Pittsburgh_Patrika_October_2016

Vol. 22 No. 1 October

2016

The Pittsburgh Patrika, Vol, 22, No. 1 , October 2016

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

Vol. 22 No. 1 www.pittsburghpatrika.com October 2016

4006 Holiday Park Drive, Murrysville, PA 15668

Phone/Fax: (724) 327 0953 e-mail: ThePatrika@aol.com

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Highlights in this issue... ... ...

Page

Trump vs. Clinton in the Race to the White House

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

India in the 2016 Rio Olympics

By K S. Venkataraman ................................................................... 8

“My Journey in Indian Classical Dances” —

A Grandmother talks to her Granddaughter

By Moha Desai ............................................................................ 12

Musings on Mother Teresa’s Sainthood

By Kollengode S Venkataraman................................................... 17

Eishan Ashwat’s Pleasant Manch Pravesh Recital

By Shailesh Surti ........................................................................ 18

Insightful Introspection in a Vipassana Session

By Asawari Jadhav ....................................................................... 19

Reaching Your Potential Through Teaching

By Archana Janardhanan ............................................................. 22

Helping Disadvantaged Girls’ Education in Rural India

By Dr. Mani Balu ........................................................................ 25

My Take on Musical Instruments — a Poem

By Milun Kumar Jain ................................................................. 27

A Jain Sannyasi’s Advice for Addressing the Gender Ratio

By K S Venkataraman ................................................................. 32

On the Cover: On Saturday, September 10, a warm, blue-sky day in the

‘Burgh, the Pittsburgh Indian Community and Friends organized their 2nd annual

fund-raising event at North Park, that involved 5-k/1-k walking/jogging/

running events. Many volunteer organizations set up tables to raise awareness

for their causes. This picture is the “One-Your-Mark-Get-Set-and-Go” moment

at the start of the running event. More details in the next issue. •

3


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

Vol. 22 No. 1 www.pittsburghpatrika.com October 2016

Phone/Fax: (724) 327 0953 e-mail: ThePatrika@aol.com

Trump vs. Clinton in the Race to the White House

This November, millions of voters in the US will ponder which box

to check — whether to go with Hillary Clinton, or with Donald Trump,

or to simply leave both boxes blank. Sigh! Several expressions describe

my dilemma — between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea, or a rock and a

hard place; and Morton’s Fork, all describing situations people face in life

with Itwo or more equally bad options. My horizon is already on 2020.

t is unbelievable that the Republican Party, out of the seventeen candidates

seeking the nomination — some of them astute pols rooted in

the GOP system — ended up electing a neophyte in US electoral politics,

Donald Trump. One would think that someone like Trump, a billionaire

real estate mogul and casino owner with dicey political and legal business

dealings and decisions, would prefer to stay away from the glare of public

scrutiny to which presidential candidates get exposed to.

Trump does not have the backing of the GOP heavy weights and elected

officials in Congress and the states, not to speak of rich donors, think tank

types, and conservative columnists. Many have publicly walked away from

him. Only Right-wing talk show hosts on radio and cable TV are rooting

for him. Trump’s foolhardy courage is remarkable.

The lack of courage among potential Democratic candidates was pitiful.

Fearing the Clinton Machine, nobody had the spine to throw their

hat in the ring! If Hillary Clinton wins the election in November, as is

predicted by analysts, pundits and bookmakers, she will thank Republicans

for giving her Donald Trump as her opponent. With much passion

against her among Republicans and many Independents, and many

Democrats

I

lukewarm towards her, Hillary was vulnerable otherwise.

n spite of all the negatives, the billionaire Trump’s bravado on a

host of domestic, immigration, foreign policy, and defense issues, as

outlandish as they are, resonate well with the working class, mostly white

and less educated Americans. It is not hard to understand this.

In the US, only 33% of whites have a bachelor’s degree or better; 90%

have a high school diploma or its equivalent. (The stats are worse for

blacks and Hispanics). They worked grueling hours in assembly lines, steel

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mills, fossil fuel industries, and mining/metal industries, but lived comfortably,

with all the accoutrements of a good life — two-car garages, boats,

vacations... ... Globalization and Free Trade wiped out these jobs, and

the less educated working class bore the brunt of this brutal transition.

In the 2012 election cycle both the GOP and the Democratic candidates

were vying with each other to offer tax cuts for the “middle

class.” When pressed to define middle class, they said it was families

with an annual income under $250,000! In the US, only around 6% of

households have annual income more than $200,000. See below (Source:

US Census, 2014):

That is, political candidates saw themselves as “Middle Class,” even

though in terms of their income, net worth, and other intangible assets

like access to resources and their wide social and political network, they

are the Ruling Elite. With this bizarre definition of middle class, people

making between $60,000 and $100,000 can call themselves the “working

poor,” while the American median family income is around $55,000.

No wonder, the upper echelons of the GOP establishment was outof-sync

from the problems of the white working class, the base of the

GOP. In the primaries, these Republican voters, in disgust, opted for a

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total outsider, the billionaire Trump, whose rhetorical flourishes resonated

with them on many domestic, immigration, military, and trade issues,

which they saw as the causes for their anxieties. By electing Trump, they

repudiated

T

the GOP establishment.

his does not mean that it is party time for Hillary Clinton and her

followers before the elections are over. For one, Hillary Clinton is

not in the mold of Golda Meir, Margaret Thatcher, and Angela Merkel, all

first-time women leaders of their countries. Meir was the prime minister

of Israel (1969-74); Thatcher was the prime minister of the UK during

the Reagan years, and Merkel, the current chancellor of Germany. These

women became powerful world leaders on their own steam.

Hillary owes her political career to being the wife of Bill Clinton, the

popular two-term Democratic president. Without being First Lady with

Clinton as her last name, one wonders whether the parochial New York

voters would have elected a Hillary Rodham as their US Senator, just two

years after she became a legal resident there. Everything in her political

career in later years emanates from her being Mrs. Clinton and having stuck

with him through the thick and thin of his not entirely stellar lifestyle.

So, Hillary Clinton is the American strain of the Asian archetype of

wives and daughters of politicians becoming presidents and prime ministers:

Corazon Aquino (Philippines); Sirimavo Bhandaranaike (Sri Lanka);

Indira Gandhi (India); Khaleda Zia and Sheikh Hasina (Bangladesh); and

Benazir Bhutto (Pakistan). Without their hubbies and daddies, there is no

way any of these women could have come to wield so much power.

Hillary Clinton, as President Obama’s Secretary of State, carefully

built her image for occupying the White House by visiting over

110-plus countries, honing her image both inside the US and outside. However,

nonpartisan — or at least less partisan — observers see her imprint

on US foreign policy as lackluster, despite her rock star image.

If people remember the highlights and lowlights of the 2008 Democratic

primaries, Hillary Clinton’s campaign against Sen.Barack Obama then

contained veiled racist flourishes to win over working-class white voters,

something she now vehemently condemns in Trump. But that is politics.

Even many women voters are turned off by Hillary Clinton’s negatives.

If Trump ever goes past Hillary in the delegate count and walks into

the White House, he too will have to thank his stars that he had Hillary

Clinton as his opponent. At least on this score, the two are even.

So, come November, both candidates’ negatives will energize their

opponents to bring voters to the polling booth on Election Day. If

the weather on that day is bad, only hard core supporters will show up,

and anything can happen. In any case, it is unlikely that it would be a

Clinton vs. Trump... ... Continued on Page 26

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India in the 2016 Rio Olympics

Kollengode S Venkataraman

One Indian news item this summer that drew global attention — from

the media in Europe, North America, and even China — is why India

with its 1.2 billion population does so poorly in the quadrennial summer

Olympics. If you Google-search on this topic and read the top 10 news

stories, you will get a good idea of why it is so. There was no smirk in

these stories. They were simple, straightforward, and matter of fact. In

every social group — extended families, ethnic/caste groups, temples,

churches, corporations, hospitals, even nation-states — outsiders readily

see what is wrong that the insiders do

not see, or refuse to acknowledge, or are

embarrassed to admit.

This year, India’s medal count was

abysmal, even by Indian standards. The

total medal count in the last five Olympics,

including the 2016 at Rio are: 1,

1, 3, 6, 2 out of over 700 gold, silver

and bronze medals. Only two medals in

2016, one bronze for wrestling, and the

other, a silver, in badminton, both won

by women. Cherish the irony here, given

the macho atmosphere of the Indian

Sakshi Malik after winning her Bronze

for wrestling in the 2016 Olympics.

Look at her gleeful, joyous smile! In

the Indian context, Sakshi, like the

other winner Sindhu, is not “fair.” But

she is not just “lovely,” but gorgeous.

sports scene!

Shobha De, the ultimate gossip columnist

titillating anglicized Indians,

stirred the pot on the India Olympics

this year with the tweet, which, in translation

read, “Go to Rio, click your selfies,

and return empty-handed.” De is the mother of the phrase Bollywood she

coined in derision decades ago for the Bombay-based Hindi film industry.

Now, Bollywood is mainstream, and has given birth to Lollywood (for Lahore,

Pakistan), and Kollywood (Kodambakkam, Tamil), and Mollywood

(Malayalam), and Tollywood (Tollygunj, Bangla, and also Telugu).

She was widely berated for her comment. Among the many thoughtful

responses to De’s comment, one stood out. I regret not jotting down the

name of person. I do not have the exact words. If I can paraphrase his

comments, it went something like this:

“Why everybody is piling of the poor performance of the Indian athletes

in Rio? For all the money India spends every year and the vast

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infrastructure it has in national science labs, IITs and IIMs, nobody asks

why India’s record is poor in Nobel prizes? And for the 100-plus years

of history in the film making, why India’s record is so poor in the Grammys,

Emmys and Oscars?”

A valid point, requiring soul searching and serious discussion.

In any case, if you scan the hard copies of any Indian English newspapers,

one glaring observation stands out: over 90% of the column

inches are taken up by the raw, personality-based political news at the

national and state levels; news and gossip about films and film personalities;

cricket news; European culinary trends in the Indian Metros; real

estate; how Indian techies are ruling the world (?), and fashion.

With these items taking up so much oxygen for the greater part of every

year, not much is left for anything else. Add to this the Indian ethos of

disdain for all physical activities in general.

In many countries, sports & athletics are a serious business with governments

pumping in lots of money. They identify youngsters before

they are 10, and train them in gymnastics, track and aquatic events, and

all others. That is the only way to nurture excellence in sports.

However, excellence in sports and athletics is not a priority for the Indian

middle class — unless it sees money in it, lots of it, as in cricket. That

12


Sakshi Malik with Prime Minister Modi on her

return to India.

13

is how India killed field hockey, a

very intense game in which India

excelled years ago. If America is

obsessed with sports from high

school onwards, India is antipodal

in its total apathy to school/college

sports. The governmental indifference

to providing the critical

athletic infrastructure and training

is only a reflection of the Indian

middle class’ apathy for sports.

Besides, nurturing and demanding

excellence and weeding out incompetency and under performance are

not priorities in today’s India in most facets of human endeavor. Acquiring

wealth using any and every way possible, and flamboyantly consuming it

are the main pursuits for a big chunk of the Indian middle class. The poor

performance of India in Olympics is only a glaring manifestation of this

underlying ethos of today’s India. Given this Indian disdain, we need to

admire the Indian athletes for their persistence with very few resources

and the ridicule of the elites a la Shobha De, when they return with very

few medals. •


“My journey in Indian Classical Dances”

A Grandmother talks to her Granddaughter

By Moha Desai, Bridgeville, PA

Shrimati Tani Desai, mother of Shambhavi Desai of Bridgeville, grew up in a traditional

Nagar Brahmin family in Bombay in the 1950s and 1960s. She had the rare experience of

earning her degree in Bharatanatyam from MS University in Baroda in the 1960s by staying

in a hostel far away from her home, something that was unusual then. Moha, daughter of

Shambhavi and Priyadarshi Desai, talked to her grandma on how she got interested in Bharatanatyam

that propelled her to go and earn a degree in the dance form in the 1960s.

Talking to her granddaughter for this article.

14

I had a blessed opportunity of sharing the stage and performing a

dance piece with my grand-ma (Tani-ma) earlier this summer. She is now

in her 60s. It was a magical

experience! In the course of

talking to her as her granddaughter,

I knew that she

earned a degree in Bharatanatyam

from the MS University

in Baroda. This was

in the 1960s. With my own

exposure to the Indian classical

performing arts tradition

in the US, I sat with her

to hear from her about her

times, her journey in working

for a degree in dance and much more. Here are some excerpts:

Tani-ma, when you were growing up, what was the society around

you, and what was your home environment like?

“I was fortunate to be born and brought up in a large close-knit family

in Mumbai with five uncles and aunts.

My extended family had an active interest

and knowledge about music, dance and

dramatics. My father -- the eldest in the

family -- played the flute while other

younger uncles and aunts played violin,

percussion, Jal Tarang, or were good singers.

One of my uncles and brothers were

good theatre actors.

“My first guru and uncle, Shri Arjun

Desai, trained me in Bharatanatyam and

Manipuri dance styles from age five to

sixteen. He also introduced me to Guru

In her student days.


Devendra Sinha, who taught me Manipuri as well. So, looking back,

music and dance had virtually been our way of life while growing up.

I was not even conscious about it. It is like a fish not knowing that it is

immersed in water.”

What were the priorities for girls then in general and how did you fit

in to those priorities?

“Life during the 1950s and 1960s was

definitely not the same for girls as it is these

days. Although performing arts were a way

of life for me, having a good education was

the first priority. I had my schooling in Saint

Teresa’s Convent, where discipline and good

academics were stressed. I did not get to perform

Bharatanatyam or Manipuri at my school

like how you all do, but had to do a ‘bookbalancing

dance’ taught by one of our enthusiastic

teachers at school!

In her prime giving a recital.

“Like any other girl, I used to help out

with the house-hold chores which included ironing our own clothes,

talking care of younger siblings and cousins and so on. All this was in

addition to a full-day of school, homework, and dance classes/practices

15


every single day in the evenings; and we used to walk two miles to and

from our school! As a senior dance student, I was a part of more than 17

dance ballets in a lead role and other solo performances. I had to manage

my time very wisely.

“After I completed my high school, I was really at a crossroads. I

loved math and wanted to major in commerce for my Bachelors’ degree at

a college in Mumbai while continuing my dance in my free time. Luckily,

my parents and uncles recognized my passion for dance, and persuaded

me to go to M.S. University,

Vadodara and

major in Bharatanatyam

at the Department of

Performing Arts. This

was the only University

at that time in India that

offered degrees and post

graduate level courses

in dance. I finally went

With her students flanked by her daughter and

granddaughter

16

to Vadodara, stayed in

a hostel for four years


and pursued dance. My parents had done the right thing for me. I had

found my home away from home! I eventually did my Masters’ degree

here -- after I had your mom and your mashi!! It was very unusual at

that time!”

What was the attitude of your fellow neighbors and acquaintances?

“The attitude of the people was mixed. Many of our acquaintances

were happy for me when I chose to go to Baroda for majoring in dancebut

many others raised their eyebrows at the fact that a young girl from

a Nagar Brahmin family was 1) leaving the city, 2) staying in a hostel,

and 3) then pursuing dance as against other more conventional areas of

studies. This did not dampen my spirits but instead helped me to stay

focused and determined.”

What was the curriculum for students pursuing a degree in dance?

“The curriculum for the Bachelors’ of Performing Arts (BPA) -- formally

known as Bachelors in Music (B.Mus.) -- is an exhaustive four-year

degree course that is divided into theory and practical in each year. It

includes all important aspects of Natyashastra, Abhinaya Darpana,

Bharatarnava, covering the basics of music, dramatics, and the study of

all other classical dance styles, folk dances of India, as well as western/

modern dance theories and

dances of Southeast Asia.

The practical included from

the basic adavus to full

Margams with training in

the Tala system and Nattuvangam.

The syllabus also

had other subjects like Cultural

History, Aesthetics,

Tani Desai teaching her students now.

17

English, Psychology, Physics

and Economics.”

At the university, in the Bharatanatyam coursework, and in the practical

classes, what was the language they used for teaching?

“The official language of teaching was English; but teaching was usually

done using a blend of English, Gujarati and Hindi as we had students

from all over India and abroad too. Our teachers went to great lengths to

explain the Tamil and Telugu terms and translated them as required.”

What changes did you see in dance over the years?

“ Well, there are many changes — most of them good. My Guru,

Smt. Anjali Mehr in Baroda, introduced us to choreographing Padams in

other regional languages, in addition to the traditional Tamil and Telugu.

Many experimental works had already started in our times, but now they

Journey in Dance... ... Continued on Page 23


The Ellis School’s Centennial Gala in Mid October

Nearly 500 alumnae, students, family members, community leaders,

administrators and friends of The Ellis School will gather on Saturday,

October 15, at Pittsburgh’s Carnegie Music Hall to celebrate the school’s

first 100-years of educating girls and young women. With “More Power

to Her” as the theme, the Centennial Gala will highlight the school’s

many milestones showcasing the school’s students, alumnae, educators

and leaders, past and present.

Founded in 1916 by Sara Frazer Ellis, The Ellis School is Pittsburgh’s

only independent school for girls and young women, educating students

from Pre-K through Grade 12. This private school prepares students

through quality education in an all-girls environment.

With a student-to-teacher ratio of six-to-one, it provides an intimate

learning environment and individual attention with a rigorous, challenging

curriculum.

The Centennial Gala will recognize thirteen of its alumnae as Ellis

Laureates for their outstanding achievements in medicine, finance, law,

performing arts, business, education, technology, and journalism. For

more information, visit www.theellisschool.org. •

18


Musings on Mother Teresa’s Sainthood

On Sunday, September 4, the Vatican ceremonially conferred sainthood

on Mother Teresa, based on miracles she is supposed to have carried

out in people’s lives. As the Reuters reported (www.tinyurl.com/

Bureaucratic-Path-to-Sainthood), the process of conferring sainthood

is “more bureaucratic than beatific.” Also read this: www.tinyurl.com/

AFP-Story-on-Mother-Teresa. So, we reproduce part of our obituary on

Mother Teresa’s death in the October 1997 issue of the Patrika:

“In the midst of Calcutta’s mean streets — it could be the slum of any

other city — a European nun working with the poorest and the sickest

eventually drew the attention of leaders in India and outside, including

those perched in the Vatican. With her global reach, one might even say,

many indigenously run nonsectarian relief agencies in India did not get

the attention and support even within India.

“Mother Teresa lived among the poorest and sickest in an overcrowded

city where whatever infrastructure was there was falling apart. And the

revered Mother saw no reason for at least tolerating modern family planning

methods that excluded abortion.

“No doubt, it is noble to give the wretchedly poor dignity at least in

their death. An equally noble act is to make... ... the uneducated poor,

recognize that if they do not have large families, they have better chance

of getting their children out of poverty, and society may be able to give

citizens dignity not only in death, but in life as well. And it is here that

one believes Mother Teresa could have had greater impact.”

If we do not bring these wretched souls into world in the first place,

there is no need for somebody to save them after all. Poverty, I

concede, has many contributing factors. However, for destitute families,

such as those in the slums of Kolkata, Manila, Mexico City, Paris, or

Detroit, large family is one major contributing factor. The deprivation

Mother Teresa saw in Calcutta’s slums did not move her to question

Vatican’s edict on family planning. Her loyalty

to the Vatican on this point was stronger than

her compassion to the human suffering she was

staring at every moment in Calcutta.

The Vatican’s intransigence on family planning

is astounding, given its global reach. After

all, a majority of even working class Catholics

worldwide practice family planning, not caring

its pastoral injunctions. So, the halo around Mother Teresa’s sainthood is

not sublime. It is more like the blemishes we see on the moon.

— By K. S. Venkataraman •

19


Eishan Ashwat’s Pleasant Manch Pravesh Recital

By Shailesh Surti

e-mail: shailesh.surti@gmail.com

Pittsburghers have witnessed many Arangetrams by young Indian-American

dancers. However, we have not witnessed a Manch Pravesh, the

first solo recital of Hindustani classical music by a student after years of

learning, marking the student's beginning of a deeper understanding of

the art form. Eishan Ashwat's Manch Pravesh recital was on June 18 at

the Sri Venkateswara Temple Auditorium.

a young boy growing up in Pittsburgh with no previous expo-

For sure to this music, to pursue vocal music with passion, many stars

have to align. Eishan found encouragement from his parents, Shirish

and Anuradha Ashwat. They live close to Shambhavi

Desai, a faculty member of the Pandit Jasraj Institute

of Music (PJIM). She trains under Guru Pandita Tripti

Mukherjee. Shambhavi initiated Eishan into vocal music

when he was seven. Later, he learned from Pandita

Tripti Mukherjee, following the traditions of the Mewati

Guru Shambhavi

Desai

Gharana.

He practiced for countless hours, sometimes with his

Guru Shambhavi and with Shambhavi's husband Pryadarshi

Desai, who plays the harmonium. While preparing for the recital,

he had guidance from the Sangeet Martand Pandit Jasraj himself.

The recital was in front of invited guests well versed in the nuances

of Indian vocal music. Eishan gave a full recital, a total of eight

compositions in different genres, starting with a Bada Khayal (Khayal in

Persian means imagination) in Raga Madhuvanti set to Vilambit (Slow

tempo) Ek Taal. He handled the long and serious Bada Khayal, generally

sung by the professionals, with ease and elan.

This was followed by a Chhota Khayal in the same Raga set to Teen

Taal. Eishan here introduced some complex taans. He used tradition-

Solo Recital... ... Continued on Page 32

20


Insightful Introspection in a Vipassana Session

By Asawari Jadhav, Peters Twp., PA

e-mail: asawari.jadhav@gmail.com

Asawari Jadhav grew up in Nagpur, India before living for a decade in the UK. She

arrived in the US twelve years ago. She now lives in Peters Township with her family and

works as a Technical Project Manager for Bombardier Transportation. Her hobbies include

playing on the sitar and reading.

Editor’s note: Vipassana is a simple and yet difficult meditation technique practiced

and perfected for over 2000 years by the Southern School of Buddhists, the Teravadins, in

Myanmar, Sri Lanka, and Southeast Asia. The etymology of Vipassana is in the Sanskrit

dhatu (root) drsh meaning “to see, gaze, look.” The prefix vi here means “total” or “comprehensive.”

Vipassana stands for a “comprehensive insight into oneself,” which is easily said,

but can be done only with open-mindedness, patience, and practice.

Over the last few years, I have heard the word

“Vipassana” from many believers in the

family. The thought of maintaining noble silence

for ten days, meditating close to over ten hours

each day, disconnecting myself from a device that

is almost embedded in my palm, and not being able

to run my family, seemed next to impossible.

I had recently tried to question the rat race I was

running. I was slowly observing the agitation, anger,

an overwhelmed mind, and an impulsive reaction to situations about which

I had no control! I finally did end up signing for a ten-day course -- over

eleven to be precise as the first day is considered Day Zero.

For those who have not heard about Vipassana, I need to tell you that

this is more than a course/workshop: students are not allowed to read,

write, connect, listen, exercise or take part in any form of entertainment

or physical indulgence.

Once I signed up, I realized what I was in for, and the reality had

begun to sink in. The thought of getting up at four in the morning

and being totally disconnected from the outside world was starting to find

every excuse to not join! Fortunately, my earlier wise decision to stick it

out for eleven days prevailed over the strong thought to quit. For most of

you who have not already checked the Dhamma website, here is a brief

summary of the schedule:

Wake up call at 4 a.m. with a one-hour break for breakfast between

meditation sessions. A lunch break and rest for two hours and another

four-hour meditation session (with breaks). A tea break at 5 p.m. with the

last session ending in a discourse by Shri Satya Narayan or S.N.Goenka

before retiring 9:30 p.m.

21


My first day was tolerable, though I found myself dozing off from

being in a quiet dark room with long hours of sitting. By the

end of the second day, the pain had started to sink in making me very

uncomfortable and even the stretching and walks were beginning to be

ineffective. My mind was everywhere almost like a spring. Before I could

realize it, I was designing fancy comfortable meditation chairs and redoing

the window treatments in the Vipassana Center.

On the third day, I was starting to lose it. The OCD (Obsessive Compulsive

Disorder) in me had started to organize my memories into stacks. I

was kind of spring cleaning the rooms in my brain. Every time I needed a

break from cleaning, I would start to pay attention to my breathing. Slowly,

I began to question my imagined veracity of the source of my problems,

and almost learned a new way of looking at many situations.

Fourth day is when the real “Vipassana” starts. I had already started

to adjust and enjoy my own company.

By Day Five, I got into a pattern of changing cushions and positions

where I did not get into a torturous physical situation. My mind was craving

for the intellectual stimulation, even though craving and aversions were

two things I was training my mind to stay away from.

During my breaks I had counted the mugs in the café, read every

instruction in the center and estimated the age of the trees! I thought a

lot about my family and by the end of Day Five, I was convinced that

my husband had forgotten to pick up my thirteen-year-old from camp,

and my seventeen-year-old had forgotten his passport for a trip abroad.

Panic started to set in. I had created a situation where I really needed to

get out. The discourse in the evening revealed that it was normal to have

thoughts of quitting.

Day Six and onward got progressively better. I was beginning to feel

grounded, calmer, felt less affected by past heartaches. I had almost made

peace with my worst enemies.

Day Ten seemed still a long way to go but the bittersweet feeling had

started to set in. I had started to accept what was served. Even though

the quality of the food was beyond my expectations, I had tried things

that I would never even attempt before. I felt lighter inside. I had never

recognized the weight of the ego I had carried all along.

Before breaking the Noble Silence on the tenth day, I had started to

wonder if my own voice would startle me. I was at peace with my own

thoughts. However, I was also curious to verbally connect with the fifteen

other women who had shared their energies with me in the meditation

room. Women from different walks of life, diverse not only in nationalities

but also in age and cultures!

It has been only a few days since the completion of the session, and I

22


am certain I will continue to observe the changes in me from this experience.

Here is a summary that I would love to share with you:

Vipassana is not a meditation retreat. It is a process by which

you strengthen your mind and increase awareness and practice

equanimity. The technique to do this is to observe your breath and bodily

sensations without developing a craving or aversion to them. It is simple

and difficult at the same time. The focus is to realize that “Change is the

only constant thing in life.”

Every misery arises from the fact that we as humans are constantly

reacting to something that is inevitably going to change. It is unrealistic

even to hope to drag everybody you are not able to deal with to Vipassana.

The need for changes in people should come from within individuals. A

ten-day course can just set the direction for you but do not expect to come

out with an aura on your head.

Just because you are not paying attention to it, does not mean the world

will fall apart! Things still move on when you are not in control. I realized

that Peace and Happiness is a State of Mind.

The ten most physically difficult days of my life beat the most exotic

locations I’ve visited. So, if you’re ready for introspection, consider attending

a 10-day Vipassana session to make an impression on yourself. •

Journey in Dance... ... Continued from Page 17

are being accepted with a more open mind than before.

“As long as the basic technique and the signatures of the art form are

not compromised, such changes are healthy. What pains me though at

times is the rampant commercialization at the cost of creativity. On the

brighter side, learning Bharatanatyam or any other classical dance form

has become fairly common in all parts of India and abroad, and by people

from every kind of socioeconomic background. That says it all!”

What keeps you going, Tani-Ma?

“A lot of things! Gratitude, satisfaction and passion. Gratitude towards

God, my parents, my husband and my family — that I could pursue dance

all my life in spite of many challenges along the way. It gives me immense

satisfaction and pleasure that I could pass on the same passion to my three

daughters and the third generation as well.

“It is satisfying that I could inspire hundreds of students through my

dance institute, Pagrav, over five decades, and hope to do so as long as

I can! Dance, like any other art form is a Sadhana (pursuit with a total

commitment) to connect directly with God. One has to follow the Three

Ds to excel: devotion, dedication and discipline. There are no other

shortcuts.” •

23


Reaching Your Potential Through Teaching

By Archana Janardhanan

e-mail: archana913@gmail.com

Archana grew up in the North Hills. After completing her B.A. in English at the University

of Michigan in 2004, she worked in New York City for several years before pursuing

her master’s degree in Elementary Education at Duquesne University. She now teaches

fifth grade at Bradford Woods Elementary School in the North Allegheny School district.

It is no secret that medicine and engineering are the most popular

career choices for Indian-Americans. It makes sense: our parents

came here with hopes for a better life for their children.

They groomed us to be well-educated to choose

life paths which would ensure financial security.

However, the world has changed in the intervening

years. The goals of second and third generation Indian

Americans are not necessarily the same as those of our

parents. As the new generations of Indian Americans

emerge, I think it may be important for parents to let

their children explore other professions in which we

may thrive. Young people these days have a heightened awareness and

empathy for others that parents need to recognize.

This is why I would like to make the case for teaching. Education is

a field in which you are mentally and emotionally challenged each day.

There is a level of satisfaction in teaching that no paycheck or prestige

could Fbestow. That satisfaction stems from several aspects of the job.

irst, let me start with the students. The students are the heart of

the profession. They will bring out the best and worst parts of you

and thereby allow you to learn some major life lessons.

This year, I had a young student who came to my class at the end of

the school year after attending several other schools in the same year.

My understanding was that he had behavioral issues which caused some

problems with other students.

When he came to my class, he was absolutely wonderful for one week.

After that, there was a steady decline in his behavior. He said and did

inappropriate things on a daily basis and was even suspended after two

weeks. Every time he got in trouble, I spoke to him about his actions and

why they were wrong. It seemed I was getting nowhere and my frustration

with him was only growing. In the last week of school, I approached him

about another transgression.

The night before, I had read an article about how teachers can prevent

suspensions by practicing empathy. I decided to put this into practice.

When I approached him about what he did, I didn’t speak about his

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wrongdoing. Instead, I told him I wanted him to be happy. I wanted him

to love school and to make friends and to do well in all of his subjects.

I told him that I wanted to assist him in practicing behaviors that would

help him succeed.

For the first time, he looked me in the eyes when I spoke to him. I

will never forget that conversation because I believe it was the first time I

connected with him. It made me realize that unless you make an authentic

connection with your students — for that matter, with people in general

— you Scannot have a meaningful impact on them.

econd, your colleagues can be a major source of job satisfaction.

When you teach, you are in the trenches every day. You rely on

your colleagues for advice, resources, moral support and laughter. Teachers

are some of the most wonderful people you will ever meet. They are so

used to putting others before themselves that they are usually willing to help

you at the drop of a dime. My colleagues have taught me that when you

think Tless of yourself and more of others, you’re happier all around.

he third reason teaching is a worthwhile profession is that you are

able to leave your lasting personal imprint on students’ lives. While

it is often necessary to adhere to district curriculum standards, once you

get used to teaching them, you may use your creativity at your will.

This year, I decided to finish the year with a fun science project. I

wanted to make my students aware of the resources all around them and

have them incorporate them into our lessons. I decided to arrange a walking

field trip to the local community nature reserve. My students took plastic

containers and jars and collected various specimens at the reserve.

We then walked back to school and created terrariums (enclosed

ecosystems). The students observed the activity in their terrariums each

day and kept an ongoing log. For the rest of the year, when they came to

science class, they ran to the back of the room to look at their terrariums.

I have never witnessed such excitement for a project before this one. We

25


had accomplished our learning objectives while having fun and bringing

nature indoors.

While teachers do not make the salary that doctors and engineers

make, we have a noble profession all the same. I know that when

I look back on my life at the end of it, I will be satisfied and at peace with

myself because I have impacted others’ lives in my own way.

If you are trying to finding your life’s path, no matter what age you

are, I encourage you to consider teaching. We must bring our best and

brightest to this profession because I can think of no one who deserves it

more than our children. •

Clinton vs. Trump... ... Continued from Page 8

landslide victory for Hillary Clinton, either in terms of the popular vote

nationwide, or in the delegate count.

That is why it is a choice among Worse, Worse, and Worse, come

November. Leaving the box blank is also not a good option. There

is, however, one silver lining for both candidates in this scenario: Whoever

wins, voter expectation for both is so low that even if their performance is

barely a passing grade, people would sigh in relief, “After all, it is not as

bad as it could have been!” And

their cronies will spin this as their

master’s great accomplishment!

Endnote: In this election cycle,

with no coattail effect, and with

so many negatives for both Hillary

Clinton and Donald Trump,

candidates for the US House and

Senate for both parties are pretty

much running on their own. If the

anti-establishment mood plays

into the voters’ psyche, people

may simply vote against sitting

members seeking re-election to

the US House and Senate. So, the

elections to the US Congress will

be as important. The US Senate

leadership may change hands and

in the House, the GOP majority

will erode, maybe even evaporate.

We are certainly living in interesting times.

— By Kollengode S Venkataraman •


Helping Disadvantaged Girls to Get Education

in Rural India

By Dr. Mani Balu, Monroeville, PA

e-mail: balus61@mail.com

Dr. Balu, a retired clinical pediatrician, practiced in Uniontown, PA for 23 years, and

now lives in Monroeville, PA. He goes to Chennai every winter with his wife Shantha, and

helps people afflicted with leprosy, an entirely manageable disease, but with lots of social

stigma.

Leprosy is a chronic disease caused by a slow-multiplying bacteria, with five years

of incubation period. The disease affects the skin, the peripheral nerves, the mucosa of

the upper respiratory tract, and the eyes. This disease is curable with Multi-Drug Therapy

(MDT) (Source: WHO). This disease affects in a totally different way healthy young girls

in families with elders afflicted with leprosy.

In 2004 I met two dedicated women in Pittsburgh in a conference —

Becky Douglas of Atlanta and Padma Venkatraman of Chennai — who

work helping leprosy patients. Their work and involvement in helping

leprosy patients, who are the most misunderstood, neglected and ostracized

people of the world, impressed me immensely. I joined them to start a

Mobile Leprosy Clinic in Chengalpattu (near Chennai), which has the

biggest leprosy hospital in Asia. Understandably, leprosy patients gravitate

towards that town, living in and around the hospital, as they are not

allowed to live in the main streets of any town.

While visiting their living quarters, I found out that the girls above 12

or 13 years of age are not allowed to go to school by their parents because

there are no lavatories or rest rooms in these schools. With help from

some of my friends, we started building rest rooms in these schools. We

were very thrilled that this alone increased the number of girls attending

schools.

These bright children in these remote villages are denied education

because of their parents’ poverty and ignorance on the part of the public,

but through no fault of their own. That is the reason for this article.

Most immigrants from India in US are here because of our education,

enjoying a comfortable life for ourselves and our children and grandchildren.

In 1956 when I was in medical school in Madras Mr. R. Venkatraman,

then Labor Minister of Tamil Nadu (who decades later became India’s

president) came to our Medical School. In his address, I remember him

telling us this: “Each one of you pay Rs. 200 as your annual fee and

the government spends Rs.15,000 on every one of you yearly to run the

27


medical college.” Padma Venkatraman, with whom I now work to help

the leprosy patients, is R.Venkatraman’s daughter.

I could not have become a doctor if the annual fee was any higher than

Rs.200! Only the government-subsidized education enabled me to accomplish

whatever I did in my life. This is probably true for most of us.

In that spirit, I appeal to all of you to help the less fortunate children in

India to reach their full potential.

In the past several years I have met many dedicated NGOs in Tamil

Nadu helping the needy -- AIM (All India Movement) for Seva, The

Tamil Nadu Foundation (TNF), Ekal Vidyalaya, Udavum Karangal, to

name a few. I am sure there are equally good or better NGOs in other

parts of India.

I always feel if each one of us helps our own village where we come

from, India will be a better country. Two years ago, I saw a big banner in

the Guindy Engineering College in Chennai, once a premium institution

in Chennai. It read “EDUCATE A CHILD WHO IS NOT YOURS” Let

us do this together.

If you want for further details, contact me at 724 438 8242 (H), 724

322 7175 (C) or e-mail: balus61@mail.com •

For Getting Free Copy in the Mail or

Contributing Articles

On and off many people send us e-mails asking us how we can get

copies of the magazine in the mail. These are people who have heard

about the magazine, or seen the on-line version of it, or seen in their

friends’ homes.

The magazine is mailed free every quarter to nearly 2000 homes of

Indian-Americans living within a 40-mile radius around the Point. For

your friends to get their free copies in the mail, ask them to send their

names and mailing addresses to: thepatrika@aol.com

Also we get periodic enquiries from readers for writing articles on

events being organized under different social and cultural banners, travel,

first-person accounts... ... For these enquiries also contact the editor at

724 327 0953 or e-mail your enquiries to: thepatrika@aol.com •

28


My Take on Musical Instruments

by Milun Kumar Jain, Wexford, PA

Milun Jain is starting 7th grade at Marshall Middle School, Wexford. This poem of Milun’s

(when his class teacher was Mrs. Phyllis Chvostal) won second place in the Junior

Music in Poetry Contest sponsored by Pennsylvania Federation of Music Clubs, Class 1 a

couple of years ago.

On a piano I see black ‘n’ white keys

Sure, violin reminds me of a waterfall

The trumpet leads the marching band

While the cello sounds so low

This is my take on musical instruments!

The viola soothes me to sleep

The double bass can wake me up

The flute evens the hills and valleys

And the guitar makes me rock and roll


The drums appear to be in a war

While the saxophone plays real loud

The harp vibrates my arm and body

The triangle shakes my heart and mind


As I strike the xylophone with the mallet

The bagpipes take me to Scotland

As grunt I am as the harmonica

Happy-go-lucky I go with the clarinet


I can use the trombone like a telescope

And the tuba buzzes like butterflies

Through the maze-like tubing of the horn

My whistle goes loud and clear


•

29


More on Tayir, Dahi, Mosaru, or Perugu

By Kollengode S Venkataraman

The write up in the last issue for making authentic tayir (dahi, mosaru,

or perugu) had surprising reader responses. It was a good point for conversation

for me with friends in social gatherings, much to the chagrin

of my wife. More importantly, I received e-mails from readers enquiring

how they can get the starter tayir. A couple of them even came to my place

to get the starter tayir. They made the original stuff at home, carefully

following the instructions. They were pleased with the outcome.

One reader from the American mainstream was surprised that it is so

easy to make this at home. She commented that the one she made at home

tasted much better than the standard Dannon fare from grocery stores.

By now, tayir and its other Indian variants are common words for our

readers. So I will no more italicize them going forward.

One reader was so impressed with the tayir he made at home that he

enquired the shelf-life of the starter tayir, if he goes on vacation. As a matter

of fact, I was away for 2 weeks in July-August. I kept the starter tayir

in a small container in the refrigerator, making sure that the starter tayir

is filled to the brim of a container, and the container was closed with an

air-tight lid. When I returned from my vacation, the starter tayir was well

preserved in its original condition. When I made a fresh batch of tayir, it

came out just perfect. Note: If the container is partially filled and closed

with a lid, the trapped air in the container may spoil the starter tayir.

Usha Gowda of Monroeville, who is originally from Karnataka, is one

of my friends. She suggested this improvement for making mosaru (the

Kannada term for tayir): After adding the starter stuff to the milk that

is boiled-and-cooled to room temperature, put a small piece of dry red

chilly into the vessel and gently stir it and let it sit. Some phytochemical

in the red chilly accelerates the fermentation and the mosaru is ready in

5 to 6 hours; it sets also a little thicker, and slices better. Indian green

chilly also works just fine.

Finally, an e-mail came from my demanding English teacher at the

engineering school where I took a course in writing at the behest

of my professor. I am eternally thankful to him for asking me to take the

course, and to the demanding teacher for sensitizing me to the nuances of

writing for different audiences. She, now in retirement, is in our mailing

list. I am one student of hers, maybe her only student, to edit and publish

a community magazine. She enjoyed the tayir story, which made her recall

her rips to India decades ago. Her letter appears on the next page.

Separately, very perceptively, she also said this: Regarding your comment

about the tayir starter, yes, the difference in yogurts around the world

30


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is always in the starter. Someone should do a study about the role that

plays in a country’s food culture and unique gestalt of each cuisine!

Note: gestalt, a German word, refers to something that is made of many parts

and yet is somehow more than or different from the combination of its parts;

broadly, the general quality or character of something.

A Letter to the Editor On the Story on Tayir

Dear Editor Venkat:

Enjoyed your article on your adventures making tayir. I have always

regretted not getting to Kerala during the time I spent in India in 1970

-- but I did travel in the eastern portion of South India.

I loved, loved, loved the dosas and also idlis with coconut chutney.

Also, the curries served on a banana leaf. The only reprise of any of

these I’ve encountered was in Berkeley in the late 1970s or early 1980s

when a tiny grandmother made fantastic dosas in a tiny restaurant space

in an arcade of many small shops and eateries. Heavenly ... ... as long as

it lasted. No idlis, though. So your article brought all this back. Lovely

memories.

Best wishes,

Charlene Spretnak, Professor Emerita, Ojai, California •

31


Solo Recital... ... continued from Page 20

al Bandishes (lyrics) for this Raga with sweet and romantic sentiments. The

next item was a Khamaj Thumri a light classical piece in Taal Adha.

Eishan next rendered a Dhrupad piece, composed by the legendary

musician Tansen, in Raga Vasanat set in Chautaal. The Dhrupad style

involves an elaborate aalap, followed with layakari with the rhythm.

He then rendered a Haveli Sangeet piece, sung in Vaishnava Temples,

a Krishna Bhajan set in taal Deepchandi, followed by a Trivat in Raga

Kirwani.

Since his family is from Karnataka, he also recited a Kannada Bhajan

of Purandara Dasa in Raga Bibhas. As is customary, the last piece was

in Raga Bhairavi, a Meera Bhajan.

It gives me great pleasure to record that Shri Kulkarni on the Tabla,

and Dr. Nadkarni on the Harmonium, both veteran musicians in

their own standing, provided encouraging support to Eishan.

The program was well received and enjoyed by all. Hopefully, a few

youngsters in the audience were persuaded to take up vocal music. Eishan

displayed his versatility by singing in seven ragas set in eight different

taals, from the ancient genres of Dhrupad to more recent Khayal, Thumri

and Bhajan in his first solo recital.

Eishan knows this is just the beginning of his musical journey. With

passion, hard work and guidance from his gurus, he will go far.

Eishan is an Eagle Scout. He just graduated from South Fayette High

School with high academic honors. He is going to the University of Pittsburgh

in a program that will admit him to the medical school. Staying in

Pittsburgh will allow him to continue his training under his Gurus.

Pittsburgh is very fortunate to have PJIM-trained dedicated Adya Gurus

of the Mewati Gharana. We look forward to more Manch Praveshes in

Pittsburgh by young musicians. •

In the words of the Tamil ascetic Siva-vaakkiyar:

The Transcendental One pervading the earth and all the space above

“is far, far, and far away,” say the ignorant and the lazy.

O Fools! Why are you running from place to place searching for It!

Realize It in your own self, and be still!

Siva-vaakkiyar’s time is between the 10th and 11th centuries. •

32


The PIC-5k Events This Year

This year’s PIC-5k event was held on September 10 at the North

Park Boathouse. The first pictures below show the volunteers who

made this happen and some participants. More in the next issue. •

www.ShopBollyWear.Com, a new e-commerce portal for Indian fashions,

is the brainchild of Nila Chakraborty, a second-generation Indian-American with

a passion for Indian fashion wear. This portal enables people in USA & Canada

to buy, rent, and sell Indian clothing/accessories. Backed by robust e-commerce

technology, customer service, and a global network of suppliers, this portal

makes shopping for Bollywood-inspired fashion smooth. Finding Indian wear that

suits your needs is daunting, depending on factors like the occasion, your color

preferences or theme, and the desired comfort level of the dress. ShopBollyWear.

com makes this process a breeze. •

33


A Jain Sannyasi’s Radical Advice for

Addressing the Gender Ratio in Northern India

The Digambar (literally, sky-clad) Jain Sannyasi (monk), Muni

Tarun Sagar, addressed the Haryana assembly in late August, bluntly

talking about social and political issues amid applause and laughter

from lawmakers. He is known for kadve pravachan (literally “bitter

discourses”), kadve because of the harsh truths he candidly conveys.

The Muni lauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call for ‘beti

bachao, beti padhao’ (“Educate Girls, Save Girls”).

For a sannyasi, he was well attuned to current events: he lauded India’s

“daughters” Sakshi Malik and PV Sindhu, the two Indian athletes

among the 160-plus Indian Olympic contingent to return home with

Olympic medals, for “saving India from disgrace” at the Rio Olympics.

He addressed Haryana’s poor gender ratio on account of gender

selection and female infanticide (for children 6 years and younger, the

ratio is 839 girls to 1000 boys, with the India’s national average 919

girls to 1000 boys.) Left to nature, this ratio is 995 girls to 1000 boys

at birth. As an aside, less than 1% of live human births are Intersex,

births in which the newborns do not fall into the clear-cut male-female

binary classification.

The Jain sannyasi said there are not enough women for young

Haryanvi men to marry. To reverse the skewed gender ratio, he offered

these radical changes in public behavior:

• politicians having daughters should be given preference for

contesting elections,

• people should not marry off their daughters into families not having

daughters; and

• sannyasis should not take bhiksha (alms) from families that do not

have daughters.

The message drew applause from the lawmakers.. By KSV •

34


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