South Asian groups launch census outreach effort

Five South Asian groups have jointly launched an outreach effort to assist with the 2010 Census. The initiative, which seeks to increase community participation in census, was announced at a press conference at the Jackson Diner in Queens on Feb. 18.

Members and volunteers with the newly launched South Asian Census Task Force and the South Asian Complete Count Committee will canvass key neighborhoods, reach out to cultural and religious centers and ethnic media, provide information in various languages through telephone hot lines devoted to the census and create unique census materials for the South Asian community, a press release said.

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Bharatiya Janata Party confirms status of United States group

The Overseas Friends of Bharatiya Janata Party (OFBJP) has got official confirmation of its status from the BJP in India in a bid to quell claims by breakaway elements.

In a press release Feb. 19, the OFBJP said it had been endorsed by the main body as the only representative organization in the United States.

"I am availing this opportunity to clear the confusion created by the disgruntled and dissident elements regarding the Overseas Friends of BJP , USA organization," said Jayesh Patel, president-elect of OFBJP USA.

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Zazi admits plan to blow up subway, training in Pakistan

Najibullah Zazi, 25, charged with trying to blow up landmarks in the U.S. pleaded guilty on Feb. 22, in the Eastern District Court of New York. He was charged on three counts of conspiracy to use weapons of mass destruction (explosive bombs) against persons or property in the United States, conspiracy to commit murder in a foreign country, and providing material support to al Qaeda. Among other things, Zazi admitted that he brought TATP [Triacetone Triperoxide] explosives to New York on Sept. 10, 2009, as part of plan to attack the New York subway system.

The green-card holding resident of Aurora, Colo., originally from Afghanistan, admitted in his guilty plea that he and others went to Pakistan in Aug. 2008,

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Indian Americans condemn Pune bombing

Indian-American groups have condemned the Pune bombing and urged the Indian government to take stern action against the perpetrators.

In a statement issued by the American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI), President Dr. Vinod K. Shah said, "This attack is just the latest provocation India has faced, making it virtually the only nation in the global community to continually show remarkable restraint in the face of ongoing terrorism.

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Murders most foul

I cannot put any words to it. I hope that it is a dream, but it is not," a family friend at the home of Dr. Gopi Podila told Desi Talk over the telephone, referring to the Podila family's nightmare since the shooting death of the 52-year old the biology professor at the University of Alabama in Huntsville, Ala.

Podila, a native of Kakinada in Andhra Pradesh, and two colleagues were shot dead Feb. 12 at a faculty meeting at the university. Amy Bishop, a colleague of Podila's, has been arrested and charged with three counts of firstdegree murder, which carry the possibility of a death penalty if convicted.

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Tata Nano on display at Cooper-Hewitt museum in NYC

When Tata Group Chairman Ratan Tata announced he was building a "People's Car," the Western media almost sniggered. Now they are calling the $2,500 Tata Nano a potential "revolution."

Unveiled in India in 2009, the Nano, Tata said this January at the New Delhi auto show, would hit Europe, where small cars are the norm, by 2011, and arrive in the United States by 2013. But America is not waiting to see this marvel, which just a year ago was being scoffed at.

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India bolster batting for final South Africa test

India moved to strengthen their batting for the final test against South Africa, bringing in one-day specialist Suresh Raina and recalling Dinesh Karthik, after losing the first game of the series on Feb. 9.

Wicketkeeper-batsman Karthik got his recall to the 15-man squad on the back of twin centuries in a recent domestic first-class final.

Vangipurappu Laxman was expected to recover for the final game in Kolkata, starting on Feb.14 after missing the opening test with an injury.

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Pakistani convicted in New York for Afghanistan shooting

A Pakistani woman was found guilty in a New York court on Feb. 3 of shooting at her U.S. interrogators in Afghanistan.

Aafia Siddiqui, 37, grabbed a U.S. warrant officer's rifle while she was detained for questioning in July 2008 in Afghanistan's Ghazni province and fired at FBI agents and military personnel as she was wrestled to the ground.

None of the U.S. agents or personnel were injured, but Siddiqui, who the U.S. government has accused of links with al Qaeda, was shot.

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Veteran filmmaker Tahir Hussain dies

Veteran filmmaker and Bollywood star Aamir Khan's father, Tahir Hussain, died of a massive heart attack in Mumbai, Feb. 2. He was 71.

Though Hussain was born in India, his family roots are with the ethnic Pashtuns of Afghanistan. He was related to Maulana Abdul Kalam Azad.

He is survived by his wife Zeenat Hussain, two sons, Aamir and Faisal, and two daughters, Farhat and Nikhat.

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Hindi film nominated for Oscars in short film category

A film about poverty in India has made it once again to he Academy Awards. American director Gregg Helvey's Hindi film "Kavi" about child labor is nominated in the short film (live action) category.

It will compete with "The Door" (Juanita Wilson, James Flynn), "Instead of Abracadabra" (Patrik Eklund, Mathias Fjellstrom), "Miracle Fish" (Luke Doolan, Drew Bailey), and "The New Tenants" (Joachim Back, Tivi Magnusson).

Produced by Guneet Monga, Harish Amin and Helvey, the film tells the story of a young boy who wants to play cricket and go to school but is forced to work in a brick kiln.

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All aboard the Twenty20 express, says Australian

Retired players and budding talents will both get an opportunity when a worldwide Twenty20 format starts this year, former Australia bowler Shane Warne said on Feb. 8.

Warne, 40, was speaking at a news conference at Lord's to launch a global Twenty20 brand involving teams from the major Reuters cricket nations. He is captain of the Indian Premier League (IPL) team Rajasthan Royals who won the inaugural title in 2008.

"Once you've finished and you've still got a drive for the game what avenue is there to go out and play?

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Injured Dravid and Yuvraj out of the first South Africa test

Injuries to top batsmen Rahul Dravid and Yuvraj Singh have forced top-ranked India to name a depleted 15-man squad for the opening test against visiting South Africans in Nagpur from Feb. 6-10.

Former captain Dravid sustained a fractured jaw after scoring a century in the second test against Bangladesh in Dhaka while Yuvraj suffered a wrist injury during India's 2-0 rout of Bangladesh.

Both have been ruled out of the highly-anticipated two-test series between the top two teams in the official test rankings.

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`Music humanizes what politics demonizes,' author says

Salman Ahmad, the Pakistani musician, activist and United Nations goodwill ambassador for HIV/AIDS, has taken on a new role ­ that of author.

The founder of Junoon, one of South Asia's first rock bands to achieve global fame, Ahmad has sold 30 million records. His new book, "Rock & Roll Jihad: A Muslim Rock Star's Revolution," which features a foreword by Grammy-winner Melissa Etheridge, reveals his passion music and using it to unite people. The Sufi rocker, who lives in Rockland County, N.Y., with his wife, Samina, and their three sons, interacted with fans through a webcast co-hosted by South Asians in Media, Marketing and Entertainment (SAMMA) and the South Asian Journalists (SAJA) Association Jan. 28.

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Long Island teenager hosts TV show to mark Republic Day

Long Island teenager Riti Sunshine Bhalla hosted her annual Republic Day show to mark the 60th anniversary of India's Republic Day.

New York Gov. David Paterson was one of the guests on her televised show.

Through the show, Paterson connected with his counterpart in Delhi, Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, and congratulated her on the occasion, a press release said.

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Khan and Kajol charm New York

Nearly a decade after "Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham," the Bollywood hit pair of Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol will be seen in the highly anticipated "My Name is Khan."

"The essence of the film is that goodness and humanity will conquer all," Khan said at a press conference at the Fox Searchlight Pictures offices in Manhattan Feb. 1. He was joined by Kajol at the press conference, and the actors talked about the film, what it meant to them and their expectations.

Fox Searchlight will release "My Name is Khan" in the United States on Feb. 12, the same day as its worldwide release, with a premiere at the Berlin Film Festival.

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Rahman wins two Grammys for `Slumdog Millionaire'

`Slumdog Millionaire" composer A.R. Rahman struck gold twice at the Grammy Awards on Jan. 31, adding to the Oscars he won last year for the film's soundtrack and theme song "Jai Ho".

Rahman, 44, beat Grammy veteran Bruce Springsteen in the motion picture song category while "Slumdog Millionaire" swept aside "Inglourious Basterds" and "Twilight" to win best compilation soundtrack for a film.

"Insane eh? I never even dreamt about winning all these awards," the composer said on his Twitter account.

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Is `Slumdog Millionaire' Rahman's best score?

Waking up on a Monday morning is so much nicer when you wake up to good news, isn't it? A.R.Rahman winning two Grammys for "Slumdog Millionaire" certainly made my day, but as television channels played its theme song "Jai Ho" over and over again, I found myself wanting to hear some of his other compositions.

"Dil Hai Chota Sa" from "Roja" perhaps or "Naina Milaike" from "Saathiya", "Ay Hairathe" from "Guru" and my favorite -"Arziyan" from "Delhi 6?.

While "Slumdog" and "Jai Ho" have captured the world's imagination, I wonder if it is his best work. When Rahman won the Oscar last year, I remember lyricist Gulzar telling me he thought Rahman's music for Mani Ratnam's upcoming film "Ravana" was his best.

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Black and Paes win Australian mixed doubles title

Zimbabwe's Cara Black and Leander Paes of India won the Australian Open mixed doubles title on Jan. 31, defeating Russian Ekaterina Makarova and Czech Republic's Jaroslav Levinsky 7-5 6-3.

The win gave Black and Paes another grand slam title, after their U.S. Open triumph in 2008.
It also helped erase some of the disappointment of failing to defend their title at Flushing Meadows last year.

"I think that just our expertise and the way we play doubles, the way we cover the right shots at the right time,

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