The International Weekly Newspaper founded in 1970.
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INDIA ABROAD (ISSN 0046 8932) is published every Friday by India Abroad
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ADNAN ABIDI/ REUTERS
The body of spiritual guru Sri Sathya Sai Baba at his ashram in Puttaparthi, Andhra Pradesh, April 25
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Death of a saint
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My deepest and heartfelt condolences to the devotees of
Sathya Sai Baba.
He hailed from our state, Andhra Pradesh, but belonged
to the world and was rightly considered a saint. He served
humanity all his life, and left behind an empire for the poor
and the needy so that his humanitarian work continues
even after his death.
He was a uniter of faiths and humanity. His admirers
came from all over the world, transcending religious
boundaries and uniting in his wisdom of collective spirituality. The world will miss him.
May his great soul rest in peace.
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I have always relished Sundip Mundkur’s letters. And I was
as impressed by the one he wrote in the April 29 issue, echoing the thoughts of many Indian transplants in the US,
including me.
America’s penchant for hegemony and exceptionalism
mixed with capitalism irks many Indian Americans beholden
to the ideals of the India they once knew.
Traditional morality, empathy and dignity for fellow
humans and their respective countries are seriously disregarded by America; yet, it boasts that it is a protector of these
virtues. Such an America, in the opinions of these Indians, is
flagrantly violating basic human rights; therefore it is morally corrupt and disingenuous — a logical conclusion, albeit a
one-sided one.
American political pundits, policy wonks and the press do
not look at America through the same prism that many
Indians do. They look at America as the apogee of the world
order in terms of human rights advocacy, wealth production
and military strength. Weakening that position will only be
cataclysmic because of the ripple effects in other dependent
countries. This mindset is an accurate reflection of reality
and, therefore, morally defensible, according to them.
I wish India to be in this envious position while still operating under a different set of ideals and paradigms. Until then,
I am settling for what I have.
old can indicate her propensity to become a ‘foodie’ television
star? Or is it just a new mother’s wishful thinking?
What is even more astonishing is that India Abroad
deemed it newsworthy enough to publish. If India Abroad
intends to remain a prestigious newsweekly it should be more
careful how it picks its content.
Raman Shanker
Kingwood, Texas
Isaac A Samuel
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
India Abroad Publications, Inc
A subsidiary of Rediff.com India Ltd.
Ajit Balakrishnan
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Grow up, India Abroad
It was amusing to read Padma Lakshmi’s claim that her 1-
year-old daughter is ‘certainly showing signs of growing up to
be a food connoisseur’ (People, April 22). Really?! A 1-year-
Corruption is shortsighted
Pradeep Srivastava’s letter, ‘Is India ready’ (April29), raised
a question in relation to the recent Arab uprisings.
Web site: http://ia.rediff.com/index.html
