Finally Justice is done

Al-Qaeda mastermind Osama bin Laden was finally killed in a firefight with covert US forces deep inside Pakistan. Soon after, President Barack Obama declared that "justice has been done." When my friends and I heard the news, we walked towards the White House and joined in the celebrations of hundreds of US-flag waving people who chanted, "USA, USA." My friends and I were proud to be a part of this heroic nation that is leading the war against year terrorism, which continues to take lives of innocent people around the world.

While Bin Laden's demise marks the biggest triumph yet in the 10-year US war against terrorism launched after the September 11 attacks, it is important to remember that Bin Laden was no friend of Islam. Most of his victims were coreligionists, particularly in Iraq, where thousands were targeted and slaughtered.

Bin Laden was against those Muslims who did not subscribe to his twisted views and condemned them as being damned as the other "infidels." While it is justice that he was subjected to the same fate as those innocent people killed when the Twin Towers were destroyed and those who were aboard that fateful flight that smashed into Pentagon, we need to display caution because Al-Qaida is still there like the many headed Hydra that lives on even if one of its head is lopped off.
- Tanuja Kohli, Washington, D.C.

Thank you NRI Today

I would like to thank the editorial team and the Editor in Chief of NRI Today for bringing us succinct, informative and entertaining issues month after month. Your May 2011 issue was one such.

Reading the antics of Indian Americans like Rajat Gupta, former Goldman Sachs director, Anil Kumar, a former McKinsey & Co. partner and Rajiv Goel, an executive at Intel, charged for tipping Galleon group's Raj Rajaratnam with insider information worth billions in the biggest hedge fund cases in the US history –made us hang our head in shame. But on the other hand, reading about the contributions made to American society by innovative entrepreneurs like AVG's Shalabh Kumar makes us all proud to be Indians in America.
- Aryan Kumar, Atlanta, Georgia

Extravagant Indian weddings are a vulgar display of wealth

I personally believe that extravagance in Indian weddings, which are an obscene display of wealth, should be controlled. Beginning with the $78 million wedding extravaganza organized by Indian steel tycoon Lakshmi Mittal for his daughter, Vanisha, on June 20, 2004, ostentatious nuptials of stinking rich Indians have spiraled out of control.

These type of weddings are extremely vulgar not only because of the contrast with the poor but also because they show the total lack of conscience among the rich and educated Indians who are spread all over the world. They do not even take into consideration of how much it hurts the poor when they purposely flout their ego through such excessive indulgence. Do they ever feel any embarrassment when they block public roads, disturb neighborhoods with loud music (many times breaking noise pollution laws) and dance vulgarly? Do they ever give heed to the light bearers who follow the drunken procession of fat, coarse and uncouth gaudily dressed men and women? I think not. Maybe, they should for a change? Or, they should learn a lesson from billionaire Vinod Khosla and his wife Neeru, who recently signed the Billionaire Giving Pledge introduced by Warren Buffett and Bill Gates back in June 2010, and vowed to give away half of their vast fortunes to charity either during their lifetime or after death. Way to go Khoslas?
- Shanoo Babbar Jersey City, NJ

Ratan Tata is right about the Ambanis

The recent statement made by Ratan Tata in an interview to the London Times in which he expressed surprise at fellow industrialist Mukesh Ambani building a billiondollar mansion in Mumbai has sparked off a controversy.

I wonder why? He said what everyman in India wanted to say but was cowed down by the enormous clout and wealth that the Ambanis wield. I fully agree with his statement – "It makes me wonder why someone would do that. That's what revolutions are made of. The person who lives in there should be concerned about what he sees around him and [asking] can he make a difference…If he is not, then it's sad because this country needs people to allocate some of their enormous wealth to finding ways of mitigating the hardship that people have."

The growing disparity between the 'haves' and the 'have nots' is a major issue facing India despite the prosperity it has been experiencing for over a decade. The affluence India has been experiencing in the last decade or so is only shared by the educated rich and Ambani building this ugly mammoth structure is a classic example of conspicuous consumption by the super-rich in the midst of utter despair and poverty surrounding them Shame on the Ambanis for flaunting their wealth in such a vulgar manner. I think they must be mighty pleased with themselves when they look down and see the misery in the slums of Dharavi and congratulate themselves for being so much "above" them.

On a lighter note, I also wonder what made Ambani build such a monstrosity. It does not look anything like a house but rather like any junkyard in America where old discarded cars are piled up on top of each other.
-Bharat Sharma, Flushing, NY