AGAINST THE ODDS: Shiva Chakan

Warwick University honours
Yesu Persaud with Doctorate

Dr. Yesu Persaud (left), President of GOPIO GUYANA

“An exemplary Guyanese whom a lot can be learnt from” Hans Barrow

“No one can take away that he is an example for all who would wish to walk in his footsteps” Major General (rtd) Joe Singh

“A splendid example of progress from poverty to stellar achievements” Professor David Dabydeen

Scores of
dignitaries and eminent entrepreneurs turned out at Le Meridien Pegasus
hotel, Georgetown, GUYANA,  to honour Dr. Yesu Persaud who was recently
awarded an Honorary Doctorate for honourable causes by the University
of Warwick in the United Kingdom.
The University only bestows the
honour on some 10 persons each year out of a field of literally
hundreds of individuals worldwide.

 

Professor
David Dabydeen, who chaired the proceedings, noted that Dr. Persaud’s
beginning was very humble as he started working in the canefields of
Guyana.
He, however, pointed out that despite his modest foundation,
he has served in a number of eminent positions which include Chairman
of Demerara Distillers, Founder and Chairman of Demerara Bank, Chairman
of the Trust Company Guyana Limited, Chairman of the Institute of
Private Enterprise and Development (IPED) and Chairman of the Private
Sector Commission of Guyana. He also served as President of the Guyana
Manufacturers Association, Vice President of the West Indies Rum and
Spirits Association, and a member of the Advisory Group to the
Caribbean’s Chief Trade Negotiator, Sir Shridath Ramphal, on CARICOM
international negotiations.
He has also been an Associate Fellow of the University of Warwick’s Centre for Caribbean Studies for the last 10 years.
“Yesu Persaud is a splendid example of progress from poverty to stellar achievements,” said Dabydeen.
Dr
Persaud is one of Guyana’s leading businessmen and philanthropists who
is renowned for his support of human rights, his outstanding
contributions in business and Indian history and culture, and his role
at conceiving the Institute of Private Enterprise Development (IPED).
“His notion of helping people to help themselves is the most effective way of eradicating poverty.”
Dr
Persaud is the recipient of several international and national awards
including the Gandhi Organisation Plaque for his contribution to
promoting Indian culture in Guyana, the Cacique’s Crown of Honour for
the development of new industries in Guyana in 1983, and the Glory of
India Award and Certificate of Excellence by the India International
Friendship Society in 2005.
In
2006 India honoured him with the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman for his
outstanding contributions in business and Indian history and culture.
Dr
Persaud is a founding member of Guyana’s Indian Arrival Committee (IAC)
which was later converted into the Indian Commemoration Trust, and he
is single-handedly responsible for creating the Monument Garden which
marks the arrival of the first batch of Indian indentured labourers to
Guyana in 1838.
Dr Persaud was described by many of his friends and
colleagues last evening as a humble man who did not disrespect or
discriminate.
He was described as an open individual who would greet anyone on the social ladder from top to bottom and did not disparage.
“He is one of the persons who never hesitated to allow a person to realize their fullest potential.”
Current
Chairman of IPED, Dr Leslie Chin noted that it was because of the
vision of Dr Persaud that IPED was formulated and one of the values he
instilled at that organsisation was the value of financial stability
for all.
Bishop
Randolph George described Dr Persaud as a man of outstanding character.
“We ought to be thankful as a country for people like Persaud.”
Hans Barrow told the gathering that Dr Persuad was an exemplary Guyanese whom a lot could be learnt from.
Meanwhile,
Major General (rtd) Joe Singh noted that the distinguished persons in
the audience were testimony to the depth of Dr Persaud.
He added
that Dr Persaud was a man who never made age a factor and gave
unselfishly of his time. “No one can take away that he is an example
for all who would wish to walk in his footsteps.”
Singh also noted
that it was fitting for Dr Persaud to be honoured while he was alive
and urged that it be done in more cases for people who have served the
country faithfully and unselfishly.
Dr Persaud, in expressing appreciation
for the award and compliments bestowed on him, said that he was proud
of his humble beginnings and that he learnt “from a young age to
respect all, love all and hate none irrespective of who they are, given
that we are all part of the human family…cease to do evil, learn to do
good given that what you sow you reap.”
According to Dr Persaud, a
person is what he/she makes themselves and humility would take an
individual a far way. He added that one of his life’s philosophies was
to “do your best and nothing but the best.”
Dr Persaud acknowledged
that a project that he was particularly proud of is IPED, which gives
persons an opportunity to own their own business, and it was his
tribute to Guyana.
He estimated that IPED has been responsible for
the establishment of some 40,000 businesses and the creation of some
50,000 jobs.
In offering a bit of advice, Dr. Persaud said that
nothing happens if you don’t make it happen given that God has blessed
“us all with faculties (brain) and we must use it.”
He added that if all was to contribute to society it would be a better place.
Dr
Persaud was also adamant that there was no reason for this to be a poor
country since the country is blessed with an abundance of resources.
He
noted that what needs to be accomplished is the putting aside of the
division that exists in the country. “If we can come together we can
transform the nation….we will prosper.”
Dr Persaud is currently working on his autobiography.
http://www.kaieteurnews.com/?p=5052

From Bengal to Bushlot to Belize –
THE INDENTURED IMMIGRANTS

by Karan Chand

Karan Chand is a Guyanese living and teaching for the past 19 years in Belize
 City, Belize. This book is on the list for Literature at two high schools in Belize
and others are now considering it to be included as an additional text.

From Bengal to Bushlot to Belize - THE INDENTURED IMMIGRANTS 
is available from the author – E-mail  kchand16@hotmail. com

Episodes of Indian Experience
by Professor Kenneth Ramchand
Professor Kenneth Ramchand is Professor Emeritus of West Indian Literature,
University of the West Indies (UWI), Professor Emeritus of English (Colgate University), and
currently, Associate Provost, The Academy at the University of Trinidad and Tobago for Arts,
Letters, Culture and Public
Affairs.
http://deosaranbisnath.blogspot.com/2008_05_01_archive.html

I want to do a ballet on the Ganges: Hema Malini

‘I have already made the script. I want to bring the Ganges on to the stage,’ she said.

She explained that her new ballet on the Ganges would carry an environmental message.

‘It is a beautiful concept, you know.
It starts with the mythological beginning (of the Ganges). But it goes
into today’s time and issues associated with the river. An
environmental message will be given,’ she
said. Talking about her other works, Hema Malini was very enthusiastic about another ballet she has
developed,
called ‘Draupadi’. ‘I have 12 actors playing the roles of the Kauravas
and Pandavas. I play the role of Draupadi. Our great epic ‘Mahabharata’
is then told from Draupadi’s point of view,’ she said.

GOPIO Trinidad & Tobago
a chapter of GOPIO International.
P.O. BOX 2286, Chaguanas. TRINIDAD.

The Global Organization of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO) unequivocally and
categorically reiterates that there is only one authorized GOPIO Chapter in
Trinidad and Tobago, namely GOPIO Trinidad and Tobago, with its leadership
team that was installed on February 29, 2008 in Freeport,
Trinidad.

The executives of GOPIO Trinidad and Tobago include Deosaran Bisnath (President);
Varsha Maharaj (Secretary); Oscar Ramoutar (Treasurer); Ena Maraj, PRO;
Directors (Niranjan Bhaggan, Jaganath Seeram-Maharaj) ; and
Youth Officers (Shivanie Ramcharitar, Sacha Mahabal and Avinash Sanu).

 

GOPIO International emphasizes that former GOPIO of Trinidad and Tobago chapter
president Devant Maharaj does not function in any capacity in GOPIO International,
any of its councils or chapters, and is not authorized to make any such representations
on behalf of GOPIO Int’l or GOPIO Trinidad and Tobago.

  

GOPIO is a secular, non-partisan, not-for-profit, international organization based in
USA with chapters in various parts of the globe, representing the interests and
aspirations of People of Indian Origin (PIOs), and promoting awareness and
understanding of issues of concern — social, cultural, educational, economic, or political,
to global NRI/PIO community.

 

GOPIO can be contacted:

Inder Singh (President, GOPIO Int’l) at gopio-intl@sbcgloba l.net  or by
tel +1-818-708-3885, Ashook Ramsaran (Sec General, GOPIO Int’l) at
ramsaran@aol. com
 or by tel +1-718-939-8194, Deosaran Bisnath
(President, GOPIO of Trinidad & Tobago) at deobisnath@yahoo. com or
by tel +1-868-687-7529

Become a GOPIO member: write to –
GopioTT@gmail. com

GOPIO on the NET:
http://groups. yahoo.com/
group/GopioTT/
http://gopiott. blogspot. com/
http://www.gopio. net
http://gopio.
com

Fiji to hold forum on elections The interim Attorney-General of Fiji says his country will hold its own forum to discuss future elections, but New Zealand is not invited. Fiji’s interim leader, Commodore Frank Bainimarama, refused to attend a Pacific Islands Forum in Niue this week. New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark says he did not want to explain why he backed away from a promised deadline for elections next year. But Fiji’s interim Attorney-General, Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum, says New Zealand blocked the Commodore from post-forum talks. He says Fiji has now invited the heads of the United Nations and the Commonwealth to its own forum on elections. Fijian leader Frank Bainimarama has issued a bold warning to the Pacific Forum nations – be wary of New Zealand and Australia. The so called “statement to the nation” is in response to the Forum’s ultimatum for Fiji to hold elections by March, or be suspended, after Commodore Bainimarama was a no-show at the talks in Niue. The self-appointed Fijian leader says New Zealand and Australia seem to have taken over the moral leadership of the Pacific region.

~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~ ~~
HINDU WISDOM

	I was born from the nectar of immortality as the primordial horse and as Indra’s noble elephant. Among men, I am the king. Among weapons I am the thunderbolt. I am Kamadhuk, the cow that fulfills all desires; I am Kandarpa, the power of sex, and Vasuki, the king of snakes. -Bhagavad Gita 10:27-28  The ego is like a stick dividing water in two. It creates the impression that you are one and I am another. When the ego vanishes you will realize that Brahman is your own inner consciousness. -Ramakrishna
	Some realize the Self within them through the practice of meditation, some by the path of wisdom, and others by selfless service. Others may not know these paths; but hearing and following the instructions of an illumined teacher, they too go beyond death. -Bhagavad Gita 13:24-25

~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~ ~~~ ~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~

FREE TIBET, NOW!!
http://tibet97. blogspot. com/

 

 

 

Netherland: A Novel
by Joseph O’Neill
Chuck Ramkissoon, Trini self-mythologizing entrepreneur-gangster
Review From Publishers Weekly
Hans
van den Broek, the Dutch-born narrator of O’Neill’s dense, intelligent
novel, observes of his friend, Chuck Ramkissoon, a self-mythologizing
entrepreneur-gangster, that he never quite believed that people would
sooner not have their understanding of the world blown up, even by
Chuck Ramkissoon. The image of one’s understanding of the world being
blown up is poignant—this is Hans’s fate after 9/11. He and wife Rachel
abandon their downtown loft, and, soon, Rachel leaves him behind at
their temporary residence, the Chelsea Hotel, taking their son, Jake,
back to London. Hans, an equities analyst, is at loose ends without
Rachel, and in the two years he remains Rachel-less in New York City,
he gets swept up by Chuck, a Trinidadian expatriate Hans meets at a
cricket match. Chuck’s dream is to build a cricket stadium in Brooklyn;
in the meantime, he operates as a factotum for a Russian gangster. The
unlikely (and doomed from the novel’s outset) friendship rises and
falls in tandem with Hans’s marriage, which falls and then, gradually,
rises again. O’Neill (This Is the Life) offers an outsider’s view of New York bursting with wisdom, authenticity and a sobering jolt of realism.

In Joseph O’Neill’s third novel, Netherland, there are two great love objects: the city of New York and the game of cricket. Hans van den Broek,
the novel’s Dutch narrator, seeks solace in both the place and the
sport after September 11, 2001, when he finds himself adrift in the
city. We know he watched the destruction on television in the midtown
office where he works, that the trauma that followed is the ostensible
reason for his foundering marriage, and that the catastrophe forced
him, his wife, Rachel, and young son, Jake, out of their Tribeca loft
and into the Hotel Chelsea. When Rachel leaves for London
with Jake, Hans slides into a state of depressed alienation, which is
relieved, in part, by playing cricket in the city’s outer boroughs with
like-minded comrades from the West Indies and Asia.

On one of these excursions, Hans meets a
Trinidadian named Chuck Ramkissoon. This hyper-articulate, bamboozling
entrepreneur with a grand dream of building an American cricket arena
holds a steady if rather vague fascination for Hans, and the two fall
into an unlikely friendship.

 

Excerpt from Netherland.
The afternoon before I left London for New York—Rachel
had flown out six weeks previously—I was in my cubicle at work, boxing
up my possessions, when a senior vice-president at the bank, an
Englishman in his fifties, came to wish me well. I was surprised; he
worked in another part of the building and in another department, and
we were known to each other only by sight. Nevertheless, he asked me in
detail about where I intended to live (“Watts? Which block on Watts?”)
and reminisced for several minutes about his loft on Wooster Street and
his outings to the “original” Dean & DeLuca. He was doing nothing
to hide his envy.

“We won’t be gone for very long,” I
said,
playing down my good fortune. That was, in fact, the plan, conceived by my wife: to drop in on New York City for a year or three and then come back.

“You
say that now,” he said. “But New York’s a very hard place to leave. And
once you do leave . . .” The S.V.P., smiling, said, “I still miss it,
and I left twelve years ago.”

It was my turn to smile—in part out of embarrassment, because he’d spoken with an American openness. “Well, we’ll see,” I said.

“Yes,” he said. “You will.”

His
sureness irritated me, though principally he was pitiable—like one of
those Petersburgians of yesteryear whose duties have washed him up on
the wrong side of the Urals.

But it turns out he was right, in a
way. Now that I, too, have left that city, I find it hard to rid myself
of the feeling that life carries a taint of aftermath. This
last-mentioned word, somebody once told me, refers literally to a
second mowing of grass in the same season. You might say, if you’re the
type prone to general observations, that New York City insists on
memory’s repetitive mower—on the sort of purposeful postmortem that has
the effect, so one is told and forlornly hopes, of cutting the grassy
past to manageable proportions. For it keeps growing back, of course.
None of this means that I wish I were back there now; and naturally I’d
like to believe that my own retrospection is in some way more important
than the old S.V.P.’s, which, when I was exposed to it, seemed to
amount to not much more than a cheap longing. But there’s no such thing
as a cheap longing, I’m tempted to conclude these days, not even if
you’re sobbing over a cracked fingernail. Who knows what happened to
that fellow over there? Who knows what lay behind his story about
shopping for balsamic vinegar? He made it sound like an elixir, the
poor bastard.

At any rate, for the first two years or so of my return to England,
I did my best to look away from New York—where, after all, I’d been
unhappy for the first time in my life. I didn’t go back there in
person, and I didn’t wonder very often about what had become of a man
named Chuck Ramkissoon, who’d been a friend during my final East Coast
summer and had since, in the way of these things, become a transitory
figure. Then, one evening in the spring of this year, 2006, Rachel and
I are at home, in Highbury. She is absorbed by a story in the
newspaper. I have already read it. It concerns a group of tribespeople
that has emerged from the Amazon forest in Colombia.
They are reportedly tired of the hard jungle life, although it’s noted
they still like nothing better than to eat monkey, grilled and then
boiled. A disturbing photograph of a boy gnawing at a blackened little
skull illustrates this fact. The tribespeople have no idea of the
existence of a host country named Colombia, and no idea, more
hazardously, of diseases like the common cold or influenza, against
which they have no natural defenses.

“Hello,” Rachel says, “your tribe has come to light.”

I’m still smiling when I answer the ringing phone. A New York Times reporter asks for Mr. van den Broek.
The reporter says, “This is about Kham, ah, Khamraj Ramkissoon . . . ?”
“Chuck,” I say, sitting down at the kitchen table. “It’s Chuck Ramkissoon.”
She tells me that Chuck’s “remains” have been found in the Gowanus
Canal. There were handcuffs around his wrists and evidently he was the victim of a murder.
I
don’t say anything. It seems to me this woman has told an obvious lie
and that if I think about it long enough a rebuttal will come to me.

Her voice says, “Did you know him well?” When I don’t answer, she says, “It says somewhere you were his business partner.”
“That’s not accurate,” I say.
“But you were in business together, right? That’s what my note says.”
“No,” I say. “You’ve been misinformed. He was just a friend.”
She says, “Oh—OK.” There is a tapping of a keyboard and a hiatus.
“So—is there anything you can tell me about his milieu?”
“His milieu?” I say, startled into correcting her mooing pronunciation.
“Well,
you know—who he hung out with, what kind of trouble he might have
gotten himself into, any shady characters . . .” She adds with a faint
laugh, “It is kind of unusual, what happened.”

I realize that I’m upset, even angry.
“Yes,” I finally say. “You have quite a story on your hands.”

  

 

The latest issue of the Indo-Caribbean Times can be
accessed online at
http://www.esnips.com/web/Indo-CaribbeanTimes

  

 

 

Corentyne High School Holds 70th Anniversary Gala in NYC
By Vishnu Bisram
The
alumni of Corentyne High School – J C Chandisingh Secondary School
(CHS—JCCSS) of Port Mourant, Guyana, celebrated its 70th Anniversary
and Re-Union 2008 on Saturday, August 9, 2008 at the posh catering
venue of Antun’s located in Queens Village, New York City, USA.

The
event was a well attended gala affair graced by the presence of a
capacity crowd of 650 plus specially invited guests. Attendees were
predominantly graduates, former teachers and principals of CHS—JCCSS
and their respective spouses, friends and well wishers. Attendees came
from Europe, the United Kingdom (UK), Canada, several from the
Caribbean countries, Guyana and from all over the USA.

Special guests include Guyana’s Ambassador to the United
States, Hon. Bayney Karran of Washington, DC. Keynote Speaker was Jules
Nathoo, a former teacher at CHS—JCCSS who now resides in Canada. Former
CHS—JCCSS teacher and principal Jagdat P Deonarine attended as a VIP
guest, along with his wife Elaine, a former student herself. Also in
attendance: famous cricketer Joseph Solomon and wife Betty, as well as
former teacher Sewcharran Gunraj, Dan Sukhu, Chetram Singh, Dr Mahendra
Deonarine, Mr and Mrs Austin of the UK and Jane Baichu, one of the
oldest surviving alumni – and several well known former teachers whose
contributions are noteworthy.

The Chairman of the 70th
Anniversary and Re-Union 2008 Planning Committee was Ashook Ramsaran of
the class of 1964, formerly of Bloomfield Village, Corentyne, now
residing in USA. The MC for the event was Rishi Singh, graduate class
of 1971 and former teacher at CHS—JCCSS, along with Co-MC Bibi Hydar,
graduate of class of 1977.

It was a grand affair
and a very successful 70th Anniversary and Re-Union 2008 re-union event
that brought together alumni and former teachers spanning several
decades and from various parts of the world. In summary, it achieved
its objectives with unmatched style and elegance.
CONTINUED….

http://guyana1.blogspot.com/

 

 

 

V S NAIPAUL: A Tribute
http://www.jahajeedesi.com/forums/index.php?showforum=56

  

 

 

Indians in the Virgin Islands
Courtesy Lloyd Harradan
Friday, August 22nd 2008

(Virgin Islands Daily News 22.08.2008]

ST.
THOMAS – While the distance between India and the Virgin Islands is
thousands of miles, the local Indian community acts as a vital bridge
between the two, Ajay Gondane, India’s deputy consul general, said
Thursday.

Gondane,
who has more than 20 years with the Indian Foreign Service, arrived in
the Virgin Islands today to meet with government and education
officials and members of the Indian Association of the Virgin Islands,
which comprises nearly 70 local businesses and 500 members.

Gondane
will address the membership tonight at the association’s 61th
anniversary of India’s independence event at Marriott’s Frenchman’s
Reef and Morningstar Beach Resort.

Cultural dance, food, and dress showcase and celebrate Indian culture during the event.

Gondane said he has been looking forward to his first visit to the Virgin Islands.

He
said it is important to establish and bolster links with the Indian
community in the Virgin Islands and to let the community know that the
consul general’s office supports them.

“We want to ensure they are keeping their roots and connections with India,” he said.

Gondane,
who is based in New York, said he hopes to meet as many people and
government officials as possible, and he has a meeting scheduled with
Gov. John deJongh Jr.

Gondane
joined the Indian Foreign Service in 1985 and has worked in various
positions in Indian embassies in Damascus, Baghdad, Vienna and Ankara.
In 2006, Gondane was a visiting fellow at the Henry L. Stimson Centre
in Washington D.C.

He has published an analysis on terrorism in South Asia and two books on social development issues.

India
Association President Mulo Alwani said he is looking forward to
Gondane’s visit. Someone from the consul general’s office always
attends the association’s annual celebration.

The
India Association of the Virgin Islands aims to cultivate and celebrate
Indian culture within the territory. Alwani said that for years, the
members have committed themselves to improving the entire community by
giving education scholarships and making donations to schools and
medical facilities.

“This is our home,” Alwani said. “We are part of this community.”

The
organization’s donations include: $100,000 pledge to Charlotte Amalie
High School, $100,000 pledge to Charlotte Kimelman Cancer Institute,
and $20,000 to Lockhart Elementary School.

Since
the late 1980s, the association has provided a total of $49,000 annual
scholarships to students attending the University of the Virgin
Islands.

Education is very important, Alwani said.

“No one can take away your education,” he said. “If you have an education you can go anywhere in the world and be successful.”

 

 

 

‘Disillusioned’ Indians in SA want revival of Gandhi’s party

 

DURBAN:
Prominent South African activist Fatima Meer has said revival of the
Natal Indian Congress formed by Mahatma Gandhi can only help the Indian
community that is feeling “marginalised” and “isolated” under the
ruling ANC, which is grappling with infighting and corruption.

The
NIC was formed in 1894 by Gandhi to fight discrimination against
Indians during the aparthied days and jointly worked with the African
National Congress. It was dissolved after aparthied was abolished and
ANC came to power in 1994.

“This
was a mistake the ANC had made. It disbanded the Congress and it took
over the apartheid stooges,” Meer, herself an anti-aparthied leader who
turns 80 on August 12, told in an interview at her home in Sydenham
area here.

Meer,
whose parents had come from the Gujarat and who is a close family
friend of ANC leader and anti-aparthied hero Nelson Mandela and his
former wife Winnie, predicted the state of affairs within ANC would
force “a great number of South Africans” not to vote for the party in
May next year.

“As
a political party, the ANC was fine and totally acceptable but to
organise better, the Indian people needed an organisation”, she said.

Meer said the Indians had a very strong organisation in the Natal Indian Congress.

“I
wrote to Mr Mbeki soon after he became president in 1999 that it had
been a tragedy that the ANC had asked the NIC to be disbanded. It was
an organisation that stood by the ANC always,” she said.

Meer
said she favoured the revival of NIC because she believed a large
percentage of the people of South Africa were disillusioned with the
current divisions within the ANC, which is witnessing a bitter power
struggle between President Thabo Mbeki and party chief Jacob Zuma.

 

 

Racial taunts spark protests by Indians in Malaysia

KULA
LUMPUR: About 500 angry ethic-Indians on Monday staged a protest
outside a school demanding action against a teacher who allegedly
hurled racial slurs against students from the community in western
Malaysia’s Selangaon state.

According
to the police report, a woman history teacher had allegedly called
Indian students in a Class four and five ‘Negro’, ‘black monkeys’ and
other derogatory names.

The crowd began gathering outside the Banting school’s main entrance near here at noon and staged a protest for two hours.

The teacher had also
allegedly said that the community members were stupid and prone to thievery, the Star daily reported on its website.

The alleged incidents took place on July 17 and 22 when the teacher had allegedly beaten up some Indians students.

A
students also alleged in his report that the teacher had written the
word ‘keling pariah’ on the board and lost her cool when the Indian
students told her that they did not like being called names, it said.

Coalition
of Malaysian Indian NGOs secretary Gunaraj George, who was among the
protesters, said such abuse would only breed hatred and racial
polarisation in schools.

“No
one in his or her right frame of mind would have said these things.
Given this, the best option would be for the teacher to be assigned to
a desk job and not be allowed to be near youngsters anymore,” he said.

Meanwhile,
Deputy Education Minister Wee Ka Siong said the schoolteacher might be
sacked if the allegations proved true. “The allegations were serious as
no one was allowed to insult others, especially in a school
environment,” said Wee, who was asked to comment.

The ministry was awaiting an official report before taking any action, he added.

 

 

‘Munnabhai’ inspires seminar on modern Gandhigiri

 

JOHANNESBURG: Bollywood film Lage Raho Munnabhai has
inspired a slew of protests worldwide using Gandhian methods, such as
people swamping officials with flowers. Now it’s the turn of the
academics to discuss modern Gandhigiri.

Mahatma
Gandhi had led a march in South Africa in 1908 to protest a law asking
all Indians and Chinese to carry registration certificates with them,
and hundreds had publicly burnt such documents following him.

On
the centenary of that historic march, the Centre for Indian Studies
(CISA) at the Witwatersrand University, Indian Consul-General Navdeep
Suri and the Gandhi Centenary Committee Monday hosted a colloquium on The Bonfire of 1908: Passive
Resistance Then and Now .

The
Mahatma’s great-granddaughter Kirti Menon headed the colloquium. P.K.
Dutta of Delhi University, an expert on Indian popular culture, related
how Gandhian ideas were now being revived in India in new ways.

Uma
Dhupelia-Mesthrie from the University of the Western Cape, a
granddaughter of Gandhi, spoke about a housing project next to a busy
motorway in Cape Town that has resulted in a lot of social tensions
there. She said that Gandhian strategies might have led to a different
outcome.

Rehana
Ebrahim-Vally from the University of Pretoria shared views on how young
Indian people in South Africa understand Gandhi’s ideals and how it
relates or does not relate to their sense of being of Indian origin.

Ari
Sitas, a professor at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, and Crain
Soudien of the University of Cape Town spoke about the relevance of
Gandhian ideas to new movements that are trying to address
globalisation.

Sitas
addressed the role of Gandhi in what he called “neo-Gandhians” in the
anti-militaristic movements across the globe, while Crain referred to
the African Renaissance led by South African President Thabo Mbeki and
how Gandhian philosophies might have led to different outcomes in his
attempts to bring about such a transformation.

There
were also presentations by Raymond Suttner of the University of South
Africa and Goolam Vahed, professor at the University of KwaZulu-Natal,
on how the African National Congress (ANC) grappled with some of the
ideas of non-violence as opposed to the need for a violent struggle in
South Africa.

The
colloquium ended with a poster presentation by struggle veteran
Kantilal Naik, also attached to the host university, who said Gandhi’s
philosophy was relevant during the five decades of struggle, and was
even more relevant now, 14 years down the line of becoming a democratic
nation.

“We are now
faced with other types of difficulties – crime, fraud, lies, arrogance,
self-enrichment, economic meltdown, and rising poverty. What is there
left for us, but to adopt Gandhi’s principles to bring about some
sanity in our country?”

 

‘Satyagraha is a contribution of S African Indians to the world’   JOHANNESBURG: Mahatma Gandhi might have been a just a footnote in history if it were not for the support of the South African Indian community that brought him in South Africa as a young lawyer and got him started on his now legendary struggle against oppression, according to South African Arts and Culture Minister Pallo Jordan. “We all know and speak highly of Mahatma Gandhi, but very few people will ever give recognition to the fact that without the support of the Indian community in South Africa, the name Mahatma Gandhi would not even have been a footnote in history,” Jordan said. He was speaking at Saturday’s centenary celebrations of a historic event led by Gandhi at the Hamidia Mosque in Johannesburg. Hundreds of people including South African dignitaries and India’s Culture and Tourism Minister Ambika Soni joined him in burning copies of the registration certificates that all people of Indian and Chinese descent were required to carry under a law in 1908. Gandhi’s protest march against it is widely seen as one of the first acts of his philosophy of Satyagraha. “(Gandhi’s) experiments in Satyagraha; his experiments in harnessing non-violence as a power of truth and bearing witness against oppression, proved successful because the Mahatma’s call received a response from the Indian community of this country,” Jordan said to a loud applause from the hundreds of locals, expatriates and children who had gathered outside the mosque for the first in a series of events to mark the centenary. “So Satyagraha is the singular contribution that South Africans of Indian descent have made to the history of not only South Africa and India, but many other parts of the world.” Jordan said it should never be forgotten the rallying to Gandhi’s call by the thousands of Indian South Africans had been: “There is a tendency, especially today, to relegate the role of various communities and individuals to the background. That is very wrong; it is an injustice; and I think it is a misrepresentation of the truth.” He said the rejection of the registration papers by the Indian community at that time had proved to the world that an oppressive law could be made unworkable. “That was a lesson that has gone throughout the world and has informed every struggle in the 20th century. In honouring Gandhiji, we must also honour and recognise the singular contribution made by this community, to the struggle for liberation here and in every other part of the world.”   Indian overseas Congress honours NRIs on I-Day LONDON: A leading solicitor, a broadcaster and a social activist were among the four NRIs honoured here by the overseas wing of the Indian National Congress, for their outstanding contribution to society, on the occasion of India’s 62nd Independence Day. Solicitor Hari Singh, poet and broadcaster at Kismat Radio Sathi Ludianvi, social activist and prominent leader of the Conservative party, Anita Kapoor and eminent doctor Dharmendra Tripathi were felicitated by India’s Acting High Commissioner to UK Asoke Mukerji here last night, at event organised by the Indian Overseas Congress (UK). Balwant Kapoor, freedom fighter and President of the IOC (UK) said NRIs were proud of India’s achievements under the leadership of Manmohan Singh, emphasising that economic growth must be all-inclusive and effective steps should be taken to bridge the gulf between rich and the poor. Brahm Mahindra, MLA and former cabinet minister of Punjab, who was a special guest on the occasion, said the Indo-US nuclear deal would go a long way in making India strong economically. He also hailed the strong stand taking by India in safeguarding the interest of farmers at the WTO talks. In a message, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh complimented NRIs for their efforts to be good citizens of their adopted countries, while keeping alive their links with India. In her message, Sonia Gandhi, Congress President and chairperson of India’s ruling coalition said, “We are making India into a strong country, strong in its independence, strong in the defence of its territory and integrity, strong in its economy, strong in its commitment to the values of secularism.”

 

 

Inspiration

http://www.jahajeedesi.com/forums/index.php?showforum=10

Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya

This is the birthday of Lord Krishna, the eighth Divine Incarnation. It falls on the 8th day of the
dark half of the month of Bhadrapada (August-September). This is one of the greatest of all
Hindu festivals. Lord Krishna was born at midnight. A twenty-four hour fast is observed on this
day, which is broken at
midnight.

Temples are decorated for the occasion. Kirtans are sung, bells are rung, the conch is blown,
and Sanskrit hymns are recited in praise of Lord Krishna. At Mathura, the birthplace of Lord
Krishna, special spiritual gatherings are organised at this time. Pilgrims from all over India
attend these festive
gatherings.

Sri Krishna is the ocean of bliss. His soul-stirring Lilas, which are the wonder of wonders, are
its waves. The honeyed music of His flute attracts the minds of His devotees from all three
regions. His unequalled and unsurpassed wealth of beauty amazes the animate and the
inanimate beings. He adorns His friends with His incomparable
love.

If you cannot read the whole of the Srimad Bhagavatam during these days, at least you should
recite the following four most important verses from the book. The leading two verses and the
closing verse are the prologue and the epilogue
respectively:

“Hear from Me the most secret knowledge coupled with the essential experience and its
component
parts.

“May you realise by My Grace, the knowledge of Myself and what form, qualities and actions I
am endowed
with.

1. “Before creation I alone existed. There was nothing, neither existence nor non-existence. I
am that which remains after
dissolution.

2. “Understand that to be Maya or illusion which is devoid of any purpose, which is not to be
found in the Self and which is unreal like light and
darkness.

3. “As the primary elements are amalgamated, with one another and also separate from one
another at the same time, so I pervade the whole universe and am also separate from
it.

4. “The aspirant should, by the method of positive and negative, know that thing which exists
always and
everywhere.

May the blessings of Lord Krishna and Sri Radha be upon you all!
  – SWAMI
SIVANANDA

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CaribbeanH
indus/

http://www.jahajeed esi.com/forums/ index.php? showforum=
10

  

Gorgeous Farnley lass Janeena Basra has sparked a
cross-border battle of beauty after scooping a title in Cheshire.

Janeena Basra sparks Miss England beauty battle

The stunning 23-year old has just won a place in the final of the Miss England contest
after winning the regional Miss Halton Pride contest. If she wins that, the brainy beauty –
who has two University degrees – will go on to represent her country in the Miss World
pageant later this year.
However as a Leeds native triumphing on the other side of the pennines, Janeena’s
victory has angered some people who believe a local girl should have won.
Miffed Halton folk have flooded a local website with comments such as “Where is the
justice in a girl from Leeds being crowned?” and “How is she going to fulfil her duties as
Miss Halton Pride?”  Another irate local said bluntly: “I bet the new Miss Halton had
never

even heard of the place until a few weeks a go. Disgraceful!”

 

WORD PLAY

juju \JOO-joo\, noun:

1. An object superstitiously believed to embody magical powers.
2. The power associated with a
juju.

[David] Robinson, sounding confident and sure, said that the time for juju
and magic dust had passed. ‘To be honest with you, I think it’s beyond
that’, he said. ‘It’s very hard to come up with magic at the end’.
– “Knicks Find There’s No Place Like Home”, New York Times, June 22,
1999

‘You ever heard of juju?’
Skyler shook his head.
‘Magic. You talk about this and it’ll be the last talkin’ you do. You’ll just open your mouth and nothin’ will come out’.
– John Darnton, The
Experiment

We
are told, for example, of the Edo youngster, apparently both Christian
and traditionally African in his beliefs, who was heard to mutter
‘S.M.O.G.’ over and over when he and his companions were threatened by
‘bad juju’. When questioned he replied, ”Have you never heard of it?
It stands for Save Me O God. When you are really in a hurry, it is
quickest to use the initials’.
– “The Spirits And The African Boy”, New York Times, October 10,
1982

On
any terminal she is using, a co-worker puts up a sign proclaiming, ‘Bad
karma go away, come again another day’. When she was pregnant, she
said, she crashed her computer twice as often — she attributes that to
a double whammy of woo-woo juju.
– “Can a Hard Drive Smell Fear?”, New York Times, May 21,
1998

Juju is of West African origin, akin to Hausa djudju, fetish, evil
spirit

 

 

 

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~ ~~
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‘JahajeeDesi’ = The Indians who crossed the Kala Pani by ship,
the Indentured Indian Immigrants, and their descendants.
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]]> http://deosaranbisnath.wordpress.com/2008/08/23/international-jahajee-journal-ijj-august-24th-2008/feed/ 0 DeosaranBisnath user posted image Warwick University honours Yesu Persaud with Doctorate Hema Malini produces Revathi film user posted image user posted image Gorgeous Farnley lass Janeena Basra has sparked a cross-border battle of beauty after scooping a title in Cheshire. http://deosaranbisnath.wordpress.com/2008/08/09/ijj-july-27th-2008-tantra-sex-is-not-a-sin-bajan-anti-indian-hate-racism-satyajit-ray-the-indianisation-of-cricket/ http://deosaranbisnath.wordpress.com/2008/08/09/ijj-july-27th-2008-tantra-sex-is-not-a-sin-bajan-anti-indian-hate-racism-satyajit-ray-the-indianisation-of-cricket/#comments Sat, 09 Aug 2008 01:18:05 +0000 deosaranbisnath http://deosaranbisnath.wordpress.com/?p=45 Continue reading →]]>

International Jahajee Journal (IJJ), July 27th, 2008 Voice of the International Indian Diaspora http://www.jahajeed esi.com/ Home of the International Jahajee Diaspora Editor: Deosaran Bisnath http://deosaranbisn ath.blogspot. com http://deosaranbisn ath.wordpress. com/ http://jahajeedesi. blogspot. com/ http://www.jahajeed esi.com/forums/ index.php? act=idx I see God walking in every human form. When I meet different people, I say to myself, “God in the form of the saint, God in the form of the sinner, God in the form of the righteous, God in the form of the unrighteous.” Sri Ramakrishna THE CHESS PLAYERS by Satyajit Ray Ray’s first film in a language other than Bengali – here English, Urdu and Hindi – is a gently humorous, acutely observed satire of colonialism and self absorption. Using the powerful symbolism of the chess games of two nobles to make an acute commentary on Anglo-Indian relations in Victorian times, Ray notes that no matter who may win or lose, board and pieces stay exactly the same. Review by Andrew Robinson “It’s a very, very complex mixed kind of thing, the entire British heritage in India”, Satyajit Ray told me after a pregnant pause when I interviewed him at length for a biography in the 1980s. “I’m thankful for the fact that at least I’m familiar with both cultures and it gives me a very much stronger footing as a film-maker, but I’m also aware of all the dirty things that were being done. I really don’t know how I feel about it.” The opportunity to probe some of these deep equivocations in himself drew Ray to tackle a film—The Chess Players (Shatranj ke Khilari)—that differs in certain important respects from all his other 30 or more feature films, beginning with the Apu Trilogy of the 1950s. For a start, The Chess Players was easily Ray’s most expensive film, employing stars of the Bombay cinema (notably Amjad Khan, Shabana Azmi and Amitabh Bachchan as a narrator) and even of western cinema (Richard Attenborough) , large Mughal-style sets and exotic location shooting (Lucknow and Rajasthan). In addition, it was Ray’s first and only feature to venture into a language—Urdu— other than Bengali. It was also his only film in which Islamic culture played a major role. Most important of all, the film was a historical drama—set during the East India Company’s annexation of Oudh in 1856, the year before the outbreak of the Indian Mutiny—which dealt directly with the Raj. Although the influence of the British is felt in most of Ray’s films in subtle ways, and he made several films set in the 19th century, The Chess Players is the only one where the Raj and its officials occupy centre stage. Given its world premiere at the London Film Festival in 1977, The Chess Players was the first adult film about the Raj. Today, after Gandhi, Heat and Dust, The Jewel in the Crown, A Passage to India and many other Raj-related films, Ray’s film remains by far the most sophisticated portrayal of this particular clash of cultures. As the Nobel laureate VS Naipaul remarked of the film, “It is like a Shakespeare scene. Only 300 words are spoken but goodness!—terrific things happen.” Satyjit Ray’s films include the Apu Trilogy, The Music Room, Charulata, Days and Nights in the Forest, The Chess Players, and The Stranger. He also made comedies, musical fantasies, detective films, and documentaries. He was an exceptionally versatile artist who won almost every major prize in cinema, including a lifetime achievement Oscar in 1992. GOPIO TRINIDAD & TOBAGO meets the President of the Republic of Trinidad & Tobago, His Excellency, Professor George Maxwell Rochards Left to right: Ms. Sacha Mahabal, Assistant Secretary; Mr. Oscar Ramoutar, Treasurer; Mr. Deosaran Bisnath, President; Professor George Maxwell Richards, President of Trinidad and Tobago; Ms. Ena Maraj, PRO; Ms. Shivanie Ramcharitar, Youth Officer; Dr. Vijay Ramlal Rai, Head of Culture Committee… …. Continued http://gopiott. blogspot. com/2008/ 07/gopio- trinidad- tobago-pays- courtesy. html SOUTH AFRICA sacks Indian-origin provincial premier DURBAN: South Africa’s only Indian-origin provincial premier has been sacked by the ruling ANC, apparently falling prey to the bitter power-struggle between President Thabo Mbeki and party chief Jacob Zuma. A close associate of Mbeki, Premier of the Western Cape province Ebrahim Rassool announced his resignation at a meeting attended by the chairperson of the African National Congress Baleka Mbete in Cape Town.  Appointed as the Premier in 2003 by President Thabo Mbeki, Rassool, whose grand-parents came to South Africa from Gujarat, said that he had served in his position honestly and effectively and was sad to step down. Rassool has also resigned from the Cape provincial legislature. Mbete, also Speaker of Parliament, told reporters that Rassool was asked to resign for “political reasons” and to prepare for the general elections in 2009.
From Bengal to Bushlot to Belize - THE INDENTURED IMMIGRANTS by Karan Chand Karan Chand is a Guyanese living and teaching for the past 19 years in Belize City, Belize. This book is on the list for Literature at two high schools in Belize and others are now considering it to be included as an additional text. From Bengal to Bushlot to Belize – THE INDENTURED IMMIGRANTS is available from the author – E-mail kchand16@hotmail. com INDIAN GOVT: Lord Rama destroyed the bridge STAYED FOR NOW: The Sethusamundram project has been stayed by SC following protests by Hindu groups. New Delhi: The Central government on Wednesday informed the Supreme Court that it is going ahead with the contentious Sethusamudram Project. In an affidavit filed before the SC, the Centre said that it was not destroying the Ram Sethu as no such bridge existed. Lord Ram himself had destroyed the bridge with a magical bow, the Centre said in the affidavit, quoting from the Tamil Kamban Ramayan . BJP Spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad told CNN-IBN, “This is a deliberate attempt to play around with Hindu sentiments. They are now saying Lord Ram destroyed the Setu when earlier they had said that Lord Ram did not even exist and that Tulsi Ramayana and Valmiki Ramayana had no historical evidence or scientific proof to corroborate their statements.” Episodes of Indian Experience by Professor Kenneth Ramchand Professor Kenneth Ramchand is Professor Emeritus of West Indian Literature, University of the West Indies (UWI), Professor Emeritus of English (Colgate University), and currently, Associate Provost, The Academy at the University of Trinidad and Tobago for Arts, Letters, Culture and Public Affairs. http://deosaranbisn ath.blogspot. com/ The Indianisation of cricket The concentration of power in the hands of the BCCI is not necessarily bad, but India should understand that it is one thing to have earned the right to wield unipolar power, another to demonstrate deserving it When the Cold War abruptly thawed almost 20 years ago, political strategists launched the expression “unipolar world” to describe global realpolitik in which the United States was the solitary superpower. In the last five years cricket has realigned to reflect a similar world order. Where it was once ritually complained that the ICC is weak, inconsistent, reactive, lacking in leadership, we now know exactly what that body will do on every issue before it: what India wishes. Sometimes not exactly; sometimes not without qualification. But in the main, no significant motion can advance without India’s patronage, and nothing to which India is resistant has a hope in hell. On India’s nod, the ICC can even change the result of Test matches. Hell, why play Test matches at all? Let’s just decide them by vote at the ICC! In one sense at least, a unipolar ICC is long overdue. India has always been the most populous, and arguably also the most passionate, of cricket nations. But its house has commonly been divided, and its stock abroad poor. In Australia in the 1980s and 1990s, we saw little of Indian teams – frustratingly little, for they were a purist’s delight to watch. While the West Indies seemed to tour every other summer, Australians were denied a Sachin Tendulkar Test innings for almost eight years. The reason? India were not perceived as sufficiently bankable – and this is worth remembering lest it be imagined that the BCCI somehow introduced the evils of money to a cricket world of prelapsarian innocence. The reasons for India’s belated eminence are not far to seek either. Its democracy is stable, its economy vital, its political and media elite rich beyond the dreams of avarice; they covet cultural clout due their wealth. I suspect it is no longer correct to talk about the “globalisation” of cricket; rather is the game being “Indianised” , subordinated to Indian commercial agendas. That is to say, the emphasis has moved from taking the game to new frontiers for its benefit and furtherance, but to spreading the sphere of the BCCI’s influence and providing content for the consumption of its domestic market. And in a lot of ways this is actually no big deal. There are worse cultural values to be pervaded by; and, well, most commercial agendas are alike, no matter where they’re from, and India’s commercial sector is no more rapacious and vulgar than those of other countries. At its best, in fact, the BCCI has shown an élan and imagination that other boards, and other sporting bodies, must eye enviously. At its worst, however, it exhibits the characteristics of chip-on-the- shoulder superpower and insatiable monopoly capitalist.. .. CONTINUED: http://content- wi.cricinfo. com/magazine/ content/current/ story/361499. html Indian Indentured Immigration to Trinidad by Deosaran Bisnath, Editor, International Jahajee Journal President, GOPIO Trinidad & Tobago. Part 1 : Origin of The Coolie Slave Trade http://deosaranbisn ath.blogspot.com/ ANTI-INDIAN HATE & RACISM IN BARBADOS
Commentary: Bajans, Guyanese and the politics of hate
Published on Friday, July 25, 2008
By Dr Randy Persaud It is finally happening. Guyanese immigrants in Barbados are now being murdered. The attack in which Christopher Griffith was killed, and Seelochanie Samuels wounded, was not the work of bandits. It was an anti- immigrant political killing. For many Guyanese this might be a surprise, because, after all, we are all West Indians, and on top of that, Barbados has this image as an Island Paradise. Political violence is not supposed to happen there. Barbados is supposed to be the Singapore of the Caribbean – highly globalized, high per capita GDP, and outranked only by the OECD countries in the UNDP’s Human Development Index. But something ominous and enormously complicated is occurring in Barbados. There is an unbelievable level of hatred against Guyanese in general and Indo-Guyanese in particular. The magnitude and depth of hatred against the Guyanese is now bordering on neo-fascism. In this short article I am arguing that the developments in Barbados have direct linkages to the campaign to construct the Government of Guyana as racist. By ‘construct’ I mean that in contradistinction to objective reality, a platoon of opposition elements have been using various media (TV, daily columns, letters to the editor, blogs etc) to give the impression that the PPP government is deliberately victimizing the Afro-Guyanese population.. . CONTINUED HERE: http://guyana1. blogspot. com/ Child of Dandelions by Shenaaz Nanji Publisher: Front Street (March 2008) ISBN-10: 1932425934 ISBN-13: 978-1932425932 A breathtaking account of one girl’s determination to triumph over a devastating historical event. In Uganda in 1972, President Idi Amin, also known as the Last King of Scotland, announces that foreign Indians must be “weeded” out of Uganda in ninety days. Fifteen-year- old Sabine’s life is changed forever. The president’s message, broadcast on the radio every day, becomes Sabine’s “countdown monster,” and it follows her through days of terror. Sabine’s father is convinced that, as Ugandan citizens, their family will be unaffected, but her mother insists it’s too dangerous to stay. When her beloved uncle disappears and her best friend abandons her, Sabine begins to understand her mother’s fears. She becomes desperate to leave, but Bapa, her grandfather, refuses to accompany her. How can she leave him, and where will her family go to begin a new life? Hear the author read excerpts in her own words: Child of Dandelions.mp3 “Drawn in part from the veteran author’s own experiences, this deeply felt tale takes readers to 1972 Uganda where, shortly after coming to power, Idi Amin gave all Indians and citizens of Indian descent just 90 days to leave the country. … Readers will feel her inner conflict sharply, admire her resilience and quick thinking—and come away shocked themselves by the brutality she encounters during this little-known historical episode.” —Kirkus Reviews CONTINUED: http://www.frontstr eetbooks. com/books/ fiction/child_ of_dandelions. html GOPIO Trinidad & Tobago a chapter of GOPIO International. P.O. BOX 2286, Chaguanas. TRINIDAD. The Global Organization of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO) unequivocally and categorically reiterates that there is only one authorized GOPIO Chapter in Trinidad and Tobago, namely GOPIO Trinidad and Tobago, with its leadership team that was installed on February 29, 2008 in Freeport, Trinidad. The executives of GOPIO Trinidad and Tobago include Deosaran Bisnath (President); Varsha Maharaj (Secretary); Oscar Ramoutar (Treasurer); Ena Maraj, PRO; Directors (Niranjan Bhaggan, Jaganath Seeram-Maharaj) ; and Youth Officers (Shivanie Ramcharitar, Sacha Mahabal and Avinash Sanu). GOPIO International emphasizes that former GOPIO of Trinidad and Tobago chapter president Devant Maharaj does not function in any capacity in GOPIO International, any of its councils or chapters, and is not authorized to make any such representations on behalf of GOPIO Int’l or GOPIO Trinidad and Tobago. GOPIO is a secular, non-partisan, not-for-profit, international organization based in USA with chapters in various parts of the globe, representing the interests and aspirations of People of Indian Origin (PIOs), and promoting awareness and understanding of issues of concern — social, cultural, educational, economic, or political, to global NRI/PIO community. GOPIO can be contacted: Inder Singh (President, GOPIO Int’l) at gopio-intl@sbcgloba l.net or by tel +1-818-708-3885, Ashook Ramsaran (Sec General, GOPIO Int’l) at ramsaran@aol. com or by tel +1-718-939-8194, Deosaran Bisnath (President, GOPIO of Trinidad & Tobago) at deobisnath@yahoo. com or by tel +1-868-687-7529 Become a GOPIO member: write to - GopioTT@gmail. com GOPIO on the NET: http://groups. yahoo.com/ group/GopioTT/ http://gopiott. blogspot. com/ http://www.gopio. net http://gopio. com ~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~ ~~ HINDU WISDOM Religions are different roads converging on the same point. What does it matter that we take different roads so long as we reach the same goal? I believe that all religions of the world are true more or less. I say “more or less” because I believe that everything the human hand touches, by reason of the very fact that human beings are imperfect, becomes imperfect. -Mahatma Gandhi From him come all the seas and the mountains, The rivers and the plants that support life. As the innermost Self of all, he dwells Within the cavern of the heart. -Mundaka Upanishad Self-important, obstinate, swept away by the pride of wealth, they ostentatiously perform sacrifices without any regard for their purpose. Egotistical, violent, arrogant, lustful, angry, envious of everyone, they abuse my presence within their own bodies and in the bodies of others. -Bhagavad Gita 16:13–18 ~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~ ~~~ FREE TIBET, NOW!! http://tibet97. blogspot. com/ National Council of Indian Culture (NCIC), TRINIDAD Hall of Fame, 2008 THE CHILDREN OF a nation are the ones who will pursue a positive path to success. “Each parent, therefore, has the key for this progressive journey, which is more powerful than being a politician,” according to Trinidad-born artist, Dr Ralph Baney. At the time he was delivering the feature address at the National Council of Indian Culture’s (NCIC) 44th Anniversary Celebrations over the weekend, at its Fourth Induction Ceremony, at their headquarters along the Narsaloo Ramaya Drive, Endeavour, Chaguanas. Among the 2008 Inductees were Mahmoud P Alladin, Dr Ralph Baney, Vera Baney, Bisram Gopie, Ram Kirpalani, Kewal Maraj, Surujpat Mathura, Kamaluddin Mohammed, Narsaloo Ramaya, Ramdhanie Sharma, and Shri Brajamadhava Battacharya. Altogether so far 40 persons have been inducted into the Hall of Fame. Dr Baney, who has received numerous awards for his talent as an artist, has also received from UWI in 2004 the Doctor of Letters Recognition and is further highlighted in the Who’s Who In American Art and American Artists of Renown. He told the NCIC gathering:”Each ethnic group has its own historical leaders to emulate and together what a combination of resources we have to follow.” He felt that the “key to achieving this goal is our children. We may lament the failures of governments and its institutions in developing a successful society but, we have the key to change in the children who are its future.”  He said that each sector of the society in Trinidad and Tobago had the key to change and it is more powerful than what obtains in politics. He was of the view that “inequity in the country hindered nation-building progress and undermines the commitment of citizens leading to self -preservation.”  “We tend to become predatory citizens, who live in gated communities,” he added. Deokienanan Sharma, president of the NCIC, said that they would continue to propagate the culture of their forefathers which “was jealously retained by them.  They have succeeded in “creating a community with vibrant cultural practices.” http://www.newsday. co.tt/features/ 0,83083.html The latest issue of the Indo-Caribbean Times can be accessed online at http://www.esnips.com/ web/Indo- CaribbeanTimes TANTRA: The Method Of Kindling Dormant Energies THE IMAGE OF TANTRA IN COMMON MAN’S MIND SEX IS NOT A SIN: TANTRA FOR HEALTHY SEXUALITY Tantra – a unique spiritual system capable of resolving the mystery of Being and its relationship with the world without itself being mysterious, caught in the cobwebs of misconceptions, misled beliefs, clergies’ disapprovals, moralists’ censure, ethical concerns, quakes’ and sorcerers’ misuses and abuses, opposition of the ‘authorised’ – theology, philosophy …, and above all, the centuries long antipathy of Islamic and Christian rulers, has been the subject of neglect, indifference and even aversion for quite some time now. The term ‘Tantra’, often seen personified in the person practising it, the ‘tantrika’, brings to mind’s eye the image of a man with a rugged, coarse, hoary-looking, bearded and wrinkled face, eyes deeply pushed into their sockets, and locks of rough uncouth muddy long hair hung around shoulders. Wearing a long loosely hung black cloak and strings of multi- coloured, multi-shaped and multi-sized beads, stones and amulets, with a bundle of peacock feathers in his hands, he is fantasized as seated against a smoky hearth in a dark murky odorous cell in the suburb of a tribal or backward hamlet, engaged in practices considered to relate to ghosts, evil spirits or other forms of witch-craft and black arts. To so- conditioned a mind, Tantra is a system comprising incredible, primitive, unscientific beliefs, which by inciting blind faith exploits undeveloped or under-developed masses. Quite strangely, and unbelievably, Tantra, which emerges with such image in common man’s mind now, is India’s earliest, or at the most, one of the two earliest spiritual systems, the other being Vedanta. Being more simple and natural, seeking sublimation of what one is born with, not its negation – the modus of the Vedanta, Tantra dominated India’s spiritual and ritual scene for centuries with all principal theologies – Buddhism, Jainism, and even Vedanta’s offshoot Brahmanism and its components Shaivism, Shaktism and Vaishnavism, practising it as a scientific, technical and spiritual method leading to attainment of self-awareness, and thereby, ultimate knowledge and liberation. Perhaps a pre-Vedic ritual cult practised by Harappan settlers and thus one of the world’s earliest spiritual cultures, the Tantra occupied India’s intellectual domain ever since. Significantly, the number of Tantra-related texts, which began pouring in from early centuries of the Christian era and continued till late eighteenth century, is greater than that of the texts related to any other system of thought, though unfortunately most of them, usually manuscribed as secret documents for individuals, survive now only as allusions occurring in other texts. Not how the common mind takes, or mistakes it, Tantra has been on censor’s list almost always, or at least after the Vedic asceticism gained prominence, sometimes for psycho-metaphysical reasons and sometimes on grounds of morality. Human mind naturally inclines to obtain what it does not have, seek knowledge of things ‘not known’. This mind disapproves Tantra for the Tantra takes off with the real, instinctive, inborn, inherent in nature, that is, ‘what is’, or ‘that which is the best known’ – the body, nature, desires or whatever. What to Tantra is its basic source to sublimate is to this reasoning mind base and common not worth striving for. Apart, the common notion is that the key to transcendence is in the negation of oneself. One has to negate, relinquish himself to become what he is not; he has to give up what he has to obtain what he does not have. He venerates asceticism, or whatever, because asceticism is above him. He believes that asceticism is close to the ‘achievable’. To reach the ‘achievable’, he is required to acquire first this ‘in-between’ asceticism which is not in him. Asceticism condemns him as a gross common reality – a thing of flesh and bundle of frailties, shows his littleness and commands him to disbelieve himself. Mesmerized he accepts this … CONTINUED http://www.exoticin dia.com/article/ tantric/ V S NAIPAUL: A Tribute http://www.jahajeed esi.com/forums/ index.php? showforum= 56 Indians head a dozen Fortune 500 firms NEW YORK: Led by Vikram Pandit-run Citigroup, there are a dozen Fortune 500 companies across the world with an Indian or a person of India-origin as chief, as per the latest list of world’s biggest corporations released today. While there are seven Indian companies on this year’s Global Fortune 500 list, up from six last year, at least five other members of this league have been run by persons of Indian-origin over the past year. Among these companies, Citigroup, ranked 17th in the list prepared on the basis of the companies’ annual revenue, has Nagpur-born Pandit as its CEO since December last year. Citi is followed ArcelorMittal, which has billionaire steel tycoon Lakshmi Mittal as its CEO and main promoter, at 39th rank and Vodafone at 85th.  Other firms are beverages major PepsiCo (184) and financial services entity Hartford Financial Services (311). PepsiCo is headed by Indra Nooyi while Hartford Financial is led by Ramani Ayer. Inspiration http://www.jahajeed esi.com/forums/ index.php? showforum= 10 BRAVE ALL TRIALS Trials, difficulties, troubles and sufferings are necessary for your purification and to strengthen your will and power of endurance. Face them bravely and come out triumphantly. Press on. Strive on with all your will; only then is the grace of God bestowed. God helps those who help themselves. If bad thoughts enter your mind, simply ignore them. Offer a prayer to the Lord and substitute divine thoughts by studying the sacred books. The spiritual fire should be generated day after day. Hold fast to the ideal. Keep the flame of aspiration ever bright. Scorn mundane delights and strife. Dedicate your life to God. God is one. God is peace. God is universal harmony. God is love and law. As a lamp cannot burn without oil, so man cannot live without God. Creation reveals that God is dharma (righteousness) . God is the bestower of grace which is boundless and inexhaustible. – SIVANANDA Readings http://groups. yahoo.com/ group/CaribbeanH indus/ http://www.jahajeed esi.com/forums/ index.php? showforum= 10 ~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~ ~~ ‘jahaj’ = ship; ‘desi’ = Indian ‘JahajeeDesi’ = The Indians who crossed the Kala Pani by ship, the Indentured Indian Immigrants, and their descendants. http://www.JahajeeD esi.com For Free Subscription to this Newsletter, or to Join the JahajeeDesi YAHOO Group, or to contribute News, Letters, Essays, Reviews, Send Mail to: CCDSJ@yahoo. com Subscription Problems? Unsubscribe? 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