archives.seattletimes.nwsource.com

SEATTLE, WASHINGTON, April 13, 2008: (HPI note: this long article, available at URL above, explains the experiences of Hindus who come to the USA from India on temporary workers and then end up settling here.)

The American Dream can sneak up on people. Take Naresh Bhatt and his wife, Bansri, who moved to the United States from India 15 years ago under a government visa program for highly skilled and sought-after workers. Like thousands of Indian immigrants with computer skills who’ve taken advantage of the “H-1B” program, they came as temporary workers in the Seattle area’s burgeoning high-tech sector, where companies like Microsoft were aggressively recruiting foreign nationals to fill positions in their work forces. The visa allows firms to hire such foreign workers and keep them here for up to six years, longer in some cases.

As bitter debate swirls over what do to about millions of undocumented foreign workers who often live in the shadows of American society, it’s easy to forget that we are in the midst of a whole other, legal, mass migration. Driven by hiring in high-tech fields, hundreds of thousands of foreign workers, including a huge influx of young Indians with H-1B visas such as the Bhatts, are putting down roots in a country that invited them to come — sought them out, even.

Unlike some previous generations of immigrants, the Indian workers riding this latest incoming wave aren’t interested in putting their heritage on hold, and they resist living as islands unto themselves. They’ve found that in the Puget Sound region, at least, they can escape the limbo of living between nations.

In practicing the Hindu-derived Krishna faith, the Bhatts keep a 6-foot-high gilded wooden altar in what would be their dining room. In the upper part, crowned figurines representing the boyish cow herder-god Krishna and his brother sit in bright-orange and gold robes adorned with imitation gems. The room is treated as if Krishna and his brother are real people. Every morning, the Bhatts present a lit candle, water, milk and fresh flowers to Krishna and pray to him.

Naresh is a leader at the Vedic Temple and Cultural Center, a Krishna congregation that’s been holding services and feasts at a nondescript office park in Redmond while its $3.7 million domed temple is built on the plateau, at the site of an old rambler that once served as temple. Bansri teaches Sunday school there.

For the rest of this long article, click URL above.

MP Mohanty

PURI, INDIA, April 1, 2008: The Puri temple administration has decided to have facility for the visiting disabled devotees. So far all such devotees have difficulty in getting darshan of the Trinity and other Parswa Deities on account of the “Baisi Pahach,” or 22 steps. Four specially trained persons will be employed for the purpose, and there will be a token fee. As the ancient temple is under the regulation of the Archeological Survey of India, no major alterations can be made.

HPI

SEATTLE, WASHINGTON, April 18, 2008: Madhu Kishwar is the founder editor of Manushi, Senior Fellow at the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies (CSDS). She has written numerous books and articles on gender issues, human rights, advocacy and policy issues etc. Currently, she is working for im- proving the quality of street vendors/stalls in urban areas so that vendors not only have neat/clean/organized stalls but also do not fall prey to the criminal mafia that extracts “hafta” (weekly bribes) from them and channels the money to police and criminal local politicians.

She will be giving three presentations in the Seattle Area, all open to the public:

1) Date & Time: 21st April, 6:00 pm
Venue: Green Lake Public Library (7364 E Green Lake Dr N, Seattle, WA, 98115)
Topic: Domestic Violence and Dowry Laws in India
Hosting group: Tasveer (http://www.tasveer.org/) and Chaya (http://www.chayaseattle.org/)

2) Date & Time: 22nd April, 7:00 pm
Venue: Microsoft Main Campus, 42/3600 (contact Srijan @ 425 890 8515 for access)
Topic: Strengthening Women’s Rights in India - The Potential and Limitations of Law as an Instrument: “Why do laws enacted for the purpose of enforcing women’s rights in
India end up producing such dismal results? Come to this talk for an engaging discussion with long time activist and writer Madhu Kishwar.”

Hosting group: Asha Seattle http://www.ashanet.org/seattle/)

3) Date & Time: 23rd April, 3:30 pm
Venue: University of Washington (room not yet decided)
Topic: Strengthening Women’s Rights in India - The Potential and Limitations of Law as an Instrument
Hosting group: University of Washington, Jackson School of International Studies

For details on the location of any presentation, contact srijan@gmail.com,

deshika.wordpress.com

ENGLAND, April 17, 2008: HPI note: We received the following searing criticism by Kripamoya Das of the “Story of India” by Michael Wood now being shown on the Discovery Channel in India. The entire text is available at the URL above.

I watched a television documentary on the ancient history of India today. Presented by Michael Wood and made for British and American audiences, it was entitled “Beginnings” and is the first of a six-part series, itself part of a season celebrating the 60th anniversary of India’s independence. Although the presenter was quite congenial and effusive in his praise of India’s traditions, and rightly gave recognition to her people’s antiquity, the actual conclusion of his presentation was an unwitting slap in the face for every one of India’s 800 million Hindus. Some of my congregation members watched it and were troubled by it. They asked me what my own views on the show were. See URL above for the rest of Kripamoya’s comments.

www.hinduismtoday.com

If you’re standing up, it’s confrontation. If you’re sitting down, its conversation. (On correcting people, including but not limited to children.)
Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami (1927-2001)