Cleveland's Ekal Vidyalaya Fundraiser Announced

Ekal Vidyalaya Cleveland

Ekal Vidyalaya Foundation's Cleveland chapter has organized a fundraiser to support primary education in India.  A program titled Ek Shaam Ekal Ke Naam is slated for Saturday, April 21, 2012 between at 6.30 PM at the Bertram Inn at 600 North Aurora Road in Aurora.   The donation of 50 bucks includes a dinner followed by entertainment by Samir Date and Dipalee Somaiya assisted by Samir Pddar and Sanjeet Birha. 

Coordinators for Ekal Vidyalaya in Cleveland are Sunil Narahari (440) 725-5185 naraharisk@gmail.com Dr. Rammohan (330) 856-1122 and Venu Gopal   (330) 294-0294

Mission of Ekal Vidyalaya Foundation

Literate India

While it is making giant advances in software, space, and nuclear power, India is paradoxically still struggling with questions of basic literacy for a large segment of its population. Upon independence, India's literacy rate was a staggering 11 percent. Since then, we have made tremendous advances in educating our people. Still, more than six decades after independence, 65.4% India is still illiterate. Even worse off is the position of tribal India, which has a literacy rate below 30 percent.

The Ekal Vidyalaya movement aims to help eradicate illiteracy from rural and tribal India by 2015. To date, Ekal Vidyalaya is a movement of over 34343 teachers, 6,000 (Approximately) voluntary workers, 22 field organizations (scattered in 22 Indian states), and 8 support agencies as on January 2011. With this tremendous human force, the Ekal Vidyalaya movement strives to create a network of literacy centres that will educate and empower children in rural and tribal India.

The Ekal Vidyalaya Foundation is a charitable trust that initiates, supports, and runs one-teacher schools (popularly known as Ekal Vidyalayas) all over the country. With the participation of numerous non-profit trusts and organizations, this program has now become the greatest education movement in the country.

The Paradox

While Indians have succeeded in flexing their intellectual prowess and in establishing entrepreneurship throughout the world, over a third of India's population is illiterate. Tribal villagers who live in remote areas away from major cities are the worst affected. Often unreachable by road and untouched by electricity, the tribal population is often neglected by agencies of development. The Ekal Vidyalaya Foundation, therefore, has focused its primary education programs on tribals and other underprivileged communities in rural India.

Beyond Literacy

Ekal Vidyalaya goes beyond mere literacy. Apart from its goal of achieving the national standards of Minimum Level of Learning (MLL) for its students, Ekal Vidyalaya also seeks to empower the village community for its own self-development. Ekal Vidyalaya solicits complete involvement of the local community to achieve this goal.

The donors, supporters and workers of Ekal Vidyalaya are motivated by a commitment to educate our illiterate brothers and sisters. Their unflinching dedication to serve their motherland is the key to our success.

Asian Indians linked to sex abuse and trafficking

Asian Indians from Clarkstown, New York, Vishal Jagota, Rajani Jagota Parveen Jagota Convicted of labor trafficking and assault charges

Rockland County District Attorney Thomas P. Zugibe today announced that three members of a Clarkstown family were convicted of labor trafficking and assault charges for using intimidation, threats and physical violence to force a 20-year-old woman into a life of servitude and sexual abuse.

Vishal Jagota (DOB 01/16/78) of 28 Butternut Drive, New City, New York was found guilty after the bench trial of: One count of Assault in the Third Degree, a class “A” Misdemeanor

Parveen Jagota (DOB 01/04/54) and Rajani Jagota (DOB 12/03/80) of 28 Butternut Drive, New City, New York were found guilty after the bench trial of: Two counts of Labor Trafficking, class “D” Felonies One count of Assault in the Second Degree, a class “D” Felony

“These convictions underscore our serious commitment to prosecuting those defendants who would prey on vulnerable - and in many cases young - victims,” said District Attorney Zugibe. “Human trafficking is a violent
and degrading crime that will not be tolerated. My office will continue to use every tool available under the law to prosecute dangerous individuals like these and to seek justice for victims.”

The victim, now 25-years-old, is an Indian citizen who was brought to the United States through an arranged marriage with Vishal Jagota in January, 2008.

The defendants engaged in a scheme, using intimidation, physical and sexual abuse and manipulation to force the victim to work as a round-the-clock servant, performing a variety of household chores, cooking, child care and other tasks under threats of violence.

When the victim threatened to contact authorities, each of the defendants vowed to concoct wild stories, accusing her of committing various types of crime.

On one occasion, Parveen Jagota and Rajani Jagota burned the victims’ hand with a hot iron in order to “teach her a lesson,” following their displeasure with her laundry skills. Rajani Jagota, the victim’s sister-in-law, and Vishal Jagota are accused of forbidding the victim from receiving medical treatment for the serious burn, telling her to treat the open wound with toothpaste.

On another occasion, Vishal Jagota is accused of biting the victim, causing permanent scarring on her cheek.

The victim was forced to face her captors for nearly three years, from her arrival in Rockland County in 2008, until September, 2010.

Parveen Jagota and Rajani Jagota face up to seven years in state prison when sentenced on May 22, 2012 before the Honorable William K. Nelson.

Vishal Jagota faces up to one year in the Rockland County jail when sentenced on May 22, 2012 before the Honorable William K. Nelson

This case apparently marks the first indictments, trial and convictions under New York State’s new Labor Trafficking Law.

This case was prosecuted by Arthur J. Ferraro, Chief Assistant District Attorney and Amanda Doty, Assistant District Attorney.

Shiva Linga Meaning by Cleveland Shiva Vishnu Temple

SHIVA LINGA EXPLAINED BY CLEVELAND SHIVA VISHNU TEMPLE

Credit: Cleveland Asian Indian Shiva Vishnu Temple

The meaning of the word Linga is that which indicates. The Shiva Linga that is visible after the installation is the top one third and the other two third forms the base.

The first one third of the base stands for Brahma - the aspect of creation in the cosmos. As the creation brings things into the existence, naturally the process is directed outward (i.e. towards the object of creation). Since the creation is going on endlessly, the four directions represent this concept. One can move in each direction without reaching the end. This aspect of the Lord is called Brahma - the Lord as the Creator and is represnted by the square cross section standing for four directions.

The middle one third represents Vishnu - the one that pervades everything in the creation. The four directions and four corners totalling to eight along with up and down directions cover everything and it is indicated by the octagonal middle cross section.

The top one third represents the Shiva aspect by the circular cross section indicating the Limitlessness. Though there are three aspects indicated, the Shiva Linga is one alone and when worshiped all three inseparable aspects are worshiped.

Thus SHIVA and VISHNU are no two different entities!! It is one Limitlessness viewed from different aspects so mind has a direction to contemplate. Vishnu is also worshiped and invoked in the form of Shaligrama (a spherical shape) standing for the Limitlessness as so is Shiva...

Source: Cleveland Shiva Vishnu temple

Anup Jalota highlights Cleveland Shiva Vishnu Temple Celebrations

Anup Jalota at Cleveland Shiva Vishnu Temple Celebration

Anup Jalota will sing in support of Greater Cleveland Shiva Vishnu Temple during the temple's 25th Anniversary celebrations at Independence Middle School on April 27th, 2012 at 8 PM.  Anup Jalota has sung at benefit events for temples more than once.  

Cleveland Shiva Vishnu Temple's outstanding loan is about $900,000 and it has more than 5 highly qualified and dedicated staff members.  There is a feeling that most families do not donate as much as they should to the Cleveland Shiva Vishnu temple.  What is the standard for donating to this or any Hindu temple?  I think the standard should be as more as you can and certainly not as less as you can get away with.  If a family of four donates $4 after aarti at $1/person (!) and $8 for prasad/lunch at $2/person, the monthly donation totals to about $50 and the yearly upper range donation to $600.  That is a rather meager donation from many families in the Greater Cleveland area.  Most of us can do better than this for a temple, that is better, if not the best, than many other, in our country and by that I mean the USA and not India.  Having said that, there is no intention of ranking temples because they are omnipresent and equal.   Further, on the positive note, Hindu families do step up to the plate to participate in the lunch and several volunteer services everyday. 
   
The popular bhajans and ghazals (hows that for a combo, antidote and the poison in one) for which Anup Jalota is credited the most are:

Aisi Lagi Lagan
Chaand Angdaiyaan Le Raha Hai
Tumhare Shahar Ka Mausam
Main Nazar Se Pee Raha Hoon
Hum Se Achi to Kahin Aaine ki Khismat Hogi
Rukh Se Parda Hata De
La Pila De Saqiya
Shree Hanuman Chalisa
Mere Kabr Par Pate Huye
Tum Kya Samjho Tum Kya Jano
Kategi Ye Zindagi Ab Rote Rote
Laga Chunari Mein Daag
Rang De Chunariya
Prabhuji Tum Chandan Hum Pani

Anup Jalota started his musical career as a chorus singer in All India Radio. He is usually backed by a santoor player, a dholak player, a sarod player, a sarangi player, a violinist, a sitar player, a tabla player and a guitarist.

He can sing in different languages. He has recorded several hundred bhajans, ghazals and songs.  According to Wikipedia, Anup Jalota was married to singer Sunali Jalota until their divorce.  Sunali's second marriage was with Roop Kumar Rathod, once Anup Jalota's tabla player and friend.  Ouch!
 
The promoters of the concert are TathaasthuMag.com  Planet Archives, LLC is the parent company that publishes Tathaastu: So Be It.  Planet Archives, LLC is based in Edison, New Jersey.  Anup Jalota is an advisory board member of this publication.

Heidi Frazer-Cherry of Rosedale Elementary School, Livonia Resigns

Heidi Frazer-Cherry said teachers at Rosedale Elementary School believed that children of Indian descent were dirty

Heidi Frazer Cherry, Rosedale Elementary School, Livonia Public Schools Courtesy: Detroit Free Press

Kudos to Karen Smith, Observer Staff Writer, for writing Livonia principal alleging racial discrimination at school resigns.  Here is some information from Karen Smith's article.  I encourage you to read the whole article

Heidi Frazer Cherry, 49, said Thursday she doesn't want to work for Livonia Public Schools any longer because she “can't work for people who do this to small children.”

Heidi Frazer Cherry has been employed by Livonia Public Schools since 1994, including the past eight years as a principal. She was a classroom teacher, department chair and language arts curriculum coordinator before becoming a principal. Heidi Frazer Cherry was named principal of Rosedale Elementary School this school year after serving most recently as principal at Cooper Upper Elementary School in Westland.

Heidi Frazer-Cherry said teachers at Rosedale believed that children of Indian descent were dirty and should be checked as a group for lice and that the staff treated black children with disrespect, blaming them for wrongs they didn't commit.

She said she received no support from the administration and was told in a meeting with her union president and human resources personnel that she could not use the term “racism in this district.”

Rosedale Elementary School has the third-highest minority population of the district's 13 K-4 schools. Approximately one of every six students is African-American. The school also has a large Indian population.

-  -  -

In India, lice in children is a known issue.  Most Asian Indians who migrate to the US are educated and a few children of these immigrants may indeed have lice.  However, a stereotype that Asian Indian children should undergo special treatment for lice infestation, implicitly or explicitly, is not a practice that has a place in any schools in the United States.  This is the United States of America, not India.  On the other side, do Asian Indians have stereotypes about schools and school staff? 

Thank you braveheart Heidi Frazer-Cherry.  Few stand up for children, in lieu of their self interest and fewer would stand up for a brown skinned child of Indian ethnicity.  Self interest is the glue that binds school babus together.  Wish more teachers were like you.  

Update: October 18, 2015

Source of copy and paste: http://s6.zetaboards.com/Livonianeighbors/topic/8784612/3/

Asian Indians in America-An Asian Indian Student's Perspective

There are many Asian Indian students in Cleveland State University and Case Western Reserve University and one has to wonder if they get any kind of help from the many Asian Indian groups in Cleveland and Northeast Ohio.  Siddharth Sehgal a graduate student at University of Alabama at Birmingham and a columnist at the University student newspaper writes an interesting article presented below. 

NRI Indian community - missing in action from the lives of new Indian students in US by Siddharth Sehgal. 

It’s a tricky question, whenever I think about the help and assistance that is available to new students from India from the Indian community here in United States, rarely anything comes into my mind that I can credit to the Indian community and by that I mean Indians who are already settled here with family, job and businesses.

The only support system I had was the help I got from the Indian students already living here but as I said in the beginning it’s a tricky question because everyone has their own experience, each student has his own story to tell whether good or bad.  But on a general level and the students that I have met and known over the years didn’t get any support from the Indian community.

Shakespeare once quoted that expectation is the root of all heartache but I really don’t think that a new comer to United States would have big expectations with the NRI community, of course that’s just me but from apartments to food, from transportation to telephone all kinds of basic sustainable requirements are provided for by other Indian students. The things where a new student should definitely get support from the Indian community is the guidance on how things work in US, the cultural differences, community involvement and other crucial information. I was lucky to have the guidance of few kindhearted Indians who shared their valuable experience with me which helped me a lot in my academic and professional endeavor but not every Indian student enjoys such privileges and there are several reasons for that.

Birmingham Hindu Temple and Cultural Center
 
Most of the time students don’t know whom to ask for help and great many times the Indians who are well settled here don’t bother to reach out to their struggling young compatriots. I have seen and experienced this wide gap firsthand in Pelham temple when I was doing a signature campaign in support of India against corruption movement. It was only after I was shown the door, I was told about the politics that has divided the seemingly unified community. Even here at UAB (University of Alabama at Birmingham), there are two types of Indian students. One who came from India and the other who are of Indian origin but are born and raised in United States, popularly known as ABCDs. Though, I have good friends in both these groups but very rarely I have seen people in both these categories interacting with each other. When I was starting my journey at UAB, I didn’t have any ABCD friend. My roommates told me that most of the ABCD students maintain distance from other Indian students. When I asked the reason behind this rift, I didn’t get any satisfactory answer and even today, it’s somewhat of a mystery to me.

But the story didn’t end there because then we have subdivisions in Indian students itself. There are groups of Marathis, Guajaratis, Bengalis, Tamils and God knows how many other different clusters that live on loosely exclusive bases. Student from one state usually live together and being from a Hindi-speaking state in India, I had a really hard time adjusting with my roommates; I was always on the sidelines. Many times, these students get help from their paternal state cultural groups like Bengali, Tamil or Telegu organizations. I have many Telugu and Bengali friends who would often visit their respective community gatherings and festive celebrations but rarely people from other states attend these meetings. Either they are not invited or they have an organization of their own.

It was a bit amusing, ironical and pleasant fact that I never had anything else to identify with other than my country. There is a saying that society doesn’t owe us anything and that indeed is true, but from the lessons I have learned here in United States I think, things can be changed a bit but as I said earlier, that’s just my viewpoint. After all, we all fight our own battles.

Free book at Cleveland Shiva Vishnu Temple

Essence of World Religions-Unity in Diversity

Cleveland Shiva Vishnu Temple is providing a free book called Essence of World Religions-Unity in Diversity.  This book is compiled by an electrical engineer Pravin K. Shah.  Pravin Shah Chairperson of JAINA Education Committee Federation of Jain Associations in North America.  He is also the Director of Jain Study Center of North Carolina.

JAINA has over 70 member organizations supporting over 100,000 Jains in North America.

This concise and informative book is will be helpful for adults and children.  Asian Indians should consider browsing through this book instead of watching a Bollywood movie.  The book is divided into three sections:

• Religions of India: Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism
• Religions of the Far East: Confucianism, Taoism, Shintoism
• Religions of the West: Judaism, Zoroastrianism, Christianity, Islam and Baha'i

Go pick it up.

Bollywood hindi movies are made by asses for the masses

Bollywood's hindi films are made for the masses by asses is a remark that is attributed to Sunil Gavaskar, a famous cricket player of India.  He is right.  This is the biggest sixer hit by Sunil Gavaskar.      

Bollywood's hindi movies offer escapism for the idiots.  Here is what Amitabh Bachan, the most famous Bollywood actor is reported to have said about Bollywood's hindi movies.

Masses worshipping asses

CNN: Is Bollywood escapism for the Indian people?

Amitabh Bachchan: "You have to see it in a larger perspective. There are large numbers of people in India below the poverty line, there are large numbers of people who lead a meager existence. They want to find a little escape from the hardships of life, and come and watch something colorful and exciting and musical. Indian cinema provides that. So yes, the content of our television and our cinema is escapist in nature because we are there to provide entertainment.  The select group of people who do make realistic cinema, who do make cinema perhaps a little more acceptable to the Western audience, is a very small percentage".

What larger perspective is the Bollywood celebrity talking about?  Do the poor people of India want a little escape from the hardships of life?  No, its not possible for most to escape the hardship of life in India.  Poor people of India want food to eat, clothes to wear and a home to live.  They want to live in a pollution free environment which is nearly impossible in today's India.  They want to live like humans with a little bit of dignity and this too is difficult in today's India.  They want to provide a halfway good life for their children.  Asian Indians want to live in a nation where corruption is not the way of life.  The smart and educated ones realize that these dreams are not going to turn into reality and they get the heck out of that wretched country.   Anywhere but India is the motto.  Almost anywhere but India.  The good ones try to make a difference in their adopted country and/or in India.  Some expect a return for helping.  Some expect no returns for helping (eg: Asha of Cleveland).

This is India

Asian Indians don't want to see  super rich Bollywood's fruity arseholes prancing around a tree or park or on streets to loud disco music.  Or do they, I hope not.  Bollywood movies do not provide entertainment and if you think they do, I should feel sorry for your pathetic taste in entertainment.

Why Bollywood is made by asses for the masses

These are some ingredients of a typical Bollywood and Asian Indian movies:

1. A hero who is likely a bad actor with no formal education and training in acting.  He sometimes appears shirtless and this appears like an attempt to quicken the pulse of the female fans and if indeed this is happening, India is screwed. 
2. A heroine who is kinda good looking and is very likely a terrible actress.  At times, she appears scantily clad and this is targeted towards the sex starved Asian Indian males. 
3. A irritatingly loud and pompous jackass (eg: Gulshan Grover) who plays the role of the bad guy for a significant portion of the 3 hour movie duration.
4. The hero and heroine shitty dances in a disco club like setting and extra soft pornographic moves (the female dancing in rain in low rise clothing, moaning,  arching her butt close to the male's crotch kinda like a female lioness interesting in mating right away, shaking of the boobies and butt etc.)
5. I could go on but I rest my case here.

Do yourself and your family a favor.  Stop watching stupid Bollywood movies and more importantly do not get your children hooked on to the Bollywood movies.  Bollywood provides zero individual nourishment.  Bollywood does not provide entertainment either.

Nandita Dutta of Dear Cinema reviews a Bollywood movie called Bodyguard in an article titled Bodyguard : Only star, no shine.  Nandita Dutta writes

It is hard to come by characters in a film who have been relegated to caricatures of  such a lamentable status. The film breezes past you in such a superficial way that it will be more befitting to label it a commercial for a bodyguard (read Salman Khan) than cinema. Or then it can be said that the writer-director has done a bad patchwork of stitching together stunts and songs, held loosely by scenes that have neither depth nor any thought for his characters. All that Kareena Kapoor is made to do throughout the film is show off Manish Malhotra outfits and is confined to girly giggles and tears in the name of a role 

Recently, Katrina Kaif was seen moving her ass in popular song titled Sheila Ki Jawani.  At its core, this Bollywood song like others is about titillation by titty and butt shaking and covert calls for (lets call a spade a spade) fucking.

Aren't Bollywood love songs about this?

 Bollywood Dances aka Item Dances

Back in the old days (there were no movies or television then), Asian Indians had a word for a woman who did these kind of dances. They were called tawaif (courtesans).  Tawaifs worked at kothas/quasi brothels.  Men used to visit kothas to watch dances (old school strip tease), drink and get sexual services.  Some tawaifs were associated with prostitution.  Fast forward to the birth of movies in India.  Bollywood adopts these themes realizing that titillation sells and brings it into the mainstream.  Is this kind of entertainment appropriate for little children to watch in your home?  Is it appropriate for young girls to aspire to become a Bollywood Item Girl?  Its not about bobbies, it about brains.  Asian Indians refer to a woman as Jagat Janini.  But disrespect of women is passed of as entertainment by some Bollywood asses.

Who the fuck is Amitabh Bachan?  Who the fuck is Salman Khan of Bollywood?  I do know the awesome Salman Khan of the difference making Khan Academy though.  However, Bollywood does have exceptions, here is one of them.  

Bollywood in Cleveland Ohio

In the Cleveland area, Tollywood and Bollywood movies have been screened in a theater on Ridge Road in Parma.  So far, the influence of Bollywood in Cleveland is marginal.   Asha of Cleveland has organized Bollywood parties in bars located near downtown Cleveland.  A bar is indeed the most appropriate place for Bollywood.  Using the proceeds of a Bollywood party to help the education of underprivileged children in India, priceless.  Kudos to the youngest and the newest Cleveland Asian Indian students.    

Lastly, but not least importantly, Bollywood and the related quasi-Bollywood activities have no connection with Hinduism/Sanatana Dharma and should be kept out of all Hindu temples in general.