supply and demand.
Iwas waiting for my colleagues in the Crown Plaza Hotel in downtown
Qingdao. It was chilly, windy and raining. I was standing outside
the lobby and seeing—and hearing—a loud music band attired in bright
red costume playing traditional music with cymbals and Chinese drums. A
black Mercedes with flower decorations
pulled in. The music became louder with
Chinese dragon dancers joining in the
merriment. The bride in Western bridal
costume came out. With her was a man
in his mid-thirties, He was balding with
a receding hairline.
Chinese believe if it rains on the day
of wedding, the wife will dominate over
her husband. My colleagues arrived to
7
The Pittsburgh Patrika, Vol. 18, No. 4, July 2013
take me for lunch. Seeing the rain, they mockingly felt sorry for the groom.
The wedding milieu was a good topic during lunch. I asked innocently, “Is
the man in dark suit with the bride
her uncle or elder brother bringing
her to the wedding place?”
Surprised at my question, pat
came the reply from one of my colleagues,
“No. He is the groom!”
“Hmm. He looked old,” I said,
“He is getting bald and he has receding
hair. Don’t Chinese men get married in their mid twenties?”
This led to a lengthy discussion on the marriage scene among the professionals
in today’s China.
As in other parts of the world, tradition runs deep in China. The
Chinese Communist Party, trying for decades after the revolution,
has ceased to erase traditions on life transitions such as marriage.
In China, it is traditional that the groom pays “bride money” to the
bride in person with crisp currency notes. Checks and demand drafts are
not accepted—they are against the tradition. Even fifteen years ago, the
bride money was manageable—a few thousand renminbis (RMBs), the
Chinese currency. $1= 6.3 RMB. The bride has to be satisfied that the man
can support her.
Decades ago, the man took his new wife her into the home of his parents
to live after wedding. Now things have become expensive, with classy expectations.
China’s explosive prosperity is one reason. Another factor is the
skewed man-made gender
ratio. With a smaller pool
of women available for a
larger pool of men seeking
partners, women are
picky.
typical monthly
Construction cranes are everywhere.
8
The starting salary for
a professional (accountant,
lawyer, engineer,
physician) in Huangdao is around 60,000 RMBs/year. Now, the bride money
for professionals has increased several fold—100,000 RMBs or even more.
This is almost twice the starting gross salary.
In addition, the brides, who are in short supply, also expect the grooms
to have an apartment to move into after the wedding. And apartments are
VERY expensive. A 100-sq.meter (1000 sq. ft), 3-BR apartment in Qingdao
in a “desirable” neighborhood costs 800,000 to 1 million RMBs. The down
The Pittsburgh Patrika, Vol. 18, No. 4, July 2013
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The Pittsburgh Patrika, Vol. 18, No. 4, July 2013
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The Pittsburgh Patrika, Vol. 18, No. 4, July 2013
payment is 20%, or 200,000 RMBs.
So, young Chinese professional men need 300,000 RMBs, just to get married,
with their starting salary around 60,000 RMBs/year. And the expenses
on the wedding day are also on the groom’s family. With normal cars (cost:
80,000 RMBs) — Jaguars are over 600,000 RMBs — becoming a necessity,
young men are stressed out.
So, Chinese couples, after having their much-desired boy, not only start
to save for his schooling/college, but also for helping their only adult son
25 years down the road with the bride money and apartment.
That explained why the groom at the Crown Plaza Hotel was in his
mid-thirties with a receding hairline and was bald. He has been saving
money for years for sure. And he was also spending time wooing picky
Chinese women to consider him good enough to be their mate.
But this situation is not a panacea for Chinese young women. Even
though they demand an apartment before marriage, the apartments are often
registered only in the groom’s name. After all, his parents have financed it.
But her assets are jointly owned.
But Chinese women today in general, and professional educated women
in particular—much like young educated women everywhere—have become
picky, sometime too picky for their own good. This is the same as what we
see here in the US. Even after the success of the Feminist Movement and
the economic security that comes with education, Ivy League women prefer
to marry other Ivy Leaguers, and professional women choose other professional
men as mates.
My colleagues also told me Chinese men are wary about professional
women who come across too aggressive and ambitious. And for single professional
women over 32 or 33, the pool of eligible, compatible, unmarried
professional men is small and there are not too many to go around. It is a
balancing act in the wooing game for the Chinese young men and women.
It is quite stressful. The really rich men deploy paid agencies to screen potential
candidates. Others depend on parents, relatives and friends to meet
women.
If this is the situation for professionals in China, we can only imagine
the challenges of the millions of the working poor in China.
The economic impact of this trend is huge. By one estimate, nearly 25%
of their 8% annualized GDP growth, or 2%, is because of the demand for new
housing and cars among working professionals. This demand sustains basic
industries such as steel, cement, home appliances, tiles, bathroom fixtures,
construction jobs, home decorations…
With far more men than women in the productive and reproductive age
group in China, in the years to come, the married life of Chinese will be
dominated by their wives, even if it does not rain on their wedding day. •
11
The Pittsburgh Patrika, Vol. 18, No. 4, July 2013
An Alternative Critical View on Globalization
By M. D. Nalapat
Editor’s note: The author is vice-chair of Manipal Advanced Research Group and
UNESCO peace chair, and professor of geopolitics at Manipal University, India. The article
appeared first in China Daily in March, 2013. The Pittsburgh Patrika acknowledges China
Daily’s permission to reprint the article.
In the 19th century, the British Empire was a source of pride in the
United Kingdom, being a small island that took control of more than
half the planet and converted its resources to its advantage. India's view
on the same empire is different, for it saw its share in the global economy
fall from 24 percent to less than 1 percent from 1820, when the British
began to establish themselves in India, to 1947, the year they left. [Editor’s
note: The US experience here is no different. That is why we had a War of
Independence in 1776.]
Similarly, the Opium Wars were a source of immense profit for UK
merchants, helping huge conglomerates dominate business in Asia and elsewhere.
However, for the Chinese people, the Opium Wars were a source of
immense pain and the cause of social disintegration that was only reversed
in 1949, when the Communist Party of China founded New China.
The reality is that the European experience of colonialism has almost
always been a zero-sum game, in which the other side lost heavily in order to
ensure gains for the colonizing power. Which is why it is not reasonable for
the West to demand that the rest of the world accept its version of history and
economic and political doctrines. The circumstances in each non-Western
country are very different from those in the West, which is why imposing
a Western model would result in a less than optimal outcome. [Note: See
what is happening now Afghanistan, Iraq, and Egypt.]
If China has made such great progress, especially since the 1980s, it
is because China rejected copying Western commercial institutions,
creating instead a model that had a natural fit with Chinese experience and
needs. Strangely, while admitting that the Chinese economic model has
worked in China, where a purely Western version may have failed, some
Western powers constantly criticize China for not adopting a fully Western
model of democracy.
Western powers ensured their dominance in the two previous centuries
by control of territory. These days, they seek the same outcome by seeking
to make other societies believe that following the advice given by them is
the best course.
12
The Pittsburgh Patrika, Vol. 18, No. 4, July 2013
In South America in the 1970s, much misery was caused precisely
because governments there strictly followed the orders of the World
Bank and the International Monetary Fund, both of which were, and still
are, dominated by the West, with only a United States or an European Union
national heading these so-called international organizations.
Indeed, to the West, international means the West. The so-called international
relations programs taught in the West, which are unfortunately
so popular with affluent students in China and India, teach subjects solely
through the prism of Western interests. Those graduating out of such programs
subconsciously begin to act and think in ways that promote Western
interests, rather than that of their own countries. This is hardly surprising.
When the West refers to the international community, it refers only to
itself. The views of people in China, India and other large non-Western
countries are regarded as not having any worth. In the same way, "international
media" refers only to the Western media and to their West-centric
viewpoint, ignoring the views of the rest of the world.
Even globalization is taken to mean easier access to Western products,
services and people in other markets rather than a genuinely international
free flow across borders. The European Union in particular has made entry
into its own markets as difficult as possible for companies based in Asia,
while constantly putting pressure on this continent to open up markets to
the EU. Rather than a Western zero-sum approach, what the world needs
is an Asian win-win approach, which is why the rest of the world needs to
avoid falling into the trap of judging their own interests solely in the terms
set for them by the West. Each country has the right to its own perspective
and the right to craft its own path to progress.
India provides an example of a country whose leadership uncritically
accepted Western systems when more local solutions were required.
Although a democracy, the legal and administrative system in India is largely
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The Pittsburgh Patrika, Vol. 18, No. 4, July 2013
Fresh Carp and Buffalo are delivered
every Monday to
Wholey's Market
Please visit us in the Strip
where we will be happy
to assist you,
or order online at your convenience.
We will hand select your order with the greatest care.
Open seven days a week
1711 Penn Ave.
Pittsburgh, PA 15222
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what it was during British rule. The Indian Penal Code and the Indian Police
Act, for example, have not changed for more than a century. Democracy is
good for making decisions taking different groups' interests into consideration,
but India has developed at a slow pace. In 1949, the Indian economy
was twice as big as China's. Today, it is less than a third the size.
It costs millions of dollars to fight a parliamentary election in India and
in the US, thereby ensuring that only those with access to money will be
elected, the poor are effectively excluded.
[Another Indian example: In the last thirty years, India has transplanted
the US healthcare system based on pay-per-service with disastrous consequences
for the working class Indians. While this pay-per-service system
is being questioned in the US itself, it is going full-steam ahead in India
with nobody to supervise the performance, pricing, and corrupt marketing
practices of doctors, diagnostic labs, and pharmaceutical companies.]
While Western-style democracy may suit Western countries, other
countries need to ensure that systems are created that meet local
needs. A one-size-fits-all approach makes no sense, except for the West,
because if other countries slavishly follow the Western model they will be
On Globalization... ... continued on page 24
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The Pittsburgh Patrika, Vol. 18, No. 4, July 2013
Congratulations, Class of 2013!
Ninety-two percent of our seniors were admitted to one
of their top-choice colleges, and these graduates have
been offered over $4.1 million in merit scholarships!
Check out where our graduates are heading
off to college this fall at
www.sewickley.org/graduates
Schedule your visit today! Contact
admission@sewickley.org or 412-741-2235.
We can’t wait to show you around!
315 Academy Avenue. Sewickley, PA 15143
www.sewickley.org | 412.741.2235
15
The Pittsburgh Patrika, Vol. 18, No. 4, July 2013
At the Silk Screen Gala
The 2013 Silk Screen Film Festival’s opening gala was on Friday, May
10 at the Rivers Club at the Oxford Center in downtown. Here are some of
the snap shots of that pleasant evening from by Kathy Dax’s camera.
Harish Saluja and Katie Scott, the
prime movers at Silk Screen
Dolly Luthra (second from right) with
her friends.
From the Organization of Chinese Americans.
Jagdeep & Surinder Bajwa.
Juginder Luthra & Ashok Trivedi.
Kim Ravenda of Huntington
Bank with Harish Saluja.
Young women in colorful dresses.
16
A couple at the gala.
The Pittsburgh Patrika, Vol. 18, No. 4, July 2013
Proud to support
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Dancers from the Yanlai Dance Academy.
From La Belle Sultana and the Raquettes.
17
Ashok and Christine Bahl.
The Pittsburgh Patrika, Vol. 18, No. 4, July 2013
18
Chinmaya The Pittsburgh Patrika, Sanjeevani Vol. 18, No. 4, July 2013 cordially invites you with
your family and friends for our
5 th year anniversary program
Srimad Bhagavata Saptaah Mahotsav
Sunday, August 11 th -Sunday, August 18 th , 2013
Saptaah Highlights
Sri Krishna Puja, Daily Vishnu Sahasranama Chanting,
Srimad Bhagavata Parayanam, Srimad Bhagavata Katha,
Rukmini Kalyanam, Raas Garba & Cultural Programs
** Daily Mahaprasad
** Event is free and open to all
Bhagavata Katha by
H.H. Swami ShantanandaJi
Venue
Chinmaya Sanjeevani/Hanuman Dham
3817 Northern Pike, Monroeville, PA. 15146
View Saptaah Schedule of events at
http://chinmayamissionpittsburgh.org (or)
E-mail: hariom@chinmayamissionpittsburgh.org
19
The Pittsburgh Patrika, Vol. 18, No. 4, July 2013
Congratulations, Class of 2013! All the Best
Through Dharma, wealth, enjoyment, and Moksha it guides you;
Fame and recognition in the world outside it bestows on you;
It’s a great help till the end in distress and grief.
Nothing else is a better companion than education in life.
— Jain monks in Naaladiyaar, the Tamil literary work (2nd - 4th century C.E.)
First Name Last Name High School University going to in Fall
Sonia Besagarahalli North Allegheny H.S. U. of Pittsburgh, Hons. Coll
Shivum Bharill The Shady Side Academy U. of Michigan, Ann Arbor
Nikita Bokil South Fayette H.S. Carnegie Mellon U..
Sharran Chakravorty Sewickley Academy U. of Pittsburgh
Vikram Cherupally Gateway H.S. Carnegie Mellon U.
Bhanu R. Duggirala North Allegheny H.S. Frexel U.
Sneha Iyer Pine Richland H.S. U. of Pittsburgh
Mihir Jadhav Peters Twp. H.S. Rochester Inst. of Technology
Udaya Malik Sewickley Academy U. of California, Berkeley
Karthik Narayanan Fox Chapel Area H.S. U. Miami, Hons. Program
Sahithi Narra Chartier Valley H.S. Drexel U.
Mayank Parashar Seneca Valley H.S. New York U.
Anjali Premkumar North Allegheny H.S. California Inst. of Technology
Deeksha Sarma Fox Chapel Area H.S. Drexel U.
Ramita Ravi The Ellis School U. of Virginia
Priya V. Tumaluru Case Western Reserve U.
Smriti Aveeka Vats The Ellis School New York U. •
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The Pittsburgh Patrika, Vol. 18, No. 4, July 2013
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The Pittsburgh Patrika, Vol. 18, No. 4, July 2013
Shakuntala Devi – A Remembrance
By Samar K. Saha e-mail: sksaha@uss.com
I first met Shakuntala Devi ‘Banerji’ in 1988 at her Manhattan apartment.
She remained an enigma to me all these years. In normal conversations,
appearance, and discussions, she was full of life -- an extrovert, witty, very
social, simple, down-to-earth, comfortable
in any setting, and a loving person.
She treated me like her younger brother
in distress during later meets. I could
feel that whiff of affection each time I
saw her. She passionately talked about
her love for Fred Astaire–Ginger Rogers
movies, cooking, and reading. Nothing
showed any trace of a supernatural
mind. She simply described her ability
as a ‘God’s Gift’ when asked -- just as
another great Indian mathematician
Ramanujan had once remarked about himself.
The Beginning and the Fame: Shakuntala Devi was born in Bangalore,
India, to an orthodox Kannada Brahmin family on November 4, 1929. Her
father chose to be a circus acrobat. Devi’s mathematical gift first demonstrated
itself while she was doing card tricks with her father when she was
three. Those present noticed that she “beat” them by memorizing the cards
rather than by sleight of hand. Devi was quoted as saying. “At the age of
6, I gave my first major show at the University of Mysore (India).” The
word spread quickly of her supernatural capability.
Shakuntala Devi went on tours around the world starting in the ‘50s and
performed in a number of institutions, theaters and on television up to the
early 80’s. During one such trip in the early 50’s, she met Albert Einstein.
A reporter recounted the meet from Einstein’s note to Devi. Albert Einstein
says in the note, “I asked this woman a question which I take three hours to
solve because I have to follow a whole method …. I know that nobody can
do it in less time than I can… And the whole procedure has to be followed.
The figures were so big that it took the whole board for her to write the
answer. And before I had even finished the question, she started writing the
answer.” Einstein was absolutely puzzled. He asked, “How do you do it?”
Devi said, “I don’t know … -- it simply happens. You ask me and figures
start appearing before my eyes, somewhere inside. I can see 1, 2, 3, and I
just go on writing…..”
Live Demonstrations – Some Exceptional Examples: Guinness
22
The Pittsburgh Patrika, Vol. 18, No. 4, July 2013
Book of Records contains many other recorded feats of Devi. Here
are some:
• In January 1977, Devi received a standing ovation from an audience
of erudite mathematicians at the Southern Methodist University in Dallas,
Texas, when she extracted the 23rd root of a 201-digit number, at the fiftysecond
mark, with the correct answer being ’546372891′. She was faster
than the fastest computer, UNIVAC’s time of 62 seconds.
• In June, 1980, Devi demonstrated the multiplication of two 13-digit
numbers: (7,686,369,774,870) X (2,465,099,745,779), picked randomly
by the Computer Department of Imperial College, London. This event is
mentioned in the 1995 Guinness Book of Records. Her correct answer of
18,947,668,177,995,426,462,773,730 came in just 28 seconds.
• In 1988 Devi visited Stanford University at the invitation of Professor
Arthur Jensen. Jensen, an educational psychologist, tried to understand the
source of Devi’s abilities. According to Jensen, ‘’Devi solved most of the
problems faster than I was able to copy them in my notebook.’’ Jensen could
only suggest that Devi perceived large numbers differently from others. ‘’For
a calculating prodigy like Devi, the manipulation of numbers is apparently
like a native language, whereas for most of us, arithmetic calculation is at
best like the foreign language we learnt at school,’’ he wrote.
Family Life: Shakuntala Devi married Paritosh Banerji, a senior IAS
officer from Kolkata in the mid-1960s. They had a daughter, Anupama
Banerji, from this marriage. The marriage ended in divorce in 1979. In the
1980’s Shakuntala Devi returned to Bangalore with her daughter, where she
continued with book writing. During this period she entered the mystic world
of astrology, offering astrological advices to people, including celebrities
and politicians. She also set up an ‘Educational Foundation Public Trust’
to promote mathematical, astrological and philosophical studies.
With severe respiratory problems, she was admitted to a hospital in
Bangalore on April 3, 2013. Her health began to deteriorate rapidly after
her kidneys failed and she breathed her last on April 21, 2013.
I often wonder who was she?
Major Writings: Critically appraised Puzzles to Puzzle You is one of
Shakuntala Devi’s best works for aspiring and budding mathematicians.
Perfect Murder is the tale of a successful lawyer-turned-killer and is
regarded as a fine work of fiction.
The World of Homosexuals, published in 1977, considered a courageous
work on a controversial issue and was included in the ‘Top 100 Books by
Indian Authors’ in 2005.
The Wonderland of Numbers published by Orient paperbacks in 2006 is
23
The Pittsburgh Patrika, Vol. 18, No. 4, July 2013
Cynically Sublime — On Being Poor
No poor man’s evidence is heard
Though logic link it word to word;
While wealthy babble passes muster
Though crammed with vice and bluster.
The wealthy are, however old,
Rejuvenated by their gold;
If money has departed, then
The youngest lads are aged men.
Since brother, son, wife and friend
Desert when cash is at an end,
Returning when cash rolls in,
It is cash that is our next of kin
— Arthur Ryder in The Panchatantra •
On Globalization... ... continued from page 14
handicapped from competing with the West.
During the 1997 financial crisis in Asia, which was caused by Western
currency speculators, India and China both escaped as both refused to
adopt the measures that Western governments were urging them to do. In
contrast, countries such as Thailand, which faithfully implemented Western
prescriptions, suffered badly. Western prescriptions are good —but only
for the West.
Non-Western countries should take care to ensure that their national policies
do not get framed in a way that helps outside powers at the expense of
their national interests. Democracy implies diversity, not the total adherence
to the concepts and models that Western countries promote as universal,
but which are really to their advantage. Each country has not only the right
but the duty to ensure that diversity is protected and that models suited to
their own people and their own history get adopted.
Confidence in one's own people is essential to make the sort of immense
progress that China has achieved over the past three decades. Such
confidence cannot be transplanted from the outside. It has to develop from
within a country and its unique people. •
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The Pittsburgh Patrika, Vol. 18, No. 4, July 2013
Caring for Values in Our Pursuits
By Sriram Palghat, Upper St. Clair, PA
e-mail: palghat@gmail.com
Recent incidents such as the shooting in the Connecticut school and the
brutal gang-rape of a woman in New Delhi made me wonder what is driving
men to commit such unimaginably violent acts?
Our busy, materialistic society is stretching us thin, not giving us any
time to think of anything other than chasing our worldly pursuits. Along
the way some people discard their moral and ethical groundings.
Religion is important in upholding the moral and ethical values of a
society. However, men and women today are hardly finding time to even
think of religion and values. An example of this is the closing down of
churches in the US due to lack of interest and faith among younger generations.
Technology is not helping the situation either. Smart phones and
pagers make people think of work even in sleep.
His Holiness the Dalai Lama says, “Because... individuals [in
society] derail from their values and behave negatively, there is
more and more madness today. If their numbers increase, all of society will
suffer. If we utilize and understand religious traditions properly, individuals
benefit, and so can society as a whole.”
The question we must ask ourselves is, “Are we promoting the materialoriented
dynamics without caring too much about the need for nurturing
value-oriented lifestyle?” It is important for people to pause from time to
time and think of the values we pursue. Every individual owes this time of
reflection to oneself and to society at large. Many religious organizations
are organizing religious events and retreats, providing us triggers to reflect
on our pursuits.
Pittsburgh, the Chinmaya Mission is organizing a Bhagavata Saptaah
In from Sunday, August 11 to Sunday, August 18 at the Chinmaya Sanjeevani
in Monroeville. In this 8-day event, you will listen to stories from
the Bhagavatam discussing ethical issues and conflicts that are as relevant
today.
Opportunities like this help us to recognize how we can incorporate
positive values into our lifestyle to find peace within ourselves so that we
can find peace around ourselves. This is a great opportunity for us to unplug
from our stressful daily aggravations and get immersed in listening to the
stories from our epics and get rejuvenated.
Amidst the busy lifestyle of the current society, as Seekers of Truth, we
need to make an effort to set aside some time for such events. We all need
triggers to bring about desirable changes in our lives. •
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The Pittsburgh Patrika, Vol. 18, No. 4, July 2013
India-Born Sri Srinivasan Appointed to
the US District Court of Appeals
In May, Sri Srinivasan, 46, the India-born (Chandigarh, Punjab), Principal
Deputy Solicitor General for the US Government, was approved
for the US Court of Appeals for the District of
Columbia (popularly shortened to the DC Circuit)
by the US Senate by an overwhelming bipartisan
support of 97 to 3. He was nominated for the court
by President Obama in June 2012. The DC Circuit
Court’s full bench has eleven judges, but currently,
even with the appointment of Srinivasan, three are
still vacant.
He is the first Indian-American to be appointed
to the US Courts of Appeals. Of all the federal
courts of appeals -- there are thirteen of them nationwide – the DC Circuit
Court is an important one even though it covers the smallest geographic
area. This is because of its strategic location in Washington D.C., the seat of
federal government. Other federal courts of appeals have jurisdiction over
much larger area covering several states. The US Court of Appeals District
9, for example, covers California, Nevada, Arizona, Oregon, Washington
State, Idaho, and Montana.
The DC Circuit Court has the responsibility of directly reviewing the
decisions of many federal independent agencies of the United States government
based in the national capital. Given the broad areas over which
federal agencies have power, the judges of the D.C. Circuit play a pivotal
and central role in affecting national U.S. policies and laws. The very fact
that four of the current nine US Supreme Court justices -- Justices Roberts,
Scalia, Ginsburg, and Thomas -- are from the DC Circuit Court is enough
to stress its importance.
Srinivasan grew up in Kansas, where his father was a mathematics professor
at the University of Kansas. He is a Stanford University alumnus. His
bachelor’s degree, MBA and law degrees are all from Stanford. He clerked
for US Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor. Srinivasan has argued
twenty cases before the US Supreme Court. Now he will be spending the
next several years hearing cases at the DC Circuit Court. As Jeffrey Toobin,
who follows the US Supreme Court appointments closely, speculated in The
New Yorker before Srinivasan’s senate approval, “If Srinivasan passes this
test and wins confirmation [which, he did], he’ll be on the Supreme Court
before President Obama’s term ends.”
— By K. S. Venkataraman •
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The Pittsburgh Patrika, Vol. 18, No. 4, July 2013
Guru Jaya Mani’s 100 Arangetrams
By S. V. Krishnaswamy, Baltimore, MD
e-mail: krish15146@yahoo.com
S. V. Krishnsawamy lived in Monroeville for very many years before moving
to Maryland. He interviewed Jaya Mani for the Patrika in 2003. He talked to Jaya
recently on her 100th Arangetram on various subjects seemingly disjointed, but all
related to, arangetrams.
one hundred students through their arangetrams is an achieve-
Seeing ment for any dance teacher anywhere. More so in the Pitts-burgh
metro area with
barely 15,000
Indians. In June,
J a y a ’s 1 0 0 t h
student had her
a r a n g e t r a m .
Thirty-five years
ago, in 1971 with
help from Rajashri
Rajgopal
Jaya’s with senior students at S.V.Temple now.
(who lives in
Northern Virginia
now), Jaya started teaching Bharatanatyam with six students. Now, with
over six dance teachers here, Jaya continues with over 100 students, taking
three to four students to arangetram every year. It has been a long and
exhilarating journey for Jaya.
Seamlessly Integrating Technologies: These days Jaya encourages her
students getting ready for arangetram to do their own web searches to get
With her students at S.V.Temple (1970s.). Nagabhushanam Nunna’s album.
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The Pittsburgh Patrika, Vol. 18, No. 4, July 2013
the details of the ragam, talam, composer and other information about the
songs. Then she explains the meaning of the lyrics, their background and
context. This allows them to be better prepared than before the advent of
the web resources.
Grooming Future Teachers: When asked if she is grooming any of her
Jaya’s students at Slippery Rock University.
students to become a teacher, Jaya says, “Some students after arangetrams
continue with advanced lessons from me. If they have the commitment and
the rigor to teach, I encourage them. One of my students, Shobita Ravi, is
teaching in Wexford.”
Before coming to the US, Jaya taught her niece Bharatanatyam in Chennai.
After arangetram, her niece studied nattuvangam (the Tamil technical
term for choreography) in the Iyal Isai Nataka Manram in Chennai. She is
teaching Bharatanatyam in Melbourne, Australia, where her first student’s
arangetram is coming soon. Jaya will be presiding over her first grandstudent’s
arangetram there. Another milestone for Jaya.
Preserving the Dance Repertoire: Jaya tries to preserve the arangetram
music and actual performance by converting old audio & video cassettes
into DVDs, MP3, I-tunes etc. She was disappointed that several old tapes
were spoiled in storage. Asked if she is planning to make her collection of
music available for young teachers, Jaya says she is willing to make them
available for her students if they are is serious about using them in any
performance.
Jaya became emotional recalling that her father, who supported her
throughout her dancing career, saw several of her students’ arangetrams in
person in Pittsburgh.
Challenges in Using Live Music: “I have accomplished most of what
I set out for myself when I started teaching three decades ago,” She says,
“My only disappointment is that I am not able to routinely incorporate live
orchestra in arangetrams.” This is because of the logistical constraints and
the winter weather. She lives in Slippery Rock, more than an hour’s drive
from Pittsburgh. However, she is happy that she supports musicians in
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The Pittsburgh Patrika, Vol. 18, No. 4, July 2013
Jyothirmayi and Madhavi Nunna, Jaya’s
first Arangetram students, in 1975. From
Nagabhushanam Nunna’s album.
Chennai using their recorded music in
arangetrams.
With so many arangetrams completed,
her students have a number of dance
dresses and jewelry. When asked what
they do with these when they no longer
need them, Jaya admits, “It is the parents’
decision. Some want to keep them as
souvenirs, and some lend them for other
children.” Some parents and Jaya herself,
have lent the dresses to students going
through arangetrams.
On the General Baharatanatyam
Scene Today: Isai velalar nattuvanars
(choreographers in Tamil), have composed
superb varnams, padams and
tillanas for dance. Nattuvanars were all
men—the term is masculine in Tamil.
Till the mid-20th century, nattuvanars
held a pre-eminent place in arangetrams. However, with the mostly Englisheducated
upper class women taking over choreography, we witness the
decline of nattuvanars. They are replaced by those who do only the Sollukattu,
and yet are said to do nattuvangam! Now he/she is one in the music
ensemble instead of being at the center of the dance program.
However, veterans like Adyar Lakshmanan, C V Chandrasekhar, the
Dhananjayans, Narasimhacharis, and K J Sarasa carry on the old-time nattuvangam.
Similarly, even though dancers like Balasaraswathy, Rukmini
Devi, and Padma Subramaniam have composed Varnams and Padams, they
are rare. Today’s mostly English-educated choreographers do not have the
skills — Indian languages, grasp of history and mythologies, epics, philosophy,
and literary skills and poetical talent — required to compose lyrics.
So, I asked Jaya, “What is the contribution of today’s choreographers for
the dance repertoire?”
While recognizing the lack of compositions by dance teachers/choreographers
themselves, Jaya is confident the young composers will fill the gap.
She gave an example of her interaction years ago with a young violinist who
composed music for her using the works from Tamil Bhakti literature and
from contemporary poets. He is B V Raghavendra Rao, a leading violinist
now. Jaya feels modern-day choreographers need to identify such talents
and work with them.
“Why is that today’s dance teachers are reluctant to use the excellent
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The Pittsburgh Patrika, Vol. 18, No. 4, July 2013
classically tuned film songs by poets like Udumalai Narayana Kavi, Pattukkottai,
Kannadasan, and others in recitals?”
Jaya: “If the music and lyrics suit the dance theme, then surely one can
use their songs.” She gave examples of lyrics of film songs she helped her
students to use for fundraising events.
Taking Bharatanatyam to Universities Here: Jaya is now teaching
Bharatanatyam at the Slippery Rock University one semester a year. In her
class typically over thirty American students register.
“What can anyone can learn in one semester?” I asked.
Jaya unhesitatingly says, “These are dedicated dance majors. They
quickly grasp the basic adavus, jatis and learn alarippu, kolattam and few
basic dance pieces in one semester.” Continuing, she said, “These students
go to Chennai during the summer to get immersed in the Indian dance scene
there under the guidance of Revathy Ramachandran.”
On Saturday, June 15, Jaya’s students celebrated her contributions
to our community in a function held at the S.V. Temple. We congratulate
Jaya for implanting the nuances of Indian performing arts in the
minds of our youngsters born and raised here — not an easy task by any
means. We also thank her for nurturing in our youngsters the culture, and
the very core of our faith that is woven into the dance repertoire. We wish
her well for many more arangetrams. •
CMU Confers Honorary Doctorate on Ratan Tata
In this years commencement ceremonies in May, Carnegie Mellon
Univerisity conferred an honorary doctorate degree in business on Ratan
Tata, who retired last year as the head of the Tata group of companies
for over twenty years. Shown in the picture are Ratan Tata (far left) with
incoming president Subra Suresh (far right).
The commencement speaker this year was Brian Gourdan, who, along
with his classmate Umang Patel and two others, founded a successful startup
company PayTango. The central idea of their invention is a payment
system that identifies users on the basis of fingerprints simplifying the payment
method. — By Shailesh
Kapadia, Wexford, PA
Editor: This gizmo is convenient
for undergrads. After
all, most of them do not have to
worry about where their money
comes from since their parents
replenish their bank accounts.
Maybe someone needs to come up with an app that will dissuade students
from spending on whimsical items. •
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The Pittsburgh Patrika, Vol. 18, No. 4, July 2013
I am strong
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school dedicated to the education
of girls and young women.
In this culture of celebration, diversity, and
accomplishment, girls age 3 to grade 12 are
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Ruby, Vasundhara, Girish & Narpat Jain
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The Pittsburgh Patrika, Vol. 18, No. 4, July 2013
big
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Call Jennifer Leech at (412) 803-3870 for more information
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Here at the DoubleTree by Hilton, the little things mean everything.
32
The Pittsburgh Patrika, Vol. 18, No. 4, July 2013
The New All India in Oakland Offers
A Wider Choice in Indian Cuisine
The recently opened All India on North Craig Street close to the intersection
of N. Craig and Centre offers a wider choice of Indian cuisine. In
addition to the well-known Punjabi items in Indian restaurants, All India
offers several popular Gujarati and South Indian items such as dosas, vada,
idly, undhiya, in addition to South Indian and Gujarati Thalis.
The restaurant also has a cordoned-off area for private functions and
meetings that can seat up to sixty people.
The decor of the restaurant is very Indian, including the serving vessels
for the items ordered. And the seating is spacious for you to carry on
conversation without others seated close-by hearing or listening.
The owners, Didar Singh and his wife Manjit Kaur are well-known in
Pittsburgh in the Indian food business. Mr.Singh owned the India Garden
on Bates Street till two years ago. — KSV •
Important Notes to Readers
• The Pittsburgh Patrika publishes articles from readers (after a review, of course) on
a wide range of topics. Please get in touch with us before you start working on your story
to save you time. Call 724 327 0953, or e-mail to ThePatrika@aol.com
• We also publish announcements (including photographs where appropriate) such as
for arangetrams, weddings, deaths, awards, and other transitions.
• If you move, give us your new address. If you do not want to receive the magazine,
please let us know. We will stop mailing the magazine to you.
• We provide a link between advertisers and our readers. Without subscription, advertisements
are the only reason we exist. These advertisements do not imply that we endorse
these goods and services. You, the consumer, are the decision maker. — Editor •
33
The Pittsburgh Patrika, Vol. 18, No. 4, July 2013
Who Said Our Ancestors Had It Easy?
Living has its stresses. Without them, we can as well be dead. But with
total self-absorption, we attribute our difficulty to “modern” times, fast-paced
life, technology, and careers. In saying this, we subliminally imply that the
lives of our agrarian ancestors was placid. But their agrarian lives had their
own overwhelming demands making their life miserable.
How do I know? Well, I was reading an Tamil anthology os small literary
works. The authors of these works are not known. From the vocabulary and
imagery used and the construction of the verses, scholars deduce this work
cannot be earlier than two or three centuries from our times. Here a verse
by an unknown farmer-cum-poet describing his helplessness:
(Source: Viveka Chintamani, commentary by Padmadevan, Karpagam Puttagaalayam,
Tyagaraya Nagar, Chennai, 2006, 200 pp).
If you can read Tamil, you may enjoy the wry, cynical humor. If you do
not know Tamil, here is an attempt to render it in English:
Cattle in my barn groan in labor pain,
My roof is leaking badly in the pouring rain.
As I hurry to my wet fields with seeds for sowing,
My darling wife is indisposed, my good farm-hand lies dying,
Creditors for unpaid bills, far away I view;
And the king’s men are with me to collect the taxes due.
The pandit comes for his teaching fee making matters worse*,
While folk singers are praising me to get their usual purse.
The pile of problems on my head is making me to gasp,
It’s something impossible for outsiders to grasp.
So, do not for a moment think our ancestors had it easy, and do not
wallow in self-pity that only you and your generation are having a
stressful life. Agrarian life was not easy either. If rich landlords had it easy
then, people today living off their parents’ wealth also have it easy.
*Seeing a Brahmin when you leave on a mission is considered a bad omen.
— Kollengode S Venkataraman •
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The Pittsburgh Patrika, Vol. 18, No. 4, July 2013
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The Pittsburgh Patrika, Vol. 18, No. 4, July 2013
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