Rizwan Sajan: When do I stop being Indian UAE's Masala King ...

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THE INTERNATIONAL 

Est 1992: The Region’s Oldest, Authoritative 

2012 • ISSUE 6 • VOL. 19.6 

Magazine of Gulf Indian Society & History 

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www.theinternationalindian.com 

Nov 1, 2012 - Dec 31, 2012 

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Rizwan Sajan, Chairman of the Danube Group 

Rizwan Sajan: 

No Looking Back from the UAE 

When do I stop being Indian 

What Difference does a Canadian Passport Make? 

UAE’s Masala King 

The Fascinating Success Story of Al Adil Trading 

Bamboozling Bigots in Racy Britain 

Tackling Bigotry Anywhere is a Skill 

Fulfilled In India 

No Relocation Regrets 

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4 

Editorial 

A Letter To Arvind Kejriwal: 

More transparency in India or 

clever subterfuge at work? 

“To announce that there must be no criticism of the president, or 

that we are to stand by the president, right or wrong, is not only 

unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American 

public.” – Theodore Roosevelt, 26th U.S. President 

“It is enough that the people know there was an election. The 

people who cast the votes decide nothing. The people who count the 

votes decide everything.” – Joseph Stalin, Russian Dictator 

Dear Arvind, 

This might sound far-fetched 

or clichéd to those who are not 

your admirers, but at the very 

outset let me risk speculating 

that you may be someone with a real vision for 

India, who has the guts and determination to 

stop the rape of our country. 

It is fascinating to see you wield your IIT 

Kharagpur credentials, your Parivartan research 

foundation, your Right to Information (RTI) 

initiative with Aruna Roy, your Magsaysay 

award, your seven years in the Income Tax 

Department observing the extent of corruption 

in the government and your India Against 

Corruption movement like a danda, forcing our 

chor netas to run for cover. 

If you are the real McCoy, India has been 

waiting for someone like you for a long, 

long time. Harnessing the public’s growing 

hatred for politics, can India Against Corruption 

genuinely overhaul our ludicrous democratic 

system? 

Having said that, let me also add, if your 

personal integrity is not the same as your 

public face, your moves may catapult you into 

power, but someone with a Jekyll and Hyde act 

would be a doppelgänger, not a real person 

– a paranormally double faced look-alike. Be 

warned Arvind, doppelgängers are sinister 

harbingers of bad luck, and it is believed that 

seeing one’s own doppelgänger is a terminal 

omen. 

You do look in the mirror everyday, don’t you? 

Knowing how evil stalks our land, I’m sure 

you can forgive my morbid concerns. I’m 

hoping I never have a reason to change my 

mind about you. As of writing this letter, my 

assessment is that you are not a fraud or chor; 

perhaps you are India’s ‘Incorruptible Hope,’ 

with a great political future – who knows? 

How different thievery is in India today! 

Despite all on-going media revelations I doubt 

we are entering a new age of transparency – 

our gluttonous political thieves walk on their 

greedy tongues not their legs, seeking limitless 

portions to eat. Not so long ago, corrupt babus 

and netas were satisfied with bribes of a few 

thousand rupees – now they coolly rake in 

crores! Will Satyamev Jayate only remain our 

national slogan and a popular TV show? 

Politicians know there is no way to silence 

Team Kejriwal and you are being praised as a 

fearless crusader with “absolute integrity,” but 

without genuine moral underpinnings, you 

are at risk of being seduced by power, if that is 

your ambition. 

I would urge you to give a thought to what 

author C.S. Lewis wrote: “We all want progress, 

but if you’re on the wrong road, progress 

means doing an about-turn and walking back 

to the right road; in that case, the man who 

turns back soonest is the most progressive.” 

Your exposé of Sonia Gandhi’s son-in-law, 

Robert Vadra, caught the country’s imagination. 

But our Italian-Indian bhabhi seems unfazed 

that her damad used his connections to make 

a few easy crores – could he really have done 

that without asking her? After publicly declaring 

he would give up his life for Sonia Gandhi, 

Salman Khurshid has now been promoted 

as Foreign Minister. So that’s the last we will 

probably learn about any financial irregularities 

in his Trust. Nitin Gadkari has been blessed by 

Sushma Swaraj, who may have more reason 

now to shave her head than when she vowed 

to in 1999 if Sonia Gandhi became Prime 

Minister. As more and more of Gadkari’s dirty 

corporate secrets tumble out, it is astounding 

that someone so devious has the backing of 

BJP leaders, including LK Advani, and remains 

as President of the BJP, which strategically uses 

saffron to communicate its “purity.” 

In our venal, morally bankrupt polity, Arvind 

you stand out with your basic, simple, some 

would say even naive, ideas for transparency, 

change and development. 

I have read your book Swaraj and my one 

disappointment is that you make no reference 

to good and evil in your deductions. While I 

agree with many of your political solutions for 

India, I see no hope for our country without 

the way to overcome evil. This cannot be 

accomplished by education, helpful social 

engineering or even good governance – we 

need transcendent, other-worldly solutions. 

You have dared to dive into an ocean of 

dangerous untruth that is submerging our 

country. What are the precedents you have 

studied for such an all-out nation-altering 

combat? If you evaluate Gandhiji, Martin Luther 

King Jr., or Nelson Mandela, who do you think 

was more successful, and why? 

I’d like to introduce you to a U.S. based 

Delhi-ite you may not be familiar with, but 

it would be well worth your making the 

acquaintance of Dr. Ravi Zacharias, a prolific 

author and speaker. For 35 years, Ravi has 

spoken all over the world in universities like 

Harvard, Princeton, Oxford and many others. 

He has addressed writers of the peace accord 

in South Africa, the President’s cabinet and 

parliament in Peru, military officers at the 

Lenin Military Academy and the Center for 

Geopolitical Strategy in Moscow. Allow me to 

quote from his book Beyond Opinion (RZIM 

Educational Trust), in which he writes: “Evil is 

more than an exterior reality that engenders 

universal suffering. It is an internal reality from 

which we run.” 

Ravi cites a discussion with one 

businessman who insisted, “But what about all 

the evil in this world?” When asked,”I hear you 

constantly expressing a desire to see a solution 

to the problem of evil around you. Are you as 

troubled by the problem of evil within you?” 

The man’s face showed his duplicity in the 

silence that followed. 

How about you Arvind? 

English writer G.K. Chesterton penned what 

is probably the shortest letter ever written to 

an editor. It read; “Dear Sir: In response to your 

article, ‘What’s wrong with the world,’ – I am. 

Yours truly, G.K. Chesterton.” 

What sources do you unlock your convictions 

from? You spent time at Mother Teresa’s 

Missionaries of Charity in Kolkata, and the 

Ramakrishna Mission – what did you learn there? 

You may be convinced it is political change 

you are seeking, and you certainly are. 

But I would wager you are also seeking 

truth – the Truth that can set men free, 

India free – from the stranglehold of corrupt 

politicians and many other social evils. 

Zacharias believes one cannot address the 

problem of evil without ending up as a focus 

‘‘ How different 

thievery 

is in India 

today! 

Despite all 

on-going 

media revelations 

I 

doubt we 

are entering 

a new 

age of 

transparency 

– our 

gluttonous 

political 

thieves 

walk 

on their 

greedy 

tongues 

not their 

legs, seekinglimitlessportions 

to 

eat. 

‘‘ 

The International Indian The International Indian 5

‘‘ ‘‘ 

6 

Editorial 

Will SatyamevJayate 

only 

remain our 

national 

slogan and 

a popular 

TV show? 

DESI OR PARDESI: 

Out Of India For Good, Or Will You Return? 

of that problem. “Skeptics calmly bypass this 

reality and proceed as if they were spectators 

observing a phenomenon, when in reality 

they are part of the phenomenon. We are 

not merely observers of the reality of evil. We 

are involved in it beyond any mere academic 

discussion,” he points out. 

In your book Swaraj, which I think every 

Indian school should include in its curriculum, 

your observations are insightful, you write: “Lord 

Metcalf, the Governor General of India, wrote 

in 1830 that the foundation of this country is its 

village sabhas. The people of the village meet 

at a common point and take joint decisions. In 

1860 the British brought in a law that destroyed 

the village sabhas because they had understood 

that until this foundation is destabilized, they 

could not rule India effectively. 

“A law was enacted to bring in the collector 

raj. All rights that the people had or the village 

sabhas had, were 

snatched from 

them and given 

to the British 

collectors. Earlier, 

the villagers ran 

the establishment 

for irrigation which 

the British started 

to control through 

an irrigation 

department. The 

villagers earlier 

had the education 

establishment 

under their 

control. Now the 

British formed 

an Education 

department. All 

areas of life and 

living were now 

controlled by 

British through 

one or the other 

government 

departments. 

“On top of all 

the government 

departments was 

a white man who 

was known as 

Have you forgotten India or do you long to return? 

Or may be you plan to leave its shores. Wherever you 

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food for thought. 

A permanent exit from India is difficult for most 

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of thought provoking editorials from The International Indian magazine. 

(www.theinternationalindian.com). 

Desh Aur Diaspora is a nostalgic yet unyielding take on heart and homeland 

that demands more of all Indians. 

Trials and dilemmas that confront people in India and the Diaspora may 

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Desh Aur Diaspora engages you with inspiring concepts, inviting debate to 

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with a determination to excel and make a difference at home and abroad. 

Frank Raj is the founder, editor and publisher of ‘The International Indian’, the 

oldest, authoritative magazine of Gulf-Indian society and history since 1992. 

His column ‘No 2 Religion Yes 2 Faith’ is published in the Communities at ‘The 

Washington Times’ (http://communities.washingtontimes.com/neighborhood/no-2religion-yes-2-faith) 

and he is co-author of ‘The Universal Book Of The Scriptures’. 

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“The Collector” or “Burra Sahib”. 

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sabhas were not returned. We replaced the 

British Collector with an Indian. We kept all 

the paraphernalia of the British government as 

it is - its arrogance, its unapproachability, its 

mentality of being 

a ruler. The Indian 

Collector, nay a 

bureaucrat, is still 

the Burra sahib.” 

Indeed. 

Indians were 

the slaves of 

the goras then... 

Indians are slaves of 

goondas now. 

Frank Raj 

Founder-Editor & Publisher 

frankraj08@gmail.com 

The International Indian 

@frankraj08 

Frank Raj 

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Frank Raj audaciously 

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that people unthinkingly 

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94 • IMT: Premiere Business School 

95 • Al Ain Dairy the First to Introduce 

Stevia as Natural Replacement for Sugar 

• Danube launches 50 million dirham 

Industrial Complex in Jebel Ali 

96 • BITS Pilani on track to become the 

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• Manipal University Dubai Formally 

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86 

26 Holland America Line 

Delivers Stylish Cruising To See 

The Norwegian Fjords by: Kathy M. 

Newbern and J.S. Fletcher 



EST: 1992 The Region’s Oldest, Authoritative 


11 64 

contentsin 

UAE-MENA. 

Norway is also known for its fjords, for 

its majestic and steep mountains and 

for the Vikings who inhabited the area 

for centuries. 

38 Gulf Hotel Happenings 

50 Indians In Sri Lanka Are Home 

Away From Home by: Shamlal Puri Sri 

Lanka has been a home for Indians for 

many centuries. The first arrivals were 

Sinhalese, followed by Tamils. 

features 

32 UAE’s Masala King: Dhananjay 

Datar by: Bandana Jain 

Dr. Dhananjay Datar is ranked 34th on 

the Arabian Business Indian Power List 

on the cover... 

76 

54 

12 Deconstructing Mr. Construction 

by: Neha J. Bhatia 

India’s rags-to-riches poster boy, Danube Group’s chairman Rizwan 

Sajan is a man with his Indian-ness deeply embedded in his Emirati 

life. 

TII Amateur 

Photo 

Competition 

See page 72 

40 Ground Realities In God’s Own 

Country? by: TVG Menon 

If a homeowner or employer in Kerala 

refuses to pay exorbitant rates for 

unloading cargo, the wily labourers 

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44 Theatre Is Alive In Hyderabad 

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The expanding vistas of the hi-tech city 

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theatre and art. 

54 Understanding “English Vinglish” 

by: Melanie Kumar 

The Gauri Shinde-directed Sridevi 

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60 The Question That Changes 

Everything by: Michael Hyatt 

One of the best questions you can ask 

when something negative happens is 

this: “What does this experience make 

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66 Rethinking our Traditional Rituals 

by: Dr. Hari Harilela & Deepak Mahtani 

Many successful legends who get to a 

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one man who looks forward and tries 

to help others do the same. 

70 India’s Innovative Ideas by: Sam Singh 

A few notable ideas around innovation 

inside the country are also beginning 

to bloom. 

73 The Cousins: By Prema Raghunath 

by: Balan Iyer 

TII’s book review column keeps track 

of bestselling novels by Indian and 

international authors 

74 A Labour of Love, Delayed & 

Rediscovered by: Deepa Ballal 

TII met Haroon Khimani who at 75 has 

not surrendered his dreams nor his 

passion. 

76 Bamboozling Bigots In Racy Britain 

by: Rudy Otter 

There is a certain way to handle bigots, 

regardless of whether they are white, 

black, brown or yellow. 

78 Fulfilled In India, No Relocation 

Regrets by: Frank Raj 

TII catches up with Walter and Patricia 

Ferrao who left lucrative careers in 

Dubai more than a decade ago. 

80 Love And Guilt: Looking After Those 

We Care About by: Clareto Monsorate 

Ageing parents who have always been 

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83 UAE: Home Away From Home? 

The Younger Generation’s Perspective. 

by: Rehan Choudhary 

TII assigned Rehan Choudhary 

to interview four youngsters 

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Pakistan and Sri Lanka. 

86 When Do I Stop Being An Indian? 

by: George Abraham 

“I am a fairly typical son of a postmodern 

era that has defied the common 

understanding of culture, language, 

identity and language to take on avatars 

that suit us. 

62 

89 Dr. Pankaj Shrivastav: Happiness 

Is A Baby Born by: Reena Amos Dyes 

Shrivastav, Director, Conceive Fertility 

Hospital, Sharjah, who was awarded the 

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20 Mr. K.V. Rama Moorthy Chief 

Executive Bank of Baroda, GCC 

Operations by: Clareto Monsorate 

In today’s world when it’s mostly about 

‘I’, ‘Me’ and ‘Myself’, there are still a few 

individuals who prefer to maintain a low 

profile and instead highlight the success 

of the organization they work for. 

64 Purchase Of Shares By NRI’s 

In The Stock Markets In India 

by: Prem Karra 

TII’s Q&A investment column. 

in every issue... 

4 Editorial 

10 Letters 

11 Editor’s Pick 

42 TII Hall of Fame 

columns 

61 QUESTIONS by: Frank Raj 

45 year old Texas based Titus Mathew 

left India when he was 20, he shares 

insights on life in America. 

62 GUPTARA GARMAGARAM 

How Low Do You Have To Stoop 

To Maintain Your Honour? 

by: Prabhu Guptara 

We may not be guilty of doing the 

raping or murdering. We may not be 

guilty of actually causing suicides. 

92 SOLDIERS 

Three Myths Of Modern Indian 

History 

by: Major General Mrinal Suman, 

AVSM, VSM, PhD 

Challenging what some partisan 

historians have always had us believe 

about Kashmir, Tibet and Bangladesh. 

98 WINNING 

Integrity In A World Of Lies And Liars 

by: Frank Raj 

In developing my new Winning column 

my goal is not to engage in success 

oriented punditry, for which there are 

plenty of gurus, but rather to use it as a 

vehicle to look at various topics that we 

need to understand better and come 

to helpful conclusions and “win” in a 

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EST: 1992 The Region’s Oldest, Authoritative 


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Letters to the Editor 

Misquoted by TII Writer 

In the article on ‘Indians in the Netherlands’ (TII 19.6) your writer 

Maarten van der Schaaf describes the Surinami people as “Bounties, 

black on the outside, white on the inside”. This is highly offensive to 

describe these people like this, and I find it very unprofessional and 

unethical of him to purposely misquote me. 

I did use the analogy of a Bounty chocolate, dark/brown on the 

outside, white on the inside (brown/dark being the colour of 

chocolate and Surinami Indian people). However calling them 

“black” is highly offensive, and is definitely your writer’s word not 

mine. By choosing to use “black” says enough about your writer 

as a person. 

I do not wish to be associated with this article and want my name 

and photo to be completely removed. 

Lavesh Lakhina 

Executive President 

Indian Expat Society 

The Netherlands 

TII Is Non-Partisan & Incisive 

I just wanted to let you know that I was given a copy of The 

International Indian when I was in Dubai recently and I found your 

article on Dinesh D’Souza refreshingly non-partisan and incisive. 

Thank you so much. It was also good to read Michael Hyatt’s’s article 

and to see the tips on handling emails… I have something to learn!! 

Duncan and Vasanti Watkinson 

Bangalore 

Anglo Indians & Goans 

Your last issue, TII 19.5 had an article on Anglo-Indians and 

Goans, which I found offensive at first, but after I read it I felt foolish 

for my initial reaction. Rudy Otter as an Anglo-Indian writer was quite 

balanced in handling the subject of rivalry with Goans. In fact he puts 

all the blame on Anglo-Indians, which is not fair at all - Goa too has 

its, ‘nose-in-the-air’ Portuguese Goans who think they are somehow 

superior to the rest of us! Such stupid attitudes are the bane of our 

country across all communities! 

Alfred Pinto 

Bahrain 

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two dedicated Club Floors to cater to the 21 st 

century business executive, designed by the 

renowned French interior designer Pierre – 

Yves Rochon. For the savvy traveller, in-room 

technology includes free high-speed Internet, 

Wi Fi access and a laptop size safe. 

Restaurants and bars include international 

and authentic Lebanese cuisine, Hemingways 

Bar & Cigar Lounge, Mediterranee Restaurant, 

Bourj Al Hamam and the seasonal Hurricane 

Swim-up. 

The free standing two level Essential Spa 

& Health Club includes 11 treatment rooms, a 

private spa and a state-of-the-art fitness center. 

Fully equipped changing and shower facilities 

include a private steam room, with over 49 

different treatments available. Aerobic and 

yoga classes are available regularly. 

Recreational activities include three 

outdoor pools, a private beach and marina, 

tennis and squash courts. 

Frank Raj is TII’s founder editor and publisher 

CONTACT: 

Rita Chbat 

Communications Manager 

General DeGaulle Avenue 

Raouche 2038 6908 

Beirut Lebanon 

T: +961 1 869 666 

F: +961 1 799 505 

Email: rita.chbat@ 

moevenpick.com 

www.moevenpick-beirut. 

com 

The International Indian 11

12 

Cover Story 

Deconstructing 

Mr. Construction 

India’s rags-to-riches poster boy, Danube Group’s chairman, 

Rizwan Sajan is a man with his Indian-ness deeply 

embedded in his Emirati life. 

By: Neha J. Bhatia 

We carry our cultures 

everywhere we go. There 

are some habits that never 

entirely leave us. Virtues or 

vices, these are what dictate 

our lifestyles and best define us. 

Mr. Adel Sajan, Director of Danube Buildmart, Mrs Sameera Sajan, Mr. Rizwan 

Sajan, Founder and Chairman of Danube Group, Mr. Abdul Rehman Al Ahli, 

H.E. Sheikha Lubna Bint Khalid Al Qasimi, UAE Minister of Foreign Trade, 

H.E. Mr. Abdulla Ahmed Al Saleh, Director General and Deputy of Sheikha 

Lubna with Mr. Anis Sajan, Managing Director Danube Group. 

It is therefore a prompt teller of their Indian 

roots that no pair of shoes from outside the 

home gets past the hallway leading to the living 

room of the Sajan household. Adorned by a 

luminosity suited to the plush sea breeze that 

surrounds the Dubai Marina villa, a common 

television set and handmade 

family photo collages are 

striking indicators of the 

homeyness in the grand 

abode. “We pray at home, 

don’t we? And I’m not going 

to go to different rooms to 

watch cricket with my family 

members. We assemble 

here,” smilingly explains the 

pinwheel of the family, Rizwan 

Sajan. 

The chairman of Al 

Danube, one of the Gulf’s 

largest building companies, 

has had a busy day. Having 

passionately channelized 

over three decades of his 

lifetime into his professional 

commitments, Rizwan is a man 

age cannot catch up with. 

“I was always ambitious”, 


Rizwan Sajan (L) with his son Adel Sajan

14 

Cover Story 

‘‘ On my 

very first 

visit to the 

city, and 

the local 

shurta at 

the desk 

said to 

me ‘kaisa 

hai?´ (how 

are you?). 

Right then, 

I knew 

this was 

where I 

wanted to 

live. 

‘‘ 

says the self-made millionaire after pondering 

over what his secret to tirelessness might 

be. “My father had established early in my 

life that I’d have to work for any additional 

money I wanted.” And so, as an adolescent 

in the crowded city of Mumbai, Rizwan sold 

books and firecrackers during their peaked 

seasonal demands. “It was how I earned the 

extra 15 rupees I needed to pay for my school 

fees, but it mostly instilled in me a sense of 

independence and maturity.” 

A moment, though, rewrote Rizwan’s 

history –the passing away of his father 

meant the role of the breadwinner was now 

transferred to the young 16 year old Rizwan 

by virtue of being the eldest amongst three 

siblings. When an uncle deemed him unsuited 

for a job in the then-upcoming Gulf country of 

Kuwait, Rizwan took up a position in the same 

Mumbai-based company as his late father to 

fulfil his duties –a role he carved out time for 

from his eventful student life. 

These ideals form an integral part of his 

work ethic and Danube’s values too –the 

Group recently inaugurated the Danube 

Welfare Society as part of their Corporate Social 

Responsibility (CSR) plans. “The purpose here”, 

says Rizwan, “is to enable applicants found not 

fitting for vacancies at Danube to hone their 

capabilities and skill sets to find appropriate 

jobs in the country.” The Group also recently 

launched the Danube Community Centre in an 

attempt to spread the teaching of basic-level 

English language to their workers. 

He did eventually move to Kuwait. In 

1982, Rizwan carried all of his 19 years to 

the prosperous gulf country and joined his 

uncle’s setup for a salary of 150 Kuwait Dinars. 

“Kuwait made me homesick –very homesick. 

From being a boy with friends and social 

groups scattered all over my life, I became a 

young man alone in a new country, struggling 

to adapt to my disciplined uncle’s lifestyle 

and routines”, he speaks of his earliest days 

away from home with his first employer who 

taught and honed Rizwan’s business skills. 

A detachment owing to cultural shock kept 

Rizwan from feeling at home despite the 

apparent familial ties, and he spent most of this 

coping period by writing letters to his sister 

–a family member Rizwan says he’s still deeply 

emotionally attached with. 

Gradually and steadily though, Rizwan 

warmed up to Kuwait. His learning curve 

heightened by leaps with his uncle’s guidance, 

and Rizwan’s business acumen was sharpened 

under his wisdom. In less than a decade, he 

grew to occupy the position of being, as he 

terms it, his “uncle’s right hand man”. The 

Iraqi invasion of Kuwait proved to be a major 

setback for him, however, and Rizwan had to 

move back to Mumbai in 1990. With most his 

savings frozen in Kuwaiti accounts, a sense of 

déjà vu came over Rizwan’s life, and he had to 

rebuild the career and life he had so fruitfully 

erected in Kuwait. 

Unexpectedly, the UAE entered his life, 

but smoothly became home to Rizwan. There 

was pleasantness in the country Rizwan found 

refreshingly different from his otherwise 

challenging time in Kuwait, and he discovered 

this, incidentally, on his very first day here in 

1991. “Not too many people know this story –I 

was at the Dubai Airport immigrations during 

my very first visit to the city, and the local 

shurta at the desk said to me ‘Kaisa hai?´ (how 

are you?). Right then, I knew this was where I 

wanted to live.” 

A friend hired him for a salary of Dhs. 1500 

–half the initial promised sum, AED 3000 –and 

Rizwan meticulously worked the job owing 

to lack of opportunity. He capitalized on his 

clientele from Kuwait and an abundance of 

The International Indian

16 

Cover Story 

‘‘ UAE has 

one of the 

world’s 

most efficientgovernments 

here. The 

infrastructurefacilities 

here 

are phenomenal, 

and the 

country’s 

laws have 

always 

been supportive. 

‘‘ 

incoming contracts led to a hike in Rizwan’s 

salary –a golden period that gradually phased 

out with the resettling of Kuwait’s domestic 

market. When his suggestion to expand was 

turned down by his friend, Rizwan decided to 

fly solo –a decision that may also be looked at 

as the birthing period of Danube. 

Despite the early challenges he faced 

such as dearth of operations and a lack of 

Rizwan Sajan (R) with India’s famous cricketer Sunil Gavaskar 

finance, Rizwan’s credibility and goodwill in 

the market, coupled with excellent quality 

material –galvanized corrugated sheets –made 

him one of the most sought after dealers in 

the industry, with big sharks now compelled 

to make purchases from him. Al Danube –in 

keeping with the local flavour –was born at 

the government’s Economic Department, 

and the journey of Rizwan Sajan from owner 

to chairman had officially kickstarted on solid 

footing. 

Explicably, Rizwan chose to ‘stick around’ in 

UAE. “I knew there was no looking back here, 

though. Culturally, the country suited me. We 

had a fair streak of an Indianized culture –the 

food was there, so was the cricket. Leaving 

wasn’t an option.” 

Danube has grown into an empire under 

Rizwan’s aegis to reach its pinnacles of success, 

and this is exemplified by the plethora of 

awards to his name and the Group’s, his most 

prized being the Mohammad Bin Rashid Al 

Maktoum award Danube recently received. The 

modest Deira showroom of 1993 has sprouted 

into an empire spawning three continents, 

conducting business in over ten cities such 

as Mumbai, Muscat and Pune besides the 

Emirates of Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Ajman, Fujairah, 

Ras Al Kaimah and Sharjah. Danube has offices 

spread across the GCC countries of Bahrain, 

Oman, Muscat, Saudi Arabia and Qatar, 

alongside significant procurement bases in 

China and Canada. Rizwan’s investment in 

the Danube Group extends beyond monetary 

terms, and can largely be measured by the 

consistent hard work and commitment he has 

devoted to the organization for almost two 

decades now. 

Did luxury play a role in aiding the 

transition from the dusty Mumbai streets to 

the sandy smoothness of the Gulf? “There’s 

no denying money taught me lessons –most 

importantly, it helped me see the stark 

difference between the two realities. During 

my first vacation in Mumbai after I moved to 

Kuwait, I had decisively chosen to stay in the 

Gulf.” 

Danube’s success is also a result of his 

family’s combined efforts, claims Rizwan, and 

he particularly lauds his wife Sameera’s critical 

support during the organization’s growth in its 

early days, who displayed a sense of maturity 

and commitment to her husband that went 

beyond marital parameters. “She was my 

rock during my initial days of struggle while 

efficiently balancing her responsibilities as 

the woman of the household. Even after we 

settled into a better position –despite her initial 

grumbling –she let me be the workaholic I am, 

and I was not once pressurized to concede 

my professional commitments for domestic 

concerns.” 

Integral to Danube’s growth is younger 

brother Anis Sajan, and Rizwan considers it 

a blessing that he had by his side during the 

delicate inception period of his company a 

man he could trust and blindly believe in. Now 

the managing director of the Group, Anis is 

credited for a large part of Danube’s success 

and Rizwan’s achievements over time. 

In Rizwan’s opinion, the UAE fostered 

Danube’s development. “We have one of the 

world’s most efficient governments here. The 


18 

Cover Story 

infrastructure facilities here are phenomenal, 

and the country’s laws have always been 

supportive in the formation of new companies. 

I’m not suggesting it was easy to build and 

Rizwan Sajan at the opening of the Danube industrial complex with H.E Sheikha Lubna 

bint Khalid bin Sultan Al Qasimi the UAE Minister of Foreign Trade 

grow here, but it was and continues to be well 

worth the effort.” To him, the environment is 

only getting more conducive. “I’ve no doubts 

about the future of the UAE. The 2008/09 

crisis was perhaps the solitary blot on the 

country’s unique growth pattern, and I know 

the economy is going to revitalize soon. For 

the expats who left during that period –come 

back.” 

He also believes the Indian community 

is going to retain its unparalleled status 

in the country. “Yes, a large segment of 

the employment market is now further 

penetrated by the Western expats. However, 

the stronghold of the trading sector is still in 

Indian hands, and we are some of the oldest 

companies in the country. You tell me, which 

gora can beat that?” says Rizwan laughingly. 

Son and MBA-student Adel has walked 

in by now, and the father-son camaraderie is 

obvious. Since the raw age of 13, Adel was 

sent to apprentice at Danube’s various stores 

under diverse departments –a move Rizwan 

calculatedly and carefully planned in order to 

teach his son the lessons he has learnt over 

the years. Does he share with his son the same 

bond his father did with him? “Mostly yes, but 

Adel and I usually talk work. Discussions about 

plans and ideas for the Group often dominate 

our meals together. Danube’s future looks 

good with him in it.” There is, however, no 

retirement plan looming anywhere in the near 

future. 

“I’ve never felt like I’m missing out on 

something due to work 

commitments. I party every 

weekend, take two vacations 

off every year and frequently 

visit my mother back home. 

I recently undertook Hajj, 

which was a pivotal moment 

in my life. God has been kind 

and I’ve been blessed with 

a number of people around 

me who I thoroughly enjoy 

spending time with. My life is 

well-balanced on every front 

and I don’t have a reason 

nearly strong enough to keep 

me away from the office”, he 

explains. 

Rizwan Sajan is an Indian 

like any other. A true businessman at heart, 

his daily routine is a deep-set concoction of 

family, friends and work. He lists his father, 

uncle and Ruler of Dubai Sheikh Mohammed 

Bin Rashid Al Maktoum as his inspirations, and 

prefers to read business and B2B magazines 

when time permits. A Bollywood fan with 

cricket as imbibed in his DNA as in his fellow 

countrymen’s, his gracious gregariousness 

and vibrant smile make him one of the most 

affable and well-known personalities on 

both, the UAE social and professional circuits. 

Occasionally, he breaks into “Bambaiya” Hindi 

–a colloquial dialect of the language specific 

to Mumbai dwellers –and still gets served the 

childhood glass of milk by his mother every 

time he visits her at their native home. Eid has 

always been a family affair, and as he promises 

me during this interview, will be celebrated 

in all its extravagance this year too. We carry 

our habits everywhere we go –they become 

our culture, our identity, our slice of home in 

unfamiliar surroundings. International Indian 

Rizwan Sajan hasn’t transported India to the 

UAE –Rizwan Sajan has created a new face of 

India in the UAE. 

Neha J. Bhatia is a Dubai-based 

journalism graduate who gleefully writes about 

everything Indian -food, cricket, and politics. 

‘‘ 

I recently 

undertook 

Hajj, 

which was 

a pivotal 

moment 

in my 

life. God 

has been 

kind and 

I’ve been 

blessed 

with a 

number 

of people 

around 

me who I 

thoroughly 

enjoy 

spending 

time with. 

‘‘ 


20 

Corporate Profile 

Mr K.V. Rama Moorthy 

Chief Executive Bank of Baroda, 

GCC Operations 

In today’s world when it’s mostly about ‘I’, ‘Me’ and 

‘Myself’, there are still a few individuals who prefer to 

maintain a low profile and instead highlight the success 

of the organization they work for. 

By: Clareto Monsorate 

One such person is the modest 

K.V. Rama Moorthy, Chief 

Executive – GCC Operations, 

Bank of Baroda. 

When TII met him for an 

interview he categorically stated that the 

interview, will have to highlight the bank, 

not him. “It is the bank which needs to be in 

the limelight. The 

organization has 

made me what I am 

today, not the other 

way around,” he 

explained. 

Such simplicity is 

rarely found among 

top bosses but Rama 

Subramanyam K.V. Rama 

Moorthy, Chief Executive – GCC 

Operations, Bank of Baroda 

Moorthy seems to 

be an exception. 

For someone who 

joined the banking 

industry in 1981 by accident, he has come a 

long way. From working as Branch Manager in 

Tirupati and Chairman in Regional Rural Bank 

Shahajanpur (Uttar Pradesh) to the CEO of 

Bank of Baroda in the UAE it has been a long, 

eventful and successful journey. 

Taking time off from his busy schedule 

Rama Moorthy spoke at length about the 

vital role played by this institution in the 

UAE and its expansion plans, which include 

setting up a Customer Service Centre at the 

Dubai Multi Commodities Centre (DMCC) 

and an offshore branch at Dubai International 

Financial Centre (DIFC). 

Q: Where would you place Bank of Baroda 

among Indian banks in the UAE? 

A: It is the only Indian bank licensed by the 

Central Bank of UAE to provide the entire 

gamut of banking and financial services, 

thus it occupies a unique position among 

Indian banks in the UAE. The bank has been 

successfully catering to the banking needs of 

all sections in the UAE for more than 38 years. 

Some Indian banks are present in the UAE 

in the form of offshore banks, but they are not 

permitted to offer all types of banking services 

in the UAE territory and also cannot take 

exposure in local currency. 

Others provide only limited banking 

versions in the UAE. Some other Indian 

Banks have representative offices in the UAE 

to source business for their other domestic/ 

‘‘ It is worth 

mentioning 

that the 

GCC 

Operations 

occupying 

number 

one slot 

in terms 

of total 

volume of 

business 

and net 

profit has 

already 

emerged 

as a jewel 

in the 

crown of 

Bank’ of 

Baroda’s 

internationaloperations.themselves 

and 

there is 

no limit 

for improvisation. 

‘‘ 

overseas branches. 

Q: Why do customers come to Bank of 

Baroda when there are major international 

banking options? 

A: With technological advancements the bank 

is able to offer a wide range of sophisticated 

products and services encompassing Retail 

Banking, SME Banking, Corporate Banking, 

Trade Finance, Loan Syndication and Treasury 

Services at very competitive terms. 

Banking based on relationship and services 

delivered with a human touch is the main USP 

of the bank. 

Q: Overseas, does Bank of Baroda offer 

any better advantages to NRIs than what 

resident Indians obtain? 

A: Bank of Baroda has a dedicated approach to 

NRI services. We have established an NRI/India 

desk at all our branches to offer exclusive and 

preferred services/attention to the NRI segment. 

The bank has recently added a special loan 

product for NRIs in its basket of offerings that 

gives an excellent value proposition for NRIs 

to borrow from us at a lesser interest rate as 

compared with the NRE term deposit in India. 

We also open NRE Accounts for select 

cities of India in UAE. The bank also arranges/ 

facilitates home loans/property loans from 

Indian branches for NRIs for which a visit to 

India is not necessary. 

Having realized the need for much 

coordinated efforts for catering to NRIs, a 

dedicated back office in India is being created. 

Q. What is your view on the long term 

security of NRIs in the UAE and the Gulf? 

A: Today both the countries enjoy an excellent 

bilateral relationship which is founded on 

mutually beneficial, strong cultural, religious 

and economic connections. 

The visionary leadership of the UAE Rulers 

and the pragmatic policy of the government 

helps facilitate peaceful cohabitation of people 

from a large number of countries. More than 

81 per cent of foreigners are living and working 

here peacefully having no desire to leave. 

The Indian community in the UAE, 

numbering around 1.75 million, constitutes 

30 per cent of the total population. It is the 

largest expatriate community in the country. 

It uniquely provides a breadth in terms of 

numbers and depth in terms of categories of 

workers employed which distinguishes it from 

every other expatriate community in the UAE. 

Both countries have built up a strategic 

relationship. I do not foresee any security issue 

for NRIs living in this part of the world. I am 

not able to comment on this issue for other 

Gulf countries, as I do not have first hand 

knowledge about them. 

The imoressive Bank of Baroda building on Dubai creek 

Q. Is the market bouncing back and how is 

Bank of Baroda showing its confidence to 

customers? 

A: The market is steadily signaling recovery 

from the impact of the 2009 property market 

crisis, which hit the economy hard. 

The country is benefiting from high oil 

prices and oil production. Sturdy trade, 

tourism, logistics and manufacturing are now 

driving growth, despite persistent weakness in 

the construction and real estate sectors. 

The UAE is the beneficiary of a diversified 

economy. The projected growth of the GDP 

for 2012 is 3.6 per cent as per IMF, which is 

reasonably good under the current economic 

scenario. 

We continue to have the same comfort 

and confidence level with our customers, be it 

depressed economic conditions or otherwise. 

We support our customers and address their 

temporary mismatch in the cash flows in a 

realistic manner. 

New sectors like healthcare and education 

are emerging as new growth engines of the 

economy apart from existing sectors like 

trading, manufacturing, hospitality and oil. 

Q: Could you comment on the current 

economic scenario in India? 


22 

Corporate Profile 

A: The economy of India is the eleventh largest 

in the world by nominal GDP and the third 

largest by purchasing power parity (PPP). 

India is one of the fastest growing 

economies in the world. Fiscal consolidation is 

on track and savings and capital formation are 

expected to rise. 

The high inflation numbers, flat industrial 

output and widening fiscal and current account 

deficit are presently causing concerns to our 

policy makers and regulators. 

Recently, the government of India took a 

number of measures to promote economic 

reforms including FDI in Retail, Insurance and 

Pension sectors. It is going to be a litmus test 

Bank of Baroda team in the United Arab Emirates 

for the government to withstand the pulls and 

pressures of the opposition in this regard. 

Q: Bank of Baroda has reported CAGR 

(Compound Annual Growth Rate) exceeding 

27% for the last five years. How has this 

translated in terms of growth in the UAE 

and the rest of the GCC? 

A: The amazing CAGR of 27% has indeed 

translated into substantial increase in business 

numbers in terms of all important business 

parameters. The volume of business has 

registered a 3.50 times increase in the last 

three years and the net profit has also recorded 

sound growth. 

This has happened when the banking 

industry was reeling under turbulent market 

conditions and recessionary pressures that 

speak volumes on the robust business model 

and trust of millions of customers the bank 

enjoys in the global banking landscape. 

Q. In overall turnover percentage terms, 

what is the volume of business Bank of 

Baroda does in the UAE, Oman and Bahrain? 

A: As regards UAE operation it contributes 

8.03% to the global business kitty of the 

bank and 10% global profit comes from 

this territory. The position of Bank of Baroda 

is 3 rd among foreign banks in UAE. The 

combined business numbers of the bank’s GCC 

Operations (UAE, Oman and Bahrain) is 8.88% 

as on 31.03.2012 of the consolidated balance 

sheet of the bank. It is worth mentioning that 

the GCC Operations occupying number one 

slot in terms of total volume of business and 

net profit has already emerged as a jewel in the 

crown of the bank’s international operations. 

Q: What is the role Bank of Baroda has 

played in promoting investment flow 

between the UAE and India over the past 

38 years? Where do you see yourself in this 

segment of business when you touch the 40year 

milestone in 2014? 

A: Because of the pragmatic approach of the 

governments of both the countries and Bank of 

Baroda’s active role played for furtherance of 

bilateral trade by way of making trade finance 

and other solutions proactively available, India 

has emerged as the largest trading partner of 

the UAE. 

Besides Indian entities the bank has also 

proactively financed and supported a good 

number of entities owned by UAE nationals and 

has also extended support and finance to some 

important organisations of UAE Government 

such as DP World, Emirates Airlines, Emaar 

properties, Meydan etc. 

Q: Tell us about your personal background, 

education, family etc. 

A: I hail from a typically humble middle class 

family from Andhra Pradesh. My father was a 

Non-Gazetted Officer in the government of 

Andhra Pradesh. After completing Pre-University 

from Vivekananda College, Chennai, I pursued 

my graduation in Agriculture Sciences. 

Frankly speaking my joining the bank was 

only an accident. In fact while doing my 

Post Graduation in Agriculture Economics 

from APAU, Hyderabad, I appeared for the 

Banking Service Recruitment Board (BSRB) 

examinations, just to gain experience, and to 

my surprise, got selected. 

Clareto Monsorate is a freelance writer based in UAE 

‘‘ 

I still feel 

the need 

to achieve 

something 

more for 

the cause 

of the 

organisation 

as 

I believe 

that this 

world is 

created 

with the 

people 

who 

are not 

satisfied 

with themselves 

and 

there is 

no limit 

for improvisation. 

‘‘ The 


The International Indian 23 

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

26 

Travel 

Holland America Line 

Delivers Stylish Cruising 

to see the Norwegian Fjords 

Norway is also known for its fjords, for its majestic and 

steep mountains and for the Vikings who inhabited the 

area for centuries and have been credited with finding 

North America before Columbus did. 

By: Kathy M. Newbern and J.S. Fletcher 

Cruisers on deck watch the water traffic in the Port of Rotterdam, one of the largest 

ports in the world, as the MS Rotterdam prepares to sail its Norwegian fjords 

itinerary. Shown is Rotterdam’s Erasmus Bridge. (Photo by: Kathy M. Newbern) 

Norway has earned the moniker 

Land of the Midnight Sun 

because from May through July, 

the sun never completely sets 

north of the Arctic Circle, which 

comprises about half of the 25,000 kilometers 

(16,000 mi) of Norway’s coastline. Southern 

Norway receives about 20 hours of sun. 

However, from November through January, the 

sun never rises above the horizon in the north, 

with daylight hours very short in the south. 

Our mid-September visit gave us a glimpse 

of months to come as the days were shortening 

and the weather was growing colder – we even 

experienced snow on one of the mountains. 

Guarded by the Gulf Steam ocean current, 

however, the coastline has higher temperatures 

and more precipitation than expected at such 

northern latitudes. 

Norway is also known for its fjords, for 

its majestic and steep mountains and for the 

Vikings who inhabited the area for centuries 

and have been credited with finding North 

America before Columbus did. What we 

found during our week’s cruise aboard 

Holland America Line’s MS Rotterdam were an 

admiration for the hearty souls who claimed 

this area, an understanding of how important 

sailing and navigation was to its development, 


Holland-America Line’s MS Rotterdam, 

shown docked at Bergen, Norway, carries 

1,404 passengers in style amid her 10 decks. 

Her next Norwegian fjords sailing is from 

Rotterdam on May 11 and Sept. 7, 2013. 

(Photo by: J.S. Fletcher)

28 

Travel 

and an appreciation of how nature can create 

such a marvelous land. 

What were once working warehouses are now colorful shops, artists’ works 

spaces and boutiques that welcome visitors, including cruisers, from around 

the world to one of Bergen’s most photographed sections, historic Bryggen. 

(Photo by: Kathy M. Newbern) 

Because of the length of sunlight and 

severity of the weather, there’s a cruising 

season for the Norwegian coast, and our 

journey fell on the last week for this year. Still, 

in each port other cruise lines were calling, and 

the popularity of this area is growing. More 

ships are scheduled here next year. 

The MS Rotterdam comfortably carries 

1,400 passengers offering plenty to see and do 

amid her 10 decks, from shows to fine dining 

to onboard classes to daily tea service, where 

we met one Canadian couple on their sixth 

Holland America cruise. Passengers this cruise 

were mostly from Europe (though most spoke 

English), but one common characteristic was 

the high number of repeaters. 

We loved that this MS Rotterdam sailing 

was roundtrip from the port of Rotterdam 

where our departure day happened to coincide 

with the Annual World Port Festival. Rotterdam, 

as the busiest port in Europe, has celebrated 

this event 35 years, and we cruisers had a 

front row seat at one of the best water shows 

imaginable. If it could float, we saw it, from a 

fireboat to jet skis to military vessels to rowing 

teams and even several fly-overs by helicopters, 

one demonstrating a sea rescue. 

A start like that is hard to top, but we were 

not disappointed with our stops in Bergen, 

Geirangerfjord at Geiranger, Alesund, and 

Hardangerfjord at Eidfjord, all in Norway. 

Two sea days gave us time to explore the 

ship’s Greenhouse Spa, watch free cooking 

demonstrations, try our luck in the casino, use 

the amply equipped exercise center, plus sample 

the two-story, main dining room, La Fontaine, 

and the superb, intimate Pinnacle Grill. 

There, one night of the cruise, a special 

Le Cirque menu was featured (offered in 

conjunction with the world-class restaurant 

of the same name with locations in New 

York City and Las Vegas). The restaurant’s 

famous crème brulee is on the menu and 

was even featured in the on-board cooking 

demo. Yes, we got the recipe but fear it 

won’t taste the same outside the elegant 

dining venue with excellent wait staff at our 

beckon call. (Tip: This special menu is only 

offered once per cruise, so be sure and book 

early, even before leaving home if possible. 

It’s definitely worth the small extra charge, 

as is the regular Pinnacle Grill menu, too.) 

Today’s visitors to Norway generally cite the 

fjords at the top of their list of sites to see, and 

cruising is an efficient and fabulous way to see 

these marvels of nature. Roads are scarce (and 

often shut down in the winter) along much of 

the rugged coastline, so ships historically have 

supplied towns and transported people. Now, 

cruise ships bring visitors to see the fjords and 

the accompanying mountains and waterfalls. 

Lobsters, crabs and other fresh fish for sale in 

Bergen’s Fish Market in the heart of the city. There’s also a 

flower market nearby. (Photo by: J.S. Fletcher) 

‘‘ Norway 

is also 

known for 

its fjords, 

for its 

majestic 

and steep 

mountains 

and for the 

Vikings 

who 

inhabited 

the 

area for 

centuries 

and have 

been 

credited 

with 

finding 

North 

America 

before 

Columbus 

did. 

‘‘ 


30 

Travel 

ICE AGE CREATIONS 

Fjord, in its basic meaning is “where one 

fares through.” It has the same origin as the 

word “fare” (for travel) and the noun “ferry.” It 

derived, we learned, from a pre-historic word 

meaning “pass,” which we became evident as 

we sailed these bodies of water with mountains 

and craggy terrain on both sides of our ship. 

The fjord’s opening to the sea is called its 

Holland-America Line cruisers take advantage of prime photo opportunities as the MS Rotterdam 

leaves Geiranger sailing past the Seven Sisters Waterfalls on the right, and the Lone Suitor Waterfall 

on the left. Or, in sailors’ terms: the ladies are starboard, the gent portside. (Photo: J.S. Fletcher) 

mouth. What sets a fjord apart from other 

bodies of water is its shape and what surrounds 

it. A fjord, often a great natural harbor, is 

longer than it is wide; if the opposite occurs, 

it’s then called a cove or a bay instead. 

The fjords’ existence can be traced to a 

succession of ice ages that covered Northern 

Europe. Over thousands of years, massive 

sheets of ice carved our huge valleys, and 

subsequent wind, rain, and wave erosion 

combined with geological shifts in rock to 

further define the fjords. The sight of them 

instills awe and respect for what nature can do. 

Norway has impressive fjord bragging 

rights: Two of the three longest fjords in the 

world are found here, Sognefjord at 203 km 

(126 miles) and Hardangerfjord at 179 km 

(111 miles). The No. 1 spot, though, belongs 

to Greenland. 

We were especially delighted to see 

these fjords because our last attempt at fjord 

cruising was thwarted by a gale force winds 

that prevented our Princess cruise ship from 

entering New Zealand’s Milford Sound in 

Fiordland National Park (spelled “fiord” there v. 

“fjord” in Norway). 

We were likewise happy to finally visit 

Bergen with its colorful rows of wooden 

structures, now popular shops for visitors, 

plus its and fish and flower markets. “Our 

most international city,” said one Norwegian 

guide of this, Norway’s 

second-largest city. 

The don’t-miss here 

is the funicular ride 

up to Mt. Floein for a 

great view of ships in 

the fjord– a great view, 

that is, if it’s not too 

rainy. Keep in mind 

that Bergen gets 240 

days of rain each year, 

which has earned it the 

nickname The City of 

Rain. 

EAGLE ROAD & SEVEN 

SISTERS WATERFALLS 

Our next port, 

Geiranger with 

Geirangerfjord, a 

UNESCO World 

Heritage site, was 

easily our favorite stop. We took the ship’s 

excursion of an unforgettable bus climb up 

the “eagle road,” with several switchbacks and 

a reported 11 hairpin bends. We stopped at 

several viewing points to see our ship at anchor 

in the fjord far below with the mountains 

rising alongside and an elevated view of the 

impressive Seven Sisters Waterfalls. 

This highly photographed spot takes its 

name from the seven separate falls alongside 

one another that tumble to the fjord below; 

the highest begins about 250 meters (820 

feet) up. Facing Seven Sisters, across the fjord 

is another fall nicknamed The Suitor, who, says 

local lore, was unsuccessful in his attempt to 

woo any of the sisters. In the middle of The 

Suitor fall is one large rock, which the story 

says is the wine bottle where the gentleman 

drowned his sorrow over never getting one of 

the ladies to accept his advances. 

Sailing past both plunging falls offered 

passengers incredible video and photos from 

‘‘ 

What sets 

a fjord 

apart 

from other 

bodies of 

water is 

its shape 

and what 

surrounds 

it. A fjord, 

often a 

great 

natural 

harbor, 

is longer 

than it 

is wide; 

if the 

opposite 

occurs, 

it’s then 

called 

a cove 

or a bay 

instead. 

‘‘ 


the ship’s decks. The ship provided running 

commentary via the public address system 

during the event. 

Our bus tour at Geiranger, though, offered 

a big surprise during the final leg of our 

climb to the top of Mt. 

Dalsnibba. Thankfully, 

the bus drivers are 

very experienced at 

maneuvering the narrow 

toll road at the top. 

Snow suddenly began 

to fall, which proved 

delightful though chilly. 

At the top, all along 

the rocky edges, were 

hundreds of small rockand-pebble 

mounds 

or cairns. Our guide 

explained that while such 

rock creations often mark 

hiking trails, the ones 

surrounding us were 

built by visitors based 

on the notion that if 

you build one, you’ll someday return to Norway. 

Next came the art nouveau city of Alesund. 

Our guide noted that cruise ship visits here 

numbered 120 this year and will nearly 

double to 200 in 2013. Our outing was billed 

as “Hjorundfjord & Alesund: Jewels in the 

Crown,” and the small boat cruise through the 

fjord gave us more of those memorable that’swhat-we-came-here-for 

moments. 

Our final port before our last sea day 

return to Rotterdam was Eidfjord where we 

chose an eight-hour bus and train ride. The 

most picturesque stop was the Voringsfossen 

Waterfall. One of Europe’s highest, it cascades 

600 feet down to the valley below and is easily 

accessible from the parking lot of the historic 

1891 Fossli Hotel, located at the innermost end 

of the Hardangerfjord. 

Well-known composer Edvard Grieg was 

a regular guest at Fossli Hotel and wrote his 

Opus 66 here. Many know his “In the Hall of 

the Mountain King” made famous by another 

Norwegian, dramatist Henrik Ibsen and his play 

“Peer Gynt” first published in 1867. 

It’s OK if you know the tune from a 20thcentury 

source, “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice,” 

one of the animated shorts in the 1940 Disney 

film “Fantasia.” It’s the one where Mickey 

Mouse outfitted in that big sorcerer’s hat uses 

magic to bring all the brooms to life to tote 

water from a well for him but to the point of 

nearly drowning the young apprentice. 

The historic old wharf at Bergen is a reminder that this Norwegian town played a major role in the 

Hanseatic League’s trading empire from the 14th- to the mid-16th century. Parts of the city today are 

designated UNESCO world heritage sites. (Photo by: J.S. Fletcher) 

Regardless of how you know it, once the 

tune is in your head, you’ll be humming nonstop. 

In fact, what a great backdrop to view 

the majesty of the fjords. You might want to 

download it before you go. 

IF YOU’RE GOING 

Holland America Line’s next sailing 

season for the fjords is May-September 

2013. The MS Ryndam, with 1,260 

passengers, sails there from London, 

while the 1,404-passenger MS Rotterdam 

sails from Rotterdam. The “7-Day Norse 

Legends” cruise May 11-18 and Sept. 7-13 

visits the ports mentioned here. For pricing 

and more details, visit hollandamerica.com 

or contact your travel agent. For more on 

Norway’s fjords, check out VisitNorway.com. 

U.S. based, award-winning travel writers Kathy 

M. Newbern and J.S. Fletcher write about luxury, 

spas, cruising and romantic destinations worldwide 

when not operating their personalized romance novel 

company, YourNovel.com, where they put you in the 

middle of the romance and adventure by starring you 

in your own book 

‘‘ ships bring 

‘‘ 

Now, 

cruise 

visitors 

to see 

the fjords 

and the 

accompanyingmountains 

and 

waterfalls. 


32 

Enterprise 

UAE’s Masala King: 

Dhananjay Datar 

By: Bandana Jain 

Dr. Dhananjay Datar is ranked 34th on the Arabian 

Business Indian Power List in UAE-MENA. TII takes 

a peek into the life of the Gulf’s eminent spice king, 

Chairman of the Dh 148 million Al Adil Group. 

The history of Al Adil Trading Co. 

LLC, division of Masala King Exports 

(India) Pvt. Ltd. is similar to the spice 

traders of ancient years, who left 

Indian shores for the distant markets 

of Africa, Gulf, USA, Canada, and Europe. 

Established in 1984 in Bur Dubai as a small 

Indian grocery store, Al Adil has flourished into 

a large spice empire, serving the entire GCC 

Dhananjay Datar with his Rolls Royce, the first Rolls Royce 

Phantom in Dubai 

and beyond. “The main reason that made us 

choose Dubai is due to its lucrative potential of 

having a duty free status and also its proximity 

to India and other parts of the world”, explains 

Dr. Datar who also happens to be a Doctor in 

Business Administration. 

Al Adil Trading Co. LLC has become a 

familiar name in many Indian households in 

UAE. It is a reputed grocery store that sells 

more than 8,500 food items. “We produce 

masalas, spices, pickles, flours, pulses and 

other Indian food items under the Peacock 

brand name. We sell packed flour in each 

of our outlets, which also has an attached 

grinding mill. Catering mainly to the Indian 

expat community in UAE, our customers vary 

from households to five-star hotels, catering 

companies, Dubai Duty Free, inflight catering, 

hospitals and many more.” 

Al Adil is proud to own a manufacturing 

unit in the Al Quoz Industrial Area & Dubai 

Investment Park, and its manufacturing 

capacity was considerably upgraded last year. 

It also has an Indian arm designated Masala 

King Exports in Mumbai, which is one of the 

leading exporters of quality branded Indian 

pulses, spices and other grocery items as 

well as non-food items from the Indian subcontinent. 

From a small grocery store in Bur Dubai, 

Al Adil has proudly expanded into a network 

of 22 supermarkets, two flour mills and spice 

factories in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and 

Ajman with Masala King Exports (India) Pvt. 

Ltd, its Mumbai export division. The company 

is proud to have a monopoly in the sale of 

Indian spices & food stuff in the UAE. 

‘‘ Al Adil 

Trading 

Co. LLC 

has 

become 

a familiar 

name 

in many 


households 

in 

UAE. It is 

a reputed 

grocery 

store 

that sells 

more than 

8,500 food 

items. 

‘‘ 

“Setting up a business in a foreign country 

was not the easiest of tasks, but thanks to my 

father, Late Mahadeo Datar we managed to 

set it up well and have taken it this far. There 

were trying times but what was important 

is the courage with which we overcame. 

We managed every struggle with the 

encouragement and support of our well-wishers 

and customers. Having started off with just 

three employees, today our group employs 375 

employees directly and about 500 indirectly in 

the UAE and in India,” declares a very satisfied 

Datar. 

There is no doubt that Al Adil’s rigorous 

expansion has taken the UAE business scene 

by storm. Al Adil’s mid- to long-term plans 

include expansion in other GCC countries also. 

The company’s major focus is on establishing 

a marked presence in the UAE by catering 

predominantly to the demands of the Indian 

expatriate community in the UAE while 

expanding its operations to other Middle East 

countries in the near future. Keeping up with 

this vision, Al Adil recently opened new stores 

in Al Ain, Abu Dhabi, Bahrain and Doha. The 

company has also diversified into import and 

export under the special class establishment 

Dhananjay Datar receiving the Best Enterprise Award at 

Oxford in United Kingdom. 

with imports and exports to the US, Canada, 

Tanzania, Kenya, Switzerland, Italy, Eritrea, 

Kuwait, Muscat and UAE. Al Adil also plans to 

boost its growth by launching Masala King 

Export Trading Pvt. Ltd in UAE to manufacture 

a whole range of Indian food and grocery 

items. 

‘Home away from home’ for its customers, 

Al Adil has consistently retained the loyalty of 

its customers. “This can be attributed to the 

quality of our products that are total value for 

money. Also, Al Adil’s customers can count on 

the diversified range of hygienically – packed 

Dhananjay Datar and his wife Vandana Datar with 

Pratibha Patil (former President of India) 

products.” Talking about the factors that are 

fuelling Al Adil’s rigorous expansion plans 

Dr. Datar reveals a simple, straightforward 

strategy, “We are making dedicated efforts 

to fuel the company’s growth in the market 

through special offers and promotions whilst 

maintaining high standards of quality.” 

Being known as the Spice King and one of 

the leading chains of specialty supermarkets 

in the UAE is surely no mean feat. When asked 

how it feels to be conferred with the title 

Datar says, “It is a matter of great pleasure and 

distinction to be known as the Spice King and 

I feel really honoured for this recognition. We, 

at Al Adil are very thankful to our customers for 

putting their trust in our brand and helping us 

achieve new milestones in the business. I am 

also very thankful to government authorities in 

Dubai who have been lending us their wholehearted 

support and have made us what we are 

today.” 

Winning discerning and highly reputed, 

quality conscious customers like Dubai Duty 

Free, Emirates, Sheraton, Abela, etc has made 

Al Adil carve an outstanding niche in the 

market. Recognized as an ISO 22000, HACCP, 

GMP, GHP company in 2006, its journey of 

growth over the past 25 years has been packed 

by milestones that pay tribute to the company’s 

high standards of excellence. 

In this recession – stricken world, where 

businesses are finding it hard to survive, the 

Al Adil group has seen remarkable success, 

opening new outlets at a time like this. Datar 

says, “The food business in particular was 

not affected much by the downturn, which 


34 

Enterprise 

contributed to the company’s growth and 

positive outlook and therefore, we were not 

much hit by the crisis. However, we had to 

meticulously plan to face the unfavorable 

market situation. By maintaining high quality, 

low costs and giving our regular customers 

total satisfaction, we were able to smoothly 

sail through the crisis without any loss. In fact, 

our turnover in 2009 reached Dh148 million as 

against Dh50 million in 2008, thus fuelling the 

company’s aggressive expansion plans which 

bolstered solid growth results in 2010. The 

company has also increased its revenue target 

to Dh 250 million. Hence, results showed that 

our revenue increased by 40 per cent in 2009 

compared to 2008. 

All said and done, most of Dubai’s business 

Dr. Dhananjay Datar receiving the Platinum Technology 

Award for Quality and Best Trading in Switzerland 

houses are still reeling under the aftermath of 

recession. In such a downturn, commenting on 

Al Adil group’s speedy and heavy investments, 

Datar points out, “We are not new to the 

market, we have a firm footing in the industry 

for a quarter of a century. Dubai is resilient 

and it will spring back again in a couple of 

months. Since the market values of properties 

are currently down, we are capitalizing on this 

opportunity to buy good properties at key 

locations so that we expand our business to 

reach all customers and serve the community 

and the nation better.” 

There is stiff competition in the market 

taking into consideration the presence of other 

spice dealers in the UAE. At Adil is focused on 

keeping existing customers by selling quality 

products at reasonable rates. “Having the right 

business attitude ensures survival in any type of 

AWARDS RECEIVED 

BY AL ADIL TRADING CO. 

1. Dubai Duty Free Best Supplier Award for 

Quality, Technology and Strategic Partnership 

in 2001. 

Distinguished Supplier/Partners Award in April 

2001. 

Distinguished Supplier/Partners Award in April 

2003. 

Environment Award from Dubai International 

Airport in 2001. 

2. International Lifetime Achievement Award 

by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi Foundation in 

Dubai in 2009. 

3. Commercial Prestigious Award, Madrid in 

2009. 

4. Bizz Award, Frankfurt (Germany) 

5. Rashtriya Udyog Ratna Award, India in 2010 

6. Quality Brand Award in India. 

7. Emirates Flight Catering “Certificate of 

Appreciation” in 2003 

8. Jumeirah Hospitality “Certificate of 

Appreciation” in September 2003. 

9. Intercat Catering Co. “Certificate of 

Appreciation” in 2003. 

10. Dubai Airport & Dubai Duty Free ‘10th 

Supplier of the year 2008’. 

11. Emirates Business Women Council 

‘Certificate of Appreciation’, Abu Dhabi in 

2009. 

12. Maharashtra Sanskrit Mandal in 2009. 

13. Nav Shakti Award in 2009. 

14. The Peak of Success Award Texas, USA 

2011. 

15. Global Award for Perfection, Quality & 

Ideal Performance at Geneva Switzerland. 

16. International Star for Leadership in Quality 

Award at Paris, France. 

17. Best Enterprise Award at Oxford, UK. 

18. Bharat Vikas Ratan Award New Delhi, India 

competitive environment,” reckons Datar. 

“Since our customers hail from different 

regions of India, it is our constant endeavor 

to cater to their variegated needs. Indian food 

items are sourced from the remote corners of 

India as every region has a distinct flavor of its 

own. Most of our stuff comes from our own 

export house in India. We are also working on 

sourcing spices from around the world.” 

”I must admit, that it has indeed been a 

long and colourful journey over the past 29 

‘‘ Al Adil 

is listed 

in the 

Limca and 

Guinness 

Book of 

Records 

for its 

midair 

Silver 

Jubilee 

event, 

when the 

company 

celebrated 

25 years 

uniquely 

on board a 

Royal Jet 

Airways 

Boeing 

737. 

‘‘ 

years, starting from the small shop my late 

father Mahadeo Datar and I set up in Bur 

Dubai with just Dh 5,000 in hand. He was my 

greatest inspiration and our success is as much 

due to the hard work and dedication of our 

team as it is to this remarkable country that 

opens its arms to people from many nations 

and encourages business to scale new heights. 

When asked about his secrets for success, 

Datar who believes there is no point in having 

regrets in life replies, “Total determination and 

dedication in business is the secret to flourish. 

It does not matter whether you are a small 

business or a conglomerate, what matters 

most is efficiently and effectively ensuring 

customer satisfaction. My advice to budding 

entrepreneurs is to have a dream and to work 

hard to pursue it. It takes years of hard work 

to make a mark in any field but it is well worth 

the effort.” 

Al Adil is listed in the Limca and Guinness 

Book of Records for its midair Silver Jubilee 

event, when the company celebrated 25 years 

uniquely on board a Royal Jet Airways Boeing 

737. On 22nd March 2009, Dr. Datar with his 

wife Vandana and close business associates 

took off for the grand occasion held at 40,000 

ft above sea level. Datar gifted his wife, a 

bespoke edition customized Rolls Royce, at a 

cost of Rupees 8 crores (approximately USD 

Dr. Dhananjay Datar and wife Vandana with bevy of awards 

in the background 

2 million). “There are only 17 such Phantom 

editions in the last 105 years and this is the 

18th special edition, the first Rolls Royce 

Phantom in Dubai,” says Datar. 

Bandana Jain is a freelance writer 

based in Dubai, covering art, travel, health, 

education, lifestyle and personalities. 

Are you looking for your life partner? 

Tired of looking in the wrong places? 

Not happy with parental coercion? 

Skeptical about what the stars foretell? 

COMING SOON! 


38 

Gulf Hotel Happenings 

Clients to entertain? Want to make that business trip more interesting? 

TII keeps you up to date on what’s happening at the region’s best hotels. 

The Address 

Montgomerie Dubai 

Tantalising Theme Nights 

Sunday Roast Every Sunday 

If you fancy an evening of live 

sports, delectable cuisine and fun 

times with friends then head over to 

Links for any of the themed nights. 

From 6pm to 10.30pm 

From AED 75 

Bavette Night Every Monday 

Discover true French indulgence 

every Monday evening with the full 

flavor of Bavette beef-steak at Links. 

From 7pm 

From AED 130 including a glass of 

selected house beverage 

Links at The Address Montgomerie 

Dubai 

For reservations call: +971 4 390 

5600 

Afternoon Tea 

Spend a relaxing and enjoyable 

afternoon as you sip on a leisurely 

cup of tea and gaze out at the 

greenery of the golf course. Choose 

from a selection of tea, freshly 

baked, mouth-watering scones 

with Devonshire farmhouse clotted 

cream, to delicate finger sandwiches, 

pastries and sweet culinary delights. 

Sunday to Thursday, 1pm to 5.30pm 

AED 60 for cream tea 

AED 99 for light tea 

AED 155 for full tea 

Nineteen at The Address 

Montgomerie Dubai 


5600 

Park Hyatt 

Dubai 

Café Arabesque 

Friday Family Lunch and Buffet Nights 

Discover the flavours of the Levant 

region – Jordan, Syria and Lebanon 

– with an array of authentic Arab 

cuisine created specially for Café 

Arabesque’s Friday Family Lunch 

(12:30pm to 4pm) and the “Buffet 

Nights” every Thursday and Friday 

evening from 6pm, priced at 

AED150 per person including a 

selection of juices. Children under 

12 enjoy a 50% discount. 

For more information or to make a 

reservation, please call 04 317 2222. 

Masterclasses at the Park 

The chef de cuisine at The Thai 

Kitchen, Chef Supattra Boonsrang, 

looks forward to holding masterclasses, 

ideal as birthday or 

anniversary presents, or as gifts for 

food enthusiasts. 

Price for each master-class starts 

from AED350 per person, and 

includes lunch or early dinner 

(prepared by the class) and nonalcoholic 

beverages. Masterclasses 

that also include a glass 

of champagne from AED525 per 

person. 

For more information or to make a 

reservation call: +971 4 602 1804 or 

e-mail jeanette.bulaqui@hyatt.com. 

Le Méridien 

Dubai 

The BIG FAT Dubliner’s Brunch! 

Savour the legendary Irish brunch 

every Friday at The Dubliner’s. 

Freshly baked breads, an extensive 

cold buffet and an à la carte main. 

Complete this scrumptious brunch 

with beverages of your choice. 

If food is not on your agenda, enjoy 

‘Buy 2 get 1 free’ drinks from 12 

noon to 6pm. 

Live entertainment by Pat & Rino 

from 1pm to 5pm. 

AED 69 nett per person inclusive 

of unlimited hot beverages, two 

alcoholic or non-alcoholic beverages 

Children : AED 49 (6-12 years old) 

Every Friday 1pm to 4pm 

Something Fishy 

Nov 1-30, 2012 (Except Fridays) 

Special dishes: FISH VARIETY 

Special Menu: Existing Fish ‘n 

Chips Menu 

Beverage: Selected A&E draught 

beers 

AED 75 nett inclusive of 1 Fish n’ 

Chips item and two selected beers 

or two glasses of house wine. 

Daily from 12 noon to 11:45pm 

except Fridays. 

For reservations call 

+971 (4) 702 2455 

www.dubliners-dubai.com 


Dubai Marriott 

Harbor Hotel & Suites 

Dubai Marriott Harbour Hotel & 

Suites marks its 5th birthday with a 

two month celebration. 

From the introduction of 30 minute 

express spa treatments for AED 55, 

to a new bubbly brunch option 

for AED 350 and a steak lover’s set 

menu at The Observatory, to early 

evening dining offers at AZ.U.R 

international restaurant, the hotels’ 

birthday is one that everyone can 

celebrate. 

The famed restaurant, The 

Observatory located on the 52nd 

floor offers magnificent panoramic 

views across Dubai Marina and Palm 

Jumeirah. 

Treat yourself to the Arabian themed 

Saray Spa, a tranquil haven where 

you can experience restoration 

through rituals that have stood the 

test of time. Every day of the week 

starting from AED 55, the Express 

Treatment Menu at Saray Spa 

promises timeless spa experiences in 

just 30 minutes. 

To book, call: +971 4 319 

4000 or visit restaurants. 

dubaimarriottharbourhotel.com 

Shangri-La Hotel 

Dubai 

Dunes Café 

Asian Brunchini 

Enjoy the sights and aromas of 

authentic Asian cuisine. Sample 

dishes from Indonesia, Thailand, 

China, Vietnam and India at Dunes 

Café every Friday from 11:30 until 

16:00 hrs. Brunch is priced at AED 

330 per person and includes a 

selection of specially created Asian 

house beverages. 

Thanksgiving Dinner 

Join us on 23rd November 

to celebrate the occasion of 

Thanksgiving. Feast on traditional 

stuffed turkey and pumpkin, all 

American accompaniments and 

special desserts. Make a reservation 

for eight people or more and 

receive a whole turkey with all the 

trimmings on your table. 

Priced at AED 295 per person 

including house beverages or AED 

210 per person excluding beverages 

for dinner only. 

Amwaj 

Weekend Tapas Bar 

Every Thursday and Friday, enjoy 

a selection of six tapas, including 

oysters and a glass of sparkling wine 

for 

AED 99 per person. A perfect 

evening to catch up with friends. 

For reservations call 

+971 4 343 8888 

www.shangri-la.com 

Dusit Residence 

Dubai Marina 

Dusit Residence Dubai Marina’s 

Thai and Arabic set menus 

combine unbeatable value with 

great flavours 

“Khan Tok” and “Saniya” meal deals 

overlooking the Marina 

are available for lunch and dinner 

Two new great-value meal deals 

from the exclusive Dusit Residence 

The Thai Set Menu at the hotel’s 

elegant main eatery, 32 Marina 

Street Kitchen, comprises a range 

of nine succulent dishes from the 

sophisticated repertoire of Thai 

cuisine, all for the princely sum of 

AED 55 including tax and service 

charge! 

For those in search of spectacular 

Arabic food to share, the hotel’s 

unbeatable ‘Al Saniya’ (‘tray’) 

promotion aimed at couples and 

groups boasts amazing prices 

starting at just AED 130 for two 

people or AED 180 for four. The 

generously-sized Saniya set menus 

combine a wide range of enticing 

hot and cold Arabic mezzeh starters 

with a choice of delicious main 

courses comprising either mixed-grill 

(hammour, shish taouk, lamb kofta 

and lamb chops) or grilled seafood 

(hammour, shrimps and fried or 

grilled calamari). Again available at 

both lunch and dinner. 


9999 

www.dusit.com 


40 

Kerala 

Ground Realities 

in God’s Own Country 

If a homeowner or employer in Kerala refuses to pay 

exorbitant rates for unloading cargo, the wily labourers will 

usually back off and wait for the unloading to finish. Once 

the cargo is unloaded they will demand a huge amount 

of money as “nokkukooli” which, roughly translated into 

English, means “watching wages” - a totally indigenous 

concept developed in Kerala, good enough to be patented. 

Around 30 million people constitue 

the population of Kerala, of which 

around two million or so live abroad. 

They come home once a year to 

By: TVG Menon make sure that their roots are still 

firmly rooted in the land of their birth. However, 

when the chips are down, most would still be 

harbouring a strong desire to return home and 

set up ‘shop’, prior to proceeding heavenwards. 

Sadly, having lived abroad for long, they are 

totally divorced from the realities of life in Kerala, 

menacingly obvious only after the plane ‘thuds’ 

down on the tarmac! 

And the picture they get ‘ain’t no good’... 

Kerala has more than 90% literacy, 

abundant natural resources, India’s lowest 

infant mortality , a lower birth rate and longer 

life expectancy than the national averages and 

the lowest school-dropouts. By and large, daily 

life is also fairly peaceful. The male-female ratio 

being loaded in favour of the fairer sex, Kerala 

has more women than men. By and large the 

women folk provide the much-needed anchor 

for family life. Incidentally it is also claimed 

that they live longer than their men, thereby 

perhaps dashing all the latter’s 

hopes of inheriting the ‘family 

goodies.’ 

With all these favourable 

factors in the kitty, its economy, 

albeit remittance-based, is still 

in a shambles. And one need not 

look far to discover some of the 

reasons. 

The average working class 

Malayali tends to be lazy as 

long as he remains within the 

confines of his state. However, 

he is amazingly transformed and 

becomes hard- working once he 

leaves Kerala’s shores. 

Able-bodied men can be seen 

sitting around in coloured shirts playing some 

poker-like games at all strategic street corners 

in cities and suburbs. They are the so-called 

‘head-load workers’ who make a living out of 

unloading goods from carriers in industrial and 

domestic neighbourhoods. 

The labour force in Kerala, by and large 

militant, refuses to allow owners to unload any 

material themselves, claiming it is their right 

alone. They charge exorbitant rates, depending 

upon their whims and fancies and create hell if 

you refuse. 

If the owner is tough and stands his 

ground they usually back off and wait for the 

unloading to finish. Once the work is finished 

they move in and demand a huge amount as 

“nokkukooli” which , roughly translated into 

English, means “watching wages” - a totally 

indigenous concept developed in Kerala, good 

enough to be patented! 

And most of that easy money that they 

rake in all goes into the kitties of liquour 

shops at the end of the day. Most men don’t 

report for work on Mondays, having hit the 

bottle hard on the week-end. Families are 

impoverished in many cases and suicides are 

not uncommon among lower class households. 

Many industries have bitten the dust 

due to this one trait of the unions. One can 

readily recall the cases of the Nokia and 

BMW initiatives some years ago to start 

manufacturing bases here. Thanks to the 

“watchers” and other similar debilitating labour 

tactics they ultimately pulled out of the state 

and thrive in neighbouring Tamil Nadu. 

Of late, the law and order problems 

have also started to contribute their mite to 

this “cauldron of conflicts”. In most cases 

youngsters are involved. Jobless and drughungry 

, they even attack old women and 

house-wives after breaking into households at 

night. Because of such happenings, there is a 

general fear that it is not quite safe for women 

to venture out into the city streets alone at 

night. 

When it comes to corruption, Kerala’s 

‘babu-log’ in government departments are a 

breed apart. They treat people who approach 

them with utter scorn, many do not even 

bother to respond when spoken to. They have 

institutionalised the fine art of accepting bribes 

without getting caught and elevated bribetaking 

to unimagined levels. 

The highly literate, middle class Malayali 

is ultra conscious of his rights, forgetting that 

‘Right’ goes hand in hand with ‘Responsibility.’ 

Political killings are a new brand of crime 

in Kerala to hit the headlines in a big way 

recently. 

There is always some opposition to 

any private or public initiative, and many 

development projects get hamstrung as a 

result. For anything and everything one group 

or another regularly declares a ‘hartal’. In 2006 

alone, there were reportedly as many as 226 

hartals, which gobbled up a cool 2,000 crores 

of public money. 

‘‘ 

When it 

comes 

to corruption, 

Kerala’s 

‘babu-log’ 

in governmentdepartments 

are 

a breed 

apart. 

They treat 

people 

who approach 

them 

with utter 

scorn, 

many do 

not even 

bother to 

respond 

when ‘‘ spoken 

to. 


42 

Kerala 

TII Hall Of Fame 

I 

started doing yoga to 

cure myself of asthma 

and later became an 

instructor. Overnight 

my classes became 

popular and one fine day I 

found Mrs. Indira Gandhi’s 

entourage outside my door. 

Indian royalty such as the 

Maharani of Jaipur, Kashmir 

and others, soon followed. 

After 10 years in Delhi I moved to Bombay to run 

a beauty salon and had film stars as clients. After 

retirement I started my own beauty and fitness 

centre in 1987. Now it was models and aspiring 

beauty queens. Girls like Mukta Yukhi, Sushmita 

Sen, Rani Jeyraj who went on to win Miss India or 

Miss World crowns, all passed through my hands. 

These days my clients include members of our big 

business houses. 

Things have changed a lot over the years. 

When I started, the desire for fitness was a rare 

thing. It has become very popular now, but it is 

still a drop in the ocean. I don’t think the world 

Agriculture is also in the doldrums for 

various reasons, primarily labour militancy, 

making the state dependent on its neighbours 

for all food items. Thus, any natural calamitiy 

in neighbouring states like floods, etc., force 

Keralites to tighten their belts and starve! 

Kerala may look like ‘God’s Own 

Country’ but the initial attraction wears off 

gradually once you start living here. If you 

want to come to Kerala to settle down, forget 

your foreign lifestyle and be prepared to 

adapt - in Rome you must do as the Romans 

do. 

TVG Menon is TII’s cartoonist based in Kerala 

One fine day I found Mrs. Indira Gandhi’s 

entourage outside my door 

is becoming health concious. People continue 

to drink, smoke and even take drugs. Eating has 

become a form of sickness. People eat but have 

no time for exercise. They don’t watch their diet 

even when in sick in a hospital. Such a pity! Now 

my mission is to teach people how to exercise and 

live, but it’s like breaking my head against a wall. 

The ageing process has not affected me. 

My organs are in excellent shape but I can’t say 

the same about my bones. Till the age of 68, I 

was taking two classes everyday, each lasting 45 

minutes plus stretch ups. I was doing jumping 

aerobics for 40 minutes a day, which was not 

right for my age. There are people that are stupid 

enough not to exercise at all and then there are 

those who over-exercise. I must be in the latter 

category (laughs). 

Ramma Bans, pioneering fitness expert, 

born Patiala, Punjab, 1923 

TII’s Hall of Fame features India’s elderly, great, 

interesting and unusual men and women. 

Excerpted from the book ‘Ageless Mind and Spirit’ 

by Samar and Vijay Jodha 

www.agelessmindandspirit.com 


44 

Theatre 

Theatre is alive 

in Hyderabad 

The expanding vistas of the hi-tech city of Cyberabad have 

helped the cause of theatre and art. Besides all the facilities 

for software companies, a number of auditoria and open 

spaces have opened, encouraging many young drama groups 

to step up centre stage. There is a surge — a huge theatre 

wave is on! 

By: Shyamola Khanna 

Mounting audience interest: Dramanon (Dramatist Anonymous) 

When I got married and came 

to Hyderabad at the end of 

’73, Babban Khan’s huge 

Hyderabadi comedy, Adrak 

Ke Panje was filling up the 

Ravindra Bharati for days on end. You could not 

get tickets for the show unless you booked at 

least two weeks in advance. That was my first 

taste of the Hyderabadi language and I had 

to ask my husband to explain things. Coming 

from the Hindi heartland, with convent school 

sensibilities, tempered by my Bong upbringing, 

quite simply—it went over my head! 

Babban Khan went on to set a world record 

for this family show—worldwide he did some 

33,000 shows. 

In the ‘good old days’ , the twin cities 

of Hyderabad and Secunderabad had an 

almost equal distribution of auditoria for 

the performing arts. Hyderabad has had the 

Ravindra Bharati—the iconic auditorium and 

art gallery rolled into one for many decades. 

Secunderabad has the Hari Har Kala Bhavan 

which was an auditorium, but now seems to be 

defunct. For many years these two places used 

to be the hub for all performing arts—dance 

drama or art exhibitions. Like a lot of other 

things quasi government, they have fallen into 

a state of dis-repair. Peeling paint and dirty scum 

covered facades greet the stray visitor and the 

whole place reeks of gross neglect. 

But then the expanding vistas of the hi-tech 

city of Cyberabad have helped the cause of 

theatre and art. Besides all the facilities for the 

software companies, a number of auditoria and 

open spaces have opened, encouraging many 

young groups to come forward and step up 

centre stage. And there is a surge--- a huge 

theatre wave is on! 

NEWBIES 

A large number of young theatre groups 

have come up in Hyderabad. In fact, a group 

has come in from Bangalore also to cash in on 

this riveting attention on theatre and mounting 

audience interest. Dramanon ( acronym for 

Dramatist Anonymous) is the brain child of 


Ramakrishna Shenoy who started this group 

in Bangalore and moved to Hyderabad in July 

2007, where he put together a Hyderabad 

branch. By October of that year he had put up 

his first show, which was not a great success 

because “it was a complex play with first 

timers enacting an Indianised version of William 

Vaishali Bisht is a graduate of drama and theatre from Kent 

University in Canterbury. She specializes in doing workshops 

for kids especially in the summer holidays. 

Seebring’s ‘The Original Last Wish Baby’ with 

one narrator and five actors playing 40 roles!” 

Some of the people who are now heading 

these newer groups come from a background 

of theatre with official recognized degrees 

from foreign universities. 

Seema Azharuddin of Kartal Productions has 

done a Master’s in Theatre from Columbia 

University (USA) along with her management 

studies. But she says, “ the degree was more 

than 30 years ago and does not matter. I cannot 

apply the learnings to our present times.” 

She always wanted to be an actor. She is 

the only Indian theatre director/actor who has 

been invited to perform ‘Who’s Afraid of Virginia 

Woolf? ‘on Broadway. She wears a number of 

hats—film producer, stage actor, director. In fact 

she was meeting the press for the release of her 

new Telegu movie, ‘April Fool,’ shortly. 

Seema was born in Hyderabad but was 

away for a little more than 30 years. When 

she returned to India in 2007, she was 

quite determined to carve her own niche 

in Hyderabadi theatre. In 2010 she started 

her production house and within three 

years she has one docu-drama ‘Ammulu’, 

one international theatre production, ‘Who’s 

Afraid Of Virginia Woolf?’ and one Telegu film, 

‘April Fool,’ under her belt. Her next magnum 

opus , scheduled for July 2013 is ‘Devdas’ 

at Chowmohalla with Madhuri Dixit and her 

dance troupe! 

Vaishali Bisht is a graduate of drama and 

theatre from Kent University in Canterbury. 

She has been in Hyderabad since ‘97 after 

she graduated. Vaishali specializes in doing 

workshops for kids especially in the summer 

holidays. She can get the most recalcitrant 

child to open up and speak for her. Parents 

love that. She is organizing the Hyderabad 

Children’s Theatre Festival , with three groups 

participating from across the country on the 

5th, 6th and 7 th of November, 2012. 

Vaishali says, “The benefits of theatre 

during formative years are well documented 

by various practitioners. With a long term goal 

of cultivating future audiences with a refined 

palate for the art of theatre, I have chosen to 

work with kids and also co-founded (along with 

my partners Priyankaa Vir & Deepthi Pendurty) 

the Hyderabad Children’s Theatre Festival (our 

city’s first such event for kids) which is now 

in its third, successful year - bringing quality 

theatre to the children of Hyderabad. 

“I do not have children of my own, but 

working with kids is one of my strengths,” she 

says. Vaishali is of the firm opinion that theatre 

is an activity that comes naturally to children, 

Torn Curtains: one of Hyderabad’s earliest English theatre groups 

who are constantly engaged in make believe 

play. The benefits in terms of mental growth 

are invaluable and theatre is perhaps the best 

known ‘teacher’ for both kids and adults. 

A MULTI TASKER! 

Like in everything arty, people jumped 

onto the bandwagon of theatre purely with a 

‘‘ The 

benefits 

of Theatre 

during 

formative 

years are 

well documented 

by various 

practitioners 

and with a 

long term 

view to 

cultivating 

future 

audiences 

with a 

refined 

palate for 

the art of 

theatre, 

I have 

chosen to 

work with 

kids .” 

‘‘ 


‘‘ Theatre in 

Hyderabad 

used to be 

limited to 

October 

and 

February 

but now 

stage 

performances 

carry on 

throughout 

the 

year. 

There are 

at least 

15 theatre 

groups 

alive and 

kicking in 

this multicultural 

city. 

46 

Theatre 

‘‘ 

passion-for story-telling as if it were alive, for 

the love of acting, for the excitement of being 

different people at different times. There was 

no school for drama and therefore learning 

became a hands on kind of job. When you 

joined a theatre 

group you learnt 

everything you 

could, right from 

making chai, 

to becoming a 

director’s assistant, 

to printing and 

selling tickets, to 

being an usher 

Vinay Verma or a-behind-thescenes 

guy! 

Mala Pasha who heads Torn Curtains 

comes from such a background. Torn Curtains 

is one of the earliest English theatre groups 

of Hyderabad. Back in the early 70’s the 

only other group was the Dramatic Circle of 

Hyderabad which put up an English play once 

a year. Both the groups did adaptations of the 

pre-war British classics- all kinds of murders, 

mysteries and comedies. Although it was 

theatre in India, it was definitely ‘foreign’ in 

ambience, accent and attitudes! 

Now, Mala has made a conscious effort to 

adapt her stories to the Indian scenario, hence 

the success of her latest offering: Lee Mueller’s 

iconic English play ‘Murder Me Always’ at the 

Secunderbad Club. The audience enjoyed 

every bit of the performance mainly because 

they could relate to the Indianised scenario, 

the Indian names and nuances. The tickets 

were sold out in the first few hours. Of course 

the language remains English — the way it 

is spoken in India, minus any fake or local 

accents! 

The History of Theatre in Hyderabad 

Many decades before independence , the 

Parsi Theatre Group produced many Urdu 

plays written by Agha Hashr Kashmiri. Some 

Marathi and Telugu associations were staging 

plays in languages other than Hindustani. The 

Dramatic Circle of Hyderabad(DCH) was started 

by Minoo Chenoy in the early 70’s and later 

taken over by Pranava Singhal. Theirs was the 

first attempt at amateur English theatre in 

Hyderabad. Although theatre in Urdu and 

Hindustani already had a more established 

presence in Hyderabad for a long time. 

In 1970, Qadir Ali Baig started The New 

Theatre of Hyderabad and produced and 

directed short plays for the benefit of his 

friends. They were staging plays almost every 

month to the delight of theatre lovers in 

Hyderabad. 

Around the same time Sutradhar came into 

effect with Bhaskar Shewalkar, the eminent 

playwright who continues to experiment 

with new thoughts and ideas in Hindi and 

Hyderabadi. Vinay Verma who is a very keen 

stage and cinema artist is the dynamic energy 

that has brought Sutradhar almost centre 

stage to Hindi theatre in Hyderabad. His ‘Main 

Rahi Masoom’, a monologue on the life and 

times of the well known Hyderabadi poet, 

Rahi Masoom Raza, has been making waves 

across the country. 

Sutradhar: almost centre stage to Hindi theatre in Hyderabad 

His ‘Biryani Aur Haleem,’ which is a comedy 

based on Hugh Chesterman’s ‘The Pie And The 

Tart’ has Hyderabadi nuances down to a fine 

art and locals love the performance. When you 

understand the typical Hyderabadi lingo, you 

really enjoy the satire and wit! 

Theatre festivals in Hyderabad used to 

be limited to October and February. But now 

we have stage performances throughout the 

year. Even as I write this I am told there are at 

least 15 theatre groups alive and kicking in this 

multicultural city. 

Shyamola Khanna is a freelance writer 

based in Hyderabad 


50 

Diaspora 

Indians In 

Sri Lanka 

are home away from home 

Sri Lanka has been a home for Indians for many centuries. The 

first arrivals were Sinhalese, followed by Tamils. Their lifestyle and 

culture is steeped deeply in Indian traditions, writes SHAMLAL 

PURI who was recently in Colombo. 

By: Shamlal Puri in Colombo 

SRI Lanka is a unique country with a 

huge population of Indian origin. 

In fact, Indians have lived in Sri 

Lanka from time immemorial. Apart 

from the Tamil population, which 

arrived much later, the Sinhalese also have Indian 

blood. Today the Sinhalese form the majority of 

Sarees galore, colourful display of the Indian national attire, in 

the business district of Colombo. 

the island’s population. 

Sinhalese are the descendents of the exiled 

Prince Vijaya and his party of 700 followers who 

arrived on the island in 543 BC. Vijaya and his 

followers were said to have arrived in Sri Lanka 

after being exiled from Sinhapura City, in Kalinga 

– the modern day Indian state of Orissa. 

Sinhalese mainly follow Buddhism, said to 

have been introduced to them from India by 

Mahinda, son of the Mauryan Emperor Ashoka in 

the 3 rd Century BC. 

They speak Sinhala, an Indo-Aryan language, 

brought to Sri Lanka by north-east Indians, who 

settled here in the 6 th Century BC. 

Interestingly enough, genetic studies suggest 

Sinhalese have predominantly Bengali, Tamil, 

Keralite and North-West Indian blood. 

Sri Lanka is a truly multicultural island. This 

is clearly noticeable with the preservation and 

respect for each religion and ethnicity. 

With a population of 20 million, the ethnic 

division is Sinhalese 73.5 percent, Tamil 18.5 

percent, Muslims 7 percent, Burgher (local and 

Portuguese blood), Malay, and Vedda 1 percent. 

Sinhala is the official and national language 

followed by Tamil. English is commonly used in 

government and spoken competently by about 

ten percent of people. 

Sri Lanka’s second largest population are 

Tamils. Before the 1983 political upheavals, 

there were 1.2 million Tamils living in Sri Lanka 

but over the years their numbers have 

been decimated by the vast number of 

deaths in the violent civil war and mass 

emigration. Some 400,000 Tamils fled 

Sri Lanka and sought political asylum 

in Canada, UK, Italy and Australia. 

Tamils first arrived in Sri Lanka in 

the 19 th century where they were sent 

from India to work as labourers on 

coffee, tea and rubber plantations. 

They are popularly known as upcountry 

Tamils. In the 20 th century 

many Tamils migrated on as merchants 

and service providers. 

The term Hill Country Tamils 

originated from a British colonial era project. 

According to Prof. Bertram Bastianpillai, the 

workers were drawn largely from the Tamil 

Nadu cities of Madurai, Tanjore, Thirunelveli 

and Tiruchi. They were recruited from 1827 

onwards by Governor Sir Edward Barnes at the 

request of George Bird, a pioneering planter. 

Travelling by boat from South India, 

they landed at the Sri Lankan port of Manar, 

from where they were sent to Matale and 

Young school boys pose for a photograph at a temple in Kandy 

then to Kandy to work on estates. They were 

instrumental to the success of Sri Lanka’s tea, 

rubber, coffee and coconut plantations. The 

plantations represent the island’s South Indian 

rural social structure. 

There is also a trading community of 

Tamils who were not part of the plantation 

economy but over the years have built strong 

foundations in the commercial sector. 

A majority of them live in the central 

highlands while others settled in areas around 

Jaffna in the Northern Province. Although, 

referred to as Tamils, some have Telugu and 

Indian investments. Vivanta by Taj in Bentota Beach, south west Sri Lanka, 

is part of Taj Hotels chain. It has three hotels on the island. 

Malayalee origins. They belong to diverse 

South Indian castes. 

They have been successful in the plantation 

sector of the Sri Lankan economy. Though in 

1974, some 500,000 Tamils were repatriated to 

India, some 375,000 chose to remain and were 

granted Sri Lankan citizenship. Today, there 

are an estimated 200,000 Tamil Sri Lankan 

refugees living in India – mostly in Tamil Nadu 

and Delhi. 

The numbers of Tamils returning to Sri 

Lanka have been increasing of late by those 

who are returning to the now peaceful island 

after spending many years abroad. It’s the 

nostalgia and family ties that are drawing them 

back. 

With the money earned abroad, many 

Tamils have invested in property in places like 

Colombo, Kandy, and Jaffna. Some Tamils have 

established businesses in Colombo, enjoying 

the benefits of income in their land of birth and 

in their country of adoption in the West. 

Most Tamils are Hindus. Their daily lives 

are guided by Hindu beliefs. There are many 

temples throughout Sri Lanka. They have 

strong beliefs in Hindu deities such as Vishnu, 

Saraswati, Valli, Pillayer, Laxmi, Siva, Parvathi, 

Murugan and Mariamman. 

In 1820, the first known Hindu temple 

devoted to Goddess Mariamman was 

built in Matale as a stone icon devoted to 

Goddess Mariamman. The famous Matale Sri 

Muthumariamman Temple was built in 1852. 

‘‘ Interestingly 

enough, 

genetic 

studies 

suggest 

Sinhalese 

have 

predominantly 

Bengali, 

Tamil, 

Keralite 

and North- 

West 


blood. 

‘‘ 


52 

Diaspora 

This was followed by the construction of 

Kathiresan temple to worship Murugan. 

Diwali, Pongal and the Tamil New Year are 

commonly celebrated as festivals. 

In one region – Kandy – there are 153 

registered Hindu temples, followed by 104 in 

Nuwara Eliya district and 62 in Matale. These 

are the strongholds of the Tamil community. 

Colombo boasts several temples, churches 

and mosques. 

Most of the Buddhist temples were built 

in the 19th Tamil tea pickers at Garegama Tea Plantation 

and Factory hard at work. 

Century. I found the Gangaramaya 

temple, near the Beira Lake, most attractive 

followed by Vajiraramaya in Bambalapitya and 

Gothami Viharaya at Borella. 

There are several Hindu temples too. The 

oldest in Colombo is Sri Kailawasanathar Swami 

Devasthanam which has shrines dedicated to 

Ganesha and Shiva. In the Pettah suburb, there 

is the New Kathiresan and the Old Kathiresan 

temples – both dedicated to the war God 

Skanda. 

Some Tamils have converted to Christianity 

and Islam. They have their own identity and 

beliefs. 

After living amicably for many years deep 

divisions erupted between the Sinhalese and 

Tamils leading to a 30 year civil war. Tamils 

were involved in a secessionist movement to 

carve out the Tamil-dominated parts of the 

island as a separate Tamil State called Eelam. 

Its national leader was Velupillai Prabhakaran, a 

clever military strategist, who led a strong team 

of Tamil secessionists. 

The terrorist organization began in 1970 

as a student protest movement over the 

limited university access for Tamil students. 

It then launched itself as a force to establish 

Tamil Eelam. Employing guerrilla strategy and 

terrorism it targeted key government and 

military personnel. 

The Sri Lankan army retaliated and 

the movement was put down after the 

assassination of their leader Velupillai 

Prabhakaran on 18 May 2009. During the 

prolonged war, parts of Sri Lanka had become 

no-go areas. Today, however, peace has 

returned to Sri Lanka and the country is open 

for travel anywhere on the island. 

There is a strong Indian presence in Sri 

Lanka – both in the form of expatriates and 

companies. The transport sector is dominated 

by Indian trucks from Lanka Ashok Leyland 

and Tata. The famed tuk-tuks or autos also 

come from Indian sources like Bajaj. And, the 

airwaves are dominated by the likes of Airtel. 

The hospitality industry also has a strong 

Indian presence with the likes of Taj Hotels 

doing thriving business in Colombo and the 

Coconut seller Sreedharan, a young Tamil from Dehiwala, 

sells coconuts from the back of his truck. He hopes to own his 

own shop one day. 

beaches that attract thousands of tourists from 

the West. Taj Samudra and Vivanta at Taj are 

some famous brand names that attract a loyal 

clientele. 

There is also a thriving trade between 

the two countries, with Indian products 

dominating the shelves of supermarkets, 

pharmacies and even corner shops. 

Plans are also in the pipeline for the Indian 

Railway consultancies to build a modern rail 

link between Colombo and other cities on the 

island. 

In modern day Sri Lanka, Tamils are allowed 

to move around freely and set up businesses 

wherever they wish. 

I was in the Wellawata area of South 

Colombo, a bustling part of this city, with a 

‘‘ Some 

Tamils 

have 

converted 

to Christianity 

and Islam. 

They have 

their own ‘‘ identity 

and 

beliefs. 

majority of Tamils of Indian descent living and 

owning businesses here. I came across many 

successful businessmen who have set up shop 

and are thriving. They are often nostalgic for 

their Indian roots as the names of their shops 

illustrate – Bombay Sweets, Chennai Silks, 

Gandhi Restaurant, Kamsins, Sona Mandir, Pallu, 

Aashkii, Ayathi, Saree Studio and Mathura. 

Colombo is also a foodie’s delight. There is 

a wide choice of restaurants including Indian, 

sea food, Chinese, Continental, Sri Lankan, 

Italian, Thai, Japanese, German, Korean and 

Arabic. 

Notable Indian restaurants include Agra, 

Amaravathi, Amrith, Bollywood Express, 

Chutneys, Curry Leaves, Flavours, Mango Tree, 

Mathura, Navratna, Navyug, Shanmuga’s. 

Spice Coast and Tandoor. They offer mainly 

South Indian menus, but also lately, North 

Indian cuisine. 

Widely available Sri Lankan food is tasty 

but very salty and spicy. Fish is a staple – Sri 

Lankans eat plenty of it. I tried their Lamprais 

– a Sri Lankan variety of a Dutch dish of rice, 

chicken, fish, meat, vegetables and a boiled 

egg, wrapped and baked in a banana leaf and 

loved it. 

Food from Jaffna is also very tasty – it has 

a lot of Indian Tamil influence. Dishes include 

Daal, Chicken Kulambu, Jaffna Crab Curry, 

Vadai Kesari and Odiyal Kool (special Jaffna ice 

cream). 

Arusuvai traditional Jaffna dishes are infused 

with aromatic spices and have an Indian touch. 

Tamils love their dosas, along with the typical 

A Tamil lady stands by her fruit stall near Jaffna 

northern dinner pittu. Also very popular are 

exotic northern sea food curries made out of 

specially made traditional Jaffna curry powder 

Indian sweets are very popular among Tamils and Sinhalese 

with a sweet tooth. In our picture Bhaskaran, a young Tamil, 

keeps a watch over his shop in Colombo. 

liven up such dishes as shrimps, fish and prawns. 

There are many prominent Sri Lankan 

Tamils but the name of cricketer Muthiah 

Muralidaran comes to the top. The Sri Lankan 

international spin bowler is a world record 

holder for most wickets taken in Test cricket. 

The forthcoming generations of Tamil 

settlers will continue to make this Pearl of the 

Indian Ocean their home. 

There are more than 5,000 Indian 

expatriates living and working in Sri Lanka – 

a majority of them are employed by Indian 

companies operating on the island. Others are 

involved in the hospitality, IT, consulting and 

construction industries. 

Together, they form a thriving Indian 

community. 

Shamlal Puri is a veteran British journalist, 

broadcaster, author and press photographer. He has 

worked with the media in Europe, Africa, Asia and 

the Middle East. His novels ‘Dubai on Wheels: The 

Slippery Road to Success’ and ‘Triangle of Terror’ 

(Diamond Books) are acclaimed bestsellers. His next 

novel ‘The Illegals’ (Crownbird Publishers) will be 

published next year. 

He has travelled to more than 100 countries in an 

illustrious journalistic career spanning 30 years. His 

work has been published in more than 250 magazines, 

newspapers and journals around the world. 

Photo courtesy by: Shamlal Puri 

‘‘ 

In modern 

day Sri 

Lanka, 

Tamils are 

allowed 

to move 

around 

freely 

and set 

up businesses 

wherever 

they wish. 

‘‘ 


54 

Movies 

Understanding 

“English Vinglish” 

The Gauri Shinde-directed Sridevi starrer, ‘English Vinglish’ will 

resonate with women, especially mothers. In one deft stroke, Shinde 

has managed to capture not only the humiliations of a neglected 

mother and wife who doesn’t speak English, but also that of a 

whole lot of people of all races who are wrestling with their lack 

of English-speaking skills and could include Indian mothers, who 

speak perfect English, both homemakers and career women. 

By: Melanie Kumar 

Shashi Godbole the Maharashtrian housewife and her husband in 

‘English Vinglish’ 

I 

guess it takes a woman to understand the 

mind of another, which is why the Gauri 

Shinde-directed Sridevi starrer, ‘English 

Vinglish’ will resonate with women, especially 

mothers. In one deft stroke, Gauri has 

managed to capture not only the humiliations of 

a neglected mother and wife who doesn’t speak 

English, but also that of a whole lot of people of all 

races who are wrestling with their lack of Englishspeaking 

skills and could include Indian mothers, 

who speak perfect English, both homemakers and 

career women. 

From the word go, there is something about, 

‘English Vinglish’, that tugs at the heartstrings 

and makes people identify with Maharashtrian 

homemaker, Shashi Godbole, essayed by Sridevi, to 

the manner born. It is almost as if Sri did not take 

this hiatus from films, as she slips into playing the 

harried mother and wife, in a regular middle-class 

home, where the most understanding that she gets 

is from her mother-in-law (the talented Sulabha 

Deshpande) and her little son, played to perfection 

by child-actor, Shivansh Kotia. The film is nowhere 

in the genre of the blockbusters that Sridevi acted in 

till about 15 years ago, but in the annals of her film 

history, this one will probably go down as the one 

which moved Sridevi from the role of a glamorous 

heroine, to that of a thinking, feeling actor. This 

is not to suggest that Sri looks unglamorous in her 

tastefully chosen saris, worn both in her home in 

India as also on the streets of Manhattan. 

The burgeoning of hundreds of Englishspeaking 

classes across India bear testimony to 

the anxiety of people, wishing to master the 

language perceived as the language of success 

and prosperity. In portraying the dilemmas of 

her protagonist, Shashi, Gauri Shinde succeeds in 

guilt-tripping her audience on one or the other 

account. From those who went to “Convent 

schools,” and made fun of the accents of those 

who were not so fortunate, to children and 

husbands, who have at some point or other, 

failed to understand and acknowledge the 

dreams of their mothers and wives, the film 

has something for all cinema buffs to chew 

upon. But most of all, ‘English Vinglish’ is a 

sad reflection on the pressure on mothers and 

the way that they are treated in India. 

As Sridevi says when she realises that she 

has caught the fancy of soft-spoken French 

cook and fellow classmate, Laurent (Mehdi 

Nebbou) in her English-speaking class, “I am 

not looking for admiration; only respect.” 

A Hollywood version would have resulted in 

an affair between the two, “a brief encounter” 

charged with passion. Gauri steered clear of 

such complications, keeping the sensibilities 

of a middle-class Indian homemaker in mind. 

Retrograde, some might say, or even genderunfriendly, 

as one choice could have been for 

Shashi Godbole to have walked away from 

it all, once she regained her confidence and 

her sense of self-worth, like Nora of Ibsen’s 

‘Doll House’. But Shashi’s sense of duty is 

brought out when she is upset about not being 

there when her little son has a fall, around 

the time that she sneaks away for her English 

Sridevi - typical Indian housewife tames New York 

class in Manhattan. Also, her decision to give 

precedence to her familial responsibilities over 

attending the last few English classes and a 

chance of a certification of her new abilities is 

completely identifiable, as it reflects the most 

generous side of womanhood. This despite 

her NRI niece telling her, “Mausi, you were not 

born to just make laddoos!” 

The film is replete with gems that the 

script-writer slips in gently throughout the 

movie. There is no major clashing of cymbals 

or increased decibels of the musical score when 

the words of wisdom are spoken, and it needs 

a little realisation to understand their depth of 

meaning, both while watching, and in some 

Shashi Godbole and her French admirer - the Indian touch 

cases, when thinking back upon the film. 

Despite having a middle-class 

Maharashtrian homemaker at the centre of 

the action, the director is to be credited in 

bringing in other angles of inclusiveness and 

contributing to the removal of prejudices. 

For instance, the lady at the take-away 

counter in New York, who humiliates Shashi 

and is responsible for her signing up for 

the English class, is not a white racist but 

an impatient Black! Similarly, the English 

teacher, David, is portrayed as gay and when 

he has to face a break-up, it is Sridevi, the 

sensitive Indian homemaker who puts a stop 

to unkind remarks, insisting, “The way the 

heart aches, is the same for all.” Absolutely 

touching and delivered so unselfconsciously 

by a consummate actor, who has indeed come 

of age with her return debut! How the word 

“judgemental” is explained to Shashi by her 

niece is full of meaning, “If I think that because 

somebody is wearing a sari, she is not broadminded, 

I am being judgemental,” is just one 

among the many clever pieces of dialogue. 

Shashi’s twelve-year old daughter is 

anybody’s nightmare of a child, and one 

can only speculate about the insecurity of a 

non-English-speaking mother who does not 

venture to take the girl to task for her awful, 

unbecoming behaviour and words. The 

interaction between the school Principal from 

Kerala, who does not know Hindi and Shashi, 

who does not speak English, is aptly handled. 

For a change, the boot is on the other foot 

and one can see the fluent Hindi-speaking, 

‘‘ Gauri 

Shinde 

succeeds 

in guilttripping 

her 

audience 

on one or 

the other. 

From 

those who 

make fun 

of those 

who speak 

accented 

English to 

children 

and 

husbands, 

who have 

failed 

to show 

understanding 

the film 

has 

something 

for all. 

‘‘ 


56 

Movies 

Shashi, gain in confidence, as she starts to fill 

in the blanks and correct the language of the 

struggling Principal. 

Shashi’s growing self-esteem is also brought 

out beautifully in the 

English class. Shashi 

asks the teacher, if it 

can’t be “the India,” 

why is it “the United 

States of America,” 

she succeeds in 

flummoxing him and 

earning herself kudos 

from her classmates. 

The other English 

learners from various 

countries acquit 

themselves creditably, 

whilst there is an 

entertaining piece of acting from the Tamil 

software engineer, who is determined to “show 

the others in his office what he is capable of, 

after mastering English”. Shashi blossoms in the 

company of her motley bunch of classmates, 

who do not base her value on her knowledge 

of English and offer her fulsome praise for her 

cooking, her intelligence and her generosity of 

spirit, quite unlike her husband who, even whilst 

complimenting her for her laddoo-making skills, 

always ends it with something like, “she was 

born to make laddoos!” 

In contrast is her sister’s family in New 

York, with her niece being her confidante and 

recipient of her secret about joining up for the 

English class.The only puzzling factor is the 

need for secrecy in the midst of a loving family, 

comprising her sister and her two daughters, 

one of whom is to be married soon and for 

whose wedding, Shashi takes the long plane 

ride to New York, followed by her family. The 

journey is made bearable in the company of 

Amitabh Bachchan in a cameo, as Shashi’s 

seat mate. In the brief role assigned to him, 

Amitabh is a riot, regaling Shashi with his Hindi 

version of an English movie that he is watching, 

leaving her in splits! 

Other amusing aspects are at the American 

Consulate for her visa interview. When the Visa 

Officer asks Shashi how she will manage without 

knowing English in the U.S., his Indian colleague 

comes to her rescue with the, “In the same way 

that you are managing without Hindi in India,” 

resulting in the all-important visa stamp on the 

passport! This bit is slightly over the top as 

anybody who has gone through the trauma of 

obtaining a US visa will tell you - only questions 

are asked at the visa 

interview and the 

passport with the visa 

stamp arrives about 

a week later! But, I 

guess one can forgive 

the film’s director, the 

little dramatisation here 

and there. One other 

instance is when Shashi 

sees her husband hug 

a colleague in a public 

space. When asked to 

explain, he says, “It is 

Shashi and her classmates strolling around in New York 

just a hug, a greeting 

to show that you like someone!” In the context 

of India, is it common for a man or a woman to 

hug each other when they are colleagues? But 

even funnier is what Sridevi says, “Oh, when 

you express affection for someone you hug 

them, then how come you don’t hug me?” 

The strange part is that at the airport, when her 

husband does attempt to hug her, she squirms, 

just like any self-conscious Indian wife! 

Shashi’s outing at the end, when she is asked 

to propose a toast to the newly-weds is deftly 

handled. When her husband says, “She does 

not know English,” Shashi stops him and makes 

a halting speech in English, while the guests look 

on, including her English teacher and classmates, 

who are surprise invitees at the wedding. 

Adopting a very natural style, Sridevi 

searches for the words, but manages to get 

the syntax and all the nuances of meaning, 

absolutely right, leaving her husband and 

daughter, squirming and guilty, as she speaks 

about the importance of family as an anchor, 

in the midst of all the travails of the world. But 

throughout the film, it is with her understated 

performance and her unspoken words that 

Sridevi manages to reveal so much about her 

feelings of hurt and betrayal. 

The film is recommended both for Indians 

and the diaspora and though the story is a 

simple one, it will leave one with much to 

ponder upon. 

Melanie Kumar is a freelance writer 

based in Bangalore 

‘‘ 

Shashi’s 

growing 

selfesteem 

is also 

brought 

out 

beautifully 

in the 

English 

class. 

Shashi 

asks the 

teacher, 

if it can’t 

be “the 

India,” 

why is 

it “the 

United 

States of 

America,” 

she asks. 

‘‘ 


58 

Dubai Office: New Century Tower, Opposite Deira City Centre, 8th Floor, Office 807 & 

808, Deira - Dubai. Tel: 800 EXPAT (39728) or (971) 4 2522777 Fax : (+971) 4 2522952 


60 

Leadership 

The question that 

changes everything 

One of the best questions you can ask when 

something negative happens is this: “What does 

this experience make possible?” 

By: Michael Hyatt 

In 2003, I was named President of Thomas 

Nelson. It was an extremely busy time. I made 

some major changes to my executive team and 

had two vacant positions. As a result, I essentially 

had three jobs. 

One morning on my way to work, I grabbed 

my computer case in my right hand, a fresh cup 

of coffee in my left, and headed downstairs to the 

garage to leave to work. Four steps from the bottom, 

I slipped on the carpet. Without a free hand to grab 

the stair-rail, I tumbled forward. The next thing I 

knew, I was flat on my fanny on the landing. 

I wasn’t immediately aware of any pain. However, 

my dress shirt and tie were soaked in coffee. I 

remember thinking, “Shoot! I’m going to have to 

completely change my clothes.” This was particularly 

frustrating, because I was already running late, and I 

had a very busy day ahead of me. 

My wife Gail heard me fall and came running. 

“Are you okay?” she asked as she raced down the 

stairs to help me up. 

“I’m fine,” I assured her. “However, I’m afraid I’ve 

made a mess.” 

“Don’t worry about it,” she offered as she helped 

me up. “I can clean this up while you get changed.” 

But when I put my weight down on my right 

foot, I let out a yelp. “Oh my gosh! I think my ankle 

is sprained.” As it turned out, it was more than 

sprained. It was broken. 

My day was, of course, scuttled. In fact, the 

next ten days were scuttled. I had to have surgery, 

including a plate and six screws to repair the 

damage. In addition, for three months I had to wear 

a therapeutic boot (in lieu of a cast). This couldn’t 

have happened at a worse time. 

At this point, I could have asked myself several 

questions: 

• Why am I so clumsy? • Why did I have both hands 

full? • Why does this have to happen now? • Why 

did I have to be in such a hurry? • What did I do to 

deserve this? 

The problem with these questions is that they are 

completely unproductive and disempowering. 

They are natural, of course, and probably even 

necessary. It’s all part of the process of grieving a 

loss. But ultimately there are better questions. 

One of the best questions you can ask when 

something negative happens is this: 

“What does this experience make possible?” 

Do you see the subtle shift? Suddenly, your 

attention moves from the past—which you can’t do 

a thing about—to the future. 

It is also an acknowledgment that nothing 

happens by chance. Everything has a purpose. Even 

the bad things can have a positive impact, when we 

open our hearts and accept them as ‘part of the plan.’ 

In my particular case, a broken ankle had several 

positive benefits: 

• I couldn’t go to work for a week, so I got some muchneeded 

rest• I had time to set up a new blog and start 

writing on a regular basis • I got to board first when 

flying and usually got an upgrade to first-class—for 

free • I learned first-hand about the challenges you 

face when you are in a wheel-chair or on crutches • I 

was forced to slow down and ‘smell the roses.’ • I saw 

my colleagues take more initiative and gained a new 

appreciation for them. 

• I got to meet several people I would have otherwise 

never met, including an amazing surgeon who gave 

me a whole new perspective on what it means to 

integrate your faith with your profession • I had 

a ready-made conversation starter, when I met 

people I didn’t know. 

The bottom line is this: you can’t always 

choose what happens to you. Accidents and 

tragedies happen. But you can choose how you 

respond to those situations. One of the best ways 

Questions 

45 year old Texas based Titus Mathew left India when 

he was 20. He shares insights on life in America 

Q 

: You left India in 1986 when you were 20, how 

have you changed since you left India? 

A: I’m 45 years old, I spent 20 years in India 

and 25 years in the U.S., so certainly my 

perspective has changed. I came to America 

as a student with just $8 in my pocket. 

Q: What were the challenges you 

remember? 

A: Foreign students were restricted to working 

only on campus in those days. I managed a 

scholarship for the first year but that was it. I 

was in Oral Roberts, a private university, it was 

very expensive. I had to work forty – fifty hours 

a week and attend college full time. 

Q: How did life in America change you? 

A: In India, we were very community oriented and 

suddenly I had to get used to being on my own In 

America. I had to see life in a totally different way, learn 

to make my own personal decisions, so it was a process 

of understanding, learning. 

Q: Any Indian traits that you had to drop? 

A: Yes, I had to learn not to ask personal questions, 

respect people’s privacy, learn to say “thank you” or 

“may I”, “please,” or wait my turn in ‘Q’s’ at a public 

place – little things like that which we don’t take too 

seriously in India. 

Q: Boys and girls interacting - see any difference in the U.S.,? 

A: In India it was even hard to talk to a girl or if you did, 

people had a one track mind about why. In the U.S., 

you would not be misunderstood. American women are 

also very confident and quite astute in dealing with the 

opposite sex. 

Q: What did you notice about Indians in the USA? 

A: Most Indians take much longer to integrate into 

the U.S. society. Even those who come as permanent 

residents to become citizens eventually. They tend to 

stick to their own. 

to begin is to ask yourself the right question. 

Consider a negative situation in your life. 

Ask yourself, “What does this experience make 

possible?“ 

Michael Hyatt is the Chairman of 

Thomas Nelson Publishers | www.michaelhyatt.com 

Titus Mathew with his wife 

Sheba and son Jonathan 

Q: How did you change in this regard? 

A: People ask me if I have experienced racism in America 

and I can honestly say I have not except for some rare 

situations after 9/11. I quickly learned how to mix and 

talk with all kinds of people in America. 

Q: Would you say your growing up in India 

was more beneficial than negative? 

A: It was definitely an advantage, but I am a 

bi-cultural individual now, very comfortable 

in both cultures. I was like that in India too. 

I am from Kerala, but growing up in Gujarat 

we learned to speak fluent Gujarati and I 

intentionally speak it even now with my 

brothers. 

Q: Why do Indians do so well in America? 

A: Indians know the value of opportunities 

in education etc., something many American kids take 

for granted. They don’t understand what a competitive 

society many immigrants come from. Indian Americans 

have the highest per capita income in the U.S., because 

they seize the opportunities available in America and 

leverage their strong educational and work ethic. 

Q: How would you describe your family – typical Indian 

or American family? 

A: I would say we lean more towards being the typical 

American family. If I gave you they keys to our house, 

it would be hard to tell if an Indian lived there. My wife 

was born in the U.S., she understands Malayalam but 

doesn’t speak it that well nor does my son. She cooks 

mainly American dishes, so we go to my in-laws for 

Indian food. 

Q: How often do you go to India,would you return? 

A: I go to India at least once a year, and yes my wife and 

I have discussed the possibility of going back. 

Q: What changes do you see in India now? 

A: Twenty years ago, middle class Indian kids did not 

sound like American kids. Now they have pick up the 

accent from TV. 

Frank Raj is TII’s founder editor & publisher 


62 

Guptara Garmagaram 

How low do you have 

to stoop to maintain 

your honour? 

We may not be guilty of doing the raping or murdering. We 

may not be guilty of actually causing suicides. But we have 

made ourselves guilty of not combating the creation of a 

climate in which such horrible things can not only be done, 

but even celebrated by their perpetrators. 

By: Prabhu Guptara 

‘‘ 

Indian media have recently given much 

coverage to gang rapes, suicides and 

murders for the sake of “honour”. 

We think 

The notion of honour has an 

undoubted place in our culture. We 

of our 

honour our parents, traditionally, by touching 

national their feet. We honour each other by greeting 

defence each other with a namaste (and superiors with 

forces as a pranaam – in the old days, pranaam included 

being there prostrating oneself on the floor – vestiges of 

not only to 

“save” or 

“defend” 

which still survive in the poorest parts of India 

and in our religious traditions). We honour 

people in our communities by giving them 

a shawl or allowing them to wear a turban. 

our country We think of our national defence forces as 

but also being there not only to “save” or “defend” 

to save or 

defend “our 

country’s 

our country but also to save or defend “our 

country’s honour”. The vocabulary, structure 

and tone of our language changes if honour is 

to be indicated (at least in our Arabic, Persian, 

honour”. Turkic, and Sanskrit-based languages, which are 

the only ones with which I am at all familiar). 

We think that certain words or actions “raise 

‘‘ 

one’s head” or “blacken one’s face”. We “give 

face” by comparing someone to the sun or 

moon or stars or a god or goddess. 

Much of this is good, while some is merely 

charming – though it is sad to see both the 

good and the charming disappearing along 

with the bad through the onslaught of 

modernisation. 

That onslaught produces its own reactions. 

Some today are trying to use the notion of 

honour to preserve or even reassert an old 

social order: a gang-rape has little to do 

with sexual pleasure and more to do with 

forcing someone (usually a representative of a 

particular group) to be subservient in the most 

abject and horrible way, just as the custom of 

the village headman “enjoying” every lowercaste 

bride on the first night of her marriage 

had little to do with pleasure and more to do 

with ensuring that the lower castes were kept in 

their place in society. 

Others, to try to preserve the status quo, 

react violently to perceived insults by taking 

offense. Last year, Australian radio host Kyle 

Sandilands drew attention, in his usual verballyexcessive 

way, to the fact that the Ganges is 

polluted. That was too much for some of our 

religious activists who saw in this not only a 

description of fact but also an insult to our 

religious sensitivities. A massive campaign 

of protests was organised, and there were 

threats of violence. A suitable apology 

was rushed out by Sandilands, and by the 

radio station concerned. Thereupon, the 

Hindu Janajagruti Samiti, and other such 

organisations which have organised the 

agitation, expressed “grateful(ness) to the 

proud Hindus who have participated in this 

campaign and made it a success” and asked 

“Hindus (to) pay gratitude to God for this 

success!” But these organisations then did 

nothing to actually clean up the Ganges. 

Clearly, we are religious enough to be 

offended by someone calling a spade what 

it is, but we are not religious enough to 

be offended by the pollution in one of our 

supposedly-holiest rivers. We will happily 

sign a sheet campaigning against an insult 

or turn up to shout against that, but we will 

not do anything to sort out the issues raised. 

Whether this is merely cheap spirituality or 

false spirituality is for you to judge. Should any 

genuine spirituality not have rather thanked 

Sandilands for forcing us, in however uncouth 

a manner, to see something to which we were 

blind? And would any genuine spirituality 

not have gone on to do something as a 

consequence of having our eyes opened? 

The fact of the matter is that our notions 

of spirituality, honour and values are very 

confused. Not only do we have the mix of 

ideas and practices brought into our country 

by modernisation, but also the older salad 

bowl that was produced by centuries of 

struggle between different individuals, families, 

social groups, and religious groups. Mostly, 

that ancient struggle had been resolved by 

ghettoising the different value systems and 

giving them a “place” hierarchically - and 

even geographically (each caste had its own 

area of a village or town, and there was not 

much interaction between the various peoplegroups). 

Modernisation, particularly through 

travel and the mass-media, has breached 

the walls between our traditional people- 

groups, so that the old kaleidoscope of values, 

traditions and spiritualities has been bleached 

and spotted by the sunshine, rain and swirling 

storms of ideas that have come in from abroad. 

Naturally, that raises the question: as 

these two are so intimately connected, is it 

possible that there a right, as well as a wrong 

understanding of spirituality and honour? 

More: Which of our traditions is it worth 

striving harder to preserve, and which is worth 

working harder to discard? 

Such questions cannot be answered without 

considering: who or what is worth honouring? 

That is, in turn, of course related to the 

question of values. 

The tragedy is that most of us are too busy 

enjoying ourselves, or rushing about trying to 

make money, to bother our heads and hearts 

with matters like that. 

The result is that we may not be guilty of 

doing the raping or murdering. We may not 

be guilty of actually causing suicides. But we 

have made ourselves guilty of not combating 

the creation of a climate in which such 

horrible things can be not only done, but even 

celebrated by their perpetrators. 

Professor Prabhu Guptara has written the above in an 

entirely private capacity, and none of the above should 

be related in any way to any of the companies or 

organisations with which he is now, or has in the past, 

been connected. His personal website is: 

www.prabhu.guptara.net 

He blogs at: www.prabhuguptara.blogspot.com 

‘‘ 

We honour 

our 

parents, 

traditionally, 

by 

touching 

their feet. 

We honour 

each 

other by 

greeting 

each other 

with a 

namaste 

(and superiors 

with a 

pranaam 

– in the 

old days, 

pranaam 

included 

prostratingoneself 

on 

the floor 

– vestiges 

of which 

still survive 

in the 

poorest 

parts of 

India and 

in our religious 

‘‘ traditions). 


The following are the queries raised 

with reference to purchase 

of shares in the Indian 

Stock Markets. 

Q: What do you 

By: Prem Karra 

mean by purchase of 

shares in the Indian 

Stock Markets? 

A: This means that 

an NRI intends 

to pick up 

shares of 

already listed 

companies in 

either of the two major 

stock exchanges in 

India i.e. The NSE & the 

BSE.These purchases and sales are called the 

“Secondary Market Operations” 

Q: How is it different from an IPO (Initial 

Public Offer)? 

A: In an IPO the Company offers the shares 

directly to the NRI. 

In the Secondary market operation the NRI 

will have to buy the shares of the listed 

company through a broker. 

64 

Tips: From A Chartered Accountant 

Purchase of 

shares by NRI’s 

in the stock markets in India 

TII’s Q&A investment column. 

Q: Can one simply open an account with a 

broker and purchase the shares from 

the Secondary Market? 

A: No.There is a procedure 

prescribed by the 

RBI as to the manner 

in which an NRI 

can purchase 

shares from 

the Secondary 

Markets. 

Q: What is this 

procedure called? 

A: The procedure 

to purchase & sell 

shares of listed 

Indian Companies 

in the secondary market 

has to be through the ‘Portfolio Investment 

Scheme’. If one has to abide by the rules and 

regulations of FEMA strictly all secondary 

market transactions of NRI’s have to be only 

through this scheme. 

Q: How do you go about operating this 

scheme? 

A: You will have to get a permanent account 

number (PAN Card). Then you will have to 

open a bank account in a “DESIGNATED 

BRANCH “and adhere to the KYC norms of 

the bank. You have to identify a broker and it 

would be preferred if the Broker is also known 

to the Bank. You will need to open a D-Mat 

account with any of the Custodians. 

Some of the banks themselves have 

D.Mat operation& Custodial facilities. 

Q: What is the purpose of opening 

an account in a “Designated 

Branch”? 

A: All leading scheduled banks in 

every city have a “Designated Branch” 

which is identified by THE Bank to 

offer the necessary services to NRI’s 

specifically under this ‘Portfolio 

Investment Scheme’. As per the 

FEMA regulations there is a cap on 

the total holdings by NRI’S & PIO’s in 

Listed Companies in India.To monitor 

this all NRI’s are expected to make 

secondary market purchases or sales of equity 

through the designated branch. Through a 

reporting mechanism each designated branch 

of every bank will report the purchases and 

sales of the shares of companies listed in the 

Indian Bourses on a weekly basis. Every week a 

list of Companies where the thresh hold limit 

is reached is published by RBI. Once this is 

reached the designated branches will not allow 

purchase of shares in these companies. 

Q: So how does one operate after opening 

the account in the Designated Branch, have 

D Mat account and have a an account with 

the broker? 

A: Firstly the NRI identifies the scrip they 

would want to buy. Secondly they speak to 

the person in the designated branch and 

ask him to check with the list whether the 

aggregate holdings of all NRI’s have crossed 

the thresh hold limit. If it has not they contact 

a broker and ask him to pick up the scrip in 

the Secondary Market. He will instruct the 

person in the designated branch regarding 

the purchase by way of a brokers note. Once 

this is received by the branch the payment will 

be made to the broker. Today all this can be 

monitored by the NRI electronically. 

Q: How does the designated branch operate 

your account? 

A: This is done through a Power of Attorney 

which is dedicated only for such transactions. 

This document will empower the bank to 

complete all the transactions on your behalf. 

However the decision making of when to buy 

or sell will only rest with the NRI. Considering 

the technology available, it is very easy to 

monitor one’s transactions. 

Payment for purchase of shares and/or 

debentures on repatriation basis has to be 

made by way of inward remittance of foreign 

exchange through normal banking channels 

or out of funds held in NRE/FCNR (B) account 

maintained in India. If the shares are purchased 

on non-repatriation basis, NRIs can also utilize 

their funds in the NRO account in addition to 

the above. The “Portfolio Investment Scheme” 

has been in vogue for several years and most 

NRI’s are blissfully unaware of the pitfalls in 

operating in the Indian stock Exchanges. They 

simply come to India, open regular, ordinary 

accounts and indulge in the purchase and sale 

of shares through brokers. This is normally 

done using a local address. Technically this 

is a violation under FEMA. Please do consult 

a professional before you embark on this 

scheme. 

Source of Information: RBI Website. 

Prem Karra is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered 

Accountants of India with 35 years in practice. He was 

a financial advisor to Ten Sports, and studied at Madras 

Christian College High School and Vivekananda College 

‘‘ As the 

owner 

of the 

property 

in India 

it is 

imperative 

that you 

have a 

bank 

account ‘‘ in 

India. 


66 

Traditions 

Rethinking our 

Traditional Rituals 

When Deepak Mahtani met the Hong Kong based Indian 

billionaire tycoon, Dr. Hari Harilela, over a year ago to 

interview him for the cover story in TII (Oct-Nov. 2011 issue), 

he was impressed with the nonagenarian’s forward thinking 

and open mind to the future. Many successful legends who 

get to a certain age spend all their time looking back over the 

decades, but Harilela is one man who looks forward and tries 

to help others do the same. 

By: Dr. Hari Harilela & Deepak Mahtani 

Dr. Hari Harilela is perhaps one 

of the most progressive Indians 

in the world. Meeting him in 

his office, he is as much at ease 

with his latest i-Pad as a 19-year 

old would be. This is especially admirable 

Deepak Mahtani & Dr. Hari Harilela (R) 

given that he is now 90 years of age! But his 

versatility is not, by any means, limited to 

technology. 

Not satisfied with things as they are, Dr. 

Hari is bold enough to challenge traditions and 

mindsets. He has been doing this for many 

years now with clear thinking and insight. I 

have come across many others who think and 

feel like he does, but no-one has been bold 

enough to come out and speak their mind. 

One of the things he has challenged is 

our adherence to certain Hindu rites. He has 

written and spoken about these views which 

some may consider radical and offensive. Dr. 

Hari repeatedly reminds me, as I interview 

him again this year, that these are his own 

personal views for himself and his supportive 

wife, Padma. He does not force these views 

on anyone else, not even on his own family. 

His aim and mine is to open up some of these 


myths and allow discerning people to decide 

for themselves if they agree or disagree with 

them. It is in this spirit that Dr. Hari has kindly 

allowed me to publish this 

article, and what follows are 

his inputs. 

“We have advanced in our 

lives, in our business and in 

technology in so many ways. 

Yet in our religious beliefs 

we have gone backwards 

or at least not progressed 

sufficiently. I do not impose 

my views on my family or my 

brothers but only on myself 

and my wife. I lost my father 

in 1948 and he left a lot of 

wisdom for me. I was at his 

hospital bed and when I 

phoned my mother, I found 

that she was completely 

different. She was wearing a white sari with 

no jewellery. I remember my father telling me: 

‘Son, I loved your mother very much and I 

have done everything to give her the beautiful 

things which I want her to wear all the time 

whether I am here or not. 

“I was still young and busy coping with 

the very trying times for our family so I never 

really thought about it then. As time went on, 

I kept thinking: Why do we have Satnarayam 

Puja on a full moon day? So I went through 

the scriptures and it clearly said: Any time your 

family is together can be a day for a puja. It 

doesn’t need to be only on a full moon day. 

Many don’t know where this tradition even 

came from. From many centuries, it has been 

thought to be auspicious. It keeps the whole 

family to pray together on a particular day. 

In the olden days, people were all together 

in villages or towns. But even then, some 

members travelled. So when asked when 

they should have the ‘katha’ if they were not 

together, some priests said: “Even if your family 

members are away, tell them to look at the 

moon and you will be together.” There are so 

many ‘whys’ that I had. 

“Another practice I could not reconcile 

myself to was the question why men did not 

shave for up to twelve days after a person died. 

I discovered that this again made complete 

sense in the old days. Many people did not 

shave by themselves. They had people come 

to shave their beards and hair. Who were these 

people? They were lower castes and non- 

If understood there can be meaning in the rituals we practice 

Hindus who provided this service. As a result 

of their mourning, Hindus wanted to observe 

a holy and pure time apart and did not want 

outsiders to come into their mourning homes. 

It was because of this that they decided not 

to shave for the twelve days of mourning – no 

other reason. Any reasonable person would 

now know that we shave ourselves, so this 

tradition is both outdated and not relevant in 

this day and age. 

“If there is one thing I have learned in life, 

it is this: a mere performance of rituals without 

understanding their meaning and significance 

is superstitious living which, if prolonged, 

distorts our personality and our life. 

“The explanation I am putting down 

here is the research I have made of why and 

how these ceremonies came to become the 

rituals which are still being followed. No one 

has made an effort to correct them, as they 

are afraid to make changes for fear of being 

criticized by the religious groups, which have 

been performing these rituals for hundreds of 

years. 

“In the beginning there were only two 

entities in the world – man and God, no 

religions or sects – no Hindus. There were no 

Muslims, Hindus, or Christians. Unfortunately, 

in this world nothing is sold without a label 

and the label has become more important than 

the substance in the market of mankind. We all 

‘‘ 

reminds 

Dr. Hari 

repeatedly 

me that 

these are 

his own 

personal 

views for 

himself 

and his 

supportive 

wife, 

Padma. 

He does 

not force 

these 

views on 

anyone 

else, not 

even on 

his own 

family. 

‘‘ 


68 

Traditions 

‘‘ “We have 

advanced 

in our 

lives, 

in our 

business 

and in 

technology 

in so many 

ways. Yet 

in our 

religious 

beliefs we 

have gone 

a step 

backwards 

or at 

least not 

progressed 

sufficiently. 

‘‘ 

carry a label: that a person is a Hindu, Muslim, 

etc. 

“I have conducted some simple research. 

Most men toil through their lives to buy nice 

Progress in various beliefs is debatable 

things for their wives and expect them to 

enjoy these things even after they leave them. 

Unfortunately, many widows go into isolation 

– they think they are untouchable and give up 

their jewellery once their husbands die. 

“We follow the traditions that our parents 

have left behind for us, and this is not bad in 

and of itself, if they are understood and there 

are still valid reasons to continue. Every South 

East Asian culture worships their ancestors – 

they have specific days to put food for their 

ancestors to eat but they don’t change their 

way of life – they don’t stop wearing jewellery 

or start wearing white clothes for the rest of 

their lives, like we do. 

“First, let me explain in detail about 

what was done in olden days. There was 

no mortuary to keep the body cold thus 

preventing foul smell and the body was 

embalmed to keep it from rotting. However, 

today we have all the facilities to preserve the 

body without embalming it 

In ancient times, if the body was kept for 

a few hours, especially in heat, it emitted a 

bad odour and to prevent this, strong scents 

of various substances were used to give off 

fragrance so people around the body did not 

feel nauseated. 

Also, in the old custom, they covered 

the eyes and other organs with ghee and 

sandalwood and the family and friends were 

informed that this was done so that the 

person’s organs would remain intact in their 

next life. Today, we donate our organs to give 

life to someone in need of a transplant. So, this 

ceremony is outdated and it is ridiculous to 

believe that by doing this all the organs will be 

restored in the next life. 

“I remember they used to put gold in the 

mouth of the deceased. Based on my research, 

the gold was actually intended for the 

‘masanis’ - the people who took care of the 

cremation grounds in the olden days. It was 

the only income for these cremation workers 

to survive. This is not the case today. 

“The priests also tell the immediate family 

members of the deceased to get a broom and 

go around the body three times to clear any 

spirit from coming back. In olden times all the 

cremations were done at a common cremation 

ground used by hundreds of other families. 

That was another reason for performing the 

broom ceremony. Again, this is not necessary 

given today’s standards. 

“I have explained to you the old 

ceremonies and what they meant at that time. 

You can judge for yourself what the modern 

facilities offer. The gas used in cremating 

is clean and odourless and the cremating 

chamber is closed - no fumes come out. 

“We could say that our forefathers did it 

so we must carry on that tradition. To which I 

would say then if that is so, we should also do 

business as they did 400-500 years ago as well. 

I am not trying to criticize any religion – I am 

only suggesting what we should do today. 

“When my brother Peter, who was a pillar 

of the Harilela empire passed away, I asked his 

wife (my sister-in-law) Jyoti to replace him as a 

director of the company. I made a rule that if 

the wife became a widow, she would become 

director. But I told her that after 12 days, she 

should not wear a white sari and should wear 

jewellery to the board meeting, otherwise I 

would not accept her in my board room. She 

said, ‘I can’t but can I have 40 days’, to which 

I agreed. Yes, I understood her sadness, but I 

‘‘ “Mere 

performance 

of rituals 

without 

understanding 

their 

meaning 

and 

significance 

is 

superstitious 

living 

which, 

if prolonged, 

distorts 

our personality 

and our 

life.” 

‘‘ 

told her that love is in the heart – you don’t 

have to show it outside by what you wear or 

don’t wear.” 

What are some of Dr. Hari’s own wishes 

for himself and his wife Padma? Again he 

insists these are purely for him and his wife. 

He does not expect everyone to follow them, 

not even his own family members. But they 

are offered as a possible guide which may 

help some readers: 

As soon as the body is given by the hospital 

to the family, the body should be cleaned so 

that it doesn’t get stiff. Then, the body should 

be nicely dressed before it is taken to the 

funeral parlour. 

One Tulsi leaf and a drop of water should 

be put in the mouth. No ghee or 

sandalwood should be used. 

No Roomals should be placed on 

our bodies. Only two Roomals – one 

from our prayer room and the other 

from the Hindu Association should 

be placed on our bodies. 

The short mantra prayers should 

be recited in the funeral parlour. 

After the prayer, the two Roomals 

should be placed on the body and 

the casket should be covered. 

At the crematorium, the 

casket should not be opened and 

the cremation should take place 

solemnly. 

No ghee, scent, perfume or other 

substances should be put on our bodies. 

No prayers should be made at the 

crematorium; only a few mantras should be 

recited. 

A representative of the family or a friend 

should give a ‘eulogy’ on the life of the 

deceased. 

After the Cremation 

Immerse the ashes in the sea, river or any 

waters that flow out to the sea or a river. 

No twelve days prayers are required. Only 

a three -day Akhand Path. If by any chance 

reciting of the Akhand Path is not possible 

or available, then recite Mantras or put on a 

Mantra tape or CD for three days. 

A langar in a Gurudwara with Ardaas to be 

performed in our names. 

Charity must be given to any worthwhile 

charitable organisation considered appropriate 

by the family. 

For twelve days, a photo with a lighted 

candle should be kept in our home mandir 

with Amrit Vani (No immersion in the sea after 

twelve days) and anyone who wants to pay 

respects should come to the prayer room. 

After twelve days the photo should be taken 

to our section and a candle should be lit in 

front of the photo with Amrit Vani for twelve 

months. 

No feeding of Brahmans and no monthly 

feeding either. Instead, give charity for twelve 

months. 

A short speech should be given by any one 

of the family members at the funeral parlour. 

Strictly no food should be immersed in the 

Dr Harilela has thoughts on certain rituals like feeding the priests 

and the poor 

sea or river. (It was the custom in olden times 

for people to feed cows and nowadays they 

immerse food in the sea or river) 

For the family to do after we are gone 

Immediately after the cremation, one 

should carry on with life as usual. Feel free to 

consume alcohol as if we were with you. 

Preferably, eat vegetarian food for at least 

twelve days. 

No one should wear white after twelve 

days and they should carry on with their 

regular, day-to-day affairs wearing their 

jewellery and usual clothes. 

Let me close with this thought: “The mind is 

like a parachute. It works best when it is open.” 

Deepak Mahtani is an award-winning management 

consultant, international speaker, philanthropist and 

entrepreneur based in the United Kingdom. 


70 

Innovations 

India’s 

Innovative Ideas 

As the economic reforms of the last two decades start to bear 

fruit in India, a few notable ideas around innovation inside 

the country are also beginning to bloom. 

By: Sam Singh 

First came “Indovation”, the idea 

that if innovation could ever have 

a national flavor, then a distinctly 

Indian one would soon emerge in 

the global marketplace. Then the 

“Bottom of the Pyramid“ followed. Advanced 

by the “world’s most influential management 

thinker,” University of Michigan professor C.K. 

Prahalad’s exploration of the poorest of the 

poor as customers to be courted highlighted 

India’s potential as a major consumer market 

for innovative products and services. Now 

Jugaad (roughly translated from Hindi as 

“frugal innovation”) is weaving its way through 

business, design, academic & policy circles. 

In doing so, will Jugaad—the traditional (and 

highly unconventional in western eyes) idea 

of improvising raw solutions through scarce 

resources under imperfect conditions—emerge 

as the next frontier of innovation science? 

The University of Toronto is going to find 

out. A new inter-disciplinary research initiative, 

simply titled the “India Innovation Institute”, 

(III)was launched in October 2011 to explore 

the parameters around innovation in India, 

with the role played by the diaspora central 

to its scope of research. The Institute will ask 

questions about the very nature of innovation 

and will attempt to explain why it works when 

it does and understand when it doesn’t. 

Take Jugaad, which represents a completely 

new way to frame innovation according to 

the Institute’s inaugural director and Rotman 

School of Management professor, Dilip Soman: 

“In the western world there is a belief that 

in order to create good innovations (such 

as Apple’s line of shiny and much-beloved 

gadgets) you need to have people free of 

constraints and the cost of failure shouldn’t 

be too high…” he explains. “We think in 

India that we see the opposite story.” He says 

it starts with how people view obstacles in 

front of them: problems to complain about or 

opportunities to fix? 

“Imagine you wake up in the morning in 

Bombay and you turn on the taps and there’s 

no water. Now if this happened in Toronto 

somebody would have protested, there would 

be 600 wall posts on somebody’s Facebook 

page saying there’s no water, complaints 

about the mayor etc. None of that happens 

in India. What happens in India is that some 

enterprising fellow will hire six local boys 

who will go to the municipality tap and bring 

you a bucket of water for five rupees. This 

highlights the fact that the average Indian sees 

an opportunity in an inefficient system. The 

average Canadian doesn’t. “ 

Water Tap 

In a land of constraints (is there a better 

euphemism for India?) people are forced to 

come up with ingenious solutions to their 

problems, often by relying on the barest 

of essentials. As Indian MP and former 

UN Undersecretary General Shashi Tharoor 

explained at the Institute’s launch in Toronto, 

‘‘ I find this 

place 

more 

safe and 

secure. It 

is different 

from 

working in 

India but I 

have never 

essentially 

dwelled 

on the 

question 

of success 

and its 

relation 

to where I 

am based. 

I feel it 

is more 

important 

to have 

the right 

skills than 

the right 

place. 

‘‘ 

this method of innovating on the cheap has 

resulted in a number of successes: from the 

manufacture of the world’s cheapest car, the 

Tata Nano, to an $800 electrocardiogram 

by General Electric to bite-sized shampoo 

packages for those same Bottom of the 

Pyramid dwellers. “Indians have become 

natural innovators in frugal innovation without 

anyone telling them about the concept.” 

It has certainly caught the eye of major 

multinational businesses at the same event: 

Indian ambassador to Canada Consul General 

Preeti Saran noted that 60% of Fortune 

500 companies are now examining frugal 

innovation and its role in the knowledge 

economy. As University of Toronto President 

and frequent visitor to India, David Naylor is 

keen to join the conversation “to advance our 

understanding of the traffic between India and 

Canada in every way.” The particular focus 

on Jugaad highlights innovation as more than 

just simply the STEM (Science, Technology, 

Engineering & Mathematics) branch on the 

tree of knowledge. “Innovation is embedded in 

the way a culture does things” says Soman. 

Practiced in a civic sense, such as the 

tested-and-true techniques used to navigate 

the country’s notorious bureaucracy, he 

admits that Jugaad has evolved in part as a 

rebuke to the country’s sclerotic institutions. 

Citing the missed-call phenomenon (where 

users communicate with other for free by 

deliberately not answering their mobile 

telephones) Soman, who was named as one 

of the Financial Times “Professors to Watch”, 

says the Institute will explore the impact a 

socio-cultural background has in innovation, 

an element that often goes overlooked. He 

is particularly interested in the behavioral 

economics that undergird these scenarios, 

“We are trying to understand what the role 

of constraints are, what the role of poverty 

is, what the role of family upbringing has-all 

of those things are present in the ability 

to become an innovator. Our thesis is that 

frugal innovation is a mindset-- once you get 

people to think of objects as resources instead 

of objects simply as objects, you can change 

the way they start combining objects into 

meaningful solutions.” 

The Institute will also look at when 

innovative practices in India fail to catch on, 

particularly when solutions fail to extend and 

scale across the nation. Why, for example, can 

a small army of Dabbawallas feed hundreds 

of thousands of hungry Mumbaikers homecooked 

lunches every day--at a Six Sigma 

accuracy rate of delivery (1 error in 16 million 

Soman: The essence of Jugaad 

deliveries)—but not do so in Delhi? (The 

answer, Soman suspects, is due to Mumbai’s 

unique geographic layout and north-south 

infrastructure axis). Similarly, if the Aravind 

Eye hospital can treat millions of patients 

efficiently and cheaply, “Why are there not 

a thousand Aravind Eye hospitals across 

India?” The Institute will attempt to identify 

the “core efficiency drivers” that make these 

phenomenon successful in the first place 

and understand how they can be replicated 

elsewhere. 

The third platform of the research agenda 

will look at the role the diaspora is playing 

in Indian innovation. According to Matt 

Mendehlson, the executive director of the 

University of Toronto’s Mowat Centre for 

Policy Innovation, most conventional attention 

to diasporas comes down to either political 

pandering (when politicians routinely court 

“the ethnic vote” during election campaigns) 

or influencing policy on the host country’s 

relations with the home country (i.e. the 

vigorous lobbying Indian communities in 

Canada and the US made to remove India from 

official government sanction after its nuclear 

tests in 1998). “Diaspora networks have 

been an afterthought on public policy even in 

areas they are relevant such as trade, exports 

and remittances.” Furthermore, traditional 

diaspora research tends to examine the impact 

overlapping identities have on the host country 

Sam Singh is a freelance writer based in Canada 


72 

Innovations 

(i.e. Canada). So instead, the Institute will 

examine the impact of diaspora networks have 

on the home country: India. Soman asks “How 

important is the diaspora to India and what are 

the economic impacts of that? How involved 

should the (consular) missions be in seeding, 

collecting and organizing the diaspora?” He 

says that at a minimum, diasporas can transmit 

best practices wherever they occur: “People 

across the world can act as your eyes and ears 

and say, ‘Here’s an idea for how things are 

done in Toronto and could work in Delhi’.” 

Though universities across the West are 

looking at Indian innovation, including Harvard 

University’s India Research Centre and the 

Aditya Birla India Centre at the London School 

of Business, Soman says this is the first time 

that a distinctively multidisciplinary approach, 

led by the Rotman School and the Munk 

School of Global Affairs across the street at 

the University of Toronto will be used. Other 

initiatives include the creation of the Prosperity 

Institute of India, a joint collaboration 

between the Martin Prosperity Institute (led 

by urban guru Richard Florida), the Rotman 

School and Harvard to investigate India’s 

creative economy, centered around Florida’s 

“Three T’s of Innovation Theory”: technology, 

talent and tolerance. Some are geared to 

have immediate on-the-ground impacts: the 

Indo-Canadian Chamber of Commerce is 

planning to work with the Institute to connect 

Indian students with small and medium-sized 

businesses in the Toronto area. All of this 

collaboration takes place against the backdrop 

of an increasingly vibrant relationship between 

the two Commonwealth countries: 2011 was 

the “Year of India in Canada”, marked by 

conferences, gala exhibits and the International 

Indian Film Academy Awards in Toronto and 

overall trade is expected to triple to $15 

billion by 2015 with a free-trade pact under 

negotiation. 

Ultimately, Soman hopes the findings of the 

India Innovation Institute will go beyond India’s 

particular circumstances to address problems in 

emerging economies around the world: “Our 

story is more about what succeeds and what 

fails and what are the abstract principles that 

you can draw from it-- not just in the Global 

South but in western markets as well.” 

TII Amateur Photo Competition! 

Email ONE best photo (hi-res Jpeg file) on the theme indicated to tiicompetitions@gmail.com 

and win exciting prizes! (For contest rules please visit www.theinternationalindian.com) 

Next Theme: 

Weddings 

Sam Singh is a freelance writer based in Canada 

Photo by: Pradeep Dewani Photo by: B. K. Shah 

Theme: Grandparents 

Discuss A Book 

The Cousins: 

By Prema Raghunath 

TII’s book review column keeps track of bestselling novels by 

Indian and international authors 

By: Balan Iyer 

The Book: Prema Raghunath’s debut 

novel ‘The Cousins,’ is about the 

heart’s cry for love and belonging in 

a repressive early 20th century South 

Indian society. 

The ‘inciting aspect’ of the novel: 

A headstrong married Tambrahm woman 

who unabashedly expresses her sexuality 

through forbidden love. Portrayed 

powerfully by Goutami the female 

protagonist - Raghunath boldly 

writes a provocative, unorthodox 

characterisation in her first-time 

novel. 

How the story plays out: 

Goutami struggles in a 

conservative Tamil Brahmin society, 

rebelling with passion and fire 

through her sexuality. Are there 

really Indian women like her? Or 

her effeminate yet resilient husband 

Seshadri? 

The gist of the story: 

Forced by circumstances to marry a passive, 

introverted Seshadri who is her opposite, Goutu 

constantly rails against her fetters. 

It’s a sad story of repression still prevalent 

in Indian society. The author exposes the 

resplendent Conjeevaram silk saree-mallipoo 

culture of of the learned Tamil Brahmin 

community at its hypocritical best. 

Goutu’s story begins when barely a year 

old, she crawls into the room where her mother 

and her just-born brother have died. 

Cruelty and the treachery of relatives, 

blood, the smell of death and fear of the dark 

initiate Goutu’s entry into life. From childhood 

to adolescence to adulthood and into old 

age, this remarkable woman is a rebel, who 

becomes a compulsive liar, making it her 

strategy for survival. Not to be denied her 

sexuality, she boldly strays as the wife of a man 

unable to satisfy her yearning. Even as a mother 

Goutu is something of an enigma, harsh and 

bewildering for her daughters and 

for her husband, for they never really 

understand her. 

What is unique about ‘The 

Cousins.’: 

Prema Raghunath weaves a 

complicated web of joint family 

relationships, but Goutu’s tale is 

essentially a hardhitting expose of 

Tamil Brahmin society. It will shock 

many a reader to meet a woman like 

Goutu, who lives life the way she 

wishes to. 

The most interesting parts of the 

novel: 

Undoubtedly readers will be intrigued by 

Goutami’s goings-ons with Krishnanand, the 

lover and Casanova who deflowers his female 

cousins before they marry. But her solid, steady, 

ambitious, husband Seshadri and her faithful 

father Narayanan are unique and moving 

characters. 

The Cousins’ is published by Zubaan 

(2011) 

Balan Iyer is a freelance writer based in Dubai, UAE 


74 

Retirement 

A Labour of Love 

Delayed & Rediscovered 

How many of us plan for a meaningful retirement, 

looking forward to a time that can be productive and 

purposeful? 

TII met Haroon Khimani who at 75 has not 

surrendered his dreams nor his passion. 

By: Deepa Ballal 

Is there an age limit to realize one’s dreams? 

Can one become a photographer, dancer, 

singer, actor or a painter at 40, 50 or say 60? 

Is 70 too late? Luckily there is no expiry date 

tagged to our dreams or aspirations. And for 

someone like Haroon Khimani, who is busy fulfilling 

Khimani’s paintings: aesthetics in nature’s disheveled beauty 

Haroon Khimani: Age is no bar 

his dream these days, at just a little over 75. 

A name to reckon with in the 1960’s, in his 

pursuit to provide for his family, the artiste in him 

had to take a backseat. In 2005, thanks to the 

encouragement given to him by his daughter- in- 

law, Haroon Khimani, the artiste, was back. 

Khimani shuttles between Mumbai, Dubai 

and Massachusetts overlooking his business and 

following his passion. His works deck the wall of 

prominent government buildings and houses of art 

connoisseurs all over the globe. He is dead against 

commercialization of art. He bemoans people using 

art with the sole purpose of making money. “My 

art is affordable to the common man, and that’s 

how it should be.” 

What sets Khimani apart is his choice of subject. 

“The content of my paintings embody my search 

for aesthetics in nature’s disheveled beauty,” 

he says. “Generally beauty is misconceived by 

people. Even a crude or de-shaped body has its 

own beauty. Good looks and a fair complexion are 

often regarded as beauty, which is a very narrow 

definition,” he adds. 

His story is a fascinating one. Born on August 8, 

1936, this Gujarati boy had no silver spoon in his 

mouth. Hard work, interspersed with timely luck 

and chance meetings with some people, changed 

the course of his life. “Art has given me a new 

vision and enhanced my attitude of seeing things 

‘‘ “You 

haven’t 

forgotten 

anything,” 

exclaimed 

his teacher 

Prof. 

K.G. Subramanian 

(Mani) 

from the 

Faculty of 

Fine Arts, 

Baroda, 

when 

Haroon 

picked up 

the brush 

for the 

first time 

in four 

decades. 

“Haroon 

you are 

reborn, 

art has no 

age.” 

‘‘ 

positively,” he says. 

To begin with, the only thing that 

interested the young lad from Dhandhuka, 

Gujarat, was drawing and painting. As is the 

case with many great artists, Haroon’s talent 

went unnoticed. “Had I been given proper 

guidance then, I could have become a master 

in painting,” recollects Khimani. In those 

days, art was not the common man’s cup of 

tea. Young Haroon followed the herd, took 

up commerce and passed it with no interest. 

“Dissatisfied, I decided to change my field of 

study and entered the Faculty of Fine Arts, M.S. 

University, Baroda, India in 1959.” Not ready 

to give up, when paying the fees became an 

issue, he and his friend requested the college 

administration to outsource the labeling of 

benches to them and not to an outside agency. 

His association with his friend and first guru 

Isabhai Nathubhai Talat, with whom he did 

sign board paintings to earn some money, 

proved lucky. “He encouraged me to go to 

Baroda as he was a faculty member in the Fine 

Arts department,” remembers Khimani. 

The next breakthrough in his life was his 

meeting with renowned artiste and writer, J. 

Swaminathan, who visited his first painting 

exhibition. “I didn’t invite the media or any 

political figures, only 15 people attended,” 

he says. But things changed on the third day 

when an awestruck Swaminathan rebuked 

the media for not giving due recognition to 

his work. Soon there was a beeline of reporters 

at the venue. Praise and awards followed, 

but the young artiste who never wanted to 

commercialize his art, or compromise, was 

soon bankrupt. 

He returned to Madras where he served as 

an art designer in the government handloom 

sector. For 14 years he worked relentlessly as 

a designer for cloth mills like Mafatlal, Birlas, 

Kohinoor & Binny’s. Eventually he established 

two companies of his own, which manufacture 

and supply luxury amenities to the hospitality 

industry, Artifact in Mumbai, and Rikan in 

Dubai. Now for over three decades they have 

supplied products ranging from coasters, tissue 

box holders and wardrobe organizers to mini 

bar trays and boxes to name a few. Their clients 

are some of Dubai’s prominent hotels. 

Nonetheless, all of this was achieved at 

the expense of his creativity. But unlike many 

artistes, Haroon toiled, only to return one day 

when he was sure that he could now rest and 

pursue his interest. Handing over the reins of 

business to his sons, today he spends his time 

doing what he always wanted to do. Paint. 

“You haven’t forgotten anything,” 

exclaimed his teacher Prof. K.G. Subramanian 

(MANI) from the Faculty of Fine Arts, Baroda, 

when Haroon picked up the brush for the first 

time in four decades. “Haroon you are reborn, 

art has no age,” exclaimed Mani. 

Haroon Khimani’s family in the U.S. and Dubai 

Bureaucracy and the moneymaking 

strategies of various art galleries baffle him to 

some extent, but the artiste in him has stayed 

true. He spends 8-10 hours a day putting his 

thoughts onto a blank canvas. “This gives me 

the energy to survive,” he reveals. 

“To begin with I struggled real hard, sweated 

for years in Dubai running from one hotel to the 

other to grow my business and help my family. 

Now in turn they express their gratitude by 

supporting me outright for my cause. This, I feel 

is wonderful,” says a jubilant Khimani. 

At an age when many grandparents spend 

their time either baby sitting grandchildren or 

spending hours together reading editorials or 

sitting on a park bench, Haroon has chosen 

to live life to the fullest. “My relatives laugh at 

me. They ask me how many more years are 

you going to paint? And I tell them maybe I 

will live for another 30 years,” he says with a 

new zeal. Like a toddler who finds a new toy, 

and is reluctant to let go off it, at 76, Haroon 

Khimani, shares the same spirit. He will not let 

go of the brush this time. Come what may. 

Deepa Ballal is a freelance writer based in Dubai, UAE 


76 

Bigotry 

Bamboozling Bigots 

in Racy Britain 

There is a certain way to handle bigots, regardless of whether they 

are white, black, brown or yellow - essential skills to learn in the 

diaspora, standing up to them and a little bit of humour helps. 

By: Rudy Otter 

Life for white bigots in Britain is not as 

straightforward as it used to be. These 

days, black, brown or yellow folk can 

take them by surprise, retaliating to 

their insults in perfect English, Scottish 

or Welsh accents. What is the point of telling 

foreigners to “Go Home” when home for them 

is just around the corner where they were 

born? 

Back in the old days, a foreigner, whether 

he wore a turban or she a ‘yashmak’, had no 

idea what incomprehensible insults were being 

directed at them and often assumed their 

antagonists were trying to be friendly, so they 

grinned, unwittingly encouraging the bigots to 

carry on insulting with renewed vigour. 

Times, however, have changed. What 

is more, to complicate matters, whites are 

marrying black, brown and yellow partners, 

producing mixed-race children and making it 

even more difficult for bigots to let off steam. 

Some years ago I witnessed an incident 

with an amusing outcome, although it was far 

from amusing for the perpetrator concerned. 

Hearing loud laughter while travelling on 

a tube train, I looked across from my seat, 

wondering what was going on. A burly white 

drunk, sitting opposite a slim, bespectacled 

young Indian woman, was pulling faces at her, 

poking his tongue out and making Red Indian 

whooping noises, while his mainly white fellow 

passengers giggled. 

The woman did not know she was the 

butt of his tomfoolery because she had dozed 

off, her chin gently lolling about on her chest 

as the train rattled through subterranean 

London. Judging by the joker’s inebriated 

quips, I detected a northern English accent. He 

had probably lived all his life in some remote 

Yorkshire village where brown or black folk 

were an unknown phenomenon. But why, I 

wondered. was the idiot making Red Indian 

noises? Then it hit me. In his ignorance he 

didn’t know the difference between Red Indians 

and East Indians and obviously assumed they 

all lived in wigwams and whooped away while 

galloping on horseback chased by cowboys. 

The Indian woman, distrubed by the 

reactions of those around her, awoke from her 

nap and saw everyone looking and laughing at 

her. She frowned, adjusting her glasses. Barely 

able to suppress his mirth, the joker raised 

his right hand to her and said: “How!”, the 

Red Indian greeting much used in Hollywood 

westerns. There was more chuckling all round. 

Maybe the joker half-expected the ‘Indian 

squaw’ to be unfamiliar with the English 

language and shyly look away, giving him the 

green light to step up his jesting and spark 

more laughter. 

Instead, the woman opened her mouth 

and emitted a volley of colourful Anglo-Saxon 

expletives at him in a rich Cockney accent. 

Instantly the laughter evaporated and heads 

disappeared behind hastily raised newspapers. 

The joker’s jaw fell open in disbelief. He had 

clearly not expected an Indian to be fluent in 

English four-letter words which she delivered 

with all the confidence of a born-and-bred 

Londoner, which she undoubtedly was. 

Crimson-faced and totally humiliated, the 

joker fell silent and got off at the next stop. He 

had learned an important lesson: never take 

foreigners in Britain at face value or jump to 

conclusions. 

In the late 1980’s I had a humorous 

experience when I went to an affluent town 

in the southern England county of Kent to 

interview someone for an article I was writing. 

As soon as I had walked out of the railway 

station I knew there was something strange 

about the town. Then I realised what it was 

- not a black, brown or yellow face in sight. 

All the places where you might expect to see 

a sprinkling of foreigners (like pharmacies, 

newsagents, greengrocers, supermarkets) were 

all staffed exclusively by whites serving white 

customers. 

I had arrived earlier than intended and 

popped into a crowded cafe. Ambling up to the 

counter I asked for a milkshake. The white man 

serving me looked as if he had just seen a ghost. 

He threw a ‘would-you-believe-it?’ glance at 

some of his white customers sitting nearby. 

I took my milkshake to a spare table 

and through the glass front surveyed the 

blur of local shops, buildings, traffic and 

pedestrians. I then happened to avert my gaze 

and spotted everyone in the cafe glaring at 

me, looking alarmed. I knew instantly what 

they were thinking: “This Indian guy must be 

planning to come here and settle among us.” 

(Heck! I was only going to be there for a couple 

of hours!). 

Instead of staring back at them, I decided 

to have a bit of fun. I looked back at the street 

more intently, then stooped a little to gauge 

the height of a tall office block that had a 

prominent ‘For Sale’ sign. I withdrew my 

notebook and made a couple of flamboyant 

jottings, looking back at the building with 

pursed lips and making more notes. 

Again I could tell what they were thinking 

and saying: “This Indian chap, no doubt a 

multi-millionaire property tycoon, is taking 

an unhealthy interest in that empty 12-storey 

building and you know what that means, don’t 

you? He’ll buy it, move into town with a cast 

of thousands and turn the place into a giant 

Indian supermarket. Then, knowing how these 

people operate, he’ll start buying up all the 

adjacent properties and before you could say 

‘tandoori chicken’ we’ll be hit with temples, 

curry restaurants, Halal butchers, sari stores, 

jewellery shops, Bollywood cinemas, banks and 

no end of greengrocers flogging mangoes, 

papayas and guavas...” 

I milked my little game for all it was worth 

and left, my chest swelling with self-importance 

as all eyes followed me out of the door. 

However, I still had time to spare so decided to 

carry on having fun. In full view of the cafe’s 

staff and customers I glanced imperiously up 

and down the road, stroking my chin and 

making more bogus notes. By now I could 

imagine what they were all saying, no doubt 

accusing me of planning to buy up entire 

swathes of their town and turn it into an 

enormous Indian settlement. With a flourish I 

pocketed my notebook and strode away, my 

chin almost pointing to the sky, leaving them 

to agonise about the dreaded Indianised future 

of their snobbish town. 

Curious, isn’t it? If a white stranger turns 

up in town, its assumed he is just visiting 

or passing through. But if a brown stranger 

appears among them they immediately jump 

to the conclusion that he is planning to settle 

there and bring half of India with him. 

Rudy Otter is a UK-based freelance journalist 

‘‘ 

Crimsonfaced 

and 

totally 

humiliated, 

the joker 

fell silent 

and got 

off at the 

next stop. 

He had 

learned an 

important 

lesson: 

never take 

foreigners 

in Britain 

at face 

value 

or jump 

to conclusions. 

‘‘ 


78 

Going Back 

Fulfilled in India 

No Relocation Regrets 

Going back to India is fraught with concern for many NRI families. 

TII catches up with Walter and Patricia Ferrao who left lucrative 

careers in Dubai more than a decade ago and for whom things 

have gone exceptionally well in India after the family moved there. 

By: Frank Raj 

TII: How long did you live in the Gulf 

and when did you return to India? 

Walter Ferrao: My 

family – Patricia my 

wife and three girls 

had a wonderful opportunity 

to live in Dubai from Jan 

1990 to July 2001. I, like 

many others who ventured 

out to the Gulf had a great 

well wisher and helper who 

made it possible to make my 

Gulf dream a reality. Were it 

not for him and his family’s 

fullest support we would not 

have had the financial and 

psychological leverage we 

could build on in India. 

TII: What were the reasons 

for your decision to relocate? 

WF: My two older girls 

studied in Dubai from the first standard till the 

seventh. We then decided to provide them 

with exposure to Indian schooling and to our 

country. Both of them went to the boarding 

school at Jesus and Mary in Mussoorie – a 

160 year old institution. They studied till the 

10th standard (unfortunately the school did 

not have the 11th and 12th standard) after 

Walter Ferrao: India was a good move 

which we wanted them back in Dubai to be 

with the family and particularly with their 

younger sister. But that was 

not to be as both refused to 

study in Dubai. Why? Both 

were convinced that the 

standard of education – the 

exposure to extra curricular 

activities and the sheer 

adrenalin of competitive 

pressure outweighed the 

staid education they had 

experienced in Dubai. Back 

in India – all three excelled 

in academics and personality 

development. 

TII: Has the India 

experience turned out to be 

all that you hoped it would 

be- why or why not? 

WF: Overall, it has 

more than fulfilled what we had hoped for. 

Despite persuasion by most of our friends 

to move to Canada/ NZ / Australia, we have 

no regrets. The three girls moved to higher 

levels of excellence in academics and all round 

personality development. Not for once did 

they hark back to the good old days in Dubai. 

They just got engrossed fully in all that the best 

of their schools and colleges ( Sophia, Bishop 

Cotton, VidyaNiketan, St. Joseph’s, Mount 

Carmel, RV College of Engineering, Symbiosis 

Pune) could offer. Nilisha, the eldest is now the 

Marketing Manager at Godrej. Priyanka, after 

a five year work stint at L&T as Senior Engineer 

has moved to an offshore process engineering 

company in Singapore. Noella is in her final 

year of Mass Communication and has made a 

mark in Bangalore’s theatre circle. 

TII: How confident were you personally 

about finding work in India? 

WF: I returned to India with trepidation, not 

knowing how much of a career I could make. 

But as it turned out I had a great decade-long 

career as Head of HR- India and South East 

Asia- with a US multinational company. Patricia 

my wife also had a great run working as Head 

Admin and HR with a NGO working in the 

prevention of HIV & Aids. 

TII: What is the biggest challenge in India? 

WF: The biggest challenge is that of inadequate 

infrastructure, i.e., mainly power and roads. 

Our economic fundamentals are strong. Also 

politically, the emergence of three or four 

regional parties is dragging the economic 

growth story as they have their own political 

agenda. 

TII: What is the best part of life in India? 

WF: There is no fear or the uncertainty 

psychosis which one experiences living abroad. 

One may not have all the material comforts, 

but you have the feeling you are free and can 

go about doing anything that you are focused 

on. 

TII: Any suggestions for those planning to 

return from abroad? 

WF: Come back with a decent surplus 

in terms of your savings so that you are not 

unduly worried about finances. There are 

enough and more things to get immersed 

in - that will give meaning to your life and 

livelihood. 

TII: What was the best that you took back 

with you from a life in the Gulf? 

WF: The vision which the rulers of a city 

state like Dubai had in building world class 

infrastructure. Also, the positive experiences 

we had through our interaction with people of 

other countries and cultures. 

TII: What was your Gulf experience like - 

positives & negatives? 

WF: Overall, our experience was very positive, 

with the sheer peace and comfort the UAE 

provided. The conveniences and creature 

comforts in a lovely cosmopolitan and 

international city like Dubai is something that will 

always remain happily etched in our memories. 

TII: What do you miss about life in the Gulf? 

WF: The wonderful roads, electricity 24x7! 

TII: What is your evaluation of the business 

Walter and Patricia Ferrao with their daughters Nilisha, 

Noella & Priyanka 

climate in India? 

WF: From 2002 to 2008 our GDP was around 

8-9 percent per annum, the fastest in the 

world after China. This was a huge economic 

achievement. Sadly, in the last three years 

the GDP has dropped to around 6 percent. 

Recent months have cast dark clouds of 

massive corruption and policy paralysis. It is 

a great damper to an otherwise economic 

success story, despite the impact of the Euro 

crisis and the U.S. slowdown. But most experts 

have predicted that a steady growth – if not 

the heightened 8-9 per cent of yesteryears is 

here to stay for the next three decades. The 

Big Bang reforms announced by the PM in 

mid-September 2012 will hopefully restore the 

dynamism in our economy once again. 

TII: Do you regret having returned to India - 

why or why not? 

WF: No regrets whatsoever. We had a better 

career, outstanding educational environment 

for our three girls, better housing, and the 

benefits of the great consumer revolution of 

the last decade. 

Frank Raj is TII’s founder editor & publisher, 

‘‘ 

There is 

no fear or 

the uncer- 

tainty 

psychosis 

which 

one experiences 

living 

abroad. 

One may 

not have 

all the 

material 

comforts 

but you 

have the 

feeling 

you are 

free and 

can go 

about 

doing 

anything 

that you 

are focused 

on. 

‘‘ 


80 

Caring 

Love and Guilt: 

Looking after those we care about 

Everyone leaves home and comes to the Gulf for a better life. 

But sometimes one wonders if it is really worth it. Ageing parents 

who have always been there for you are left behind to fend for 

themselves at a time when they need you the most. 

By: Clareto Monsorate 

Jason Paul with his mother - close knit family 

As much as we would like to have 

our parents living with us, or at least 

nearby, there are circumstances that 

can compel people to make difficult 

decisions in life; moving away from 

dependents, perhaps even abandoning them in 

some situations. 

The concept of joint families in India is slowly 

becoming non-existent. The claustrophobic smallroomed 

tenements, which once brimmed with 

incessant chatter, have fallen silent. 

Gone are the days when parents ensured their 

children were home in time to pray together, eat 

together and celebrate every festival together as 

one big family. 

Interdependence on each other in large families 

has been replaced by independent living and self- 

sufficient attitudes. 

But it would be entirely wrong to say that 

children don’t care about their parents anymore. 

There are still those who have their human 

values intact and though they may be miles away, 

their love for their parents never diminishes. 

Take the case of Clement Godinho, who resides 

in the UAE, but yearns to be with his ailing father 

in Mumbai. 

“As much as I would like to be with my dad at 

this point of time I cannot. It’s an emotional thing. 

There is a feeling of guilt as my siblings bear the 

brunt of caring for him.” 

Clement’s younger brother and family along 

with his unmarried sister live with his father as his 

mother passed away in 2004. 

“They are the ones taking care of him. Mind 

you, taking care of a sick person can drain you. 

We may help financially but there are some things 

money cannot do or buy. 

“Today when they need us by their side we are 

not able to be there due to our circumstances.” 

Clement came to the Gulf in the late nineties 

and since then has been making trips once a year 

to visit his folks as well as his wife’s parents in Goa. 

“Technology may have bridged the gap, but 

spending time with them is irreplaceable. 

“I value the time I spent with my dad when I 

went to spend Christmas with my family last year. 

His 83rd birthday was on September 4 so knowing 

that we wouldn’t have been able to visit him again 

we decided to club it with mine and had a 

small celebration” 

“The joy that we saw on his face that day 

will never be forgotten. However, we also 

had to visit my in-laws in Goa and hence we 

couldn’t give him enough time.” 

Clement fondly remembers his youth and 

how his brothers and sisters were brought 

up. “Since our house was small it used to look 

crowded, but it was fun. My dad was a man of 

discipline so we didn’t interact much with him 

but my mum was the caring type. As parents 

they instilled in us the values of life which 

helped us in our upbringing.” 

Like Clement, Jaison Paul too feels the 

same. 

Jaison, a resident of Sharjah, hails from 

Kerala, but spent his childhood in Mumbai. 

“We are five brothers and one sister and we 

were brought up in a small room. 

“We are a close-knit family. We all believe 

in prayer and I think that has kept us together. 

The saying that, ‘the family that prays together 

stays together’ is very true. 

“Today four of us are in the UAE and for 

some time we also lived together with our 

families and children. Only recently we were 

forced to take separate accommodation due to 

the UAE laws. 

“My mother keeps shuttling between 

Mumbai and the UAE to keep all her children 

Carol Pinto and her family - living in the UAE for 15 years 

happy. Despite her illnesses she manages to 

travel, but given a chance she wants to be 

in Mumbai just as all of us. We tend to miss 

every occasion but we realise that we are here 

for a purpose.” 

Caroline D’Mello finds herself in a similar 

situation of shuttling between her three sons 

in the UAE and one in Canada. She also has a 

house in Mumbai. Since she has a UAE residence 

visa, India has become like her adopted country. 

“I’ve visited Canada on a couple of 

occasions. The problem is the weather. I’m not 

able to stand the cold so it’s been awhile since 

Clement Godinho with his father in Mumbai 

I have visited my son and his family there. He 

has been insisting on my coming to Canada 

since my grandchildren have grown up and 

become independent and he wants me to see 

their progress. 

“Secondly the travel also puts me off. I 

need to get a clean chit from the doctor before 

I can even think of boarding the flight. 

The 78-year-old Caroline is happy to be 

living in the UAE with her three sons – two of 

whom are married. 

“I quite like it here. I don’t like Mumbai so 

much since I don’t have anyone there. now” 

However, her youngest son Edwin is a 

die-hard Mumbaiite and feels he is here only 

because of his mother. 

Carol Pinto has been living in the UAE for 

close to 15 years. “Being an expat has its pros 

and cons, she says. “Every one leaves home 

and comes to the Gulf for a better life. But 

sometimes we wonder if it is really worth it. 

“Ageing parents who have always been there 

for you are left behind to fend for themselves at a 

time when they need you the most. 

“I have my mum and dad in Goa. We are 

very close to each other and make it a point to 

visit them at least once a year. We also bring 

them to the UAE on a visit so that way we 

‘‘ 

As much 

as we 

would 

like to 

have our 

parents 

living 

with us, 

there are 

circumstances 

that can 

compel 

people 

to make 

difficult 

decisions 

in life; 

moving 

away from 

dependents, 

perhaps 

even abandoning 

them in 

some 

situations. 

‘‘ 


82 

Caring 

don’t miss them and they also get to be 

close to their granddaughter.” 

“Phone calls add to the costs but they do 

provide some solace. 

Clara Fernandes with her grandchildren in Dubai 

“It’s really tough being away from them. I 

have my sister in Oman so my parents have to 

do the balancing act of visiting them as well,” 

adds Carol. 

“It’s tough on them as they are ageing, but 

so far we have been blessed that we are able to 

meet frequently.” 

In most cases parents are caught in a 

dilemma. There was a time when they hardly 

moved out of their houses but today with 

their children scattered in different parts of the 

world they feel it’s their duty to keep every one 

happy even if it as the expense of putting their 

health at risk. 

Mumbai-based Clara Fernandes visits her 

son in Aberdeen (Scotland), one daughter in 

Dubai and another daughter in Pune. 

“Till God blesses me with good health I will 

keep visiting them. About tomorrow I cannot 

say anything.” 

When quizzed which of the places she likes, 

she says she prefers Mumbai. “I don’t mind 

visiting my children for a week or maximum 

two weeks but I begin to miss Mumbai.” 

The Braganza brothers have a different 

story to tell. 

Ambrose has been living in Sharjah for 

almost 25 years. He is torn between his wife 

and daughter who live in Rhia (South Goa) and 

his parents in Goa Velha (North Goa). 

“I have no choice,” he says. “As much as I 

want to go back for good, I know if I do that 

I won’t be able to manage. By working here I 

am able to support them,” he feels. 

Ambrose finds it difficult to give enough 

time to all of them. “My parents are in their 

80’s. I want to spend as much time with them 

as I can, but my family too looks forward to my 

taking them on a holiday.” 

“I go down once in two years so I try 

taking my family on a tour of India and also try 

spending some time with my parents.” 

When quizzed why he didn’t move his wife 

and daughter to the UAE, his response was, 

“all these years my salary was not within the 

stipulated level where I could sponsor them. 

Now I’m doing better but my daughter is in 

college so I don’t want to uproot their routine.” 

Joaquim lives in Dubai and is in a similar 

situation. In his case though, his wife and two 

children live with his parents. 

“I’ve been in the UAE since 1994. Given 

a chance I don’t want to be away but what 

choice do I have. Back in Goa jobs are hard 

to come by and even if you get one they pay 

you peanuts. Here I may not be getting a very 

good salary but it’s good enough to keep me, 

my family and my parents happy. 

Joaquim has managed to bring his dad 

The Godinho family in Mumbai 

over on a visit visa once ‘and he quite liked it’. 

“My mum is not in a position to move around 

but my Dad was impressed with Dubai.” 

“Having said that,” Joaquim added: “I 

wouldn’t want to bring my family here. One 

needs to be doing extremely well here to 

provide a good life for your children.” 

And when asked when he would like to 

call it quits from Dubai, he replied tongue-incheek, 

“Not until my children start standing on 

their own feet.” 

Clareto Monsorate is a freelance writer based in UAE 

‘‘ 

Gone are 

the days 

when 

parents 

ensured 

their 

children 

were 

home 

in time 

to pray 

together, 

eat 

together 

and 

celebrate 

every 

festival 

together 

as one big 

family. 

‘‘ 

Perspectives 

UAE: Home away 

from home? 

The younger generation’s 

perspective. 

Do Asian youth in the Arabian Gulf maintain the same values that 

their parents brought with them from back home? What opinions 

have they formed of life in the UAE and the region they live in? 

Growing up in places of impermanent but long term residence in 

a culturally different society, how do they cope? TII assigned Rehan 

Choudhary to interview four youngsters from different parts of the 

Indian Subcontinent: Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, 

to learn what they think about life in a part of the Middle East that 

has a distinct Asian ambience 

By: Rehan Choudhary 

Webster Coutinho - 

proud to be Indian 

Born and raised in the 

United Arab Emirates 

away from my home 

country, I was always 

curious to know what 

other youngsters of my age 

in a similar situation, thought 

about their home countries, 

and the UAE. The fact that our 

parents and relatives are the 

primary source of our culture 

has left a considerable gap in 

our minds. There is much more 

to learn about our heritage 

and traditions since the UAE 

has been our home away from 

home for so many years. 

The UAE has successfully 

developed into a multinational 

hub of many cultures; its 

geographical location seems 

to have effectively contributed 

to that. Years ago this rapidly 

developing region of the world 

enticed our parents to leave 

their home countries and settle 

here in the hope of better 

prospects. However the decision 


84 

Perspectives 

to come here didn’t, in any way, diminish the 

love they have for their homeland. Keeping 

their success aside for the moment, let’s focus 

on their sons and daughters who grew up here. 

Webster Coutinho is an 18 year old originally 

from Bombay with Portuguese ancestry. He 

was born and brought up in the UAE, and is an 

aspiring CA and CFA professional with the aim 

of securing a job in the investment banking 

sector. When asked what influence India has 

on him here, he replies, “For me, India’s only 

apparent influence is its ability to flood the 

Middle East with abundant manpower. Sure, 

Dubai is crowded with Indians, and that 

explains the elegant Indian restaurants and 

the unending Bollywood buzz that pervades 

the city. Homesickness is not an issue here. 

However, I feel the Indian Embassy should be 

more involved in the plight of the Indian labour 

class, which ironically makes up about 60 % of 

the UAE’s population.” 

Proud to be Indian, he says, “Home is where 

the heart belongs.” With no scarcity of Indians 

Sameera Rahman - Bangladesh can be prosperous 

in the UAE, for Webster, keeping in touch 

with his Indian culture and way of life isn’t a 

problem. 

He has no regrets about growing up in Dubai. 

“Having attended a British-curriculum high 

school that was predominantly Indian, I was 

blessed to have been given an education of the 

highest quality,” he explains. 

Living in the Gulf, what is his outlook on India? 

“Once the UAE’s grand lifestyle is adopted, 

anyone would find it difficult to compare 

it to that of India’s,” he admits. “The UAE 

guarantees citizens basics like food of the 

highest quality and an environment that boasts 

a formidable level of security. There is no doubt 

that in a short 

period of 

time the UAE 

has achieved 

international 

standards, 

providing its 

well-earning 

residents with 

the best of 

everything.” 

On the other 

hand, “in India, 

it’s a shame 

that even 

essentials like 

clean drinking 

water cannot 

be taken for 

Nahyan Shariff - aspiring 

Computer Engineer 

granted, and malnutrition, food adulteration 

and power shortages are a way of life there. 

Sure, the numbers tell us that India possesses 

one of the most powerful economies in the 

world, but ‘seeing is believing.’ Poverty and 

corruption are the country’s obvious evils, 

nonetheless I am convinced there is a bright 

future for the average Indian,” a confident 

Webster declares. 

Moving to another country from the Indian 

subcontinent, namely Bangladesh, the first 

thoughts that form are about incredibly spicy 

food and the H&M clothing brand, amongst 

other things like regular cyclones. However 

stereotypes won’t fit Bangladeshi national 

Sameera Rahman, one of the daughters of the 

co-founder of Al- Haramain perfumes. She is 

currently a full-time student completing her 

second year in the American University of 

Dubai; busy studying free electives she has yet 

to choose a major to get into. Living the high 

life here hasn’t changed anything for her apart 

from the ability to afford a lot of things. “Since 

my parents were raised in Bangladesh, there 

were a lot of things that were instilled into me. 

For instance, we place utmost importance on 

family relationships and respect for our elders, 

and we will always be loyal to our people no 

‘‘ Years 

ago this 

rapidly 

developing 

region of 

the world 

enticed 

our 

parents 

to leave 

their home 

countries 

and settle 

here for 

better 

prospects. 

However, 

coming 

here 

didn’t, in 

any way, 

diminish 

their love 

for their 

homeland. 

‘‘ 

matter what,” she states. 

Sameera says despite being well-off, that sense 

of ‘home’ isn’t here for her. “We don’t get 

complete ownership in any property in the 

United Arab Emirates, which automatically 

makes us feel less at home. But, I’m not 

complaining, because life here is great and 

comfortable when compared to how people 

live in Bangladesh,” she observes. When asked 

Thameema Hamza - loyalties tip in favor of UAE 

where she’d like to stay, she says, “I would like 

to stay in my country, because like it or not, 

we can never be a part of any other country. 

In my country I’ll be surrounded by my people 

and I’ll be entitled to my rights.” That is 

something we can all relate to. Sameera does 

see great potential in her country though, 

“Bangladesh is full of natural resources and 

if these resources are properly utilized, it can 

become one of the most prosperous nations of 

all time,” she believes. 

Pakistan is another part of the Indian 

Subcontinent, where it’s interesting to see 

what the modern generation thinks about 

living in the Gulf and their opinions about their 

own country. 

Nahyan Shariff, an 18 year old from Karachi, 

Pakistan, is currently a student in Dubai, who 

is an aspiring computer engineer. He looks 

upon Pakistan in the same way most of us do. 

He thinks it is politically unstable, and feels 

sorry for the people living there. Terrorism is a 

recurring issue, and hardly anything is being 

done to counter it. However, no amount of 

unrest in his country can ever have a negative 

impact on his love for the nation. When asked 

whether he would like to return to Pakistan to 

make a living, he is quite practical, “it wouldn’t 

be wise given the current situation because the 

country isn’t safe enough to live or work in. 

There is widespread crime that can put you in 

danger anytime.” 

It is a shared opinion that, compared to 

other countries, there’s a much higher sense 

of security in the UAE. Besides economic 

opportunities, safety is an important motive 

that has attracted many people from the 

Indian Subcontinent to the Gulf. Water and 

electricity is guaranteed throughout the UAE 

where people almost never experience water 

and electricity shortages, which add to the 

guarantee of a secure life. 

The UAE also has its share of Sri Lankans and 

Thameema Hamza is one of the youngsters 

residing in Dubai. In her own words, “coming 

from the East coast, I am a Sri Lankan Moor, 

of Moroccan and faint Arab descent. Currently 

working as a financial analyst for an equity 

firm, I am a CIMA passed finalist and a degree 

holder in business management.” According 

to Thameema, having lived a significant part 

of her life in Dubai, her loyalties would tip 

in favour of the UAE; to quote her, “but that 

is not to say that I am not patriotic towards 

my country. They are both equally perfect 

and flawed in their own unique ways,” she 

observes diplomatically. 

When questioned about her outlook on 

her country she speculates, “Sri Lanka does 

have promising growth prospects and is well 

positioned to take advantage of the projected 

growth; maybe even out pacing Dubai one 

day.” However Thameema’s take on being a 

Sri Lankan living in Dubai is more prudent than 

patriotic. She admits, “Given a choice I would 

blindly choose to live in Dubai. It’s a lifestyle 

I’ve gotten accustomed to, it’s where all my 

friends are, it’s where we’ve made memories 

worth treasuring and it is home.” 

Obviously these four young adults don’t 

speak for the thousands their age living in the 

country, but they certainly provide key insights 

on the upcoming generation’s views on loyalty 

and practicality where their countries are 

concerned. That said the word ‘patriotism’ 

hasn’t lost all meaning for the upcoming 

generation. 

Rehan Choudhary is a freelance writer based in Dubai 

‘‘ On the 

other 

hand, “in 

India, it’s 

a shame 

that even 

essentials 

like clean 

drinking 

water 

cannot be 

taken for 

granted, 

and malnutrition, 

food adulteration 

and power 

shortages 

are a way 

of life 

there. 

‘‘ 


86 

Immigrants 

When do I stop 

being an Indian? 

“I am a fairly typical son of a post-modern era that has defied 

the common understanding of culture, language, identity and 

language to take on avatars that suit us. I prefer not to be 

pigeonholed into this category or that, suggesting rather that many 

identities can co-exist at peace within me.” 

By: George Abraham 

In 2006 I lost my right to legitimately call 

myself an Indian. It happened almost by 

accident and without much thought. The 

government in New 

Delhi was cracking 

down on those who had 

acquired the citizenship 

of another country and I 

was among the thousands, 

perhaps millions, swept up in 

its wake. 

The high commission in 

Ottawa punched holes into 

my citizenship. I had lost a 

birthright – not because I 

had done anything to make 

the land of my naissance 

any less proud of me, but 

rather because I also wanted 

another identify for myself. 

I had become a Canadian citizen and held a 

Canadian passport. 

It was a zero-sum game. To the extent that 

I am Canadian, the mandarins said, I am not an 

Indian. How archaic, how out of whack with a 

flat world, and so far removed from the person 

I am. 

Part of me will always be Indian, no matter 

George Abraham with his wife Pam and their 

children Daniel, Becky & Amy 

what passport I carry or the place I call home. 

It doesn’t really matter that to my children 

“Indian” – or Ind-EE-un – as they prefer to 

derisively call the meal that is 

occasionally served up on the 

supper table, is a bad word. 

It brings tears to Becky’s 

round, doe eyes, and Amy 

screams “SPICY” even before 

the first morsel tickles her 

taste buds. 

My eldest, Daniel, 

though, thinks of India as 

the hell-hole that his parents 

took him to without his 

consent, and then enrolled 

him in a school where he had 

to learn Malayalam, study 

the math tables by rote, 

wear a uniform to school 

and be subject to corporal punishment when 

he defied the rules, which he did with unfailing 

regularity. It’s a bad memory that comes back 

to him in nightmares. 

But, to me, being Indian is essential to 

my identity. Or, in the eloquent words of my 

iconic fellow Indian, Shashi Tharoor, India is an 

“idea,” a construct that is meta-physical 

rather than geographical or cultural. I 

am a fairly typical son of a post-modern era 

that has defied the common understanding 

of culture, language, identity and language 

to take on avatars that suit us. I prefer not to 

be pigeonholed into this category or that, 

suggesting rather that many identities can coexist 

at peace within me. 

In the words of Canadian thinker and 

writer Michael Ignatieff, “Where you belong 

is where you are safe; and where you are safe 

is where you belong.” He also offers a second 

qualifier: To belong is to understand the tacit 

codes of the people you live with; it is to know 

that you will be understood without having to 

explain yourself. So, the key is having a sense 

of belonging, one not necessarily linked to a 

travel document or your identity papers. 

Some places you cannot belong to even if 

you wanted to. You try hard to fit in, be one 

with the people, but they don’t want you. It 

is a transient existence. My life has combined 

periods of expatriate existence and immigrant 

experience, taking me from India’s nuclear 

cradle to the icy capital of a G-8 nation. There 

were stations in between, in Dubai, Doha and 

Boston, but none of these places offered me 

permanence or a sense of belonging – I could 

stay, I could rent, I could earn a living or study, 

but I had to renew my right to stay. A “visa” 

defined tenure and life itself. 

I was born the year that the U.S. signed 

a nuclear cooperation agreement with India 

(1963) to help my motherland generate power 

from the atom, setting my life on a trajectory 

of relative comfort. “Atoms for peace” was 

the mantra of the time and my father 

was an early believer in its promise. 

This meant growing up in the wellappointed 

“colonies” (townships), 

purpose built for scientists in close 

proximity to nuclear reactors. I went 

to school with the children of other 

scientists, but also plumbers, fitters 

and sweepers. It was an egalitarian 

upbringing and I’d say roughly half 

of my friends from school, now live 

overseas. 

My departure from India in 

1989 was tentative and meant to 

be short-lived. Dubai was just over 

two hours away and had so many 

Indian expatriates that one could 

live there without once making the 

acquaintance of a UAE national. There 

were people from virtually every 

nation on earth and everybody seemed to 

know where their freedoms ended. I called 

everybody “habibi” and “sheikh,” took courses 

in Arabic, but it meant little … you could live 

your whole life there, but you could never 

belong. That privilege is reserved for the 

chosen few deemed “nationals.” 

Boston was better, but again one regulated 

by the ubiquitous “visa.” I slipped on the snow 

and fell on my butt, tried hard to speak in a 

way that wouldn’t distinguish me from my 

American friends and lived in Cambridge, in 

the very heart of Harvard. But there was no 

belonging there. 

Our next stop was a country to the northwest 

of Dubai, a thumb of a nation: Qatar. 

I reverted to calling people “habibi” and 

“sheikh” rather indiscriminately and got to 

know Qatari society rather well. I got to know 

people in high places, flying with the ruling 

family in their gold-crested planes, and became 

a frequent visitor to the Emiri Diwan – the seat 

of power. Again, it counted for little. Unless I 

could somehow become George bin Abraham 

Al Something, I’d have to leave one day, with 

Umm, Daniel and suitcases in tow. 

It was in Qatar that we decided to seek 

a new nation to call home and we qualified 

‘‘ 

However, 

I feel no 

less Indian 

than the 

day I was 

born. 

Some 

things 

will never 

change: 

I will 

instinctively 

use 

my fingers, 

rather 

than reach 

for a forkand-knife; 

I will 

always 

speak 

accented 

English 

and 

French, my 

children 

will 

ridicule 

both. 

‘‘ 


88 

for Canada rather effortlessly: no interview 

needed, just come. But there was a wait and 

this is when we had to take Daniel to India for 

what we thought was a welcome opportunity 

to introduce our motherland to our firstborn. 

Alas, that was not the way it turned out for 

our little boy … he loathed the experience and 

probably found that his parents themselves had 

morphed into people he did not recognise: 

orthodox Indians. 

So, the day in June 2003 that he landed 

in Canada was a triumphant moment. Gone 

were those horrible teachers who delighted 

in punishing him and tweaking his chubby 

cheeks. Gone were those crowded classrooms 

George the farmer: Enjoying the outdoors and Canada’s wide open spaces, 

part of the immigrant makeover 

and those stifling uniforms with the maroon 

tie. This was the land with a Charter of Rights 

and Freedoms … his parents could not spank 

him, a yellow school bus came to pick him up 

on the next street from our home, and teachers 

seemed almost deferential to students: it was 

all upside-down from Daniel’s point of view. 

But the joy of arrival didn’t last very long. 

Summer camp was a rite of passage, but 

Daniel soon faced a bully who preyed on his 

vulnerability as a new kid on the block. He 

particularly delighted in Daniel’s “Indian” 

accent, and one evening, while walking home 

with me, Daniel broke down, tears streaking 

his chapped face. I was distraught and it took 

me quite a while to get the truth out of my 

eight-year-old. That experience was Daniel’s 

baptism in the cold waters of Canada, but he 

soon overcame the trauma, though never the 

memory. 

It’s taken us years to become a part of 

our new adoptive nation, to feel Canadian, 

to be accepted not as newcomers, but part 

of this nation’s fabric. It helps that one in five 

Canadians is like us, born in another nation, 

and it helps that this country has an official 

policy of multiculturalism. But every day is a 

new day, every experience a new experience, 

and what appears intuitive to André and 

Anne next door kills me within. I was never 

created for the outdoors, being incapable of 

hammering a nail into the wall, raising the 

hood of my car or sliding across a rink 

in tightly-wound skates. It’s been a 

complete makeover. 

However, I feel no less Indian than 

the day I was born. Some things will 

never change: I will instinctively use my 

fingers, rather than reach for a forkand-knife; 

I will always speak accented 

English and French, my children will 

ridicule both; I will invariably privilege 

those elder to me and will never quite 

get used to the wide open spaces of 

Canada, believing in my head that every 

square-inch has to be taken before 

somebody else does. I will always be 

asked if I took on the name George 

Abraham after coming to Canada. Could 

it be that I was born “Shyam Prasad” 

or perhaps some tongue-twister like 

“Dwaraka Upendranath”? 

My Indian-ness has less to do with me than 

the nation I was born into. I was willy-nilly 

born into a civilisation, one of the oldest there 

is, and that itself is a defining characteristic of 

my identity. I am part of an arc that has ebbed 

and flowed for millennia and has scattered 

seeds across the globe, 30 million at last count. 

We propagate civilisation to the far reaches, 

including the Canadian Arctic, and embody its 

values beyond the confines of the Arabian Sea, 

Bay of Bengal and the Himalayas. Unbeknownst 

to them, it imbues Daniel, Amy and Becky too, 

because unlike other countries, India is a state 

of mind, not a nation with finite borders. 

George Abraham is a freelance writer based in Canada 

‘‘ My Indianness 

has 

less to do 

with me 

than the ‘‘ nation I 

was born 

into. 

Profile 

Dr. Pankaj Shrivastav: 

Happiness is a baby born 

Pankaj Shrivastav, Director, Conceive Fertility Hospital, Sharjah, 

who was awarded the Hind Rattan by the Government of India, 

has brought happiness to thousands of couples in the UAE and 

around the world, through his pioneering work in reproductive 

medicine. 

By: Reena Amos Dyes 

Talking about his early years, the 

55-year-old physician 

Dr. Pankaj Shrivastav, 

father of two girls, 

Daamini, 23, an MBBS 

student in the UK and Aashini, 

18, an aspiring lawyer, says: “I 

was born in Madhya Pradesh but 

grew up in Kasauli, near Shimla. 

After spending the first ten years 

of my life in Kasauli I moved to 

New Delhi with my family as my 

father, who was also a doctor, 

was appointed the Director- 

General of Health Services. 

We loved Delhi as we used to 

live near India Gate which was 

clean, green and a beautiful 

place to grow up in.” 

Once Dr. Shrivastav finished high school 

from St. Columba’s, he followed in his father 

and elder brother’s footsteps and went to study 

medicine at the prestigious Christian Medical 

College (CMC), Vellore. 

Very few people know that even though 

he is a world-renowned physician today his 

first love was not medicine but Biology. Lack of 

career prospects for Biology majors made him 

Dr. Shrivastav with his wife 

Dr. Nishi Singh 

opt for medicine instead. 

He has never regretted having 

chosen to become a doctor. 

Recalling those early days at 

CMC, Dr. Shrivastav said: “Coming 

from Delhi, Vellore was quite 

a culture shock, not being as 

cosmopolitan as Delhi. In those days, 

if you could not speak Tamil in Tamil 

Nadu it was quite tough to manage. 

“Coping by myself in a strange 

place at the young age of 16 

made me very independent,” he 

remembers. However, life took a turn 

for the worse when Dr. Shrivastav’s 

father died at the young age of 57. 

His mother, who was a homemaker, 

now had to take up a job as the 

manager of a trade centre in Delhi to educate 

her two young sons who were still in medical 

school. 

However, even with his father gone, Dr. 

Shrivastav was never without a mentor as 

the teachers at CMC opened their hearts and 

homes to him. “CMC, Vellore, was a great 

place to study and practice medicine. It is a 

very exclusive residential college which admits 

only 60 students a year. The doctors and faculty 


90 

Profile 

live on campus and have dedicated their lives 

to serving the community in Vellore. 

“It was a very close knit community where the 

faculty kept an open house and we grew up in 

these surrogate families during the five years 

we spent studying there,” he remembers. 

After completing his MD, Dr. Shrivastav 

joined the CMC Vellore faculty where he was 

appointed lecturer. Explaining his decision to 

join the faculty there he says: “When you have 

studied medicine in CMC Vellore you go grow 

up believing that medicine is not a profession 

to make money from, but a calling to serve 

people. Being a missionary hospital, you are 

inspired by the faculty to serve people just the 

way the doctors there have done all their life on 

a paltry salary. My lecturers were internationally 

renowned people but they had dedicated their 

lives to medical, and it was hard not to follow 

in their footsteps.” 

After working as a lecturer at CMC for three 

years Dr. Shrivastav got married to Dr. Nishi 

Singh, a physician from Lady Hardinge Medical 

College, University of Delhi, the President’s 

Gold medal winner for the best MBBS graduate 

in 1985. 

“We met through our families. Nishi was 

a guest at my brother’s wedding,” Pankaj 

revealed. 

Dr. Shrivastav at work 

After his marriage, he got an opportunity to 

do research in the UK, and in 1987 he started 

on a Research Fellowship at the Royal Free 

Hospital of London. 

He trained simultaneously in Fertility Medicine 

at the Humana Wellington Hospital of London 

under the tutelage of the famous Professor 

Ian Craft, who is considered the father of 

Reproductive Medicine. “Prof. Craft was 

Dr. Shrivastav with his wife Nishi and daughters 

Aashini and Daamini 

interested in some of the research that I was 

doing and asked me to do research for them, as 

well as clinical work so that I could learn the IVF 

technique,” he said. 

This was a turning point in Dr. Shrivastav’s 

life who has devoted his career to helping 

infertile couples after that. 

Little did he know that his own little bundle 

of joy was soon to arrive. 

Recalling his eldest daughter Daamini’s 

birth, Dr. Shrivastav says: “While I was in 

London my wife Nishi came over for a holiday. 

She saw an advertisement for a one year course 

in virology and applied for it. 

The course fee was 10,000 pounds sterling, 

which was a huge amount in those days. We 

did not have the money as I was only doing 

research and was poorly paid. However, 

the London School of Hygiene and Tropical 

Medicine had a scholarship available and Nishi 

bagged it. We thought we would manage 

very well on what I was earning but fate had 

something else in store for Nishi became 

pregnant. We had a lot more responsibility and 

expenses coming our way than we could cope 

with. 

Our daughter Daamini was born two days 

before Nishi was due to start her Masters in 

Virology. Nishi requested her college to grant 

her two weeks off so that she could take care of 

our baby and to make arrangements for a child 

minder. We luckily found one very close to 

Nishi’s college. Each morning, my wife would 

leave the baby at the child minder’s house, 

walk to college and slip out during lunch to 

This was 

a turning 

point in 

Dr. Shrivastav’s 

life who 

has devoted 

his 

career to 

helping 

infertile 

couples 

after that.‘‘ ‘‘ 

‘‘ It is so 

enthralling 

and 

gratifying 

that doctors 

all 

over the 

world are 

using this 

technique 

now‘‘ 

feed the baby and go back to her college. It 

was tough, but we managed,” he reminisces. 

After completing her Masters in Virology 

at The London School of Hygiene and Tropical 

Medicine, Dr. Nishi obtained Membership of 

The Royal College of Pathologists, UK in 1992 

and then the Fellowship in the year 2000. 

Daamini’s graduation ceremony 

Once she finished her medical education, she 

went on to head the department of Pathology, 

Microbiology and Infection Control Teams 

at Dubai and Rashid Hospitals from 1991 to 

2003. 

Dr. Nishi’s contributions in the field of 

medical sciences were recognized when 

she was awarded the Fellowship of the 

International Medical Sciences Academy in 

2003. She now teaches Micro-Biology, Virology 

and Immunology at the Sharjah Higher College 

of Technology, as her main area of interest is 

communicable diseases. 

In 1990, Dr. Shrivastav returned to CMC 

Vellore, to teach as they did not want to 

stay in London forever.“Nishi used to feel so 

depressed by the lack of sunshine that we 

decided to move back to India where my job 

at CMC was waiting for me,” he said. 

However, as his wife could not get a job 

in CMC, they decided to move to Dubai after 

Professor Craft asked Dr. Shrivastav to join the 

team invited by the Government of Dubai to 

set up a Fertility Centre at Rashid Hospital. 

The rest, as they say, is history. 

Dr. Shrivastav moved to Dubai in 1991 

and set up the Dubai Gynecology and Fertility 

Centre (DGFC) where he served as Deputy 

Director and Director for 13 years. The centre 

celebrated the birth of its first IVF babies as 

early as July 1992 and subsequently, DGFC was 

responsible for the birth of over 2,000 babies. 

Along with his work as a physician, Dr. 

Shrivastav was actively involved in research, 

pioneering new techniques in the field 

of Fertility Medicine like Ovarian Hyperstimulation 

and Surgical Retrieval of Sperm 

(PESA and TeSA). The first babies to come 

into the world through the use of PESA were 

born to an Emirati couple from Sharjah in 

1994. Both PESA and TeSA are now routine 

techniques carried out in fertility units the 

world over. 

“It is so enthralling and gratifying that 

doctors all over the world are using this 

technique now,” he admits. 

In 2001, Dr. Shrivastav was awarded a 

Fellowship from The Royal College of London 

in Obstetrics and Gynaecology. 

In 2004, he decided to move on and open 

his own clinic, in Sharjah, which he named 

‘Conceive.’ “Since we opened Conceive, over 

1,500 babies have been born. People come to 

us from all over the world, so we don’t know 

exactly how many!” he says. 

Most of the extra work that I do is in the 

evenings, after finishing for the day” 

However, despite having achieved so many 

milestones, Dr. Shrivastav has regrets when his 

Dr. Pankaj & Dr. Nishi at the Great Wall of China 

team can’t help some couples. “The ones who 

really break your heart are those couples who 

don’t have the money to pay for this expensive 

treatment and scrape and scrounge in order 

to be able to have a baby, for years on end.We 

try to help them by giving them concessions 

or sponsorships. And when they have a baby it 

feels really, really good.” 

Reena Amos Dyes is a freelance writer 

based in Dubai, UAE 


92 

Soldiers 

Three Myths 

of Modern 

Indian History 

Challenging what some partisan historians have always had 

us believe about Kashmir, Tibet and Bangladesh. 

By: Major General Mrinal Suman, AVSM, VSM, PhD 

When conjectures, prejudices 

and assumptions combine 

together in a historical 

setting, myths are born. 

Historical myths are 

deliberately perpetuated by partisan historians 

to justify certain events and actions. When 

repeated continually, myths get accepted as 

historical realities. Three common myths of 

modern Indian history are discussed below to 

correct common misconceptions. 

Myth 1: Grant of special status and 

offer of plebiscite to Kashmir were historical 

compulsions 

Despite having signed the Standstill 

Agreement, Pakistan invaded the state of 

Jammu and Kashmir on 22 October 1947, 

catching both the vacillating Maharaja and 

the Government of India off guard. The 

attackers made rapid progress and were 

soon on the outskirts of Srinagar. The state 

witnessed destruction of life and property of 

unprecedented proportions. 

Unable to stop the ruthless marauders, the 

Maharaja beseeched India for help. He offered 

to sign an Instrument of Accession to India vide 

his letter dated 26 October 1947 and sought 

its military assistance. Sensing the gravity of the 

situation, the Government of India accepted 

the Instrument of Accession on the very next 

day and commenced military assistance soon 

thereafter. 

The Instrument of Accession as offered 

by the Maharaja, had an inbuilt option to 

reject the Indian constitution. Clause 7 read – 

“Nothing in this Instrument shall be deemed 

to commit me in any way to acceptance of 

any future constitution of India or to fetter my 

discretion to enter into agreements with the 

Government of India under any such future 

Constitution.” Once the situation stabilized, the 

J&K Constituent Assembly changed its stand. 

Quoting the above clause, Kashmir refused to 

accept the draft Indian constitution circulated 

in November 1949. It demanded and got 

special status through Article 370. 

It is incomprehensible why India let the 

Maharaja impose such conditions. He was 

on his knees. The population and public 

sentiment were totally anti-Pakistan. All the 

major political parties of Kashmir were also in 

favour of joining the Indian Dominion. It was 

a golden opportunity for India to demand an 

unconditional accession/merger. 

Worse, while accepting the Instrument 

of Accession, Lord Mountbatten, the then 

Governor General of Independent India, in 

an accompanying letter to the Maharaja of 

the same date (27 October 1947) stated, “It 

is my Government’s wish that, as soon as law 

and order have been restored in Kashmir and 

her soil cleared of the invader, the question 

of the State’s accession should be settled by 

a reference to the people.” It was a totally 

unconstitutional and unwarranted offer. 

Plebiscite has become a millstone around 

India’s neck. 

Today, Article 370 is seen as the root cause 

of the separatist psyche. It keeps reminding 

Kashmiri men and women that they are a 

special lot and different from other Indians. 

Even after a gap of over sixty years, Omar 

Abdullah had the audacity to declare on the 

floor of the State Assembly that Kashmir had 

not ‘merged’ with India in 1947 but ‘acceded’ 

to it and that Kashmir is an issue between two 

neighbours. 

As seen above, it is a myth that India 

was forced to grant special status to Kashmir 

or offer plebiscite due to the force of 

circumstances. It was an act of gross omission 

by shortsighted Indian leadership. 

Myth 2: Recognition of Chinese 

sovereignty over Tibet was inevitable 

Although China claims that Tibet had 

been under its rule since the period of the 

Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368), the International 

Commission of Jurists (ICJ) contests such 

claims. ICJ is of the view that during the 

period 1913-1950, Tibet conducted its own 

domestic and foreign affairs free from any 

outside authority, thereby demonstrating the 

conditions of statehood as generally accepted 

under international law. 

After emerging victorious in the civil war, 

the People’s Liberation Army entered Tibet 

in 1950. By early 1951, it had established its 

control over the entire country. Subsequently, 

on 23 May 1951, the local Tibetan Government 

was coerced to sign the Seventeen-Point 

Agreement and ‘peaceful liberation of Tibet’ 

was declared to be complete. As the rebellion 

of Eastern Kham and Amdo engulfed the 

whole country, Chinese authorities crushed it 

ruthlessly in 1959, forcing the Dalai Lama to 

flee to India. 

In 1950, sensing a threat from expansionist 

China, Tibet sought recognition of its 

independent status from the world community. 

Unfortunately, Indian leadership failed to 

appreciate the strategic need to have an 

independent Tibet as a buffer between India 

and China. It toed the Chinese line and went 

to the extent of downplaying the importance 

of the Simla Convention. Further, India advised 

the Tibetan delegation in April 1951 to admit 

that Tibet was a part of China. India thus 

became instrumental in letting China fortify 

its claim over hapless Tibet in the comity of 

nations. 

Understandably, India was in no position to 

ensure Tibet’s independence – but it did not 

have to support Chinese claims unequivocally. 

A policy of deliberate and calculated ambiguity 

and vacillation would have served Indian 

interests best. India should have followed a 

policy of continual ambivalence, forcing China 

to remain sensitive to Indian concerns as well. 

Whereas we have frittered away the Tibet card, 

China continues to question the Indian stand 

on Kashmir. 

Myth 3: The liberation of Bangladesh 

was a strategic masterstroke 

It is often claimed that the liberation 

of Bangladesh in 1971 was a strategic and 

diplomatic masterstroke of unprecedented 

‘‘ All the 

major 

political 

parties of 

Kashmir 

were also 

in favour 

of joining 

the IndianDominion. 

It was a 

golden 

opportunity 

for 

India to 

demand 

an unconditionalaccession/ 

merger. 

‘‘ 


94 

Soldiers Buzz Word 

proportions. It was certainly an exceptional military 

victory, but India failed to make it a strategic 

achievement. 

Erstwhile East Pakistan was an albatross around the 

neck of ‘moth-eaten Pakistan’. Being more populous 

with a smaller area to sustain it, most West Pakistanis 

considered East Pakistan to be a liability. Further, with 

the vast Indian sub-continent separating the two parts, 

defence of the country became a huge challenge. 

A Pakistani general publically called East Pakistan ‘a 

cancerous growth in Pakistan’s body politic’. 

Due to language differences, linkages through 

religion proved highly tenuous. Internal dissentions and 

strife became so strong that millions of East Pakistanis 

sought refuge in India to escape persecution at the 

hands of West Pakistani military and their henchmen. 

Indian political leadership considered it to be a golden 

opportunity to cut Pakistan to size by helping to create 

an independent Bangladesh. It was based on two 

assumptions – one, a grateful Bangladesh would always 

be a friendly nation, and two, a shrunk Pakistan would 

cease to be a bothersome adversary. 

India was soon to realise its folly and naivete 

in expecting gratitude from Bangladesh. Within a 

few years, Bangladeshis forgot all Indian help and 

sacrifices. They also forgot the loot, plunder, rapes and 

atrocities committed on them by West Pakistani forces. 

“Imagine the degree of ingratitude – some politicians 

in Bangladesh are colluding with Pakistan to provide 

sanctuaries to ultras fighting India, the country to whom 

it owes its existence,” remarked a veteran soldier. 

As regards Pakistan, once the memories of ignominies 

of defeat slid into the background, many Pakistani 

writers appeared relieved at the ridding of the bondage 

of East Pakistan. Inadvertently, India had done a huge 

favour to them. Many experts are of the view that India 

should have let Pakistan suffer and bleed as reconciliation 

between the two wings of Pakistan could never have 

been possible. Today, Pakistan is a more compact and 

defendable country. 

On the other hand, with a friendly government in 

power in newly independent Bangladesh, India failed 

to utilise the opportunity to settle all irksome border 

issues and reduce the vulnerability of the sensitive Siliguri 

corridor. Thus, despite an unprecedented military victory, 

India made no concrete strategic gains. 

The author is a retired General Officer of the Indian Army. He is 

India’s foremost expert on defence modernisation procedures and offsets. 

He has been highlighting issues concerning India and its military 

IMT: Premiere Business 

School 

IMT Dubai is a premier business school in the MENA 

region. With its world class curriculum, academics, 

experienced faculty, industry exposure and outstanding 

placements; IMT Dubai has not only excelled in quality 

education, but has also been awarded University status 

and accreditation of the Ministry of Higher Education 

and Scientific Research 

(MOHESR) of the UAE 

Government, a laurel that 

few others have received. 

IMT is also the only Indian 

business school accredited 

by MOHESR and by the 

International Assembly for Collegiate Business Education 

(IACBE) of the USA for the MBA program. 

Dubai being a business hub IMT offers students with 

the opportunity to learn the ways businesses are run in 

a metropolitan business environment. They inculcate 

in their students the need to learn by experience. This 

experiential learning and industry exposure encourages 

them to become effective business managers and apply 

these practical concepts when making business decisions. 

In September 2012, IMT Dubai launched two new 

programs, the Executive MBA program and the Bachelor 

of Science in Business Administration program. 

The BSBA program was launched in order to cater 

to the growing need for a quality bachelor’s degree 

program from a reputed university. This bachelor’s 

program in business administration is also accredited by 

the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research 

(MOHESR) of the UAE. This one-of-a-kind program, set 

according to international standards, was launched on 

the 11th of September, 2012 with 20 students. Students 

in the program have graduated from various schools in 

Dubai and the GCC. The bachelor’s program caters to 

students from various countries including India, Oman, 

UAE, Pakistan and China. 

On the other hand, the EMBA program, also 

accredited by the MOHESR, is a unique program 

designed specifically to accommodate the needs of 

executives who are working in the region. The purpose 

of this program is to provide working professionals 

with the opportunity to gain an MBA degree without 

compromising their career obligations and family 

responsibilities. This program aims to enhance their 

decision making skills and hone their leadership abilities. 

Al Ain Dairy the First to 

Introduce Stevia as Natural 

Replacement for Sugar 

Al Ain Dairy, the largest dairy and juice 

producer and one of the UAE’s leading 

brands is the first company in the UAE 

to introduce Stevia as a natural sugar 

replacement as it launches new Green 

Cocktail Nectar a refreshing new addition to 

its award winning portfolio of juices. 

The much hyped Stevia, is a new zero calorie 

sweetening option which is actually derived from the 

leafy green foliage of the Stevia Plant (Stevia Rebaudiana 

Bertoni). It is known as the “sugar leaf’ and very much 

lives up to its hype with Stevia being some 300 to 

400 times sweeter than cane sugar when refined. It is 

no surprise that Stevia is 

increasingly used worldwide 

as a dietary supplement. 

With manufactures 

looking for an alternative 

replacement for cane sugar 

and artificial sweeteners such 

as sucrose, aspartame or 

saccharin etc. Stevia is rising 

in popularity. As a result it is 

more widely cultivated and used in its powdered form 

as an ideal blend with sugar and artificial sweeteners 

to reduce the overall sugar content in foods as well as 

beverages. 

Stevia has just recently become available in the 

UAE for the first time and is an all-natural calorie free 

sweetener that once blended with other sweeteners 

produces a clean sweet taste, is diabetic friendly, Gluten 

free and also Halal certified. The use of Stevia enables 

manufacturers to create foods as well as beverages that 

are carbohydrate reduced or with no added sugar and 

has proved a fantastic option for the first in a complete 

range of dietary juices launched today by Al Ain Dairy. 

Green Cocktail Nectar is a sumptuous blend of 

Mango and Apple, Kiwi and refreshing Lime juice and 

is a unique, never before seen combination of delicious 

flavors. Green Cocktail Nectar with natural Stevia added 

effectively delivers 30% less sugar and is good news for 

those who want to reduce their sugar intake. 

Danube launches 50 million 

dirham Industrial Complex in 

Jebel Ali 

• The new warehouse oversees an investment of 

50 million Dirhams. 

• The Industrial Complex is spread across 

450,000 square meters. 

• The warehouse features 4 value addition units 

measuring 150,000square meters. 

• The Industrial Complex will create new job 

opportunities in the market and support indirect 

employment. 

• This will reduce construction industry’s reliance 

on import. 

H 

.E. Sheikha Lubna Bint Khalid Al Qasimi, UAE 

Minister for Foreign Trade, officially inaugurated a 

state-of-the-art Industrial Complex and warehouse unit, 

accompanied by Mr. Rizwan Sajan, Founder & Chairman 

of Danube Group and other high-ranking officials, at 

Technopark, the high-tech industry zone in Jebel Ali. 

The Industrial Complex oversees an investment of AED 

50 million, which has been made at an economically 

challenging time that will help create at least 100 direct 

jobs and support hundreds of indirect employment. 

Moreover, the industrial unit will help reduce UAE 

construction 

industry’s 

dependence on 

imported finished 

products as these 

will be custommanufactured 

in 

the complex. 

Mr Ibrahim Al Janahi, Deputy CEO & Chief 

Commercial Officer, JAFZA, UAE, H.E. 

Sheikha Lubna Bint Khalid Al Qasimi, UAE 

Minister for Foreign Trade, Mr. Rizwan Sajan, 

Founder and Chairman of Danube Group with Mr. 

Anis Sajan, Managing Director, Danube Group. 

Strategically 

located to cater to 

the GCC markets, 

the Industrial 

Complex facility 

in UAE is spread across a total area of 450,000 square 

meters. The facility will accommodate an increase in 

inventory and expanded shipping functions. 

The Industrial Complex facility integrated with 

Warehouse Management System (WMS) features four 

value addition units measuring 150,000 square meters. 

This comprises of Melamine Pressing Unit, Steel Cut and 

Bend Unit, Décor Unit (Veneer Pressing Unit) 


96 

Buzz Word 

BITS Pilani on track 

to become the leading 

‘Engineering’ institution in 

the Middle East: 

Dr. Kumar Mangalam Birla, the Chairman of the 

US$40 billion multinational - Aditya Birla Group and 

Chancellor of Birla Institute of Technology & Science 

(BITS) Pilani stated that BITS Pilani Dubai is on track 

to become the leading ‘Engineering institution in the 

Middle East.’ Dr. Birla addressed a gathering of over 

1000 people at the grand ‘Convocation 2012’ event that 

included students, parents, senior government officials 

and dignitaries from various 

organisations. 

Till date, over 2327 

students have graduated from 

BITS Pilani UAE campus. The 

Chief Guest at ‘Convocation 

2012’ was Dr. Abdulla Al 

Karam, Chairman of the 

Board of Directors & Director 

General Knowledge & 

BITS Pilani Convocation 

Human Development 

Authority, Dubai (KHDA). Also present during the 

occasion were - Mr. Essa Al Ghurair and Mr. Syed M. 

Salahuddin, Members of the Governing Council of Dubai 

Campus, Prof. V. S. Rao and Mr. K. Ramachandran, 

Members of the Board of Governors, BITS Pilani, Prof. 

G. Raghurama, Prof. R. K. Mittal and Prof. K. E. Raman, 

Directors of the Pilani Dubai and Goa campuses, 

respectively, Mr. Riazuddin, Associate Director, Dubai 

campus. 

During the convocation, Dr. Kumar Mangalam Birla 

stated “Today is your day. I congratulate each one of 

you who will graduate from BITS Pilani UAE campus. I 

urge you all to bring passion to your endeavors; bring 

the fire in you and the sparkle in your eyes to every 

task you set yourself to. What we are celebrating today 

is this magnificent gift of your personal achievements. 

The world was shaped by men and women whose 

restlessness with the status quo drove them to do things 

differently, to do them well, and do them with a deep 

concern for the well being of their fellowmen. I am 

confident so will you”. 

Manipal University Dubai 

Formally Inaugurates 

750,000 sq. ft. Campus 

at Dubai International 

Academic City 

• Institution Hosts Sixth Convocation for 450 

Graduates 

• His Excellency M. K. Lokesh, Indian 

Ambassador to the UAE, Delivers Keynote 

Address 

Manipal University Dubai has concluded its sixth 

annual convocation for 450 graduates. The top 

three performing students were honoured with the DIAC 

Award for Academic Excellence. 

Presided over by His Excellency M. K. Lokesh, Indian 

Ambassador to the UAE, the two-day ceremony also 

witnessed the official inauguration of the institution’s 

750,000 sq. ft. campus at Dubai International Academic 

City (DIAC), the region’s premier destination for 

higher education 

and a member of 

TECOM Investments’ 

Education Cluster. 

Established as an 

academic partner 

of DIAC in 2006, 

Manipal University 

welcomed students to 

its permanent campus 

in the academic year 

2011-2012. Phase 

One of the purposebuilt 

facility spreads 

over 250,000 sq. 

ft., with plans in 

(L-R) Dr. Warren Fox, Executive 

Director of Higher Education, Knowledge 

and Human Development Authority, 

Dubai, Dr. Ramdas M. Pai, Chancellor, 

Manipal University, and Dr. B. Ramjee, 

Director, Manipal University Dubai with 

Dr. Ayoub Kazim, Managing Director, 

TECOM Investments’ Education Cluster 

at the formal inauguration of Manipal 

University’s campus at Dubai International 

Academic City. 

place to roll-out Phase Two which comprises residential 

infrastructure for students and faculty. 

The convocation additionally served as a platform to 

commemorate the institution’s success in the presence 

of Dr. Ramdas M. Pai, Chancellor, Manipal University. His 

Excellency M. K. Lokesh opened the ceremony with a 

keynote address, congratulating the faculty and students 

and encouraging the new graduates. 

LIALI unfurls a fantasy of 

new bespoke pieces that 

promise to make your 

Diwali sparkle like never 

before! 

Also offers an exclusive ‘Jewel’ for ‘Jewel’ offer 

on this delightful occasion 

L IALI Jewellery, the leading jewellery retailer in the UAE 

continues to offer innovative diamond jewellery for 

the festive season which includes bespoke bangles, rings 

and necklaces using diamonds, with precious emeralds 

and rubies with the single promise of making their 

customers look unique and feel their very best. 

For Diwali, the Indian 

‘Festival of Lights’ it also 

unfurls for the first time ever, 

an exciting new range of 

reversible 22k yellow and 

white gold floral necklaces 

and drop dead gorgeous, long 

earrings with enamel inlay, 

which are designed to be worn 

both ways. These innovatively 

crafted jewels offer a splendid 

choice of jewelled accessories 

to match their lucky wearer’s 

demands of attire, mood and occasion. 

To add glitter to the festive occasion, it also has 

a special ‘Jewel for Jewel’ offer. For every AED1500/- 

spent on diamond jewellery, customers can claim an 

exciting jewellery gift including 18k gold heart pendants, 

diamond and semi-precious pendants, up to a three 

piece set with matching ring and earrings in two colors 

and lots, lots more. 

Anuraag Sinha, Managing Director of LIALI Jewellery, 

said, “On the occasion of the popular Indian festival of 

Diwali, we at LIALI are happy to extend our warm and 

hearty greetings on the occasion. I take this opportunity 

to present LIALI’s exclusive jewellery with the promise of 

the innovative designs that will set you apart from the 

others, set in quality diamonds certified by IGI to always 

protect your investment with us. 

Cosmos ITL Group appointed 

as exclusive Middle East 

distributor of ‘One For All’ AV 

accessories from Universal 

Electronics 

Cosmos ITL Group, the leading distributor of 

consumer appliances and IT products in the region 

with a presence of over 60 years in the UAE, has signed 

an agreement with Universal Electronics, whereby 

Cosmos ITL Group will be the exclusive distributor in the 

Middle East for the globally popular ‘One For All’ brand 

of television accessories from Universal. 

Dr. Ram Buxani, President of Cosmos ITL Group, 

said that the partnership with the US-based Universal 

Enterprises is of 

strategic importance 

for the company, as 

it further strengthens 

its brand portfolio, 

offering a wider 

bandwidth of worldclass 

products for 

consumers. 

Universal 

Enterprises represents 

‘One For All,’ 

a brand with a 

Dr. Ram Buxani President of Cosmos ITL 

Group with Menno Koopmans, VP of UE 

strong portfolio of premium AV accessories of the 

highest quality standards. In addition, One For All (OFA) 

complements the major television brands rather than 

compete with them, as it maintains a good degree of 

brand neutrality. 

Menno Koopmans, Vice President (International 

Sales), at UE, said that the partnership with ITL Cosmos 

Group will further strengthen the market outreach of 

OFA, given the vast network of the company. “In fact, in 

almost every second home globally, the remote control 

being used would have been designed by UE, and we are 

now delighted to further strengthen the product reach in 

the region.” 

Universal Enterprises was founded in 1986 and is 

the global leader in wireless control technology for the 

connected home. Its portfolio of patented technologies 

and databases of infrared control software have been 

adopted by many Fortune 500 companies and leading 

consumer electronics brands globally. 


Winning 

Integrity In A World Of Lies And Liars 

As scarce as truth is, the supply has always been in excess of the demand. 

- Josh Billings, U.S. humorist 

By: Frank Raj 

Glynnis Whitwer, author of ‘I Used To 

Be Organized’ and ‘When Your Child 

Is Hurting’, clearly expresses the idea 

of Winning in this extract from her 

book. 

“Talking with my son one day, I mentioned I 

thought I might have made a good lawyer. I love 

discovering facts, proving my point and standing 

for justice. It wasn’t a real longing, just a passing 

comment in an afternoon filled with incidental 

but pleasurable conversation. 

“At my observation, my son adamantly 

replied, “You would make a horrible lawyer!” 

“I looked at him with curiosity and surprise 

dressing my face. He continued, “You would 

never lie. In fact, you could boast the fastest 

conviction rates in your ads. I can see you 

standing before the judge saying, ‘Your honor, my 

client is guilty!’” 

“We both laughed at that comment. And I 

completely agreed with his assessment of my 

lawyering potential. I guess it’s a good thing I 

stuck with writing. 

“My son made an exaggerated comment that 

day to make an observation about my character. 

We both know there are lawyers with the highest 

integrity. That wasn’t his point. His point was his 

mother doesn’t lie. 

“His comment snuggled its way into my heart 

and has stayed there ever since. I make a lot of 

mistakes in my parenting, but apparently I’ve 

done something right. My son knows the real me 

- the good, bad and ugly. And in this one area of 

my life, my son has made a crucial observation of 

my character: it’s consistent with what I say.” 

Are you influenced by people whose lives 

match their words? Doing what’s right is a 

natural way for truth-loving people to honour 

their Creator. Their influence over others is a 

by-product of such commitment, and those who 

notice the unspoken alignment of their talk and 

walk cannot help being inspired. 

Unfortunately, we live in a world of lies and 

liars. 

French critic, essayist and novelist Andre Gide 

made the caustic observation, “Believe those who 

are seeking the truth, doubt those who find it.” In 

India today, many in politics claim to be seeking 

the truth. We can be encouraged by them but we 

must be alert to their actions; only time will reveal 

their integrity. 

But Andre Gide also went on to say, “It is 

only in adventure that some people succeed in 

knowing themselves - in finding themselves.” 

I think the greatest adventure anyone can 

engage in, is the search for the Truth, only then 

can we truly find ourselves, or we can choose to 

hold back and wallow in uncertainty for the rest of 

our lives. 

Did people like Gandhiji, Vivekananda or 

Tagore find the Truth? We know for sure that they 

searched for it consistently by their words and 

actions, and it is the authenticity of their journey 

that counts. 

Did their lives match their words? Does yours? 

People will eventually notice inconsistencies in 

someone’s life and when they do, it erodes their 

influence. Sometimes, we only get one chance to 

influence those around us. Once the opportunity 

is lost, moral authority is very difficult to regain. 

Glynnis admits she doesn’t always get it right. 

“There are plenty of times when my actions don’t 

match my words. But my son’s comment inspired 

me to examine my life, and see where there are 

inconsistencies. As I find them, I am honest about 

my weakness, and seek divine help to deal with 

them. That’s the only way I’ll ever develop into 

the woman I know God wants me to be: one 

who doesn’t have to shout to make her point, but 

whose quiet actions speak louder than words.” 

Frank Raj is TII’s founder editor & publisher, 

a motivational speaker, and author 

of ‘Desh Aur Diaspora.’ 

98 The International Indian 

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99

Rizwan Sajan: When do I stop being Indian UAE's Masala King ...

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