Ashok Shetty

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August 13 2021

IAGB Community Youth Excellence Awards 2021

India Association of Greater Boston (IAGB) is thrilled to announce the 2021 Community Youth Excellence Award winners, for the eighth year in a row! We received an overwhelming number of nominations from the exceptionally talented and accomplished students in the New England area.

“Indian American youths are making a mark with a culture of hard work and passion for excellence and achieving more. They are the architects of tomorrow’s world. It was a very challenging task to select just two winners from the outstanding and highly qualified nominations. We thank all the candidates who submitted their nominations for this award, and we wish the very best of luck to all the nominees and winners”, said Sanjay Gowda, President, IAGB.

The 2021 Community Youth Excellence Award winners are: Arnav Bakta a rising senior at Phillips Academy Andover, MA and Sachi Badola, a rising senior at Chelmsford High School, MA. Also, Archita Neamlikanti, a rising junior at Hopkinton Highschool, will get a special Recognition Award. The winners will be recognized at India Day Festival 2021 on August 15th at the Hatch Memorial Shell.

Arnav Bhakta is a rising senior at Phillips Academy Andover in Andover, Massachusetts. He is the Co-Founder, President, and CEO of Stem4Free, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to reducing food waste. Under his leadership, the organization has grown to over 225 volunteers in 40 cities internationally and has collectively rescued over 780,000 servings of food, valued at over $3.90 million, from their over 120 business partners. He also co-hosted the Stem4Free sponsored podcast, The Food Talk, and helped in starting its blog. Additionally, Arnav is the Co-Founder and CEO at Ratyfi, Inc., an early-stage startup dedicated to providing a platform for crowdsourced and easily reliable ratings. Furthermore, Arnav is a Tournament Director at the Math Open at Andover, an annual math competition for middle schoolers, hosted at Phillips Academy. Last year the tournament had over 1,150 participants from around the world.

Outside of this, Arnav also researches psychology and computer science/machine learning/AI at several labs around the country. His work has been presented and published at many conferences and workshops. Academically, Arnav is also a great student, being an AP Scholar with Distinction and 2-time AIME qualifier (Distinguished Honor Roll in 2020) and staying busy with a plethora of different clubs and extracurriculars.

Sachi Badola is a rising senior at Chelmsford High School. She is passionate about singing, theatre, public speaking, biology, and chemistry. She has performed at many fundraising events and won many Indian and Western singing competitions. In 2019 she was top 11 finalist at an International singing competition organized by Rotary International called, Surshree in India. She was the only contestant selected from outside India. She won the TAMY award for the best musical theater solo in the 2020 competition organized by Mount Wachusett College’s Theater at the Mount and was the top 20 finalist in Fidelity Investments Boston Pops 2021 Young Artists Competition. She also received the METG All Star Excellence award in Ensemble work. Sachi also acts in the Indian acting troupe SETU. She has been an invited speaker at many conferences and was the keynote CueByte speaker at the MASSCUE 2017 conference.

Sachi is a huge proponent of STEAM (Science, technology, engineering, arts, math) and recently received the STEM Leadership Book Award from Worcester Polytechnic Institute. Sachi is co-president of her high school’s a cappella group, music liaison to her Theatre Guild, vice president of the CHS Tri-M National Music Honors Society Chapter, co-president of CHS Mentor Program and founder and president of TED-Ed club at CHS. She is currently interning at the Genomes2People Research Program directed by Harvard Medical School professor Dr. Robert Green. She taught a genetics workshop for Ekal Vidyalaya and is a passionate EKAL Youth Leader. Sachi strongly believes in the concept of growth mindset and started a podcast series with co-host Dr. Rohit Chandra called “Mindset Monday”, in which they address developing good mindsets in various aspects of life.

IAGB is also pleased to do a Special Recognition Award for Archita Neamlikanti. Archita Nemalikanti is a Junior at Hopkinton Highschool. She takes a deep interest in science, especially biomedical. She has developed a non-invasive optical biosensor to replace invasive tests to monitor anemia in newborns. She was one of the few statewide students who were invited to present her sensor prototype to Governor Baker, the president of MIT, CEO of Sanofi Genzyme, and other eminent personalities at the 2020 Massachusetts STEM Week. In 2021 she received a first-place award at the Massachusetts Science and Engineering Fair. She also kick-started the first World Bindi Day, with thousands of viewers around the world who tuned in to listen to the online event.

The winners will be felicitated at the grand finale that is part of the celebrations for India’s 75th Independence Day – the India Day Festival 2021 – at the Hatch Memorial Shell on August 15th from 3-7pm ET and the Hatch Shell is open to public from 2 pm. All are welcome, entry is free.

August 13 2021

India Day 2021 Magazine

Ashok Shetty Uncategorized

July 31 2021

IAGB Guest Column – Shazain Khan

Ashok Shetty Newsletter July 2021 Post

This month features Shazain Khan, student and Executive Board member of the Umeed Club at Brown University. With Umeed, he raises awareness and funds for cancer patients in developing countries, currently with a focus on India. They also create multimedia that can be used to educate patients and caretakers about symptoms, side-effects, and treatment options.

Here is a message from him about the issue:

Within the last few decades, the nexus of low and middle income countries has experienced a worrying trend. Throughout these nations, along with the traditional “developing country” illnesses like malaria and other infectious diseases, ailments that have typically been linked to the West have seen a dramatic rise in Eastern countries like India.

In fact, 1 in 10 individuals in the developing world will develop a form of cancer in their lifetimes, with 1 in 15 individuals unfortunately succumbing to the disease. In India specifically, more than 1 million new cancer cases are registered each year with almost 800,000 deaths due to the disease per year. This issue is made more concerning by the prevalence of Covid-19 in the country, which has rocked the nation through multiple waves and killed hundreds of thousands.

Covid has specifically been impacting cancer patients by taking away resources from these patients and causing them to be ignored by the medical system. Given that many cancer patients come from low-income backgrounds, the ability to financially sustain themselves with their disease becomes impossible.

It is crucial, now more than ever, for us as South Asians to come together and support our brothers and sisters back home who are suffering from both Covid and Cancer!

Find out more here:

https://www.instagram.com/brown_umeed/

https://umeed2.wixsite.com/info/get-involved

–By Shazain Khan

July 31 2021

IAGB Youth of the Month – Aryan Nijhawan

Ashok Shetty Newsletter July 2021 Post

Massachusetts tennis state champion Aryan Nijhawan has always excelled in the sport of tennis. At the start of high school, Aryan, an incoming Economics and Mathematics Major and Computer Science Minor at Brandeis University, made the big move to the United States from India where he had been ranked top 3 in the State of Delhi and top 40 in the nation. During his high school career, he played the #1 singles position for all four years, delivering outstanding overall records such as 21-1 in a season. In his sophomore year, he won the Central Mass MIAA Division Championship, and as a senior and a co-captain, he led his team to the State Championship finals for the first time in 4 years. In all of New England, Aryan has ranked top 10 in singles and top 5 in doubles in the under 18 boys category. He has also ranked 240 in the country and was recruited to Brandeis as a student athlete. With numerous national level tournaments as well as other awards and recognitions under his belt, he says, “tennis is a lot more than a sport to me – it has not only helped me make so many memories and connections, but it has also helped me find a goal and purpose in life.”

IAGB congratulates Aryan Nijhawan on becoming the July 2021 Youth of the Month.

~ IAGB Youth Editorial Director, Aarushi Pant

July 31 2021

Bharat Ek Khoj-Amritsar

Ashok Shetty Newsletter July 2021 Post

The Mystical Land of Sikhs, Seekh and Shish Kebabs

Today we will take a journey, not only to a place but in time. I fondly remember my time growing up in Amritsar.

Amritsar is in the heart of Punjab, the second largest city in Punjab. Amritsar is about 15 miles east of the border with Pakistan and approx. 267 miles from New Delhi. There are various transportation modes to get to Amritsar. The most famous and common is Raja Sansi International Airport. It is the most convenient way as flights to Delhi are just an hour long. Since most of the population belongs to middle and lower class, other more popular option is by Train. Amritsar Junction Railway Station is a well-connected station to all major cities in India. Shatabdi Express; Shan-e-Punjab Express, Akal-Takht Express among others are considered the busiest trains. Amritsar Bus Terminal provides services to all nearby cities such as Jalandhar, Pathankot, New Delhi, Jammu, Chandigarh etc. From US, you can fly via a stopover in Delhi, Dubai and other major hubs. Some of the airline options include Air India, Lufthansa, Emirates.

Amritsar is the home to the Golden Temple… also known as Harmandir Sahib. It is the most visited and spiritually significant sacred place in Punjab. It’s a stunning complex always full of pilrims all over India and abroad. The main entrance called Ghanta Ghar has small pool of water to wash feet in order to keep the temple clean. The bandannas are offered at the entrance of the Temple as its mandatory to cover your head during the visit. The giant pool of water in the center is known as Amrit Sarovar. Sections of it are marked by ropes for pilgrims to bathe in the holy water. The Gold covered sanctum is the most attractive part whose reflection in water at night creates magic. Golden Temple is the house of sacred Adi Granth scripture that is read aloud during the day. It is the most visited place in Amritsar. Thousands of people volunteer here whether its serving sacred Langar; cleaning the marble polished floor; offering water in hot weather to tourists or distributing Prasad to people. 24hour vegetarian Langar is served to tourists regardless of faith, gender or economic background. As you exit Harminder Sahib, the bustiling bazaars offer tons of shops around to satisfy the eagerness of buying Punjabi stuff. You can get the cheapest and the most durable Punjabi juttis etc. Sikh symbols such as Khandas, Karas, swords, daggers etc can be bought from the shops nearby Golden Temple. If you haven’t gone to Golden Temple, you must.

Apart from this major attraction and not too very far from here, is another significant history landmark known as Jallianwala Bagh. Thousands of civilians were killed on the orders of British offices Edward Harry Dyer. During the massacre, there were no escape routes. The narrow passage was blocked by the army and people either ran towards the walls or jumped in the well. Bullet marks can still be seem on the park premises.

Another place that we used to visit a lot in Amritsar was Wagah Border. Every time we had visitors, they insisted on going to the border to see the flag ceremony. Wagah Border conducts lowering of the flag ceremony that lasts 45 minutes and is carried out before sunset. I remember reaching there before time to always get the good seats in front as the place gets crowded very quickly. Ceremony starts usually at 4 pm but if you want to watch the ceremony, my recommendation is to reach the place no later than 3pm. There are no sheds so it gets pretty hot and sweaty unless you go in winters. Security at the border is very high and there are no covered bags allowed. They do have a reserved section for foreign tourists so make sure to bring your passport if you want to skip the line and get the best seats available. The ceremony begins with a parade from both sides (India and Pakistan) and is perfectly coordinated. The boot thumping, eye to eye stare and cheering Jai Hind in the background, leaves such a patriotic feeling in each and every individual. The two flags are lowered simultaneously. Firm handshakes between the soldiers of both sides followed by closing of iron gates makes this an exciting event that you don’t want to miss.

Other places you can venture off to are:

Durgiana Mandir
Khalsa College
Guru Nanak Dev University

The true spirit of the city is being a local. You know, when in Amritsar, be Amritsaria.

Start with a hearty breakfast of Stuffed Kulcha/ paratha and tea. You are welcome to come to my house, but you can also get your fill at Kulcha King at Ranjit Avenue . For a foodie, Amritsar is heaven. You can visit Kulchey wali gali and try the most delicious stuffed Kulchas with Punjabi choley. Aloo puri is another staple breakfast in Amritsar and you can get the best at Kanhaiya sweets. I fondly remember eating this deliciousness especially during the weekend. Breakfast does not include cereal. No Punjabi can be satisfied without eating a good stuffed parantha along with a cup of tea as the breakfast….its called a Hearty breakfast in Amritsar.

Lunch time…let us go to Kesar da Dhaba. Growing up in Amritsar, I had the privilege to eat the most delicious street food in the town. The Dal makhani with dollop of ghee with crispy baked Lacha parantha is the simplest and yet so delicious food you will ever taste in Amritsar. Served alongside of Achar, onions and yogurt. Don’t forget to visit this place if you want that heart and soul warming food to satisfy your appetite. Along with the meal, having a glass of Lassi is a tradition. Amritraris believe in eating good portions so when you order a glass of Lassi, be sure to prepare for the biggest glass with full of Malai on top.

Golgappa (Puchka), Ice-gola, Chaat papdi and Aloo tikki are very popular evening snacks along with the veggie pakodas that people relish almost every day. Brijwasi Chaat House used to our go-to place to satisfy the snacks cravings.

Next we will go shopping…whether in mood for shopping for your cousin’s wedding or shopping for housewares, or for masalas and aachars, there is a special street for each. E.g for all the fancy clothing, Kaitra Jaimal Singh market is very famous. You can get such a variety of clothes with a huge price range. Guru bazaar is famous for all your jewelry shopping and in Pratap Bazaar you will get all the utensils you will need in your kitchen. Pulkari is very famous form of embroidery and the brightly colored shawls to sarees can be found in Hall Bazaar. Hand embroided ones are the most expensive but don’t be afraid to bargain your heart out. You will get the best deals here !

All this shopping has made us thirsty…get a drink at Empire Lounge or Glassy Junction at Surya Residency.

To see all my friends, I am heading off to Lawrence Road. This is where we would show off latest car or clothes, and meet friends

To end the day, we will head to dinner at any of the following places: mk hotel, quality restaurant, astoria restaurant. The local spots include the Moolchand Fish Shop which is a hole-in-the wall tiny place. You get the most delicious fish here served with spicy green chutney and raw onions. For the most delicious chicken, you can try Surjit Chicken at Lawrence Road. The spice blend is so perfect that you won’t stop eating just one meal. Chicken is served with Naan and chutney.

Don’t forget dessert at Bansal sweets and Novelty sweets. You will get the best Kasatta ice cream here along with Falooda ice-cream, alphonso ice-cream, Fruit cream. While you are there, don’t forget to try Gulab Jamun, Jalebi and boondi ladoos.

Off to bed…but before I go, let me remind you to please come stay with us when you come to Amritsar. Amritsarias are known for their hospitality!

–By Pallavi Gupta

July 31 2021

IAGB SPOTLIGHT

Ashok Shetty Newsletter July 2021 Post

In this month’s issue IAGB is proud to introduce the 5th term President of Sishu Bharati Schools – Dr. Seshi Sompuram. Dr. Sompuram is a scientist and faculty at BU Medical school and has devoted a large part of his life volunteering for Sishu Bharati in a leadership role. IAGB Director Sanjay Kudrimoti met with Dr. Sompuram over the Zoom to discuss his scientific work, his volunteering experiences, his family and his hobbies and other interests.

Perceive, Preserve and Promote

IAGB: Hello Dr. Seshi Sompuram. We welcome you to the IAGB SPOTLIGHT. To start, we would like to know your Life Journey to date.

Seshi Sompuram: I come from a very small village – Sompuram at the edge of Telangana bordering Karnataka. I started my schooling in my village and then for education I moved around – elementary school in the rural side then to Gadwal for my high school and Junior College. I did undergrad in Hyderabad (Osmania University) and finally moved to the US to do my Masters at Boston College and PhD and Post Doc at Boston University Med School. I did my PhD and Post Doc in Molecular Biology and Immunology. My PhD thesis was on Creating Antibodies for Therapy. Immediately after my Post Doc year, I started working as a faculty member at the BU Medical school. I also worked at a startup company CytolLogix, which was soon acquired by DAKO/Agilent Technology. Dr. Bogen and I, along with Vani Kodela, started a new start up: Medical Discovery Partners. Only recently we changed the name to Boston Cell Standards. Boston Cell Standards is a specialized biotech company dedicated to improving Cancer Biopsy Clinical Diagnostic Testing Technologies. I am the Vice President of Research and Development and co-inventor of the company’s core technology. Over the years, as a group we developed a technology solution that would enable the integration of quantitative quality systems to immunohistochemistry (IHC) testing. Along the way, we published over 30 papers, and authored chapters in two books. We were awarded several U.S. and European patents. We have been fortunate to be able to get several National Cancer Institute (National Institutes of Health) grants (5 – 6 million dollars) over past few years. Presently, we have a product that is being tested in clinical trials in the US (Stanford, Columbia, Chicago, etc), as well as in Canada and Europe. Only recently we sought private investments. Incidentally, TiE Boston through its Life Sciences division is the first outside private investor in our company. The other professional hat I wear is as an Adjunct faculty at BU Medical school (in Pathology Department).

IAGB: How did your association with Shishu Bharati start and how did you progress over the years?

Seshi Sompuram: My association with Shishu Bharati started almost 20 years ago when I enrolled my son at the school and signed up to teach 1st grade Telugu. Over the next few years my role in the administration became more involved and I was elected as a Secretary. Two years later, I was elected as the president of Shishu Bharati. Currently, I am in my fifth 2-year term (9th year) serving the school and community. Looking back over the last twenty or so years, I would say with great joy that my association with Shishu Bharati is the best thing that ever happened to me.

IAGB: What should our readers know about Shishu Bharati as an organization?

Seshi Sompuram: Shishu Bharati is a 43 years old, non-religious, non-profit, and non-commercial institution. We have three-locations: Lexington, Walpole and Nashua (N.H). Some of the Shishu Bharati senior members are still around, and they inspire and make us humble every day. While in my role as the President, I do juggle work across the spectrum for the school. The real work is done by the 200 plus very dedicated, compassionate volunteers. The school runs smoothly because our teachers and administrators recognize their roles and work together. I am blessed to be working with this amazing and selfless group of volunteers who put service above everything else. I am privileged to be part of the Shishu Bharati mission.

We have elections every two years. We elect about 20 directors for each location. This board has a division of labor between various activities such as registration, public relations, education council and so on. Each school has a principal and two vice principals (one for language and one for Indian Culture) and a Director of Admissions as the chief administrators. These four individuals (they are nominated based on experience and skill set and not elected) form the Education Council for each school. At the executive level we have a President, Secretary and Treasurer. The Directors, administrators and the executive committee meet every month to discuss the agenda items. Summer happens to be the busiest time as a lot of planning for the new academic year happens during this time. Grading, graduation, signing up of new leases, teacher sufficiency, training and much more of the behind-the-scenes work happens during these three months. So yes, the commitment is needed for more than just the weekend activity. The volunteers have two main objectives: one is to aid in imparting education about our language and culture to our next generation and the other is to help build a cohesive and kind community. Hence the motto I coined – Perceive, Preserve and Promote. Teachers and volunteers raised the bar when the pandemic hit us and adapted to the challenging new circumstances. Shishu Bharati is what it is today because of our volunteers and I am personally grateful to them. I am also thankful to the parents for their desire and passion to bring their children. I would say I am surrounded by wonderful people.

IAGB: Can you shed light on student experiences.

Seshi Sompuram: We serve about 900 students across these three locations. Experiences of the students has also been extremely heartwarming. Yes, it is true that initially the kids are apprehensive about the school and its curriculum but very soon they adapt and get engaged intensively in the learning. They learn to appreciate our roots and feel proud about it. I have observed that they come in without any biases and learn many cultural lessons with an analytical and critical mind. They understand the good and not so good aspects and promote what they understand are the right lessons.

IAGB: What should a new student (or parent) expect if they are considering joining Shishu Bharati?

Seshi Sompuram: We start with an assembly every Sunday morning where we sing both the American and Indian national anthems followed by a small presentation about India. After this they have two hours of lessons with a small break between the two classes. We have a strict grading scale and require a minimum of 70% overall grade to advance to the next class. Children start at a kingergarten level and graduate by the time they are in 8th grade. In addition to learning culture and language, students of Shishu Bharati form lifelong friendships. Their graduating essays and projects are quite insightful. The association for some of our alumni doesn’t stop with graduation. Almost all of them come back as student volunteers after they graduate. Student volunteers are some of our strongest assets. They assist the teachers and administrators and help younger students during classes.

One of the biggest advantages to our graduates has been that many of the colleges have started to accept our language graduation certificate as a waiver of 3 college credits in the foreign language requirement. Some of the noted schools in this category are UMass, Boston University, Boston College, Dartmouth college, Brandeis University, and a few others. Two years back we even formed an Shishu Bharati Alumni association. We have created a handbook to help the alumni with all the benefits and connections they can develop through this network.

IAGB: What is your revenue model and what are your major expenses?

Seshi Sompuram: We do charge fees to our students. The fee revenue is primarily to cover our biggest expense which is the rental fees for the three high schools we use. We pay almost a few hundred-thousand dollars annually for the school rental fees. Additionally, we spend some money on snacks for children. The other big-ticket item on our expenditure is our Bi-Annual event that combines all three schools. Almost two to three thousand people attend this event and we invite folks from all walks of life. We have no paid staff. We do often reimburse our teachers for any incidental expenses they may incur that aids them with their teaching and on rare occasions we give out token gifts of appreciation to our teachers and volunteers. We also have a formal graduation ceremony and invite both a keynote and alumni speaker.

IAGB: Does Shishu Bharati work with other organizations in the community?

Seshi Sompuram: Absolutely. Shishu Bharati has benefited from an eco-system of likeminded volunteer organizations in the greater Boston area such as IAGB, Hindi Manch and many others. For instance, we coordinated with IAGB to present a Learning Series during last year’s India Day celebrations. Hindi Manch Baal Yuva Bhag has encouraged us to send team entries from each school every year during their annual event. Further, every year they recognize and honor one of our teachers at this event. Similarly, TAGB also recognized many Shishu Bharati teachers. We strongly believe in building our community and our work has helped to add to the rich texture of the New England population.

IAGB: What can you share about your personal life and how has your family supported you in your community work?

Seshi Sompuram: I met my wife Sandhya Raja in college and she too is a Ph.D graduate working for a Biotech/Pharma company. We are blessed to have a son and a daughter. Our son double majored in Economics and Computer Science at the University of Pennsylvania, and he currently works as a Product Manager at a tech company. Our daughter, a rising junior, is working on her undergraduate degree at Northeastern University in Business Administration. They both are Shishu Bharati graduates themselves. I am very thankful for the support of my family throughout the years of my association with Shishu Bharati.

IAGB: Any hobbies you pursue besides being a scientist, faculty and a President of nonprofit organization.

Seshi Sompuram: I enjoy singing and listening to music. I have used every opportunity to work and showcase my singing. I have participated in the Hindi Manch organized Sa Re Ga Ma Pa and once I was the finalist (second runner up). Another hobby I enjoy is painting and sketching.

IAGB: Who and what influenced your life’s philosophy?

Seshi Sompuram: My story starts in a small village. My father had very minimal education. But he was very kind and knew the value and respect for education. Not only did he ensure that me and my siblings got good education, but he also helped anyone in our village who showed interest in going to school. He passed away just before my son was born. Now to keep his spirit and tradition alive, me and my younger brother Jeevan have started a foundation on my father’s memory. My childhood friends, who are the principals at four colleges, identify four students who are economically struggling but have the passion to study beyond their junior college level. We support them financially through their four years of professional undergrad education. We have been doing this for past 13 years. This way I honor my dad’s memory. Additionally, we also hand out 25 merit scholarships as an encouragement to students. Our children are our source of strength. Despite the personal challenges we endured, we have committed ourselves even more to community service as it is the true source of our happiness.

-For IAGB Team: Sanjay Kudrimoti

July 29 2021

India Day 2021

Ashok Shetty Events, Uncategorized

INDIA DAY 2021 August 15th at the Hatch Memorial Shell, Boston

With COVID 19 restrictions lifted off, we are very excited to bring back in-person India Day 2021 celebrations. It will be on August 15th from 3 to 7 pm at the Hatch Shell, the iconic Boston landmark that unites and enriches the Boston community with vital arts, culture, and sprawling open space on the bank of Charles River.

Berklee Indian Ensemble

The Berklee Indian Ensemble is one of the hippest performance acts to emerge from Boston. A global viral sensation with over 230 million views, the Ensemble melds classical, folk, Sufi, and contemporary Indian music, with influences ranging from hip-hop and jazz to Middle Eastern and African flavors.

Founded in 2011 by Indian Berklee alumna and faculty member Annette Philip, the Ensemble provides an open and inclusive creative space for musicians from all over the world to explore, study, interpret, and create music influenced by the rich and varied mosaic that is Indian music today. The Berklee Indian Ensemble has risen to prominence as one of the most storied musical collectives in the country with their unmistakable signature sound, and legendary collaborations with A.R. Rahman, Ustad Zakir Hussain, Shreya Ghoshal, Shankar Mahadevan, Vijay Prakash, Indian Ocean, and Clinton Cerejo, to name a few.

After a year and a half in a pandemic that has affected lives in every corner of the globe this event, featuring the Berklee Indian Ensemble live in concert at the iconic Boston landmark, unites and enriches the Boston community is special in many ways. In addition to the celebration of India’s 75th Independence Day, it is also the 10th Anniversary of the Berklee Indian Ensemble and their first collaboration with IAGB. A clip of one of their performance can be viewed here: https://youtu.be/Ap5iqF4DOz4

India Day Magazine

Click here to open the magazine

Flag Raising of US and India at 40+ towns across New England, Honoring India's 75th Independence

As a lead-up to India Day, IAGB will be hoisting flag-raising events in over 40 towns across New England, to raise the US and Indian flags to commemorate momentous India’s 75th Independence Day celebration. IAGB has worked very closely with the town/city administrations to bring these events to respective City/Town Hall and town commons and celebrate amongst the communities.

These events starting August 1st through the 15th will culminate into the grand finale at the Hatch Memorial Shell on August 15th.

Please visit the website for more details and the event schedule: https://www.iagb.org/flag-raising-2021/

Tri-Color Lighting on City Hall Plaza

Tri-color lighting on the City Hall Plaza building in Boston is scheduled for August 15th at dusk. Enjoy this beautiful scene and India’s pride right in the heart of Boston.

Sponsorship

A limited number of booths at the India Day event (Hatch Shell) are still available. Do no miss the opportunity to advertise in our India Day Magazine that reaches thousands of IAGB community and via our social media platforms. For all the advertisement and sponsorship details please visit:

https://www.iagb.org/sponsorship/

June 29 2021

Newsletter June 2021

Ashok Shetty Newsletters 2021

Newsletter Posts

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IAGB Youth Corner June 2021

IAGB Youth Directorial column

June 20, 2021

Diversity is what makes each of us unique and special. This is what we are taught throughout our lives. However, in our lives, differences can be hard to accept if we don’t fully understand them. They can seem bizarre and “abnormal,” yet when our exposure to these differences increases and when we strive to learn more about them, then true acceptance is on the way. June is pride month, and in it we celebrate the diversity of love, gender, orientation, and expression. For those who have not grown up with such open exposure to the LGBTQ+ community, the road to true acceptance may be a long one, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t worth the effort. The first step may be to recognize the innate differences in people. The second step would be to understand the different terms that are used (the Genderbread Person can be a helpful tool in beginning this process) in order to realize the scope of possibilities. The next step is to gain confidence and be comfortable with openly discussing the themes of sexuality and gender identity. The final step is to understand that a person’s sexual orientation is only a part of their identity. They shouldn’t need to identify themselves as a member of the LGBTQ+ community to everyone they meet. We want to work towards a society where we don’t assume people are one way until they tell us they are otherwise. They could be anything until they tell you their pronouns or who they are dating. And even then, these things may change as the person learns more about themselves. Perhaps this is a goal that will not be attained in the next 5 years or 10 years or 20 years, but my hope is that it will be realized in the near future. And it starts with people, with exposure, with understanding.

~ IAGB Youth Editorial Director, Aarushi Pant

IAGB Youth of the Month

June 22, 2021

This month’s youth spotlight is Mahathi Gopinathan, a rising senior at Shrewsbury High School. Her interests, both in and out of school, lean towards brain sciences, mental health, and computer science. Combining all these passions, she co-created an app called The Kindness Calendar. This app, which is coded in Swift for iOS, displays a different kind act on each day of the calendar. Performing acts of kindness benefits the receiver as well as the initiator due to the linkage between helping others and emotional and physical wellbeing. For this app, Mahathi won the 2020 Congressional App Challenge, the most prestigious prize in student computer science. Hosted by the U.S. House Of Representatives, the challenge seeks to inspire students to pursue careers in computer science. Mahathi’s Kindness Calendar app has been put on display in the U.S. Capitol Building for one year. Additionally, Mahathi is active in music, from Carnatic vocal and veena to classical piano and viola. As a violist, she has been able to play at events such as Central Massachusetts Districts, Governor Baker’s inauguration, and throughout venues in the Czech Republic. She says “I am grateful for the opportunities I have been given and am excited for what the future may bring.” IAGB congratulates Mahathi Gopinathan on being the June 2021 Youth of the Month.

~ IAGB Youth Editorial Director, Aarushi Pant

IAGB Art and Music Spotlight

This month for our Art and Music Spotlight we have a poetry submission from Ruhi Shroff!

A beautiful picture

They say don’t wear revealing attire

They say sit like a woman

They say don’t speak with authority

They say act like a woman

They say don’t be this, or don’t be that

They say don’t be indifferent, be a woman.

They see the world as it is, minus the women

They say “not all men” instead of celebrating all women

The truth in question is the fear

of their tyrannical domination coming to an end.

A blank canvas in the beginning

And by the end of the beginning there could be a beautiful picture

embodying all the happiness and the melancholy

A fantasy if you will, but more powerful than anything seen before.

A beautiful picture emerging from a blank canvas

of a dictatorship

overthrown by a woman.

But she won’t keep it all to herself

Greed has no place in her world

She will strive to build a place for all

A place free of judgment

A hard task, but certainly achievable

She will show them where they came from

A woman.

–Ruhi Shroff

IAGB Youth Opportunities Column and Raising Awareness

IAGB Youth Spotlights:

Who: 25 and under

When: Submissions are due by July 15th.

Nomination form: https://forms.gle/yNMAZNBDeNB9c14SA

Inviting nominations for the next IAGB Youth Spotlights! Each month, the IAGB youth initiative spotlights talented local youth who have demonstrated outstanding contributions to art, sports, or the community! Nominees must be 25 years of age or younger, and they must have lived in the New England area.

This is the youth opportunities column! Parents, please consider highlighting the following opportunity to your children!

Free Summer Biology Class:

Who: Students aged 12-15

When: July 2 – August 13, Thursdays from 4 to 5 PM

Get excited for Summer Biology! Running from 4 to 5 PM, Thursdays, starting July 2 and ending August 13, this free class takes a trip through the science of life—from cells to DNA and genetics! Held over Zoom and hosted by high school students, this class is intended for students aged 12-15. Please contact aylusmetrowest@gmail.com with any questions.

Bharat Ek Khoj

Jaipur: The finest jewelry ever created on earth, where king was the jeweler and bricks his gems.

Jaipur, India’s “Pink City”: there’s much more to this royal Rajasthan’s capital than its pink peach buildings and historic splendor. The impressive cuisine, unmatched architecture, and royal natural beauty of the Rajasthan countryside would be enough to make Jaipur into a world class place. Jaipur is my favorite Indian destination, a place that is magical and vibrant…just the mere thought about Jaipur brings a smile to my face and my heart flutters with joy of its beauty!

Jaipur is known as the Pink City because of the terracotta pink color buildings that are in the area. Although it is named as Pink, you can say that it is more towards Peach or Orange color, nevertheless they look stunning. This adds to the wonder, placing you in a fantasy as you wander around, gazing up at the historical architecture. This exalted home to erstwhile royals is complete with old-world fantasies surrounded by colorful markets and chaotic streets.

Jaipur is both traditional and modern at the same time, The old side of Jaipur has more culture but the new also provides some of the 21st century comforts like shopping malls, bars, modern restaurants etc. There are so many amazing monuments and places to visit in Jaipur, and in my opinion most of them are a must see in Jaipur.

Let me share few recommendations of picturesque places of Jaipur:

Amber fort is one of the most visited spots of Jaipur. This Fort is situated on a Hill and offers a beautiful, unbelievable view of the city.

Next beautiful place which I have in my mind is Hawa Mahal of Jaipur. Hawa Mahal or the palace of wind, is one of the most iconic places of Jaipur. The romantic pink sandstone fortress cascading over the streets of Jaipur, was originally built in 1799 as a vintage point for the ladies of the royal household. Hawa Mahal is famous for its windows or ‘Jharokhas’ which enable free circulation of air within the building. Hawa Mahal, lights up with the sun. Right on the main road, all you need to do is wake up early for a perfect start to your day to see this gorgeous building shadow against the rising sun.

City palace is another place to visit in Jaipur, it is situated just behind Hawa Mahal, it is the centerpiece of the city and the heart of founder Jai Singh II’s reign. City Palace is a reflection of royal influences of Jaipur. Its architecture is a combination of Mogul, Rajput and European styles. The main thing which is iconic here is the royal archway doors which are situated in the center, these doors gained popularity when it was featured on the cover of Lonely Planet for their Rajasthan publication. City Palace has a great cafe and you can also see some puppet shows there as well. City Palace has a room where artists show their artworks, the artworks include various handmade woodwork, carpets, jewelry and paintings.

When thinking about Jaipur, another place that comes to my mind, which is not that old built, but still has a cultural reflection of Jaipur and Rajasthan is Chokhi Dhani. It is a model village resort in Jaipur. Chokhi Dhani is like a never-ending festival without the normal chaos. A meal here is a must try for anyone visiting Jaipur and along with that you can enjoy some spectacular traditional performances. Chokhi Dhani definitely gives you a mode to absorb all the cultural aspects of Rajasthan.

Jaipur’s uniqueness comes from its fascinating and spell bound history which are reflected in its marvelous architecture. Jaipur royalness is mesmerizing, its history has a lot of impact on its mouthwatering cuisine as well. Jaipur royal rulers focused a lot on the tradition and quality of the food in their kitchen. As Jaipur is surrounded by desert region, so the cuisine has a lot of usage of beans and berries, ker-sangri is one of the famous dishes of Rajasthan made with beans and berries. There are many known spices that get exported all over India. Red chilies and fresh turmeric are some of the famous spices produced in Jaipur. Jaipur has many authentic dishes like Dal Kachoris, Phenis, Ghevar, Laal Maas etc. Each of the dishes have a unique and royal flavor. Jaipur is a destination with a sweet tooth, and you can find these goodies served up at restaurants or food stalls throughout Jaipur. Some local favorites include mawa and ghevar.

It’s been years since I have visited this beautiful destination, but the memory of this royal place is still fresh in me. I absolutely love Jaipur and it reflects Rajasthani culture with a touch of modern lifestyle. Jaipur indeed offers a vibrant, colorful vibe and an experience you can’t forget. If you haven’t been to this most popular tourist spot in India, then do plan to visit to the gorgeous city of Jaipur on your next visit to India.

–Ridhima Mahajan

Childhood cancer success – India is far behind

“Working towards better health outcomes combining Behavior science and Artificial Intelligence”

In writing this article, I wish to bring to your attention lesser known facts regarding childhood cancer in India. The reason I really feel so intently writing about this is, I feel there is a need to increase awareness around childhood cancer success rate. By bringing recognition to this significant issue of childhood cancer, I believe we can turn the picture around. Turn night into day, grey clouds into beautiful rainbow, create opportunity for the little seedlings to grow into stronger trees and buds into beautiful flowers.

There is a lot of awareness around breast and other types of cancer but how many people know only 3% of all cancers occur in children. Childhood cancers are curable, the cure rates are 80 to 95% and go even as high as 99%. Unfortunately, these numbers are only translated into reality in developed countries. Sadly, this is not the case in India. The disturbing reality we face in India is one where 4 out of 5 Indian children do not survive cancer. On top of that India has the highest prevalence of childhood cancer given 30 per cent of India’s population is below 14 years.

In an interview with India Today on why the cure rate of cancer among kids is extremely low in India, Oncologist Vivek Agarwala said: “Probably, the government and society at large are not considering it a big problem as it is just around 5 percent. We are always campaigning for breast and cervical cancers. We must remember this 5 percent of cancer is majorly curable if given proper treatment.” He further added that, the cure rate is high in children and these kids could lead a productive long life, making the effort in treating them even more worthwhile and fulfilling.

Now a little story on how I got interested in collecting data and facts around this issue… I was always invested in donating for institutions helping kids, our future generation. I sincerely believe no kid should be denied Education and Health on this planet and we all should do whatever is in our capacity to make that a reality. I had been donating to such causes and had donated for Access Life, its co-founder is an old friend of mine. I knew they were doing great work. On one of my trips to India I happened to visit the Access Life Centre. There I met this little boy Pranav (pictures below) who had battled cancer, made a strong recovery and was heading back home. The facility where the boy and his family stayed was clean, neatly kept, and had responsible caretakers filled with love and care. It was amazing to see that my donation was directly empowering kids like Pranav with the gift of life. After witnessing the impact of a simple donation on the life of a child, I was immediately invested in learning more about how we could help these kids, as I learned more it became evident that India was far behind in the cure rate. It was extremely disappointing to find out 4 out 5 Children don’t make it and usually these kids are underprivileged coming from rural areas all over India to Tata Memorial. These kids lose their lives not due to cancer but due to other factors some of which are no place to stay and hygiene.

As Americans, we enjoy a reliable health care system that will support the citizens of its country. It is easy to forget that many cannot enjoy the same blanket of security we enjoy here. In India, children with cancer must travel long distances to receive their treatment. If they cannot afford a place to live for its duration, which can often last 6 -7 months, they can be seen living outside on the unhygienic, impoverished streets outside the hospital. Going through cancer treatment is hard enough on a family, and nobody deserves to go through the treatment without a proper place to live. So many families abandon the treatment or suffer negative outcomes with other infections.

I learned that AccessLife has a mission dedicated to fixing this problem. They provide families a place to stay, love and transportation to hospital. My friend told me how Anuska, then 7, was one of the first brave-hearts who came for treatment and stayed at their Centre. Anuska has since then been visiting us in Mumbai for her follow-ups and is now a beautiful 14-year teenager who has been through many struggles but emerged victorious. She is a confident young lady who exhibits courage, hope and the grit to overcome all obstacles and take life head on. What an incredible journey!

My goal is to help bring India’s childhood cancer success rate equal to other developed countries. There are many Anuska’s and Pranav’s in India and I strive to help them all. Feel free to email me if you want to do the same at hapte5@yahoo.com.

You can find out more about Access Life on their website: https://accesslifeamerica.org/

–Hemangi Apte

Senior Director of Engineering at Lirio

IAGB SPOTLIGHT

Creating artificial human behavior and intelligence

The pandemic has challenged human behavior and intelligence to no ends. After a year of being confined by the unknown, we all have discovered patterns and behavior in ourselves we did not know of. But yet humans have been creating intentional behavior patterns in machines for quite a few years now. As I was dwelling on this, I decided to talk to one such person whose tag line is “Creating artificial human behavior and intelligence”. If you know him, this line is overloaded. He not only creates it in machines but humans too.

This month’s spotlight is on Dr. Subrata Das, a scientist by profession and a theater director/playwright by passion. I had the rare opportunity to sit down and chat with Subrata Das about something beyond theater, costumes and acting.

Subrata Das hails from a village called Patuli, about 120 km from Kolkata, and has traveled through the continent of Europe and finally landed in the US. As soon as I mentioned his village, his face lit up and he shared stories of growing up as the youngest of 9 siblings, of his father who was an excellent soccer player and very well respected in his village, of his mother whose unconditional love makes him teary eyed every time he even talks about her, of his friendship with his sister who he lost at a young age. Subrata da says that imagination was his biggest tool since growing up he did not have much materialistic things at his disposal like most people who grew up in that time, and how math being all about imagination was his favorite subject. He was the top scorer in his high school when leaving, excelling in mathematics and then went to a university in Kolkata for his under graduation. In the 1980s, when computer science was still an upcoming field, he bagged one of the spots of 25 people in ISI Kolkata for MTech. In a few years, he was on his way to Britain to do his PhD, for which he had secured a very competitive scholarship. At this point I asked him if he was a genius or what and he shyly said “I have just had some successes in life”. After finishing his Post Doc at the Imperial college in London, he came to the US for work. That is how he ended up in the Boston area. He started his own company in 2011, which he eventually sold off and is now enjoying his scientific work, taught at Villanova, and now teaching at Northeastern and following his passion. In between I heard him mention writing some books, so I went and looked up his LinkedIn and found that he has authored five technical books! I feel Subrata Das gets 30 hours a day. Not fair!!!

But Dr. Das couldn’t stop at the professional successes. He always yearns for more and I say this from personal experience working with him in several plays, including portraying Sita in Ramayana and gender-bending role Paravasu in Karnad’s The Fire and The Rain. He told me that every person that grows up in Bengal has a natural affinity to the performing arts and he is no different. He experienced the stage from an actor’s perspective after acting for the first time in a “yatra” in his village at the age of 10. He continued that through his years in London. In 2003, he assembled the theater “avengers” and formed SETU. Since then SETU has produced numerous productions under the supervision of him and co-founder Jayanti Bandyopadhyay, and almost everyone in the New England community has been fortunate to witness at least one of the plays. I asked him why and how did the theater bug become so big in his life that he became a founder of a community theater group. How did the “sangam” of Artificial Intelligence and Arts happen? That is when he told me how he started relating AI and cognitive science and theater. He drew an interesting parallel – “In AI, you create a robot, basically you are trying to create an artificial human. This is what you do in theater too. You choose a character and bring it to life. The structure of memory humans use for acting is similar to AI.” Subrata Das is a method actor and says that “an analytical mind does help you as an actor because you are more inclined to study a character in details. It is similar to the way you dissect a problem when you study a character. Breaking down a scene is similar to breaking down a problem.”

So, as I was chatting with Subrata da, I wondered who inspired this man. He has mentioned to me before that he is a fan of Ramanujan and Swami Vivekananda. He learned about Ramanujan in his school days and always drew a parallel with him given the passion for mathematics they both had, how his youth was structurally similar to that of this brilliant intuitive mathematician of all time who grew up in Kumbakonam, about 2200 km apart from where he grew up. Subrata da has given a talk on Ramanujan at the Central Square theater when he performed in that role. He read a lot about these two men and saw them in a very human light, after he learned about their weaknesses too. That is what inspires him more than saintly figures. “Now that I am exposed to the performing arts, I get inspired by a lot of actors, the ones that don’t care about money but use their power to do bigger things in the world.”

At this point I wanted to know more about both his worlds but decided to find out more about his company and future plans as a scientist. He simply told me “Making money isn’t my primary goal. I am now enjoying theater more and have started thinking of life in a different light. I enjoy science, academics, writing books and of course SETU, these things give me more satisfaction than money.” That is when I thought who am I to question such noble intentions?

Amongst all this, I realized he had carved time for some romance too. He told me his parents wanted him to marry before he went to Britain but fate had something else for him. He met Janique, who hails from the Burgundy region of France and was working as an au pair in Edinburgh, at a party, and took her phone number like the other 5 men who did the same. Little did he think he would actually strike gold. She agreed for a date and they watched the movie “Moonstruck”. All he wanted to do on his first date was kiss her but it did not happen until a few dates later. His love for Janique is unfaltering. “Janique is my rock. She is always there with a smile, never leaving my side. Without Janique, I am reduced to nothing.” I was curious how Janique reacts to his theater madness. He told me that she has taught him compassion, to never be jealous of someone else’s success, no gossip, just positive thinking. “I have learned to be impartial from Janique’s influence.”

Now I wanted to know more about his theater work. What was his favorite thing, least favorite thing and most challenging thing. “I like the entire production process including directing of course, but most favorite is being back stage and seeing the actors perform well. The ability to contribute to someone’s personal satisfaction is priceless. And obviously least favorite part is when any production is not well attended. It is my obligation to give every actor the right amount and kind of audience. As for the hardest part, getting audience is. Even professional theater groups struggle with this.”

I asked him about his vision for SETU and where he sees it in the next 5 years. “I definitely want to take two plays to New York and New Jersey for an off-Broadway style production. And I am confident it will happen and will be a success.” I was curious to know his thought process for choosing a play. He told me that he always strives to combine the pure art form with some popular stunts. “Sometimes a play on its own can become very intellectual, so I dilute it to make it more fun for masses. I like to take a middle ground.” His favorite productions of SETU are ‘Shahjahan”, “Devdas”, “Fire and Rain” and of course “Kamala”.

I was exhausted just hearing all this, so I wondered out loud how he made time for everything. “A supporting partner is key. And I work very hard. I exercise a lot and that pays off. I manage my time smartly, though not always successful. Work and family is always my priority. In my opinion, commitment is key.”

So what about post-pandemic world for theater? Subrata Das is confident that the theater world will go back to normal as we all have realized that virtual theater is not sustainable.

That brought me to my final question – How can the community help SETU?

“Come and watch our plays. That is the bottom-line. This is an appeal not only from me but from everyone in the performing arts business.”

After all, SETU is for the community, by the community and of the community.

Dr. Subrata Das lives in Belmont with his lovely wife Janique. He talked very fondly about his two grown up kids – Sebastien, who luckily gets his soccer skills from Subrata’s father and the French blood. Kabita, who is an artist and gets her name from Subrata’s late sister.

SETU stands for “Stage Ensemble Theater Unit”.

Visit

https://setu.us/

and

https://www.facebook.com/setuboston

to learn more about SETU, its mission and upcoming productions.

–Yogita Miharia