Michigan India Community Blog

"The Sky Below" to be screened at Michigan State University

2010-03-11T04:45:00.005-05:00

"The Sky Below" a documentary film which looks back at the division of India and Pakistan back in 1947, will be screened on March 18th in Room B106 of Michigan State University's Wells Hall. Admission is free. Director Sarah Singh of "The Sky Below" will be present at the screening. A Q&A and a reception will follow the film.

(via Lansing City Pulse)

Anuja Rajendra of Ann Arbor mentioned in "The Hindu"

2010-03-08T06:41:00.006-05:00

Congratulations to the Talented Anuja Rajendra of Ann Arbor, Michigan for being mentioned in today's edition of "The Hindu" in Life & Style / Metroplus section, under the title "Jive to the Beat". Anuja was the choreographer who taught the silver medal Ice Dancing skaters Meryl Davis and Charlie White at the recently concluded Winter Olympics at Vancouver, the basics of Indian dance, made suggestions for music and spent months helping to put together the choreography.

Here's a quote from the article

The movements of skaters Meryl Davis and Charlie White are Bollywood tango, and the music is from “Devdas”. Anuju Rajendra, who combines Bollywood music and dance with exercise at her BollyFit studio in Ann Arbor, Michigan, is credited with showing them the Indian dance style and suggesting the music. Couldn't have chosen a better tune to enlarge the fan base, Meryl told an interviewer.

Congratulations Anuja!!

mibihar.com - a new community website in Michigan

2010-03-04T20:31:00.010-05:00

Check out mibihar.com, a new community website in Michigan

Rachna Bardaiyar Kumar launched mibihar.com early this year (2010), with philanthropic vision and a sense of service for all.

The website title “Friends of Bihar and Jharkhand in Michigan” is a tribute to the great states of Bihar and Jharkhand in India. These two states not only have a rich culture, heritage and history, but the natives of these states have moved on to be very successful and productive members of the community. Bihar and Jharkhand however, has also endured years of corrupt politicians and their conniving politics, leading to a social and economic downfall of the states. Fortunately, today these both states are back on the road to recovery with the joint efforts of all Indians. “Friends of Bihar and Jharkhand in Michigan” under the web name mibihar.com is a similar attempt to energize those efforts by a group of local members of the Michigan community.

mibihar.com offers a multitude of options for its visitors. Everyone is welcome to visit and provide feedback. There are easy to navigate menus catering to the various needs of all its viewers. The most popular Announcements, Movers and Shakers and Young Stars sections is aimed at keeping the readers informed of the events and people All community members are strongly encouraged to participate. Posting any information, event, business or advertisement is absolutely free of cost. Join the discussion by clicking on the Forum section, or enjoy the monthly miBlog…..look at the Must Watch Videos or stop by the picture gallery!!! There is something for everyone and the best part is that YOU can be a part of it all by contributing to the website. “Friends of Bihar and Jharkhand in Michigan” Group and Fan Page can also be found on FACEBOOK!!! Join them…to follow along.

Swami Nithyananda Scandal Tweets

2010-03-04T07:58:00.003-05:00

Cross Posted from mibazaar.com

I did not hear about Swami Nithyananda up until yesterday. Now a lot of people know about Swami all over the world after news came out from India about Swami's sex tape with a Tamil Actress. There is a lot of Twitter activity from India related to #nithyananda and some of it is hilarious. I have created this Google Maps Mashup of latest #nithyananda tweets from India. The map moves on to the next tweet location after every 7 seconds.

Congratulations to Siddharth Varanasi from Canton Charter School

2010-02-28T08:34:00.006-05:00

Siddharth Varanasi won The Detroit News 2010 Spelling Bee yesterday by correctly spelling "pugilist". It was closely contested competition as Siddharth (11), a sixth-grader from Canton Charter School in Canton Township, battled it out with 60 of the best spellers from across Wayne County for about 11 rounds before the final rounds. The event was held at Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History.

Congratulations to Siddharth and to the runner up Audrey Jones, 11, a sixth-grader from Our Lady of Victory school in Northville.

Siddharth now moves on to the Scripps National Spelling Bee to be held June 2-4 in Washington, D.C. He will face 300 of the nation's top spellers, and he said he feels nervous about that competition. But he said he will step up his studying for the national bee. "I try to do it year-round," he said. "I use note cards for practice."

Read more about this story in Detroit News.

Shreelina Ghosh of Michigan travels to Kolkata for Odissi Dance Performance

2010-02-25T06:28:00.007-05:00

Michigan-based Odissi performer the talented Shreelina Ghosh will present Shivārādhanā at Gyan Mancha, Kolkata, on Sunday, 7th March 2010, at 7:00 p.m. This is a Shinjan Nrityalaya presentation.

The artist will explore and worship the facets of Shiva and his consort, Shivā (Parvati) through a collage of traditional and new choreographies. The recital will portray the inseparable duality in the universe: Matter and Consciousness, Purusha and Prakriti represented by Shiva and Pārvati, through the spiritual expressions of tāndava and lāsya.

Pakhwaj: Guru Giridhari Nayak
Sitar: Sri Sukhomoy Bhattacharya
Vocal: Sri Bishwajit Ghosh
Flute: Sri Jayanta Chatterjee

Shreelina has undergone twenty-five years of rigorous training under the able tutelage of eminent Odissi exponent, Guru Aloka Kanungo. She is currently a PhD research scholar in Cultural/ Digital/ Performative Rhetorics at Michigan State University.

Anuja Rajendra travels to Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics

2010-02-21T10:23:00.005-05:00

Anuja Rajendra from Ann Arbor, Michigan will be at the Pacific Coliseum in Vancouver tonight to see Ice Dancers Meryl Davis and Charlie White perform a Indian-themed original dance at the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics.

Why is Anuja going to be there. That's because she is the choreographer who taught the two skaters the basics of Indian dance, made suggestions for music and spent months helping to put together the choreography.

Congratulations Anuja!!

For more read Detroit Free Press and Lansing State Journal.

Michigan's Richa Gangopadhyay debuts in Telugu Film "Leader"

2010-02-18T07:26:00.004-05:00

Michigan's Richa Gangopadhyay makes her leading lady debut in AVM productions Telugu Film "Leader". Leader is releasing tomorrow Friday 19th here in Michigan at Big Cinemas, 26045 Town Center Drive, Novi, MI‎ . Please call (248) 347-3830 or visit the Big Cinemas website for more details.‎

Richa Gangopadhyay plays the role of a politician’s daughter who is the CEO of a TV Channel. Richa says that the the role she played in "Leader" is nearer to her real life nature.

I felt as if Sekhar Kammula has designed this particular role only for me. I’m a very determined person and fight for my rights. I know what I want and I work hard till I achieve them. My role in this film is also similar to what I am in real life.

Congratulations to Richa!!

Rahat Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan coming to Detroit

2010-02-17T21:45:00.004-05:00

Rahat Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan the famed Pakistani singer will be in Detroit on April 11th, 2010. He will be performing live at the Millenium Center, Southfield on Sunday April 11th, 2010 at 7.00 PM. For more details visit dhartionline.com or call Palace Entertainment at 734-255-2505 OR 586-506-0043.

About Rahat Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan (from wikipedia):

He was born in 1974 in Faisalabad, Punjab, Pakistan into a family of traditional musicians. The son of Farrukh Fateh Ali Khan, Rahat was trained by his uncle Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan in the art of classical music and Qawwali. His first public performance was at the age of ten or eleven

n a subordinate role with his uncle Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, working in collaboration with Eddie Vedder, of the American rock band, Pearl Jam, Rahat contributed to the soundtrack of the 1995 Hollywood film Dead Man Walking.

India at Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics

2010-02-13T09:24:00.010-05:00

Yes a cricket crazed nation of over a billion people did send a olympic contingent of 3 to 2010 Winter Olympics at Vancouver BC. You might also be interested to know that the local Indian community in Vancouver had to pitch in to get uniforms for the Indian Team. BBC is reporting

Vancouver's Indo-Canadian community has rallied to provide funding and uniforms for India's three-man Winter Olympics team, local press reports say.

Really sad and pathetic!! Also check out the Indian Olympic Association website. At last check I did not find any mention of the 3 athletes.

Here are the 3 olympians from India at the Winter Olympics in Vancouver. God Bless them!!

Shiva Keshavan
Participating in: Luge
Date of Birth: August 25, 1981
Birthplace: Vashisht, India

Tashi Lundup
Participating in Cross-Country Skiing
Date of Birth: October 5th, 1984
Birthplace: India

Jamyang Namgial
Participating in Alpine Skiing
Date of Birth: June 3rd, 1985
Birth Place: India

Obama will give the keynote address at the University of Michigan's commencement this spring.

2010-02-11T20:08:00.004-05:00

President Barack Obama will be in Ann Arbor this spring giving the keynote speech at this year’s commencement at University of Michigan. University President Mary Sue Coleman had this to say:

“President Obama has captured the imagination and enthusiasm of many students with his inspiring words of hope and change. We are honored to welcome a leader of his distinction and look forward to his message. We could not be happier for the graduates who will celebrate their academic achievements with the president of the United States.”

President Obama will receive an honorary Doctor of Laws degree.

This spring’s commencement will be held on May 1st at 10 AM in Michigan Stadium.

President Obama will be the fourth United States president to deliver the commencement address in Ann Arbor. In 2007, former President Bill Clinton gave the address and before him President George H.W. Bush spoke in May 1991. Lyndon Johnson was the first sitting president to address the University’s graduating class when he did in 1964. (via Michigan Daily)

Michigan launches Appliance Rebate Program

2010-02-10T17:10:00.002-05:00

The Michigan State government has launched an appliance rebate program, for washers, clothes washers, refrigerators, furnaces and water heaters.

Rebate amounts under the "Michigan Energy Efficient Appliance Rebate Program" range from $25 on new energy efficient dishwashers to $1,200 on solar water heaters. The program covers purchases made after today and isn't retroactive. The program runs through the end of the year (2010).

From Detroit News

Consumers interested in getting cash back on an appliance should first reserve a rebate, which expires if the purchase isn't made within two weeks. To reserve a rebate on refrigerators, clothes washers or dishwashers go to www.MIrebates.com or call (866) 621-8782. For furnaces and water heaters www.michrebate.com or (888) 642-4674.

(via Detroit News)

Native from India causes Detroit Metro Airport Security Breach

2010-02-09T06:55:00.009-05:00

Kaylan Policherla, 27 a native of India and who lives in Bryan, Ohio was responsible for Detroit Metro Airport Security Breach yesterday. He had no ticket or baggage and just walked up to a passenger security gate at Detroit Metro Airport and just kept going.

Mr Kaylan ignored Transportation Security Administration officers at the McNamara Terminal who repeatedly told him to stop. Emergency procedures were implemented and portion of the Terminal Building was immediately evacuated and passengers were re screened.

Police said Policherla was jolted with a Taser and taken into custody. He was charged with entering an airport in violation of security requirements, a one-year misdemeanor.

As of yesterday evening it was not clear why Policherla breached the security checkpoint at McNamara Terminal without a boarding pass or luggage. He did not respond during FBI questioning.

(via Detroit Free Press)

Bringing Offshore jobs back to Michigan

2010-02-07T23:31:00.004-05:00

Crains Detroit Business is reporting that Strategic Staffing Solutions is bringing jobs back to Southeast Michigan. S3 is opening up a new downtown Detroit contract IT employment center at Penobscot Building. The center will open in March 2010 with about 50-100 employees. President and CEO Cynthia Pasky said

the center eventually will create jobs for 437 new contract IT employees within 2 years' time.

(more at Crains Detroit Business)

Economic Times of india is reporting that System in Motion (SIM), a Michigan based start up which was launched a few months ago is planning to deliver low cost IT services from Ann Arbor and other locations.

System in Motion is promising to create more than 1,100 jobs over next five years in Michigan.

Systems in Motion is backed by several angel investors including Preetish Nijhawan, the Akamai founder, Michael G Parks, the former CIO of Virgin Mobile and Wells Fargo.

For more on this story check out Economic Times.

Fortune's Best Companies to Work for in Michigan - 2010

2010-02-06T22:00:00.006-05:00

Fortune is out with its annual list of "Fortune 100 Best Companies" to work for - 2010. There are 3 companies in the list with their Headquarters in Michigan. The Companies are

Quicken Loans
Livonia, MI
Best Company to Work For rank: 29
Employees: 2,890

Plante & Moran
Southfield, MI
Best Company to Work For rank: 66
Employees: 1,558

Herman Miller
Zeeland, MI
Best Company to Work For rank: 97
Employees: 5,646

Talented Orthopedic Surgeon from Mumbai (Bandra), India

2010-02-04T23:51:00.003-05:00

Mumbai based Dr. Dilip Nadkarni is an orthopedic surgeon specializing in treating sports and fitness-related injuries. He is a distinction holder in MBBS and a gold medalist in post-graduation in orthopedic surgery from Mumbai, India. His patients include top international sportspersons and celebrities engaged in fitness activity. Check out his website Calm Sutra.

So what else does Dr. Nadkarni do? Dr. Nadkarni is also extremely talented singer. Recently Dr. Nadkarni sang "Bandra Re Bandra" at "Celebrate Bandra Festival". Check this video out:

Community mourns the loss of Dr. Haren Gandhi

2010-01-31T11:24:00.005-05:00

Listening to Dr. Subhash Kelkar's radio program yesterday, I heard the sad news on the passing away of Dr. Haren Gandhi a Ford Motor Company researcher and the only member of the auto industry to win the U.S. National Medal of Technology and Innovation. Dr Haren Gandhi died on Jan. 23 at the age of 68. Dr. Haren Gandhi is survived by his wife Yellow, daughter Sangeeta and son Anand.

From Ford Motor Company Press Release

Dr. Gandhi joined Ford in 1967 where he distinguished himself in leading-edge research, development and implementation of automotive exhaust catalysts at the company's Research and Innovation Center.

Among Dr. Gandhi's many scientific contributions is the development of the monolithic three-way catalyst, a discovery that has revolutionized the way the automotive industry approaches emissions control.

His work has resulted in more than 70 technical publications and 53 U.S. patents in automotive exhaust catalysis and related areas, with many more patents in other countries.

In 2003, President George W. Bush presented Dr Gandhi the National Medal of Technology and Innovation in a ceremony at the White House.

DhartiOnline.com a new website for Michigan's South Asian Community

2010-01-27T23:50:00.003-05:00

Saleem Siddiqui a long time Michigan resident has just launched a brand new website - DhartiOnline.com. Indian and Pakistanis living in Michigan, are the focus of DhartiOnline, where users may shop, post ads, search for local Bollywood movies, find weekly domestic/international travel deals, locate real estate properties and everything else needed on a daily basis.

Dhartionline’s dedicated news sections keeps users up to date by providing the latest news, editorials, current affairs, and much more both on India and Pakistan. Dhartionline.com offers many benefits and features lacking by other local community websites. With plans to expand in the near future, dhartionline.com will offer other benefits such as helpful sections on immigration, education and health to name a few.

Visit dhartionline.com for more details.

Happy Republic Day - India (Check out Google India's Logo today)

2010-01-26T05:49:00.004-05:00

Today is India's 61st Republic Day. On this day in 1950, the Constitution of India came into force. Here's wishing everyone a very...very Happy Republic Day.

Google India has changed its logo today. Here's what it looks like.

Search Engine Optimization Class

2010-01-25T22:00:00.001-05:00

Nipa Shah of Jenesys Group LLC informs me that Jenesys Group is organizing a Search Engine Optimization workshop on Tuesday, January 26th, 2010 at Americenters Novi from 6.30 pm to 8.30 pm. The same will be held via a WEBINAR on Thursday, January 28th, 2010 from 6.30 to 8.30 pm.

The workshop will teach about

The three pillars of Search Engine Optimization
What makes up ideal keywords for your use
Metatags and why they are no longer enough to optimize your website
Ethical and non-ethical SEO techniques
Link building techniques
Measuring performance

For more info on the workshop visit Jenesys Group LLC.

Neeru Sharma a disabilities blogger dead at 38

2010-01-18T19:34:00.003-05:00

Neeru Sharma, a disabilities blogger for The Detroit News, died this morning in William Beaumont Hospital. Neeru was born with osteogenesis imperfecta, which causes fragile bones.

Ms. Sharma suffered a massive heart attack on Saturday (01/16) while having dinner with friends. As a result, she was put on a ventilator in order to breathe. Ms. Sharma did not recover and was disconnected from the ventilator this morning (01/18).

The world came to know of Neeru's untimely passing via her brother Naveen Sharma's facebook status update:

The world has lost a great person today, as my elder sister Neeru Sharma passed away this morning at the young age of 38 years old. Neeru was a very vibrant woman and she will be missed by all. The viewing is going to be from 3pm - 8pm on Tuesday January 19th 2010 followed by the funeral at 10am on Wed. January 20th 2010 at the same location. I am sure Neeru will love to see all her freinds there.

The viewing and funeral will be held at E. J. Mandziuk & Son Funeral Directors, Inc., 3801 18 Mile Road, Sterling Heights, MI 48314 ph: 586-997-3838.

Detroit News reports:

Ms. Sharma, a resident of Sterling Heights, worked as a long-term forecast analyst for General Motors' market & industry analysis division. She obtained a bachelors of science degree from the General Motors Institute and a master's degree from Oakland University.

"She tried to get (information) about disability awareness out," said Naveen Sharma about his sister. "She was a very independent person. She went to Europe, Denmark ... she traveled like crazy. She had millions of friends." Ms. Sharma is survived by her brother, Naveen, and her parents, Gurdev and Vimal Sharma.

Tata Technologies to add jobs in Michigan

2010-01-18T03:08:00.004-05:00

Tata Technologies Ltd, the engineering arm of India's Tata group, plans to hire 200 more engineers at its facility in Novi, MI by the end of the year. The new positions will cover a wide range of engineering functions.

The company says it provides engineering services, product development information technology services and product management lifecycle expertise to most global OEMs. Main customers in the U.S. include Chrysler, Ford and Honda as well as aircraft maker Boeing. Its work for Chrysler included upfront digital crash analysis.

Tata Technologies currently employs about 600 people in the United States, including 475 in Novi.

In addition to its North American regional headquarters in Novi, the Singapore based company operates offices in California, Illinois, Ohio, Washington and Washington D.C. in the U.S. It also has regional headquarters in Pune, India, and Luton, U.K.

(via WWJ)

Indian American coordinates US response to Haiti Earthquake

2010-01-16T08:23:00.006-05:00

Rajiv Shah who is originally from Detroit and recently sworn in as the head of the U.S. Agency for International Development, is now the coordinator of US response to Haiti Disaster.

From USA Today

Rajiv Shah is a medical doctor who also holds a degree in economics, Shah is the highest-ranking Indian American in any presidential administration, according to the Press Trust of India. Plucked from his perch leading agricultural department research programs, Shah was still finding his way around USAID’s headquarters in the Ronald Reagan Building when the earthquake struck. His agency, which is in charge of development and foreign aid, plays a lead role in international relief efforts.

Check out Rajiv Shah's bio at USAID website.

Determinism a film by twin brothers Sanjit and Ranju Majumdar

2010-01-03T21:22:00.005-05:00

Determinism is a ultra low budget feature film made by 24 year old identical twin brothers Sanjit and Ranju Majumdar. Sanjit and Ranju were born in Queens, New York to South Asian immigrant parents (father Bangladeshi, mother Indian) and raised in Pompton Lakes, a small, white, working-class town in New Jersey.

Determinism is a story about the dark side of friendship set in racially charged fictional college town in Pennsylvania, where students and drug dealers are often one and the same.

Synopsis

Alec, the film’s anti-hero, is an alienated South Asian. He’s always been an outsider, and he certainly doesn’t fit in here. New York is his Mecca. Tristan, his former best friend and a reformed cokehead, is a white guy, living with Alec’s ex-girlfriend, the beautiful, black Lynn. Tristan thinks he’s got it made.

Broke and cut off from his family after he flunks out of school, Alec sets off to free himself from the stereotypical role of “South Asian Geek” imposed upon him from birth. So opposed to typecasting that he can barely use a computer, he is determined to transcend Determinism — by any means necessary.

Karn Gill launches a new Radio Show

2010-01-01T13:06:00.004-05:00

Michigan Indian Realtor, Karn Gill has launched a brand new radio show called the "The Karn Gill Radio Show". The show airs on WNZK 690 AM every Tuesday from 8.00PM to 9.00PM. The show includes Bollywood songs, interviews with community leaders, major news and event information for the Metro Detroit Indian community.

Karn Gill started his radio show on September 15 as a way of doing as he describes:

community service (seva) for free, to entertain people, to help people, to educate people. I keep the content of the show very close to the daily life of people around here, and I do my level best to prepare for every show with quality information, lot of work but I like it, I will call it community service, because my intention is not to make single $ from it by selling air time, I will do it for free.

This is great! Karn's daughter Jaasmeen a 11th Grader from Salem High School helps her Dad out in the Radio show by taking over some segments of the show.

You can contact Karn at KarnGill [at] Hotmail [dot] com or visit his website.