REACHING OUT TO THOSE WHO MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN OUR COMMUNITY

I received an email from a name I didn't recognized sometime last week. I opened it up and lo and behold! Someone from the President of GOPIO International, Lord Diljit Rana's office, sent me a letter, thanking me for taking leadership role as the Co-chair of the Media Council for GOPIO Intermational. Was I surprised? Of course!

I've been avoiding taking any titles in the GOPIO organization or any other organization for that matter. I just like to help people wherever I can help. I don't need a title or position to help around, plus my ego keeps me super busy trying to suppress it's ugly head as it were.

Anyways, I had an idea who may have been behind this turn of event. I asked him and my hunch was correct! Mr. Ashook Ramsaran - he is always encourging me and telling me to take on more leadership roles in GOPIO. Well, thank you, Sir. Seems like I have no choice now.

Well, GOPIO International is a good organization to get involve in. The body of people who makes up GOPIO International and all the many chapters around the globe are great people who sincerely wants to make a difference in the communities they live. They come from different walks of life and are involve in different fields of study. Great work folks, keep it up!

I want to stress that our life does not end with our immediate family alone. We've a greater responsibility to be concerned about the society we live in. We should make an effort to make a contribution to improve the standard of life around us. It's call making a difference. As the Mahatma said, "Let's be the change we want to see in the world."

So, I've decided to use this new position to reach out to deserving young people and those folks who are really making that difference in other people's life. I would like to know about those good people so that I could highlight their good work and possible network with them to get more like-minded people involve. It's networking at a whole new level. If anyone out there knows someone who is deserving, please send me a email.

My thanks to Mr. Ashook and Lord Rana for choosing me. I hope I would live up to their great expectations.

Learn more about GOPIO at: www.gopio.net


A photo of Lord Rana (middle), Dr Renu (GOPIO-Washington) & yours truly.

MR. ASHOOK RAMSARAN RECEIVES CITY PROCLAMATION

Hearthy congratulations and best wishes are going out to Mr. Ashook Ramsaran on being awarded a Proclamation at City Hall during its Diwali Celebration on Thursday 22nd of October.

For those of you who don't know Mr. Ashook; he comes from very humble beginning but has risen to great heights amidst some very challenging situations. He hails from Bloomfield Village, on the Corentyne Coast, a neighboring village from my family's -Letter Kenny Village. He migrated to the US over 25 years ago, had to work to support his family, educate himself and at the same time, make the best of what life has to offer. And , he did a fantastic job of all the above.

Mr. Ashook is the Executive Vice President of GOPIO International, a position he was nominated to at the recently concluded 20th GOPIO Convention in New York City. Prior to the new position, he held the high office of the Secretary for many years. During his tenure as Secretary, he has dedicated much of his time, effort, resources and energy to help solve critical issues affecting Indians in countries around the globe. He has helped to bridge the gap between NRIs, Indians in the Diasporas, the West Indies and those in the Indian Sub-continent. Over all, his sterling contribution to GOPIO International and the Indian community at large is immeasurable, outstanding and admirable.

Mr. Ashook is also the president of Ramex, Inc. - a company he and his family have built and which has grown in size and magnitude. Apart from running his company, he finds time to get involve in many civic and community organizations to help enhance the quality of life for the people in the those communities.

Mr. Ashook is simply a great human being with a great sense of humor. He believes in giving back to the community, helping those in need and contributing to the larger society in a positive way. He is a very encouraging, positive, sincere, honest, and hard-working individual who deserves all the honor bestows upon him. It is a great asset to have someone of his calibre in our community and greatest of all, he is one of our own - from a beautiful, tiny village on the Corentyne coast, who had walked on those "muddy rice dam," once upon a time.

Keep up the great work, Mr. Ashook. Continue to make us proud!

Some photos of the event, courtesy of Mr. Ashook.

Mr. Ashook holding the Proclamation ...

DINNER ON A RAINNY SATURDAY AT HAVELI

"It is rainning cats and dogs" in the Big Apple this Fall Saturday. Yet, New Yorkers were out and about, doing their chores. While some whined about the weather, others took the inclement conditions in their strides and go about their business.

It's somethings troublesome to hear folks describe the weather; the negative words they use, including some regular folks and some weathermen and women, when all that is happening is that the good Mother Nature is "doing her work." Call it blessings from above...and move on.

Well, as rainny as it is, my friend, Lovita and I went out to dine and catch up on things. We like the Haveli Restaurant on 101st Avenue, 113th Street, opposite the huge Sikh Gurdhawala. They make pure vegetarain food and cook it while you sit there, sipping masala tea and munch on samosas. We did just that!

The restaurant is very cozy inside, and while we ate, we talked about things of interest to us, and at the same time, enjoying the piece and quiet.

I like to eat certain Indian dishes sometimes, their taste, texture and preparation are different from our West Indian style of cooking. I still like my West Indian foods better.

Anyways, I'm a friend of the restaurant folks, and one of them told us that today that the Sikh had a big parade on 101st Avenue, onto Liberty Avenue and around some of the streets in the area.

The celebration was about a sacred jug passed on from the first GuruJi which has a hole at the base, but the milk inside do not fall out. That is a the divine power at work. It is nice to see people have unflinching faith in the Higher Being. We all need to believe in God whatever we may conceive Him to be.

My friend and I had a lovely meal, very filling indeed, great conversation and got wet as well. It's all in a rainny day's out.

Here're some photos of our evening out.

The Haveli Restaurant, very convenient ...


Beautiful painting of womenfolks making something ...

DIWALI 2009 - MAY SHARING, GIVING, GOODWILL & BROTHERHOOD PREVAIL

Diwali 2009 - The Festival of Lights - was a joyous observation for devotees at the Sanatan Dharma Mandir of NYC. Despite the inclement weather, the turn out at the mandir was good. The greatest blessing was having Pandit Yoganand Ramnarain performing Latchmi Devi Puja in the most elaborate manner - the sixteen folds of worship that is required of the devotee.

Diwali or Deepavali consists of 5 days of celebration: 2 days before Diwali, Diwali Day and 2 days after Diwali.

The first 2 days before Diwali, 2 diyas (earthen lamps filled with ghee and a cotton wick) are lit, one is placed at the Altar and the next is placed at the right side of the door, coming in from outside [sound confusing?]. Repeat the same process for the day before Diwali. Of course, devotees need to perform prayers as well.

On Diwali Day, elaborate worship is performed onto Maha Latchmi Mata, the Sacred Havan is conducted and many diyas are lit.

The day after Diwali the Goverdhan Puja is performed, which is Puja for Lord Krishna and that last day is called Bhai Dwuj (may have the wrong spelling) - a celebration for sisters and brothers.

Oh! How did forget to mention the cooking of sweets, sweets and more sweets: sweet rice (kher), laddu, mahamboge, vermicelli, gulgolla, halwa, puri, and more.

And the treat was having Pandit Yoga performing in-depth Puja onto Maha Latchmi. It was amazing. Like the other devotees, I really enjoyed the entire Puja, "charhawaying" prasadam and performing the sacred Aarti.

The celebration of Diwali has many significances. It is a celebration that helps us re-kindles the spirit of sharing, giving, goodwill, brotherhood and cleanliness and generally, it is a time when Dharma triumphs over Adharma.

The main spiritual purpose of Deepavali is to light the eternal lamps within each of us and never let it go out because that divine light within helps us to see the God in everyone and everything else. Seeing God in all, even in those considered to be the enemy, is not an easy process. It calls for intense spiritual training of the mind and senses. Celebrating festivals like Diwali helps us train our mind to become more Godly.

May Mother Latchmi enter the hearts of all and never leave.

Here are some photos of Diwali celebration at the Sanatan Dharma Mandir...

Mother Latchmi and Ganapati Baba beautifull decorated with flowers and prasadam..

Pandit Yoga reading about the greatness of Mother Latchmi.


Section of the gathering...

DINNER WITH DR. SHASHI THAROOR - MINISTER OF STATE OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS

The Global Organization of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO), the Kerala Center and other Indian organizations in the community host a dinner and interactive session with Dr. Shashi Tharoor - Minister of State of External Affairs on Wednesday evening (10/14/2009). It was held at the Kerala Center in Elmont, Long Island.

I was quite impressed with the Minister's knowledge on Indian politics and global issues. His career is quite impressive. As an NRI, he went back to India to contest in the elections in the state Kerala and won. Isn't that phenomenal?

Some info on Dr. Tharoor gathered from the Wikipedia:

Dr. Shashi Tharoor is the Indian Minister of State for External Affairs and a member of the Indian Parliament from the Trivandrum constituency in Kerala. He served as the UN Under-Secretary General for Communications and Public Information between June 2002 and February 2007, during the term of Secretary-General Kofi Annan at the United Nations.

In 2006, he was the official candidate of India for the office of United Nations Secretary-General, and came second out of seven official candidates in the race. He is also a prolific author, columnist, journalist, human-rights advocate, humanitarian and adviser or fellow of various institutions, including the International Committee of the Red Cross, the Aspen Institute, and the USC Center on Public Diplomacy.

On 19 March 2009, Tharoor was declared as the Indian National Congress candidate of the Thiruvananthapuram (Lok Sabha constituency) in Kerala for the General Elections in 2009. Tharoor featured in a five-cornered contest against P. Ramachandran Nair of the Communist Party of India (CPI), Neelalohitadasan Nadar of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), M.P. Gangadharan of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and P. K. Krishna Das of Bharathiya Janata Party (BJP). Tharoor's political website, www.shashitharoor.in, and use of new media technologies in his campaign (including emails, voice SMS, and the use of social networking websites (Facebook and Twitter) set the benchmark for future political websites and organizing in India. He eventually became the first Indian celebrity to get 100,000 followers on Twitter

Despite the dispersal of the anti-Left vote amongst several candidates, and the challenge of being attacked as an elite "outsider" by his opponents, Tharoor won a thumping victory, defeating his nearest CPI rival P. Ramachandran Nair by a margin of around 100,000 votes (the biggest victory by any candidate in Thiruvananthapuram in over 30 years) when the results were announced on May 16, 2009.

On 28 May 2009, Shashi Tharoor was sworn in as Minister of State of the Union Government of India as External Affairs minister, in the Council of Ministers of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

Best of wishes to the Honorable Minister and hope he continues to walk the path of service to humanity. It was nice of him to talk less and took questions from the audience.

Below are some photos of the events. (I think I need a new, better camera.)

Dr. Tharoor delivering his speech to the audience..


Mr. Ashook Ramsaran, Executive Vice President of GOPIO and Dr. Tharoor