indian themes at cleveland int’l film fest 2018 (ciff42 ... · for nearly 100 years, the scripps...
TRANSCRIPT
Once again, The Lotus is a media partner with the 42nd Cleveland International Film Festival (CIFF42), which will take place from April 4 to 15, 2018 at Tower City Cinemas and select com-munity theaters. The 12-day Festival will showcase 193 feature films and 234 short films repre-senting 60 countries. Be sure to continue to check www.clevelandfilm.org for program updates. Arrive early for the movie to wander around Tower City. Check out various exhibits and activities, including a science and technology exhibit where you can see movies with virtual reality glasses, and may be have a light lunch and beer!
Plan your day by checking out the website: www.clevelandfilm.org/plan-your-day. Downtown parking can be challenging and expensive. Links take you to maps which show exactly where 8,000 Free RTA parking spaces are located, a free downtown trolley, Health-line, bike-racks, car-parking and other practical tips.
There are several movies with Indian themes. The Lotus is partnering with CIFF42 for “Breaking the Bee” and the Federation of India Community Associations (FICA) of NEO is sponsoring “Newton” on behalf of the Indian community of Greater Cleveland.
Breaking the Bee (The Lotus media partner)
Friday, April 06, 2018 at 6:50 p.m. and Sunday, April 08, 2018 at 4:35 p.m. Tower City Ci-nemasThis family friendly movie, will have its world premier at the Cleveland Film Festival.
For nearly 100 years, the Scripps National Spelling Bee has been an American institution, gaining even more prominence in 1994 when ESPN began airing the championship round. Since 1999, 18 of the last 22 National Spelling Bee winners have been Indian-American, and that streak doesn’t seem to be ending anytime soon. “Breaking The Bee” follows some of the Bee’s best young minds as they prepare for the 2017 Spelling Bee and their chance to be another in a long line of proud In-dian-American students who can spell words virtually no one can use in a sentence. The film also includes commentary from media personalities, academics, and past champions, including CNN’s Dr. Sanjay Gupta and Fareed Zakaria, ESPN’s Kevin Negandhi, comedian Hari Kondabolu, and 1999 Scripps National Spelling Bee champion Nupur Lala.
It provides real insight into how a group, who make up just 1% of the U.S. population, can domi-nate such an area of expertise. While dedicating their lives to the Bee, these kids ooze charm and are inspirational examples of how hard work and determination can lead to great things.Sam Rega, the Director, works and lives in New York City. He edited documentaries for several years in Miami with rakontur, the studio behind the “Cocaine Cowboys” doc series. In addition he has worked at Business Insider as a senior producer. Rega is a graduate of the University of Miami and a Knight Arts Challenge recipient.
The Association of Indian Physicians of Northern Ohio (AIPNO) will present “Mystic India: The World Tour,” a Bollywood spectacular dance show on Saturday, April 14, 2018 at 7:30 p.m. at the Playhouse Square Key Bank State Theatre in Cleveland.
The internationally-acclaimed Bollywood dance spectacular is based on the concept of ancient India’s transition into modern India. Created by Director Amit Shah, the show features the U.S. based AATMA Performing Arts dance company. It is the first internationally-touring Indian dance production headed by AATMA. It is also the first touring Indian show that carries such a diverse cast of artists. South Florida’s City and Shore Magazine voted it “The Must-See Show of the Season.” Through an explosion of colors and energy, audiences are taken on a celebratory journey through Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Punjab and Gujarat. Through a progression of Bollywood films, there is a stunning visual display that fuses dance, theater and spectacular special effects
Over half a million people have seen the show since 2011 through its tours in South Africa, Switzerland, Canada, Bahrain, China and various U.S. cities. The dancers combine authentic Indian and modern techniques, bringing the streets of Mumbai and New York into perfect harmony. The company has opened for Carrie Underwood in Las Vegas and performed at major casinos, amusement parks and performing arts centers.
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Who We Are...........1/2/3CLE Int’l Film FestivalEditor’s Note
Community Events.....................…..4
Stores, Restaurants &Religious Centers....…5
Food &Shiksha Daan............6
Religious Corner &Book of the Month......7
Mystic India...........….8
INSIDE
Lotus TeamEditorCheryl D’Mello
Editorial TeamBal KaramchandaniRaghav SharmaSwati DesaiSujata Lakhe Barnard
Business ManagerAjay Chandra
1967 - 2018
A Monthly Publication of the Federation of India Community Associations
March 2018
Indian themes at Cleveland Int’l Film Fest 2018 (CIFF42), April 4-18
AIPNO brings “Mystic India: The World Tour” to Cleveland, April 14
Subscribe to receive “The Lotus” for free in your inbox at: ficacleveland.org
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AIPNO EXEC COMMITTEE & BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Your Unique Ticket Discount Code for $2.00 off any CIFF42 ticket purchase is: ‘LOTUS’ .This discount is good for any
standard Festival film screening. Not valid for Opening Night tickets, special events, or in combination with any other discount offer.
2 Who We Are
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FICA STAFF
THE LOTUS
AdministrationBoard of TrusteesSudarshan Sathe ( Chaiman B.O.T.)[email protected]
Mona Alag ( Vice Chair Person B.O.T.)[email protected]
Rajan Gautam ( Secretary B.O.T.)[email protected]
Executive BoardMrs. Ritu [email protected]
Mr. Samir [email protected]
Mr. Gaurav [email protected]
Mr. Hemant [email protected]
Ms. Sujata Lakhe [email protected]
Dr. Rajesh SharmaMr. Yatish DesaiMr. Ameet BathiyaMrs. Smita SamantMrs. Shaifali BathiyaMr. Utkarsh HazarnisDr. Vandana Singh
Member At LargeDr. Priyanka Sharma
Lotus Editor Cheryl D’[email protected]
PublisherFICA
India Cultural GardenRaj Pillai - [email protected] | 440/724-4398
Shiksha DaanSanjay Garg - [email protected] | 440/590-1261
Project SevaHarsha Rane, Chairperson440/567-0972
FICA Sister Organizations
Association of Asian Indian Women of NEO www.aaiwo.org | Lynette Sequeira
American Federation of Muslims of Indian Originwww.afmi.org | Dr. Razia Ahmed
Association of Indian Physicians of Northern Ohio (AIPNO)www.aipno.org | Dr. Mona Gupta
American Society of Engineers of Indian
Origin (ASEI)www.asei-usa.org | 440-734-1830
Bengali Cultural Societywww.bcscle.org | Soumitra Ghosh
Ekal Vidyalaya Foundation Sreedhar Nair
Gujarati Samaj of Grtr. Clevelandwww.clevelandgujaratisamaj.org | Nilesh PatelGuru Gobind Singh Sikh Society www.clevelandgurudwara.org
Guru Nanak Foundationwww.gurunanakfoundationrichfield.com
India-Ohio Chamber of Commercewww.indiaohiochamber.com | Radhika Reddy
Indian Christian Association, Michael Sreshta
Jain Society of Greater Clevelandwww.jsgc.org | Jitu Shah
Kasturi Kannada Society www.kasturikannadasangha.org |
MeenaHumchad
Kerala Association of Ohiowww.kaoh.org | JayaKumar
NEO Marathi Mandal (NEOMM)www.neomm.org |Shekhar Ganore
Marwari Association | Sushila Mohanka
Orissa Society of America | Dr. Prasanta Raj
Punjabi Cultural Societywww.guidestar.org | Burjinder S Dhanoa
NEO Telugu Assn (NEOTA)[email protected] | Prasad MuvvaNEO Tamil Sangam (NEOTS)www.neo-ts.org | Jayabalan Sankarasu-bramnian
South Asian Bar Association of Clevelandwww.sabanorthamerica.com | Neelam Gill
NEO Sri Lankan Association (NEOSLA) [email protected]
Editor’s NoteSpring is here or… almost here!
As March springs into the calendar, so does Spring or “Vasant” with its promise of new growth and greenness and festivals. Spring is celebrated and heralded in a variety of ways across India. While Cleveland alternately freezes and thaws and gets ready for the annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade, we can look towards India and what was once home, where brightly colored festivals color the landscape.
Holi, the biggest Spring Festival, was celebrated on March 2, 2018. There are a host of other festivals, some of which are listed here. Gudi Padwa or Ugadi marks the New Year in Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, and Karnataka. Houses are decorated with mango leaves and rangoli designs. The Parsis celebrate Jamshedi Navroz on March 20. “Nav” means new and “Roz” means day. Navroz marks the change of seasons from winter to spring. It marks the first day of the first month of the Zoroastrian year. The Jain community celebrates Mahavir Jayanti on March 29. Ram Navami, the birthday of God Rama is celebrated on March 25.
The most vibrant, widespread and colorful of all these festivals is of course, Holi. This year, Google’s guest doodle by Amrita Marino, an Indian American designer and illustrator based in Brooklyn, New York drew a lot of attention. It depicted the vibrancy and joyfulness accompanying the Holi festival in India.
Many of us remember wearing an old set of clothes and playing with bright gulal (colors), buckets of taut water balloons, and pitchkaris (water sprinklers) filled with water. We used to have fun pelting our unsuspecting friends with the balloons and the cold jets of water. We played in the safety of our yards or driveways. Venturing on the streets was not for us, as we did not know when we would be cornered and smeared with color or have a surprise balloon land on us from a nearby terrace. In the U.S. you see kids playing with similar pitchkaris and balloons on their yards, having fun in the sun all through summer. For us it was a once a year event.
The four primary colors – red, yellow, blue and green, used in Holi celebrations have a special significance. They stand for love and fertility, turmeric which is associated with health, blue for Krishna and green for growth and Spring. The festival has many symbolic meanings, which include the triumph of good over evil, fertility, love and winter’s end.
While we look forward to the thought of Spring coming soon to Cleveland, our hearts are warmed by the remembrance of festivals in India, and the ones that continue to be celebrated here in our homes and hearts. Happy March!
Cheryl D’MelloEditor | Email: [email protected]
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“The Lotus” prides itself on being the first Asian Indian Community Newspaper in the U.S. and the only non-profit Indian Community newspaper in Cleveland, Ohio. It was a community supported initiative launched by students of Case Western Reserve University 51 years ago in 1967. Today, the print and e-version of the newspaper goes to over 3000 households and businesses. Copies are also distributed to libraries, grocery stores, restaurants, religious centers, and other institutions. Over 10,000 Asian Indians and other Americans read the newspaper.
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Your ad must be received by us in high resolution format (jpg or similar) by the 20th of the month, for publication in the following month’s issue (e.g. Ad for April 2018 issue of “The Lotus” must be received by March 20, 2018). We will work with our advertisers to get their Ad print ready. Ads that are not print ready (size, resolution) will result in blurry images for which we are not responsible. Advertisers will be charged a one-time $50 fee for an ad that requires work to get it print ready.
Email [email protected] with questions and requests for publishing ads. Your Ad will be published only after our Editorial Board has approved it for publishing. Email
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Google’s guest doodle for the Holi festival
The Association of Asian Indian Women of Ohio (AAIWO) offers free confidential
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women and children in the Asian Indian
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EMBRACE CURIOSITY
3FICA Matters
Indian themes at Cleveland Int’l Film Fest 2018 (CIFF42), April 4-18
Dr. Atul Mehta, M.D., F.A.C.P., F.C.C.P. to be inducted into Cleveland International Hall of Fame
Breaking the Bee
THE LOTUS
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The FICA Board of Trustees’ next Meeting: April 29, 2018, 3:00 - 5:00 p.m. at 12412 Cedar Road, Cleveland Heights, OH 44106
NEWTON (FICA Community partner) Saturday, April 7, 2018 at 9:10 a.m. & Monday, April 9, 2018 at 11:25 a.m. Tower City Ci-nemas
A winner of the International Narrative Competition, “Newton” was selected as India’s entry for Best Foreign Language Film for this year’s Academy Awards®.
This Monday screening is part of the Taste of the Festival. Free tickets will be available one hour before screening start times and distributed on a first-come, first-served basis while supplies last. Tickets may be obtained at the CIFF Box Office located in the Tower City Cinemas lobby. One ticket per filmgoer per film. Tuesday, April 10, 2018 at 6:20 p.m.
Quirky government clerk Newton Kumar is sent out into the field to handle election duties in the conflict-ridden jungles of India. To say he takes things seriously would be a major understatement. He’s not only extremely smart and bright-eyed, but also hilariously uptight and painfully naive. Newton’s a sucker for the rules and rarely intimidated. Making friends isn’t exactly his strong suit. His determination to carry out a fair election is certainly endearing, but the odds are stacked against him. When he and his goofy crew of election workers show up for duty, they discover their polling station is in an area so dangerous no one believes a single person will come to vote. The most cyni-cal of all are the security forces escorting them, who have become apathetic to the situation. As the day goes on, Newton discovers there are many factors working against the democratic process. Despite the consequences, he’ll fight like hell to make sure every vote is counted. Amit V. Ma-surkar’s highly entertaining Newton gives the dark comedy treatment to a topic that’s incredibly relevant today (In Hindi and Gondi with subtitles).
Director Amit V. Masurkar was born and raised in Mumbai, India. He studied engineering at the Manipal Institute of Technology, and at the age of 20 he went on to pursue filmmaking. He later acquired a B.A. in history from Mumbai University.
Ask the Sexpert is directed by Vaishali Sinha, an award winning producer and director whose earlier film “Made in India” was shown in CIFF35. Originally from Mumbai, she now resides in Brooklyn, New York. Sinha speaks regularly at
events and has served as a jury member at multiple film festivals. Thursday, April 05, 2018 at 7:05 p.m., Friday, April 06, 2018 at 2:10 p.m., Sunday, April 08, 2018 at 9:30 a.m.
Dr. Mahinder Watsa is India’s most unassuming and compassionate celebrity. For years, the 93-year-old former gynecologist has written a daily sex advice column in The Mumbai Mirror called “Ask The Sexpert.” This touching, humorous documentary follows Dr. Watsa through his day-to-day life, which revolves around helping people understand their own bodies and sexuality. With no trace of judgment and endless patience, he answers readers’ intimate, sex-related questions—no query is too naive or risqué—and holds private counseling sessions for people with physical and emotional concerns. Nothing fazes Dr. Watsa—not his newspaper facing an obscenity lawsuit be-cause of the column, not the strangers who approach him on the street for photos, not sex educa-tion being banned in many Indian schools, and not family members who worry about him working too hard. “Ask The Sexpert” is a testament to the ways passionate advocates can make a difference despite seemingly insurmountable odds.
Period. End of Sentence Thursday, April 05, 2018 at 11:50 a.m. and Friday, April 06, 2018 at 2:15 p.m. Tower City CinemasIn an effort to improve feminine hygiene, a machine that creates low-cost biodegradable sanitary pads is installed in a rural village in Northern India. Using the machine, a group of local women is employed to produce and sell pads, offering them newfound independence and helping to destig-matize menstruation for all. The film is directed by Rayka Zehtabchi.
Spice Sisters Thursday, April 05, 2018 at 5:00 p.m. and Friday, April 06, 2018 at 11:45 a.m. Tower City CinemasDetermined to break the monotony of her life in suburbia, a former Bollywood star sets her sights on winning a place on a popular reality cooking show. The film is directed by Sheila Jayadev.
TICKETS GO ON SALE ON MARCH 23 at: https://www.clevelandfilm.org/tickets
The 2018 Class of the Cleveland International Hall of Fame has been announced. The committee chose six individuals from over 100 deserving nominees. One of the nominees, and the only one of Indian heritage is Dr. Atul C. Mehta. M.D. A world-renowned pulmonary clinician and academic authority/teacher. Dr. Mehta has a strong track record of hospital administrative and medical staff leadership over a 37-year career with Cleveland Clinic in the U.S. and abroad. Congratulations Dr. Atul Mehta!
Along with five others, Dr. Mehta will be inducted in a dinner ceremony in the Grand Ballroom of the Marriott at Key Center downtown on Tuesday April 17, 2018. For
sponsorship and ticket information e-mail [email protected] or call Debbie at 216-406-6594 or visit: http://clevelandinternationalhalloffame.com/induction-event-info/
Continued from Page 1
Scene from the film “Newton”
Akash Vukoti is one of the main spellers in the film and
lived in Cleveland from ages 1-5. In the film he is 7.
“Turn yourself not away from three best
things: Good Thought, Good Word, and
Good Deed”- Zoroaster
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4 THE LOTUSCommunity Events
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Help WRHS collect materials to preserve our community’shistory in NE Ohio
How to Do Business in India
The Western Reserve Historical Society (WRHS) is collecting archival materials relating to the Asian-Indian community in Northeast Ohio. By working in partnership with the Asian Indian community, WRHS hopes to secure items and collections that will fill current gaps in its holdings. With the community’s involvement and assistance, WRHS seeks to identify those Asian Indians who have made an impact in Cleveland and its surrounding suburbs. Its staff wants to know how they can become more fully involved with community organizations and regional Asian Indian events.
Listed below are some of the items WRHS would like to add to its collections. If anyone has materials not on this list, which you think are important to understanding the history of Asian Indians in our region, please contact the staff at WRHS. Your input is critical to building a body of material that truly reflects the Asian Indian experience in Greater Cleveland. Also, inform WRHS staff about who you think they should interview for the oral history archive. Please put WRHS on your mailing lists so it can add your flyers and newsletters to the collection and also make its staff aware of events, meetings and holiday celebrations in which they might participate. Materials to offer to WRHS that are needed to fill the gaps include:
• Photographs with people, places, and subjects identified• Publications, including community flyers and calendars • Important religious texts• Letters to friends and family back in India • Ceremonial and immigration documents• Indian immigration outfit • Items carried to Cleveland by immigrants• Ceremonial outfits worn by men, women, or children
• Special cooking tools and instruments
Over the years, WRHS has worked hard to secure materials that relate to the huge wave of European immigrants who came to Cleveland between the Civil War and the 1920s. WRHS was strategic and swift in gathering these materials before they were thrown away. Today, the society preserves large amounts of research material from Irish, Poles, Italians, Jews, Czechs, Slovaks, Germans, and other European groups.
After the new immigration law of 1965 had taken full effect, by the late 1970s immigration from India, the Pacific Rim, and South America had totally eclipsed that from Europe. WRHS desires to document this new historical reality as fully as possible. WRHS wants to do much more to locate and preserve archival materials and oral and video histories relating to the Asian Indian community. Several strong collecting initiatives have been made since the late 1990s, including a Smithsonian funded oral history project for young historians. However, once these projects were completed, the collecting of research materials became sporadic and at times ceased. WRHS is looking to revive the program and create a sustainable model for collecting archival materials relating to the Asian-Indian community in Northeast Ohio.
If you have something that fills one or more of the above needs and you would like to donate it to WRHS, please email Margaret Roulett at [email protected]. Please be sure to include a description of the item along with a digital snapshot of the item. Since we do not have enough storage space for duplicate items, we will work with you on checking for duplicates and then getting your item transferred to the archives.
About 150 people attended the Conference on Doing Business in India on Thursday, February 22, 2018 at the Ariel International Center in Cleveland. The event, organized by the Consulate General of India, New York, the India Ohio Chamber of Commerce and the Ariel International Center sought to explore the latest opportunities for doing business with India. Radhika Reddy, President, Ariel International Center, and India Ohio Chamber of Commerce welcomed the participants. Himadri Chatterjee, CEO, who leads the Distribution and Advisory business for the U.S. and Canada for IIFL, Inc. New York gave an overview about the opportunities to invest in India. Vinita Bahri-Mehra, Esq., Partner, Kegler Brown Hill & Ritter, spoke about the legal and tax Issues involved in doing business in India. Amy Freedman, USEAC and Raymond Graves, SBA spoke on Exporting Products or Services and Financing Exports to India. The Keynote Speaker, Consul General of India, New York, Hon’ble Sandeep Chakravorty, spoke at the reception about business opportunities in India.
Chakravorty, a member of the Indian Foreign Service (IFS) since 1996, has served in India’s Missions in several countries. Prior to becoming Consul General of India in New York in August, 2017, he was the Ambassador of India to Peru and Bolivia. Earlier he had been India’s Deputy Chief of Mission in Bangladesh. He has also served in Indian Embassies in Madrid and Bogota. In India’s Ministry of External Affairs he has held several positions including Press Relations Officer, Staff Officer to Minister dealing with Central Asia, East Asia and China.
Continued from Page 1
AIPNO, a non-profit organization founded in 1983, brings together over 400 physicians of Indian origin practicing in Northern Ohio. Its mission is “To use the resources and knowledge of AIPNO for the health and welfare of the community we serve.” Part of the proceeds of this show will benefit the Benjamin Rose Institute on Aging. Please see the ad in this issue of “The Lotus” for further details.
AIPNO brings “Mystic India: The World Tour” to Cleveland, April 14
I measure the progress of a community by
the degree of progress which women have
achieved - Dr. B. R. Ambedkar
5
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THE LOTUS
Stores & Restaurants
Community Religious Centers
Indian Groceries Available at:
• Asian Plaza, Cleveland: (216)241-3553• Asian Imports, N. Olmsted: (440)777-8101• Everest Grocery Store, Lakewood: (216)226-3715• India Grocers, Parma Heights: (440)885-0215• Indian Grocery, Cuyahoga Falls: (330)928-7060• Indo American Foods, North Randall: (216)662-0072• Indo American Convenient, Mayfield Heights: (440)446-8200• Laxmi Groceries & Spices, Parma Heights: (440-842-2402• Lakshmi Plaza, Mayfield Heights: (440)460-4601• Park to Shop, E30th Cleveland: (216)781-3388• Patel Brothers, Parma Heights: (440)885-4440• Rimi’s Indian Bakers, Grocers & Gifts, Westlake: (440)777-0116• Rumis Market & Deli, Carnegie Ave: (216)229-7864• Sunny’s Asian Food & Spices, Solon: (440)248-0801
Indian Food Available at:
• Annapurna, Parma (440)390-1858• Bombay Chaat, Euclid Av., Cleveland (216)331-4598• Bamboo Garden N. Olmsted (440)734-0500 University Circle (216)505-5470• Bombay Grill, Akron (330)664-0689• Café Tandoor Cleveland Hts. (216)371-8500 Westlake (440)835-7999 & Aurora (330)562-5334• Crown of India, Strongsville (440)638-4977• Chapati at Chester Ave., Cleveland (216)303-9780 University Circle (216)505-5470
• Chennai Delicacy, Parma Hts. (440)481-3737• Choolah, Orange Village (800)459-8860• Cleveland Tiffin Punjabi Dhaba, N. Randall (216)220-7002• Cuisine of India, Parma Hts.(440)842-5907• Greedy Girl, Cleveland Hts.(216)465-9877• Hot or Mild, Mayfield Hts.(440)446-8200• Indian Delight, Cleveland(216)651-4007• India Garden, Lakewood (216)221-0676• Indies Indian Food, Col. Arcade, Cleveland (216)357-3266• Indian Flame, University Circle (216)791-5555• Jaipur Junction, N. Royalton (440)842-3555 Hudson (330)653-6640• Namaste India Garden, Lakewood (216) 221-4800• Ruchi Indian Cuisine , Aurora (330)562-6446• Saffron Patch, Shaker Hts. (216) 295-0400 Akron (330)836-7777• 6 Flavors , Parma (440)345-5599• South India Cuisine, Mayfield Rd. (440)720-0393• Taj India Palace, Richmond Hts. (440)461-3737• Tandul, Tremont (216)465-2442 • Taste of Kerala, Woodmere(216)450-1711• Taste of Kerala, Mayfield Hts. (440)461-9212• Udupi Dosa Corner , Parma Heights (440)743-7154
• BAPS Swaminarayan Temple2915 Laurel Rd., Brunswick(330)220-4020
• Guru Nanak Foundation (Gurdwara)4220 Broadview Road, Richfield(330)659-3748
• Gurdwara Sahib Bedford38 Tarbell Road, Bedford(440)232-1702
• Greater Cleveland Shiva Vishnu Temple7733 Ridge Rd., Parma(440)888-9433
• Islamic Center of Cleveland6055 W. 130th St., Parma(216)362-0786
• ISSO Swaminarayan Temple13354 Pearl Road, Strongsville(440)238-2222
•Jain Temple & Center3226 Boston Mills Rd., Richfield(330)659-0832
• Shri Venkataswara Temple4406 Brecksville Road, Richfield(330)576-5626
• St. Gregorios Malankara Orthodox Church1252 East Aurora Road, MacedoniaDr.T.Mathew (216)591-9632
• Swaminarayan Shubh Sanskar Sanstha Cleveland4402 Wallings Rd., North Royalton(440)628-9270
• Syro Malabar Holy QurbanaOur Lady of Peace, Shaker Square(216)795-7161
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6 Food
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It is a wonder the West has not discovered this delicious vegetarian dish! Pav Bhaji, known as a popular fast food from Mumbai, in the State of Maharashtra, India is sold from street handcarts and in plush restaurants as well. It consists of a chunky or mushy vegetable dish, served with toasted soft bread and some butter. It can be used as a snack, a dip or appetizer with pieces of toast or tortilla chips, or it can be the main dish. Pav or pao means bread in Portugese. (Portugal was one of the nations that invaded India) and Bhaji in Hindi simply means vegetable. There are many variations of the dish and you can choose the long way to make it or the quick short one.
Ingredients:I tbsp. oilI large onion choppedI tbsp. ginger and garlic paste1 tspn. of turmeric powder2 slit green chillies deseeded (optional) 2 large potatoes boiledHalf a cup each of green beans, cabbage, carrots, green peas and green pepper cleaned and dicedA cup of tomatoes diced or a small can of tomato paste2 tspns. Pav Bhaji spice mix, any brand, available at the Indian grocery stores A tbsp. or two (your choice!) of butter2-3 unsweetened buns or bread rolls
Directions:• Boil the vegetables in a cup of water, strain through a sieve and puree the mix with a potato masher or in a blender.
• In a cooking dish, saute the onions in the oil. Add the ginger- garlic paste, the turmeric and the spices. Stir continuously, then add the tomatoes. Important: Fry till the oil bubbles out.Then add the vegetables and cook for 10 minutes.
• Add salt to taste and garnish with lemon juice, some chopped onions, tomatoes and cilantro. Toast the bread or spread butter on it and heat it on an iron griddle. Spread the vegetable on the bread, add some more melted butter on top (if you want) and enjoy!
• To make it easier, you can substitute the fresh chopped vegetables with a bag of frozen vegetables, only adding potatoes.
Pav Bhaji
RECIPE CORNERCHERYL D’MELLO
Shikshaa Daan Invites You to Become a Volunteer
Shiksha Daan was established in June 2013 as a new initiative of the Federation of Indian Community Associations (FICA) to get the local Asian Indian community more involved in the education and development of the under-privileged youth in the Greater Cleveland area.
• You can tutor refugee children • Mentor a student through Refugee Response • Mentor high school students through Youth Opportunities Unlimited (Y.O.U.) • Mentor a college student through College Now • Tutor high school students through Minds Matter Contact Sanjay Garg, [email protected], 440-590-1261 to learn more AND/OR Donate funds Shiksha Daan for expenses and a scholarship. To contribute funds, please send a check made out to “FICA – Shiksha Daan” to Shiksha Daan, C/O Vinod Nagpal, 18195 Brickmill Run, Strongsville OH 44136. project of FICA which is a 501(c)(3) registered organization. Shikshaa Daan is a project of FICA so contributions to Shiksha Daan are tax deductible.
7
www.ficacleveland.org
THE LOTUS Religious Corner/ Book Review
If you haven’t read ‘Love, Hate, and Other Filters,’ the debut teen novel by Samira Ahmed, do read it. Seventeen-year-old Maya Aziz is a Muslim-Indian-American living in Batavia, Illi-nois, a tiny town west of Chicago with no other Muslim fami-lies. Despite her cultural differences, Maya is a normal Ameri-can teen. She is socially awkward. Her style is totally cramped by her parents. She is excited and overwhelmed by the idea of college, and every little setback feels the end of the world. She is totally believable.
A high school senior deciding on colleges, the outcast pining after the captain of the football team, with overprotective pa-rents pushing traditional values, this story has all the neces-sary components of a great “diverse voice” coming-of-age story. This book is at once a homage to these tropes and a won-derful departure from them. The book has the feel of your ty-pical rom-com (romantic comedy). But this is not typical. It is delightfully refreshing, and manages to do so while respecting the cultural struggles that Maya faces.
The writing is clean and crisp, with a strong voice. The door to Maya Aziz’s story opens slowly, you are welcomed inside, and you find yourself immersed in a world that is at once new and familiar. Me-anwhile, the brief one-page italicized chapters hint at the world beyond Batavia. These worlds will collide, dramatically, but the way it is written, this happens in a way that is at once realistic and aggravating.
The story starts at a Muslim wedding, at a suburban party center decorated or-
nately with flowers, sounds, clothing, and Indian food typical of Indian weddings. As traditions and culture get passed down from generation to generation, and as we who have grown up on the opposite side of the globe from our ancestors try to learn about our family’s past, it’s helpful not to lose sight of the big picture…that we share much in common with those that we have determined are “others.” In our quest for belonging, hu-mans tend to segregate. These tendencies are magnified in high school (the jocks and the nerds, for example, are two groups divided, and efforts to belong to both can be difficult) and cul-turally (we gravitate toward those who share certain traits, be it nationality, region, or religion). This book shows Maya’s strug-gle with both.
This book is about what happens to a typical high school student, a very realistic look at what it means to be a Mus-lim-American growing up today. The fact that this reality inclu-des being racially profiled, attacked, or even hated for the color of their skin stinks. What I absolutely hate about this book is that it is so very real. I hate that this plot line even has to exist, that countless kids across the country identify with Maya and everything she’s going through. The best fiction is often more
real than any true account could be. Oh, how I wish that this story failed in that definition.
Nivi Engineer is the author of ‘The Indian Girl’s Definitive Guide to Staying Sin-gle’, The Story of a Story, The Saviors of Scarborough, Impatient, Redrafted, and Picklemas.
‘What I Love and Hate About “Love, Hate, and Other Filters”
BOOK OF THE MONTH
Cleveland State University’s (CSU)
offers New Gen Ed Bollywood Course:
COM 233: Bollywood & Beyond
South Asian Cinema & Social Change
In Fall 2018, Cleveland State University (CSU) Dr. Kim Neuendorft, will be tea-ching this class on Tuesdays and Thursdays, from 2:00-3:15 p.m.
There are no prerequisites for this class which meets the ALAAME Social Science requirement. The course is designed to introduce you to “Bollywood,” the Hin-
di-language film industry based in Mumbai, as well as other popular and art-ba-sed Indian cinema, which together form the most prolific film industry on earth. The popular “masala” form, often including integrated musical sequences, is a
unique manifestation of traditional Indian storytelling.
The phenomenon of “Bollywood” is a rich tapestry affording an opportunity to ap-ply social and behavioral science perspectives to issues of social identity construc-tion, cultural values, diasporic tensions, the process of globalization, representati-ons (including gendered roles and critical representations of the “other”), cultural expressions of music and dance, emotional connections, nostalgia and modernity,
and regionalism.
People can take the class to fulfill their Gen Ed requirements and also those over 60 years old can take it for free as Project 60 students. See http://www.csuohio.edu/
project60/project60 for further details about Project 60
NIvI ENgINEER
Free Resources for the College Admission Process
Need information about how to go to college, scholarships for students and adults returning to school? Confused by the FAFSA? Ask your high school counsellors and also visit College Now. College Now was the first organization of its kind in the nation. Advisors provide support and
resources to middle school students, high school students and adult learners to prepare for and explore educational opportunities after high school, including 2-year and 4-year degree programs and technical/vocational certificate programs. You can get Free help and advice from professionals. Visit
their website: https://www.collegenowgc.org/ or make an appointment today
College Now Greater Cleveland, 50 Public Square, Suite 1800, Cleveland, OH 44113 | Phone: 216.241.5587
Titiksha or Saburi or PatienceDR. RAMASWAMY SHARMA – SHIVA VISHNU TEMPLE, PARMA, OHIO
In the last issue of Lotus Shraddha or Faith was discussed. Another desirable attitude that compliments Shraddha is Tititiksha or Saburi or Patience. In the Bhagavad Gita (2 – 14) Krishna advises Arjuna to be patient as all experiences whether good or bad will not last for long. Taan Tithikshasva Bharata. Gita (2 – 14)
P a t i e n c e i s i n d i s p e n s a b l e t o everyone as we all face demanding circumstances in life. When one undergoes hardship,one should not conclude that all good days are over. Only this conviction will give rise to patience that helps one in facing adversities. The two great epics Ramayana and Mahabharata narrate a series o f advers i t i e s tha t Rama and Dharmaputra face. They never lose
their patience and at the end attain happiness. They are considered as models of right action and extolled for their virtues.
A very important aspect of patience is to understand that we cannot force the external circumstances the way we want them to unfold. The more we surrender to the Will of Ishwara, patience will start to grow in us and help us discover joy in things just the way they are. If situations are examined and seen from the point of the others, it will culminate in Patience. This helps one accept the faults or imperfections in others.The devotees of Shri Sai Baba of Shirdi requested him for the essence of his teaching. Baba’s answer was that the ‘Malik’ or Master asked only for two qualities from devotees - one is Shradhha (Faith) and the other Saburi (Patience).
RELIGIOUS CORNER
8 Future Events
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THE LOTUS