Tribe Desi Blog

Reforming Myanmar looks to India for enlightenment

2011-10-16T19:06:00.000-05:00

Reforming Myanmar looks to India for enlightenment - Yahoo! News

Myanmar's new assertiveness towards Beijing and desire to return to the fold of nations give India a rare chance to steal a march on China in the regional jostle for maritime power and energy supplies....

Tribe Desi, vol 242: Kagaz ki kishti, Dented Tubas, and ramen noodles

2011-10-12T00:24:00.001-05:00

Please signup for the newsletter at www.TribeDesi.com to see a better visual format...thanks

REFLECTIONS

The last few days saw
the passing away of two people who impacted a whole generation
of South Asians - Steve Jobs and Jagjit
Singh.

Much has been written
about Jobs, his early Indian influence (not to mention the
Syrian roots), and his speech
at Stanford about connecting the dots is a classic,
probably remembered for years to come.

So the question from a
South Asian perspective is - can a country like India, with a
depth of technical talent, produce another Steve Jobs? An
interesting post on the NY Times blog by Samanth Subramanium
digs deeper: "The other great
bugbear of entrepreneurship in India has been what Mr. Sood
calls the country?s ?socialist flirtation,? which stifled the
creativity of individuals and corporate houses. That
flirtation ended in 1991, and Mr. Sood has sensed reasons for
optimism since then. ?The fact that Steve Jobs? death made
such big news in India shows that young people are seeing
themselves in him,? he said. ?To be that brashly innovative,
and to expect that kind of world-remaking success ? people
expect that in this generation.?

A thought provoking post indeed...

The
other man, who pretty much popularized ghazals and brought
them to the mainstream and Bollywood was Jagjit Singh. One of
the things he pointed out in his concerts was that he was a
purist - he did not use any electronic instruments, but
focused on live music - with a wonderful result. Who can
forget the classics like "Kagaz ki kishti" and "Yeh daulat bhi
le lo "...

One
of the better tributes is by Rahul Pandita (thanks to Vikas
Bajaj for the link) : "The city turned
some of us lonelier by the day. We fell in love, suffered in
love, lost our near and dear ones, made careers, or what is
perceived to be a career. Our hair went grey. Emotions lost
their edge. But on some balmy night, when there was no one
else to go to, we would seek refuge in Jagjit Singh?s voice.
Long ago, he sang these lines of Ghalib?s: ?Maut se pehle aadmi,
gam se nijaat paaye kyun...? Sitting in a metro
train, when I learnt about his death, I hoped that in death my
friend would be rid of life?s sorrows. .."

Baat niklegi to door talak jayegi...

Till next time...

The DFW Desi

See
the video of Silk Threads' Masquerade 2011, coming soon
on Sony
TV

SOCIETY

Are we making sure we neglect our
young?

I found Sukhraj Beasla's story by
accident - I was looking to do some research on CNN's iReport
public reporting experiment, and the story title caught my
attention. Reading through it, and the associated comments on
the blog, some things are very clear - which not be obvious to
the mainstream reader.

The comment from her father
that "'God, you're 30 years old and I
really expected you to be somewhere right now,'" is not unheard of in
the Indian-American community, which has high expectations of
its children.

Read the full story

ARTS

A Painter - and an immigrant success
story

One of Dallas' own - started painting as a hobby,
not influenced by Hussain and now doing gallery
shows and selling from Southlake to Sweden....Ladies and
Gentlemen, presenting Rahul Vyas...

read
on...

CULTURE

Who are the men behind the
tubas?

We have all seen them - a fixture in the streets
of North India (or in movies) - especially during wedding
season, in their hand-me-down uniforms and dented tubas...who
are these men, and what is the life behind the
glitter of the wedding lights? An interesting video, exploring
their lives by Poh Si Teng...

read
on...

FASHION

Saffron is popular?

What does this picture remind you
of?

Yes, the Saffon-clad sadhus...now coming to
Herm?s ready to wear Spring Summer
2012...

read
on...

Please send any recommended Non-profits, with South Asian
involvement, to desi@TribeDesi.com, to be
considered for inclusion in this newsletter.
Thanks

Painter and an immigrant success story...

2011-10-12T00:03:00.000-05:00

Star Local News > Plano Star-courier > News > Plano resident has passion down to a fine art

"I am always fascinated by the variations in nature," Vyas said. "In nature, you can see so many different varieties of animals, forms, textures and colors."

Vyas often employs contrasting primary colors red and blue to make certain areas of an image pop.

"I am attracted to the red color," Vyas said. "It is a very warm color and it gives you energy. Then blue cools down the whole composition."

Although his works of nature are among Vyas' most renowned, he does not like to limit himself. He is currently exploring Hindu mythology as a means to expose himself to the tales of the religion.

"I am not looking at the current Hindu religious symbols due to any religious reasons," Vyas said. "I am not a very religious person. My religion is summed up in a few words: 'Be nice to others and lead a good life.'"

The Men Behind the Great Indian Wedding Band

2011-10-11T23:36:00.000-05:00

The Men Behind the Great Indian Wedding Band - NYTimes.com

We have all seen them - a fixture in the streets of North India - especially during wedding season, in their hand-me-down uniforms and dented tubas...who are these men, and what is the life behind the glitter of the wedding lights? An interesting video, exploring their lives by Poh Si Teng...

Why Hasn't India Produced an Innovator Like the Apple Founder?

2011-10-11T22:54:00.000-05:00

Why Hasn't India Produced an Innovator Like the Apple Founder? - NYTimes.com

The other great bugbear of entrepreneurship in India has been what Mr. Sood calls the country’s “socialist flirtation,” which stifled the creativity of individuals and corporate houses. That flirtation ended in 1991, and Mr. Sood has sensed reasons for optimism since then. “The fact that Steve Jobs’ death made such big news in India shows that young people are seeing themselves in him,” he said. “To be that brashly innovative, and to expect that kind of world-remaking success – people expect that in this generation.”

But innovation, in this case, can be defined too narrowly, as a particularly Jobsian focus on high-end consumer technology and sleek capitalism. True innovation must involve making the most impressive use of a common resource. For Jobs, that resource has been the high density of technologists in Silicon Valley, while in India, that resource is inexpensive labor. To convert this labor into a company with the stature of Infosys is also a form of innovation, even if it seems to hew closely to what Mr. Mahindra told theEconomic Times: “We think like a sweat shop.” (In his quoted comments, Mr. Mahindra mentioned only one recent technology innovator from India: Sabeer Bhatia, the inventor of Hotmail, although Mr. Bhatia did his innovating while he was based in the United States.)

A tribute to the master of ghazals

2011-10-11T22:44:00.000-05:00

A tribute to the master of ghazals - Home - livemint.com

"The city turned some of us lonelier by the day. We fell in love, suffered in love, lost our near and dear ones, made careers, or what is perceived to be a career. Our hair went grey. Emotions lost their edge. But on some balmy night, when there was no one else to go to, we would seek refuge in Jagjit Singh’s voice. Long ago, he sang these lines of Ghalib’s: “Maut se pehle aadmi, gam se nijaat paaye kyun...” Sitting in a metro train, when I learnt about his death, I hoped that in death my friend would be rid of life’s sorrows..."

Economics Journal: Do We Inadvertently Favor Boys?

2011-10-10T14:10:00.000-05:00

Economics Journal: Do We Inadvertently Favor Boys? - India Real Time - WSJ

At India-Bangladesh Border, Living in Both, and Neither

2011-10-10T14:08:00.000-05:00

At India-Bangladesh Border, Living in Both, and Neither - NYTimes.com

Akshay delivers speech at Oxford - Hindustan Times

2011-10-09T18:11:00.000-05:00

Akshay delivers speech at Oxford - Hindustan Times

BBC News - India launches Aakash tablet computer priced at $35

2011-10-09T16:07:00.000-05:00

BBC News - India launches Aakash tablet computer priced at $35

Young, Unemployed, and Indian-American...

2011-10-08T17:03:00.000-05:00

Without a job, California woman forced to live a lie - CNN.com

I found Sukhraj Beasla's story by accident - I was looking to do some research on CNN's iReport public reporting experiment, and the story title caught my attention. Reading through it, and the associated comments on the blog, some things are very clear - which not be obvious to the mainstream reader.

Northern California has a large Punjabi population - to which she obviously belongs - which is very tight knit, especially in areas like Yuba City, Gridley etc. Without generalizing, agriculture is big in the community, and most social occasions revolve around the local Sikh Temple.

The comment from her father that "'God, you're 30 years old and I really expected you to be somewhere right now,'" is not unheard of in the Indian-American community, which has high expectations of its children.

There are several unanswered questions in her story, which have been brought up by other readers, like why isn't she sharing an apartment etc, but on the whole, it should be a wake-up call for our community, which is an expert in creating new organizations and collecting funds for building bigger places of worship, but maybe not doing enough for the young and the elderly, who have fallen through the social cracks....

So what am I doing about it? Apart from raising the awareness for her situation in the Tribe Desi newsletter, I will be contacting her to get her resume'...

US uses jazz music to improve Pakistan relations

2011-10-01T19:22:00.000-05:00

AP News: US uses jazz music to improve Pakistan relations

INDIA: End of texting spam, masala style

2011-09-30T08:20:00.000-05:00

INDIA: End of texting spam, masala style - latimes.com

Slim down. Goose your sex life. Buy a dream home. De-fang auntie’s evil eye -- all at the click of a button.

Indian cellphone users have faced dozens, sometimes hundreds, of short-message advertisements at all hours of the day and night.

Are Foreign-Born U.S. Women Getting enough Mammograms?

2011-09-28T11:18:00.000-05:00

Foreign-Born U.S. Women Getting Mammograms - US News and World Report

October is breast cancer awareness month. Did you know that in the United States, one out of every eight South Asian women will get the disease, the highest incidence in the world?

According to the article, "There is progress, overall, in use of mammography among foreign-born women in the United States, but there is still a lot of work to do to improve their use of recommended breast cancer screening," study lead researcher Nengliang (Aaron) Yao, a doctoral student in health policy and administration at Pennsylvania State University, said in a news release from the American Association for Cancer Research.

The study authors said foreign-born women are less likely to get breast cancer screening due to factors such as lack of health insurance and a regular place to get health care..."

According to the American Cancer Society, South Asian women have the second highest incidence of cancer among Asian Pacific Islanders. Early detection is the key to surviving breast cancer. According to the ACS, if caught early, the survival rate is 98%, but if caught late, the survival rate drops to 27%. The best way to detect breast cancer early is through regular mammograms. The American Cancer Society continues to recommend a yearly mammogram for all women 40 and older every year, regardless of family history.

For a "Desi friendly" place in Dallas, please check out http://www.womenslinkplano.com/ . You can call scheduling at (972) 612-6500 . They will be having a "Mammo Midnight Madness" on October 10th and will have extended hours for screening. In addition, they also provide genetic testing to see if you may be predisposed to breast cancer.

For more information on this topic, please email cancer@tribedesi.com

Also, please see this initiative by Susan G. Komen Foundation:
http://ww5.komen.org/KomenNewsArticle.aspx?id=19327353484

Pakistan's Paris Hilton?

2011-09-28T10:36:00.000-05:00

Popularity of Mathira underscores Pakistan contradictions - latimes.com

"TV host Mathira Mohammad has been called all that and more. Love her or hate her, she's making waves, as critics in Pakistan accuse her of immorality and supporters laud her willingness to tackle taboo subjects such as sexuality, love and HIV/AIDS.

"A lot of people judge me by what I wear, say I'm not a good woman," she said, loping through the lobby of a five-star hotel in Karachi wearing leopard-skin shoes and a sleeveless Ali Baba outfit, as jaws dropped and necks swiveled. "The clothes aren't anything."

Other celebrities show more cleavage and wear shorter skirts, but don't catch on, said Mathira, as she's universally known. "Whenever I go, the show starts. When I leave, it ends."

Humor Comes of Age in India - NYTimes.com

2011-09-27T23:34:00.000-05:00

Humor Comes of Age in India - NYTimes.com

"“In the 1980’s, women told men, love me but don’t touch me,” said Mr. Chakradhar, a professor of Hindi at Jamia Millia Islamia, a university in New Delhi. “In the 1990’s, they said touch me but don’t kiss me. In 1995, they said kiss me, but nothing more. In 2000, it was do whatever you want but don’t tell anybody. In 2010, they say do something otherwise I will tell everybody you don’t know how to do anything.”

Just as the display of affection has shifted from puritanical restraint to explicit display, humor is becoming freer and more adventurous in India. Young writers, directors and media producers are starting to experiment with satire, dark humor, sexually explicit jokes and other expressions that earlier faced stiff resistance...."

Have Indian Railways Derailed James Bond?

2011-09-27T23:28:00.001-05:00

Have Indian Railways Derailed James Bond? - India Real Time - WSJ

"Few things can stop James Bond, with the exception, perhaps, of Indian bureaucracy. Plans to film the latest James Bond sequel in India have been shelved, reportedly because the film’s production company failed to reach a timely agreement with Indian Railways.

Originally, “Bond 23” was meant to include an action sequence filmed on the railway tracks in Sabarmati, in India’s state of Gujarat, according to railway officials. Other rumored Indian locations included parts of Mumbai and Goa. Last month, spokespersons for the production companies, EON and their Indian partners Take One Productions, confirmed plans to film the Bond sequel in India but declined to provide further details..."

Tale of two chauvinists

2011-09-25T19:43:00.000-05:00

Tale of two chauvinists - Mumbai Mirror

"Banerjee issued a statement that got some press, criticising Ontario province’s liberal government for giving small tax credits to companies that hire new immigrants. Banerjee added that the Canadian federal government’s immigration policies had resulted in “poor-qualified newcomers” to arrive in the country.

By “poor-qualified” immigrants the France-born, Canada-raised Banerjee obviously was referring to people who arrive from economically depressed, sometimes war-torn parts of the world, people who do not have doctoral degrees and MBAs, and they end up working as janitors and restaurant workers.

Banerjee claims to speak on behalf of all of Canada’s Hindus and sometimes even the smartest section of that country’s media falls for that lie, which is a shame.

Then last week the Canada-born and a hugely successful stand-up comic Russell Peters made a trip to India to promote his film Speedy Singhs. As has been reported extensively in India, Peters took the opportunity to criticise Bollywood (although he claims not to have seen a single popular Indian film) and many people associated with the industry from Aishwarya Rai to Aamir Khan! Peters has made a career with irreverent humour, but there is a thin line between what is funny and what is irresponsible. And Peters crossed that line many times during his trip to India."

Tradition forces girls into prostitution – The CNN Freedom Project: Ending Modern-Day Slavery

2011-09-25T08:56:00.000-05:00

Tradition forces girls into prostitution – The CNN Freedom Project: Ending Modern-Day Slavery - CNN.com Blogs

Actor Anil Kapoor is involved with this project: "Indian film star Anil Kapoor, as a patron of Plan India, said: "A lot of the rehabilitated women are ensuring that the girls from their families don't get thrown into the practice.

"It's a small step, but one in the right direction. Changing the mindset of the people in the village is key.

"Now that the women themselves are taking a stand against prostitution, I am hopeful, optimistic, we can end this tradition.

He took a CNN Freedom Project crew to the village in Bharatpur district where Puja showed us the progress.

Often, young girls are pushed into the sex business by their own fathers and brothers. The men see nothing wrong with it.

They say it is a tradition that has been passed down through generations. It began with the devdasi culture (devdasi means servant of God)..."

Gay Old age Home in Gujarat

2011-09-25T08:46:00.000-05:00

Gay Old Homage | Inauguration | Gujarat | Hanmenteshwar Village | Narmada River Banks

India's first old age home for gays to be built in Gujarat...pretty progressive...

Tribe Desi, vol 241: Flying Rani | Delhi Metro the new lovers' hangout?

2011-09-24T20:36:00.003-05:00

Yes, the email version looks much better - please subscribe at TribeDesi.com...thx

REFLECTIONS

Imagine driving from
London to India - and then think of your choice of travel -
the ubiquitous Indian auto rickshaw - and the first thought
you'll get is sore bottoms - but that is what London based
Sanjay Sharma did recently, in his "Flying Rani"....read
on for more details...

...and oh, in case you missed it, Paris
Hilton is in India to launch a line of
hand-bags...and Lady
Gaga will headline the celebrations for
India's debut into Formula 1 circuit at Arjun Rampal's
club Lap in Delhi...

...and just in case you were
wondering on a more metaphysical level if you will be
reincarnated, you might want to read what The
Dalai Lama has recently said...

In other news, yet more proof
business strategy goes on regardless of (or because of) war -
from Libyan oil sharing to metal
ores in Afganistan: "A
consortium led by state-run Steel Authority of India (SAIL)
could invest up to $6 billion in the mine, railroads and a
steel plant in a race with China to lock in raw materials for
two of the world's fastest-growing
economies.

The
bid also signals India's intention to remain engaged in
Afghanistan long after 2014, when U.S.-led forces complete a
pullout.

The
contract for the Hajigak mines in Bamiyan province is
potentially the single biggest foreign investment project in
war-ravaged Afghanistan but it could be complicated by
Pakistan, which is sandwiched between India and Afghanistan
and fears closer cooperation between the two..."

So we all read about Anna Hazare and his campaign
to end corruption, which got a lot of media exposure in India
- but not the same results in every country...here
is a story from Pakistan: "Has anyone heard of Pakistan?s very own Anna
Hazare? His name is Jahangir Akhtar ? a
middle-class trader who went on a hunger strike to protest
against corruption and plight of the poor in the country.
Unfortunately, Akhtar barely managed to gather seven-10 people
around him, at any given time, during the eight days of his
hunger strike in September. Eventually, Akhtar was convinced
to end his protest after a symbolic visit of a parliamentary
group on September 21.

Perhaps
his team was not good at marketing, as there was no media
coverage of this event. In this age of information, it?s the
media coverage that makes an event big or small. In the case
of India, all the media groups, to pressure the Congress
government (which they like far less than any other
government), backed Anna Hazare. Also, numerous media
stalwarts, who had an axe to grind with the government for
being exposed in recent financial scams, got a chance to get
even. Jahangir Akhtar was never so fortunate to get such media
coverage, despite the fact that he had camped in front of the
Islamabad Press Club..."

Till next time...

The DFW Desi

Check out the latest Bridal fashion
tips from Silk
Threads' Ruby Bhandari on Sony
TV

SOCIETY

Delhi Metro now the hangout place for
lovebirds?

Interesting
article - after the parks got too many stares, now it is the
turn of the Delhi Metro to be the hangout place for
lovebirds...so have even found love on the crowded trains -
but if you want to reduce the "legwork" and talk to the right
person, contact our
sponsor Jasbina the Matchmaker at Intersections
Match...

Only in India: This is a
sign someone caught on the Metro...can we get any more
macabre?

Read the full story

SOCIETY

Girls get less cardiac care in
India?

"If the male child's abnormality is corrected in
the early stage he will grow as a normal man and can earn for
the family. But for girls, most parents think such corrective
surgeries are not important, since they will be married off in
their adulthood and become the responsibility of her husband,"
he said.

They
fear any surgery will leave scars which will cause
'matrimonial problems' later. "Parents would not mind, if the
girl dies due to such disease," he added..."

read
on...

FROM OUR SPONSOR:

FEATURED NONPROFIT

Cankids (providing care for pediatric
cancer)

Check out the Fashion
event of the year, The Masquerade, in Dallas Friday Sept
30th, to raise funds for pediatric cancer care in
India.

Please send any recommended Non-profits, with South Asian
involvement, to desi@TribeDesi.com, to be
considered for inclusion in this newsletter.
Thanks

Delhi Metro: The New Lovers’ Paradise?

2011-09-24T17:36:00.000-05:00

Delhi Metro: The New Lovers’ Paradise? - India Real Time - WSJ

Interesting article - after the parks got too many stares, now it is the turn of the Delhi Metro to be the hangout place for lovebirds...

Indian girls being denied heart treatment by parents who prefer to spend on boys

2011-09-22T19:31:00.000-05:00

Indian girls being denied heart treatment by parents who prefer to spend on boys - Telegraph

Young Indian girls suffering from serious heart disease are being denied medical treatment by parents who prefer to spend money on sons or fear surgery will harm their daughters' marriage prospects, a new study has found.

Five habits of highly annoying Indians | Firstpost

2011-09-15T10:28:00.000-05:00

Five habits of highly annoying Indians | Firstpost

Delhi's Battle Against Bribery

2011-09-15T10:22:00.001-05:00

Delhi's Battle Against Bribery - SUBCONTINENTAL - Current Intelligence

When Arjun, a Delhi-based photographer, was attempting to relocate his family overseas earlier this year, he found himself breaking a cardinal rule he had set for himself.

He had never paid a bribe in his life, but now he needed a ‘Letter of Good Conduct’ from the police that would allow him to apply for residency abroad, and it quickly became clear that this would not happen without money changing hands.

“I’ve always refused to pay bribes in the past,” he said. “But every time I went to the police station, they would tell me that it would take a few more days.

“We needed the letter in a hurry. There was no choice. In the end, I handed over 2,500 rupees before they would give me the letter.

“It was crazy – having to pay a bribe to prove you are a person of good conduct!”

Tribe Desi Blog

Reforming Myanmar looks to India for enlightenment

Tribe Desi, vol 242: Kagaz ki kishti, Dented Tubas, and ramen noodles

REFLECTIONS

SOCIETY

Are we making sure we neglect our young?

ARTS

A Painter - and an immigrant success story

CULTURE

Who are the men behind the tubas?

FASHION

Saffron is popular?

Painter and an immigrant success story...

The Men Behind the Great Indian Wedding Band

Why Hasn't India Produced an Innovator Like the Apple Founder?

A tribute to the master of ghazals

Economics Journal: Do We Inadvertently Favor Boys?

At India-Bangladesh Border, Living in Both, and Neither

Akshay delivers speech at Oxford - Hindustan Times

BBC News - India launches Aakash tablet computer priced at $35

Young, Unemployed, and Indian-American...

US uses jazz music to improve Pakistan relations

INDIA: End of texting spam, masala style

Are Foreign-Born U.S. Women Getting enough Mammograms?

Pakistan's Paris Hilton?

Humor Comes of Age in India - NYTimes.com

Have Indian Railways Derailed James Bond?

Tale of two chauvinists

Tradition forces girls into prostitution – The CNN Freedom Project: Ending Modern-Day Slavery

Related articles

Gay Old age Home in Gujarat

Tribe Desi, vol 241: Flying Rani | Delhi Metro the new lovers' hangout?

REFLECTIONS

SOCIETY

Delhi Metro now the hangout place for lovebirds?

SOCIETY

Girls get less cardiac care in India?

FROM OUR SPONSOR:

FEATURED NONPROFIT

Delhi Metro: The New Lovers’ Paradise?

Related articles

Indian girls being denied heart treatment by parents who prefer to spend on boys

Young Indian girls suffering from serious heart disease are being denied medical treatment by parents who prefer to spend money on sons or fear surgery will harm their daughters' marriage prospects, a new study has found.

Related articles

Five habits of highly annoying Indians | Firstpost

Delhi's Battle Against Bribery

Related articles

Are we making sure we neglect our
young?

A Painter - and an immigrant success
story

Who are the men behind the
tubas?

Delhi Metro now the hangout place for
lovebirds?

Girls get less cardiac care in
India?