August 21, 2009 New York Edition Vol. 5 No. 11 Events   There are currently no upcoming events listed on our New York calendar. Click here for latest updates. News Shah Rukh Khan Indian film icon, was detained for two hours at Newark aiport, where he arrived from India en-route to Chicago, where he was to participate in the Indian Independence Day celebrations. The TSA authorities are said to have questioned the actor for a long while, as fellow-passengers tried to tell them he was a well-known figure. There have been many protests in India, and the American ambassador has expressed his surprise at the incident. The actor himself, after initially saying he felt humiliated, said he understood how these things might happen. According to one source, when asked how the authorities might be able to make amends, the actor replied in a lighter vein that perhaps the next time Angelina Jolie visited India, he might be allowed to conduct a search! The subject of stopping VIP's is a sensitive one in India. Recently, former President Abdul Kalam was searched at Delhi airport by Continental Airlines before being allowed to board a plane to the US. Who's for Jinnah? Just One Singh India is all agog over former BJP union minister Jaswant Singh's book on MA Jinnah, and his expulsion from the BJP. Singh praises Jinnah as a great Indian, a legal mind, and a reasonable, if tough, negotiator. Singh lays equal blame on the Congress leaders for Partition. Jawed Naqvi on the irony of it all. More... Drought of Justice, Flood of Funds How society distributes its assets is a reasonable judgment on its nature. India this year is facing one of the worst droughts in recent memory. As water dries up, there is no dearth of funds for the well-to-do, the corporate interests, and the cities, as farmers continue to commit suicide, people abandon their land and millions begin a death-watch. Magsaysay award winning journalist P. Sainath reports. More... Health Plans and Death Plans "The first illusion to chase off the stage is that the great debate here has much to do with health." Thus begins this piece by veteran journalist Alexander Cockburn on the current imbroglio. The timidity of the White House, if not its insincerity or lack of understanding, is more than matched by the ferocious defense of the current order by the entrenched powers. In this circumstance, who is to heal? More... The Pink Panthresses Have you heard of a vigilante force in India called the 'Gulabi Sena'? They are a group of women who seek out justice by taking matters into their own hands, often shaming and coercing officials and others to do the right thing. Anuj Chopra writes. More... The Long Road to Renewable Energy The usual argument goes like this: Every couple of years, at some international conference on Energy, Ecology, Environment, and the like, the Northern powers urge the South to curb greenhouse gases and use renewable sources. The South responds that the North is being disingenous, sitting on the results of greenhouse gas consumption while preaching morality to others. Aseem Shrivastava urges a higher standard for India. More... How our leaders look -- and how they ought to Gandhi, Nehru, Indira, Vajpayee, Jinnah...everyone talks about what they said and did. In this article, Aakar Patel takes an entirely different perspective: how did these men and women of history dress, and how did it affect their leadership style? Why did they dress the way the did? A new look at an old subject. More... The Assimilation of Niranjan Ramakrishnan A simple letter to the author protesting a ghoulish piece in anti-immigration site VDARE.COM on the illness of Senator Edward Kennedy leads to the unwitting assimilation of Niranjan Ramakrishnan, who wonders how trustworthy the site's bylines are. More... Thank you for not sharing Sharing may be the bane of our times. There is no such thing as a personal life any more. And not because you want to let all your secrets hang out. Because, like it or not, everyone else seems to want to share their every little happening with you. Whether you like it or not is of little consequence. Melvin Durai on the scourge of sharing. More... Movies     There are currently no Indian movies playing in New York. Updates... Giduism Today The old and frail Pope lay dying in the hospital. For years he hadfaithfully served the people of the world. He motioned for his nurseto come near. "Yes, Father?" said the nurse. "I would really like tosee Asif Zardari and Nawaz Sharif before I die," whispered the priest. "I'll see what I can do, Father," replied the nurse. The nurse sentthe request to them and waited for a response. Soon the word arrived.Zardari and Nawaz Sharif would be delighted to visit the Pope.As they went to the hospital, Nawaz commented to Zardari "I don't knowwhy the old man wants to see us, but it will certainly help ourimages." Zardari couldn't help but agree. When they arrived at the Pope's room,the Pope took Zardari's hand in his right hand and Nawaz Sharif's handin his left. There was silence and a look of serenity on the oldPope's. Finally Nawaz spoke. "Holy Father, of all the people you could havechosen, why did you choose us to be with you as you near the end?"The old Pope slowly replied "I have always tried to pattern my lifeafter our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ." The old priest continued... "He died between two lying thieves. I would like to do the same." About us |Submit articles |Advertise | Contact us |Subscribe FREE |Privacy Policy |Archives Copyright© indogram - the global Indian village in your neighborhood™