MONSOON The Aaj Ka Dhamaka Edition November 1, 2014

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MONSOON ISSUE 1 OUR SPONSORS Carolina Asia Center with the support of the U.S. Department of Edu- cation Center for Global Initiatives UNC Sangam YFund through the Campus Y OUR TEAM

Editors: Anisha Padma and Parth Shah Writers: Snigdha Das, Debanjali Kundu, Alekhya Mallavarapu, Dinesh McCoy, Pranati Panuganti, Hinal Patel, Maitreyee Singh, Nikhil Umesh, Soumya Vishwanath, and Naintara Viswanath Photographers: Hamid Ali, Amanda Betner, Arpan Bhandari, Snigdha Das, Aribah Shah, Megha Singh, and Soumya Vishwanath Website Design: Sara Khan Publicity: Ranjitha Ananthan and Iti Madan Magazine Design: Sara Khan and Shruti Patel Contributors: Andrew Ashley, Kane Borders, Mr. John Caldwell, Sarvani Gandhavadi, Dr. Iqbal Sevea, and Dr. Afroz Taj

1 LETTER FROM THE EDITORS

Social media has sparked a renaissance of new ideas. Facebook news feeds and Twitter timelines are constantly flooded with photos, videos and articles concerning both local and global issues. UNC Monsoon aims to ride this wave and produce marketable online and print content that brings South Asian voices to the forefront. Prior to Monsoon, UNC Sangam sponsored Diaspora, a campus magazine devoted to South Asian affairs. However, we felt that Diaspora was in need of a rebranding in its mission and name.

Monsoon’s mission is to creatively foster dialogue about all eight South Asian countries: Ban- gladesh, , Sri Lanka, , Nepal, Maldives, Afghanistan, and Bhutan. It seeks to fight both the misrepresentation and underrepresentation of South Asia in mainstream media by producing original content that informs, entertains, and also fosters discussion.

The problem UNC Monsoon addresses is the symbolic annihilation of South Asians by the mainstream media. Our select portrayals, ranging from convenience store clerks to cardiol- ogists, have masked our true identities. The lack of media coverage on South Asian current events has perpetuated the obscurity the subcontinent holds in the minds of most Amer- icans. Providing a platform for South Asian voices to share real stories will reveal the im- mense diversity our community boasts.

Thank you for taking the time to read our magazine.

Sincerely, Anisha Padma and Parth Shah Monsoon Co-Editors

COVER PHOTOS BY ARPAN BHANDARI COVER DESIGN BY SHRUTI PATEL 2 As I sit looking out at the rain-lashed main artery of Indo-Islamic kingdoms, Mumbai skyline, I am reminded vivid- STREAMS OF SPIRIT reflecting the dome of the Taj Mahal ly of how water can be a destructive and the bastions of the Red Forts of force. Roads are underwater, umbrel- Delhi and Agra. As these two radical- la-scalpers throng the stoplights, mos- BY AFROZ TAJ ly different civilizations merged over quitoes swarm, and landslides plague the past millennium, we speak of the the slopes of the Western Ghats. But in development of “Ganga-Jamuni” cul- the northern plains the monsoon has ture, the rich mixture of yet to arrive; crops wither under the and Muslim arts that reflects centu- searing sun, rice-fields turn into mud- ries of cross-inspiration. flats, rivers and canals are reduced to Portrayals of water in art profoundly a green trickle. South Asia is a conti- deepen our cultural understanding of nent of water extremes: without the the role of water in our societies and Himalayan glaciers and the monsoon lives. South Asia faces pressing water rains much of India would be an un- issues: most of its major rivers cross inhabitable desert. But every spring, one or more international boundar- hot air rising from the northern moun- ies leading to conflicts about usage tains pulls warm, moist air inland off rights and flood control. Sacred rivers the Indian Ocean. By June and July draw millions of pilgrims seeking re- dark clouds have overspread most of demption, and as a result, are critical- the subcontinent and torrential rains ly polluted but still considered spiritu- replenish the great South Asian rivers, ally pure. Global warming has chased bringing new life to the fields and cit- the Himalayan glaciers further up ies of India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. into the mountains; the day may not It is this complex, dual nature of wa- be far off when they disappear entire- ter that finds its way into South Asia’s ly even as mega-cities downstream legend, lore, and literature. The per- fail to plan for future growth in water forming arts in South Asia incorpo- needs. In short, water divides as well rate manifold images of water. There as unites, pollutes and cleanses, takes are bhajans that praise water deities of the martyrs on the banks of the Euphra- life and restores it afresh. like the river goddess Ganga and the tes. And Miyan Tansen, the legendary com- rain god Indra. There are Sufi and poser from the court of Mughal Emperor Ak- Bhakti songs by medieval poet saints Dr. Afroz bar, is credited with the ability to make rain Taj is an that narrate the riverside romances by performing his raga Malhar. Associate of Radha-Krishna and Sohni-Mahiw- The social fabric of India itself is described Professor in al, and transform human love into an Asian Studies image of divine love. Indian classical in reference to the two mighty rivers Ganga at UNC and dance drama portrays the descent of and Jamuna that flow parallel across hun- host of Geet the Ganga from heaven, the churning dreds of kilometers of north India to finally Bazaar. of the cosmic sea, and the peacock join at the Sangam confluence in Allahabad. dancing at the onset of the monsoon The Ganga is sacred to Hindus from the mo- rains. The Muharram odes of the Shi’i ment it emerges from beneath the Gaumukh Taj Courtesy of Afroz Photo describe in poignant detail the thirst glacier, while the Jamuna served as the main

*This piece was first published inConnections.

3 TABLE OF CONTENTS

MAHATMA GANDHI FELLOW, SARVANI GANDHAVADI 5 MAHATMA GANDHI FELLOW, KANE BORDERS 6 ARTIST’S SPOTLIGHT: MEDINA SADAT BY ANISHA PADMA 7 YAKSHA-WHAT? BY SNIGDHA DAS 8 INTERVIEW WITH RAHUL BOSE BY PARTH SHAH 9 POETRY REVIEW OF SEAM BY ANDREW ASHLEY 10 POLICING DEEPIKA’S BODY BY SOUMYA VISHWANATH 11 MAULA JATT VS. GENERAL ZIA BY IQBAL SEVEA 12 BHUTAN’S GRAPPLE WITH TRADITION BY ALEKHYA MALLAVARAPU 13 FORECASTING MODI BY HINAL PATEL 14 THE REAL PRICE OF WORLD CUP 2022 BY NAINTARA VISWANATH 15 POSTCARD FROM WAGAH BY AFROZ TAJ AND JOHN CALDWELL 16 WHO IS SOUTH ASIAN? BY DINESH MCCOY 17 CHOOSING THE RIGHT BOX TO CHECK BY DEBANJALI KUNDU 19

4 month’s worth of health care to low in- town gossip about who’s getting married come individuals at the same rate of some or that one girl who got her period (which medications or one health check up in the is a huge deal by the way). Through these US. The clinics used to be completely fund- stories I learned a lot about the life of a In- ed by an industry called Satyam Comput- dian village woman. I met one lady who ers but when the company went under, was stuggling with very, very high diabe- Care Hospitals took over. Along with the tes and nerve pains because the doctors transfer also came associated financial could not figure out what was wrong burdens. Medicines used to be completely without surgery. Even the surgery only free when Satyam Computers was still in- has a 50% chance of working. For individ- volved but it also lead to patients misusing, uals like her, who’s medical problems are SARVANI GANDHAVADI throwing away or disregarding medicines. beyond the clinic’s capacity to treat, they For that reason, the clinics started charging have to go to hospitals. Indian biases also It was 12:30 am, I arrived at Anna Interna- 5 rupees so patients would feel like they came into play such as assuming the clin- tional Airport in Chennai. The hot sticky air were investing in their health. Though Care ic was run by the government instead of reached my skin as soon as I stepped out of Hospitals covers a large portion of the fi- privately owned by Care Hospitals and the cool AC enclosed building. Cows on the nances needed to run the clinics there is in India anything government run has a highway, honking, mosquitos, colorful fab- still a portion that requires steady fund- reputation of being lower quality. I also rics, power cuts and fresh green coconuts ing. Donations are fine but how long will found that when the nurses dispense are all characteristics exclusively of India. a donor continue donating? The indivdu- medication there was a lack of transfer- The steady chugging of the overnight train als running Care Rural Health Mission fig- ring knowledge about the medicines and rocked me to sleep on the journey from ured that if they increased the prices of the illnesses to the patient. The pills would be Anantapur to Hyderabad. When I woke medicines, but at a rate still lower than out- identified by color and size as the nurse up, the mountainous landscapes were re- side sources, then the cost to run the clinic asked the patient if they were taking the placed by people getting ready to perform can break even with the amount of money small pill, white pill, round pill or green daily chores in the backyards of small vil- earned from the sale of medicines. So the pill. The nurses and doctors did some lages. What words can I use to describe one end goal changed from serving individu- couching on what to eat and not to eat of the most dynamic and historically rich als in the communities who have nothing but only through verbal communication. cities in India? The amount of activity over- to self sustaining the clinic. The concept Currently, the nurses, who already work loads our senses and the struggle between seems very effective at first but it is also de- 48 hours a week are the ones who are autos, motor bikes, cars, buses and pedes- pendent on a crucial component: patient also responsible for promoting public ed- trians never ends. Everyone is traveling volumes. You would think the free services ucation and outreach to near by neigh- with a purpose in waves of unidentifiable that the clinic is providing would attract an borhoods. This is a very ineffective way masses. It’s no wonder traveling 16 kilome- overload of patients but that was not the of trying to educate the village about ters (10 miles) seemed like an impossible case. After learning this background infor- health problems, symptoms, methods of feat but became quickly worthwhile after mation on the clinics, I decided to shift the treatment and services provided by the reaching the Byrraju foundation office. The focus of my project from simply prenatal clinic. Towards end of my six week proj- site, made for hundreds of workers, was and postnatal surveys to a more general ect, I created brochures for three different equipped with every resource necessary understanding of where these community health issues in both Telugu and English: for full on rural transformation. The Amer- members go for health care. I went around Diabetes, Hypertension and common ican style lecture halls, posters of facets in the community in each of the 8 villages with women’s problems such as anemia, mus- rural life, individual cubicles all existed as guidance from the nurses. Each village has cle weakness and vaginal discharge. remnants of what used to be a lively thriv- its own unique population and configura- Along with the brochures I suggested ing community dedicated to helping rural tion. For example I found the village called that Care Rural Health Mission try to allo- villages. I spent the first two weeks visiting Devar Yamjal was much more close knit cate some reasources specifically to pub- 8 villages near the north of Hyderabad in and filled with younger married couples lic outreach because the nurses, though the Ranga Reddy district with clinics run where the women are housewives. On the interested, faced issues of transportation by Care Hospitals and Byrraju Foundation. other hand, due to the proximity to com- and financial burden when they tried to A small room with two desks, a examina- panies, the women in village of Dulapally reach out to surrounding neighborhoods tion table, a cabinet and a fan made up the have a job outside of just housework. After about getting health check ups. Not contents of each clinic. A nurse who works a few weeks of being in the communities, only will spending time and funding for from 9-5 everyday of the week except Sun- I learned that anemia, muscle weakness, public outreach clear up some common day and a MBBS qualified doctor care for vaginal discharge, gastric issues, diabetes misconceptions about the clinic but also the patients for free. Speaking of free, lets and hypertension were the main prob- teach individuals who do not take the talk about how cost efficient these clinics lems the women faced. The Dulapally clin- initative to address health issues to do are. Even clinic with the highest montly ic became a casual meeting place for the so. I’m hoping through this community expenditure spent about 15,000 rupees women to come talk to the nurse between members will be empowered to learn which is $250.This clinic is able to provide a their household chores about the latest more about their bodies and health.

5 Gujarati and . On the wall you could infrastructure improvement loan from KANE BORDERS’S see the story that revealed the birth of this SEWA that enabled them to make all of unique all-women housing development these improvements. As we sat down SUMMER EXPERIENCE organization. A sarong-clad Gandhi at the with one of these women we learned It all began as most things do for foreign- head of the salt march walked into a pho- that SEWA employees regularly verified ers in India: unexpectedly. As I opened the to showing the massive collective labor the speed and quality of the work being bright red Krishna-covered door of the movements on the Ahmedabad Bridge in done by the hired contractors in order Self-Employed Women’s Association Grih the 1970’s, which spilled out into a picture to be sure there were no issues. SEWA Rin Office (SEWA) in Rajendra Place, New of the determined Ela Bhatt (the founder also conducted an income survey with Delhi and mouthed to myself the opening of SEWA) and finally a grainy shot of Hilary all 50 women to determine if there was greeting l had planned out in Hindi for the Clinton chatting with SEWA women during an adequate repayment capacity for a secretary (namaste, mausam bahut garmii her visit in 2005. SEWA’s all-women grass- loan of this size. All in all, the visit was hai, jause registan hai!), I was met by the roots approach towards housing devel- revealing. Although there were still on sight of a completely empty office, except opment is largely a product of the Gand- average about ten people crammed in a for the financial manager, Deepti, who was hi-inspired collective labor movements house the size of a large UNC dorm room, working in the back office. I approached that took place in the 1970’s. As I found the quality of life in this settlement was her, again beginning to try to communicate out later, this is why inviting these con- vastly better due to the availability of fi- my point in Hindi (Namaste Deepti, sab log sultants to conduct a general appraisal of nancial mechanisms (in this case a large kahape hai? Meine socha ki ham aaj ek, ek the SEWA approach to providing housing infrastructure improvement loan). How- . . .). In smooth British-flavored English she development was such a momentous step ever, as the week went on and we talked finished my sentence, “Yes, we were sup- (and why my financial literacy sessions had with other SEWA employees and clients, posed to do a financial literacy session to- to be relocated for a week). After gaping the difficulties faced by organizations day, but something came up and everyone around at the scene for several minutes, we like SEWA became more and more ap- went to Ahmedabad to meet with a group were finally shepherded into a small room parent. Due to the issues associated with of consultants. I leave tomorrow morning. with Shruti Gonsalves – the head of SEWA land ownership and conservative federal Are you coming?” I bobbled my head excit- Grih Rin – talking on the phone while three and state laws, it is exceptionally difficult edly and went straight to my computer to women I didn’t know were busily working to be profitable as a bank when dealing determine where in the world Ahmedabad on their laptops around a table After intro- with this sector of the population, which was. I found that Ahmedabad is home to ductions, we quickly put together a weekly makes sustainable private sector growth the SEWA head offices and is one of the plan that included three trips to the hous- unlikely. Other possible paths for SEWA most important business hubs of , es of women who had taken out loans are available, such as expanding with the a state in western India known for com- with SEWA and two trips to SEWA offices backing of the Indian government or for- merce, Mahatma Gandhi and of course, in these informal settlements. We then all eign donors until a sustainable model is Narendra Modi, the recently elected Indi- jumped into autos and headed out for our established or simply remaining a hous- an Prime Minister. Upon arriving, after a first field visit. As we slowly pulled up to ing company that works on a very small 6 AM plane ride from Delhi, the presence a small neighborhood of about 150 small scale. I’m not sure what will happen, but of these three occasionally contradictory brick houses lined up in four neat rows, we I do know that organizations like SEWA forces was unmistakable: East Asian, Eu- were greeted by the sight of a small crowd will continue seeking solutions to these ropean and Australian businessmen sit forming at the entrance to the settlement, difficult housing issues in the hope that quietly working next to “khadi” (tradition- with a tall, lighter-skinned man wearing one day all people will be able to live al Gandhian cotton clothes) stores in the large-rimmed fake gold Ray-Bans standing and work in the formal sector, which airport lobby, while the dominating image at the front of the group. The consultants would be a step forward for all of us. of Mr. Modi roars his ubiquitous campaign and I got out of the cars hesitatingly, un- slogan, “Acche din anne vale hai” (Good sure of what to make of this Akshay Kumar days are coming). Since Mr. Modi had only imitator standing in front of us, but , but been elected several days ago, I asked my Shruti brusquely waved the crowd aside colleague Deepti if there would be cel- and strode into the settlement with two ebrations in the city today. She laughed other SEWA women at her side. We gave a and said, “No, there were yesterday, but slight nod to Akshay and followed her into people will go back to work today. This is the settlement. As we walked through the Ahmedabad.” We followed suit and head- settlement, we were struck by how well ed to a 10 AM meeting at the SEWA Bank organized and clean this settlement was (a key branch of SEWA) to meet the team compared to others we had seen in Delhi. of consultants we would be working with. Instead of running streams of open sew- As Deepti and I finally paid the auto-valla age, tin-roof huts and trash piles dotting who had managed to fill us in on all the the paths, there were well-planned lanes flaws of his wife in a mere 5 minutes and lined with small brick houses that even oc- Kane Borders, MGF Fellow’14, entered the SEWA Bank offices, we were casionally had a small toilet in the back. It is currently studying abroad in met by about 40 bustling women all wear- turns out that about 50 women had come India for the 2014-2015 year. ing traditional saris talking in rapid-fire together in this settlement to take a large 6 AP: What type of art do you create? AP: Do you mainly compose portraits? MS: I love to dabble in all kinds of art, MS: I used to shy away from composing anywhere from painting to prints to portraits and always felt intimidated by sculptures. Recently I’ve been more into the intricacy of capturing a person. This scratchboards as a medium. past summer was actually the first time AP: That’s really interesting! Why have I tried my hand at drawing a human and you starting leaning towards scratch- it’s changed my whole perspective on art. boards? Capturing a person is an emotional jour- MS: Scratch art is a really intricate art ney; I got to know the person I was draw- where small details really come forward ing, not personally, but by the lines in to create pieces that are realistic. It’s also their face. Every wrinkle told a story, ev- really challenging to scratch because ery pair of eyes spoke of life experience. rather than focusing on the shadows of The whole process helped me grow not a subject which drawing requires, the fo- only as an artist but as a person. cus of scratchboard art are the highlights of the face and creating light to make a piece. ARTIST’S AP: What is one of your favorite pieces? MS: My favorite piece of mine is probably SPOTLIGHT: the old Afghan lady. It was inspired by own grandmother, and even though it’s not her portrait I feel like I captured her strength in it. There’s also an emotion in MEDINA her eyes, a kind of sadness, with a barely there smile; it’s almost haunting to look at. It’s the look of a woman who’s experi- SADAT enced much hardship in her life and yet her strength silently shines through. BY ANISHA PADMA Photos Courtesy of MedinaPhotos Sadat Medina studies Political Science AP: Can you describe your creative pro- and Global Studies at UNC. cess? MS: The scratchboard itself consists of a layer of white clay and a layer of black AP: Do you have any last words you ink laid on top of it. To get the white clay want to leave us with? to show, the ink must be scratched off MS: My art started as a way for me to using the sharp tip of any scratch tool. build a bridge to the homeland I never This is why it’s important to focus on the had the pleasure of seeing. It evolved highlights of the face, because essentially into something bigger though. I feel scratch-art is adding white to a black pan- like my art has grown to help others el. My own process requires a research pe- understand Afghanistan too. It shows riod, where I find images and the stories that in a country as war torn as Afghan- of people to inspire me and give my work AP: Where do you draw inspiration from? istan, beauty and light does remain. My direction. Once I have in mind my subject, art gives voice to that beauty and lets MS: My biggest inspiration is the coun- I usually create a playlist that captures the that light shine through. try of my origin, Afghanistan. Everything same direction, and then begin to scratch. about the country inspires my art, the AP: Who is an artist that you look up to? echoes of traditional music in the moun- tainside, the bright colors of ethnic MS: The artist that inspired my latest fas- beading, the smell of fresh baked bread cination with portraits of Afghanistan is from the tandoor...I’ve never been given Ustad Ghulam Ali Omid, probably not very the chance to travel to back Afghanistan, well known in the States. He has this one so my art became my way of discovering painting of an old Afghan man with the and exploring it instead. biggest, brightest grin on his face, and it just spoke to me. I absolutely loved every- thing about and it inspired me to finally try to draw a portrait.

7 Yakshagana is a 700 year old traditional jewelry worn on Though not real, the THE PERFORMANCE theatrical art form which is identified by large and bulky pieces of jewlery re- its use of vibrant mask-like makeup and flect light on stage like a disco ball. The It is the job of the “bhagavata”— the singer — colorful costumes. The diverse perfor- foot wide headdresses also play a role to give the “shruti”—the pitch. The bhagavata mances originate from the south Indi- in that, reflecting light as the actors bhagavata holds the highest position in the an region of Karnataka and are derived turn their heads or dance. Yakshagana group, as he serves as the narra- from Indian epics and devotional texts. tor as well. The chenda and the maddale are Yakshagana troupes, or melas, travel two instruments that add “tala,” or the rhythm and perform various tales. to the song. Just as with the actors, musicians THE CAST are expected to be able to play both instru- Vidya Kolyur, the only female Yaksha- Some of the cast members in a Yaksha- ments even if they have a particular special- gana mela leader, started her training gana mela are a king, a hero, a female ization. When the dancers perform, their feet at the early age of six. Kolyur has per- role (played by a male), a comin, and and movements must correspond to the tala. formed with groups all over India and a demon/antagonist role. While these With bells tied to their feet, the dancers per- has even performed overseas in Japan are often seen as critical components form intricate dance steps, moving their eyes and the United States. to a cast, scenes or even whole plays and face to create creative facial expressions In September, her mela performed in can be done omitting one or more to supplement their gestures in their acting. of these cast members. Interesting- Memorial Hall at UNC Chapel Hill. An intriguing part of the Yakshagana dance ly, though a particular member may component is the spinning. The last Yaksha- specialize in a particular role, they still “I want to keep the tradition gana member must spin before exiting the have to be trained in all the forms. of Yakshagana, I want to stage, spinning in their heavy costume up to spread the art form,” Kolyur The main characters usually have a dis- 100 times! It is common to see Yakshagana tinct entry sequence. Take for example members continue spinning until the audi- said. the powerful entrance of the king. The ence breaks into applause. At the request of her mother, Kolyur arm and shoulder are spread out to earned a degree in physics. But watch- show status. When the demon enters, ing her father, a long time Yakshagana he is covered by a cloth because at first actor, perform on stage pushed Kolyur he must be hidden because of his fear- to devote her life to spreading the art some presence. As the demon enters form. Kolyur started Yakshagana at the he cries out, something that is distinct age of six, and unable to perform with to only the antagonist role. BY SNIGDHA DAS males, continued in female melas. Once all the girls in her melas left Yakshagana to get married, Kolyur vowed that even when married she would continue Yak- YAKSHA-WHAT? A BRIEF shagana. OVERVIEW OF YAKSHAGANA THE MAKEUP The makeup is a distinct component of Yakshagana. The performers mix red, yellow, and white colored powders with with coconut oil and apply it to their skin. This natural based makeup is com- pletely waterproof; just as it is applied with coconut oil, it will only come off with coconut oil. Rice powder is then added to create texture to the makeup, giving an impression that the performer is wearing a mask. The costumes traditionally have a limit- ed range of colors, spanning from green, red, white, and black. In the words of Kolyur’s father: “If it does not follow tra- dition, do not do it.” The way the cloth- ing is tied together is distinct per char- acter; the same pieces of fabric can be tied in different ways to create different costumes. The large and bulky pieces of 8 INTERVIEW WITH RAHUL BOSE: WOMEN IN BOLLYWOOD AND MEDIA BY PARTH SHAH

Bollywood actor Rahul Bose never misses clad women surrounded by hundreds of and you look at the statistics, ban motor- a beat. When introduced as “a rising star” drunk men, dancing to an echoing cho- cycles… similarly, if I tell you incidents of during his talk at UNC-Chapel Hill, Bose rus which roughly translates to, “If I take crimes against women have increased, was quick to fire back: “If at 47 I’m a rising of my top, the fun will begin.” However, ban the Hindi movies. That’s absolute- star, then Bose cautions ly not the way to stop crimes against hopeful- against dismiss- women.” Bose also said the responsibili- ly by 90 I ing item num- ty doesn’t just fall on the film industry’s will have bers solely for shoulders. Just as with celebrities in the risen!” their sexual con- West, Bollywood actors and actresses re- Bose’s ca- tent.“Is the wom- ceive their fair share of scrutiny from the reer has an who is half na- mainstream media. Take actress Deepika taken ked and dancing Padukone for example. In September, him from actually a secret she fired back at for the silver service agent tweeting out a photo of her cleavage screen to who is doing this with the caption: “OMG Deepika Padu- the rug- just to get some kone’s cleavage show!” After Padukone by field, guys drunk and posted a lengthy reply denouncing the where he pally with her?” media’s highly sexualized coverage of played for he said. “Context women, The Times of India bit back, call- India’s national team for 10 years. He is is what we refuse to look at in this knee ing Padukone a hypocrite for performing also known for his social activism with In- jerk world.” Since the 2012 Delhi gang in her fair share of item numbers. dia’s educational NGO, Pratham, and for rape, India has been put in the hot seat launching The Foundation, an anti-dis- for gender violence in the country. This Bose doesn’t expect the mainstream me- crimination organization. Bose spoke to past January, CNN Indian Broadcasting dia in India to change its behavior any Monsoon reporters about the objectifi- Network surveyed people to see why time soon. “Your mainstream media isn’t cation of women in Bollywood. He didn’t they thought men raped women. going to change overnight. When it’s hip take kindly to the question at first. and cool to do something they will,” he Along with claiming things like the said. “The same newspaper that had a “What about American mov- inability of men to control themselves, gratuitous picture of a film actress but many respondents argued the sexual- hello – you just had a campaign against ies? What about American ized depiction of women in movies and gender violence.” Rather, Bose said al- magazines? The objectifica- advertisements perpetuate rape. ternative media is the ideal platform for tion of women is not a Bolly- promoting gender equity.“The game However, Bose doesn’t believe the solu- is going to be won and lost online. The wood problem.” tion is as simple as pointing the blame on sooner we get there, the better.” Bollywood. “If I tell you motorcycle acci- At first, the conversation focused on item dents have been on the rise for five years numbers. These cutaway dance scenes showcase near-naked women lip syncing to sexually suggestive lyrics. Though typ- ically they have nothing to do with the plot of the movie, item numbers have become characteristic to many commer- Staff of Monsoon cially successful Bollywood films. Bose with Rahul Bose. said item numbers are a last resort in The Carolina Asia order to attract audiences.“When a film- Center was one of maker decides to interrupt the plot of his the main sponsors film with a half-naked woman dancing, it of the event. means the filmmaker has lost confidence in his film,” said Bose. Take the song ‘Aa Re Pritam Pyaare’ from the 2012 film Rowdy Rathore. The song features three scantily

9 POETRY REVIEW OF SEAM BY ANDREW ASHLEY

How often do we think of that seam, Unlike most chapbooks, Seam, which that thin line which holds our fabric won the Crab Orchard Series First together? And yet, our life is often Book Award, is a compelling nar- hardly more than hastily stitched rative. Poetry, unlike prose, often parchment. Our genealogies, memo- conspires with emotions to make ries, and futures are latticed to each us read empathetically. When done other. For Tarfia Faizullah thatSeam poorly, the reader merely scoffs at the (Southern Illinois Press. $15.95) is sad- poet’s solipsism. Faizullah is one of ness, guilt, anger, courage, sisterhood, those rare poets, like Seamus Heaney blood, and soil. A native of Brooklyn, or Natasha Trethewey, that uses this New York and Midland, Texas, Faizullah emotive currency to compress space- is the child of Bangladeshi immigrants time, reader-poet-interverviewer, as who left after the second partition, if one garment sewn together with the war to cleave the administration of empathy. The reader is transported two Pakistanis whose borders already to the Birangona’s guilt, the shame of were gulfed by India. Faizullah’s book surviving, the violence done to them is powerful. It is the decades-long in- by the army, the violence of unforgiv- somnia left after the bloody nightmare ing from others in their community. At which followed Jinnah’s dream. It is the same time, other poems such as the retelling of the reoccurring ripples “the interviewer acknowledges desire”, from the war. Her own life tied togeth- we feel the sensuality of struggling er by an ancestral web to those Bangla to find one’s home in a place a family women taken by the Pakistani army, fled. Drawing influence liberally by the survivors forced to serve as com- another powerful American, Faizullah fort women, the birangonas. Faizullah interweaves her own musings with the came to deal with her own straddled words of Willa Cather. She also melds Bangladeshi-American identity by the verse of Thomas Tranströmer’s, traveling to the parent’s native land to whose imagery so often captures interview those birangonas still alive the desolation of Swedish winters, to today. Losing a sister, Faizullah feels speak to the humid horrors of Dhaka. a melancholic connection with those Seam is perhaps the most powerful women who often lost siblings, par- book of poetry from 2014. For those ents, husbands, and children, as well who often shy away from verse, you as a need to return to a country whose will find yourself enthralled by the lack of presence she mourns: the narrative, and, like the poet-inter- country of [mother’s] birth/became a viewer, you will feel the guilt for your veined geography inside/ you, another voyeuristic desire to see and feel more body inside your own. of the women’s bravery and suffering.

10 23 films, two Awards, She wrote: “In a time where countless magazine pho- women should be applaud- to-shoots, and Bollywood ed for making headway in a actress is male-dominated society, we under fire for her cleavage. blur the lines between REEL Padukone came into the field and REAL life and dilute all in 2007, starting out as a King- our efforts by making a one- fisher calendar model. She year old back sliding piece of took the stage by storm in her a news a headline.” performance as a 1970’s dream Padukone and those who girl, Shantipriya, in Om Shan- stand by her only expected an ti Om. Accumulating offers apology from the newspaper. overnight, she went on to de- Needless to say, they were dis- liver blockbuster performanc- appointed. Instead of issuing es in movies such as Cocktail, an apology, the newspaper Yeh Jaawani Hai Deewani, and decided to write their opinion Goliyon Ki Rasleela: Ramlee- on the matter through anoth- la. So why is Veronica/Naina/ er article. In “Dear Deepika, Leela being objectified by the our point of view…”, Times of leading newspaper of India? India goes on to blast “Deepi- Photo Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons Courtesy of Photo ka, we accept your reel vs. real argument, but what about On September 14, all the times, and there have Times of India tweet- been many, when you have ed a video clip with POLICING DEEPIKA’S flaunted your body off screen — while dancing on stage, the headlines “OMG: posing for magazine covers, Deepika Padukone’s BODY or doing photo ops at movie promotional functions? What cleavage show!”. BY SOUMYA VISHWANATH ‘role’ do you play there? So The video showed Deepi- why the hypocrisy?” ka Padukone at a film pro- The article went on to publish motion event over a year photos from previous pho- ago, which happened to be to-shoots where the actress shot at a high angle. So yes, was “flaunting” her body and there was cleavage involved. went on to state that Deep- Deepika retaliated back by ika only brought this argu- tweeting at the newspaper ment into media to promote “YES! I am a woman. her new film Finding Fanny. If Times of India insisted they I have breasts AND a only tweeted about her be- cleavage! You got a cause she looked “so great”, then why are they insisting problem!!??”. that she flaunted her body The newspaper immediately off-screen? tweeted back insisting they Times of India is a business only tweeted the original video and it comes to no surprise because she looked so great. that glamorized pop culture Several days later, Padu- stories bring in readers. But kone wrote on her Facebook in a country where a sexual page about the “regressive assault on a woman is report- Photo Courtesy of Twitter Courtesy of Photo tactics that are still being ed every 22 minutes, does the employed to draw a read- newspaper industry have a er’s attention at a time when responsibility to paint a more we are striving for women’s respectful image of women? equality and empowerment.”

11 Photo Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons Courtesy of Photo MAULA JATT VS. GENERAL ZIA: PUNJABI CINEMA, POLITICS AND NATIONAL IDEOLOGY IN PAKISTAN

Having sharpened his gandhasa, a farming im- du-speaking, morally upright, well-groomed plement that consists of a long wooden pole and soft-spoken. These were qualities that BY IQBAL SEVEA with a wide blade, Maula Jatt defiantly marches encapsulated the ideals and visions of na- out to confront his enemies, the Malik clan, in tion-building in the young state of Pakistan. an epic battle to death. His thirst for revenge, he has declared, will remain until he has elim- In contrast, Maula Jatt marked inated the entire patrilineal lineage of his en- the emergence of a new type of emies. Maula Jatt is beyond doubt the most popular character in Pakistani Punjabi cinema. a hero, one who was rural, loud, Such was the popularity of the character that hyper-masculine, unabashedly Maula featured in a host of films including violent, fluent in colloquial Punja- Weshi Jatt (1975) Maula Jatt (1979), Jatt in Lon- don (1981), Maula Bukhsh (1988), Gandhasa bi, and had very little to do with (1991) and Maula te Mukho (1991). One would the nation or state. Dr. Iqbal Singh Sevea is an Assis- not be wrong in surmising that the character tant Professor of History at UNC of Maula Jatt emerged as the most successful In terms of dress, conduct, speech, and values, Chapel Hill. His new book, The superhero franchise in South Asian cinema to Maula was at odds with previous presentations Political Philosophy of Muham- date. Indeed, the film Maula Jatt proved to be of heroes and ideals of nation-building. mad Iqbal: and Nationalism in Late Colonial India (Cambridge one of the biggest commercial successes in the In many ways, he posed a challenge to nation- University Press, 2012), uses the history of Pakistani cinema. This was despite it alist visions. He was firmly grounded in a re- controversial South Asian Muslim officially being banned by the military regime gional identity (Punjabi), celebrated communal intellectual, Muhammad Iqbal of General Zia-ul-Haq (1924-1988) who sought alliances (including caste) over a national iden- (1877–1938), as a foil to a broader to legitimize his dictatorship through ushering tity, and displayed total disregard towards the analysis of the engagement be- in an era of strict censorship and Islamization. everyday institutions of the state – primarily tween Muslim intellectuals and Though the film was ostensibly banned on the the police and judiciary. The commercial suc- western socio-political thought. grounds of the extreme violence depicted, the cess of films like Maula Jatt firmly established character of Maula Jatt posed a threat to Gen- the ascendancy of a new genre of rural revenge eral Zia’s vision of Pakistan itself. Not only did sagas. Indeed, the film Maula Jatt was to go Maula show scant respect for the law and order on to determine the aesthetic, linguistic and mechanisms of the state, he celebrated attri- narrative content of much of Punjabi (both in butes that challenged Zia’s attempts at shaping India and Pakistan) and Pakistani cinema. The a national ideology. extent of this is clearly visible not just from the The popularity of the character of Mau- story-lines of the films but also from the large la Jatt symbolised an important shift in Pa- number of film titles that began to feature kistani popular culture. Prior to this, the caste labels like ‘Jatt’, ‘Gujjar’ (e.g. Dara Gujjar) quintessential hero in most Pakistani filmsand ‘Dogar’ (e.g. Weshi Dogar), thus clearly cel- had been depicted as being educated, Ur- ebrating rural and caste-centred identities. 12 This shift from the presentation of the hero as a genteel figure towards the valo- risation of the violent, rural and colloquial BHUTAN’S GRAPPLE was reflective of socio-political changes in Pakistan. At the level of political dis- course, the 1970s witnessed a new em- WITH TRADITION phasis on populism targeted at segments BY ALEKHYA MALLAVARAPU of society - the urban poor and rural masses - that had felt marginalised by the political elite and disconnected with its vi- sions of national development. This shift in political discourse was also accompa- nied by a renewed pride in traditional/ rural values and attire. The new hero, as characterised by Maula Jatt, reflected these developments in the socio-political milieu. Shedding western attire and sher- wanis, which came to be associated with the urban elite, clad in kurta and chaadra (long cloth tied from the waist down), he symbolised a celebration of the ‘real’ and

manly rural folk as opposed to the urban Benjamin Meier Courtesy of Dr. Photo sections of Pakistan. GNH quantifies well- imum of 60 percent of Bhutan’s land The celebration of caste identities, ques- being and happiness by measuring over under forest cover. tioning of official attempts at shaping a 100 variables, such as working hours, The concept GNH was first introduced national ideology and the utter disregard emotional balance, and literacy. Citizens in the early 1970’s as a response to GDP, for the everyday forms of the state make were asked about the “sufficiency” of shortly after Bhutan opened its borders the Maula Jatt films and subsequent Pun- these different variables in a 2010 GNH to the rest of the world. jabi films into important political state- survey. People were considered happy ments; political statements that had to be if they achieved sufficiency in at least However, GNH’s reliability comes to monitored and censured by General Zia’s 66 percent of these variables and con- question as Bhutan continues to face regime. It is however important to note sidered unhappy if less than 50 percent. obstacles in balancing globalization that despite being officially banned, the The current GNH is 0.743 - the closer the and preserving its cultural history. film Maula Jatt emerged as a huge hit. figure is to 1, the happier the people. Cinemas in Punjab found ways of illegally In the 1970’s, Bhutan opened up its screening the film. Thus, even watching Roughly two-thirds of the Bhutanese borders to tourists and trade; prior to the film became a political act. population is Buddhist. The religion this time, the country remained rel- places focus on balancing material atively isolated from the rest of the wealth while appreciating surroundings world. Television broadcasting (intro- and respecting nature - these same prin- duced in 1999) and the Internet have ciples make up the pillars of GNH. Lead- increased access to western ideals that Bhutan is the only country in the world ing a modest life and respecting elders are impressionable on the Bhutanese that measures development -- improve- are also cherished in Bhutanese culture. youth. Additionally, urban migration ments in access to education, healthcare, One way the government enforces this has increased especially amongst this and standard of living -- through Gross Na- lifestyle preservation is by upholding young population, who seek places tional Happiness (GNH). GNH measures the a mandatory behavior and dress code with better facilities and public ser- “happiness” of the citizens in the country called the Driglam Namzha. vices. With the youth leaving rural ar- through its four pillars: eas where traditions are stronger, some In contrast to Bhutan, most countries fear a decline in upholding traditions. use Gross Domestic Product (GDP) as an Fair socio-economic development This clash between tradition and ur- indicator for development. Generally, banization brings to question which Conservation and environmental pro- a higher GDP means a wealthier coun- policies should be supported more: tection try. Unlike GDP, GNH emphasizes social those which present new opportuni- welfare through access to non-material Promotion of culture ties or those which preserve familiar goods such as education, healthcare, Good governance and religious expression. In order to traditions? promote GNH, the government focuses Despite this clash with globalization, on policies that improve environmental, reverting to isolationism is not an op- political, and mental wellness. For ex- tion for Bhutan. Developing econom- ample, there’s a policy that keeps a min- 13 ically is a crucial factor for success in today’s rapid paced that the way the Bhutanese government ap- world. In 2013, Bhutan’s Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay, expressed concern that Bhutan’s increased focus on GNH proaches its responsibility to its own people rather than GDP distracted the government from providing is changing,” he said. basic services necessary for nation’s people. Though GNH Maintaining tradition has been a goal of Bhutan ever since it may appear to be losing some momentum, UNC public pol- opened its borders to the rest of the world. However, preserv- icy professor Benjamin Meier doesn’t expect the founding ing culture and developing economically don’t have to be mu- principles of the measure to be lost. tually exclusive. “Even though GNH as a measure is being phased out, it doesnot necessarily mean

FORECASTING NARENDRA BY HINAL PATEL MODI’S SUCCESS Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s skills to the use of catchy slogans. Both recent stint in the spotlight has sparked also worked hard to gain the support of questions about his leadership ability. the youth, continuing to emphasize the young population as tomorrow’s lead- Modi was sworn in this past May in what ers and problem solvers. In his most re- marked the largest democratic election in cent speech at Madison Square Garden, history. Although seen as a controversial Narendra Modi stated, “A nation, whose figure by some Western nations, his win youths are committed to make the future by an overwhelming majority in the Indi- of the country, will not have to look be- an elections gave him a clear mandate. hind. This country [India] is going to prog- ress with the support of youths”. For more than one third of India’s popula- tion who live below the poverty line, (and Despite the buzz, many question Modi’s for many more who struggle to increase ability to implement an economic project their standard of living) Modi’s reputation in size and scale to the one he implement- as a job creator has made him a beacon of ed in Gujarat. Is such a project feasible? Photo CourtesyWikimedia Commons of:Photo hope. Under his leadership as chief minis- Can India continue to grow at its current ter of Gujarat, Modi greatly increased for- rate? All of these are important questions eign investment through his partnerships that remain to be answered and will no with countries such as Japan and China. doubt be very important in the coming Since taking office, he has made trips to months. Bhutan, Nepal, and Japan and his primary goal has been to increase diplomatic rela- tions with neighboring countries as well as to foster business partnerships with economic powerhouses such as the Unit- ed States and China.

The excitement and energy that Modi has brought to India over the last year or so can be compared to that brought by Barack Obama during the 2008 presiden- tial campaign. In fact, many parallels can be drawn between the two world figures and their respective campaigns, from an emphasis on strong communication Photo Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

14 THE REAL PRICE OF WORLD CUP 2022 BY NAINTARA VISWANATH

Numerous organizations, such as Amnesty International and Hu- man Rights Watch, are finally get- ting to enter Qatar and expose these conditions to the interna- tional world. Human Rights Watch Photos Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons is calling for the South Asian Asso- ciation for Regional Cooperation The USA Men’s Soccer team put up a are too hot to play soccer to the fact (SAARC) to leverage the member commendable fight at the 2014 World that the country doesn’t allow alcohol countries’ powers in a demand for Cup in Brazil. Tim Howard’s outstanding in public. But at the center of this issue greater protection and extensive saves and Klinsman’s superior coaching lays the mistreatment of migrant labor- change for in the rights of these took the team to the Round of 16 where ers; an issue that is seeing spotlight al- migrant workers. Qatar’s foreign they lost in extra time. A strong #WeBe- though it has been occurring for years. ministry announced earlier this year that about reforming labor lieveThatWeWillWin media campaign Kafala, the labour system prevalent coupled with the US team’s valiant ef- laws but no concrete changes across the Gulf countries, requires mi- have been made to date. forts helped thrust soccer to the fore- grant workers to work with the kafeel or front of audiences’ minds this summer. sponsor who gives them employment Walking by the corniche, the road for the period of their contract. along the waterfront, with sky- But how does soccer cross scrapers lining the once deserted paths with South Asian mi- Workers are not permit- lands, wealth disparity is appar- grant workers? ted to leave the country or ent in Qatar. Local Qataris live in mansions with a constant inflow The 2022 World Cup was awarded to change employment with- of oil money yet South Asian the tiny, oil-rich country called Qatar. out written permission from migrant workers live in squalor Immediately, it stopped being referred struggling to make ends meet. to as “the place next to Dubai” and was the kafeel. This regressive thrust into the international spotlight. form of dealing with ex- This spotlight shined brightest on the gross human rights injustices occurring patriate labor has evident in this nation smaller than the state of remnants of indentured Connecticut. Non-Qataris make up the servitude. largest proportion of the country’s labor force, dwarfing the local Qatari popula- When Human Rights Watch got an tion with a 60:40 ratio. Indians and Pa- opportunity to speak with construction kistanis alone are 36% of the country’s workers, the top complaint focused population, with Nepalis, Bangladeshis, on their meager wages ranging from and Sri Lankans making South Asians a $8-11/day for a grueling 10 hour work majority of this expatriate labor force. day outdoors in average temperatures While a lot of these South Asian work- of 96.8 degrees Farenheit. Other con- ers have white-collar jobs, a large chunk cerns focus on lack of safety for these of this population serve as construction construction workers and cramped workers. living spaces that lack air-conditioning and potable water. Migrant worker As the host of an international sporting deaths have become a commonality event, Qatar is being closely followed with coffins of bodies being sent back by the world in terms of its social and to their home countries with no real legal laws. It received a lot of backlash explanation for their deaths. ranging from the fact that temperatures

15 Photo Courtesy of Dr. Afroz Taj and Mr. John Caldwell and Mr. Taj Afroz Courtesy of Dr. Photo POSTCARD FROM WAGAH BY AFROZ TAJ AND JOHN CALDWELL The minibus windshield is opaque with ing wildly in the middle of the road. I look promptu dancers have taken their seats condensation as we hurtle through the to my left: the border gates are open and but an improbable man in a white suit is rain toward the Wagah Border. The mon- through the gap we can see the Pakistani leading the crowd in patriotic cheers. He soon has arrived with a vengeance. Our bleachers, arranged amphitheater style. jumps and gesticulates wildly working driver, Captain Rajender, smears the fog In the brief pauses between the Indian the crowd into a jingoistic frenzy. “Bharat frantically with his hand as the wipers on songs we can hear snippets of music Mata Ki Jai!” “ Zindabad!” The the outside clack back and forth ineffec- from the Pakistani side; ironically some cheap seats leap up in excitement. The tually. The bus is full of our study abroad of the same songs and singers make it elite seats join in somewhat more half- students: those that aren’t asleep or into the playlist of both sides. heartedly, thinking, perhaps, of the fact queasy look like they are remembering The temperature has dropped about that both India and Pakistan are nuclear the umbrellas left in their suitcases back ten degrees centigrade, and with the nations with a lot to lose in the event of at the guest house. breeze, the soaked benches, and the wet another war. We approach the Pakistan border along clothes, we are almost chilly. The clouds A sudden siren sounds. A hush falls the old Grand Trunk Road. Corn fields seem to be blowing in every direction at over the crowd. Suddenly two smartly give way to tea stalls and souvenir once. Long ropes like horizontal torna- dressed women officers march in rap- stands. We drive past hundreds of parked does twist into towering thunderheads. id goose steps toward the border. Just vehicles into a special lot behind the im- One minute a white bank of cloud rears as they are about to march right across migration offices. The rain lets up as we up against a black sky, the next minute into Pakistan, they execute a quick 90 de- file out of the bus; only the trees and the the heavens erupt into pendulous black gree spin, take up their positions at the wind conspire to splash us with sudden udders. And rarely, when gaps in the gateposts and salute each other with ex- miniature cloudbursts as we navigate a various cloud layers coincide, we get a aggerated movements. The crowd roars maze of railings and ankle-deep puddles glimpse of blue late afternoon sky. as two Pakistani officers mimic the same to get to our seats. An amaltas tree in full bloom dances in maneuvers on the other side of the bor- I don’t know of any other internation- the wind just inside the Indian border; its der. As I watch this mirror image postur- al border that is also a spectator sport. bright yellow blossoms blow into Paki- ing repeated again and again, I wonder Ranks of bleachers line both sides of stan with each gust of wind. Birds strug- who choreographed this whole ceremo- the road. We’re sitting in the VIP seats gle against the airy undertow overhead ny. When do they rehearse? Does each right near the gate that connects India and are blown back and forth across the side regularly introduce variations that and Pakistan; the hoi-polloi has stadium border, no visa required. are then duly copied by the other? If so, style seating a few hundred meters back we’re witnessing a bizarre performance, We’ve crossed the border at Wagah many a collaborative celebration of hostility. into Indian territory. The festivities are times but it’s always been during the day already in progress: patriotic songs are But I guess where there’s collaboration, when it’s open for business. Now it’s a there’s communication. blaring from numerous speakers and to rainy afternoon and we’re here to watch our right a mob of young people is danc- the nightly “Beating Retreat.” The im- 16 It was raining torrentially He pauses for a minute and grins back in August 1947 when Cecil Radcliffe “Leave it open!” over his shoulder as if daring us to follow, drew an arbitrary line down the mid- shouts someone f rom then trots off across the fields. Behind dle of the map; no one was really sure him, night rolls in on the wheels of re- which side of the new border they the crowd. newed rain. were on until months had passed The people around us chuckle. I like to and the five rivers of Punjab flowed think that they’ve heard it on the Paki- Dr. Afroz Taj is an associate professor red with human blood. But that gen- stani side and are smiling there as well. in the South Asian Studies Depart- eration is almost gone now and both ment in UNC. His research and India and Pakistan have their own in- After the ceremony a guard beckons us teaching centers around South Asian ternal problems to solve. The Wagah to follow him. Faiyyaz Farooqi of the Bor- media, with emphasis on the film ceremony, for all its patriotic fervor, der Security Force has arranged a special industry and television. His book, The has a strange subtext of hope. Do treat for us. We traipse behind one of the Court of Indra and the Rebirth of North people come just to cheer on the border office buildings. A narrow path Indian Drama, explores the origins of the -Hindi musical theater in home team? Or do they come to catch leads to Zero Point where a concrete py- mid-nineteenth-century Lucknow. a glimpse of the human face of the en- lon marks an angle of Pakistani territory emy on the other side of the gate? projecting into India. Beyond the mark- Mr. John Caldwell is a lecturer in the er Pakistani families are close enough to Hindi-Urdu department at UNC. His The border guards throw both gates talk to, to wave at. I see that people want research interests include South Asian open wide as the flags are lowered. to exchange greetings but the guards film and media culture, the music of The buglers sound the retreat and I’m South Asia, comparative musicology, look on forbiddingly. It’s their job to keep surprised that they are playing in the second language learning and tech- would-be friends apart. same key. They must tune up before nology, and poetry and poetics. the ceremony. As the guards fold their A sleek black dog lopes past us and slips respective flags, others move to close unharmed through the razor wire into the gate. Pakistan. WHO IS SOUTH ASIAN?: FINDING A (HALF) SRI LANKAN IDENTIY BY DINESH MCCOY Photo Courtesy of Dinesh McCoy Photo

I first felt odd about it when a white my family and am thankful for the care ancestral history. friend called out my lack of knowledge and the grace of my parents in raising about Bollywood, capping it off with the three children. Additionally, this is not First, as many of the both South Asian statement, a piece intended to ignore the ways I and non-South Asian self-assigned cul- have benefited from being half-white in tural gate-keepers that I have interacted “So you’re really much more a culture where whiteness itself has be- with note, I did indeed grow up in a ma- White than Sri Lankan, come so privileged in our American so- jority white environment. Such an envi- ciety that it is largely viewed outside the ronment comes with being a half-white right?” bounds of a “culture” itself. Christian growing up in the heart of the old Rust Belt in Toledo, Ohio. The “it” I am talking about is the act of Instead, what I hope to discuss is the way testing my South Asian cultural authen- that my experience as a half-Sri Lankan My mother moved from Sri Lanka to ticity as a half-Sri Lankan and half-white has been marked by confusion both per- the United States in the 1970s to Bowl- American. sonally and in my interactions with oth- ing Green, Ohio, the town where she Before I begin, let me note that I have ers in a society that asks us all so often would meet my father and marry him a profound respect and appreciation for to check a single box to define our entire in the 1980s while attending Bowling 17 Green State University. She traveled ability to undestand it as part of the his- I encountered the space without the I’m to America after her father obtained tory of my own life. The profound sad- South Asian simply because I am South a professor position at the university. ness expressed by family members as Asian. My father grew up in a rural Ohio en- we toured these places of my mother’s Who I am is as descendent of South Asian vironment, the son of working-class past together was largely lost on me as a ancestors is not defined by how many “cul- parents with a large extended family 10-year-old whose concerns were thou- tural” experiences I can check off a list of in the same town. sands of miles removed from the space. South Asian-ness. Nor is it defined by how Then came my generation. Three This is an experience I have continued to personally connected I feel to the culture of mixed-race children surrounded main- struggle with as a half-Tamil Sri-Lankan my ancestors, regardless of my more recent ly by our white American family, joined American. It was 2009 when the Sri Lank- attempts to connect with that culture. to our Sri Lankan heritage in the area an Civil War ended in a brutal and violent My Sri Lankan-ness is in my blood. It’s in the only by my maternal grandparents fashion as the mainly Sinhalese Sri Lank- story of how my mother’s family left their and my mother’s brother, who also an Army took full control of the majority homeland just years before the entire re- married a white American woman. Tamil North. While I don’t pretend to un- gion they call home became embroiled in derstand the politics of the entire conflict, My access to interaction with learning civil war. It’s in the experience of new op- I remember reading the BBC headline about my South Asian heritage was portunities in the United States, as well as quickly that announced the war’s end, markedly limited, only embodied by the process of adaptation to the new cul- before nearly mindlessly forwarding the occasional Sri Lankan meals and inter- tural and environmental landscape of this article to my parents to view some time actions my immediate family as well as home. It’s in the decision of my Sri Lankan later. How could I have dealt with this with my two South Asian best-friends, ancestors to convert to Christianity in Sri news that is so connected to the people one from India and the other from Pa- Lanka during the 1800s. It’s in my mother’s I am tied within my blood but never be- kistan. This was early grade school, all naturalization ceremony. It’s in Fourth of fore really known? The answer is that I of us preoccupied by our mutual love July celebrations spent eating strawberry largely didn’t try to deal with it, and only for Star Wars and our burgeoning com- shortcake and watching fireworks in the now have I made a more concerted effort petition of who could finish the Harry grass with both my white and Sri Lankan to read and research the conflict more on Potter books fastest. families. It’s in being asked “Where are you my own. from?” followed up by the question, “No re- I never learned Tamil (the I thought about stopping this story here, ally, where are you from?” after my first an- native language of my at a place of feeling disconnected from swer of Florida isn’t satisfying enough. It’s both my Sri Lankan culture because of my in my name being pronounced in variations mother). I never attended a lack of access to things I have tried to de- from “Danish” to “Dancer.” It’s in being called South Asian-style wedding. fine as “Sri Lankan.” out incorrectly as a “Mexican” by a group of party-goers as I jogged through the quad I can’t remember watch- Yet, while attending a speak- one night. ing any South-Asian films. ing event at UNC by author My story of South Asian identity is just that: These were simply things I Junot Díaz, his comments on a single story. It’s a story of feeling discon- was never exposed to. nected from my South Asian culture, but in “authenticity” struck a chord understanding that feeling as something Perhaps the first time I felt conscious with me. He said we must es- that only happens within the context of of this lack of knowledge of and con- cape the desire to search for being part of a larger story of the Ameri- nection with half my cultural roots can South Asian community. Additionally, was when I went to Sri Lanka in 2003 and define the authentic per- this story that hopefully demonstrates the with my family. The country was in the son in relation to their culture, need to be very careful in approaching dis- midst of a cease-fire agreement, which cussions around identity with the template gave us the opportunity to travel there describing how different members of of defining the “other” as the basis for the for the first time as an entire family. American communities will make state- claims we make. We each are a product of ments like “he isn’t black enough” or “he It was an eye-opening experience as both our histories and who we choose to isn’t authentically Latino” to define a per- I visited my mother’s homeland, wel- say we are. son in relation to preconceived experi- comed by my extended family, but ences that define the generalized experi- Let us all do our best avoid the pressure of very much feeling like a tourist. As ences of those entire groups. our society to decide who “belongs” with- we traveled to the modest home my in our constructed identity groups, and mother spent the first few years of her These statements helped bring together instead give everyone a chance to process life in, I found it so difficult to imagine the disparate ideas I had been working their own histories and identities. my connection to the place, just one through as I thought about this piece. I’m generation away from my reality. As not South Asian because of my ability to we visited the bomb-damaged church access the things that would make me fit my mother was baptised in as a child, one narrative of South Asian-ness.

18 CHOOSING THE RIGHT BOX TO CHECK BY DEBANJALI KUNDU In high school, most of my friends were white. Growing up, I’d heard horror stories about “brown gossip” and competition for grades—and I told myself I was firmly stay- ing out of it. So I was called an oreo: brown on the out- side but white on the inside, where it really mattered. I know South Asian guys who talk about affirmative action—although they scoring white girls because that’s the do assume my parents are pushing For one, what does it really mean to “be highest notch on the bedpost they as- me into the healthcare field. Hav- white”? We ape whiteness like it’s something pire to. I have friends who only introduce ing an “African-American sounding to be proud of—slather our daughters with themselves by the “white” pronunciation name” makes a person less likely to Fair and Lovely, wax their arms and straight- of their name—the one that’s closer to be hired, in the same way that your en their hair. Our historians have spent gen- English or shortened by a couple sylla- “neighborhood” IT service is not eration upon generation trying to prove that bles. Some of those same friends routine- from Kentucky and the representa- we are closer to Caucasians, that Aryan (read: ly use the saying, “white is right.” tive’s name is probably not Bob. foreign) blood runs through our veins—as if colored blood is not enough. In fact, in 1923 That motto doesn’t work for my cof- I’m drawing parallels between com- the Supreme Court even ruled Indians to be fee-colored skin and dark hair. We are munities because the similarities are Caucasian, although there were “unmistak- unable to accept the darker parts of us— there. able and profound differences” between the and not just the physical. Joy Liburd, pub- But while solidarity is important, two groups. licity chair for the UNC chapter of NAACP, how much can we identify with told me there’s not a single member of others without losing a part of our- the organization from the South Asian selves? The term “color” is meant community. It begets the question: are to refer to all minorities—but does we unwilling to relate with other minority lumping us together erase individ- groups? ual difference? The South Asian ex- With the model minority tag slapped perience is, by definition, different upon us, it’s difficult to say that we suffer from those of other people of col- from the same systems of oppression as or. My experience is different from other minorities. Study upon study has yours, as yours is from mine.. been published on the wide range of So the question remains, where do adverse outcomes minorities face, from we find the box that we fit squarely lower standardized testing scores to so- into—the one that we can check off cioeconomic status. Yet on average, Asian with a sense of satisfaction, where Americans have the largest percentage of we feel like yes, we belong? Or con- high school graduates, higher incomes, sider this: is the box even necessary live in better neighborhoods, and en- to create at all? joy better health— even more so than whites. There is no Ferguson for South Asians to rally behind, although the Wisconsin Sikh temple shooting left an entire communi- ty devastated. No one accuses me of get- ting into UNC because of

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