Greetings -
I hope you and your family have had a wonderful
summer. This summer BAGC hosted a
variety of events. I was glad to see such a great turnout at those events.
As you know, Durga Puja is our grand event and this year
it will be held on October 18-20, 2002, at Streamwood High School. Our committee is in the midst of
preparations for this event and our local participants for the cultural show
are already rehearsing to bring you entertaining programs. We also have great
artists from India who will perform during the three days. In our efforts to
reach out to everyone who is interested in Durga Puja, but cannot attend all
three days, we are introducing a one-day rate. However, we would still like to
encourage everyone to attend all three days since we have wonderful programs
planned for each day.
It has been one year since the tragic events of September
11, 2001. The effects of that day have made me realize that we need to be a
more tolerant society. Tolerance is an
important factor in the United States, where we are a melting pot of people
from all ethnic and religious backgrounds. Thus it is essential that we
recognize and appreciate the differences amongst us.
Originally, BAGC was created to preserve the Bengali
culture in Chicago. Over the years this organization has expanded to include
anyone who is interested in experiencing the Bengali culture and traditions.
So, please take this opportunity to invite a friend,
neighbor or colleague to Durga Puja. This will give them an opportunity to
discover the Bengali culture and in return we can learn about theirs.
See you on October 18!
Azure skies and
floating white clouds, golden sunshine and wavy cornfields: the stuff typically
Puja editorials are composed of; but all that is for ‘back home’. Here we find
a different beauty this season….‘fall colors’ on trees and a pleasant chill in
the air, heralding the advent of white winters.
In the midst of
a gloomy year with a dismal economy, job losses and the president’s rhetoric on
wars in the Middle East, BAGC members strive on relentlessly, in their
respective fields in life. Second generation BAGC youth shine out, wining
laurels and scholarships in the most prestigious national and international
institutions. The Exec. Committee tries hard to bring the best to the members
this year: in terms of cultural programs, with some of the best talent of
Bengal; increasing number of Sports events, targeted to include our ladies too;
social service activities and a variety of fare in the newsletter and seeking
out new literary talents. We had an enjoyable picnic, a couple of entertaining
‘Special Cultural Events’, but the best is yet to come at the annual Durga
Puja. Read all about the coming events in the ‘Preview’ section. This year’s
Sarodiya Durgotsav promises to be a great one with lovely entertainment and a
Sarodiya Samaj Sangbad, a wonderful treat to read.
We also plan to bring out the
cross section of views of our community regarding BAGC’s involvement in NABC or
Banga Mela, in our next newsletter. Please send us your views on this and any
other news and literary contributions. With your contributions Samaj Sangbad
will become a prized literary creation.
Shubham
Sanyal
In our last issue we had recognized
several of our BAGC youth who brought glory and pride to themselves and our
community by their excellent performances at Graduation. We came to know that
there were others whose name did not appear in the list we had published. We
are extremely sorry that we were unable
to publish their achievements, either because it was not reported to us (in
response to the e-mail we had sent out to all the members) or their parents had
reservations on publishing such news about their children and had specifically
asked us not to. We would like to mention here that we in BAGC are equally
proud of their achievements and wish them the best in their careers and lives.
- Editors, Samaj Sangbad
WE ARE ONE
Swapna Baumann
September 11, 2002. The anniversary came more quickly than
I imagined. Early this year we may have made our annual promises to live a
better life. We still agonize over the September 11th terrorist attack. We know we face many challenges, some new
and some old. Continuous conflicts over religion and personal ideas of what
makes a peaceful world make me want to ask ‘Are we ready to face the
challenges?’
The casualties of September 11th faced a challenge
they were powerless to avoid. Their
relatives grieve as does a shocked nation over the senseless attack. An attack
in the name of religion.
It would be easy to be prejudiced against Islam,
especially after viewing the Bin Laden tapes or reading about the suicide
bombers in Israel. It is time to make a conscious choice to not respond with
hate. My daily challenge has been to act on choices that are right but
difficult and those that make me happy instantly. That is not to say the
difficult ones will eventually turn out for the best but without the sweet
taste of instant gratification. We can understand and empathize with our Muslim
friends.
In late 2001, I read that a Muslim group shot and killed
several members of the Indian Parliament. In March, this year, the communal
riot and massacre of Muslims by fundamental Hindus (oxymoron) in Gujarat –
India, as police stood by, stunned my sense of basic humanity. I am an Indian
Hindu who became a US citizen, educated in the convent school which Mother Teresa
started in Calcutta. I also had the great honor of seeing her as a child and
still feel the touch of her hand on my head.
My great grand uncle Rabindranath Tagore wrote the Indian and the
Bangladesh national anthems and worked towards freeing India from the British.
I was brought up to believe in peace and making things better. I learned we are
all one.
Muslim extremists, between September 2001 and December
2001 attacked both my old and new homes. I was angry, sad and at the same time
afraid for my Muslim friends who might be in danger from the backlash of the
misdeeds of a few misguided religious fanatics. A sense of despair engulfs me
every time I read or hear the news. Through this darkness, rays of hope are
provided by the kindness of those who thought I was a Muslim. Those who asked about my well being must
have seen me as one of their own.
At the same time I urge my Muslin brothers and sisters to
know how ashamed and horrified I was at the atrocities committed against the
people of their faith in India. On April 6th, Indian Community
members, of all faiths, congregated together to denounce the violent communal
carnage. They formed a task force to
write a letter to the Indian Parliament to ask for the resignation of the Chief
Minister of Gujarat. I was there. Why did we give up a lovely Saturday to get
together with people we have never met?
Each of us saw ourselves in those who were persecuted and wanted to
insure it would never happen again.
Currently many institutions are trying to bring about
understanding between warring groups.
At the Vernon Hills High School’s Unity Fair, Arabs and Israeli
participants displayed their cultures side by side. They chatted and ate together.
We
adults can learn from our youths. We must avoid the loss of our own sense of
decency and justice by not giving in to our hatred for extremists. It will turn
us into what we despise. A perfect antidote for meanness is niceness.
We must overcome evil with acts of goodness. We can unite
with others who work to create a safe community thus weakening those who act in
hate. The articulation of a better alternative to communism contributed to the
fall of the Berlin Wall. Terrorism will only be defeated by the articulation of
our ideals that celebrate life over death. Messages of love and acceptance to
counter the terrorist’s messages of hate and bigotry, a promise of life to
counter the terrorist’s message of death.
Our ideals of love, acceptance and life need to be shared within our
community regularly so that eventually the message of love spreads all over the
globe. The strongest weapon against violence is ourselves, acting in peace.
My parents always urged me to be nice and reminded me that
I have only one life. I therefore should take the challenge of making one individual
smile. Success would give me the added pleasure of basking in the warmth
reflected from that smile. I have found
that a smile unfailingly formed a human connection. A connection that made you
want to nurture and protect one another.
I wonder if any one could hurt another if they read the
simple poem I wrote.
Our home is the Earth
Our Roof
the Sky
We
breathe the same Air
And gaze on the same Stars
That makes the night bright.
We may
live in different skins
Have
different beliefs
But must
remember the sameness
We all
share to live.
To live
together happily
To
Survive,
To Thrive
We must join in
Peaceful Harmony.
Love is
ever flowing
Within the hearts
Of all Mankind
It
whispers in the years
Of the memories of the mind
Walks the path of life Divine.
Let’s not
fight
Let’s
embrace, Let’s Unite.
Pass on the Peace with the White Peace Ribbon and make
someone SMILE.
Professor Biswa Nath Datta Elected
Northern
Illinois University's Biswa Nath Datta, a Presidential Research Professor was
elected as an Academician of the Academy of Nonlinear Sciences (ANS), Moscow on
June 3, 2002. The ANS is an international organization with its headquarters in
Moscow. Members are recognized for their leadership and exceptional
contributions in mathematics, mechanics, control theory and modeling.
Professor Datta was presented with a diploma certifying
his admittance to the Academy as a Member by the current President, Academician
V. M. Matrosov, following Professor Datta's one-hour plenary address at a
meeting sponsored by the ANS and International Federation on Nonlinear Analysis
(IFNA).
During his invited trip to Russia, Datta also delivered
talks at the Summer School for Young Russian Scientists, Rostov State
University, Rostov-on-Don and at the colloquium lecture at St. Petersburg State
University, St. Petersburg.
Professor Datta is scheduled to deliver talks at several
international conferences on theoretical linear algebra, computational
mathematics to control theory and vibration analysis etc. in China, Mongolia,
Poland and Brazil, including the 8th IEEE International Conference on Methods
and Modeling in Automation and Robotics in Poland.
Datta is also a consultant to Boeing Company and Wolfram
Research Inc., the world's leading technical software company. His mathematical
and computational techniques aim at improving performance and design safety in
autos, aircraft, bridges, buildings and highways. He has served as a
distinguished visiting professor and research scientist at major universities
and research laboratories worldwide. He was also awarded a plaque last year in
Turkey at the International Conference on "Nonlinear Analysis and
Nonlinear Modeling".
Twilight on the Yamuna
a Novel
by
Dhrubajyoti
Bhattacharya
Dhrubajyoti Bhattacharya, son of Pranab and Indira
Bhattacharya, has published a novel "Twilight
on the Yamuna". This book, now available in Barnes and Nobles, is a
work of literary fiction that addresses many themes surrounding the
Indian-American identity.
Twilight on the
Yamuna traces the footsteps of Sandy, a
young South-Asian girl, whose search for love and truth brings her face to face
with a world no longer separated by stereotypes and presumptions. At first glance,
it is a tale of mystery and love, but upon closer inspection, it compels the
more observant reader to ponder over the values that shape contemporary Indian,
American, and Indian-American identities within the United States, and back in
India. The story draws the reader deep into a mystery that by the end, raises
as many questions as it does answers.
This book has
been reviewed by noted authorities in our Indian-American community including
Clinton B. Seely, Co-Chairman & Professor, of the Department of South Asian
Languages and Civilizations, at the University of Chicago. Writes Professor
Seely in his review, “his versatility as a scientist, ..artist, musician and
poet has enabled him to appreciate the ambiance of a city that thrives off its
multiculturalism and diversity. This is central to his creation of multifarious
plots and characters that intertwine in the course of his novel to shed light
on the underlying themes of his work”.
The Bhattacharyas used to live in Westmont, but have just
moved to Columbus, Ohio.
Congratulations to Mallika and Sumit Roy, on the birth of
their son, Diganta Roy born on August 1, 2002.
Congratulations to Satarupa and Abhijeet Biswas, on the
birth of their daughter Abhirupa born on August 5, 2002.
Timothy Bhattacharya, son of Dr. Ben and Bani
Bhattacharya, married Sangeeta Kaushik, on 20th July at Boston. Our
congratulations to the young couple and wishes for a long and happy married
life !
Soma Ray, daughter of Sanjit and Rina Ray, wedded Dr.
Ankur Patel on 27th July in Chicago. We wish the very best for a long and happy married life to this
young married couple.
PREVIEW
“Ya Devi Sarvabhuteshu Skatirupeno
Sangsthita…” the chants of Mahaloya
shloka renders the air with power and passion, interspersed by devotional
songs, accompanied by the sounds of conch shells, tablas, cymbals and harmonium. But this is not the Mohaloya on
the A.I.R from Kolkata, but sounds emanating from a basement in Naperville,
where rehearsals are in full swing for ‘Mahisasur
Mardini’. This is a major production for Durga Puja this year, planned and
designed by Neela Dasgupta, with music direction by Anusree Chatterjee. BAGC
members have been treated to entertaining presentations of this before in
earlier Pujas, but this year the musical tribute is being enhanced by a
dance-drama, choreographed by a panel of dance directors of BAGC. The colorful
musical dance-drama, to be performed on prime time on Saturday evening will
have in the cast, Devi Durga herself,
Mahisasur, accompanied by a band of Devatas and Asuras. Participated by a large section of BAGC members, this is
surely going to be a great entertainer and a highlight of this year’s cultural
show.
This
year’s cultural menu is varied, colorful, entertaining and novel. On October 18th,
the starting day of the Pujas, Monica Mazumdar and Smita Sarkar will inaugurate
the function with their ‘pushpanjali’
Bharat Natyam dance as a tribute to the Goddess. This will be followed by a ‘Shruti Natok’, composed and directed by
Indrani Mondal. This ‘read-aloud play’, about the travails of modern living,
has its lighter moments, interspersed by moments of loneliness, loss and
trauma, which makes it so dramatic. The evening will end musically with the
songs of Nazrul and modern genre, rendered soulfully by Som Datta Basu a
promising, rising singer from Kolkata.
Saturday
October 19th is the highpoint of Durga Puja. This year for the first
time in BAGC history, there will be a
‘Premiere’ film show in the afternoon, of none other than ‘Narak Gulzar’, (previously famous as Manoj Mitra’s play) directed
by the great film director Nitish Mukherjee. This hilarious satire is a
commentary on the corrupt society, where the nexus of landlord, corrupt police, ‘maastaan’ et al exploit the poor
common man. The evening program will have an entertainer play ‘Khela Jokhon’ by Samaresh Mazumdar
followed by the highlight event ‘Mahisasur
Mardini’. The play ‘Khela Jokhon’ is
a hilarious social comedy, written, directed,
and acted by Samaresh Mazumdar and performed by his troupe from Kolkata. The
entire play is designed in the pattern of the famous TV show K.B.C. (Kaun Bonega Krorepati).
On
Sunday, October 20th , on the final day of the celebrations, there
will be other great events. You have seen ‘Jungle Book’ on screen before; now
see it on stage as a musical dance drama being performed by children of all
ages, as well as adults. See Mowgli prancing in the jungles with Sher Khan,
Baloo, wolves and monkeys, all to the catchy music of Jungle Book. The
potpourri of dances will present a mix Indian classical, Western, tribal and
folk styles in this ‘Beauty’ production
of Taposhi Jarvis. Next we will
see ‘Shomodorshi’, a comedy by our very
own BAGC troupe, directed by Anjan Roy. Finally as a culminating item to the
3-day cultural odyssey, we will be treated to a garland of Baul songs, by Tajul
Imam, a singer from New York. Enjoy Tajul’s inimitable style as he sings Baul
on stage dressed in totally in Baul attire: Saffron robe, turban, ektara et
al.
So all
in all, this will be a tremendous festival this year, something we are
excitedly waiting for.
And that is not all ….. there may be
another pleasant surprise awaiting: an exhibition of art and photographs by our
very own star artists and photographers. Relax and enjoy this beautiful
presentation of art and pictures during your leisure hours in the Puja
festival. You will have pleasant memories to go back home with.
BAGC PICNIC 2002
Kanishka Chaudhuri
15th July - the BAGC picnic day turned out to
be a God-given day for a picnic. It was warm but not hot, sunny without a
blazing sun, breezy but not windy - it was a BEAUTIFUL day.
The venue of the picnic was the same as that of last year
– Busse Woods. Driving in through the entrance we saw the yellow poster saying
‘BAGC’ and the colorful balloons, which assured us that we were at the right
place. The ‘Woods’ were as bountifully green as they could be and everybody
seemed to be in high spirits and in the ‘mood’ to sweat it out and have fun.
The picnic started off with the customary heavy and
delicious brunch – this time it was mouth-watering tandoori chicken along with
delicious pav-bhaji. While the people helped themselves to the food, the picnic
organizers got busy in setting up the stage for the various activities of the
day. Before long one could see the volleyball court being set up on one side of
the ground and the cricket pitch being laid on the other side. The volleyball
matches drew a lot of interest amongst the crowd as various teams were formed
and the players sweated it out in middle. On the other hand, the cricket match
became pretty intense as many of the players became very serious about the
game, while their teams emulated the fate of the Indian cricket team. While the
guys immersed themselves in games, the ladies kept themselves busy with playing
Frisbee and cards but mostly harmless banter and chitchat.
One of the attractions of the picnic that sought a fair
amount of attention from everyone was the Dino
Jump, a large red and blue inflatable ballooned structure of a dinosaur
that had a jumping bed for kids inside its tummy. The kids had a gala time
inside the Dino Jump jumping to their
hearts content. To make matters more dramatic, the Dino Jump collapsed/deflated with a few kids trapped inside. Many a
heart skipped a beat as they saw that huge ballooned structure come down in
front of their eyes. The organizers
came to the rescue immediately before matters could go out of hand. All the
kids who were trapped inside were taken out safely and the Dino Jump was inflated again.
Soon it was time for lunch and everybody queued up for a
scrumptious Chinese meal of Chili Chicken, Noodles and Gobi Manchurian followed
by a tasty Mango Ice cream for dessert. The organizers made sure that not a
moment went by without any excitement as they scheduled other activities like
Bingo, Tug-of-war, Treasure Hunting, musical chairs and other such games. The
competitive and fun spirit of our Bengali community was visible through these
activities as the people thoroughly enjoyed themselves.
Soon the various activities rolled onto the gala event of
the day – the long awaited Mohan Bagan – East Bengal football match. The
ambience of this match was flawlessly set up with goal posts and sidelines.
Soon the players flaunting the green-maroon and the red-yellow jerseys were all
over the field. Even the referee had his black jersey and whistle! As the match
progressed the spectators flocked around the two goal posts to cheer their
teams. Live commentaries of the match could be heard from various corners with
colorful anecdotes. The match was closely fought during the first half but the
second half was dominated by East Bengal who went on to win the match 4 - 2. It
was interesting to note the comments flying around at the end of the match – “Jiyo pagla, ki dilam…Ilish mach jindabad”,
“dur dur ... amra to matro noy jon
chilam, aar ora tero jon … Ora to jitbei”, etc over cups of refreshing
jal-jeera water at the end.
As the eventful day came to an end everybody started
heading for their respective destinations with a tired but content smile on
their faces. One could see that they had a great time and a few were already
looking forward to the next year’s picnic.
Entertainment 2002 or BAGC X-Travaganza, started on a hot
summer evening at the Triton College auditorium. The first item on the menu was
Swarnavilla written by Partho
Chattopadhya and directed by Biplab Chatterjee. In the story a Bombay
businessman Kalyan Roy is trying to get out of bankruptcy and Calcutta
businessman Sunanda Sen is his biggest creditor. Kalyan meets Prodipta on a
train trip back to Bombay and immediately discovers that Prodipta is carrying a
notebook, with Ananda Sen's name on it. The notebook convinces Kalyan Roy that
Prodipta must be Ananda Sen, the runaway son of Sunanda Sen. (By the way, even
in India, notebooks are not considered as a valid I.D.) Hence, with help from
his wife and attractive daughter Bobby, he plots a plan so that Prodipta,
a.k.a. Ananda, will become his son-in-law. Another Bombay-ite Sushanta, in the
meantime, is courting Bobby. We are then introduced to Swati, who lives and
works in Swarnavilla as a housekeeper. Swati is supposed to be the "Bibek"
(soul) of this drama. At the end, Kalyan Roy's scheme fails and Prodipta ends
up leaving Swarnavilla with Swati.
On the whole, the drama did not impress me. I was looking
for a better build-up of inter-character tensions and pertinent emotional
reaction to certain dramatic events. What we generally call in Bengali
"Darshak-ke dhare rakha" (to completely hypnotize the audience) did
not come through at all. Use of sound bytes was average and there was not much
execution of lighting. The latter may have been due to inadequate lighting
technology available in the auditorium. The use of the stage was confusing to
say the least. I did not understand why half of the stage was devoted to
Prodipta's room while 95% of the time, the actors are in the living room of Swarnavilla
using the other half of the stage. The director could have definitely used the
whole stage for the living room and come up with something creative to specify
Prodipta's room. If you remember the stage settings for Sayak's drama a few
years ago, you will definitely know what I am talking about.
The quality of acting ranged from extraordinary to
mediocre. Sonali and Sankar Chakraborty (as Mrs. Roy and Sushanta) were
incredible. Sonali had a lot of acting opportunities with the familiar Bengali
idiosyncrasies and she fully utilized them. It is very rare to see good comedy
character acting from a Bengali actress, and the audience was really thrilled.
However, the real credit goes to Sankar. His physical acting to portray a
character who is younger, was outstanding and very convincing. The rest of the
cast were average and received what we know as "meets expectation"
rating. The only exception to me was Indrani Halder as Swati. She had enough
opportunity to offer a good performance to justify the name recognition she
carries. She had the physical demeanor; however, she did not present anything
except showcasing her sari collection. It may work for cinema, but in theater,
strong acting is still a must to impress the audience. I heard somewhere
"cinema glorifies fantasy where as theater portrays reality" or
something like that. If it were the work of local amateur group in Chicago, I
would have been keener to give it higher marks. However, our expectations are
always higher for artists from Calcutta. Out of five stars, Swarnavilla gets
only two stars.
The second program was a drama skit by Shankar and Sonali.
There is nothing to write about this skit except that Shankar and Sonali used
the full extent of their talents in limited opportunity. They definitely could
have chosen a better topic for their skit.
The third program was Miss JoJo's pop song singing. She
disappointed us by not singing popular Bengali oldies and she disappointed us
even more when she sang her own songs. Her dancing together with all BAGC kids
and the cast members of Swarnavilla was entertaining.
It was a
good Saturday night outing and I am thankful to BAGC for providing the
opportunity.
CHICAGO
A SIGHTSEER'S TOUR
Amongst
the abundance of greenery in and around Chicago, the Arboretum, Botanic Garden
and Grant Park are probably the best known. However, my favorite is the
Garfield Park Conservatory on Central Park Avenue, just north of Eisenhower
Expressway. Since November of 2001, it has become a museum gallery for the
famous artist and glass sculptor Dale Chihuly. This stunning exhibit called
"A Garden of Glass", showcases wondrous, colorful, glass art
creations, complimenting not only the astonishing array of plants inside the
conservatory, but also the soaring glass architecture that houses the plants.
So, you get to see two beauties for the price of one! And the best part is,
admission is absolutely free!
We had just arrived in Chicago during the summer of 1979.
I had two young children and no job. I dragged my poor children to a lot of
sightseeing places, some world-famous, like the Art Institute, and others, less
frequented, like the Museum of Surgery and the Goethe Institute. After a while
my children refused to accompany me anywhere, being super-saturated with
culture, education and boredom. Garfield Park was an exception.
Surprisingly, I have never seen any other Indian person
there! Usually, wherever you go, you see scores of "Desis". One of my white American friends once told me,
"You Indians are everywhere, like bacteria!" But not in Garfield
Park! That could be because it has been perceived as a bad neighborhood. The
first time I went there in 1979, my husband dropped me off on his way to work.
I had barely stepped out of the car, when he zoomed off in a great hurry! He
had spotted a few unsavory-looking characters wandering around in the park. He
wasn't particularly concerned about my safety, but thought his own life was in
danger! He believed in the adage: "There is life without wife, but there
is no wife if you have no life!" Of course, nothing happened. The bums
were perfectly harmless. In no way did they dampen my enjoyment of the sheer
beauty that surrounds you when you are in this greenhouse, the largest in the nation.
Once inside, you totally forget about the outside world; it is like a dream
world (Swapnapuri)!
As soon as you walk into the palm house, you see a
beautiful cobalt blue twisted tangled tower of glass. It looks as if a peacock
has been transformed into glass due to an angry "Muni's Abhishap" (curse)! All around you,
you see the more permanent inhabitants of the palm house, like the Traveler's
Palm tree (Pantha Taru). Then, as you
move from room to room, you are magically transported into far-away continents.
In each room, Chihuly creations are displayed in such a way that they appear to
naturally belong there. The glass sculptures are iridescent and eye-catching.
Yet, they also blend in with the branches, leaves and the flowers. There are
chandeliers hanging from the ceiling, baskets nestled in trees, balls floating
in the pond and tall thorny structures amongst the cacti. There is a children's
garden, where they can run around playing "hide and seek", a
labyrinth where adults can search for inner calm and a "Monet's
Garden", complete with water lilies.
Throughout the year, the Chicago Park District conducts
many different activities where you can learn about gardening, composting,
flower arranging, honey tasting, even pickling. You can even display your wackiest
home-grown vegetables and win a prize! I never miss the seasonal flower shows.
Whenever I hear the phrase, "the best things in life are free", I
always think of Garfield Park Conservatory.
PLATE
FOR PALATE
Tuna Stuffed Mushroom
Medium size fresh Mushroom - 2
Lbs
Tuna (in water) 6 oz Can - 5
Onion, medium size, chopped - 5 nos
Potato, medium size, peeled and sized to ½”
cube - 3 nos
Vegetable oil ( Canola, etc) - ½ Cup (125 ml)
Peas, Frozen (optional) - 4 oz
Salt - 1 ½ tea spoon
Turmeric - 1 teaspoon
Ginger paste - 5 teaspoons
Tomato paste - 1 teaspoon
Chili powder (optional) - ½ teaspoon
Cardamon, slightly opened - 4 cloves
Clove - 8 to 10 pcs
Cinnamon stick, ½ " size - 3 or 4 pcs
Bayleaf - 5 or 6
Egg - 2
Bread crumb - ¼ cup
Drain
out water from the Tuna and set aside. In a wok, fry Potatoes and Onions on
oil, adding gradually Bayleaf, Cardamon, Clove and Cinnamon stick to it. Mix
properly and continue the process. When the Onions turn brown, add drained Tuna
and after mixing it for a while add Salt, Turmeric, Ginger and Tomato paste
with brisk stirring till the whole thing become homogeneous. Add Peas and
water- just enough to cook the potatoes and cover with a lid. When the potatoes
are soft enough, remove the lid and stir the whole thing to make it almost dry.
After cooling, smash the potatoes, peas and uniformly mix it with Tuna. Set
aside.
In a
colander, wash the Mushrooms after gently discarding the stalks. Spread
aluminum foil on a baking tray and smear it with a little butter. Whip the eggs
in a flat bowl. Stuff the Mushroom with cooked Tuna mix, dip it into whipped
egg and arrange it in the tray with the rounded side of the mushroom touching
the tray. Spread Bread crumb on the stuffed side. Place the tray in oven
preheated to 375 degrees and keep it for 10 to 15 minutes until the mushroom
skin become brownish. Serve it warm as appetizer. ENJOY!
Ananda
noted the e-mail reminder from his mother, “Please keep the last weekend of
October free! That is the Durga Puja weekend for BAGC. ” He went to the kitchen
to give his mother a hug. “I love to pray to goddess Durga standing next you”,
he told his mother. His mother said, “I love it too! I am glad that we can be
together to worship on that special day. Thousands of years ago Ram, the human
king god, wanted to conquer Ravana, the evil king. So, he arranged for a special worship to the goddess of power,
Durga, to seek her blessings. Ram showed that even gods must be devoted!” Then,
she told him the story of Sabari’s devotion. “One day, Ram was wondering
through the forest with his companions. Soon, they became hungry and tired.
They came across a penniless young woman, named Sabari. All her life, she
waited for Ram while surviving in the forest by collecting wild fruits and
nuts. She was very happy to see him finally. After fetching water and seats for
Ram’s party, she brought out a large plate of fruits. However, Ram’s companions
became very angry because a bite was taken out of every single fruit on the
plate. They did not like the fact that half eaten fruits were offered to the
king god. Without paying any attention to his companions, Ram ate everything on
the plate. Later he explained, ‘Sabari showed her great devotion to me by
checking each fruit. She made sure that none of them were poisonous or bitter.’
After fulfilling her duties in the world, Sabari went to heaven with Ram’s
blessings.”
POEMS
- Written by Kids
Kasturee
Dasgupta
I like God because He made me
alive.
I like God because He made me survive.
He is nice and kind,
He is who I could always find.
He makes me happy and sad but sometimes mad
I like God no matter what!
Red
Red is a rose,
Red are the fall leaves
The autumn wind blows.
Red is a sports car
Swift as a jet.
Ferrari, Lamborghini,
Camaro, Corvette.
Strawberries, cherries, and apples are found.
Red are the corrected mistakes,
Red is the spot upon Jupiter’s face.
Red are the stripes on the flag waving high
Also seen on the fire truck rushing rapidly by.
The first color of the rainbow and
of crimson blood,
Red can be seen within love, war, and
emotions a’ flood.
Sean
S. Chatterjee
Life is unique in it's very own
way,
We each face happiness and sorrow everyday.
We succumb to new adventures and open
ourselves
to new horizons.
But what does this mean to us?
One simple message:
Live life to the fullest, for you never know what
will happen next.
There was a girl in pearls,
She went to the store to buy a puppy,
The girl was nice,
The puppy wanted ice,
The girl gave him a tray,
The puppy shouted hurrayyyyy!
On
August 25, 2002, the annual "Children's Day" was held at the Cutting
Hall in Palatine. The venue was a large
improvement from last year. They had a
stage and two people from the hall stayed to help with sound and lighting. The day's festivities were started with the
singing of the Indian national anthem by six year old, Ahona Mazumder. The children, and their parents, enjoyed the
comedy of the two MC's, Sonali Nath, and Preeti Nath, who changed in and out of
14 different outfits throughout the program.
Many children from age three through seventeen performed their various
talents. The BAGC was glad to see so
many children eager to show their diverse skills. Forty-four participants performed songs, poems, dances, stories,
and skits. Children also showed their
musical talents by playing the piano, violin, and keyboard. One twelve-year-old even recited the whole
fifteenth chapter of the Bhagavad-Gita. Various talents were performed and all the children
had a blast. To make the program even
more entertaining, the MC's played a little game with the children. All of the youth were separated into two
groups. A group of three to six year
olds, and a group of seven to twelve year olds. The kids were asked several questions about movies, animals,
songs, and popular television shows.
All of the children were given prizes at the end. Many of the youth also performed musical
pieces and songs that were in English, instead of Bengali or Hindi. It was interesting to see a Bengali song
followed by an American song fit together so well. The audience got to see a diverse range of acts and
performances. The last act of the program
was a performance of the Star Spangled Banner, the United States National Anthem,
on the violin.
After the program, children were treated to a meal of
fried chicken and potatoes from Kentucky Fried Chicken. The parents were given sweets and masala moori. There were many more
adults at this year's children's day than the past couple of years. Even people who did not have children
performing came to watch the youth.
After all of the festivities, not a single bit of chicken or masala moori, was left over. All
of the kids, parents, relatives, and friends had a great time at BAGC
Children's Day 2002. We hope to see a
great turnout like this next year.
MY
LITTLE ANGEL
A little whimper, a slow cry and then a loud 'whoah'! Up
you lazy bones, up and about! I can almost hear those words as my baby all of
14 months wakes up early Sunday morning. Aborting all attempts at going back
into the covers, we rush into her room only to find her chuckling and grinning
between her constant sucking at the pacifier.
I run down and prepare a bottle, while daddy dearest gets
into the hugging routine. And thus begins our weekend ritual. We call India and
after the usual pleasantries, it's 'lets see what Guddi has picked up this
week' time! She shows off her latest traits with elan and a proud smile rushes
through her Daddy's face. Having exchanged all there was to talk about we say
our goodbyes and it's time to get ready for yet another day.
I have to
prepare lunch for us, Guddi's meals and in between all this there's that
impending desire to go for yet another shopping spree! I come to truce with
myself and go into the kitchen. A little shopping won't kill anyone, but I have
to get this lunch out of the way! Between managing Guddi and calls to her Dad I
finish chopping the vegetables, lunch is halfway through ...... yuhooo!
It's almost 3 PM, we're done with lunch. The shopping idea
has been shelved. I force out a 'It was very tasty' from Bishu and then we all
watch the ever interesting 'football match'. Do I have to endure this! I opt
for playing with Guddi instead. Not that it's fun screaming at a doll or making
odd faces but definitely better than football.
Close to 7:30 PM, Guddi is back into her high chair. I can
see the ' I hate you guys' written all over her face. We're both playing circus
clowns trying hard to get our princess to eat. With war crys and loud shrieks
and grins, we manage to finish the last Gerber jar.
8:00 PM ..... time for Guddi to go to bed. Now wait, that
isn't even half as simple as it sounds. Her dad takes her aside and slowly
begins to pat her. He's got magic I tell you. I watch the two from a distance.
My little angel. Did someone say there was heaven on earth, I know I've seen
it!
DEVDAS
OF LOVE AND LOSS
As a Bengali I was thrilled to see, Devdas, one of Sarat
Chandra Chattopadhyay’s earliest stories of early 20th century Bengal (written
around 1900-1901) made into the biggest budget Hindi mega-movie ever, by super
show director Sanjay L. Bhansali. But
in a sense that is the problem.
It has been said of Shakespearean plays that almost all
his tragedies involve kings, queens and princes probably because tragedies
involving royalty, with its abundant material joys, only makes any loss or pain
deeper and more intense in contrast. Maybe Bhansali took his cue from this and
so has chosen lavish and extravagant sets and scenes as the background of this
small town tragedy. But the problem is
that though these sets and scenes have added expanse and color to a
not-so-great tale (as was admitted by Sarat Chandra himself) of a misguided,
albeit star-crossed lover, Devdas, they have not been able to place the story
in any authentic historical period or milieu.
The result is confusing to say the least. The women in the movie have attire that is supposed to depict
Bengal renaissance with make-up of the post 20th century! And as for Devdas it wouldn’t be unjustified
to comment that the director was so busy concentrating on the actresses’
appearance that he totally ignored the male lead. As a result in his first appearance Devdas seems to be a modern
college graduate on a first job interview with a hilariously incongruous hat!
But more serious than the period flaws are the intrinsic
logical errors in the story line and the uneasiness it causes in those who are
familiar with the original story. The movie,
not the story, opens with Devdas returning from studies abroad. He is shown to have a strong attraction,
even if you prefer not to call it love, for Paru (unaccountably pronounced
‘Paro’ throughout the movie) and seems to know what he is doing when he seeks
her company often to the annoyance of his own zamindar family. In this
scenario it is hard to fathom why the energetic and adventurous Devdas seems
suddenly unsure and unresponsive when Paru visits him at night to nudge him
into proposing to her. He later leaves
in a huff and writes a thoroughly obnoxious letter to Paru clumsily trying to
explain away his erstwhile ardor as a boy-next-door fling.
Let it be said to Sarat Chandra’s credit that although in
his story he does write about Paru’s nocturnal rendezvous and Devdas’s letter
from Calcutta, Devdas himself is never portrayed as being so discerning of his
feeling for Paru as to deem it love or any other kind of attraction. That makes his reactions to her gestures
more understandable in the story, unlike the disoriented love-lorn (is that the
impression we’re supposed to get?) rather lost adolescent, Devdas appears to be
in the movie. As a story Devdas is
nowhere near the other great stories Sarat Chandra has written. To make it into a movie with a flimsier and
more inconsistent story line is even worse.
As far as Paru is concerned in the movie the leading
lady’s overly made-up face always seems in the way of appreciating her acting
prowess. Actually one cannot help
wondering why she is so heavily made-up in the first place? But then with a face as beautiful as that we
are often ready to forgive her anything.
Unfortunately Devdas does not.
He hits her on her wedding day.
Wonder how Bhansali, a lady’s man, let that pass without more ado!
The second half of the movie contains some redeeming
features. Chandramukhi’s character, although it could do with a little more
subtlety and suggestion, has been played with a force, sincerity and charm that
is truly remarkable. As you watch this
emotive performance you just may, for the first time, feel a tug at your heart
strings.
It is interesting to note that certain newer elements
incorporated into the story faired better than expected. For instance, although I had misgivings
about how Bhansali would bring the two women in Devdas’s life together, the
smoothness and ease with which this is achieved shows that the director has
indeed acquainted himself with Bengali culture. But Chandramukhi’s speech after a dance sequence with Parvati
(which was so unrelated to the Thakurain
image that it seemed to be a clip from another movie) was loud and incongruous
in that setting. However this little
histrionics that was calculated to cater to the ‘awakened’ woman in all of us,
has been performed with such power and pathos that for a minute you forget to
ponder why it is there at all. Indeed Bhansali knows what to say, to whom and
how to say it.
After exploring some of the twists and turns of this
supposed tear-jerker about unlucky lovers, a patent theme for Hindi movies
anyway, it wouldn’t be fair to end without paying tribute to the fact that
Bhansali has tried to instill an expanse and grandeur (I’m cautious about using
the word epic) into this simple Bengali story thus giving it a much bigger
forum and a wider audience. The
glorious locales and sets, the lighting, effects and decor often take your
breath away and are a visual treat. It
is a movie not for the head or even for the heart but for the eyes per se. Bhansali is really out to please
his audience.
Couple of years
ago, I remember watching an interesting movie, 'Great Expectations',
interesting because the director had picked up Dickens' story and placed it in
a different more contemporary milieu. Bhansali would have done well to take the
lead from that innovative piece of film making. The outcome would probably have
been a more relevant 'Devdas' remembered longer.
However the residual point of interest is that Bhansali
has incorporated popular Bengali words (though heavily accented) into the script,
snatches of Bengali song and paalki
rhythm, Bengali attire and hair style specially for the women in his
movie. That is why inspite of its
shortcomings the movie has achieved what most Bengali writers and scholars
still dream about - Indianization even globalization of Bengal. And for a Bollywood Hindi movie that is no
small feat.
The summer is almost over. By the time you would be reading this,
the light jackets and sweaters would have already come out of their four month
long hibernation and made their way into your closet again. The days of outdoor
fun and games are going to get over soon.
That is why we have planned out a couple of more events in
the coming weeks: Golf and Bowling. The details are all given below. This is
your last chance to be a winner at any BAGC organized sporting event. Come on,
join in.
On a sad note, I have to mention that the Mini-Golf
tournament and dinner outing that we had planned for the ladies, did not
materialize. The event had to be cancelled due to lack of any participants. It
had the potential of being an enormously joyous evening for the female folk. As
I had said at the beginning of the year, my primary goal, as the Sports Coordinator, is to make the
ladies participate more in the sporting events. This mini-golf event was such
an endeavor. There could have been several reasons why the event turned out to
be such a flop: one being that the children’s day program was just round the
corner, and all the moms were probably busy running helter-skelter with their
kids for rehearsals and practice. Anyway, I only wish and hope that this lack
of enthusiasm among ladies this time was a one-off incident, and that they will
participate in large numbers in future events in the coming years. But wait,
you don’t have to wait till “coming years”! How about bowling on a Saturday
afternoon? Check details below.
On a different note: I would like to invite all of you who
are cricket enthusiasts to contact me. Some of us BAGC members along with some
other men of the Indian community in the Chicago-land area are trying to form a
cricket team that will participate in the local cricket league and also play a
lot of other matches. It will be extremely enjoyable. If we have enough
participants, we can then even have a team under the BAGC banner! So, if you
have ever hit a cricket ball in your life, and are willing to shed some sweat
during a weekend morning, contact me soon.
Hope to see you
all in good health during the days of Puja. Those fun-filled three days are
something that all Bengalis wait for all year. As always, all our sporting
event winners will be awarded trophies and medals during the pujas. Keep a good
health, and have fun.
Inviting Durga Puja Volunteers
BAGC needs volunteers for helping out in different activities
during the Durga Puja festival. Please contact the following if you are
interested in volunteering your help for any activity: Your help will be much
appreciated.
1. Puja Antara
Nath / Nandini Basu
2. Cultural Activities Shilpa Dutta / Ananya Roy
3. Facilities and Transportation Sumit Roy
4. Food Services Biswaprasad
Nath / Abhijeet Biswas
5. Samaj Sangbad Jasendu
Chakraborty / Shubham Sanyal
6. Photography of Events Dibyendu Mukherjee
Caring Hearts Community Drive
BAGC will be doing a community drive to aid At-Risk Infants and
Youth and Homeless Families through The Volunteer Center of Northwest Suburban
Chicago
Please
contribute Cleaning Supplies (window clears, kitchen cleaners, bathroom
cleaners, laundry detergent, sponges/wipes), Paper Goods (paper towels, toilet
paper, kleenex, napkins), Baby Items (diapers, formula), Toiletries (soaps,
shampoo, toothbrushes/toothpaste, lotions)
For more details please contact Nina Palit at 847-202-9440
FREE
VAN SERVICE
TO BAGC DURGA PUJA
BAGC will run a free
van service between Bartlett Metra Station and Streamwood High School on
Saturday, 19th October for
students and others
who need a ride to the Puja venue
The
van will leave from Bartlett Station at 11:30 AM in the morning ( Metra departs
Union Station at 10:30 AM - Milwaukee District West Line ) and drop the
passengers back to the station at 10 PM the same day. Please send e-mail to
CommunityService@bagc.net if you wish to avail the service.
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