1. FESTIVALS: Kartik
Poornima (
November 6 this year ) is also known as Tripuri Poornima or Deva-Deepawali -
the festival of lights of gods. It derives its name from Tripurari - an
epithet of Bhagwan Shiva. Shiva in his form as Tripurantaka killed
Tripurasura on this day. This victory is celebrated by lighting lamps. This
day is also called "Dev-Diwali" - the Diwali of the gods. Kartik poornima is
also the birthday of Matsya, Bhagwan Vishnu's fish-incarnation (First
Avatar).
On this day, Annakuta, an offering of food to
the deities, is held and temple complexes in southern Bharat are lit up
throughout the night with Deepmalas or towers of lights. Lights are also
floated in miniature boats in rivers. Lights are placed under Tulsi, Sacred
fig and Amla trees. In Tamil nadu , in tiruvannamalai ten day annual
festival is be held to celebrate karthikai deepam.
In Pushkar, Rajasthan, the Pushkar Fair or
Pushkar mela commences on Prabodhini Ekadashi and continues till Kartik
Poornima. This fair is held in honour of god Brahma, whose temple stands at
Pushkar.
A ritual bath on Kartik Poornima in the Pushkar Lake and
places like Varanasi is
considered most auspicious. Jains celebrate this festival by visiting
Shantrunjay Hills in Palitana a Jain pilgrimage centre. Guru Nanak was born
on the day of Kartik Poornima in 1469 AD. -
goTop
2. AT UN GENERAL
ASSEMBLY, PM REBUKES PAKISTAN FOR ITS KASHMIR OBSESSION:
Pakistan's
ceaseless effort to internationalize the Kashmir issue
earned a sharp rebuke from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who told the UN
general assembly on 27th September
that it was a pointless exercise when there were so many more pressing
issues facing the region and the world.
"Raising it at the UN won't resolve bilateral
issues," Modi suggested in caustic remarks that came a day after Pakistan's
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif told the general assembly that his country could
not draw a veil on Kashmir.
"We want to promote friendship with Pakistan too,
but we can only talk without the shadow of terrorism over us," Modi said in
a speech delivered in Hindi, adding that it is incumbent on Pakistan to
create a conducive atmosphere for talks.
Modi also asked the world leaders to adopt an
International Yoga Day, saying that by changing lifestyle and creating
consciousness, it can help us deal with climate change.
- goTop
3. BUST OF SWAMI
VIVEKANANDA INSTALLED IN PARIS: On
the eve of the anniversary of Swami Vivekananda’s speech at World Parliament
of Religion in Chicago (September 11, 1893), Bharatiya Ambassador Arun K.
Singh alongwith Mr. Marcel Pochard, President, Cite Universite, Mr. Bikas
Sanyal, Director, Maison De L’Inde and Swami Veetamohan, President
Ramakrishna Mission, France, unveiled the bust of Swami Vivekananda at the
Cité internationale Universitaire de Paris (CIUP) in Paris on 10th
September, 2014. CIUP is located in the 14th arrondisement in Paris,
where Swami Vivekananda stayed during his visit to France.
After the unveiling of the bust of Swami Vivekananda, Ambassador spoke about
his ideas of Inter-faith harmony, Universal brotherhood, and his
contribution in instilling pride in his countrymen in their cultural and
spiritual heritage. He recalled that the great French Nobel Laureate Romain
Rolland, was inspired by Swami Vivekananda and had written a book ‘The Life
of Vivekananda and the Universal Gospel’. -
goTop
4. MESSAGE OF
UNIVERSAL ONENESS: DATTATREYA HOSABALE: Hindu
Swyamsevak SanghUK hosted
an interactive event on September 21 at the Swminarayan Temple,
Stanmore,London where
sahsarkaryavaha of the Rashtriya Swaysevak Sangh (RSS) Shri Dattareya
Hosabale, highlighted the circumstances in which the RSS was started in 1925
and what are its principles, and guide lines for Bharat in the present
scenario.
The programme was attended by the all the
major Hindu organizations of UK including
ISKON, BAPS Swaminarayan sanstha, Hindu Forum of Britain etc. A
question-answer session took place regarding Kashmir, BJP, and North-East province of Bharat.
Dattatreyaji explained the four major factors which have contributed to the
success and strength of RSS:
1) Ideology of Hindutva which encompasses
universal humanitarian values. 2) Leadership, from very first day the
organization has been strong with visionaries, 3) Technique of daily
gathering and concern for the nation and society and 4) volunteers’
sacrifice, strength and dedication of the RSS worker that has enabled such a
unique Prime Minister of Bharat to take centre stage of the world.
He said that, “The national culture of India is
the Hindu culture which embraces all’ and emphasized that RSS is not an
organization within the Hindu society but is to organize the Hindu society
and to spread the message of universal oneness, Udar
Chirata Namtu, Vasudaiva Kutumbakam – The
whole world is one family. - goTop
5. DR. MOHAN BHAGWAT
INAUGURATES NEW OFFICE BUILDING OF
RSS IN LUDHIANA: RSS
chief Dr. Mohan Bhagwat on September 25th called
for expansion and consolidation of the organization's work of preserving
country's heritage and culture across the country. He was inaugurating the
newly constructed office of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh built in the memory
of late RSS national general secretary Madho Rao Muley at Ludhiana.
"What is important is not the building but
the spirit and the soul that it represents," he said. In his brief speech,
he asked RSS workers to dedicate themselves to the task of building the
nation and living up to the ideals put forward by late Muley.
- goTop
6. SCANDINAVIAN
SHBIR 2014 ORGANISED BY HSS NORWAY: This
year's Scandinavian Shibir was held in Sanatan Mandir Sabha premises near Oslo during
29-31st August. Altogether 125 participants met for 3 days with lot of
excitement. Theme of the Shibir was “Save the Earth & Environment“.
Apart from normal activities in a Sangh
Shibir like Shakha, Bauddhiks etc. Workshops, Charchas and Vishesh Abhays
sessions were held on the environmental subjects like main causes of
pollution, contribution of vegetarianism and Hindu way of life to
environment, things to do in day-to-day life to save electricity, energy,
water etc. Slogans used in Khels & physical activities included names of
main rivers & mountains in Bharat and in Norway to
set special focus on environment & nature during the whole Shibir.
During Vishesh abhyas Varg health sessions by
swayamsevak doctors and Vedic Mathematics by sevikas followed by
question/answer were organised. Sessions were very popular and kept all
shibirarthis busy and engaged. For children, suitable scientific
experiments, making of paper planes & equipments and educational videos
based on Mahabharat & Ramayan were held. In Samarop Samaroh, president of
Sanatan Mandir Sabha Shri Harkesh K Sharmawas was the chief guest.
- goTop
7. MOM SENDS FIRST
PICTURE OF RED PLANET: As
Bharat proves a point beyond its space exploratory capabilities by sending
its spacecraft Mangalyaan to the Red Planet, it started beaming pictures of
Mars from day one of its orbit insertion. An ISRO team, led by ISRO Chairman
K Radhakrishnan and ISRO Scientific Secretary V Koteswara Rao, presented the
pictures to the Prime Minister in Delhi.
After winning the Red Planet marathon in its first attempt ISRO’s MOM sent
photos that show crater marked surface of the Mars. According to a space
scientist at ISRO, the MOM has been so gentle in obeying the command and has
started sending photos which are critical to analyze for further studies.
According to V Koteshwara Rao, Scientific
Secretary at ISRO, MOM has taken a dozen photos which were crucial link for
future studies.
He said, “After MOM landed, the colour camera
on board started working. In fact, soon after Orbiter stabilized in its path
it has taken a dozen quality pictures of its surface and its surroundings.
The MOM is in its pink of health and all its parameters are functioning
well. The MOM will also take the pictures of two moons of the Red Planet.”
- goTop
8. SEVA BHARATI TO
ADOPT 60 VILLAGES FOR REHABILITATION: Sewa
Bharati and Mata Amritanandamayi Math together are going to adopt around 60
severely flood hit villages of Jammu & Kashmir for permanent rehabilitation.
These are the villages where impact of the flood is huge and not only the
houses, but also the agriculture land has become useless for several years
due to silt. “We are conducting survey of the damage and the exact number of
such villages will be ascertained only after the survey report,” said RSS
Akhil Bharatiya Sewa Pramukh Shri Suhasrao Hiremath after visiting the
affected areas of the State. Rashtriya Sewa Bharati general secretary
Rishipal Dadwal accompanied him in Srinagar and
surrounding areas.
Shri Hiremath said apart from supplying food
and other items, the Sewa Bharati activists have also provided four blankets
to each person at several places. “The villages where electricity is not
expected to be restored for long time, we have decided to provide solar
lights. About 2,000 solar lights are to be distributed shortly,” he said
adding that Sewa Bharati teams of doctors are visiting the affected villages
to treat and educate the people about the water borne disease which may
occur in coming days. Suhasji also suggested the workers to provide school
bags and books to all the students. About 5,000 such kits are to be provided
in the first phase. - goTop
9. LORD GANESHA
FIGURE IMMERSED IN PATTAYA
BAY THAILAND: Followers
of the Hindu and Buddhist god Ganesha capped a 15-day festival with a
ceremony lowering a statue of the “god of success” into the sea at Bali Hai
Pier.
Deputy Mayor Ronakit Ekasingh and Pattaya
Ganesha Lovers Club President Chaiwat Detnathee led the faithful at a fire
sacrifice and prayer ceremony Aug. 28 as part of the Ganesha Chaturthi
celebration.
The centerpiece of the event was the ritual
immersion of a 2.39-meter-tall Ganesha figure made of Plaster of Paris into
the sea, symbolizing a ritual see-off of the Lord in his journey towards his
abode in Kailash while taking away with him the misfortunes of his devotees.
Devotees joined in, bathing the figure in
curcuma, coconut and nectar, and covering head of priests as per ancient
tradition. They prayed for sadness and disease to be lifted and wrote the
names of relatives on the statue to eradicate evil from their lives and
bring prosperity.
The Aug. 15-30 festival - the sixth year it
has been held in Thailand -
is the country’s largest celebration of its kind. The festival included a
parade through Pattaya to display Ganesha’s image so followers could pray
for their own success and obstacles to be removed.
- goTop
10. ‘BODHI' TREE
GETS A PLACE IN VIETNAM'S PRESIDENTIAL PALACE: A
second sapling of the revered ‘Bodhi’ tree from Gaya in Bihar was planted in
Vietnam’s Presidential palace on 15th September
by Bharat’s President Pranab Mukherjee, 55 years after Bharat gifted the
first offshoot of the holy tree to this Communist country.
Mukherjee along with Vietnamese President
Truong Tan Sang planted the sapling in the nicely maintained lawns of the
palace soon after the two leaders finished delegation-level talks and signed
seven pacts. The sapling procured from the Bodh Gaya Temple Management
Committee (BTMC) a few days back was carried in a small wooden box as a gift
to the country and people of Vietnam.
It was The first ‘Bodhi’ tree in Vietnam was
gifted by then President Rajendra Prasad to his counterpart President Ho Chi
Minh in 1959 and it was planted in the Tran Quoc Pagoda here.
- goTop
11. NINTH HINDU
MANDIR EXECUTIVES CONFERENCE CONCLUDES: Over
200 adult and youth delegates representing over 85 Mandirs and Hindu
organizations, from across the world, attended the ninth annual Hindu Mandir
Executives' Conference (HMEC) that was held from September 19 -21 in
Orlando, Florida USA. It was co-hosted by a record 47 Hindu temples and
Hindu organizations from across the United
States, Canada and
the Caribbean.
The theme of the conference was: "The Role of Temples in Hindu Education."
The participants discussed how the temples,
through community involvement, can contribute to the American society in
many ways such as, coping with and reducing stressful situations through
traditional practices, and by referrals to the right resources available via
local city, county, and federal agencies. A special session was dedicated to
teaching Hinduism in Universities. With the increasing academic awareness of
Hinduism, many universities and colleges offer courses on the subject which
are often taught by non-Hindu practitioners. -
goTop
12. RSS
ON UPSWING - With more shakhas, online recruits, and mainstreaming of
agenda, RSS on upswing - It
may be an 89 year old organisation, identified as representing a more
conservative set of values. But the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) is
witnessing steady growth. With more shakhas, online recruits, and
mainstreaming of their agenda, the Sangh - ideological parent of the ruling
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) - is on the upswing.
In July 2012, the Sangh had 34,761 shakhas;
this number swelled to 37,125 shakhas the following year; and this year - by
July 2014 - RSS was holding 39,396 daily shakhas. There has also been a
spurt in the number of volunteers registering on the Join RSS link on its
website. If there were around 1000 such people every month in 2012, 2500
possible volunteers in 2013, this number has swelled to an average of around
7000 online recruits this year.
The increase in membership must comes as a
shot in the arm for RSS - for there was a perception that they were facing a
crisis in attracting the young. There was a time in the last decade when the
number of shakhas were over 43,000. And the Sangh's number 2 in command
Suresh Bhaiyyaji Joshi admitted last year that there were challenges -
educational patterns, lifestyle, working hours had changed leaving people
with little time, energy and inclination to attend morning or evening
shakhas. Other Sangh officials say there had been a spike in numbers when
they celebrated Guru Golwalkar's Birth centenary in 2006-07, but then as
happens after an intensive period of public outreach and expansion, there
was a period of consolidation. All agreed on need for flexibility and
innovation.
Can the increase in RSS strength be
attributed to the rise of the BJP and Narendra Modi in this period? Sangh
officials do not believe there is any direct link, and it is in fact the RSS'
own organic strength which may have helped BJP.
RSS, they insist, does not depend on
political or government support. Manmohan Vaidya, chief spokesperson, told
HT, "Look at Kerala. The RSS is very active in the state but there is barely
any BJP presence. Our growth is autonomous."
But there may have been indirect impact. The
incessant coverage of the Modi campaign led to greater curiosity about the
RSS and more media visibility. Private television channels in the past few
months have done dedicated shows on sarsanghchalak Mohan Bhagwat's birthday,
on the life of founder Dr Keshav Hedgewar, and discussions on Sangh's work.
There has also been more discussion on
Hindutva related issues - be it the desirability of a Hindu Rashtra, the
place of Muslims in India,
whether there is anything called 'Hindu terror', or 'love jehad'. All of
this divided society and drawn criticism, but its mere discussion drew some
segments to the Parivar ideology.
During the elections, the Sangh was out there
in full force backing the BJP. They visited homes, and this increased their
interface with society. Pracharaks and swayamsevaks are known to maintain
such relationships, and the public outreach too would help in spreading the
message.
But Vaidya believes the core reason for
growth is because of an increasing 'hunger among people to assert their
cultural identity' and a desire to 'serve society', wherein RSS is seen as
synonymous with social service.
The use of new technology provided a channel
to tap into this sentiment. Vaidya explains the modalities of online
recruitment. "If a person from Rohtak has registered on the join RSS site,
we pass on the name to the Haryana in charge who passes it on the Rohtak in
charge. Someone from the area would then visit this person's house and judge
how he can contribute best to Sangh and how much time he can give - either
by attending shakhas, or through social media, or participating in our
festivals or getting engaged in service activities." In bigger cities where
meeting each possible recruit may not be possible individually, they
organise a bigger interaction at a common place on a monthly basis.
The Sangh has also reached out directly to
students in colleges and universities and in fact there is currently a three
day camp of Sangh affiliated students in Delhi underway
in Sonepat, attended by Bhagwat himself. They also organise IT Milans - for
busy professionals in cities likeBangalore who
cannot attend morning shakhas daily.
Almost 90 years after it was established, a
product of the Sangh is now PM with a full majority. As it expands, its
political and social impact is bound to increase.
(Prashant Jha, Hindustan Times
Sept 27, 2014 ) - goTop
13. VICTORIA’S
LOCAL HEROES RECOGNISED AT THE MULTICULTURAL AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE 2014: Victoria’s
Multicultural Awards for Excellence 2014 were announced on 22nd September
in the ceremony at Government House. Now in its 15th year, these respected
Awards acknowledge outstanding achievements and services made by people and
organizations that support cultural diversity in communities across Victoria.
This year a total of 73 individuals and 17
organisations received awards in 10 categories, spanning various sectors of
the community including education, local government, policing, business and
media. HSS senior karyakarta Shrikishan Auplish and Nisha Bhatnagar are the
recipients of the awards. - goTop
14. KAILASH YATRA
BREAKS ALL PAST RECORDS: A total
of 909 pilgrims have visited Kailash Mansarovar this year, setting a new
record of sorts. The yatra is an annual affair which passes through
Uttarakhand and goes till Kailash Mansarovar in Tibet Autonomous Region
under China.
Last year, owing to the adverse situation,
the yatra was suspended midway. “Though there were apprehensions, we are
glad that the yatra broke past records. We feel this will send positive
feedback across India,”
said Deepak Rawat, managing director of Kumaon Mandal Vikas Nigam (KMVN).
- goTop
15. INTEL, SNAPDEAL,
INFOSYS AND OTHERS INTRODUCING YOGA AMONG THE WORKFORCE: Companies
- from Indian Railways to companies like Intel, Snapdeal, Jabong, Infosys
and Maruti Suzuki - are introducing yoga and pranayama among the workforce
to stem the impact of the various ailments.
Almost 60% to 70% of executives visiting
Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals are suffering from stress-related diseases,
says senior consultant psychiatrist and psychotherapist, Dr Achal Bhagat.
"The number of patients from the corporate world who seek help has gone up
by about 20% this year compared with last year," says Dr Bhagat.
Companies or professionals offering Corporate
Yoga have witnessed a steady rise in the past few years. "Last year, we used
to get around 150 queries from corporates compared with 250 queries so far
this year," says Pradeep Solanki, director, Yoga On Call.
Many practitioners have customised yoga into
chair yoga, flight yoga, office yoga, laughing yoga, yoga on the move,
walking yoga and even 10-minute yoga for BPOs where there is paucity of
space and time. - goTop
16. THREE
BHARATIYA-ORIGIN LEADERS ELECTED TO NZ PARLIAMENT: Three
Bharatiya-origin politicians Kanwaljeet Singh Bakshi, Dr Parmjeet Parmar and
Mahesh Bindra have successfully made it to the 121-member New Zealand
Parliament in the just-concluded general elections.
Delhi-born Bakshi and Pune graduated Parmar
fought the elections as the candidates of the ruling National party while
Mumbai-born Bindra was elected as the New Zealand First party candidate.
While Bakshi is all set to begin his third
term in the Parliament, Parmar and Bindra are ready to make their debut,
taking the growing contribution of the Kiwi Indians in New
Zealand to
the parliament as well.
Bakshi is both, New
Zealand's first Bharatiya and first Sikh
Member of Parliament. He was first elected in the 2008 elections.
- goTop
17. OBAMA NAMES
BHARATIYA-AMERICAN RICHARD VERMA AS BHARAT ENVOY: In
a first of its kind, President Barack Obama has nominated Bharatiya -
American Richard Rahul Verma as the next US Ambassador
to Bharat just ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s American sojourn.
A former Assistant Secretary of State from
2009 to 2011, Verma’s nomination needs to be confirmed by the Senate before
he can succeed Ambassador Nancy Powell, who quit her post last March
following the protracted spat over the harsh treatment meted out to
Bharatiya diplomat Devyani Khobragade in New
York. Known for his close proximity to President
Obama, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Senate Majority Leader
Harry Reid, the 45-year-old Verma is currently a senior counsellor at
Steptoe & Johnson law firm and the Albright Stonebridge Group. He is also a
Senior National Security Fellow at the Center for American Progress, the
prominent Washington-based Democratic think tank.
A son of immigrants from Punjab who arrived
in the US in
the early 1960s, Verma and his four siblings were raised in Pennsylvania.
His father taught at the University of Pittsburgh for
four decades. - goTop
18. 1 LAKH AND
COUNTING: TCS IS NOW TOP EMPLOYER OF WOMEN: In
a landmark for India Inc, the number of female employees at Tata Consultancy
Services (TCS) has crossed the one-lakh mark, making it the country's
biggest employer of women in the private sector. Women now comprise
one-third of the IT major's 3.06 lakh workforce. This makes TCS, also the
most valued company in Bharat, one of the top employers of women in the
technology sector globally. The top slot is held by IBM, which has an
estimated 1.3 lakh women out of a workforce of 4.31 lakh.
In terms of market cap, the next two players
in the domestic IT market are Infosys (54,537 women employees) and Wipro
(45,276) but the female workforce of TCS is more than the two combined. The
IT and BPO sector collectively employs about 3.1 million, of which nearly
one million are women, according to industry body Nasscom.
- goTop
19. AYURVEDA, A RAY
OF HOPE FOR ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE: Natural
News, a health portal dedicated to wellness, has come out with the news that
herbals and plants found in Bharatiya subcontinent are capable of reducing
the chances of Alzheimer’s disease. Along with herbs and plants, it is
Bharat’s traditional system of medicine, Ayurveda, the West sees as a ray of
hope.
“Brahmi is capable of improving attention,
cognitive processing and working memory,” says the Natural News. Prof BM
Hegde, eminent medical researcher and former Vice-Chancellor of Manipal
University, said that the findings by the portal need serious discussion.
“This is yet another proof that Bharatiya system of medicine has ever
lasting solutions to all kind of medical disorders. Brahmi, Ginkgo biloba
and Gotu kola all find detailed mention in our system of medicine,” said the
professor.
Ginkgo Biloba is a fossil plant found in Japan and China.
Extracts from the leaves of Ginkgo have been found to improve the memory of
middle-aged persons. Gotu kola, found inHimalayas,
along with other herbs within the Medhya rasayana group, are quick in action
and bring about improvement in memory faster when compared with Yogic
practices,” says the article. -
goTop
20. CHANDRABABU
NAIDU HOLDS PAPERLESS CABINET MEET: Taking
a step further in eGovernance, the Andhra Pradesh state cabinet has now gone
paperless.
On 15th September
morning, wielding iPads in their hands, chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu
and his council of ministers conducted a meeting of what is being called "eCabinet",
a first-of-its-kind initiative in the country.
It was a regular meeting of the state
cabinet, but the uniqueness this time was that it is paperless, with the
government switching over to the electronic format in conducting
proceedings.
The agenda and the minutes of the meeting
were all electronically recorded while a power-point presentation was made
on important subjects for elaborate discussion, sources in the chief
minister's office said. - goTop
21. FIRST
NON-EUROPEAN BHARATIYA LAW LECTURER AT CAMBRIDGE: Mumbai-born
Antara Haldar has become the first non-European lecturer of law at the University of Cambridge.
At 28, she is also among the youngest, and the only Bharatiya to get the
tenured position in the top-ranking law faculty that traces its origins to
the 13th century when ancient Roman and Canon law was taught. She studied at Cambridge for
her law degree in 2006 and got a Doctorate in 2010.
"I am happy and also excited about being on
the faculty ... It is a triumph and recognition for the work that I have
done. There have been other Indians appointed to other faculties but never
in the field of law," says Haldar. -
goTop
22. IIM CALCUTTA
RANKED BEST B-SCHOOL IN ASIA: The
premier Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Calcutta has
been ranked as the best B-school from Asia in
the FT Masters in Management Global Rankings. It has been recognized at rank
13 of the 2014 Financial Times Master in Management (MiM) ranking leaping by
6 places from 2013, for its flagship post graduate program.
According to the list it is the highest
ranked non-European B-school with a prized positioning in the top cluster.
With only six non-European schools in the list of top 70, the other
Bharatiya school in the ranking is IIM Ahmedabad on rank 16.
IIM Calcutta has also been recognised as the
best management institute globally for study in economics with the first
rank. - goTop
23. EIGHT
BHARATIYAS IN FORTUNE LIST OF POWERFUL ASIA-PACIFIC WOMEN: As
many as eight Bharatiya women, led by ICICI Bank chief Chanda Kochhar, have
made it to the Fortune list of 25 most powerful women “shaping the new world
order” in the Asia-Pacific region.
Kochhar, ranked highest among Bharatiya
women, has been ranked second across the region, while three others -- SBI’s
Arundhati Bhattacharya (4th), HPCL’s Nishi Vasudeva (5th) and Axis Bank’s
Shikha Sharma (10th) -- have also made it to the top-10.The list is topped
by Australian banking major Westpac’s chief Gail Kelly.
24. SHRI VISHWA
NIKETAN: Pravas: Shri
Dattatreya Hosabale will return Bharat after finishing his tour to UK and
European countries. Visitors:
FOOD FOR THOUGHT: The
nonpermanent appearance of happiness and distress, and their disappearance
in due course, are like the appearance and disappearance of winter and
summer seasons. They arise from sense perception, and one must learn to
tolerate them without being disturbed. - Bhagavad
Gita - goTop
JAI SHREE RAM
INDIAN-AMERICANS GET LOOK AT LEADER
Niharika Mandhana
New York--Madison Square Garden thundered
with applause as thousands rose to their feet and chanted the name of an
unlikely celebrity: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The grand reception on Sunday, filled with
dance and Bollywood tunes, was a reflection of the mood among much of the
Indian American community that sees Modi as once-in-a-generation leader who
can at last fix the entrenched problems that have held India back
while other Asian nations have sped ahead.
"I live thousands of miles away, but i know
the things that bother you," Mr. Modi said to them in colloquial Hindi. "I
will make the India of
your dreams."
Elected in a landslide victory in May, Mr
Modi has vowed to kick start economic growth and modernize India by
building much-needed infrastructure and removing beauracratic hurdles to
business. His message has stirred hope among large numbers of
Indian-Americans and ex-patriates, from entrepreneurs belonging to Mr.
Modi's Gujarati community to students and young professionals, many of whom
watched from afar with frustration as India's
economy slowed and corrution scandals dominated the headlines.
This group understnads India's
potential because they have been so successful abroad. Indians are among the
best-educated and highest-paid group of migrants in the U.S.
To them, Mr Modi is an embodiment of how they
want India to
be seen: ambitious and resourceful.
"Modi can set India on a completely new path,
truly bring India into the 21st century," said Pradeep Khosla, the
Indian-American chancellor of the University of California, San Diego, who
moved to the U.S. over three decades ago.
Mr. Khosla lamented that the "India story"
had fizzled out, saying, "It's not a good feeling when you're not proud of
your country."
The event marked a dramatic personal moment
for the Indian leader, who was banned from traveling to the U.S. in
2005, a few weeks before he was to arrive in Florida to
address a much smaller gathering of Indian-American hoteliers.
His visa was revoked over allegations that he
didn't do enough to stop deadly riots in the state of Gujarat in
2002 when he was chief minister there, which he denies. The riots left at
least 1,000 people, the majority of them Muslim, dead. A court last year
said there wasn't sufficient evidence to prosecute Mr. Modi.
The prime minister's Hindu nationalist
credentials have made him an unpopular figure among some Indian-Americans
who see him as a religious strongman and a threat to India's
multiculturalism.
Protesters outside Madison Square Garden said
they wanted to draw attention to the Hindu nationalist groups that back Mr.
Modi's party and their fundamentalist agenda.
"We want to make sure everyone knows that
those celebrating Modi do not represent the entire Indian-American
community," said Shaik Ubaid, a 52-year-old neurologist who is part of a
group called the Alliance for
Justice and Accountability.
There are more than three million
Indian-Americans in the U.S. and
among their ranks are heads of big businesses, entrepreneurs, acclaimed
artists and scholars.
In a more than one-hour-long speech, Mr. Modi
asked them to participate in India's
development, saying their contribution was part of his vision for a
"people's movement for development," modeled, he said, on Mahatma Gandhi's
mass movement for freedom from British rule.
Mr. Modi is hoping to tap the diaspora to
propel his economic agenda. He was set to address a large gathering of
Indian-American businesses in Washington later
this week.
Outlining his image of India,
he promised to fix the things that have long frustrated Indians living
abroad, from unclean streets to unending official paperwork. He announced
eased visa regulations that will allow members of the community to travel to India more
easily.
"India was
seen as a country of snake charmers. You have changed that," he said.
The event Sunday was a big show of force by
the community. Organized by 400 groups under the umbrella of the Indian
American Community Foundation, it cost $1.5 million dollars. Over two dozen U.S. elected
officials turned up, and were seated alongside a cast of prominent
Indian-Americans.
The event was "a tribute to the
Indian-American community and their profound contributions," said Cory
Booker, a senator from New
Jersey, which has one of the largest populations of Indians in
the U.S. "It
is a day of pride for the Indian-American community, but also for
Americans."
How Mr. Modi and India are
seen in the U.S. has
a big impact on the Indian community, said Khyati Joshi, a second-generation
Indian-American who has written a book about Asian migration.
If the news coming out of India is
upbeat, and if U.S.-India relations are seemingly important, Ms. Joshi said,
that shapes how diaspora Indians see themselves. If the news is centered on
rape, corruption and bad roads, it affects their self-esteem and sense of
identity, she said.
"Whether they are first generation or second,
Indian-Americans are seen as Indian at some level, even if they want to
identify as American," Ms. Joshi said. "Whether they like it or not, their
racial and ethnic identity hits them in the face."
Munjal Shroff, a 40-year-old Indian-American
psychiatrist in Atlanta, who watched Mr. Modi's speech from home, said the
Indian elections this spring had garnered a good deal of coverage in the
U.S. and piqued the interest of his American friends and colleagues. Mr.
Modi's visit, he said, is doing the same.
"The American government at the highest
levels engaging with the Indian government puts out powerful images," Mr.
Shroff said. "It makes the Indian-American community feel more comfortable,
more confident."
Part of Mr. Modi's appeal among overseas
Indians is his meritocratic rise through politics and his noncorrupt image.
His supporters point to his beginnings as a tea-seller at a railway station,
and admire his discipline and work ethic, virtues also associated with the
American dream.
Mr. Modi also enjoys a frenzied fan following
among devout Hindus in the U.S.
Lalji Goswami, a 39-year-old IT consultant in
Tampa, Florida who left India 13 years ago to look for better opportunities
in the U.S., said he disliked India's "pseudo secular" politics that he said
had "made Hindus reluctant to even say they are Hindus.""Modi isn't shy or
embarrassed by his culture and religion," Mr. Goswami said.
(Wall Street Journal, September 28, 2014)
- goTop
