My heart goes to the youth in Iran, who I think really believed that these elections would be a turning point for their country, its reputation and its engagement with the rest of the world. I was not hopeful, despite the huge rallies for Mousavi, because if there’s one thing that history has shown us, it is that those in power do not let go of it easily.

But the sheer stupidity of the Iranian incumbency boggles the mind. Why not declare a narrow win for Ahmadinajad, say 52/48, that would leave the people disappointed but resigned? One would expect that with all the electoral agencies in the control of the government, there would be a little more subtlety when it came to stealing the elections.

I have a couple of theories about this; the first is that the election agency sent out a blanket message to its various local departments that Ahmadinajad be made to win and everyone went overboard, which accounts for the disproportionate winning percentages. With votes being cast by hand instead of by voting machines, it’s harder to control the level of fraud.

The second is that that this is a direct message to the Iranian people -“We can’t believe you fell for this democracy crap – this is the way we do things around here;” an ultimatum that they should shut up and give up any hope of real change.

Either way, if this coup goes through and Ahmadinajad is re-elected, it bodes very badly for the power dynamics in the Middle East. A de-legitimized Ahmadinajad will ramp up the international rhetoric, as he seeks to distract attention away from the rebellion brewing at home. A belligerent, defensive Iranian government will be impossible to deal with and international diplomacy will be conducted in a minefield where even the slightest hint from other players that they disapprove or dispute the legitimacy of the the new government will trigger instability.

One astute observer pointed out that it would have been far smarter for Khameini to have let Mousavi win. After all, the real seat of power is not with the President and Mousavi’s election would have gone a long way in reassuring and disarming the western world while Iran continued blithely with its nuclear agenda. Well, that didn’t happen, and now the streets of Tehran and other major cities are filled with protesters and riot police.

What happens next is anybody’s guess but my hope is that re-elections are scheduled once the mullahs have come to their senses. The members of the new generation of Iranians are not afraid the way their parents were and if this is not the year change happens, it is bound to come.

To get updates on what’s happening in Iran, here is a blog post that gives good sources. Forget about getting it from local news channels – the beautiful people running them have been tone deaf, as usual, to what really constitutes news.

Picture courtesy Sharam Sharif – Creative Commons

The collapse of the California budget did not come as a surprise to anyone living here. We’ve been seeing the “STOP!,” “ABYSS AHEAD,” and “WATCH OUT, BIG HOLE IN THE GROUND COMING UP” signs for a long time but like Wylie Coyote, chosen to ignore it and hope some magical anti-gravity device will pop up just in time. (For all those who chose to vote “No” or stay home during the recent special elections, a big BOO!!)

Still, when the news trickled out through the community gossip mills that the FUSD (Fremont Unified School District) was planning to eliminate science prep, computer prep and PE teachers for most schools, it came as a real shock to parents. Already overburdened classroom teachers would now have to shoulder the burden of managing the science lab and giving computer instruction. Teachers who had specialized in maintaining the science and computer labs for years would now be shuffled around to classroom duties or unceremoniously let go. A major upheaval was in the works and if all parents were not aware of it yet, September would bring a dash of cold water along with the frigid fall winds.

In the absence of any clear directive from the school authorities, rumors spread like wildfire in our small town. One school was so rich its PTA could finance the salary of the lost teachers. Another had bartered a PE teacher for a full time science prep teacher. PTA discussion groups started seeing heavy traffic as the predominantly Asian neighborhoods contemplated an unacceptable loss of science enrichment for their beloved children.

At our school the issue reached critical mass a couple of weeks ago. After a proposal to pay for our own science prep teacher was shot down by the board on the grounds of unfairness, the parent group decided to start a grassroots movement to restore science prep and retain our teacher (whose popularity attests not only to her sweet nature but the fun kids have in her lab.)

First we created an online petition to be signed by all parents asking for the school board to reconsider the cut. Many of us stood on the sidewalks outside school distributing flyers. When my 6 year-old handed out some flyers of her own, she was joined by her classmates, each eager to help.

The petition campaign was quite successful and we moved it to the next level. Yesterday, a group of over 80 parents and children waited over 3 hours to get a hearing in front of the school board during their monthly meeting. Impassioned speakers talked of the importance of science prep to their children’s lives, and one 5th grader begged that her sister, who is entering school this fall, have the same opportunities she did. We suggested creative solutions and one well-prepared parent worked out that a recent influx of stimulus money and some creative use of funds could save prep teachers for all schools and avoid the upheaval the FUSD’s actions would create.

Did our efforts work? No idea. But we gave it our best shot and the sight of so many committed parents and children taking three hours out of a weeknight to show their support has to have moved some minds on the board. At least we made it clear how important one particular issue was to us. I would not underestimate the power of activism.

And this is by no means the last of our efforts. Depending on the final allocation of resources, we will keep working and keep fighting to preserve what is, for us, a vital part of our children’s future.

And I’ll keep you updated. If you have had a similar experience with your school, do share.

It felt funny to be on the other side of the table.

Last Saturday, two other judges and I watched in amazement as kids from the age of 3, barely potty trained, to kids in their preteens, took the stage to wow us with their elocution.

The event was “Win With Words”, an annual public speaking competition conducted by Rennu Dhillon of Genius Kids at the Sunnyvale Hindu Temple. Unlike previous years, the contest was open to the public this time and almost 60 kids enthusiastically took the stage to compete for trophies.

According to the Book of Lists, the fear of public speaking ranks above the fear of death or disease, prompting comedian Jerry Seinfeld to observe, “( At a funeral)..most of us would rather be in the casket than delivering the eulogy.” Having participated in several such competitions in my childhood, I can testify to the panic that envelops a participant when he or she is on stage, facing a set of bright lights and a group of strangers.

But it is to Miss Rennu’s credit that even the youngest and tiniest participants bounded up to the stage with confidence, eager to deliver their lines( most of the kid were Genius Kids students or alumni.) Yes, those lines were often forgotten and mummy or daddy had to stay on the sidelines, prompting their children with audible whispers, but not once did I see a child show fear or nervousness. Many showed creativity (or, at least, their parents’ creativity!) by dressing up in costumes and using props to deliver their message.

The topics were restricted to about a dozen, and a few like “What I want to be when I grow up” and “Eating healthy” were popular, though judging by the responses we are going to have a preponderance of healthy doctors and basketball players in the next generation! Two participants spoke on the importance of dance, illustrating the topic beautifully with hand gestures, or mudras. One decided to give a speech on the pros and cons of cell phone use, using a banana as a substitute.

All were impossibly cute, which made the judges’ job impossible. Still, we scored away diligently, with occasional “aha” moments when a child was outstanding. At the end, some kids won trophies and others went home with certificates of participation, but to my eyes, each and every child showed amazing courage by braving the stage, something I can safely bet few of their parents would attempt.

A public speaking competition like “Win With Words” is an incredibly important part of the many extracurricular offerings that enrich a child’s education and it is my hope that next year so many more kids will participate that the Genius Kids team has to stretch the competition over two days. I know how competitions like these added to my confidence and speaking skills as a child and want that experience for every child who would like to compete.

Here is a list of the winners –

Category 2 – ages 3 to under 4 years old

1st Place –          Sanah Bhardwaj – My Favorite Book
2nd Place –         AbhinavJoshi – Endangered Species
3rd Place –          Deeta Ganapathy – What I Want To Be When I Grow Up

Category 3 – ages 4 to under 5 years old

1st Place –          Siri Basavaraj – If I could be an animal, what I would be and why
2nd Place –        Rachana Aithal – What I Want To Be When I Grow Up
3rd Place –        Abhay Acharya – What I Want To Be When I Grow Up

Category 4 – ages 5 to under 7 years old

1st Place –          Lara Panda – Importance of Eating Healthy
2nd Place –           Viraj Verma – My Favorite Book
3rd Place –          Rithika Susarla – Is there any value in homework

Category 5 – ages 7 to under 10 years old

1st Place –          Rahul Joshi – How films impact our lives
2nd Place –           Sanjana Aithal – What I Want To Be When I Grow Up
3rd Place –          Sarnesh Raj Arul

Category 6 – ages 10 to under 12 years old

1st Place –           Anisha Upadhya – Importance of Dance
2nd Place –          Sohil Kshirsagar – Importance of cell phones
3rd Place –          Madhukar Muralidhara  – You must be the change you want to see – Mahatma Gandhi
Abhay Varshney – Importance of the Internet

Folks,

Starting Monday, June 1st, I take over as editor of India Currents, the general interest magazine for Indians and Indo-philes based in California.  If you are a Bay Area resident, chances are you have come across the magazine sometime, perhaps at your neighborhood grocery store or community center.

India Currents, which began publishing in 1987, has a long and proud history in the community. Started mainly as an event calendar and classified ad publication, the magazine has steadily built a portfolio of high quality editorial content, featuring writers who have gone on to become published authors in their own right. While the content is not specifically local to the Bay Area, the varied subjects featured in the magazine are of enduring interest to diaspora. I hope to continue the proud editorial tradition of featuring an impeccable quality of writing that is also engaging and thought-provoking.

What of Water, No Ice, you may ask. Since WNI is much more hyper-local in nature, I do not anticipate a conflict of interest with my new responsibility. I have had the opportunity to work with some very talented writers at WNI and hope they will continue to support WNI with their work. I also hope to continue featuring local events, personalities and entrepreneurs.

Of course, none of this will be possible without your support, dear readers. I hope you will continue to bring to my attention topics that you think I should cover, both for India Currents and Water, No Ice and keep me on my toes with your astute comments.  Do follow me to India Currents and check out the excellent work its writers are doing as well..your feedback will be invaluable in making the magazine more sensitive to the needs of its readers.

In an age where digital media are replacing traditional print offerings, India Currents forms part of the bulwark of the printed word. Unlike the online experience, which has tended to become more and more narrowly focused, general interest magazines  like India Currents open your eyes to a variety of subjects, some that may not have directly come to your attention. I hope to keep doing more of the same and if you join me on this exciting adventure, I am sure we can build a quality product that we can continue to be proud of.

To readers and writers interested in being a part of India Currents, I can be reached at editor at indiacurrents dot com.

Narika, the domestic violence advocacy organization, has been doing stellar work in the Bay Area for several years now. The non-profit started by offering a help-line and advocacy services but in recent years the dedicated staff and volunteers have expanded their scope to helping victims of abuse and disadvantaged women re-establish their lives and become financially independent. Their SEED program(South Asian Economic Empowerment Development) teaches women life skills and helps them get back on their feet.

Now Narika needs your help. Can you speak English fluently? Then you can become a volunteer for Narika and make a difference in just two or so hours a month.

Narika has launched a language exchange program to help women with spoken English practice. Volunteers are paired with graduates from the SEED program in Fremont and practice speaking English one-on-one for an hour a month and then follow up via phone to continue practicing for 20 minutes a week.

Narika is looking for at least 5  volunteers to help with this program. The total time involved is very, very reasonable and perfect for stay-at-home moms who have an hour or two to spare here and there.

Contact Atashi Chakravarty at 510.444.6024 if you are interested. If you think you can spare some more time on other volunteer activities, more information can be found here.

Here are the dates for the one-on-one meetings. Meetings will take place at the Fremont Resource Center at 3:30 on the first Saturday of each month. 39155 Liberty St # A110, Fremont, CA 94538. (510) 574-2000

June 13, 2009
July 11, 2009
August 8, 2009
September 12, 2009
October 10, 2009
November 14, 2009
December 12,2009

Picture by cjc4454 under Creative Commons

Now that that exuberance and the excitement of the Presidential elections are over, it is tempting to sit back and relax for the next 4 years. As Californians however, we cannot be unaware that the state is going through a tremendous financial crisis. Even though a messy budget was hammered out by the Californian legislature in February, cracks in the system are already evident with loss of revenues already increasing the budget deficit.

Governor Schwartzenegger is proposing a few stopgap measures to ease the problem. Unfortunately, the way the state’s Constitution is framed, a lot of the changes cannot be made without the support of voters. We may be apathetic to the changes being proposed out of Sacramento, but these changes impact our lives in a very real and immediate way.

Take a few minutes to go over the Propositions on the ballot and if you have a vote, go and exercise it tomorrow. Whether you have kids in school or a family member in need of mental health services, or you are just a resident of California, thse measures will make a difference in your life.  Take the time to read up and go do your civic duty. If nothing else, it gives you the right to complain about how your government is not working for you.

Read here for a short explanation of the various propositions and my recommendations. If you have an opinion on any one of them, add them to the comments. Any light that can be shed on our confusing political process is welcome.

It was heartbreaking. And humbling. And inspiring. I watched most of the show with a lump in my throat and unshed tears at the back of my eyes.

The children and parents of Jeena took the stage yesterday at the India Community Center, Milpitas for their annual show, Jeena Yahaan. Jeena has been a rock for parents of children with special needs. It is a support group and a resource, a community and a refuge; most of all, it is a place families with special challenges go to meet other families like themselves and forge relationships out of  shared common experiences.

The evening began with Pt. Habib Khan’s students singing Panditji’s own compositions created specially for the event. Panditji sat on the side, directing and encouraging the children. Some of the kids sang with gusto, some shrank from the glare of the lights. Unlike a regular children’s event where the parents would be embarrassed by the non-performance of their kids, here there was a serene aura of acceptance, both among the participating parents and the audience.

The acceptance and the love and support that exists among the Jeena community is palpable and almost physical. Audience members shouted words of encouragement to kids on stage. “Go Sanjana,” was the cry when one child froze, overwhelmed by the lights. “You can do it!” was said frequently, as the children overcame incredible odds to present their various talents on stage.

Two dance companies, Selvi Pragasam’s Indian Fusion Dance Academy and Naach, the biggest Bollywood dance company in the US, generously contributed their time and efforts to putting together dance numbers based on Bollywood hits. The joy in the kids’ faces lit up Malavalli Hall, as they waved and twirled to the beat. The audience clapped along, delighting as much in the children’s happiness as the song and dance.

Then there was the play, “Treasure Hunt in TV Land,” which I had written for Jeena. I had to weave in the children’s interests into the play so they would have the patience and enthusiasm to perform on stage and as a result we had Iron Man and Barney rubbing shoulders with Buzz Lightyear, Woody and assorted princesses as the children hunted for treasure with the help of clues.

Whether it was the haunting innocence of a child singing “Shanti Nilava Vendum” with unbelievable purity or the halting exposition of the Gayatri Mantra by a child with cerebral palsy, it was impossible not to be awe-struck by the effort these children put in to perform and the glow in their faces when they had successfully delivered the result of incredible hard work over several weeks.When I saw one child on crutches successfully stomp her weak legs( with little ankle bells attached to them) to the beat of music, I had to work hard not to break down and bawl.

Yes, the set up times between acts was long and yes, some kids just could not perform before a large and loud audience but we knew what challenges they faced and how amazing the whole evening was. There was no fidgeting among the audience and no impatience. If the children could put in the kind of hard work they did, we could show a little patience too.

Jeena Yahaan 2009 has “established a tradition” in the words of Rajni Madan, Jeena’s founder. May this tradition continue for many, many years to come. And may the children continue to astound us with their display of human fortitude and the soaring courage ofthe human spirit.

Dear readers,

You may have noticed that we’ve been going back and forth on providing full feed vs. excerpts on our email and RSS feeds. One argument is that having excerpts makes it easier for people to see multiple posts when there are multiple posts. The other is that without a full feed there is really no reason to subscribe.

So here’s my question – Do you prefer full feeds? Let me know.

To my casual readers I ask another question – Is the lack of full feeds keeping you from subscribing? I know that there are many readers out there who visit WNI regularly to catch up on what’s happening in the Bay Area community but are not subscribers. What’s holding you back? One advantage of subscription, besides ensuring you don’t miss out on any of our articles, is that it gives strength to WNI’s voice when we try to take on issues that are important to the community.

Your participation is what makes WNI worthwhile. So keep reading, keep commenting and do subscribe. If some features of the site stop you from taking the step of subscribing, I would like to know.

Ardenwood

It was a simple idea. With a General Plan for Fremont’s future development being close to approval, council member Anu Natarajan wanted to meet with residents of various neighborhoods in the city to discuss their concerns. I invited her to my Ardenwood home to meet with local residents yesterday. This is a summary of the discussion –

1. Crime – A quick survey showed that every single one of the participants had been burglarized at some point in the last 7 years. This was the most urgent issue, topping out schools and city development as topics of concern. We bombarded Anu with passionate entreaties to increase police presence, enable better response to 911 calls and asked for solutions to ameliorate the problem.

Anu’s response( and I paraphrase): “Fremont has always suffered from under-policing. We have just 10 police personnel for the 92 square miles that comprise the city. This is inspite of the fact that about 80% of the city budget goes to public safety( police and fire).  The good news is that thanks to the Recovery and Reinvestment Act (also known as the stimulus bill -ed) we are going to hire 8 more officers very soon. But a lot of the effort towards improving the situation should come from the community itself because the budget situation is not going to improve soon.”

The take-away: On this matter, the community is largely on its own. We came up with some ideas to address the issue –

– Contact the Police Department to arrange for help on setting up neighborhood watches.

– Report any suspicious activity such as unknown cars by taking down the license number and/or photographing the offending vehicle.

– Reduce your risk by installing locks on your windows and keeping valuables in a safe or locker.

– Support a public safety tax the next time it comes up on the ballot. These will be funds directly going towards hiring more officers.

– Question the city council on reducing salaries for police officers in the current downturn so additional personnel can be hired.

2. Residential vs. commercial development – Why was the city considering more housing development when the infrastructure in the form of housing and services was not in place? What are we doing to attract new business? Was there any effort to get additional funds from the stimulus package? Why can’t we have a recreation center like Silliman Center which would provide much needed revenue to the city?

Anu’s response: “The city is mandated to add 6000 more units of regular and affordable housing becasue of population and job growth. At the same time we cannot pressurize developers to build schools as a condition for development. We can only ask for higher fees.”

“As for new business, it is a misperception that fremont is not business friendly. Yes, more work has to be done in this area but we are constantly improving. I welcome feedback about any specific problems. The city manager can also be contacted for the same. (All contact information is available at the City of Fremont website – ed)”

“We have an Economic Commission whose 3 mmembers are constantly looking to attract new business. With some new funds coming in for the  Bart extension through the stimulus package, we might be able to spend some money on repaving and resurfacing roads right away. Check recovery.gov and League of California Cities website to see exactly how we have been impacted by the stimulus bill.”

“Issues like a new recreational center are best dealt with in the General Plan. We have had several community meetings over the course of the last 2 years but this has never come up and now we are at the final stages of approving the plan. We had an online survey about what the city’s residents would like to see in future development and we only had 600 responses. We need more community participation.”

Anu also unveiled a development plan for Fremont Downtown in the area bounded by Liberty and State streets towards the north and south and Paseo Padre and Fremont Boulevard in the east and west. It is an ambitious plan that is retail friendly and also has high density housing and a City Center.

The take-away: The City Council has to do a better job of informing the residents about up-coming plans. We suggested sending email alerts through the various PTA groups so as to reach a large segment of the immigrant population. It is unfortunate that the General Plan for the city has proceeded to its current level of completion without any of yesterday’s participants being aware of it.

3. Lack of trust in the City Council – One member from the Fremont Citizen’s Network talked about being rebuffed by the mayor during the previous campaign to stop the A’s stadium. Others expressed a view that the City Council’s actions are opaque to them.

Anu’s response: “The City Council needs to hear from you. All the contact numbers are there on the website. Call or send email. We also have several boards and commission in the city for which we are actively looking for volunteers. This is the best way for you to be a part of the planning for the city and be aware of developments. Come to City Council Meetings( held every Tuesday) and say your piece.”

The take-away: The City Council’s meetings are not structured for good public response. However, it is possible to contact the various managers of the city and explain your concerns. The best way to be heard, though, is to mobilize into a larger group that can have a bigger voice.

Action points and conclusions:

– The community needs to be pro-active in dealing with local issues. For instance, for problems with poor pavement, call or email the Engineering Department. For suspicious vendors you think are scouting the neighvborhood, alert Code Enforcement.

– Set up a neighborhood watch with the help of Fremont Police to deal with issues of burglaries. Given the budgetary issues, it would not be practical to expect the stretched police department to deal with non-priority crime. Some alleviation is on the way thanks to the stimulus package.

– Get involved with the city by joining the various boards and commissions. These are volunteer positions that require a couple of hours a week.

– Attend Council meetings every Tuesday or make it a point to watch the live telecast on your local cable channel( channel 26 – 28 on Comcast). Very significant decisions impacting the city and your future are often made by a simple majority vote of the Council. The agenda for the meetings is always posted on the city’s website and it is worth taking the time to be prepared.

– Join a citizen’s group like the Fremont Citizen’s Network to magnify your voice and keep track of important developments in the city. Or create your own.

– Anu Natarajan has promised to add local yahoogroups to the city’s mailing list to keep residents abreast of city issues.  She can be reached at anatarajan@ci.fremont.ca.us for further concerns.

Overheard at the gym: “It’s all f****d up, man.”

Two companies we wrote about here are have succumbed to the recession. Internet entertainment provider GluTV discontinued service on March 14th. In the article I had wondered if Indian viewers were ready to pay for online television products. Apparently not.

Sez Who, a start-up that tried to create a rating and reputation system for social media sites, was acquired by JS-Kit earlier this month.  Sez Who’s idea was to offer a basic comment rating and review system for free and upgrades for a price, a Web 2.0 business model whose weaknesses have been exacerbated by the economic downturn.

It all boils down to this – How does one make money off the internet when everybody is used to getting information and services and (pirated) entertainment content  online for free.

We wish the brave entrepreneurs good luck in their future ventures.