Pittsburgh_Patrika_Oct 2013

The Pittsburgh Patrika, Vol. 19, No. 1, October 2013

Vol. 19 No. 1 October 2013

www.pittsburghpatrika.com

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The Quarterly Magazine for the Indian Diaspora

Vol. 19 No. 1 www.pittsburghpatrika.com October 2013

4006 Holiday Park Drive, Murrysville, PA 15668

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

“Like” us on Facebook at

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

President Obama Buys Time & Averts a Crisis

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

Bill Peduto Slated to be the Mayor Pittsburgh

By Kollengode S. Venkataraman.................................................... 5

The Need to Recognize Depression in Youth

By Dr. Mani Balu............................................................................ 6

Working to End Violence Against Women

By Namita Luthra......................................................................... 10

The India Day Celebrates Everything Indian

By David Downey........................................................................ 12

A Very Unusual Last Goodbye

By Cindy Koller............................................................................ 14

Are There Any Truths in Mythological Stories?

By Kollengode S. Venkataraman.................................................. 19

How Running in a Marathon Changed My Life

By Paul Grossi.............................................................................. 20

Dr. Subra Suresh Shares His Vision for CMU

By Anonymous............................................................................. 24

Swami Vivekananda: His Influence in America

By Prakash Mullick..................................................... 28

Ha! Ha!

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

On the cover: A snapshot in the India Day parade around the Cathedral

of Learning on August 18. Photo: Shankar Krish, North Hills, PA. •

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The Quarterly Magazine for the Indian Diaspora

Vol. 19 No. 1 www.pittsburghpatrika.com October 2013

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

President Obama Buys Time & Averts a Crisis

By Kollengode S Venkataraman

In his talk to the nation on August 10 President Obama, recognizing

the lack of support, wisely asked the Congress to postpone the

vote granting him the power to attack Syrian President Assad for using

chemical weapons on his citizens. President Obama opted instead to use

the opening Russia gave that seeks to disarm Syria without US military

attack. This buys Mr. Obama time to think through all possible fallouts

of such a unilateral and limited surgical missile attack by US forces with

“no-boots-on-the ground.”

It is not even clear who used the chemical weapons—the Syrian military

under Assad’s orders, rogue Syrian military officers or the rebels.

The US record on matters of chemical weapons is not all that clean.

We turned the other way when Saddham Hussein used chemical weapons

against Iran in the 1980s. In the 1960s and 70s, in Vietnam US used napalm

bombs on nonmilitary targets with devastating effects, and sprayed

defoliants over large areas of forests and farm lands—a form of chemical

warfare—whose effect was tens of thousands of Vietnamese women delivering

babies with grave abnormal deformities.

George W. Bush had with him the tenuous Coalition of the Willing in

his war against Iraq when he did not get the UN support. Now Obama

was about to become the missile-slinging Lone Ranger planning an attack on

Syria in what he calls a surgically precise, short-duration aerial combat. He

had no support from other nations (including the “special relations” Britain),

the UN Security Council, US Congress or the American public.

Rationalizing his resolve for a military assault on Syria, Obama also said,

“[G]overnments representing 98 percent of the world’s population said the

use of chemical weapons [is] abhorrent.” If nations representing 98% of the

population have signed the treaty against chemical weapons, why does the

US representing only 5% of the world population have to go alone? Where

are the nations representing the remaining 93%—the Arab League, our Persian

Gulf and NATO military allies, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Iraq where

we waged a 10-year war with almost 4,500 dead US soldiers, over 30,000

Obama’s averts war on Syria... ... continued on Page 33

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Bill Peduto Slated to be Next Mayor Pittsburgh

By Kollengode S Venkataraman

With a 4:1 voter advantage for Democrats, Bill Peduto, the Democratic

mayoral candidate and a member of Pittsburgh City Council, is expected

to win easily in November. Peduto won easily in the Democratic primary

in Spring 2013 defeating his main rival Council President Jack Wagner

in a 4-way primary. The last time Pittsburgh had a GOP mayor was in

the 1930s!

Peduto has name

recognition, political

savvy and gravitas, a

good grasp of the region’s

politics and economic

challenges, and

a stronger war chest

than his GOP rival.

Bill Peduto is familiar

to Indian-Americans interested in public life at the city and county

levels. Several times we have covered in the past his a presence at the

podium in the annual India Day melas at the Cathedral of Learning. He

knows the Indian-American Diaspora here only too well. In the photo

above, Peduto is with volunteers in the India Day in August 2013.

Peduto’s has been a progressive and also fiscally responsible voice in

Pittsburgh City Council. He understands Pittsburgh’s many challenges—

city finances, urban revitalization, and retaining existing businesses

and bringing new businesses into the city. Another challenge is making

Pittsburgh attractive for our young men and women raised here, and for

young professionals from outside to move here.

One also hopes the future Peduto administration will make it easy for

suburbanites to come to the city during weekends and evenings to enliven

the city’s night life beyond the South Side. One of the biggest annoyances

for suburbanites—the region’s population is over 2 million while the city’s

is only 300,000—is the exorbitant city parking fees during evenings and

on Saturdays. More people coming into the city will revitalize the city’s

ambiance during weekends and evenings and expand the city’s retail and

hospitality businesses, and help to bring in more tax revenue.

Peduto is endorsed by the region’s political heavyweights—County

Chief Executive Rich Fitzgerald, Democratic elected officials and unions.

Their goodwill is critical to set the tone of his administration. The influential

nonpartisan Common Cause too gave Peduto “The Champion of

Good Government” award in 2012. We wish Bill Peduto well. •

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The Need to Recognize Depression in Youth

Dr. Mani Balu, Monroeville, PA

e-mail: balus61@gmail.com

Editor’s Note: Dr. Mani Balu is one of the early Indians to settle down in Southwest

Pennsylvania. For over three decades he practiced pediatric medicine in Union Town, PA.

After retiring from his practice, he and his wife Shantha now live in Monroeville. PA.

On May 27, 2013 we lost our dear daughter Geetha, 35, to depression.

She ended her life after suffering from depression for fifteen long

years.

This article is not intended to publicize her illness or our grief. As a

father and a pediatrician, my aim through this article is to make people

aware of depression.

In general, people do not recognize depression in themselves or in

their loved ones early. Even if they suspect it, either they neglect

it, deny it or think that it is due to some other illness and put the person

through many medical tests. As a pediatrician, I see this problem in my

patients, when the teenagers are brought to me with symptoms suggestive

of depression. When I tell the parents that I suspect depression in their

daughter or son, neither have they believed it nor wanted to accept it. As

a result of this, the diagnosis and proper treatment are delayed or even

denied. I hope this article will help everyone understand the problem and

seek medical help promptly.

First of all, we need to understand that depression is a chronic disease

due to chemical imbalance in the brain. As of yet, we do not know the

cause of this. It is more common in girls. It has a genetic predisposition

too. If a parent, grandparent, sibling or other close relative has or has

had this problem, we should realize there is more chance for the youth

to have depression.

More importantly, as the causes of depression are not known, there

are no preventive measures. So please do not feel guilty that you could

have done something more to prevent it.

Realizing the seriousness of depression and the importance of its

early detection and proper and prompt treatment, the American

Academy of Pediatrics has instructed all pediatricians in the United States

to ask the following questions to all girls and boys between the ages of 15

and 18 years to diagnose the condition early, during their yearly physical

check ups. (Depression can start earlier or later also.)

1. Do you have little interest or pleasure in doing things?

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2. Do you feel down, depressed, irritable or hopeless?

3. Do you have trouble falling or staying asleep?

4. Do you feel tired or have little energy to do things?

5. Are you experiencing poor appetite, weight loss, overeating or

weight gain?

6. Do you feel bad about yourself or feel you are a failure or have let

yourself and your family down?

7. Do you have trouble concentrating on things, such as schoolwork,

reading or watching TV? Do you avoid friends and prefer to be alone

most of the time?

8. Do you move or speak so slowly that other people notice OR conversely,

are you fidgety, restless and worried all the time?

9. Do you have thoughts that you would be better off dead or would

like to hurt yourself in some way?

Hopefully this article will help in the early diagnosis and prompt treatment

of someone who may be suffering.

As for Geetha, she herself suspected that she might have depression

when she was living in the college dorms and she told me

about it. The diagnosis was confirmed soon and the treatment was started

promptly.

For fifteen long years, she had all kinds of treatment: Allopathy,

Homeopathy and even Tirupati (Venkateshwara). Hers was a severe case

of depression which took her away from us.

I still feel confident that, in the future, we will have a better understanding

of the disease with better outcomes. So please, do not give up

hope. •

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Working to End Violence Against Women

By Namita Luthra, New York, NY.

e-mail: namitaluthra@gmail.com

Editor’s Note: Namita Luthra, a civil rights lawyer, lives in New York City with her husband

Anil Shrivastava and their two children, Amartya and Jaya. She grew up in Weirton,

WV, near Pittsburgh.

“Everyone deserves love, laughter, and joy in their lives. No one deserves

to live in fear.” — Radha, a survivor of domestic violence.

To end violence against women. That is

the simply stated but ambitious mission of

Sakhi for South Asian Women, an organization

founded twenty five years ago in New York City

that assists survivors of domestic violence. Sakhi,

meaning woman friend in Sanskrit, takes a twopronged

approach to achieving this mission:

First, it creates a safe place with a full range of

culturally sensitive, language-specific information, support, services, and

advocacy for South Asian women facing abuse in their lives.

Secondly, it works to inform, actively engage, and mobilize the South

Asian community in the movement to end violence against women forever.

Though its mission is far-reaching, Sakhi works to make it a reality one

woman at a time.

In 2012, Sakhi served nearly 600 women who reached out through its

helpline, website, or a referral. Here is a glimpse of one life of a survivor

named Radha, in her own words:

“Growing up, my home was filled with laughter, love, and joy. My

parents were like normal Indian parents and expected the best from us

in terms of grades, manners, and respect, but they always made us feel

cherished and supported

Even on my wedding day, my mom held my hand before I walked towards

the mandap and told me that she would always support my decisions and

always stand by my side.

After I married, my home was filled with sadness, disrespect, and fear.

My husband ruled the home like a tyrant and used his words and hands

to instill fear in me. He wouldn’t allow me to see family or friends. And

soon I was isolated, alone, and afraid.

Sakhi helped me move past my assumptions that I would shame my

family and, society would view me poorly if I were divorced, and helped

me move forward in my life. Sakhi helped me get a lawyer and held my

hand in court. My mom stood by her word and held my other hand.

Domestic Violence... ... Continued on Page 32

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The India Day Celebrates Everything Indian

By David Downey e-mail: : DPD25@pitt.edu

Pitt Chancellor Nordenberg and Indian Army Brigadier

Nawab Singh Heer (Ret.) after flag hoistings.

14

Editor’s note: David is a senior at the University of Pittsburgh majoring in

Philosophy. He also works at the Nationality Rooms Program. David hopes to see

more India-related events.

On Sunday, August 18,

hundreds of people gathered

at the Cathedral of Learning

on the University of Pittsburgh

campus. Although the sky was

overcast, smiles were everywhere

as people prepared for

the 16th India Day’s festivities,

celebrating India’s culture,

heritage and ancestry coinciding

with the 66th anniversary

of India’s independence. This

year’s festivities highlighted

Subhash Chandra Bose.

The festival began outside

with a parade around

the grounds of the Cathedral

with Keerti Gaulati welcoming

crowd and singing the Indian and American

national anthems. A truck carried powerful

speakers that put forth both Indian music and

the rallying words of the parade. The music

was accompanied by a variety of hand-held

percussion instruments, as well as the cheers

of marchers and spectators with the marchers

in the front spontaneously dancing to the upbeat

tunes. The half-hour parade drew several

pedestrians into the Cathedral to see what was

going on.

The program booklet was a work of art in itself,

with messages from leaders in Pittsburgh’s

community, a summary of the life of Netaji

Subhash Chandra Bose, a timeline of India’s

history, and advertisements for Indian restaurants and businesses.

Allegheny County Chief Executive

Rich Fitzgerald delivering his

remarks at the start.

Indian Day... ... Cintinued on page 24


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A Very Unusual Last Goodbye

By Cindy Koller, West Newton, PA

e-mail: ckoller@andrew.emu.edu

Note: Cindy Koller proofreads and copyedits most of the articles in the Patrika.

When you still find typos here and there, it is because we did not send those articles

for her critical look on account of time constraints. — Editor

Just recently my husband’s cousin Ernie died. Ernie was 96 years old

and died while doing one of the things he loved most—working in his garden.

A long life lived well to the very end. Ernie leaves behind Rose, his

wife of 59 years; five children; eight grandchildren and a great-grandchild,

as well as many nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.

Plans for Ernie’s funeral and burial were well-thought out and proceeding

well until the unimaginable happened: the day after Ernie died,

Rose fell and broke her hip. This required immediate hospitalization and

surgery. Rose was already distraught at Ernie’s unexpected passing.

But now, being unable to attend the viewings, funeral services and burial

were causing Rose and her family a great deal of emotional pain.

Well, if Mohammed couldn’t come to the mountain, the mountain

would have to come to Mohammed. And come it did.

an incredible act of care, compassion and cooperation, the

Through funeral home and the hospital devised a plan. After the viewings and

church service were over, instead of proceeding directly to the cemetery,

the hearse journeyed to the professional building attached to the hospital

where Rose was a patient. A room there was arranged as a make-shift

funeral parlor. Ernie’s casket was brought in and re-opened and his body

was gently prepared for an ‘encore’ viewing by his wife.

When all was ready, Rose arrived in a wheelchair to have her final

visit with Ernie and take her leave of him. Family, pall-bearers and close

friends were invited to attend this special viewing.

After Rose gently scolded Ernie (“You know I was supposed to go

first!” she said to him) and expressed her parting thoughts, all the relatives

got in line to greet Rose and take one last leave of Ernie. She talked

and visited with each person.

With this unusual arrangement, Rose got that all important closure that

would have been denied her had the funeral home and hospital stuck to

rigid formalities and policies.

This generous act of humanity and cooperation afforded a grief-stricken

widow and her children an opportunity for closure and peace. It was our

privilege to have been able to participate. And it is a testament to both the

hospital and the funeral home that they bent a few rules to provide comfort

and solace to this family in their time of grief. •

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Are There Any Truths in Mythological Stories?

There was a story by Laurie Goodstein in the July 20th issue of The

New York Times (http://tiny.cc/Mormon_Doubt) focusing on an

intra-faith challenge: When Mormons search the web for reinforcement

and clarifications in their faith, they end up with doubt and disillusionment

because of the historical anomalies, inconsistencies and church practices

between what they hear in their tightly managed churches and read in the

Mormon Bible, and what is widely available on the Internet.

Goodstein quotes a deeply religious Mormon overseeing the Mormon

Church’s European operations: “I felt like I had an earthquake under my

feet. Everything I’d been taught, everything I’d been proud to preach

about and witness about just crumbled under my feet. It was such a terrible

psychological and nearly physical disturbance.”

A few days later, Harold Kushner, a Conservative Rabbi and the author

of the bestseller When Bad Things Happen to Good People, chimed in

advising Mormons on how Judaism deals with inconsistencies in its Bible,

the Old Testament, compiled a few thousand years before the Mormon

Bible’s time (Letter to The New York Times, July 23). The rabbi writes:

“Might I suggest that they [Mormons] use the tactic used by many

modern Jews dealing with biblical narratives that defy credulity, from a

six-day story of creation to Jonah living inside a large fish. We [Jews]

distinguish between left-brain narratives (meant to convey factual truth)

and right-brain narratives (meant to make a point through a story).”

The rabbi goes on: “The message will be true even if the story isn’t

factually defensible.” Modern Jews’ efforts to reconcile credulous events

in their Bible with their skeptic members today are understandable.

In this background, we hope—and also expect—that the Abrahamics

extend the same approach when they study mythologies in other systems

of beliefs instead of showing condescension and derision.

In any case, there is nothing “modern” or original in modern Jews’

attempt to reconcile the incredulous with the cerebral. In fact, this is the

very basis of stories in Indian and Greek mythologies, and in the Sufi

stories that came over 1500 years later. In all these stories, even when

the narratives themselves are incredible and truly fantastic, the kernel

messages they convey are valid for all times and in all places.

So, here is an example of a story I heard in the Bhagavatam discourse

by Shantananda at the Chinmaya Mission in August:

In the Hindu cosmology, time is divided into four sequential yugas or

epochs, called the Satya or Krta, Treta, Dwapara, and Kali yugas, with

each yuga thousands and thousands and thousands of years long. But that

is not important here.

Mythology... ... Continued on Page 28

21


How Running in a Marathon Changed My Life

Paul Grossi, Beaver, PA

e-mail: paul.grossi@hotmail.com

Editor’s Note: Paul Grossi works for a small global company. While working full

time, he earned his BS in Business Administration from Penn State and went on to

earn his Masters in Project Management/Leadership from Geneva College.

never had any interest in running; it never appealed to me. But some

I years back, my life and health was headed in the wrong direction and

out of balance. I was going to school

and working full time. I had a stressful,

sedentary lifestyle. I was challenging

and pushing myself mentally but doing

nothing physically. I was putting

on weight, and at the age of 35, I set

a goal to run my first marathon and

attempt to turn my health around.

A marathon is a 26.2-miles-long

endurance test. The first marathon I

attempted was the Pittsburgh Marathon

in 2010. I underestimated the

challenge and didn’t train well. I just

thought I would do the best I could and

coast to the end post.

I quickly discovered that running in a marathon was one of the hardest

things I had ever attempted. It rained nonstop the entire race and the most

difficult part was finishing the last six miles. My body, and more importantly

my mind as well, were not prepared for the difficult challenge. I

did however complete the marathon in 5 hours and 46 minutes. Crossing

that finish line and accomplishing a goal I had set for myself encouraged

me to improve and do better.

Shortly after, I joined Steel City Road Runners, a great community

of runners in Pittsburgh. They were a very good support group

and didn’t care how fast or slow you ran. I found people faster than me

and people slower than me.

I began entering smaller races, 5K’s to 10K’s, and doing weekly training

runs with the new group. I really enjoyed running with them. They

motivated me to keep running and not give up.

The group began putting training plans together for various races and

marathons. A plan for a marathon consists of 16 to 18 weeks of training

in which you increase your mileage every week, and have one long run

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on weekends. Ultimately, the longest weekend run increases to 20 miles,

and then you are ready for the marathon.

I learned about the importance of pacing, not starting too fast and

taught myself not to give up mentally. I also learned the importance of

hydration, stretching, and how to recover after a long run.

Since the 2010 Pittsburgh marathon, I have completed five full

marathons. I’ve improved my time by about 20 minutes on every

race. My current fastest marathon time is 4 hours and 3 minutes. I do

plan to run many more marathons in the future, maybe even a few ultramarathons.

My ultimate goal is to qualify for the Boston marathon next

year in which my time needs to be under 3 hours and 15 minutes.

I found that the best thing you can do is surround yourself with a community

of supportive and encouraging people that share the same goals.

For runners this supportive community helps continually motivate you to

become better. Running a marathon is as much a mental challenge as it

is a physical challenge. Running makes you mentally strong and teaches

you not to give up when things become tough.

Rnning in a Marathon is a great metaphor for life. In life, just like

when running, there will be some tough times. Everyone has to

decide whether to give up when things get tough, or to keep moving through

Marathon... ... Continued on Page 25

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India Day... ...Continued from Page 14

Although many festival goers were dressed casually, many others

wore traditional dress with many women in brightly colorful saris. The

extravagant ornamentation of the dresses brightened the grey limestone

halls of the old Gothic building. The Commons

Room became even more lively as music and

dance performances alternated with speeches.

The two-hour program started with people

singing the American and Indian national anthems

as the Stars and Stripes and the Indian Tricolor

flags were hoisted. People celebrated their

freedom to exercise both Indian and American

identities, and how cultures are able to celebrate

and complement each other. Speakers included

Meena Muthyala, the keynote

speaker at the podium.

Chancellor Mark Nordenberg, Councilman Bill

Peduto, County Commissioner Rich Fitzgerald,

Meena Muthyala, Kaushik Mitra, and Chelsea

Pallatino.

Speeches addressed everything from Indian history and freedom, making

a new home in Pittsburgh and the US, climate change, and maintaining

a rich cultural heritage and working together as a community.

These elements are all exemplified by the Indian Nationality Class-room

on the third floor of the Cathedral that was opened in early 2000. The

classroom cost tens of thousands of dollars raised by the Indian community

in the region. The dedication

required to build a classy teaching

room is proof that the speakers’

words rang true. The room was

open to visit, and many took time

to appreciate its representation of

the ancient classroom.

The classroom also continues

to give, as made clear by the

speech by Chelsea Pallatino, this

year’s winner of the Indian Nationality

Classroom Scholarship,

which enabled her to travel to India. Chelsea worked with Share India to

assist health issues in the Medchal Mandal area. This experience allowed

her both to experience rich Indian culture, and give back to those people

by improving health conditions. The dances and songs performed by various

ages kept the festival atmosphere alive.

In addition to the speakers and dancers in the center of the room, vari-

24

A Rajasthani/Gujarati folk dance item.


ous tables lined the perimeter. There were several arts and crafts tables for

children, with people indulging in the Indian food available. There were

multiple booths inviting

philanthropy.

These were hosted

by Overseas Volunteers

for a Better

India, The Association

for India’s

Students of Nandinii Mandal getting ready for their dance item.

25

Development, and

The Bengali Association

of Pittsburgh. The event was also sponsored by The U.S. India

Forum. Finally, there was a table selling finely decorated saris, and another

selling books. The books covered biographies, history, religious scripture

and meditation practices.

The effort and planning required for an event such as this were no challenge

for the motivated enthusiasts of Indian culture and heritage. •

Marathon... ... Continued from Page 23

the difficult times. During these tough times, we test ourselves and find

out how strong we really are and what we are really made of.

Running is not about distance alone—it’s about setting personal goals,

challenging yourself and seeing what you are capable of accomplishing.

Whether you run a full marathon, or a 5K, or however fast or slow you are,

it’s all about reaching your goals and continually working to get better.

It’s a blessing to be able to get out and run every day. You can enjoy

the outdoors, get away from problems and set goals for yourself. Most

people don’t know what they are capable of until they begin to set goals

and start accomplishing them.

Running has changed my life bringing me balance and happiness. I

can get away from the stresses of the day and relax during running. It’s

my time to think clearly and cope with any issue. I do my best thinking

when I’m running and am always in a better mood after a run. Running

has improved my health and has brought many other positive changes into

my life. I feel that I have become a stronger person because of running.

I recommend running for anyone that has a busy schedule and wants

to improve their mental and physical health. Running is by far the easiest,

cheapest, and fastest way to improve your mood, your health, and

outlook on life. Running has improved my life in so many ways. It has

energized me and given me a new outlook on life. I’m happy and excited

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Dr. Subra Suresh Shares His Vision for CMU

in a Reception at Phipps

Striving to keep the technological edge it has cultivated over the decades,

significantly strengthening endowments for its long-term stability

and growth, and aesthetically embedding motifs of performing and visual

arts throughout the campus are on the “To-Do”

list of Dr. Subra Suresh, the new President of

Carnegie Mellon University (CMU). The last one

is not trivial. CMU’s College of Fine Arts, though

among the best in the nation, is often overshadowed

by its techie image among the general public.

Dr. Suresh shared these points in his freewheeling

remarks in the reception given to him at the

Phipps Conservatory on Tuesday August 27 by

Dr. Subra Suresh at the podium.

Photo: Subash Ahuja

Sunil & Nita Wadhwani on behalf of Pittsburgh’s

Indian-Americans. Mr.Wadhwani is on the governing

board of CMU. The 200-plus invitees

represented Indian-Americans of diverse background.

After his 3-year tenure as the head of the prestigious National Science

Foundation, whose mandate is to identify and fund the advanced

research needs in all branches of science, Dr. Suresh is now at the helm

of Carnegie Mellon. As Sunil Wadhwani said in his opening remarks,

CMU gives its presidents long tenures—in CMU’s over 100-year history,

Dr. Suresh is only its ninth president.

Dr. Suresh, the first India-born scientist to head a major cutting-edge

US university, has ambitious goals even as he recognizes the competition

from other big players. After all, he was at MIT and Brown University

teaching and in research and administration as well.

In his unscripted easygoing remarks, Dr. Suresh also touched on the

reasons for the high cost (~$45,000/year) of undergraduate education

in private universities—not

eligible for any state grants,

and daring to pursue cutting

edge research that

state legislatures will not

be interested in funding.

Ironically, he said, these

cutting edge researches

spawn multi-billion dollar

industries employing thousands

while keeping the US Dr. Suresh with his audience. Photo: Ram Bajaj.

26


as the technology leader. But this is little comfort for a family of four with

an annual taxable household income of $50,000.

One question to him from the audience was whether CMU will open a

campus in India as it and other universities have done in other nations. The

gist of Dr. Suresh’s answer was: Opening an off-shore campus is one of the

ways, certainly not the only way, in which CMU can strengthen education

in India. Outside the US, he said, India has the largest number of CMU

alumni in universities, industries, and in R&D. CMU can innovatively

capitalize on this soft resource without opening an Indian campus, to have

an impact on technical education in India while also benefitting CMU.

He did recognize that a $45,000/year CMU campus in India would be

over Rs.2.5 million (Rs. 25 lakhs) per year in school fees, a huge sum.

We can see his point. This will not sit well. In India even for working

people with college degrees, the family income would be only round Rs.

600,000 (Rs.6 lakhs) per year, not to speak of India’s working poor.

Suresh, accompanied by his wife Mary, a public health professional

with her own credentials, spent the reminder of the evening getting to know

the Indian-American community in town. The canopy of the Phipps’s live

exhibit of the Tropical Forest India, provided a perfect ambience in every

measure—brightly sunny and humid with temperatures in the 80s.

The Taj Mahal Restaurant provided the catering for the reception.

— By Kollengode S Venkataraman •

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Susheel Kant Khetarpal’s Lively Arangetram

By Premlata Venkataraman

Susheel Kant Khetarpal had his arangetram at Fox Chapel Area High

School on August 17th, 2013 under the guidance of his guru Smt. Jaya

Mani. He is Jaya Mani’s first male student to

have Arangetram.

A promising recital by the first male student

of Jaya Mani was a unique treat for the audience.

He displayed vigorous energy required of male

dancers in classical Indian performing arts with

meticulous and brisk footwork, while displaying

grace -- always tricky for young male dancers – in

his maiden recital. Jaya Mani mentioned that she

took extra care to choreograph the dance movements

to her first male student emphasizing Tandava style, which is quite

different from Lasya that emphasizes grace in moving limbs, abhinaya

and facial expressions in women dancers.

His choice of padams—Shankara Sirigiri, Charanam Sharanam, and

Hari Nama—were good to display the Tandava of Shiva, the gentle grace

of Hanuman, and the valor of Rama respectively, which Jaya Mani used

fully to bring out his skills. He responded well to his Guru.

Being a male dancer, his costumes and jewelry had to be muted,

compared to the glamorous options for women dancers. So, he had to

compensate for the muted visual impact of his costumes with his abhinaya

and vigor; and this he did well.

As one of his friends said in the brief roast-cum-toast, Susheel’s

Arangetram will be an inspiration to young boys to learn this art form in

the years ahead. •

Mythology... ... Continued from Page 21

In the Satya Yuga, the noble and the evil people lived isolated in different

worlds. In the Treta Yuga (Ramayana’s time), the noble and evil people

came closer—in different land masses on earth separated only by water.

The noble Rama was in India and the evil Ravana in Lanka, separated by

water. In Dwapara Yuga, the evil and noble people became closer still—

cousins of the same family, as the noble Pandavas and the evil Kauravas.

In the Kali Yuga (our time), the Noble and Evil are the closest they can

ever be—the two are in all of us in our own mind. As ideas and thoughts,

the two constantly battle each other all the time each trying to have an

upper hand within each one of us. — By K S Venkataraman •

28


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Anika, daughter of Bijaya and Manik Debnath of

Monroeville, PA and a student of Jaya Mani had

her Bharatanatyam Arangetram on June 22, 2013

at the S.V. Temple Auditorium in front of invited

guests. Anika is Jaya Mani’s 101st Arangetram student.

Anika, a freshman at Gateway High School,

is an active member of the school’s string orchestra

and articipates in various competitive scholastic

events She continues to pursue her training in Bharatanatyam

as well as Kuchipudi. •

Nikita, daughter of Sangeeta and Shailesh

Bokil from McDonald PA, and a student

of Nandini Mandal had her Bharatanatyam

Arangetram on June 1st, 2013 at the South Fayette

High School auditorium in front of invited

guests. She has participated in several dancedramas

and in dance programs under her Guru’s

direction. She also teaches the junior classes at

Nandanik Dance Academy. She goes to Carnegie

Mellon University this fall. •

29


Swami Vivekananda: His Influence in America

By Dr. Prakash C. Mullick, Pittsburgh, PA

This year India and many parts of the world celebrated the150th anniversary

of one of the greatest religious leader and philosopher of Hinduism.

Vivekananda was invited as a speaker of Indian religion at the world’s

Parliament of Religion held in Chicago in 1893. The topic of the conference

was unification of all religion into a Universal religion.

He was the last speaker on the first day, at the time when attendees were

preparing to leave. However, when Vivekananda stood on the podium and

addressed the parliament, “Brothers and Sisters of America,” those in the

audience were stunned, and turned to listen to him. He spoke very clearly

and said, “If there is ever to be a Universal Religion, it must be one which

will have no location in place or time, which will be infinite like the God

it will preach, and whose sun will shine upon the followers of Krishna

and Christ, on saints and sinners alike; which will not be Brahminic or

Buddhist, Christian or Mohammeden, but the sum total of all these, and

still have infinite space for development.”

He spoke powerfully about Indian religions and Hinduism. He explained

the universal principles which form the foundation of Hinduism, such as

the divinity of the soul, self-realization and eternal peace as explained in

Vedantic principles that he grasped from his Master Sri Ramakrishna.

He told the parliament that the Hindus are open minded and embrace

all the religions of the world, and explained the true religion as “eternal

truths and the laws of the spiritual world,” namely, Vedanta. He introduced

India as the spiritual leader of the world. From that time onwards people

in the West and America came to know the worth of India and to develop

a quest for spiritual knowledge.

Vivekananda was declared as the chief architect of the parliament by

the Chairman of the Congress and people followed him all through his

lectures on different topics and became his ardent followers. The New York

Herald wrote, “He is undoubtedly the greatest figure of the Parliament of

Religions. After hearing him we feel how foolish it is to send missionaries

to this learned nation.” The Boston Evening Paper wrote, “He is a great

favorite of the parliament by his sentiment and appearance. If he merely

crosses the platform, he is applauded.”

Swami Vivekananda was born in Calcutta in 1863, graduated from Calcutta

University with majors in Philosophy, History and Music. Perturbed

with the poverty and backwardness in India, he questioned God until he

met his Guru Sri Ramakrishna, who gave him direction and imparted to

him spiritual knowledge. •

30


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Domestic Violence... ... Continued from Page 12

I am now happily married to a wonderful man and have two very loved

children. With the support of Sakhi and my loving family, my home is

filled with laughter, love, and joy once again.”

My own involvement with Sakhi is a longstanding one. In 1996,

after receiving a law degree from the University of Pittsburgh

School of Law, I moved to New York City for a civil rights legal fellowship

with the American Civil Liberties Union. At the same time, I

began a volunteer position with Sakhi. As a volunteer, I helped survivors

of violence navigate the criminal justice and civil law systems. In 2012,

I joined Sakhi’s Board of Directors and now help set its development and

program priorities.

At Sakhi’s helm is Tiloma Jayasinghe, its Executive Director, who has

steered Sakhi in bold and new directions. In addition to strengthening

its local focus, Tiloma now ensures Sakhi’s role in a national and global

conversation about reframing anti-violence work.

Other vital members of the Sakhi team include Community Outreach

and Domestic Violence Program Advocates and an Economic Empowerment

Coordinator. This spring, Sakhi along with other South Asian

women’s organizations, was present for President Obama’s signing of

the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act. Two years ago,

Sakhi hosted a summit for international and national social justice leaders

to understand intersections between immigration, economic dependence,

and gender violence and set forth positive goals for the movement.

This year, Sakhi celebrates its 25th Anniversary. It marks this milestone

with several events during the year including a gala reception

in May 2014. In past galas, Sakhi has honored dedicated supporters

including film director, Mira Nair, a United Nations Special Rapporteur

on Violence Against Women, and most recently this May, Ann Mukherjee,

Senior Vice President of Frito Lay, who spoke compellingly about her

own history of surviving violence.

Sakhi could not exist without generous support from a committed South

Asian community in the New York metropolitan area. The Pittsburgh and

Tri-State South Asian community can contribute to Sakhi’s vital work,

too. A contribution from you, no matter how large or small, will help

Sakhi achieve its mission – one woman at a time. Join our mailing list to

learn more about Sakhi’s important work, receive updates about 25th Year

events, or support Sakhi, by contacting Danielle Reydon through Sakhi’s

website: www.sakhi.org. By supporting our work, you could take pride

in helping to end violence against our fellow sakhis – Indian, Pakistani,

Sri Lankan, and other South Asian women. Women like Radha. •

32


Savithri Nagarajan 1919-2013

By Geetha Nagarajan*

Savithri Nagarajan, 94, died June 14, 2013 at St. Margaret’s Hospital

in Fox Chapel. Following the death of her husband in 1987, she came

from Chennai to Pittsburgh in 1988 live her son Nandu and his family.

Savithri lost her father in 1922 when she was just 3. Her young 21-

year-old mother, with the support of her own mother, rebelled against

the orthodoxy of the time that stigmatized widows, and educated both

herself and her four children. Savithri earned a master’s degree in Physics

from Annamalai University. She got the first rank in her class. She

was a professor of physics at various institutions, including the Benares

Hindu University and Loreto College, Lucknow.

Once in Pittsburgh, Savithri devoted herself to the raising her grandchildren,

Anisha and Arjun. She was an active member of the S.V.

Temple writing and directing plays that featured both her grandchildren

and many other youngsters, all of whom remember her fondly.

Savithri is survived by her daughter, Sundari, two sons, Gopal and

Nandu, six grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

A private funeral service for Savithri Nagarajan was held on June 18.

The family extends warm thoughts towards all those who knew her.

* Geetha is the daughter-in-law of Savithri Nagarajan. •

Obama’s averts war on Syria... ... Continued from Page 4

wounded soldiers requiring care for the next several decades, not to speak of

the several hundred thousand Iraqi civilian deaths? And the Iraq war cost us

over a trillion-dollars so far. After all, our Arab military allies and friends in

the region have been benefitting by the American military involvement there

without spilling a drop of their own blood.

Just because Mr. Obama drew the red line arbitrarily, he wants the warweary

Congress and the citizenry to support him for one more military adventure

in a region where US blood has been spilling for over 10 years, and

where our credibility is already low. Is this how the leader of the Sole Super

Power should go about making decisions on war?

Oh, by the way, we will exceed our debt ceiling in the next several

weeks, and the federal government is already in sequestration, we are

barely out of a deep economic downturn with anemic new job growth, and

we have mounting budget and trade deficits; and we have to take care of so

many domestic problems we have been neglecting for over 15 years.

To understand the conundrum of the Syrian Situation and how intractable

the Middle East is, go the last page. Do we really want this war? •

33


Try Understanding

the Middle East Conundrum

President Obama avoided military action in Syria by buying time for

diplomacy for removing chemical weapons in Syria. The unilateral and goit-alone

US Military action would have damaged the American interest in

that region even further from where we stand now, which is pretty low.

One Mr. K. N. Al-Sabah helps readers of The Financial Times to

understand Middle East politics thus in his letter to the editor in August:

“Iran is backing Assad [of Syria]. [Persian] Gulf States are against

Assad. Assad is against Muslim Brotherhood [in Egypt], and Obama is

against General Sisi [of Egypt].

But Gulf States are pro-Sisi! Which means they are against Muslim

Brotherhood.

Iran is pro-Hamas, but Hamas is backing Muslim Brotherhood!

Obama is backing Muslim Brotherhood, yet Hamas is against the

US!

Gulf States are pro-US. But Turkey is with Gulf States against Assad;

yet Turkey is pro-Muslim Brotherhood against General Sisi. And General

Sisi is getting backing from the Gulf States.

Welcome to the Middle East and Have a nice Day.”

Naming Rights, Desi Ishtyle

In the US corporations spend millions of dollars for naming rights for

stadiums and auditoriums, and individuals pay millions to universities to

get the buildings and departments named after themselves. One city in

India has adapted this feature with a uniquely Indian twist. Citizens of

Raipur, the capital of Chattisghar state in Central India, have given to

themselves the rights to name potholes after elected public officials to

show their annoyance.

Angered at the potholes (gaddha in Hindi) on Raipur roads, citizens

came up with a novel way to protest—naming potholes after elected officials.

Now they have Brijmoham Gaddha (named after the public works

minister), Raman Gaddha (after chief minister), and Munat Gaddha (after

environment minister).

They also solemnized the event in different parts of the city with the namakaran

(naming) ceremony with proper rituals with help from priests.

Probably they know that the potholes will never be filled. The priests

could as well have uttered sotto voce the traditional Deerghayushman-bhava

(may you have a long life) after the naming ceremony. •

34


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Pittsburgh_Patrika_Oct 2013

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