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Vol 6, No 4 $ 6.75
Priyanka
Chopra
Turns Bad
for Baywatch
Also:
Cricket in
America
Self-driving
cars
Message from the President-CEO
Sure, we are a magazine by and for In-
dian Americans. But we named it The
A joint Duke University–UC Berke-
ley study revealed that Indian immi-
mitted to certain values and a higher call-
ing. We bring you the rich traditional Indian
Asian Era for a reason. The rise of India grants have founded more engineering heritage as well as the latest trends in har-
and China among other Asian countries and technology companies from 1995 to monious lifestyle in a well thought out and
as economic and political powers in the 2005 than immigrants from the U.K., aesthetically designed package, which en-
21st century presage a new phase of glo- China, Taiwan and Japan combined. compasses film, fashion, food, travel, per-
balization. Here in the US, Indian Amer- sonal finance, personal growth and more.
icans are a fast growing community Indian Americans own 50% of all motels
(about 1.25% of the population). As per and 35% of all hotels in the country, corner-
the 2010 Census data, Indians have sur- ing a combined market share of $40 billion.
passed Filipinos as the nation’s second- And of course, as we have heard numer-
largest Asian population after Chinese. ous times, every seventh patient in Amer-
ica is treated by an Indian origin doctor.
Indian Americans continuously outpace
every ethnic group socio-economically. Now, Indian Americans are having their
71% of all Indians have a bachelor’s or presence felt in media, showbiz & politics too.
higher degree (compared to 28% national-
ly and 44% average for all Asian American The Asian Era has dedicated itself to tell
groups). Almost 40% of all Indians in the the Indian American story, to highlight
United States have a master’s, doctorate, the community’s strengths, triumphs and
or other professional degree, which is five how we live – and more. The full color
times the national average. glossy magazine is indeed one of its kind.
We are also contributing to the growth of
the nation in a tremendous way.
Moreover, as with our sister publication,
The South Asian Times, we are also com-
Ginsmon Zacharia
President & CEO
Letter from the Editor
In this issue we have also published poet-
ry, introducing two poets. And we request
you too, our reader, to send us for publish-
Dear Reader,
ing your poems, short stories, essays and
comments on burning topics of the day.
After all New Delhi secured the civil
nuclear deal under President George W. This is the second issue after repackaging
Bush. Restrictions on B1 visas maybe a and redesign. Hope you will like it and rec-
After a long-drawn-out, tumultuous presi- concern with Trump’s immigration poli- ommend it to your near and dear ones. We
Thank you.
dential election campaign, the result on cies, but the burgeoning tech industry in will await your feedback to further serve
November 8 was stunning. Who did we America will continue to need IT profes- you better.
vote for? Not that fast. Some on our team sionals from India.
at The Asian Era are a shade left of center,
and some right of center. We voted – for de- Barring some key developments in politics
mocracy. Now that Donald Trump is Pres-
ident-elect, we suggest we should all hope
that we will continue to share with you,
The Asian Era in its new avatar is in es-
Parveen Chopra
Managing Editor
and pray for the best outcome for Amer- sence a lifestyle magazine. And we have
ica and the world in the next four years. a rich offering or articles in this year-end
issue as we had in the relaunch issue. We
The Indian community has a reason to re- bring you up to date with Priyanka Cho-
joice post-election– four Indian Americans pra, who continues to embed herself more
have won seats in the House of Represen- and more in Hollywood and American
tatives, the highest number ever. And in a showbiz. Back in India, Baba Ramdev is
first, one seat in US Senate too. Kamala seen in a new avatar – of a business vision-
Harris, the Senator from California, even ary. His company, Patanjali Ayurved, net-
got mentioned as a potential Democratic ted Rs 5000 crore in sales this year.
candidate to run for President in 2020.
Our prolific contributor, Professor Shivaji
As for India, it is certain to see still warm- Sengupta, has contributed two articles.
er relations with America with Trump in And his topics reflect the range of in-
White House and Republicans in power terests he has: self-driving cars and the
in both houses of Congress. state of cricket in America.
8 the buzz
Sorry, Harvard, you are not the best.
10 cover story
We should pray that Donald Trump grows into
the mammoth responsibilities of the office of President.
For India, he may turn out to be a Trump card vis-a-vis Pakistan.
17 politics
Indian community hails their highest number in US Congress even as
10
Kamala Harris is mentioned as a potential 2020 White House candidate.
20 2016 Roundup
Demonetization, Indo-Pak flare-up, Brexit, ISIS, Syria…
24 Festival
Writers who revived Christmas, and some party ideas. 17
26 Business
Baba Ramdev is using his huge popularity as yoga guru to build a
business empire, giving a run for their money to FMCG behemoths.
30 Management
Fusing Jugaad and Mughal Mentality – that is
the success mantra of Indian companies. 26
32 First Person
Life is bitter-sweet, felt more intensely by immigrants in a foreign land.
36 Health
The right way to sit, stand and sleep to stay healthy all your life.
40
40 sports
With the growing population of South Asians and Caribbeans,
there is a path to bring cricket back to America.
44 Sci-Tech
The future of self-driving cars has arrived sooner
than you thought. By 2020, 10% of all cars will be driverless.
50 cinema 44
No other actor of Indian origin has scooped up
so much success in Hollywood as Priyanka Chopra.
56 Hollywood
Shooting of a series of Hollywood films in India,
particularly Rajasthan, is giving a boost to tourism.
58 Travel 50
A visit to Bali can be edifying – every house there is a temple.
68 Spirituality
What are the stepping stones to God’s kingdom?
Letters to the Editor
NOV-DEC 2016
like me. I particularly liked Reshma
e h
Vol 6, No 3 $ 6.75
su nc
Is lau
Saujani profile. I have always admired
Chairman
Re
her and had a brief association with
Mr. Jagadeesan Poola
her ‘Girls Who Code’ movement. Yes,
you guessed it right, I am studying
Co-Chair computer science. I will encourage all
Mrs. Kanchana Poola
girls to not be afraid of mathematics,
and pursue studies and careers in in-
Publisher formation technology, which is per-
Kamlesh C. Mehta
vading and reshaping all areas of hu-
man life, e.g., the Internet of Things.
President & CEO
Ginsmon P. Zacharia
Ursulla Singh, New Hyde Park, NY
----------------------
Managing Editor
Parveen Chopra
k metro area share
Contributing Editors
12 accomplished wom
with The Asian Era the
en from the New Yor s & give words of
ir sec ret of suc
ng ones of the Indian
ces
community.
inspiration for the you * Film * Fashion * Travel * Health * Personal Finance * Spirituality
Impressive magazine
Shivaji Sengutpa, Hiral Dholakia-Dave,
Karishma Asoodani, Melvin Durai I happen to come across your maga-
Cartoonist
All-positive magazine zine, The Asian Era, and even gave a
few copies to the Asian Indians work-
Mahendra Shah ing at my office. It is a very well edit-
At the annual International Media ed and well produced magazine. I am
Conference of our Indo American Press impressed. Congratulations.
Design Club (IAPC) in October 2016 in Con-
Vladimir Tomovski necticut, we made copies of The Asian
Bharat Bhushan Chopra Steven Swiss, Salisbury, NY
Era magazine available to guests and ----------------------
delegates from India and America both.
Printers Most of them were happy to pick up
Mekkati Media Group
copies of the magazine. After browsing
through the newly relaunched maga- We welcome readers
Published by zine as a lifestyle bimonthly, some of to write to the editor
New Delight Media, LLC them said they appreciated the for-
76 N. Broadway, #2004 mat and read the articles with inter-
with their comments
Hicksville, NY 11801 (bouquets or brickbats)
est. Some people pointed out that what
Ph: 516-390 -7847
516-776-7061
they liked in particular was that there is about The Asian Era
no negativity, all the articles are posi-
Fax: 516-465-1343
tive, inspiring, and life enhancing.
and its contents. You
www.asianeraonline.com can also mail us, for
email: GinsmonZ@gmail.com
INDIA: Pranamam Complex, Varghese Korason, publishing, your views
General Secretary,
Erumathala PO, Aluva 683112 on a burning topic of
Ph: +91 – 4842838763 Indo American Press Club, NY
---------------------- the day, or you im-
The publisher does not accept any migration stories, or
liability for errors or inaccuracies
contained in this publication however
they may have been caused. The views
I am a girl and I code interesting pictures,
maybe your selfies
and opinions expressed in The Asian Era with visiting film
Being a woman and student (fresher in
are not necessarily those of the publisher.
No part of this publication or any part college), I read with interest your cover stars and celebs.
of its contents may be reproduced, copied story on some successful Indian Ameri-
or transmitted in any form without the can. I think they are indeed role mod- Please write to:
express written permission of the publisher. els and will inspire a generation of girls parveen chopra@gmail.com
the buzz
Work with Kolkata women honored in US
S
arah Lance, a social entrepre- women and children in the com-
Sarah Lance,
neur helping women escape mercial sex trade by offering a
co-founder of Sari
the horrors of human traffick- safe place of gainful employment. Bari, was given the $1
ing and the sex trade in Kolkata, She will use the $1 million prize million Opus Prize for
has been awarded the $1 mil- money to establish more produc- rehabilitating women
freed from red light
lion Opus Prize by Creighton tion sites, employ more women areas in Kolkata.
University in Omaha, Nebraska. and better support current em-
Lance founded and runs Sari ployees. Sari Bari ( the word ‘bari’
Bari that employs women seek- means “house” in Bengali) has
ing a new life in the repurposing been in operation for a decade
of the traditional Indian sari. “I and employs about 120 women
am very humbled and honored,” in four locations. Each Sari Bari
said Lance. “This award is for product - whether it be a blanket,
the women of Sari Bari and the throw, accessory or baby item -
women who have yet to claim is sewn using the traditional
freedom.” Sari Bari seeks the kantha stitch of Bengali women.
sustainable restoration of the And each product is marked
city’s 22 red-light districts and with the name of the woman
the prevention of continued ex- who made it and the buyers be-
ploitation of the nearly 60,000 come a part of her freedom story.
Doc turns spiritual healer after NDE
Dr. Rajiv Parti found new life after a near-death experience (NDE) six years ago. The former chief of anes-
thesiology at a hospital in California, who once was caught up in the pursuit of social and material gains, has
authored a book called “Dying to Wake Up” about his transformation and journey to spiritual awakening.
Driven by success and the American dream, he lived in an 11,000-sq-foot mansion, drove fancy cars. Then, in
2008 he was diagnosed with prostate cancer. That led to various medical procedures and finally for an emer-
gency surgery to the UCLA Medical Center. During that surgery, Parti found himself floating near the ceiling
of the operating theater. With all of his senses intact, he watched his medical team as they struggled to save
him, he writes in his book co-authored with Paul Perry, a New York Times best-selling author. When Parti’s
consciousness returned to his body, his priorities changed dramatically. He gave up his lucrative career and
downsized his life. He went to Dharamsala in India for a Buddhist retreat where he felt the rising of Kundalini.
“I also quite often get intuitions which work out well. It has changed me from materialistic anesthesiologist to
a more spiritual teacher,” he says. He now advocates a consciousness-based approach to healing.
DID YOU KNOW? Coconut milk: Coconut milk is next best to
breast milk, a study by US nutrition specialist Dr.
Josh Axe found has found. It is a good alternative
Clinton’s credo: Love her or hate her, but
when a baby is not getting breast milk or needs ad-
you’d admire Hillary Clinton for saying she em-
ditional supplements, and is used in many Asian
ulates the teaching of her Methodist Church:
countries. Coconut oil is also good for cooking.
“Do all the good you can, in all the ways you
can, for all the people you can.” Dumb inspiration: People who post or forward
Bhagavad Gita has similar ideal: Service is motivational quotes on Facebook are actually dumb,
the highest religion. found psychologists from University of Waterloo in
Canada. Their study shows a definite link between low
8 TheAsianEra NOV-DEC 2016 intelligence and being impressed by what reads like
“profound statements” by gurus like Deepak Chopra.
the buzz
Sorry Harvard, you are not the best
O xford and Cambridge in
England have beaten out
Harvard before too. But even
class universities across all of
their core missions – teaching,
research, knowledge transfer
1.
2.
University of Oxford, UK
California Institute of Technology, CA
3. Stanford University, CA
CalTech, Stanford and MIT have and international outlook.
4. University of Cambridge, UK
been rated higher than Harvard
in the Times Higher Educa- It uses 13 carefully calibrated
5. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, MA
tion World University Rankings performance indicators to pro- 6. Harvard University, MA
2016-2017 released recently. vide the most comprehensive 7. Princeton University, NJ
Harvard is at number 6. Princ- and balanced comparisons 8. Imperial College, UK
eton lower at No 7 and Yale at 12 available, which are trusted by 9. ETH Zurich – Swiss Federal Institute
did not even make it to top 10. students, academics, univer- of Technology, Switzerland
sity leaders, industry and gov- 10. University of California, Berkeley, CA
Times Higher Education World ernments.
University Rankings, the most
influential in its field, has re- For the record, from Indian
viewed and ranked 980 top universities, Indian Institute of
universities in the world. It is Science, Bangalore is at No 218.
the only global university per- IITs are much lower down the
formance table to judge world list. Here are the top 10.
Luminous X-mas gift
Come Thanksgiving and we start thinking of Christmas gifts for our near and dear ones. Here
is an item, which would also pass the test for a Diwali gift. Lampeez (lampeez.com) lamps are a
combination of art and technology that creates an optical 3D illusion. From afar, you will see the
design, but as you get up close, you see a thin acrylic, flat glass sheet. They come in changeable
color modes like Cyan, Blue, Green, Red, White, Yellow and Purple as well as a flashing mode
that displays all colors. We particularly like the Yoga lamp. List price about $50, but sale price
less. They ship from Dallas, TX.
Deepika Padukone cracks a fee ceiling
T he Bollywood grapevine has it that Deepika Padu-
kone is being paid more than her co-star, Ranveer
Singh, for the period drama ‘Padmavati’, another
Padmavati is a dramatized account of the
1303 siege of the Chittor fort in Rajasthan.
Alauddin Khilji led the invasion, motivated
magnum opus from Sanjay Leela Bhansali. Her hiked by his desire to capture the beautiful queen
fee is said to be Rs 12 crore. Other top actresses in- Rani Padmini. The Rajputs fought valiantly
cluding Priyanka Chopra are still in the Rs 6-8 crore in the battle, but lost. But when the trium-
range. The fashion model daughter of badminton star phant Alauddin reached the fort he was
Prakash Padukone, Deepika had a smashing debut shocked to know that all the royal women
with Om Shanti Om (2007). In 2013, her star power including Padmini had committed jauhar
and histrionics contributed equally – if not more – (self-immolation). While Deepika plays
than her heroes to the success of Yeh Jawaani Hai Rani Padmini, Ranveer Singh will be seen
Deepika Deewani, Chennai Express and Goliyon Ki Raasleela in the negative role of Alauddin Khilji. The
Padukone’s Ram-Leela. In Happy New Year and Piku she outshone film is scheduled to release in a year’s time.
first look in Shah Rukh Khan and Amitabh Bachchan respectively.
Padmavati
Bajirao Mastani in 2015 took her to the top of the heap. NOV-DEC 2016 TheAsianEra 9
cover story
Donal d J. Trump
Breaking with Past Orthodoxies
The unlikeliest person to storm into the White House, the businessman-reality TV star is promising
to upturn established political norms, think anew on trade and foreign policy, and even
defy Republican dogmas -- all to make it better for America and Americans.
By Parveen Chopra well as policy prescriptions stands, frustrating people on is helping the Assad regime
put simply, refreshing. Once the left and right. President fight rebels and ISIS in Syria,
Donald J. Trump will be the in the race, he was single- Obama voiced the hope which the regime that is also sup-
first US president never to mindedly went about to win many Americans too must be ported by Iran, and yet he
have held elected office or the White House. Help came feeling that Trump is not ide- denounces the Iran-US deal.
served in the military. from unexpected quarters – ological, and his pragmatism But then politics is the art of
his Democratic rival Hillary may lead him to formulate pol- managing contradictions.
He ran virtually as a third Clinton now blames her de- icies and take decisions which
party candidate, not fully feat to Russian meddling in will be in the best interests Trump has also accom-
supported by the Republi- the election and FBI Direc- of America, if not the world. modated – or tried to - his
can establishment. The feisty tor James Comey’s putting critics and those in the ri-
billionaire spoke his mind his thumb on the scale. On foreign policy, his call with val party. He almost gave
- throwing political correct- the president of Taiwan indi- the Secretary of State job to
ness to the winds. Many As President-elect too, Trump cated a new tack that USA can Mitt Romney, and has an-
Americans found his direct has been unconventional - in follow with China. Trumps nounced Nikki Haley as am-
style of communication as his cabinet picks, or political supports Vladimir Putin who bassador to the UN.
10 TheAsianEra NOV-DEC 2016cover story
President Obama has called Donald Trump non-ideological, voicing the hope of many that the 45th President’s prag-
matic policies and decisions may do America and Americans good after years of partisan gridlock in Washington DC.
He has met with Democratic social social security and In the word of Time magazine sident Trump is different.
Congresswoman Tulsi Gab- Medicare. He believes we why they made him Person What if he succeeds in uniting
bard for possible position need to cut taxes, but advo- of the Year: “For reminding the country, and improving
in his administration and cates for a tax on the wealthy. America that demagoguery the life of a majority of Amer-
taken in Democratic sympa- The $1 trillion Trump pro- feeds on despair and that icans, bringing back jobs, etc.
thizer Indra Nooyi, Pepsico poses to spend on infrastruc- truth is only as powerful as
CEO, in his economic and ture would be anathema to the trust in those who speak Whatever Trump has done
strategy advisory council. Republicans who had op- it, for empowering a hidden or said since November 8
posed Obama’s billion stimu- electorate by mainstreaming is not a bad beginning. His
Except on immigration where lus after the 2008 economic its furies and live-streaming favorability rating is now
Trump may be to the right of meltdown and rail against its fears, and for framing to- above 45 % -- a big improve-
Republicans, on many other rising national debt. morrow’s political culture ment from exit polls on Elec-
issues, he diverges from their by demolishing yesterday’s, tion Day when voters rated
hallowed if calcified posi- This is not to deny that Donald Trump is TIME’s him 38% positive.
tions. He was for abortion Trump’s election has dis- 2016 Person of the Year.”
rights before he was pro-life. mayed tens of millions of For all you know, Trump
He rails against Obamacare, Americans, making them dis- That pronouncement is based may turn out to be one of
but favors universal health- traught. For the naysayers, on Trump as he was on the the best Presidents America
care. He also wants to save he has divided the country. campaign trail. What if Pre- has known.
NOV-DEC 2016 TheAsianEra 11cover story
Meet the President Elect
The official b io graphy
Donald J. Trump is the School of Finance, and an ac- The Trump organization His motto has been to “Make
very definition of an Ameri- complished author – having owns some of the world’s top America Great Again” by
can success story, continu- authored over 15 bestsellers, properties. Mr. Trump has bringing jobs back to Amer-
ally setting the standards Mr. Trump has devoted his been recognized for both his icans through renegotiated
of excellence for real estate, life to growing a company business accomplishments trade deals and a reformed
sports and entertainment. and expanding prosperity and his deep passion for the tax code, securing our bor-
In New York City and around for his family and the tens of country. He has long been ders and restoring the rule
the world, the Trump signa- thousands of Americans he a devoted supporter of vet- of law, repealing and replac-
ture is synonymous with the has employed. erans’ causes, and has been ing Obamacare, strengthen-
most prestigious addresses honored by the Pentagon for ing our military, caring for
in the world. Mr. Trump began his busi- his commitment to restoring our veterans, and unifying
ness career in an office he the dignity of the New York Americans. He believes that
Mr. Trump was born in shared with this father in City’s Veterans Day Parade the United States of America
Queens, New York, and is Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn, after it had been neglected is the greatest country in the
married to Melania Trump New York. He worked with and poorly managed. world, and that the Ameri-
and father to Donald Trump, his father for five years during can people unified and
Jr., Ivanka, Eric, Tiffany, which time his father often Mr. Trump entered the working toward a common
and Barron. He is a proud stated, “some of my best deals 2016 presidential campaign goal can restore our stand-
grandfather of seven. were made by my son, Don- because he was deeply con- ing around the world as a
ald… everything he touch- cerned about the direction beacon of freedom, strength
A graduate of the Wharton es seems to turn to gold.” of the country. and prosperity.
New Yorkers can rejoice and stress out - the Trump Tower on
5th Avenue in mid-Manhattan will become the north White
House, certainly so on weekends – and the attendant security
and traffic gridlocks. This is because Melania Trump will be-
come the First Lady who has refused to move to 1600 Pennsyl-
vania Av in Washington DC – at least for some months.
12 TheAsianEra NOV-DEC 2016cover story
India’s Trump card erful countries were pres-
surizing smaller nations to
exempt India in the admis-
T here was a time when In- sion process to the NSG.”
dia-Pakistan stayed hyphen-
ated – both were treated Also, While Pakistan emis-
equally by America and were saries drew a blank, India’s
kept equidistant. That start- Foreign Secretary S. Jaishan-
ed changing during presi- kar interacted with senior
dencies of Bill Clinton and leaders of Trump’s transition
George W. Bush. Now the team on the NSG issue.
US has no hesitation in
calling India its special de- Even when Trump looked
fense partner. Well, with like a long shot, Indian
President Trump, Pakistan Americans like Shalabh Ku-
is fearing a further tilt to- mar, founder of Republican
wards its adversary No 1. Hindu Coalition, and Dr
A.D. Amar, who founded In-
India is hoping for a stron- dian Americans for Trump,
ger backing from Trump supported his campaign, so
on the Nuclear Suppliers that the community – tradi-
Donald Trump attended an event in October organized by Group (NSG) membership tionally leaning Democrat -
the Republican Hindu Coalition, founded by Shalabh Kumar and other issues. Islamabad does not put all their eggs in
(right). Photo: Gunjesh Desai/MasalaJunction. recently alleged that “pow- Hillary Clinton’s basket.
Democratic presidential no-
minee Hillary Clinton has The mistakes Hillary made
recently blamed FBI director ever he went, alarm bell rarely give a third term back down from in-
James Comey and Russian should have rung in to the same party. creasing the number of
hacking for her loss in the her camp. Syrian refugees allowed
November 8 election. Now of She was so confident of into the country, thus
course, we all are experts and She did not have an her blue wall that she ceding ground to the ag-
can do post-mortem of why identifiable agenda, neglected states like gressive Republican.
she lost while till a couple of what she stood for. Wisconsin (not a single
days before the election, she visit after she was Well, readers can write to us
was considered by pollsters The Obama presidency nominated). telling us their assessment
and pundits to win the close or her campaign did not of why Hillary lost. Wealthy
election. Well here are our try to address the prob- When Trump was harp- Democrats and donors who
two cents, some which others lems of the Rust Belt – ing on ISIS threat, and helped pump over $1 billion
have also discussed: her Waterloo. ordinary folks felt it was into Hillary Clinton’s losing
an issue, she did not effort certainly want answers.
Hillary Clinton felt en- She was too beholden
titled to the presidency;to Obama, and shied
she believed during the away from adopting
campaign that it was independent positions
under her belt already. on issues. She was thus
dubbed a third term of
When thousands crowd- Obama. And history is
ed Trump’s rallies wher- witness that Americans
14 TheAsianEra NOV-DEC 2016cover story
Mike Pence’s power play nections: As Trump has
turned his attention from
campaigning to governing,
Trump’s second-in-command holds sway over cabinet, soothes conservatives.
Pence’s experience and re-
I ndiana Governor Mike
Pence, now Vice President-
elect, is in a great place. The
to make it clear Paul Ryan
should remain Speaker. It
was Pence whose finger-
are serving as reassurance to
anxious Republicans eager to
see a conservative influence
lationships, particularly on
Capitol Hill, have become
more valuable. He remains
genial grey-haired main is prints are on the selection on the White House. close to many of his former
not only well-liked, he is of at least four of the eight colleagues, including Ryan
helping pick Donald Trump’s nominees to Trump’s ad- “Mike is heavily consulted and Majority Leader Kevin
Cabinet members, soothing ministration so far — Kansas and right in the middle of it McCarthy, who will be in-
conservatives’ anxieties and Rep. Mike Pompeo, South all,” says a former aide to the strumental in delivering on
perhaps most importantly Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley Indiana governor. “Mike’s Trump’s agenda and who are
for Trump, turning into the and Georgia Rep. Tom Price. influence is very real, judging invested in empowering the
healer-in-chief for a frac- Seema Verma, Trump’s In- from the nature of the picks.” man they consider the voice of
tured Republican Party. dian American pick to head Pence’s newfound stature the conservative movement
the Centers for Medicare & stems largely from his con- in the Trump White House.
He may not have the power or Medicaid Services, worked
mystique of Dick Cheney, but with Pence to design Indi-
it’s clear that Pence is already ana’s Medicaid expansion.
assuming a serious and work-
manlike role as vice president- And it was Pence who helped
elect, shoring up Trump’s close the deal with Carrier,
weaknesses in governing and which marked the first de
intra-party relationships. facto policy victory of the
Soon after the November Trump administration, while
8 election, Pence replaced his “Art of the Deal” presi-
New Jersey Governor Chris dent-elect swept in this week
Christie as head of the tran- to claim credit before a fren-
sition team, and things have zied audience.
been smoother since.
Those assignments are a sig-
It was Pence who made the nal of the weighty role Pence
call on Trump’s behalf to is already playing, and they
Trump’s
family tree
While Melanie Trump has
decided against moving
into the White House as
First Lady, choosing to stay
back in New York, Ivanka
(and her husband Jared
Kushner), Eric and Trump
Jr may play a role in their
father’s administration.
NOV-DEC 2016 TheAsianEra 15cover story
M ost of President-elect’s
nominees for cabinet Generals and billionaires
in Trump cabinet
level positions have been
House Budget Committee
criticized by the Democrats Chairman from Georgia, is a
& liberal press. The one fact champion of the GOP’s efforts
all agree on is that there are Secretary of has pushed forcefully for to abolish Obamacare and
replace it with free-market
quite a few retired generals Homeland Security private school voucher
health policy ideas.
programs nationwide.
& a few billionaires among
Gen. John F. Kelly
his picks. Of course, the ca- Attorney General Secretary of Housing
has clashed with the Obama
binet picks have to be approv- & Urban Development
ed by the Senate in hearings.
administration over some issues. Jeff Sessions
Senator from Alabama,
Secretary of Treasury
Secretary of State known for his hard-line
Steve Mnuchin views on immigration.
former Goldman Sachs
Environmental
executive, former Trump
campaign finance chairman. Protection Agency
administrator
Secretary of Commerce Scott Pruitt
Wilbur Ross Oklahoma attorney general,
is part of a coalition of state
a venture capitalist who
buys businesses in distress.
attorneys general suing the
agency over the administra-
Ben Carson,
Retired Neurosurgeon
tion’s Clean Power Plan.
Secretary of Education He ran against Trump in the
Rex Tillerson, Health & Human Services
CEO, Exxon Mobil Betsy DeVos primary is now his highest
profile African American
He has worked extensively billionaire philanthropist, Tom Price supporter and confidant.
around the globe for Exxon
Mobil. Rudy Giuliani and
Mitt Romney were also
considered for the most
important cabinet post.
Nikki Haley will be US envoy to UN
Secretary of Defense President-elect Donald Trump has named two-time Governor of South Carolina Nikki
Haley as his choice for Ambassador to the United Nations. The 44-year-old will be-
come the first 0Indian American to hold a cabinet rank at the federal level. Haley
(born Namrata Randhawa) lacks international affairs experience. Her overseas work
has been limited to international trade missions on behalf of her state. But she would
be considered a moderating voice among Trump’s national security picks, and some-
one who would bring polished political and communications skills to the world body.
Trump also selected a second Indian Ameri-
can, Seema Verma, for a high-level position
in his administration, assigning her “to the
dream team that will transform our health-
General care system,” a major campaign promise.
James Mattis, Verma, who has worked closely on health-
Retired Marine General care with Vice President-elect Mark Pence
He led operations in the
in Indiana state, is to be the Administrator
Middle East. He will need of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid
Congress to pass legisla- Services overseeing government health in-
tion to bypass a law that surance programs. Trump has also asked
secretaries of defense
must not have been on Preet Bharara to continue as U.S. Attorney
active duty in 7 years. for the Southern District of New York.
Gov Nikki Haley will become
16 TheAsianEra NOV-DEC 2016 the first Indian American to
hold a cabinet rank position.politics
Community hails highest
number in Congress
W ith five Indian-Americans,
including two women,
elected to the US Congress, eu-
paign funding impropriety.
Seattle based, self-proclaimed
feminist Pramila Jayapal, en-
This is a moment of celebration,”
said M R Rangaswami, a Silicon
Valley-based investor, entre-
phoric community members dorsed by Senator Bernie Sand- preneur and philanthropist. He
Rep. Ami Bera has been
said that the unprecedented ers, has also become the first In-
hoped this would encourage
elected for a third term victory shows they have be- dian-origin woman to become others from the community to
from California. come part of the mainstream a member of the US Congress. run for not only Congressional
political landscape. elections, but also those at state
Raja Krishnamoorthi, a former and city levels.
Kamala Harris, who was elected Obama aide, won from Illinois,
to the Senate, and Pramila after being endorsed by Presi- “We are growing up and growing
Jayapal, Raja Krishnamoorthi dent Obama. out,” said Sekhar Narasimhan,
and Ro Khanna to the House of an activist in the Greater Wash-
Representatives - entered one of Rohit “Ro” Khanna, 40-year- ington area. He has been en-
the citadels of democracy for the old, avenged his defeat at the couraging young Indian-Amer-
first time, leading to celebrations hands of fellow-Democrat Mike icans to run for elected offices.
among community members. Honda in 2014.
Self-proclaimed feminist Ajai Jain Bhutoria from Califor-
Pramila Jayapal has be- Rep Ami Bera was also de- All 5 Indian Americans in the nia, who too had raised funds
come the first Indian- clared elected for a third con- next House of Representatives for these candidates, said: “This
origin woman to become
a member of US Congress. secutive term, overcoming his and Senate are Democrats. “It is matter of pride for Indian-
father’s conviction on cam- is a no mean achievement. American community.”
Even as the 2016 Presidential elec-
tion resulted in a major blow for the
Kamala Harris may run
Democrats, talk of who will be the for President in 2020
front-runners from the party for 2020
has already started. First Lady Michelle
Obama has taken herself out of the
contention. The name of Indian-Ameri-
can Kamala Harris, who will take oath
Raja Krishnamoorthi was of office as US Senator, is already being
endorsed by President
Obama and won a Con- touted by some TV talking heads and
gressional seat from Illinois. others, as reported by the Washington
Post. Representing the largest and most
Democratic state, California, her posi-
tion will be a huge financial launchpad
for the presidential bid. Harris, whose
mixed-parentage is traced to Chen-
nai and Jamaica, is one of the six top
contenders getting mentioned. Others
include Senator Amy Klobuchar from
Minnesota and Senator Kirsten Gilli- Kamala Harris, first US Senator of Indian
brand from New York. Her background origin, is being touted as a potential
as having served as attorney general in presidential candidate in 2020
Ro Khanna defeated
8-term incumbent Mike California for two terms will appeal to
Honda for the Silicon many Democrats. She clinched the Sen- NOV-DEC 2016 TheAsianEra 17
Valley Congressional seat. ate seat by a landslide.comment
Trump effect on US-India relations
By George Abraham serious concerns among the treaties with India as well. time will tell how adversely
Indian community in US, Trump called the H1B visa the incoming Trump admin-
Following the stunning vic- which overwhelmingly sup- program as ‘unfair’ and criti- istration would impact it.
tory by Mr. Donald J. Trump ported Hillary Clinton for cized the Democratic candi-
for the presidency of the President this election. Al- date Hillary Clinton for her Mr. Trump has promised to
United States, the question though Indian Americans are support for outsourcing of reform the Tax Code and is
many Indian Americans are mostly conservative in their jobs. Although H1B was de- calling for a tax reduction
asking is what kind of an social outlook and not nec- signed to provide a temporary down to 15% for the corporate
impact this would have on essarily cleansed out of their workforce, there have been sector. He has vowed to bring
the US-India relationship. caste affiliations or prejudi- widespread allegations of the offshore deposits of multi-
President George W. Bush cial minds, Trump’s propos- abuse that may have resulted national corporations back to
was instrumental in bringing als dealing with issues such in American labor being sup- US to revitalize the economy
this bilateral relationship to as Immigration and Trade planted by many of those for- and to rebuild the infrastruc-
a new height with his open have unnerved them. Also, eign temporary workers. With ture. If he succeeds with his
and aggressive advocacy for many seem to have justifiable Alabama Senator Jeff Ses- proposals in Congress, that
the Indo-US Civil Nuclear apprehensions on the possi- sions in line to take charge of will tantamount to a paradigm
Treaty. This created a contin- ble rise of the far right move- the Justice Department as At- shift in tax policies resulting
uum that carried through the ments that could threaten torney General -- considered in a friendlier ecosystem for
Obama years to further de- their safety and the economic by many as more hawkish on business in America espe-
velop and foster this relation- stability of their children. Immigration issues -- we may cially in the area of manu-
ship into a strategic alliance. see a limit on the H1B en- facturing. That could re-
Although some of those con- tries and new guidelines for a duce the appetite for many
cerns are beyond the pale, this
Donald Trump is not a strang- stricter adherence to the law. businesses to jump on the
er when it comes to dealing just concluded election has its However, it could also be a bandwagon of the ‘Make in
with Indians -- his businessconsequences not only for the boon for India where these India’ push by India’s Prime
undertakings in Pune and community but also for the technical hands may experi- Minister, Mr. Narendra Modi.
Gurgaon are clear evidence US-India relationship, espe- ment with their ideas in their President-elect Trump is al-
of that existing bond. Also,cially when it comes to Trade homeland rather than in Sili- ready under pressure to stop
we have witnessed a surge and Immigration. Trump’s con Valley where 44% of the Obama Administration’s ef-
of support for him from the ‘America First’ populist slo- startups have an immigrant forts to strike a deal to build
Indian community in the US gan was a shot across the bow founder. India’s software ser- F-16 Fighting Falcons and
spearheaded by businessman at the globalists and one that vices accounted for $82 bil- F/A-18 Super Hornets in In-
Shalabh ‘Shalli’ Kumar, who was fully embraced by the lion worth of exports to North dia to replace an aging fleet
has not only raised campaignblue collar workers of Amer- America in 2015 and only of Russian-made fighters.
ica. There is a widespread
funds for the President-elect
but also arranged a large feeling in the US, particu-
(Photo courtesy: AP)
gathering in New Jersey in larly among the white work-
honor of him. At the outset,ing class, that globalism has
one may also wonder wheth- decimated the middle class
er Shalli Kumar, who is saidhere while creating it in coun-
tries like China and India.
to be close to the Sangh Pari-
var organizations in India, Although putting tariff and
trade restrictions are anath-
acted alone or with blessings
from those power centers! ema to the Republican ortho-
doxy, Trump may try to rene-
Regardless, the election of gotiate many of the existing
Donald Trump has raised trade deals that may include
The Republican Hindu Coalition floated by Chicago businessman
18 TheAsianEra NOV-DEC 2016 Shalabh Kumar hosted an event in Edison, NJ on Oct. 15, 2016
where Donald Trump spoke said some nice things about India.In the area of foreign poli- radicalism may also play into Many Indian Ameri-
cy, India may stand to gain the hands of India as Paki- cans have justifiable
as Trump has repeatedly stan has become a hotbed of
apprehensions on the
slammed China for its mon- terrorism and stands to lose
etary policies and unfair billions of dollars in aid with possible rise of the
trade practices. His recent a change in policy. However, far right movements
conversation with Taiwan- there is a little doubt that that could threaten
ese President Tsai Ing-wen with the continuing US in- their safety and the
was not seen as an accident volvement in Afghanistan,
economic stability of
but probably setting a new Trump may have any flexibil-
tone for his administration. ity to punish Pakistan for its their children. Al-
Trump may carry on with the protection of the terrorist el- though some of those
Obama policies of increased ements in their backyard that concerns are beyond
cooperation with India in the are creating havoc across the Donald Trump and PM Modi the pale, this just con-
strategic and defense areas border with India. Trump’s have never met (this image
is photoshopped) but they cluded election has
as a bulwark against an ag- attitude towards Vladimir
gressive and menacing China Putin, the President of Rus-
are likely to get along well. its consequences not
in the Asian theater. Trump’s sia, and his willingness to co- ing his Pune project in 2014, only for the commu-
tough stand against Islamic operate with the cold war rival Trump said that India had nity but also for the
may lessen India’s become a ‘top place’ in the US-India relationship.
Writer is a former Chief concern arising from international rollout of his
Technology Officer of the the threat of ISIS or property empire. Overall, to build on the improved re-
United Nations & Chair- similar threats. In an Trump has shown a very posi- lationships promoted by two
man of Indian National interview with Forbes tive approach to India and let of the successive US Presi-
Overseas Congress (I) India, while launch- us hope that he will continue dents before him.
19 TheAsianEra NOV-DEC 20162016 roundup
T h e I n d i a n s t o r y
In a historic step, the Modi gov-
ernment clamped demonetiza- Note ban: Some pain for long term gain
tion of Rs 500 and Rs 1000 notes on December 2016. People could,
however, exchange them with new Rs 500 and Rs 2000 bank notes.
Notes of Rs 100 and lower remained legal tender. The government
claimed that demonetization was an effort to stop counterfeiting of
the current bank notes allegedly used for funding terrorism, as well
as a crack down on black money in the country. However, in the fol-
lowing days, banks and ATMs across the country faced severe cash
shortages, which had detrimental effects on many small businesses,
agriculture, and transportation, while people seeking to exchange
their notes faced lengthy waits. The drastic step received support
from several bankers as well as from some international commenta-
tors, although it was criticized by members of the opposition parties.
India-Pakistan flare-up On July 8 a popular
Kashmiri militant
leader Burhan Muzaffar Wani was cornered by the security forces and killed.
A protest in Karachi
with a picture of slain
Kashmiri militant Wani
Protests and demonstrations followed and led to an “amplified instability”
in the Kashmir valley. Pakistan played up Wani’s ‘sacrifice’. After couple of
attacks on Indian forces by infiltrators from the other side, India conducted
“surgical strikes” in September end against militant launch pads across the
Line of Control in Pakistani-administered Azad Kashmir. Islamabad rejected
the claim of surgical strikes, stating that Indian troops had only skirmished
with their troops at the border. Exchange of fire along the border in Kashmir
continued. India refused to take part in the SAARC summit in Islamabad in
November, scuttling it. At Heart of Asia meet in Amritsar in December, India
and Afghanistan lashed out at Pakistan, dubbing it a terror sanctuary.
US-India defense partners In a significant development, the United States in early Decem-
ber designated India as its “major defense partner”. The desig-
nation was accorded to India following US Defense Secretary Ashton Carter’s meeting with Indian Defense Minister Mano-
har Parrikar. “The designation of a ‘Major Defense Partner’ is a status unique to India and institutionalizes the progress made
to facilitate defense trade and technology sharing with India to a level at par with that of the United States’ closest allies and
partners,” a joint statement issued after the meeting read. “Both sides exchanged views on regional security issues including
the threat posed by terrorism. They agreed to continue further strengthening the bilateral counter-terrorism cooperation and
underlined the need to ensure that terror groups receive no patronage from any state,” the joint statement said.
Final Farewells
J. Jayalalithaa, 5-term CM of Tamil Nadu, born 1948.
Abdul Sattar Edhi, Father Teresa of Pakistan, born 1928.
M. Balamuralikrishna, Carnatic vocalist, born 1930.
Mrinalini Sarabhai, classical dancer/instructor, born 1918.
Cho Ramaswamy, political satirist, playwright, born 1934.
20 TheAsianEra NOV-DEC 20162016 roundup
In the world
to October because Russia had reduced its air strikes on ISIS and concen-
trated on supporting the Assad regime in Syria. In end November, after
clashes with ISIS militants, the Iraqi forces recaptured the historic city of
Nimrud near Mosul, as part of the Mosul Operation. Also in November, a
Brexit Syrian Kurdish and Arab force backed by US air strikes launched an offen-
sive against the Islamic State’s de facto Syrian capital at Raqqa.
wins Syrian forces gain ground
vote The Syrian civil war seems to be winding down after almost five years of
turmoil and hundreds of thousands dead. The war grew out of the unrest of
The United Kingdom’s withdrawal from the the 2011 Arab Spring and escalated to armed conflict after President Bashar
European Union came to be known as Brex- al-Assad’s government violently repressed protests calling for his removal.
it (British exit). In the referendum of June The war is being fought by several factions: the Syrian Government and its
2016, 52% favored leaving the EU. The UK various supporters, and the Islamic State (ISIS). The factions receive sub-
was scheduled to start the procedure for stantial support from foreign actors, leading many to label the conflict a
withdrawing by March 2017, on a course to proxy war waged by both regional and global powers. By the end of the year,
leave the EU by March 2019. The terms of Assad, with the help of Russian forces, was gaining ground in the conflict. In
withdrawal have not yet been negotiated, November end, the Syrian government forces launched a military offensive
and there is much confusion. Soon after the and started taking back large swathes of the rebel-held districts in Aleppo.
referendum, Prime Minister David Cameron
had to step down and the ruling Conservative
The Syrian boy,
Party elected Theresa May to replace him.
Omran Daqneesh,
ISIS in retreat
whose impassive,
bloodied and dust-
covered image in
The Islamic State (ISIS), which struck terror August went viral,
showing horrors of
in the world with its barbaric ways and ter- war-torn Aleppo,
rorist attacks with impunity in many parts of reminiscent of the
the world, was in retreat in 2016. In October, picture of a child’s
body on a Turkish
the BBC reported that ISIS had lost more
beach raised sym-
than 25% of its territory in Syria and Iraq pathy for Syrian
since January 2015. However the rate of loss refugees in 2015.
of territory had slowed in the three months
In USA
Donald Trump’s win over Hillary Clinton in a contentious presidential election was the biggest news
story of the year. But there were other stories. Omar Mateen killed 50 at the Pulse nightclub in Or-
lando, a terror/hate crime, and the deadliest mass shooting in US history. A sniper attack in Dallas
took the lives of five police officers. A water crisis in Flint, Michigan, plagued the city’s residents. Team USA won 121 medals dur-
ing the Summer Games, the most by any country, led by the standout performances of the “Final Five” women’s gymnastics team
and swimming sensation Michael Phelps. Microsoft acquired LinkedIn for $26.2 billion, and AT&T merged with Time Warner.
Final Farewells
Fidel Castro, Cuba supremo, took on America, born 1926.
Muhammad Ali, legendary American boxer, born 1942.
Nancy Regan, American actress, First Lady, born 1921.
John Glenn, 1st US astronaut to orbit earth, born 1921.
David Bowie, English singer and songwriter, born 1947.
NOV-DEC 2016 TheAsianEra 21positive news
How to heal mindfully
if your candidate loses
by Martha Brett
If I had one wish for my
country after our presiden-
tial election, it would be to
infuse every citizen with a
strong dose of mindfulness.
Mindfulness is the practice
of focusing our attention and
awareness on what is hap-
pening in the present mo-
ment, without getting carried
away by past stories or future
imagined scenarios since the
present is the only place we
can take action.
As a former international Half the country had to be in ates suffering individually difficult situations and em-
economist whose life path pain after the election. The and collectively. You can re- brace the truth that the only
led unexpectedly to mindful- degree of their suffering, how- sist the election outcome and constant in life is change.
ness advocacy, I am a big fan ever, will depend on the vol- insist on being “right,” which
of the work of Rasmus Hou- ume of their resistance to multiplies the pain, or you can So my hope is that we choose
gaard, who wrote the book the outcome that will by that accept the reality of the situa- to let go of resistance and the
One Second Ahead: Enhance point be totally out of their tion and choose to not suffer. suffering it causes. We’re all
Your Performance at Work control. so much more effective when
with Mindfulness. Hougaard Accepting an outcome doesn’t we take emotion and reactiv-
Regardless of where we stand
incorporates the types of ma- mean we are happy with it, ity out of the mix and move
on the political spectrum as
trices, graphs, and equations or that we’re giving up on forward with measured, in-
individuals, we have power
that were the norm in my for- our principles. Acceptance tentional action.
to influence the outcome by
mer life, but are less common doesn’t make us a doormat.
our actions up until the elec-
in the mindfulness literature Acceptance does, however, Though it feeds our ego to
tion (donating to campaigns,
that now fills my bookshelves. keep our higher level think- view ourselves as victims,
get out the vote efforts, cast- ing online, rather than sink- we have a choice to say no
Here’s the equation in One ing our vote, etc.). After the ing into our reactive, fight or to that whiney voice. Our
Second Ahead that will make results are in, however, it will flight-driven reptilian brain. shared humanity, the es-
or break our national post- be time to accept the out- sence that connects all of
election experience. come and refocus on what we Mindfulness allows us to us, is what has always sus-
actually have control over. choose productive action as tained us and carried us for-
PxR=S we move forward from the ward. We all have a choice in
P = pain. R = resistance. Outrage, indignation, anger, election. The practice enables whether to give the power to
S = suffering. fear-mongering… all of it cre- us to recognize the lessons in our ego or our essence.
22 TheAsianEra NOV-DEC 2016Courtesy:
Good News Network
The America I know,
by Rajiv Ramchandra
the humanity I know
got stuck in the snow. With- An 11-year-old boy has do- Where the mind is led forward
I start to write this as I sit out me asking, two young nated 6425 smoke detectors by thee into ever-widening
in a coffee shop in a mall in men pulled over and pushed to families across Texas. He thought and action - Into that
India. It’s early August. The the car out. For many years I dreams of one day becoming heaven of freedom, my Fa-
monsoon is ending, but it lived without family nearby. A a firefighter. This is the Amer- ther, let my country awake.”
feels like the beginning. The co-worker, who has four great ica I got to know. Perhaps not
heavens have favored this sons, treated me like his fifth. the America many outside of Indeed, it is a prayer
parched land, and the earth I was invited to Thanksgiv- her borders know of. Many I wish upon every
and leaves appear nourished, ing and Christmas dinners, inside may not either. nation.
refreshed and renewed. It has helped countless times with
been difficult to avoid anoth- my house, and shared pre- I am not a citizen of Ameri- It’s late in the evening now. I
er spectacular deluge taking cious uninhibited moments ca. But I lived on her shores. go back to my one source be-
place on the other side of the discussing favorite scenes And how blessed I was. fore going to bed. A homeless
world – the dissonant down- from the latest animated Whether I get to set foot on man offers money to pay a
pour of the US Presidential movie. Hilarious impressions her hallowed soil again or student’s bus fare. A Chinese
election. I am protected by a ensued. I worked at a univer- not, whether I have the op- billionaire donates $2 bil-
loyal umbrella: my unshak- sity. A kind-hearted man who portunity to give back even a lion to support educational,
able faith in humanity. held meditation sessions on fraction of what I received, I medical and environmental
campus became a friend. We wish upon her the words — a causes. A teacher in Afghani-
Days go by. I am sitting on a often talked long after the ses- prayer — of the Nobel laure- stan turns his bike into a mo-
balcony, taking in the differ- sions ended. He listened when ate Tagore published more bile library and cruises the
ent shades of rich green sur- I needed help with some old than a hundred years ago. countryside, giving kids a
rounding me. I am in awe of wounds. This is the America I chance to read. Syrian refu-
all this beautiful life, seen andgot to know. Perhaps not the “Where the mind is without gees are giving back to their
unseen, of its diversity, and America many outside of her fear and the head is held high; host country Canada and
how it flourishes in harmo- borders know of. Where knowledge is free; those affected by the Alberta
ny so effortlessly. I think of Where the world has not been wildfire – money, hampers
America again. I lived on her I stopped watching and read- broken up into fragments by of toys, clothes, food, provi-
shores for nearly a decade. ing the news weeks ago. narrow domestic walls; sions, and furniture that they
There is only one source that Where words come out from received only months before.
This is how I see her. I go to. A girl asks her moth- the depth of truth; Where This is how I see humanity.
This is the America er’s boyfriend of 17 years to tireless striving stretches its This is the humanity I know.
I got to know. be her dad. He breaks down arms towards perfection; Perhaps not the humanity
in tears. An 86-year-old man Where the clear stream of visible to those distracted by
Late one evening years ago, is paying for the college tu- reason has not lost its way the dissonance. But clear as
during the depths of a difficult ition of eight high school stu- into the dreary desert sand day to those returning her
winter in New York, my car dents he’s never known. of dead habit; sacred embrace.
Rajiv Ramchandra is an Independent Consultant, Researcher and Speaker special-
izing in Corporate Sustainability and Sustainable Development. He has a Masters NOV-DEC 2016 TheAsianEra 23
in Engineering degree and an MBA from the Rochester Institute of Technology.festival
Writers who revived Christmas
The festival celebrated worldwide took its current form starting in the 19th century.
By Vikas Datta independence, fell out of fa- One of them is “Christmas”, transportation, the number
vor as a “British custom”. where Crayon reflects on the and names of his reindeer
I t is the world’s most well- festival’s meaning and its cel-
known religious and cul- So how did the idea came of ebration. The book was im-
tural festival, celebrated Christmas time as holiday mensely popular and slowly
(“Now! Dasher, now! Dancer,
now! Prancer and Vixen,/On!
Comet, on! Cupid, on! Donder
worldwide - including even by season, the home celebra- led to revival of Americans’ and Blitzen”); and that he
those who are not adherents tions and feast, the gift-giv- interest in Christmas. brings toys to children.
of the faith. Many sentiments ing and exchanges, the idea
and customs attached to it of a “Christmas spirit” - ex- It was also helped when the The author was Clement
have become common world- emplifying forgiveness, char- poem “A Visit From St. Nich- Clarke Moore, a professor at a
wide - even where there is no ity, generosity and redemp- olas”, by an anonymous au- leading Protestant seminary
snow, evergreen conifers to tion, Santa Claus and all? thor, was published in 1822. in New York, who in 1837,
hang lights and decorations Better known by its first acknowledged he had written
on, or a chimney for a noc- Three authors - two Ameri- line: “Twas the Night Before the poem it for his children.
turnal gift-giver to enter. But cans and one British - had Christmas”, it sees a man,
Christmas celebrations, as we quite a part to play. wakened by noises while his But the author who is most
know them today, are quite wife and children sleep on closely associated with the
recent developments - and The first was American writ- Christmas eve, looking out Christmas spirit is Charles
it is some 19th century au- er Washington Irving (1783- and seeing St. Nicholas’ eight Dickens (1812-70), who did
thors who were responsible. 1859), known mostly for Rip reindeer-pulled flying sleigh the most to create it, espe-
Van Winkle and The Legend land on his roof. Nicholas cially through his novella “A
Celebrated from the third of the Sleepy Hollow. The two enters through the chimney Christmas Carol”.
century A.D. onwards, the tales alluded to appear in his with a sack of toys, and the fa-
festival was however banned “The Sketch Book of Geof- ther sees him filling the chil- The story of a bitter old mi-
in Britain in the mid-17th frey Crayon, Gent.” (1820). dren’s Christmas stockings, ser named Ebenezer Scrooge
century after the advent of the Among the others are sev- and they share a conspira- (“Bah! Humbug!”) and his
Puritans, led by Oliver Crom- eral about ‘Crayon’, Irving’s torial moment before the transformation into a gentler,
well. Though celebrations lightly-disguised literary al- saint bounds up the chim- kindlier man after being vis-
revived after a generation, it ter ego, in Britain where he ney again, after wishing ev- ited by the ghosts of his for-
was not the same. In US too, also attends the traditional eryone: “Happy Christmas!” mer business partner and of
Puritans banned Christmas, warm-hearted Christmas cel- Christmas Past, Present and
and after the 13 colonies won ebrations. This poem helped to Yet to Come, it was written
create a standard im- by Dickens to deal with his
age of Santa Claus, in- mounting debts. It not only
cluding his appearance became a resounding success
(“dress’d all in fur, but made Christmas what it
from his head to his is today. (Read Les Standi-
foot”, “His eyes - how ford’s “The Man Who Invent-
they twinkled! His dim- ed Christmas: How Charles
ples: how merry,/His Dickens’s ‘A Christmas Car-
cheeks were like roses, ol’ Rescued His Career and
his nose like a cherry” Revived Our Holiday Spir-
and “He had a broad it”, 2008). But Dickens had
face, and a little round more writings on Christmas.
belly/That shook when
he laugh’d, like a bowl Now you know whom to thank
full of jelly”), the night when you wake up on Christ-
24 TheAsianEra NOV-DEC 2016 he visits, his method of mas and find your sock filled!You can also read
