Shabana Azmi, Javed Akhtar Unveil CRY Booklet

(l to r) Actress Shabana Azmi, poet Javed Akhtar and CRY President Shefali Sunderlal

"Let's dream a little dream together" is the title of the booklet published by CRY America. Acclaimed actress Shabana Azmi and renowned poet, lyricist and scriptwriter from India Javed Akhtar unveiled this fusion of dreams and visions for children at a press conference held at the Taj Lounge in New York recently. The booklet is an expression of hope and optimism by people from all walks of life to see a just and better world for millions of children who are denied their basic rights to a childhood.

CRY America's vision of a just world for children is guided by the collective conviction and action of over 10,000 donors, 500 volunteers and 41 supported Projects. This conviction was further strengthened by individuals who expressed their dream and view of children's rights through our ‘My Vision for Children Campaign,' a new initiative launched this year by CRY America, a 501c3 non-profit organization working for children's rights in India and U.S.

At the conference organized by CRY America, Shabana Azmi expressed her conviction that "millions of underprivileged children have their survival threatened on a daily basis due to malnutrition, illiteracy, child labor, preventable diseases, abuse and exploitation. I believe that each one of us can and should make a difference by joining with CRY America to build a world where every child can expect justice, and enjoy a happy and healthy childhood."

Javed Akhtar, shared his vision at the event for children and recited a poem ‘Mumbai Tere Bachche' (Mumbai, your children), describing the trials and tribulations of street children in Mumbai city in India.

Shefali Sunderlal, President, CRY America believes in the power of the collective action as a catalyst of change. She said, "No matter how difficult or long the journey, if each one of us believes in doing what's right, then all children will have their right to live, learn, grow, play."

NJ Assemblyman Upendra Chivukula & Anand Ahuja, Attorney at Law Honored

NJ Assemblyman Upendra Chivukula with other honorees

Vegetarian Vision Inc., a Not-For Profit Organization promoting the cause of vegetarianism in the USA honored New Jersey Assemblyman Upendra Chivukula with the "Vegetarian Man of the Year" award at a local restaurant on November 22.

Anand Ahuja, a New York based attorney at law was honored for his ser vices to the Not- For-Profit Organizations in the Tri-State area. A couple of years ago, Anand had successfully represented Vegetarian Vision Inc., against McDonald Corporation. It may be recalled there was a big lawsuit against McDonald Corporation then by some veget arians a lleging that McDo nald's French fries were contaminated and were not vegetarian as was being claimed by it.

The occasion was the annual Thanksgiving dinner at which some 300 prominent attendees from the Indian as well as mainstream American community were present. The Guest Speaker of the event was Dr. Richard Schwartz, PhD who is a wellknow n author; he h as three books to his c redit; spoke on the benefits of vegetarianism.

"Bollywood Weddings:" Answers Age-Old Questions on Relationships

Kavita Ramdya, author of Bollywood Weddings

Kavita Ramdya's de but book, Bollywood Weddings: Dating, Engagement And Marriage In Hindu America is this year's answer to the age-old questions, "Why do we fall in love with the people we fall in love with?" and "Why do we marr y the peop le we choose to marry?"

To answer these questions - the ethni c, religious, linguistic, cultural, and financial qualities - and what our choice means in terms of expressing our national identity, Kavita Ramdya did an anthropological study of Indian-American Hindus in the tri-state New York area.

By interviewing twenty coup les, she has addressed various methods of meeting a potential future spouse including u sing fami ly & friends, personal ads, and internet dating services as well as family tensions that arise with inter-marriage (Hindus marr ying Christians, Jews, Muslims, African Americans and Atheists).

After attending their weddings and watching wedding videos, she successfully describes how this community negotiates between antiquated, Old World values such arranged marriage and modern, individualistic values such as love marriage. And, finds that in this day and age, a discussion about who and how we choose to marry cannot be had without recognizing the significant influence popular culture has on our ideas about how to best express love.

In Kavita Ramdya's book, the Bombay film industry "Bollywood" emerges as a significant force in formu lating conceptions of love and identity. Bollywood culture – it's fashionable aesthetic and symbolic representation of a modernized India - becomes t he method by which American-raised Indian Hind us negotiate two diametrically- opp osed value sets: that of pre-modern India and mainstream America. 

Kavita Ramdya integrates the love stories of twenty couples, which makes her book about why and how a sub-community falls in love and expresses their identity and makes it a wonderful read. She provides readers with a window into secondgeneration Indian-American Hindu couples who are navigating identities through a major life rite of passage, marriage.

Beautifully written and containing gorgeous photographs, with insight into matters concerning love, marriage, and identity, "Bollywood Weddings," is that rare find: an insightful first book which is both an excellent choice for the classroom and the wider general readership.