October 2022r issue

The Pittsburgh Patrika, Vol. 28, No. 1, October 2022

The

ittsburgh

atrika

Volume 28, No 1 October 2022

www.pittsburghpatrika.com

1


The Quarterly Magazine (Jan, Apr, Jul, and Oct) for the Indian Diaspora

Vol. 28 No. 1 October 2022

www.pittsburghpatrika.com

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

Every Election is Important—More So This Midterm Elections

By Kollengode Venkataraman ..........................................2

Why I am Voting for John Fetterman for US Senate

By Mary Ganguli .........................................................7

Elect Arvind Venkat, MD to the State House

By By Martin Karl and Cathy Poole............................9

Opportunities for Middle/HS Children at Civil Air Patrol

By Kollengode S Venkataraman...................................... 11

The Raghupatis Move to San Diego After ...........................

Their Four Decades of Active Life Here

By V. Vasudevan....................................................... 13

Obituary: Manjeri Raman — A Life Well-Lived

(1942 to August 4, 2022)

By Som Sharma......................................................... 15

Continuing Education at CMU for Seniors in Retirement

By Sankar Seetharama.................................................. 17

Book Review: Dhananjay Joshi’s No Effort Required

By Kollengode S Venkataraman ..................................... 20

A Bentley “Stolen” in London Found in Karachi

By K S Venkataraman ................................................. 23

On the cover: Fulfilling an American fall ritual in Pittsburgh: Vanita

Sundararaman (right) with her kids Rhea and Amir and her friend Anita

Chandra (left) with her kids Niyam and Devi in a pumpkin patch in North

Hills in early fall. •

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The Quarterly Magazine (Jan, Apr, Jul, and Oct) for the Indian Diaspora

Vol. 28 No. 1 October 2022

Phone/Fax: (724) 327 0953 e-mail: in the November election

Every Election is Important

More So This Midterm Election

By Kollengode S Venkataraman

Midterm elections draw only partisan citizens to polls, compared with

the quadrennial presidential ones. Voter apathy among independent voters,

is one cause. These independent voters, if only they go to midterm polls,

can change outcome of elections even in partisan districts.

In our state, in both the State House and the Senate in Harrisburg, the

GOP has been in control most of the time in the last three decades (source:

www.tinyurl.com/PartyinControlofPA-StateHouses):

Governor PA House PA Senate

1995 to 2002 (8 years)

2011 to 2014 (4 years)

in control for 12 out

of 31 years

1995 to 2006 (12 years)

2011 to 2022 (12 years)


of 31 years

For the last twelve years, the GOP has been in the majority in the General

Assembly’s both chambers, with a Democrat in the Governor’s office

for the last eight years. In 2018, only with a Democratic governor, the state

was saved from the GOP-controlled General Assembly gerrymandering the

electoral districts to unfairly benefit them, when they redrew the electoral

districts. See the article here: www.tinyurl.com/PA-RedistrictedMaps. In

this background, this November, three elections are important:

1. For Governor: In the November election, it will be an uphill task for

Democrats to gain control of either chamber in the General Assembly in

Harrisburg. However, the chances for individual

house districts have improved because

of the redistricting of the electoral map. So, a

Democrat in the Governor’s office is necessary

for checking the GOP’s muscle power

in both chambers of the General Assembly.

Besides, the GOP gubernatorial candidate

Doug Mastriano’s extremely conservative

2

1992 ( 1 year)

1994 to 2022 (29 years)


of 31 years


3


position on women’s reproductive rights is troublesome after the Supreme

Court overturned Roe v. Wade earlier this year. Democratic gubernatorial

candidate Josh Shapiro is moderate on this core issue. We need to

elect him as our governor. His veto power will have a moderating influence

on the GOP-controlled General Assembly.

2. US Senate: Our Lt Gov. John Fetterman is the

Democratic candidate for the US Senate. He is known to

as the mayor of Braddock. Mary Ganguly in her article is

persuading voters to send Mr. Fetterman to the US Senate.

Besides, his GOP opponent, the TV morning show

star Dr. Mehmet Oz, appears clueless as to the needs

of our working class voters’ anxieties and needs.

3. Pennsylvania House District 30: Arvind Venkat,

a practicing ER physician, is trying to expand his

horizon beyond ER medicine. He wants to represent

District 30 in Harrisburg’s House of Representatives

as a Democrat. Martin Carl and Kathy Poole are

persuading voters in their write-up to vote for Arvind

Venkat.

So, on November 8, please go to the polls and discharge

your responsibility to do the right thing. •

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Why I am Voting for John Fetterman

for US Senate

By Mary Ganguli, Pittsburgh, PA

Mary Ganguli lives in the Point Breeze neighborhood of Pittsburgh.

She is Professor of Psychiatry, Neurology, and Epidemiology at the

University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and School of Public

Health.

I first heard of John Fetterman while he was the

Mayor of Braddock, a small Mon Valley municipality,

which was once a bustling, vibrant steel town, but never

recovered after the steel industry collapsed in the late

1970s. John is not originally from Braddock; the details of how he, a

Harvard graduate in public policy, moved to Braddock make a fascinating

read.

John, a Democrat, currently the

lieutenant governor of Pennsylvania, is

contesting for the open US Senate seat

from PA in this November’s mid-term

election. Here are his positions (www.

johnfetterman.com/issues) on the issues

that matter to us as Pennsylvanians.

John became a national media sensation

early in his career. This is partly due

to his unusual appearance and demeanor

— 6’ 8” tall and muscular, a casually

dressed, straight-talking man of the

people, and not the typical suit-and-tie

equivocating politician.

attended a Pitt Public Health graduation ceremony in 2014 when John

I was the commencement speaker. His Harvard crimson hood looked like

a mere ribbon over the black academic robe draped on his giant frame. He

congratulated the graduates, reminding them that they were graduating in

the beautiful Carnegie Music Hall built with the steel made in Braddock.

He shared the desperate situations of the poorer Braddock families whose

homes lacked heating during the winter polar vortex. He then told the

graduates to go out and make a difference in the world with their public

health degrees -- pretty much describing his own career.

I also came to know John personally in 2014 while he was the Mayor of

Braddock. I was chasing him down to officiate at our son’s wedding. I had

left him notes and voice mail and was wondering how else to reach him.

6

Then, my phone

rang and the voice

on the other end

said, “Mary? This

is John Fetterman.”

I started to repeat

the details I had

already put into

my earlier messages.

He stopped

me abruptly, saying,

“Mary, this

is clearly the first

wedding in your


John Fetterman at a meet-and-greet event organized by Ravi

Balu (fourth from left) in Monroeville in Spring 2022. Gisele,

Fetterman’s wife is standing extreme right.

family. I have done dozens of weddings. You will have a million things

to worry about, and I will not be one of those things. Just tell me when

and where to show up, and what you want me to do and say, and I will

be there.” And he did. Since then, the Fetterman family has come over

to our place for dinner and we found that John has a secret passion for

Indian food (gobi mattar is his favorite).

John met with the Indian American community in the Pittsburgh area

and with the Indian American organization IMPACT in Philadelphia. John

tells me he is proud to receive not only our support but also our input on

the issues that matter to us. He is particularly focused on the economy,

health, and education, and if elected — only we can make that happen —

he hopes to serve on the relevant Senate Committees.

If he is our next Senator, he will show up as promised for us in Washington

and do what needs to be done for us Pennsylvanians.

So, let’s get together and Vote for John Fetterman in the November

elections. •

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Elect Arvind Venkat, MD to the State House

By Martin Karl and Cathy Poole

Co-Chairs, Franklin Park Democratic Committee

The last few years have been extraordinarily

challenging for our families and

communities. A once-in-a-century public

health crisis, economic challenges, disruption

of our kids’ education, threats to school

safety, attacks on the very foundations of

our democracy, and now, the possibility of

ending reproductive rights – the list goes on and on. Our state legislative

leaders are critically important to address all these issues. In this election

year, the communities of Franklin Park, McCandless, Ohio Township,

Kilbuck, Emsworth, Ben Avon, Ben Avon Heights, and Western Hampton

Township have the opportunity to elect a capable member from the Indian

American community to represent them in the State House in Harrisburg.

He is Dr. Arvind Venkat, son of Indian immigrants and the Democratic

candidate for the 30th District. He will ensure that we have bold leadership

in addressing all these important challenges.

We have gotten to know Arvind over the last six months in his campaign

to represent the communities of our district. From the beginning,

he has emphasized his background as an emergency room physician

with the privilege and responsibility of treating our neighbors in their time

of greatest need. Arvind recognizes that just like there is no Republican

or Democratic heart attack, we

need leaders who will work for

all of us, setting aside partisan

extremism to solve problems

in our community. Having

worked on the frontlines of the

pandemic, Arvind knows we

have under-invested in public

health, public safety, and public

schools, leaving us vulnerable to the disruptions we have seen. He

recognizes that we must fully fund these services to be there for all of us

when needed.

Over the last few months, the stakes of this election have only risen.

With the US Supreme Court overturning the federal constitutional right to

an abortion, the future of women’s reproductive freedom is on the ballot.

Similarly, whether we enact commonsense gun safety laws to prevent school

shootings and reduce gun violence will be decided in Harrisburg. Finally,

9


Arvind Venkat on his campaign trail.

whether we

continue to

nurture our

democracy

by ensuring

that a) every

eligible

voter has access

to the

ballot box,

and b) our

elections, regardless

of their outcome, reflect the will of the people, will depend on

the members we elect to the General Assembly in Harrisburg.

As a father, husband, emergency physician, member of the Indian

American community, and long-time resident of the North Hills, Arvind

will be the right representative for us in Harrisburg. He will ensure that

our communities are cared for and protected. We are proud to support

his candidacy for the State House and urge all voters in our communities

to vote for Arvind this fall.

On election day this November, vote for Dr. Arvind Venkat. You

can reach out to his team at his website www.VenkatforPA.com. •

10


Opportunities for Middle/HS Children

at Civil Air Patrol

By Kollengode S Venkataraman

How many of you have heard of the Civil Air Patrol (CAP) and their

activities across the nation? Maybe a few. And among school-going

children, even less.

Civil Air Patrol, an

organization of citizen

airmen, was formed

in 1941 during World

War II, committed to

volunteer services.

Focused to mobilize

Civil Air Patrol plane with the trainer pilot and trainees

11

the nation’s civilian

aviation resources for

national defense during WW II, CAP has evolved over the decades into a

premier public service organization that still carries out emergency service

missions when needed, in the air and on the ground, and much more.

As an auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force, CAP is there to “search for and

find the lost, provide comfort in times of disaster and work to keep the

homeland safe.” Its thousands of volunteers scattered across the nation

devote their time, energy, and expertise to the well-being of their communities,

promoting aviation-related fields through aerospace/STEM programs

and helping shape future leaders through CAP’s cadet activities.

CAP volunteers serve America’s communities, save lives, and help

shape the future with the core values of Integrity, Volunteer Service, Excellence,

and Respect. CAP’s programs are funded by the US Air Force

and the local chapters’ fundraising activities.

In August, I went to a weekly meeting of CAP Squadron 602 held at

Baldwin High School, close

to the Allegheny County Airport

in West Mifflin. Squadron 602

of CAP is located at the Allegheny

County Airport (airport code

AGC) in West Mifflin.

Incidentally, AGC, a fully

functional airport within the city

limits of Pittsburgh, has a long

and unique history. Built in 1931,

it was the third largest airport in Initiating a new member into the program.


the nation with a hard-surface

runway, decades before the Pittsburgh

International Airport was

opened. More details here: www.

flypittsburgh.com/alleghenycounty-airport.

The classes at Baldwin High

were conducted under Major

Naor Wallach, Pennsylvania

Director of Recruiting and Retention

of CAP’s Squadron 602.

Major Naor Wallach at the podium. The module they showed as part

of their training was on how NASA’s team solved the problem when an

oxygen tank in the Apollo 13 mission’s capsule exploded in a near-disaster

moon mission. NASA’s ground control in Houston struggled — and succeeded

— in fixing the problem against all odds by remotely instructing

the astronauts in the orbiter floating 200,000 miles above earth.

CAP program is open to all middle and high school students who

The are either US citizens or legal immigrants for a nominal fee of $40

per year. A team of over 1500 volunteers, who have their own full-time

jobs as USAF staff, railroad consultants, graduate students in universities,

and others run the program nationwide.

They meet weekly completing different training modules that focus on

developing skills to work in teams (sometimes leading, sometimes following),

ER services, aerospace/STEM education, physical fitness, and

character building. In the programs with school kids as the trainees, they

use real life examples of how crises unfold — many of them happening for

the first time. The students are shown examples of how to a) form teams

with the required skills and temperament, b) brainstorm the issues to define

the scope, c) assign priorities and

assess progress and performance,

and d) make changes as the situation

dynamically changes.

For middle and high school

students, programs in the Civil Air

Patrol offer opportunities on how

to a) acquire skills to lead and take

part in teams to accomplish any set

goals, and b) communicate clearly

and precisely with peers and seniors Major Wallach after initiating a new cadet.

in any organization. And the training they get in their formative years

CAPatrol... ... Continued on Page 18

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The Raghupatis Move to San Diego

After Their Four Decades of Active Life Here

V. Vasudevan, Monroeville, PA

Janaki and Narasimhan Raghupathi, known to many

among the Indian diaspora here, and very well-known

people associated with the S.V.Temple, moved to San

Diego last July after over four decades of productive years

living amongst us. They moved to San Diego to live close

to their son and daughter there.

Janaki arrived in Pittsburgh in the early 1970s to pursue

her master’s program in structural engineering at the

University of Pittsburgh, after graduating in 1971 from the Indian Institute

of Technology, Madras in civil engineering. In the mid-1960s, she was

one of the very first “girls” to enter the IIT to pursue the coveted BTech

in engineering. One of the reasons she chose Pitt was that her fiancé

Narasimhan Raghupathi was pursuing his PhD in ChemE there.

After their marriage, they had a brief stint at Ford Motor Co. in Detroit

before moving back to Pittsburgh to spend over four decades here.

Janaki spent all her working years at the Westinghouse Energy Center

in Monroeville and Cranberry in various capacities in structural engineering

projects related to nuclear power plants.

Raghupathi (center) recalling one of his poignant moments of his interactions with

Sthapati Ayyachami Narayanan (far left) and Shri Venkatacharyulu (second from

right) and Shri Gopala Bhatttar (far right). Janaki is second from left.

Her background in civil and structural engineering came in handy at

various stages of finalizing the plans for the S.V.Temple that was consecrated

in 1976. Her volunteer work at the temple continued in various

roles in planning many one-of-a-kind festivals and in procuring a variety

13


of unique supplies against deadlines from all over the world in the pre-

Internet, pre-Amazon, and pre-Walmart days.

Janaki was there to help anyone at any time whether it was for arranging

arangetrams, marriages, and hosting visiting artistes; or helping people

in medical and any other types of emergencies. There was no end to the

selfless and tireless work she did for all who approached her.

Raghupathi, her husband, on the other hand, is quiet, complementing

Janaki’s gregariousness. Often, he introduced himself as Janaki’s

husband. He did his master’s in chemical engineering from VJTI, Mumbai

and earned his PhD in ChemE from Pitt. After his brief stint at Ford in

Detroit, he joined PPG working in various capacities, managing projects.

The team that organized the event with some of their friends.

Acknowledgment: Sripriya Vasudevan, North Hills, for the picture

He travelled widely for work, meetings with customers and vendors. He

regaled with stories on his visits to Moscow and other cities in the Soviet

Union during the collapse of the USSR. He too was associated with the

S.V.Temple management in various official capacities.

Raghupathi has been the unofficial tax consultant for the priests and

office staff at the temple from the time the temple started, making sure

that they got all applicable deductibles and refunds. He also made sure

that they set aside money for their retirement .

The friends of the Raghupathis organized a farewell party at the Murrysville

Community Center on July 8, 2022, where they recalled fantastic

stories and anecdotes in their interactions with Janaki and Raghupathi.

While all their friends miss their presence here, I join them in wishing

Janaki and Raghupathi well in their retirement with their two children

in the sunny San Diego, enjoying their life living close to the beach, the

mountains, and the desert. •

14


Obituary: Manjeri Raman — A Life Well-Lived

(1942 to August 4, 2022)

By Som Sharma, Monroeville, PA

Manjeri Raman, known as Jeri to his colleagues

and friends, who lived in the

Pittsburgh metro area for decades before moving

to Savannah, GA died on August 4, 2022.

The cause of death was complications from

esophageal cancer.

He graduated in chemical engineering from

the Alagappa Chettiar College of Technology

in Chennai in the early 1960s. He came to the

US in 1967 for his graduate studies in chemical

engineering at the University at Buffalo in the SUNY system. Krishna,

whom he married in 1970 in Chennai, India, joined him later.

Manjeri’s long career in marketing was with Spencer-Kellogg (Buffalo,

NY), Calgon Corporation (Pittsburgh, PA), and SNF Holding Co.

(Riceboro, GA). With his easy-going disposition in working with people

from diverse backgrounds and his natural leadership skills, he rose to

senior positions. In retirement, he worked as a marketing consultant. He

traveled extensively, both domestically and internationally, for work.

I

first met Manjeri and Krishna as curious students of Advaita Vedanta

during Swami Chinmayananda’s first visit and Jnana Yajna in Pittsburgh

in 1978. He was drawn into the Chinmaya Mission’s activities. With him

and many others, we organized several week-long lecture series on the

Gita and Vedanta topics by Swami Chinmayananda himself and by other

monks of the mission. A special one was the Chinmaya International

camp at Slippery Rock University in 1984, when we rented the entire

campus for 10 days, a one-of-a-kind event then. We travelled together to

many Chinmaya spiritual camps in other cities. In Savannah, he started

the Chinmaya Satsang, which is quite active today, with participants both

of Indian heritage and from the American mainstream. He was in the

S.V.Temple’s governing bodies, where he was known to run committee

meetings and participate in them with great elan.

Manjeri was cosmopolitan and open-minded and had a unique gift of

making everyone feel special. He was comfortable with his circle of friends

from diverse Indian linguistic and subcultural groups, as well as other

nationalities and races. He did not let his vulnerabilities get in the way of

learning or seeking help from others in any aspect of his life. Raman and

Krishna loved to travel, going to many tourist and pilgrimage sites.

15


He volunteered with Hopelink in Redmond, a Seattle neighborhood

in Washington State. He also tutored fifth graders in math at Gould

Elementary School in Savannah.

Raman was a voracious reader with interests in politics, society — he

admired Mahatma Gandhi — and football, tennis, golf and, of course,

cricket. He was an avid tennis player and a golfer. He loved Karnatic

music and light entertainment movies in Indian languages. A loving and

caring partner and father, Raman was a friend, philosopher, and guide

to his children Anandi and Arvind. He was fond of his wonderful life

partner, Krishna, a courageous and independent woman in her own right,

for fifty-four years

storehouse of information, a loving and caring partner and father,

A

a sports enthusiast, a spiritual seeker, a “servant leader,” a trusted,

large-hearted friend, a conscientious citizen, a fun-loving and easy-going

guy, a man of conviction, yet respectful of opposing viewpoints — an

almost perfect human being. A life well lived.

The mortal remains of Raman were cremated in Savannah, with his

adopted son Arvind doing the last rites for him. Later, his family organized

a memorial gathering for Manjeri on Friday, September 9, in Savannah,

where a large number of his friends from different cities gathered to

reminisce and celebrate his memory. •

16


Continuing Education at CMU

for Seniors in Retirement

Sankar Seetharama, Pittsburgh, PA

One of the best kept secrets in the Pittsburgh

metropolitan area, the Osher Lifelong Learning

Institute at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU), offers

its members, primarily the senior community, opportunities

to expand their knowledge, enhance their skills,

interact with their peers, and expand their social and

cultural awareness. It provides a range of short-term,

non-credit courses, lectures, and field trips, taught by

faculty from CMU and other institutions, retired business professionals

and representatives from community organizations, all eager to share their

knowledge and expertise.

In August 1991, Robert Mehrabian, CMU’s President, brought in

Steve Calvert as assistant VP and director of alumni relations to found an

adult education program. Mehrabian’s vision was to strengthen alumni

relations, focus on education programs for alumni and the University’s

neighbors, primarily retired adults still thirsty for knowledge.

G

uided by Gretchen Langford, a Margaret Morrison Carnegie College

alumna, and Edwin “Ted” Fenton, alumnus, Director of CMU’s Center

for University Outreach, the Academy for Lifelong Learning (A.L.L.)

came to be in 1992. In its first year, it drew three hundred students.

By 2007, A.L.L. had grown to over 1,200 members. Following a

grant from the Bernard Osher Foundation, the A.L.L. Board of Directors

recommended joining forces with the Osher Lifelong Learning Institutes,

dedicated to the same goals. By early 2009, Osher at CMU had new offices

in Hunt Library, two classrooms in Wean Hall, a website, and an

endowment from the Osher Foundation.

17


CAPatrol.. ... Continued from Page 12

may even open opportunities for them in ROTC programs in the US Air

Force, commercial flying, Medevac flights, or aeronautical engineering in

universities. For more information, visit GoCivilAirPatrol.com or contact

Major Naor Wallach (nwallach@pawg.cap.gov). •

Aishwarya, daughter of Gopal & Sasikala

Krishnamoorthy of Monroeville, PA and a

student of Kamala Reddy, had her Kuchipudi

rangapravasam on Saturday, June 25, 2022, at the

S.V.Temple auditorium in front of a large number

of invitees. Aishwarya studied the art form for over

ten years, during which she was part of Kamala

Reddy’s many Kuchipudi dance-dramas.

At Gateway High School, Aishwarya was part of

the marching band and learned to play the trumpet.

At school, she received the Noah Gray scholarship to her commitment

to and achievements in band. Graduating this year from Gateway High

School, Aishwarya is now a freshman at the University of Pittsburgh,

pursuing studies in engineering. •

18


N

ow all these have been consolidated in a lovely new Learning Center

in Cyert Hall on the campus funded by the Osher at CMU and local

foundations. Osher, not part of CMU, is an independent, 501(c)3 non-profit

organization. Most importantly, it is volunteer-driven, from the Board of

Directors to its committees and its Instructors. It helps reinforce a sense of

community. With a dedicated staff for running the show led by an Executive

Director, they produce course catalogs, schedule courses, maintain

the website, and take care of all the business needs of the organization.

Each year, members can choose from over four hundred courses,

covering an incredible range of subjects from the study of a Shakespeare

play to underwater photography, secrets of Pittsburgh, architecture,

Indian history, music, personal finance, legal issues, health & wellness,

and much more. Most of these classes are taught in the Learning Center

in Cyert Hall.

Beginning in August 2019 Osher’s Executive Director and then President

had a series of meetings with Chatham University’s President. These

meetings led to the Lifelong Learning Program partnering with Chatham

University offering courses at their Eden Hall Campus in Gibsonia, PA

providing closer access for residents of surrounding communities.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, all classes were held on Zoom®.

Some classes will be offered on Zoom in addition to the in-person classes

to accommodate those unable to attend classes on campus.

Osher at CMU is always happy to welcome new members & instructors!

Check us out at www.cmu.edu/osher/ •

19


Book Review: Dhananjay Joshi’s

No Effort Required

N

o Effort Required is the English translation of Dhananjay Joshi’s

articles in Marathi, serialized under the title Sahaj in Lokamat, the

Marathi daily. The word सहज taken straight from Sanskrit, means born

with, natural, effortless, or congenital. Arun Jatkar, known to our readers,

and a cousin of Joshi’s, translated the series into English.

The theme of this book is the author’s reflections on his decades-long

spiritual quest on the purpose and meaning of life. This takes him from

his cultural moorings in his traditional Hindu upbringing and interactions

with family elders like his grandmother and several teachers in India. This

search continued through his engineering education in Poona. Later, when

he came to the US for higher education at the Illinois Institute of Technology

in electrical engineering and mathematics, his quest continued. He

had long interactions in the US with the monks at the Ramakrishna Math

and with Zen masters from Korea and Japan.

As many Hindu/Jain/Buddhist/Sikh teachers in India have repeatedly

advised us in each generation, tranquility and freedom (Moksha in Sanskrit)

are to be realized here and now when we are alive, and not in Swarga,

Heaven or Jannat, post mortem — I use post-mortem in the literal meaning

20


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of the phrase, namely, after death. This idea is also central to Buddhist

teachings all over Asia.

The author’s spiritual journey continued while he was living in Chicago,

starting his career in corporate America, with him organizing meditation

retreats in his rented apartment. And later, leading life as a married

man, paying taxes and educating his children. He did not run away to

the foothills of the Himalayas between career transitions, or out of disillusionment

in life in the US. When people are predisposed to these kinds

of pursuits, they get — or find — their teachers, even in Chicago, even in

the midst of all the regular grinds that overwhelm most of us.

Serious English readers in India — the book’s target audience since it

is published there — are in a hurry, used to rapid reading. The short,

easily readable stand-alone stories in the book are suitable for these readers.

However, just because the articles are short and readable, it does

not mean that readers can absorb their central messages in rapid reading.

Several articles in this collection, described as “pointillist” by Margaret

McKenzie in her foreword, are cryptic and end abruptly. If readers do not

pay attention in their speed reading and do not pause at the end of each

story, they may altogether miss their import.

The pointillist style of the short pieces, each standing on its own, has a

long history in Indian literature. Examples are the 100 verses in Vedanta


Your beloved buries her lovely face on your broad chest,

O handsome young man! Don’t ever get discouraged by

opponents in your pursuits. Don’t you know that kites

flying in the sky always soar against headwinds?

22


A Bentley “Stolen” in London Found in Karachi

A bizarre story indeed: A Bentley Mulsanne luxury vehicle costing over

$200,000, allegedly “stolen” from London was found in Karachi’s upscale

Defence Housing Authority (DHA) residential area, originally developed

for high-ranking retired Pakistani military officers. Many retired officers

sold their homes at HUGE profits to private citizens.

In September 2022, the Customs Office in Karachi received a tip from

a “friendly country” on the precise location — the street address in

the DHA complex — of the Bentley. When Pakistan’s customs officials

went to the upscale house, lo and behold, the Bentley was in the parking

garage. In a story in Dawn, Imtiaz Ali reports this:

The officials asked the ‘owner’, Jameel Shafi, to provide the title for the

vehicle. Instead of producing the papers, Mr Shafi stated that the vehicle

was sold to him by one Naveed Bilwani with the agreement that Mr Bilwani

would bear all liabilities to clear required documents from authorities

before November 2022.

As the “owner” could not

produce the document of

the vehicle, the customs

department took possession

of the vehicle.

Later, during investigation,

Bilwani informed

officials that he

had only helped broker a deal between Shafi and another person named

Naveed Yamin as a guarantor of payment and papers and Mr Yamin received

cash from Shafi as payment against the vehicle.

In a later story Dawn tells that the 2014-model Bentley was imported

in 2019 by the Bulgarian ambassador to Pakistan, who later sold it to a

Pakistani, which is illegal because it circumvents a whopping 300% import

duty for such luxury vehicles. A whole bunch of government officials in

Pakistan’s customs department, DMV and other agencies are now caught

up in the scandal. Once so many government officials are involved in a

scandal, as it happens in that part of the world, nobody will be held accountable.

The expensive car had a microchip installed to track its location. If only

any one of the people in this scandal knew to deactivate the microchip,

this scandal would not have exploded the way it did.

London’s British Museum displays artworks the empire stole from India

during its colonial occupation. One wonders if Pakistan would remember

this and keep the Bentley for display in Karachi or Islamabad. •

23


24

October 2022r issue

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