A4
PEOPLE
India Abroad
May 4, 2012
Governors’ groundwork?
So we all know that Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal’s name is being touted as a possible run- ning mate in the who-will-be-Mitt-Romney’s- vice-president speculations — even though he first endorsed Governor Rick Perry, then
appeared enamored by right-wing conservative Rick
Santorum and has only now endorsed Romney. Even
then, we were surprised to see Jindal questioning
President Barack Obama’s patriotism (though he insists
he isn’t)! The governor recently sent out an e-mail saying, ‘Dad (Amar Jindal, who was incidentally a key protagonist in the building of the Hindu Temple in Baton
Rouge a couple of decades ago and still has strong roots
to India) would tell us seemingly every day, “Give thanks
to God that you were born in America, the greatest
country in the history of the world”… I understand now
what he was trying to teach us. In contrast with Michelle
Obama, who said in Wisconsin in 2008, ‘For the first
time in my adult life I am proud of my country,’ I’ve been
proud of my country every day of my life.’ Jindal claims
he doesn’t ‘question the President’s or First Lady’s patriotism,’ but adds, ‘ The President is quite ready to apologize for America. You get the sense he is especially
embarrassed of those of us Americans “clinging to our
guns and religion,” afraid we might use the wrong fork
when our more sophisticated European elders and their
fellow travelers from elite American universities and editorial boards visit.’ The reason behind this attack comes
only lower down in the mail — ‘(My passport says I am
an American, my driver’s license says I am a Louisianian,
and my attitude says “Thank God for both.” I guess I didn’t qualify for the secret decoder ring that proclaims one
a citizen of the world, whatever that means in terms of
taxation, immigration, legal, and regulatory policies.) For
example, the President is supporting more off-shore oil
and gas production, creating new good paying jobs, and
even providing $2 billion in federal assistance through
the Export-Import Bank. Those jobs happen to be in
Brazil.’ We can’t help wondering, is this Jindal’s groundwork?
Madhur’s comeback
For all you Indian food lovers, this is the return you have
been waiting for.
Cooking guru Madhur
Jaffrey, we hear, is
returning to television
after 17 years. The win-
ner of the India Abroad
Lifetime Achievement
Award 2010 will make a
10-part show about the
impact of curry on the
United Kingdom for the
Good Food channel.
Considering she hosted
the landmark Indian
Cookery for the BBC
more than 30 years ago,
followed by The Flavors
of India in 1995, who
better to do it right? PARESH GANDHI
PARESH GANDHI
LARRY DOWNING/REU TERS
And talking of groundwork, many are see- ing South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley’s (another oft repeated name in the
Republican running mate speculation) appearance in the May edition of Vogue as a bid to
boost her profile this election season. According
to the magazine, even some lawmakers in her
state think she is eyeing the vice presidential
seat. At a meeting, one representative ‘sulkily
asks the governor whether she will even be
around much longer to see through the agenda
she is pressing on them,’ Vogue says. ‘The unspoken assumption here is that Haley, who had
endorsed Mitt Romney for president… has her
eye on a spot on the Romney ticket. Haley
assures the representative that she is in South
Carolina to stay.’ We’ll just have to wait and
watch.
Norah’s not heartbroken
Little Broken Hearts might be her second album — the last was The Fall in 2010
— revolving around failed
romance, but Norah Jones is far
from being heart broken. ‘I don’t
want to be singing my diary. If
this album was more of a diary,
it would be a little less fun… I
have a boyfriend,’ she told The
New York Times days before the
May 1 release of the album. ‘For
such a sad album I’m really
happy.’ The Grammy winner,
who is the daughter of Indian
sitar maestro Pandit Ravi
Shankar, has sung 12 breakup
songs in the album, which the
NYT called her ‘darkest, most
moody album.’ And she hopes to
explore a new topic next.
‘Definitely no more breakup
records,’ she said. ‘Two is
enough.’
