CONNECTING INDIA WITH ITS DIASPORA

NURTURING
INDIANNESS
‘My attempt is to create a feeling of Indianness
in every person of Indian origin who lives abroad...’
Vayalar Ravi, Minister for Overseas Indian Affairs
Vol 3 Issue 4-5 April-May 2010

PRAVA SI BHARATIYA

MINI S T R Y O F O V E R S E A S IN D I A N A F FA IR S
 CONNECTING INDIA WITH ITS DIASPORA

izoklh Hkkjrh; dk;Z ea=ky;

Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs

Vol 3 Issue 4-5 April-May 2010

P R AVA S I B H A R AT I YA
GLOBAL-INDIAN
NETWORK OF KNOWLEDGE
AN INITIATIVE OF THE MINISTRY OF OVERSEAS INDIAN AFFAIRS

The Overseas Indian Facilitation Centre (OIFC) has partnered

with Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) to develop the Global‑INK framework.
An online web portal, it is powered by SupportCentral, a next generation knowledge
management, collaboration and business solutions platform.

The communities will also provide an array of collaboration tools:

● Blogs ● Forums ● Askan Expert ● Document management and sharing ● Online resource databases

lR;eso t;rs

izoklh Hkkjrh; dk;Z ea=ky;

Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs
www.overseasindian.in
 hange is empowering. Essentially, in terms of its philosophical
contents
C
   
    



underpinnings. Therefore, it calls for revisiting the founding

Vol 3 Issue 4-5 April-May 2010
principles. Change also becomes effective when it flows from the


 




first principles of engagement. At Pravasi Bharatiya, your favourite
window on the Diaspora, it was thus that we attempted to revisit our terms
of engagement with you. Starting this issue, you would see a vivid transfor‑

12
mation in your magazine. Beginning with its layout, design, fonts, colours
and relief, Pravasi presents you a palette of rich content. Design and content
  


have sought to empower and complement each other, producing, what we

‘My attempt is to create a feeling of Indianness in every person
of Indian origin who lives abroad...’
Vayalar Ravi, Minister for Overseas Indian Affairs believe, is a pleasing fusion of aesthetic and intellectual experience.
M I N I S T RY O F O V E R S E A S I N D I A N A F FA I R S

We have expanded the horizon of content ̶ from discussions on re‑

search on the frontiers of science to the quintessential diasporic experience;
from incisive analysis of television and media to trends in society and com‑
Cover story
Printed and Published by munity; and from literature and festivals to new tools of business manage‑
Mithlesh Kumar on behalf of the ment. Pravasi, we are confident, will bring you an enriching experience. FORGING INDIANNESS
Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs Starting this issue, we also bring you a regular Diaspora quiz. You are most In an interview to Pravasi Bharatiya,
Akbar Bhavan, Chanakyapuri, Minister for Overseas Indian Affairs
New Delhi ̶ 110021 welcome to contribute to it. Not far behind is that indulgence we crave Vayalar Ravi says he wants to “expand
Website: http://moia.gov.in for ̶ food in newer forms and flavours. We will now have a regular column the Indian space”...
www.overseasindian.in on cuisine, which we hope will recreate in your kitchen, in many ways, the
flavours and memories of the ʻhomeʼ of your yearnings.
Consulting Editor So, what better way than to have begun it all with an interaction with the
K.G. Sreenivas Minister for Overseas Indian Affairs himself for the Cover Story of the
makeover edition of Pravasi. The Honʼble Shri Vayalar Ravi gladly consented
to give Pravasi an extensive inter‑
Pravasi Bharatiya is a monthly

from
publication. The views expressed in this view where he speaks about his
journal are those of the contributors plans and ambitions of deepening
and do not necessarily reflect the views Indiaʼs engagement with the Dias‑
of the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs
pora. Committed to “expanding the

the ECONOMY FEATURE

(MOIA). All rights reserved. No part of
this journal may be produced, stored, or Indian space” across the world, Ravi Maruti Suzuki phases out Maruti 800, the
transmitted in any form or by any
means ̶ electronic, mechanical,
says he looks forward to empower‑
ing overseas Indian passport hold‑ 20 original ʻPeopleʼs Carʼ, in 13 cities across India.
The ʻ800ʼ was an icon of its age...

editor’s
photocopying, recording, or otherwise,
without the permission of MOIA.
ers to exercise their right of
franchise in India and take part in
the countryʼs public life. “What we

desk
Editorial correspondence and are trying to do is to bring in as
manuscripts can be addressed to RESEARCH
pravasi.bharatiya@gmail.com many people of Indian origin as A winner of one of the top U.S. honours, Prasun

62
44
possible, wherever they live, to Chatterjeeʼs research has contributed to a new
come to India and make it their way of detecting toxic lead and copper in water
Designed and produced by IANS home,” says Ravi evocatively. In fact,
(www.ianspublishing.com) on behalf of
the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs. ʻhomeʼ was a constant refrain in his interaction with Pravasi. He is fasci‑
nated by the young Diaspora, who, he says is inquisitive about the land of
their forefathers. “We are looking to the younger generation. We want more FORTUNE TELLER
Printed at One of the planetʼs most brilliant business brains, INTERVIEW
and more Indian origin people to come to India and see India and feel that the late C. K. Prahaladʼs theories will continue to What makes people uproot themselves? Minal
Anit Printers
1811, Gyani Bazar,
Opp. D‑56 N.D.S.E Part ‑1,
Kotla Mubarkpur,
ʻthis is my placeʼ. They must feel proud of this country.”
Ultimately, Ravi says, “My whole attempt is to create a feeling of Indianness in
every person of Indian origin who lives abroad.” There couldnʼt have been a clearer
influence corporations worldwide
86 Hajratwala sets out to understand how the larger
forces of history intersect with individual lives...

New Delhi ‑110003

assertion of Indiaʼs commitment to deepening its kinship with the Diaspora.
Ravi also speaks about a range of policy issues. Under the new Emigration
Management Bill, he is looking to making the whole process of migration
transparent and corruption free. Under his watch, MOIA has signed a num‑
ber of landmark agreements with a number of countries in Europe and the
58 64 78 82
SOCIAL MEDIA HEALTH CINEMA TRAVEL
Middle East to safeguard Indian labour, manage labour mobility, and ensure More and more Indian In a path‑breaking feat, A hundred and fifty years Welcome to Finland, a
portability of social security benefits under a series of Social Security Agree‑ companies are building Dr. P.N. Dogra of AIIMS years after Rabindranath Nordic country that has kept
ments. Meanwhile, the Government has issued 5,76,000 Overseas Citizen‑ communities around their recently performed Indiaʼs Tagoreʼs birth, his story its date with modernism and
ship of India cards, a significant number, which is bound to increase over brands on web‑based first robot‑assisted surgery. ʻNoukadubiʼ, is getting a technology, but where it is
interactive tools A peek into the ops theatre... modern makeover winter forever...
time. Forging kinships is thus of the essence. We hope Pravasi will continue
to help deepen our journeys, both inward and outward at once.
Please write in with your comments and suggestions.
̶K.G. Sreenivas
izoklh Hkkjrh; dk;Z ea=ky;
Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs
www.overseasindian.in
news
Indiaʼs Independence Day celebrations in New Jersey. (File photo) An MoU signed by MOIA and the Center for the Advanced Study of India will seek to carry out
research on the Indian Diaspora and make recommendations for leveraging the ʻcapitalʼ the community represents for the benefit and development of India.
Diaspora in focus
MOIA will grant financial aid to the tune of $2 million for setting up and running
a research programme to be headed by Professor Devesh Kapur
he Ministry of Overseas Indian
T
Affairs (MOIA) has entered into
an MoU with the Center for the
Advanced Study of India (CASI),
School of Arts and Sciences, University of
Pennsylvania, for research on the Indian
Diaspora. Under the agreement signed on
February 16, 2010 at Philadelphia, CASI
shall initiate research on the diaspora by
making use of the facilities and infrastruc‑
ture of The School of Arts Sciences, Uni‑
versity of Pennsylvania.
The cost of conducting these research
programmes by CASI will be shared by
MOIA and CASI. The research pro‑
grammes will be headed by Professor De‑
vesh Kapur, the Madan Lal Sobti
Professorship for the Study of Contempo‑
rary India and Director of CASI, who is a
6 Pravasi Bharatiya  May 2010
faculty member of the School of Arts and
Sciences, University of Pennsylvania. Pro‑
fessor Kapur will be supported by a group
of scholars recruited specifically for the
purposes of conducting these research
programmes, as and when needed.
Duration of the pact
The agreement between the MOIA and
CASI begins from the date of its signing
and will be in operation for a period of
four years and may be extended for fur‑
ther terms of five years each, if agreed
mutually by both parties.
There will an annual review of the re‑
search programme with regard to
progress achieved by CASI.
The review will be conducted by an ad‑
visory committee. Continuation of finan‑
CASI-MOIA RESEARCH PROJECTS ON INDIAN EMIGRATION
cial support will be based on the outcome
of the annual review.
Consideration
The cost of establishing and running the
research programme under CASI is esti‑
mated to be $2 million. The University of
Pennsylvania will contribute by making
available the services of the Director of
CASI to manage this research programme.
In addition, the building and related in‑
frastructure for CASI will be provided by
the School of Arts and Sciences of the
University of Pennsylvania.
The pact was signed by G. Gurucharan,
Joint Secretary, on behalf of the MOIA,
and Deborah M. Fisher and Rebecca
Bushnell on behalf of the University of
Pennsylvania.
YEARS PROJECT IMPACT
1,2,3,4 Building Statistical Systems Long‑term institutional building;
and Data Analysis analysis and recommendations for action
1,2,3 Financial Remittances Create the basis for intra‑governmental
institutional linkages between MOIA, MOF,
HM, RBI and MEA; recommendations to
enhance the positive impact and mitigate
the negative effects
1,2,3,4 Indian hi‑tech entrepreneurs in the U.S. The study will inform recommendations on
how India should engage Indian‑origin
entrepreneurs in other countries
2,3 Indian emigration and labour flows to This study will provide recommendations
non‑Anglo Saxon countries of the OECD, for action to improve labour flows to
with a focus on the EU non‑English speaking industrialised
countries
2,3 International Adoption from India Recommendations for action
1,2 Leveraging Diasporas: Global Best Practice Provide yardsticks to benchmark GOI
policies and practices
2,3,4 The Strategic Implications of Indian Emigration The study will help deepen the
understanding of the economic‑security‑
foreign policy tradeoffs arising from
international migration
1,2,3,4 Leveraging the Intellectual Capital of the The study will provide recommendations
Indian Diaspora for action
About casi
Founded in 1992, the Center
for the Advanced Study of
India at the University of
Pennsylvania is the only re‑
search institution in the
United States dedicated to CASI Working Papers
the study of contemporary The Center for the Advanced Study of India
India. A national resource, it has started a series of working papers,
fills the need for knowledge published electronically.
Prof Devesh Kapur of Indiaʼs politics and society,
rapidly changing economy, and transformation as both an Occasional Papers
ancient civilisation and major contemporary power. The Center occasionally publishes papers by
Headed by Professor Devesh Kapur, the Centerʼs key leading scholars and policymakers on topics
goals are threefold. The first is to engage in policy‑relevant of relevance to India, often in connection
research focused on the challenges facing contemporary with lectures and conferences held under
India and thereby improve the understanding of Indiaʼs the Centerʼs auspices. An archive is also
politics and society. The second goal is to nurture studentsʼ maintained.
interest in contemporary India through internships at the
Center and interactions with visiting scholars who are in India in Transition
residence at CASI, as well as by providing them with India in Transition (IiT), an online publication,
opportunities to work and conduct research in India. allows scholars from all over the world the
And third, the Center aims to act as a public forum on opportunity to exchange various analyses
contemporary India by hosting seminars, workshops and and innovative ideas about Indiaʼs current
conferences year‑round. The Centerʼs online publication, status and growth.
India in Transition, provides scholars around the world a
medium to exchange ideas about contemporary India.
The Center provides in‑depth analysis of the most pressing
issues facing India and the India‑U.S. relationship today.
May 2010  Pravasi Bharatiya 7
news
EMPOWERED
The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act comes into effect
he day was April Foolʼs Day. But
T
for millions of children across
India, it was a day to get empow‑
ered. April 1, 2010 will go down
in Indiaʼs history as the day on which
Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh en‑
forced the Right to Education as a Funda‑
mental Right. “Today our government
comes before you to pledge all our chil‑
dren elementary education. The Right of
Children to Free and Compulsory Educa‑
tion Act enacted by parliament in August,
2009 comes into force today (Thursday),”
Dr. Singh said in his early morning ad‑
8 Pravasi Bharatiya  May 2010
dress to the nation delivered both in Hindi
and English.
“The fundamental Right to Education as
incorporated in our constitution through
Article 21 (A) has also become operative
from today,” he said. “This demonstrates
our national commitment to the educa‑
tion of our children and to the future of
India. We are a nation of young people.
Education will determine the well being
of our nation. If we nurture our children
through the right to education, Indiaʼs fu‑
ture will be secured,” Dr. Singh said.
The Act promises 10 broad objectives,
including free and compulsory education
to all children in the 6‑14 age group. This
means millions of children will now get
education at least up to class eight.
Currently, in India, nearly 200 million
children in the 6‑14 age group are in
schools, while nearly 8.1 million do not
go to schools. The Act is expected to ben‑
efit all of them in a big way. Other than
free and compulsory education, the Act
speaks of quality education, focus on so‑
cial responsibility like reservation in pri‑
vate schools, the obligation of teachers
and de‑bureaucratisation of admissions.
“
I was born to a family of mod-
est means. In my childhood, I
had to walk a long distance to
go to school. I read under the
dim light of a kerosene lamp. I
“ India congratulated the Indian govern‑
am what I am today because
of education
— Dr. Manmohan Singh
The ʻnational effortʼ, as Dr. Singh termed
it, seeks to create a conducive educational
atmosphere for differently‑abled children.
Dr. Singh said: “I was born to a family of
modest means. In my childhood, I had to
walk a long distance to go to school. I
read under the dim light of a kerosene
lamp. I am what I am today because
of education.”
The UNESCO, ILO and the UNICEF in
ment on the notification, saying that India
could inspire other nations to provide
free and quality education to children.
India calling
Major foreign universities may now
be able to set up satellite campuses
in India. In a move imbued with
radical potential, the Cabinet cleared
the way for what Human Resource
Development Minister Kapil Sibal
termed a “milestone” in Indian
higher education.
“This is a milestone, which will en‑
hance choices, increase competi‑
tion, and benchmark quality,” Sibal
said, after a Cabinet meeting chaired
by Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan
Singh on March 15 allowed foreign
universities to set up campuses in
India. The Cabinet approval is
expected to provide quality educa‑
tion in the country and reduce the
flow of Indian students abroad.
“(Itʼs) a larger revolution than even
(the one) in the telecom sector,”
Sibal said. The bill, which will now be
tabled in parliament for its approval,
has provisions to regulate the entry
and operation of foreign institutions
who set up campuses and offer
degrees in India. The effort is part of
the governmentʼs focus on
education reforms.
Scholarships for NRIs
New Delhi has announced scholar‑
ships for the Indian diaspora for un‑
dergraduate studies in India during
2010‑11. The undergraduate courses
include engineering, architecture,
technology, humanities, liberal arts,
commerce, management, journal‑
ism, hotel management, agriculture/
animal husbandry, science and law,
The Star newspaper said in Kuala
Lumpur on March 10.
May 2010  Pravasi Bharatiya 9
news

Indian flavour in UK polls

Keith Vaz, Virendra Sharma and Marsha Singh were the three notable winners, among
at least eight of Indian origin, in the recent landmark British elections

t least eight Indian‑origin candi‑

Minister for Overseas Indian Affairs Vayalar Ravi with people of Indian origin in New Delhi.
A dates, half of them fresh faces,
wrested victory in the British
general elections, while some of
their Labour colleagues bit the dust. The

Glimpses of India
three notable winners were Keith Vaz,
Virendra Sharma and Marsha Singh. Vaz
Keith Vaz Valerie Vaz Marsha Singh Paul Uppal
retained the Leicester East constituency
for the Labour Party by defeating Conser‑
vative candidate Jane Hunt and Liberal
The Know India Programme is a major initiative of the Ministry of Overseas Indian
Democratʼs Ali Asghar.
Affairs for Indian‑origin youth to experience their native country Helped by celebrities like Bollywood
actor Sanjay Dutt, Vaz secured 53.8 per‑
cent of the vote in the constituency which
hey came, they saw India and ticipants either a graduate or pursuing an somebody from Russia... for the first has a large population of South Asians. Priti Patel Alok Sharma Shailesh Vara Virendra Sharma

T were enamoured. They came

from all over the world, 39 young
people of Indian origin, and Min‑
ister for Overseas Indian Affairs Vayalar
Ravi honoured them on April 15 for com‑
ing on a programme to know and under‑
stand their native country. The 14th
Know India Programme (KIP) is a fully‑
funded programme of the ministry for
youth of Indian origin (not NRIs) within
the age group of 18 to 26, with the par‑
graduate programme. The content of the
three‑week programme included presen‑
tations on the country, political process,
developments in various sectors, visiting
a college/university/institute and inter‑
acting with faculty and students, a pres‑
entation on industrial development and
visits to some industries, etc.
Surya Vatsa from Vladivostok, Russia,
received a special welcome from Minister
Ravi who said he was “very happy to see
time.” Vijay Kumar Bhojwani Nandwani
from Chile said he was happy to be a part
of KIP. “Being far away from India, we
miss Indian food and Bollywood movies,
which is not the case for others of Indian
origin settled in Europe, Asian countries
or even South Africa,” he said.
“I am happy how this has worked. This
is a major initiative by the Ministry of
Overseas Indian Affairs. This is a way of
spreading India to the world,” Ravi said.
Vaz, whose parents were from Goa and
migrated to Britain in 1965, has been a
member of parliament for Leicester East
since 1987. Sharma retained the Ealing
Southall constituency by defeating an‑
other Indian‑origin candidate, Toryʼs
Gurcharan Singh.
Also making their entry into the House
of Commons were the first Indian‑origin
women ̶ Valerie Vaz, Labour (sister of
Keith Vaz) and Priti Patel, Conservative.
People of Indian‑origin recorded yet
another win when Marsha Singh emerged
victorious in Bradford West seat by get‑
ting 18,401 votes. He beat Conservativeʼs
Zahid Iqbal who polled 12,638 votes.
Conservative candidate Paul Uppal
ousted his fancied rival, the sitting Labour
MP Rob Marris, by a razor‑thin margin of
691 votes to take the Wolverhampton
Southwest seat. Alok Sharma of the Con‑
servative Party won Reading West, a
Labour seat for over a decade. Agra‑born
Sharma, a Conservative Party candidate,
recorded an impressive swing from
Labour to the Tories in Reading West in
Berkshire. Following his victory in North
West Cambridgeshire, Shailesh Vara, who
was returned as the Conservative MP,
said he was honoured to be returned by
his constituents.

Over 5,75,000 OCI cards issued An India admirer

The Government has issued 576,000 Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) cards while 9,000 applica‑
tions are pending, Minister for Overseas Indian Affairs Vayalar Ravi said recently. “We have so far
issued 5,76,000 OCI cards. Over 9,000 applications are pending because the forms are incomplete.
We have asked the applicants to correct these and we will then issue the cards,” the Minister said in
the Upper House of Parliament. Minister Ravi said that the OCI card was not a substitute for a visa for
NRIs travelling to India, adding that there was no proposal to grant voting rights to holders of
OCI cards. “We do not have the concept of dual citizenship. So there can be no voting rights
(for OCI holders),” he said. Ravi also said his Ministry would take up with the Election Commission
the question of retaining the voting rights of Indian citizens who stay abroad for prolonged periods.
At 43, Conservative leader David Cameron, born on October 9, 1966, is one of the youngest prime ministers of
Britain ̶ an achievement shadowed only by the fact that William Pitt became the British PM aged only 24.
Cameron is also an admirer of India. Cameron became British PM on May 11 after an election threw up a hung
parliament. The Tories forged an alliance with the Liberal Democrats, helping them end 13‑years of Labour rule.
Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh telephoned Cameron to congratulate him and hoped that he would further
strengthen ties between the two countries. Dr. Singh said he recalled with great pleasure his meeting with
Cameron in New Delhi in September 2006. Ahead of that visit, Cameron, writing in The Guardian, said: “India is
the worldʼs largest democracy, a rapidly‑growing economy, a huge potential trading partner, a diverse
society with a strong culture of pluralism and a key regional player. This is Indiaʼs time... Our relation‑
ship goes deep. But I think it can and should go deeper”.

Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh telephoned

Minister Ravi said that the Overseas Citizenship of
Cameron to congratulate him and hoped that he would
India card was not a substitute for a visa for NRIs
further strengthen ties between the two countries.
travelling to India, and that there was no proposal to
Singh said he recalled with great pleasure his meeting
grant voting rights to OCI card holders
with Cameron in New Delhi in September 2006
David Cameron

10 Pravasi Bharatiya  May 2010 May 2010  Pravasi Bharatiya 11

cover story
We are trying to create a feeling of belongingness to India in every person of Indian
origin who lives abroad, says Vayalar Ravi in a conversation with K.G. Sreenivas
I
n a wide‑ranging interview to Pravasi Bharatiya, Minister
for Overseas Indian Affairs (MOIA) Vayalar Ravi speaks
at length about the founding vision of his Ministry.
Under his leadership, MOIA has transformed itself into
one of the most important ministries of the Government
of India, shaping Indiaʼs engagement with its vast 25
million strong Diaspora. Wherever possible, Minister
Ravi reaches out personally to all those overseas Indians or NRIs
who seek his intercession. He lends a very personal touch to his
interactions with NRIs, PIOs and the Diaspora and does not hes‑
itate to take calls from Indian labourers put behind bars on for‑
eign soil and seeking his intervention. Driven by his core vision
of what he calls “expanding the Indian space” across the world,
Minister Ravi has prevailed upon the Diaspora to engage with
Indiaʼs development. Under his watch, Indian passport holders
could even get to vote in the countryʼs next General Elections
and participate in Indiaʼs public life. “What we are trying to do is
to bring in as many people of Indian as possible, wherever they
live, to come to India and make it their home,” says Ravi evocatively.
Pravasi Bharatiya: In its sixth year now, having been set up in May
2004, how do you evaluate MOIA as one of the Government’s
most important ministries?
Vayalar Ravi: The subjects handled by the Ministry of Overseas
Indian Affairs were once part of the Ministry of External Affairs.
With the growth of the Diaspora, especially with our workers
going abroad for employment and livelihood, our work has in‑
creased. I can see the work it entails every day. In fact, I person‑
NURTURING INDIANNESS
ally take phone calls from our workers, especially from those in
trouble in the Gulf. The Ministry has to deal with many other
subjects as well and I am afraid MEA wouldnʼt have had the time
to spend on Diaspora issues. So, we needed a ministry that could
pay focused attention to the problems of our workers and pro‑
fessionals going to the Gulf, Europe or America.
For example, one day during my last election campaign, I got
a call from a lady. She said, “Sir, we are a group of 41 nurses in
Saudi Arabia, living in one room, with one bathroom and no other
facilities. Our salaries are also 50 percent less than what was
promised.” I said, “Somebody will come and see you today from
the embassy. Tell them everything and then I will sort it out.” I
rang the embassy. They came back and filed a report after a cou‑
ple of days. They said the issue had already been sorted out ear‑
lier. It was a fact. But they had sorted out an earlier issue I had
asked them to. I called the girl back. She said, “No Sir, nobody
from the embassy came to us.” I called the embassy again. They
reported back, “Sir, you are right there has been a mistake.” After
I think one or two months, I got a call from the same girl. “I called
you to thank you. Everything has been sorted out and we are
very happy. We got our salaries, arrears and everything,” she said.
On another occasion, one young man called me well past mid‑
night. I get many calls around midnight, especially from the Gulf.
I usually take all calls. “Hello who is this and where are you call‑
ing from?”, I asked. He said, “Sir, from jail”. I said, “Well, you go
there and overstay and you become illegal, donʼt you?”, half rep‑
rimanding him. I talk like an older brother. I took his cell number
and other details. He was finally freed and returned to India
May 2010  Pravasi Bharatiya 13
INTERNATIONAL
MIGRATION
India is a major country of origin with
an estimated 25 million Indians over‑
seas, spread across 189 countries. What
is less known, however, is that India is
today home to an estimated 20 million
immigrants, many of them, irregular
migrants. As a major country of origin
and destination, India is an important
player in international migration. The
strategy of the Ministry has been to
evolve a coherent, liberal and progres‑
sive migration policy. Emphasis has
been on introducing reforms and im‑
plementing best practices in migration
management covering all stakeholders
in the migration process. In doing so
the ministry has been led by four
principles:
j Facilitate legal migration by making
the process simple, transparent and
efficient
j Actively prevent illegal migration by
acting in tandem with the states
against unscrupulous middlemen
and those indulging in people
smuggling
j Capacity building amongst all the
Top: Vayalar Ravi, accompanied by then Indian Ambassador to the US Ronen Chief Guest Lord Khaleed Hameed, CBE DL, Hampstead with Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh at the inauguration of the 8th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas 2010, in
stakeholders ̶ end to end ̶ in the Sen, addressing members of the Indian community at a reception in his New Delhi on January 8, 2010. Minister Vayalar Ravi is also seen
migration process honour in Washington in October 2009 Above: Minister Ravi with Indian business
j Proactively pursuing and strength‑ and community leaders in U.A.E last year
ening bilateral and multilateral co‑
operation
The focus is on making Indian workers shortly thereafter. So, the idea is if a person is detained in jail we insist that the passport should be with the owner of the pass‑ the new passport, but the visa will be in the other passport. I
skilled, trained and competitive to abroad he or she has the freedom to call a minster. This is one port. If you want some deposit, we can discuss with the Indian made a statement after somebody filed a complaint. I made only
meet the best standards of productiv‑ of the greatest merits of Indian democracy. They can talk to a embassy and find a solution, but you cannot hold the passport. two points: One, please cooperate with the government, we are
ity in the international labour market. minister, itʼs not a joke! I am available and I donʼt blame the In‑ This is one of the major reasons for such a large number of peo‑ trying to help you and please donʼt abuse us. Second, I said
To transform emigration into an or‑ dian embassies or anybody because they may or may not have ple becoming ʻillegalʼ because the sponsors would not renew the please clip the passports together even if you have two pass‑
derly economic process and constitute the time. I have the time. Another instance was when two people passport in time. So we asked the Gulf governments that why ports. What is wrong with that? I said I have three passports and
a ʻwin‑winʼ for all stakeholders, the Min‑ were sentenced to death. We organised blood money and got canʼt the sponsors be made an accused. It is the responsibility of I clip them. So, I think, the second idea has clicked.
istry has taken several initiatives, includ‑ them freed. And now 17 people were sent to death row. It was the sponsors to renew the passport and they arenʼt doing it de‑
ing computerisation of the emigration shocking, it was unheard of. But I never accuse the judiciary liberately. PB: Reaching out to the Diaspora…
clearance system, a comprehensive e‑ abroad, but I will do my best. We also appoint lawyers, some of VR: What we are trying to do is to bring in as many people of In‑
Governance project, modernising the the best, to take up such cases. As regards these 17 people, the PB: Tackling agents… dian origin as possible, wherever they live, to come to India and
emigration law and capacity building amnesty will come in the last stage. The case is in the court. How‑ VR: We meet a lot of people whom agents and sub agents have make it their home. Let the ʻIndian spaceʼ expand... They can form
amongst stakeholders. ever, I must point out that the issues are different in Europe, cheated. We have launched a big campaign against them. The a closer association with the Indian continent and feel that, ʻyes,
America or other places. The Gulf is a labour intensive area. other thing we do is to coordinate with the Chief Ministers of the I am an Indian basicallyʼ. Because in any country he lives I donʼt
states. I coordinate with the CMs myself while my officers inter‑ think he can feel the sense of citizenship of that country. There

“
PB: On illegal migrants…
VR: A key issue that I have to tackle is that of illegal migrants.
They are called illegal because they go there legally on a visit
visa. They are never given a contract visa or a work visa. They
land there and then after three months
they become illegal. When they become il‑
So, the idea is if a person is detained in jail abroad he or she
“ legal, the sponsor takes advantage of them
has the freedom to call a minster. This is one of the greatest and makes them indentured labour, liter‑
merits of Indian democracy... I am available... ally. So they canʼt do anything ̶ they canʼt
complain, they canʼt run away as the pass‑
port is now with the sponsor. So, after the
MoU [with host governments] we argued that the passport was
Indian property that no sponsor could retain it. Some govern‑
ments have agreed that the passport should be given to the
owner, but the sponsor says, “no they will run away”. However,
act with the chief secretaries and other senior police officials and
motivate them to file complaints. If there has been an irregularity,
there are no questions asked... It is simple: first suspension, then
questions. I suspend first. No question of suspension after expla‑
nation. This has reduced the number of complaints.
PB: OCI Holders…
VR: As far as America is concerned, there hasnʼt been much of a
problem. For Indian passport holders and Indians who become
American citizens, we have expedited the issue of the Overseas
Citizenship of India (OCI) cards. We have issued over 5,76,000
cards. In Europe too they need it. Yet, there was a complaint.
Now, some think this book is a visa, but this is not a visa. The
visa will be stamped on the passport. Now, when they change
the passport or renew the passport, they come with a card and
will be a sense of alienness. So, this will give him a close associ‑
ation with India ̶ a place he can come back to. This will give
him a sense of security. And with India becoming an emerging
economic power, the Indian opportunity has brought with it a lot
of work in industries and in many other sectors, so they can
come and live here. It is linked with growth, the economic growth
of India. So, they have the safety, security and safety of suste‑
nance and other facilities. They can sustain themselves that is
our major advantage that they are all linked together. We want
to promote Indian scholarships and bring in more youngsters.
We are looking at the younger generation. We want more and
more Indian origin people to come to India and see India and feel
that this is my place. They must feel proud of this country. My
whole attempt is to create a feeling of Indianness in every person
of Indian origin who lives abroad.

14 Pravasi Bharatiya  May 2010 May 2010  Pravasi Bharatiya 15

cover story BILATERAL SOCIAL
SECURITY AGREEMENTS
The Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs
has signed bilateral social security
agreements with Belgium, France, Ger‑
many, Switzerland, Luxembourg,
Netherlands, Hungary and Denmark.
These agreements provide for the fol‑
lowing benefits to professionals, skilled

“
workers and corporates on reciprocal
basis:
1. Those posted for up to sixty months
will be exempted from social secu‑
rity contributions under the country
law provided they continue to make
social security payments in the
What we are trying to do is to bring in as
home country.
many people of Indian origin as possible, 2. Those who have to contribute
wherever they live, to come to India and make it “ under the host country law will be
their home. Let the ‘Indian space’ expand... entitled to the export of the social
They must feel proud of this country... security benefits should they relo‑
cate to the home country or a third
country on completion of their con‑
tract or on retirement.
3. These benefits will also be available
to workers posted by an employer
of the home country to the host
country from a third country.
4. Periods of employment in both the
countries will be totalised in order to
determine the eligibility for pension.
PB: Connecting with the ‘young’ diaspora… 5. Corporates in both countries will be‑
VR: They are very happy. When they come on the Know India come more competitive since
Programme, they meet me on the last day of their visit. They look avoidance of double payment of so‑
very happy and they make suggestions as well. Only, this year cial security substantially reduces
there was a change. They stayed in the cities. I want them to stay costs.
in the villages with families. I want to revert to the older system.
So, these are some of the major things we are doing. In one
word, one sentence ̶ creating awareness of India, creating the
sentiment of Indianness in every Indian, be it PIOs or others, and
make every Indian passport holder who works abroad feel and
understand that this country is always open for him. I persuaded
the Prime Minister and the Ministry of Law. In fact, the Cabinet
has now approved an amendment to the Representation of the
People Act. Once it is passed by Parliament, an Indian passport
holderʼs name can be included in the votersʼ list. He can vote
when elections take place here. Of course, he needs to show his
visa and indicate where he works. So, this will create a feeling
that this is my country and I have to go there sometime. How‑
ever, there are a few issues. First, Gulf countries wonʼt allow elec‑
tion campaigns on their soil, and second, you will have to deploy
540 boxes abroad because itʼs not a presidential form of govern‑
ment. Besides, the Election Commission will not agree to deploy
those boxes abroad. Also, the Election Commission also has an‑
other point. Those who have been non‑resident for more than
six months in India cannot vote either.

PB: India’s relationship with Gulf countries…

VR: Our relations with the Gulf have improved very much. In fact,
the custodian of the Holy Mosque, King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia,
came to India and our Prime Minister went to Saudi. The state‑
ments, the two leaders issued, both the Riyadh Statement and

16 Pravasi Bharatiya  May 2010

 INDIA DEVELOPMENT
FOUNDATION OF
OVERSEAS INDIANS
The broad objectives of the Trust are to:
1. Lead overseas Indian philanthropy
into India; facilitate partnerships
through single window facilitation
and by building public private
partnerships.
2. Establish and maintain a ʻSocial
Capital and Philanthropy Networkʼ
in India that can provide a list of
credible institutions, projects and
programmes.
3. Function as a clearinghouse for all
philanthropy related information.
4. Partner with states in India and
encourage credible Indian philan‑
thropic organisations to project
social development opportunities
to overseas Indians in the sectors
that best match national priorities
including empowerment of rural
women.
5. Promote accountability and `good
practices' in diaspora philanthropy.

Vayalar Ravi with Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh who is seen unveiling a model of the Pravasi Bharatiya Kendra at PBD 2009 Top: Vayalar Ravi with President Smt. Pratibha Devisingh Patil and the winners
of the Pravasi Samman Award 2010

the Delhi Statement were very encouraging. He said this was a
second home for him. These visits have also shown how close
we are. And in every Gulf country, especially the presence of the
Indian community and Indian workers make them feel that these
are the people who work for us. Every ministry official tells me
that ʻyour Indian workers are the most peaceful peopleʼ. They
create no problems. One or two problems occurred because of
contractors and the sponsors because they never increase the
wages. Look at the situation now, during summers the govern‑
ment issued orders that workers there should have a four‑hour
gap between morning and evening shifts. This is because they
want to keep the workers happy and they also want better shel‑
ters for them. Except with Saudi Arabia, we have signed an MoU
with every other country in the Gulf. So, the governments them‑
selves insist that workers be given good shelters and good drink‑
ing water.
PB: Key Initiatives…
VR: We created the Indian Council for Overseas Employment to
facilitate employment in Europe. Essentially, we are creating a
new destination in Europe for our workers ̶ for qualified, semi‑
skilled or skilled workers. We have agreements with 6‑7 coun‑
tries. Then there are bilateral agreements with Germany,
Czechoslovakia and The Netherlands. We are also trying to talk
to the Americans also.
Then we have instituted welfare funds in our embassies. There
is yet another one on return and resettlement. Itʼs in the process,
and we are yet to formulate the whole thing. This is a contributory
one that I am planning. But with the welfare fund that we are plan‑
ning, anyone can get help from this fund any time, including tick‑
INFORMATION
DISSEMINATION ON
LEGAL MIGRATION
To overcome this difficulty, the
Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs
launched an Overseas Workers Re‑
source Centre (OWRC) to provide infor‑
mation and assistance to intending
emigrants and the family members of
overseas workers relating to all aspects
of overseas employment. The OWRC
was inaugurated by the Prime Minister
of India during the 6th Pravasi
Bharatiya Divas in New Delhi in January
2008.The OWRC is operating with a
24/7 toll free helpline (1800113090) to
provide need based information to
emigrants and their families.
The workers can also access the
helpline from anywhere in the world at
91‑11‑40503090. With a view to extend
the services to support the Indian emi‑
grants an international toll free line
(800911913) has been established
which is currently available for calls
from UAE only. The complaints or
grievances received on the toll free
helpline are promptly attended to and
feedback provided to the complainant.
ets. So, I pay the money from my ministryʼs fund. Those who avail
of the services pay a nominal fee. Then we have the Emigration
Management Bill, our idea being to abolish the Immigration Act.
PB: Features of the Emigration Management Bill…
VR: It is mainly that the Protector General of Emigrants office
will be abolished and another system will be introduced. There will
be more transparency and the system will be free of corruption.
PB: Feedback from states on corrupt agents…
VR: They are doing it, but not enthusiastically. For example, a lot
of women from Andhra Pradesh emigrate, defeating our own
policies. They are pushed into doing it. But they are not
going after the agents, as suspected, only a few cases come up.
But Tamil Nadu, yes, and Kerala, yes, are active in checking
these agents.
PB: Status of the IDF…
VR: It is one of my key ambitions. Of course, it is yet to take off
in a big way. I am targeting NRIs so there are lakhs and lakhs of
NRIs in America and other Western countries who are willing to
work. We are not looking for millionaires or rich NRIs. I want the
ordinary NRIs those who can contribute $1,000 a year to con‑
tribute to the corpus. So, there is a big group of people. Many of
them come from villages. Your village or your panchayat may
not have a primary health centre or a primary school, no build‑
ings may be. So, you can jointly contribute and say specifically
what you want. But we will concentrate on two issues: hospitals
and primary school buildings. And self–help groups (SHGs) at a
later stage. So, when they suggest that in our village please do
this, we will do it. So, the money will come and become the part
of the development of villages. We will put up the names and
photographs of those who donated for the project/s. He will be
happy and the villagers will also be happy. So the motivation is
that you help the people in your village have a better hospital,
primary health centre, a better school for children. We are going
to get IDF registered in America and Europe to get tax exemp‑
tions for money sent here. That process has already started.
PB: Status of the PIO University?
VR: It is stuck in the Kerala High Court. Someone filed a suit. The
only solution is to go in for a new law. We are planning a new
legislation and we have drafted one, but you canʼt move so fast.
The Education Ministry naturally had some objections. So I
have to talk to the minister. The Education Ministryʼs consent
is necessary.
PB: On PBDs
VR: I think even though we conducted four PBDs under my
watch, only last year we made some changes. That is, we
changed the set pattern. Rather than focusing on investment and
development, we focused more on the issues of NRIs, property
issues and NRI marriages. So the issues being faced by NRIs
abroad were given priority. Priorities were shuffled. It was not a
revolutionary change but it was appreciated. For example, in
light of the Satyam scandal, many NRIs who had lost a lot of
money by investing in the company raised the issue. So, these
kinds of issues of how they were cheated came up for discussion.
The Mini Pravasis have also become attractive. The next one is
in South Africa.

18 Pravasi Bharatiya  May 2010 May 2010  Pravasi Bharatiya 19

economy
Juggling business
& philanthropy
Dr. Ravi Pillai is the largest
employer of Indians in the
Gulf. With over 50,000 on
board, he plans to recruit
another 10,000 workers
and professionals from the
country. Add to it,
philanthropic instincts run
deep in the heart of this
visionary man of
enterprise...
Dr. Ravi Pillai left the shores of Kerala
for the Gulf in 1978. The co‑founder
and MD of Nasser S Al‑Hajri Corpora‑
tion & Gulf Asia, Dr. Pillai is well
known for his philanthropic step.
When he set up his company nearly
three decades ago, it had a strength
of only 150 employees. Today, it has
over 50,000 employees, with a
turnover of $2.5 billion. The com‑
pany employs people from all over
India in various fields and is the
largest employer of Indians in the
Gulf. Dr. Pillai was conferred the
Pravasi Bharatiya Samman in 2008
and the Padma Shri by the
Government of India in 2010.
Dr. Pillai has been a regular
contributor to relief funds,
has built a super‑speciality hospital,
and has donated land to build
orphanages in Kerala.
20 Pravasi Bharatiya  May 2010
Dr. Ravi Pillai spoke to
L. Jyotimala on his expanding
business plans with the Indian
diaspora. Excerpts:
Many congratulations for the
Padma Shri. It must have been a
great feeling…
Thank you, it is always a great ho‑
nour to receive such an award
from the first citizen of my coun‑
try and all the credit goes to my
employees and their families, well
wishers and my family.
As MD of Nasser S Al-Hajri Co.,
what are your further plans for
hiring Indians and in what
areas of operations?
Currently, our employeesʼ
strength is over 50,000 and we
are planning to recruit another
10,000 persons from India for
construction works in oil and gas,
power and steel plant projects
across GCC. Many young engi‑
neers are being recruited and they
have been exposed to the interna‑
tional experience at the beginning
of their careers.
How do you see the role of the
ordinary Gulf pravasi in the
coming years?
The opportunities are abundant.
The international experience
being gained by the ordinary Gulf
pravasi is of much use for their
careers; moreover, they can con‑
tribute by way of their experience
and strength for Indiaʼs growth
once they settle down in their na‑
tive country. The emerging out‑
look for the Middle East shows
positive growth for new job op‑
portunities for another eight years
and the Gulf pravasi should encash
these opportunities. As the growth
prospect is more in all the profes‑
sions, the chances of learning and
growing inside the organisation
are bright for the right candidate.
There is a significant policy thrust
in India on engaging its diaspora
in India’s development story.
How do you see the pravasi
engaging with India?
There is immense potential both
in terms of talent and financial
strength, which I believe can be
invested in India. The knowledge,
expertise, skills and resources of
the vast and diverse Indian com‑
munity could be used as impor‑
tant inputs in Indiaʼs march
towards becoming a developed
country. The diaspora has been
contributing to their country of
origin in various ways. Contribu‑
tions in the form of remittances,
foreign direct investment, and
tourism are remarkable. By trans‑
ferring knowledge and supporting
entrepreneurial networks,
the diaspora can help domestic
entrepreneurs gain a lot of inter‑
national business exposure. On
the other hand, the new initiatives
of the Overseas Indian Facilitation
Centre (OIFC) are really welcome.
OIFC can act as a bridge to ensure
investment facilitation, knowledge
networking and business‑to‑busi‑
ness partnerships in sectors like
real estate, wealth management,
taxation, legal, healthcare, educa‑
tion and infrastructure. OIFC
mainly functions as a clearing
house for all investment‑related
information to the diaspora.
What transformation or change
have you seen in the Indian
pravasi in the Gulf in the way he
relates to India in economic terms?
They are amongst the worldʼs
biggest remitters, but little of
those remittances are produc‑
tively deployed. Last year, remit‑
tances from overseas Indians were
estimated at $50 billion and 40
percent of it came from the Gulf,
mainly from contractual tempo‑
rary semi‑skilled and skilled peo‑
ple. Major remittances are only
deposited in banks; our govern‑
ment should bring some sort of
bonds on infrastructure, NRI etc
and also business proposals
through public‑private partner‑
ships. Such things can help gener‑
ate more capital to support Indiaʼs
march to become an economic su‑
perpower. Marketing by the gov‑
ernment of India to attract
Dr. Ravi Pillai receiving the Padma Shri
from President Pratibha Devisingh Patil
investments from the Indian
pravasi through new initiatives in
the Gulf can bring rapid results.
What business initiatives/ventures
have you planned in India?
Our RP business group is cur‑
rently finalising strategic partners
in the power sector for investment
up to Rs. 1,000 crores to push our
interest in building and meeting
the power requirements in the
country. Under progress is a
Rs. 250 crore‑five star resort to
promote hospitality business,
which is expected to open this
year. We are expanding our super‑
speciality hospital in Kerala from
300 to 500 beds. We are also work‑
ing on other plans as well.
Future philanthropic activities?
I believe human life is a blessing
and that the reason for our exis‑
tence is fulfilled once we extend
our hearts beyond our families to
meet the needs of the poor and
downtrodden. Recently, I handed
over 105 houses along with some
money in my native village and
nearby areas to poor people
through the RP Foundation estab‑
lished in my name. We are dedi‑
cating a new building, which is
under construction, for the Devas‑
wom Board College, Kollam, Ker‑
ala, where I studied. I also plan to
support 200 community wed‑
dings in September across India.
Each wedding would cost about
Rs. 25,000. Besides, we plan to
gift the couple 60 grams of gold
and a job. I am also planning to
establish an old age home within
the next two years. I am also look‑
ing to establish a charity home
where we will house adopted
children.
May 2010  Pravasi Bharatiya 21
economy
Ta-Ta M800
Maruti Suzuki has decided not to upgrade Maruti 800 to the new emission norms
and has phased out the original Peopleʼs Car in 13 cities. Its owners, however, will
never forget the triumph of engineering that revolutionised transport for millions
and coloured Indian roads since its launch 26 years ago...
t has dominated the Indian passen‑
I
ger car market for over two decades
as the original Peopleʼs Car in India.
Now, the person who has been at
the helm of this iconic project, shares
how “Maruti 800” arrived, braving all
roadblocks. The Maruti Story, co‑au‑
thored by Maruti‑Suzuki chairman R.C.
22 Pravasi Bharatiya  May 2010
Bhargava and journalist Seetha and pub‑
lished by Harper Collins, shares the be‑
hind‑the‑scenes manoeuvring that went
into ensuring the companyʼs success, de‑
spite being a public sector undertaking
for over a decade.
“The targets were stupendous and
considered unachievable by almost
everyone,” recalls Bhargava, a career bu‑
reaucrat who had stood first in the civil
services exams in 1956, but quit to join
the Indo‑Japanese car venture in 1981.
“But the Maruti project succeeded and in
ways that were unimaginable in 1983,”
he says. “The car revolutionised the in‑
dustry and put a country on wheels. Sud‑
denly, ordinary middle‑class men and
women could aspire to own a reliable,
economical and modern car,” Bhargava
adds. From April 1 onwards, 13 cities, in‑
cluding the four Metros, switched to
Bharat Stage‑IV emission norms. The
company chose not to upgrade Maruti
800 to the new norms and instead de‑
cided to phase out the car.
Another reason cited was the modelʼs
declining sales. Maruti 800 sales are
down by 55 percent in the 10 months
ending January 2010, with the company
selling only 27,088 cars during the pe‑
riod. For over two decades before the
conception of Tata Nano, the Rs
1,00,000 ($2,222) car, Maruti 800 ruled
the streets, and how. Launched in 1982,
Maruti 800 was perceived as a Peopleʼs
“
For over two decades
before the conception of
the Tata Nano, Maruti 800
ruled the streets, and how.
Launched in 1982, it was
perceived as a People’s Car
and its sales figure explains
the success rate: Over 2.7
million units have been sold
since inception... The Maruti
“ in March ̶ a first for the Indian auto‑
story continues to be on
auto pilot
History on wheels
j Late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi
handed over the first Maruti 800
keys to Harpal Singh, a New Delhi
resident, on December 14, 1983.
j In its first year of commercial
operations, Maruti produced
840 cars.
j In the following fiscal year,
production touched a little over
22,000 units.
j It was launched in 1983 with a
price tag of Rs 52,500 (then
about $5,000) and was currently
being sold at an ex‑showroom
price of Rs. 2,15,000 ($4,500).
j Over 2.7 million Maruti 800 cars
have been sold since its launch.
The same car is sold in Pakistan
as Suzuki Mehran.
j M800 was being exported to
Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, and to
some South American markets
(Chile) and was available in select
European markets between 1988
and 1992.
j Currently, Maruti Suzuki enjoys a
formidable 54 per cent share of
the Indian passenger car market.
Car and its sales figure explains the suc‑
cess rate: More than 2.7 million units
have been sold since inception. Every
second car to leave an automobile show‑
room has been this small wonder. On De‑
cember 14, 1983, Indira Gandhi handed
over the keys of the first Maruti 800 to
Harpal Singh. Twenty‑six years later, on
March 31, 2010, it was the turn of 36‑
year‑old Abbas Ahmed to join history. A
dealer in steel cupboards, he became the
last owner of the car in New Delhi.
For both the proud owners, Maruti
800 was their ʻbest investmentʼ so far.
Maruti Suzuki rolled out the one‑mil‑
lionth car of the 2009‑2010 fiscal year
mobile industry. The great Maruti story
continues to be on auto pilot. — PB Desk
May 2010  Pravasi Bharatiya 23
economy
Hello Africa
Airtelʼs buyout of Zainʼs African assets is not a mere
indicator of the growing strength of Indian industry, but
also highlights the increasing importance of Africa as an
investment destination and market for Indian goods
and services, says Sushma Ramachandran
he move by Indiaʼs top telecom
T
player Bharti Airtel to acquire the
African assets of Kuwaitʼs Zain
marks the biggest foray of a do‑
mestic company into the continent. The
landmark deal, estimated at $10.7 billion,
raises the level of Indian investments in
Africa to $16.7 billion. Airtelʼs entry into
Africa is hugely significant as it underlines
the enormous potential available in the
continent for Indian industry. In the tele‑
com sector, the sky is the limit as far as
growth is concerned. Tele‑density in the
continent is only about 30 percent.
At the same time, Airtel will have to con‑
tend with stiff competition from MTN, a
company it tried to merge with on two oc‑
casions, and which is already making ag‑
gressive public comments about the
Indian company having made a mistake in
going with Zain. But Airtel is not the only
company looking for growth in Africa. The
Tatas, Indiaʼs largest industrial group, was
the first to make their presence felt there.
24 Pravasi Bharatiya  May 2010
The group is estimated to have already
made about $1.6 billion worth of invest‑
ments in Africa, the latest being a luxury
hotel in Cape Town.
The other Indian corporates which are
active players in Africa include automobile
majors Ashok Leyland and Mahindra and
Mahindra, electronics and white goods
giant Videocon, consumer products firms
Marico, Dabur and Godrej, energy giant
Suzlon, breweries group UB, drug‑makers
Cipla, Dr. Reddyʼs Labs, software and IT
education firm NIIT, and diversified
houses Kirloskars and Essar.
Even state‑run firms like the Oil and
Natural Gas Corp (ONGC) bought a 25‑
percent stake in Sudanʼs Greater Nile Proj‑
ect seven years ago in a bid to improve the
countryʼs energy security, raising quite an
eyebrow. But crude supplies to India have
already begun and ONGC maintains that
its entire investment of nearly $1 billion
had been paid off in three years.
Unfortunately, ONGC has been less than
Active Indian corporates in Africa
wThe Tatas wAshok Leyland
wMahindra and Mahindra wVideocon
wMarico wDabur
wGodrej wSuzlon wONGC
wUB wCipla wDr. Reddyʼs Labs
wNIIT wKirloskars wEssar
successful in recent years in acquiring oil‑
fields in less controversial parts of Africa
like Uganda and Algeria, where it has been
outbid in some cases by China. This, in
turn, highlights the fact that Indian invest‑
ments in Africa are way behind that of
China which is estimated to have invested
about $60 billion in that continent.
Even so, it is clear that there is vast po‑
tential for Indian industry to have a larger
presence in Africa. One major plus point
is the huge middle class estimated to
range from 350 million to 500 million,
even larger than the Indian market.
Automobiles, IT and fast‑moving con‑
sumer goods of Indian companies have
made their mark. The pharmaceutical in‑
dustry has played a key role in providing
affordable and effective drugs for a market
that had earlier relied on high‑value drugs
produced in developed countries.
As for telecom, Airtel is not the first In‑
dian entrant to the African market, as
Essar has already launched its YU brand
“
The main challenge in Africa
is the diversity of its countries.
The northern region is very
different from the south and
there is a wide range of
cultures. The levels of political
stability and economic
progress are different in each
area. Marketing strategies will,
“ the statement said. “This will go a
thus, vary widely from country
to country
in Kenya and is planning to be a pan‑
African player.
The main challenge in Africa remains
the diversity of its countries. The northern
region is very different from the south and
there is a wide range of cultures. The lev‑
els of political stability and economic
progress are also markedly different in
each area. Marketing strategies will thus
vary widely from country to country.
Airtelʼs buyout of Zainʼs African assets
is not a mere indicator of the growing
strength of Indian industry. It also high‑
lights the increasing importance of Africa
as an investment destination and market
for Indian goods and services.
It seems that India Inc. is turning away
from the tried and tested markets of the
West and is finally taking the plunge into
the relatively less‑explored countries of
Africa.
(The author is an economic and
corporate analyst. She can be reached at
sushma.ramachandran@gmail.com)
Call charges for troopers
in border posts reduced
On the home ministryʼs intervention,
state‑run telephone service Bharat
Sanchar Nigam Ltd., (BSNL) has re‑
duced call charges for para‑military
troopers posted in border areas from
Rs.5 per minute to Re.1, an official
statement said on April 16. The move
will benefit central para‑military force
personnel deployed in remote areas
or border outposts who were not
able to keep in touch with their fami‑
lies due to inadequate communica‑
tion links. Troopers often had to cover
long distances on foot to reach pub‑
lic telephone booths for communi‑
cating with their family members.
“The home ministry requested the
BSNL to reduce the call charges to
Re.1 per minute so that the paramili‑
tary jawans posted in remote or for‑
ward areas can contact their families
at the minimum possible expense,"
long way in boosting the morale of
the jawans posted in remote areas,” it
said. Following the home ministryʼs
request, the BSNL has installed 400
digital satellite phone terminals at
inaccessible locations.
S Tel signs up over one
million subscribers
Mobile operator S Tel, a joint venture
between Indiaʼs Siva Group and
Bahrain Telecommunications Co, said
on April 29 that its subscriber base
has crossed the one million mark
within three months of launch of
services. The subscribers are spread
across three circles of Bihar and Jhark‑
hand, Orissa and Himachal Pradesh.
The telecom provider will roll out
services in Jammu and Kashmir,
Assam and other parts of the north‑
east this year.
“We made a positive start in De‑
cember 2009, becoming the fastest
mobile operator to have clocked one
lakh consumer base across the three
circles. We are delighted to an‑
nounce that we have achieved a size‑
able base of one million S Tel
subscribers within just 90 days of
service launch,” said Shamik Das, the
companyʼs chief executive officer.
“We are presently serving about 65
percent of the urban population and
a sizeable rural population in the
three circles,” Das added.
May 2010  Pravasi Bharatiya 25
economy
Votes count
Recent changes at the World Bank have made India an important shareholder, with
the seventh largest voting rights. Arun Kumar examines the import of the changes
ndia will benefit both as a borrower
I
and a shareholder as a result of the
historic decisions taken by the World
Bank last month to increase the fi‑
nancial capacity of the Bank and give
more voice to the developing countries.
The policymaking Development Commit‑
tee of the World Bank announced on April
25 changes in the Bankʼs shareholding
pattern.
According to the new shareholding
structure, India with a shareholding of
2.91 percent, up from 2.77 percent ear‑
lier, has become an important share‑
holder in the Bank with the seventh
largest voting rights ahead of Russia,
Canada, Australia, Italy and Saudi Arabia.
The increase in voting power reverses
the trend of declining stake in the Bank
since the 1970s. Chinaʼs share, too, has
26 Pravasi Bharatiya  May 2010
soared to 4.42 percent from 2.77 per‑
cent. These changes reflect the rapid
growth of the Indian economy in the past
decade and its rising economic weight in
global affairs, officials said.
The overall shift of a little over three
percent vote share to developing countries
bringing their total vote share to 47 per‑
cent comes in recognition of the global
economic changes. The voting power of
Brazil, Indonesia, Mexico and Turkey has
also increased, while that of some of the
major European and other countries that
have traditionally dominated international
finance like the U.K., France, Germany, the
Nordic and Benelux countries, Japan, Aus‑
tralia and Canada, has gone down.
The Bank has also agreed to review its
shareholding every five years and as
Indiaʼs economy grows further, this should
biz briefs
World Bank headquerters at Washington
1
2
3
lead to a further improvement in Indiaʼs
relative importance, officials said.
The Development Committee also
agreed to raise the capital base of the
Bank through a General Capital Increase
after a gap of over 30 years. With this the
authorised capital of the Bank would go
up by $58 billion with a paid in portion at
6 percent amounting to $3.5 billion. The
increase in its capital base, along with the
capital that would flow in as a result of the
realignment in shareholding, would allow
the Bank to lend an additional $86 billion.
As one of the largest borrowers of the
Bank, India also would be able to secure
4
additional assistance from the Bank. The
enhanced lending capacity would enable
India to receive additional assistance to
the extent of $7‑10 billion in the
coming years.
Diaspora to savour quality Indian food
Agricultural cooperative major National Agricultural Cooperative Market‑
ing Federation of India (NAFED) is eyeing markets in the Gulf and Europe
with food products aimed primarily at the Indian diaspora. “There have
been demands from Indians in the Gulf and Europe to make our prod‑
ucts available for them. We have now decided to source India‑specific
products, process and package them and export them to the Gulf and
Europe. The prices will be competitive,” NAFED managing director C.V.
Ananda Bose said in New Delhi on April 17. The NAFED move will be a
boon for the huge Indian diaspora in the Gulf and Europe.
Mahindra to acquire Renault’s stake in Logan JV
Automobile major Mahindra and Mahindra (M&M) announced on
April 16 that it was buying out global car major Renaultʼs 49 percent
stake in their joint venture which manufactures the Logan sedan car.
“M&M will buy Renualtʼs equity stake in Mahindra Renault Pvt. Ltd.,
resulting in it becoming a 100 percent Mahindra group owned com‑
pany,” said a company statement. Renault will continue to supply
M&M key components, including the engine. The joint venture was
established in 2005. Logan is the only car offered by the joint venture
and M&M holds the licence to sell it in India, Nepal and South Africa.
IGNOU inks MoU with TASMAC, London
The Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) has signed a mem‑
orandum of understanding with Training and Advanced Studies in Man‑
agement and Communications, London School of Business, to open an
international partner institute. According to the MoU, “the institute will
offer about two dozens of IGNOU academic programmes and these
would benefit not only learners of the Indian diaspora, but also transna‑
tional students”, IGNOU said on April 3. The institute is the “first wholly
owned subsidiary between India and the U.K. in the education sector”.
The institute will be accredited to the British Accreditation Council .
Finmeccanica targets Indian students
Targeting Indian students, the Finmeccanica Group, a key Italian player in
defence, aeronautics, space and security, in collaboration with leading
universities worldwide, is inviting applications for a one‑year masterʼs
programme in international business engineering. “The programme en‑
ables high‑potential graduates to become world class professionals in
project management, innovation and business development. It will be
taught in English in Rome,” Finmeccanica said. The course will com‑
mence in July. It is a fully sponsored masterʼs programme and hence free
of cost. One can apply online at www.finmeccanica.com/fhink.
May 2010  Pravasi Bharatiya 27
infrastructure
RARING TO BUILD
irst the Asian tigers ̶ South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore
F and Hong Kong ̶ showed the way in the immediate
post‑war period. Then Malaysia, China and Vietnam fol‑
lowed. All these Asian economies had two things in com‑
mon ̶ rapid economic growth based on building infrastructure
ahead of demand or with lightning speed to stay in tune with de‑
mand. For these economies, economic development came riding
on the back of infrastructure development. Today, India too is
on a high growth path, but the country needs top infrastructure
to sustain this growth. In fact, Indiaʼs Minister for Road Transport
and Highways Kamal Nath recently told a group of Canadian in‑
vestors, “We have the biggest infrastructure deficit in the world.”
The minister went on to say: “Infrastructure is now the buzz‑
word in India.” Today, India has prioritised infrastructure devel‑
opment at the top of its economic agenda with total investment
on infrastructure during the Eleventh Plan period expected to be
about $500 billion ̶ double the actual investment in the Tenth
Plan period. The Prime Minister has recently indicated that total
investment on infrastructure development will again double dur‑
ing the Twelfth Plan period to about $1 trillion. To consider just
one segment of the total infrastructure space ̶ roads ̶ a com‑
28 Pravasi Bharatiya  May 2010
parison with China is instructive and also puts in perspective
Indiaʼs progress during the last two decades.
At the beginning of the 1990s, Indiaʼs road structure was ac‑
tually more advanced than that of China, but that advantage re‑
versed dramatically in the intervening years, say researchers M.
Julie Kim, a senior researcher at Rand Corporation and Rita Nan‑
gia, Director (Special Projects), Office of Information Systems and
Technology of the Asian Development Bank (ADB).
In their working paper “Infrastructure Development in India
and China ̶ A Comparative Analysis” for the Pacific Basin Re‑
search Centre, Aliso Viejo, California, the authors wrote: “Between
1991 and 2002, Chinaʼs annual investment in its road network
increased from about US$1 billion to around $38 billion; mean‑
while, Indiaʼs annual investment, starting at a similar level in
1991, increased to just $3 billion over the same 12 year period.
“China also adopted a different investment allocation philoso‑
phy, focusing first on arterial networks to connect its 100 largest
cities. Projects included the 35,000 km national trunk highway
system, along with an additional 25,000 km of low‑grade four‑
lane highways without access control. In total, China devoted 60
percent of its investment to new arterial networks, 25 percent
India needs huge
investments to
bridge its
infrastructure deficit.
With increasing
public‑private
partnerships, it is
hoped that the
country can attract
considerable
investments, reports
Arjun Sen
to upgrading existing networks, and 15 percent to rural roads. cause of difficulties in land acquisition, problems in working out
“India, in contrast, focused mainly on rural roads, adopting the
basic goal of stretching a limited budget as far as possible. China
currently boasts an impressive road network infrastructure ca‑
pable of supporting its continued economic growth into the fu‑
ture, while India must now find a way to deal with an under‑sized
private‑public partnership protocols that would make private in‑
vestment in the infrastructure sector attractive and absence of
long‑term financing institutions.
To speed up the work, especially in the roads sector, the min‑
ister had announced immediately after taking charge in June
and over‑crowded road system. Indian officials
are well aware of this dilemma and have taken
steps to reverse this trajectory. Initial results We have the biggest infrastructure deficit in
appear promising, but much remains to be the world. Infrastructure is now the buzzword in
done.” Indeed, much remains to be done. India. Having now privatised infrastructure in India,
“Having now privatised infrastructure in we are looking at the second decade of the
India, we are looking at the second decade of 21st century as the decade of infrastructure
the 21st century as the decade of infrastruc‑
ture,” Kamal Nath told his audience. While the
thrust on accelerated infrastructure development actually began 2009, that his ministry has set itself a target of building 20 kilo‑
during 1998‑2004, it was under the successive governments of metres of roads every day. Recently, the ministry has revised that
Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh that spending on infrastruc‑ target to 12‑13 kilometres a day for the rest of the fiscal because
ture got a big boost in the Tenth Five Year Plan (2002‑2007) and of a slightly slower progress in land acquisition.
the Eleventh Plan (2007‑12). Despite higher allocations, infra‑ According to a report in March, the National Highways Author‑
structure development has proved to be problematic, mainly be‑ ity of India (NHAI) is in its final stages of acquiring 80 per cent
May 2010  Pravasi Bharatiya 29
 j India Inc can
save Rs. 43,205
crore every Bridging the gap:
year if there India has doubled its
are no power investment on the
cuts infrastructure sector.
Pictures show view of a
j Economy can new highway (left) and
save as much the Bengaluru
as Rs. 27,330 International Airport
crore a year if (right) built through
the public‑private
there are better partnership route
roads with less
congestion
j Maritime trade
can save Rs.
1,400 crore a
year if there is
adequate port
infrastructure
REMOVING
ROADBLOCKS
POTENTIAL
SAVINGS j Investment on
infrastructure
doubled in the
11th Five Year
Plan to $500
billion com‑
pared to the
10th Plan
j Infrastructure
investment to
double again
in 12th Plan to
$1 trillion
j Big thrust on
private‑public
partnerships to
garner 70 per‑
cent of invest‑
ments from
private sector
in both 11th
and 12th Plans

sition problems. The road ministry under Kamal Nath took up

of the land required for Work Plan I. It requires 30,000 hectares. port in September 2009 on the status of mega projects in the in‑
Work Plan I is the list of projects to be awarded till June this the issue and the highwaysʼ authority set up special land acqui‑ frastructure sector by the Ministry of Statistics and Project Im‑
year, under which 126 projects worth a total of Rs. 1 lakh crore sition units across the country to streamline the process. Ten plementation showed that with respect to the original schedule,
will be awarded. “The pace of land acquisition is four times moresuch units are in Rajasthan, 13 in Bihar, 25 in Uttar Pradesh, seven out of 111 mega projects (costing more than Rs. 1,000 crore) as
than what it was earlier. We are in the process of acquiring 80 in Gujarat, 11 in Orissa, 13 in West Bengal, four in Jharkhand, 11 many as 62 projects were delayed, 39 were on schedule and only
in Maharashtra and five in Assam and around 41 are in Tamil
per cent of the land for the projects to be awarded under the first three projects were ahead of schedule.
Nadu, Karnataka and Goa. The ministry has Slower infrastructure development can also mean substantial
also created a post of a Joint Secretary (Land losses for the economy. A 2009 study by the IT industry lobby
To build 20 km of roads a day, NHAI will have Acquisition) to monitor the whole process. Manufacturersʼ Association for Information Technology (MAIT)
to award over 200 projects worth Rs. 2 lakh crore by To achieve the governmentʼs target of build‑ and Emerson Network Power covering 800 companies across 14
the end of 2010-11. The authority has revised ing roads at a pace of 20 km a day, NHAI will sectors in seven major cities, concluded that if there are no power
eligibility conditions, including raising the net worth have to award over 200 projects worth Rs. 2 cuts, India Inc would save a whopping Rs. 43,205 crore every year.
criteria of the bidder, to restrict frivolous bidding lakh crore by the end of 2010‑11. The high‑ Similarly, proper roads with less congestion can save the econ‑
ways authority has revised various eligibility omy $6 billion a year, according to Gajendra Haldea, adviser to
conditions, including raising the net worth cri‑ the Deputy Chairman (Infrastructure) of the Planning Commis‑
work plan,” the report said, quoting NHAI. teria of the bidder, to restrict frivolous bidding. While NHAI is sion of India. A recent report tabled in Parliament by the Comp‑
The states are cooperating and things are going well, said building highways, rural roads are being built under the Prime troller and Auditor General of India (CAG) has said that Indiaʼs
NHAI, adding that the time taken in land acquisition has been Ministerʼs Gram Sadak Yojana, a part of the governmentʼs flag‑ maritime trade can save Rs. 1,400 crore annually if there is ad‑
drastically brought down to 12 months from 24 months earlier. ship Bharat Nirman programme. equate port infrastructure.
While this is good news, however, around 70 per cent of the road Apart from delays in the road sector, infrastructure projects in Several studies have shown that among all the items on which
projects in the country have been delayed owing to land acqui‑ other sectors are also facing some difficulties. For example, a re‑ governments spend, the greatest effect on poverty reduction
comes from building roads. A recent study of 17 Indian states
covering the period 1970 to 1994, found that a 10 percent in‑
crease in the road network (measured by kilometres of road per
square kilometre of land) would lead to a 3.4 percent increase
in per capita income. Similar studies in other developing coun‑
tries such as Philippines, Indonesia, Mexico or Zaire also indicate
that providing market access to rural areas through road con‑
nectivity has the greatest impact on poverty reduction.
Thus, although the need for rapid development of infrastruc‑
ture is well recognised, and the government has also increased
investment on the infrastructure sector, Indiaʼs needs are such
that government resources alone cannot bridge the infrastruc‑
ture deficit. According to the Prime Minister and Planning Com‑
mission, nearly 70 percent of the planned investment of $500
billion during the Eleventh Plan and $1 trillion during the
Twelfth Plan will have to come from the private sector, including
foreign direct investment.
With the government taking many initiatives to make public‑
private partnership projects in the infrastructure sector attractive
to private investors, it is hoped that India will manage to lure the
investments needed to bridge its infrastructure deficit.

30 Pravasi Bharatiya  May 2010 May 2010  Pravasi Bharatiya 31

diaspora

Balliram Maharaj (second from right), Leela and Navin with students of the school.

Roots of Yearning
A tale of an Indian labourer who travels to Trinidad for work and whose grandchild
returns to India in search of her roots a century later. Shubha Singh reports

village school in Faizabad district bears a cornerstone ̶ “Built by Paltu Persad

Then President of India Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam with Mauritius Prime Minister Dr. Navinchandra Ramgoolam (middle) and Mrs. Ramgoolam on his arrival at
Port Louis in Mauritius on March 11, 2006.
A of Sorzano and Queen Street, Arima, Trinidad”. It is the story of an indentured
labourer who travelled half way across the world for work and his grandchild
who came back in search of her roots. Not many in Bassi village would recall
that Paltu Persad left his village to go to Trinidad in 1910 and returned 37 years later.
But a hundred years later, his granddaughter Leela Maharaj was moved to tears when
she saw the plaque. Leela Maharaj and her husband Balliram Maharaj had travelled
from Trinidad to attend a function to mark the centenary of her ancestorʼs departure to

Gaga over Ramgoolam

The ancestral village of Navinchandra Ramgoolam in Bihar celebrates as the Mauritian
the Caribbean island. To the Maharajs, the trip was a “pilgrimage”, the result of a “dis‑
cover your roots” search. They not only located the ancestral village in Faizabad district,
but also discovered some relatives still living there, descendants of Persadʼs brother. “It
was on the invitation of Ram Jokhan, second cousin to my wife Leela, that we visited
the area,” Balliram Maharaj said. “This visit is
takes over as the countryʼs Prime Minister for a second time, writes Imran Khan the biggest highlight of my entire life because
In 1910, Paltu Persad travelled to Trinidad as an of the experience, respect and honour bestowed
indentured labourer to work on sugarcane on my wife Leela, our son Navin and myself by
plantations. He was, however, one of the thousands the people here,” he added.
wo days after Navinchandra said the villagers were upbeat after they motherland,” Raj Kumar Singh said. He Persad had gone as an indentured worker to

T
Ramgoolam was sworn in as
Mauritius Prime Minister for a
second consecutive term, people
from his ancestral village in Bihar on May
13 celebrated by playing with colours
and distributing sweets. Ramgoolam, in
his third stint as Prime Minister, is an icon
for youths in Bhojpur districtʼs Harigaon
village, about 60 km from Patna.
College student Deepak Kumar said: “I
am proud of him and consider him my
icon. My village is his ancestral village.”
Raj Kumar Singh, in his late 20s, said
Ramgoolam was an ideal for the youth to
follow. “Ramgoolam has inspired the
young generation in the village,” he said.
Mukesh Prasad, another village youth,
got the news that Ramgoolam had again
become the Prime Minister of Mauritius.
The swearing‑in ceremony was held in
the Mauritius capital St Louis on May 11,
and the jubilation was palpable.
“We always keep our heads high and
share stories circulated by village old men
about his ancestors,” said Mukesh Prasad.
Villagers recalled how Ramgoolam im‑
pressed them when he visited the village
two years ago and announced $250,000
for the development of roads and for
building a hospital. A public reception
was organised in his honour at the village.
“He is a big man, but touched the soil
of the village, smeared some mud on his
forehead and described Bihar as his
of Indians who eventually returned home with a
said the Mauritius Prime Minister spoke
in Bhojpuri, the language of about 60 per‑
cent people of his country. Ramgoolam
first became prime minister from 1995 to
2000. He was elected again as Prime
Minister in 2005.
A large number of people from Bihar
travelled to various parts of the world, in‑
cluding Mauritius, in the 19th century to
serve as indentured labourers in various
plantations. Ramgoolamʼs grandfather
Mohit was among those taken by the
British in 1871. Most of the workers then
were from Bhojpur, Chapra, Gopalganj
and East and West Champaran. About 60
percent of the 1.2 million population of
Mauritius is of Indian origin.
zeal to contribute to his native village work on the sugarcane plantations in the West
Indian nation. He was one of the thousands of
Indians who returned home from a successful
stint in a foreign land with a zeal to contribute to his native village. Independence was
in the air when Persad decided to return home to India in 1947 to spend his last years
in his village. On returning home, Persad decided to set up a school in the village. The
school was completed in 1953. According to the Maharajs, Persad endured many hard‑
ships, like the hundreds of thousands of indentured Indians in many parts of the world.
He left the security of family, friends and community, in order to develop his vision.
That vision was for a better future for his family.
While visiting the school, Leela learnt that it had 668 registered students and esti‑
mated 30,000 children had studied there. “For a long time we were longing to visit
India. But pressures of work kept us away. So when this invitation by Leelaʼs cousin
came, it was not only to celebrate her ʻajahʼsʼ (grandfatherʼs) 100 years of departure,
but to visit the school he started,” Balliram said. Now Balliram plans to organise a grand
family reunion next year to mark the 100th anniversary of his grandfather Changaʼs
departure for Trinidad.

32 Pravasi Bharatiya  May 2010 May 2010  Pravasi Bharatiya 33

diaspora

Historic Dean
Named the first Indian‑American dean of Harvard Business School, Nitin Nohria seeks
to transform business education to help meet global challenges, says Arun Kumar

rofessor Nitin Nohria, an alum‑

P nus of the Indian Institute of

Technology in Mumbai, who
takes over as the first Indian‑
American dean of the prestigious Harvard
Business School from July 1, says “we
Harvard Business
School, Boston

must strive to equip future leaders [busi‑

Green billionaire
Venture capitalist Vinod Khosla, who tops Forbesʼ green list, constantly looks to invest
ness leaders] with the competence and
character to address emerging global
business and social challenges”.
Currently the Richard P. Chapman Pro‑
fessor of Business Administration at the
in ʻscience experimentsʼ seeking sustainable solutions, says Arun Kumar century‑old institution and co‑chair of its
Leadership Initiative, Nohria will serve as
the 10th dean of Harvard Business
School.
ndian‑American Silicon Valley billionaire Vinod Khosla has topped the list of the “I feel a profound sense of responsibil‑

I 10 greenest billionaires chosen by Forbes “who are most active in green, sustain‑
able causes and who are working to have the greatest impact”. The leading U.S.
ity for continuing Harvard Business
Schoolʼs proud legacy of ground‑breaking

“
business magazine said it found that the top ten “are altruistic, yes, but most of ideas and transformational educational
them are also very much aiming to turn a profit” and they hail not just from the U.S., experiences,” said the chemical engineer‑
but also from Israel, Germany and Canada. turned‑management expert who has
“Khosla, a cofounder of Sun Microsystems and a longtime partner at venture capital co‑authored 16 books.
powerhouse Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers has, with fellow billionaire and green busi‑ Some of his students also recall how he,
ness supporter John Doerr, been pouring millions of dollars into green tech companies,” along with his brother‑in‑law Bharat N.
Forbes noted. The magazine put Khoslaʼs net worth at $1.1 billion and Doerrʼs at $1.7 Anand, the Henry R. Byers Professor of I feel a profound sense
billion, noting that in 2004 Khosla began, through his Khosla Ventures, to fund dozens Business Administration at Harvard, are of responsibility for continuing
of innovative companies involved in areas such known for their hospitality and the recep‑ Harvard Business School’s
as sustainable building materials, solar power tions to celebrate Indian festivals and its
proud legacy of
and advanced biofuels. It said that Khosla has Nearly everyone wants to be green culture. “As his student, I found his dis‑
ground-breaking ideas and
described some of these investments as “sci‑
ence experiments” that may or may not succeed.
these days, Forbes said, noting that more than
$200 billion globally will be invested this year
cussion techniques and detailing im‑
mensely informative and thought
“
transformational educational
“I like Vinodʼs strategy because traditionally provoking,” said Manoj Kumar, managing experiences
in sustainable businesses — a 40 pc
VCs donʼt buy into companies at their early increase from 2009 partner with the Hahhurabi and Solomon,
stage. He does, and the ʻscience experimentʼ that a legal and corporate consultancy firm. 1988 where he earned an outstanding Among his 16 books, the latest ̶ Hand‑
survives that germ‑of‑an‑idea stage has a good “Prof. Nohria also made the curriculum doctoral thesis award in behavioural and book of Leadership Theory and Practice ̶
chance itʼll be mainstream some day,” Forbes quoted Michael Kanellos of Greentech Media and case studies very relevant to issues in policy sciences. Following that, he joined has been co‑edited with his Harvard col‑
as saying. Ausra, a solar thermal power company backed by Khosla Ventures and Kleiner the Indian business context. He deserves the Harvard faculty as an assistant league Rakesh Khurana and reflects a col‑
Perkins, had trouble getting financing and permits for planned solar plants and in 2009 a special mention for making the pro‑ professor in 1988, became an associate loquium he organised as part of Harvardʼs
switched its focus to selling equipment for customers that included coal‑fired plants. gramme so very insightful,” Kumar added. professor five years later and then served centennial in 2008 to stimulate serious
Now the company is out of Khoslaʼs purview as in February French nuclear giant Nohria received his degree in chemical as the Richard P. Chapman Professor of scholarly research on leadership.
Areva bought Ausra for an undisclosed sum. engineering in 1984 from the Indian In‑ Business Administration since 1999. “Nitin Nohria will be a wonderful dean of
Among others making Forbes greenest billionaires list were Israeli Carnival Cruises stitute of Technology in Mumbai, which His current academic interests include Harvard Business School,” said Jay Light
heiress Shari Arison, Google cofounders Larry Page and Sergey Brin and German also awarded him with its distinguished the theory and practice of leadership, the about his successor.
billionaires Aloys Wobben and Prince Albert von Thurn und Taxis. Nearly everyone alumnus medal in 2007. He then received study of human motivation, the analysis “He is widely respected within our ex‑
wants to be green these days, or so it seems, said Forbes, noting that more than $200 his doctoral degree in management from of management practices critical to cor‑ tended community as a perceptive scholar
billion globally will be invested this year in sustainable businesses ̶ a 40 percent the Massachusetts Institute of Technol‑ porate success, and the strategic and or‑ of leadership and as a thoughtful and able
increase from 2009. ogyʼs Sloan School of Management in ganisational challenges of globalisation. academic leader.”

34 Pravasi Bharatiya  May 2010 May 2010  Pravasi Bharatiya 35

diaspora
The world’s the stage
For Masaka Ono, Odissi is a mission she has dedicated her life to, says Jatindra Dash
he decided to learn Odissi as
S soon as she saw legendary
dancer Kelucharan Mohapatra
on video in Tokyo. Masako Ono
came to India in 1996 and has not looked
back since. After 14 years, Ono has
earned fame not only for her dance, but
also for her innovative choreography, her
lecture and demonstrations on Odissi ̶
one of Indiaʼs oldest surviving classical
dance forms.
Her journey began when she joined
Nrityagram, founded by model‑turned‑
dancer Protima Gauri Bedi in Bengaluru.
She moved to Orissa ̶ home to classical
Odissi ̶ and trained under several gurus,
including Mohapatra. Today Mohapatra
and Bedi are no more, but 38‑year‑old
Ono is carrying their dreams forward. “I
donʼt miss them. They live in my body.
Odissi will be the main dance for my
whole life. I want to take it to all corners
of the world,” Ono told IANS.
The strict vegan said: “Odissi has al‑
ready expanded across the world. In the
U.S., Odissi is performed by the Indian
community, which is good. They keep up
the tradition. But it should go more
global.” Ono has been performing in
many countries, including India and her
home country Japan, which she visits a
few times every year. Her choreography
̶ a blend of tantra, yoga and classical In‑
dian dance ̶ has received appreciation
wherever she performs. She has danced
and given lectures and demonstrations on
Odissi in India, Japan, the U.S., Canada,
Italy, France, Malaysia, Singapore, Thai‑
land, Indonesia, and Sri Lanka. She has
performed for former Prime Ministers of
Japan Junichiro Koizumi and Shinzo Abe.
Ono has also participated in the contem‑
porary dance project Boi Shakti in 2008.
She has innovated and choreographed
many fusion performances which have in‑
corporated elements of other dance
forms. “After seeing one video of the per‑
formance of Guruji (Kelucharan Mohapa‑
tra), I decided to learn Odissi,” the dancer
36 Pravasi Bharatiya  May 2010
“
A dancer cannot just be
confined to the portrayal of
the beauty of body. He or
“
she can go beyond in exploring
the boundaries
recalled. “Next moment I was at the em‑
bassy of India, asking where to go. They
gave me a brochure of Nrityagram; so I
went to Nrityagram.”
Since early childhood, Ono has been
passionate about dance. She started at the
age of four under Masako Yokoi, the only
Japanese modern dance graduate from
the Martha Graham Dance School in the
U.S. She was later trained in Tokyo west‑
ern classical ballet, jazz and hip hop.
Living in Bhubaneswar since 2001, the
slim dancer, who has also learned yoga
and pilates, has opened a dance school
here, and has taught over 30 students
both dance and yoga. Her students range
Masako Ono strikes an Odissi pose
from eight to 45 years in age. She has half
a dozen students right now, including a
Japanese who is learning hip hop. Asked
what she thought of other Odissi dancers,
Ono replied: “Some are good, but what
bothers me is that there are people who
have not worked enough before doing it.”
“The main challenge before the stu‑
dents who are talented and have interest
to learn dance is that many of them are
not able to afford a teacher. I always think
what I can do for them. Those who have
talent should be taught free.”
Ono wants to teach them free, but she
needs financial support. She has recently
registered a trust called Mudra Founda‑
tion. “I will try to do this through this
trust,” she said.
Asked about her personal life, she said:
“At this point in time, I am far from think‑
ing about marriage, but still I have hope;
search for a suitable partner is on.”
Ono has attended workshops in
Flamenco, contemporary dance, African
dance, Chhau and Kalaripayattu.
“A dancer cannot just be confined to
the portrayal of the beauty of body. He or
she can go beyond in exploring the
boundaries,” she said.
Jorge Ramirez, the Bolivian cab owner and a Shah Rukh Khan fan
Khan-mad in Andes
Language is not a barrier for this cab owner from Andes who is crazy about Indian
superstar Shah Rukh Khan and his movies, says Viral Shah
orge Ramirez seemed like an amiable technician‑turned cab owner who might be
meeting an Indian for the first time in his life. “From India?” he asked and before
I could answer yes, he added, “Shah Rukh Khan?” Before I could answer even that,
he popped in a CD in his cabʼs player that belted out Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham.
To be asked about Shah Rukh in the midst of the Andes at an elevation of over 12,000
feet was surprising enough. What added to it was Jorgeʼs excitement at meeting some‑
one who was from the same country and, therefore, by implication his favourite starʼs
representative. As we began driving from La Paz to Lake Titicaca, reputedly the largest
navigable lake in the world at an elevation of 14,000 feet, Jorgeʼs CD kept churning out
songs from many of Shah Rukhʼs most popular Bollywood movies. He would occasion‑
ally hum along, not understanding a word of
what was being said. “I love Shah Rukh Khan
To be asked about Shah Rukh in the midst and I have seen many of his movies,” Ramirez
of the Andes at an elevation of over 12,000 feet was told IANS. As if to prove his knowledge of the
surprising enough. What added to it was actorʼs body of work he mentioned Karan Arjun,
Jorge’s excitement at meeting someone who Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, Chalte Chalte, Kabhi
was from the same country Khushi Kabhie Gham, and Kal Ho Na Ho.
“I found Kal Ho Na Ho very touching, with
Shah Rukh Khanʼs heart problem. I remember
Karan Arjun was about two brothers and a mother,” Ramirez said as he seemed to process
the complicated names of movies. And then as if he had a eureka moment, he started
talking about Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham. “Kahol dances very good,” he said pronouncing
the ʻjʼ in Kajol the way it is done by the Spanish‑speaking people, like a soft ʻhʼ.
Ramirez said his CDs and DVDs of Shah Rukh movies came from Lima, the capital of
neighbouring Peru. When told about the actorʼs new movie My Name Is Khan, which
Ramirez did not know of, he promised to get it from Lima on his next trip there.
It is hard to gauge how popular Hindi movies are in this part of the world, but if a
visit to a corporate office the next day is any indication, their popularity certainly
stretches beyond Ramirez.
An office worker was playing a Shah Rukh song on her PC!
May 2010  Pravasi Bharatiya 37
diaspora

Guru Supernal
Deepak Chopra and Liquid Comics come together for a film adaptation of the
supernatural thriller novel ʻBeyondʼ

ew Age guru and author Deepak

N Chopra and Liquid Comics will part‑

ner together on a film adaptation of
Beyond, a supernatural thriller about
a businessman whose wife suddenly vanishes
from a small store in India. Liquid Comics
Founders, Gotham and Sharad Devarajan, will Noureen DeWulf in a still from her latest movie “The Back‑Up Plan”.
produce the film with John Garland and
Michael Dufficy. Filmmaker Suri Krishnamma
will direct the film currently in development as
a U.K. production. Announcing the deal, Deepak
Chopra, who created the story and wrote the
screenplay, said: “Beyond is a story about real‑
ity being multi‑dimensional and how we can
take journeys to realms we never dreamt of by
Bollywood Bond
Indian‑American actress Noureen DeWulf talks to Robin Bansal about her dreams of
separating the veils that partition our minds.” working in Bollywood and her love and connection with the land of her roots
“As with all my work, I hope to open audi‑
Deepak Chopra
encesʼ minds to the fact that all reality is a pro‑
jection of a paradigm or worldview.”
Filmmaker Suri Krishnamma said, “I am ndian origin Hollywood actress Noureen was on Maxim magazineʼs Hot In Alan Poulʼs romantic comedy,
thrilled to be working with Deepak, someone
who has been an influential part of my familyʼs
life for many years and whose books I sincerely
treasure. Together, we have the opportunity of
making a great action‑adventure movie ̶ the
Beyond is a story about reality being
multi-dimensional
realms we
veils
never
that
and how we can take journeys
dreamt of by separating the
partition our minds
to I Noureen DeWulf, who has been fea‑
tured on Maxim magazineʼs Hot 100
list, is keen on doing Bollywood films
as “itʼll be like going back to her roots”.
She also wants to share screen space
100 list as one of the most desirable
women on the planet in 2007. And guess
who is on the 26‑year‑oldʼs wish list?
“Iʼd love to work with Rekha. I like her.
She is so beautiful and she is a great ac‑
Noureen will be seen as Lopezʼs employee
and friend. The film also stars Alex
OʼLoughlin, Melissa McCarthy and Eric
Christian Olsen.
Throwing light on her character,
fantastic journey of a man in search of his miss‑ with ageless beauty Rekha. “I love Bolly‑ tress. I love (her) Silsila a lot... Iʼve Noureen said: “I play a character called
ing wife ̶ realising that he is in fact on a jour‑ wood. I grew up watching Bollywood watched it so many times,” said Noureen, Daphne in the film who works in the pet
ney of self‑discovery that transcends our own dimension and takes us into parallel films like Sita Aur Geeta, Satyam Shivam who was last seen in the comedy The store owned by Jennifer Lopezʼs charac‑
worlds ̶ an ordinary man who is asked to take on the responsibility of a mythic hero.” Sundaram, Coolie and so many. There is Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard. ter. We have a funny relationship (in the
Beyond is a supernatural thriller about a businessman, Michael Morton who arrives a lot of talent there and if an opportunity “I am (also) a big fan of the actors out movie). Itʼs very irreverent ̶ we have a
in India with his wife Anna and son Ty on a vacation. While Michael is distracted on a is there and presented in a right format, there like Salman Khan and Shah Rukh boss‑employee relationship, but I am also
phone call with an overseas colleague, Anna and Ty wander through a typically teeming Iʼd love to do a Bollywood film,” Noureen Khan. Those two stood out with their act‑ her friend.
Indian shopping bazaar. Then the inexplicable happens ̶ Ty watches as his mother told IANS in a telephonic interview from ing. I think they have done some great “I have been here (Hollywood) for eight
wanders into a small store, but never comes out. Sheʼs vanished without a trace. Michael Los Angeles. “If itʼs an interesting role, Iʼll work and I have watched a couple of their years and Iʼve worked with really great
searches for his wife, at first irritated by her elusiveness, but soon turns frantic, as he certainly consider it. Iʼd love to do that be‑ more recent films,” she added. people... at the end of every production, I
canʼt uncover any clue to her whereabouts. Things then turn even stranger and desper‑ cause for me, itʼll be like going back to my Language is no barrier for Noureen made some great friends,” said the actress
ate when Michael hears his wifeʼs whispering, crying for his help. Tracking the sounds, roots. I have seen them over and over who hails from a Gujarati family. “I can who has Mickey Rourke, Quentin Taran‑
Michael and Ty are led on adventure of both physical and metaphysical danger as they again. My parents are Indian and I feel a speak Hindi, Gujarati and Urdu... I am tino, Robert Rodriguez, Baz Luhrmann
stop at nothing to reunite their family. strong connection to those films,” said very comfortable with all the languages,” and Naomi Watts on her Hollywood
Liquidʼs CEO Devarajan said: “Deepak Chopra is one of the worldʼs most prolific Noureen, who teamed up with singer‑ac‑ said the actress, who is known for her wishlist. “Iʼve learnt a lot from my co‑stars
thinkers and creators. To bring his first screenplay to theatres and to the millions of tress Jennifer Lopez in The Back‑Up Plan. roles like in the Academy Award winning too. Iʼve definitely learnt from them and
people who have been touched by his work for decades along with Suriʼs vision is The movie released in the U.S. on April 23 movie West Bank Story and Ghosts of if from nothing else, from their presence
a thrill.” and hit Indian screens on May 14. Girlfriends Past. and personality,” she added.

38 Pravasi Bharatiya  May 2010 May 2010  Pravasi Bharatiya 39

perspectives
“Masala Chai” by Cherese Thakur
We were forty leaves picked from sixteen tea-bushes
Brewing together in an Indian kettle
A bitter-sweet blend
Ours was a unique flavour — of spice and spirit
A wholesome, heady drink
We bubbled on buses
We spilled out on streets
We swirled under a milky moon
We were masala chai
The taste lingers on the tongue…
24 Pravasi Bharatiya  May 2010
Of knowing, learning,
experiencing…
What of the yearnings for oneʼs roots? What of the cultural memories that go
into forging oneʼs identity. On her first journey to India, Cherese Thakur says how
knowing herself meant knowing her origins in the land of her forefathers
What does it mean to ʻknowʼ oneself?
very person, at some point,
E grapples with the question. Like
any young person in the process
of forming their identity, I often
find myself returning to it. The answer is
as important for oneʼs future as it is for
the present. I thought about this as I sat
on the plane to Thiruvanthapuram. My
conclusion was that knowing myself
meant knowing my origins in India.
Would knowing India, I thought, be the
final piece in the puzzle of my identity?
I played with the words in my mind: In‑
dian South African, South African Indian.
My great‑great grandparents left the
shores of India to make a new life in Africa.
I didnʼt know which part of India they are
from. I thought that, without knowing my
history, I did not know my place in the
world. It was difficult to reconcile my In‑
dian heritage with my nationality.
South Africans of Indian descent enjoy
a rich and colourful history in my coun‑
try: although originally mostly indentured
labourers on the sugarcane fields, they
have since flourished: through hard work,
strong community‑based orientation, and
a commitment to education. They were a
force in the struggle for freedom from
apartheid. Today they occupy high posi‑
tions of authority in most sectors. How‑
ever, it lies with each person to define
their relationship with India herself, the
motherland. It is a personal journey that
each must take.
I was reminded of this when I had to in‑
troduce myself to the 39 other KIP par‑
ticipants. As such, the Know India
Program (KIP) experience is one that
could not have come at a better time in
my life. In knowing India, I have come to
know myself better.
I have learned that the magic of India
is such that it cannot be contained within
her borders. Although her children have
been spreading out across the world for
generations, when they return they
recognise India as Mother and each other
as brethren. That is the only way I can ex‑
plain the amazing kinship I felt with the
39 other participants in the programme:
a subtle, yet strong bond.
We were fortunate to be hosted by the
partner states of Kerala and Rajasthan,
and our visit also included visits to New
Delhi and Agra. Each new experience on
the Know India Programme that lit up my
eyes with wonder ̶ the serene beauty of
Kovalam beach at sunset, the patterns of
the tea‑bushes in the plantations in
Munnar, the vast expanse of the majestic
Amber Fort, the afternoon sun striking
the pearlescent splendour of the Taj
Mahal ̶ was mirrored in the faces of my
39 new friends ̶ my ʻfamilyʼ in India.
But these beautiful sights do not make
up India. To me, India is the sum of her
people, a lesson I learned again and again.
One such occasion was New Yearʼs Eve.
At midnight, we rushed to the roof of the
Metropolitan Hotel in Cochin, where we
saw the sky explode with fireworks like
stars. We then spilled out into the hotel
courtyard, where we danced together
with the hotel staff, under a tree gar‑
landed with fairy lights. There were only
smiles as everyone sang along to the Bol‑
lywood tunes, laughing as they danced.
There was magic in every beat of the music.
It was moments such as these ̶ danc‑
ing together, playing football with mem‑
ber of the Indian Defence Force, chatting
with students at the Rajagiri College,
speaking to the roadside traders in Delhi,
witnessing the noble work of the Bhag‑
wan Mahaveer Viklang Sahayata Samiti
̶ these were the moments that made me
realise that the greatness of India stems
from the spirit of its people.
This sentiment was echoed many times
by fellow persons of Indian origin (PIOs)
and non‑resident Indians (NRIs) at the
Pravasi Bharatiya Divas conference in
Delhi. The conference featured delega‑
tions from the corners of the globe ̶
leaders in politics, commerce, arts and cul‑
ture, industry, humanitarian work, acade‑
mia and other sectors were present. It
was a gathering of the finest representa‑
tives of Indiaʼs legacy to the world ̶
May 2010  Pravasi Bharatiya 41
perspectives
“
I revelled in the tastes of India — the cool clarity of the juice from fresh coconuts in Kerala, sweet
warm gulab jamun dripping in syrup, steaming-hot rotis soaking up rich curries cooked with cream.
I enjoyed the unexpected flavours of pani puri and papdi chat bought from vendors, the goodness of
guavas from the roadside, and could not get enough of the fragrant delicacy of chai
Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh
being one of the many inspiring and dis‑
tinguished speakers. I shrunk in the pres‑
ence of such esteemed individuals: after
all, I am still only a student, without any
real achievement to my name. But at the
same time, I realised that if I worked hard
and focused on my goals, I could perhaps
one day also stand proud in the presence
of such greats.
Knowing India is very much a sensory
experience. I remember the sounds of
bhajans in the early hours of the morning
in Thrissur, where the melodic singing
gave an ethereal quality to the dawn. I re‑
member running my fingertips over the
cold, smooth shapes of flowers in the
marble of the Taj Mahal, and thinking
about the craftsman from the ancient
years whose hands fashioned them. I re‑
member the pungent smell of cow dung
at the Navneet Prakritik Yoga Chikitsa
Dham Naturopathy Centre in Bassi, where
the dung was not waste, but an environ‑
mentally friendly source of fuel.
There was no shortage of spectacular
sights: from the sun setting amidst the
palm trees, viewed from the boat cruise
in Cochin; to the beautiful light show at
Fort Maharani Padmini Mahal in the
chilly evening. I loved the colourful swirl
of dancers in bright saris at the various
cultural evenings, as each elegant move‑
ment was matched with the chiming of
bells on their feet. I will forever remember
the day we sat on the steps at Lake
Pushkar, where the clear, holy water be‑
fore us was like a mirror for a sky filled
with wheeling kites.
I revelled in the tastes of India ̶ the
cool clarity of the juice from fresh co‑
conuts in Kerala, sweet warm gulab
42 Pravasi Bharatiya  May 2010
jamun dripping in syrup, steaming‑hot
rotis soaking up rich curries cooked with
cream. I enjoyed the unexpected flavours
of pani puri and papdi chat bought from
vendors, the goodness of guavas from the
roadside, and could not get enough of the
fragrant delicacy of chai.
I could not have ever dreamed of the
wealth of experiences I gained from the
13th Know India Programme ̶ it sur‑
passed my expectations time and time
again. I remember being informed before‑
hand by our Consul‑General, Mr. Anil K.
Sharan, that KIP would be an experience
of extremes. India is a country of contra‑
dictions living together, I was told.
I have learned that this is true: India fea‑
tures magnificent skyscrapers, and half‑
built buildings slowly being reclaimed by
the trees. It features stunning scenes of
natural beauty, as well as littered streets.
What occurred to me, as I gazed out of
the bus window on the way to Cochin, is
that these things are part of the unique‑
ness of the land ̶ despite all the contra‑
dictions, it all feels right.
In the same way, I felt right in India as
well ̶ the contradiction of the Indian
South African versus the South African In‑
dian was no more. I realised that I did not
have to choose my identity, and that India
accepted me as I am, as it does all people.
In knowing India, I began to know myself:
I am South African. But a piece of my
heart will always live in India.
Indeed, the magic of India cannot be
contained in her borders. As I learned at
the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas conference,
India is reaching out to the world – to
PIOs, to NRIs, and to people who are yet
to experience the spirit of the land. And
as long as we reach out too from our re‑
“ Diaspora. The answers are given
Bio
A fourth‑generation Indian, Cherese
Thakur, 20, was born in Chatsworth,
a large and predominantly Indian
township in the outskirts of Durban,
South Africa. Her great‑grandpar‑
ents had moved to South Africa at
the turn of the last century. Cherese
schooled in Chatsworth and
Malvern in Durban. She is now in
her fourth year, reading law, at the
University of KwaZulu‑Natal.
Cherese closely follows art and
writes, especially poetry. A passion‑
ate student of human rights and
justice, she serves on a body known
as Students for Human Rights and
Justice on her campus. Cherese
loves animals and had a favourite
pet Daschund, Pupsie, which tragi‑
cally succumbed to cancer a few
months ago.
spective countries, India will grow to us.
There is so much to learn and share, and
so much to benefit from nurturing our
ties with India.
I wish to thank all those involved in the
KIP Programme ̶ The Indian Govern‑
ment, the Ministry of Overseas Indian Af‑
fairs, the Confederation of Indian
Industry, the governments of the partner
states of Kerala and Rajasthan, and all the
organisations and individuals that con‑
tributed to making our trip such a won‑
derful learning experience.
I would urge all other young PIOs to
apply to be a participant on this pro‑
gramme ̶ as myself and my 39 friends
have discovered, it can only enrich you,
as I hope my poem will show.
How well do we know each
other? What do we know about
each otherʼs music, culture,
books, country, history and
leaders... What are those
memories and connections we
share... Starting this issue, we
bring you a quiz on the Indian
at the bottom of the page. You
can also write in with little‑
known facts about the Diaspora
community. Let us begin a
journey of learning more about
each other...
DIASPORA QUIZ
Q1: The advent of Buddhism in
India in 500 BC heralded the
beginning of a new travelling
Indian, who went far beyond
geographical boundaries in
pursuit of knowledge and wis‑
dom. They were among the
earliest of Indian diasporas.
Name the Emperor who sent
Buddhist monks to spread the
message of peace and love, as
also expertise in medicine,
mathematics, chemistry, print‑
ing and textiles, to faraway
lands.
Q2: This particular word means
“people of Graeco‑Roman ori‑
gin”, the Graeco‑Romans
constituting the next most im‑
portant diasporic population
after the Buddhist era. The
wordʼs origin is believed to be
connected to the Ionians of
Greece, and the word finds
mention both in north and
south Indian classical texts,
which stand testimony to the
grand trade and cultural ties
between these two great civili‑
sations. Name the word.
ANSWERS
9. Girmit (a corruption of agreement) 10. Apravasi Ghat
1. Emperor Ashoka 2. Yavana 3. Periplus of the Erythrean Sea 4.The Chola Dynasty 5. Parameswara 6. Silk Route 7. The Rromas 8. Kochi and Surat, respectively
Q3: This 5th century naviga‑
tional guide describes in detail
the trading activities that took
place between the Roman
Empire and India. Name it.
Q4: The presence of the grand
Hindu civilisations across
South‑East Asia in modern‑day
Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia,
Malaysia and Vietnam during
the early Hindu Medieval Pe‑
riod points to the possibility of
the migration of artists, engi‑
neers, scholars, saints and
traders from India. Which was
the most prominent Hindu
kingdom during the medieval
period?
Q5: About 1400 A.D., this
Hindu ruler of the then in‑
significant island of Singapore,
known in history as Temasek,
fled with a handful of followers
after constant attacks on Sin‑
gapore by raiders from Ma‑
japahit. Later, he founded the
kingdom of Malacca around
1402 A.D. Name him.
Q6: This trading route is
famous for many of the tech‑
nological innovations like
printing, gunpowder, and
compass, that have filtered
into Europe from India, espe‑
cially during the High Middle
Ages in Europe. Name it.
Q7: This community of people
migrated from the western
parts of India to Europe
through Afghanistan, Persia
and Turkey, and still follow
largely ancient Indian rituals
and practices. They are also
loosely called gypsies. Their
language has many Sanskrit
words, and they have often de‑
clared their affinity and desire
to be identified as Indians.
Name the community.
Q8: The cities of Roman Egypt
and the Mediterranean basin
maintained trade relations with
such ancient port cities as
Muziris and Barygaza. What are
the modern names of these
two port cities?
Q9: It was under an agreement
that groups of Indians left the
shores of India more then a
century ago to fulfil labour
needs of British and other
European colonial empires.
Under the indenture system,
some 1.2 million Indians
signed an agreement of inden‑
ture and sailed away to more
than ten European colonies to
work on plantations in which
African slaves earlier worked for
free. What is the agreement
called?
Q10: In 1830 began the first
ʻarrivalsʼ of the people of the
old Indian diaspora who were
sent as indentured labourers to
Mauritius. From 1834 to 1924,
these labourers arrived at this
ghat now recognised by the
Unesco as a World Heritage
Site. Name this famous ghat.

Fortune Teller
One of the planetʼs most brilliant business brains and seminal thinkers, Prahaladʼs
theories will continue to influence corporations worldwide
H
e saw the India story coming
as we know it today. The
world‑conquering spree that
Indian business tycoons now
regularly indulge in as a matter of
course, is a scenario Coimbatore Krish‑
narao Prahalad envisaged much before
such business leaders even thought
they were capable of it. One of the
planetʼs most brilliant business brains
and seminal thinkers, Prahaladʼs theo‑
ries will continue to influence corpora‑
tions, and behaviours that build great
institutions and practices.
Not without reason, many of his ad‑
mirers firmly believed that should there
have been a Nobel prize for manage‑
ment and public administration, C.K.
Prahalad would surely have won it for
India. A die‑hard capitalist, Prahalad
was unlike most others of his clan, for
he gave the word “profit” a new humane
meaning, and took a lead role in ad‑
dressing issues such as poverty, income
inequality and corruption.
Prahalad was passionate about India
and knew that the world would eventu‑
ally admire India as a global economic
power, a vision reflected in his best‑
seller The Fortune at the Bottom of the
Pyramid: Eradicating Poverty Through
Profit. It is this theory that many corpo‑
rations now follow in global emerging
markets. For a man who was consulted
by a host of global companies like
AT&T, Cargill, Citicorp, Kodak, Oracle,
and Philips, and who served on the
boards of several others, Prahalad loved
academics and was a teacher at core.
He did try his hand in business and
founded Praja Inc. However, he sold the
company soon after. Even then, it is
worth noting the name of his short‑lived
company, as Praja in Sanskrit translates
into a kingdomʼs subjects, or citizens ̶
a realm that always remained close to
Prahaladʼs heart.
24 Pravasi Bharatiya  May 2010
“
Not without reason, many of his admirers firmly believed that
should there have been a Nobel prize for management and
“ gued that the main means by which a company makes profits
public administration, Coimbatore Krishnarao Prahalad
would surely have won it for India
obituary/c.k. prahalad
Immortal
ideas
C.K. Prahalad may be no more, but his ideas will continue to live on, reports Arjun Sen
ith the passing away of management guru C.K. Pra‑ dominant logic and this works as long as organisations do not
W halad, the world has lost a great business thinker.
CK, as he was popularly known, produced several
ideas during his 33‑year career that have not only
become an inseparable part of business lexicon today, but are
likely to continue to drive corporate boardroom strategy discus‑
face any major structural change in the industry. But when there
is such a change, the dominant logic blocks a companyʼs execu‑
tives from thinking differently, stifling creativity.
In another paper developing on the theme, published in Strate‑
gic Management Journal in 1995, the authors introduced the
sions well into the 21st century. No wonder voters at the concept of unlearning that a company must do to get out of its
Thinkers50 website, which brings out a list of the most influen‑ dominant logic. In both the papers, Prahalad and Bettis gave the
tial business thinkers every year, elected Prahalad as the worldʼs example of IBM. “In the business world, IBM is an excellent ex‑
most influential business thinker for two years ̶ 2007 and ample in which the dominant logic revolved around a set of un‑
2009 ̶ a feat unsurpassed by any one else except the legendary seen assumptions about the centrality of the mainframe
Peter F. Drucker. business. At IBM, this thinking became embedded in the strategy,
Prahalad was also a social activist, successfully convincing reward system, promotion preferences, and resource allocation
some of the worldʼs largest corporations that there were profits system so strongly that a catastrophic crisis was necessary even
to be made by serving the poorest segment
of consumers ̶ those who existed at the
bottom of the economic pyramid ̶ and that
Prahalad was also a social activist, successfully
by doing so, they could at the same time re‑
duce poverty by bringing the poorest of the
convincing some of the world’s largest corporations
poor into the economic mainstream. “CK cre‑
that there were profits to be made by serving
ated a language (Bottom of the Pyramid, for the poorest consumers and also reduce poverty by
example) that allowed the business commu‑ bringing them into the economic mainstream
nity to talk about social change and simulta‑
neously allowed the social sector to talk
about capitalism as a tool to fight injustice. This contribution to begin dislodging it. Before IBM could begin developing a new
alone demonstrates his sheer brilliance in the face of one of the strategy, the mainframe logic needed to be partially unlearned
greatest cultural and ideological divisions of our time,” writes or forgotten. This need to unlearn may suggest why new com‑
Blair Miller, Talent Manager at the New York based Acumen petitors often displace experienced incumbents in an industry
Fund and a former student of the late professor. when major structural change occurs (e.g. the personal computer
Prahalad made as many as five major theoretical contributions. revolution),” Prahalad and Bettis wrote.
The first such concept was that of dominant logic. In an article Prahaladʼs next big conceptual construct was the idea of strate‑
titled “The Dominant Logic: A New Linkage between Diversity gic intent. Studying the rapid progress made by Japanese com‑
and Performance”, written with Richard A. Bettis and published panies in the post‑war global economy, he concluded that for a
in the Strategic Management Journal in 1986, the authors ar‑ company to grow and achieve global leadership, it must have a
strategic intent. In an article called “Strategic Intent”, written in
generate a dominant logic within the minds of the companyʼs ex‑ collaboration with Gary Hamel and published in the Harvard
ecutives. Managers tend to seek solutions to problems using the Business Review in 1989, Prahalad and Hamel took up the prob‑
May 2010  Pravasi Bharatiya 45

lem of why Western companies had lost their competitive edge
to newcomers, especially, Japanese and South Korean companies.
The authors argued that Western companies focus on trim‑
ming their ambitions to match resources and, as a result, search
only for advantages they can sustain. By contrast, Japanese cor‑
porations leverage resources by accelerating the pace of organ‑
isational learning and try to attain seemingly impossible goals.
These firms foster the desire to succeed among their employees
and maintain it by spreading the vision of global leadership. This
is how Canon sought to “beat Xerox” and Komatsu set out to “en‑
circle Caterpillar”.
In this McKinsey Award–winning article, Hamel and Prahalad
described four techniques that Japanese companies use to com‑
pete innovatively: building layers of advantage, searching for
“loose bricks”, changing the terms of engagement, and competing
through collaboration. They wrote: “Companies that have risen
to global leadership over the past 20 years invariably began with
ambitions that were out of all proportion to their resources and
capabilities. But they created an obsession with winning at all
levels of the organisation and then sustained that obsession over
the 10‑ to 20‑year quest for global leadership. We term this ob‑
session ʻstrategic intentʼ. On one hand, strategic intent envisions
46 Pravasi Bharatiya  May 2010
Practical theories: Influenced
by Prahaladʼs theories about
the Bottom of the Pyramid,
more and more companies
are now offering their
products in smaller packs
and lower price points to
make them affordable for
the poor. This village shop
displays various products in
single serve sachets or small,
low priced packs.
a desired leadership position and establishes the criterion the or‑
ganisation will use to chart its progress. Komatsu set out to “En‑
circle Caterpillar”. Canon sought to “Beat Xerox”. Honda strove
to become a second Ford ̶ an automotive pioneer. All are ex‑
pressions of strategic intent.
“At the same time, strategic intent is more than simply unfet‑
tered ambition. The concept also encompasses an active manage‑
ment process that includes: focusing the organisationʼs attention
on the essence of winning; motivating people by communicating
the value of the target; leaving room for individual and team con‑
tributions; sustaining enthusiasm by providing new operational
definitions as circumstances change and using intent consistently
to guide resource allocations. Strategic intent captures the essence
of winning.”
The article created a flutter in management circles. The two au‑
thors further built on this theme in their book Competing for the
Future in 1994. In 1990, came another bombshell ̶ the idea of
the core competence of corporations. In the article “Core Compe‑
tence of the Corporation”, written in collaboration with Gary
Hamel and published in the Harvard Business Review in May
1990, the authors argued that a companyʼs competitiveness de‑
rives from its core competencies and core products. Core compe‑
In his last book The New Age of Innovation, Prahalad argued that for companies
to remain competitive in today’s environment, they must learn to co-create products with
consumers and that while products must be customised to meet the needs of each
individual consumer, companies will have to garner resources globally through various
alliances with other businesses to achieve this
tence is the collective learning in the organisation, especially the
capacity to coordinate diverse production skills and integrate
streams of technologies. First, companies must identify core com‑
petencies. Next, companies must reorganise to learn from alliances
and focus on internal development. The authors showed how
Honda had developed core competency in motor engines and
power trains, Sony in miniaturisation or NEC in convergence of
computing and communication technologies and it is these core
competencies that were enabling them to manufacture a wide va‑
riety of products, often entirely new products which opened up
new markets, and thus maintain leadership in many businesses.
This article also went on to win the McKinsey Award and took
the corporate world by storm. But Prahalad was not done yet. Two
more major ideas followed. Writing in collaboration with Venkat
Ramaswamy, the authors contended in an article titled “Co‑opting
Customer Competence” published in the Harvard Business Review
in 2000, that in the new economy, the business world was shifting
from formal, defined roles. Major business discontinuities, such as
Honours
j In 2009, Prahalad was awarded the Pravasi
Bharatiya Samman, and Padma Bhushan by
the Government of India, and was also
named the worldʼs most influential business
thinker on The Timesʼ Thinkers50.com list
j Awarded the Italian Telecom Prize for Lead‑
ership in Business and Economic thinking
j Lifetime Achievement Award, The Ross
School of Business, University of Michigan
j Awarded Faculty Pioneer Lifetime Achieve‑
ment for contributions to Social and Envi‑
ronmental Stewardship by the Aspen
Institute and World Resources Institute
j Awarded Doctor of Engineering (honoris
causa), Stevens Institute of Technology,
New York, May, 2005
j Awarded D.Sc., Economics (honoris causa)
from the University of London, June, 2005
j Awarded Doctor of Business (honoris causa),
University of Abertay, Scotland, July 2005
j Elected Global Indian, 2004, by a blue panel
jury of business leaders in India
j Lal Bahadur Shastri Award for Excellence in
Management, 2000, by the President of India
j Fellow, Strategic Management Society
j Fellow, Academy of International Business
deregulation, globalisation, technological convergence, and the
rapid evolution of the Internet have blurred the roles that compa‑
nies play in their dealings with other businesses. Consumers had
become a new source of competence for the corporation. To ef‑
fectively harness the competence of the consumer, managers must
engage their customers in dialogue; mobilise communities of cus‑
tomers; manage customer diversity; and co‑create personalised ex‑
periences with customers.
Prahalad would again return to this theme in 2008 in his last
book The New Age of Innovation and argue that for companies to
remain competitive in todayʼs environment, they must learn to co‑
create products with consumers and that while products must be
customised to meet the needs of each individual consumer, the
company itself will have to garner resources globally through var‑
ious alliances with other businesses to achieve this.
While co‑creation has now been identified as a major corporate
strategy, the other big idea for which Prahaladʼs legacy will live
on is one we have mentioned already ̶ the fortune that can be
made from serving the needs of the poorest consumers across the
world ̶ the bottom of the pyramid. From the late 90s onwards,
Prahalad was increasingly getting involved with Indian companies
and noticed how some of them had begun to focus on the poorest
consumers ̶ people who earned less than $2 a day.
Writing in collaboration with Stuart Hart, in their book The For‑
tune at the Bottom of the Pyramid: Eradicating Poverty through
Profits, the authors proposed that businesses, governments, and
donor agencies stop thinking of the poor as victims and instead
start seeing them as resilient and creative entrepreneurs as well
as value‑demanding consumers. They proposed that there are
tremendous benefits to MNCs who choose to serve these markets
in ways responsive to their needs. There are also poverty‑reducing
benefits if MNCs work with civil society organisations and local
governments to create new local business models, they said.
The authors further argued that the Bottom of Pyramid (BoP)
market represented nearly 4 billion people and although their per
capita spending capacity was low, together they represented a
huge market. To serve this market, companies must innovate to
offer high quality products at prices that the poor can afford. The
authors pointed out the single serve sachets that companies like
Hindustan Unilever had introduced to sell shampoos was one way
of doing this. Today, almost every company operating in the
emerging or developing economies has worked out ways to pen‑
etrate the BoP market. For example, Nestle plans to add one billion
new customers over the next few years by tapping the BoP market.
Nestleʼs latest product launches in India are Maggi Masal‑ae‑Magic
and Maggi Rasile Chow priced at Rs. 2 and Rs. 4 per pack but pro‑
viding a nutritious but tasty meal. CKPʼs ideas on BoP are being
used today not only by corporates, but also NGOs and governmen‑
tal bodies to seek market‑based entrepreneurial solutions to the
problem of tackling poverty.
May 2010  Pravasi Bharatiya 47
 hen Shah Rukh Khan winked at me and

W seductively invited me to “sleep with me”, my

heart tripped... just like millions of women all
around the world who have fallen in love
with those dimpled cheeks and wicked mannerisms...
I prepared for my Friday night date on February 26...
At precisely 9 PM he showed up with his mischievous
smile to stay with me for the next half hour. He promised
he would share his home, his family, his work and indeed
his secrets too with me over the next 10 weeks.
And so the king of all ʻrealityʼ shows began...
Living With A Superstar: Shah Rukh Khan is a first of
its kind in India being aired on Discovery Travel & Living
TV channel. It claims to be the “whole truth, in which no
part was scripted”, as Raj K. Gopalakrishnan of Blue
Mango Films, which produced the series, says: “This is a
reality series, and true to the spirit of reality... No matter
how much we planned, six out of 10 times the plan Reality shows ̶ a
would change with 10 minutes to two minutes notice. dramatised version of
Like one time when we were shooting in London, SRK
was walking around and suddenly decided to hop on to a the ʻrealʼ ̶ today form
rickshaw. We had to quickly find another one for the a significant portion
camera... but it was such a wonderful moment. Nothing
was staged and there was this super duper star just of television content.
roaming about in a rickshaw without a care in the world.” Nandini S. Sen
SRK has always been a public celebrity. He doesnʼt hide
behind over‑sized sunglasses or dodges the media. explores how much
“When I have worked my whole life to be in front of the ʻrealityʼ is really there
public, why should I hide from them, when I go out of my
house,” he says. In fact, he is rather open about his life ̶ be behind the drama and
it work or family. Therefore, a reality series seemed like a the profits...
waste of time. But as Samar Khan, the showʼs director
pointed out, “SRK is a show stealer and in spite of know‑

ARE
ing every facet of his life, his story remains a best seller.”
The series follow SRK across four continents, conducts
a personal tour of his castle ʻMannatʼ, attempts to steal in
on some of his private moments with family and friends,
visits his film and ad shoots, listens in to his gameplan
for his cricket team Kolkata Knight Riders, and discovers
many more of the actorʼs quirks and intimate feelings.
The show also explores ʻShahrukhismsʼ ̶ basically his

YOU
take on life of “living, loving, creating and letting go”. Liv‑
ing With A Superstar, as predicted, debuted with a bang.

48 Pravasi Bharatiya  May 2010

REAL?

In conversation...
Dr. Anjali Monteiro
How much have reality shows or
docu-dramas bordering on stylised
voyeurism, become a part of our lives?
People in pre‑modern societies have
always had access to the lives of others
in their communities. Notions of 'pri‑
vacy' and the 'personal' were perhaps
quite different from our own. Gossip
was legitimate, without its present
negative connotation. All this has
changed in our present day urban
lives. Cities are spaces of fragmented
anonymity. There are stricter codes of
ʻpersonalʼ spaces. Reality shows, proba‑
bly, are the modern day equivalent of
gossip, an opportunity to vicariously
peep into the lives of others.
Moreover, as our everyday lives be‑
come more utilitarian and our relation‑
ships, more instrumental and
perfunctory, we increasingly live virtual
lives and seek emotional fulfillment
through mediated spaces and events.
Creation of artificial worlds replete with
emotions make for compelling view‑
ing. They also become a space for
demonstrations of regional solidarity
and participation in the national main‑
stream, as when artistes from small
towns in distant states such as Assam
and Tripura make it big.
It's a convergence of commerce and
the vicarious. How much of our lives,
now partly online, partly on television,
blur the lines of reality?
Perhaps the clearcut division between
the 'real' and the 'virtual/vicarious',
with the latter being seen as a lesser
form of life, needs to be questioned.
For example, one's involvement in an
on‑line campaign that has repercus‑
sions in the 'real' world, is both real and
virtual. The question is how do we cre‑
atively engage with both the real and
the virtual in order to question domi‑
nant paradigms and ways of seeing.
The internet, in particular, offers many
possibilities for resisting 'commerce'
and for alternative world‑views. We
should seize the moment, rather than
grieve the passing of 'reality' and the
reign of the virtual.
50 Pravasi Bharatiya  May 2010
Stars today are constantly
trying to reinvent
themselves by emerging
out of cinema and walking
into television to evolve
into a ʻstandalone celebrityʼ.
Clockwise from top: They
conduct world tours
(Shah Rukh Khan at a show
in Chicago), anchor shows
(Mithun Chakraborty in
Dance India Dance, Akshay
Kumar in Khatron Ke
Khiladi), open up their
hearts in talk shows (Karan
Johar and Salman Khan in
Lift Kara De) and take part
in reality shows (SRK in
Living with a Superstar)
The show, though, continues to generate viewer inter‑
est. After all, it is SRK, one of Indiaʼs top stars and a ʻdias‑
poric iconʼ, and even though it isnʼt warts and all, he has
chosen to given us some glimpses of his life. Perhaps vic‑
ariously living it out are his fans.
What does it all mean? Apart from some sound busi‑
ness sense for the television channel and indeed some
good publicity and revenue for the star, does it signal a
new trend in mass visual media? Today, celebrities get up
close with their fans via blogs, Twitter, Facebook and
other social networking sites. They are emerging out of
cinema and walking into television to evolve into a ʻstand‑
alone celebrityʼ. “They anchor shows, take part in reality
shows and open up their heart in talk shows,” says media
critic Shailaja Bajpai of the Indian Express.
The ʻcelebrity phenomenonʼ, according to Bajpai, that
has gripped the popular imagination, has made stars
walk right into our drawing rooms with their larger than
life lives. “They are constantly trying to reinvent them‑
selves. Thatʼs where television comes into play. A show
like Living with the Superstar also went through a period
of slump because people were fatigued by SRK.
Whichever channel they flipped ̶ from entertainment to
sports ̶ SRK was the reigning king,” says Bajpai.
More and more celebrities are turning to television be‑
cause itʼs up‑close and personal. Increasingly, audiences
relate to celebs more through television than films even
as they come out of their star closets and willingly share
glimpses of their lives. Sociologist Dr. Md. Firoz, Associate
Professor and Chair (Department of Media and Communi‑
cation), Manipal University, Dubai Campus, United Arab
It was the day of the Budget, and trade pundits forecast
doom for such a high‑profile show. But in India, SRK sells
and how! At 9 PM on February 26,
Discoveryʼs Travel & Living, for the first time in India,
was declared the ʻTRP kingʼ. Discovery claims that the
TRPs soared, beating not only other English channels but
also regular Hindi soap channels as well.
Millions turn to Travel & Living every Friday to follow
INCREASINGLY, AUDIENCES
the superstar and ʻseeʼ, and perhaps ʻliveʼ his extraordi‑ RELATE TO CELEBS MORE
nary life. But after a few episodes, the interest amazingly THROUGH TELEVISION
seems to have waned. The show is no longer garnering
top TRP ratings. Has it all jaded and why so quickly? You
THAN FILMS EVEN AS
have a star, no less, apparently baring his soul... But how
THEY COME OUT OF THEIR
much of it is actually on show? Or, rather, how much is STAR CLOSETS AND
desirable anyway? WILLINGLY SHARE
The truth, therefore, or rather the ʻrealʼ is not unvar‑
nished. It is more of a docu‑drama than a documentary.
GLIMPSES OF THEIR LIVES
Staged, crafted, designed, controlled, lighted to near per‑
fection. SRK himself had tweeted ahead of the show: “Itʼs
a nicely done feature... go and watch it.”
The show stole some of his private moments for sure,
but those were packaged with elaborate interviews with
the actor, which, of course, may not have been candid
though. It captures his best moments with his staff and
fans. His anguish at his IPL team Kolkata Knight Ridersʼ
continuous losses are genuine, but seem contrived with
his off‑the‑shoulder interview attire. Image and reality do
not perhaps gel, with the actor in make‑up all the time.
May 2010  Pravasi Bharatiya 51
THE POPULARITY OF THE
REALITY SHOW IS BECAUSE
OFTEN THEY DEAL WITH
‘PEOPLE LIKE US’ WHO
MOVE FROM THE ORDINARY
TO THE EXTRAORDINARY,
OFFERING US POSSIBILITIES
OF BOTH IDENTIFICATION
AND VOYEURISM
52 Pravasi Bharatiya  May 2010
Emirates, observes, “There is a change in how celebrities
are now replacing their ʻpast closed livesʼ with a ʻpro‑
jected open‑book imageʼ for gaining edge over the audi‑
ences.” (See interview)
In the media market, characterised by cut‑throat com‑
petition, says sociologist Dr. Anjali Monteiro, Professor,
Centre for Media and Cultural Studies, Tata Institute of
Social Sciences, Mumbai, “it pays to be ʻaccessibleʼ in a
carefully constructed way, that markets certain desirable
identities and lifestyles, in the struggle for eyeballs,
hearts and minds.” (See interview)
But are we ready for such ʻmanufactured advertsʼ?
After all, says Firoz, celebrity based reality shows do at‑
tract mass viewership, “working well on the psychology
of ʻfansʼ and the followers. Itʼs a wish for every celebrity
to unleash their private lives and want their personal
grief as well as joys become public in an effort to emo‑
tionally appeal to their audiences. Shows like A Simple
Life starring heiress Paris Hilton and Nicole Smith show
them doing ʻnormalʼ day to day activities like washing
and cleaning, which may seem ʻunrealisticʼ but does still
accomplish as a show as it gains a heterogeneous audi‑
ence who do seem curious enough to watch it.”
Youngsters watch with stars in their eyes, dreaming of
the fairy tale lives of luxury, stardom and perfect relation‑
ships. Firoz says that the majority believe that these
“celebrities are their source of inspiration”. The youth
today are stuck in a kind of limbo of “reality and percep‑
tion”. They are slipping into a “distorted view of reality via
ʻconstructed and mediated reality shows”. For example, a
show like Living with... while glorifying and idolising SRK,
also humanises him. For the common man, such shows are
aspirational. A family man might see an episode and think,
“Hey thatʼs how teach my son football... or my daughter
cycling. I can also be like SRK, tomorrow I will join the
gym and be fit. Maybe that will impress my wife...”
However, Monteiro argues that it would be too simplis‑
tic to assume that young people are more gullible or eas‑
ily influenced than the rest of us. “While we need to be
critical of reality shows and the relations of power they
reproduce, we need to move out of a simplistic cause‑ef‑
fect way of looking at their social implications. Rather
than observing about a dubious and indeterminate ʻim‑
pactʼ, one should encourage discussion and debate, as a
part of a process of media education among young people.”
But Firoz differs. He says that the same young adult as‑
pires to imitate the ʻprojected perfect livesʼ. By watching
reality shows like Indian Idol, Dance India Dance, etc.,
where contestants participate to experience a different life,
youngsters are indeed influenced. The subsequent seasons
of these shows have witnessed a deluge of hopefuls ̶
from small cities, metros to the vast Indian diaspora.
Reality shows have changed the way people watch televi‑
sion. Monteiro examines the trend and says that the popu‑
larity of the reality show is because often they deal with
“people like us” who move from the ordinary to the extraor‑
dinary, offering us possibilities of both identification and
voyeurism. “They are built on the idea of common man ris‑
ing to a challenge and making it to stardom. The fact that
we as audiences can vote them into the coveted place also
makes us feel powerful and hooks us into the programme.”
Reality shows are as Firoz says, “highly influenced
form of reality”, using sensationalism to attract viewers to
generate advertising profits. With little relation to the ac‑
tual world and extravagant portrayals, the end result is
usually an exaggerated version of what is truly real.
As SRK himself says: “I tell every young actor that he
has to act whenever the camera is on. Even now I am not
real. There is a camera on me... Nobody knows the real
me, because nobody has seen me beyond the camera.”
Reality shows influence
youngsters, who watch
them with stars in their
eyes, dreaming of the fairy
tale lives of luxury, stardom
and perfect relationships.
Shows like, Clockwise from
left, Indian Idol, MTV Road‑
ies, Big Boss and Tere Mere
Beech Mein, become aspira‑
tional for youth who are
stuck in a kind of limbo
between reality and
perception
Top left: A video grab from
Living with Superstar shows
Shah Rukh Khan
interacting with his son
Aryan in Hyde Park,
London, on vacation
In conversation...
Dr. Md Firoz
How much have reality shows or
reality-based game shows and talk
shows, become part of the common
man’s life? Have they replaced soaps
and drama serials on television?
We are prone to watching thousands
of images that are voyeuristic whether
we recognise it or not. With the never‑
ending race of high TRPs, stylised
voyeurism is fast becoming a part of
reality shows where audiences donʼt
have much say on the content aired.
Voyeurism on reality shows is added to
grab the viewerʼs attention. The
intense physical attraction and the all‑
consuming desire for the other person
are what reality TV dating shows are
made of. Exploiting voyeurism to their
benefit increases viewership. However,
its effect depends on oneʼs culture
and values. Individuals could be
gradually coopted into particular
social and cultural milieux. Evidently,
we can gather that stylised voyeurism
seen on reality shows certainly have a
strong influence as it shows more than
what exists in the real world.
Has the audience started living vicari-
ously to forget their day-to-day prob-
lems. Have the lines of reality blurred?
ʻBeing in someone elseʼs life situations
(shoes)ʼ is a feeling many will go to
endless lengths to achieve. For those
who are regular to these shows, they
tend to exhibit these characteristics
rather vicariously. What celebrities say
becomes influential and audiences
feel that they too have experienced
such situations, which keep them
glued to such shows. Therefore, there
is a convergence of commerce and
the vicarious nature of these shows.
Reality television is evidently more
scripted than itʼs supposed to be, and
reveals its plot in a more ʻsoapʼ style,
than reality, so that viewers tend to
believe it more. By watching Candid
Camera; Big Brother; Survivor; I am a
Celebrity, Get me Out of Here, audi‑
ences are undoubtedly allowed to
ʻescapeʼ reality via fantasy.
May 2010  Pravasi Bharatiya 53
internet
A Webbed Life
The world today is on the cusp with the virtual ʻtransformingʼ the real inexorably in
many ways. K. G. Sreenivas and L. Jyotimala look at its influence on communities,
cultures and lifestyles
n 1993, Howard Rheingold, a scholar who was pushing the
I frontiers of research in communication, introduced the
world (he is widely credited thus) to the term ʻvirtual
communitiesʼ through a book by the same name. He was
studying the social, cultural and political impact of the wide web
of modern communication media ̶ the internet, mobile phones
and chat communities. Rheingold says virtual communities form
“when people carry on public discussions long enough, with suf‑
ficient human feeling, to form webs of personal relationships...”
The difference, of course, lying in the medium ̶ the World Wide
Web. Today, virtual communities have transformed into social
networking services and online communities, powerful ʻrealʼ en‑
tities with a life of their own, almost comparable to flesh and
blood, yet largely invisible.
Desocialisation
Virtual communities work beyond the physical confines of space,
time and geography. These ʻinvisibleʼ engagements are intense
and often intimate. Not surprisingly, there is a process of
ʻdesocialisationʼ that sets in. Desocialisation, in a sense, is a
gradual disintegration of interaction and connection with fellow
human beings. Instances abound of people across cultures, both
young and old, getting compulsively addicted to this ʻvirtual
worldʼ with psychologically disastrous or debilitating conse‑
quences. Yet, it is not necessarily a zero‑sum situation.
It has, in fact, become an essential part of everybodyʼs life. We
share emotions, play, flirt, talk and revive old relationships. We
do almost everything that we do in real life except physical, face‑
to‑face interactions. Such is its pervasive influence that the ʻvir‑
tualʼ is creating new lifestyles, behavioural patterns and
relationships. There is a powerful transformation at work. Says
Susan Viswanathan, Chair, Centre for the Study of Social Systems
at Jawaharlal Nehru University: “The web is what makes us
human in a globalising world, where everything becomes open
and accessible. The glut of information is hard to handle, but the
world is really in the palm of oneʼs hand... In this sense, the co‑
existence of diverse styles of life will be made possible, the or‑
ganic and the scientific or laboratory views of the world will
make existence possible.”
With a click, you are in touch with millions of people around
the world, thus making the world smaller. Contradiction is, even
as the virtual world shrinks, the real world threatens to grow dis‑
tant! But Dr. K.P. Jayasankar, Professor, Centre for Media and
Cultural Studies, Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai, says:
“Has the world shrunk? I suspect not. The new technologies help
54 Pravasi Bharatiya  May 2010
us to speak mostly (a crucially operative word) to our own kind.
They hardly shrink the world into a village.”
The growing ʻvirtualʼ interconnectedness engenders newer
identities. “The new technologies have given us new ways to
negotiate identities and space. Social networking sites offer us
the possibility to transcend our ʻrealʼ identities and locations, to
invent selfhoods and participate in virtual events. The virtual div‑
idend has been freedom of choice perhaps,” adds Jayasankar.
From a larger sociological point of view, and away from the
personal and the psychological, what dividend does it confer on
developing societies like ours? “We cannot separate the India of
the rural people any longer. By giving them access to education,
and allowing the debates to be made available, the actual ques‑
tions of planning for the future may indeed be answered by
them. Patronage of the state, and the philanthropy of the rich
must be accompanied by circulation of wealth through planning,
and by integrating the voices of the people. The web can inform
and share better than any other medium,” says Viswanathan.
Yet the debate is deeply enmeshed and ideological. What
psyco‑sociological effects do these technologies connecting us
to the distant and virtual have on us? Viswanathan says, “People
receive that information which is pertinent to their choice of
lifestyle. The debates will be in place continuously, for the
success of the human race depends on the exercise of judgement
and free will.”
The Morality Debate
There is considerable debate in society and professional circles
about the consequences of the deepening ʻvirtual engagementʼ,
especially on the young and the very young. Is the technology
to be blamed? “It is a fearsome world out there, and we donʼt
know the effects, subconscious and social, of too much interac‑
tion on the web, where questions of fake identity, eye strain, ra‑
diation are to be measured. If children receive a sense of comfort
from electronic social interaction, there is no harm, but even if
parents are not there to supervise it on a daily basis, they should
know how much time their children are on the web, and with
whom, and watching what. If they have no knowledge about their
childrenʼs activities, and there is no trust between them anyway,
why blame the web for dangerous exposures,” Viswanathan adds. We share emotions, play, flirt, talk,
Some feel that such networks are “anti‑social”, minimising the do almost everything that we do in real
quality of ʻrealʼ friendships and relationships, hence the instances life... The ‘virtual’ is creating new lifestyles,
of morally deviant or simply awkward social behaviours, espe‑
behavioural patterns and relationships
cially among the young and the impressionable. Jayasankar
chooses to look at it differently: “Our parents thought that films,
Illustration: Veerpal Singh
 “The new technologies
have given us new ways to
negotiate identities and space.
Social networking sites offer us the
possibility to transcend our ‘real’ identities
and locations, to invent selfhoods
and participate in virtual events.
The virtual dividend has been
freedom of choice perhaps”
“Facemark, Orkut — Dr. K.P Jayasankar
or Twitter are just not social
networking sites, but huge
platforms for business and “If children receive
social activism as well. a sense of comfort from
Connectivity is so fast that it electronic social interaction,
can help awaken the masses there is no harm, but
to social issues” parents should know how
— David Bloss
much time their children are
on the web”
— Susan Viswanathan
or even radio, corrupted us. We worry about our children on the With advancing technology and increasing connectivity, such
internet; television has already become passé. When printing was networking websites have emerged as a powerful mass medium.
invented, our forefathers would have worried about its corrupt‑ There are many who view social networking as a positive tool of
ing effects on young impressionable minds. In fact, in the me‑ change. From politics to business, from education to rural devel‑
dieval scriptoriums in European monasteries, access to certain opment, from mass mobilisation to individual empowerment,
texts was denied to younger writers. We forget that each gener‑ social networking tools have actively aided and abetted it all.
ation has its own relationship with the cultural products of its Jayasankar says, “What the internet makes possible also is the
own times... Our collective inability to understand new technolo‑ amplification of resistance to the power of the Sarpanch (village
gies and our suspicion of what young people might be up to be‑ chief). The ʻPink Chaddiʼ campaign on Facebook against moral
hind our backs makes us struggle to assert control ̶ an policing is an excellent example. The internet makes it possible
essentially futile endeavour.” for social movements, too, to network and speak to the like
minded. It makes possible the democratisation of the channels
The ‘Real’ Connect of communication.”
David Bloss, Director, International Media Institute of India, New So, even as there is growing inwardness, there is spirited pub‑
Delhi, says that for a lot of people, the real and the virtual worlds lic action in the virtual space. The SMS inspired political revolu‑
are no longer two different worlds. “Life has become fast paced. tion in Philippines which helped install a government in the
We have longer hours of working and lesser time to spend with 1990s, the Twitter counter‑revolution which highlighted the bru‑
our loved and dear ones. We have no time to call up our friends tal killing of an Iranian student activist last year, and the many
every week, no time to visit five‑six friends every month either. instances of miscarriage of justice brought to light through the
So, how do we balance it? For me, itʼs the media, itʼs the social ʻwebʼ, are among the direct interventions of the virtual world in
networking sites that keeps us interconnected. Letʼs say I have the real world. David, however, chooses to step aside awhile. “It
150 friends on Facebook. I can keep a track of each of them. I would be a little early to comment on how effective it is going to
can see their status, the pictures posted there and discuss things.” be when it comes to transforming the world. But it has the po‑
56 Pravasi Bharatiya  May 2010
“I’m so happy to see you.
I didn’t have internet all weekend!”
tential. To me Facebook, Orkut or Twitter are just not social net‑
working sites, but huge platforms for business and social activism
as well. Connectivity is so fast that it can help awaken the masses
to environmental and human rights related issues.”
Man-Technology Bonding
A recent study at the ICMPA at the University of Maryland,
shows how passionately and strongly one gets addicted to the
virtual world. A student writes: “Texting and IM‑ing my friends
gives me a constant feeling of comfort...”[See Box]
Another research by Caroline Haythornthwaite and Lori
Kendall, professors at the Graduate School of Library and Infor‑
mation Science, University of Illinois, shows that online commu‑
nications do have positive outcomes. The study shows the
involvement of a considerable number of people who go ʻonlineʼ
to make friends, where some of them even go beyond online
friends and form strong relationships.
Some spend hours playing games or even chatting with people
whom they met online with fake identities. Virtual gaming web‑
sites like sorority life, secondlife.com, gojiyo.com, Farmville are
extremely popular and attract huge numbers of users everyday,
developing a fairly strong, yet addicting, community and
knowledge aggregation.
Techno mania
The International Center for Media & the Public
Agenda (ICMPA) conducted a study at the University
of Maryland, College Park, where 200 students were
asked to abstain from using all sort of media for 24
hours. After 24 hours, the students were then asked
to blog on private class websites about their experi‑
ences of “24 hours without media”. The students
wrote over 110,000 words which is, in aggregate,
the same number of words as a 400‑page novel.
THE STUDY’S TOP HIGHLIGHTS
1. Students use literal terms of addiction to
characterise their dependence on media.
“Although I started the day feeling good, I noticed
my mood started to change around noon.
I started to feel isolated and lonely without it.”
2. Students feel that, going without media, is like
going without their friends and family. “Texting
and IM‑ing my friends gives me a constant feeling
of comfort,” wrote one student. “When I did not
have those two luxuries, I felt quite alone and
secluded from my life. Although I go to school
with thousands of students, the fact that I was not
able to communicate with anyone via
technology was almost unbearable.”
3. Students show no significant loyalty to a news
programme, news personality or even news
platform. Students have only a casual relationship
to the originators of news. “It is very important to
me to have some sense of what is going on in the
world on a daily basis, but I also focus on issues
that I do care about, and I keep up with those
particular issuesʼ progress. For example, the Equal
Rights campaign, or local and global
environmental organisations, whose progress I
follow via Twitter, Facebook or their websites,”
one student wrote.
4. Eighteen‑21 year old college students feel that it
is the best way to stay interconnected, especially
with friends. Said one student, “Texting and
Facebook allow me to make plans to meet up
and act socially, whereas without these two
devices, I had no easy way of making plans unless
I happened to run into the person I wanted to do
something with.”
Conclusion
The study concludes that the portability of all that
media stuff has changed studentsʼ relationship with
news and information, with family and friends. The
feeling of not being connected to their friends and
to the world was among the major things that
made the students worried.
The study shows that most college students were
functionally handicapped and it was almost
impossible for them to be without their media links
to the world.
Courtesy: Gerrit Visser
May 2010  Pravasi Bharatiya 57
social media

Virtual
marketing
More and more Indian
companies are
increasingly building
communities around their
brands on a social media,
reports Arjun Sen

et into social media is the new marketing mantra. A re‑ the top social media sites are: Google with 34.2 million unique

G cent online survey showed that out of some 1,800‑odd

marketers worldwide coming from both small and
large organisations, an overwhelming number ̶ 91
percent ̶ were using social media to market their products and
services. For businesses the world over, social media represents
users, Yahoo! (24.4 million), Gmail (19.6 million), Orkut (15.5
million), YouTube (10.9 million), Facebook (10.3 million), Blogger
(8.5 million), Wordpress (2.9 million), Linked In (2.2 million), Flickr
(1.7 million) and Twitter (1.3 million).
The power of social media transcends national boundaries.
a marketing opportunity that transcends the traditional middle‑ Globally these sites have a much larger membership. Facebook,
man and connects companies directly with customers. This is which at present happens to be the worldʼs leading social net‑
why nearly every business on the planet ̶ from giants like Star‑ working site, has 400 million unique users. In other words, if the
bucks and IBM to the local ice cream shop ̶ are exploring social site were to be thought of as a country, it would be the third
media marketing initiatives.
Indian companies, too, are up to speed on
social media. For example, when General Mo‑ “Social media marketing would make sense to
tors launched its new small car Beat, it first anybody, any brand or company which has an online
made the announcement on a social media audience. It is not meant for the mass market, but
platform ̶ Yahoo!. The IPL franchisee Royal for those with Internet access — so brands that cater
Challengers Bangalore has created a fan club to this segment can benefit the most from it”
of more than 50,000 members through its so‑ ̶ so brands that cater to this segment of the population can media marketing, 63 percent said improving traffic was the second
cial media efforts. And there are many more: benefit the most from social media marketing,” he says. major benefit, followed by building new partnerships (56 percent).
the Sunsilk Gang of Girls, Whisper Being Girl, MTV Hero Honda largest country in the world in terms of population after China “Used appropriately, social media can lead to higher brand en‑ More than half of marketers (54 percent) indicated a rise in
Roadies, the Xeta Shootout contest, Cedia Great Driving Chal‑ and India. Similarly, Linked In has 60 million users worldwide, gagement (marketing), referral leads (sales), customer satisfac‑ search engine rankings, and 52 percent of marketers reported that
lenge, Aircel Save Our Tigers campaign, Aircel Voice Message ap‑ while Twitter has 75 million. tion (support), new product ideas (R&D) and even more social media helped them generate qualified leads. The survey,
plication on Facebook, Virgin Vturk campaign, Tata Docomo The membership of these sites is growing everyday. According motivated employees (HR),” says Gaurav Mishra, CEO, 2020 So‑ 2010 Social Media Marketing Industry Report by Michael A.
Create, Vodafone Zoozoo storyline contest, Idea Cellular My Idea to one estimate, social media sites in India are growing at a rate cial. “The biggest benefit of social media marketing is getting Stelzner and published in April 2010, also indicated changes that
contest, Intel Connected Indians campaign, various of nearly 100 percent year on year. “Social media marketing greater exposure at a fraction of the cost needed to achieve the had taken place over the year based on a similar survey in 2009.
initiatives by Dell, to name just a few. would make sense to anybody, any brand or company which has same through conventional advertising and marketing,” adds The changes indicated that every category saw an increase in
What is social media and how do companies benefit from an online audience,” says Gautam Ghosh, consultant with New Ghosh. The online survey also found that for marketers, gaining benefits, except new partnerships, which remained at 56 percent.
social media networking campaigns? Social media are Internet Delhi‑based 2020 Social, a leading consultancy firm in the social better exposure for their products or services was the biggest In 2009, only 35 percent of marketers felt social media reduced
sites which allow users to build networks and communities media space. “It is not meant for the mass market, but for just benefit of social media marketing. While 85 percent of all mar‑ their overall marketing expenses. In the 2010 survey, that number
around any particular theme, brand, product or service. In India, the urban middle class consumer or those with Internet access keters reported better exposure as the biggest benefit of social jumped to 48 percent. Clearly, social media is the way to go.

58 Pravasi Bharatiya  May 2010 May 2010  Pravasi Bharatiya 59

innovation
INTERVIEW
Venkat Selvamanickam spoke to L. Jyotimala on power issues. Excerpts:
What is the concept behind high-temperature
superconducting wires?
Superconductivity refers to a property of certain
materials to lose all resistance to the flow of electric
Power Revolution
Superconductors have until now been used mostly in medical imaging and high energy
current when cooled below a certain temperature.
This phenomenon was discovered almost 100 years
ago in pure metals and then later in alloys, espe‑
cially niobium‑based alloys. These superconductors
are used in a number of applications such as med‑
physics, but Indian‑American Venkat Selvamanickam is developing a technology to ical imaging and high energy physics. However,
due to their ultra‑low operating temperature,
revolutionise the way electricity is generated, transported and used just 4 Kelvin above absolute zero temperature,
they have not found use in power applications.
About 25 years ago, a new class of superconduc‑
tors were discovered which lose all resistance to
flow of current at temperatures above 77 K, which
is the boiling temperature of liquid nitrogen. Liquid
nitrogen is inexpensive, in fact, cheaper than bot‑
tled water. These High Temperature Superconduc‑
tors (HTS) could thus benefit electric power
applications. These materials are typically oxide ce‑
ramics such as yttrium‑barium‑copper oxide. Thus,
they are very brittle which made it very difficult to
lthough the U.S. power industry is turn them into long, flexible wires. We have been
A an engineering marvel, ageing tech‑
nology and increasing demand are
creating problems for the power
grid that needs fixing. Now, an Indian‑Ameri‑
can engineer is set to transform the way
able to develop a thin film deposition technology to
coat a very thin layer of superconducting ceramic
atop a flexible metal tape foil. This technique has
led to high‑performance HTS wires which are now
available in lengths of a kilometre.
power is generated. Venkat Selvamanickam,
Professor of Mechanical Engineering at the
University of Houston, is developing a tech‑
nology with high temperature superconduct‑
ing wires that is revolutionising the way
“
power is generated, transported and used. It
is estimated that high temperature supercon‑
ducting wires could eliminate 131 million
tonnes of carbon dioxide released into the at‑
mosphere and offset the emission of the
equivalent of 40 conventional power‑gener‑
ating plants. Instead of trenching expensive metropolitan
“The countryʼs electric transmission grid areas to add conventional cables to bring in more
currently consists of about 160,000 miles of power, a superconducting cable can be used in
high‑voltage transmission lines, with forecast‑
ers predicting an additional 12,900 miles
“
place of a conventional cable without significant
construction costs
needed over the next five years to meet in‑
creasing demand,” says Selvamanickam.
“High temperature superconductivity has How does it enhance the efficiency of electricity
the potential to revolutionise the way we use transmission infrastructure?
electricity, just like the way fiber‑optics revo‑ High temperature superconducting wires can carry
lutionised the way we communicate.” about 200 times more current than copper wires of
“The goal of my research is to modernise the same cross section. Power cables made with
the power grid with high temperature super‑ HTS wires can transmit five to ten times more
conducting wires to improve efficiency and power in the same volume occupied by conventional
reliability,” adds Selvamanickam, who did his cables. Hence, instead of trenching expensive metro‑
B.E. (Honours) from Regional Engineering politan areas to add conventional cables to bring in
college, Tiruchi, India. more power, a superconducting cable can be used in
60 Pravasi Bharatiya  May 2010
place of conventional cable and add more power
without significant construction costs. Additionally,
power produced in remote sources such as wind
farms, solar farms and nuclear plants can be trans‑
mitted over long distances to urban areas more effi‑
ciently using HTS cables. About 7 to 10 percent of
electricity that is transmitted using present conven‑
tional power lines is lost and superconducting
power lines can help mitigate this loss. Also, power
generators, motors and transformers made with su‑
perconducting wire will be more efficient and so,
use less amount of energy. These devices can be
half as light and occupy half the space of conven‑
tional devices. This can enable high‑power wind tur‑
bines where the size and weight are limiting factors
with current technology. Use of fewer, high‑power
wind turbines can be more effective and less cum‑
bersome and less expensive to maintain compared
to several low and medium power turbines.
Moreover, use of superconducting wires will in‑
crease the life span of power system devices and
can also help reduce power interruption problems
in the power grid leading to fewer shutdowns.
Could you throw some light on how the technology
can help reduce CO2 emission?
Since CO2 is emitted when power is produced from
coal or other fossil fuels, less amount of CO2 will be
produced if HTS generators are used. Similarly, if
HTS cables are used to transmit the generated
power, less electricity is lost due to resistance and
so, less power needs to be produced in the first
place to deliver a given amount of power. Conse‑
quently, less CO2 will be generated.
Tell us about your upcoming projects or research?
We are working on improving the performance and
cost of superconducting wires to make them more
economical for large‑scale commercial use. We are
exploring ways to improve efficiency and simplify
the manufacturing process to increase production
capacity with minimal capital investment. Addition‑
ally, we are developing superconducting wires with
enhanced features that meet critical application re‑
quirements. For example, we are collaborating with
SuperPower, Waukesha Electric Systems and Oak
Ridge National Laboratory to develop and test su‑
perconducting wires specifically for a fault‑current
limiting transformer that will be installed in the
power grid of Southern California Edison, the
largest utility company in California. Superconduc‑
tors have an inherent capability to instantaneously
limit surge in power that happens during events
such as lighting strikes. This unique feature will be
introduced in the fault current limiting transformer
project. Such a device will help mitigate power
interruption problems in the grid.
May 2010  Pravasi Bharatiya 61
 “
research

Except for the developed countries and a few other nations where “
A winner of one of the highest U.S. ensuring supply of safe drinking water is a national priority, most
research honours, Prasun Chatterjee
of the world is not well equipped to deal with toxicity in water
is an Indian environmental
engineering student at the University
of Lehigh, Pennsylvania. His research,
which contributed to a new way of EARLY SYMPTOMS OF
LEAD POISONING
detecting toxic lead and copper in
water, won him the prestigious 2010 Fatigue
C. Ellen Gonter Environmental Headache
Chemistry Award from the American Irritability
Chemical Societyʼs Environmental
Chemistry Division. After degrees in
chemical engineering from Jadavpur
University, Kolkata, he worked for Abdominal pain
several years in two Kolkata‑based Low appetite
organisations before going to the U.S. Weight loss
for a Ph.D. Ever since, he has Reproductive
problems
dedicated his career to finding out
ways and means of “cleansing”
water of toxic stuff. Prasun Chatterjee (right) with his advisor
Prof. Dr. Arup Sengupta

QUENCHING THIRST WITH

Water containing common ions (sodium, calcium, chloride etc, ous instances of people dying or suffering from water‑borne
but no toxic metals like lead) upon passage through a HIM bed in diseases due to drinking water contaminated with arsenic, fluo‑
a column produces near‑constant slightly alkaline pH (about 9.0), ride, and pesticides. The amount of water in this planet has re‑

P IS N?
Several thousands of people around the world die or suffer from water‑borne
diseases after using water contaminated with lead and pesticides
Prasun Chatterjee spoke to L. Jyotimala on toxicity in water. Excerpts:
Many congratulations on winning the Ellen Gonter Award... How
does it feel being the winner of such a prestigious award?
At the outset, I would like to express my sincere thanks to all
my well‑wishers. I am extremely thankful to my advisor
Prof. Dr. Arup Sengupta for giving me the opportunity of doing
research here, grooming me as a researcher, constantly
guiding and inspiring me. Certainly it makes me happy and
winning this kind of award makes me feel good about my
effort and would motivate me to do better work.
Could you please tell us briefly about your research? And how it
helped in developing the ‘inexpensive inorganic material’ with
the ability to detect toxic lead or copper in water?
Post World War, due to rapid industrialisation, metal cycles in
the environment have been greatly affected by metallurgical
and electroplating activities, mining, etc. As a result, different
toxic metals such as lead and copper have increased in the
environment. Lead is toxic even if present in traces;
copper, though a micro‑nutrient for human beings, is very toxic
to fish and other aquatic life. For controlling water quality, and
mitigation of health hazards, a rapid and simple method of
sensing these metals is a necessity. In my Ph.D programme
here at Lehigh University, we (my advisor and me) tried to
focus our research on this area.
My research is all about developing a rapid and simple method
of sensing toxic metals (lead/copper/nickel etc) in water. We
have synthesised an environmentally safe, inexpensive hybrid in‑
organic material (HIM) that forms the heart of the process. HIM
is essentially composed of calcium oxide, magnesium oxide, sil‑
ica, and iron oxide prepared through thermal‑chemical technique.
but in contrast tiny concentrations of lead/copper in the feed
sample (along with other common ions) causes a sharp drop in
pH (7.0 or less) at the exit of the HIM bed. Here, change of pH
signals the presence of toxic metals in water and this change can
be measured using ordinary pH metre, indicator solution or
pH paper.
How convenient is this material to use?
This investigation presents a new approach for detecting con‑
tamination of toxic heavy metals in water using pH as a sole
parameter. Except pH metre and/or indicator solution, no so‑
phisticated instruments or chemicals are required and thus this
technique is likely to be very attractive in both developed and
developing countries. However, for transforming fundamental
research into practical applications, the technique must pass
through trials in different real‑life situations.
How well are we equipped when it comes to coping with toxicity
in potable water?
Our planet is unique because of water. Though more than 70
percent of the earthʼs surface is covered with water, only less
than one percent of this water is available (97 percent is sea
water, more than two percent in polar ice caps, less than one
percent as surface water and ground water) for drinking and
other usage. A vast majority of the worldʼs population has no
access to safe drinking water. Except for the developed coun‑
tries and a few others nations where ensuring supply of safe
drinking water (through careful treatment and quality control
checks) is a national priority, a major part of this world is not
well equipped to deal with toxicity in water. There are numer‑
mained almost constant for millions of years. Industrial and
other man‑made activities are principally responsible for
degradation of water quality. Some of this degradation is recti‑
fied naturally (e.g., through biological activity), but some chem‑
icals and heavy metals, once added to water, stay almost
permanently if not removed by other means. Simultaneously,
increase of population is leading to serious threat to availabil‑
ity of clean water.
How can we check lead poisoning of our environment in daily life?
Lead is toxic even at tiny levels. Lead accumulates in soft tissues,
bones, brain, kidney and other parts of our body. The toxic effect
of lead is cumulative and irreversible. For thousands of years,
lead has been used because of its malleability and ductility which
makes it easy to make lead vessels and pipes. Roman emperors
used to get piped water supply made of lead pipes. [According
to one school of thought, the eccentricity/ behavioural abnor‑
mality exhibited by many Roman emperors was due to lead poi‑
soning ingress through water supply by lead pipes].
Routes of exposure are through air (breathing), water, food
and dermal contact. Certainly, we can test air, water, food for
lead contamination. We can also test our blood lead level if we
have very good laboratories. Practically, there is no easy solu‑
tion for dealing with lead poisoning in everyday life. An organ‑
ised, vigilant and regular effort to monitor quality may be an
answer to this problem.
Have you conducted any studies on lead poisoning in India?
No, I didnʼt have any such opportunity. However, in future if
there is scope, I would definitely consider.

62 Pravasi Bharatiya  May 2010 May 2010  Pravasi Bharatiya 63


health
Scalpel
is passé
In a path‑breaking feat, Dr. P.N. Dogra of AIIMS
recently performed Indiaʼs first robot‑assisted surgery.
Anindya Rai Verman caught up with the surgeon
to have a feel of what happened inside the
operation theatre
e almost looks like an airplane pilot in his cockpit.
H Except that he is a surgeon and he isnʼt in a cockpit.
This ʻpilotʼ in question is Dr. Prem Nath Dogra and
he mans a surgical console where he sits much like a
pilot in a cockpit. Dr. Dogra is monitoring a robot fitted with
four arms he deftly manipulates to conduct a complex opera‑
tion. These are scenes from Indiaʼs first robot‑assisted surgery
conducted at the All‑India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS),
New Delhi, on April 19 by Dr. Dogra, Head and Professor,
Department of Urology, AIIMS.
Dr. Dogra, along with a five‑member team, performed a ʻro‑
botic anterior exenterationʼ (removal of organs toward the
front of the pelvic cavity) on a 50‑year‑old woman with cancer
of the urethra and bladder. Dr. Dogra conducts the operation
The Development of Robot-Assisted Surgery
The past two decades have witnessed a revolutionary transition in surgical techniques and technology. Traditionally, surgeries had been
performed in the open manner, in which large incisions were required for the surgeon to plainly observe and manipulate the surgical
field. These incisions inevitably created significant patient trauma ̶ substantial pain and suffering, extended recovery time, prolonged
pain management and elevated costs.
64 Pravasi Bharatiya  May 2010
Photos: Amlan Paliwal
using the four arms of the robot. One controls the camera and pelvic lymph nodes were removed. The urinary system is then
the other three manipulate the instruments. The entire process
is observed via a high‑definition 3D vision system. ʻArticulatingʼ
surgical instruments are mounted on the robotic arms and in‑
troduced into the patientʼs body through slender tubes called
cannulae. The surgeonʼs hand movements at the console are
diverted extracorporeally by joining both the ureters to a short
segment of the small bowel which is then brought out through
an opening (a stoma) in the abdominal wall. The urine is
collected in a bag that is fitted over the stoma on the abdomi‑
nal wall,” Dr. Dogra told IANS in an exclusive interview.
then translated into corresponding micromovements of the What made the four and a half hour surgery tough was the
Life‑saving procedures
instruments. Throughout the process, the camera transmits live preparation for D‑Day. “It was only after attaining sufficient
(Clockwise from top):
Dr Prem Nath Dogra; A team 3D images to the surgeonʼs console. proficiency in robotic surgical methods that such a challenging
of doctors performing a Was he nervous or tense before the unique surgery? “When procedure was planned. Besides the console surgeon, a
robotic surgery under
Dr. Dograʼs supervision at you are heading the team, you canʼt be nervous or tense. Yes, I dedicated team of assistants, nurses and paramedical OT staff
AIIMS, New Delhi; A typical had to be careful and meticulous during the surgery, as this and technicians had to be trained, so that they would be well
robotic surgery being
monitored on a television was a radical one where the uterus, the fallopian tubes, ovaries, versed in handling the various equipment and components of
screen. bladder, urethra, anterior and lateral vaginal walls and the the robot,” Dr. Dogra said.
Minimally Invasive Surgery (MIS)
About 20 years ago, surgeons began performing what came to be known as Minimally Invasive Surgery, or MIS. Tiny cameras in instruments
called endoscopes or laparoscopes were inserted in the patientʼs body through small ports. However, although patient trauma reduced and
recovery times improved, MIS faced technical drawbacks. The surgeon had to use a 2D monitor instead of 3D visualisation of the operative
field. The resulting image flattened the natural depth of field, and the fixed‑wrist instruments limited the surgeonʼs dexterity.
May 2010  Pravasi Bharatiya 65
 fter hitting the gym, doing

A yoga and jogging, people are

now trying blood group‑
based diets, as experts say
the secret to a fit body may be hidden

Eat right in the blood type. These diets are pop‑

ular in the West and they are finding
a foothold in India as some fitness ex‑
perts are recommending them.

for your type

Explaining how such diets work,
Ekta Tandon, Delhi‑based nutritionist
and dietician at dailydiet.in, says a
chemical reaction occurs between
Blood group diets are popular in the your blood and foods as they are di‑
gested. “Lectins, a diverse and abun‑
West and they are finding a foothold in dant protein found in food, may be
India as fitness experts are increasingly incompatible with your blood group
recommending them, says Shilpa Raina and adverse side effects may occur. So
I would recommend that one can fol‑
low a blood group diet along with the
(Left) Dr. P.N. Dogra during a robotic surgery at AIIMS; the da Vinci Surgical Robot System docked onto a patient. normal food in order to give all the
nutrients to the body,” Tandon told
IANS. American naturopaths James
DʼAdamo and his son Peter DʼAdamo,
founder of blood group‑based diets,
Regular robotic surgeries and exchange programmes with international feel each personʼs blood group is key
faculty are now being held at AIIMS. They provide a platform for robotic surgeons to how he burns his calories, what
from various parts of the world to showcase their skills and also help in training food he should eat and how he would
of aspiring young robotic surgeons in India. Similarly, we visit other medical centres benefit from certain type of exercise.
abroad to share our experience in robotic surgery “People with A blood type have a dif‑
ferent set of characteristics from
people who are Type O ̶ they
are susceptible to different dis‑
The robotic system that made it all possible is the da Vinci For Dr. Dogra, achieving such a feat took a lot of personal eases, they should eat different
surgical robotic system, manufactured by the California‑based commitment. “I underwent a training course in robotic surgery foods and exercise in a com‑
Intuitive Surgical. No Indian company at present manufactures at UCI Irvine in California and have also participated in many pletely different manner,” says
this system, Dr. Dogra said. “The robotic system costs $1 mil‑ international robotic surgery workshops while interacting with Peter on their website
lion. However, we hope that with the introduction of indige‑ leading surgeons in this field,” he told IANS. “Regular robotic www.dadamo.com. If one goes by
nously manufactured systems in the future, the cost will come surgeries and exchange programmes with international faculty the blood group diet chart, it suggests
down. The surgery itself, however, did not cost the patient any are now being held at AIIMS. They provide a platform for that Type O people should eat high
additional money.” But robot‑assisted surgery is clearly differ‑ robotic surgeons from various parts of the world to showcase proteins; Type A should avoid heavy
ent from the run‑of‑the‑mill stuff. “Unlike in an open surgery, their skills and also help in training of aspiring young robotic proteins and dig on carbohydrates;
there is no sensation of touch (haptic feedback) and the surgeons in India. Similarly, we visit other medical centres Type B people should drink more milk
surgeon has to rely solely on visual cues. abroad to share our experience in robotic surgery,” he said. and avoid fruits like corns, lentils and
“The robotic anterior exenteration which we performed at Presently, most robotic surgeries are carried out in the peanuts. People with Type AB blood
AIIMS was a challenging surgery, with the risk of intraopera‑ United States, Dr. Dogra said. However, Asian countries are group, which is very rare, can go for a
tive injury to major blood vessels, massive bleeding and also in‑ catching up. “There are about 50‑60 robotic systems in South‑ combination of diet chart recom‑
jury to the bowel and other structures,” Dr. Dogra said. East Asia. Robotic surgeries are also regularly carried out in mended for both Type A and Type B.
“However, with the help of the robot, the surgery could be con‑ Malaysia, Singapore, Japan and Korea,” Dr. Dogra said. “At the “In the three months that I have
ducted quickly and safely with negligible blood loss and no urology department in AIIMS, our next step would be to do been on a diet, I have lost almost 5 kg.
blood transfusion. There were no post‑operative complications advanced robotic surgery after attaining sufficient expertise in So far everything is good. My dietician
and the patient was discharged within a week of the surgery.” conventional robotic procedures,” he said. is wonderful and always promptly an‑
swers my queries,” said Akankasha
Darswal, who has Type A blood group.
Tandon, however, cautions people,
Robot-Assisted MIS
saying: “These diets work, but like ex‑
In the late 1990s, another evolutionary stage in the development of surgical techniques was achieved with the application of robotics
cess of everything is bad, one should
to surgical technology. At the forefront of this new era, Intuitive Surgical introduced the da Vinci® Surgical System, featuring wristed in‑
not over do it. One should have a diet
struments with seven degrees of freedom, three‑dimensional, intuitive visualization and ergonomic comfort. These innovations
which is a mix of blood group, plus a
created the preconditions for minimally invasive solutions to complex procedures in a wide range of surgical specialties.
diet that suits your lifestyle.”
(Text courtesy: Intuitive Surgical, Inc.)

66 Pravasi Bharatiya  May 2010 May 2010  Pravasi Bharatiya 67

sport
Reliving heritage
Visitors to the 2010 CWG will hit the heritage trail... A number of historical sites are
being renovated as the Games approaches, says Madhusree Chatterjee
ith only a few months to go for the 2010 Common‑
W wealth Games, Delhi, the Archaeological Survey of
India (ASI) and the tourism ministry are working
round‑the‑clock to turn the capital into a world‑class
heritage tourism hub. The ASI is excavating two new sites in the
heart of the megapolis for the benefit of visitors. “Work on the sites
will be complete before the Commonwealth Games,” the ASI said.
“A large swathe of the area between Gargi College and Kamala
Nehru College in the Siri Fort area is being excavated. The 14th
century Islamic settlement dating back to Allauddin Khilji ̶ of the
Khilji dynasty ̶ is rising like a Phoenix from its own ashes. We will
complete excavation and landscaping of the area for visitors before
October,” K.K. Muhammed, superintending archaeologist, Delhi Cir‑
cle, said. Another site is the Jahanpanah area in south Delhi near
Saket which was buried but is now being excavated.
Outlining the governmentʼs plans to spruce up the historic city
that dates back to nearly 1,500 BC, the archaeologist said that the
focus would be on experiential culture and heritage tourism for
68 Pravasi Bharatiya  May 2010
nearly 100,000 visitors expected to converge on the city.
“We are beautifying 46 monuments in the capital for the Com‑
monwealth Games with illumination, signages, audio visual guides,
better infrastructure and face‑lifts for the Games,” Muhammed said
at a two‑day tourism conference.
The conference, ʻFirst Delhi Tourism Conclave: Unleashing the
Potential of Delhiʼ, was organised by the Confederation of Indian
Industry (CII) and Delhi Tourism at the Indian Islamic Cultural Cen‑
tre. According to a survey by the CII and the Delhi government, the
capital will draw nearly 32 percent of the total tourists to India dur‑
ing the Games and the average length of their stay will be nearly
12 days during the Games against the general average of 2.75 days.
The Games might be a catalyst to a growth of 26 percent in the
number of inbound tourists to India in 2010, a project report said.
In 2009, estimates say, 5.1 million tourists visited India. “We want
the tourists to experience the feel of India ̶ especially Delhi,” the
award‑winning archaeologist said. Another mega archaeological
project that the government has taken up is to refurbish the mu‑
Clockwise from top: Among the 46 monuments set to be beautified ahead of the Commonwealth Games are the Red Fort, the Humayunʼs Tomb and Jantar Mantar
seum inside the Purana Qila (Old Fort) and develop audio‑visual washrooms. The tourism ministry will also appoint tourism officers
guides for tourists who are keen to know the fortʼs history. “The
site has eight levels of settlement ̶ the oldest dating back to 1,400
BC. It is said to be the ancient epic capital of the five Pandava broth‑
ers ̶ the Indraprastha, mentioned in the Ma‑
habharata,” Muhammed told IANS. “Contrary to
as guides at monuments, who will walk tourists through the history.
The department is also planning three major exhibitions on
“Buddhism, Temple Architecture, and Masterpieces of Indian Art”
many claims that Indraprastha was a myth, the According to a survey by the CII and the Delhi
site was home to a village kingship. Grey ware government, the capital will draw 32 percent of the
pottery of the era excavated from the site lends total tourists to India during the Games and the average
credence to the fact that it was Indraprastha. length of their stay will be nearly 12 days during the
The old fort came much later,” Muhammed said. Games against the general average of 2.75 days
Among other monuments under renovation
for the Commonwealth Games are the Tugh‑
laqabad Fort, Qila Rai Pithora, Qutab Minar, Sher Shahʼs Gate, Adi‑ during the Games. The Indian National Trust For Art and
labad, Siri Fort Wall and the Khairul Manzil Mosque. The Cultural Heritage and Dastkar, an organisation for the promotion
department will equip six major world heritage monuments, includ‑ of ethnic crafts and arts, are helping the Archaeological Survey of
ing the Qutab Minar, Purana Qila, Red Fort, Jantar Mantar, India and the government make Commonwealth tourism “an
Salimgarh Fort and Safdarjungʼs Tomb with new spacious experiential event”.
May 2010  Pravasi Bharatiya 69
sport
24X7 call centre soon
Delhi will soon launch a 24X7
call centre and a dedicated
website to help foreign
tourists during the Common‑
wealth Games. The call centre
would provide them all possible
information about Delhi so that they are not
exploited by touts. “We would have a website
of international standard which will give infor‑
mation to tourists about rooms under the
bread and breakfast scheme, budget hotels, in‑
formation about radio taxi service and Metro
routes, key Hindi words, top restaurants and
other information,” Delhi Tourism and Trans‑
portation Development Corporationʼs (DTTDC)
managing director Rina Ray said. The website
will also have information about authorised
tour operators and monuments to be visited.
The 2010 Commonwealth Games being handed over to Delhi at the closing ceremony of the 2006 Games in Melbourne, Australia “We will also have a 24X7 call centre. With
these, the foreign visitors would be able to
plan their complete programme before leaving
their country,” Ray added. The two‑day con‑
Vibrant Indian music, dance, theatre, clave that began on March 18 was organised
by the Confederation of Indian Industry and
food and more at Games galas... the DTTDC.
All the way from Britain
The 2010 Games fiesta is set to go beyond Bollywood. Shweta Srinivasan unfolds Thirty students from the
plans for the Games as Delhi prepares to showcase the best of Indian art and culture Sheffield Hallam University in
Britain will volunteer for the
Commonwealth Games, Delhi,
under an agreement signed on
lans for the 2010 Commonwealth Games ceremonies are a bit of a March 9. A memorandum of un‑
P secret. There is speculation that India will showcase its Bollywood
formula yet again in Delhi like it did in Melbourne. But hereʼs what
̶ you can actually expect a cultural fiesta replete with classical and
folk dances and music! Holding the spectacle together will be the ceremonyʼs
theme ̶ “the wheel of life” ̶ a take on the countryʼs 5,000‑year‑long civili‑
derstanding was signed by Sheffield Hallam
University Vice Chancellor Philip Jones and
Commonwealth Games Organising Committee
chairman Suresh Kalmadi.The students will be
selected from Sheffield Hallam Universityʼs
sation and colourful celebrations, say organisers. media and journalism courses and will be part
“Our key concept is ʻthe wheel of lifeʼ. We are also incorporating the idea of a pool of 30,000 volunteers for the October
that the ʻwhole world is one familyʼ, which is affirmed in the ancient Upanishad games. They will mainly deal with the media.
scriptures as Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam,” a top official in the CWG Organising
Committee (CGOC) said. The organisers say the opening and closing galas Anti-doping lab ready
have a budget of Rs.84 crore and will blend Indiaʼs classical and folk dances, Commonwealth Games Federa‑
with music being the thrust of it. Unlike the Indian show at the Melbourne tion president Mike Fennell on
Games in 2006, where only popular Bollywood dance numbers and stars took March 11 said that anti‑dop‑
centre stage, this time around 8,000 professional artistes will be out in the middle. ing procedures during the
With rehearsals set to begin in April, the ceremonies department of the 2010 Games in Delhi would be
CGOC is buzzing with elaborate plans to dazzle the international gala. The all the more stringent thanks to NO DOPING!
team working non‑stop on the extravaganza is being guided by Kathak expo‑ the World Anti Doping Agency
nent Shovana Narayan who is also the ceremonies departmentʼs joint director (WADA) approval of the testing laboratory.“We
general. Along with her, the creative heads incharge include Bharat Bala, Indiaʼs are very pleased that WADA has approved the
noted creative director, filmmaker Shyam Benegal and script writer Javed Akhtar. anti‑doping lab in Delhi... It is one of 35 anti‑
The organising committee has hired international consultants for the gala, doping labs approved by WADA,” he told re‑
including Australian producer Ric Birch and renowned creative engineer Mark porters at a press conference in Delhi. Fennell
Fisher. For the opening ceremony alone there are around 15,000 participants, said the National Dope Testing Laboratory at
including the nearly 8,000 professional artistes from all over the country. Lodhi Roadʼs CGO complex in south Delhi
In addition to the events by the organising committee, the Delhi government would be fully operational during the Games.
has lined up Indian music, dance and theatre shows in a carnival atmosphere “It (the lab) will have full operations during the
with plenty of Indian food to savour. course of the Games,” he said.
70 Pravasi Bharatiya  May 2010
Sipping coffee
to history
Going all out to make the Delhi experi‑
ence a wholesome one for tourists dur‑
ing the Commonwealth Games and
beyond, the Archaeological Survey of
India (ASI) has decided to allow setting
up of cafeterias in their protected areas
near monuments. On the second day of
the Delhi Tourism Conclave, Rina Ray,
managing director of the Delhi Tourism
and Transportation Development Corpo‑
ration, said that the ASI has agreed to set
up canteens and cafeterias around vari‑
ous heritage structures in the next couple
of months. “The joy of wining and dining
against the backdrop of a beautiful her‑
itage structure is unparalleled, as is seen
in other countries. The ASI has recently
agreed to allow cafes to be opened
around monuments, which will be a big
attraction for tourists,” Ray said. With the
Games only a few months away, this ini‑
tiative and others, Ray said, are being
worked upon by the Delhi government.
“The Delhi government is looking at in‑
stalling sculptures, art work, murals and
paintings at the airport and railway sta‑
tions,” Ray said. “While some of these pub‑
lic art will be temporary like art work and
sculptures, others like murals will obviously
be permanent. This has been especially
worked upon keeping the Common‑
wealth Games in mind,” she added.
Emphasising that they must be more
“tech savvy”, Ray said that they will regis‑
ter themselves in social networking sites
like Facebook for easy accessibility. “A
month before the games, there will be
cultural festivals and music programmes
in Delhi and special pro‑
grammes for disabled chil‑
dren,” Ray said. “We are
thinking of a new cam‑
paign for Delhi. Since
the word Delhi comes
from the Arabic word
Dehleej or gateway, we
are thinking on the lines of
Delhi ̶ the gateway to India,”
she said. — Azera Rahman
 kerala festival

Meet
the
Gods
Spectacle of caparisoned elephants...
ensemble of temple orchestra... display
of colourful umbrellas atop jumbos,
on the sprawling festival grounds of
Vadakkumnathan temple ....marks
the temple festival of Kerala ̶
Thrissur Pooram

hirty caparisoned elephants, including some that look

T like seven‑storied building, vying with each other in a

colourful display of umbrellas, is a scene from epic
films like Lords of the Rings. But in April, this gigantic,
enthralling vision comes to life in Thrissur, Kerala, when hun‑
dreds of thousands of devotees and tourists participate in the
colourful temple festival, ʻThrissur Pooramʼ.
Thrissur Pooram, dedicated to Lord Shiva, is considered the
mother of all festivals in Kerala. The word ʻpooramʼ literally
means a group or a meeting. It is believed that gods and god‑
desses meet for a day of celebration, which falls in the month
of April‑May every year.
The festival commences with the arrival of small rival ele‑
phant processions, which carry their respective deities from
various temples in different villages across Thrissur, and cul‑
minates at the grounds of the Vadakkunnathan Temple.
It is said that King Sakthan Thampuran, who ruled Cochin in
the late 18th century, started the festival. The king unified the
10 temples situated around Vadakkunnathan temple and or‑
ganised the celebration of Thrissur Pooram as a mass festival.
The temples were ordained into two groups, Western and
Eastern. The Western group consists of Kanimangalam, Laloor,
Ayyanthole, Nethilakkavu and Thiruvambady temples while

72 Pravasi Bharatiya  May 2010 May 2010  Pravasi Bharatiya 73

 Clockwise from left: The
famous Vadakkumnathan
Temple decorated with
colouful lights; procession of
caparisoned elephants; the
chamayakazcha exhibition,
showcasing various
decorations and ornaments
used in the festival;
fireworks explode in
the night sky; and
the spectacular
Elajithara‑Melam
The two most important events in the 30-hour-long Thrissur Pooram
include the parading of 15 caparisoned elephants each between the Krishna Temple
at Thiruvambadi and the Devi Temple at Paramekkavu. They vie with each
other in ‘Kudamattam’, a colourful display of umbrellas that are raised
by the mahout sitting atop the elephant
the Eastern group has Paramekkavu, Karamukku, Chem‑
bukavu, Choorakottukavu and Panamukkamppilly temples.
The King ruled that the festival would be centered
around the Vadakkunnathan temple, with all the other
temples sending their poorams (the whole procession), to
pay obeisance to the Lord Shiva.
It is also believed that he himself chalked out the pro‑
gramme and events of the festival. The celebrations begin
a day before the festival with the flag hoisting ceremony
and the inauguration of the pooram exhibition.
The city lights up in jubilation while the tempo is in full
throttle. Sampling of fireworks at the Vadakunnathan
maidan also takes place a day earlier. Even though the
testing is only a curtain raiser, it has, nevertheless, turned
into a mega event attracting huge crowds.
The other attraction is the viewing of decorations and
ornaments chamayakazcha, in which the two main tem‑
ples, Paramekkavu and Thiruvambady, show off their re‑
spective parasols and other decorations.
The two most important events in the 30‑hour‑long
Thrissur Pooram include the parading of 15 caparisoned
elephants each between the Krishna Temple at Thiruvam‑
badi and the Devi Temple at Paramekkavu.
They vie with each other in ʻKudamattamʼ, a colourful
display of umbrellas that are raised by the mahout sitting
atop the elephant. “Fifteen people stand besides every ele‑
phant and hand over the umbrellas to the mahout. The
beauty of this is the design of the umbrellas,” said veteran
elephant expert Jacob Cheeran, who has seen more
than 50 poorams.
“The colour and design of the umbrellas are top secret
and very few people know about it till they are raised,” he
added. The umbrellas come in various sizes, shapes,
74 Pravasi Bharatiya  May 2010
colours and designs. Getting selected to be one of the 30
elephants is a reason to be proud for its owner because it
is only the best in size, shape and discipline that gets se‑
lected,” Cheeran said.
In all, more than 60 elephants take part in the entire
festivities.
The festivities commence with the ezhunnellippu pro‑
gramme, which is considered to be a ritual sybolising the
visit of the Devi from the Paramekkavu and Thiruvambadi
temples to the Vadakkunnathan temple.
It is followed by the Panchavadyam, in which about 200
artistes from the disciplines of thimila, maddalam, trum‑
pet, cymbal and edakka participate. The highlight of the
festival is a performance by ʻmelamʼ artistes and magnifi‑
cent fireworks, including a riot of colours, which make the
Thrissur Pooram a memorable event.
The fireworks display is a competition between the
Thiruvambadi and Paramekkavu Devasoms, who present
several innovative patterns and varieties of fireworks
every year. The fireworks begin around 3 a.m. and go on
till daybreak.
However, the most striking feature of the Thrissur
Pooram is its secular nature. The Muslim and Christian
communities actively take part in it and they play promi‑
nent roles in the conduct of the festival. For example, most
of the pandals are the craftwork of the experts from the
Muslim community.
Revellers pack streets with their joyful shrieks, laughter
and boisterous songs filling the air. They simply enjoy basking
in sunshine and strolling through the vendor‑lined streets,
munching fried peanuts, wolfing down salmon‑coloured
cotton candy and guzzling watermelon juice. More and more
ice‑creams are consumed with sky full of balloons.
May 2010  Pravasi Bharatiya 75
cuisine
It was once a
delicacy. Now a
staple, prawns can
Poach, grill
be cooked in a
variety of styles or
flavours... Whether
boiled or steamed,
sauteed or fried,
Sauté...
baked or grilled, or
curried, this versatile
seafood, is a
gourmetʼs delight.
Nandini S. Sen finds
izzling, literally, with anticipa‑
S
out what India tion, I eyed the ʻspawn of the
seaʼ on our table, burnished or‑
is cooking...
ange on sparkling china. My
motor mouth stopped, watering and
drooling... I gently lifted the giant crus‑
tacean, crackling shell and fresh ground
spices intoxicating my senses... I take a
juicy bite... I have not a care in the world...
Yes, I was in seventh heaven, having
just bitten into a delicately flavoured
grilled King Prawn. Such is the taste of
this easy‑to‑cook seafood, that with sim‑
ple strokes and a few added flavours, it
transforms into a ʻcomplimentaryʼ dish,
which is easy on the stomach.
From being a delicacy in India to be‑
coming an everyday staple, prawns can
be cooked in any style or flavour. A Ben‑
gali will serve their traditional Malai Chin‑
gri or Daab Chingri, while a Malayalee
will treat you to Malabar Chemmeen
Curry. Or you could sample the famous
Goan Piri Piri Prawn, complementing it
with feni. You could also go experimental
and try King Prawn Puri at home and be the
envy at the next potpourri party you attend.
Whether it is boiled or steamed,
sauteed or fried, baked or grilled, or cur‑
ried, this versatile seafood, both shrimp
and lobster, is popular because of its de‑
76 Pravasi Bharatiya  May 2010
Don the chef’s hat
DAAB CHINGRI
The specialty of this unique Bengali dish is the
perfect blend of sweet and spicy flavours. In
this, prawns are steamed inside the shell of a
green coconut. The end result is of an exotic
blend of spices, aromas, textures, that bursts in
the mouth to give a rich gastronomic delight...
Tip: Complement this dish with a coconut
liqueur based cocktail, or a lemon vodka
DAAB CHINGRI
Ingredients
Prawns 1 kg
Tender coconut
Salt
1
to taste
Turmeric powder 1/4 teaspoon
Mustard oil 1 tablespoon
Panch phoran 1/2 teaspoon
Onions, sliced 2 medium
Ginger paste 1 teaspoon
Garlic paste 1 1/2 teaspoons
Green chillies (slit)
Coconut (scraped)
4‑5
1/4 cup
“
Coconut flesh 1/4 cup
Flour as required
Tip: Panch Phoron is a mixture of equal
quantities of five spices: cumin seeds, mustard
seeds, fennel seeds, fenugreek seeds and
onion seeds. It is used extensively in Bengali
cooking.
Consider the prawn...
they spawn... in the Method
licious flavour, and easy to digest proper‑
Shave off the top of a tender coconut, pour
ocean’s watery womb,
ties. With the mercury hitting the roof,
in their millions...
out the water (even better, drink it up, or use it
to ferment your dosa batter), and cut out the
prawns or shrimps or even lobsters, re‑
gad-zillions of prawns, flesh. Keep the top as a lid. Preheat oven to
place the traditional white meat, such as 220° C. Add salt and turmeric to the fresh
fish and chicken. swimming happily in blue... prawns and keep aside. Heat mustard oil,
Prawns are also an excellent source of its true... allow it to cool a bit, and add paanch phoron.
protein. They are low in fat and calories and but they taste so good As the seeds crackle, add onions and sauté.
on the B-B-Q!!!! Throw in a daub of ginger and garlic paste, a
have a good amount of calcium, magne‑
handful of green chillies, and fresh coconut.
sium, sodium, zinc, vitamin B12 and niacin. some in garlic butter, with Sauté for 2 minutes. Add 1 cup of water and
The cooking time for prawns varies ac‑ a crisp chardonnay, stir. Trundle in the prawns and stir. Now add
cording to the preparation. It could take as you never hear them mutter, coconut flesh and temper with salt. Put the
little as 30 seconds. However, the only way mixture into the coconut shell, cover it with
they never have their say, the ʻlidʼ and seal off with dough. Place the
to spoil the prawn is by overcooking it, as while you rip of the heads, ʻcooking shellʼ in the preheated oven and
they become hard, dry and rubbery as their
and peel their shells away, allow it to cook for 20 minutes. Serve hot.
delicious juices are lost. Some of the fool‑
and gobble those salty
proof ways to prepare prawns are poach‑ FROM THE BACKWATERS OF KERALA
ing, steaming, deep frying and grilling...
crustaceans that have only
“ This recipe is traditionally prepared in an
Poaching: To poach prawns, boil the fed on plankton three earthen pot, known as ʻMeen Chattyʼ. Keralites
times a day... believe that the curry made this way tastes
cooking oil and then reduce the heat. Sim‑ special and lends the dish a unique flavour.
mer prawns for 3‑5 minutes. Anonymous
Steaming: Prawns can be steamed over Tip: Sip a delicate chardonnay to enhance the
oil in a covered saucepan. coconutty flavour.
Deep-frying: Coat the prawns with bread
MALABAR CHEMMEEN CURRY
crumbs or batter and fry them until golden. Ingredients
Grilling: Pat the prawns dry to remove Prawns 1 kg
moisture. Coat them with olive oil. Cook oil 1/4 cup
in a pre‑heated grill on an oiled aluminum Ginger 1 tablespoon
garlic 1 tablespoon (paste)
foil for 2‑3 minutes, turning once,
chillies 2 opaque). Do not overcook as they will be‑
halfway through cooking. chilli powder 1 tablespoon
Now, try out some of these yummy turmeric powder 1/2 teaspoon
prawn recipes in Indian ishtyle... tomatoes 2 (diced)
coconut milk 2‑1/2 cup
shallot's 2 (diced)
Salt to taste
black pepper 1/2 teaspoon (ground)
mustard seeds 1/2 teaspoon
Curry leaves garnish
Method
Mix the prawns, turmeric, garlic together and
set aside for 30 mins. In a clay pot (if available)
or saute pan, heat the oil, saute the shallots,
ginger, green chillies for about 10 min until oil
separates. Add the chilli powder and saute for
a few more minutes add diced tomatoes and
then the prawns and 1 ½ cup of coconut milk.
Cook the prawns for about 20‑30 mins until
prawns turn bright pink and are not rubbery.
Set aside. In a skillet fry some mustard seeds
then add 1 tsp shallot and curry leaves. Pour
onto curry and serve hot with rice or parotas.
— Modern Cookery for Teaching and The Trade
A TWIST WITH FENI
Ambot tik literally translates to sour‑spicy. The
sour comes from the use of the petals of the
ʻKokum solamʼ in the dish. Known to be a
cooling agent and honoured for its medicinal
value, the red‑coloured fruit of ʻKokumʼ is the
real king of Goan cuisine.
Tip: Cashew feni is fabulous with this dish...
PRAWN AMBOT TIK
Ingredients
Prawns 1 kg
dry red chillies
peppercorns
8‑10
6
tumeric powder 1/2 tsp
cumin seeds 1 tsp
cloves garlic 8
ginger 1 inch
lump of tamarind Golf ball‑sized
Onions 2 medium
vegetable/ canola/
sunflower cooking oil 3 tbsps
Salt to taste
Method
Soak the tamarind in half a cup of hot water.
Keep aside. Heat a griddle or flat pan on a
medium flame and gently roast the cumin
seeds, peppercorns and dry red chillies till they
begin to darken and release a faint aroma. Re‑
move from fire and cool. Heat the oil in a pan on
a medium flame and add the onions. Fry till soft
and slightly golden. Remove from the fire and
mix with the other ingredients (except prawns
and tamarind) and grind to a smooth paste in a
food processor. Squeeze the soaked tamarind to
release the softened pulp. Do this till you have re‑
leased all the pulp. Strain and keep the juice aside.
Put the onion‑spice paste back into the pan
in which you fried the onions. Fry for 1 minute
and add 1 1/2 cups warm water and the
tamarind juice. Bring to a boil on a medium
flame. Simmer the flame. Add the prawns and
cook till done (they will turn from pink to
come rubbery. Season with salt. Serve hot
with steamed rice or Sannas (steamed Goan
rice cakes). (Source: Petrina Verma Sarkar)
May 2010  Pravasi Bharatiya 77
 cinema
Gurudeb is back
Noukadubi Shyama Chaturanga Chokher Bali
(2010, 1932) (2008) (2008) (2003, 1938)
A hundred and fifty years years after Rabindranath Tagoreʼs birth, his story Noukadubi, is
getting a modern makeover, says Madhusree Chatterjee
“Flow of images constitutes cinema”
olymath Rabindranath Tagoreʼs eternal words will once
P again cast a spell, when his Noukadubi, a tale of four
cross‑wired lovers, gets a contemporary makeover in
director Rituparno Ghoshʼs film, 150 years after the
Nobel laureateʼs birth. A rather progressive Bollywood‑style story
from Galpa Guccha (Collection of Stories published in 1912),
Noukadubi had raised eyebrows during the bardʼs lifetime for its
“freewheeling slant”.
Tagore, whose birth anniversary was recently celebrated on
May 9, has left an indelible imprint on the psyche of the Indian
film audience, helped along by ace directors like Satyajit Ray,
Tapan Sinha and Rituparno Ghosh. His stories are endowed with
natural cinematic potential because they are rich in visual
metaphors and dramatic intensity.
Tagore had written to a long time friend, the brother of late
theatre legend Sisir Kumar Bhaduri in 1929, that the flow of im‑
ages should be used so that it can communicate with the help of
words. “This cinema is still enslaved to literature.” Some of the
critically acclaimed iconic film adaptions of Tagoreʼs work include:
78 Pravasi Bharatiya  May 2010
On this birthday,
The great distance grows in my heart
The starry path is nebular,
Mysterious...
And my remoteness impenetrable.
The pilgrim moves, his path unseen,
The consequence unknown.
Today, I hear the traveller’s footsteps
From my lonely seashore
— Rabindranath Tagore
Ghare-Baire Atithi Charulata Kabuliwala
(1984) (1965) (1964) (1961)
Charulata (The Lonely Wife): An iconic film by Satyajit Ray was
based on Tagoreʼs short story Nashtanir (The Broken Nest). The
film captures the conflict between freedom, conventions and the
intellectual awakening of 19th and 20th century Bengali youth.
Ghare Baire (Home and The World): Much like Charulata in its
quest for emancipation of women, in Ghaire Baire Ray explored
Tagoreʼs saga of an elite Bengali woman Bimalaʼs journey to the
world outside from the confines of her palace with a new
panache ̶ and a subtle allusion to complex adult love.
Teen Kanya (Three Daughters): Another Ray iconic films, Teen
Kanya is based on three of Tagoreʼs short stories, which dealt
with the complexities of human relationships.
Shesher Kavita (The Last Poem): Young filmmaker Subhrajit
Mitra improvised the story into a fictional drama in Mon Amour:
Sesher Kavita Revisited ̶ an Indo‑French production, in 2008.
Atithi (Guest): Released in 1965, Tapan Sinhaʼs film was based
on the life of a young Brahmin boy who finds himself on the
same boat as the village zamindar when he runs away from
home. The landlord adopts him and anoints him as his daughterʼs
prospective groom, but a day before his wedding, the boy flees.
The story was a poignant comment on the eternal human quest
Grabs from Rabindranath
Tagoreʼs iconic film
adaptations: (Clockwise
from top) Aishwarya Rai
and Raima Sen in
Rituparno Ghoshʼs Chokher
Bali, Raima and Riya Sen in
Noukadubi and Satyajit
Rayʼs Charulata with
legendary actors Soumitra
Chatterjee and Madhavi
Mukherjee
Teen Kanya Khudito Pashan Charana Daasi Kabuliwala Gora Chirakumar Sabha Giribala Balidan
(1961) (1960) (1956) (1956) (1938) (1932) (1929) (1927)
for freedom that Tagore was obsessed with. tent from the time these were written and it will remain the same
Kabuliwallah: Another Tapan Sinha interpretation, was a window because Tagore has woven every emotion in them through his
to the rigid milieu of 19th century Bengal and a telling comment words and music. The results can be seen not only in Bengali but
on mores such as child marriage ̶ told through a friendship be‑ also in Hindi,” filmmaker Buddhadeb Dasgupta said. “Take for ex‑
tween a little girl Mini and an itinerant Afghan hawker. ample the use of Rabindra Sangeet in Tere mere milan in Hindi
The Hungry Stones (Khudito Pashan): The film was inspired by film Abhimaan. It is inspired from a Bengali song Jodi tare nai
the Shah Jahan Palace, now Sardar Patel Memorial, in Ahmed‑ chini go sokhi. Tagore has all the components in terms of emo‑
abad, overlooking the Sabarmati river in Gujarat
where Tagore had stayed for a brief period.
Tagoreʼs secret craving for a bit of mystery
to lend spice for the most exciting cinema. The
bard was among the first to recognise that cin‑
Rabindranath Tagore has left an indelible
imprint on the psyche of the Indian film audience,
helped along by ace directors like Satyajit Ray, Tapan
ema should have their own language. “The Sinha and Rituparno Ghosh. His stories are endowed
beauty and grandeur of this form in motion with natural cinematic potential because they are rich
has to be developed in such a way that it be‑ in visual metaphors and dramatic intensity
comes self‑sufficient without the use of words.”
To complement the film adaptations, numerous Rabindra tions in his songs, and filmmakers are going to take reference
Sangeet have been used in Bengali, as well as, Hindi films. In his from them for times immemorial,” he added.
songs, pure poetry integrates the creator, nature and love. Human Singer Abhijeet Bhattacharya said: “Tagoreʼs songs have almost
love (prem) transforms into love and devotion for the creator become like a software. They are eternally modern and are being
(bhakti). The collection of his 2,000 odd songs is known as Gitabi‑ used since the time they were written. “Till date his work inspires
tan (garden of songs). Bengali and Hindi filmmakers of all gener‑ not just Bengali songs but in other regional languages also in
ations have been deeply inspired by his stories and songs. The some form or the other,” he added.
film fraternity says that Tagoreʼs creations are “eternal”. “Rabindra “You are standing beyond my song. My melody reaches your
sangeet is eternal. The popularity of the songs has been consis‑ feet, but I cannot reach you” — Rabindranath Tagore
May 2010  Pravasi Bharatiya 79
cinema
Wedding belle
Punjabi wedding urinder Chadha has decided to
specialist Gurinder
Chadha now takes on
adventure with a
G move on. The Britain‑based In‑
dian filmmaker says she will
leave behind her usual mar‑
riage formula in new projects, one of
which is a childrenʼs film focussing on
childrenʼs film based ecology and another that trails her own
in Kerala. She is also family history.
looking to an epic film “At the moment I am working on a chil‑
drenʼs film set in Kerala. Itʼs a childrenʼs
based on family adventure film. We are working on the
history. Robin Bansal script. Weʼll hopefully roll it on in winter,”
finds out her plans for Chadha said. “Itʼs about elephants and is
set in an elephant sanctuary. It has an
the future... ecological message. I realised children are
growing up too fast and they have to deal
with issues too soon. I wanted to make a
proper innocent adventure movie that
specifically deals with children I used to
see when I was young,” she said.
Chadha, 50, made a mark for herself
with movies like Bend It Like Beckham
and Bride & Prejudice which were about
marriage and even her latest release, Itʼs
A Wonderful Afterlife, belongs to the
same genre. But Chadha admits she is
moving away from her signature style.
“Yes, the childrenʼs film will be very dif‑
ferent from the ones that people have
seen before. Itʼs set entirely in India and
there will be no weddings in this one and
certainly no Punjabis,” she said. Any title
for the movie? “We had a Malayalam title,
but at the moment we are only calling it
GCs Indian Adventure,” she quipped.
Asked if she had zeroed in on the cast,
she said: “Not yet, but Iʼm thinking. But
the main cast will be children. I need a
girl from India and I am looking for one
who is between nine and 11. And Iʼll have
an English boy.” And what about the lan‑
guage of the film? “Itʼll be in English, but
we may shoot a little bit in Hindi as well.
I am not sure about that. But we might do
a Hindi‑English mix and may be a little bit
of Malayalam too,” she said.
Talking about her other project that
will have references from Larry Collins
“
The children’s film will be very different from the ones that
people have seen before. It’s set entirely in India and there will
be no weddings in this one and certainly no Punjabis
— Gurinder Chadha
and Dominique Lapierreʼs bestseller Free‑
dom at Midnight, she said: “I have the
rights to Freedom at Midnight, but Iʼm
also doing my own research.
“It will be a film from a British Indian
femaleʼs perspective. Itʼll be a complete
epic drama set in India and England. The
film is about independence. Itʼll look at
my own history. My ancestors were orig‑
inally from Persia and then Jhelum and
Rawalpindi (now in Pakistan). They were
in Maharaja Ranjit Singhʼs army and then
after partition my fatherʼs family was in
Kenya. My motherʼs side of the family had
to leave and move to Delhi as refugees. I
was born in Kenya and then I went to
“
Gurinder Chadhaʼs
previous top grossers are
the iconic Bend It Like
Beckham (top) and an
adaptation of Jane
Austenʼs book Pride and
Prejudice into Bride
and Prejudice
England with my parents as a baby. “So in
a way itʼs more about my history and how
come I ended up where I am,” she said.
“Freedom at Midnight has some interest‑
ing information so we are taking refer‑
ences from the book but 50 percent of
the storyline will be ours and we will have
our own characters.”
So when does the dream project go on
the floors? “First, I have to get the script
as it needs time. This is one project I want
to get absolutely right. We are working
on it, but we need to do a lot more re‑
search. Itʼs a passion project and if the
script comes along this year, then weʼll do
it next year,” she said.
May 2010  Pravasi Bharatiya 81
travel

With the mercury breaking all sorts of records this Indian summer, how about
visiting a place where winters are so dark and long that summer is taken very
seriously? Welcome to a Nordic country that has kept its date with modernism and
technology but hasnʼt forgot its roots and respect towards its natural resources.
It is winter in Finland, always, ever, forever, says Nishant Arora

At right in this photo is the Senate Square

building that presents famous architect Carl
Ludvig Engelʼs work as a unique allegory of
political, religious, scientific and commercial
confluence in Helsinki. At the centre is an
Evangelical Lutheran Cathedral of the Diocese of
Helsinki. The church was originally built as a
tribute to the Grand Duke, Nicholas I, the Tsar of
Russia and until the independence of Finland in
1917, it was called St. Nicholasʼ Church.

ry asking any Indian about Finland and he may months! The extreme north of Finland is so far north that the spell of winters and still excelling in having normal services

T
immediately reply: you mean Nokia! Or if he is a well‑
read working professional who commutes by the
swanky Delhi Metro, he may tell you that the elevator
or the escalator he uses everyday are installed by Kone, a
Finland‑based MNC.
Not only this, if you ask an environment lover, he may be able
to inform you that this small country ̶ bordered by Sweden on
the West, Norway on the North and Russia on the East ̶ is a
world leader in nurturing its natural resources and has been
recognised numerous times by the World Economic Forum as
the most environmentally advanced country in the world.
But I discovered that this Northern European experience to be
much more that just the land of Nokia or Kone...
Get soaked in Northern Lights
At the home of Saint Nicholas or Santa Claus in the northern
Lapland region, above the Arctic Circle, there is a polar night ̶
a period when the sun doesnʼt rise for days or weeks, or even
magnificent ʻAurora Borealisʼ (dancing lights and natureʼs most
breathtaking show) is seen regularly in winter. The light shows
are the result of ionised nitrogen atoms hitting solar wind
particles funnelling through the Earthʼs atmosphere.
A shutterbug moment only if you can brave the coldest
temperatures on earth. At Finlandʼs northernmost point, in the
heart of summer, the sun does not completely set for over 73
consecutive days!
We may or may not have heard these stories about Finland
that tell us about the extremes of life on this earth... what we
must know here is the endurance it needs to survive in these
beyond normal living conditions.
My friend, philosopher and guide Saara Rimon tells me that
global warming has hit even Finland as you donʼt witness snow all
the time during the winters and mercury has also gone up quite
considerably and hovers in between 0 to ‑10 degrees Celsius.
There were times, she says, when Finns handled temperatures
up to ‑34 degrees Celsius and felt proud of surviving the long
PLACES TO SEE
Temppeliaukion, the Church of the Rock
In the late 1960ʼs two architect brothers designed
a church that is built into solid rock. Since then
the church has become one of Helsinkiʼs most
famous tourist stops.
Soumenlinna, The 18th Century Sea Fortress
Built in the 1740ʼs to secure Helsinki against
Russian attacks, the fortress called Suomenlinna
was constructed on a group of six islands outside
the cityʼs Harbour. Today, Suomenlinna houses
museums, parks, gardens, cafes and restaurants.
Ateneum Art Museum/ National Museum
The Ateneum Art Museum houses perhaps the
finest collection of Finnish art in the country. The
National Museum holds a vast collection of
Finnish pre‑historic artifacts.
enduring all the hard winters. This shuddering soul, at ‑3 degree
Celsius, agreed without much ado.
Pay for an enriching life
Finland has a population of 5.4 million. With a GDP of $273
billion, the country provides its people a very high quality of life.
There are nearly 188,000 clean water lakes in and around
Finland but still, the country is investing billions of Euros in
treating its waste water.
“We pay as much as 35 percent of our wages as taxes to the
government so that we can have all the basic amenities of life.
And Finns are willing to shell out more if asked as we care for
our future generations,” says Saara.
How come the Finns are able to get the best results in
whatever they do?
The answer lies in the fact that they do it sans corruption. This
small country ranks fourth in the latest corruption list by
Transparency International Corruption Perceptions Index.

82 Pravasi Bharatiya  May 2010 May 2010  Pravasi Bharatiya 83


NOT TO BE MISSED
Spectacle in Senate Square
There is no disputing the fact that the
climax of New Yearʼs Eve can be
experienced in Helsinkiʼs Senate Square. The
living room of the nation hosts this
bacchanal each year. In Helsinki, there is no
need to plan your own party ̶ just show
up at Senate Square with your friends!
Helldone Festival
Each year Finnish rock band HIM hosts a
special New Yearʼs Eve festival at the
legendary rock club Tavastia. If you enjoy
dressing up in black and listening to loud
guitars rather than official speeches, you
wonʼt be disappointed! You are probably
not alone, however, so make sure you
reserve tickets well in advance!
— Helsinki Finland
84 Pravasi Bharatiya  May 2010
Connecting India, the Finnish way
Although there are not many Indians living in this Nordic
country, I met a few on my trip. One student, S. Subramanian
from Chennai, who is pursuing a B. Tech from the University of
Helsinki, tells me that Finland is now on the radar of Indian
students owing because not only the quality of its education is
at a par with what you can aim for in any other European
country, but it is also one place where racism hasnʼt corroded
peoplesʼ minds. “I feel at home in Helsinki,” says Subramanian.
There are several Indians who are working with Nokia,
headquartered in Tampere, a city with over 100,000 people. As
the saying goes here ̶ if you are an Indian in Finland, you must
be working with Nokia. And Nokiaiites were in plenty!
India‑born Zahoor Khan, who has been living in Lahti for over
six years, came to Finland as a project manager with Nokia. Now
a project manager (R&D) with Wipro Technologies Finland Oy,
Finland for him is second home. “My decision to join Nokia was
one of the best moves of my career. At Nokia, I found several
Indians. Indians here are a happy lot as there is no discrimination
and Finnish people respect your professionalism and give you
every chance to excel in life. So I donʼt need to actually explain
“ Indians here are a happy lot as there is no discrimination and Finnish people respect your
“
professionalism and give you every chance to excel in life. So I don’t need to really explain
it to people here that My Name is Khan!
— Zahoor Khan, ex-Nokiaiite
it to people here that My Name is Khan!” smiles Zahoor, who did
his B.Tech from the National Institute of Technology, Hamirpur
(Himachal Pradesh). His wife Rakhshanda Khan, a co‑owner in a
company called AD Priori Oy, is on maternity leave. “India is just
seven hours away from here so when I miss my parents, either I
fly or ask them to come here. They always enjoy their stay here,
especially in summer which Finns treat as their most precious
gift, as this is winter here all the time.” The countryʼs national
airlines Finnair has daily flights connecting Delhi to Helsinki, and
the journey takes less than seven hours. Finland is one of the five
countries chosen by India for its visa‑on‑arrival scheme.
Simply Sauna
The Finnish sauna is an integral part of Finnish life. For over five
million Finns, there are two million saunas in Finland ̶ an
average of one per household! They are found everywhere, at
the depth of 1,400 meters (Pyhäsalmi Mine), and at the
Parliament of Finland. The traditional sauna day is Saturday.
After splashing water on the rocks and soaking up the heat, cool
off with a refreshing swim. You can even swim through a hole
cut in the ice in wintertime.
From left (clockwise): A frozen lake on way to Lahti;
an inter‑city tram leaves for Espoo, a suburb; kids snow‑
skiing near the Helsinki City Centre; people take a stroll in a
snowing evening in Lahti; a black hot coffee can keep you
warm even at ‑5 degree Celsius outside.
Get your taste buds tingling
Rye, barley, oats, blueberries, lingonberries, cloudberries, sea
buckthorn... fish... reindeer meat... you must already be licking
your fingers! A must try, after meals, is Karelian pastry that is a
quintessentially Finnish dish. And if you are in love with wines
or vodka, you are about to shout Yureka! Yureka!
Koskenkorva (famous vodka‑like clear spirit) and Lapin Kulta
(the best beer on earth) wonʼt let your evenings go without action.
Also, Cloudberry liqueur Glögi (Mulled wine), Marskin Ryyppy
(Marshal Mannerheimʼs shot), Jaloviina (cut brandy), Kilju (a
notorious home‑brewed beverage traditionally fermented
without flavouring), Salmiakkikossu ̶ a cocktail of koskenkorva
and salmiakki, Sima (mead), Pontikka (Finnish moonshine), Sahti
(traditional beer)... The list is endless.
Fish and meat play a key role in traditional Finnish dishes from
the western part of the country, while vegetables and
mushrooms take over the dishes from the east.
Being in Finland is all about the great outdoors and being
exposed to the elements. Itʼs the warmth of the natives and the
exoticism of the clime that leave an indelible mark on your mind,
heart and soul. Itʼs winter here, ever, forever!
May 2010  Pravasi Bharatiya 85
interview
In search
of roots...
What makes people uproot themselves and migrate?
“I set out to understand how larger forces of history
intersected with individual lives,” says Minal Hajratwala
uthor of the globally acclaimed
A
book Leaving India: My Familyʼs
Journey From Five Villages to
Five Continents, Minal Hajrat‑
wala is a poet, performing artiste,
journalist, and a queer activist.
Descended from an early settler in Fiji
in the 1900s, she was born in San Fran‑
cisco and was raised in New Zealand and
suburban Michigan. Minal has travelled
across the globe exploring the true
meaning of the Indian diaspora and
its emotional moorings. Minal spoke
to L. Jyotimala of IANS on her book and
her ʻbelongingnessʼ.
Leaving India... is a diasporic documen-
tary. How much of it is also a metaphori-
cal narrative on the Indian diaspora?
I think thatʼs for others to say. There
were many metaphors and images and
ideas that occurred to me in the writing
process, but I am not objective enough
to quantify how much is this or that. To
me the book is a seamless whole, and it
has many levels and layers: the intimate,
the epic, the metaphorical, the factual, ̶
they all swirl together, just as they do
in real life.
86 Pravasi Bharatiya  May 2010
What motivated you to write the book?
I have 36 first cousins and they live all
around the globe. My extended family
lives in nine countries. So I was curious
about how that happened. Thereʼs a part
of the book where I reflect on the fact
that in our families, migration stories are
told as very personal: “Your great‑grand‑
father wanted to go to Fiji, so he went”...
“Your father decided to study in Amer‑
ica”... and so on. But obviously there are
huge social and economic and political
factors at work, to make people suddenly
uproot themselves and migrate, to make
certain avenues possible at certain times.
There are reasons that certain borders
were open or closed to Indians at differ‑
ent periods in history. So I set out to
understand how these larger forces of
history intersected with individual lives.
It took seven years to write Leaving
India... What emotional and intellectual
effort did it entail?
I travelled to New Zealand, Australia, Fiji,
Hong Kong, India, South Africa, England,
Canada, and, of course, throughout the
United States ̶ basically anywhere I had
family members. In each place, I inter‑
For me India is a place to which
I feel a stronger connection than many
other countries; in that sense, it’s a kind
of homeland to which I can return with
curiosity, love and great interest
4
viewed as many relatives as would talk to
me on the record, and of course I stayed
in peopleʼs homes. In each place, I also
met academics or historians who had in‑
sight into the history of the South Asian
community in that particular country or
city. And I went to local libraries and
national archives to look at documents
related to the early history of Indians in
that area, censuses and statistics about
the community, Indian newspapers and
newsletters, and mainstream newspapers
̶ really anything that would give me the
texture and context for the personal
stories that my relatives were telling me.
I had thought I would research the book in
a year and write it in a year. Seven years
later, I finally turned in the first draft to
my darling and very patient editors!
There was a challenge in combining re‑
portage with a more emotional voice.
Even though I had a very complete book
proposal and outline going into it, the
process of selecting from all the material I
gathered, finding (and losing, and finding
again) the voice of the book, pulling a few
strong narrative threads from hundreds of
disconnected anecdotes, and overcoming
my terror of making the wrong choices
6 suburban Michigan
5
was quite time‑consuming. Amazing, too:
I learned so much about myself, my fears,
and my own creative needs.
What does India mean to you? What is
the emotional and spiritual kinship that
sort of binds the diaspora to their roots?
The relationship to India is different for
each person in the diaspora, depending on
their particular circumstances, how and
why they migrated, what they found when
they arrived, how frequently they were
able to return to India if at all, the time
that has elapsed... For me India is certainly
a place to which I feel a stronger connec‑
tion than many other countries; in that
sense itʼs a kind of homeland, and a place
to which I can return again and again with
curiosity and love and great interest. I will
be living in India for nine months as a
Fulbright Scholar in 2010‑2011.
But San Francisco is my home.
A different era, a different time zone, but
similar aspirations. How would you re-
construct the journey your great-grandfa-
ther undertook to Fiji years ago?
He was one of the first of our commu‑
nity to travel to Fiji, so he was in that
1. The Narsey family in Suva,
Fiji, circa 1962 2. Great‑
grandfather Motiram
Narsey, the first in Minal
Hajratwalaʼs family to travel
from India to Fiji
3. The next generation: Her
nieces and their cousins in
4. Minalʼs mother Bhanu
(nee Narotam) Hajratwala
arrived in U.S. in 1967
5. Minalʼs father Bhupendra
Hajratwala graduating from
UC‑Boulder, 1965 6. Minal at
age 7 at Disneyland 7. Great‑
great‑uncle G.C. Kapitan in
front of his restaurant,
South Africa
sense a kind of pioneer. As with every
migration, a combination of
personal and historical factors made
his journey possible. He was just an
ordinary man from a village, a tailor, in
1909. Yet he was swept up by complex
forces: the end of slavery, the labour
needs of the British Empire, the climate
of Fiji, a prolonged drought and famine
in Gujarat, the Industrial Revolution, the
decline of the homespun cotton industry
̶ so many factors impinging on one
small life. And a mystic might say it also
had something to do with destiny.
Each time we move, we must leave
something of ourselves behind... What is
that something that you would look for?
Memories, places, people, sensations,
emotions, inhibitions, restrictions, a
fixed idea of the self, a favourite toy, a
favourite book, myself at age 6, at age
16, at any age. Each moment of oneʼs
entire past is profoundly linked to place.
What would be your next venture?
I will be coming to India later this year
to begin research for a novel. I am also
working on a collection of my poems.
May 2010  Pravasi Bharatiya 87
tribute

ix feet two inches in height, Rabindranath Tagore had

TIMELESS S to strive hard to hold his head high. The 14th child in a
family of 15, he alone was sufficient reason why India
should not worry too much about family planning. And
150 years after his birth, he continues to grow in stature as the
subcontinentʼs greatest creative genius. Those who know many

GENIUS
A poet, playwright, musician, essayist,
philosopher, and one of the finest storytellers
of all time, Rabindranath Tagore has few
equals, says Mani Sankar Mukherji
languages claim he has no equal anywhere on earth. The issue
is not whether he is the Mt. Everest, but, say, after another 150
years, will anybody believe that such a man ever walked this
earth? And yet, the obstacles he overcame, the treatment he
received from his contemporaries when alive, the endless chain
of suffering he underwent are worth recounting. Here are some
snippets. There was lunacy in the Tagore family, which came
from the mother Sarada Debiʼs side. One of her brothers had in‑
sanity and two of the poetʼs elder brothers divided their time in
asylum and the house at Jorasanko. It is said when the news of
the Nobel prize reached Calcutta in 1913, one of these brothers A picture dated 1940 shows Rabindranath Tagore sharing a moment with
started shouting, claiming that he was the real author of Mahatma Gandhi

Geetanjali. They were originally Sandilya gotra Banerjees, grand‑

father prince Dwarkanath had opened a Bank of Bengal account
as ʻThakurʼ and later turned ʻTagoreʼ.
Was Rabindranath rich? Prince Dwarkanath was one of the
richest Indians of the 19th century, but his firm Car Tagore &
Co. went bankrupt shortly after his untimely and unexpected
death in England and son Debendrath, more a rishi than a busi‑
nessman filed insolvency. He sold everything, including jewellery,
but the zamindari remained in hand and Rabindranath regrets
around the Nobel Prize time that he had miserably failed to earn
money either from his writings or other efforts.
He often borrowed money from friends, relatives and money‑
lenders at punitive interest rates, his collaterals being residential
properties, family jewellery, copyrights and stocks of unsold
books. At one time he offered his entire copyrights for Rs.10,000,
but had no success. Was he a good‑for‑nothing in studies and
became a school dropout? Records show, the reluctant schoolboy
topped the list in Bengali language and annoyed his teacher
Haranath Pandit who insisted on a second exam. Even then
Rabindranath topped. His unhappy school days led him to found
a great educational institution at Santiniketan.
Death and bereavement were the poetʼs lifelong companion. It
began with the death of his mother when he was 14, following
an injury from a collapsed iron safe. Seven years later, on the
very day of his marriage, his elder sisterʼs husband died. Shortly
thereafter, Kadambari Debi, his brotherʼs wife, committed suicide
by taking poison, a tragedy, which left its mark on him forever.
Following the Tagore family tradition, his bride Mrinalini came
to the Jorasanko house to be married. She bore him three daugh‑
ters and two sons. Yet, the family is now extinct. Mrinalini devel‑
oped appendicitis and died in 1902. The poet, criticised for
sticking to homoeopathy, became, for some years, a vegetarian.
The death of his beloved youngest son Samindranath at the age
of thirteen was another big blow.
The relationship with the three sons‑in‑law was far from
happy, although he bore their expenses for higher education. Eld‑
est daughter Madhurilata, the most beautiful among them all, de‑
veloped TB and died at the age of 32. Malicious rumours were
spread about the poet marrying for the second time, and Dwi‑
jendralal Roy, an eminent writer, took the trouble of staging a
play on this possible marriage! Another rumour suggested that
the poet had already approved of a beautiful girl from Assam! In
desperation, the poet approached a friend, attached to a news‑
paper, to issue a denial. The relationship with the British was al‑
ways a mixture of hate and love. His first sojourn in England was

“
In common with thousands of his countrymen I owe much to one who by his poetic genius and
singular purity of life has raised India in the estimation of the world
— Mahatma Gandhi
“
May 2010  Pravasi Bharatiya 89
 Right: Undated
picture of Rabindranath
Tagore reading out
from one of his works at
Shantiniketan
Left: Tagore with
astronomer and
humanitarian Karel Hujer

“
I say that a poet’s mission is to attract the voice which is
yet inaudible in the air; to inspire faith in the dream which is

— Rabindranath Tagore
“
unfulfilled, to bring the earliest tidings of the unborn
flower to a sceptic world...

at the age of 17, when he studied for a short while in a London

school. Records reveal that he had plans to sit for the Indian Civil
Service examination, like his brother Satyendranath, and applied
for an age certificate from the local government.
His first book, a 54‑page collection of Bengali poems, was pub‑
lished by a close friend, Prabodh Chandra Ghosh. Priced six
annas (36 paise), it received good reviews, but even 500 copies
could not be sold. The unsold stock was a source of embarrass‑
ment to the poet. Thereafter, no publisher worth the name
showed interest, and printing was funded by the poet or his fam‑
ily members. His luck with booksellers and unsold stock was bit‑
ter. At one stage, for an advance of Rs. 1,100, he sold the unsold
stock of 12 books, which were advertised as “printed on best pa‑
pers, full of emotions and attractive commission on sale”.
At one time, Rabindranath desperately looked for a publisher
who will buy his copyrights for a paltry sum, but even that effort
failed. His bad luck with publishers continued till he set up his
own publishing house Visva Bharati after winning the Nobel Prize.
The volume of Tagoreʼs literary output is formidable. Even
decades after his death, the collection of all his writings and
letters is not complete. His daughter‑in‑law has left behind an ac‑
count of a normal day in his life. Retiring at 12 midnight he will
wake up at 3 a.m to do his prayers, followed by tea at 4 am. Then
he would write nonstop up to seven. After breakfast another writ‑
ing session up to 11 a.m, followed by early lunch. Never any rest
post‑lunch, only studies and writings. Tea at 4 p.m. was a wel‑
come break. Dinner at 7 p.m. After dinner, no wastage of time,
but another marathon writing session till midnight.
At the famous Alipore Bomb trial in 1909, in which Sri Au‑
robindo was involved, one of the young accused, Ullaskar Datta,
dared to sing in open court a Tagore song and thus was respon‑
sible for the earliest translation next day in English newspapers
̶ “Blessed is my birth, for I was born in this land”.
Bengali Gitanjali (1,000 copies) was published in Calcutta on
April 1910 ̶ soon efforts began to reach the English‑speaking
world. Three short stories translated by Sister Nivedita were sent
to a British magazine, but were straight away rejected. Even the
manuscript was mislaid.
In 1912, his second voyage to England aimed at trying the
English‑speaking world and also to get his painful piles treated.
On an exercise book, he himself translated the poems, which
later brought him the Nobel Prize. In London, his son Rathin‑
dranath lost the manuscript (the only copy) in an underground
railway coach. A desperate Rathindranath, as a last resort, went
to the lost property office the next day and got back the priceless
notebook. This was handed over to the British sculptor Rothen‑
stein whom he had met earlier in Calcutta.
The rest was history.
An admiring Rothenstein typed three copies and initiated a
limited edition (250 copies for sale) at 10 shilling 6 pence. The
date of publication was November 1, 1912. Later, Macmillan
published a modestly priced second edition and up to February
1914 sold 19,320 copies. The news of the Nobel Prize reached
Calcutta on November 14, 1913. A cheque from the Chartered
Bank for Rs. 116,269 followed. The Income Tax Department
played its role immediately and Rs. 2,070.50 had to be deposited.
Another Re 1 was spent as stamp duty for a formal application
claiming tax exemption. Tagore biographers do not know the fate
of that effort! Around Rs. 30,000 were paid to clear urgent debts
and the rest deposited with his favourite agricultural bank. This
bank, in due course, failed. Even the Nobel Prize news was re‑
ceived with a pinch of salt. It was said the writings were not his,
the credit should go to Yeats. The number of ardent admirers
were no less. They chartered a special train from Howrah to
Bolpur and offered him greetings. For the first time the poetʼs
patience broke and in his reply to the felicitation he recalled the
many unkindnesses received which made it difficult for him to
accept the greetings of his fellow countrymen.
So disturbed were some of the guests that they refused the poetʼs
tea and snacks and returned to the special train waiting at Bolpur.
Tagore later regained his cool, and wrote a letter of apology. He
even visited some personalities in Calcutta seeking forgiveness.
The poet who bore all humiliation and suffering silently all his
life only once lost his calm as the world recognised his creation.
(Mani Sankar Mukherji is a well-known Bengali novelist. He can be contacted at msm@rpg.in)

90 Pravasi Bharatiya  May 2010 May 2010  Pravasi Bharatiya 91

 book review
Danseuse, iconoclast
Madhusree Chatterjee reviews a book by Leela Samson, as the author chronicles her
guru Rukmini Deviʼs life, how she revolutionised dance form Sadir into Bharatanatyam
n 1935, Rukmini Devi brought the ancient dance form Sadir,
I
later known as Bharatanatyam, back to life on the Indian
stage with a performance in Chennai. Sadir till then had
been confined to the temple precincts and was the ʻpre‑
serveʼ of devdasis. The renowned Bharatanatyam danseuse es‑
tablished her dance school, Kalakshetra, in Chennai the following
year ̶ an example of womenʼs empowerment, lending them a
voice at a time when culture was a male bastion.
Kalakshetra has been instrumental in breaching gender walls
in the history of Bharatanatyam. It was the first institution in
southern India to induct women instructors at the school. “An
important development, for its far‑reaching effects on the teach‑
ing of dance took place around this time. Instructors
Meenakshisundaram Pillai and Chokkalingam Pillai left
Kalakshetra for personal reasons. Until then, teaching dance had
been the preserve of such gurus who belonged to a particular
community and guarded their privilege,” writes Leela Samson in
her biography of legendary Bharatanatyam danseuse Rukmini
Devi, Rukmini Devi ̶ A Life.
Taking advantage of the situation, Rukmini Devi decided to set
a new norm. “It is a well‑known fact that the ʻnattuvanarsʼ (per‑
sons who direct a Bharatanatyam performance) had never be‑
lieved that it was possible for anybody else but them to set a new
norm. I have always believed that this will change. They also be‑
lieved that except for a usual class of people, no one else would
be able to dance. I am happy that on Vijayadashami Day, I am
able to prove that we can do without them,” Samson quotes
Rukmini Devi as saying in the book.
History was created when a young student of the academy, A.
3 3
1 4
2 2
FICTION
And Thereby One Amazing Thing Beatrice and
Hangs a Tale Author: Chitra Banerjee Virgil
Author: Jeffrey Archer Divakaruni Author: Yann Martel
Publisher: Pan Books Publisher: Penguin Books Publisher: Penguin
Price: Rs. 253 Price: Rs. 450 Price: Rs. 450
92 Pravasi Bharatiya  May 2010
Book: Rukmini Devi ̶ A Life; Author: Leela Samson;
Publisher: Penguin‑Viking; Price: Rs.500
Sarada, was initiated by Rukmini Devi and her musicians on
Vijayadashami Day. “The year was 1945, only 10 years since she
herself had learnt to dance. Rukmini Deviʼs endeavour to train a
new brand of nattuvanars from outside the professional circle
broke the unwarranted monopoly of men from this august tradi‑
tion. She took it upon herself to teach and encourage Kamalarani,
probably the first woman nattuvanar,” says Samson in her book.
Rukmini Devi believed that “women have everything to do with
bringing culture into everyday life with the expression of it, with
the helping and influencing of a nation, not only because they
are mothers, but also because they are an example as individu‑
als,” writes Samson. “Thousands of women are not really free...
There is a place for women in the new age. Do not let us ask for
it. No one has to give you what is rightfully yours. Merely take it
and you shall have it. The three things I should like to see as an
5 5
The Immortals Deliver Us
TOP 10 BESTSELLERS
of Meluha from Evil
Author: Amish Author: David Baldacci
Publisher: Tara Press Publisher: Macmillan
Price: Rs. 295 Price: Rs. 433
Legendary Bharatanatyam danseuse Rukmini Devi
expression of culture are that kindness should become a part of
the lives of all, women should have a real voice in every depart‑
ment of the nation and that we should be truly Indian in heart,
mind and soul,” Rukmini Devi said about the role of Indian
women in culture. The idea to set up Kalakshetra at Adyar, the
headquarters of the International Theosophical Society, came
after one of Rukmini Deviʼs early Bharatanatyam performances
in Chennai, says Samson. A small group of friends pressed upon
Rukmini Devi the “desirability of creating such an academy”.
On January 6, 1936, Rukmini Devi established the Interna‑
tional Academy of Arts in Adyar. The founding members were
united “by their common enthusiasm for the cause of Indiaʼs art
which they were convinced was a treasure that belonged not
only to India but to the world”.
In 1937, a large studio cottage was built, which for a long time
remained the only studio that the academy ever had. Many years
down the line, Rukmini Devi would say: “I started the academy
with one tree, one pupil and one teacher.” The first music teacher
of the academy was the great Papanasam Sivan, says Samson.
Meenakshisundaram Pillai was assisted in the dance depart‑
ment by Chokkalingam Pillai. The book traces the many lives of
Rukmini Devi, as a celebrated artiste, dancer, theosophist, edu‑
cationist, animal welfare and child rights activist and a nomi‑
nated member of the Rajya Sabha. “In the summer of 1992, I
took a sabbatical from work in Delhi to spend a year in Madras
(Chennai) researching the life of my guru. My notes were drawn
from a collection of Rukmini Deviʼs own papers, speeches, writ‑
ings, diaries, theosophical journals and books,” says Samson.
1 4
Songs of Blood Gandhi:
and Sword Naked Ambition
Author: Fatima Bhutto Author: ad Adams
Publisher: Penguin Viking Publisher: Quercus
Price: Rs. 699 Price: Rs. 699
NEW RELEASES
His Words: The Preaching and Parables of
Ramakrishna Paramahamsa
By Amiya P. Sen
Ramakrishna Paramahamsa occupied an impor‑
tant place in the cultural life of late nineteenth‑
century Bengal. Amiya P. Senʼs lucid
introductions and fluent translations of the inter‑
actions between Ramakrishna and his followers
in His Words... make for an engaging and
illuminating account of Ramakrishnaʼs teachings. Compiled
from a variety of contemporary and near‑contemporary
sources, this book brings out the dramatic simplicity of Ramakr‑
ishnaʼs incisive commentaries on profound religious ideas.
We, the Children of India: The Preamble to Our Constitution
By Leila Seth
Former Chief Justice Leila Seth makes the words
of the Preamble to the Constitution understand‑
able to even the youngest reader. What is a
democratic republic, why are we secular, what is
sovereignty? She tackles these concepts and ex‑
plains them in a manner everyone can grasp
and enjoy. Accompanied by numerous photographs,
captivating and inspiring illustrations by acclaimed illustrator
Bindia Thapar, it is essential reading for every young citizen.
Tibet in Exile
By Raghu Rai
Tibet has been a land shrouded in medievalism
and mysticism for centuries, ruled from the
fabled Potala palace by the reincarnation of a
god‑king, the Dalai Lama. This new edition of
Tibet in Exile is a photographic record of life of
the Dalai Lama and his people in exile. It begins
with a new foreword by His Holiness the Dalai Lama, followed
by an updated introduction, illustrated with valuable historic
photographs, tracing the history and development of Tibet.
NON-FICTION
The Big The Tryst The Difficulty
Short Betrayed of Being Good
Author: Michael Lewis Author: Jagat Mehta Author: Gurcharan Das
Publisher: Allen Lane Publisher: Penguin Viking Publisher: Penguin/Allen
Price: Rs. 599 Price: Rs. 555 Lane Price: Rs. 699
May 2010  Pravasi Bharatiya 93
diaspora newsmakers

Historic
moment for
Vijay Gandhi
It was indeed a moment to
remember for Vijay “Jay”
C. Gandhi, the new
United States Magistrate
Judge. Gandhi has be‑
come the first Indian From Yahoo! to
Raju Kucherlapati (middle) at the 29th annual UNC Lineberger American federal judge in
Comprehensive Cancer Center scientific symposium, North Carolina
the Central District of Cali‑
White House Making investment in India easier for overseas Indians.
fornia and the second Yahoo! co‑founder Srinija Srinivasan
Raju Kucherlapati’s new community member to has achieved another milestone as U.S.
bioethical role become federal judge in President Barack Obama has appointed
the history of the U.S. the Chandigarh‑born Indian American as
India‑born Harvard geneticist Raju Kucherlapati is Gandhi, 38, sworn in as a member of the White House Commis‑
set to play a new role. Named to the newly created a Magistrate Judge for sion on Presidential Scholars.
Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues, the US District Court for In naming Srinivasan and 11 others to
Kucherlapati, with nine other scholars, will advise the Central District of Cali‑ the Commission, Obama said: “The Com‑
U.S. President Barack Obama on bioethical issues fornia in April, is also one mission on Presidential Scholars is
that may emerge from advances in biomedicine and of the youngest federal charged with recognising the future lead‑
related areas of science and technology. judges currently serving ers of our country and honouring them
Kucherlapati, 67, is Director Emeritus and Paul C. in the Central District. for their outstanding achievements. I am
Cabot Professor at the Harvard Medical School, De‑ Gandhi was formerly a grateful that these impressive men and
partment of Genetics. He was the first Scientific Di‑ litigation partner at Paul, women have agreed to serve on this com‑
rector of the Harvard Medical School‑Partners Hastings, Janofsky & mission and help a new generation realise
Healthcare Center for Genetics and Walker LLP. He practised their potential and pursue their dreams.”
Genomics. From 1989‑2001, Kucherlapati was the law for nearly 12 years at Prior to joining Yahoo!, Srinivasan was
Lola and Saul Kramer Professor of Molecular Genet‑ the firm, as an associate involved with the Cyc Project, a ten‑year
ics and Chairman of the Department at the Yeshiva from 1998 to 2006. artificial intelligence effort to build an im‑
University Albert Einstein College of Medicine. He Gandhi has been mense database of human commonsense
began his research as an assistant professor in the repeatedly recognised as knowledge. She chairs the Board of
Department of Biochemical Sciences at Princeton a “Rising Star Lawyer” in Trustees for SFJAZZ, a non‑profit organi‑
University. He received his B.S. and M.S. in Biology the “Super Lawyers” sation dedicated to jazz creation,
from universities in India, and his Ph.D from the edition of Law & Politics presentation, and education.
University of Illinois. He also conducted magazine. She holds a B.S. with distinction in Sym‑
post‑doctoral work at Yale University. bolic Systems from Stanford University.
For details contact:
TECH AND ENGINEERING COMPANIES FOUNDED FROM 1995-2005 Shefali Chaturvedi
25.3% nationwide had an immigrant as a key founder | 52.4% of Silicon Valley startups founded by immigrants | Chief Executive Officer, OIFC
Indians founded 26% of these — more than the next 4 groups (from Britain, China, Taiwan and Japan) combined & Director, CII
249-F, Sector 18, Udyog Vihar, Phase IV
Courtesy: Dr. Vivek Wadhwa, Duke University
Gurgaon - 122 015, Haryana, INDIA
Tel: +91-124-4014060-67 / 4014071
Fax: +91-124-4014070
INDIAN AMERICANS ARE ‘A+’ Website: www.oifc.in
Itʼs not only in the fields of medicine, engineering and finance that the Indian
community has carved a niche, but politics is another area where the community has
done an “A+ job”, feels recipient of this yearʼs prestigious Ellis Island Medal of Honour,
Indian American business leader Rao S. Anumolu. “In politics, the second generation
is catching on and they are much more in tune as participants, be it (Louisiana gov‑
ernor) Bobby Jindal or others, but not to the extent you expect,” says Anumolu, pres‑ lR;eso t;rs Confederation of
ident and CEO of Long Island (New York)‑based ASR International Corporation.
Ministry of Overseas Indian Industry
“Indians are excelling worldwide. They can excel anywhere because they inherently
have good talent and they work hard,” he adds.
Indian Affairs
— PB Desk
94 Pravasi Bharatiya  May 2010
 lR;eso t;rs

Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs

www.moia.gov.in
www.overseasindian.in