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Editorial‘Indian-ness’ & The Olympics:The Great Indian Crab RaceOur shared humanity gets savagely challenged when themanifold divisions in the world are unified into one allegedlydominant system of classification – in terms of religion, orcommunity, or culture, or nation, or civilization.– Amartya Sen, Nobel LaureateHave you ever considered such athing as ‘Indian-ness,’ – what isit? If you line up the traits thatcould define it, what would youcome up with? I have a hard timecoming up with authentic attributes, especiallywith author Pavan K. Varma’s hardhitting bookThe Great Indian Middle Class within reach inmy study. The Mera Bharat Mahaan wallahs willreadily tout Indian family values, and respect forelders, especially when comparing Indians withWesterners. But in the West, do they murder thegirl child in horrific numbers as we do in India?And, what have our elders taught us about suchthings? Ours is a land where girls are slaughteredevery day, with shocking statistics indicating thatone out of every six girls does not live to see her15th birthday, and 500,000 are forced into theflesh trade every year.Indian family values? Someone’s wifeis burned alive almost every hour in India.Dowry, although banned by law in 1961, is stilldemanded, it is an ancient tradition prevalentamongst most Indian families.Superstition, hypocrisy and communal hatemore likely define ‘Indian-ness.’Forget about lack of infrastructure asthe reason for India not winning a singlegold medal in London; just think how manypotential Olympic stars in India never gettheir chance, in a society where mass murderis routine. Has anyone considered how muchindividual talent is annihilated consistently likeso much unnecessary human fodder?Pavan Varma pulls no punches – he showshow the Indian middle class is motivated byself-interest and material well being alone,which has subverted the goal of an egalitariansociety. He warns it is dangerous to remaininsensitive to the needs of a vast number ofIndians who live in extreme poverty. Suchthinking ignores the risk of considerablepolitical instability, which militates against thevery prosperity that people desire.Indians don’t look at each other as Indians,like Americans see each other as Americansor British as British etc. If you don’t agree,compare the involvement and commitmentof people over national issues in India, versusNorth America and Europe – most Indians arespectators, gullible voters at best, frequentlysubject to political manipulation and mob rule.In North America and Europe, people are morelikely to be a close knit community of citizens,deeply involved in running their countries withpassion and commitment despite the failings in4The International Indian

their system.Indians seem unable to see the disparitybetween what is considered good governancein India, versus the performance of governmentsin many other countries, including somemonarchies in the Middle East. Despite theirflaws, these societies are grounded in the rule oflaw far more effectively than India ever will be.Multiple prejudices operate in our country.The Great Indian Crab Race has conditionedmost of us to look at one another throughthe filters of wealth, status, caste, creed orlanguage. We care less about understanding orrespecting another person’s rights or feelings -someone’s merit or talent matters little if theydo not belong to our community.How can such attitudes discover, encourageor create opportunities for the talent that lieshidden in a nation of one billion plus?There seems to be an inherent inclinationin Indians to put down one another, whichexplains why the story of the ‘Indian crab,’ whoputs down others to try and stay ahead, is sowell known. It is a tendency even among thehighly educated who should know better.Swapan Das Gupta is a familiar face onIndian television, a senior Indian journalistwho has worked at The Statesman, The DailyTelegraph, The Times of India, The Indian Expressand was the Managing Editor of India Todaytill 2003. He was educated at the country’sfinest schools including La Martiniere Collegein Calcutta, St. Stephen’s College, DelhiUniversity, and earned an MA and PhD at theSchool of Oriental and African Studies, toppedby a scholarship at Oxford.In 2009, Das Gupta wrote an article inThe Times of India, belittling NRIs, in which heconcluded by saying: “To the NRI confrontedwith a precarious descent into obscurity, thereis only a small solace: interventions on the net.Taking advantage of a more connected world,the professional NRI (who knows no otheridentity) has stepped up his battles to cast Indiain his own confused image. No Indian websiteis free from the voluminous but perniciouscomments of the know-all, ultra-nationalist NRIbanging away on the computer in splendidisolation. From being India’s would-bebenefactors, the meddlesome NRI has becomean intellectual nuisance, derailing civil discoursewith his paranoia and pseudo-superiority. It’stime he was royally ignored.”I must admit to being in awe of Mr. DasGupta’s incisive prose. Three years after histirade, perhaps this distinguished man of lettershas done a rethink. After studying at Oxfordetc., he has obviously denied himself a lifeabroad. Perhaps he genuinely does not regretbeing stuck in an underhanded Indian politicaland business environment. Still, it’s a pity hisIndian-ness was so characteristically on displayby such thoughtless, inaccurate commentary.Less benign is the example of MayaKodnani, gynaecologist and BJP politician, justconvicted in the 2002 Godhra riots, who wasthe Gujarat minister for women’s welfare, childdevelopment and higher education!How pathetic it is that we divide ourselvesas NRIs and RIs, North Indians and SouthIndians, Dalits and Brahmins, Hindus andMuslims etc. Half the world’s poor live likeanimals in India, overwhelmed by the servilitythey must practice to survive. The country’seducation system does not afford the sameeducational opportunities to girls as it doesboys. According to CRY (Child Rights & You)female mortality exceeds male mortality in224 out of 402 districts in India. The deathrate among girls below the age of four years ishigher than that of boys. Even if she escapesinfanticide or foeticide, a girl child is less likelyto receive immunization, nutrition or medicaltreatment compared to a male child and 53%of girls in the age group of five to nine yearsare illiterate.NRIs have the opportunity to observefirst hand how good governance works inmany countries, perhaps more objectivelythan resident Indians who are consistentlymanipulated by political and media hype.Yet, though we enjoy the rights and privilegesIndia affords, especially a good return on ourinvestments, quality education for our childrenetc., most of us don’t feel obligated to givesomething back. Our retirement plans arefocused on personal comfort not making anyreal contribution.When the TV channels try to make it looklike being proud to be an Indian is a widelyheld conviction, we know it isn’t, exceptperhaps on rare occasions – like the CricketWorld Cup or the Olympics. We all know thatMary Kom’s bronze medal will not open many‘‘Multipleprejudicesoperatein ourcountry.The GreatIndianCrab Racehas conditionedmost ofus to lookat oneanotherthroughthe filtersof wealth,status,caste,creed orlanguage.‘‘The International Indian 5

Editorial‘‘Many ofthe conflictsandbarbaritiesin theworld aresustainedthroughthe illusionof aunique andchoicelessidentity.‘‘doors for her outside Manipur.Jesse Owens, the Black American track andfield athlete won four gold medals at the 1936Summer Olympics in Berlin, Germany, whichwas presided over by a resurgent Adolf Hitlersupremely confident of Aryan prowess.In Indian society, how many impoverishedyouth like Owens are given a break to succeed?It is absurd to imagine that India doesn’t havethe human potential in sports. It is more likelythat deep rooted Indian attitudes blatantlydiscriminate against the country’s talent. Thereare many examples of this, from Dalits notallowed to enter temples to Muslims beingdenied housing in Mumbai etc. Two decadesof economic growth may have transformedcontemporary life in India in many ways,but sadly this syndrome has a history ofreinforcement that goes back even to the‘Father of the Nation.’For Gandhiji, respect for other cultures wasfine so far as the different cultures kept theirdistance from one another. This was not unlikehis attitude to caste, when he made it clear, ‘Ihave devoted much thought to the subject ofthe caste system and come to the conclusionthat Hindu society cannot dispense with it, thatit lives on because of the discipline of caste,’he said in 1916. About reform he stated: ‘Thecaste system is a perfectly natural institution…Iam opposed to the movements which arebeing carried on for the destruction of thesystem…We do not associate with membersof other communities for eating or enter intomarriage relationships with them.’ (CollectedWorks of Mahatma Gandhi, 13 pg 301, beforeOctober 1916)Amartya Sen points out that, “many ofthe conflicts and barbarities in the world aresustained through the illusion of a unique andchoiceless identity.” He terms the presumptionthat human beingscan be uniquelycategorizedon the basis oftheir religion orculture as, “theminiaturization ofpeople.”Frank RajFounder-Editor & Publisherfrankraj08@gmail.comThe International Indian@frankraj08Frank RajAre you looking for your life partner?Tired of looking in the wrong places?Not happy with parental coercion?Skeptical about what the stars foretell?COMING SOON!6The International Indian

10THE INTERNATIONALIndianEST: 1992 The Region’s Oldest, AuthoritativeMagazine of Gulf Indian Society & HistoryISSN 0964 8437PUBLISHERSProf. Prabhu GuptaraSantosh ShettyFOUNDER EDITORFrank RajCONTRIBUTING EDITORSErik R. HaddenPrem Souri KishoreBenjamin H. ParkerVishal MangalwadiTRAVEL EDITORShana Raj ParkerMANAGER PRChristine DeSouzaCREATIVE DIRECTORBalan IyerGRAPHIC ARTISTDelfina TuazonPHOTOGRAPHERBenjamin H. ParkerINTERNATIONALCORRESPONDENTSCANADA Rubina JacobSINGAPOREUKUSAMIDDLE EASTAmita SarwalAnjali Guptara KheraRudy OtterShamlal PuriPrem Souri KishoreHemu GordeBandana JainDeepa BallalSOUTH AFRICA Asma AyobINDIADELHI Vishal AroraCHENNAI Aruna SrinivasanHYDERABAD Shyamola KhannaMUMBAI Sarina MenezesBANGALORE Marianne de NazarethDIRECTORRaina Raj HaddenHEAD, OPERATIONSArpit WaghmareTII MIDDLE EAST & INDIA OFFICES:BAHRAINLloyd Rebello | loydj@expat-group.comMob: +973-3910 6690OMANMartin Wilson | martinw@expat-group.comMob: +968-935 75165QATARMerwyn Ferrao | merwyn@expat-group.comMob: +974-611 5525UAEManav Bhatia | manavb@expat-group.comMob: +971 55 899 4259INDIARahul George | rahul@expat-group.comMob: +91934 321 3411Audited Circulation28,399 copiesMar/Apr 2012www.bpaww.comLetters to the EditorSurender Kandhari’s Legacy,The cover story of your July-August issue was truly inspiring. Asyour rightly pointed out, the legacy of the work done by SurenderKandhari will last much beyond his lifetime.But what I liked most about the interview was the humblenessof his contribution in getting the Gurudwara built. From obtainingpermissions and the legalities involved, to generating funds andco-ordinating with various contractors to executing the project andsuccessfully operating a Guru Nanak Darbar is a humungous task, tosay the least.Mr. Kandhari should be proud of the fact that he is amongst thevery few individuals who has made his grandfather’s prophecy ofbuilding a shrine away from his homeland come true. Take a bow,Mr. Surender Kandhari!!!Deepa BharatDubaiCORRIGENDUMTII would like to clarify that in the previous issue (Vol 19.4)the Indian School of Business (ISB) was wrongly referred to as theIndian Business School (IBS).The error is sincerely regretted.Scintillating Work,I am a regular reader of TII and wanted to drop a few lines bythat are perhaps long overdue. Sometimes, with the abundance thatnature has gifted me with, a blessing that most expatriates living inthe gulf are gifted with, I just missed doing this before.I really appreciate the rich content that you so skillfully puttogether for TII. There is so much I get to see of our people whichwould not have been possible without TII. I enjoy reading them andalways look forward to the next issue. Well done and keep up thescintillating work.Prakash ChuganiDubaiIndia: Love It Or Leave ItI have often reacted with anger to your editorials.For a long time I did not understand what you were trying to do.Now after reading many issues of TII, I am clear you are a patriot witha mind of your own.Keep up the good work!Jaiprakash GaekwadBahrainThe best letters to the editorwill win exquisite giftsfrom Liali Jewellery.Email your letters to:frankraj08@gmail.comThe International Indian

PICK 'By: Frank RajThe resort weaves the ocean and the backwaters together beautifully.Vivanta BekalKerala, By TajIts outstanding 165,000 sq ft Jiva GrandeSpa is rooted in India’s wellness traditionsThe Lobbywww.vivantabytaj.comVivanta by Taj - in Bekal, Kerala,is probably one of India’s bestkept secrets. The fabulous lushgreen resort-by-the-sea, offers anexperience of unrivalled comfortand harmony. Its 71 laterite lined villas areinspired by Kerala’s unique Kettuvallam houseboats. A Balinese influence is evident in thelaterite stone sculptures that dot the resort,which also features Chitra Pothi art. Spacious,restful rooms, individual courtyards, privateplunge pools, great cuisine and the Jiva GrandeSpa make for the ultimate in luxury.Kerala’s famed backwaters run seamlesslythrough the property and the striking Kappilbeach shoreline touches its manicured lawnsand landscaped gardens. For spontaneity andfun, this is a resort that’s well-wired.The adventurous can explore a fishingvillage, go boating, rowing, kayaking,angling, trekking or just pack a picnic basketto see spice plantations and historic forts.For romantic interludes there are amorouslocations in which to frolic and delight.A distinct sense of warmth and hospitalitypervades the resort. Try its nouvellerestaurants, a barbecue by the pool orthe high energy Ivory bar, and of courseits sprawling, amazing spa and Ayurvedasanctuary. The restaurant staff are eager tospoil you with specially designed meals.This is a 26 acre resort that has stylishlywoven the ocean and the backwaterstogether beautifully. Situated 80 kms fromMangalore airport or15 kms from Kasargodrailway station, it is a gorgeous hideawaylargely undiscovered by NRIs in the Gulf.Frank Raj is TII’s founder editor and publisherCONTACT:Vivanta by Taj - Bekal,Kerala,Kappil Beach,Kasaragod, Kerala -671319T: +91 467 661 6612F: +91 467 661 6613Email: vivanta.bekal@tajhotels.comThe International Indian 11

Cover StoryDr Azad Moopen:Big on CAREHe started with a single doctor practice at his private clinicin Bur Dubai 25 years ago, where he looked after a hundredpatients every day. Now, Dr. Azad Moopen, the founderof DM Healthcare, has built the largest chain of healthcareconglomerates in West Asia, employing over 3,000 people inthe GCC and caring for 15,000 patients a day.By: Ruqya KhanDr Azad Moopen with his wife Mrs. Nazeera AzadIt is now 25 years since Dr. AzadMoopen established his name andplace in the health care sector ofthe region. His beginnings werehumble but he grew manifoldand has come a long way since his earlydays in Dubai. It all started as a singledoctor practice at his private clinic in BurDubai, attending to more than a hundredpatients every day. Now, as the founderof DM Healthcare, the largest chain ofhealthcare conglomerates in West Asia,DM Healthcare employs over 3,000people in the GCC and serves 15,000patients a day.Dr. Moopen has worked hard, toclimb the ladder of success, reachingdizzying heights, not just in terms ofbusiness expansion and development,but also with regard to the many liveshe has touched. DM Healthcare now hasover 100 medical entities across Hospitals,Poly Clinics, Pharmacies and Diagnostic12The International Indian

Dr. Azad Moopen receiving the Padma Shri Awardfrom H.E. Pratibha Patil, former President of India

Cover Story‘‘A manwho is notafraid toventureinto newideas andprojects, aman whosmilesat everyinstance,a man wholoves hisland – DrMoopenis big oncare andbelieves inenjoyingthe journeyeachday ratherthan rushingtowardsagoal.‘‘Centres under two distinctive brands - ASTERand MEDCARE - with footprints across the UAE,Qatar, Oman and Saudi Arabia. His vision is toexpand to a chain of 300 units in the GCC andIndia by 2015.The Government of India has honouredDr. Azad Moopen with the country’s thirdhighest civilian honour, the Padma Shri – thiswas to acknowledge his accomplishments inDr. Azad Moopen and his wife Nazeerawith their daughters and familycommunity healthcare and other humanitarianservices in India and overseas. Dr. Moopentucks away his cherished prize on a mantlebeside his desk, reluctant to flaunt his success.He works from a swanky office in a highrise overlooking Dubai’s main arterial highway,Sheikh Zayed Road, but his heart remains in themidst of his people back home in Kerala. Hisdreams are big but he marks his achievementsone day at a time. In his world there is simplicity,there is humility and there is freedom.In Dr. Moopen one sees a man who hasset his own parameters of success. He may nottop the list of rich people or industrialists, buthis efforts are impacting thousands back homeand he is content and blissful in that wealth ofcompleteness.Narrating the story of his life. He is readywith his answers knowing only too well whatquestions an interview usually entails. But webegin from beyond the beginnings and starton a very liberating note. His name is Azad,which means freedom…so what does freedommean to him?One deep breath and a momentouspause as his lips fashion a smile, he weighs histhoughts and says, “Freedom is very important.I think it is one of the most cherished andimportant aspirations of any human being. It’svery important to be free – not only physicallybut also mentally, socially, culturally.I have been quite fortunate in that I gotthis opportunity from the very beginning. Myparents were quite supportive of my decisions.In fact, the name Azad is one of the first andmost integral liberties that I took as a child. Itis a name that I had suggested as a boy of 7years; they accepted it and with it I grew.”The story of Dr. Moopen’s life is indeedinteresting. Born in 1953, he is the youngestof four brothers and two sisters. “The agegap between me and my brother who isimmediately older than me is ten years. I wasthe pet of the family and they were all veryconsiderate towards me. I was cared for andthoroughly pampered by my mother and eldersiblings – in fact, until my school admission(into grade 2), I did not even have a propername - family and friends merely called meBava! And, they still do - just as the elders inmy village do,” he smiles.COMING TO DUBAIIn the late 80s, Dr. Moopen visited Dubaiwith the intent to understand the needs ofthe Emirate. “There was a dearth of medicaldoctors in the region. My friend who waspractising in Ajman at the time suggested thatI set up a clinic in Dubai and thus the RafaPolyclinic came into being,” he recalls.“My visit was meant to be provisional. Itook a few months’ break from the college inCalicut. My wife Nazeera and daughters, Alishaand Ziham came along. It was just a temporarymove but then we blinked and it has been 25years since we have been here. God’s ways aredifferent. We have no place to argue when Hehas decided what is best for us.”In a new land, Dr. Azad set up his name.His wife, Nazeera Azad has been supportingthe organization’s growth from its inception in1987. Mrs. Nazeera Azad is the Vice Chairmanand Managing Director, with signatoryauthority in the organization, especially in thedaily operational activities of the pharmacydivision and other verticals and as a corporatejoint signatory. She is the heart of theorganization, maintaining personal and cordial14The International Indian

Cover Storyrelations with the doctors, their families andsenior staff. The Moopens have three daughters- Alisha, Ziham and Zeba. Alisha is a CharteredAccountant working in UK and her husband Dr.Shri Adoor Prakash Health and Coir Minister with Dr. Azad Moopen‘‘Hisdreamsare bigbut hemarks hisachievementsoneday at atime.In hisworldthere issimplicity,thereis humilityand thereis freedom.‘‘Navin Mather is an Interventional Cardiologistat NHS, UK. Ziham did her BusinessAdministration from the American Universityof Dubai. Her husband Anoop Moopen isa Post Graduate Engineer running his ownconstruction business in UAE. Zeba is doingher M.B.B.S at Manipal University in India. “Wehave given our girls the best education and thebest set of values. Thereon they are equippedto face the world with strength. Humility I feelis the biggest power anyone can possess.”PAYING FORWARDDr. Moopen has been in the forefront ofmany social and charity initiatives in Indiaand abroad. The group conducts regular freemedical camps for the labour communityacross the GCC.“From my understanding as a doctor whois from India, I have been able to identifythe areas where there is a void or a need formedical support for our community. Dialysiscentres and radiology units for oncologypatients are concerns that can deplete anindividual financially, yet these follow upsand treatments are essential for these healthproblems. We have thus set up a chain ofCommunity Dialysis Centres (CDC) in all 14districts of Kerala to provide free and subsidiseddialysis facilities to the underprivileged,” hesaid. “The first of the CDCs (at an investmentof INR 1 crore) is already functional at Vadakarain Kozhikode with 11 dialysis machines, asecond centre is at Nallalam near Calicut and athird at the state capital Thiruvananthapuram.”Under his leadership, MIMS CharitableTrust extends free and subsidised medicalcare of up to INR 50 lakh a year to the poor.The Trust set up a Rural Health Centre inVazhayoor, a backward Panchayat nearKozhikode in 2008 and adopted 7,000 BPLmembers for comprehensive free OP andIP care. The Trust also assists free paediatriccardiac surgery through a special `Save theLittle Heart’ programme.In the Middle East, particularly in the GCC,CHOOSING HIS PATHBeing the youngest child in a well todo business family was, as he sees it, aperfect formula for disaster. “I could haveconveniently slipped into an easy lifestyle.At home, money was not an issue neitherwas social status or recognition. I had it allwithout any effort. It was my inheritance.But instead of abusing it, I valued it andtook it to the next level. I took guidancefrom many things, but the best lessonswere those I gathered from my father’s(Ahmed Unni Moopen) narratives abouthis freedom struggle days and the role heplayed in the regional Congress Party. I sawhim as a fighter, someone who did whatwas right. I held a high place for him andhis thoughts. He always wished for one ofhis children to take up a professional lineof work. Since all my elder brothers hadalready taken to business, I took it uponmyself to fulfil his desire. I studied hard andbecame a doctor. Unfortunately, he passedaway before I even gave my Tenth boardexams. He did not see his dream fulfilled.My place in the field of medicine andhealth is my homage to my father’s wish.”Dr. Moopen is a gold medalist inMBBS and has an MD in General Medicinefrom the Government Medical College inKozhikode, Kerala. He also has a Diplomain Chest Disease from Delhi University.Soon after completing his studies, hejoined Calicut Government MedicalCollege and served as a lecturer. Thesewere also the days of his internship andinitial practice.16The International Indian

Cover StoryEXPANDING FRONTIERSThe clinic and his medicalcentres gained ground quicklybut he wanted to do more for hiscommunity in India. So, in 2001,he set up the 600-bed, high-endtertiary care centre – the MalabarInstitute of Medical Sciences(MIMS) Hospital in Kozhikode andthen a 150-bed MIMS Hospital atKottakkal in Malappuram in 2009,in association with like mindedNRIs. Under his chairmanship,the MIMS Academy Trust has setup a 32-acre campus at Karad inMalappuram District with morethan 1,100 students enrolled forvarious courses from certificate levelto PG across medical and nursingdisciplines.“DM Healthcare is in theprocess of setting up a medicalcollege at Wayanad, a backwarddistrict of Kerala, with a sizeabletribal population having no accessto modern medical facilities.The college is expected to startfunctioning this year.”The Group is also gearing upto commission phase II of its multispecialtyhospital, ASTER – AdharHospital in Kolhapur, Maharashtra.ASTER – Eye Care, a comprehensiveeye care centre was launched inFaridabad, Haryana last year. “Theplan is to have 20 similar centresacross India in the immediatefuture.”Another one of Dr. Moopen’sproud acheivements is the DMMedCity in Kochi, an iconic andambitious project launched by DMHealthcare with an investment ofINR 1,500 crore. Work on phase I ofthe project has already commencedon over 40 acres of land, at anestimated investment of INR 500crore. “The ambitious project isexpected to trigger a reverse braindrain of healthcare professionalsfrom abroad to India andcomplement the huge potential ofhealth tourism in the country.”Dr. Moopen has always beena forward thinker who enjoys goalsetting. He is driven by the goal ofseeing his place and people at aplace of pride and respect. He hasbeen the Gulf Area Convener ofthe Malabar Airport DevelopmentAction Committee (MADAC),spearheadeding the efforts forthe establishment of KozhikodeInternational Airport through a PPPinitiative in the 90s.Dr. Moopen says that valuesmake the man and education feedshim. Though healthcare is his firstarea of work and understanding,he also has put in efforts andresources into the education sector.He is the Founder Chairman ofthe Muslim Educational Society(MES), Association of KeralaMedical Graduates (AKMG) andAssociation of Indian Muslims (AIM)in the UAE. He is the Vice Chairmanof the Social AdvancementFoundation of India (SAFI), a nonprofitorganization which is in theprocess of establishing a deemeduniversity on 350 acres in Malabarto provide students from backwardcommunities access to education infrontier areas of technology, scienceand management. He is also theexecutive trustee of the GlobalEducational Trust which is buildingthe Horizon International Schoolnear Kozhikode at an investment ofINR 15 crore. Regionally, he is alsothe Vice Chairman of three CBSEinternational schools in Riyadh,Jeddah and Damam in SaudiArabia with a combined strengthof 7,000 pupils.Dr. Moopen is in the process of rolling outa series of healthcare related philanthropicactivities. One of the latest initiatives is theestablishment of a Radiation Oncology Centrein Oman. DM Healthcare will also facilitatefree cardiac surgery for 50 people from Omanin India.MOVING ONSlowly, but steadily, Dr. Moopen is allowinghimself the liberty of taking a back seat. “Ihave worked hard to bring my organisation tothis podium. I would like now to look after theprocesses and involve myself in more socialwork. Last year I had announced that I haveadded one more partner into my life who willhave a share in my inheritance and is alreadyreaping the returns of my resources – it is thecommunity. I have willed 20% of my earningsto the society. And already set aside one crorefor them to do as they may for their upliftmentand well being,” he says.A man who is not afraid to venture intonew ideas and projects, a man who smiles atevery instance, a man who loves his land – Dr.Moopen is indeed big on care. He believesin enjoying the journey each day rather thanrushing towards a goal. Life, he says, is full ofmoments, the ones we greet are the ones thatallow us to meet ourselves, know ourselvesand grow…”“Twenty five years is a milestone but todayI dwell not on how far we have come but onhow much further we can go!” he concludes.Ruqya Khan is a Sharjah based freelance writer18The International Indian

DiasporaCan One Indian-AmericanStop Obama in 2012?Dinesh D’souza is determined to stop President Obamafrom a second term in office.By: Frank RajAmerica is the kind of place whereyou can succeed if you can exploitsomething farcical or famousand get people to follow you. In1975, Gary Dahl, an advertisingexecutive in California came up with the ideafor the perfect “pet”: a rock – patthar. Such apet would not need to be fed, walked, bathed,groomed and would not die, become sick, orbe disobedient. Ordinary gray stones weremarketed like live pets, in custom cardboardboxes, complete with straw and breathingholes for the “animal.”The fad lasted about sixmonths, with Dahl selling 1.5 million Pet Rocksand becoming a millionaire.In that sense, America hasn’t changed, boldand bright ideas still have plenty of takers – andIndian immigrants have proved they know howto take advantage of the system in many fields.There are others like South CarolinaGovernor Nikki Haley and Louisiana GovernorBobby Jindal in the fray, but Dinesh D’souzais one Indian American who has almostsinglehandedly taken on the President of theUnited States, determined to end up famousor foolish after the U.S presidential elections inNovember 2012.If his audacious effort to influence Americanvoters succeeds in foiling President Obama’sattempt for a second term, D’souza willprobably become a very important man inthe Americanpoliticalfirmament.On the otherhand, he couldremain assome critics arecalling him, a“self-appointedNostradamus.”D’souza, 51,whose politicalloyaltieslie on theextreme right,is an IndianDinesh D’Souzaimmigrant fromMumbai whocame to the USA as a foreign student in 1978.He is an Indian American conservative politicalcommentator, public intellectual and authorand is currently President of The King’s Collegein New York City. Earlier he was Robert andKaren Rishwain Research Fellow at the HooverInstitution at Stanford University. D’Souzais a prominent voice in American politicsand has been affiliated with a number of topconservative organizations and publications,including the American Enterprise Institute,22The International Indian

Heritage Foundation, Hoover Institution, andPolicy Review. He also served as a policy advisorto President Ronald Reagan.The author of numerous books including,“The Roots of Obama’s Rage,” he has codirectedthe recently released movie, “2016:Obama’’s America,” with producer JohnSullivan. A surprise box-office hit, the $2.5million movie has nearly hit $10 million inticket sales since its July 13, 2012 debut. Criticsinsist he is preaching to thechoir and his filmmakinginexperience obvious with themovie lacking cinematic polishand storytelling finesse. It ispredictably fuelled by talkradiosupport from prominentright wingers like RushLimbaugh.The film claims it “takesaudiences on a grippingvisual journey into the heartof the world’s most powerfuloffice to reveal the struggle ofwhether one man’s past, willre-define America over thenext four years.”D’souza is basicallydigging for Obama’s radicalroots, assumed because of his Kenyan heritage.He claims Obama campaigned and won thepresidency as a standard liberal, but actuallyis a fervent anti-colonialist, concluding that,“Radical Muslims for Obama are on the rightside of history–that’s why he is so unnaturallysolicitous toward them.”This is hard to understand in light of thefact that Obama recently had Osama bin Ladeneliminated and he is not exactly popular inIslamist strongholds.The driving theory of D’souza’s film is thatObama can be understood only in the “anticolonialframework” of his leftist, anti-westernKenyan father Barak Obama Sr. It doesn’tmatter to D’souza that Obama saw his elusiveparent only once after the age of two, whenhe was ten years old. ‘2016’ features repeatedfootage of D’Souza wandering through slumsin Kenya and Indonesia, using an ominoussoundtrack to create some kind of gravitas forthe viewers.Mercifully Dinesh has not joined the‘birthers’ movement who dispute Obama’sAmerican birth, and his film concedes thatBarack Obama was indeed born in the U.S.A.To a casual viewer not involved withAmerican politics, it appears D’souza’s filmis using very subjective insights and illogicalliberty with dubious facts, in a quest toprove that Obama will render America aweakened, nuke-free bastion of third worldideology. D’Souza blames the current nationaldebt entirely on Obamaas “a weapon of massdestruction,” choosingto ignore the two termRepublican presidencyof George W. Bush thatpreceded him.He also accuses Obamaof diminishing NASA’srole and having “weirdlysympathetic” feelings forGuantanamo detainees.D’souza makes much ofObama not being a keeperof his impoverished Kenyanhalf-brother George Obama.Curiously he suggests thatinvading Hun map graphicsdemonstrate how the MiddleEast could become the “United States ofIslam.”D’Souza even sees clues in the title ofObama’s autobiography: `Dreams From MyFather,’ not `of’ my father,’ and goes onto speculate that Obama’s role models areleftists like the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, ColumbiaUniversity professor Edward Said, and Bill Ayersco-founder of Weather Underground, America’sfirst terrorist cult.I am not impressed by Dinesh D’souza’smission. Coming from a society like Indiawhere people know how to ingratiatethemselves, D’souza has been quite strategicin writing books like, What’s so Great aboutChristianity, The Enemy At Home, The Virtue ofProsperity etc. I can only think of using a quotefrom Confucius that he uses in his book, What’sSo Great About America: “The gentlemanunderstands what is noble, the small manunderstands what is profitable.”Frank Raj is TII’s founder editor & publisher‘‘He blamesthe currentnationaldebtentirely onObama as“a weaponof massdestruction,”choosingto ignorethe twoterm RepublicanpresidencyofGeorge W.Bush thatprecededhim.‘‘The International Indian 23

AdventureRide of aLifetimeadventure travel with a missionThe journey is about the unexpected. First, a sharing of anexpedition with a horse. The tranquility of the Thar Desert.Then, an amazing, exhilarating connection with strangerswhose traditional lifestyles go back thousands of years. Mostimportantly, you become a part of a humanitarian mission ina kingdom known for chivalry, romance, forts and palaces ofsplendor. Yes ! You are signing up for the ride of a lifetime inRajasthan, with Relief Riders International.By: Prem Souri KishoreRIGHT:Relief RidersInternationalbrings muchneeded assistanceto children inRajasthan’sschools(Photo by: Marc Lecureuil)Founded in 2004, in Rajasthan,India’s land of kings, Relief RidersInternational has invested travel witha new meaning. Twelve travelers areinvited on a journey of discovery. Anoverland adventure of 15 nights and 16 dayson horseback through the Rajasthan desert.Alexander Souri, the founder andExecutive Director of Relief RidersInternational presents India with its rich,thickly layered history, the splendor ofpalaces, exuberant song and dance. You arealso embraced with the warmth and joy ofconnecting with local people, discoveringancient customs and rituals. And then a rareexperience - as the traveler becomes aware ofthe joy of helping, giving and sharing.Alexander explains the unique essence ofeach ride. “People step out of their comfort24The International Indian

Alexander Souri, the founderand Executive Director ofRelief Riders Internationalleading his travel group. ReliefRiders are a great mix ofpeople. Some are skilled riders,others take a few lessons beforethey come and yet others may optfor a camel cart(Photo by: Marc Lecureuil)

‘‘Give theGift ofSight hasbeen re-launchedin Indiawhichaffirmsthat 200free sightrestoringeye surgeriesandeye careto 1, 900villagerswill begiven.‘‘rapid pace. For comfort level, you can even optfor a soft mattress and a parasol. Even thosewith no equestrian experience are welcome. Ajeep is provided. A tank truck provides water.Meals are cooked by the crew. You can enjoylocal cuisine as well as comfort foods. Anyonewho has a desire to connect with India in arare way can join. All you need is an openmind. We had an 11 year old girl who enjoyedherself so much and was perfectly at homereading Harry Potter on her horse.”I ask about the horses.The mares are Marwari horses with alineage priding itself on the splendid warhorses that served ruling families and warriorsof feudal India. Marwari horses are known forbringing back riders who got lost in the desert.According to Shri Mahant Baba Balak DasjiMaharaj, the breed can be traced to a period,“when the ocean was churned to extract nectarfor the Gods , a period when horses had wings.We take excellent care of the animals. A teamof grooms accompanies the caravan and therides begin in the morning when it is still cooloutside. Everyone rests in the heat of the midday and the journey continues late afternoon.”The villages are selected for population. Oneach trip, 2,500 villagers participate. Schools arevisited and books, notepads, crayons and playequipment distributed. Alexander also lists copypaper and erasers. For a few years Alexanderand his team founded an AIDS program, sincemigrant workers employed inurban centers returned with AIDS.So they staged street theatreand worked to disseminateinformation. “We ran campaignsduring lunch hours for a captiveaudience. We then ushered inthe actors who did street theaterwith a message, garnering raptattention. I did this for four years.”Alexander talks of the kindof people who sign up for theunique experience.“Sixty percent of the riders are from US.Others come from Australia, Europe, (Norway,Sweden, France, Belgium, UK). Fifty percentare between mid forties to fifties. Many are intheir sixties. Of course the fitter a person is themore enjoyable the experience. Relief RidersInternational has an incredible alumni createdover the last nine years. One rider has comewith us six times. People save up for two years.Some are retired, some are working. A few arebusiness owners who love this type of work.It is powerful without being overwhelming.People are looking for a richer, variedexperience. This is not a manicured programand the unexpected can happen, when wedraw on our strengths, expertise, skills anddeal with any unexpected challenges.”It is no surprise that it has garnered awardsfor humanitarian adventure travel.In 2010, Relief Riders International wonthe United Nations Positive Peace Awardfor outstanding leadership in combiningadventure travel with humanitarian aid.Alexander has been interviewed on CNN,and major TV channels, and written about inmagazines around the world.Why India?“I lost my dad in October 2002. He wasIndian, my mother French. I was eight yearsold when I went to the elite Sherwood Schoolin Naini Tal, in the foothills of the Himalayas- aBritish school where I was a boarding studentalong with the sons of India’s Prime Ministerand well known people like Dalip Tahil, KabirBedi and Amitabh Bachhan.I was from New York and found myselftransplanted because my father wanted meto find my Indian roots. I did not understandhis desire but to overcome my homesickness,Travelers assist medical personnel, register patients, distribute medicines and help outin clinics for dental and cataract treatment (Photo by: Marc Lecureuil)he asked the Principal to sign me up for horseriding. I used to ride whenever I visited mygrandmother in New Delhi and I was the onlyone in my school who went down to the townover the weekend to ride horses. The thrillof galloping around a lake has never left me.More importantly, I got India into my bloodand then my father passed away.The International Indian 27

AdventureIt took me a long while to understand hisreasons for sending me to India, the sacrificeshe made and his faith in me. I just feel asadness that he is not around to share myWhen the children arrive, the travelers delight themwith educational supplies like crayons, pencils, paperand sports equipment (Photo by: Marc Lecureuil)passion for travel, adventure and a cause. Indiais my father’s country, and like everyone I justwant to give back.”But how does one acquire the skills to run acompany like RRI?“I grew up very fortunate with an earlystart, working with an orchestra where I raisedfunds and dealt with the Press. I became goodat knowing what people are looking for in theirlives. I worked in theater production, studiedin an international school in France, graduatedfrom Simon’s Rock of Bard College in GreatBarrington, Massachusetts. I went to Cannesand worked in the industry, did special effectsinstallation and even did work on the film ‘TheMatrix’. I produced commercials in China, gotinterested in French Literature and photographyand piloted a single engine plane across theAtlantic several times.I live in Berkshire, Massachusetts, not NewYork. When I return to the U.S. I spend my timedoing marketing, raising funds, connectingwith potential riders, and liaison with peopleback in India. Riding? Fortunately, I do get toride some horses which belong to a friend.”Meanwhile, Give the Gift of Sight has beenre-launched in India which affirms that 200free sight restoring eye surgeries and eyecare to 1,900 villagers will be given. RRI hasalso teamed up with UNICEF’s ‘Global HandWashing Program’ where families are taughtand encouraged to practice good hygiene asa cost effective way to reduce diarrhoea, thesecond leading cause of death in children. AMobile Dental Chair has been bought that willhelp the doctors do their skilled work easily.They are in India for the Pushkar Fairin November 2012 with two more rides inBikaner and Chanod.To be aware, have compassion, to revel inthe absolute quiet of the desert, appreciatedifferences of cultures and yet discovercommon bonds is what distinguishes RRIfrom other deeper experiences. Promotingpositive change not in just the villagers,but in the travelers themselves. It is not justone long scenic passage as they travel –spontaneous encounters occur.For Alexander, the journeys have newmeaning every time. “I experience aprofound connection to nature - fromriding the spirited Marwari horses throughthe Thar Desert; sitting around the campfiresdeepening relationships with formerstrangers; lying in a reflective peace in ourtents, unraveling our particular places in theuniverse; participating in the inspiring anddeeply moving visits to schools and hospitals tosupport the Rajasthani people…“I am proud, satisfied and pleased withthe RRI experience. I love riding horses. I can’texplain the connection. There has alwaysbeen a special magic from the Thar Desert inRajasthan to Cappadocia in Central Turkey.Forbes did a survey of voluntourismcompanies. None came up on the radar thatresembled our mission. I am saddened by thefact that we have no competition. If morecompanies got involved more people would behelped. I feel like being in a room alone.”The outward journey is juxtaposed withthe inward, empowering journey of personalgrowth at a time when there are culturaldivides, and countries are suspicious of eachother. Meanwhile, if you cannot make thejourney you can always donate $100 to providea goat to a needy family or $85 to provide afree cataract surgery.http://www.reliefridersinternational.comPrem Souri Kishore is an author, audio professionaland reading volunteer for the blind living inLos Angeles with her family for 22 years‘‘I did notunderstandhisdesire butto overcomemyhomesickness,heasked thePrincipalto signme upfor horseriding.‘‘28The International Indian

TravelAll for thelove of India“When Kerala Connections made its debut in 1998,Co-directors Diana and Trevor had to tell enquirers whereKerala was, opening a map of India and pointing to thesubcontinent’s deep south-west coast. “Only then,” chuckledDiana, “could we talk about Kerala’s attractions.”.By: Rudy OtterSharon and Richard Evans of Mystic India check out the Raj Niwas Palaceheritage hotel in Dholpur, over one hour’s drive from AgraThree enterprising UK-based Englishcouples Diana and Trevor Syrett ofKerala Connections; Christine andPhilip Aldridge of No News No Shoes;and Sharon and Richard Evans ofMystic India. have turned their love for Indiainto successful businesses.When Kerala Connections made its debut in1998, Co-directors Diana and Trevor had to tellenquirers where Kerala was, opening a map ofIndia and pointing to the subcontinent’s deepsouth-west coast. “Only then,” chuckled Diana,“could we talk about Kerala’s attractions.”The big established travel companies hadalready included brief details of Kerala in theirbrochures, and now smaller ones like KeralaConnections, the first independent UK operatorin the field, were moving in, helping to boostinterest in the palm-thronged state andsparking the need for many more flights from30The International Indian

Lamcy Plaza ) 04 3583624, Reef Mall ) 04 2247475, Dubai Festival City ) 04 2326193

Travel‘‘As backpackers,they headedfirst tothe GoldenTriangleand Kashmiranddespitetravailsincludingcatchinga pickpocketinaction andsufferingbouts ofdysentery,they lovedIndia.“It’s unlikeanywhereelse,”Dianaenthused.“Thesights andsmells,the heat, itwas a totalassault onthe senses.”‘‘the UK as well as additional hotels and resortsto cope with rising demand.“Despite the growing influx of tourists,”Diana said, “Kerala is managing to retain itscharm. The Keralites are as friendly as ever,genuinely delighted to welcome visitors.”When Diana and Trevor married in1980, they realised that neither of them hadholidayed further than Europe, and aftersome years decided to try a long-haul break,Trevor, suggesting China, and Diana, India.“Naturally,” she quipped, “we went to India!”As backpackers, they headed first to theGolden Triangle and Kashmir and despitetravails including catching a pickpocket inaction and suffering bouts of dysentery, theyloved India.“It’s unlike anywhere else,” Diana enthused.“The sights and smells, the heat, it was a totalassault on the senses.”Their second trip took them to Keralawhich they decided was a “softer introduction”to India than the north and began toyingwith the idea of starting a travel company topersuade more people to visit southern India.They happened to meet a Keralite, one K.D.Varghese, who urged them to spread the wordabout the state, mentioning that a new hotelwas keen to attract foreign tourists. That wasall the encouragement they needed and KeralaConnections sprang to life shortly after theyreturned to England .In June last year, their friend K.D. Vargheseinvited them to his daughter’s wedding inKerala and they were delighted to attend andchat about how much they had progressedsince their backpacking days, having addedanother wing to their agency, called SelectConnections, covering the rest of India. SaidDiana: “Our customers, in their hundreds, stayloyal to us and keep coming back to sampleour favourite hotels and resorts, guesthouses,houseboats and homestays. We pride ourselvesin offering everyone a personal service atextremely attractive prices. What’s more,they tell their relatives and friends about us,bringing in even more business.”She added: “We feared the economicdownturn would put people off but in fact2011 gave us our highest turnover since we setup! That really surprised and delighted us.”(Websites:www.keralaconnections.co.uk andhttp://www.selectconnections.co.uk/)“No News No Shoes” is a familiar sayingamong locals in the sun-drenched Maldives,says its Co-director Christine Aldridge - andthat’s the name she and her husband Philipchose for their company. “It means” saysChristine, “freedom from all the hubbub andchatter...relaxing barefoot on the beach...wallowing in total blissful peace...”Their Northumberland-based company,which specialises in holidays to the Maldives,Tamil Nadu and Kerala, started in 2005following numerous fact-finding trips to theregion. Starting up was a brave decision asChristine had to give up her well-paid job asa chartered accountant. Philip, while helpingher run the business, continued his work as abiotechnology business consultant. Like theother independents, they visited Kerala severaltimes to test for themselves the facilities offeredover a range of hotels, homestays and treetophouses, giving them the ability to speak tocustomers from “personal experience” whetherabout backwaters, spice and tea plantations,wildlife or other attractions.Christine and Philip also involve theirtwo sons, now aged 17 and 15, in speakingto customers, imparting their youthfulperspectives on the charms of Kerala and theMaldives. A high percentage of their customersmake repeat bookings. Also, in commonwith other independents, they have localrepresentatives in India to look after customersall the way from arrival to departure. Fired withenthusiasm, they are poised to expand intoKarnataka.With her elder son Matthew, Christine isdelighted to make regular trips to Mumbai fora “very special reason.” As voluntary teachersthey help educate young Indian orphans in thecity’s teeming Dharavi slums. Christine says,“I’ve always had a desire to help, and our travelbusiness has enabled us to form links with anumber of not-for-profit organisations such asReality Gives who run a number of inspirationalprojects in Dharavi. Customers visiting Keralawith us are also given the opportunity to visit alocal orphanage for street and railway childrenin Kochi called Janaseva Sisubhavan which wealso support with donations and supplies.”(Website: www.nonewsnoshoes.co.uk)32The International Indian

‘‘Richardwept withjoy onhis visitto Indiaand herealisedjust howdeeplymovedI feelabout thisamazingcountry‘‘Christine and Philip Aldridge of No News No Shoes attending Kochi’s Brunton Boatyardparty during Kerala Travel Mart’ with colleague Swaminathan SitaramanAnother independent company is MysticIndia. “For many years,” says its Founderand Managing Director Sharon Evans, “Indiawas calling me, yet I did not sit up and takenotice.” Previously she worked for ThomasCook travel agency, specialising in Australia,and when the branch occasionally invitedstaff to wear the clothes of any country theyfancied, she would surprise everyone byturning up, not in jeans and an Aussie-style hatcomplete with dangling corks, but an Indiansari and nose-stud!She confessed: “I knew nothing about Indiaat the time and could just about tell where theTaj Mahal was located. Yet the look of Indianladies wearing their colourful saris alwaysfascinated me.”She left her job to join a tour operator whohad wanted to make use of her Australianholiday expertise but that idea evaporatedand they asked her to take over their Indiadepartment instead. She jumped for joy, herdream unexpectedly fulfilled at a stroke. Onher first visit to India, back in 2003, she was“completely blown away,” adding: “it felt like Iwas coming home.”Rajasthan was enough to make her fallin love with India which she describes as a“mystical and fascinating country”. Indialured her back on 14 more visits and Sharonstill looks forward to each trip with “greatexcitement”. A Varanasi fortune-teller told herthat in a past life she was a young Indian girlwho had been “murdered near a river.” Thisrevelation startled her. “Icould now see why this girl’sspirit had been calling me toIndia for so long...”The same fortune-tellerpredicted that her life wasabout to change in a bigway. She told him she hadlonged to start her owntravel company specialisingin India which she’d alreadyregistered as “Mystic IndiaLtd” two years previously, butwas wavering about leavingher well-paid job. He assuredher that on 25th May 2009she would fulfill her dreamand that it would work out“very well” for her.She was astonished to hear that on theexact date the fortune-teller had named, herfirm told her she may be made redundant.“That was the push I needed,” she said,adding: “My husband Richard and I are veryhappy serving our loyal band of customers, aswell as new ones who come to us as a result ofword-of-mouth recommendations.”Sharon and Richard Evans of Mystic India tuck into fooddistributed at the Golden Temple of AmritsarShe added: “In fact Richard wept withjoy on his visit to India and he realised justhow deeply moved I feel about this amazingcountry.”(Website: http://www.mysticindia.co.uk/)Rudy Otter is a UK-based freelance journalistThe International Indian 33

TravelThe Exumas,BahamasThere are not enough words to properlydescribe every shade of blue in theseperfect island waters.By: Kathy M. Newbern and J.S. FletcherStunning blue and clear waters, friendly people and an off-the-radar escape await onGreat Exuma, one of the lesser-known islands of the Bahamas. The Exumas actuallyencompass 365 islands and cays (pronounced keys) divided into three major sections: GreatExuma, Little Exuma and the Exuma Cays (Photo by: Kathy M. Newbern)The Bahamas beckon travelers seekinga tropical getaway with images ofwarm, seductive waters, swayingpalms, rustling sea grape leaves, ahammock rocking in the breeze.Yet most people only think of Nassau orFreeport as The Bahamas, likely because ofcasinos, mega resorts and cruise ships thatdraw countless tourists to play.The Bahamas is actually a chain of morethan 700 islands and 2,400 cays (pronouncedkeys) stretching some 750 miles from a pointoff Forida’s east coast to near the edge of theWest Indies. Most of the cays are small anduninhabited. Some are privately owned; manycontain communities with multi-generationalfamilies. A few have cities, like Nassau, thebustling capital with more than 225,000residents.The Exumas certainly are among the lesserknown. This archipelago, part of what’s calledthe Out Islands of The Bahamas, is comprisedof 365 islands and cays divided into threemajor sections: Great Exuma, Little Exuma andthe Exuma Cays.Nearly everyone who has discovered thisoff-the-radar destination would discourage usfrom telling the rest of the world about it, butthis piece of paradise is too good not to share.Most appealing? The water.Matt Marco of February Point, site of highend,luxury waterfront homes, suggests weexperience Exuma at its best: from the water.From the comfort of his Twin Vee Power Cat,we are mesmerized by some of the clearest,bluest water we’ve seen anywhere in the world.“I never even drove a boat until I camehere,” he comments. “Now I go by boat to themarket to shop and to four or five restaurants.It’s a really nice island lifestyle.”Mr. Marco drops us in inches-deepaquamarine water that leads to a barely34The International Indian

A 150-slip, 17-acre marina that canaccommodate yachts up to 240-feet long ispart of the largest resort in Exuma, SandalsEmerald Bay, which also features a GregNorman designed 18-hole golf course, the onlyone on the island. Part of it can be seen topleft, oceanside (Photo Courtesy of Sandals)

Travelexposed, low, long sandbar. After anchoringthe boat a few hundred yards away, he makes acell-phone call, leaving us in solitude.We walk hand-in-hand soaking in the sun.We pick up starfish the size of basketballs.Looking up, we’re stunned to see that thebottoms of the clouds overhead are actuallytinted turquoise from the reflection of theAllan and Kelly Watson of Toronto, Canada, pose with a hugestarfish the first mate pulled from the sea bottom during an ExumaCays excursion with Four C’s Adventures headed by Capt.Andrew Clarke. First Mate P.J. put the starfish back after guestsshot their pictures. The tour highlight is swimming with pigs(Photo by: Kathy M. Newbern)water below.Another day, we join an excursion withDive Exuma, the island’s only PADI five-stardive operation (www.dive-exuma.com). Wesnorkel over one of several “blue holes” here,then go to a cave where scores of fish gatherin a cool current that moves up from below.We come across a large stingray that we followand videotape for several minutes. Next stopis Fowl Cay where the ocean rushes into theharbor, attracting an abundance of sea life.Unforgettable is the Four C’s AdventuresExuma Cays Tour (www.exumawatertours.com). Captain Andrew Clarke and first mateP.J., the owner’s son, revel in showing off theirbackyard in the day-long boat trek to and fromStaniel Cay.We cruise alongside private islands ownedby celebrities like country music megastarsTim McGraw and Faith Hill, and DavidCopperfield’s celeb-haven Musha Cay that goesfor US$37,500 per day for the whole island.Actor Nicholas Cage’s undeveloped islandnearby is reportedly for sale for $6 million.We don’t go far enough this trip to see theisland Johnny Depp bought after falling in lovewith The Exumas while filming “Pirates of theCaribbean.”Our group hops off the boat to a smallsandbar that’s emerged at tide’s retreat. Weswim, then collect shells and sand dollars. P.J.explains the differences between two nativekinds of conch, a key ingredient on local menusoffering conch salad, conch fritters and the like.At Sampson Cay, we get our first glimpseof one of the hottest local attractions: theswimming pigs.Though the pigs won us over, the jewel ofthe day is Thunderball Grotto where all aboardsplash in next to a rock-faced island to snorkel.At certain spots along its base, smallopenings offer access into a large cave inside.Rain has eroded the craggy rock ceiling toform several openings to the sky, allowing raysof sunlight in, piercing the water, creatinga shimmering light show in the blue below.Snorkelers are rewarded by the fish bonanzainside and out and spot eagle rays and a smallreef shark.We see why this location was chosenfor parts of two James Bond 007 movies“Thunderball” and “Never Say Never Again.”Several photos of the 1964 “Thunderball” castare displayed at Staniel Cay Yacht Club wherewe stop for lunch.Captain Andrew has one more treat on theway back: land iguanas at Bitter Guana Cay.Like the pigs, when these reptiles hear boatSandals Emerald Bay boasts the largest pool in the Caribbean,which is perched alongside picture-perfect ocean water on a crescentshaped,white, sandy beach. The largest resort on Exuma, it covers500-acres, is all-inclusive and for adults only. There are a widevariety of activities, from golf, tennis and watersports to its ownsignature spa (Photo Courtesy of Sandals)motors, they scramble from the bushes androcks across the sand in search of a handout.Some are three-feet long and several havelearned to jump for food, but we watch P.J. first‘‘Nearlyeveryonewho hasdiscoveredthis offthe-radardestinationwoulddiscourageusfromtelling therest ofthe worldabout it,but thispiece ofparadiseis toogood notto share.‘‘CMYCMMYCYCMYK36The International Indian

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Traveldemonstrate proper feeding technique. “I’mnot holding the food up for that one,” he jokesas a larger, aggressive iguana scurries over.Even on land, it’s all about waterWhatever your budget, your Exuma landstay will have waternearby.Peace & Plenty in theheart of George Town is aglimpse into the originalisland lifestyle. This laidback,waterside, historichotel is popular withlocals and visitors alike.The pool and the tidywaterfront bar are greathangouts at day’s end.At the impeccablystyled February PointResort Estates, our threebedroom,upscale villa(great for a family)was extravagant andlocated next to theinfinity pool. There aretennis courts and afitness center, too.The development’smarina is perfect for beginning a day ofexploration on the water. Afterward, thedockside Bamboo Bistro is great for an al frescodinner under the stars.Regardless of where you stay, considerrenting a car and exploring on your own. Go tothe island’s west side for sunsets and a look atthe far-reaching shallow water that’s home tothe standout bonefishing Exuma’s known for.We highly recommend heading south toLittle Exuma where you’ll find a fantastic beach:Tropic of Cancer Beach, named for the imaginarylatitudinal line at 23.5 degrees north thatruns through it (and where the sun is directlyoverhead at noon on the summer solstice).There’s a small public parking area and abeach hut. From the hut is an ocean-accesson which a blue line’s been drawn with thecoordinate noted. The hut is courtesy of the“Pirates of the Caribbean” film crew.Further south on the road is popularSantana’s Grill, where Denise “Dee” Rolle Stylesserves conch creations and more island fare ather roadside beach shack. Ask Dee to pull outJunkanoo is a cultural, food and music festival celebrated on BoxingDay (Dec. 26) and New Year’s Day in the Bahamas, with paradesfeaturing lavish costumes, cow bells, drums and whistles. It is sopopular that some islands hold smaller festivals during the summerfor visitors and locals alike. On Great Exuma, Junkanoo isheld on different parts of the island on different weekends. Here,souvenirs and local wares for sale are displayed at a Junkanoo in theBarraterra community (Photo by: Kathy M. Newbern)the photo of her and Johnny Depp.You never know who you’ll run into onExuma, but it won’t be far from some of thebluest, clearest water you’ll ever see.If You’re GoingTo find out more:Visit www.bahamas.com/out-islands/exumas or call1-800-BAHAMAS (1-800-224-2627).Among places tostay:• Sandals EmeraldBay (www.sandals.com/main/emerald/em-home.cfm);• February Point(www.februarypoint.com);• Peace & Plenty(www.peaceandplenty.com);• At Little Exuma,Turtle Rock House is athree-bedroom privatehome for rent right onTropic of Cancer Beach(www.vrbo.com/81288).Food and fun: Two spots to chill out onStocking Island, a short boat ride from GeorgeTown, for local food, music, sun, volleyball,snorkeling and island exploration are Chat‘N’ Chill and Big D’s Conch Spot. Sunday ispig roast day at Chat ‘N’ Chill. Back on GreatExuma, Friday nights the spot called Fish Fryis hopping — a collection of colorful, pastelcoloredshacks by the beach where each servesits own take on an island delicacy while thetunes get turned up and the dominoes fly.Eco-friendly: Exuma Cays Land and Sea Parkis a 176-square-mile nature preserve, the first ofits kind in the world. It encompasses more than20 miles of cays.U.S. based, award-winning travel writers KathyM. Newbern and J.S. Fletcher write about luxury,spas, cruising and romantic destinations worldwidewhen not operating their personalized romance novelcompany, YourNovel.com, where they put you in themiddle of the romance and adventure by starring youin your own book‘‘Peace &Plenty inthe heartof GeorgeTown is aglimpseinto theoriginalislandlifestyle.This laidback,waterside,historichotel ispopularwithlocals andvisitorsalike.‘‘38The International Indian

TravelWho Says Seniorsdon’t want to have fun?Are the folks back home in India getting bored of routine andyearning to do something different to have some fun? Encouragethem to hook up with likeminded friends, trade their sareesand salwar kameez for jeans and indulge their wanderlust.TII’s intrepid Shyamola Khanna and her friends - a bunch ofadventurous silvers took off to Greece.By: Shyamola KhannaAt the island of Poros (Photo by: Shyamola Khanna)It is delightful to watch a large group of‘silvers’ (senior citizens from the armedforces!) getting ready to travel together.There are worries about insurance, thereare concerns about ‘not stretching thebudget’ and yet there is this strong urge toget the maximum benefit at the lowest cost,if possible! So the war of words begins withvendors, a good six months in advance andthe haggling goes on till almost the day ofdeparture!These are all seasoned veterans, whohave spent many years wearing theuniform and living in far away exoticlands. I am quite sure the averageIndian has not heard of placeslike Chhabua, Pangongso, Drass,whereas our silvers have actually livedin places like these, some of whichtake days to reach! After retirementthey have chosen to settle down inSainikpuri (for the ex-Army personnel)and Vayupuri (for the ex-Air Forcepersonnel), two co-located residentialsocieties which are probably the lastbastion of green in Secunderabad, AP.After retirement they have alsochosen to travel to far away lands sothat they can catch up with whatis happening around the world. They arephysically fit (with the help of supplementsand medical care, of course!) and are willing tostretch themselves a wee bit to accommodatethe discomfort of being away from their homeand routine.The plan was to spend five days in Greeceand five days in Turkey. Yatra.com, the travelportal was to provide the logistics accordingto the age related requirements prescribed.There were two silvers in their 80s, half a dozenin their seventies and the rest in their 60s.40The International Indian

The youngest was Anindita Sishta (24) whoaccompanied her mother and grandmother.Three people were going to need wheelchairsat the airports, the average age of the groupwas 60 plus.At Hyderabad Airport we reached insmall groups of four in shared cabs. It wasvery touching to see all my olderfriends in pants and shoes – allthe Kanjivarams and silk sarishaving been abandoned in favourof sturdy travel clothes. Mostsouthern ammas do not believein wearing anything but saris,even salwar kameez does not findfavour with them – and here theywere! Practical common sense hadprevailed.Our flight took off in the weehours and we reached Doha wherewe had to spend seven hours,before we finally reached Athens at6pm (local time). We were met bySandeep Bhagat, our local contactwho ushered us to our hotel, MeliaAthens, in the heart of the city.So we were to freshen up and go to a localtaverna at The Plaka.Day One: The PlakaThe Plaka is probably the oldest part ofAthens, perhaps marginally younger than theAcropolis. The streets with cobbled slopingpathways are ancient, but the shops and allthat they sell are very new and modern. Notsurprisingly most of the shops at The Plaka aremanned by old men and women—I guess theyoungsters have other interests.Plaka is endearing in its old world charmand a walk down the streets was just whatthe doctor ordered for tired sleepy souls! Wewere wide eyed and inquisitive, peeping intoevery shop and picking up little souvenirs totake home.Kalokerinos Tavern at The Plaka was wherewe were heading for dinner and some localdances. The place was packed to the gills andthere was very little place to move but I didmanage to get some snapshots. We had liveBouzoki music and live singers and dancersdoing the Kalamatianos folk dance. A verypretty Greek girl sang popular film songs andeveryone joined in the clapping and singing.The audience was asked to join in when themusicians played the theme music of “Zorbathe Greek” and some of us did join in thetrail around the seats. While we danced thefood was also served —typical Greek food withstuffed aubergines, a salad, bean sauce andHydra- the ‘donkey island’ (Photo by: Shyamola Khanna)kebabs and finally the ‘baklava’. Oh yes, someof us did taste the ouzo, the local wine whichis an extract of aniseed, and pretty soon it wasCinderella time for all of us!Day Two : DelphiDuring ancient times--- and I am talkingof at least 1400 years before Christ, Delphiwas built around a sacred spring and wasconsidered the centre of the world Andaccording to texts, the “world” consistedof all the lands around the MediterraneanSea (in those days, it probably had adifferent name!). The Greeks were among theearliest people – with their stories of their allpowerful gods and their personal prowess onthe battlefield, they acquired a formidablereputation. The Oracles of Delphi also becamefamous for revealing the future.Kings and high ranking warriors came tothe temple of Apollo at Delphi, bearing costlygifts hoping that the virgin high priestesswould predict favorable outcomes. The Oraclehowever, was notorious for never giving astraight answer – it was always a riddle.Built around a sacred spring, Delphi was‘‘Kingsand highrankingwarriorscame tothe templeof Apolloat Delphi,bearingcostlygiftshopingthat thevirgin highpriestesswouldpredictfavorableoutcomes.‘‘The International Indian 41

Travel‘‘As wewereboarding,photographswereclickedand wewereserenadedby oneelderlyGreekplayingall ourfavoritesongs ofyesteryearsonhis saxophone.‘‘considered to be the omphalos – the navelof the world. But modern science killed theromance of it all by telling us that the highpriestess was actually sitting on a geomagneticIn The Plaka-the heart of Athens (Photo by: Shyamola Khanna)fault where the prophetic trance was broughton by the effect of gasses emitted from thebowels of the earth!That apart, when the visitors came toDelphi their gifts were placed on ramps aroundthe temple. If the gift got damaged in anyway, it was buried, never thrown away! Andthat is why you still get to see some of theseawesome excavated statues of marble in theDelphi museum. The famous charioteer inbronze came with his chariot and horses—an impressive statue depicting thecomplete details of the way thecharioteer wore his robes and the waythe reins of the steeds were wrappedaround him – eloquent evidence of thesuperb craftsmanship of yesteryears.We had a lovely lunch at a tavernaon the highway—appropriately calledOmfalos! Delightful pasta and chicken,washed down with their chilled rosewine.We drove through Arachova, aquaint little village well known forits cheese and olive oil. Some of ourgroup bought some goat cheese andolive oil.By the time we got back, it was time towalk through the Plaka again and go to theHermione for dinner. Dinner was uneventful,but what happened afterwards will remain inmy mind forever.We were to walk back through theMonastraki Square which is like the hub foralmost all the streets of The Plaka. Someonepointed out the Acropolis which was all lit upfor the night and I said to myself—Ihave to get a picture of that! But bythe time I had finished trying to getthe perfect shot, I found I was all alone– the group had left. It was almostmidnight and after the initial panic, Irealized I had the guide’s number andwas fortunate enough to get her torescue me.Day Three: The three island cruiseWe were all up and ready in thelobby by 0700 hrs the next day, aswe were to board the Hydraiki fromPiraeus, the port of Athens, whichwas a half hour drive away. As wewere boarding, photographs were clickedand we were serenaded by an elderly Greekgentleman playing all our favorite songs ofyesteryears on his saxophone.We were to spend the whole day on board,travelling to the three main islands of theSaronic Gulf--- the first stop was the island ofPoros, then Hydra (pronounced Heedra) andthen finally Aegina. Lunch was on board, alongwith more music and dancing.The three islands left me longing to spendThe sun sets on the temple (Photo by: Shyamola Khanna)more time there—maybe high up in one ofthose pretty little cottages with a view of theblue waters from the windows. Looking atthese islands, it is understandable why theseislands are so popular with tourists from the42The International Indian

‘‘After thetour ofthe threeislands,we sailedback toPiraeusin themidst ofa glorioussunsetthatseemedto set thesea onfire. Dinnerwas atan Indianrestaurant,calledIskander.‘‘cold countries. Hydra has a very cute little fortwith cannons mounted on top. The only modeof travel there is the donkey. Like Venice, Italy,no motorized vehicles of any kind are allowedon the island. Aegina had pistachio groves—the fruit was on the branches and I had atough time resisting the urge to pluck some.Some of our group bought some at the factory,to take home. Wesaw the church ofSt Nektarios of theGreek OrthodoxChurch, the patronsaint for health.High on a hillockwas a nunnerywhich appearedtotally isolated—far enough to keepoutsiders away.After thetour of the threeislands, we sailedback for Piraeus inthe midst of a glorious sunset which seemedto set the sea on fire. Dinner was at an Indianrestaurant, called Iskander run by a Bangladeshiyoung man who has been living in Athens forthe past 17 years. The place was chock-a-blockwith all kinds of trivia from India—so if therewas a Ganesha statue in one place, there werejharokhas from Rajasthan in another, mirrorsdotted the ceiling – altogether a potpourriwhich made us all feel very much at home.That the food was nostalgia plus was actuallypar for the course!He told us how young Bangladeshi boyswere shelling out as much as 20,000 euros toget to Greece. Once they are in Athens, theydo menial jobs, live in cramped quarters andkeep hoping things will get better!Day Four: City Tour and Temple ofPoseidonWe were taken around the main landmarksof the city, stopping only for photographs. Wepassed by Hadrian’s Arch which was built towelcome the Roman emperor. We caught thechange of guard at the Parliament—the Greeksoldier’s formal attire including the pompomson their shoes dates back at least a couple ofhundred years. We passed by the NumismaticMuseum or the Schliemann House, a numberof churches and cathedrals and then headedout to the Acropolis, scene of my nearmisadventure.Can anyone really do justice to theAcropolis (acro=summit, polis=city) and theParthenon? The entire might of so manythousands of years of rule, in spite of so manychange of handsor because of it,the pomp andmight has notdiminished. Thesheer size of theParthenon and itsmighty columns,its caryatids andits pediments withtheir rich carvings,can perhapscompare to theancient templesand courtyards ofIndia where theartisans spent a lifetime shaping the exquisitestatues and columns.Sidewalk cafe on The Plaka-the heart of Athens (Photo by: Shyamola Khanna)With our heads full of Persians, Romans andGreek gods, we returned to mother earth. Wewent to Manh Manh (pronounced maanaymaanay) for some great Greek food fromthe island of Mani. Yanni, our host, servedus some excellent food and dipping into thefresh crunchy salad, while awaiting our maincourse, we learned that the bread is eaten withbalsamic vinegar and olive oil - butter was ano-no! There was chicken and of course plentyof cheese and humus and some delightfulorange cake for dessert.After lunch we were to travel to Sounion,which is on the southern most tip of thepeninsula of Attica. Our destination was theTemple of Poseidon, the columns of which stilltower over the last point jutting out into thesea. A magnificent view and an overpoweringsense of history…yet a niggling sense of déjàvu…isn’t this place a lot like Kanyakumariin India where three seas meet and the landpoints jut out into the sea?Shyamola Khanna is a freelance writerbased in HyderabadThe International Indian 43

LeadershipYes, You Can StayOn Top Of E-MailAwhile back, one of my friends asked,“How do you get through all of your email.It’s killing me. I just can’t seem to get ontop of it.” I know the feeling.By: Michael HyattWhen you are not on top ofyour email, you feel out ofcontrol. It is like a drippingfaucet that gnaws quietlyaway at your psyche and yourself-confidence. It can also torpedo your career,since people tend to associate responsivenesswith competence. Therefore, becoming anemail ninja is an essential survival skill.If I had to boil it all down to four behaviors,I would recommend the following:1. Empty your inbox everyday. This must beyour goal. You want to be able to go to sleepwith every message processed. That doesn’tmean you answer every message. However,it does mean that you have processed everymessage. There’s a big difference, as I willexplain in a minute.2. Don’t get bogged down, keep moving.The key is that once you start processingyour inbox, you must move quickly. Readeach message once and answer this question:“Is this message actionable?” In other words,“Am I being asked to do something?” If so,there are only three possible actions:• Do—take action on the task now. I followDavid Allen’s two-minute rule. If I can dowhat is being requested in less than twominutes, I do it immediately. This gets stuffoff your to-do list before it ever gets on it.This has the added advantage of makingyou look responsive• Delegate—pass the task along to someoneelse. I’m not talking about “passing thebuck.”But oftentimes someone else is betterequipped to fulfill the sender’s request.Dawson Trotman once said, “I purposednever to do anything others could orwould do when there was so much ofimportance to be done that others couldor would not do.” In other words, try tofocus on where you add value and offloadeverything else.• Defer—consciously decide you will dothe task later. This only applies to tasksyou cannot complete in two minutes or44The International Indian

less or can’t delegate to someone else. Youcan either add the task to your to-do listor schedule an appointment with yourselfto complete it. Fortunately, in Entourage,I convert an email message to a task oran event (i.e., appointment) with a singlekeystroke.If the action is not actionable (i.e., thesender is not requesting that you dosomething), or not actionable any longerbecause you have taken action on it, thenyou have two options:• Delete—determine if you might need theinformation later. If not, delete it. My ownassumption is that if it’s really important,someone, somewhere else in the world,has a copy of it.• File—if you think you might need theinformation, file it. But do not create anelaborate set of file folders. This is the singlemost important piece of advice I can giveyou. Just file everything in one foldercalled “Processed Mail.”If it is more complicated than this, it willlead to procrastination. Trust me on this. Youwill have to decide, Should I file this under Tamibecause it is from her or under Max because it isabout him? And then what happens if the emailcovers more than one subject? Do you makecopies of the email and put one copy undereach folder? Things can get complicated fast.Forget all of that. File your email in onefolder and let your email or system software(e.g., “Spotlight”) find it when you need it.The search capabilities of almost every modernemail program will enable you to put yourhands on any message whenever it is necessary.It may take you a few minutes longer to findthe message using this method, but this isoffset by the hours you waste trying to figureout how to file your messages.When you first begin processing emailas I have described, it will feel slow andcumbersome. You will have to think abouteach step. But, this won’t last long. You willeventually be able to move through thesesteps without consciously thinking about whatyou are doing. Responding in this manner willbecome second nature. For example, I canusually process about 100 message an hour,which is my typical, daily volume.3. Use keyboard shortcuts and avoid themouse. The mouse is a horribly inefficientinput device. Nearly every mouse action hasa keyboard equivalent. In Mac OS X, you caneven create keyboard shortcuts for any menuitem in any software package. (Check underapple | System Preferences | Keyboard & Mouse |Keyboard Shortcuts.)My personal goal is to never use the mouse,Every time I do, I must take my hands off thekeyboard. It doesn’t sound like that wouldcost you much time, but it adds up. KeyCueis a Mac program that will help you learn theshortcuts for any program. It is worth theinvestment. Alternatively, you can check theprogram’s help file and look up “keyboardshortcuts.”4. Let email rules filter the low-prioritystuff. If you haven’t discovered emailrules, you’re missing a great time-saver. (InOutlook, they are under the Tools menu. InApple Mail, they are part of the Preferencespanel.) They sounds a little geeky, but theyare not that difficult to use. Like everything,it will take a little investment, but it will saveyou hours of time.For example, I have a rule that moves emailmessages I am just copied on to a “CC Mail”folder. I assume that these are lower prioritymessages. I don’t want them cluttering up mymain inbox. I get to them when I can, but it isnot high priority.I also have Bacn folder for email newsletters,receipts, andother automatically-generated reading material.(“Spam” is unsolicited bulk email. “Bacn” issolicited bulk email.) Entourage has a MailingList Manager that makes this a breeze. And, likeCC mail, it keeps it out of my inbox.Don’t give into despair. You can keep upwith email. You don’t have to be a geek. Butyou will have to make some new commitmentsand learn some new behaviors. But in the end, alittle extra effort will save you time and give youthe satisfaction that you are in control of yourworkflow.Michael Hyatt is the Chairman ofThomas Nelson Publishers | www.michaelhyatt.com‘‘Whenyou firstbegin processingemail asI havedescribed,it will feelslow andcumbersome.Youwill haveto thinkabouteach step.But, thiswon’t‘‘lastlong.The International Indian 45

Going BackRelocatingTo Life In IndiaBushra Alvi returned to India after a six year stint inthe Gulf. TII interviewed her to learn more about herexperiences.By: Frank RajTII: How long did you live outsideIndia and what do you cherishmost about being back?BA: I lived outside India for six years,two in SaudiArabia and four in Dubai.The feeling of belonging iswhat I cherish most aboutlife in India.of their expat employees, which is veryhumiliating, as if you are a bonded laborer.You are not free to leave your job and return toyour country or switch jobs within the countryunless given an NOC by yourcurrent employer or undercertain conditions. And therules keep changing all thetime.TII: What was thedifference living abroad?BA: Though we adaptedwell to life abroad, thenagging feeling that wewere ‘outsiders or secondclass citizens’ always persisted. In India, for thesame job, all employees get the same salarybut in the Gulf, westerners get more, at timesdouble or triple the salary for the same jobs.Mom and Muzna on a visit to DubaiTII: Any otherobservations?BA: One thing that isstrikingly noticeable is that‘white’ skin commandsmore respect and attention.While this is not always obvious in offices, witha few exceptions most schools pay ‘brown’skinned staff lower wages even if they are morequalified than their ‘western’ counterparts.TII: What was your experience of SaudiArabia like?BA: In Saudi, a national at a lower post gets asalary that is substantially higher than an Indianin a senior position. For example, a Saudinurse at my husband’s hospital in Sakaka (KSA)where he was a Child Specialist, drew a salaryhigher than his. I found this very demeaning.Also, many employers keep the passportsTII: You taught English in Saudi Arabia, whatwas your experience with students there?BA: I taught English to elite Saudi girls at aprivate school in Al Khobar (KSA) and was theonly Indian teacher the 25 year-old school everemployed. The Head of the English departmentwas not sure how the Saudi girls would react,as their concept of Indians was restricted todrivers and maids. Soon however, the students’46The International Indian

impression of Indians changed and I enjoyedgreat respect and a fan following!TII: What is your assessment of the country?BA: I loved both the countries I lived in andadmired the progressmade, especially Dubaiand the UAE. I appreciatedthe law and order and lackof corruption. I loved thecleanliness though at timesit felt too antiseptic. Myelder son studied both inSaudi Arabia (Dammam)and Dubai, a year each inboth countries. He foundthe restrictions in SaudiArabia too stifling for ayoung boy. He, however,enjoyed Dubai with its liberal outlook andthe freedom to move around independently,thanks to efficient public transport.The UAE is a very progressive country and it’sheartening to know that behind its successlies the sweat and toil of many Indians, someof whose families have been here for manygenerations and laid the foundation of modernDubai. I was able to move from teachingEnglish to the field of writing and editing.TII: Since you returned to India how is lifedifferent after living abroad?BA: India is our country and a place where weare accepted ‘unconditionally’. Here I ‘belong’.It took my son and I, months to adjust back tolife in India, so used had we become to luxuriesthat we took for granted. Reality hit us and wehad to come back to earth. The first thing thatwe had to get used to was the heat and dustand chaos on the roads, the noise and generalindiscipline that is an essential part of India.TII: How different was life in the Gulf?BA: We enjoyed being in a Muslim environmentwhere there were masjids everywhere andfacilities for women to read namaz too. I foundthat women are treated with great respect inthe Gulf and enjoy more security. I miss thatvery much. Timings were changed duringRamadan to make it convenient for those whofast, although Eid is not a holiday for everyoneworking in private companies.Bushra Alvi with her husband, Dr. Jalil AhmedTII: In the Gulf you can have Pakistanifriends.BA: My attitude towards Pakistanis changeddrastically. Earlier I tended to view them withsuspicion and mistrustbut gradually I includedthem in my circle of closefriends. I realized that mostIndians and Pakistanis seeeach other not only asfriends but as brothers andsisters, linked through acommon thread of sharedculture and history. I alsoworked in a companywhere my boss and someof my colleagues werePakistanis.My boss made no bones about the fact that hepreferred to do business with Indians, whosebusiness acumen he admired greatlly.TII: How do you rate your overall experienceof living abroad?BA: I feel that it is good to go abroad for a fewyears to gain a wider experience and comeback to make a difference. I would like mychildren to find their own place in the worldand not rest on the glory of their families ordepend on ‘connections’ to get them aheadin life. To a large extent we lived a cocoonedexistence shielded from the harsh realities oflife. The artificiality, the gloss and glamour isokay for a short spell but ultimately India iswhere our roots and our hearts lie.TII: What would you advise people going towork in the Gulf?Many Indians complain about the strict andrestricted life they lead in the Gulf. But they allhave gone there by choice to enjoy a betterlifestyle and earn more than they would everbe able to in India. They should then notgrumble. Each country has its own set of rulesand one should learn to respect those andadjust accordingly.I firmly believe in the adage… ‘When inRome…’Frank Raj is TII’s founder editor & publisher‘‘We enjoyedbeing in aMuslim environmentwheretherewere masjidseverywhereandfacilitiesfor womento readnamaztoo. Ifound thatwomenare treatedwithgreatrespect inthe Gulfand enjoymoresecurity.I missthat verymuch.‘‘The International Indian 47

Gulf Hotel HappeningsClients to entertain? Want to make that business trip more interesting?TII keeps you up to date on what’s happening at the region’s best hotels.Shangri-LaHotel, Abu DhabiJumeirah BeachHotelLe MéridienDubaiHorizon Club To Launch ThisSeptember At Shangri-La Hotel,Qaryat Al Beri, Abu DhabiIn celebration of providing fiveyears of established personalisedservice, Shangri-La Hotel, QaryatAl Beri, Abu Dhabi has announcedthe launch of an exclusive executiveretreat, the Horizon Club, thisSeptember.In keeping with the group-wideShangri-La tradition, the HorizonClub at Shangri-La Hotel, QaryatAl Beri, Abu Dhabi is based on the‘hotel within a hotel’ concept withthe primary objective of cateringto the special needs of frequentbusiness travellers and leisureguests seeking a higher standard ofpersonalised services.The 24 Horizon Club rooms atthe dedicated 5th and 6th floorsand all the 26 suites in the hotel,including the two Presidential Suites,feature 40-inch LED televisions,Ipod docking stations, valet stands,daily replenishment of Chinese teaand fresh fruits, one complimentarysuit pressing per stay and 24-hourbutler service. Guests staying in theHorizon Club rooms and suites enjoythe following privileges:Meet and greet at the airportPersonalised in-room check inwith welcome Chinese tea, freshfruits and tailored amenitiesAccess to the exclusive HorizonClub Lounge with personalisedconcierge services, state-of-the-artboardroom, complimentary wi-fi.Fish Market MenuTreat yourself and your loved one atthe most romantic beach restaurantof Jumeirah Beach Hotel. Enjoy thestunning views of Burj Al Arab andthe Arabian Gulf while savouring aspecially created contemporary twocourse set menu for two guests.07:00 pm - 11:00 pmSeptember 2012AED 600 per coupleFor reservations+971 4 406 8999jbhboxoffice@jumeirah.comJumeirah Zabeel SarayAmala’s Special Vegetarian menuEnjoy a selection of authentic Indianvegetarian dishes specially preparedto share with your family andfriends.06:00 pm – 01:00 amEvery TuesdayAED 180 per personOttoman Grill NightsChoose between traditionalTurkish grill specialties of meat orfish, including a delicious seafoodOttoman mixed grill plate. Thismouthwatering experience shouldbe shared with friends and lovedones.03:00 pm – 12:00 amEvery WednesdayAED 550 per coupleFor reservations+971 4 453 0444jzsrestaurants@jumeirah.comhttp://www.jumeirah.comFriday Brunch at YalumbaA decadent spread of scrumptiouscuisine and a never ending supply offine champagnes.The brunch features manyinternational food stations andsprawls from the extensive buffetlayout onto the pool patio.The à la carte options are pairedwith the champagne. Savour theexperience of four world-classchampagnes and what’s more, youcan enjoy bottomless pouring of thebubbly.Timings: 12.30 pm to 3.30 pmHappy hour: 3.30 pm - 7.30 pmSeafood Night On TuesdaysIndulge in a diverse selection ofseafood prepared to perfection byour team of chefs.The choice includes catch of theday, Oysters, Mussels, Lobsters,Prawns, Tuna steaks and more.AED 219 nett per person(Discount Cards Are Not Applicable)8.00 pm to 11.00 pmFor reservations call+971 4 702 2328yalumba.lmdubai@lemeridien.com48The International Indian

The AddressMontgomerie DubaiSofitel DubaiJumeirah BeachMercure DubaiGold HotelDive in MoviesEnjoy the coolest movie experienceby the pool this summer. Tuck intopopcorn, a tasty barbecue and otherdelightful snacks as you relax oninflatable chairs - in the pool or onthe deck.Non-member adults get to enjoy amovie inclusive of popcorn and onesoft drink for AED 65; while the ratefor children from six to 12 years isAED 35.Snack Menu / BBQ available atadditional cost.Every Thursday and Friday inSeptember.Aquaviva at The AddressMontgomerie DubaiAfternoon TeaSpend a relaxing and enjoyableafternoon as you sip on a leisurelycup of tea and gaze out at thegreenery of the golf course.Choose from a selection of tea ,freshly baked, mouth-wateringscones with Devonshire farmhouseclotted cream, to delicate fingersandwiches, pastries and sweetculinary delights.Sunday to Thursday, 1pm to 5.30pmAED 60 for cream teaAED 99 for light teaAED 155 for full teaNineteen at The AddressMontgomerie DubaiFor reservations call+971 4 390 5600Friday BrunchFamily Fun Never Out Of Fashion AtAOC French BrasserieThe French know fashion and foodso it is no surprise that the institutionof the Friday brunch is a fashionablymouth-watering affair for the wholefamily at AOC French Brasserie.Enjoy a lavish buffet featuring localand international cuisines includinga sushi station, live ‘rotisserie’, largevariety of seafood and a BBQ on theterrace.AED 220 for food, AED 310including selected beverages,AED 480 Bubbly BrunchFor reservations call+971 4 448 4870Salsa NightCuban in Spirit But Still French AtHeart Dubai’s hottest Salsa night justgot extra spicy with a live Cubanband performing as part of ‘SalsaCon Timba’, every Monday from9:00 pm to 1:00 am. Swing yourhips to the simmering Cuban-Latinosounds and be transported fromthe chic French setting to a sizzlingHavana salsa club... The relaxed andfun atmosphere makes it a perfectmid-week night out or the bestway to practice your moves for theweekend.Minimum spend of AED 50For reservations call+971 4 448 4873The modern & contemporaryMercure Gold Hotel Dubai is apremium four star downtown hotelcentrally located on Al Mina Roadand is in close vicinity to the SheikhZayed Road, Jumeirah Beach andPort Rashid area (Dubai MaritimeCity). The hotel is a mere 5-10minutes drive from the Dubai WorldTrade Centre/Dubai InternationalConvention & Exhibition Centre.The hotel is an approx. 15-20 minute drive from the DubaiInternational Airport. Most of thecity’s key business districts andshopping malls/centers are withineasy reach of the hotel.‘Mercure’ is the world’s largestchain of mid-scale full service hotelswith over 762 hotels in 52 countriesand is a prominent mid-scale brand inAccor’s portfolio of hotels & resorts.The hotel’s inventory comprises184 Contemporary Rooms & Suiteswith stylish features and luxuriousspace, offering complimentary tea/coffee making facilities, fully stockedmini bar, multi channel satellite flatscreen LCD television, in-room safe,high speed internet access and IDDtelephone lines. The hotel featuresthe Al Mina Gold Room (your perfectvenue for small to medium scaleResidential Conferences/IncentiveGroups/Product Launches/Seminars/Workshops/Training Programs etc)besides a Business Centre; an allDay Dining Restaurant , a SpecialtyRestaurant and a Lounge Bar.The International Indian 49

Guptara GarmagaramThe StateOf The NationThe general elections coming at the latest in 2014 are likely, asfar as can be seen at present, to produce a hung parliament,with all the uncertainty that will mean for the country; in fact,a hung parliament was widely expected at the last generalelection, so that surprise verdict of the electorate was God’s giftto us of extra time in which to come to our senses, nationally.No such thing has happened.By: Prabhu Guptara‘‘There iswidespreadcorruptionin the twonationalparties aswell as inthe majorregionalparties.‘‘As I write this, Pranab Mukherjee hasjust been elected the 13th Presidentof India. Some people consider thenumber 13 unlucky. Let us praythat it is not so. In any case, this isan appropriate opportunity to survey the stateof our country.Environmentally: The best that can be said isthat we are not any worse than we have been.Technologically: Our lead seems to belessening, as China’s huge investments inhigher education and specifically in English payoff; however, there is increasing competitionfrom the Pacific Islands, South-East Asia, Africa,and even Eastern Europe. Our main problemis that we have not focused on anything otherthan sophisticated “body shopping.” There hasbeen little investment in R&D, and there arehardly any products in the market which giveus the advantages of intellectual property.Socially and Politically: We are in a kind ofstatic mess, with no substantial policy movesfor the last several years. There is widespreadcorruption in the two national parties as wellas in the major regional parties: massive scamsare exposed almost every week - thanks to ourmedia which is still not completely corrupt, andtherefore at least somewhat free. The generalelections coming at the latest in 2014 are likely,as far as can be seen at present, to producea hung parliament, with all the uncertaintythat will mean for the country; in fact, a hungparliament was widely expected at the lastgeneral election, so that surprise verdict of theelectorate was God’s gift to us of extra time inwhich to come to our senses, nationally. Nosuch thing has happened.Workers, unionised or non-unionisedcontinue to be lazy, careless, and lacking inthe most elementary aspects of ethics at work.Owners, with only a very few exceptions,are more interested in the next deal and intheir lavish lifestyles than in doing anythingconstructive for their workers or for the country.50The International Indian

Meanwhile, the Naxalite (extreme Maoist)threat is apparently being contained in the ruralareas even if at the cost of extreme repression,while our towns, cities and industrial areas arebecoming more chaotic and lawless.Labour unrest resulted in aproduction loss of Rs 503 crores lastyear - three times more than theprevious year. But, this year, Marutialone has lost Rs 70 crores a day since600 of the 3,050 workers attackedsupervisors and managers, woundingninety and actually killing one person,resulting in an indefinite lockout at theplant. Earlier, there was the killing of aRegency Ceramics executive in AndhraPradesh, when buildings belongingto the Regency Group were attacked,and the factory and school busesbelonging to Regency were set on fire.Given rising prices and a worseningjob situation, we should not besurprised at more violent expressionsof discontent.Economically: The situation can be summedup as “floundering, and afflicted by highinflation, with the Rupee sinking”. The fate ofthe Rupee had been expected for some time,given that India’s external current accountchanged steadily from a surplus of 2.32% ofGross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2003-04,to a deficit of 4.25% of GDP by 2011-12.While the situation was disguised to a certainextent by a dramatic rise in investment and byhigher economic growth (principally due tothe rise in India’s invisibles, including softwareservices exports and private remittances), theswing from positive to negative was primarilybecause imports grew faster than exports. Atthe same time, the rupee appreciated (Rs.40.24 to the US dollar in 2007-08, comparedto Rs. 48.40 in 2002-03) due to capital inflowsinto India dominated by “hot money” (volatileportfolio and portfolio-like investments which,even when they were classed as foreign directinvestment (FDI), actually consisted of primarilyfinancial investments). So our consistentlywidening current account deficit was covered,till the global economic crisis which hit us in2008-09.The other problems confronting India’smacro economy have not occurred suddenlyor unexpectedly either. Agriculture hasbeen long neglected and has fared poorly,becoming the prime contributor to inflation.The industrial sector has been up and down:corporate investments in manufacturing grewextraordinarily from 2003-4 to 2007-8, afterwhich such investment has collapsed. Whileservices and construction have boomed, thebenefits of corporate-led growth still reach onlythe few.As the ingredients that created pre-crisisgrowth are unlikely to reappear for the next10 years, it will not be enough to merelytalk up the economy or even the prospect ofliberalisation. We need to have a national planfor employment generation and reductionof income-inequalities in order to make ourgrowth more widely-based and stable.Without that, India could well have anotherforeign currency crisis in the near future.All that does not make for a pretty picture.I am sorry to conclude that the MukherjeePresidency could well be India’s last chance.If we do not make use of it, India willdegenerate into chaos, as I have been warningfor some years.Professor Prabhu Guptara has written the above in anentirely private capacity, and none of the above shouldbe related in any way to any of the companies ororganisations with which he is now, or has in the past,been connected. His personal website is:www.prabhu.guptara.netHe blogs at: www.prabhuguptara.blogspot.com‘‘Massivescams areexposedalmost everyweek- thanksto ourmediawhichis stillnot completelycorupt,and thereforeatleastsomewhatfree.‘‘The International Indian 51

52The International Indian

Dubai Office: New Century Tower, Opposite Deira City Centre, 8th Floor, Office 807 &808, Deira - Dubai. Tel: 800 EXPAT (39728) or (971) 4 2522777 Fax : (+971) 4 2522952The International Indian 53

Discuss A BookSecret Daughter:By Shilpi Somaya GowdaTII introduces a book review column to keep track of the latestbestselling novelsBy: Agnes GorettiThe Book: Shilpi Somaya Gowda’slatest novel ‘Secret Daughter,’is about the heartaches ofmotherhood and an adopteddaughter’s yearning tofind her true family.The ‘inciting incidents’ of thenovel:Two universal concerns that theauthor uses powerfully - infertilityfor North American women andthe callous disregard for the girlchild in India. It’s quite an amazingstory by a first time novelist.How the story plays out:Through the lives of two families,the American Thakkars, bothdoctors, and the poverty-stricken Merchants inrural India.The gist of the story:When Kavita’s first child, a daughter, is buriedalive by her husband at birth, she flees with hersecond daughter to a Mumbai orphanage, afternaming her Usha.It’s an Indian-American story:Somer is an American woman in California,who desperately wants a child. Her Indianhusband proposes they adopt a child fromIndia, but she hates the heat and dust, thebureaucracy, the insensitivity to privacy in hisfamily etc... But she has fallen in love with aone-year-old girl in a Mumbai orphanage,renamed Asha.What is unique about Secret Daughter:How the novel switches back and forthbetween India and America for thenext 20 years. The Indian biologicalmother prays for her lost Usha andthe American mother fears shemight lose her adopted Asha oneday.The longing for Indian roots:It comes out as the teenaged Ashademands answers about her ‘real’family and wants more of Indianculture. Kris (short for Krishnan)Somer’s husband is shown asgetting disenchanted with theirhappy family routine. He misseschilly food and constantly uses hot sauce, as ifit’s a statement against their bland lives.The most interesting part of the novel:When the university-going Asha travels to Indiafor the first time on a journalism fellowship,it compels Somer to rethink her ideas. Heradopted daughter wants to find her birthfamily, she understands how much her father’sfamily cares for her, especially her Dadima, andshe realises India is a homecoming.Secret Daughter is published by HarperCollins(2012)Agnes Goretti is a freelance writerbased in Dubai, UAE54The International Indian

DiasporaIndians In TheNetherlandsIn ten year’s time, Indian expats have transformed the Dutch townof Amstelveen into little India. Amstelveen, located on the edgeof Dutch capital Amsterdam and near the Netherlands majorfinancial district Zuidas, used to be dominated by Japanese expatsand was accordingly known as Little Tokyo. With the Japaneseeconomy in decline and India on the rise, the population of thetown has now changed dramatically.By: Maarten van der SchaafMost of the Indians here areyoung IT-professionals, says 36year-old Lavesh Lakhina, bornin the Netherlands to Indianparents and founder of theIndian Expat Society. “Aged between 20 and35, they come to the Netherlands to obtainwork experience. Whenever they go backhome, mostly after five years or so, they areready for management positions. Most Indiansprefer to go to the United States of America orto Britain, in fact, many have never heard of theNetherlands before they get the opportunityto come here. But when they do read into thehistory of this country and learn about thepossibilities, they often become enthusiastic.”For good reason. The Netherlands has along history as a tolerant nation where minoritygroups, and people with different beliefs andreligions are respected. Also, the Netherlands hasa rich trading history. The small West-Europeannation of 16 million hosts the biggest harborof Europe, the Port of Rotterdam, and is hometo a number of world famous multinationalcompanies like Philips,Shell and Unilever. TheDutch speak excellentEnglish, many Indiansfind the cool and wetclimate a relief to theweather at home andthe overall qualityof life is among theworld’s best.As most West-European nations, theLavesh LakhinaNetherlands faces agraying population.Although unemployment is currently on therise, the country fears a lack of highly skilledyoung workers when the global economy willstart to grow again – somewhere in the near56The International Indian

‘‘Approximately8,000 highskilledIndian ITworkerslive inthe Netherlands.6,000of themin andaroundAmsterdam,therest in TheHagueand inEindhoven.Theyoriginatefrom allover India.No Indianstate isoverrepresented.‘‘future. Where does an open services orientedeconomy find young highly skilled employeesto fill this gap? At the global market for talent,of course. India, with its large pool of eagerand young workers, is the place to scout. ToFormer Indian President Abdul J Kalam, meeting members of theIndian community in the Netherlandshelp convince global (Indian) talent to choosethe Netherlands, the Dutch treat foreignerswell on the financial side: expats get a 30%income tax reduction for ten years.This tax reduction makes the Netherlandsan attractive base also for foreign companies.In fact, the country is a tax haven forbusiness. Most foreign companies aresituated around Amsterdam, mostly on theZuidas, Amsterdam’s main financial districtand comfortably near Schiphol InternationalAirport. More than 70 Indian companies,like Tata Consultancy Servies and Infosys,are among them. These companies employDutch citizens, but many Indians too. Lakhinaestimates that approximately 8,000 highskilled Indian IT workers live and work inthe Netherlands. 6,000 of them in andaround Amsterdam, the rest in the politicalcapital of The Hague and in the southerncity of Eindhoven, the historical base ofPhilips. According to Lakhina, they originatefrom all over India. “No Indian state isoverrepresented.”Most Indian professionals come aloneand, although they adapt well to Dutchculture, they often feel lonely, says Lakhina.“Dutch colleagues are friendly and helpful,but they will not easily invite colleagueshome to meet their wife and have dinnerat their house. So most expats spend theirevenings and weekends by themselves. Sooneror later, they get homesick and want to leavethe country prematurely. That is sad not onlyfor all the individual expats, but for the Dutcheconomy too, as it needs these people.” Tohelp make Indian expats feel at home, Lakhinadecided to set up the Indian Expat Society.Every year, Lakhina organizes a huge Diwalicelebration in the centre of Amstelveen. Also,the Indian Expat Society set up an open airBollywood film festival and an annual IndianCricket Tournament. “We also try to involveIndians in typical Dutch celebrations, likeSinterklaas and Queensday. They are veryopen to learn about the culture. Many tryto learn Dutch too.” But it is not only funand games that the Indian Expat Societyorganizes. “We organize seminars onpractical issues about living here, too. Wediscuss and explain things like how to get amortgage or we invite a speaker who givesa presentation on the rules and regulationsfor renting a house.” Lakhina’s efforts seemto work. Indians are by far the biggest highlyskilledforeign group that have come to theNetherlands in recent years. More generally,there is no other country where expats stayas long as in The Netherlands, according toa recent European-wide study on knowledgeimmigrants.The recent arrival of IT workers from Indiais actually the third wave of Indian immigrationto the Netherlands. Lakhina’s parents are partof a group of around 20,000 Indians thatsettled in the West-European nation in the 60’sand 70’s. Among them was, for example, KulIndians adapt well to the Dutch cultureRattan Chadha, who started the world famousclothing brand Mexx. Even earlier, more than200,000 Indians who lived in the former DutchThe International Indian 57

Diasporacolony of Surinam, crossed the Atlantic tocome and live in the Netherlands. This groupdoes not mix with the latest arrivals from India,Meeting of the Indian Expat Societythough. Lakhina explains: “The immigrantsfrom Surinam originate from poor parts ofIndia and are generally not educated on asimilar level as the Indian expats who comehere now. Surinam Indians are ‘bounties’ -black on the outside, white on the inside. WhatI mean to say is that the Indian people whoQuestionscame here via Surinam are culturally, as well asin values, closer to being Dutch.”Apart from the inflow of Indian workers,Indian companies also recently discoveredthe Netherlands. They have not only openedoffices here, but they have also taken overrenowned Dutch companies and brands.Tata Steel bought Corus, the biggest steelfactory of the country in 2007 and ApolloTires acquired Vredestein, a producer ofbicycle tires, in 2009. The Dutch, who wereused to outsourcing their business processesto India, now have to adapt to this newtrend themselves.Netherlands-Indian Chamber of Commerce andTrade / www.nicct.nlIndia Expat Society / www.indiaexpatsociety.orgLiving in the Netherlands /www livinginthenetherlands.nlMaarten van der Schaaf is a Dutch journalist whotravels around the globe in search for great stories.Read more of his work on www.momentum-media.nlor follow him on twitter: @maartenvdschaafSunil Roy has been inDubai for a decade and ahalf. He shares his ideason change.Q: What is your most cherishedmemory of India?A: I fondly think of my school/college days as well as my careerstint at Chennai where many greatfriendships that I still cherished wereformed. Relationships forged backhome provide more meaning tomy life.Q: How often do you go back andwhat is your assessment of thecountry?A: I make it a point to go every yearand I feel that while the country hasmade great strides in many areas, incertain areas it still remains the same.I do not see any development in theplace that I hail from, everythingis the same as I remember. But inChennai, the place I grew up in andwhere I worked before coming toDubai, I see a lot of infrastructuraldevelopment.Sunil Roy with his wife Isha anddaughter Divya SusanaQ: Can you tell us how you havechanged after you left India?A: Some people very close to mesay that I was a better human beingback home. I am not sure whether toagree with that or not. Unlike in India,during my initial years here I learnedcertain behavioural traits that I amnow constantly trying to unlearn.Q: What is the most important waythat you have changed living outsideIndia?A: Living outside India has led toexperiences have made me look atlife from different perspectives.Professionally I feel I would havebeen better back home. But then itis always easy to think the grass isgreener elsewhere.Q: What is the difference you seebetween Indians and others?A: Unlike India, women in theGulf are given more respect fromeveryone. People talk of racism butI have personally not experiencedanything. I see Indians differentiating- that someone is a Mallu or aMadrasi etc. The level of integrity isquite high in the Gulf.Q: Would you be different after a lifeabroad?A: I do not think so. I am me whetherI am here, there or anywhere else.58The International Indian

21st – 23rd November 2012Dubai International Convention &Exhibition Centre Dubai, UAE

HumorIndia’s MostSuccessful OlympicGames Ever?India’s Sports Minister Ajay Maken congratulated the IndianOlympic team on their “super success” at the London Olympics.“At a single Olympics, you have won more medals than at theprevious three Olympics combined,” he pointed out. “Thanksto you, we have gone from winning 20 Olympic medals inour history to 26, which means that India, in terms of worldranking, is now well-ahead of Michael Phelps, the mostdecorated Olympian American swimmer with an all-time recordhaul of 22 medals.”By: Melvin DuraiIndia is basking in the glory of its mostsuccessful Olympics campaign ever, withfour of its athletes going home withbronze medals, two with silver medals,and one with Usain Bolt’s autograph.India’s Sports Minister Ajay Makencongratulated the Olympic team on their“super success” at the London Olympics.“At a single Olympics, you have won moremedals than at the previous three Olympicscombined,” he said. “Thanks to you, we havegone from winning 20 Olympic medals in ourhistory to 26, which means that India, in termsof world ranking, is now well-ahead of MichaelPhelps.”His reference to Phelps was a deliberateresponse to critics who had compared theAmerican swimmer’s all-time record haul of22 medals to that of India, whose athletes inprevious decades would win a single medalat each Olympics with such regularity, manyIndians believed there was a quota system inplay. “It was never a question of whether wewould win one medal,” said sports historianAbdul Ibrahim. “It was always a question ofwho would win that medal.”Indian sports fans had brushed aside thecomparison to Phelps, saying it didn’t botherthem at all, but soon after wrestler SushilKumar won a silver medal, the 26th in the60The International Indian

country’s history, thousands of ecstatic fanspoured into the streets of New Delhi, some ofthem waving signs that said “Sorry,Michael Phelps – you’ll never catchIndia!” and “India leaves MichaelPhelps in the dust.”Kumar also won a bronzemedal at the Beijing Olympics,making him the first Indianto win multiple medals in anindividual event. Indian athletesrecorded several other firsts inLondon: Saina Nehwal becamethe first Indian to win a medal inbadminton, Mary Kom becamethe first Indian woman to wina medal in boxing, and tennisplayers Leander Paes and MaheshBhupathi became the first Indiansto run victory laps after eachother’s loss.“Even those who did not winmedals gave it their best effortand made us proud,” Maken said.“Two of our athletes reached thefinal in discus throw, two of ourboxers came within one victoryof winning a medal, and our fieldhockey team … well, they were ontime for all six matches.”India has now won six medalsin boxing and wrestling in itshistory, and would have won many more,experts believe, if not for Gandhi’s messages ofnonviolence. “When Mary Kom won her medalin boxing, an American friend said to me,‘Gandhi must be rolling in his grave,’” Ibrahimrecalled. “And I said, ‘Well, it’s a good thingthat he was cremated.’”India even did well in a speed event inLondon, with Irfan Kolothum Thodi finishingin the top ten in the 20 km walk. A confidentThodi, who broke the Indian national record,threw out a challenge to Usain Bolt, the fastestman in the world: “You might be able tooutrun me, Usain, but I can out-walk you. Justorganize a walk. Anywhere, any place, I amready for you.”India’s medal winners were promptlyrewarded with cash awards and promotions.Many of the country’s top athletes supportthemselves through government jobs. Kumar,the wrestler, works for Indian Railways, wherehe – appropriately enough – takes care of pins.Kom, a five-time world boxing champion,is a Deputy Superintendent of Police. Sheis occasionally called upon to interrogatesuspects, but they usually confess before theyget to meet her.Sports Minister Maken was in such acelebratory mood after the Olympics thathe even extended warm wishes to MadhuraNagendra, the Olympic female gatecrasherwho walked with the Indian team at theopening ceremony. “We did so well at theLondon Olympics that we have invited her towalk with us again in four years,” he gushed.Melvin Durai is a Manitoba-based writer andhumorist, author of the humorous novel “Bala Takesthe Plunge.” A native of India, he grew up in Zambiaand has lived in North America since the early 1980s.Read his humor blog at http://www.Nshima.comWrite to him at comments@melvindurai.com‘‘Indiahas nowwon sixmedals inboxing andwrestlingin itshistory.Would ithave wonmanymore, asexpertsbelieve,if not forGandhi’smessagesof nonviolence?‘‘The International Indian 61

Kodavas Of CoorgCOORG....wake up and smell the coffee!Tucked away in the “highlands” of Karnataka is Coorg – a littledistrict that stands apart due to its natural beauty, serene tranquilityand most of all – its people! Coorg is to India what Scotland is tothe UK! Coorg weddings are distinct and perhaps the only Hinduwedding ceremony where there is no puja. Alcohol and meat (avariety of pork dishes) are abundantly served and truly relished,with everyone joining in the celebrations - eating, drinking anddancing till the wee hours of the morning. There is no concept ofdowry or child marriage.By: Sarina MenezesRIGHT:Beautiful CoorgladiesTuckedaway in the“highlands”of Karnatakais Coorg– a little district thatstands apart due to itsnatural beauty, serenetranquility and mostof all – its people!Coorg is to India whatScotland is to the UK!I had heard so muchabout Coorg and always wanted to visit,especially since I had friends from there. I wasat a university just three hours from Coorg, butI never made it.So, this summer, Coorg beckoned! Aftermuch deliberation, we landed in Mangalore,took a short holiday in North Kerala and thendrove two and a half hours to Coorg. Our firststop was Madikeri,a hill station dottedwith beautiful homes,verdant valleys andoh such wonderfulweather. The scorchingheat of the plains wassoon forgotten!We arrived inMadikeri at about 1pmtotally famished andheaded straight to EastEnd Hotel, a highlyrecommended clean, simple yet authenticstopover for lunch. After research and takingmuch advice from my Coorg friends, wedecided to drive through North Coorg andvisit all the tourist places, but actually makeour base in South Coorg, thus experiencingall of Coorg. We soon discovered that NorthCoorg is touristy compared to the south, with62The International Indian

RIGHT: Naomiat Irupu FallsBELOW:Shyam walkingus through SpiceGlade withNathan‘‘Homestaysare verycommonand thebest wayto experiencetheculture,traditionandessence ofCoorg.‘‘its thick foliage and wildlife.So, we headed straight to Kutta, SouthCoorg stopping over at the Tibetan Monasteryand the Dubare Elephant Camp on our way.The drive was beautiful since Coorg covers anarea of only 4,102 sq km and is known for itsscenic beauty, coffee and spice plantations.I had never been to a Tibetan monasterybefore and could not imagine a settlement orcommunity of that size right in southern India.The Dubare Elephant camp was a pleasantexperience, as we landed there just in time formy children to bathe the elephants.After a really picturesque journey andsome exciting sightseeing, we arrived at SpiceGlade – our plantation home-stay that wouldbe our abode during our time in Coorg. Homestays are very common and the best way toexperience the culture, tradition and essenceof any place. Besides, we wanted to experiencetrue Coorg hospitality instead of staying ata you-know-what-to-expect star hotel. Ourhosts were Shyam and Jeswin Cariappa whowelcomed us tired souls that evening withfreshly brewed Coorg coffee and chocolatecakes. In the coming days, we were trulylooked after with utmost care. Their hospitalitywas better than that of any five star hotel!At Spice Glade we had a cottage toourselves, just a few metres from theCariappa’s home and surrounded by 36 acresof plantations. We walked around a bit andrealized that Spice Glade was engulfed byexquisite flora and fauna! We had neverseen so many flowers all in one place –bougainvillea, roses, anthuriums, crab claws,musanda, gerberas, birds of paradise, hibiscus,cyprus, powder puffs, xoria and others. After ahearty dinner and a hot shower, we were readyto rest our tired bodies in the stillness of Coorg– the only sound that broke the silence of thenight we discovered were the crickets and thefrogs croaking. Tomorrow was another day!Day Two and we were awakened by thechirpy sounds of birds and after a good Coorgbreakfast we decided to explore South Coorg.The day’s agenda included a visit to Irupu Fallsat the Brahmagiri Forests and then a drivethrough the Tata Tea Estates. Never have I seensuch sprawling, never ending tea plantationswith long never ending windy roads. By 3pmwe were ready to devour eveything on themenu at Café Robusta – the only restaurant inSouth Kutta - which served the most deliciousbutter chicken and Kerala parathas. We decidedto make this our regular get away for lunch.THE PLANTATION WALK!Day Three and Shyam decided to showus around his beautiful plantation. Pointingto a sturdy tree where he intends to build aTree House one day, Shyam shared with usthat after his education, he was given theresponsibility of looking after this plantation byhis father. Their main occupation is growingRobusta Coffee but it is also natural to growfruits and spices which work alongside thenatural habitat. We saw huge ant hills whichShyam mentioned were also important as theyate insects and protected the plantation.Fruit is grown in abundance and we keptThe International Indian 63

Kodavas Of CoorgRIGHT: Jesvin&Shyam Cariappawith Nathan &NaomiBELOW:Plantation walk‘‘ProtectElephantwas amajorproject inWayanadwhich iswhy youare sure tospot herdsof themroamingin thejungles.They arealso themostviolent, sowe werewarnednot toengagein flashphotography,‘‘staring at the orange, guava, passion fruit,grapefruit, avocado, lemon, papaya, jackfruit,cherry, litchi, mango, chiku, star apple, fig,banana and almond trees. The climate andsoil in Coorg also allows spices to grow wellespecially since most of them are creepers thatgrow on the strong and sturdy fruit bearingtrees. Turmeric, cardamom, pepper, bay leaf,lemon grass, clove, all spice and mango gingerwere some of the spices we could see growingfirst hand.We strode through the thick foliage withShyam leading the way. Every now andthen he would bend down as if looking forsomething in the bushes and that made mereally curious. When I quizzed him, he smiledback and said, “The plantation is regularlyvisited by wild elephants and bison that lurkin the bushes and I don’t want you guysbeing attacked or trampled upon”. Whoa…that scared the daylights out of me! Hecasually pointed at elephant foot prints andthe trees that had been uprooted the nightbefore by them.After a tiring but interesting two hourtour of the plantation, we got back to thehouse and were greeted with tall glasses offresh grapefruit juice. Refreshed, we preparedto head for our jungle safari to the famousWayanad Wildlife Sanctuary.Wayanad is actually in Kerala and right atthe tip of South Coorg, which meant it wasjust six kilometres from Spice Glade. Knownfor its lush greenery and rich wildlife, it’s thesecond largest wildlife sanctuary in Kerala. TheWayanad forest is dense with silver oak, teakand timber trees and the forest is open forsafaris only in the mornings from 6 am - 9 amand in the evening between 4 pm - 6 pm.Protect Elephant was a major project inWayanad which is why you are sure to spotherds of them roaming in the jungles. They arealso the most violent, so we were warned notto engage in flash photography, to stay silentand stop the jeep at a distance as soon as wespot them and also to take every precautionnot to disturb them in their environment. Wealso hoped to spot a tiger family which wewere told is a rare sight.Our jeep and the guide finally arrived aftera long wait and we drove on the dirt tracksnoticing the forest getting thicker and thicker,truly a sight to behold. There we were inthe thicket observing a herd of deer staringat us when jeep came to a sudden halt andwe were hushed to be quiet as a family ofelephants crossed over. Bison, peacock, moredeer and a tiger’s pug mark continued toawe us and I was truly convinced that zoosshould be completely banned. That night asI watched the stars above and fidgeted withthe bonfire outside our cottage, I couldn’thelp recollecting the faces of those frightenedanimals.A COORG WEDDING!I thought the best was now all seen andexperienced when the next morning Jesvin andShyam asked us if we would like to accompanythem to a Coorg wedding they were invitedto that afternoon. I definitely wanted to go64The International Indian

ut who thinks of carrying wedding clotheson a holiday? Jesvin graciously offered me herCoorg saree but had no problem if I went justthe way I was – jeans and T-shirt clad! Aftermuch thought andmuch persuasion, wedrove off and this timewe enjoyed the scenicpaddy fields on bothsides of the road.There is somethingabout the Coorgs thatexudes simplicity andsophistication. Coorgsor Kodavas (“pleasedon’t go calling usCoorgis!” Shyamwarns me, mockthreateningly)are aclose-knit community,always looking forexcuses for familyget-togethers. Andthis was definitelyone of them. Wearrived at the weddingbanquet hall and Iwas surprised to see that there was no realwedding ceremony taking place - no priests,no sacred fire, no chanting or pheras - noteven the signing of the marriage register! Thecouple, dressed in their wedding finery, justpray to their ancestors for blessings, sit onthe stage and receive greetings from all whoare gathered there! Concluding that, a Coorgwedding is a social event with emphasis on thefamily and the community getting togetherand truly enjoying themselves, the couplegetting married included. It was a uniqueexperience.Jesvin introduced us as her guests andeveryone we met was so conversational,welcoming and hospitable. Our livelydiscussions made me feel as if I had knownthese people for a very long time. Theladies were adorned in the traditional Coorgjewellery, dressed in beautiful, colourful silksarees worn Coorg style - pleats at the back,pallav wrapped across the chest and thentucked over the right shoulder and clippedwith a brooch. The Coorg women are knownfor their beauty and the men - dressed in theirtraditional clothes (kupya) long overcoats,with silken sashes around the waist and thecustomary dagger (called pechekathi) tuckedon the right, are famous for their strength andvalourThe fun part ofthe wedding is theGanga Puje traditionwhich begins around6pm. It symbolisesthe acceptance of thebride who is now apart of the groom’sfamily and can helpin their householdchores. It is also thegirl’s turn to provethat she is strongand patient. A waterpot drawn from thewell is placed on thegirl’s head and shehas to walk back tothe wedding hall.Sounds simple butthe groom’s familymembers make sureshe doesn’t reach there by dancing right infront of her and blocking her path. The poorgirl takes it all, stands for hours with these potson her head and moves only when she can.The longer she is kept standing, the more she’sproving that she is strong enough to be part ofher new family.Coorg weddings are distinct and perhapsthe only Hindu wedding ceremony wherethere is no puja. Alcohol and meat (a varietyof pork dishes) are abundantly served andtruly relished with everyone joining in thecelebrations - eating, drinking and dancingtill the wee hours of the morning. There is noconcept of dowry or child marriage.On our way home, Shyam explainedmore about the people of Coorg. Life inCoorg, can be quite lonesome unless you livein Madikeri. Most children complete theirprimary schooling in Coorg and then move toBangalore for higher and professional studies.The prospect of holing up on a plantation isnot everyone’s cup of tea. You neither hear norsee your neighbors so when you do meet, it isan occasion to celebrate with much food and‘‘The longershe is keptstanding,the moreshe’sprovingthat sheis strongenough tobe part ofher newfamily.‘‘TOP:Coorg BridalcoupleThe International Indian 65

Kodavas Of Coorgdrink, just like this wedding celebration. Yet,Coorgs educate their children, especially girls,and are a community that is very progressiveand connected to the outside world.Our time in Coorg had now come to an endand I could hear our children moaning aboutnot wanting to return back to their regular lifeand the hustle and bustle of the city. Shyampromised them one last drive through theNagarhole Forest that was just 2 kms from theirhome. The highway to Bangalore actually runsthrough this forest and motorists have todrive extremely cautiously and slowly! Notsurprisingly, it is closed during sunset.That night we could hear somethinglarge, either a bison or an elephant,trampling through Shyam’s estate and westiffened when a couple of fire crackerswere lit to ward them off. We stayed uplate that night around the bonfire – ourlast chance to listen to the crickets, enjoythe stillness of the night and the gloriousweather, breathe in fresh air, watch thestar lit sky and savor delicious homemadeIrish Cream and Coorg cuisine!If you are looking to slow down, enjoynature and some uninterrupted peace,then Coorg is the perfect place for achange of pace.COORG DELICACIESPaput Idlis with Chana MasalaAkki Rotis (Rice rotis) with almost anythingCoorg Pepper ChickenCoorg Pork Pandi Curry with SanaasKadam Buttu (Rice Balls) with Mushroom &Bamboo CurrySarina Menezes is a freelance writer based in MumbaiLEFT:Tata Tea EstateTII Amateur Photo Competition!Email ONE best photo (hi-res Jpeg file) on the theme indicated to tiicompetitions@gmail.comand win exciting prizes! (For contest rules please visit www.theinternationalindian.com)Photo by: Unmesh DattaPhoto by: Rashid NANext Theme:Grandparents 2Theme: Grandparents66The International Indian

InvestmentBeware - OfBanking Fraud!Today, most of us do our banking online and itstherefore made the process of scrutinizing one’s bankaccount simpler. However, online banking exposes usto related risks. Some of the ways by which to protectourselves from such risks are given below.By: Debajyoti Ray ChaudhuriThere was a recent news itemof a banking fraud wherein theperpetrators, in connivance withan IT services company whichhad access to the bank records,managed to change the address of the accountholder. Subsequently ATM cards and PINs weredelivered at the fake address and the moneywas withdrawn from the accounts by thefraudsters over a period of time.In another similar case, a letter was receivedby a bank purportedly from one of its customersasking for a change in address and contacts.After the new contacts were made effective, afax was received requesting for a remittance bydebiting the customer’s account. Later on, itwas found that the original letter for change ofaddress/contacts, as also the subsequent one formaking the remittance, was forged and this wasan attempt to fraudulently debit the customer’saccount.In the days when manual ledgers weremaintained in banks, criminals used tofrequently target inoperative accounts,assuming that the account holders would notnotice the amounts being withdrawn fromsuch accounts. In-operative accounts now havemore stringent rules for withdrawal, includingin some cases, the presence in person of theaccount holder for reactivating the account.However, banks brand an account asinoperative only after a certain period of timeand during this time such accounts may beattract the attention of fraudsters, sometimeswith the connivance of bank employees ortheir associates.One important precaution is to operateone’s bank accounts at reasonable frequency,or go through one’s statements of accountsvery carefully, to ensure that there are nounusual debit or any other change like thatof authorized signatory or address. Most ATM68The International Indian

cards have daily ceilings on cash withdrawal/online transactions. Many banks also re-confirmtelephone transactions done online. Therefore,it’s extremely important to immediately pointout unauthorized debits and also to keep one’slatest contacts updated with the bank.Today, most of us do our bankingonline and its therefore made the processof scrutinizing one’s bank account simpler.However, online banking exposes us to relatedrisks. There are some ways by which to protectourselves from such risks:Have a strong password. This is themost important part and also the mostrecommended. However its also the mostdifficult to practice. Unfortunately some of themost common passwords are simple ones like‘123456’ or ‘password’. These should neverbe used as almost invariably these passwordstend to be compromised. Some of the otherpasswords which should be avoided areconsecutive numbers, one’s own name orEmail ID as part of the password and wordsin the dictionary. Bear in mind that typically,hackers use software to guess every possiblepermutation of numbers and letters to crack apassword. The characters in a password shouldtherefore be in a random sequence. We canmake use of special characters like *and ^ tostrengthen a password.Remembering one’s password is theother challenge. Writing it down is notadvisable. Putting it in one’s Email ID is alsonot acceptable as Email IDs can also be hacked.Remembering it is the only safe way. Onecan have a single password for all one’s bankaccounts to make it easier to remember. Thereis now of course specialized software to help usstore our passwords.A separate login and transactionpassword is also helpful.The other safety feature which can beexercised is regarding the IT infrastructure. Thefollowing suggestions are helpful:An internet cafe or a public wi-fi shouldnot be used for accessing one’s bank accounts.A private wireless connection provides lessprotection compared to a wired one but can beused provided it is secured by a password. Thewireless router should be switched off whennot in use, so as to make it less vulnerable tohackers.One should preferably type the URLof the website in the address bar. Somefraudulent websites look very similar to thegenuine ones and we can compromise aresecurity by using our password/user ID on suchwebsites. Generally online activity should bedone on secure websites which is indicated bythe prefix ‘https://www.’ Instead of the usual‘http://www.’ A lock icon also appears in theaddress bar.Avoid phishing mail. Sometimes we getmails asking us to go to a link to change ouruser ID and password. These are the “phishing”mails and should be reported to the appropriateauthorities. Typically these links would direct usto a fraudulent website where the security ofone’s account can be compromised.The antivirus and other security softwareon our computer hardware should be keptupdated so as to detect any malware. Theoperating systems on our computer should alsobe updated as per the latest version available.Single account/card for onlinetransactions. One safety measure is to do allone’s online transactions through the samebank account. The accounts where the bulk ofone’s savings are parked may be kept separatelywhere only enquiry rights of online bankingmay be availed. Similarly minimum limits maybe kept on credit cards through which onlinetransactions are done.SAFETY TIPS• Scrutinize your bank account statementsfor unusual debits.• Keep contacts updated with banks• Use strong passwords• Do not use public computers or free wi-fi• Keep your antivirus and operatingsoftware updated• Type in the website address• Use separate accounts for onlinetransactionsDebajyoti Ray Chaudhuri is CEO SBI, DIFC, Dubai.He has written the above in his private capacity, andthe views expressed in this article are his own‘‘One safetymeasureis to do allones onlinetransactionsthroughthe samebank account.Theaccountswherethe bulkof one’ssavingsare parkedmay bekept separatelywhereonly enquiryrightsof onlinebankingmay beavailed.‘‘The International Indian 69

Tips: From A Chartered AccountantFunding forPurchaseof Property in IndiaTII introduces an investment Q&A column for our readers.By: Prem KarraThe following are queries raisedwith reference to a propertypurchased in Nasik by anNRI/PIO:Q: I was holding anIndian passport andwent to the USA tostudy. What is mystatus?A: When you arepursuing yourstudies abroadyou wouldbe classified as aNon Resident Indian.You would be eligiblefor all the benefits of aNon Resident Indian in terms of opening bankaccounts, remittance of monies etc.Q: After completing my studies in the USA Igot a job and continued my residency there.Subsequently I applied for a green card andobtained my citizenship in the USA. What ismy status now?A: Your current status would be a NonResident Indian however categorized as a“Person of Indian Origin”-PIO. You haveall the benefits bestowed on any NRIholding an Indian Passport.Q: I have currentlymoved fromthe USA andtaken up anassignment inDubai. Will thishave any impacton my status.A: No there willnot be anyimpact and youwill continue tobe PIO.Q: My father is also in Dubai and out of hislove and affection for me has purchased ahouse for me in Nasik. Can I hold this in myname ?A: Yes, being a PIO holder you can hold thisproperty in your name.70The International Indian

Q: Are there any declarations I will have tomake to any authorities for this acquisitionin my name?A: Under the current guidelines you donot need to make any declarations for theacquisition of the said property.Q: My father has funded thisproperty through a friend of hisin India. Should he remit theamount due to his friend fromDubai?A: Yes your father will have topay into his friend’s bank accountin India to extinguish his debtto him. Any form of paymentotherwise will be construed as aviolation of FEMA.Q: Should there be a documentto state that my father hasgifted this property to me?A: Your father has bought theproperty directly in your name out of fundshe has provided and the property is registeredin your name. It will be better to have adocument evidencing the fact that he hasgifted this property to you.Q: What is the implication of thistransaction under the Indian Income TaxAct? I have also rented out this propertyand getting a rent from the last year.A: Since the property is owned by you andyou have rented it out, it is necessary for youto file a return and pay the taxes on the rentalincome along with any other interest etc.income you may have in India.Q: What is the year for which I will have filethe return?A: Unlike in the USA where you follow thecalendar year for tax purposes in India wefollow the year beginning 1 st April and endthe next 31 st of March. You will have to fileyour return before the 31 st of July 2012,however this year there is an extension till31 st August.Q: What do I need to file a return?A: You need to get a Permanent AccountNumber (PAN) Card. The procedure isavailable in the site www.incometaxindia.gov.in. Besides you will have to provide the bankaccount statements which you have in Indiato your CPA for him to track all the incomesin India besides also getting benefits forpayments of Municipal Taxes and Water Taxes.Q: As an American citizen working in Dubai,I do not have a bank account in India. Therent from my flat is received by my parentsinto their NRO bank account in India, sohow do I show accountability to the IT deptfor the rental income received?A: As the owner of the property in India it isimperative that you have a bank account. Incase you do not have a bank account and theamounts are received by your father on yourbehalf there are two options you have:Give a letter of authorisation to your fatherto receive the money on your behalf and alsoinstruct the tenant to pay into his account.This cannot go on forever and will have to berectified as early as possible.However it will be of paramount importancefor you to open a bank account .Alternatively you can have your name includedin the NRO account of your father and mother.Prem Karra is a Fellow of the Institute of CharteredAccountants of India with 35 years in practice. He wasa financial advisor to Ten Sports, and studied at MadrasChristian College High School and Vivekananda College‘‘As theownerof thepropertyin Indiait isimperativethat youhave abankaccount inIndia.‘‘The International Indian 71

JeepsUday Bhan:India’s Jeep GuruHis love for restoring vintage jeeps revived like an old itch and in1980 UBS started a workshop at his Liluah home. He purchasedold jeeps, restored them and sold them to interested buyers. Hedeveloped contacts with scrap-dealers and offered them moremoney than they would have made by scrapping a jeep. Soonword spread and people would often land at his door with abargain or information about a jeep in someone’s backyard.By: Anuradha SharmaRIGHT: UdayBhan Singh and hiswife Atima(Photo by: Anuradha Sharma)It’s a rather hot Sunday afternoon for lateMarch. The otherwise chaotically busyroads are desolate and the characteristiccacophony of Liluah, five kms fromCalcutta’s twin city, Howrah, seems to betaking a siesta. The stillness of the air is stirredgently by an old Mohd. Rafi number, “Tere meresapne ab ek rang hain,” from the film Guide andthe occasional clank of metallic objects comingfrom a workshop diagonally in front of UdayBhan Singh’s double-storey house.The house is not difficult to spot. Whatnormal house would have a World War IIFord jeep jutting out from the facade abovethe main entrance? “This is my youngerson Vidyun’s gift to me,” says UBS, as he ispopularly called. “He ‘parked’ it up there asa surprise for me when I returned from anexpedition,” says the 60-year-old, in a softspokenmanner that you normally would notassociate with someone whose passion is tocollect old jeeps and go off-roading on someof the most hostileterrains in India. Hisprivate collectionboasts over 50military jeeps, halfof them US-madeWorld War II vintage,and his community,‘Jeep Thrills,’ whichhe started in 2004 topromote his love forjeep and off-roadingas an adventureform, has alreadyclocked over 900 members from all over India.Why jeeps? “Why not?” asks UBS lookingunder the bonnet of a Willys MB undergoingrestoration in front of his house. “The jeep isa very versatile vehicle. It’s in fact a small littlefour-wheel drive truck and can go anywhere,whether there is a road or not.”UBS’s love affair with the jeep started early72The International Indian

in life as he lusted after his father’s 1942WW-II Ford. No other car from his familystable, which included Buicks, Chryslers,Hudsons and even a Rolls-Royce, was ableto draw the attention of a teenager besottedwith the rather gawky jeep of the type usedby the British and Indian forces to drive outthe Japanese in the Battle of Kohima in 1944.Several hundred such jeeps of American makewere brought to India for the war. “Finally, myfather gave in and gave me Rs 2,200 to buymy own jeep and leave his alone,” chucklesthe founder of IP Memorial School in Liluahwith a child-like glint in his eyes. “Those days,petrol was only Rs.1 per litre and I rememberdriving around endlessly on my first jeep, aWillys MB.” He was 16 at the time.His second, which was also his first fullyrestoredjeep, was a Ford GPW which UBSdismantled completely before rebuilding itwith parts from a similar jeep, improving thebrake and steering system. Thus began hishobby of sourcing old jeeps and restoringthem. He left the Ford GPW under his brotherUmesh’s care when he went away to study.Originally from the Punjab, UBS’s ancestorsmigrated to Bengal more than 200 hundredyears ago. Their connection with wheels begana long time ago. “My grandfather, NandKumar Singha, set up the first bus service inHowrah with Salkia Transport Agency,” saysUBS. His father, Indrajit Kumar Singh, ran thetransport business till it hit a roadblock andwas liquidated after which he opened a cinemahall. UBS acquired a BSc degree from BirlaInstitute of Technology and Science, Pilani,Rajasthan, and returned home following hisfather’s illness to take up the family business.His father passed away a year later in 1977.His love for restoring vintage jeeps revivedlike an old itch and in 1980 UBS started aworkshop at his Liluah home. He purchasedold jeeps, restored them and sold them tointerested buyers. He developed contacts withscrap-dealers and offered them more moneythan they would have made by scrapping ajeep. Soon word spread and people wouldoften land at his door with a bargain orinformation about a jeep in someone’sbackyard. The lead would immediately get UBSdriving off or boarding the next train or busto “anywhere.” His pursuit often made himleave home early in the morning and returnlate at night. “It was crazy,” says his wife AtimaSingh, whom he married in 1978. “Those werenot the mobile phone days. One day he didnot return home and very late in the nighthe called me from a public telephone boothsaying that he’d found a place to sleep andfood to eat.”Even though his passion soon became abusiness, he would not sell the jeeps he mostfancied- the World War II models and lowbonnetCJs-. “I restored them but never partedwith them,” UBS adds. Slowly his collectiongrew.When UBS and his wife started the schoolin 1992, UBS shut his workshop to devote histime entirely to the institution. But two yearshad barely passed before restlessness set inagain and propelled him back to the comfortof his greasy workshop, which he lovinglyTOP: UBS’s lovefor restoring vintagejeeps revived likean old itch and in1980 UBS starteda workshop at hisLiluah home(Photo by Uday Bhan SinghBELOW: UBS’slove affair with thejeep started early inlife as he lusted afterhis father’s 1942WW-II Ford(Photo by Uday Bhan Singh‘‘“Eventhoughhis passionsoonbecame abusiness,he wouldnot sellthe jeepshe mostfanciedtheWorldWar IImodelsand lowbonnetCJs-. “Irestoredthem butneverpartedwiththem,”UBS adds.Slowly hiscollectiongrew.”‘‘The International Indian 73

Jeeps‘‘In 2006,UBS travelled1500miles inan 8181, alegendaryWillys hehad restoredforhis olderson Adhiraj,whilehis BritishfriendConradBirch rodealongsideon a KTM‘‘bike.TOP: UBS’sspecially modifiedjeeps are often usedfor social activities,including disastermanagement(Photo by Uday Bhan SinghRIGHT: Todayapart from militaryjeeps, UBS hascollected about 20civilian jeeps(Photo by Uday Bhan Singhcalls his studio. He only restores old jeeps,modifying them sometimes to suit modernneeds, but does not do business with them.Today apart from military jeeps, UBS hascollected about 20 civilian jeeps. His personalfavourite is a 1952 Willys M38, which wasgifted to him by an acquaintance, Rev. Fr.Sarkar, in Calcutta and is exactly as old ashim. “This sure is one of the finest jeeps evermade,” chuckles UBS. The gift did not comeeasily. “For almost two decades that I knewFather Sarkar, I would go to his place andadmire the vehicle. He had made it very clearthat he would not sell it come what may. Iwould go just to see the jeep, sometimes Iwould even dust it. And every time I crossedthat street, I would peep inside through thegate to catch a quick glance,” UBS recalls.“One day, I saw that the jeep was missingfrom the garage. My heart sank. I went inand I was told that the jeep had brokendown at Raghunathpur in Purulia (overnightjourney by train). The very next day I went toRaghunathpur and after I was able to get thejeep to restart, Father Sarkar gifted it to mesaying I would be the best person to take careof it.” Especially made for riverine warfare, theM38 can drive in 70 inches of water and hasa 24 volts system. Jeeps usually have a 6 voltbattery.UBS is currently involved in restoring asix-wheel drive that he purchased from anauction at the Bengal Engineering and ScienceUniversity workshop around two years ago.“This was used to carry heavy weapons duringWW II. It is called Dodge Weapons Carrier WC63 because it had six wheels and three axles.The one I have is probably the only survivingpiece in India!”A member of the Military VehiclesPreservation Association, UBS is activelyinvolved in promoting awareness about jeeps.“There is a need for better understandingand appreciation of the good old jeep,” hesays. His community Jeep Thrills periodicallyorganises off-roading events. “We also doworkshops for small groups where we tell theparticipants about jeeps, show them what allthe jeep can do and let them drive the jeep forshort distances.”His specially modified jeeps are oftenused for social activities, including disastermanagement. Most recently they wereemployed to clean the Santragachi Lake usingpower winches, to make it a better habitat formigratory birds.In 2006, UBS travelled 1500 miles in an8181, a legendary Willys he had restored forhis older son Adhiraj, while his British friendConrad Birch rode alongside on a KTM bike.They travelled in a straight line along the GreatArc of India led by nothing but a compass, anadventure he dare not repeat, says UBS.The sun is ready to set by now. MechanicSadhan Mazumder, “the last of his kind inCalcutta,” has changed cassettes a numberof times and it is now “Jane kahan mera jigargaya ji” playing at full-volume. The songskeep playing as long as work goes on at theworkshop. “We both love old jeeps and oldHindi film music,” says UBS.Anuradha Sharma is a freelance writerbased in Kolkata, India74The International Indian

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ImpactLearning To GiveBack To SocietyExpat Indian Kids’ Piggy Bank ClubCompassionate Indian expat Moms in Hong Kong have started a‘Piggy Bank Club,’ to teach valuable lessons to their kids, that isworth emulating by anyone, anywhere.By: Amita SarwalToddlers’ Effort to Make a Small DifferenceOn a mid-morning during schoolsummer vacations in Hong Kong,a group of children, between2-1/2 to five years, sit arounda table, diligently working on acrafts project. Though this particular session hasa special motive, a purpose.“They are makingpiggy banks from emptymilk tins. We are teachingthem to collect money- loose change - whichwe will eventually sendto EkPrayaas, a Non-Governmental Organisation(NGO),” explains hostessShikha Lamba.Shikha’s involvementwith EkPrayaas (literally,An Effort) was through agroup of expat Indians, whostarted the organisation.“We were introduced to EkPrayaas aboutfour years ago and have since been involvedin raising funds for this registered trust inIndia. EkPrayaas, in turn, funds charitableprojects in India. These range from helpingunderprivileged children, AIDS patients,physically handicapped children and youth,and aiding rural schools,” she explains.Moms & kids making their piggy banks (Photo by Shikha Lamba)76The International Indian

‘‘Thereis sucha greatneed,and it isimportantwe teachourchildren togive backto societyfrom ayoung age.‘‘THE PIGGY BANK CLUB“The idea of setting up the Piggy Bank ClubL to R Back row Vihaan, Jai, Sohan, Rashida, Rhea, Anaya, Esha. Front rowAgustya, Amaira, Ryan and Vedika (Photo by Shikha Lamba)came from the realisation that most Indianparents living abroad often donate to charitiesin India in their children’s names. For example,every year on my children’s birthdays, I havecontributed money on their behalf to variousorganisations in India. I thought why not takethis further and inculcate the idea of ‘giving’ inour children quite early,” says Shikha.“Since my daughter Rhea turned four lastyear, it has been easier to explain this conceptof helping other children. I often remindher that she has parents who can affordto buy food, clothes, books and toys, forher, and her ‘almost one year old‘ youngerbrother Ranvir, but not all children arethat fortunate. This obviously has struck achord in her as she often chooses toys andbooks that she no longer wants and asksme to send them to children who needthem,” says Shikha.The Piggy Bank Club originated almostas an arts and crafts project that Shikhawas planning for five-year-old Rhea. “I docrafts with her often. When I decided toteach her to make a piggy bank, I thoughtof including other kids. I called up a fewfriends and told them what my motivewas. The response from all the moms was verypositive and we had almost 20 kids makingpiggy banks. My purpose is simply to get thekids involved into putting money away forneedy children, and making it fun while doingso, thus forming a habit from a young age”she adds.The children, who are old enough tounderstand, were told about the purpose ofthe piggy bank collection.Interestingly, even thesmaller kids seemed quiteenthusiastic about gettingtheir parents to give themcoins to fill their piggybanks.EkPrayaas was an easy,unanimous first choicefor the Piggy Bank Club,as all the moms knew themembers, and were awareof the commendable workbeing done by EkPrayaas.The Piggy Bank Clubmembers plan to meetperiodically, and have a little party while thechildren empty out their piggy banks for anoble cause.Shikha hopes that, “other moms will takethe lead and similarly form their own PiggyBank Clubs and send their collections to whichever worthy NGO in India they support. Thereis such a great need, and it is important weteach our children to give back to society froma young age.”Two of our youngest members, Amaira and Amishi with their moms(Photo by Shikha Lamba)Contact: Ek Prayaas: info@ekprayaas.netWebsite: http://www.ekprayaas.netAmita Sarwal is a freelance writer and has beenTII’s Singapore Correspondent for almost 15 yearsThe International Indian 77

Down Memory LaneAnglo-Indians andGoans: Who’s thefairest of them all?It was clear to me, as a “medium-brownie” born andbrought up in India in the mid-1900s, that having a faircomplexion meant everything to Anglo-Indians in thosefar-off days. Nothing else seemed to matter. If you werea white Anglo-Indian, you were truly blessed. For someunfathomable reason the world owed you a living. DarkerhuedAnglos - the medium-browns and the dark-browns -automatically admired you and felt it a privilege to socialisewith you or better still, marry you.By: Rudy OtterAnglo-Indians and Goans could haveevolved into a single community inIndia as far back as the year 1911.They had much in common.Both communities had mixedEuropean-settlerand Indianancestry - theAnglo-Indians wereof British/Indiandescent, and manyGoans were ofPortuguese/Indiandescent.Bothcommunities wereChristian.Bothcommunities spokeEnglish.So why the long delay in coming togetheras one big happy Anglo-Indian community?Why did this only start to happen in earnest inthe early 1950s?I would say the fault lay entirely with thearrogant Anglo-Indians of those bygone days.They regarded most Goans as “lessEuropean-looking” than themselves. Theythought Goans more closely resembled theIndian side of their dual ancestry.Now just a minute!Anglo-Indians were not half as Europeanlookingas they had imagined. They actuallycame in four shades. A minority were white,many were light-brown, many more equallysplit between medium-brown and dark-brown.I know that in bygone days, Anglo-Indians,no matter what their hue, strived to portray78The International Indian

themselves as “whiter than white”, severalblaming the harsh Indian sun for their swarthypigmentation.It was clear to me, as a “medium-brownie”born and brought up in India in the mid-1900s,that having a fair complexion meant everythingto Anglo-Indians in those far-offdays.Nothing else seemed to matter.If you were a white Anglo-Indian,you were truly blessed. For someunfathomable reason the worldowed you a living.Darker-hued Anglos - themedium-browns and the darkbrowns- automatically admired youand felt it a privilege to socialise withyou or better still, marry you. What’smore, having blue or green or greyeyes, and fair or ginger hair, wereadditional jewels in your covetedwhite crown.Yet, despite this whitecomplexionmania among Anglo-Indians, they and the Goansmanaged to live and work side byside in harmony in those distantdays.In the railway institute, as a youngster,I watched them playing billiards, whist andtombola in good-natured groups. Bothcommunities took part in hockey, cricket,boxing and athletics events. They greeted oneanother in the street or at railway stations andmarketplaces and happily exchanged gossip.Both communities employed Indianservants - as cooks, cleaners and sometimeseven gardeners.Many Anglo-Indians shared with Goans theRoman Catholic faith and attended the sameChristian schools.All this outward show of harmony onlyexisted up to a point.That point was MARRIAGE.In those olden days, I heard of some Goanfathers offering white or light-brown Anglo-Indian bachelors attractive dowries to marrytheir daughters. Such overtures only served toinflate the already exaggerated self-importanceof the Anglo-Indians they pursued.Predictably, those Anglo-Indian bachelorsmostly turned down the Goan dowry offers,but a minority, dazzled by the prospect ofsudden wealth, accepted the dowries and thenhad to face the wrath of their colour-consciousAnglo-Indian relatives who saw the marriage as“letting the family down.”Surely, the irate relatives would argue, theirGlen or Gladys “could have done better?”- a euphemism that meant acquiring a fair(or fairer-skinned) partner. “Doing better”had nothing to do with income, prospects,character, intelligence or upbringing - only skincomplexion.Many of those Anglo-Indians, in theirunbelievably ignorant ways, used to pokemalicious fun at the Goans, calling them“Goanese” as well as “toddy-tree climbers”and “de-lightfuls” - because their Portuguesesurnames often carried the de or D’ prefix as inde Mello, D’Costa, de Freitas.I once heard of an Anglo-Indian father whowas so incensed at a Goan teenager takinga fancy to his light-brown daughter that hechased the Goan down the road brandishing ahockey stick and bellowing at the fleeing youthnever to come anywhere near their railwayquarters again.On one occasion, I saw a young Anglo-Indian man striding up to a Goan after arailway institute social evening and threateningto beat him up because the Goan, during atag-dance, had “tagged” his white-skinnedThe International Indian 79

Down Memory Lane‘‘Alas, theEurasianswere mistrustedby boththe Britishwhite-settlerAnglo-Indians,and theIndians,each communityclaimingthat Eurasianloyaltylay withthe “otherside”.‘‘sister several times by tappingher partner on the shoulder todismiss him and take the girlin his arms.The angry Anglo fearedthat all that tagging mightprompt spectators to believethat his sister was “sweet”on the Goan, an unthinkablethought in those far-off days,the mid-1900s!Yet, had a white soldier fromthe local British army camp taggedthe belligerent Anglo-Indian’s sister’spartner on the dance floor and claimed her forhimself, the Anglo would undoubtedly havebeamed with pride and told everyone withinearshot: “See my sister? Look who she’s jivingwith, men! What’s there for her!”For well over half a century, Goanshave been happily part of the Anglo-Indiancommunity and rightly regarded as fellowAnglo-Indians all over the world.We are all now One Big Happy Anglo-Indian Family, and a good thing too. But whythat long delay in getting together?Here’s why.Originally, the real Anglo-Indians of Indiawere the British white-settlers. That is whatthey called themselves - ANGLO-INDIANS.Those British white-settler Anglo-Indiansmarried Indian women, and the offspringof their European-Indian unions were called“Eurasians” - born in any of those four coloursI have already mentioned - white, light-brown,medium-brown, dark-brown.Alas, the Eurasians were mistrusted by boththe British white-settler Anglo-Indians, andthe Indians, each community claiming thatEurasian loyalty lay with the “other side”.Fed up with their confusing Eurasianidentity, and feeling it would be moreadvantageous to side with the British, theEurasians began to appeal for “Anglo-Indian”status, a move that appalled the original Anglo-Indians.“How can you be Anglo-Indian likeourselves when you are actually Eurasian?” theBritish white-settlers demanded to know.The Eurasians ignored their objections andkept pressing for Anglo-Indian status, and thewhite settler Anglo-Indians eventually relented.In the year 1911 a magic British Raj wand,waved over the Eurasians, transforming theminto Anglo-Indians as well, much to theirdelight.Their dearest dream had come true.Having joyfully achieved what theyregarded as an “upgrade” to Anglo-Indianstatus, the Eurasians felt they had to justify theircoveted new identity and began to researchdeeply and enthusiastically into their Britishancestry.They built up a frenzied collection of frayeddocuments compiled in smudgy dip-penhandwriting as well as fading photographs ofreal or imagined white ancestors stretchingback to the 19th century, while totally ignoringtheir Indian side. They not only ignored their“Indian side” but airbrushed it right out of theirancestry, never to be mentioned again.The “new” Anglo-Indians resolved toprotect their upgrade with all the fervour ofsecurity officers guarding the gold at Fort Knox.This is why those “new” Anglo-Indians steeredclear of marrying Goans and dark-brownAnglos, desperate to keep their stock as “fairskinned”as possible to reflect their hard-earnedAnglo-Indian status.They yearned to be regarded as white, allwhite,nothing but white.Incidentally, in an Indian city I onceheard of a white-skinned young Anglo-Indianwoman with blonde hair and blue eyes whomesmerised everyone the moment she steppedout of her house. People, whatever they weredoing, would stop to gawp at her. If she lookedup, she would see hundreds of Indian, Anglo-Indian and Goan faces staring down at herfrom balconies and windows. In the cafes shepassed, customers would pause,open-mouthed, whileeating their snacks andglare at the whitevision. Pedestrians,walking or talking,kept their eyesglued on her.Motorists wouldtoot their hornsto signal that thesight of her hadbrightened their day.Bus passengers and80The International Indian

cyclists would leer at her for as long as theycould, swivelling their heads to savour everylast second of the disappearing white mirage …White Anglo-Indians in India in thosefar-off days, were regarded as more than justsuperstars; they were up there with the godsand goddesses. That is why a fair skin in thosedays was such a highly prized commodity onthe subcontinent. A fair skin, not education,was the passport to jobs as drivers and guardson the railways, our main occupation in thosefar-off days.Goans generally were better educatedthan Anglo-Indians, better mannered, sensitiveto others’ feelings, but all these admirablequalities amounted to nothing because Anglo-Indians felt their fairer complexions, real orimagined, gave them the right to feel superiorto Goans.At Anglo-Indian dances in India, superioritycomplexes based on colour came to the fore.Everyone’s eyes would dart around the hall tofind out who was the fairest of them all!Rapid assessments based on skincomplexion, colour of hair and eyes would bemade. As dancing couples swirled, they quicklyappraised other couples gliding past them,keeping an eye (a blue one?) open to see ifanyone was looking at THEM in that intenselyadmiring way which signalled that they werethe fairest Anglo-Indians present.This was a thrilling compliment to thoseconcerned, sometimes causing them to showoff by exploding into exaggerated laughter atnothing in particular simply to draw even moreattention to themselves!The dancers, in turn, would be watched byelderly folk sitting around the perimeter of thedance floor like a circle of crows, making theirown whispered assessments such as: “Who’sthat nice fair girl jitter-bugging with that greasychap?” or “Who’s that nice fair boy with gingerhair jumping up to catch the balloons?”The ‘nice’ epithet, by the way, was reservedsolely for white Anglo-Indians in those far-offdays, meaning others of darker hues were, indescending order, not-so-nice, far-from-nice oroutright villains, whatever the true nature oftheir individual characters.So has a fair skin ceased to matteraltogether in these enlightened times as wepower through the new millennium?Surprisingly, no.Sales of skin-whitening products in Indiaand all over the world are going through theozone layer. Sadly, it would seem that manydarker-hued people of whatever race (African,Asian, West Indian) still cling to the notion thata white skin is more highly regarded than abrown or black skin.They believe a white skin can propel onequicker and further up the career ladder, opendoors previously inaccessible or boost one’smatrimonial prospects sky-high by attractingwealthy partners.And while the blacks and browns are busy“whitening up”, the white races are hell-benton going in the opposite direction. They spendtheir holidays in perspiring climates, lying semicladin the scorching sun for several hours a dayin an effort to turn dark-brown or black. Even ifit means exposing themselves to the possibilityof sunstroke or skin cancer.Well, the grass is always greener on theother side of the fence.Green? Now there’s an interesting colour.If the entire planet is going green to ward offglobal warming, why don’t all of us (browns,blacks, whites, yellows) try having greencomplexions for a change?Now there’s a thought …Rudy Otter is a freelance Anglo-Indian journalistbased in the UK. Cartoon by Harry McLure‘‘TheyregardedmostGoansas “lessEuropeanlooking”thanthemselves.TheythoughtGoansmorecloselyresembledthe Indianside oftheir dualancestry.‘‘The International Indian 81

TributeDostana: Bharatbhai Shahand Dhirubhai AmbaniIt is ten years since Dhirubhai Ambani, the Reliance tycoon passedaway, leaving behind a legacy of industrial entrepreneurship,hard work and dedication for his countrymen. Dubai’s well-knownentrepreneur Bharatbhai Shah, his close associate, pays tribute to anold friend.By: Bandana JainThis is a story of two stalwarts,compelling personalities-one,Bharatbhai Shah, a successfulentrepreneur in Dubai and theother, India’s richest person, theReliance tycoon, the late Dhirubhai Ambani.Both saw a part of the world some six decadesago from the same eyes, at the same time,Bharatbhai Shah (second from left) with Dhirubhai Ambani at bhoomipujan ceremony of Jamnagar Oil Refinery in 1988at the same place. Both Dhirubhai andBharatbhai shared a series of coincidencesstarting from having the same birthdate andbirth-time-28th December 1932, 5:00 am. “Iwas born in Surendranagar and Dhirubhai inthe Chorwad district of Gujarat. This distanceof 230 kilometres made all the differenceto our lives –of roughly 232 million dollars!“But things happen for some reason inour life,” says Bharatbhai Shah, as herecollects the days of a bygone era.Both passed the SSE exam in 1948.Both spoke no English at all.Both went to Aden for a livelihood,Bharatbhai in 1948, Dhirubhai in 1950.Both worked in the same company:A. Besse and Co. in Aden.They were both junior clerks,Dhirubhai earned a salary of 200shillings, while Bharatbhai earned 25shillings more because of two yearsseniority. Both worked together onadjacent tables for seven years.Both hailed from humblebackgrounds, remembers Bharatbhai.82The International Indian

“I came to Aden at the age of 16. At thattime, my father earned a monthly salary of Rs65 while Dhirubhai‘s father was a teacher inthe village of Chorwad. So we both had ourroots in the common class of thecommunity where having a sweetwas equivalent to a celebration.”“We both made our namespopular – Dhirubhai, on thebusiness front, myself in jan seva(social work),” says Bharatbhai.Their wives also hailed fromcommon families. Dhirubhai’swife, Kokilaben, was fromJamnagar in Gujarat, whileInduben (Bharatbhai’s wife),belonged to Jetpur in Rajasthan.But then there was a hugedifference! Bharatbhai says,“Dhirubhai had a gigantic visionand I was as good as zero in that.It was destined that we live together and sharea part of our lives together in Aden. We weregood friends and neighbours. We stayed in thesame house sharing a common courtyard. Sowe shared many things in our life.”Bharatbhai met Dhirubhai for the first timeon 30th May 1950 and they stayed togetherfor seven years. A. Besse and Co., was foundedby French businessman Antonin Besse. Withover 7000 employees, it was the largest transcontinentaltrading firm east of the Suez. Thecompany owned ships and docks and wasthe trading agent for a large number of firmsfrom all over the world. It dealt with goodsranging from sugar, spices, food grains andtextiles to office stationary, tools, machineryand petroleum products, and handled everyaspect of the business – cargo booking,handling, shipping, forwarding and wholesalemerchandising.Dhirubhai worked as a delivery order clerkin the Shell Co. department, while Bharatbhaiworked as a junior clerk in the shippingdepartment. Even though it was a desk job,it gave Dhirubhai valuable insights into theworking of an international trading firm. AsDhirubhai said later, “It was at A. Besse & Co.that I learnt how a big business should berun!” It was here that he observed how doingthe right thing at the right time, irrespective ofthe costs, was the key to success.A. Besse and Co. had arranged for amess which catered for about 30 people.When Dhirubhai reached Aden, he was givena room at the bachelors’ boarding houseDhirubhai Ambani and his wife Kokilaben with their two sonsMukesh and Anilwhere Ramnikbhai, his brother, lived. Theyshared the quarters with 25 Gujarati clerksand office boys.Dhirubhai, being rather rough and shorttempered,did not make many friends forhimself at that time. Bharatbhai remembers,“I was the tiniest, thinnest man with a mereheight of five feet. At the mess, Dhirubhaiwould take my share of milk and declare, “jokarna hai kar lo” (Do whatever you want).Years later, when Dhirubhai entered intobusiness he literally snatched away businessfrom the Birlas and Tatas. That experience ofsnatching milk from his colleagues and later inbusiness proved his tough business acumen.”Dark and robust with an athletic build,Dhirubhai was a towering personality even asa young man. His physical strength was suchthat he climbed the mountains in Aden byrunning up the slopes. To everyone’s surprise,he savoured the bitter neem tree juice as ifhe was sipping whisky. His will power wasstrong and interest in taking care of his health,extraordinary. During our times in Aden, hewas so physically fit that he was nicknamedgaama (a pehelwaan or wrestler). Dhirubhaihad always loved the great outdoors and evenin Aden, would set off on long treks, climbingthe mountains in and around the port city orswimming in the sparkling blue waters of itspicture-perfect beaches.‘‘It is truethat I wasborn inGujarat.But I wasreborn inBombay. Itgave birthto thespirit thathas movedme all mylife.- LateDhirubhaiAmbani‘‘The International Indian 83

Tribute‘‘Accordingto BharatbhaiShah,Dhirubhaiwas oneof the rareindividualswholived andbreathedthe Gitain everyfacet ofhis life.‘‘Gradually, Dhirubhai and Bharatbhaibecame good friends. In Aden at that timethere were very few entertainment options,other than open air movies (television cameonly in 1964). Hence all six of them, whichincluded Dhirubhai’s elder brother Ramnikbhaiand his wife, Dhirubhai’s wife, Kokilaben andBharatbhai’s wife Induben used to sit in thecourtyard on a choir bed and enjoy fun-filleddiscussions. We complemented each otherin good and bad moods. Bharatbhai fondlylooks back at the sweet moments when he andDhirubhai went together for family outingsand enjoyed ‘Kitty Kola’ (date juice or khajoorka paani). As neighbours, Bharatbhai’s wifeInduben assisted Ramnikbhai’s wife‘s during herperiod of delivery. Also, when Dhirubhai’s sonMukesh was born, Induben was there to assistKokilaben. Ramnikbhai stayed in Aden for nineyears and Dhirubhai for seven years before heBharatbhai Shah (left) with Dhirubhai Ambani (right) at Reliance stall inArt & Silk exhibition in Mumbai in 1977left for Bombay.In those days, employees of A. Besse & Co.were considered to be the luckiest NRIs in theMiddle East. So when Dhirubhai decided toreturn to India in 1957, Bharatbhai asked themost obvious question, “Why are you goingback to India? You are a fool to quit such agood job and company!” Bharatbhai. toldhim. That conversation was re-enacted in theBollywood film ‘Guru’, supposedly, a biographyof Dhirubhai’s life. “Actually, we could notvisualize a diamond in the coal,” remarkedBharatbhai in hindsight.In December 1957, Dhirubhai left his securejob in Aden with wife Kokilaben, and eightmonthold Mukesh, to build their lives afresh ina young and free India.Those were exciting years in India.Jawaharlal Nehru had spelled out his dreamfor young India. There was the promise forhuge investments in industry with the firstfive-year plan listing the building of world-classinfrastructure and agricultural production as apriority-in all, a dream of a self-sufficient newworld, which signalled the end of two centuriesof suppression.Time proved that Dhirubhai was right inhis decision to return to India and Bharatbhaimistaken. Dhirubhai’s farsightedness in businessand his sixth sense had accurately visualized thefuture, setting up Reliance as India’s first privatesector company.One of Dhirubhai’s outstanding qualitieswas that he maintained relations withhis colleagues for lifetime. “That’swhy he appointed me as the Middle-East coordinator of Noto Relianceand agent for Vimal Fabrics in SaudiArabia. Dhirubhai took care of hiscolleagues till he died. An open offerwas floated by him for Indians fromAden. “Anybody from Aden wasguaranteed a job with Reliance. TheHR department could not say no to anIndian jobseeker from Aden. This onlywent on to show that Dhirubhai had amagnanimous heart,” says Bharatbhai.At work, he would always find timefor his visitors, particularly those whocame from Gujarat. When people said,“Oh, yes, I knew Dhirubhai well!” itwas not an idle boast. He did makepeople feel as if they had known him all theirlives. He lived like a commoner, he died like acommoner. Dhirubhai maintained his relationswith Bharatbhai till the last moments of hislife and till date, Bharatbhai and Induben’sconnections with Dhirubhai’s wife Kokilabenare intact.“Till 1977, we used to go to see Gujaratiplays together. Whenever I went there,Dhirubhai would ask about my choice of outingto which I would promptly reply, “I don’t wantto go to Hotel Taj or Hotel Oberoi, we shall seea Gujarati play together. All the people at the84The International Indian

theatre would be surprised to seehow Dhirubhai came to see playsonly with this person. That’s howmy connections with the world ofGujarati plays started.Dhirubhai did not die of a heartattack or paralysis, but becauseof the political pressure fromthe Finance Ministry at the timeof the F series debentures. Hiswillpower was so strong that fromtotal paralysis he recovered almostninety percent, something whichrarely happens. Dhirubhai passedaway on July 6, 2002 in Mumbaiafter slipping into a coma.Bharatbhai became Dhirubhai’sTII Hall Of FameBharatbhai ShahMy brother,our sonsand myselfhave playedall over theworld and in the processfilled up two to threepassports each. My eldestson has just come back fromJapan and my younger sonis soon leaving for France.Abroad, they don’t understand the lyrics, but ourmusic just drives them wild. Some westerners tryto learn more such as this lady who came all theway from Norway and spent three years studyingour music. By God’s grace, today we are able toshare the stage with top classical musicians likePandit Ravi Shankar and Ustaad Zakir Hussain,which was unthinkable earlier. Our songs are allvery old but we may add a line here or there. Ifwe like a song that has come all the way fromPakistan, we modify it and make it our own.We usually repair our instruments ourselvesand they have been handed down frommedia spokesman regarding hishistorical connections at the timeof his death.In the book ‘Polyester Prince‘written by Australian authorHamish McDonald, Bharatbhai’sname was quoted as many as 25times. Bharatbhai considers nothis education or knowledge as hisqualification, but being in Adenand having shared a period ofhistory with Dhirubhai and seeinghis meteoric rise from a commonman who rose to the zenith ofIndian industry.Bandana Jain s a freelance writerbased in Dubai, UAEThe ignorant might settle for the tape recorder butthe knowledgeable will ensure we come and playgeneration to generation. My kamaycha forinstance is three generations old. Without anygovernment help we have set up our ownManganiyars Lok Samiti, an organization foridentifying promising young talent and bringingmusicians from remote villages to the limelight.We send our children to school and they alsolearn music at home. The youngest musician inour family is Rafiq, my seven-year-old grandsonwho is an excellent dholak player. We have justput out a new CD of traditional wedding songs.TV and radio haven’t affected us because thereare enough people to understand and value ourmusic. If we don’t make it to a wedding, theignorant might settle for the tape recorder butthe knowledgeable would make several trips toour village to ensure we come and play.Skar Khan, Manganiyar folk musician,born Hamira village, Rajasthan, c. 1934TII’s Hall of Fame features India’s elderly, great,interesting and unusual men and women.Excerpted from the book ‘Ageless Mind and Spirit’by Samar and Vijay Jodhawww.agelessmindandspirit.comThe International Indian 85

Indians In UKMarriagesA Passport For ‘Legal’ Entry To The UKForeigners are openly flouting British Immigration laws usingmarriage to British passport holders as a means to gainentry into the United Kingdom. SHAMLAL PURI investigates aracket involving fraudulent marriages, adding to the numberof migrants already here at a time when the government isseriously talking of controlling the entry of migrants.By: Shamlal PuriMARRIAGE is big business inthe United Kingdom – shammarriages – to be precise.The racket works like this:an agent in India gets in touchwith his counterpart in the UK. Together theyhatch a plan to link up a British passport holderwith an Indian passport holder. Money changeshands – something like £12,000 (US$20,000).The couple who do not know one another aremarried in India or the UK.Years ago, what started as a few isolatedincidents of sham marriages, involvingforeigners, including Indians and Pakistanis,has today turned into a torrent. The BritishGovernment is fighting a losing battle asforeigners from around the developingworld take the short cut to circumvent UK’simmigration laws.Indian citizens – men and women - arein the market for a British citizen to marry,trawling through the internet and by going onto Indian matrimonial sites. Marriage, till deathdo us apart, is not really their intention. Theykeep their intentions close to their chest and donot speak about their plans to anyone. They gothrough the charade of a marriage ceremonyjust to gain entry into the United Kingdom.On arrival in the UK they live with their Britishpassport holding partner for two years, untiltheir own residence status is confirmed by theHome Office.Then they strike – seeking a divorce onsome frivolous allegations against their partner.86The International Indian

Often there is a litany of lies in the divorcedocuments.A majority of cases are filed on the groundsof cruelty, desertion and declaration ofnullity of marriage across communities.It is true that while allegations ofviolence may be present in manyof these cases, there is a growingtendency by petitioners to lie in orderto get a divorce speedily.The courts will take seriously anyallegations of spousal violence butoften lawyers acting for petitionerscollude with their clients to spin a yarnand set out a false case against therespondent. They allege violence whennone has taken place.This scam is particularly popularamong members of the Gujarati andPunjabi communities in India, notto mention other Indian states andneighbouring countries of Pakistan andBangladesh.At any given time there are morethan 10,000 divorce petitions in theFamily Court in Bandra, Mumbai. Manyof these involve marriages betweenIndians and NRIs.Meanwhile, as they go through adivorce either in India or the UK, theirstatus as a permanent resident of theUK has already been confirmed. The foreignspouse is now free to live and work in the UKand would not consider it necessary to remainmarried to the British passport holder who, inmany cases, may be have been an innocentvictim and an unwilling partner in a fraudulentmarriage.Rukia (name changed) and her family arealso the victims of fraudulent marriages.She found out that her Tunisian husbandhad been married before but was divorced.“His niece married my brother, got pregnantand came to the UK on a spouse visa andgave birth to a boy in December 2009. In May2010, she walked out on her marriage takingtheir son, though she was pregnant again.“Her uncle and her relatives broke both mymarriage and my brother’s. Now, my brotherhas been taken to court as they are fightingfor custody of my nephew. We are finding outthat she was a con artist and only married forthe right to stay in UK. She has even managedto get a council flat and benefits. All her claimshave been based on lies.”The British Government should terminatethe visas of such spouses, sending them backto their country if a divorce happens. Theauthorities will be surprised to find how manyIndian citizens are involved in such marriages.It will be to Britain’s advantage if a unit is setup at the Home Office to monitor the abuse ofthe marriage visa. It should also set up a hotlinefor people to report offenders. Britain will thendiscover that thousands of Indian citizens andother foreigners, who have abused the marriagevisa, continue to live in the UK without any fear.Shamlal Puri is a veteran British journalist, broadcaster,author and press photographer. He has worked withthe media in Europe, Africa, Asia and the Middle East.His novel ‘Dubai on Wheels: The Slippery Road toSuccess’ (Diamond Books) is an acclaimed bestseller. Hisnext novel ‘Triangle of Terror’(Diamond Books) waspublished in 2011. He has travelled to more than 100countries in an illustrious journalistic career spanning 30years. His work has been published in more than 250magazines, newspapers and journals around the world‘‘At anygiven timethere aremore than10,000divorcepetitions inthe FamilyCourt inBandra,Mumbai.Many oftheseinvolvemarriagesbetweenIndiansand NRIs.‘‘The International Indian 87

YoubookHe Hunts For HeadsMahananda Moy Banerji, founder and CEO of Youbook, isdoing much the same as Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook, butwith a difference. A headhunter for the past two decades, heconnects an aspiring candidate to a prospective client sittinganywhere in the world.By: Deepa BallalHe is upfront, outspoken, articulateand doesn’t mince words. A manwho believes in fighting his ownbattles, making his own rules andis now busy re-building his empirefrom scratch. If Mark Zuckerberg createdFacebook to connect people all over the world,here is Mahananda Moy Banerji, founder andCEO of Youbook, who is doing much the samething, but with a difference. A headhunterfor the past two decades, he connects anaspiring candidate to a prospective clientsitting anywhere in the world. He is ready tofly across different time zones,hop between continents, anddine in expensive hotels if atall he finds the right match.To date, he has recruited morethan 6,000 middle and topmanagement professionals inthe Middle East. Youbook is anexecutive search firm targetingC level positions in the rangeof US 10,000 dollar (monthly)and upwards across differentverticals.“If you are an MNC, andyou are looking for a marketing director, cometo me. But if you are looking for a receptionistwith a monthly US $2,000 salary, then don’tcome to me,” he says matter of factly.A risk taker, Banerji takes up eachassignment as a challenge. “I can headhuntany one for you, but of course I won’t do itfor free. I can even reach Madonna if given aMahananda Moy Banerji, CEO of Youbookprofessional challenge. This speaks volumes ofhis connections and the confidence he has inhimself and his team.“How do you reach them? that’sheadhunting,” is the simplest definition heprovides. “We just propose two filtered out CVs.Within 72 hrs I will give exactly what the clientrequires,” is the assurance that comes fromBanerji. Knowing the psychology of the client isof paramount importance to him and his team.“There are lots of unspoken things that have tobe taken care of. We look for candidates whocan run with the client, not just walk with him,”he says stressing the need tofind the right fit. It’s not justthe right person but one withthe right personality who getsinto Banerji’s list. “If you havea CFO drawing a salary of$10 million, but you put himinto a one billion dollar job,he will die of heart attack,”he adds. Hence providingjobs according to how muchone can handle becomesimperative.An Economics Honorsgraduate from Hans Raj College, Delhi, whofought elections every year for the fun ofdefeating his opponent Ajay Maken, UnionMinister for Sports today and who also knewShahrukh Khan as a junior in his college, hehas the Who’s Who across different professionsin his Linked In profile today. Be it celebritiesacross the globe or the top guns in the88The International Indian

corporate world, he has had a role to play insteering their career path.Call him a marriage broker arranging datesbetween prospective clients and candidatesand ensuring that it culminates in a happyrelationship. Today he enjoys a place envied bymany of his counterparts. In 1986, he startedhis career as a Sales Traineeat PCL for INR 1,200, rakinghis brains along side his IITcolleagues. He was initiallyrejected. “I was the only non-IITian who could break intothis account because of myarguments with the owners asto how could they qualify themand not me,” recalls Banerji.At 26, he went on to heada PCL branch. “I wiped outWipro and HCL out of Poona.In 1989, Fujitsu picked me up.Soon he bagged the biggest Export Order forICL DRS 6000 from Irkutsk Aviation, Siberia. In1993, I was headhunted by Dell to start theiroperation for the GCC base out of Saudi, theyear my elder daughter was born,” he saysgiving us a quick peek into his life.In Saudi, he picked up the Saudi ARAMCOaccount, a feat in itself. “If a salesman sellspencils to ARAMCO, one of the world’s richestoil companies, it is the biggest order,” hesays of this significant achievement. Soon hewanted to go back and while transiting viaDubai he approached a couple of headhunters.The visit opened doors of opportunity forhim and he ended up starting www.seejobs.org in 1995, making it one of the prominentrecruiting agencies in this region.“The work demanded that every singleday I be in Dubai. My Toyota Camry covered39,000 kms in just two months time. We wereable to recruit 484 software guys in USA andsome 6,000 people here. All the top-notchexecutives working here today in Gillette,Dubai Holding, Emmar, KPMG, Nestle, werehired by us. We even recruited people withinthree months to build the Burj Al Arab. In2008 he sold off the company. When I walkedout, everyone left with me. On the 29th ofFebruary, 2012 he launched Youbook.Now I am more interested in brandingthis company,” says Banerji with every dateclearly etched in his memory. “With Youbook– I needed a kick start. My logo branding ischanging again. I just don’t have time now. Ihaven’t even picked up my speed yet. We willbe in the top three,” he states confidently.From selling technology to trading CVs,Banerji has seen the job industry in all its hues.“Many a time organizationsdon’t take good care of theiremployees. HR doesn’t supportthem. And sometimes theemployees themselves misuse‘‘the resources,” he says. He hasreceived CVs wherein manyoverate themselves while someunderrate their potential.Many Asians fall into the latter If youcategory.have“Things are changinga CFOnow. Now candidates demandMahananda Moy Banerji premium hotels and airdrawingtickets,” he adds. Earlier he had to fly to meet a salarya prospective candidate, but these days he says of $10attracting professionals is not a big challenge. million,“In the Gulf people don’t look for jobs. For but youexample, the attitude is, if Karthik takes AEDput him8,000, I won’t take anything less than that.Now he is drawing AED 18,000 I should earn into a 1more than that. It is peer pressure most often billionwhich makes people switch jobs,” he says. dollar job,That is unfortunate. People decide their salary he will diebased on their lifestyle and expenses, no one isof heartbuilding their career here,” says Banerji grimly.Nevertheless many people owe theircareers to him.When not discussing about his professionhe loves talking about his daughters. “I amblessed with two daughters Revati (19) and Ria(12),” says Banerji and every time he does, hiseyes sparkle.The rest of the time his eyes are sharplyfocused on the target. This entrepreneur isindeed going places. He plans to have an officein every continent in the coming four years,and says, “It is a great feeling of having madesomeone’s life,” he says humbly. “Of course Iget paid to do that,” is his quick rejoinder.Deepa Ballal is a freelance writer based in Dubai, UAEattack.‘‘The International Indian 89

FoodIndia’s Favorite DishesNo other country in the world can boast of such a greatvariety of delicious dishes as India. Each and every communityhas created spicy, colorful, and whole some, nourishingdishes that are a delight to the eyes and the palate.By: Golden ReejsinghaniPunjab: Tandoori ChickenIngredients: 1 chicken cleaned, 1 cup thick curds, ½ inch piece ginger,½ inch piece raw papaya, 6 flakes garlic, 1 tablespoon lime juice, 1 inchpiece cinnamon stick, 2 big cardamoms, 4 red chillies, 4 cloves, 1 bay leaf,4 tablespoons clarified butter, pinch of mace, 1 small onion, few drops oforange red food color, salt to taste.Method: Grind to a fine paste ginger, garlic, onion, papaya and all thespices. Beat the curds nicely. Mix in lime juice and enough color to give itan orange tint. Stir in the rest of the ingredients and set aside. Make deep slits on the chicken with the help of a sharpknife and rub the curd mixture thoroughly into the chicken. Set aside for ten hours and skewer the chicken and roastin a tandoor. Remove after about ten minutes and baste all over with melted clarified ghee or butter. Place once againin the tandoor for ten minutes, or until it is fork tender. If you do not have a tandoor, then for best results, grill overan open charcoal fire. If this is not possible, grill under a gas or electric grill, or cook in an oven for half an hour, takingcare to cook evenly on all sides. Serve hot.Bengal: Fried HilsamachIngredients: 1 kilo thick slices of hilsa fish cleaned, 2 tablespoons each of gingerand garlic paste, juice of 1 lime, ½ teaspoon turmeric powder, salt and chilipowder to taste. For the batter: 250 grams gram flour, 1 teaspoon black jeera, ½teaspoon turmeric powder, salt and chili powder to taste.Method: Mix together garlic ginger paste, lime juice, salt, turmeric and chilipowder and apply on the fish. Mix together all the batter ingredients and dip thefish nicely in the batter and fry till golden brown in color. Serve hot.90The International Indian

Gujarat: DhoklaIngredients: 2 cups gram flour, 4 cups sour butter milk, 2 tablespoons ginger andgarlic paste, 3 teaspoons sugar, 50 grams chopped cashew nuts, ½ tsp of sodabicarbonate, 2 tablespoons finely chopped coriander leaves, 6 tablespoons oil, 2teaspoons mustard seeds, salt to taste. For decoration: 100 grams chopped cashewnuts, 2 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves, ½ cup grated coconut.Method: Mix flour with buttermilk to a smooth batter, set aside for half an hour; mixin soda bicarbonate blended with 4 tablespoons oil, ginger and garlic paste, sugarand salt, put in a shallow greased dish and steam for 15 to 20 minutes. Cut into neatsquares and put in a serving dish. Heat 2 tablespoons oil and fry mustard seeds; pour over the dhokla and decoratewith chopped cashew nuts, grated coconut and chopped coriander leaves. Serve with chutney.Hyderabad: Kacche Gosht Ki BiryaniIngredients: 1 kilo mutton cut into serving portions, 1 kilo basmati rice, 250grams sliced onions, 500 grams finely cut onions, 500 grams tomatoes sliced, 2tablespoons ginger and garlic paste, 2 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves, 2tablespoons garam masala, 2 cloves, 2 cardamoms, 2 bay leaves, 1 small piececinnamon stick, 1 teaspoon turmeric powder, ½ cup clarified butter + 4 tablespoonsclarified butter, salt and chilli powder to taste.Method: Par boil the rice with salt and remove the water. Fry the sliced onionsto a golden brown color. In half cup clarified butter, add the whole spices and fry nicely; add the onion, ginger andgarlic paste. Place the mutton along with the other spices on the the rice and pour 4 tablespoons of clarified butteron top. Cover the deep vessel with a tight fitting cover and seal the rim with dough and when smoke starts comingout from the vessel, reduce the heat to simmer. Cook for ½ an hour, remove the dough from the rim of the vessel andserve in the vessel itself with fried onions and hard boiled eggs. Serve hot.Goa: Chili CrabKolhapur: Roasted MuttonIngredients: 2 kilos whole leg of mutton cut into pieces, 1 kilo curd, 100grams mixed whole spices like dhania jeera powder, garam masala, chillipowder, 100 grams ginger and garlic paste, 250 grams ground almonds, 250grams clarified butter, salt to taste.Method: Make fine gashes on the pieces of lamb with a sharp knife, mix all theabove ingredients and marinate the lamb pieces for 8-10 hours. Put in a preheated moderate oven and cook till tender and golden. Serve hot.Ingredients: 1 medium crab cleaned and steamed, 250 grams onions, 1tablespoon ginger and garlic paste, ½ cup grated dry coconut, 1 teaspoonpepper corns, 1 teaspoon cumin seeds, 1 teaspoon cardamom seeds, 2cloves, 2 cardamoms, 4 red Kashmiri chillies, 1 small piece cinnamon stick,2 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves, 250 grams tomatoes pureed.Method: Steam the crab till cooked. Dry roast all the spices and coconutand grind to a paste. Fry onions to a red color along with ginger and garlicand grind to a paste. Mix both the pastes together, heat three tablespoonsoil and add the tomato puree and fry well in the tomato puree. Add boththe pastes and the crab and cook till the oil comes out. Decorate withchopped coriander leaves and green chillies. Serve hot.Golden Reejsinghani is a freelance writer based in MumbaiThe International Indian 91

Soldiers“Please God; I Hope itis Not Him”An Army Wife Shares Her Emotional TraumaIt was the 8th of December 1971 and the war was at itsworst. The night brought the much-dreaded postman toour door with a telegram. All four women huddled withtrepidation in a corner of the verandah to await the mostchilling news. It was certain that one of the four men hadbeen killed in action. The suspense about his identity wasnerve-wracking.As recounted to Major General Mrinal Suman, AVSM, VSM, PhDThis is a true story. This is my story.This is the story of the Indo-Pak Warof December 1971.This is the story of the traumafamilies undergo when soldiers go towar. This is a story about the complex interplayof human emotions and sensitivities thatdefy description.This is the story of a medium-sized townin North India where a career in the ArmedForces is the first choice of the progeny of mostfamilies. Preparations to try for the NationalDefence Academy (NDA) commence soonafter secondary level examinations. As a result,every family has more than one member in theservices.My husband, a young Captain, was at thebattle front. I was 22 years old and expectingour first child. I had come to stay with myparents. Ours was a joint family. There werethree more women – my grandmother, mymother and my aunt.In addition to my husband, brothersof my father, my mother and my auntwere also taking an active part in the war.Understandably, there was palpable anxiety inour home concerning their well-being.Although my grandmother put up a brave92The International Indian

front to comfort the others, she spent mostof her time praying to sundry Gods, hopingone would care to listen to her prayers. Inaddition to her own son and my husband, shewas concerned about the other two familymembers as well.My mother and aunt went about theirroutine household chores without anydisplay of the emotional turmoil they wereexperiencing. Both were worried about thesafety of their brothers. In addition, my motherwas deeply concerned about her son-in-law’swell-being. I was perhaps too young to graspthe full gravity of the situation.The frightening thought of my husbandbecoming a war-casualty did cross my mind.“Will he never see our child?” I wondered.However, recalling the spirit and confidencewith which the troops had departed for the warfront, I brushed such thoughts aside. Soldiers’wives must be equally brave.During those war-days, a telegram alwaysmeant bad news. The arrival of the postmanwas dreaded by all families whose memberswere fighting the war. The ringing of the doorbellor even a casual knock on the door madeour hearts skip a beat.Nights were full of anxiety as the postmaninvariably arrived at that time. Every dawn sawthem heave a sigh of relief. The same was truein our family as well.It was the 8 th of December 1971 and thewar was at its worst. The night brought themuch-dreaded postman to our door witha telegram. All four women huddled withtrepidation in a corner of the verandah toawait the chilling news. It was certain thatone of the four men had been killed in action.The suspense about his identity was nervewracking.In times of such extreme distress, wehumans are forced to make our priorities clearto God while seeking his protection. Can therebe anything more trying and agonising thanhaving to make such a choice? Why shouldwe be asked as to who should live and who isdispensable? The women of our unfortunatefamily were subjected to the very same ordeal.As is human at such times, all of us said oursilent prayers – “Please God; I hope it is nothim”. For all of us, him meant a different person– not that we were not concerned about theother members. It is just that all of us have ourquotient of emotional attachments.The eerie silence was finally broken afterwhat appeared to be an eternity – my aunt’syounger brother had made the supremesacrifice. While she broke down, the othersinvoluntarily heaved a sigh of relief and said aquiet thank-you to their gods.Once relieved of our personal anxiety andagony, we controlled our own emotions andstarted calming the grief-stricken loved one. Theloss of her younger brother had shattered herinconsolably. In hindsight, our sudden makeover- from petrified weaklings to compassionateconsolers - appears somewhat odd.Maybe it was a spontaneous humanresponse and a release from the intenseemotional stress.The news of the ceasefire on 16thDecember ended our two-week longnightmare. We had been through ‘hell’ was ourconsensual refrain. Perhaps, our suffering wasas severe as the privations faced by our soldiersin war. Whereas soldiers are eulogized for theiracts of bravery, their women remain unsungand unrecognised.To date, I wonder about the preference mygrandmother conveyed to her God on thatfateful night – her son or grand-daughter’shusband? It would have been far harder formy mother to choose between her brotherand son-in-law. Comparatively, I had an easierchoice to make.It is another matter that I still suffer pangsof guilt for having abandoned my uncles infavour of my husband. Was I selfish? I have notfound any answers as yet.The author is a retired General Officer of the IndianArmy. He is India’s foremost expert on defencemodernisation procedures and offsets. He has beenhighlighting issues concerning India and its military‘‘We hadbeenthrough‘hell’ wasour consensualrefrain.Perhaps,our sufferingwas assevere asthe privationsfacedby oursoldiersin war.They areeulogizedfor theiracts ofbravery,but theirwomenremainunsungand unrecognised.‘‘The International Indian 93

Buzz WordMr. Thumbay Moideenlisted in “The Influentials”in Gulf NewsOn the eve of India’s 65th IndependenceDay, Gulf News Focus Team honored around65 of the UAE’s most influential Indians bypaying a tribute to the entrepreneurial spiritof the Indian Expat. Mr. Thumbay Moideen,Founder President of Thumbay Group hasbeen featured amongst the influentialIndians in the UAE in the Special Report ofGN Focus.The UAE is home to a series of influential Indians whohave, in their own inimitable style, shaped the waypeople live, work and do business in the UAE. Whetherthese are big businessmen or wedding planners, bankingprofessionals, or sports stars, the individuals have wovena few threads of their own into the multicultural tapestryof the UAE, each bringing a little bit ofIndia to the way things work here.Thumbay Moideen, the FounderPresident of the Thumbay Group,(a.k.a. Medicine Man) a thirdThumbay Moideengeneration entrepreneur born in atraditional family having a businessbackground, is synonymous with professionalism andpositive approach.His pioneering spirit and conviction, courage andconfidence led to the setting up of his own businessgroup in 1997 known as Thumbay Group. ThumbayGroup ventured into setting up UAE’s first private medicalcollege, Gulf Medical College in Ajman. This was followedby GMC Hospital & Research Centre, Gulf Medical Centre& GMC Pharmacy in Dubai. The Gulf Medical University(formerly Gulf Medical College) and G.M.C. Hospital& Research Centre, Ajman, established in 1998, hasbeen involved in Undergraduate Education in Medicine,Physiotherapy, Dentistry, Pharmacy and PremiumHealthcare delivery since the last decade. The institutionbecame a University in the year 2008 following a decreeby His Highness Sheikh Nahyan Bin Mubarak Al Nahyan,Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research,United Arab Emirates.Aaron Shum Jewellery’sFauna and Flora collectionfrom Gemtique – flutterwith life!Blending 925 sterling silver and 18k goldsettings they offer drop earrings, pendantsand rings featuring SWAROVSKI GenuineGemstones and DiamondsAaron Shum Jewellery, leading jewellery manufacturerknown for authentic and exquisite designs with a corevalue of fashionable, affordable luxury, unfurls two magicalchoices from GEMTIQUE collections - Fauna and Flora ina kaleidoscopic combination of SWAROVSKIGenuine Gemstones and a tastefulsprinkling of diamonds. The GEMTIQUEcollection uses 925 sterling silver forthe very first time in addition to smallamounts of 18k gold to present aluxury, fine jewellery line at extremelytempting prices.Insects and animals are the emblemsin GEMTIQUE’S Fauna collection whichpainstakingly combines verdant green peridotswith the soft violet hues of amethysts to instantly recallthe beauty of a forest. Particularly charming are little birdsbusily fluttering among branches or perching on gnarledbranches in elaborately designed, statement pendants andrings of pure visual and tactile delight.GEMTIQUE’s Flora collection on the other handbrings to life the beauty of the floral kingdom throughits strikingly attractive and unusual colour combinationsfeaturing passion topaz in various colours, amethysts,peridots, citrines and garnets, unveiling delightful jewelsfor any occasion and attire.Aaron Shum, President of Aaron Shum Group said“GEMTIQUE”S new Fauna and Flora collections areinspired by the rich, timeless, beauty and bounty ofnature. Their unique craftsmanship and blend of preciousmaterials sets them apart as must-have pieces of theseason which can enhance any mood or attire.”Select winsome jewels from GEMTIQUE’s two newFauna and Flora collections now available at Aaron ShumJewellery located at Gold Land Building in Deira. Formore information on the brand, call +971 4 235 3636 orvisit their website at www.aaronshum.com94The International Indian

LIALI launches interactiveFacebook store forjewellery lovers!Packed with highly interactive features,the virtual store offers users options tobrowse, view and select from its bewitchingrange of collections at leisure and purchaseonlineLIALI Jewellery, leading retailer of diamond jewelleryin the UAE, recently launched one of the firstFacebook stores in the region by the name of Liali’sOnline Glitteratti. The attractive, innovatively executedFacebook store for customers,showcases its latest, bewitchingand glamorous collections toflattering effect, and is highlyuser-friendly and interactive.Designed to make shoppingeasy, the Facebook store is easilyand readily accessible and alsoeffortlessly navigable allowingusers the option to explore, viewand thereafter select a memorableLIALI jewel from the beautifullydisplayed collections at theirleisure, with an option to add items to a wish list andpurchase them later.LIALI’s Facebook store symbolizes the future ofe-commerce and also reflects the progressive aspect ofthe leading Dubai-based jewellery house which, in theshort span of a little over a decade, has become one ofthe most recognized and trusted names in the region.Countries to which selected LIALI’s pieces can be shippedfreely include UAE, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman and SaudiArabia. LIALI’s Facebook store also offers customers theoption of making payments through an easy and securepayment method: Paypal, where they do not need toshare their credit card information.Captivating and high resolution pictures presentlife-like images of the intricate workmanship of eachjewel. Customers will also readily recognize LIALI’s easilyidentifiable brand features offering them the familiarityof stepping into one of LIALI’s plush boutiques across theUAE. Regularly updates of promotions and offers, makeLIALI’s Facebook store a must-visit attraction on one’s list.Visit and discover LIALI’s marvelous range of jewelleryGARAGESummer 2012popularfit, the flirty short, whichcomes in so many happycolors like peach burst,neon purple, sunray, sorbetpink, electric yellow &more! When it comes toGarage denim, the choicesare endless with the legging,high waist jean, super skinnycrop, perfect classic lengthshort, and short short – you’llwant one of each!This season is all abouttropical passion skirts, tops, andrompers that capture the sexy,flirty energy that Garage is allabout. With super fun tanks andcamis in bright hues like peachpassion, lime twist & knockoutpink, the collection was designedto make teen fashionistas dream incolor!With an engaging store design,upbeat music and friendly customerservice, Garage offers a uniqueshopping experience that is meantto inspire your fashion senses. So getready for fun and sun as this fashion& denim brand deliver clothes you’llwant to live in and wear all the time!Garage’s perfectpool partycollection!Have an awesomepool party to go tothis summer? Garage hasgot you covered with hot,celebrity inspired summerlooks, a mind blu-ing denimcollection & a thousand andone ways to style swimwear!A key trend to snagright away is Garage’s mostThe International Indian 95

Buzz WordGiuseppe Zanotti Designlaunches its AutumnWinter Collection“Praising Imperfections”t’s to the woman who knows how to make a virtueI of her faults that Giuseppe Zanotti Design’s new Fall/Winter collection is dedicated to. The woman who usesher looks as a weapon of seduction, not to provoke,but to support bold statements. The woman whochooses accessories irrationally, dismissive of colorsand proportions, attracted by the creative vibes. Tothese women Giuseppe Zanotti says, ‘Here are theingredients, my shoes; do whatyou will. Construct your stylearound them, use them to expressyour own world, to enhance yourcontradictions’.Chromatic codes are setaside, as colors are uncontainableelectric particles, so toes areunrestrained and decorative detailing is irreverent.The inspiration? It comes from Helmut Newton’s black& white portraits of women: proud, magnificent andtimeless. And from the atmosphere of Paris in the ’80s,from the shop windows on Place des Victoires.Giuseppe Zanotti Design has infused these memorieswith a punk/rock´n´roll twist, creating low ankle bootswith zipped turn down cuffs, after the style of thePerfecto biker jacket; rhinestones appear as studs andendow precious cowboy-style boots with amazingsparkle: 6000 tiny crystals meticulously applied by hand,one by one. Contrasts, sharp edges, a distinct “break”between heels and uppers and “wrong” shapes that do,however, capture the reflections of the faceted stones.It’s a collection that numbers some 800 shoes. Atopposite poles, a new classic & chic loafer and a sexy,sky-high shoe. Somewhere in the middle lie themost iconic pieces, like the Beatle ankleboots proposed in three surprising colors,flaunting an ultra-feminine look.There are also the pink open booties.In this model, romantic embroideryembraces the leg like an oriental tattooand is as light as a stocking. But the realcult piece of the collection is a new courtshoe: a weapon of seduction that wasinspired by a desire to rework atimeless classic.Giordano featuresartworks from Mawaheb’sartists with special needs- Artists designed limited edition artworksexclusively for GiordanoGiordano, one of the world’s leading internationalapparel retailers with 226 stores across the region,partnered with Mawaheb to give its students theopportunity to showcase their artistic talent. The projectis part of the Giordano Initiative For Talent (GIFT), a CSRprogramme developed by Giordano to support the localcommunity.Students from Mawaheb’s Dubai Art Studio foryoung adults with special needs were asked to interpretthe theme “World Without Strangers” and the result isan eclectic mix of artworks. Amidst the many that werecreated, ten works of the students were shortlisted, outof which six will be launched in the first phase. Thisexclusive range of t-shirts imprinted with the six artcreations and signed off by the artists, will be sold acrossGiordano’s stores in the UAE.“The talents of these special need artists are amazingand deserve to be given credit and recognition,” saidSajid Sayed, General Manager of Giordano Fashions, LLC.“At Giordano, we care for the community and with thisinitiative we want to present the artistic creations of thestudents on a new platform where all members of societycan view their works. We hope that this will be just thestart of a long collaboration.”3,000 limited edition t-shirts will be retailed at AED40 of which AED 20 will be given to Mawaheb for theirdevelopment.“People with special needs are part of our society.Giordano in collaboration with Mawaheb is giving theartists the opportunity to be recognized because oftheir abilities instead of their disabilities” said Wemmyde Maaker, founder of Mawaheb from Beautiful people.“When our artists see their work displayed in anexhibition or printed on coffee cups or t-shirts, it makesthem feel recognized, proud and accepted. That’s thebiggest reward we can give them.”The Mawaheb t-shirts will be available in 15 Giordanostores across the UAE.For UAE residents, the Mawaheb t-shirts will also beavailable for purchase on www.giordano-me.com, thebrand’s newly-launched shopping portal.96The International Indian

Samsung Galaxy Note10.1 launched in the UAEThe new device offers enhanced S Notefunctionalities with the S Pen and multiscreencapability among other great featuresSamsung Electronics Co., Ltd, announced thelaunch of GALAXY Note 10.1, an extension of theGALAXY Note category, which offers the functionalityand precision of a pen and paper on a 10.1-inch largedisplay, providing endless possibilities to elevate a user’screativity, productivity, and learning ability.Armed with a 1.4GHz quad-core processor and 2GBRAM for enhanced performance, GALAXY Note 10.1 isdesigned to simplify idea capture, information access,and multi-tasking, making each easier and faster. TheGALAXY Note 10.1 allows users to express ideas naturallyand efficiently and also enables easy communication -allowing users to place and receive voice calls.“With the new GALAXY Note 10.1, Samsung isfurther strengthening the GALAXY Note categoryto provide unrivaled productivity, creativity andperformance,” saidAshraf Fawakherji,General Manager ofTelecommunicationsGroup at SamsungGulf Electronics.“With a larger, fullyutilizable screen andsuperior performance,the GALAXY Note 10.1 combines the intuitiveness ofhandwriting with all the flexibility of digital content tolet users be more productive across all tasks— whetherworking, interacting, learning, or creating content.”The GALAXY Note 10.1 incorporates key intuitivefeatures and capabilities such as Multiscreen, enhanced SNote functionalities, Pop-Up Play, and Adobe PhotoshopTouch. Users can perform side-by-side multitaskingwith the Multiscreen feature on a 10.1-inch largescreen. Samsung’s unique S Pen, with a variety of SNote templates and productive tools (Shape Match andFormula Match) enables consumers to create contentactively on the Note 10.1. Furthermore, users can freelycapture and crop images, and paste them onto theother screen to make personal notes and enhance theircreativity, productivity, and learning abilities.Witness one of Kenya’sMost Spectacular AnnualEventsThe Great Wildebeest Migration from July toOctoberThe Great Wildebeest Migration, which occursbetween July and October is already underwayand the Kenya Tourist Board (KTB) is confident of apositive influx of visitors from the Middle East to witnessthis spectacularphenomenon.Considered tobe Africa’s greatestwildlife spectacle,the migration is anannual occurrencewhere hundredsof thousands of Wildebeest at Mara National Reservewildebeest and zebras make their seasonal trek fromthe southern Serengeti to the north of the Maasai MaraNational Reserve in Kenya.This exceptional natural event attracts visitors fromacross the globe as they witness thousands of animalsmake the 500 kilometer round trip in search of water andgreener pastures.In recent years, Kenya has grown in popularity as adestination for Middle East residents. Visitor figures for 2011from the UAE show a healthy increase of 40% and with a14.2% increase on the first three months of 2012 comparedto 2011 it’s a good indication the trend is set to continue”.At this time of the year with maximum temperaturesof 31 degrees, Kenya is much cooler than the MiddleEast and, with the spectacle of the Great Migration, is theperfect destination for a holiday. In addition, with flyingtime on average only four and a half hours from mostMiddle East airports and great direct air connectivity,Kenya is an ideal short-haul choice for families, couplesand friends to visit even for a long weekend. A furtherattraction is that access into Kenya is also easy, withmost nationalities receiving visas on arrival and theKenyan Government not requiring visitors to take anyvaccinations prior to entering the country.”Currently, there are six airlines offering direct flightsinto Nairobi. These include Emirates Airline, Gulf Air, AirArabia, Saudi Arabian Airlines, Qatar Airways as well asKenya’s national carrier. Etihad Airways has also startedflying into Kenya with one flight a week from Abu Dhabi.The International Indian 97

WinningCan You Win With A Flawed Worldview?“Do you ever wonder why it is that many of history’s titanic intellects managedto come to radically different conclusions? The answer is simple: If you beginyour system of thought by refusing to acknowledge what you know to be true - ifyou start with a lie - the more brilliant and consistent you are in following thatpremise, the further from truth you will go. ”- Tim Challies, Editor, ‘Discerning Reader’By: Frank RajIn developing my new Winning column mygoal is not to engage merely in successoriented punditry. There are plentyof gurus out there. I’d rather useWinning as a vehicle to look atvarious topics that we need to understandbetter and develop a robust worldview to“win” in a more meaningful sense. This ispossible only if we understand the worldfrom a better perspective - a total worldand-life-view.Our individual worldview is how wemake sense of the different spheres we interact in:Relationships, Culture, Institutions, Community,Government, Environment, Economics, Science,Technology, Spirituality, Education, andDevelopment.How we engage these spheres, each with theirdifferent rules and protocol, determines how wesee the world.Winning will present different issues from timeto time. In this column I’ve chosen to highlightauthor Mattias Larsen’s highly relevant thesis,Vulnerable Daughters In India. (Routledge 2010).In India, girls are aborted on a massive scalemerely because they are girls. Underlying thiswidespread problem is the puzzling fact thatdaughters have become vulnerable in a time ofgeneral improvement of welfare, female statusand deep economic and social changes. Larsen’sfindings centre on a contradiction of the culturalnorm in India that ‘a son is necessary,’ whensocio-economic changes are challenging suchfactors. Despite the uncertainty over sons fulfillingexpectations, they are still favoured and negativeconsequences for daughters have intensified.Based on original research, Vulnerable DaughtersIn India studies sex selective abortions of girls andtakes its starting point in the fact that decliningchild sex ratios are a result of an ongoingprocess of societal change in India. This isa nationwide social pattern, every thinkingIndian should do something about.It was Ayn Rand author of Fountainheadwho pointed out, “A building has integrityjust like a man. And just as seldom.”There are so many small and large waysin life that people ignore what it means tolive with integrity. One of them is to haveno concern for the vulnerable in our society.The philosophy that supports suchindifference believes, ‘From the spiritual point ofview, there is no such thing as evil. What we callevil is actually error. We do not use the term evil: wecall it bondage or error.’ But ask yourself - is therereally no such thing as evil? Is human natureessentially good or intrinsically flawed? How doyou explain the presence of evil in our world?How do you respond to friends whose worldviewdiffers from yours?Raising such issues to make you think, Winningwill hopefully prompt life-changing discussion andchallenge you to develop a consistent worldviewundergirded with integrity.We can follow the herd and do things only outof self-interest or one day we can say along withRobert Frost:Two roads diverged in a wood, and II took the one less traveled byAnd that has made all the differenceFrank Raj is TII’s founder editor & publisher,a motivational speaker, and authorof ‘Desh Aur Diaspora.’98 The International Indian

The International Indian 99

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