Letters

I FULLY CONCUR WITH YOUR “A Glance Away,” (May 2007). It truly hreflected the exact sentiments I was going through during the Virginia Tech incident. I am an Indian-born Muslim living in the Washington, D.C. area. Immediately after the tragedy, as I was tuning on the car radio for more information, there already were speculations about the perpetrator being possibly a muslim terrorist from a nearby mosque.  I was silently praying that it was not someone from the Islamic faith and heaved a sigh of relief when it turned out he was a non-Muslim and non Indian!
ANH AZU, Washington, D.C.
 
IT IS WONDERFUL TO READ(MURALI Balaji,  “India Down Under,” May 2007) that most Indians achieve great financial and personal success wherever they go, including in New Zealand.  And they do this without completely letting go of their heritage. 

The first wave of immigrants to this small, isolated country came as indentured servants and laborers in the 1800s, but the Indians settled there now are a prosperous and fast growing ethnic group. It is great to read that the first generation Indian-Kiwis are reaping the benefits of their parent’s hard work, sacrifices and dignity.  The New Zealand-born Anand Satyanand appointed as the Governor-General by Queen Elizabeth II, is a good example.

Now that Indians are well-accepted in New Zealand, more of them, including white-collar professionals, are migrating to this booming, laid-back, country primarily because of better opportunities than back home. All of this makes one wonder now that India’s economy is growing faster than ever, does it mean fewer Indians will leave home to succeed elsewhere? Will India try to hold on to its valuable resources?
LAJU K., Via eMail
 
I WAS REALLY IMPRESSED WITH THE diversity of articles in the April 2007 issue of the magazine. On the one hand, we had the inspirational story of Vivek Maru, a graduate of Harvard College and Yale law school, who now works in Sierra Leone as a legal practitioner helping the poorest of the poor receive timely justice and also works as a part time cab driver to offer transportation facilities for villagers. On the other side, we had controversial tales of the self-proclaimed designer Anand Jon and Ana Nichole Smith’s doctor, Dr. Amit Kapoor, who symbolize themselves as icons of sex and controversies. I truly appreciate the work of this unbiased magazine, which portrays to us not only the beautiful tales of Indians settled abroad, but also shows us the seemier side of this reality.
RAGHVENDRA SINGH, Warrensburg, Mo
 
WHO SAID CRIME DOESN’T PAY? THE London Guardian recently reported that $12 billion has essentially vanished into thin air. Shortly after the start of the war in Iraq, a huge cache of money consisting of $100 bills shrink-wrapped in huge bundles were loaded onto a C-130 plane and delivered to Iraq. The money was to be disbursed to Iraqi ministries and war contractors, but much of it went to “ghost” employees.

The Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) retained a relatively unknown consulting company, North Star Consultants, Inc. to “manage” the accounting details of the transactions. The company reportedly operates from a private home in San Diego. A financial advisor to CPA head Paul Bremer, retired Admiral David Oliver, responded to a BBC World Service interviewer, “I can’t tell you whether or not the money went to the right things or didn’t, nor do I actually think it’s important.”

This is yet another example of the blundering, incompetent, and criminal behavior of the US-led CPA and their task masters in Washington who played fast and loose with Iraqi assets to enrich war profiteers and the U.S. puppet government in Baghdad. Guantanamo would be a good place for these dangerous bureaucrats to spend the remaining time on this planet. Perhaps water boarding, sleep deprivation, snarling dogs and exposure to non-stop kirtan might inject a modicum of reality and remorse before their divine master beckons.
JAGJIT SINGH, Palo Alto, Calif.

I READ THE ARTICLE “THE LITTLE India Dozen,” March 2007, on Bikram Choudhury. Many cars and a drawer full of Rolex watches. Creed or greed? Yogi or yoga? When more than enough is not enough and we are all yogaed out,  om shanti.
ARNIE WELBER, Sunrise, Fl
 
I AM DELIGHTED THAT LITTLE INDIA is well produced and has all the makings of a real magazine:  editorial content that requires solid research, competent writers and strong advertising base.  Allow me to offer a suggestion for a good investigative story.  

Indian professionals are emerging as a force in all areas of American life, including the seedy areas, such as bribing politicians, securing sweetheart deals. We have our ranks of successful and convicted Indian businessmen, who you should also profile.
J RAM RAY, Via eMail
 
AS A BLACK MAN AND A MEMBER OF A culture with the largest phalluses on earth, according to Science, I read the article “The Poetry of Sex” by Shekhar Deshpande with much sadness. Black men have long been hailed as sexually superior, but that has not solved any problems for us. In many ways it is more of a curse. It’s true that men associate sexual prowess with manhood and sex is a part of life, but it’s not more than a part. Don’t worry about this Internet Indian man phallus nonsense. 

I have attended a Hindu temple here in Atlanta for 17 years and interacted with hundreds of Indian men and I had never heard anything about this until you brought it up. I have learned very valuable, even life saving, information from Indians. I revere your culture and am very proud of your accomplishments. If worrying about this foolishness is all you have to do with your time I suggest you find a healthier outlet. India is the second most populous country on earth, so the Indian man are pretty virile.
LEWIS CHARLES, Fairburn, GA