Indian Actors make a scene on US Television

The new season for US television shows begins this week, and finally we can boast of a significant contingent of Indian actors.
Read the original and related post on "India Indeed"

So in light of the new season of televisions here are three lists of interest.

Actors of Indian origin in recurring roles on US TV Shows

Aasif Mandvi, CBS's "Jericho" & Comedy Central’s “Daily Show”

Adhir Kalyan, CW's "Aliens in America" (He is South African of Indian descent)
Apu Nahasapeemapetilon (Cartoon Character), Fox’s “The Simpsons”
Kal Penn, Fox's "24", ABC’s pilot “The Call”
Mindy Kaling, NBC's "The Office"
Naveen Andrews, ABC's "Lost"
Navi Rawat, CBS's "Numb3rs"
Parminder Nagra, NBC's "ER"
Padma Lakshmi, Bravo’s “Top Chef”
Priya David, KTVU San Francisco News Anchor
Ravi Baichwal, ABC7 Chicago’s News Anchor
Ravi Kapoor, NBC's "Crossing Jordan"
Sanjay Gupta, CNN’s Medical Correspondent
Sendhil Ramamurthy, NBC's "Heroes"
Sunkrish Bala, ABC’s “Notes from the Underbelly”

Producers/Directors of US TV shows of Indian origin

Sunil Nayyar, Producer CSI Miami
Naren Shankar, Executive Producer, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
Babu Subramaniam, Assistant Director/Director, (ER and other shows)

TV shows with episodes with Indian themes or Ior shot in Indian locales

“Diwali” - The Office
“The Betrayal” - Sienfeld
Leg 8 (Agra, Jhodpur, Deshnoke, Bikaner) The Amazing Race -1
Leg 7 (Panavel, Ernakulam, Alleppey) The Amazing Race- 4
Leg 9 (Kolakata) The Amazing Race – 5
Leg 8 (Lucknow, Jhodpur) The Amazing Race – 7
Leg 5 (Chennai, Mammallapuram) The Amazing Race – 10

The "Outcastes" and how they try to make it out of the caste system

The caste system is as horrendous as it has become inherently Hindu. This archaic system has survived and sometimes flourished as political and religious groups rationalize and propagate it within India using the Vedas, Karmic influence and ancient religious dictum.

The caste system was created as a form social hierarchy with strict boundaries based on occupation and levels of purity (the lower the caste, the more impure they are). The idea that impurity is transmissible by touch, sharing or marriage created strong deterrents to social interactions between classes, especially with any of the lowest of classes. Hindus are born into their casts and there is no mobility across the caste lines. Each caste is further divided into sub-castes. Even to this day many people insist on maintaining the purity of their lineage within these sub-castes. At some point in history the purveyors of the caste system decided that there were parts of the population that could not be included in the stratification. The "Dalits" or "Untouchables" were thus born. At the lowest end of any form of existence, they were relegated to the occupations that were considered unworthy and unclean. And like their jobs, they too were considered unworthy and unclean.

The caste system may have originated out of need for an organized division of labor but it has evolved into a much greater scheme of discrimination and persecution. At the top of the line, the Kshatriyas (warriors) and Brahmins (scholars, priests) have enjoyed being the upper crust and benefited by the perpetuation of the favoritism. The Shudras and Dalits on the other hand have suffered quietly. In some of the articles I read for this piece, the authors claim that the lack of organized resistance like that of which was seen to apartheid and slavery, is evidence of the system's innocuousness. It would seem to me that it is the religious and Hindu connotations to the caste system that have allowed the lower castes to be accepting of their plight as a consequence of Karma. They blame no one but their own past lives for their inevitable present.

Centuries of this social stratification has left the Dalits largely destitute, unskilled and uneducated. The past and present Indian governments began a path of affirmative action to help them out of the rut. But there has been little attempt to dismantle the system or belittle its significance. The affirmative action has allowed the Dalits to receive education and employment in some measure. This has also led to some empowerment and the Dalits are gaining a voice amongst themselves. Social advocate groups are also taking up their cause and hoping to change not just their lives but the collective mentality of Indians still ascribing to the caste system.

Dalits are also finding Christianity and Islam especially attractive. They are converting in droves to escape their branding as Dalits. There has been a lot of controversy about the conversions. (Many Hindu religious and political groups believe that the missionaries especially target the Dalits taking advantage of their desperation) The conversion to either Christianity or Islam is an automatic declassification in the eyes of Hinduism and the government. The person is no more a Dalit. As such all affirmative action once afforded to the Dalit is no more available to him. The exceptions to the rule are Sikh and Buddhist converts. The two religions are considered off shoots of Hinduism.

So Christian and Islam Dalit converts stand to lose not just their name tags but any benefit they received while they were legally Dalits. This could mean a job they have held for years or a seat at an educational institution. Local law enforcing agencies are able to report conversions to the concerned authority so that legal certificates stating their caste are invalidated. As such many Dalits shroud their conversion in secrecy. Recently there have been increasing calls from non-Hindu and social advocacy groups for the government to continue affirmative action for Dalit converts. They cite the terminations as unfair and continued discrimination along with the lack of opportunities as a need for the change in the laws to extend the special protection. There has been some headway in this matter just short of an actual amendment.

But by bringing an extended family of Dalits and ex-Dalits under the umbrella of special protection we are diluting the efficacy on those that need it the most; Dalits who remain Dalits. If religious conversion is a way to escape being a Dalit, relinquishing the benefits associated with being a Dalit would only seem logical. The program aims to uplift them to a point where they would not need any such assistance. At that point, the absence of having to declare your caste every time you apply for a government job, for instance, would help sink the significance of the caste system too.

"Teach for America"- There's more teaching to be done!

A social service group in India is consulting with TFA to develop a similar model for India. The challenges and workability of the program in a country like India are hard to predict. An analysis of TFA's working here in the US itself reveals that it has its share of critics.

Wendy Kopp started "Teach for America" in 1990 with a noble mandate to eliminate educational inequality. Today it has become America's largest provider of teachers for low-income urban and rural communities. The organization recruits recent college graduates of all academic majors who can commit to two years of teaching. Those who are accepted to the program attend an intensive 5-week summer preparation institute and are placed in one of the 26 urban and rural areas. Corps members are paid directly by the school districts where they work and receive the same salaries and health benefits as other beginner teachers. After they begin teaching, most recruits are required by state law to pass subject-area tests and take courses during the year. Many recruits receive their teacher certification after their two years.

While a lot of graduating seniors are driven by their earnest desire to do community service there is a fair share of those who are looking to TFA as a great resume filler. TFA is listed as one of Business Week's Best Places to Launch a Career. Whatever the incentive the number of applicants dwarf the number of available positions.

The Internet has plenty of resources for hopeful corps members, including some heart rendering and inspiring anecdotes at "Teach for America Diaries" or at TFA's website. But often recruits find themselves in over their heads and struggling to get a hold of their classroom.

Joshua Kaplowitz a Yale graduate realized he was "completely ill equipped" when he started teaching. In his article "How I Joined Teach for America—and Got Sued for $20 Million", he details how his service endeavor went miserably wrong. While his story might be isolated between 10 and 15 percent of each corps class drops out before completing the required two years (Source: Learning Curve by Gillian Gillers). The attrition rate has often been attributed to the training course that might be too short and ill-directed leaving the new recruits overwhelmed by the demands of teaching. More so with many of the teachers from elite schools, Gillian points out that they find themselves unable to connect with students who face issues such as poverty and violence in their every day lives. There have also been many questions raised on the impact of this program on the educational failings it is trying to remedy. By placing minimally trained teachers in the hardest of classrooms and yanking them when they have finally honed their skills, are the students truly benefiting? An advocacy group called Public Advocates and the law firm Goodwin Procter LLP are suing the Department of Education alleging that the alternate teacher certification programs such as TFA's has violated the “highly qualified teacher” provisions of the No Child Left Behind Act. An unfortunate diversion when it would seem that the schools that TFA is staffing would not be able to attract any more experienced teachers that its own.

With the organization's growing clout and stature it can make a substantial move to fix the underlying problems of teacher shortage in underprivileged areas and elsewhere. It would be prudent for TFA to offer financial and even more advisory assistance to school boards in the hard hit areas to create employment situations that attract teachers of high caliber. A more permanently placed and qualified educator could create a more substantial difference than a present TFA recruit. Born out of a very noble cause TFA has become a giant in the educational realm, it needs to step into its new shoes and shoulder more responsibility.

Yet, there is no justifiable means to undermine the efforts or intentions of TFA or its members. Good teachers are becoming a sparse resource and there is plenty to blame for that. Although TFA might not be solving the core problem it is definitely an integral part of the solution.

A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops ~Henry Brooks Adams

Ram Sethu - Bridging Science with Faith

Adam's Bridge, also called Rama's Bridge (Ram Sethu) is a chain of limestone shoals, between the islands of Mannar, near northwestern Sri Lanka, and Rameswaram, off the southeastern coast of India. The bridge is 30 miles (48 km) long and separates the Gulf of Mannar (southwest) from the Palk Strait (northeast).

The Ramayana describes the bridge as being built by Ram's (the protaganist of the epic) devotee "Hanuman" and his other loyal monkey devotees. Eventually Ram crosses over the bridge to save his abducted wife Sita. The Indian government's 560-million dollar Sethusamudram Ship Canal Project project would destroy this bridge while creating a shorter more navigable shipping route for the region.

The power of prayer and virtuous morals are probably where the parallels with Hinduism and the other world religions ends. It takes a strong belief in polytheism, mystical creatures and fantastic anecdotes with magical happenings such as the building of the Ram Sethu to truly ascribe to the faith. Most Hindus do not come close to questioning the validity or historical proof of all that they base their values, morals, teachings, celebrations and lifestyles upon. In a country where blasphemy and sacrilege are commonly alleged and prosecuted, acceptance without question is often the norm. Many Indian scientists whose core belief system would expect them to instinctively reject Hinduism, in fact adopt it as their faith. To them the existence of all that is magical is not deniable just because it is beyond the realm and scope of untenable proof.

Although the constitution of India proclaims the country as secular, governments have often played the religious card to garner votes. Unlike in the US where Jesus is often parodied, any suggestion of denial or ridicule of Hindu gods and theology could be political suicide or cause major public protests sometimes violent. So when the Archaeological Survey of India officially and publicly acknowledges the lack of any historical or incontrovertible proof that the bridge was man made as described in the Ramayana, it in effect puts into question the validity of something so significant to Hindus. When there is very little physical proof of Ram or his powers, the Ram Sethu has been especially helpful for those on the fringes of belief. There are various other sites in India where Hindu's have found signs of what they have heard and read in the epics but rarely has an Indian authority of prominence ventured an opinion on their validity. This I believe is not just a sign of the times but also shows a maturing India that is not afraid to step into a debate on often avoided and inflammatory territory. Although it probably will not be long before the government does a volte-face and ask for forgiveness.

There are various websites dedicated to saving Ram Sethu (ramsethu.org) that apart from its religious significance also describe other potential environmental hazards that the canal project would create. The pros and cons to the environment and shipping need to be carefully evaluated but are the sentiments of a huge Hindu population significant to the debate? How hurtful would it be to destroy something so dear to nearly a billion Hindus?

Staunch and true Hindu's will not let a "mythological" tag to Ramayan shake their faith but they also might have to accept the loss of an imposing and pertinent religious landmark.

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Senator Obama on India

Full text of the letter from Senator Obama to India Indeed

I support strengthening America’s relations with India because we share many common goals and interests. America is India’s largest trading and investment partner, both countries value the rule of law and cultural pluralism, and both are united in the fight to protect their values, their people and their way of life from terrorism and other threats. That’s why I support joint initiatives in fields from military cooperation to public health to energy and technology.

None of these accomplishments would happen without the active involvement of Indian Americans. Wherever they have settled around the country, Indian Americans have been strong contributors to their local communities. Balancing love of the homeland with a strong commitment to America, Indian Americans have put their knowledge, skills, and entrepreneurial spirit to work for the betterment of both countries. Their efforts have played a significant role in bringing the two countries closer and creating a blueprint for positive bilateral relations in the 21st century.

The ideas of liberalism and representative democracy that powered the American Revolution and inspired Mahatma Gandhi to free a great people did not stop 60 years ago. Gandhi’s victory in turn inspired a generation of young Americans to peacefully wipe out a system of overt oppression that had endured for a century, and more recently led to velvet revolutions in Eastern Europe and extinguished apartheid in South Africa.

I believe deeply that peaceful organizing to bring about popular rule will continue to be a potent tool to free oppressed peoples in those last countries on this planet where the light of freedom does not yet shine. This enduring legacy is one of the great gifts of India’s revolution.

Thank you again for contacting me

Sincerely,

Barack Obama