Too much India in New Jersey

Time Magazine apologized earlier this week to Indian-Americans for publishing an article by Joel Stein that was offensive and derogatory to the community.


I agree, the article IS offensive in parts. Its like Mr Stein started out writing a humor column but somewhere midway he gave in to the strands of subconcious racism that he can't deny have woven themselves into his diatribe against the Indian onslaught in his precious New Jersey hometown. Come on, "dotheads"?!! You cant imagine you'll get away with language like that in a magazine like Time. Celebrities get flak for using politically-incorrect terms all the time. Mel Gibson was in trouble for using the 'N' word recently. Public figures are made to apologize for using the 'F' word. So, I am glad Joel Stein was required to tender an apology for using the 'D' word.

Not that the apology sounds sincere to me. He says "I truly feel stomach-sick that I hurt so many people." What? He didn' realize how much the below sentences would pinch.

"Edison's first Indian generation didn't quickly assimilate (and give their kids Western names). But if you look at the current Facebook photos of students at my old high school, J.P. Stevens, which would be very creepy of you, you'll see that, while the population seems at least half Indian, a lot of them look like the Italian Guidos I grew up with in the 1980s: gold chains, gelled hair, unbuttoned shirts. In fact, they are called Guindians. Their assimilation is so wonderfully American that if the Statue of Liberty could shed a tear, she would. Because of the amount of cologne they wear."

Frankly, he doesnt spare the Italians too.

In his apology, Mr Stein says that he is "someone who believes that immigration has enriched American life and my hometown in particular..." but I really doubt it. He is mighty caustic for a believer. Perhaps, I would have respected him more for his honesty if he had only admitted frankly that he is not particularly excited by the Indian- Americans taking over Edison. At least, that way, there might have been healthy debates on the immigration issue.

I have read comments on this controversy in which people have expressed that perhaps we Indians can't take a joke on ourselves. Maybe, we are being over-sensitive. Its just another columnist spilling his guts about how left-out he feels when he goes back home. Big deal if our food is too spicy or our cousins are not too smart. So what if we love our Bollywood dramas and are generous with our samosas. If Mr Stein has figured out why "India is so damn poor", then perhaps the Planning Commission could consult with him.

You see, he didnt know corporal punishment was illegal!

And, as if that justifies everything.

As if it justifies that 12-year old Rouvan Rawla was repeatedly rebuked, harrassed, humiliated and finally caned by Principal Sunirmal Chakravarthi of Le Martinere school in Kolkata. He was caned so hard that the cane snapped in two. Worse, it broke the spirit of the boy so badly that he hung himself in his room four days later.

In response to the protests and outcry, the Principal has now "apologized". He said, ""I have to admit that when I caned this boy, I made a mistake and am willing to face consequences of that. But to link the caning of this boy to his death 4-5 days later is stretching it."

Really?!! Is it really such a stretch to understand the connection between a 12-year-old's fragile, impressionable psyche and the emotional trauma caused by physical and public humiliation? Hmmm, doesnt sound like rocket science to me. And the Principal is supposed to be the expert of children's education, personality development and wellbeing.

There was another part of his statement that leaves me stupefied. I actually hadnt realized that there are schools with overt policies in favour of corporal punishment.

Apparently, this school does believe that to "correct children, we need to punish them". This will probably stir the hornet's nest, but I cant help screaming out loud - NO. One doesnt need to punish in order to correct a child. And, one definitely doesnt need to punish physically.

Photo Credit: The pic on top is from here.

A Thousand Awesome Things

There's this guy who decided to focus on a bright twinkle in a dark sky. Everyday. For a thousand weekdays.

I stumbled upon an online write-up in The Huffington Post on Neil Pasricha's book The Book of Awesome. He had started it as a website 1000 Awesome Things back in 2008. In each post, he writes about "one simple, universal little joy" like "snow days, bakery air, or cashiers opening up new lanes at the grocery store, the smell of rain on a hot sidewalk, and waking up and realizing it's Saturday."

Most of the posts are bang-on and just about everybody, from every part of the world, could relate to them. He also peppers the post with personal vignettes and that makes them all the more endearing. They are well-written and that's probably the reason why the book works.

"Awesome!" is not usually my chosen exclaimation of sheer delight, but were I to use it, what would be my top 10 instances? Its actually tough to shortlist ten, leave alone identify the top ten. So, the below ten are in no order of priority, neither are they the only ten.

#) Getting home from work just in time before the evening rain pours down and then settling down by the window with a hot cup of tea.

#) Finding money in an inner pocket of an old handbag.

#) The warm, snug feel of a baby's little fist curling instinctively around your finger when you nudge them.

#) The smell of a new book just bought from the bookshop.

#) The high of a chocolate pastry after an emotionally stressful event.

#) Winning a full-house in a game of Housie Housie at the local club's Diwali gala.

#) Waking up just before dawn and realizing you still have a couple of hours of (guilt-free) sleep available to you.

#) That rare, once-in-a-blue-moon, bewildering bliss sometime mid-afternoon on a Monday when you realize you have absolutely no work that needs to be done. You are free for the day. And even if you have nowhere to go and none of your friends have the time, you feel AWESOME!

#) The slight weight of your young child's body as he/she lies soundly asleep in your arms.

#) Listening to the tinkling of a windchime.

Awesome! Awesome! Awesome!

Neighborly Relations

How does one say "India should be more generous" and also say "I can't change anti-India sentiments", both in the same breath?

Bangladeshi PM Sheikh Hasina's statement, in a most I-am-helpless-what-can-I-do manner, puzzles me. She also implied that the anti-India sentiment in Bangladesh has been festering since the 1950s. The soundbite is here.

Lunch-hour conversation over Sheikh Hasina's stuttered remark brought India's relations with our other (dare I say, angrier) neighbor to the table. Someone mentioned the recently launched The Times of India initiative Aman ki Aasha. Its hogwash, he said. The anti-India sentiment in Pakistan is so deeply embedded that its not going to change for several generations to come.

So, let me get this right. Because you believe that your neighbor hates you from the core of his being, you are never going to do anything about the situation. Never take any initiative, never try to understand, never make overtures or for that matter, war. Just continue to live in status quo? Continue to live in a world of terror attacks and hopelessness?

I dont think I could die in peace if I were to bequeth such a world to my child.

Photo Credit: The pic above is from here.

The Telangana Effect - To create a new state, go on a fast

If Telangana can, we will too.

So says Bundelkhand Mukti Morcha (for a separate Bundelkhand) and Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (for Gorkhaland). Following soon will be Saurashtra, Vidharbha, and even a Mithilanchal. Why, even Coorg region in Karnataka wants to become a state!

India is sure going to see a number of high-profile fasts-unto-death on the evening news in the coming days.

President Patil should say more

President Pratibha Patil was addressing the press conference after her history-making sortie in the Sukhoi-30MKI. Without meaning any disrespect, I must say she looked real cute in that G-suit and cap. Like with her usual outfit of saree (draped over her head) and full-sleeve blouse, the suit was buttoned up to her throat. I do feel it makes her look rather uptight, though.

Anyway, what she said was interesting. Forget the "it was an interesting and unique experience..." blah blah. Commenting on women in combat roles, she said that "decision was left to the experts". Given that this 74-year-old woman had just made a half-hour sortie in an Indian Air Force Fighter Jet (a combat aircraft), I wondered who was the 'expert' who had certified her eligible and why weren’t those experts allowing other women into combat roles. I believe, the IAF currently has 784 women officers working in different branches, but at present they are barred from the fighter stream.

I get it, the Presidential sortie was just a promotional gesture to probably do some brand building for the Indian defense forces. If so, then I wish she had taken a stronger stance on women in combat roles, when asked that question. A Presidential opinion could carry a lot of weight, you know. She doesn’t voice it as often as I would like.

All said and done, hats off to the President. She actually ventured to take the flight at age 74. That's an achievement.

The Twilight Madness

The Twilight Saga: New Moon is releasing. I am not a tween (haven’t been for ages now) yet am super-excited. Seems that’s the trend because, according to Slate, tweens’ moms are the biggest fan base lapping up the Twilight series. (I am not the mom of a tween either, but you know, technically old enough.) And according to USA Today, one in every 7 books sold in the United States in Q1 2009 was one of the four Twilight books.

Anyway, I stumbled upon Stephenie Meyer’s saga when the first movie- Twilight - released last November. Incidentally, I had broken my leg and was laid up in bed, hence I had plenty of time to wallow unhealthily in loads of Internet browsing, realms of chick-lit and hours of mediocre movies and TV shows. The online media was abuzz with the Edward-Bella romance and the air was rent with the shrieks and sighs of teenage girls.

I caught the Twilight flick online - a grainy version prone to buffering. Contrary to all the hype, I was left puzzled. What the heck were they all swooning about? Sure, there’s this utterly delectable, dreamy-eyed albeit weirdly-coiffed Robert Pattinson playing the golden-hearted bloodsucker, Edward. And though I think Kristen Stewart, playing Bella, talks like she’s got stones in her mouth, she’s OK too. But apart from that, I felt the movie had no fizz. Was this what sent teens into delirium these days?!

Hoping the old adage about books being better than the movie held true, I picked up the paperback. And, embarrassingly, I was hooked. Soon, I was sitting up till 3am to plough through the 500-page New Moon, the 1000-page Eclipse, and the 1500-page Breaking Dawn.

Then, I discovered that a few of my girl friends were equally big fans. Go online and Twilight fans are actually nineteen-to-a-dozen. Turns out, there’s this whole demographic of adult women who are devouring this vampire romance with a devotion that would probably suit their daughters more. It’s almost a fetish. But, you know, TwilightMoms.com, an online fan site which requires you to be more than 25 years old and a mom, apparently has 27000 registered users. So, I guess it’s a fetish with a huge following!

I followed up the Twilight books with a lot more vampire literature (what can I say, I go through phases of literary inclination). And, then checked out most of the vampire movies in pop culture. (Perhaps, that makes me a certified vampire aficionado, now!)

What I liked about Meyer’s Twilight stories is the fresh take on vampiric lore. She’s thrown together a teenager, a vampire and a werewolf – all fantastical creatures. Her vampires are well-behaved and vegetarian. And she’s introduced the craziest of concepts for these creatures; whoever had heard of sunlight-triggered body glitter and imprinting. (No spoilers here. For more info, read the books.)

I’ll probably catch New Moon online too. I’ll probably find it as flat as the first movie. New Moon, the story, is almost entirely about Jacob Black and Bella and its Taylor Lautner’s (the actor who portrays Jacob) chance to shine. I know the majority of Twilight readers are Edward ‘vamp girls’ but I am on Team Jacob.

Ok, now I’m beginning to sound seriously ‘fetish’y. And, it does nothing for my reputation as a mature, intelligent woman. So, this post ends here.