- Former Cal EPA scientist Rashbihari Ghosh is chairman and founder of the International Institute of Bengal Basin and its forerunner Ghosh Research Associates, a Berkeley, Calif.-based NGO that provides low-cost, affordable consulting services to organizations and governments working on environmental issues in the Bengal Basin.

- Radhika Mathur is currently working on her first book about second generation, South Asian women, culture and relationships. She lives in Pleasanton, Calif.

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The Bhagavad Gita is described as a distillation of the substance of Hindu philosophy. To the religious mind it is grand, beautiful and awe inspiring, because the religious mind accepts without hesitation the divine status of Krishna. There is no question of contradiction or repetition, because every syllable of the Gita was uttered by Krishna himself.

The atheist knows that the Gita was meant to be a religious book, not a work of philosophy. As a book of religion it is subtle and original; as a philosophical treatise it is repetitive, verbose, arrogant and self-contradictory, and therefore unconvincing. Repetition and verbosity are not problems in themselves. They can be put down to the aesthetic preference of the age in which the Gita was composed. Arrogance afflicts most world views, which regard themselves as self-evident until proven to be ridiculous by opposing ideas. The problem of self-contradiction, however, cannot be explained away, if the Gita is to claim itself as a philosophical work in the Western sense. At different times, Krishna argues from different angles, providing more than a dozen reasons for Arjun to fight the battle. Taken together, these reasons do not make sense. If Arjun is merely an instrument of Krishna’s will (nimitt maatra), why does it matter that he can earn fame through battle, or that he can prevent varna sankar? Krishna’s most powerful argument -karmanyevaadhikaaraste maa phaleshhu kadaachan ... - can easily be construed as a direction to not fight the battle. A dispassionate atheistic listener of the Gita can be convinced of almost anything by paying particular attention to one of its many ideas. This is not a new revelation. The Gita has been used by different people to justify different (and opposing) points of view. Gandhi used it to condemn violence, politicians use it to justify incompetence, businessmen use it to expect dutiful (and uncarping) hard work from their employees, and I have heard a professor in IIT use it to condemn the Mandal Commission.

Yet, in the last chapter of the Gita, Arjun avers that his doubts have been dispelled and he is fully convinced he must fight, which is what he does. Arjun is a devotee of Krishna. He does not sift finely through the arguments put forth by his Supreme Master. He was eager to be convinced even before he voiced his doubts. Krishna’s only substantial argument is never presented explicitly in the Gita - I am God, so do as I say. A fine vision for the religious mind, a circular argument for the atheist.

Tathaa Kuru his begins with a simple premise: Arjun does not accept Krishna’s divinity and concludes that the Gita is not convincing enough. There remains no reason to fight, so he leaves the battlefield. He is finally brought back into battle after a violent confrontation with Krishna, and the appearance of a man named Tiraskari.

Tiraskari is an “anti-Krishna”. He sees through Krishna’s arrogance and self-contradiction and offers his own nihilistic world-view. These arguments ultimately lead him to join the battle himself. Tiraskari’s final reasons for fighting the Mahabharat are not very different from the ones Krishna gave to Arjun, but he is much more consistent and concise. He is the atheist’s Krishna. He does not require a divine status to be believed. Almost unintentionally, the play finds its way back to the Gita after attempting to move away from it. It provides a reason for the atheist to believe in the Gita, without having to first believe in God.

The title of the play, Tathaa Kuru, derives from Krishna’s last instruction in the Gita.

I have revealed the most secret of secrets to you, says Krishna to Arjun, and now, after having deliberated completely on this, do as you want (yathechchhasi tathaa kuru).

I have often heard this line used by apologists for Hinduism, who take refuge in its seeming liberalism when accused of intolerance. Hinduism is a broad-minded, tolerant way of life, they say. Why, even Krishna advised Arjun to do as he wanted! Which code of ethics, which system of morality in the whole wide world offers you such a liberal, accommodating set of choices? What the apologists do not say, or do not know, is that Krishna follows up his liberal advice with threats of what will happen to Arjun if he does not do as he has been told. Such threats are brandished throughout the book, leaving no doubt that the enlightened man has but one supreme goal: to be an instrument of Krishna’s will. And Krishna’s will is expressed a few dozen times with maddeningly repetitive certainty – he wants Arjun to fight. This is the perfect non-choice, in the manner of “choose any color so long as it is red”, and it allows the Gita to appear broad-minded while being strict and narrow.

Tathaa Kuru does not attach much weight to the divinity of Krishna, so it is hobbled by no constraints that allow one to find clarity in nonsense. It takes the lines in the Gita literally and seriously without contorting them to suit a comprehensive world-view. It de-mystifies the Pandavs, Kauravs and Krishna by presenting them as worldly, ambitious, lustful, manipulative, greedy and conniving human beings. It places them in awkward and funny situations from which they extricate themselves in the manner of more terrestrial beings, and it brings to the fore the obvious contradictions that are littered all over the Gita but are always glossed over by sympathetic readers and interpreters. The entire play rhymes. It moves at the pace of a poem, a very humorous and violent poem, a poem that writes a second Gita while pulling apart the first one.

Naatak’s seventeenth production, Tathaa Kuru, will be presented Feb. 7 and 8 at West Valley College, Saratoga. Interested readers can find more information at www.naatak.com.

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The Indian American Leadership Initiative was the first group to organize the Indian American community’s political efforts behind Harris.

IALI West Coast directors Amit Sevak and Vivek Malhotra actively campaigned for Harris and hosted a major fundraiser in the final weeks in her support citing her positive agenda for Bay area Indian Americans and Hallinan’s failed record.

“Kamala won because she has a proven record of results,” said Sevak. “Kamala overcame tremendous odds and won. Her message resonated strong with San Francisco voters. The Bay area already feels safer now that Kamala is our new district attorney.”

“District Attorney Kamala Harris will be a strong advocate on issues important to the Indian American community,” said Malhotra. “She has been a champion of domestic violence victims’ rights and is a longstanding civil rights leader in San Francisco.”

IALI president Varun Nikore said that there is a public service spirit emerging in our community, noting that Harris, like Indian American Iowa state Rep. Swati Dandekar, is an example of increasing numbers of Indian American women in American politics.

Harris surprised everyone by knocking out former city prosecutor Bill Fazio, who narrowly lost the race two previous times, when she advanced to the runoff election. Harris, 39, is a former prosecutor in both Alameda County and San Francisco, where she worked for Hallinan.

Harris received the backing of many of San Francisco’s top legal and social opinion leaders. She positioned herself as a progressive candidate who is tough on crime and capable of building coalitions to prevent young people and minorities from getting trapped in the criminal justice system. She came into the race with the least name recognition and published polling numbers never showed her above 19 percent in the general election. Yet she triumphed in a nasty, hard-fought race.

- Toby Chaudhuri is a political activist. He was deputy press secretary for Al Gore’s 2000 presidential campaign.

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BUSINESS

Clockwise from top left: Tata Safari, Bajaj Chetak, Tata Indica, Maruti Alto and Mahindra Scorpio

Indian Made Cars:
Ready for the World? - By Siddharth Srivastava

With small but sure steps, India's letting the world know that it has a new global export: Automobiles. Yes, you heard that right, writes Siddharth Srivastava.

It is not often that one hears of Made in India products, apart from software services, making international inroads. Yet Indian cars have lately staked their claim in the competitive European and North American markets.

Though the numbers are still in the thousands, compared to the millions of cars sold across the world, a beginning has been made and exporting cars is very much on the agenda of automobile players in this country, whether they are homegrown or subsidiaries of international manufacturers.  

A look at the statistics first: The increased acceptance of Indian made cars abroad is quite apparent. In the seven month period from April 2003-October 2003, 53,870 units have been sold compared to 30,866 units last year, which is a growth of nearly 75 percent. This is a far cry from a decade ago when only Maruti cars used to be sold in minuscule numbers to Hungary. This year Maruti has been able to export 20,048 units till October, a whopping jump of 101 percent from the same period last year when it sold 10,951 units. 

Maruti is not the exception. Its arch rival Hyundai Motor India, a wholly owned subsidiary of the South Korean automobile major has also been successfully pushing the overseas sales of cars manufactured in India. The company has exported 16,089 units till October this year compared to 3,321 units sold in the same period last year. 

Indigenous carmaker Tata Motors has not lagged behind either in the race to tap the global markets. The company has tied up with U.K.-based Rover to sell its cars in Europe and is confident of selling 100,000 units in the next five years. The upgraded Euro-1V Tata Indica will be sold across the U.K. and Europe under the brand City Rover. Further, Tata Motors is close to acquiring South Korea’s Daewoo Commercial Vehicle for around Rs. 5.3 billion, a move that, apart from helping the company make inroads into the Korean market, will provide a convenient platform to break into China. 

Then there’s Mahindra & Mahindra, which has identified seven overseas markets for its utility vehicle Scorpio. Even Hindustan Motors is setting up an assembly unit in Sri Lanka to manufacture its flagship product, the 50-year-old Ambassador.

Shah Rukh Khan in a campaign for Hyundai's Santro Xing.

The success of Indian-made cars is evident from the fact that for the first time ever Maruti Alto achieved the number 1 position in ‘A’ segment cars in the Netherlands with 18.7 percent market share. Maruti’s cumulative exports to the Netherlands crossed the 50,000 mark. A major success for Hyundai has been the ability to export its small car, the Santro Xing to the competitive markets in Europe. The company has ambitious plans to sell its vehicles in North American markets as well by the end of next year. There are plans to expand capacity to 250,000 units by the year 2004 with exports accounting for 30 percent of production.  

The story does not end with just automobiles. Two-wheeler makers such as Kinetic, TVS Motor, LML, and Bajaj are in various stages of going global. More than 25,000 units of scooters and scooterettes were exported between April and October this year, more than double from 12,022 sold in the same period last year. Motorcycles have grown by 62 percent with 88,960 units being sold in the seven months of the current fiscal, according to the latest data released by the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers. Three-wheeler sales overseas has also witnessed a remarkable growth.  

The success of the Indian auto industry was not in everyone’s script a while ago. As a matter of fact, in the face of global competition many expected India’s indigenous auto industry to wilt. The signs were all there — falling market shares, bleeding financial statements, even griping CEOs complaining that their companies were not given enough time to get used to the rules of the open market.  

Then, surprisingly, the industry pulled itself up with the sector going through one of the most intense business restructuring and cost-cutting exercises seen in corporate India. Soon people were getting used to the unheard-of notion of the British driving Rovers made in India, the Italians driving Indian-made Suzuki Alto, the Spanish loving their Tata Safaris, the Brazilians going ga ga after Bajaj Pulsar while Americans can’t get enough of Mahindra tractors.  

Analysts say that it was the imposition of stringent Euro norms three years ago that put immense pressure on the Indian automobile industry to upgrade engines quickly and start major development centers that are now cornerstones of growth plans. And, of course, the unmatched Indian wizardry in computing skills helped, as cars today are actually a slew of computers on four wheels. A case in point is the BMW’s highly acclaimed iDrive system that was developed by an Indian software company.  

But, as in the Business and Processing Outsourcing sector and call centers that are being outsourced to India, one of the major factors is the cost advantage. Indian-owned companies as well as subsidiaries are looking to break into the developed markets in U.S., U.K., Italy, Sweden, Germany, Spain, Australia, New Zealand based on the low-cost base that allows for low sales prices. Automotive designs in India cost $60 per hour as opposed to $800 per hour charged by European design houses. The Indian developed Reva costs less than half of the next cheapest electric car sold anywhere in the world. This also means that India is set to emerge as the preferred research and development center.

There are more factors responsible for the turnaround. 

The current car and two-wheeler export boom has been helped in no small measure by the booming auto-components segment that has actually witnessed greater growth than automobiles. Exports have touched $850 million and predicted to cross $2 billion by 2006. Firms such as Bharat Forge, Sundaram Fasteners and Sona Koyo have been exporting auto components designed and manufactured in India. Delphi, the world’s largest automobile component company has also been active in the Indian market for long. German-U.S. auto giant Daimler-Chrysler AG aims to buy auto parts worth over Rs. 5 billion from India over the next two years. Aggressive cost-cutting measures coupled with world-class quality of local components are the major reasons for the increase in outsourcing from Indian companies. The auto-component sector has infused an element of familiarity about India’s auto industry.  

Observers also make the point that the world is ready for made-in-India products that increasingly bear the stamp of quality whether in the form of human capital such as engineers, doctors, teachers, nurses or software products. Further, the Made in India brand is increasingly being noticed with India Inc beginning to assert itself with a series of international acquisitions — Reliance bagging Flag Telecom, Tata Motors becoming the preferred bidder for Daewoo’s commercial vehicle unit or Kumar Birla acquiring copper mines in Australia.  

Motown India seems to have finally come of age, though it will still take some time before Indian products gains universal acceptability — after all Maruti is still exported under the Suzuki brand and Tata Motors under the Rover one. The journey will of course come to fruition when the dream of Ratan Tata, chairman of Tata Motors culminates in the building of a global Indian car.

- Siddharth Srivastava is a freelance journalist
based in New Delhi.

FINANCE



Reduce Taxes, Save More:
The New Tax Law - By Ashok Gupta

New tax laws make it easier for you to save for retirement, writes Ashok Gupta.

Did you find yourself paying too much to Uncle Sam this year? The Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001 — EGTRRA — may help reduce your taxes and help you save more for retirement.

EGTRRA is the new tax bill Congress passed and President Bush signed into law last summer. It revised current tax laws to strengthen and expand our nation’s private retirement system as well as provide tax relief to individuals.

How can taxes affect you?

Taxes can make or break a retirement plan. The best way to protect your money from taxes is to invest in tax-deferred vehicles such as your 401(k) plan.

With tax-deferred investments, you’ll pay less in taxes now (because your contributions are subtracted from your taxable income) while also allowing your investments to grow for years untouched by the taxman.

For example, if you contributed $2,000 a year for 10 years to a tax-deferred account and received an eight percent annual return (assuming a 28 percent marginal tax bracket), you would wind up with $31,291 — instead of the $27,568 you would have if the money had been taxed all along.

That’s a difference of $3,723. This is a hypothetical example and does not represent the past or future performance of any specific investment product or class. Rates of return will vary over time.

What changed with EGTRRA?

EGTRRA made saving for retirement even easier by:

• Increasing contribution limits for qualified retirement plans — you can contribute more pre-tax dollars to your plan, paying more to yourself before you pay the government.
  
• Increasing portability — if you change jobs, you can roll your retirement account balance into a qualified plan with your new employer or into an IRA.
  
• Giving qualifying low-and middle-income savers a tax credit — you can receive a non-refundable tax credit.
  
• Allowing catch-up contributions for workers age 50 and over — if you didn’t or couldn’t start saving early enough for retirement, you can make additional contributions above the regular limits to your employer-sponsored retirement plan or IRA.
  
• Increasing contribution limits for IRAs — you can contribute more dollars to your IRAs.
  

Bottom line, start saving as much as you can to your retirement plan. You’ll reduce your taxes and save even more for retirement.

- Ashok Gupta is a financial advisor based in San Jose, Calif.
His Web site is www.teamworkfinancial.com

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REPORT:



The Wedding Deluge:
India's Busy Season - By Siddharth Srivastava

For various reasons, this has been an uncommonly busy season of weddings in India, reports Siddharth Srivastava.

It is a season of unprecedented weddings in India, and amid all the celebrations it also boils down to very good business for an entire industry of people catering to the huge demand.

To get a sense of the extent, consider this: In Delhi alone over 12,000 weddings were held in a single day Nov. 27 last year and in the city of Ahmedabad in Gujarat 20,000 weddings were planned before Dec. 15. The budget of each wedding can range from Rs. 200,000 ($4,000) to Rs. 20 million ($4000,000). It is estimated that over Rs. 50 billion is spent in just under a month.

The confluence of marriages on the same day is due to auspicious dates and time, which given the nature of predominantly Hindu weddings, fall on the same day. The marriage deluge is particularly high this year as the months of September and October had been declared by pandits and astrologers as devoid of mahurats (auspicious days) while the months of November and December had been slotted as months most divine to tie the knot. To clog it more, the months of January and February again did not find favor with the gods and planetary configurations. To narrow it down further, more specifically Nov. 17 to Dec. 15 is the brief interlude of good days in a six-month period.

According to well-known astro-numerologist Aarti Chakraborty, there were eight propitious days in November — 17, 20, 21, 25, 26, 27 28 and 29 — with families trying to make the best of them. While one is not sure how far this number play affects the prospect of a marriage lasting longer, people dare not infringe upon such assertions of faith.

The most immediate impact has been on the price of gold as by tradition jewelry forms an essential and big part of any bridal ensemble. Gold is quoting at the highest in seven years. Gold, which usually sells at Rs. 4,000-Rs. 4,500 per 10 grams is currently priced at over Rs. 6,100 per 10 grams. The last time it touched this price was in March 1996. Yet jewelers are not complaining as the demand remains quite high.

“The high rise in gold prices is affecting sales only to a certain extent, but the market is not that bad. Since this is the wedding season people have to buy gold. They don’t have an option,” says a spokesperson of a prominent jeweler in Delhi.

Adding their mite to the huge marriage expense are Non-Resident Indians from all over the world who have converged to their respective native areas to combine family re-unions with marriage celebrations. Many more are simply on a shopping binge for the bride or groom, as the case may be, to provide the right ethnic touch to wedding trousseaus. The bulk spenders are the cash and dollar-rich NRIs from the U.S. who have been flocking to the country with the biggest marriage budgets.

The state of Gujarat with the economically powerful community of Gujaratis across the world leads by far in the NRI deluge. One report suggests that as much as Rs. 200 million of marriage related purchases comprising saris and jewelry take place every day in the city of Ahmedabad alone.

Prema Patel, wife of a physician in Memphis, Tenn., is on a special shopping mission. Patel has already bought bridal finery worth Rs. 1.5 million for her daughter and is still scouting stores across Ahmedabad to buy wedding saris and lehngas (special dress worn by women) for a number of relatives back in the U.S.

“I have this big shopping list complete with measurements. The wedding is in California but it would be incomplete without shopping in Ahmedabad,” says Prema, “I have come early to buy my sherwani and marriage suit,” she adds.

Across the country, five-star hotels, banquet halls, party lawns, caterers have been booked and any father who has arranged his daughter’s marriage in a hurry has a lot to huff about. Among the people most in demand are pujaris (who conduct the actual marriage ceremony) as well as the colorfully attired bands who belt out popular Hindi tunes and are essential to any baraat (troupe of relatives and friends who accompany the groom in a procession resulting in horrible traffic jams that are the order of the day). Hair stylists, wedding planners, caterers, generators on lease have never been more in demand. In Delhi, horses, the preferred mode for the groom to travel in the baraat, have been shipped from other states to meet the shortfall. Predictably, costs have sky-rocketed. Florists are making a killing and a rose that costs Rs. 7-10 does not come for less than Rs. 20 even after long haggling.

The really affluent rein in popular film stars such as Shah Rukh Khan and Kareena Kapoor (costing up to Rs. 1 million an evening) for special song and dance performances, with top designers such as Rohit Bal and Ritu Kumar designing the clothes.

Others pull out their best to entertain the guests, hiring event management companies such as Bridal Affairs that have sprouted to tap the business of marriage as well as organize all the paraphernalia that go with the celebrations.

“Marriage is big business here,” says Hitesh Kumar, bead of Bridal Affairs in Delhi. “Of the Rs. 5,000 crore spent in nuptial ceremonies across the country every year, nearly Rs. 500 crore is pumped into the ceremonies in Delhi. Marriage is one of the best businesses to be in as they happen round the year and is a booming sector with budgets only going up.”

The responsibilities for Bridal Affairs include organizing live DJs and dance floors, elaborate sangeet (singing songs) arrangements by inviting professional singers, parties for close friends and relatives at exotic locations such as Goa, Mauritius, Udaipur and destinations in south-east Asia. Then there are theme weddings that could be Egyptian, Moroccan or Goan.

Indeed, the economics of modern Indian marriages have spiraled in the last few years with the event being treated as an out-and-out entertainment bonanza. It may be said marriages are made in heaven, but in India they certainly can cost the earth.

- Siddharth Srivastava is a freelance journalist
based in New Delhi.

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LIVING



Yoga's Spiritual Power:
Sadhguru's U.S. Tour - A Siliconeer Report

Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev is on a U.S.-wide tour to offer lectures and workshops on Isha Yoga, which he has developed. A Siliconeer report.

A visiting Indian proponent of yoga is on a several-city U.S. tour in January, according to his adherents.

Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev belongs to no particular tradition, but has developed a form of yoga, Isha Yoga, which “offers yoga as the absolute potential to participate in the elusive mystery of existence,” according to a press release from the organizers of the tour.

He will be offering workshops of varying durations in Oxford, Ohio; Novi, Mich.; Ann Arbor, Mich.; Flint, Mich.; Detroit; Scottsdale, Ariz., and Atlanta, Ga. Several other venues are yet to be announced.

Born and raised in Mysore’s Karnataka, Sadhguru was not religious. He practiced yoga for his physical well-being rather than as a spiritual practice. As a teenager, Sadhguru grew up with blue jeans and Beatles’ music, and spent most of his time outdoors in the wilderness. He has a bachelor’s degree in English.

At the age of 25, Sadhguru, then running a construction company, sat on his favorite rock in the Chamundi Hills located in the outskirts of Mysore. Though he was sitting with his eyes open, he had a very powerful spiritual experience – which lasted for what seemed liked five to ten minutes but actually ran into several hours. This experience soon changed everything in his life. From then on he has made an endless effort to make this possibility happen in other people’s lives. As he says, “This life for me is an endeavor to help people manifest their divinity within themselves.”

Sadhguru developed Isha Yoga through “a set of scientifically structured yoga programs which are conducted worldwide leading to physical, mental and inner well-being, and for those who seek – the complete liberation of the self or mukthi,” to the press release.

His prison outreach programs, “Inner Freedom for the Imprisoned,” have been successful in all the central prisons of Tamil Nadu and also in several U.S. prisons. Officials have requested this program for all the correctional facilities in Pennsylvania, the press release adds.

Isha Foundation, the international public service organization founded by Sadhguru, offers yoga in over 100 centers throughout the world. The Isha Yoga Center, a spiritual refuge created by Sadhguru at the foothills of the Velliangiri Foothills, is a learning center where all aspects of yoga – bhakti, gnana, karma and kriya – are taught under one roof reestablishing the guru shishya paramparya.

Located on the same premises is the Dhyanalinga multi-religious temple, created solely for the purpose of meditation, devoid of any rituals or worship.

“Sadhguru believes in empowering the common man to transform himself into a peaceful, joyous and loving human being with simple but powerful yogic methods and practices,” says the press release.

“Individual transformation,” he has said, “is the key to global transformation. “ Sadhguru was a delegate to the United Nations Millennium Peace Summit and a member of the World Council of Religious Leaders.

He has initiated various social and ecological projects including ‘Action for Rural Rejuvenation’, a very comprehensive program aimed at addressing the basic needs of the rural people. Thousands of volunteers and about 150 mobile clinics are to cater to the basic health needs of these people and also offer them sacred tools for self-transformation. The Vanashree Eco Center, also started by Sadhguru to support these efforts, is aimed at protecting and conserving nature and creating awareness amongst the public. The Velliangiri Hills conservation Campaign is one such massive effort.

A powerful orator and communicator, Sadhguru’s recent engagements include a cancer survivors program held at St. Mary’s hospital in Detroit, Michigan, which served to empower and transform the attendees and talks and programs at the Church of Today, Riverside Church, Omega Institute, Princeton University, and the major auto companies of Ford, Chrysler and General Motors.

Interested readers can get more information by visiting the Web site of Isha Foundation at www.ishafoundation.org.

RETIREMENT & REAL ESTATE

State-of-the-art Housing: Chennai's Clasic Group A Siliconeer Report From bungalows to building your own house, to a retirement community, Chennai’s Clasic Group has it all. A Siliconeer report. Sholinganallur, an upcoming suburb, 12 km from Adyar, is situated on the Old Mahabalipuram Road, now called IT Highway in Chennai. The present four-way road is being converted into a six-way road which connects the top global IT companies and other supporting service units. There are five engineering colleges in and around Sholinganallur and also a newly developing Kanchi Kamakoti Sankara Medical Foundation with the infrastructure for a 500-bed medical college. The state government is setting up two industrial parks, one for information technology and another for bio-technology on the same highway. Recently, the Government has also announced the setting up of the Administrative City in the vicinity which

The real estate company Clasic Group had focused on Sholinganallur in 1992 based on vaastu specifications, namely hills in the south-west and water (Bay of Bengal) in the north-east directions. With growing population and the increasing need for residential houses, the firm felt that the necessary roads and communication infrastructure will enhance the value for money by investors.

Clasic Group started developing wide roads, which were adequately planted with over 25,000 trees which provide greenery all around. Along with the roads, the other facilities like water, electricity, telephone, cable lines, security were also provided.

To provide perennial water supply to the public, a fresh water lake is being desilted, deepened and renovated with creation of bunds. Once the work is completed, this lake will facilitate storage of around 500 million liters of water which will enhance the underground water table in the entire Sholinganallur village. Survey has been concluded for providing underground water and sewerage connection which is likely to be completed within a year.

The Clasic Club was developed with modern facilities like ozonized swimming pool, Hi-tech gymnasium, beauty parlor, barber’s shop, reading room, a multi-cuisine restaurant, a host of indoor games including. This club now has over 700 members, including many corporate executives.

	The Clasic Club was developed with modern facilities like ozonized swimming pool, Hi-tech gymnasium, beauty parlor, barber’s shop, reading room, a multi-cuisine restaurant, a host of indoor games including. This club now has over 700 members, including many corporate executives.

For those desiring exclusive bungalows, the group has Clasic Gardens, a satellite township comprising 100 independent houses to be built on an area covering almost 10 acres. This picturesque community will have 24 hours security, neatly laid roads, private water supply network, electricity, telephone connection, high-speed Internet access. During the first phase, 18 houses will be built—city approval has already been acquired. These houses have been designed by expert architects. The proposed Clasic Gardens Satellite Township will stand as a model to many of the developing urban areas.

Clasic Kudumbam, a retirement community with world-class facilities has just been launched, also with the Chennai city administration’s approval by CMDA. Clasic Kudumbam provides excellent accommodation for retired persons and many NRI parents have given applications for accommodation. This is the only one of its kind in the nation which has been duly recognized by the Senior Hospitality Institute, U. S. Many retired officials from U.N., UNESCO, World Bank and the American Embassy residing outside Chennai have also shown interest in living here. All residents of the above projects have access to the Clasic Club.

Rajakalyani Trust, an NGO of the group, has planted trees and provided greenery to the local surroundings. The trust runs social programs like rain water harvesting, waste management, medical campaigns and adult education, supported by Rotary International.

The various future projects of the group include setting up of a Veda Patashala, meditation centre, primary school, ayurvedic hospital, cremation ground, retirement village with shopping faculties.

Interested readers can visit their Web site at: www.clasic.com

COMMUNITY NEWS IN BRIEF
Nooyi Honored... Home of Hope Fundraiser... ICC Activities... MKCA Nathal Fest


A convocation held at The College of New Rochelle in New York Dec 3 honors Indra K. Nooyi (r).

Nooyi Honored

The College of New Rochelle in New York commemorated its Centennial year by continuing its series of discussions designed to spotlight the leading issues in Catholic higher education. Headlining the two-day event, “The Primacy of the Liberal Arts,” was a convocation Dec. 3 honoring Indra K. Nooyi, president and chief financial officer of PepsiCo, who addressed the value of the liberal arts in today’s global marketplace.

In her role as CFO over the past decade, Nooyi has been ranked by Fortune magazine as “one of the most powerful women in American business.”

“In less than a decade she has played an instrumental role in transforming PepsiCo for the 21st century,” according to a college press release. At the convocation, CNR conferred an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree on Nooyi “for embodying an ideal integration of a successful liberal arts education and career, for her devotion to lifelong learning, her commitment to the value and dignity of all persons, her modeling of the importance of faith and family to a successful career life, and her creative and responsible corporate leadership.”
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Home of Hope Fundraiser

The Home of Hope annual fundraiser Oct. 11 in San Jose, Calif. was attended by about 850 guests and raised $70,000 according to a press release.

A dinner buffet was followed by entertainment featuring jazz/tap dance performance by Namita Kapoor, live music by Vikas Singh, Anil and Tanya Gupta, and deejay music.

The evening benefited “many, many kids,” said Nilima Sabharwal, president of Home of Hope, “igniting the dwindling flame of hope in that less fortunate child to become a shining star.”

“In a span of 4 years we now have 10 projects all over India and are touching the lives of close to 1,200 children,” she added.

The 10 HOH booths had handicrafts and project reports, displaying the transforming nature of the money being sent to India by Home of Hope. Holding up one such display toy,. Sabharwal said, “With your help, Home of Hope has produced many talented kids, who are ready to released into the outside world. You have helped this little hand to be creative, show artistic and academic skills…have a chance in life, live a life of dignity to become a self sustaining citizen of tomorrow.”

Interested readers can get more information at the Home of Hope Web site at www.hohinc.org
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ICC Activities

Milpitas, Calif.-based India Community Center Dec. 22 donated two barrels of canned food and non-perishable food items to the Second Harvest Food Bank, a non-profit organization that collects food items for needy families in Santa Clara and San Mateo counties.  ICC visitors, members and staff collectively donated over 200 pounds of food to the 2nd Harvest Food Bank in San Jose, California. Some of the most needed food items collected included powdered milk, peanut butter, pasta, tuna, low-sugared cereal, and canned foods with pop-top lids.

In addition to ICC’s involvement in the Second Harvest Food Bank Food Drive, ICC members and staff collected an entire box of new toys for the Ecumenical Hunger Program’s Mentoring Program. Located in East Palo Alto, California, the Ecumenical Hunger Program is a non-profit organization that relies on donations from the community to help those in need.

ICC began 2004 a wide array of cultural enrichment and educational classes including Urdu Script and Poetry, Indian-Chinese Cooking, Bharatnatyam Dance, Gujarati Language, Film and Folk Dance and much more. The Winter 2004 Class Session begins Jan. 18 and ends March 27.

ICC is offering over twenty classes in Milpitas and its newly acquired Mountain View facility. A new center in Sunnyvale is scheduled to open in early 2004. In addition to the program offerings on-site, ICC has introduced new online language classes for those wanting to improve their knowledge of a particular language at their own pace.

Anil Godhwani

ICC co-president Anil Godhwani received the “Outstanding Contribution to Community Service” award in recognition for his efforts toward creating and directing the India Community Center. Godhwani received the award at the Ninth Annual Indo-American Awards Banquet at the Santa Clara Marriott on November 1, 2003, attended by over 350 people. Anil Gulati, co-president of the Indo-American Chamber of Commerce said, “We are excited about Anil Godhwani receiving this award because he is doing a lot of work with the India Community Center; he is filling a need for Indians and non-Indians in the community. There couldn’t be a person more deserving of this award.”

After mass, and social hour Chicago’s Consul General of India, Arun Kumar, presided over the program and Mohammed H. Mirza, president of Samir Financial Services was the guest of honor. MKCA president Dr. Austin D’Souza Prabhu welcomed the audience giving a brief history about Konkans coming all the way from Saraswati River.
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Chevy introduces an all-new truck for 2004 that not only offers a crew cab configuration, but lots of features to improve on that functionality. The best part: all this is packed into a mid-sized platform.

That is especially appealing to those who don’t need higher payloads or heftier towing capacities, and yet still want to be able to park with relative ease.

The all-new 2004 Colorado was designed to offer buyers lots of choices to best suit a variety of needs. There are six models in the line-up: a 2WD crew cab, a 2WD extended cab, a 2WD regular cab, and a 4WD crew cab, extended cab and regular cab. There are also two choices available when it comes to engine sizes and transmissions. Buyers can select from a Vortec 2800 2.8-liter or a Vortec 3500 3.5-liter, from a five-speed manual or a four-speed automatic.

We test-drove the 4WD Crew Cab with Vortec 3500 and automatic transmission. There was seating for five on board, and this seating configuration was not cramped.

In fact, we — two adults and three teens — enjoyed plenty of head, leg and hip room. Even that dreaded rear middle seat was comfortable. Seats are accessed by four doors, which make getting into and out of the back seat very easy. These rear seats also fold in a 60/40 configuration.

Built on a body-on-frame design, the Colorado chassis offers a stiff, durable ride, which should please those who seek the true “truck” driving experience. 

The Colorado also offers a shift-on-the-fly 4WD system and four-wheel anti-lock brakes — designed for heavy-duty work — which are standard. Rack-and-pinion steering is also standard.

Other standard features include dual stage air bags, keyless remote and daytime running lights with automatic headlamps. Standard conveniences include air conditioning, cruise control, tilting steering wheel, front bucket seats equipped with arm rests and reclining features, and a driver information center.

Options on board included an AM/FM radio with CD changer for an additional $395, and the OnStar communication system for an additional $695. OnStar is a terrific safety feature, in my opinion, and is well worth the additional $695.

The Colorado was also equipped with XM Satellite Radio, which offers more than 100 coast-to-coast channels. For those of us who put in a lot of time behind the wheel, shuttling children here and there, this is a terrific entertainment system. You’ll find a radio station — from salsa music to music of any decade, to comedy or financial reports — to suit any mood.

On the road, we found the Colorado was “right-sized” in many ways: it was large enough for the whole family, but not so large as to be difficult to muscle around in parking lots. Visibility was very good in all directions and the car handled well whether driving on city streets or on the freeway.

Although the Colorado’s gas mileage was rated at 17/city and 22/highway, it seemed that we went far longer than that on a tank of gas.

The Colorado — with its versatility in seating and cargo-carrying ability — may prove to be a great fit for an adventure-seeking family.

With growing kids, the outdoors is a tempting destination, but many outdoor activities require gear that seldom fits in a regular car. The Colorado brings together the best of both worlds — it has the space of a truck and the comfort of a regular 4-door sedan.

2004 CHEVROLET COLORADO LS 4WD CREW CAB Base Price: $24,080 Price as Tested: $28,325 Engine: 3.5-liter Vortec 3500 Horsepower: 220@3,500 Torque: 225@2,800 Transmission: Four-speed automatic Mileage: 17/city, 26/highway

• ½ cup peas
  
• 1 cup chopped carrots
  
• ½ bell pepper (chopped)
  
• ½ cup chopped French beans
  
• 1 large diced potato
  
• 8 pieces chopped pineapple from can
  
• 2 tbsp butter
  
• 2 tbsp flour
  
• salt to taste
  
• ½ tsp black pepper
  
• 2 tsp tomato ketchup
  
• 2 tbsp grated Amul (or swiss) cheese
  
• 2 tsp butter (for garnishing)
  
• 1½ cup milk (for the white sauce)
  

Method:

For the white sauce:
Put 2 tsp butter in a hot pan. Add flour and stir for two minutes. When the mixture is a light creamy color, add the milk and salt to taste. Add black pepper and ketchup.

For the gratin:
Boil all chopped vegetables together. Boil potato separately.

Add all chopped boiled vegetables and potato in white sauce and mix well. Pour the mixture in a greased bowl. Add grated cheese on the top. Add 2 tsp butter for garnishing. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Put the bowl in the oven and bake for 25 minutes, or until cheese becomes light brown. Serve while hot.

– Seema Gupta is a homemaker
based in Sunnyvale, Calif.

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