Bollywood and Beyond is a 3rd i Tradition
Never been to a film festival before? Due to the pandemic, they're more accessible than ever, having pivoted to digital extravaganzas inviting people to “attend” who might not have had the chance otherwise. One of the premier festivals promoting diverse images of...
A Teen’s Writing Contest is a Much Needed Distraction
NYC, New York - I saw how devastating COVID-19 was for so many people in NYC, particularly teenagers who had to adapt their lifestyles. From switching to remote learning to finding ways to stay active and engaged, there have been a lot of changes. The one thing in...
Your Featured Life
Letters to India Currents: 10/22/20
To The Editor, I have seen how the Indian American Voters have gotten slightly disaffected by Harris/Biden/Jaipal Reddy/Ro Khanna/Ilhan Omar's stances being perceived as though against India, especially on Kashmir and Modi administration. In swing states, Indian votes...
Caring Long Distance
“Get rid of Annu right away!” The injunction came from the top. And then came an oblong package that we hadn’t ordered. It was the implement to lure us into believing that getting rid of Annu wouldn’t be as hard as we were thinking. Sinister as the plan appears to be,...
South Asians Running for Office – Ajit Varma in Palo Alto, CA
Ajit Varma is running for City Council because he wants Palo Alto to be the best place to live, raise a family, and start a company for generations to come. Ajit tells DesiCollective about his Silicon Valley dream that brought him to Palo Alto when he was just 19....
Community
A Play on Nehru’s Letters to His Daughter From Prison
In 1928, Jawaharlal Nehru was put in an Allahabad jail during India's freedom struggle. That summer he started writing letters to his 10-year old daughter, Indira, who was in Mussoorie at the time. In the first series of letters, Book of Nature, he told her the story...
Bollywood and Beyond is a 3rd i Tradition
Never been to a film festival before? Due to the pandemic, they're more accessible than ever, having pivoted to digital extravaganzas inviting people to “attend” who might not have had the chance otherwise. One of the premier festivals promoting diverse images of...
Few Gigs Left In The Gig Economy
My daughter recently moved to the Bay Area. She has a new job, her first out of college, but viewed the move with trepidation. Could she and her roommates afford west coast rents on their modest salaries? They worried about returning to their old bargain basement digs...
A Project to Activate Indian American Voices in Swing States
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed within this article are the opinions of the organization. The facts and opinions appearing in the article do not reflect the views of India Currents and India Currents does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same....
Voices
‘Beyonce Sharma Jayegi’ is More Problematic Than it Appears
From Surabhi's Notepad - A column that brings us personal essays and stories, frivolous and serious, inspired by real-life events and encounters of navigating the world as a young, Indian woman living outside India. Beyonce does not need an introduction. She is...
We Called Them Blessings
Desi Roots, Global Wings – a monthly column focused on the Indian immigrant experience. The word ‘privilege’ that has become popular in debates and discussions worldwide, reminded me of an old quote. The hardest arithmetic to master is that which enables us to count...
America in 1975
AMERICA - 1978 America And your trillion-dollar Economy And your FM stereo And your serpentine highways of lonely people Slanting westwards into the setting sun Leave me alone I am one of the starving millions of India Who you’re mommy asked you to...
In the Mighty Presence of Gandhi Ji
Every October 2nd, August 15th, January 26th, I fondly remember Gandhi Ji. I was twelve – a young idealist with big dreams for my own life and a compelling desire to see India as a free and prosperous nation, free from the bondage of two hundred years of subjugation...
Culture
A Whistling Tribute to Lata Mangeshkar
Lata Mangeshkar turned 90 a little more than one year ago, a momentous milestone in a life whose story is the very chronicle of Hindi Film Music in the post-Independence era. Any superlatives used to describe this life seem banal, and indeed many of the tributes that...
Mirzapur Returns to Prime
Under the dark cloud of COVID, watching comedy has been my panacea. Bollywood veteran villains of our childhood in India: Pran, Prem Nath, Prem Chopra, Amjad Khan, and Amrish Puri ruled the silver screen. We disliked their wicked characters but we repeated their...
Indian Matchmaking’s Pradhyuman Confronts Toxic Masculinity
If you have watched a reality show lately, chances are it was Indian Matchmaking. This particular contestant wowed many of us. He wowed us with his miso paneer recipe, his with nitrogen fox nuts, but he really wowed us by keeping his cool under pressure. Dishing out...
Pehlwan: The Migrant Warrior
Our latest story at Virtual Bharat is one from our own city—Mumbai. The city of dreams. The city of warriors. The city of migrants. This story is dedicated to the unbreakable spirit of the migrants who make Mumbai the city that it is today. The bustling financial...
Trending
South Asians Running for Office – Ajit Varma in Palo Alto, CA
Ajit Varma is running for City Council because he wants Palo Alto to be the best place to live, raise a family, and start a company for generations to come. Ajit tells DesiCollective about his Silicon Valley dream that brought him to Palo Alto when he was just 19....
South Asians Running for Office – Sumiti Mehta in Natomas, CA
Sumiti Mehta volunteered for an incredible 11 years in her school district. All those years in the classroom gave her a bird's eye view of what works and what doesn't for the schoolchildren of Natomas- the second most diverse school district in the country. Sumiti was...
South Asians Running for Office – Kuljeet Kalkat in Los Altos, CA
Kuljeet Kalkat is running for office in Los Altos. A 30 year Los Altos resident, Kuljeet is a former tech executive who is currently a realtor, and once owned a downtown business called Cranberry Scoop with his wife. Kuljeet also served as Chairman of the Los Altos...
South Asians Running for Office – Sri Muppidi in Dublin, CA
Sri Muppidi, a 25 year-old Stanford graduate, is running for city council in her hometown, Dublin. She may be one of the youngest candidates in the surge of South Asians running for office in the Bay Area - but Sri tells DesiCollective she is motivated by the urgency...
South Asians Running for Office – Harbir Bhatia in Santa Clara
Though they excel in their chosen fields, South Asians tend to 'play it safe' when it comes to running for public office, says Harbir Kaur Bhatia - who is running for a seat on the Santa Clara City Council. They tend not to venture outside of their chosen professions...
South Asians Running for Office – Belal Aftab in Saratoga
A record number of South Asians are running for political office for the very first time across California. They come from the hi-tech, finance and the non-profit sectors, but what is unique is they represent a new generation that is ready to take an important next...
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October 19 was the Last Day to Register to Vote in the November 3 Presidential Election
The deadline for voter registration is October 19 at midnight for the November 3, 2020 Presidential Election. For those who have not registered yet, please visit registertovote.ca.gov to be one of the over 1,000,000 registered voters in Santa Clara County. ...
Voters’ Pennies Could Save Caltrain
COVID-19 is hitting everyone hard, including Caltrain, the Bay Area’s commuter train line. On Nov.3, Measure RR will give voters in San Francisco, San Mateo and Santa Clara counties the opportunity to bring Caltrain back from the brink of closing down. Before COVID,...
Opinion
Navratri’s Significance as Hindus Across America Cast Votes
Navratri is a Hindu festival that is celebrated for nine nights and ten days during the Fall season. The lunar calendar determines the timing of the holiday. Navratri is celebrated a few times during the year, but the festival that occurs during the Fall is referred...
Break-up or Divorce: The Case of Indian-American Voters
This article is part of the opinion column – Beyond Occident – where we explore a native perspective on the Indian diaspora. The 2020 US presidential election is poised to be the watershed moment in Indian-American (IA) politics. The significance of this election lies...
Does Prop 22 Do Justice for the Gig Workers?
Forum – A column where you get eyes on both sides of a hot button issue. Does Prop 22 Do Justice to the Gig Economy? No! In 1959, despite graduating at top of her law class at Columbia, Ruth Bader Ginsberg had a hard time finding jobs because she was a mother. She,...
Former Mayor Speaks Against Measure RR
The CEO and board of directors of Caltrain are doing a major “dis-service” to the residents of San Mateo, Santa Clara, and San Francisco counties with Measure RR. Their proposal to address and remedy the Caltrain loss of revenue problem is to place on the backs of the...
Health & Wellness
COVID Can’t Beat A Pumpkin Spice Papaya Spoonshot!
Imagine going to your favorite smoothie bar and lchecking the menu, looking for something new and interesting to try. You spot a flavor labeled 'Pumpkin Spice Papaya Turmeric' and think - how could that possibly taste good? But you give it a shot since you’re a foodie...
Tips for Learning From Home
Children face myriad challenges with remote learning, as they are unable to meet with friends and follow a normal schedule during this pandemic. They become restless and unhappy. You as parents may be in a conundrum wondering how to teach your child(ren) at home...
Connecting to Nature is Good for Public Health
The Bay Area is a great place to live in. It is blessed with progressive land planning that has set aside vast open space areas for recreation. Measures, like Measure Q and now T, to be voted in by the people, ensure that open spaces in Santa Clara Valley stay...
Loving Yourself During Challenging Times
Dear Reader, Self-love is more important now than ever. The pandemic has added a layer of sadness, frustration, and uncertainty, and navigating the new normal is not easy. This has made it extremely difficult to breathe or feel safe to do our everyday tasks. We are...
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Lifestyle
Where Books Come Alive
Rehana Munir’s novel Paper Moon (Harper Collins, 2019) is every book lover’s delight and is filled with vivid descriptions of Bombay’s streets and pavement bookstalls, such as the Strand Book House at Fort that sells remaindered books at student prices. Clearly, an...
Youth
A Teen’s Writing Contest is a Much Needed Distraction
NYC, New York - I saw how devastating COVID-19 was for so many people in NYC, particularly teenagers who had to adapt their lifestyles. From switching to remote learning to finding ways to stay active and engaged, there have been a lot of changes. The one thing in...
From the Publisher
For the past 32 years, we have been telling stories about the Indian diaspora in our own voices – and winning awards for these story-tellers! Many thanks to all those who have supported community journalism – this is YOUR platform.
