Category Archives: Politics

Asking for help isn’t easy

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The Pacific News Service spotlights the stories of some foreign South Asian students who are coping with the aftermath of hurricane Katrina.  Specifically the story focuses on their fears of being deported if they are unable to stay enrolled in a school that has been knocked out of commission, or if they seek out help from FEMA in these post-9/11 times:

“We’re homeless. We cannot work off campus. We are in a bad situation. Everyone is trying to survive. We are moving from place to place.”

Tulane University student Azad, who wouldn’t give his last name lest “I get into trouble,” was not just mouthing off. He meant every word of what he said, and what he said was an echo of what a number of other immigrant students from the Indian sub-continent were saying in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

The hurricane that hit the Gulf Coast earlier this month turned Azad’s life upside down, along with everyone else’s. Only, in the case of immigrant students like Azad, especially those from predominantly Muslim countries like his, many are wondering whether to seek help from federal agencies, or just lie low and continue banking on the uncertain help of friends and acquaintances.

“The fear they are experiencing is understandable,” Artesia, Calif.,-based South Asian Network’s executive director Hamid Khan told India-West. “It’s because of how South Asians, and particularly how Muslim students have been demonized” in the wake of 9/11. “Students with Muslim names face a higher degree of scrutiny. That’s why even in times of need they are afraid to reach out so that they don’t show up on the radar screen.”

This is when you often hear the oversimplified advice, “well if you’ve done nothing wrong you have nothing to fear.”  That advice doesn’t mean much to these students who, because of the fear of getting caught in the system, would rather keep their heads down even if it means enduring hardship.  The U.S. Immigration and Custom Enforcement office announced last week that it was temporarily lifting the restriction that binds a student visa holder to a particular institution.

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Goyal’s toils

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Raghubir Goyal the Foil, the One-Track Uncle called on by White House press secretaries to evade tough questioning, shows up in a Daily Show segment. ‘Go ahead, Goyal,’ says the spokesman.

‘My question is in connection with the Prime Minister of India’s visit on Monday…’ he begins, sidetracking the preceding questions about domestic politics. Old faithful.

Watch the clip, he’s at 4:29.

Keep watching to see the other reliable escape hatch. Lester Kinsolving is the resident crank from WCBM Radio. A female reporter sits behind him, smirking and exchanging looks with other reporters while he asks a long, bizarre question about whether Dubya agrees with emperor Constantine’s fourth-century Christian theology.

Dude, have a little respect. I think we can safely assume POTUS knows about Constantine.

It had Rachel Weisz and Keanu Reeves and, like, totally rawked.

Previous post here.

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Congressman Bhakta??

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Don’t forget to set those TiVos because tonight marks the debut of Season IV of The Apprentice.  As previously reported, Toral Mehta will make her debut.  Guess who just decided to steal the spotlight?  That’s right. The Raj is back (thanks for the tip “Bella”):

Raj Bhakta, former contestant on Donald Trump’s reality show, said he is contemplating challenging Congresswoman Allyson Schwartz in next year’s election for the 13th District.

“I think Allyson Schwartz is a formidable opponent, clearly. At the same time, I think she’s beatable,” Bhakta said, adding that he wants to run “because I think it’s very important to have a fresh, progressive, conservative voice representing the parts of the country that are not necessarily blue and not necessarily red.”

Bhakta, a 29-year-old businessman from the Fort Washington area, is a Republican. He said he has talked to Montgomery County GOP chairman Ken Davis and Philadelphia GOP leader Vito Canuso and plans to go to Washington, D.C., next week to talk to the National Republican Congressional Committee.

Davis – who said he never watched “The Apprentice” – said he had no trouble taking Bhakta seriously.

“Any candidate who decides to do this and is as organized and as thoughtful as I think he is, you have to take them seriously,” Davis said Tuesday. “He has a lot of ideas, and he’s a very bright young man. I think he is a serious candidate.”

What would Raj stand for?  If you remember I previously blogged about his political venture the Coalition for the Advancement of the Republic.  Doesn’t seem like he has added much to the website though.

Before he can hammer his opinions into a campaign platform, however, Bhakta said he knows he has a monumental task: figuring out where the cash will come from.

“Everywhere I’ve gone, even before they ask me what I believe, they ask how much money I can raise,” Bhakta said. “For one district in Congress, to know that $10 million could be spent on the election, aggregately. Well, something’s wrong there.”

Yes, Raj now knows that in the world of politics the only thing that matters is how much cash you can raise.  He should also know to stay on Karl Rove’s good side if he wants Roves operatives to help him out.  Recently Raj, and other semi-celebrities, were asked to suggest a reading list for President Bush while he vacationed at Crawford.  Here was Raj’s advice:

” ‘Empire,’ by Neil Ferguson. He should read it with an eye towards realizing that as we stumble further into ’empire,’ we should avoid the inevitable fate of them all.” – Raj Bhakta, former contestant, “The Apprentice”; chairman, Coalition for the Advancement of the Republic

Rove has an all seeing eye.  That kind of teasing could get you in the GOP’s dog house.

See previous Raj posts.

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I am Fangirl. Hear me purr.

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collage.jpg

SM reader Kiran wrote:

I went to the show last night. Amazing!
But our camera crapped out. Did anyone get any good shots? I would love to see them..

Kiran, my dear…the Mutiny is ALWAYS in the front row, dead center baby, especially at the 9:30 club. Last night, I took 333 pictures of Miss Arulpragasam– that’s M.I.A. if you’re nasty– they are unedited and up on flickr, right this second. Check the slideshow of her show here.

If I weren’t so busy working for the (wo)Man, I’d cull the current set of 283 further, caption some of them and then write a post which told you an enchanting story called, “The Concert that was Worth Respraining my Ankle for”. What a show. Continue reading →

Peace, love and breakfast cereal

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The 3HO group of Sikh converts in the U.S. has made a small fortune on health food (thanks, commenters). Now, with real corn!

So the ginger asked the almond, “Could you make me a snack?” and the almond said, “Kazam! You’re a snack.”

What did the peanut say to the cashew? Gesundheit! [Link]

Waheguru ji ka khalsa, waheguru ji ki granola bar? I gotta say, their sense of humor is authentically desi. Let’s not forget Yogi Tea, which tells us you don’t have to work your way into exotique, you can just drink it (via Tilo). On camelback in front of the Taj, apparently.

Exotic Teas: Savor the enchanting flavor and sweet aroma of spices from around the world… [Link]

Peace Cereal, a million dollar biz, pitches nirvana via breakfast cereal. It’s a Ben & Jerinder’s business model:

Peace Cereal has promoted the transformative power of peace by donating 10% of our profits to peace building organizations, resulting in more than $1 million in donations. [Link]

They even have a warm and fuzzy founder story like the one on every package of Mrs. Fields. When Yogi Bhajan baked his first batch of authentic guru cookies…

In 1969 Yogi Bhajan began teaching Kundalini Yoga in America, sharing the ancient wisdom of Ayurveda and healthy living that he had mastered in India. After each class he would serve his students a special spice tea based upon this healing science, which they affectionately named Yogi Tea… Golden Temple (bulk granolas), Peace Cereal (packaged cereals), Wha Guru Chew (candy bars), Herbal Gems (capsulated herb formulas), Sunshine (body care products) and Soothing Touch (professional massage products), were some of the companies… [Link]

Other parts of their empire: Ancient Healing Ways, Yogi Botanicals.

The whole thing strikes me as a cross between the friars who support themselves with wine, fruitcake and Web design and the same consumer couture which gags my bullshit sensor on Solano Ave. I’m more impressed with their business savvy. At least they have a sense of humor about it.

Related posts: one, two, three

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Fight, for the Right, to Diwaaaali! (updated)

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diwalilamp.jpg.jpg This morning, the NYC Council Committee on Transportation held a hearing in relation to the suspension of alternate side of the street parking rules on the Hindu festival of Diwali.

This is a big deal. Alternate side of the street parking is rarely suspended, and affects anyone looking for a place to park in NY. Only 32 legal and religious holidays are recognized by the City. Scroll down here for a list. From the petition organizers:

The first step in the process is the proposed legislation to get approved at the hearing on September 20th. Then, the Mayor will have to sign it into law. It is critical that the Council Members and, in turn, the Mayor appreciate the interest in and support of this legislation. The more support shown for the legislation at this stage of the process, the more likely it is that the Mayor will not veto it.

According to the NYC Department of Planning,there are over 600,000 foreign-born persons of South Asian descent in the NYC metro area; this does not even include those of South Asian descent born in America…If NYC takes this step, other cities and municipalities throughout the country will have the precedent to do the same.[link]

Since ASotS parking is suspended on Sunday, most ethnic/national parades such as the Puerto Rican Day parade are held then. (Here is a complete list of NYC ethnic festivals – read and weep :P)

Suspending parking rules for Diwali would be a huge symbolic (and practical re: parades) recognition of South Asian contributions to the city. Please read more on what you can do to show your support. Stay tuned for updates.

Update: The Committee on Transportation unanimously approved it! From the organizer’s email:

The legislation will be voted on by the full NYC Council at the Stated Meeting on Wednesday, September 28. [If they] approve the legislation it will then go to Mayor Bloomberg to be signed into law. Then the Mayor will have 30 days to sign or veto the legislation…press conference at 11:30 a.m. on Wednesday, September 28, on the steps of City Hall.

Related posts:1, 2, 3. Continue reading →

Bibliophilia

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Sikhs from New Orleans used equipment popular with Navy SEALs to rescue their copy of the Guru Granth Sahib from a gurdwara under nine feet of water (via Amardeep):

… the United Sikhs sought the help of one of its volunteer Ranbir Kaur, a US Army National Guard [soldier], to hire the rescue services of SRT, a private helicopter special response… firm… [The] operation… lasted over a period of 22 hours…

Zodiac boats equipped with underwater cameras and rescue equipment were used to reach the flooded gurdwara, which was completely damaged inside, but [the] Guru Granth Sahib was on the ‘palki’ (palanquin) and floating on water. “I was amazed, looking at the Guru Sahib’s ‘sukhasan’ on the palki, floating on 5 feet of water and untouched by the flood waters,” Hardayal Singh was quoted as saying. [Link]

The immense value the Sikhs place on this religious artifact reminds me of synagogues’ ingenious solution to the theft of Torah scrolls. To protect priceless ancient work, they’re using digital watermarking:

Like many Torah scrolls in active service, the one stolen from Temple Sholom last month is an antique, and is believed to have been crafted in the Middle East several hundred years ago… With a fair market value of around $50,000 for a new scroll, $9,000 for a used one, Judaism’s sacred text is in some ways a perfect underground commodity… Torah scrolls are inherently anonymous. Jewish law dictates that not one character can be added to the 304,805 letters of the Torah’s text. That means no “property of” stamps, no serial numbers, no visible identifying marks of any kind…

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Back to the Dunce Corner

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The internets were alive this morning with the news that Sri Lanka was about to drop its age of consent from 16 to 13 (thanks Enivhsay): sepiagirlstanding1.jpg

government spokesman Nimal Siripala de Silva, who is also the minister of health, told a weekly Cabinet briefing on Friday that the government was planning to lower the age of consent. He gave no reason, but said the proposal was approved “after much debate and a long review.” [link]

Ah, yes. Debate and review. Ve have heard the words, but the meaning is escaping us still. However, in a startling turnaround of events:

The government reversed its decision after a flurry of telephone calls from incensed citizens following the announcement, The Sunday Island newspaper said.

“There is no proposal, whatsoever, to reduce that to 13 or to any other age,” it quoted Dhara Wijayatillake, a secretary in the Ministry of Justice, as saying Saturday. [link]

Que rapido!! When did the Sri Lankan government start pay attention to “incensed citizens”? Did I miss something important during my time here in Amrika?

The Minister [Justice Minister John Senevirathne] said that the government is concerned of the increased number of young men detained in remand prisons as a result of sexual encounters with their girlfriends.

He said: “Many girls are requesting to release them saying the encounter happened with their consent.” [link]

Holy Mammajamma! I’ve missed so much!! Here I was, happily warbling away my speculative fantasies that Sri Lanka may be one of the more progressive South Asian countries…but this much? When I was a wee kella (er, ladki. Indocentric, what?) sex did not exist, no one had ever heard of it, and even if those damn suddhas (goras) couldn’t keep in in their pants, that was still no reason why we Sri lankans couldn’t quietly continue asexually budding. Encounter, bencounter! Sekshuval is a vestern invention, no?

So vat the bluddy hell is going on? Continue reading →

DCCC launches IAC

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On the heels of the recent outreach by Howard Dean, the website of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) announces the creation of an Indian American Council (IAC):

[On Sept. 15th], the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) announced the formation of an Indian American Council to provide the party with valuable insight on a broad range of issues important to the Indian American community.

Ro Khanna, appointed as chair of the Council by Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi, said “The creation of this council is a historic step for the Indian American Community, and attests to the party’s appreciation for what the community has contributed to this country. Leader Pelosi has once again demonstrated her extraordinary vision in harnessing the talent, passion, and energy of the community…”

The Council will be sponsoring an inaugural issues conference entitled “Innovate America: A Vision for the 21st Century.” The conference will initiate a dialogue between leaders of the community and the Congressional leadership about ensuring that our country remains competitive and generates high quality jobs and new opportunities throughout the 21st century. It will take place on October 1, 2005 in Fremont, California. [Link]

NewKerala.com has more:

The council has been launched as part of the party’s Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) on the eve of the 2006 elections for the US Congress where it has no majority in the House or the Senate.

But with controversial issues such as Iran’s nuclear programme where some Democrats accuse India of soft-pedalling, and US-India civilian nuclear cooperation against which a number of Liberal Democrats have spoken out, the party is going to be hard put to bring Indian Americans around.

Prior to the 2004 presidential elections, the Democratic Party had formed an Indian American Leadership Council at the Democratic National Committee (DNC). It is a sign of the increasing clout of this community that the Democrats have established the IAC as part of the more powerful DCCC.

See, this is where I get frustrated.  I am a young liberal Democrat and I think India is soft-pedalling on Iran.  I support some of the Democrats who are taking a hard-line against India on the nuclear issue.  If this new IAC caters to older first generation Indian Nationalists living in America (there is no reason yet to believe they will), they will not have my support.  As an American I want India to cut off support of Iran on all nuclear issues.  Period.  I do not want this newly formed committee giving into the demands of old Indian uncles living here simply because they control the purse strings for congressional donations.  Khanna is also young and I hope his strategy shuns old first generation money AND issues if they run counter to American interests.

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Mushie loses it.

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Mushie better recognize.jpg On Friday, I posted about a coalition of activists who were planning on calling out Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf by protesting in front of his Manhattan hotel yesterday. Did any of our New York-area mutineers attend? If you did, tell us what you saw– it sounds like it was pure DRAMA (Thanks, Manish):

Pandemonium broke out at a meeting organized to promote Pakistan’s soft image when after a confrontation with human rights activists an irate President Pervez Musharraf declared that those who opposed his policies were the enemies of Pakistan. [link]
You are against me and Pakistan, said the president when a human rights activist referred to his alleged comments in a Washington Post interview which quoted him (Gen Musharraf) as saying that women exploited rape to get visas.[link]

Wow. Way to keep your cool, there Sir.

CNN has more about how Mushie backpedals furiously:

“I am not that stupid to say that kind of thing,” he said. “I know that rape is happening in Pakistan. I know there is violence against women.”
But, he said, “I am supportive of all women, all actions to emancipate the women, against violence against women, and gender equality,” and he said his government has done more for women than any in the past 50 years.
“I have protected them, I have provided finances, I have provided them judicial support.”

He’s provided judicial support to women but he can’t provide his own open ears. More from Dawn:

Provoked by a single question, the president allowed an event held to promote his government’s pro-women policies to degenerate into a bout between himself and part of the invited audience.[link]

I’m scared of you, General Musharraf:

I am a fighter, I will fight you. I do not give up and if you can shout, I can shout louder, said Gen Musharraf.[link]

He’ll especially shout louder if you cite the wrong sources. How Professor-y! Also, if you have something to say, say it to his FACE…when he’s in Pakistan. Continue reading →