Met's farewell show for de Montebello includes 5th century Mathura Buddha

The Philippe de Montebello Years,' the show which opened at the Metropolitan Museum of Art last week, is the museum's farewell tribute to de Montebello, its director of 31 years, who is leaving the institution, deemed the greatest museum in the world, at the end of 2008.

‘The Philippe de Montebello Years' contains 300 of the more than 84,000 art objects acquired during de Montebello's tenure.The show runs through February 1, 2009.

Among the 300 transformational exhibits at ‘The Montebello Years' is a red sandstone sculpture of Buddha from Mathura in India, late 5th century, bought in 1979. John Guy, curator of South and Southeast Asian art, Department of Asian Art at the museum, noted, "As the summation of Buddhist stylistic development in a period of Buddhist expansion, this type (the Mathuran style) became the benchmark for Buddha images throughout Buddhist Asia, emulated most successfully in Sui and Tang China."

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Gavaskar accuses match referees of anti-Asian bias

Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar has again accused International Cricket Council match referees of being biased against Asian players after Zaheer Khan was fined for a code of conduct breach.

Indian paceman Khan was fined 80 percent of his match fee by match referee Chris Broad of England after he pleaded guilty to a level two charge following the second test against Australia on October 21.

The left-arm paceman appeared to say something to opener Matthew Hayden following the batsman's dismissal before tea on Oct. 20, the fourth day.

"If he swore at him, if he abused him, he obviously deserves to get punished," Gavaskar told TV channel CNN-IBN on Oct. 22.

"But let's not mince words here. Every time, it is always an Indian or a sub-continent player who gets hauled up, never the Australians.

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'JUS Punjabi' launched nationwide on Dish Network

In a major milestone, ‘Jus Punjabi TV,' the first American-Punjabi Television Network, launched nationwide on October 22 on DISH Network, Channel 809 joining other major South Asian channels including Zee TV, Alpha ETC Punjabi, SONY Entertainment Television, STAR INDIA One, STAR INDIA Plus and MH1 on the premier satellite platform for International Programming in the U.S. market.

‘JUS Punjabi' will be available as an a-lacarte channel for $9.99 to all DISH Network subscribers or as part of a newly created Punjabi Pack of three Punjabi channels - ‘JUS Punjabi', Alpha ETC and MH1 - at a special introductory price of just $17.99 for all existing and new DISH Network subscribers who already have any South Asian or Urdu channel pack.

Penny Yogiraj Sandhu, FounderPresident of ‘JUS Punjabi' LLC and its eponymous channel, hailed the launch on DISH Network, which reaches almost 14 million satellite households in all 50 states, as a true milestone for the channel.

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STAR India PLUS expands to 2 California counties

STAR, a wholly owned subsidiary of News Corporation and Asia's leading media and entertainment company, on October 7, announced the launch of the most popular Indian television channel, STAR India PLUS on Cox Communications' digital cable platform in Orange County and Palos Verdes, California.

Cox Communications' viewers in Orange County and Palos Verdes can now tune to STAR India PLUS (Orange County channel 411 and Palos Verdes channel 442), the number one General Entertainment Channel in India for eight consecutive years, a press releaes said. STAR India PLUS will be offered individually or as a package with other South Asian networks.

"We're excited at the prospect of growing our relationship with Cox, one of the nation's leading cable platforms, by rolling out India's number one channel to new audiences in Orange County and Palos Verdes" David Wisnia, STAR's Senior Vice President for Distribution and Sales and head of STAR's North American and European offices was quoted in the release.

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Bollywood to bring credit crisis to big screen with ‘EMI'

The global credit crisis has found echoes in an unlikely quarter, Bollywood, known more for its love of lavish musicals and racy thrillers.

The crisis, that has inspired "credit crunch" chocolate bars and "meltdown" parties in the West, is reflected in a new Hindi film ‘EMI,'or Equated Monthly Installments, by debutant writer-director Saurabh Kabra. It is set for release later this month.

EMI is an acronym that millions of middle class Indians are familiar with, as it allowed them to buy everything from washing machines to fancy cars, homes and vacations at a time when banks were eager to lend and credit was cheap.

‘EMI,' which stars actors Sanjay Dutt, Urmila Matondkar and Arjun Rampal, is a tale of the lives of disparate characters who live off credit cards and personal loans, and a recovery agent who makes them realize the folly of their ways.

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Teaching Hindi as a foreign language

In order to maintain the heritage languages from India many associations and organizations are doing various purposeful activities. However, teaching a heritage language as a foreign language in public schools offers an opportunity to revive and maintain that language. This has two fold benefits; one is for those who immigrated to the United States at a very young age and could not maintain their language as schools have no programs in their native language.

Secondly this opens the door for those children whose parents want their children to learn their native language. In continuation to the success of writing Hindi and Punjabi Regents Exams in New York City High Schools there is one high school in New York City that took an initiative to teach Hindi as a Foreign Language. That school is John Adams High School in Queens. After finding the availability of Hindi and Panjabi language regents examination the assistant principal, George Badia contacted Sushma Malhotra, assistant principal and supervisor of the Languages Other Than English (LOTE/Foreign languages) Hindi and Punjabi Regents. He expressed his interest of starting Hindi classes in his school.

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Memories of the1950's, Lakshmi Puja in Calcutta

Having grown up as a pseudo-intellectual in the Calcutta of the 1950's, I used to flaunt my rebellion against the religious traditions of the Datta family.

The Dattas were fierce Shaivites, who had by axe and gun cleared a part of the Sunderbans, calling their forest dominion ‘Sahash,' or ‘Courage,' lording it over as zemindars in day and dacoit chiefs at night. Their faith was an asura mixture of the Sakta and the Vaishnava.

On Diwali, the Dark Goddess Kali was worshipped simultaneously with fair and benign Lakshmi in a hybrid ritual in which live goats were sacrificed in a sea of blood, while the women piled their gold jewels and looted mohurs at the feet of Lakshmi.

On Partition, the Dattas came over to India. Memories grew blurred. Traditions weakened.

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2 Indian lifters handed life bans for doping

India's weightlifting federation has handed ut life bans to two lifters after both were found guilty of second doping offences, a senior official said on October 3.

Top male lifter Sateesha Rai, first caught and stripped of two gold medals and a bronze at the 2002 Commonwealth Games, and woman lifter Boradi Prameelavalli have been banned.

"I can confirm we have issued them letters banning them for life," Indian Weightlifting Federation secretary Baldev Gulati told Reuters.

Rai was suspended for six months after testing positive for a stimulant at the Manchester Games and was caught last year using the banned steroid stanozolol at the national games.The federation had sought clarification from the sport's world governing body whether Rai could be banned for life for a second doping offence because of his initial light punishment.

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Speaker Quinn supports Mayor's extension proposal

City Council Speaker Christine Quinn (District 3) declared her support for extended term limits for the Mayor and City Councilors saying it would help in this time of economic uncertainty.

In a statement released on October 12, followed by a press conference, Quinn asserted she wanted to give New Yorkers a choice of re-electing their representatives to the City Council and Mayor's office or throwing them out in next year's elections. But opposition to the measure has been considerable.

A Quinnipiac University Polling Institute survey of New Yorkers done earlier this month showed that while a majority supported an extension in term limits for the Mayor they were not willing to give the same to City Councilors.

"After extensive conversations with my colleagues and careful deliberation, I have decided to support the legislation put forward by Mayor Bloomberg to extend term limits from two to three terms," Quinn said.

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City urges parents to enroll 4-year-olds free day care

New York City government has urged parents of four-year olds to enroll them in free universal pre-kindergarten (UKP) classes, saying 6,000 seats are still available and must be filled by the October 31 deadline.

Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services Linda I. Gibbs; Deputy Mayor for Education and Community Development Dennis M. Walcott and top school officials also announced in early October that new tools would make it easier for parents to take advantage of the unfilled seats at public schools, child care centers contracted by the Administration for Children's Services and community-based organizations contracted by the Department of Education.

Parents can call 311 and ask for ‘UPK programs in my neighborhood,' or log onto the City's website, www.nyc.gov, to search City Map for locations and link to the Department of Education website, where a list of programs can be downloaded.

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Sikh Heritage Gala and Annual Film Festival

The Sikh Art and Film Foundation held the Sikh Heritage Gala as well as the Annual Film Festival October 3 and 4.

Celebrated as part of the Sikh Heritage Week, the Annual Sikh Film Festival 2008 NYC, took place at the Asia Society and Museum, presenting a powerful and thought provoking lineup of films covering topics such as the post 9/11 racial profiling and hate crimes, the 1984 Sikh genocide, a contemporary look at the 1947 partition of India, and portraits of the 100-year history of Sikhs in America.

This year the Foundation presented a total of $15,000 in prize money to films that won in their respective genres, a press release said.

The audience voted Ekta Walia's Sikh, 'Rattle and Rol'l (UK) as the Best Children's Film with a prize of $2,500. 'Kabaddi Cop's (Canada) was chosen as the best Short Film with a prize of $3,500, and Preetmohan Singh's 'A Dream in Doubt' (USA) was the Best Documentary with a grand prize of $6,000.

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Former batsman Srikkanth is appointed India's chief selector

Former Indian batsman Krishnamachari "Kris" Srikkanth, who was dropped as captain after seeking better payments for his peers in his playing days, was named chief selector by the Indian cricket board on September 27.

Srikkanth, who replaces Dilip Vengsarkar, annoyed board officials when he stood up for his team before the 1989 test tour of Pakistan and was removed as captain on his return despite having led the team to a creditable draw.

Former batsman Yashpal Sharma, leg spinner Narendra Hirwani, Surendra Bhave and Raja Venkat were also named to India's first paid selection committee on one-year appointments.

Shashank Manohar replaced Sharad Pawar as president at the annual general meeting of the board.

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Bollywood goes on indefinite strike, movie shoots cancelled

More than 100,000 Bollywood and television workers began an indefinite strike on October 1, protesting irregular pay and the hiring of non-union members, a move that could delay major releases for India's festival season.

Movie stars, including Shah Rukh Khan and Amitabh Bachchan, as well as dancers, writers and technicians heeded a call for an indefinite "non-cooperation" protest in Mumbai.

"All shoots are off. The producers have not stuck to the terms of the agreement they signed with us one-and-a-half years back," said Dinesh Chaturvedi, general secretary of the Federation of Western India Cine Employees, the umbrella union for Bollywood employees.

"Payments have been delayed by three months, six months, a year. And producers are hiring non-members to save costs. We are not happy to call for this non-cooperation, but we are helpless."

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Zubin Mehta one of five named for Japan's Premium Imperiale

Zubin Mehta has been named one of the five winners of the 2008 Premium Imperiale, widely considered to be the Nobel Prize for the performing and the visual arts.

In simultaneous announcements in six cities on Sept. 19, the Japan Art Association named the five winners: the British artist Richard Hamilton for painting, the Ukrainian couple Ilya and Emilia Kabakov for sculpture, the Swiss Peter Zumthor for architecture, the Japanese Sakata Tojuro for the cinema/theater, and Mehta for music.

The Premium Imperiale carries a check for $140,000, a diploma and a medal to be presented by the Japan Art Association's honorary patron, Prince Hitachi, brother of the Emperor of Japan, at the awards ceremony set for October 15 in Tokyo.

The new awardees join a list of 98 artists honored since the Japanese Imperials instituted this Nobel of the East 20 years ago.

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Borough of Queens launches online business directory

The Borough of Queens recently launched an online business directory, ‘Keep it in Queens' which officials claim will help connect local businesses and suppliers to economic development projects throughout the Borough.

Queens Borough President Helen Marshall who along with other borough officials launched the online database September 29, said it would help further activate business in the region.

Some representatives from the Queens Chamber of Commerce joined Marshall to voice support for the redevelopment of Willets Point, which was approved by the City Planning Commission in mid-September, and is expected to create thousands of jobs and generate $25 billion in economic impact over the next 30 years, said a release from the Borough President's office.

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‘Mahatma Gandhi's legacy is vital in today's world'

The legacy of Mahatma Gandhi, whose non-violent struggle led to an independent India and inspired movements for civil rights and freedom around the globe, is vital in today's world where the rights of too many people are still violated, top United Nations officials said on October 2, the Mahatma's birthday.

Marking the second annual International Day of Non-violence UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon noted that this year's celebration falls during the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Among those present was India's Foreign Minister Pranab Mukherjee.

There is a profound philosophical connection between the fundamental principles of human rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration and those practiced by Mahatma Gandhi," Ban told a ceremony at UN Headquarters in New York.

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STAR, DIRECTV sign multi-year deal extension

DIRECTV, the nation's leading satellite TV service provider and STAR, a wholly owned subsidiary of News Corporation and Asia's leading media and entertainment company, on September 24 announced the signing of a multi-year deal for continuing carriage of STAR India PLUS, STAR I ONE, STAR India NEWS and VIJAY in the U.S.

DIRECTV became STAR's first distribution partner in the U.S. when the four STAR channels made their American debuts in November, 2004.

"Since their launch in 2004, STAR's leading Indian channels have become household names among DIRECTV's South Asian subscribers," David Wisnia, STAR's Senior Vice President for Distribution and Sales and head of STAR's North American and European offices, was quoted in a press release.

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Based on best-selling novel, film is about events that happen at a call center

'Hello' is a tale about the events that happen one night at a call center. Based on the best-selling novel, ‘One Night @ Call Centre' by Chetan Bhagat, the film is slated for an October 10 release.

Told through the views of the protagonist, Shyam Mehra played by Sharman Joshi, it is a story of almost lost love, thwarted ambitions, absence of family affection, pressures of a patriarchal set up, and the work environment of a globalized office.

Shyam is losing his girlfriend because his career is going nowhere as he trudges his way around in a call center. His girl friend Priyanka Kapoor, played by Gul Panag who is also an agent at the call center, is about to be snatched by an NRI technology geek.

There is also the aspiring model Esha, played by Esha Kopikar, who is looking for the break that seems to almost always elude her.

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Skydivers set for new heights over Everest

Dozens of skydivers were to attempt the first parachute jumps over Mount Everest, organizers said on September 23.

At least 34 skydivers from 14 countries, including Britain, the United States, Canada, Denmark and New Zealand were planning to jump from an aircraft flying 465 feet above the Everest summit on October 2.

Hurtling past the 8,850-meter peak, the skydivers plan, weather permitting, to freefall for one minute before deploying their parachutes and cruising for 8-10 minutes to land in a flat drop zone at 12,350 feet.

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Bhutan's frist elected Prime Minister travels to New York City to open ‘The Dragon's Gift'

In a gesture of casting aside its veil of centuries, Bhutan's first elected Prime Minister, Jigme Y Thinley, traveled to New York to open the much-anticipated exhibition, ‘The Dragon's Gift: The Sacred Arts of Bhutan,' at the Rubin Museum of Art (RMA) on September 18.

Thinley's party, Bhutan Peace and Prosperity Party, won 45 of the 47 elected seats in the Himalayan kingdom's elections in March, he assumed office on April 9.

The move from absolute monarchy to parliamentary democracy comes at the initiative of the former king, Jigme Singye Wangchuck, who has abdicated his throne. His son, Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck has taken over and will be formally crowned next year.

‘The Dragon's Gift' is part of the former monarch's vision gently nudging Bhutan into the light of the modern age.

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There is urgent need for coordinated action by global community on several fronts

The composition of the Security Council needs to change to reflect contemporary realities of the twenty-first century.

It is only a truly representative and revitalized United Nations that can become the effective focal point for the cooperative efforts of the world community. We need to expeditiously hold negotiations towards this end.

Globalization has contributed to ever widening circles of prosperity and we in India have benefited from it. But its benefits have not been equitably distributed. Ensuring inclusive growth within nations, and inclusive globalization across nations, is a central challenge that faces us.

There is (therefore) urgent need for coordinated action by the global community on several fronts.

The explosion of financial innovation unaccompanied by credible systemic regulation has made the financial system vulnerable.

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