Diaspora: Leadership and Enterprise - Overseas Indian

PravasiBharatiyaCONNECTING INDIA WITH ITS DIASPORAAugust 2007 Volume 2 Issue No. 8Diaspora:Leadershipand EnterpriseMINISTRY OF OVERSEAS INDIAN AFFAIRS

OverviewMaking investment in India easier for overseas IndiansMinistry of OverseasIndian AffairsFor details contact:Harish KerpalChief Executive Officer - OIFC &Director, CII249-F, Sector 18, Udyog Vihar, Phase IVGurgaon - 122 015, Haryana, INDIATel: +91-124-4014060-67 / 4014071Fax: +91-124-4014070Email: harish.kerpal@ciionline.orgWebsite: www.oifc.inConfederation ofIndian IndustriesMinistry of Overseas Indian AffairsSixty years is a grain in time… yet in the history of a nation it is an aeon. But the grain is key. Forit is the eye of the grain that captures the soul of a nation whose rites of passage couldn’t havebeen more dramatic, momentous and historic as that of India. Country became nation and indiversity a young polity sought resonances of union, both ancient and modern. The leap of faithwas astonishing as visionaries and leaders, scientists and engineers, constitutionalists and revolutionaries,all built brick by painstaking brick the edifice of a nation. India today is an extraordinary enterprise-inprogress,a democracy which wrote back to Empire and which went beyond a functioning anarchy. Witha GDP nearly touching double digit, an unprecedented foreign exchange reserve, an economy in globalorbit, a people thriving on the fruits of the information revolution and a voice heard at the head of thetop table, India at 60 shines with the gumption of unafraid youth.As India celebrates its 60th year of Independence, it is time for as much reflection as celebration, andpaying tribute as much as receiving accolade. India as a nation spills beyond borders and time. Becausethe making of India was not only forged within, but also without. And it was in order that PRAVASIBHARATIYA chose to pay tribute to those sons and daughters of the soil who have made the larger worldtheir home — from Fiji to Guyana, from Britain to the Caribbean, from Alaska to Australia and fromCalifornia to Malaysia…and have excelled in their chosen craft and trade to become some of the mostdistinguished global citizens of all time. And that is the amazing story of the Great Indian Diaspora!This issue of PRAVASI BHARATIYA is a roll call of honour — of Indians who have crafted India withinand those who have shaped what the world thinks of India from without. We have an array of some ofthe finest minds of our times who have come together to celebrate the achievements of Indians abroad,or more precisely, people of Indian origin who went in search of a livelihood, often under force of historyor circumstance. Tarun Das, Chief Mentor of CII, pays tribute to the pioneers of enterprise from JamsetjiTata to L.N. Mittal who forged in their foundries the contours of a nation and who have left for generationsto come the steel frame of the collective destiny. Kul Bhushan, distinguished editor and writer, talks aboutthe political struggles that early Indian settlers abroad waged under trying circumstances to reclaim forthemselves destiny and dignity. Today, some of the progeny of those extraordinary forbears are leaders,statesmen and heads of government — from Guyana to Singapore to New Zealand, to name a few. V.Krishnaswamy, veteran sports writer, profiles those awesome diasporic warriors of the playing fields incricket, hockey, golf, gymnastics, football… Vijay Singh, Alvin Kallicharan, Monty Panesar... Not leastSewsunker Sewgolum, that extraordinary but little heard of golfer of Indian origin in apartheid SouthAfrica who beat the best in the world and was yet forced to receive his trophy in driving rain because hewas coloured and who would eventually die in penury! ‘Colour’ stole the glory.Diaspora expert Shubha Singh talks about how the evolution of the diasporic Indian was closely linkedto ethnic media — the early chronicles and newspapers, and later community radio and much latertelevision, which lent and gave voice to people of Indian origin. Today, international television has amongsome of its brightest stars, a number of Indian origin ‘newsmakers’. Amit Khanna evokes the magic ofthat ultimate gossamer — Bollywood cinema and its iconic stars who hold sway from Moscow to Monacoand from Kabul to Cameroon… Raj Kapoor, Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan are all potent pan-Indian symbols while a new genre of diasporic moviemakers — the Mehtas, the Nairs, the Chadhas andShyamalans extends the sway of ‘Indian’ cinema.Rukmini Bhaya Nair, professor of linguistics, poet, writer and novelist reflects on some of the finestmasters of the Written Word — Salman Rushdie, Vikram Seth, Amitav Ghosh, Jhumpa Lahiri … whohave crafted a whole new genre of writing in English. Some of them wittingly and unwittingly have pavedthe way for the ‘great global novel’ sans borders, sans tongues. Such is the power of the diasporic Indianwriter, her sceptre and her scythe!As this is a special issue, some of our regular features have made way for this delightful menu of a manyflavouredspread and more. PRAVASI BHARATIYA welcomes you aboard for a fascinating journey into theheart of what 60 years has meant for India within and without. India is a continuum, each warp and weftetched in time and each sruti and bhava embellishing the other.Enjoy…— Editorial Team,PRAVASI BHARATIYAPRAVASI BHARATIYA AUGUST 2007 3

CONTENTS20Toast toDiasporaThe Indian diaspora has madea mark for themselves in theirrespective countries since theland of their roots attainedindependence.24Politics of freedomWhile Indian nationalists gave shape to anation, the country’s sons and daughterswho had made their home on alien soilfought their battles for freedom.ChronologyStarting from 1947, a chronologyof major events in India duringthe last 60 years.14Pioneers ofempirePeople of Indian originhave set up successfulbusinesses and businessempires —shiningexamples of the spirit oftrue entrepreneurship.324636Voice &identityIn 60 years, ethnic mediahas evolved from smallnewspapers to bigIndian-owned radio andTV channels.The playingfieldsBe it cricket, football ortennis, many people ofIndian origin are timelessicons, some superstarsand some elegantchampions.6MadamPresidentPratibha Devisingh Patilmade history as she tookoath as India’s first womanPresident,committingherself to work for thewell-being of its citizens.43Writing fromwithoutIdentity and dislocation, geographyand longing, reconnection andcosmopolitan community infuse theidea of diasporic writing.Roots,action,nostalgiaBollywood cinemaweaves magicacross the worldwhile a new genreof diasporicmoviemakersextends the sway of'Indian' cinema.40

60Rashtrapati Bhavan60PATIL INDIA’S FIRST MADAM PRESIDENTPratibha Devisingh Patilmade history as she tookoath as India’s first womanPresident on July 25,committing herself to work for thewell-being of its citizens and settingan agenda for the nation on issuessuch as women’s empowerment,modern education and inclusivegrowth.Chief Justice of India K.G.Balakrishnan administered the oathof office and secrecy to the 72-yearoldPatil, who barely two months agomay not have even dreamt that shewas going to occupy the top post thatwould make her preside over theaffairs of the world’s largest democracy.Patil symbolically exchanged thepresidential seat with outgoing presidentA.P.J. Abdul Kalam as a 21-gunsalute boomed to announce theinstallation of the nation’s 12thPresident.Prime Minister Manmohan Singh,Lok Sabha Speaker SomnathChatterjee, Leader of Opposition L.K.Advani, United Progressive Alliance(UPA) chairperson Sonia Gandhi andsenior cabinet ministers, governorsand MPs attended the function.The ceremony, at the majesticCentral Hall of Parliament House,was also attended by two formerprime ministers, Atal Bihari Vajpayeeand I.K. Gujral, and dozens of foreigndiplomats.Also present were Patil’s familymembers, including her husbandDevisingh Ransingh Shekhawat aswell as her daughter and son with theirfamilies.The ceremony began with bothPatil and Kalam, escorted byChatterjee, coming into the chamberin a procession after the outgoing andincoming presidents had come in aceremonial motorcade fromRashtrapati Bhavan, the grand 340-room presidential palace that will bePatil’s home for the next five years.This was followed by HomeSecretary Madhukar Gupta readingout the communication from theElection Commission about the electionof the new president.Patil won the July 19 electionagainst former vice president BhaironSingh Shekhawat, a candidate of theNational Democratic Alliance.In her speech, delivered in aresounding voice both in English andHindi, Patil demanded “socially inclusive”economic growth and hit out at“communalism” as she made hermaiden political statement.She set an agenda of the nation, talkingabout the need to empower women,introduce modern education inareas that don’t have them, inculcatescientific temper and stressed on theneed for greater development of scienceand technology and the necessityof balanced development.“It should be our combined endeavourto sustain (economic) growth andensure that it is socially inclusive. Wemust ensure that every section of oursociety — particularly the weak andthe disadvantaged — are equal partnersin, and beneficiaries of, the developmentprocess.”In a tacit admission that her journeyto Rashtrapati Bhavan has been suddenand unexpected, she said: “I amfully aware of the great responsibilitiesplaced on my humble shoulders.”Calling India “an ancient civilizationbut a young nation”, she said:“We must all stand united in the fightBe guided by aspirations of youth: KalamThe aspirations of the youth tolive in a prosperous and safeIndia should be the guiding factorof every profession, A.P.J. AbdulKalam said in his last address to thenation as President on July 24. Heurged that the country’s rich culture bepreserved for the coming generations.“The aspirations of the young to livein a prosperous, safe and proud Indiashould be the guiding factor in whateverprofession we contribute,” Kalamsaid in his address, delivered a daybefore demitting office.Pointing out that the country wasblessed with hard working people,especially by the power of its 540 millionyouth, Kalam, who has a specialaffection for students and youth, said:“Even while pursuing our economic growth,we need to do a lot to preserve the rich anddiverse treasures of our culture and civilisation.It is our duty for our future generations.This has to be done in a much largerscale through countrywide participationof multiple institutions.”Kalam, 76, left Rashtrapati Bhavan onJuly 25 after President-elect Pratibha Patiltook oath.The technocrat President said the countryshould focus on acceleration of development,empower villages and rural youth,improve agricultural growth by focussingon providing seeds to produce food, “overcomeproblems through partnership”,“combat calamities with courage”, “improveconnectivity for societal transformation”,“defend the country with pride” and fostera youth movement for a developed Indiain 2020.The scientist President stressed on theneed for doubling “agricultural productionwith reduced land, reduced waterresources and reduced manpower” toimprove the economic conditions of thenation.“We should empower the farmers to protectand nurture the fertile land for a secondgreen revolution,” he said in theaddress that was televised throughout thecountry.Kalam, who has made public his visionfor a developed India in 2020, said it couldbe achieved only when the divide betweenrural and urban India becomes a thin line,when quality drinking water is distributedequally, education is available to everyoneovercoming caste barriers, illiteracy is eradicatedand the best health care is availableto everyone.India can achieve developed countrystatus when “the governance isresponsive, transparent and corruptionfree”, when crimes against women andchildren are absent and no societyfeels alienated, he stressed.India should be “a nation that is prosperous,healthy, secure, peaceful andhappy and continues with a sustainablegrowth path”, and “a nation that isone of the best places to live in and isproud of its leadership” by 2020, hesaid.Kalam, who had an eventful fiveyeartenure during which he earned thesobriquet ‘people’s president’, alsoremembered his “beautiful” days in thepalatial Rashtrapati Bhavan.“Today, it is indeed a thanks-givingoccasion. I would like to narrate, how Ienjoyed every minute of my tenureenriched by the wonderful association fromeach one of you, hailing from differentwalks of life, be it politics, science and technology,academics, arts, literature, business,judiciary, administration, local bodies,farming, home makers, special children,media and above all from the youthand student community who are the futurewealth of our country,” he said.He also recalled his visit to Siachenglacier, located at 17,000 feet and held bythe Indian Army, a memorable underwaterjourney aboard INS Sindhurakshak andhis flight in a Sukhoi-30 fighter as thesupreme commander of the armed forcesduring his tenure.6PRAVASI BHARATIYA AUGUST 2007PRAVASI BHARATIYA AUGUST 2007 7

60“Rashtrapati BhavanI am deeply committedto the cause of educationand would like to seeevery person, man andwoman, boy and girl, betouched by the light ofmodern education.Empowerment of womenis particularly importantto me... We must ensurethat science andtechnology serve ourneeds better, and help usdevelop a scientifictemper that will unleashthe full potential of ourpeople, of our farmers,our workers, ourprofessionals and ourentrepreneurs.“Pratibha Devisingh Patil, born on December 19, 1934, isthe 13th President of India. She is the first woman and thefirst Maharashtrian to hold this post. Patil, a member ofthe Indian National Congress, was nominated by the ruling UnitedProgressive Alliance and Indian Left. A trained lawyer, Patilrepresented Edlabad constituency in Jalgaon District as amember of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly (1962-1985)before being deputy chairperson of the Rajya Sabha (1986-1988).She was a Member of Parliament for Amravati in the Lok Sabha(1991-1996) before becoming the 24th Governor of Rajasthan,the first female Governor of the state.Pratibha Patil was born to Narayan Paglu Rao in Nadgaon,Maharashtra. She studied at R.R. School at Jalgaon. Shereceived her M.A. from Mooljee Jaitha (M.J.) College, Jalgaonand obtained a law degree from the Government Law College,Mumbai. In 1962, Pratibha Patil won an assembly election fromEdlabad constituency on the Indian National Congress ticket.She married educator Devisingh Ransingh Shekhawat on JulyPresident Pratibha Patil and outgong president A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, with children after theGuard of Honour at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi on July 25, 2007.against such divisive and destructive cause of education and would like totendencies as communalism, casteism, see every person, man and woman,extremism and terrorism.”boy and girl, be touched by the lightThe new President placed emphasis of modern education. Empowermenton the spread of education.of women is particularly important to“To realise the full potential of our me as I believe this leads to thepeople, we must invest in their capabilitiesand empower them with mod-After seeing off her predecessorempowerment of the nation.”ern education and comprehensive Kalam, Patil visited Rajghat, thehealth care. We must banish malnutrition,social evils infant mortality and what was her first official engagement.memorial to Mahatma Gandhi, infemale foeticide. I wish to express my A meeting with Manmohan Singhfull commitment to the protection of as well as a courtesy call from the threechild rights,” she said.service chiefs followed. As President,She stressed the need to protect the Patil became the first woman supremeplanet and the environment for the commander of the armed forces.future generations.(For full text of President Patil’s speech,“I am deeply committed to the log on to www.presidentofindia.nic.in)P R O F I L E O F T H E N E W P R E S I D E N T7, 1965. The couple has a son and a daughter.Pratibha Patil began her political career in 1962 at the age of27. Under the mentorship of senior Congress leader and exchiefminister Yashwantrao Chavan, she became a deputyminister for education after re-election in 1967 (in the VasantraoNaik ministry). In 1985, she was elected to the Rajya Sabha, andserved as its deputy chairperson from November 1986 toNovember 1988.She has also served as Director of National Federation ofUrban Co-operative Banks & Credit Societies and the Memberof Governing Council, National Co-operative, Union of India.In November 2004, Pratibha Patil was recalled from politicalhibernation to become the first woman Governor of Rajasthan.She was the second politician from Maharashtra in this post, thefirst being Vasantdada Patil. With Pratibha Patil as Governor,Rajasthan had women in three significant positions of power inthe state, including Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje andAssembly Speaker Sumitra Singh.Migration of Indianworkers to countriesin the EuropeanUnion (EU) is set tobecome easier with the Governmentinitiating a process to facilitate developmentof legal migration betweenIndia and the EU.A memorandum of understanding(MoU) between the Ministry ofOverseas Indian Affairs (MOIA) andthe International Organisation ofMigration (IOM) was signed in NewDelhi on July 31.The new MoU on ‘RegionalDialogue and Facilitating Managedand Legal Migration between Indiaand the European Union’ will aim atfacilitating development of legalmigration, enhancing regional cooperationon legal migration managementand enhancing dissemination ofinformation relating to employmentopportunities in EU countries.“India is one of the handful of leadingcountries in the world when itcomes to overseas workers,” IOMDirector General Brunson McKinleysaid following the signing of theaccord.“It is one of the reasons for India’sdynamism and prosperity.”Stating that the MoU calls for theestablishment of a project implementationunit (PIU) in India, McKinleysaid, “We have been working on thisdiligently for many, many years. It willgo a long way in helping India’smigrant workers.”He said that the PIU will take upthe following tasks on a priority basis:training sessions for workers andmutual capacity building; setting upof an overseas workers’ resource centrein India; and import of Indian professionalsto select EU countries likeItaly, Spain and Ireland.The regional dialogue of the IOMinvolves 11 Asian labour supplyingnations — India, China, Bangladesh,Indonesia, Nepal, Sri Lanka, thePhilippines, Thailand, Vietnam,Pakistan and Afghanistan — and fivedestination countries in the EU: Italy,Germany, Britain, Ireland and Spain.Stating that IOM has signed similaragreements with several other countries,McKinley said, “But this agreementwith India is very important forus. After all, very few countries havetaken up steps like setting up a separateministry for ensuring smooth andlegal migration of workers.”At present, most skilled and semiskilledworkers in India migrate to theGulf nation. However, this project,McKinley said, would help facilitatediversification of the migration processto the EU, a region where thefuture is likely to throw up majoropportunities in the years to come.Speaking on the occasion, Ministerfor Overseas Indian Affairs VayalarRavi said that the MoU is in keepingwith the MOIA’s goals to facilitatelegal and smooth migration of Indianworkers.Stating that migrant workers areassets to the countries they belong to,the Minister said, “Around $270 billionare sent by way of remittances bymigrant workers to their respectivecountries. Of this, around $200 billiongo to developing nations.”He said that migration has givenNewsNew pact to promote India-EU migration60Minister for Overseas Indian Affairs Vayalar Ravi, centre, watches asMOIA Secretary Nirmal Singh, left, and International Organisation forMigration Director-General Brunson McKinley sign the pact in New Delhi.better opportunities for the poor toearn their bread and butter from otherplaces.“However, we should ensure thatthey are not treated as second class citizensin the countries they go to. Aproject like this (with IOM) willensure that overseas workers arerespected wherever they are,” headded.Stating that MOIA was looking topromote organised migration tolabour seeking countries in the EU,the Minister cited Poland as an example.“On our invitation, Poland’s labourminister came to India and we signeda pact to promote migration of Indianworkers to Poland, a country with abooming economy but facing a labourshortage.“This agreement with IOM willhelp in this process,” he said.Established in 1951, the GenevaheadquarteredIOM is the leadinginter-governmental organisation inthe field of migration and works closelywith governmental, inter-governmentaland non-governmental partners.As of now, it has got 120 membersand 20 observer nations, includingIndia.■8PRAVASI BHARATIYA AUGUST 2007PRAVASI BHARATIYA AUGUST 2007 9

60NewsErring RAs to invite direct action from GovtUnscrupulous recruitingagents (RAs), whoexploit Indian workersgoing abroad in searchof employment, may invite directaction from the Government if theMinistry of Overseas Indian Affairs(MOIA) has its way.“We intend to have a prosecutionclause included once the amendedEmigration Act (1983) gets throughso that my ministry can act directlyagainst such erring agents,” Ministerfor Overseas Indian Affairs VayalarRavi said while speaking at a functionin New Delhi on July 31 where amemorandum of understanding(MoU) was signed between theMOIA and the InternationalOrganisation for Migration (IOM).“As of now, only state governmentscan take action to prosecute unscrupulousagents,” he said.He said that whenever the MOIAreceives complaints of exploitation ofIndian workers abroad, it immediatelywrites to the state government concerned— from where the workerhails — with a request to take actionagainst the erring RA.“I hope state governments will startwork immediately to start prosecutionwhen such cases are pointed out,” hesaid. The process of computerisationof the eight Protector of Emigrants(PoE) offices in the country wouldalso go a long way in checking the illegalactivities of RAs, he said, adding,“Once all the PoE offices are computerised,these will be linked with theairports, so that problems like fake visaare checked.”Ravi also said that he was particularlyconcerned about exploitation ofwomen workers, most of whom goabroad to work as domestic help.Stating that there is already a ban onwomen workers under 30 years of ageemigrating abroad to work as domestichelp, he said, “We don’t want tocompletely ban the emigration ofwomen workers but actually check it.”He said that in order to curb themenace of exploitation of Indianwomen workers abroad, the MOIAhas already set up a helpline.“Additionally, we are trying toensure that any lady who works asdomestic help (anywhere abroad)should have direct telephone access tothe Indian mission in that country,”he said.Stating that the MOIA has alreadysigned labour welfare pacts withKuwait and the United Arab Emirates(UAE), Ravi said, “The agreementwith Malaysia is nearly complete.Bahrain and Oman have also agreedto sign similar agreements with us.”The Minister said that the amendedEmigration Act 1983, which hasseveral clauses for safeguarding theinterests Indian workers overseas, hasbeen cleared by all ministries concernedand is now awaiting cabinetapproval.“The amended Act is at the last stageof being cleared,” he said. “The wholepurpose is to ensure that our workersare respected in the countries wherethey work.”■Kalpana Chawla makes it to NCERT bookFour years after her death inspace, Indian-Americanastronaut Kalpana Chawlahas been included in a Class 7 textbookto promote science and educationamong girls in India.In the latest edition of its sciencetextbook for Class 7, the NationalCouncil of Educational Researchand Training (NCERT) has devoted a page to Chawla toencourage girl students to take up a career of their choiceand spread awareness about equal rights for women.A picture of Chawla in an astronaut’s dress accompaniesthe write-up for the promotion of education of the girlchild and is captioned as “Educated Girl, Nation’s Progress,Society’s Pride”.“Kalpana is a role model for Indian women and informationabout her in our science book will attract studentstowards the subject,” said Hukum Singh, head ofNCERT’s department of science and mathematics.“From a modest family of Karnal to the NationalAeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and finallythe space, Kalpana’s contribution to women empowermentacross the globe is important. I think her presencein the book will boost the morale of students.“This will not only impel students, especially girls, tolearn more about the individual but also urge them to thinkbig and try to achieve higher goals. From home to space,girls can conquer everything,” Hukum Singh told PravasiBharatiya.The book underlines that “women have won the NobelPrize in different areas, women have been astronauts andwomen have been running industries successfully”.It further mentions that women have successfully ledcountries as prime ministers and presidents and womenare top-level managers, scientist, leaders and technocrats.Chawla was born in Karnal in Haryana in March 1962and received her early education from the Tagore BalNiketan School. She completed her aeronautical engineeringfrom Punjab Engineering College, Chandigarh.She moved to the US in 1982 and started working withNASA in 1988.Chawla died in February 2003 when space shuttleColumbia carrying her and fellow astronauts disintegratedafter catching fire while returning to earth.— Prashant K. Nanda in New DelhiNext edition of diaspora youthprogramme to be held in GoaGoa is all set to host the latestedition of the Know IndiaProgramme (KIP), an orientationevent held by theGovernment to help diaspora youthknow more about Indian way of lifeand culture that starts August 29,Minister for Overseas Indian AffairsVayalar Ravi said on August 13.Ravi said this year’s event, whichwill go on till September 15, wouldspecially target Indian origin youthrather than non-resident Indians(NRIs).“We are especially targeting youthin the African countries, theCaribbean, Europe, the Middle Eastand southeast Asia, where there arelarge concentrations of Indian originpeople,” he said.The Minister was speaking at afunction where his Ministry signed amemorandum of understanding(MoU) with the Confederation ofIndian Industry (CII), whereby theindustry body would be a partner inorganising the programme.“Till now over 170 youths from 39countries have participated in the programmesince it was launched in2004,” Ravi noted.“We have had extremely positivefeedback about the programme fromvarious parts of the world. Indian missionsare in the process of selectingcandidates for the next round of theprogramme,” he said.Earlier known as the InternshipProgramme for Diaspora Youth(IPDY), the Know India Programmeprovides a unique forum for studentsand young professionals of Indian originto share their views and experiencesand bond closely with contemporaryIndia.It is held in partnership with a stategovernment that hosts the participantsin coordination with the Nehru YuvaKendra Sangathan.CII has been roped in so that theparticipants are exposed to latest developmentsin the economic and industrialscenario of India.“CII has a Young India Programmewhich has 16 chapters worldwide with800 members,” CII deputy directorgeneral Jayant Bhuyan said on theoccasion.“Know India Programme will providea great opportunity for youngIndians to connect with the youth ofthe Indian diaspora,” he said. ■TheNewsPBD 2008 to be 2-day affair, mini PBD in NYThe 2008 edition ofPravasi Bharatiya Divas(PBD), the annual conclaveof the Indian diaspora,will be held in New Delhi onJanuary 8-9.A senior official of the Ministry ofOverseas Indian Affairs (MOIA) saidthat unlike previous editions, whenthe event was spread over three days— usually January 7 to 9 — this timethe Ministry had cut it down to twodays “because three days becomes toolong an affair”.“The process of online registrationof delegates will start shortly,” theofficial told Pravasi Bharatiya.Work would also start soon toshortlist the nominees for the PravasiBharatiya Samman award, which thepresident confers on the recipientsduring the valedictory session of theevent.The ministry is also holding a miniPBD in New York on September 23this year.“The mini PBD will be the inauguralevent of an ‘India at 60’ celebrationthat will be held in New Yorkto mark 60 years of India’s independence,”he said.‘India at 60’ will run fromSeptember 23 to 27 and is beingorganised by the Confederation of60Indian Industry (CII), MOIA and theministries of textiles and tourism.Giving details of the mini PBD, hesaid: “The first half of the day will bedevoted to investment opportunitiesfor overseas Indians, while the secondhalf will look at opportunities forpartnerships in education and health.”The event will primarily targetoverseas Indians in North America.Indian Americans, numberingaround 2.3 million, are considered themost educated and affluent among allimmigrant groups in the US. InCanada, overseas Indians numberaround 800,000.— Aroonim Bhuyan in New DelhiCabinet okayspacts withKuwait, QatarCabinet on July 5 approved alabour welfare agreement signedbetween India and Kuwait earlier thisyear that is expected to benefit thelarge Indian population working in theGulf nation.The Cabinet also okayed the signingof an additional protocol to theagreement on regulation of Indianworkers in Qatar.The Kuwait agreement was signedin April during the visit of Ministerfor Overseas Indian Affairs VayalarRavi to that Gulf nation.The pact provides a mechanism forsettlement of labour disputes and alsosets out various parameters for governingthe welfare of Indian workersin the private sector in line withKuwait’s laws. It also addresses issuesrelated to protection and welfare ofworkers. The draft of the additionalprotocol between India and Qatar wasfinalised last year in New Delhi. Thenew protocol is in addition to thebilateral labour agreement betweenthe two countries.There are at least 172,000 Indiansin Qatar while Kuwait is home toaround 550,000 Indian expatriates. ■10PRAVASI BHARATIYA AUGUST 2007PRAVASI BHARATIYA AUGUST 2007 11

60Cover Story60WHY INDIA CLICKSFree and fair elections, a thriving economy encompassing the wholecountry, a vibrant media and an uninhibited public sphere whereactivists agitate for various causes are among the many factors thatmake Indian democracy such a success, writes Amulya Ganguli.Asepia-coloured newspaperpicture underlines, inretrospect, a central featureof India’s success asa nation. It shows groups of men sittingin front of rickety wooden tables,counting tiny slips of paper obviouslytaken out of a steel box. The occasionwas India’s first general election in1952 and the slips were the ballotpapers cast for 18,000 candidates by anelectorate of 176 million people. Themammoth exercise marked the firststep in India’s remarkable journey tobecome the world's largest and, in itspluralistic ethos, the most successfuldemocracy.Sixty years after India attained independenceon Aug 15, 1947, it has allbecome routine — elections whichresemble a carnival, boisterous parliamentarypolitics, an independent judiciarybefore which no one is too high,a thriving economy knitting togethera nationwide market, an uninhibitedpublic sphere where activists agitatefor various causes, a vibrant mediawith its 24-hour news channels andsting operations with hidden camerasprobing all aspects of life.The world now expects India to bea major power of the 21st century. Butno one knew at the time of independencein 1947 how it would all panout. Would Winston Churchill’s fear,reflecting an imperialist mindset, thatthe British were handing over powerto “men of straw” prove true? Wouldthe dire prognosis by Neville Maxwellin the The Times of London that the1967 general election would be India’sfourth and last be fulfilled?While the Communists in India andelsewhere were expecting a proletarianrevolution to start any time, scepticsin the West didn’t believe thatfledgling Asian democracies had afuture. And they were right, at least inrelation to countries in India’s neighbourhood.If it is different in India, the reasonis the commonplace scene in that oldblack-and-white photograph of menfrom ordinary backgrounds countingThis April 2006 file photo shows a huge crowd standing in queue to cast their votes at a polling station inGuwahati during the Assam Assembly elections.ballot papers. It is the successful functioningof autonomous institutionssuch as the Election Commission,which ensured, first, the survival andthen the blossoming of Indian democracy.While autocratic regimes elsewhereroutinely subverted such institutions,favouring rigged polls andturning the legal system into one ofkangaroo courts, the Indian politicalclass had the wisdom to ensure thatthe scaffolding of the democraticstructure was not disturbed.Perhaps the most important considerationbefore the founding fathersof the republic — who drafted theConstitution — and their contemporariesand successors who ran the governmentwas to ensure that the country’smulti-religious, multi-culturaland multi-lingual heritage was carefullypreserved. Evidently, the longyears of freedom struggle had instilledthe value of this pluralist heritage inthe men and women who wereinvolved in the anti-colonial battleunder Mahatma Gandhi.The currency note in Indiadescribes its value in as many as 17languages. Although English andHindi are the first two, the presenceof 15 other languages is an acknowledgmentof the country’s multi-lingualstatus.India had leaders like JawaharlalNehru, a disciple of the Mahatmawho announced in the wake of anti-Hindi agitations in the south thatEnglish would continue to be an officiallanguage as long as the“non-Hindispeaking people wanted it.It is the same broadminded attitude,which ruled out theocratic conceptslike having an official religion.Drawing inspiration from theMahatma’s precept of having passagesfrom all religious texts — theBhagavad Gita, the Quran, the Bible,the Guru Granth Sahib and others —read out at his prayer meetings, India,although a predominantly Hinducountry, embarked on the path of consolidatingits multi-religious heritage,which can be traced to Mauryanemperor Asoka in the pre-Christianera and to Mughal emperor Akbar inthe 16th century AD.There is little doubt that the goodIndia had leaders like Jawaharlal Nehru, a discipleof the Mahatma who announced in the wake of anti-Hindi agitations in the south that English wouldcontinue to be an official language as long as thenon-Hindi speaking people wanted it.It is the same broadminded attitude, which ruledout theocratic concepts like having anofficial religion.Sansad Bhavan — the foundation of India’s democracy.“fortune of having leaders of the statureof Mahatma Gandhi and Nehruensured that India could avoid theperilous path of sectarianism, whichhas been the bane of other countries.But there was more good luck, for notonly did India reject a narrow outlookon religion and language, it alsoensured that its nascent democracywas not challenged by any adventurer— military or civilian.Before 1947, the Indian independencemovement was an inspirationfor all the people living under colonialrule in Asia and Africa. Unfortunately,the history of most of the countries inthese continents after their liberationhas been one of betrayal of the idealsof freedom that initially guided theirleaders. Only India has been an exceptionalong with South Africa, althoughthe latter’s is a different case in that itwas not under colonial rule but wasunder a White supremacist regime.Six decades after independence,India is still an inspiration because ofits success as a multi-cultural democracy,which made well-known musicianYehudi Menuhin compare Indiawith the “fabled and symbolic Gardenof Eden”.(Amulya Ganguli is a political analyst.He can be reached ataganguli@mail.com)12PRAVASI BHARATIYA AUGUST 2007PRAVASI BHARATIYA AUGUST 2007 13

60 60Cover StoryIndians in large numbers gather near Rashtrapati Bhavan,which was known as “Viceroy’s House”, in New Delhi onAugust 15, 1947.People celebrating the first day of independent India in New DelhiHERE is asnapshot of themajor events inIndia during thelast 60 years.1947!India becomes independent, with Jawaharlal Nehru as Prime Minister.!In the largest forced migration in history, around 15 million people are displacedand an estimated 500,000 killed in Hindu-Muslim violence sparked by partition.!The first war between India and Pakistan breaks out in Kashmir. It ends in 1948,with Kashmir divided along the line of control after an UN-brokered ceasefire.1948!Mahatma Gandhi is assassinated.!Chakravarti Rajagopalachari succeeds Louis Mountbatten as Governor General.!Hyderabad joins Indian Union after military operation.1949!Ceasefire in Kashmir becomes official with the signing of the Karachi Agreementbetween India and Pakistan on July 18.1950!India constitution comes into effect. India becomes a republic on January 26.!Rajendra Prasad becomes the first President of India.!Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel passes away.Jawaharlal Nehrubecame the firstPrime Minister ofIndia in 1947Rajendra Prasad became the firstPresident of IndiaChakravartiRajagopalachariwho became thefirst Governor-General ofindependentIndia.1951!India's first Five-Year Plan is inaugurated in April.!New Delhi hosts Asian Games.1952!Nehru-led Congress easily wins the first election to the Lok Sabha.!Air India is nationalised. Indian Airlines, the domestic carrier, is created.1954!Nehru coins the term 'non-alignment' to define India's foreign policy as beingequidistant from the US and the USSR.1955!Imperial Bank of India is nationalised, renamed State Bank of India.1956!States are reorganised on the basis of language. Several new states are created.1957!Congress wins the second general election.1959!Government establishes state-owned television broadcaster Doordarshan.!Bajaj Auto gets licence to manufacture two- and three-wheelers. India eventuallybecomes the largest manufacturer of two- and three-wheelers in the world.1960!Bombay is split into Maharashtra and Gujarat.1961!Troops make Portuguese territories Goa, Daman and Diu join Indian Union.1962!Nehru leads Congress to a third straight win in general election.!India loses war with China.1964!Nehru dies14PRAVASI BHARATIYA AUGUST 2007PRAVASI BHARATIYA AUGUST 2007 15

60Cover Story601965!Second war with Pakistan over Kashmir.!Hindi becomes official language of India, while English is adopted as the associatelanguage in dealings between the central government and non-Hindi speakingstates.1966!India's second Prime Minister, Lal Bahadur Shastri, dies in Tashkhent aftersigning a pact with Pakistan President Muhammad Ayub Khan signalling the endof the 1965 war.!Nehru's daughter Indira Gandhi becomes Prime Minister.1967!Congress wins general election but with significantly reduced majority.!India starts Green Revolution, with multiple cropping on agricultural land, use ofimproved seeds and more mechanisation of agriculture.1969!Congress splits into two, one faction led by Indira Gandhi, the other by MorarjiDesai.!Backed by Indira Gandhi, V.V. Giri defeats official Congress candidate N.Sanjeeva Reddy and becomes President of India.!Privy purses for rulers of erstwhile princely states are abolished.!The government nationalises 14 major banks.1970!The National Dairy Development Board starts Operation Flood, theestablishment of a national milk grid. It is such a success that it will later bedescribed as the White Revolution.1971!25-year treaty of friendship signed with the Soviet Union.!Congress (R) led by Indira Gandhi wins general election.!Third war with Pakistan, East Pakistan becomes Bangladesh.1972!Indira Gandhi and Pakistan's Prime Minister Z.A. Bhutto sign the Shimla pact,which says neither country will change the borders unilaterally.1973!Opposition protests against Indira Gandhi government mount.1974!India explodes first nuclear device.!Allahabad High Court finds Indira Gandhi guilty of misusing official machineryto win election.!Major strikes, including in railways, paralyse India for long periods.1975!Indira Gandhi declares state of emergency, suspends civil liberties, postponeselections, dismisses non-Congress state governments and imprisons manyopposition leaders.!India annexes Sikkim following a referendum in the hill kingdom where themajority favour joining India.!Sholay becomes the biggest box office hit in IndiaLate Prime Minister Indira Gandhiaddressing a election rally.A still from theBollywoodblockbusterSholayA jubilant Indian cricket team afterwinning the 1983 World CupIndia and Pakistan signing theShimla Agreement in 1972.1976!Compulsory birth control introduced.1977!Indira Gandhi's Congress loses general elections to the Janata Party. Morarji Desaibecomes Prime Minister.1979!Janata Party government crumbles due to internal bickering. Charan Singhbecomes Prime Minister.1980!Indira Gandhi returns to power, heading Congress (Indira).!Government nationalises seven more banks.!Indira Gandhi's younger son Sanjay dies in stunt plane crash in New Delhi.1981!India and China start talks on border dispute.1982!New Delhi hosts Asian Games.1983!India wins cricket World Cup.!Nearly 2,000 Muslims are killed in Nellie, Assam.1984!Troops storm Golden Temple to flush out Sikh militants!Indira Gandhi assassinated by Sikh bodyguards, leading to anti-Sikh riots inwhich over 3,000 people are killed.!Indira Gandhi's son Rajiv Gandhi becomes Prime Minister.!Gas leak at Union Carbide pesticides plant in Bhopal kills thousands; many moredie subsequently or are left disabled.1985!Sikh separatists blow up Air India flight off the coast of Ireland.16PRAVASI BHARATIYA AUGUST 2007PRAVASI BHARATIYA AUGUST 2007 17

60 60Cover StoryAtal Bihari Vajpayee became the PrimeMinister of India in 1996 for 13 days1986!The century's worst drought affects most of India.1987!The Mizo accord signals an end to one of longest secessionist movements in India.!India deploys troops in Sri Lanka's northeast.1989!Congress loses to Janata Dal-led coalition in general election. V.P. Singh becomesPrime Minister.1990!Indian troops withdraw from Sri Lanka after suffering nearly 1,200 dead.!Muslim separatists begin campaign of violence in Kashmir.!The decision to implement the Mandal Commission recommendations andprovide reservations to Other Backward Classes (OBC) leads to countrywideviolence and fractures the polity further along caste lines.!Janata Dal government falls. Chandra Shekhar becomes Prime Minister withCongress support.1991!Rajiv Gandhi assassinated by Tamil Tiger suicide bomber.!Congress wins general election. P.V. Narasimha Rao becomes Prime Minister.!Economic reform programme begun by Narasimha Rao and Finance MinisterManmohan Singh.1992!Hindu mobs demolish Babri mosque in Ayodhya, triggering widespread Hindu-Muslim violence.1993!Bomb blasts rock Mumbai, killing 257 people. It is the world's worst urban terrorattack.1996!Congress suffers worst ever electoral defeat. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) forms aminority government, with Atal Bihari Vajpayee as Prime Minister, but it lastsonly 13 days.!A 14-party United Front coalition then takes power. H.D. Deve Gowda is PrimeMinister.Dr Manmohan Singh became thePrime Minister of India in 2004Bus servicelaunched betweenSrinagar andMuzaffarabad inPakistan.US and India sign anagreement on civiliannuclear cooperation in 2007.The Agni missile being showcased onRepublic DayPratibha Patil becamethe first womanPresident of India1997!Congress withdraws support to Deve Gowda. I.K. Gujral becomes Prime Minister.After eight months, Congress withdraws support again.1998!BJP forms coalition government, Vajpayee is again Prime Minister.!India carries out nuclear tests.1999!Vajpayee makes a bus trip to Pakistan to meet Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and signsLahore peace declaration.!Indian troops fight Pakistan-backed forces in Kargil, Jammu and Kashmir.!BJP-led coalition falls apart. In fresh elections, BJP-led coalition again wins. Vajpayeeremains Prime Minister.2000!India's population crosses the one billion mark.2001!Massive earthquakes hit Gujarat, leaving at least 30,000 dead.!A high-powered rocket is launched, propelling India into the club of countries able tofire big satellites deep into space.!Vajpayee meets Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf in Agra; meeting deadlockedover Kashmir.!Terrorists attack Parliament in New Delhi. India blames Pakistan and imposessanctions. Troops mass on the India-Pakistan border.2002!India test-fires nuclear-capable ballistic missile - Agni.!Anti-Muslim riots break out after 59 Hindus returning from Ayodhya are killed intrain fire in Godhra, Gujarat. More than 1,000 people are killed.2003!India matches Pakistan's declaration of Kashmir ceasefire.2004!Indian government meets moderate Kashmir separatists.!Surprise victory for Congress in general elections. Manmohan Singh becomes PrimeMinister after Sonia Gandhi declines the post.!Thousands die when a tsunami devastates coastal southern India and the Andamanand Nicobar Islands.2005!Bus services, the first in 60 years, operate between Srinagar and Muzaffarabad inPakistan.2006!US and India sign an agreement by which the US is to give India access to civiliannuclear technology while India agrees to greater scrutiny for its nuclear programme.2007!India and Pakistan agree to reduce risk of accidental nuclear war.!India announces strongest economic growth figures for 20 years - 9.4 percent in theyear to March.!Pratibha Patil becomes India's first woman President.18PRAVASI BHARATIYA AUGUST 2007PRAVASI BHARATIYA AUGUST 2007 19

60Cover Story60RAISING A TOAST TO THEINDIAN DIASPORAFrom fighting tenacious battles against colonial and racialpersecution in places as far apart as Fiji, Malaysia, Mauritius andthe Caribbean to emerging as leaders of government, society andindustry, the Indian diaspora has made a mark for themselvesin countries they have adopted and call home.PRAVASI BHARATIYA salutes them.On the sunny afternoonof August 23, 2006,when AnandSatyanand took over asthe Governor-General of NewZealand, he made it a point to refer tohis Indian heritage in his oath-takingspeech.“I acknowledge also my Indian origin,with four grandparents whomigrated from that country to Fiji,”he said.And he concluded his speech withthis line: “To end, may I paraphrasethe words of Mahatma Gandhi byexpressing the hope that New Zealandwill be ‘a place where all winds canblow without us being blown over byany of them’.”In such words, Satyanand, the firstperson of Asian ethnicity to beappointed the Queen’s representativein New Zealand, reflected the pridewith which every successful overseasIndian wears his or her Indian heritageon the sleeve.And why not? Sixty years afterIndependence, the Indian diaspora —persons of Indian origin (PIOs) andnon-resident Indians (NRIs) — lookup to a nation where they trace theirroots and which has emerged as aglobal power of the 21st century.And India too looks with pride atthe achievements and contributionsof her sons and daughters, grandsonsand granddaughters in almost everypart of the globe. The PravasiBharatiyas today make India proud inevery respect.So what makes the Indian diasporatoday different from those of othercountries? For certain, their tenaciousbattles against colonial and racial persecutionin places as far apart as Fiji,Malaysia, Mauritius and theCaribbean and emerge leaders of governmentand society.Hence, we have a PIO, BharratJagdeo, serving a third term in officeas President of Guyana, carrying forwardthe legacy of his mentor CheddiJagan, the first person to be electedpresident in the first free polls to beheld in this South American nation in1992, 28 years after the countryattained independence.Suriname, Mauritius, Fiji, Trinidad,Singapore… all have had persons ofIndian origin as heads of state or governmentat some point or other.It is not just individuals but politicalparties with a predominantly Indianbase that have made their presence feltin countries with large Indian originpopulations. In Malaysia today, theMalaysian Indian Congress is a partnerof the ruling coalition. In Trinidad& Tobago, the United NationalCongress is the main opposition andits leader, Kamla Persad-Bissessar, theopposition leader. In Fiji, the FijiLabour Party, headed by former primeminister Mahendra Chaudhry, was apartner of the ruling coalition after lastyear’s elections before the governmentwas overthrown in a bloodless coup.Even in developed countries whereIndians have migrated in large numbersafter independence, the communityhas been active politically. TheUnited States is today on the verge ofclosing an historic civil nuclear dealwith India. And who played a significantrole in getting this through?Indian American lobbyists.Across the US, one finds IndianAmericans in important political posts.Same is the case in Canada andBritain, where Indian origin politiciansfigure among those counted as veryimportant in mainstream politics.We are one family. The whole world is our home. That iswhy I have often said that while the sun has set on manygreat empires of the world in the past, the sun will never seton the world of the Indian diaspora!— Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at the PravasiBharatiya Divas 2007 in New Delhi.Indians across the world have alsobeen recognised for entrepreneurshipand their contributions to theeconomies of the countries they callhome. In the US, the Patel surnameis so synonymous with the motelindustry that these highway hotelshave come to be known as ‘Potels’.And then came the IT boom andIndian brains played a big role in makingSilicon Valley a brand name. AVinod Dham behind the Pentiumchip, a Sabeer Bhatia behindHotmail… the list is endless.In fact, the 2.3-million strongIndian Americans are today regardedas the most affluent and educatedimmigrant community in the US.Among its long list of Nobel laureatesare the likes of Dr. HargobindKhurana and S. Chandrashekhar. Andtoday, Kalpana Chawla and SunitaWilliams are household names in theUS.What’s more, the popular allAmerican comic series Archies nowhas an Indian American charactercalled Raj Patel!In the corporate world too, overseasIndians have carved a niche. Fewcould have imagined that India-bornIndra Nooyi would become the CEOof food and beverage giant PepsiCoand then be termed by Forbes as theworld’s fourth most powerful woman.Or that Arun Sarin would headBritish telecom major Vodafone.The bright side of this story is thatthe protagonists have constantlyharked back to India and have beeninvesting heavily in the country oftheir roots. Even as London-basedL.N. Mittal sets up steel plants in Indiaor Karan Bilimoria introduces hisCobra beer brand in India, Indianworkers toiling in the Middle East20PRAVASI BHARATIYA AUGUST 2007PRAVASI BHARATIYA AUGUST 2007 21

60 Cover StoryA Letter From a Mother 60remit money to their near and dearones back home in India every month.India today receives 10 percent —the largest share — of the total remittancessent by foreign workers acrossthe world to their respective countries.Indian emigrants across the worldhave assimilated themselves with thepeople and culture of their adoptedhomelands. So, while Indians inSuriname have developed a uniquelanguage called Sarnami with elementsof Bhojpuri, Dutch and Creolethrown in, those in Fiji have what iscalled Fijibaat comprising words fromvarious dialects of Hindi and southIndian languages like Tamil andTelugu.In the southern Caribbean, Indianorigin people have developed a newmusic genre called ‘Chutney’ — afusion of Indian devotional songs,Bollywood music and calypso!In arts, culture and literature too,overseas Indians have been sterling.Take cinema. On one hand, we haveDeepa Mehta, Mira Nair andGurinder Chadha popularising Indianculture among Western audiences,and on the other, we find ManojNight Shyamalan, son of Indian parentswho emigrated to the US, settingthe box office afire through mainlineHollywood cinema.In literature, overseas Indians countamong themselves two Booker Prizewinners — Kiran Desai and SalmanRushdie — and a Nobel laureate, V.S.Naipaul.Where there is cricket, can Indiansbe far away? This side of 1947, Indianshave been the backbone of severalnational cricket teams. Starting withSonny Ramadhin, Rohan Kanhai andAlvin Kallicharan in the 60s, 70s and80s, the West Indies have thrown upseveral stars and the legacy continuesthrough the likes of ShivnaraineChanderpaul and Ramnaresh Sarwan.A phenomenon repeated in NewZealand, Kenya and South Africa, notto speak of England, where a Sikhspinner called Monty Panesar is todayan icon.A caddie once, Indo-Fijian VijaySingh is a golf superstar today. And inthe sporting world’s greatest event, theFIFA World Cup finals, VikasDhorasoo, whose forefathers hadmigrated from Andhra Pradesh toMauritius, turned out in Frenchcolours in Germany last year.But such success has had a downsidetoo. Overseas Indians have beenpersecuted in several countries. InUganda, dictator Idi Amin compelledthousands of Indians in the 1970s toflee the country.And in the 1980s and at the turn ofthe 20th century, two governments inFiji were overthrown in coups becausethese were perceived to be of Indianmajority.In Malaysia, Indians are the thirdlargest ethnic group and yet face second-classcitizen status. And in theGulf, many Indian workers areexploited by employers or duped byrecruiting agents.It was in view of this and also toattract successful Indians that theIndian government set up a separateministry to deal with the problemsand issues of overseas Indians.The Ministry of Overseas IndianAffairs (MOIA), apart from honouringthe work of successful overseasIndians through awards called thePravasi Bharatiya Samman, workswith governments of countries with asignificant Indian presence to ensurethat the interests of Indians are safeguarded.The annual diaspora conclave calledPravasi Bharatiya Divas, organised bythe MOIA, is perhaps the only suchevent organised by any country for itsoverseas citizens.This is how India is today reconnectingwith its diaspora 60 years afterattaining independence. While thenation celebrates the achievements ofPravasi Bharatiyas, it also lends ashoulder to those overseas Indianswho fall in bad times.■This file photo shows former president A.P.J. Abdul Kalam with recipients of the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman awardat the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas in New Delhi in January this year.My dear NRI son,They say, 'Life begins at 60!' Yes, a whole new game starts at 60 when you enjoy the fruits of all that you havesacrificed and worked for. It seems that I have 'arrived' after all those years of toiling, denying and watching othersenjoying 'the good life'.Celebrating my 60th birthday today, I have a thousand big and small things to be thankful for. First, the big ones...I am living in an independent country where every vote counts. More importantly, it still remains united throughall crises. I can seek justice from independent courts even though they move slowly. I can make my voice heard withoutfear in the public. A powerful media keeps everyone on his/her toes. Perhaps, it can be said that the Supreme Courtand the media run my country.Last but not the least, despite the one billion plus people, Indian economy is the fastest growing free economy inthe world, at a galloping rate of over nine percent. Now I am a member of the exclusive Trillion Dollar Club - thevalue my GDP - that has only 13 members.Remember the times when I craved for phoren goods? We could not buy any foreign consumer goods because therewas no foreign exchange to pay for them. For 50 years, the shops just had local goods.Now things are totally different. The local goods are also as good as them because they are successfully competingwith them. Foreign exchange? At the latest count I have $230 billion. When I go shopping at the shining malls evenin smaller towns, I get the feeling of being in a foreign country what with those dazzling displays!Instead of just two or three makes of cars, I have a great line-up to choose from as over one million cars were madehere last year and, believe me, we also export them!I enjoy perhaps the cheapest rates of mobile calls in the world. Mobiles have the fastest growth in the world hereas 10,000 are added every hour and 166 every minute! Now there are almost 200 million of them because the basicprice for a mobile is just around $45! The servant, maid, driver, plumber, carpenter, electrician, washerwoman...everyone has a mobile.And most of them have a colour TV at home. What a hassle you had when you imported a colour TV set for meback in the 1980s? The 300 percent custom duty and the 150 percent penalty and the form filling! Now you can buyany colour TV set including the flat screen and the huge plasma ones at any big shop. Over 12 million sets are madein India. Colour TV sets are quite cheap too as I switched over to a decent flat screen for less than $250. Instead ofjust one or two government controlled channels, now I can surf over 400 channels beaming by cable to my TV.Instead of long train journeys, I have been travelling in India by air. Recently many private airlines have takenoff to compete with the one domestic carrier we have had for many years. If I book early, I can get an air ticket fromMumbai to Delhi or any airport for just a few hundred rupees! Millions who had never travelled by air have becomeregular air passengers. Gone are those days when getting foreign exchange to travel abroad was a nightmare. Nowevery year, I can get up to $5,000 for my vacation, up to $25,000 for a business trip and can send abroad up to$100,000!No need for the trip to the post office to send you this letter for I can email you, talk to you over the internet and,well… see you with my web cam on my PC. Yes, I have learnt to use the Net along with millions of other Indians.All of them may not own a PC but they just spend 50 cents an hour to use a cyber cafe for their emailing and surfing.You do not see all these goodies when you land in India but slowly they sink in and you also see thehefty pay cheques IT professionals take home. Then you may start thinking: "Why shouldn't I return?"A few thousand young professionals, perhaps 40,000 say some, have returned to work in Indiain IT companies or MNCs here. Of course, many millions of unemployed, underpaid and underqualifiedare trying to go abroad by hook or crook. That's another story of 'the other' India— not for today.When you see the tricolour unfurling atop the Red Fort in Delhi today, it is amoment to celebrate. It seems that my turn has come to be counted on the world'stop table. You know that I am always praying for your welfare and waiting for yournext trip with extended arms.Yours ever loving,Mother India.22PRAVASI BHARATIYA AUGUST 2007PRAVASI BHARATIYA AUGUST 2007 23

60Cover Story60How they craftedTheir’s was a parallelpolitical universe — oneof oppression, violence,indignity, strife and exile.While Indian nationalistsgave shape to a nation,the country’s sons anddaughters who had madetheir home on alien soilfought their battles forfreedom, the echoes ofwhich were not lost ontheir motherland, saysKul Bhushan.Overseas Indians sufferedimprisonment,beatings, exile, tortureand even death in theirstruggle for better working conditionsand human rights. This strife forhuman rights became a cornerstonefor the fight for independence in theformer British colonies. OversasIndians formed trade unions that lateremerged as political parties butthese parties were merged into nationalparties in most cases. To presenttheir grievances to the public andbuild public support, people of Indianorigin started newspapers and magazinesthat became the vanguard of thestruggle for equality and freedom.This is true in the Caribbean,southern and eastern Africa and theFar East. Once these countriesattained independence, it was naturalthat the Indians who had played a proactiverole in thestruggle be electedto positions ofpower. As a result,four persons ofIndian origin (PIOs)are the heads of statein four countries today.Anand Satyanand is theGovernor-General ofNew Zealand and S. R.Nathan the President ofSingapore. Bharrat Jagdeowas re-elected President of Guyanafor a third time. Sir Anerood Jugnauthis the President of Mauritius while DrNavin Ramgoolam is the PrimeMinister of Mauritius. MahendraChaudhry was elected Fiji’s PrimeMinister in 1999.Overseas Indians first started theirpolitical activities in countries wherethey had gone to work on sugarFREEDOMplantationsafter the abolition of slaveryin 1834. These were mostly in theCaribbean states, the Far East, SouthAfrica and Mauritius. Here, the sonsof sugarcane plantation workers servedtheir communities by demanding betterworking conditions, human rightsand opposing racial discriminationtermed ‘colour bar’ or apartheid. Theycontinued the struggle to demand to‘one-man-one-vote’ for their electedrepresentatives. Once elected, they“Oversas Indians formed trade unions that lateremerged as political parties but these parties weremerged into national parties in most cases. Topresent their grievances to the public and buildpublic support, people of Indian origin startednewspapers and magazines that became thevanguard of the struggle for equality and freedom.entered parliament later to become topnational leaders and heads of state.SOUTHERN AFRICAIn a bitter and sometimes violentstruggle over 150 years in SouthAfrica, Indians have cooperated withAfricans to end racial discrimination.With Africans, Indians sufferedimprisonment, beatings, exile, tortureand even death in their protests. Thestruggle in South Africa gave birth to‘satyagraha’ or non-violent resistancethat later became India’s instrumentof struggle for independence. It climaxedwith South Africa’s first democraticelection in 1994 giving birth tothe “rainbow children of God”.Before the end of the 18th century,Indians started to establish their associationsin Natal and later Transvaaland the Cape, among other settlements,to fight against colour bar. Ayoung lawyer, M. K. Gandhi, arrivedin 1893 and was elected a year later asthe secretary of the Natal IndianCongress (NIC). He launched thesatyagraha movement against racistlaws in 1896 and founded a newspaperin 1903 for their grievances. Asearly as 1910, Indians supported theAfrican People’s Organisation — andlater the African National Congress(ANC) — against the governmentpolicy of denying voting rights toIndians, coloured and Africans in theBritish colonies called the Union ofSouth Africa.In 1924, the South African IndianCongress became the umbrella for theIndian associations for a united Indian“front. Throughout the struggle againstapartheid, South African Indian politicalorganisations maintained close tieswith the Indian National Congress,which was also fighting for freedomfrom British rule in India. The greatcommon leader was, of course,Mahatma Gandhi, who started hispolitical career in South Africa andmoved to India in 1914.During the 1920s, the Indians continuedtheir passive resistance but bythe end of the decade, urbanisationand depressed economic conditionsbrought radical Indian leaders to fore.Trade unionists and Communists, H.A. Naidoo and George Poonen, tookup workers’ issues in the 1930s.Between 1934 and 1945, Indians had43 unions that organised almost 50strikes. Soon, a radical leadership consistingof Indian professionalsemerged. On the other hand, a fewmoderate Indians cooperated with theauthorities in signing the PretoriaAgreement of 1944 amounting to voluntarysegregation.NIC started passive resistance in1946 for property ownership and votingrights but basically against compulsorysegregation. A delegation toIndia got the country to cut trade relationswith South Africa and raised therace issue at the United Nations thatcalled on South Africa to treat Indiansas per its charter. Thousands wereimprisoned until passive resistanceended in 1948 even as the newNational Party government adoptedapartheid.The South African Indians foughtagainst unjust laws in the 1950s andthe 1960s as independent India galvanisedinternational pressure to helpisolate South Africa. In 1961, SouthAfrica declared itself a republic and leftthe Commonwealth. But Indianswere made permanent residents.Nelson Mandela headed ANC’snew military wing, which launched asabotage campaign. Three years later,Mandela was sentenced for life. In1974, South Africa was voted out ofthe UN. Fifteen years later, then presidentF.W. de Klerk met Mandela,desegregated public facilities and freedmany ANC activists. After 27 yearsin prison, Mandela was released in1990 to global fanfare. Throughoutthis struggle, Indians in South Africaplayed a key role as lawyers for Africanleaders, faced treason charges in courtand later prison sentences, supportedANC, supported the “free Mandela”campaign, and the struggle for socialjustice.Indians voted in the 1994 electionsand trade unionist Jay Naidoo becamea member of South Africa’s first nonracialcabinet and Frene Ginwalla,speaker of the National Assemblyunder president Mandela. Before theend of apartheid, Indians did not emigratefrom South Africa in large numbersbut stayed on to fight the repressiveregime and now live in the ‘rainbow’country as full citizens.In Mauritus, Indians fought forindependence and when the BritishIn 1994, Indian origin trade unionist JayNaidoo became a minister in South Africa’sfirst non-racial government.24PRAVASI BHARATIYA AUGUST 2007PRAVASI BHARATIYA AUGUST 2007 25

60Cover Story60© The Encyclopedia of the Indian DiasporaSir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam, right, became the firstprime minister of independent Mauritius in 1968.(Below) Indian origin women holding placardsdemanding independence for Mauritius.they entered the political arena in a bigway and have dominated it ever since.A coalition of the Mauritian LabourParty (MLP) founded by Indians andCreoles, the Muslim Committee ofAction (CAM) of Sir Abdool RazackMohamed, and the IndependentForward Block (IFB) of Hindus wona majority in the 1967 election.Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam, MLPleader and chief minister in the colonialgovernment, became the firstprime minister after independence in1968 and stayed on in the post until1982. In the 1970s, some Indian leadersjoined a new party, MouvementMilitant Mauricien (MMM) thatcame to power with AneroodJugnauth as Prime Minister andHarish Boodhoo as the Deputy PrimeMinister. Jugnauth later broke awayforming the Mouvement SocialisteMauricien (MSM), which became thegoverning party, with Jugnauth asPrime Minister while SirSeewoosagur subsequently becameGovernor-General. After his death,his son, Navin, took over MLP.Jugnauth was re-elected in 1991 whileNavin’s coalition won in 1995 and hebecame the Prime Minister.EASTERN AFRICAIn the East African countries ofKenya, Uganda and Tanzania, Indianshave traded on the coast since Biblicaltimes but moved inland right up toUganda after building the Ugandarailway at the turn of the last century.As craftsmen and shopkeepers, theseIndians, called Asians, were notallowed to own land. They foughtIn 1914, Indians formed the East African Indian National Congress, laterrenamed Kenya Indian Congress, to fight discrimination. The white Britishsettlers raised ‘the Indian Issue’ that the Indians contested. Trade unionist“Makhan Singh was jailed while Pio Game Pinto was assassinated.“against colour bar and for independence,were elected to parliament andserved as ministers, speakers of theparliament and even as judges.In Kenya, Asians formed politicalparties, started newspapers and magazinesand courted arrest in their freedomstruggle. In 1914, Indians formedthe East African Indian NationalCongress, later renamed Kenya IndianCongress, to fight discrimination. Thewhite British settlers raised ‘the IndianIssue’ that the Indians contested.Trade unionist Makhan Singh wasjailed while Pio Game Pinto was assassinated.When allowed representationin the Legislative Council, Asiansformed political parties like the KenyaFreedom Party. After Kenya’s independencein 1963, they dissolved thesepolitical parties and some wereappointed as judges and one of them,like C. Madan, even rose to becomethe chief justice.Kenya’s first vice president wasJoseph Murumbi, a half-Indian, thefirst Speaker was Dr. Fitz DeSouza, aGoan, and an assistant minister wasJan Mohammed, an Ismaili. Later,lawyer Krishan Gautama was electedas an MP but soon after, Asians leftthe political scene and instead usedeconomic clout to survive.Active in trade and industry, Indiansin Uganda supported that country’sindependence struggle. Asian leaders,such as Gurdial Singh and ShafiqArain, founded the Uganda ActionGroup in 1958 to change the directionof Asian involvement in East Africanpolitics. Following self-governmentin 1961, the group joined the UgandaPeople’s Congress, led by MiltonObote.After Uganda attained independencein 1962, Asians were unaffecteduntil the Africanisation policies in1970. Two years later, despot Idi Aminforced 75,000 Indians to leave within90 days. As honorary secretary of theAll Party Parliamentary Committeeon UK Citizenship, Praful Patelplayed a leading role in Britain to fightfor the rights of Uganda Asians andnearly defeated the government in theHouse of Lords. As a leading memberof the Uganda Resettlement Board,Patel helped them in re-settlement.Later, Uganda Asians prospered inBritain.Meanwhile, the Uganda Indianleaders assisted in bringing down IdiAmin. After Obote again becamePresident, Arain was appointedUgandan High Commissioner toBritain and Gurdial Singh to India. Incolonial times, former Kampala mayorSir Amar Nath Maini becameUganda’s minister for corporationsand regional communications. Afterindependence, Shafiq Arain, UPCspecially elected member, becameminister for East African telecommunications.In 1950s, Indians in Tanzaniafounded the Asian Association.Tanzanian Asians have been loyal tothe ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi(CCM) party. Asian freedom fightersstood by Julius Nyerere, and with thethen Tanganyika African NationalUnion (TANU) in its independencestruggle. After independence in 1961,Abdul Karim was the first speaker ofparliament; Amir Jamal becamefinance minister and Al Noor Kassum,minister for energy and minerals. Butgradually, Asians moved out of activepolitics.Zambia too has an Indian element.Elected on the Forum for Democracyand Development ticket in 2001,Dipak Patel, of Indian origin, is thecurrent minister for commerce, tradeand industry.THE CARIBBEANDr. Cheddi Jagan, the towering figureof Caribbean politics, struggled toliberate Guyana by founding thePeople’s Progressive Party. He foughtfor nearly 28 years for the restorationof democracy after that countryattained independence from Britishrule and became its first freely-electedpresident. The founder of the country’sfirst mass political movement,Jagan was the leading political figurein Guyana for over half a century.Bharrat Jagdeo is the current Presidentof Guyana.During the 1950-60s, Indians inTrinidad & Tobago founded thePeople’s Democratic Party, theUnited Democratic Party and theUnited Labour Front to fight forworkers’ rights. Basdeo Panday wonelections in 1995 with the UnitedNational Congress and went on tobecome the first Indian-origin primeminister of Trinidad and Tobago, laterserving as the leader of the opposition.Kamla Persad-Bissessar was swornin as the first woman attorney-generaland was later appointed as ministerof legal affairs, acting prime ministerand minister of education until 2006when she became the leader of theopposition. Linda Baboolal headedTrinidad’s House of Representativesand the Senate as well.In Suriname, Jagernath Lachmon,founder of the Hindoostaans-JavanesePolitieke Partij (which later becamethe Verenigde Hindostaanse Partij), isregarded as the most famous of allpolitical leaders of Indian origin inSuriname. Ram Sardjoe is the currentVice President of Suriname. In 1988,Ramsewak Shankar became the firstIndian origin president of Suriname.In Trinidad & Tobago, LindaBaboolal, left, is the President of theSenate while Kamla Persad-Bissessar isthe Leader of the Opposition.Cheddi Jagan, seen here being garlanded, wasthe first freely-elected president of Guyana.Today, his legacy is being carried forward byBharrat Jagdeo (inset).ASIAIndians arrived with the Britishwhen they established Singapore in1819. Later, Singapore was ruled bythe colonial Indian government fromCalcutta for almost 50 years in the19th century. Indian labourers andmerchants played a key role in the lastcentury in Singapore’s development.During World War II, under Japaneseoccupation, Singapore became a focusfor political and military struggles toliberate India from British rule. In1943, Netaji Subhash Chandra Bosearrived in Singapore and established a‘Free Government of India’ and gavethe clarion call of ‘Chalo Dilli’ or‘March to Delhi’ to his IndianNational Army. The campaign failed.After the war, Indians contributed tothe struggle for Singapore’s independencethat came in 1965.26PRAVASI BHARATIYA AUGUST 2007PRAVASI BHARATIYA AUGUST 2007 27

60“Cover StoryIn Malaysia, Indian labourers, mostly southIndians, organised themselves into trade unions toseek better working conditions. These trade unionslater morphed into political parties. In 1946, Indianprofessionals, mostly north Indians andbusinessmen, formed the Malaysian IndianCongress.Indian leaders have been prominentsince then. Journalist S. Rajaratnam asminister of foreign affairs, and deputyprime minister; economist S.Dhanabalan as a minister; jurist S.Jayakumar as a minister and a deputyprime minister; and trade unionist C.V. Devan Nair as an opposition leader.The current President S.R. Nathanhas served as a distinguished civil servant.In Malaysia, Indian labourers, mostlysouth Indians, organised themselvesinto trade unions to seek better workingconditions. These trade unions latermorphed into political parties. In1946, Indian professionals, mostlynorth Indians and businessmen,formed the Malaysian IndianCongress (MIC).In 1954, MIC joined two other partiesto form an alliance for the elections.Malaysia became free in 1957.V. David, a noted trade unionist,formed the Malayan Labour Party.Promoting Tamil culture, V. T.Sambanthan, was elected president ofMIC in 1955. S. Samy Vellu is thelongest serving MIC president since1979. The only Indian in theMalaysian cabinet, he is the WorksMinister of that country now.AUSTRALASIAAfter fighting for freedom from theBritish for over a century, the Indiansin Fiji have faced hostility from theindigenous Fijians for the last 35 years.From sugarcane plantation labourersand merchants, they established politicalparties, became ministers and even“Dato Seri S. Samy Vellu (left), seen here with India’s Minister for Shipping,Road Transport and Shipping T.R. Baalu in this 2004 file photo, isMalaysia’s Minister for Works. The Malaysian Indian Congress, the partyVellu leads, is a partner of the ruling coalition in that country.head of government. After the militarycoup in 1987, thousands ofIndians left Fiji to settle in other countries,mainly Australia and NewZealand, but most stayed on in thecountry they regard home. They continueto play a leading role in politicsand after being elected as the heads ofgovernment earlier, they are still fightingfor equal treatment.In the 1930s and 1940s, Indians ledthe freedom struggle as they outnumberedthe indigenous Fijians. Thesocial and economic gap between thecommunities widened, though at onetime they shared a common politicalplatform. By 1940, Indians foundleaders in two London-trained lawyers— S. B. Patel and A. D. Patel, the latterbecoming a major figure afterWorld War II.Patel and Ratu Mara led the fightfor freedom and Mara became the firstprime minister after independence in1970. In 1987, Brig. Gen. SitiveniRabuka staged a coup to prevent anIndian-dominated coalition partyfrom taking power. The military coupcaused an exodus of thousands ofIndians who suffered ethnic discrimination.Mahendra Chaudhry launched theFiji Labour Party in 1985 and becamethe finance minister two years laterand was a leading political figure in the1990s. He became Fiji’s first Indo-Fijian prime minister in 1999. Afteran army coup in May 2000, the democraticallyelected government ofChaudhry was not restored to poweras the Fijian Great Council of Chiefstook over and appointed an interimgovernment. Commander of theArmed Forces Frank Bainimaramatook power as the head of the interimmilitary government in 2000.Elections were held in 2001, but noparty achieved a majority.In 2006, Bainimarama againassumed power and Chaudhrybecame a major voice of the opposition.In January 2007, he was appointedinterim finance minister in theBainimarama cabinet.In Australia, Indianshave been fighting the‘White Australia’ policyfor many years throughtheir cultural and religiousassociations but have hadno presence in government.Different Indianbodies have formedumbrella organisations indifferent states such asVictoria.Near Auckland in NewZealand, Punjabi migrantscame to farm vegetables.In the country’s south,between Queen Townand Milford Sound, a districtwas named Punjabbut recently the local peoplechanged its name toFive Rivers as it has fivesmall rivers as well. SukhiTurner is the first Indianto become a mayor inDunedin town. The currentGovernor GeneralAnand Satyanand traces his roots toFiji.NORTH AMERICAIndians in the US have concentratedon their professions and businessto establish themselves securely in theupper middle-class segments.However, they continued to supportIndia’s independence movement withmass meetings.After independence, they contributedto many development projectsand made investments. In 1956,Democrat Dalip Singh Saund, anadvocate, became the first Indian to beelected to Congress. In the last 15years, they have been exercising theirinfluence in Washington in persuadingsuccessive US governments tocraft pro-India policies. Many Indianshave been elected mayors. RepublicanPiyush Bobby Jindal from Louisanais the second Congressman of Indianorigin.In Canada, Herb Dhaliwal is theMinister for Natural Resources andPolitical Minister for BritishLEADERS ALLClockwise from top left: Sir Anand Satyanand is the Governor-General of New Zealand; Republican Bobby Jindal is a member ofthe US House of Representatives; Herb Dhaliwal is Canada’sMinister for Natural Resources; and S.R. Nathan is thePresident of Singapore.Columbia. Among the MPs elected in2004 were Ujjal Singh Dosanjh,Gurbax Malhi, Ruby Dhalla, DeepakObhrai, Navdeep Singh Bains, RahimJaffer, Gurnam Grewal, Nina Grewaland Yasmin Rattansi.EUROPERaja Rammohan Roy, poet,reformer and journalist, became thefirst Indian to enter British politics in1830 by submitting “the first authenticsettlement of Indian views”.60Traditionally, Indians have voted forLabour. Dadabhai Naroroji was thefirst Indian to be elected to the Houseof Commons in 1892 followed by SirManchergee MerwanjeeBhownaggree in 1895.A trio of Indian MPs in theCommons during the last 50 years ofthe empire represented the full parliamentaryspectrum. DadabhaiNaoroji represented the Liberal Partywhile Shapurji Saklatvala representedLabour (while being a paid-up memberof the Communist Party) duringthe 1920s.Since then, Indians in Britain haveusually been elected onLabour and Liberal partytickets but more recentlysome have been givenConservative tickets aswell. All three parties havepro-India parliamentarylobby groups today.Over 12 Indians haveentered the House ofLords. Lord Dholakia ischairman of the LiberalDemocratic Party. KeithVaz is a prominent MPand another, Piara SinghKhabra, the oldest MP at82, died recently. Morethan 250 Indians havebeen elected councillorsand over a dozen as mayors.South Africa was thecrucible where MahatmaGandhi crafted the art ofpassive resistance — apolitical weapon he laterused to help liberate Indiain turn. Indian independence was thecatalyst for PIOs in other countries toaccelerate their own fight for independence— a cause which helped inno small measure to liberate their ownmotherland.(A media consultant to a UN Agency,Kul Bhushan has worked abroad as anewspaper editor and has travelled to over55 countries. He lives in New Delhi andcan be contacted at:kulbhushan2040@gmail.com.)28PRAVASI BHARATIYA AUGUST 2007PRAVASI BHARATIYA AUGUST 2007 29

60Cover StoryPeople of Indianorigin have beenremarkable pioneers.Often amidexceptional social,political and economicodds in their adoptedhomelands, they setup successfulbusinesses andbusiness empires —shining examples ofthe spirit of trueentrepreneurship.Today, India stands togain from this wealthof experience andhuman capital asthese extraordinaryexpatriates seek outIndia in gratitude andnostalgia. Tarun Dastakes a look.The diasporic FLAGSHIPSAs India reflects on 60 yearsof Independence andtakes stock of its achievementsand challenges, itcan proudly claim a resource that fewother countries can match today — itsdynamic and effervescent human capitalin the form of persons of Indianorigin in other nations. The Indiandiaspora has always been a means forIndia to connect with other countries,and today, as we face the task of developmentwith great energy, we have thesupport of 22 million persons withroots in India.Ever since Indians started leavingthe shores of their homeland, theyhave made considerable impact onglobal business and trade. They haveventured to distant lands and unfamiliarenvironments, adapting to newcultures and at the same time, establishingsuccessful businesses.The first millennium saw Indiantraders travelling to West Asia andSouth East Asia, carrying with themnot only the famed spices, gold andtextiles of their native land, but also itslanguage, culture and religion.But during the second millennium,people from the subcontinent turnedmore insular, preferring to havetraders come to them rather thanaggressively seeking out new markets.This attitude could stem from theconfidence of the wealth that Indiapossessed in those days. More than 20percent of global GDP originated inIndia of the time, and globalisationand trade were entrenched facts ofIndian economic life.It was from the mid-18th centuryonwards that Indians, now muchimpoverished and under the dominationof the British empire, began emigratingin large numbers to man plantationsand armies owned by theircolonial masters. But these were peoplewith no capital and no resourcesto set up business ventures.It was therefore some decadesbefore they were followed by theircompatriots for trading and otherbusiness enterprises.Britain-based steel magnate LaxmiNarayan Mittal has been ranked by Forbesmagazine as the fifth richest person in theworld with a fortune of $32 billion. Born in avillage in the Churu district of Rajasthan, hissteel empire today runs a girdle fromIndonesia to the Caribbean to Europe toCentral Asia. The Financial Times namedMittal its 2006 Person of the Year. In May2007, he was named one of the ‘100 mostinfluential people’ by Time magazine.Lord Swraj Paul first went to Britain inthe Sixties to get his daughter treatedfor leukemia. He then took over theoverseas operations of his father’s companyApeejay group. After the Apeejayfamily partition, Paul renamed the companyCaparo. From acquiring one steelunit, he went on to acquire more andfounded the Caparo group in 1978. Hewas knighted by the Queen in 1978. In1996 he became a life peer, taking thetitle Baron Paul of Marylebone.A British businessman of Indian origin,Sir Gulam Noon established NoonProducts in 1987 which was into manufacturingchilled and frozen readymeals, predominantly for UK supermarkets,mainly in the Indian and Thaiready meal categories. In 2005 NoonProducts was taken over by Irish foodconglomerate Kerry Group. Accordingto the Sunday Times Rich List 2006,he has an an estimated fortune of £65million. Noon was knighted in 2002.60Born in Hyderabad, India, KaranBilimoria is the founder and chiefexecutive of Cobra Beer. A charteredaccountant by profession, he foundedhis world famous beer brand in1989, aiming to create a less gassylager more suitable for drinking withcurry and other foods. In 2006, hewas chosen as a cross-bench lifepeer with the title Baron Bilimoria ofChelsea and became the first-everParsi in the House of Lords.Born and brought up in the US,Amar Bose is the founder ofBose Corporation, a world leaderin sound systems. He inventeda stereo loudspeaker thatwould reproduce, in a domesticsetting, the dominantlyreflected sound field that characterisesthe listening space ofthe audience in a concert hall.Forbes magazine put his personalfortune at $1.5 billion in2006.32PRAVASI BHARATIYA AUGUST 2007PRAVASI BHARATIYA AUGUST 2007 33

3460Cover StoryBOOMING INDIA KEY TO GLOBAL ECONOMIC GROWTHSixty years after independence, Indiahas finally entered a virtuous circleof long-term economic growth, withstrong fundamentals and a booming youngpopulation, forcing the world to sit up andtake notice.After decades of being shackled by theso-called ‘Hindu rate of growth’ — wellbelow five percent — the Indian economyhas soared at an average rate of over sevenpercent every year in the last decadeand at around nine percent in the pastthree years.“We expect the economy to grow ataround nine percent in 2007-08 as well,while inflation is expected to be around fourpercent,” says C. Rangarajan, chairman ofPrime Minister Manmohan Singh’s highprofileEconomic Advisory Council.As more and more people shift fromagriculture to manufacturing and servicessectors and move from villages to towns,economists expect the rate of growth to goup by a couple of percentage points overthe next decade.This growth is fuelled by several factors.At over $20 billion per annum, Indiareceives more inward remittances than anyother country from the 25 million people ofIndian origin and non-resident Indians livingabroad.The boom in the information technology(IT) and IT-enabled services (ITeS) hasseen India become the back office of theworld for vital functions that range fromschool homework guidance to telemarketingand airline booking services.The Indian IT-ITeS industry notched up$39.6 billion in revenues in 2006-07, up30.7 percent from the previous year.There is also an air of justified optimismabout India’s long-term economicprospects today and experts say there areEntrepreneurship began with theParsi traders who took advantage ofthe opium route and came toShanghai and Hong Kong. Amongthese early pioneers were JamshedjiJeejeebhoy and Jamsetji Tata. Bothamassed wealth in trade with Chinaand the new colonial outpost of HongPRAVASI BHARATIYA AUGUST 2007at least three reasons for this.First, savings and investment rates arerising and are presently at around 32-34percent of India’s gross domestic product(GDP). Analysts believe they may rise to37-40 percent of the GDP by 2013.Second, India is now in a demographicsituation where a significant part of its 1.17billion population is a youthful asset.Ancient India is today home to the largestpercentage of youngest population in theworld with more youth below 25 years ofage than any other nation.This means India is one of the few countriesthat will not have to worry about alabour shortage for decades to come. Thiswill also have the automatic effect of pushingup the growth and savings rates and ofservicing the global economy.Third, despite a full range of politicalphilosophies from Left to Right in the country,there is now a broad national consensusin favour of economic reforms, with disagreementsonly in detail and manner ofexecution — as seen since 1991.India is now focussing on investing moreand more in infrastructure — both urbanand rural — and in social sectors, especiallyeducation and healthcare.The government’s official estimateplaces the fiscal need towards infrastructureat a whopping $320 billion over thenext five years through investments fromthe public and private sector, and fromdomestic and foreign sources.In some areas, spectacular results arealready visible. The telecom user-basecrossed the 212 million mark in April 2007,making India one of the largest telecommarkets in the world.Ernst & Young says India’s telecom sectorwill see investments of up to $25 billionbeing pumped in over the next five yearsKong, but both returned to Bombay.Jeejeebhoy was instrumental in buildingmany of the landmarks of theemerging city, while Tata went on tofound the first Indian business empirein the country. But many other Parsibusinessmen stayed on in HongKong, contributing as much to its risewith similar prospects in areas like airports,roads, ports and energy.Indian firms have responded to takeadvantage of this environment. Industrialproduction grew 11.3 percent for 2006-07- crossing the double-digit mark for the firsttime since 1995-96.Little wonder Standard & Poor’s has noweight Indian companies in its ‘GlobalChallengers List’.As the Prime Minister says, an importantstrength of the Indian economy todayis the country no longer faces any insurmountableexternal constraint on growthand both manufacturing and services sectorsare showing dynamism.In fact, foreign direct investments intoIndia exceeded the quantum of moneypumped by foreign funds since 1996 forthe first time ever, showing the confidencethat global majors now have about theirinvestments in the country.There are today very few sectors thathave investment constraints. A liberal andtransparent FDI policy for industrial, servicesand infrastructure sectors is now inplace. As a result, Rangarajan expects foreigninvestment of $15 billion in 2007-08,up from $8.4 billion the previous year.India has also undertaken region-specifictrade liberalisation, entering into tradepacts with countries like Singapore,Thailand and Sri Lanka, with more suchagreements on the drawing board. Theagreement with the US on civilian nuclearenergy will open up possibilities for growthof energy in the country.Sixty years after India’s independence,the state of the Indian economy providesmany good reasons to look back with satisfaction,and to move forward with confidence.— Joydeep Guptato a world-class city as other communities.Another early entrepreneur was theGrand Old Man of India, DadabhaiNaoroji. Naoroji left India in 1855 tojoin the first Indian overseas firm,Cama & Co in London, and set up hisown cotton trading company a few“years later. He later became famousfor being the first Asian to win electionsin England and writing the wellknown‘Poverty and Un-British Rulein India’.Sindhis are well-known for theirbusiness acumen and have a presencein many parts of the world, includingremote areas. KAJ Chotirmall & Co,a company founded by Sindhis inIndonesia, is now a multinational withoperations in 26 countries. Africa hasa substantial community of Sindhi,Gujarati and other Indian businessmen,with roots dating back to the early20th century. Sikhs, Tamils andBiharis are other communitiesinvolved in businesses across theworld. In some countries such as Fiji,Mauritius or the Caribbean, Indianentrepreneurs are dominant.The next wave of Indians emigratingto other lands were typically professionalssettling down in developedcountries. The second generation peopleof Indian origin are now turningto greenfield businesses or technology-drivenbusinesses. Patel-ownedmotels have become a householdname in USA. But the last couple ofdecades have thrown up influentialentrepreneurs of Indian origin in variouscountries. Some of these areLakshmi Mittal, the Hindujas, theChhatwals, and Swraj Paul, amongothers. These have not only been ableto build business empires, but alsohave helped shape the politics andopinions of their host country.In many smaller countries, particularlythose in East Africa and islandcountries, businessmen andentrepreneurs with roots in India pervadedeconomic life despite theirminority status. They imparted stabilityand growth to their new homecountries, continuing to do businessin the face of political uncertaintiesand social marginalisation. As theyAfter amassing wealth in trade withChina and Hong Kong, JamsetjiTata went on to found the firstIndian business empire.became more influential and enteredinto dominions other than business,they attracted attention.Many of the communities becameso overwhelmingly dominant thatthey began to be viewed negatively.Indians in Kenya and Uganda wereforced to leave in large numbers, andhad to re-establish themselves elsewhere.It is a tribute to their resiliencethat some of them, such as the Pathakfamily of the UK pickle firm or theTejanis of LPC Group, could successfullydo so, not only reprising theirformer role, but even building brandsin the process.It is estimated that South Asians inthe United Kingdom form 2.5 percent of the population but contribute10 per cent to its GDP. Similarly, theIndians in Belgium have been able toovertake other communities in thediamond trade.The Indian diaspora has proveditself to be a responsible and productivecommunity in business. Its membersare often better educated and havehigher incomes than other citizengroups of a country. It often stands asa role model for local business, as thesuccess of their ventures is sought tobe emulated.60People of Indian origin have exhibitedexemplary courage and fortitudeby adapting their business practices tolocal environments and making theirbusiness grow. Their creativity andinnovation has been evident as theyhave charted out new territories forthemselves and expanded.Sixty years after India’sIndependence, as the Indian economyrestructures to align with the globaleconomy, it is time for theseentrepreneurs to re-engage with theirroots. As India steps irrevocably ontoa higher growth trajectory of 9-10 percentgrowth, it opens up new horizonsfor the Indian diaspora. Large investmentopportunities are available acrosssectors such as infrastructure, manufacturing,and services. For the Indiandiaspora, the medium and small enterprisesof India also offer a high-returninvestment avenue, as they aredynamic, flexible and profitable ventures.The Indian government has liberalisedinflow of investment from overseasand reduced the procedural processfor new capital. In almost all sectors,FDI is permissible under theautomatic route. Industry associationssuch as the Confederation of IndianIndustry (CII) are one-stop centres ofinformation for those wishing to dobusiness in India. CII has formed theIndian American Business Council asa platform for Indians in America toconnect with their native land andfacilitate their business interests inIndia.Business and entrepreneurship havebeen inherent among the 22 millionIndians living overseas. The Indiandiaspora forms a valuable resource forthe emerging India, and India is keento re-engage with it.(Tarun Das is the chief mentor of theConfederation of Indian Industry. He canbe reached at tarun.das@ciionline.org.)People of Indian origin have exhibited exemplary courage and fortitude by adapting theirbusiness practices to local environments and making their business grow. Their creativityand innovation has been evident as they have charted out new territoriesfor themselves and expanded.PRAVASI BHARATIYA AUGUST 2007 35“

60Cover Story60Ethnic Indian mediaPRESSING AHEADIn the 60 years since Independence, as Indian communitiesacross the world became more prosperous, ethnic media hasevolved from small newspapers, weekly and monthly magazines,to radio programmes in Indian languages, and then on toIndian-owned radio and TV channels, writes Shubha Singh.The march of the Indiandiaspora been matchedby the rise of an ethnicIndian media. ImmigrantIndians have, despite the odds of livingfar away from India, tried to retaintheir language and culture whereverthey have been in sizeable numbers.Before Independence, Indians livingin distant colonies relied mainlyon newspapers, magazines and pamphletspublished in India for newsabout their homeland. As communityawareness grew, there also grew aneed to discuss issues that concernedthe Indian community. In its wake,rose newspapers such as IndianOpinion in South Africa, Hindustani inMauritius, Amardeep in Britain andShantidoot in Fiji.In the 60 years since Independence,as the Indian communities becamemore prosperous, ethnic media hasevolved from small newspapers,weekly and monthly magazines, toradio programmes in Indian languages,and then on to Indian-ownedradio and TV channels.In the early days, ethnic media wasa means for creating political awarenessand cultural bonding besideshelping to preserve Indian culture. Itserved its Indian readers and audienceby giving them a voice and a forum toexpress their views. It providedannouncements of births and deaths,community news and advertisedIndian products.There has since been a majorexpansion in the ethnic media. Justtwo decades ago, Indians living inAmerican cities that had a sizeableIndian population had to wait throughthe week for a solitary radio station togive them an hour of Indian musicand news. Now over 100 IndianAmerican TV programmes are telecastthrough leased-time programming,when TV channels lease out airtimefor community based programmesaimed at different ethnicgroups.In Mauritius, about a dozen Hindimagazines have been launched in thelast 15 years, with titles such Pankaj,MAHATMA GANDHI’S PIONEERING EFFORTThe Indian Opinion was anewspaper established byMahatma Gandhi in SouthAfrica and served as an importanttool for the political movementled by Gandhi and theNatal Indian Congress to fightracial discrimination and wincivil rights for the Indian immigrantcommunity in SouthAfrica.The first issue was releasedon June 6, 1903. It was publishedin Gujarati, Hindi, Tamiland English. M.H. Nazar, thesecretary of the NatalCongress served as its editorand a key organiser. In 1904,Gandhi relocated the publishingoffice to his settlement inPhoenix, located close toDurban.The newspaper’s editors included Hebert Kitchin, Henry Polak, Albert West, ManilalGandhi, who was the paper’s longest serving editor (for 36 years), and Sushila Gandhi.All but one of its editors spent some time in jail.Though the newspaper began with adopting a very moderate tone, reiterating its faithin British law and seeking not to provoke the hostility of British officials, it especiallyhighlighted the poor conditions under which indentured labourers worked.It became a vehicle for challenging state laws and urging defiance of these whenthese were clearly unjust.The Indian Opinion was a means of bringing news about Indians in the coloniesbefore the public in India. The pages of Indian Opinion provided a valuable historicalrecord of the disabilities that Indians suffered under.Though the newspaper continued to publish for many decades and played a significantrole in the wider civil rights struggle of South Africa, it suffered from not being acommercial enterprise.— With web inputsInderdhanush and Vasant. In the UK,several South Asian television channels,such as Star TV, Zee TV, SonyTV and Channel TV are availablethrough the Sky Digital platform. ZeeTV began telecasting in America in1998 and then launched its Zee Goldfilm and music channel. TV Asiabegan in 1993 as an English languagechannel that carried programmes inHindi, Gujarati, Bengali and Tamil.In countries such as Mauritius,Trinidad, Surinam, Guyana and Fiji,where television has not proliferated,radio is the main source of news andentertainment for the Indian community.Airing Indian music and infotainment,radio is popular even in theUS among those Indians who undertakelong commutes by car to and backfrom work.Trinidad has six Indian radio stationsbesides the state-ownedTrinidad Broadcasting Companywhich relays Indian language programmes.In Surinam, the Trishul andRasonic Broadcasting networks areowned by people of Indian origin andRadio Nickerie, Radio Radhika andRadio Sangeet Mala cater to the needs36PRAVASI BHARATIYA AUGUST 2007PRAVASI BHARATIYA AUGUST 2007 37

60Cover Story60“The Canadian government’s policy of supportingethnic media has resulted in a fairly large numberof Indian television channels and radio stationssuch as the Asian TV network, Gaunda Punjab, TVAsia and Indradhanush. Toronto, which has a largeIndian population, has 30 South Asian publicationsincluding 16 Punjabi newspapers, two in Hindi anda few in Gujarati such as Hamdard, Asian Roots,Toronto Tribune, Sukhanwar, Sanj Savera, SadaPunjab and Ashiana.“of the Indian community. Trinidadgot its first Indian language FM radiostation in the 1990s but the tremendousresponse it received from theIndian community resulted in thebirth of five other radio stations withina few years.Mauritius opened its airwaves toprivate entrepreneurs only in 2002 andit now has three FM stations broadcastingin Hindustani. Fiji has fourHindi radio stations, including the onerun by the government-owned broadcaster.Guyana’s state-owned radio stationsbroadcast some programmes in Hindi.Most of these radio stations rely mainlyon Indian film-based programmesand music but also air local singers andbhajan manadalis as well as currentaffairs programmes. Indian disc jockeyshave become celebrities in thesecountries and phone-in programmeshave devoted listeners.Advertising on these radio stationsis no longer restricted to Indian products.In fact, the stations attract bigenterprises that wish to target the substantialIndian population in thesecountries. Indian music has beenattracting listeners from other communitiessuch as indigenous Fijiansand Amerindians while the popularityof chutney music in the Caribbeanis not limited to Indians alone.The prosperity of Indian communitieshas contributed to a viable ethnicmedia. Indian publications providedthe news that the mainstreammedia did not before the age of theinternet. They gave the impetus towriters and creative writing andhelped preserve language skills. In fact,over two-dozen Indian language periodicalsare published in Britain alone— mostly weeklies and monthly magazines.In Britain, several newspapers targetspecific regional communities.Gujarat Samachar and Garavi Gujarati— two of the largest selling Gujaratinewspapers — are the most popularamong Gujaratis while Des Pardeshweekly, Punjab Mail and Punjab Timestarget the Punjabi reader. Amardeepweekly has a sizeable Hindi-speakingreadership.Publications based in India, such asThe Asian Age, India Today and CineBlitz also bring out UK editions. TheIndian media includes six 24-hourcommercial radio stations such asSunrise Radio and Club Asia, whilethe BBC also airs special programmesfor people of Asian origin.Reminiscent Television networkoffers six channels in Punjabi,Gujarati, Tamil, Bangla, Urdu andHindi. Apna TV caters to theBirmingham and Leicester area. Theyounger generation of Indians in theUK have the Eastern Eye, India Weekly,Asian Voice, Asian Xpress and BritAsiancatering to their interests.In the United States, Indian mediais legion with names like East WestTimes, Atlanta Samachar, Local Talk,Khasbaat, Kahani, NRIpulse.com,Hindi Times, India Currents, IndiaTribune and Filmy Adalat among a hostof others. India Abroad is the largestselling Indian weekly in the US whileseveral others, such as India West andIndia Post cover specific regions. SiliconIndia and Siliconeer are targeted at ITprofessionals while Balagopalam is amagazine for children. Ekhabaar, aRadio Tarana is popular with Indians of Fijian origin in New Zealand. Thepicture shows a Radio Tarana stall at an ethnic event.AMONG THOSE WHO MADE IT BIGSeveral Indians have made a name forthemselves in international mainstreammedia. Peter Bhatia is the mostsenior newspaper editor of South Asianorigin in America as the executive editorof the Oregonian, one of the most influentialregional papers in the country. He hasalso served as president of the AmericanSociety of Newspaper Editors.Fareed Zakaria,editor ofNewsweekInternational, overseesall the internationaleditions ofthe magazine. Aformer editor ofForeign Affairs, theleading journal oninternational relations,Zakaria wasnamed “one of the 21 most important peopleof the 21st century” by Esquire magazinein 1999.CNN’s chief medical correspondent DrSanjay Gupta is a practising neurosurgeonand has a large fan following among CCNKonkani language publication, isanother popular journal.It is a vibrant ethnic media in theUS with new magazines and websitescoming up regularly, aimed at specificage groups and regional interests.The Canadian government’s policyof supporting ethnic media hasresulted in a fairly large number ofIndian television channels and radiostations such as the Asian TV network,Gaunda Punjab, TV Asia andIndradhanush. Toronto, which has alarge Indian population, has 30 SouthAsian publications including 16Punjabi newspapers, two in Hindi anda few in Gujarati such as Hamdard,Asian Roots, Toronto Tribune,Sukhanwar, Sanj Savera, Sada Punjaband Ashiana.New Zealand and Australia openedup to migration from India only inrecent years but both countries havea substantial population of Indianswho migrated from Fiji. Australia’sSanjay Gupta of CNN, left, andNewsweek’s Fareed Zakaria.viewers for his weekend programme,House Call.Haroon Siddique, editorial page editoremeritus of Canada’s largest selling daily,Toronto Star, was awarded the Orderof Canada.Nisha Pillai is one of the main news presentersof BBC World channel. She coveredthe Iraq war for the channel and hasalso hosted theHardtalk programmeon occasions.Amrit Dhillon isa well-known TVanchor inGermany whileReena Ninan wasFox News correspondentinBaghdad.Washington Post’s associate editor andformer chief of bureau in Baghdad, RajivChandrasekharan, has written a criticallyacclaimed book on life in Iraq’s GreenZone, Imperial Life in the Emerald City.— Shubha SinghSpecial Broadcasting Service airs programmesin Hindi, Punjabi, Gujarati,Tamil, Kannada, Bengali and Urdu.It has about a dozen Indian publicationsthat include Hindi SamacharPatrika, Darpan and Mehak. NewZealand has the fortnightly IndianNewslink magazine, New ZealandIndian, Newsletter, Bharat Darshan webmagazine and Indianz TV while RadioTarana is run by a person of Indianorigin from Fiji and is popular amongthe Fiji Indians.Singapore has a 24-hour Tamil languageradio, Oli 96.8 FM, a Tamil dailyTamil Murasu and the TV channelVasantham to meet the needs of theTamil expatriates. The Nation and themonthly magazine, Bharat Ratna, arepublished in Hong Kong. Malyasia,with its substantial population ofIndian origin has two Tamil dailies,the Tamil Nasion and Malaysia Nasion,as well as two channels — Astro andMega — that cater to the Tamil speakingpopulation in the country.Samachar is an English languagemonthly published in the Philippinesfor the Indian residents.In South Africa, the state-ownedSouth African Broadcasting Corp hasthree channels that air programmesfor listeners of Indian origin.The government-owned Lotus FMstation carries programmes in Hindi,Urdu, Tamil and Gujarati while EastCoast Radio, Marble Ray and RadioHindvani are privately-owned radiostations run for the Indian community.Kenya has two radio stations, SoundAsia and East 106 which broadcastIndian language programmes whileTanzania has three Indian-ownedtelevision channels that telecast someIndian programmes.Major Malalayam newspapers inIndia print special editions for readersin the Gulf region, while radio stationslike Radio Asia and HUM have areach across the region with programmesin Hindi, Urdu andMalayalam. Besides, three AM stationsair Malayalam programmes.In the UK, US, Canada andAustralia, the Indian media hasexpanded from the traditional formsof print, radio and TV to emagazines,websites and blogs that disseminatenews, views and debate. They layemphasis on news that you can usewith forums for chat where people canexchange information and get adviceand suggestions.There is advice on how to handlefinances, money transfers, immigrationissues, insurance and educationissues.They also provide information onadoption, charities, Indian associations,theatres, Indian programmes,temples, prayer meetings and weddingplanners. The ethnic media connectspeople within their communitieswhile helping them remain connectedwith India.(Shubha Singh is a specialist on diasporaaffairs and author of the book OverseasIndians: The Global Family. She canbe reached at shubhyat@gmail.com.)38PRAVASI BHARATIYA AUGUST 2007PRAVASI BHARATIYA AUGUST 2007 39

60Cover StoryRoots, action, nostalgia...From Raj Kapoor to Reykjavik, Amitabh Bachchan to Boston, ShahRukh Khan to Cannes, Shabana Azmi to Seychelles, the diasporathrives on the dreams Indian cinema weaves, writes Amit Khanna.On a drizzly, coldevening, troopingthrough Reykjavik’smain street recently, Iheard strange sounds. I had written anold Hindi song decades ago. A Hindisong in Iceland? Well, actually Ishouldn’t have been startled. Walkingdown crowded Manhattan or drivingthrough the arid Arabian Peninsula,sunbathing in Seychelles or tobogganingin the Swiss Alps it is no longeramazing to catch a snatch of a Hindifilm song.Go to Russia and you are still askedabout Raj Kapoor. Amitabh Bachchanis voted as the star of the millenniumand is mobbed in many parts of theworld from Dubai to Durban. ShahRukh Khan draws frenzied crowds ata Paris festival. Javed Akhtar recites hispoetry at Oxford University even asZakir Hussain enthrals an exuberantaudience in Berlin. Shabana Azmireceives an honorary doctorate inLeeds. An American university offersIndian films as a subject of postgraduatestudies. Retrospectives, exhibitions,seminars about Indian films andentertainment are a regular occurrenceon the International cultural calendar.In the past 12 months, at least 10retrospectives of Indian films havebeen held at various important filmfestivals including Cannes, London,Pusan and Toronto. There are regulartheatrical performances and musicconcerts all over. Bollywood (incidentallya word I accidentally coinedin the 70s) the epithet may draw angryreactions from some Indian film personalitiesbut it is arguably modernIndia’s biggest global brand!Indian entertainment is truly a globalphenomenon today. We make thelargest number of feature films (1,000annually) and the Indian movieIndustry is worth $3 billion withexports of over $300 million. A populationof over 1.1 billion ensures thatevery sixth human is an Indian. Thereare about 25 million people of Indianorigin spread across 130 countries inthe world (40 million from the subcontinent)and the number is only rising.Many of these migrants have verystrong familial links with their motherlandbut almost all of them have atleast a few tenuous roots in theirancestral home. Invariably these rootsgo back to their food, language andculture. Most sociologists agree thatcommunities retain their culturalspecificity in spite of alteration in timeand space.In fact, ethnicity usually reassertsitself often aggressively even as ghettoisationaspires to overcome suchbarriers. Therefore, it is not uncommonto see a Little India (or a ChinaTown) in most great cities around theworld, predominantly hawking food,fashion and films. Arguably, one ofIndia’s most valuable exports, entertainmentis also the country’s bestbrand ambassador along with informationtechnology.Indian films are exported to about100 countries around the world, thebiggest markets being the US, Britainand South Africa. The Middle East,Southeast Asia, Australia and theCaribbean are some other importantmarkets. On a per screen average,Indian, especially Hindi films, featurein the weekly top 10 in all these markets.From a mere 20 prints a decadeago, big films release upward of 400prints in the overseas market today.Yet our films have not yet made significantprogress in crossing over tothe mainstream in these markets.Much of this is because of poormarketing. Until recently, Indianfilms, except those by a handful ofnew wave filmmakers like SatyajitRay, Mrinal Sen, AdoorGopalakrishnan, Shyam Benegal andGautam Ghose, were hardly visibleeven on the festival circuit. Popularcinema was happy at catering to traditionaldiaspora markets alone.The non-resident Indian is far moreof a bundle of contradictions than theaverage urban middle-class Indian. Inalien surroundings but with bettereconomic disposition, there is aheightened need to cling on to Indianvalues and mores. Nothing reflectsthis more than many of the Indian hitsabroad. So, elaborate weddings andfestivals, family feuds and foibles, chiffonand chintz, ornate havelis and picture-postcard locales are de rigueurin popular cinema these days. A syntheticsheen covers the warts of contemporaryIndia and overseas Indiansrejoice in a cinematic celebration ofthe wonder that is India.Underlying all the gloss is often astereotypical storyline of a good jointfamily where virtue always triumphs.Whether cinema reinforces regressivesocial mores or merely reflects populartastes is a moot point. Many filmmakers,such as Yash Chopra,Subhash Ghai, Karan Johar, SoorajBarjatya and Sanjay Bhansali, consciousof the large diaspora market forIndian films have been replicating thecelluloid dream world in film afterfilm with huge success.There is also a resurgence of Indianfilms made in English. These arepresently fringe films but the filmmakerslike Santosh Sivan, RajatKapoor and Nagesh Kukunoor aretrying to reach international audiences.In fact, there is a conscious effort onpart of many Indian producers to markettheir films aggressively abroad.Indian films are visible frequently atall major festivals and are now seeneven in countries as diverse as Peruand South Korea. Even someHollywood studios are now interestedin distributing Indian films. Rapidcorporatisation has also given an impetusto the internationalisation ofIndian cinema.A talented trio of expatriate Indianwomen — Mira Nair, GurinderChadha and Deepa Mehta — createdtheir own place in the hearts of cinegoersthrough films like The Namesake,Bend It With Beckham and Water. Theirfilms, aimed at a global audience, areoften laced with the dilemmas of second-generationexpats. There are atleast a dozen Indian filmmakers wholive abroad sans a creative connectionwith India. On the other hand, directorslike Manoj Night Shyamalan andShekhar Kapur have been makinginternational films but with an Indianconsciousness.A third breed of filmmakers is the“ABCD (American Born ConfusedThe non-resident Indian is far more of a bundle ofcontradictions than the average urban middle-classIndian. In alien surroundings but with bettereconomic disposition, there is a heightened need tocling on to Indian values and mores. Nothingreflects this more than many of the Indianhits abroad.“Desis), a rather disparaging acronymto describe a whole bunch of youngtalented filmmakers making filmsabout second-generation expatriates.There is no denying that both at thepopular level as well at the fringes ourfilms are slowly finding a global audience.What we need is more aggressivemarketing and positioning ofthese films to make a perceptibleimpact.Bhangra music is a good example ofan Indian art form getting wider internationalacceptance. Almost like reggaeor soul, Bhangra is a distinctivegenre of music. It is not surprising thatsome of this is being re-imported intoIndia.The immense popularity of ourfilm stars abroad can be ascertainedfrom the number of live shows beingperformed in many parts of the world.Thousands of eager fans pay upwardsof $100 to come to these song anddance extravaganzas. Even classicalmusic concerts and plays are stagedregularly around the globe.Similarly, almost all popular IndianTV channels including news channelsare now shown as part of most othercable and DTH platforms. The internetis opening up new virtual windowsfor us to reach out to the world.Therefore, it’s no longer strange to getIndian films on Netflicks or songs onI-Tunes.In this digital age where communicationis no longer an ordeal, an overarchingpan-global Indianness orBhartiyata is emerging. From food tofashion, films to literature there is adistinct Indian genre developing. Thisartistic expression may often be super-A still from the 2002 worldwide hit Bend itLike Beckham, delivered by British Indiandirector Gurinder Chadha (inset).ficially jingoistic or even totemic in itsIndianness but at least there is a consciousattempt that India as a culturecan hold its own anywhere in theworld. Our pluralistic, democratic andsecular society is an ideal nursery forart.The 25 million people of Indian originby themselves constitute one ofthe largest nations in the world. Theyconstitute only two percent of India’spopulation but generate wealth equivalentto about a third of our GDP.Many of them have achieved exemplarysuccess in their chosen field intheir country of adoption.Yet somewhere, something connectsthem back to their lineage inIndia. And so we have a captive audience,which is increasing its influencearound the world and many filmmakersare making films for globalIndians.However far one may be fromhome, its sights and sounds, andsmells and flavour are always a compellingconnect to your roots.(Amit Khanna is a well-known filmmaker,lyricist, cinema scholar andspokesperson of the Hindi film industry.)40PRAVASI BHARATIYA AUGUST 2007PRAVASI BHARATIYA AUGUST 2007 41

60Cover StoryWriting from withoutIndian writing in English and the Indian diaspora — and there are athirty million ways of being at home in the world. Identity anddislocation, geography and longing, reconnection and cosmopolitancommunity infuse the idea of diasporic writing. And this dialectic pavesthe way for a new generation of diasporic writers from 'elsewhere' towrite the iconic ‘Global Novel’, says Rukmini Bhaya Nair.He accomplishes this by deliberatelyand deftly linking his own ‘rootedness’in India, despite choosing to liveso far away, and Bankim Chandra’searly decision to attempt a novel inEnglish. Travelling back across nearlya century-and-a-half to the mustypages of Bankim’s long-forgotten novel,with its numerous descriptions ofeveryday scenes in the life of Bengal,Ghosh confesses:“The questions that strike me whenI read these lengthy and laboureddescriptions are: Who are they intendedfor? Why did he bother to writethem? Did he think his book mightbe read by someone who was entirelyunfamiliar with Bengal? The questionis a natural and inevitable one, but Ido not think it leads anywhere. For thefact of the matter is that I don’t thinkBankim was writing for anyone buthimself. For Bankim, Rajmohun’s Wifewas clearly a rehearsal, a preparationfor something else…The passages ofdescription in the book are not in factintended to describe. (Rather) they areBankim’s attempt to lay claim to therhetoric of location, of place… It is fora related reason I think that Bankimconducted his rehearsal in Englishrather than Bengali… To locate oneselfthrough prose, one must beginwith an act of dislocation. It was thisperhaps that English provided forBankim: a kind of disconnected soapboxon which he could test a certainform of address before trying it out in60“Today, a preoccupation with ‘the rhetoric oflocation and address’ continues to mark the work ofmany prominent diasporic writers in English. Thus,for example, Jhumpa Lahiri, US citizen and winnerof the Pulitzer Prize for Literature in 2000,emphasises that her identity as a writer depends onher using the English language as a sort ofimmigrant’s bridge between cultures: I translate,therefore I am, she declares.“Bengali.” Today, a preoccupation with‘the rhetoric of location and address’continues to mark the work of manyprominent diasporic writers inEnglish.Thus, for example, Jhumpa Lahiri,US citizen and winner of the PulitzerPrize for Literature in 2000, emphasisesthat her identity as a writerdepends on her using the English languageas a sort of immigrant’s bridgebetween cultures: I translate, thereforeI am, she declares.In this sense, it seems obvious thatconnections exist, although notstraightforward ones, betweenBankim’s strategic acts of culturalcrossover in colonial times and the‘acts of dislocation’ recorded by severalpost-Rushdie cosmopolitan writerssuch as Lahiri, Mistry, Seth andGhosh. Is it, then, legitimate to maintainthat these diasporics are just asfirmly mounted on that spectral soapboxas Bankim once was, addressingaudiences who are not quite present,or indeed quite in the present? Whois the audience of the diasporic writer?This next question requires us to turnaway from the internationallyacclaimed novelists so far mentionedto the many immigrant communitiesof Indian origin who are articulatingwith great zest what it means to be‘Indian’ in the 21st century.In Fiji, Trinidad and Birmingham,as well as in the heartland of Indiawhere ‘Hinglish’ is so widely bandiedabout, we are witness to dialects ofHindi and Urdu having merged andmixed with English over the years,creating vital cultural reservoirs. It iswell known by now that Rushdiedrew upon the resources of Indian“We are Indians, but there is redefinition.India has now to admit that there aredifferent ways of being Indian, which do notnecessarily have to do with being rooted inIndia. This is a wonderful and exciting realisation.It is a kind of liberating realisation.This is a kind of newness.” — SalmanRushdieFew would deny the truismthat to understand a phenomenonas complex asthe literature of the Indiandiaspora we have to return to its pointsof origin. In the case of fiction, one ofthese moments was undeniably signalledby the ‘birth’ of the first Indiannovel in English, Rajmohun’s Wife.Published in 1864, less than 10 yearsafter the traumatic events of 1857, thebook was authored, rather startlingly,by none other than that most nationalistof authors, Bankim ChandraChatterjee, who would go on to composethe Vande Mataram.Yet we know that the very sameBankim also spent most of his adultlife in the service of the Raj, retiringas deputy collector of Jessore andaccepting, as far as we are aware withoutovert demur, the honour of beingdeclared Companion, Order of theBritish Empire in 1894.How was such a contradiction possible?To consider one possible answerto this question, let us flash forwardto an essay written in the late 1990s bythe diasporic novelist Amitav Ghosh,born and educated in India but nowrelocated in New York. Ghosh takesus by surprise when he tells us that, ofall texts, Rajmohun’s Wife was in fact akey work that led him to ponder thesingular role of the Indian writer inEnglish. Or to put it differently, wemay read Ghosh as laying a strongclaim to Bankim Chandra as his ownliterary ancestor.“For the fact of the matter is that I don’t think Bankimwas writing for anyone but himself. For Bankim,Rajmohun’s Wife was clearly a rehearsal, a preparationfor something else…The passages of description in thebook are not in fact intended to describe. (Rather) theyare Bankim’s attempt to lay claim to the rhetoric oflocation, of place…”42PRAVASI BHARATIYA AUGUST 2007PRAVASI BHARATIYA AUGUST 2007 43

60Cover Story60Of all the species of writers on earth, diasporicwriters are expected not only to absorbcontemporary trends and draw upon a commonglobal vocabulary but also to somehow reconnect“with their ‘severed mother tongues’.English to create his distinctive style,but what is to be remarked today isthat such hybrid forms of talk and narrativeare not restricted to the literaryzone alone; they are everybody’sinheritance. The audience of the contemporaryIndian writer, diasporic orhomegrown, is constituted by theseindependent, yet interdependent,world communities.One altogether welcome consequenceof all this is, of course, that theold distinctions between centre andperiphery, between desi and pravasi,are being gradually broken down, aidedby India’s economic ‘liberalisation’in the 1990s, the internet, the media,speed of travel and other such irresistibleforces. But is the situation reallyso hunky dory? Would BankimChandra’s ghost rejoice were he to seeus today in our purportedly boundary-lessworld?It is often remarked that a major differencebetween the 19th centuryworld that Bankim inhabited and the20th century is that the greatest movementof peoples in the history of thehuman race took place in the latter.This sense of movement, and the disjunctionsas well as discoveries that itimplies, is reflected in a large clusterof commonplace terms: migrant,immigrant, refugee, asylum-seeker,boat-people, guest-worker, residentalien, tourist, traveller, nomad, gypsyetc. It is surrounded by a whole contextof material culture such as passports,airlines, tickets, visas and soforth — each of which marks a clashbetween the idea of powerful nationalborders that are guarded and controlledand the idea of crossing boundariesas a free ‘citizen of the world’.“Jhumpa Lahiri, UScitizen and winner ofthe Pulitzer Prize forLiterature in 2000,emphasises that heridentity as a writerdepends on her usingthe English language asa sort of immigrant'sbridge betweencultures: I translate,therefore I am,she declares.The wrenching experience ofmigration and the possibilities of asylumcannot but be specific to the culturesbeing entered and the regionsbeing left behind. It is exactly thissense of each migrant ‘self’ disintegratingand reforming in its ownunique and unpredictable fashion thatSalman Rushdie, for instance, seeks tocapture in his dramatic description ofa plane crash in the first chapter of TheSatanic Verses:“The migrant abroad the disintegratingaircraft… mingle(d) with theremnants of the plane, equally fragmented,equally absurd (and) therefloated the debris of the soul, brokenmemories, sloughed off selves, severedmother tongues.”Of all the species of writers onearth, diasporic writers are expectednot only to absorb contemporarytrends and draw upon a commonglobal vocabulary but also to somehowreconnect with their ‘severedmother tongues’. This is because, likeit or not, issues of identity and placeare impossible to avoid in any depictionor discussion of migration or diaspora.They are as intrinsic to the conceptualgeography of these words asthe Indian subcontinent is to the terrainof Asia.Since the notion of ‘diaspora’ thuspossesses a deeply contested meaningand relates to troubling issues of racialprejudice, denial of lawful rights andinequalities and injustices of varioussorts, a central question raised by postcolonialtheorists today is:Can there really be a borderlessworld or is this just a ploy to distractattention from the fact that while theworld may look ‘borderless’ to travellersfrom the rich and powerfulnations of the world, it is simply crisscrossedwith barriers and fences as faras most poor immigrants are concerned?The postcolonial fiction-writer,wherever she is located, typicallyresponds to this dilemma by pleadingthat, while the world may not be free,it is possible to ‘free the imagination’and thus connect with issues of politicaland intellectual emancipation. Itis this freeing of the imagination thatis the primary task before both diasporicIndian writers and those firmlyensconced in India, whether theywrite in English or Marathi or Tamil.For, the question asked earlier — whois the audience of the diasporic Indianwriter? — is intrinsically connected toanother impossible question: Whatdoes it mean to be Indian?In his classic Discovery of India, publishedthe year before IndianIndependence,JawaharlalNehru haddescribed thequintessential‘spirit’ of Indiaas spiritual, tolerant,traditionaland pluraland for a longwhile this comfortingcohortof adjectivesserved us verywell. In recentyears, however— as India hasincreasinglyopened itsdoors to a widerworld — a phalanxof bookson what constitutes Indian-ness hasappeared. Indians are now depicted asentrepreneurial, energetic, materialisticand bureaucratic (Pavan Verma inBeing Indian, 2004); psychologistSudhir Kakar (The Indians: Portrait of aPeople, 2007) is convinced that ourIndian-ness resides in our commonprejudices and preferences, whetherwe are domiciled in India or abroad.Economist and Nobel laureateAmartya Sen (The Argumentative Indian,2005) seeks to re-inscribe theNehruvian perspective by suggestingthat it is precisely the divisiveness ofIndians and their multiple viewpoints“The ‘I’ of Indian writers of thediaspora may be sometimes stilllost within an encompassing‘community’ identity, be itIndian, Caribbean or British.Yet, amongst the 30 millionIndian immigrants today aresome who will be able tosuccessfully counter theseconstraints in the not-too-distantfuture.Salman Rushdie, left, won the Booker of Bookers award for his Midnight’sChildren while Sir V.S. Naipaul is the only person of Indian origin to win theNobel Prize for Literature post-1947.“that makes India so sturdy and robustas the world’s largest democracy.What these attempted definitionsof ‘Indian-ness’ tell us is not just thatthere are many different perspectiveson ‘Indian-ness’ but that we are enteringa phase of redefinition.As long ago as 1989, Chinese-American novelist Maxine HongKingston had in fact made just suchan announcement. The heralds of fictional‘newness’, she had predicted,would emerge from within the globalimmigrant community: “Thedream of the great American novel ispast… we need to write the GlobalNovel.”But what exactly is entailed in producingthis ‘new’ global novel? Iwould suggest that it is just thosedilemmas of entering other culturesand passing through many zones ofcultural consciousness that areembodied in the ‘rootless’ figure of theimmigrant which make up the core of'the global or international novel.' Andthere is some evidence that this diasporicfigure — a reincarnation of theclassical ‘wandering Jew’ — mayalready be found journeying throughthe pages of much IWE fiction,whether the author chooses the magicalfantasy mode, like Rushdie orSealy, or a stubbornlyrealistmethod likeMistry orGhosh.Stylistically,almost all thesewriters seem tobe engaged in‘reclaiming history’,retellingnational narrativesin theirown words. Bythese means,IWE and otherforms of postcolonialfictionhave alreadyuniversalisedthe immigrantand paved theway for a new generation of diasporicwriters from ‘elsewhere’ to write theiconic ‘Global Novel’.The very acronym for ‘IndianWriting in English’ — IWE — seemscoincidentally to emphasise this point,for it reveals a self that is both individual— the autobiographical or confessional‘I’ — and the communitarian— the ‘we’. The ‘I’ of Indian writersof the diaspora may be sometimesstill lost within an encompassing‘community’ identity, be it Indian,Caribbean or British. Yet, amongst the30 million Indian immigrants todayare some who will be able to successfullycounter these constraints in thenot-too-distant future. Indeed, thenext generation of major writers tobring ‘newness’ to the expression ofIndian identity and thus radically redefineit could well emerge not just frompowerful 'first world' diasporic centreslike America nor from withinIndia but from the vibrant moderncultures of the Indian language diasporasfrom Guyana to the Gulf.(Rukmini Bhaya Nair is Head of theDepartment of Humanities and SocialSciences and Professor of Linguistics andEnglish at the Indian Institute ofTechnology, Delhi. She can be reached atrbnair@hss.iitd.ernet.in.)44 PRAVASI BHARATIYA AUGUST 2007PRAVASI BHARATIYA AUGUST 2007 45

60Cover Story60The playing fieldsIndians are embellishing the sporting field around the world… Butthere’s a difference. These are people of Indian origin, whoseforefathers migrated to the five continents over a hundred years ago.Now, the progeny who inherited the grit, determination and stoicism oftheir forbears are excelling in all — be it cricket, football, hockey, golf ortennis… Some of them are timeless icons, some superstars and someelegant champions of the playing fields, writes V. Krishnaswamy.The global Indian,whether or not he or sheholds an Indian passport,is a highly visible individual.Be it business or space technology.Literature or politics. You willfind sport too, and, prominently so.Over the last 60-odd years, sportspersonsof Indian origin have in their ownway made their presence felt.Vijay Singh, the only golfer to pushTiger Woods off the No. 1 position inthe last seven years is of Indian origin,as Vikash Dhorasoo who donnedFrench colours at the 2006 World Cupfor football. Then there was MohiniBharadwaj (in picture, above), theAmerican gymnast who stunned thesporting world by making theOlympic team at the ripe old age of 25and being part of the silver medal winningteam.Last year at the MelbourneCommonwealth Games, there wasSonia Brito, a Mangalorean runningfor Australia in the 400m hurdles.Cricketers from the time ofRanjisinhji, Duleepsinhji and Nawabof Pataudi played a big role insportspersons of Indian origin makinga big mark. The trend has continuedwith the latest hero in Englishcricket — spinning star MontyIndo-Fijian golfer Vijay Singh.Panesar who weaves awesome magic.Gymnast Mohini Bharadwaj, whohas a Russian mother and an Indianfather, represented US at the 2004Olympics in Athens. The 11-time All-American during her NCAA careerwas considered too young for the 1992Olympics! In 1997, she competed atthe World Championships as shewould in 2001, when it was held inBelgium and won a bronze.Footballer Vikash Dhorasoo, whois of Indo-Mauritian origin, belongsto the Telugu community. There wasa time when Mauritius wantedDhorasoo on their national footballteam, but he chose to wait and representFrance. More recently, he has alsohelped charities in India.Golfer Vijay Singh has been a bigsuccess after the age of 40 and has thereputation of being one of the hardestworking golfers. Winner of twoMajors, in 2004 he also became for awhile world No. 1 dethroning TigerWoods. He has played in India, butknows only Fiji as his homeland.But long before Vijay, there wasSewsunker ‘Papwa’ Sewgolum, aSouth African of Indian origin in the1950s and 1960s. A self-taught golferwho won the Dutch Open three timesand also played the British Open,Sewgolum came close to winning theSouth African Open by a single shot.At the 1965 Natal Open, he beat GaryPlayer, then one of the world’s best.CRICKETCricket and hockey are two sports,where sportspersons of Indian originhave distinguished themselves most.While England has lately fielded manyplayers of Indian origin, the WestIndies over the years has had numerousplayers of Indian origin.In the early years of the 20th centuryand even earlier, Indians likeRanjisinhji and Duleepsinhji playedfor England with great distinction.They were to be followed by theNawab of Pataudi who also donnedEngland's colours. Pataudi Sr, laterturned out for India too.The recent crop of Indian origin46PRAVASI BHARATIYA AUGUST 2007PRAVASI BHARATIYA AUGUST 2007 47

60Cover Storycricketers belongs to second and thirdgeneration Indians who have madeEngland their home.The Indian presence in West Indiancricket traces its roots to migrations inthe first half of the 19th century. Inthe Caribbean, Guyana was one of thesettlements for these early migrants.Former Test stars Rohan Kanhai andAlvin Kallicharran come from thatancestry. Kanhai was an aggressivebatsman in the 1960s and 1970s, andIndian legend Sunil Gavaskar is saidto have named his son, Rohan, inhonour of Kanhai. Kallicharran alsocaptained the West Indies.Other well known names includelegendary spinner Sonny Ramadhinwho played for Trinidad in the 1950s.Ancestors of current stars, such asShivnarine Chanderpaul andRamnaresh Sarwan, migrated to theCaribbean in the 19th century. Thenthere have been others, like leg-spinnersMahendra Nagamootoo andDinanath Ramnarine, and batsmanDarren Ganga.Upcoming players includeNarsingh Deonarine, a left-handedbatsman, who took part in the under-19 World Cup in 2000, pacemanRavindranath Rampul of Trinidadwho was a member of the West Indiesteam that won the under-15 WorldChallenger in England in 2000.In recent times, England has benefiteda great deal from players ofIndian origin. The likes of ColinCowdrey and late Bob Woolmer wereborn in India, but were English inevery sense. But Nasser Hussain, whocaptained England is half Indian, andthere have been the likes of MarkRamprakash and more recentlyVikram Solanki and Owais Shah andthe latest series saw Ravi Bopara andMonty Panesar making a big contributionto England’s fortunes. Englandalso has a future star in Varun Chopra.Other cricket teams with Indianorigin players have included NewZealanders Jeetan Patel and DeepakPatel. Hashim Amla, a couple of yearsago, became the first cricketer ofIndian origin to play for South Africa.THE SEWSUNKER GRIPSewsunker ‘Papwa’Sewgolum was aSouth African ofIndian origin, who hoggedworld headlines in the 1950sand 1960s, before he wasconsumed by South Africa'sapartheid policies. A selftaughtgolfer he used to playwith a back-handed grip —hands positioned the oppositeway to the traditionalgrip. And this grip came to becalled the famed ‘Sewsunker grip’.He was born to a blind mother in 1930in a family of poor sugarcane labourers inNatal. Since he worked close to a golfcourse, he began by emulation — hewould hit the ball with a stick and soonbegan practising as a caddie after beinggiven an old second-hand golf club. Hewas allowed to play on Mondays at hisclub.The racial laws prevented him fromplaying in open tournaments but in nonwhitecompetitions, he won the NatalAmateur at the age of 16. He was then“discovered” by a German, Graham Wulfe,who lived in Natal. Wulfe took him underhis wings and even took him overseas toplay in the British Open. Wulfe also tookhim to the Netherlands to compete in the1960 Dutch Open and Sewgolum won thetournament and won it again in 1960 and1963, and was runner-up in 1964.But in South Africa, Sewgolum wasallowed to compete only from 1963 — andhe won the Natal Open, defeating HaroldHenning and becoming the first person ofcolour to win a professional golf tournamentin South Africa. It must be seen incontext because Henning had won morethan 50 tournaments in his professionalcareer.FOOTBALLCricket apart, football is probablythe most prominent of disciplines,where sportspersons of Indian originhave made the biggest impact. Whenthe French national team for the 2006World Cup was announced, VikashDhorasoo probably became the firstIn 1965, Sewgolum beatGary Player, winner of theWorld Cup Invitational andthe US OpenChampionships and winnerof golf’s Grand Slam ofmajors at the 1965 NatalOpen.With rain pelting down,Sewgolum was forced toreceive his Natal Open trophythrough a clubhousewindow in the rain while theclub’s white members sat inside. That photowas sent around the world and causedan international outcry. It set off the cry forimposing sports sanctions on South Africa.In 1965, Sewgolum came within awhisker of winning the South African Openbut just as things started looking good, thegovernment banned Sewgolum from alllocal tournaments and also withdrew hispassport. That ended his career abroad.Sewgolum died a pauper at the age of48.In 2004, Sewgolum was posthumouslyawarded the Order of Ikhamanga, SouthAfrica’s highest honour for achievement inthe performing arts and sport. He also hasa golf course — Papwa SewgolumMunicipal Golf Course — in Durbannamed after him. In 2005, there was abiography, Papwa Sewgolum: FromPariah to Legend, and in August the sameyear a documentary film, Papwa: The LostDream of a South African Golfing Legend,recorded the legendary life.The same year, a plaque was unveiledin his memory at Durban Country Club. Atthe function, the 1965 Natal Open awardsceremony was described as “an ignominiousdebacle” and the club on behalf of itsmembers apologised to Sewgolum’s wifeSuminthra Sewgolum and son Rajen. ■player of Indian origin to turn out atthe game’s biggest quadrennial celebration.An Italian Serie A player,Dhorasoo, who also turned out forFrance in the 1996 Olympics (he wasthen under 23) was in 2003 named FCLyon’s player of the season.A member of the winning WorldArmy Cup for France in 1995, he alsowon 28 caps for the French under-21and U-23 teams. He ultimately got acall to the senior side in 2006.Dhorasoo is just one of the manyfootballers of Indian origin to shine inforeign legions. Recently, Newcastle’sMichael Chopra became the first footballerof Indian origin to score a goal inthe Premiership.Long seen as the successor to AlanShearer, Chopra could in the nearfuture break into the English nationalteam.Among women, there is AmanDosanjh of England, who is said to besomething like the star in Bend it LikeBeckham. While Dosanjh played forArsenal Ladies, there was alsoParminder Jhooti for Fulham Ladiesand they were stars before Chopra andHarpal.More recently Jamaica and Trinidadand Tobago have built successfulsquads around Indian diaspora players.HOCKEYIt is said that once, at a matchbetween the Indian and Kenyanteams, there were around 17 ‘Singhs’— 11 in the Indian side and six in theKenyan.While this is yet to be verified, thefact remains that Kenya and Canadahave always had a large number ofIndians turning out for them.In 2000, Shiv Jagday, who studiedat the Punjab Agricultural University,Ludhiana, failed to take the US teaminto the Olympics as its coach, but hedid have the satisfaction of seeing hisson, Ronnie Jagday, represent Canadaat the Sydney Olympic Games. Shivhas also been the national coach ofCanada men’s team only to be followedby Shiaz Virjee, again of Indianorigin.Curiously, at the Sydney Olympics,the Indian team had no player fromSansarpur, once considered the nurseryof Indian hockey — with morethan two dozen Olympians to its credit.But Sansarpur did have its representationin the form of Bindi Kular,a member of the Canadian team.GOLFGolf’s biggest Indian export hasbeen Fijian Vijay Singh. Vijay’s parentsare of Indian origin who settledin Fiji, but Vijay has gone on to settledown in the United States, though hestill represents Fiji. There have alsobeen other distinguished golfers ofIndian origin in Fiji like DineshChand.Golf has also seen Daniel Choprawho was born to a Swedish motherand an Indian father. He learnt hisgolf at the Delhi Golf Club, but choseto take a Swedish passport.Kiran Matharu, again of Indian origin,is shaping into one of England'sbest women professionals and at ayounger level, Rhea Nair is anothergolfer of Indian origin playing for theUnited Arab Emirates (UAE).TENNISRajeev Ram, a 23-year-old of Indianorigin, whose parents settled in US,reached the quarter finals of theWimbledon this year and has beensince playing consistently at theChallenger level with modest resultsin doubles.But before Ram, there was ArvindParmar of Great Britain, who playedShivanarine Chanderpaul is among the newcrop of stars of Indian origin carrying forwardthe legacy of Sonny Ramadhin, Rohan Kanhaiand Alvin Kallicharan.at Wimbledon each year from 1999 to2001 and also the Australian Open in2000.He also reached the quarters ofRotterdam Open, a prestigious ATPTour event and also representedBritain at the Davis Cup.The Amritraj cousins, Prakash andStephen, spent most of their youth inthe US but Prakash has now chosento play for India.In the years to come, with Indiansfanning out all over, more and moresportspersons of Indian origin arebound to emerge as superstars in theirchosen field of sport.(V. Krishnaswamy is a veteran sportsjournalist. He can be reached atswamy007@gmail.com.)In 2000, Shiv Jagday, who studied at the Punjab Agricultural University,Ludhiana, failed to take the US team into the Olympics as its coach, but he didhave the satisfaction of seeing his son, Ronnie Jagday, represent Canada at theSydney Olympic Games. Shiv has also been the national coach of Canada“men’s team only to be followed by Shiaz Virjee, again of Indian origin.“48PRAVASI BHARATIYA AUGUST 2007PRAVASI BHARATIYA AUGUST 2007 49

60Rashtrapati Bhavan60Message from the President of India‘Ensure equitiblegrowth for all’In her first Independence Day eve speech,President Pratibha Patil said that the fruits ofeconomic development must necessarily touch,especially, the living and working conditions ofthe toiling masses and people below thepoverty line in the country. A report.India may be rising as a majoreconomic power with itsentrepreneurs surging aheadwith fresh confidence butprosperity must touch all sections tomake social change meaningful,President Pratibha Devisingh Patilsaid on August 14.“Growth, when unevenly spread,dwarfs overall prosperity,” Patil saidin her maiden televised address to thenation on the eve of India’s 60thIndependence Day celebrations.“We have to ensure equitablegrowth for all. The fruits of economicdevelopment must necessarilytouch, especially, the living and workingconditions of our toiling massesand people below the poverty line,”she added.Stating that the 60-year-old democracy,the largest in the world, wastoday set to take off, the newly-electedPresident reminded fellow citizensof their duty to ensure that thisunprecedented moment did not gounutilised.“For our nation to rise and claim itsglorious destiny, we must realise thatit is our billion hands that can shapeit. And, in the immortal clarion call ofSwami Vivekananda, I ask my fellowcitizens to ‘Arise, awake and stop nottill the goal is reached’.”Patil showered praise on the Indianentrepreneur and termed as “spectacular”the achievements in areas likeknowledge economy, informationtechnology, business process outsourcingservices and pharmaceuticals.“Our corporates have made boldand successful forays into the globalmarket and corporate acquisitions. Mygood wishes go for our entrepreneurs,big and small, in their continuingenterprise,” she said and added, "Thenation owes a deep debt of gratitudeto them.”Besides delving on the economy,Patil focused on the other challengesbefore the country including the statusof women, poverty, health andagriculture.Quoting Mahatma Gandhi as sayingthat “salvation of India lies in theelevation of her women”, Patil saidhistory bore sufficient proof thatwomen excelled not only as ablehomemakers but also in the task ofnation building.“Let us resolve that they are not leftmarginalised in our society. Let us alsoresolve to expand opportunities fortheir wholesome participation in everyfield of activity and make themharbingers of sustainable development.”The recurring thread of Patil’sspeech was the necessity to foster anenvironment of cooperative federalismin pursuit of national goals.“For any nation and its people tobecome great, there is a need to pursuethe path of collective vision. The moredeveloped amongst us should inspireand enthuse the less developed to raceahead on the road to development.”Pointing out that agriculture playeda critical role for balanced development,Patil said, besides attaining thegoal of food security, “a strong androbust growth in agriculture can helpreduce rural poverty”.“The success of the first GreenRevolution has been significant andhelped us feed a population which hascrossed the one billion mark. We mustsustain the momentum and analysethe challenges that we face in the presentagricultural scenario.”Alluding to India’s young demographicprofile — a pet theme of herpredecessor, Abdul Kalam — Patilmaintained it was imperative to bringthe needs, rights and expectations ofyouth to the centre of developmentconcerns.Educational institutions played animportant role to harness this, Patilpointed out.“Let us resolve that they (women) are not left marginalised in our society. Let usalso resolve to expand opportunities for their wholesome participation in every“field of activity and make them harbingers of sustainable development.“While we foster an atmosphereconducive to promoting higher standardsof academic excellence, weshould not overlook the need to nurturea system of holistic education thatteaches positive values and makesgood citizens,” the President said.As the supreme commander of thecountry’s armed forces, she alsopraised the unparalleled bravery of soldiersguarding the nation’s boundaries.“This is the occasion to express ourgratitude to the brave personnel of ourarmed forces whose eternal vigil andprotection of our borders, seas andskies under challenging circumstanceshave ushered in a climate of peace,enabling us to plan the path of futureprogress and development of thenation.”(For the full text of the President’s speech,visit www. presidentofindia.nic.in.)50PRAVASI BHARATIYA AUGUST 2007PRAVASI BHARATIYA AUGUST 2007 51

60Cover Story60PM VOWS FOCUS ON AGRICULTUREIn his Independence Day speech from the ramparts of the Red Fort,Prime Minister Manmohan Singh pledged to focus on agriculturewhile maintaining that industrialisation was critical to progress andemployment. Here is a report.Prime Minister ManmohanSingh marked the 60thanniversary of independenceon August 15 with apledge to focus in the coming years oncrisis-hit agriculture but insisted thatindustrialisation was critical toprogress and employment.Delivering his fourth speech fromthe magnificent Red Fort monumentin New Delhi on a bright and clearday, the Prime Minister sounded confidentas he spoke in Hindi, touchingupon an array of subjects but focussingon education and agriculture.In his crisp 35-minute address,heard by millions across India andabroad, the Prime Minister voiced hisgovernment’s determination to crushterrorism, without any reference toPakistan, and said instead that NewDelhi desired “the best of relations”with all its neighbours as well as countriesbeyond.He also urged political parties notto split up Indians on sectarian issues,asked people to keep the country cleanand green and to use the Right toInformation Act to check corruption,and promised social security to thepoor over 65 years of age and those inthe unorganised sector.But in recognition of a severe crisisthat has enveloped agriculture that hasled to farmer suicides in thousands,Manmohan Singh devoted much ofhis time on the subject, promising aRs.250-billion package to boost farmoutput.“In the coming years, our mainemphasis will be on agricultural development,”he said. “We will soonlaunch a special programme to investRs.25,000 crore in agriculture, toenhance the livelihood of our farmersand increase food production.“We will also focus on the needs ofour farmers in dry and drought proneregions,” he said, adding food grainproduction was sure to get a boostwhen his government rolls out anambitious agriculture developmentprogramme.The Prime Minister also said thatthe National Rural EmploymentGuarantee Act that guarantees at least100 working days in the countrysidewould now be extended to the entirecountry.But the economist-turned-politicianmade it clear that there were limitsto how much income agriculturealone can generate, given the largepopulation dependent on farming andthe small size of farms in the country.“India cannot become a nation withislands of high growth and vast areasuntouched by development, wherethe benefits of growth accrue only toa few,” he said. “This is good neitherfor our society nor for our polity.“If employmentgeneration is thebest weaponagainst poverty,thenindustrialisationis the mosteffective meansto create new jobopportunities...We will pursuepolicies that willhelp in our rapid“Therefore, it is essential that wecreate new employment opportunitiesoutside of agriculture. There is nodeveloped country today anywhere inthe world that is not an industrialeconomy. Industrialisation is criticalfor progress.“If employment generation is thebest weapon against poverty, thenindustrialisation is the most effectivemeans to create new job opportunities...“We will pursue policies that willhelp in our rapid industrialisation.”Seeking a “revolution in the field ofmodern education”, ManmohanSingh announced the setting up ofcolleges in 370 districts, 6,000 newhigh quality schools, in every block ofthe country and 30 new central universities.The government, he added, wouldalso promote five new IndianInstitutes of Science Education andResearch, eight new Indian Institutesof Technology, seven new IndianInstitutes of Management, and 20 newIndian Institutes of InformationTechnology.industrialisation.““It is my fervent desire that Indiabecomes a fully educated, modern,progressive nation... We will makeIndia a nation of educated people, ofskilled people, of creative people.”Cheered occasionally by the audience,in particular the colourfullydressed schoolchildren, ManmohanSingh vowed to crush extremism andterrorism and said that those who professhatred, communalism and violencehad no place in society.Asserting that India had “emergedas a bridge between the manyextremes of the world”, he said NewDelhi desired “good relations” with allthe countries and “the best of relations”with its immediate neighbours.“I assure all our neighbours that wein India want peace and the best ofrelations with all of them.“I sincerely believe that in the prosperityand well being of our neighbourslies the key to our own securityand progress.”Manmohan Singh said that whilethe country was moving forward inthe right direction, “we have beenslow in taking some steps; we havedithered at times, and stumbled sometimes”.“We have had success on somefronts and setbacks on some others,”he said, speaking freely and frankly.“But there is no doubt that we havebeen steadfast in our resolve.”He said the Indian economy wasgrowing “at historically unprecedentedrates”, sought more creative processof urbanisation to overcome themany problems urban areas face, andadvocated cleanliness drivers in allneighbourhoods.The Prime Minister pledged tobring greater prosperity to the lessdeveloped regions such as the northeastand Jammu and Kashmir, and saidhis government had a vision to bringnew investment to all three regions ofKashmir.(For the full text of the Prime Minister’sspeech, visit www.pmindia.nic.in. Pictureon the left shows the Prime Ministerunfurling the tricolour at the Red Fort onAugust 15.)52PRAVASI BHARATIYA AUGUST 2007PRAVASI BHARATIYA AUGUST 2007 53

itain60 Diaspora NewsDiaspora NewsLabour wins ‘Little India’ seat in LondonVoters gave Britain’s newPrime Minister GordonBrown cautious endorsementas the Labour partyon July 20 retained the two seats ofSedgefield and Ealing Southall — betterknown as Little India — but withreduced majorities.The by-elections were Brown’s firstelectoral test after taking over asBritain’s prime minister in June, buthis delight at the victory was dampenedby the fact that the winning marginin both constituencies had dwindledsince the 2005 general elections.In Ealing Southall, Labour’sVirendra Sharma was declared elected,and promptly termed the result asa “humiliating rebuke” to theConservative party led by DavidCameron, whose five visits to the constituencyhad made it into a prestigiouscontest. The results have beendescribed as “a night of severe disappointment”for Cameron.Political commentator NickAssinder said: “The outcome will contributeto the mutterings over thedirection Mr. Cameron is taking theConservatives and provide someammunition for those in the partywho believe they simply are not makingthe sort of advances needed to putthem on the road to victory at the nextgeneral election.”The result was a repeat of the 2005general election outcome with theLiberal Democrat candidate NigelBakhai returning second highest votes.Despite the high-profile campaign,Conservative candidate Tony Lit camethird, with a reduced number of votesthan the party got in 2005.In 2005, Labour Piara Singh Khabrahad won the seat by a margin of11,440 votes. This time, Sharma'smajority was slashed to 5,000.Observers attributed this to the lowerturnout in the by-election than that inthe 2005 general election.Soon after being declared elected,Sharma said: “I am humbled by thetrust reposed in me by the people of© Ealing TimesEaling Southall. This is a great resultfor our new Prime Minister GordonBrown. It is policies that win elections,not slick PR.“We never took this area for grantedand we will never take this area forgranted. David Cameron staked hisreputation on this by-election and thepeople of Southall and Ealing havegiven their verdict tonight. We don’ttrust the Tories to represent us. TheyVirendra Sharmadon’t stand for us.”Claiming gains after finishing third,Conservative candidate Tony Lit said:“This is a positive result for theConservative Party. Yes, we haven’twon it but we have moved in the rightdirection. David Cameron’sConservative Party is the 21st centuryparty and it is the party, which isgoing to be governing after the nextGeneral Election, I firmly believe it.“This is a by-election that alwaysseemed a one horse race and we havemade sure that it wasn’t a one horserace this time. Labour has seen themajority slashed, this constituency isturning into a marginal seat.”Liberal Democrats’ Bakhai, whoretained his second position, said:“The real disappointment in this byelectionis for David Cameron. He puthis name on the ballot paper and hecame third.”In Sedgefield, Labour’s Phil Wilsonwon by a margin of 7,000 votes. In2005, the outgoing MP, Tony Blair,had won with a margin of over 18,000votes. The Liberal Democrats camesecond while the Conservative candidatewas reduced to the third place.A delighted Labour deputy leaderHarriet Harman said that the twoelection results will “bring a spring inour step”, but refused to be drawn intospeculation whether the results willinspire Brown to order an early generalelection, as widely speculated.Detailed figures of the two resultsshowed that even though Labourwon, the vote share of LiberalDemocrats and Conservatives hadincreased.The by-election in Ealing Southall,in west London, was triggered by thedeath of Piara Singh Khabra on June19. The Sedgefield constituency inDurham County went to the polls followingthe resignation of Tony Blairas prime minister and MP.Campaigning in Ealing Southallwas marked by allegations of dirtytricks, defections and scuffles. The listof candidates in the fray was predominantlyof Indian or Asian origin,reflecting the constituency’s largeminority of Indian-Punjabi origincomprising Sikhs, Hindus andMuslims.In the run-up to the elections, campaigningin Ealing Southall was takento a new high by the frequent visits ofhigh-profile leaders such as Cameron,Foreign Secretary David Miliband,Environment Secretary Hilary Benn,shadow chancellor George Osborneand Liberal Democrats leader MenziesCampbell.The colours and sounds of the campaignby the three main parties weresimilar to those evident in elections inIndia — large banners with Indianorigincandidates smiling down,organising defections, visits to gurdwarasand using local radio stations towoo voters.— Prasun Sonwalkar in LondoncanadaNew Hindu temple comes up in TorontoCanadian PrimeMinisterStephenHarper inaugurateda Hindu temple inToronto and praised the $40-million architectural marvel,saying that it represented thespiritual and ethnic pluralismof India and Canada.The Bochasanwasi ShriAkshar PurushottamSwaminarayan Sanstha’s(BAPS) SwaminarayanMandir opened on July 22after 18 months of construction.“Canada’s accommodationof diversity is not withoutprecedent,” Harper said,addressing a large crowd.“There have been forerunners— and of these perhapsnone is as noteworthy as India.”The temple, built with Turkish limestone and Italianmarble, is the first Hindu temple in Canada to come upaccording to ancient Indian Vedic principles, BAPS said.Most of the temple was carved using hammer and chiselby close to 2,000 craftsmen, 100 of who came from India.Harper said the fruit of the community’s labour wouldgive people a glimpse into how Indo-Canadians have influencedcultural mosaic here, CTV.ca reported.“The facility will inspire visitors to appreciate how thespiritually diverse, multi-ethnic heritage of Indo-Canadianshas contributed to the fields of arts, science, education andpluralism,” Harper said.Many Sikhs andMexicans arebeingemployed in raspberryfarms across Canada wherethey do odd jobs of pruning,weeding, planting andpicking, earning $8 anhour. Indeed, the demandfor immigrants with agriculturalbackgrounds isgrowing in the country.Gurmail Singh Cheema,a migrant worker, camefrom Punjab. He is familiarwith mangoes but hisfingers are now stained redfrom a fruit he never tastedbefore coming to Canada.In 1996, he was in Punjabrunning his own 35-acrefarm. He had five labourersmilking his cows, pickinghis tomatoes and cuttinghis sugar cane. Now,he gets up every morningat 4 a.m. to pray, havebreakfast and leave his60Virtually every inch of theplace is embellished withcarved deities as well as horses,peacocks, elephants, lotusflowers and vines, each representingdifferent Hinduvirtues.People in a parade on July21 afternoon carried severalidols that were to be installedin the temple as a symbolicgesture to introduce thedeities to the city, their newland.The local Hindu community,mostly Indo-Canadians,offered up about 400 devotedvolunteers and footed thebill for much of the temple.“It gives me a sense ofpride, a reputation for firstgenerationIndian Canadiansthat we are integral membersof this country,” said activity co-ordinator Aarti Patel.“In addition to Canadian winters, another major hurdlewas convincing Toronto city officials that the temple, acompletely steel-free structure, was sound engineering,”said Naren Sachdev, project manager of construction.Virtually every inch of the place is embellished withcarved deities — cavorting horses, peacocks, elephants,lotus flowers and vines — each representing differentHindu virtues. “For me to try and describe it in words isnot possible. It is something one has to experience. Whenyou do enter the temple, you will see how the whole atmosphereand ambiance creates that atmosphere within oneself,”Sachdev added.■Sikhs among migrant workers in raspberry farmsBrampton home in amaroon minivan, pickingup other Sikh farmers onstreet corners en route to araspberry farm, The Starreported.“Now I am the labourer,”said Cheema, 64, whocame to the country to earnmore money. “There arenot enough reliableCanadian workers that willdo this kind of work,” saidAndrews, who has owneda fruit and vegetable farmfor 27 years. “We have putadvertisements in the paperfor people to do weedingand picking.”“For every foreign workerthat comes to Canada, 2.1full-time Canadian jobs arecreated in trucking, packagingand the supply chain.We’re creating more than30,000 jobs as a result offoreign workers,” said KenForth, a farm owner. ■54PRAVASI BHARATIYA AUGUST 2007PRAVASI BHARATIYA AUGUST 2007 55

united states60 Diaspora NewsDiaspora News‘More green cards can stop reverse brain drain’An Indian Americanentrepreneur researcherhas suggested that the USabolish H1-B visas forskilled workers and instead offer moregreen cards to prevent a reverse braindrain to booming economies likeIndia.The US is setting the stage for amassive reverse brain drain, saysDelhi-born Vivek Wadhwa, a technologyentrepreneur currently servingas an executive-in-residence atDuke University’s Pratt School ofEngineering.The country needs to get its acttogether and realise that legal andskilled immigrants are a different issuethan unskilled immigrants whoentered the country through the backdoor, he said suggesting abolition ofH1-B (temporary, non-immigrant)visas.Wadhwa made the suggestion in thelight of a study led by him that foundimmigrants were key founders inmore than a quarter of all the engineeringand technology companies setup in the US between 1995 and 2005.The Duke project underscores thepoint that a significant portion ofimmigrants in the US are highly educated,fuelling a tech boom, leadinginnovation and creating jobs, he toldForbes.com.“Indians are among the best educatedof all immigrant groups,” hesaid, adding that Indians foundedmore engineering and technologycompanies in the US in the decade upto 2005 than the next four groupscombined — those from Britain,China, Taiwan and Japan. Theyaccounted for 26 percent of all startups,about 117,000 jobs and $14 billionin revenue in 2005.But that trend could be arrested orreversed by a growing phenomenon:Large numbers of skilled Indianimmigrants are returning home.Many of them are heading back,Wadhwa said, because of the six-to-10years it takes for their green cards —Vivek Wadhwaor permanent immigrant status — toarrive.“This is a double loss for the US.One is that we lose good people. Thesecond loss is that they will becomeour competitors,” he noted, addingthat this is true for many Chinese,Russian and European immigrantstoo.As a way to curb the outflow ofimmigrant talent, he suggested thatthe H1-B visa be abolished altogether.“Instead, (we should) expand thenumber of green cards we issue toskilled immigrants” and allow theseskilled immigrants to come in on permanentvisas.H1-B visas are problematic becausethey distort salaries, “and they doreduce American salaries; the criticsare right about that”, Wadhwa wasquoted as saying by Forbes.“If you come on an H1-B visa, yourwife cannot work and she cannot geta driver’s license. For six or 10 years,you cannot buy a house, because youdon’t know if you are going to be hereor not.”Wadhwa argued that H1-B visasenable employers to exploit the vulnerabilityof skilled temporary workers.“No matter what we say, if youhave an employee who can’t leave you,you are not going to pay him moremoney than you have to,” he said.“You are not going to treat him asnicely as someone who can leave.”In what may run counter to conventionalwisdom, the researchersfound that more than half (53 percent)of the immigrant founders of technologyand engineering companiessecured their basic undergraduatedegrees in their home countries. Theywent on to acquire their highestdegrees from US universities.About 91 percent of Indian immigrantfounders completed their undergraduatedegrees in India, while thatnumber was 35 percent for Chineseimmigrants and 97 percent for theTaiwanese. “This shows that undergraduateeducation in India is prettygood,” said Wadhwa, adding that thedata doesn’t show that to be the casewith China.Companies founded by immigrantstended to cluster in the country’smajor technology centres, which alsopredictably overlapped with concentrationsof immigrant population, thestudy found. In the 11 tech centrescovered by the study, 31 percent of thestart-ups had an immigrant keyfounder, compared with the nationalaverage of 25 percent.While the Duke project appears tohave generated renewed interest inunderstanding the contributions ofimmigrants in the US, Wadhwa doesn'tsee it getting much traction in policycircles, where “the focus right nowis on illegal immigrants”.“It’s very difficult to get them tofocus on legal immigrants,” he saidUnlike in earlier years, Wadhwadoesn’t expect the Indian government,for one, to lobby for easier green cardsfor its people in the US.“Right now, India wants its peopleto come back home,” he said.“India has gone from a countrywhich was dependent on revenuesfrom foreign workers to one that isbooming on its own. It needs all theskilled people it can get.”Wadhwa is currently leading anotherresearch project that looks specificallyat the share of immigrant patents,and a study that looks at the contributionsof Indians and Chinese to thattotal.— Arun Kumar in Washingtonunited statesIndian American prof tracesdinosaur-era bird pathAn Indian American professor,a graduate ofKolkata’s premierJadavpur University, hasrecreated the flight plan of an enormousbird that dominated the skiesabove the Argentine grassy pampasabout six million years ago.Using software originally writtenfor helicopters, SankarChatterjee and two colleaguesof the Museum ofTexas Tech University,Lubbock, analysed theaerodynamic secrets ofthe giant Argentavis birdto reveal how it took off,remained aloft and thenlanded.With a seven-metre wingspan, thegiant bird was the size of a Cessna 152aircraft, had a formidable 20-inchskull and eagle-like beak. The birdwas a member of the extinct bird familyTeratornithidae, a predatory groupof birds related to storks and vultures,the Telegraph newspaer of Londonreported.As the world’s largest known flyingbird, the aerodynamics of Argentavishas been a subject of speculation formore than two decades.“It seems Argentavis was a lazy gliderthat relied either on updrafts in therocky Andes or thermals on the grassypampas, to provide sufficient liftingpower,” the Kolkata-born professorOver 5,000 people attendedthe 14th biennial conventionof JAINA —Federation of Jain Associations inNorth America — that was held inNew Jersey from July 6 to 8.The theme of the convention inEdison city was ‘Peace throughDialogue’.On the first day, the convention wasaddressed by Art of Living founder Srisaid. Working with Jack Templin andKenneth Campbell, Chatterjee estimatedthe power available from thebird’s pectoral muscles and concludedthe Argentavis would have beenincapable of flight powered entirelyby wing flapping, or even of a standingtakeoff, because it lacked sufficientmuscle power.However, it was an economicalhigh-performanceglider with a turning radiusof 100 feet, short enoughfor it to circle around as itsearched the plains of theArgentinian pampas forprey.The team concluded thatthe giant bird probablyused some of the techniques used bytoday’s hang-glider pilots such as runningon sloping ground to get thrustor energy, or running with a headwindbehind it.“Think about a super-sized baldeagle with a 21-foot wingspan,”Chatterjee said. “It would darken thesky.“It’s almost like a tale from theArabian Nights. It was a very aggressivebird that flew over the pampas ofArgentina to sweep down from thesky and seize large prey with aformidable beak.” Chatterjee graduatedfrom Jadavpur University in1962. He was also a Fellow of LondonUniversity.■Over 5,000 attend Jain convention in New JerseySri Ravi Shankar, popular yoga guruSwami Ramdev, GurudevChitrabhanu, considered the first Jainreligious leader to come to the Westand who inspired the formation ofJAINA in the early 1980s, L.M.Singhvi, eminent jurist and formerIndian high commissioner to Britain,and Frank Pallone, Congressmanfrom New Jersey.Chitrabhanu narrated the history of60Assam CM meetsinvestors in USAssam Chief Minister TarunGogoi came on a five-day visit tothe US seeking foreign investment forhis state.During his visit he met a group of75 investors and business people fromthe tri-state area — New York, NewJersey and Connecticut.Gogoi apprised the group about thecomparative advantages of Assam fornew investors, adding that the stateoffers them more incentives and concessionsthan other Indian states. Thiswas made possible under the policy ofspecial programmes for India’s northeasternregion.The Chief Minister also underlinedthe fact that Assam was now safe andsecure, and potential investors neednot worry on that count. Gogoi wasaccompanied by senior administrativeofficials.Pervez Ahmad of Max India andSamir Menon of Globally ManagedServices hosted a dinner meeting forGogoi.Mahesh K. Saharia, chairman ofNorth-East Initiative, IndianChamber of Commerce, gave a digitalpresentation, which emphasisedthe natural beauty of the state and theabundance of raw material.Saharia pointed out that Assam’seducational institutions had the potentialto supply required skilled manpower,which otherwise has beenmoving to other states in search of betteropportunities.■JAINA and its success in uniting variousJain sects in the US.In his keynote address, Sri Sri RaviShankar referred to his recent visit tostrife-torn Iraq.He said: “I told them, ‘You haveseen that violence has not worked forfour years, now give peace a chance’.”He added that Jainism was most relevanttoday.— Parveen Chopra in New York56PRAVASI BHARATIYA AUGUST 2007PRAVASI BHARATIYA AUGUST 2007 57

united states60Diaspora NewsDoctor donates $20 mn to native villageAn Indian American, whomade millions as a neurosurgeonand lived a lavishlife, once owning a Rolls-Royce, five Mercedes-Benzes and anairplane, has donated $20 million tohis native village in Kerala.Kumar Bahuleyan, 81, who wasborn to a Dalit family in India, decidedto donate his personal fortune as agratitude to his village, to establish aneurosurgery hospital, a health clinicand a spa resort in Chemmanakary, inKottayam district of Kerala.“I was born with nothing; I waseducated by the people of that village,and this is what I owe to them,”Bahuleyan said in Buffalo where hehas lived since 1973.“I’m in a state of nirvana, eternalnirvana,” he said. “I have nothing elseto achieve in life. This was my goal, tohelp my people. I can die any time, asa happy man.”The urge to do something for hisvillage arose some 20 to 25 years ago,when Bahuleyan returned toChemmanakary and was struck byhow little it had changed.“The village remained absolutelythe same — not a road, no school, nowater supply, no sanitary facilities,” hesaid. “I looked in the (people’s) facesand saw the same people living in thesame miserable conditions I hadgrown up with.”An Indian Americanstate senator willbe part of a tradedelegation from the USstate of Minnesota that willvisit India in October.Satveer Chaudhary, amember of the MinnesotaDemocratic-Farmer-Labor(DFL) Party, the branch ofthe Democratic Party servingMinnesota, has acceptedan invitation fromMinnesota Governor TimBahuleyan has come full circle:from dire poverty in India, to thelifestyles of the rich in America andback to his native village, where he’straded his Mercedes for a bicycle, TheBuffalo News reported.The Indian American doctor losttwo younger brothers and a sister towater-borne disease in 1930s.As a former ‘untouchable’, belongingto the lowest strata of Hindu society,Bahuleyan had to take a roundaboutroute to school because he wasn’tallowed to pass within a few hundredyards of the Hindu temple.A star student, he went to highschool, then a premedical school runby Christian missionaries beforeattending medical college in Madras,now called Chennai.Later he went to the UnitedKingdom for neurosurgical training ata college in Edinburgh, Scotland,where he spent six years beforereturning home. But he couldn’t landa job in his specialty.“They (government) didn’t knowwhat to do with me,” he said. “Therewas no position available for a neurosurgeon.Many people didn’t knowwhat neurosurgery was.”So Bahuleyan went to Kingston andthen Albany Medical College, beforecoming to Buffalo in 1973 to workwith neurosurgeon Dr. John Zoll.During his 26-year career,Pawlenty to be a part of thedelegation.“This is an amazingopportunity not only forMinnesota businesses tofind new markets but forthe people of our state andthe people of India to fostera more productivefriendship,” Chaudharysaid in a press release issuedfrom his office. “GovernorPawlenty deserves creditfor initiating this mission,and I thank him for theinvitation to play a role.”Chaudhary representsthe city of Fridley, AnokaCounty, in the Minnesotastate senate.He has in the pastworked on setting up a sis-Bahuleyan served as a clinical associateprofessor in neurosurgery at theUniversity at Buffalo before retiringin 1999. And he made millions.“I didn’t ask for the money,” he toldThe Buffalo News. “The money cameto me. My secretary said to me, ‘Dr.Bahuleyan, you’re making too muchmoney.’ I had never had any money.So I went berserk with money.”In 1989, he set up the BahuleyanCharitable Foundation, which built asmall clinic in India for young childrenand pregnant women in 1993 insouth India. Bahuleyan’s foundationbuilt the Indo-American HospitalBrain and Spine Centre in 1996, startingwith 80 beds.None of the facilities carries hisname.In 2004, the foundation opened theKalathil Health Resorts, offering luxuryrooms, health spas and exerciserooms.Bahuleyan’s latest idea, East IndiaSeven Seas Sailing company, plans toinvite applications from Americanswilling to spend a few weeks in India,to volunteer in Bahuleyan’s hospitaland to teach sailing.Bahuleyan, who lives with his wife,pathologist Indira Kartha, spends halfthe year in the US, the other half inIndia where he oversees his foundation’swork, gets around on a bicycleand still does almost daily surgery. ■Satveer Chaudhary to be part of trade missionter-state agreementbetween Minnesota andthe Indian state of Haryana,where his family is originallyfrom.Chaudhary’sparentsmoved to the US fromIndia in the 1960s before hewas born. In 1996, when hewas elected state representative,Chaudhary becamethe first Asian Americanmember of the Minnesotalegislature and only thefourth Indian Americanelected to a state legislaturein the US. Four years later,he became the first IndianAmerican senator in UShistory.■58PRAVASI BHARATIYA AUGUST 2007PRAVASI BHARATIYA AUGUST 2007 59

Jawaharlal Nehru addressed the Constituent Assembly in New Delhion the eve of Independence at midnight on August 15, 1947. Theepochal speech, titled “A Tryst With Destiny”, captured the birthingmoments of a nation, in words which have fascinated generations:“Long years ago we made a tryst with destiny, and now the timecomes when we shall redeem our pledge, not wholly or in fullmeasure, but very substantially. At the stroke of the midnight hour,when the world sleeps, India will awake to life and freedom. Amoment comes, which comes but rarely in history, when we stepout from the old to the new, when an age ends, and when the soulof a nation, long suppressed, finds utterance. It is fitting that at thissolemn moment we take the pledge of dedication to the service ofIndia and her people and to the still larger cause of humanity.”Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairswww.moia.gov.inwww.overseasindian.inDisclaimer: Pravasi Bharatiya gathers its content from diverse sources and the views expressed in interviewsand articles published do not necessarily represent the views of the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs.(Designed and produced by IANS [www.ians.in] on behalf of Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs)