Letters from Readers
Nostalgia in November
The November 2016 issue of Khabar magazine
had three articles broaching the subject of Nostalgia, directly or indirectly, centrally or tangentially. Nostalgia is an achingly sweet feeling feeding us joy or
agony. All the three articles are threaded by a common fabric though addressing different issues.
“To America by Sea” by Avinash Bagal would arouse an experience perceived by diminishingly few people. These individuals [who came by ship] are
some whose courage and endurance deserve to be admired. Their stories, as I have heard, are incredibly
fascinating and need to be stored in our archives.
Many of them are the pilgrims paving our way of success in this country. Thanksgiving was a perfect occasion to remember them gratefully!
A very powerful pen sculpting our thoughts becomes evident in the article, “The Disappearance of America’s Noble Savages” by Bill Fitzpatrick. Again, Thanksgiving in November was a perfect occasion to remember the native “Indians” of America. The history of America is sanguineous not only for its racial violence but also for its insufferable treatment of
Native Americans, with its Trail of Tears and more, “a tale of tears.” We have seen that, in the history of
India and other parts of the world. It still needs to be brought into focus from time to time because “Those who do not heed to history are condemned to repeat it.” I would add parenthetically that the contribution
of articles in Khabar’s Americana column serves a
very useful purpose. We thank the author.
I had some qualms about the article, “Raising the Third Generation” by Sindya Bhanoo. How to raise them? The answer could be straightforward. I would like to see them raised to be “Earnest Citizens of the World.” This term was coined by the famous English author Goldsmith in the Victorian era, but our ancestors described the world as a single family even in
Vedic times. That is our value system. The term is somewhat different from our “culture” because the culture and some of its ingredients like food, attire, and some traditions keep on changing, unlike our value system which does not fluctuate with time. How much have
we retained our VALUES? I recently got an email circulating from New Zealand containing caustic comments about Indians and their spineless morality. We distressfully see a cluster of such examples sprouting in the
U.S. also. I would like to raise our third generation to be immunized against such vices by a vaccination of our ancient core values. We need a booster dose of it to be given to our third and subsequent generations from time to time. True virtue never gets invalidated. If we therefore search our roots without getting fixated on food, attire, and regional predilections, our subsequent generations will be raised right and that is UPRIGHT.
Bhagirath Majmudar, M.D.
Atlanta, Georgia
Waiting for the real India
I am an ardent reader of Khabar magazine. I enjoy reading every article as it adds to my knowledge
every second of our lives. It’s rightly said that “Knowledge is wisdom.”
“When Paper Money Becomes...Just Paper” [December 2016]: I am greatly moved after reading through the lines of this particular article by a freelancer Lakshmi Palecanda (from Mysore). She has profoundly concluded the
article as “Welcome to the real India!” which we all, as an Indian community in America and the world
over, are eagerly awaiting. India is one of the largest democracies in the world with a rich mix of cultures
and in short it’s “Unity in Diversity.”
Wish you all a Happy 2017!
Amber Sheriff
Office Adminstrator & volunteer, Gwinnett Co., Georgia
Correction:
In an Around Town report last month (“Colorful Diwali celebrations at the Georgia State Capitol by BAPS”), one caption had an incorrect name. We regret the error. The caption should read, “Speakers Dov Wilker [not Kunj Pandya], Rep. Pedro Marin, CG Nagesh Singh, Melvin Everson, and Senator Steve Henson. (Photo: BAPS)
What’s on YOUR mind?
We welcome original, unpublished letters from our readers. You could either respond to a specific article in Khabar or write about issues relevant to our community. Letters may be edited for length and other considerations. Longer submissions by readers may be considered for the “My Turn” column.
Email: letters@khabar.com • Fax: (770) 234-6115.
Mail: Khabar, Inc. 3635 Savannah Place Dr, Suite 400, Duluth, GA 30096.
Note: Views expressed in the Letters section do not necessarily represent those of the publication.
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