Ever since I let it be known at work that I have been studying Hindi and that I like Indian food I've been given the resume of every single desi candidate that passes through to "review".
"Give it to Mo, he speaks Indian!"
Oy...
Recently in All Things Indian Category
I saw this story. A rapist in India burned his victim alive after she refused to drop the rape charges she pressed. She might have survived the attack if she'd not been dalit, or 'untouchable'. The only people in her village that own cars and could have transported her to the hospital in time were all upper-class and did not want to help.
This kind of action brings to mind the acid attacks on women in South Asia, or the continued killing of infant girls in India and elsewhere that just makes me sad.
Heather and I have talked about adopting another child, and we'd love to adopt a little girl from someplace like India, or China, where little girls can be in danger, but the frustrating thing, aside from the cost is that some adoption agencies in India will not let non-Indian families adopt. If the alternative is the above, what's the point?
I know that the above is not the only alternative, and there are plenty of loving and wonderful Indian families that care for their daughters and raise happy and healthy and securely, and there are plenty of American families that horribly mistreat their children...I guess I'm just more frustrated than anything.
I admire the persistence of Asha Katiya in not backing down from her attacker and not cowering in fear. It is a testament to her strength and power that she lived long enough after being burned alive to be able to name her attacker once again.
I hope that she and her family will see justice done. Sometimes these crimes just go away. I have a feeling this one will not.
Update: My friend Amit suggested that I, and anyone else that feels like they should do something about this crime or other crimes like this could contribute to CRY, an organization that specializes in helping Indian children and youth. To sponsor the education of a child in India for an entire year costs about $25.
Two news stories have crossed my desk, so to speak, that talk about an Al-Qaeda connection to the 7/11 Mumbai Bombings:
http://ia.rediff.com/news/2006/jul/12raman.htm?q=tp&file=.htm
http://autofeed.msn.co.in/pandorav3/output/News/a7178664-612f-45eb-8141-88422bc019ef.aspx
The second one is of interest to me because it talks about Al-Qaeda sending out a fax in Kashmir praising the bombings and claiming that Al-Qaeda has started a cell in Kashmir.
I think Al-Qaeda already has cells in Kashmir, and doesn't want to necessarily make announcements in this manner. It smacks of Zacarias Moussaoui standing the courtroom screaming "I am Al-Qaeda", or in other words, it sounds like a bunch of hooey.
Kashmir is one of those global flashpoints that I think Al-Qaeda has been working in for months, training groups like LeT, etc in an attempt to foment trouble.
I do believe that Al-Qaeda had a direct hand in the 7/11 bombing, and is trying to radicalize the Muslim population of India. I can't speak to how successful they can or will or have been, but I think the consequences of us, the US, or the rest of the world for that matter, ignoring the possiblities of radicalized Indian muslims is something we do at our great peril.
Heather let me make Chicken Pulao yesterday. It was good, but it was not what I expected. I'm not sure what I expected, but that wasn't quite it. I guess I was expecting something spicier, but its flavor was very delicate.
We served it with cucumber raita. I wished we'd had naan or chapatis to serve with it, but it was good nonetheless.
I was very enthused that Heather let me make it.
I'm trying to find more information on Pulao's and what their origin is, but I can't find anything online, and my book "The Indian Grocery Store Demystified" doesn't list anything either.
If anyone knows anything, give me a holler.
