See also Rakesh Mathur's Home Page
http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/Rakesh_MATHUR
In the Breakfast show, the hostess Julie learnt basic hindi expression such as Namaste, nashta, dhanyawaad. Viva! radio is mainly run by women for its mainly women audience. The producer for the weekend programme is Veena Josh, a former BBC producer, who is trying to make this programme multi-cultural.
If any of the UKINDIA readers has new ideas to share with Veena for a talk show, she can be reached on telephone number 0171 298 7253.
Barbican Centre, London will see the first ever trade exhibition of the ethnic minority enterprise on 4 and 5 May 1996. A wide range of Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, SriLankan, as well as Afro-Caribbean businesses are booking stalls for this trade show which promises to be rewarding for new as well as established businesses in the United Kingdom.
There will be seminars which will be chaired by eminent Asian politicians such as Keith Vaz MP and Nirj Deva MP. The organiser explained in a press release issued today that "it is important to highlight the achievements of ethnic businesess who are contributing to the diversity of Britain's culture. I also think that it is important for ethnic businesses to network and show off their wares. Finally, the exhibition will give those blue chip companies who made a pledge at the Race for Opportunity Campaign, a chance to do business with the ethnic businesses that exist."
This exhibition and seminar was prompted by the pledge of large blue chip companies such as British Airways, British Telecom and Lloyds Bank to use ethnic suppliers.
For more details, contact: Time Communications on 0171-336 8393 with reference to this internet.
One of the most outstanding lady musicians of India, Joya Biswas left her academic career after being awarded a Government of India cultural scholarship. Privileged to work under Pandit Ravi Shankar for higher studies in music, she soon emerged as a brilliant sitar player, broadcasting, telecasting and performing all over India.
Joya was the first Indian lady sitarist to give concerts in the UK and the continent in 1959, which was followed by concert tours abroad in later years. She has performed in the Russia, Poland, East Germany and Mongolia under the cultural exchange programme of the Government of India and also toured the UK, France and Germany.
She was invited to participate in the festival of India in the Soviet Union and International Music Day on French Television. In 1993, Mother Teresa presented the 'Mahila Navaratna Award' to Joya for her outstanding contribution in the field of music as the first lady of sitar.
Nehru Centre in London has organised an evening with Joya in March. For more details and booking Joya in your city, contact Association Sargam, 52 Peterborough Road, London SW6 3EB U.K. Tel/Fax 0171 731 4153.
TRANSFORMATION OF INDIA
By Rakesh Mathur
India seems to be going through a phase of transformation. Soon elections will
be declared and this process will either speed up or breakdown.
At this critical juncture, it is good to hear the old wisemen of India. Dr Karan Singh is one of them who feel passionately about the country. Poet, politician and world-renowned environmentalist, Dr Karan Singh needs no introduction. His forefathers were the rulers of Kashmir and very few people have made sacrifices for the country the way his family did for the independent India.
Dr Karan Singh met this author during one of visits to England few months ago. Excerpts from a conversation:
We need to have a new, creative look at the realities of India. We seem to have lost our collective vision, the vision which Gandhi and Aurobindo had for the country. We now believe in the power of Science and Technology but we must also try the power of our rich cultural linguistic pluralism.
Democracy is nothing without free will of the people. If you get on the slippery slope, then you go down. We do not have enough safety net. It is alright for the private investors to come and play their role in the economy but the government money should be spent on Education, Health and Water supply.
Secularism is very important for our democratic set up. India gave birth to four religions in its territory: Hinduism, Sikhism, Jainism and Buddhism. We hosted a number of religions from outside: Islam, Christianity, Judaism, Zarausthra, Bahai, Shintoism, Daoism and so on. Sarva dharma Samman (Respect for All Religions) has always been our major principal. We sustain a global society in our midst in India.
For the communal harmony, I can think of a sher (poem) by Shakeel Badayuni:
Nafrat se na dekho dushman ko! Shayad wo muhabbat kar beithe.
(Don't give an indignant look to your enemy, he may fall in love with you.)
Reservation system in India should be based on the economic needs and not the
needs of the caste. The caste system in India has been institutionalised. We
have enormous intercaste problem. We are opening up to the West but not to
ourselves.