India Currents - February 2015
7
INDIA CURRENTS INDIA CURRENTS Celebrating 28 Years of Excellence february 2015 • vol. 28, no .10 • www. indiacurrents.com Was Charlie Hebdo Funny? by Sarita Sarvate 2015: Year of Girl Geek? by Neerja Raman Rules of Desire Rules of Desire Let's Talk About Death, Baby by Ranjani Iyer Mohanty By Nirmala Nataraj Is desire part of our moral compass?
description
This is a free sample of India Currents issue "February 2015" Download full version from: Apple App Store: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/id724241349?mt=8&at=1l3v4mh Google Play Store: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.presspadapp.indiacurrents Magazine Description: India Currents is an important facet of America's emerging multicultural identity—a monthly publication devoted to the exploration of the heritage and culture of India as it exists in the United States. You can build your own iPad and Android app at http://presspadapp.com
Transcript of India Currents - February 2015
INDIA CURRENTSINDIA CURRENTSCelebrating 28 Years of Excellence
february 2015 • vol. 28 , no .10 • www. indiacurrents.com
Was Charlie Hebdo Funny?by Sarita Sarvate
2015: Year of Girl Geek?by Neerja Raman
Rules of DesireRules of Desire
Let's Talk About Death, Baby by Ranjani Iyer Mohanty
By Nirmala Nataraj
Is desire part of our moral compass?
February 2015 | www.indiacurrents.com | 1
February 2015 | www.indiacurrents.com | 3
Rehman Farishta, BrokerCall
These rates based on 10 days lock & for owner occupied, purchase or refinance, single family homes, without cash out or second loan on the subject property. Borrower with minimum 740 FICO and 70% CLTV or below with Escrow/Impound account: Rates as of January 16, 2015. Rates subject to change without notice. Please call to qualify for best rate. CA properties only!
ALL ZERO COST MORTGAGE RATES!Loan Program RATE APR
Home Advantage Realty& Mortgage Company
MBA, Real Estate Broker
NMLS # 378252DRE # 01339085
510-386-1033Fax: 510-797-7876
Market is HOT. Ask me about a FREE Underwriter approval to Beat all CashBuyers in a Multiple offer situation. I WILL BEAT ANY RATE!
We offer a Stated Income Loans. Call me for details. WE CAN CLOSE FAST!!
702 Brown Road,Fremont, CA 94539
ATTENTION FIRST TIME HOME BUYERS! LET ME PAY YOUR CLOSING COST!!
NOWHIRING!
Loan above $200,000 and below $417,0005/1 ARM 3.25% 3.25%7/1 ARM 3.375% 3.375%10/1 ARM 3.50% 3.50%15 Years fixed 2.99% 2.99%20 Years fixed 3.625% 3.625%30 Years fixed 3.625% 3.625% Loan above $417,000 and below $625,0005/1 ARM 3.375% 3.375%7/1 ARM 3.50% 3.50%10/1 ARM 3.625% 3.625%15 years fixed 3.125% 3.125%20 years fixed 3.75% 3.75%30 years fixed 3.75% 3.75%• Free pre-approval with Underwriter for a purchase loan.• Cash out loan for remodeling and other needs.• Loan for second home or investment home.• Convert from 30 years fixed to a ARM LOAN for Cash Flow.• Line of Equity on your current home to purchase a new investment home.
THINKING OF BUYING, SELLING OR REFINANCING?
Fully indexed by Ethnic
Newswatch
facebook.com/IndiaCurrents
twitter.com/IndiaCurrents
Now published in three separate editions
HEAD OFFICE1885 Lundy Ave Ste 220, San Jose, CA
95131Phone: (408) 324-0488
Fax: (408) 324-0477 Email: [email protected]
www.indiacurrents.com
Publisher: Vandana [email protected]
(408) 324-0488 x225Managing Director: Vijay Rajvaidya
Editor: Jaya [email protected]
(408) 324-0488 x226Events Editor: Mona [email protected]
(408) 324-0488 x224
Advertising [email protected]
Northern California: (408) 324-0488 x 222 Southern California: (714) 523-8788 x 222
Marketing [email protected]
(408) 324-0488 x221
Graphic Designer: Nghia Vuong
WASHINGTON, D.C. BUREAU(Managed by IC New Ventures, LLC)
910 17th Street, NW, Ste# 215Washington, D.C. 20006Phone: (202) 709-7010
Fax: (240) 407-4470Associate Publisher: Asif [email protected]
(202) 709-7010Sales Associate: Sam [email protected]
Cover Design: Nghia Vuong
INDIA CURRENTS® (ISSN 0896-095X) is published monthly (except Dec/Jan, which is a combined issue) for $19.95 per year by India Currents, 1885 Lundy Ave., Ste 220, San Jose, CA 95131. Periodicals postage paid at San Jose, CA, and at additional mailing offices. POSTMAS-
TER: Send address changes to INDIA CURRENTS, 1885 LUNDY AVE, STE. 220, SAN JOSE, CA 95131
Information provided is accurate as of the date of going to press; India Currents is not responsible for errors or omis-sions. Opinions expressed are those of individual authors. Advertising copy, logos, and artwork are the sole responsi-
bility of individual advertisers, not of India Currents.
Copyright © 2015 by India CurrentsAll rights reserved.
Freedom to Walk AwayLess than a week after MTV aired the
adult animated television series called Clone High, in the United States on January 20, 2003, Indian lawmakers and activists pro-tested the depiction of Mahatma Gandhi in the series, where “Gandhi acts in many epi-sodes as the comic relief.” In response to the protests, MTV issued the following apology: “MTV wants to make it clear that ‘Clone High’ was created and intended for an Amer-ican audience ... The animated show parodies several historical figures from around the world, including the United States, where this form of comedy is common.”
Hardly an apology? Yes, and also infu-riating in its patronizing language and for propagating extant stereotypes. The intent of the apology, it seemed to me, was to indicate that eastern cultural sensitivities don’t trans-late across the skin color divide.
In the wake of the Charlie Hebdo attacks, I remembered this particular incident, not because of the extent to which it reinforced the east-west dichotomy, but that the show had a short run (one season) and was dis-placed from its prime time slot even before its first season ended because of “mediocre ratings.” So, as it turned out, comedy and parody didn’t necessarily equate, even in America.
On the face of it, public dialog about
freedom of speech is rife with such discur-sive dichotomies. Many of the commentaries originating in India after the Charlie Hebdo attack addressed the boundary conditions of the freedom of speech algorithm—the curbs that must be in place and the judicious consideration of potentially hurtful opinions. Most NYT op-ed writers argued vehemently for the unfettered right to express.
I believe that in democratic societies (east or west) our freedoms rest on the supposi-tion that opinions expressed in public will be tempered by sensitivity and empathy. And in most cases, that is true.
In the case of Charlie Hebdo, it is reason-able to assume that the magazine could not sustain readership because of its uncomfort-able lack of good taste. Before the attack, Charlie Hebdo had a print run of 60,000 copies of which less than half found buyers. The banner on its homepage just prior to the attack, sadly and ironically, declared: “Charlie est en danger!”
So, it’s really not about eastern sensitivi-ties or western liberalism. It is about how, as a global society, we know how to self-correct, without resorting to violence. It’s about hav-ing the confidence to walk away from the bullies on our playground.
Jaya Padmanabhan
4 | INDIA CURRENTS | February 2015
INDIA CURRENTSLIFESTYLEPERSPECTIVES Northern California Edition
www.indiacurrents.com
Find us on
February 2015 • vol 28 • no 10
3 | EDITORIALFreedom to Walk AwayBy Jaya Padmanabhan 8 | MEDIAIs Bobby Jindal Ashamed of his Indian Roots?By Sandip Roy
9 | A THOUSAND WORDSNotes on a First WinterBy Ragini Tharoor Srinivasan 15 | MY POLITICAL LIFEHow to Win an Election By Rishi Kumar
18 | POLITICSPresident Obama’s Statement at US-India Business Council
19 | POLITICAL OPINIONModi’s DilemmaBy Shashi Tharoor
28 | VIEWPOINTEnding the Sistah WarsBy Anitha Chakravarthi
36 | COMMENTARYWell Then, Where is Your Home?By Jessica Faleiro
96 | PERSPECTIVELet’s Talk About Death, BabyBy Ranjani Iyer Mohanty
101 | ON INGLISHUnearthing ShaktiBy Kalpana Mohan
109 | LIVESRemembering India’s First Woman JournalistBy Roopa Ramamoorthi
110 | THE LAST WORDWas Charlie Hebdo Funny?By Sarita Sarvate
76 | Cultural Calendar84 | Spiritual Calendar
20 | BUSINESS2015: Year of the Girl GeekBy Neerja Raman
25 | TAX TALKUnderstanding ACABy Rita Bhayani
26 | RELATIONSHIP DIVAWhat to Avoid when Flirting with GuysBy Jasbina Ahluwalia
34 | FINANCELooking Ahead at 2015By Rahul Varshneya
59 | BOOKSReviews of Don’t Let Him Know and In the Light of What We KnowBy Jeanne Fredriksen, Raj C. Oza
68 | MUSICA New Bird CallsBy Priya Das
70 | SCIENCEShortfalls of ScienceBy P. Mahadevan
92 | HEALTHY LIFEAre We Aging Faster?By Ronesh Sinha
98 | DEAR DOCTOR Needing an Intimate ConnectionBy Alzak Amlani
DEPARTMENTS6 | Voices7 | Popular Articles
100| Bits and Tweets
WHAT’S CURRENT
30 | Ask a Lawyer31 | Visa Dates
How do desire, morality, spirituality and ethics interplay with each other?
By Nirmala Nataraj
16 | Rules of Desire
Plunging Necklines, Gaping Armholes, Low Risers
By Sujatha Ramprasad
56 | Films
Reviews of PK and Tevar
By Aniruddh Chawda
74 | Opinion
43 | Travel
Hand it to Antwerp
By Kalpana Sunder
106 | RecipeCraving the Classic Aloo Gobhi
By Teena Arora
February 2015 | www.indiacurrents.com | 5
