(Dis)Unity in Diversity?

Unity in Diversity. We have grown up hearing this common refrain while referring to India.

But as India celebrates its 60 years of independence, and amidst the immense euphoria regarding the massive strides that the country is taking on various economic and technological fronts, we Indians need to pause for a moment and do some introspection.

Are things as great as they appear?

Indian industry is reaching new heights. Indians are doing some great things all over the globe. But what about India – the nation? In pursuit of our individual pursuits, do we ever give the nation a thought? And is the diversity India so proudly acclaims proving a hindrance? Are the divisive forces winning over the cohesive elements that have kept us together so far?

Some nations are bound together by religion. Some by their language. Some even by geography. But what is the common thread to unite India?

Filed under: India, Thoughts , India, NRI, Regionalism, Secularism, Unity in Diversity

NewYork says ‘Vande Mataram’

American girls sing Vande Mataram to Siva Mani’s beats at the conclusion of the Incredible India festivities in Newyork.

Call it symbolic, call it hyperbole, call it whatever, but we were Impressed. We had the worst seats in the house, so the video isn’t much to look at. But it’s meant to be heard more than seen!

Our detailed coverage of the Incredible India@60 event

Filed under: Happenings, India, Videos , Incredible India, Newyork Indian Cultural Festival, Siva Mani, Vande Mataram

World Champions!

By now everybody knows the series of events.
India made 157/5.
Pakistan started the chase badly..and it looked like India were all set.
But then Misbah started doing his thing, and brought Pakistan so agonizingly close to the trophy.
But then he got ambitious, and that cheeky shot doubled the heartbeats of a billion (give or take a few) people around the world.

(Misbah down repenting that rash shot. Check out the umpire looking at him. The Indians too busy celebrating)

India are the winners of the cricket twenty20 world cup!

A major championship win after a long long time – in fact, the first one that we at americandesi have witnessed! Rare day for Indian cricket..and hopefully the harbinger of a new beginning for India. A country that went into mourning not too many months back following the ODI world cup debacle is rooting for those 11 odd heroes again.

Filed under: Cricket, India, Videos , , Chak De India, India, Twenty20 World Cup, World Cup Champion

Incredible India!

A four day event called Incredible India! kicked off in Newyork today. This event is an attempt to showcase India to America, and will comprise several business meets, panel discussions, and cultural events.

If you missed today’s events, there’s still three days to go, and plenty going on. We were there to cover the action, and sure liked what we saw. Here’s our account of the opening day of the event.
There were a host of events today including some high profile ones involving among other things, entry by invitation only. Unfortunately, we are not yet important enough to be invited to events involving union ministers and CEOs. So we settled for the public events.

Filed under: Desi, Happenings, India, Videos , Bollywood, Desi Cultural Event, Incredible India, Indian Folk Dances, Newyork

India Comes to Newyork

We have been seeing a lot of India in Newyork these days…wonder why?

Filed under: Desi, India , Incredible India, Newyork Indian Festival

The Cab Ride

The phone rang…”Your cab’s here sir”

“You’re 15 minutes early. Give me 5 minutes and I’ll be there.”

Akhil was bristling with excitement. Three weeks. That was how long he was going to be gone. Home. After all of two years. Akhil was a young Indian living the American dream thousands of miles away from family. He thought of his argument with his boss when he asked him to let him take all of his annual vacations in one go – “Three weeks! That’s too long” was his initial reaction.” Akhil smiled.

He hauled his bags down the four flights of stairs and out the door. The limo driver was waiting patiently for him. As Akhil saw him he smiled. “Aap Hindi bolte hain?” The driver looked Indian.

 

 

As the driver helped transfer the luggage in the car, he told his name – Nayeem. They were on their way to the airport.

Filed under: India, Stories , Desi, India, Life, Pakistan

India vs Pakistan It Is

India through to the finals of the inaugural Twenty20 cricket world cup, being held in South Africa.

Yuvraj Singh once again blasting the aussie bowlers out of the park, was instrumental in the win.

View a video of the highlights here

Some of the aspects that stuck out to us:

1. Given the number of Indian flags fluttering in the ground, you would have thought this was happening in Mohali (Chandigarh).

2. Gilchrist in the post match chat with Ravi Shastri, sounded funny to us. He sounded like a sheepish student complaining about not being the school topper because he did not sleep well the night before the exam. What’s so bad about accepting that you lost to a better team? Are Indians the only humble people around?

Sample the excuses “We came off a break, while India had been playing a lot recently”. “We were in control but played a few bad shots because of which we lost“. And oh yes…”The indians were also good”. Damn well, they were…and the rare occasion that they were, you better give them credit.

3. Yuvraj hit 5 sixes – one of them apparently 119m. Now thats a long long distance we think. And boy, was he charged up…

4. Post match, there were some happy scenes around the Indian dressing room. Zaheer khan throwing a bucket of water from the second level onto an unsuspecting Yuvi coming in reminded us of holi pranks back in the days!

5. The cynics that we are, we cant help thinking of a conspiracy angle to the way things have turned out. India and Pakistan, both teams with the biggest cricket support base in the world, both humiliated horribly in the ODI world cup, itching to redeem themselves, then that very unconvincing bowlout episode in their earlier meeting here, now face off in the final.
Its a world cup, their cricket rivalry is legendary, and this is possibly the most exciting pair for the final of a world cup. It all seems like somebody wrote a comeback script for them.
Anyways…we are not complaining. We enjoyed the fireworks. And the final should be very interesting.

So who’s it going to be ? Stay tuned. The final is on monday. 1600GMT (12PM EST)

Filed under: Cricket, India , , India, Twenty20 World Cup, Yuvraj

Top Ten Weird Dismissals in Cricket

Found this nice collection of funny dismissals….good stuff ! Watch out for Inzamam.

Filed under: Cricket, Masti, Videos , Inzamam, Weird Cricket Dismissals

Yuvraj Gets It On…And How!

A piece of History..Yuvraj hitting Stuart Broad for 6 sixes in an over.
Fastest 50 ever..12 balls. Payback in style by Yuvi !!

Cricket does not get much better than this.

Watch out for Shastri going ‘Yesssssss‘ after number 5.

Filed under: Cricket, India, Videos , Sixes, Twenty20 World Cup, Yuvraj

Do You Believe In Rebirth ?

Filed under: India, Masti , Desi Humor, Funny Pics

Chak De! India

Chak De! India is one of the best movies to have come out of the Bollywood factories in recent years. The beauty of the movie lies in the fact that besides being a thoroughly enjoyable movie, it effortlessly raises so many relevant issues.

The issue of national pride. What a classic moment when Shahrukh tells the team that they are from India, not Haryana or Jharkhand or Railways. “Play for your country first, then for your team, and if anything’s left after that then maybe for yourself”.

How many of us actually care about India ? Everybody seems to want to take her for a ride. Make a fast buck…country be damned.

Filed under: India, Movies , Bollywood, Chake De India, Shahrukh Khan

Questions…

 

The winds they’re a turning.

The fire it is burning.

I’ve been thinking.
Of things that matter.
Is it health?
My country ?
Money?
Or someone I can call honey?

Filed under: Poems

Koffee With Karan

Pretty Preity, Small (not so) B, and his wife have some fun with Karan Johar

Filed under: India, Masti, Videos , Bollywood, Desi, Kajol, Koffee With Karan, Shahrukh Khan