Category Archives: Nri’s / Pio’s

Malaysian Tamils urged not to lose identity

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Nri's / Pio's, World Opinion

all ears:Participants at the conference on ‘Malaysian Tamil Literature: yesterday and today’ in Thanjavur on Monday.Photo:B. Velankanni Raj.

all ears: Participants at the conference on ‘Malaysian Tamil Literature: yesterday and today’ in Thanjavur on Monday. / Photo:B. Velankanni Raj. / The Hindu

Literature is not leisure-time writing. It represents a country’s culture, language, and race, said P.Rajendran, president, Malaysian Tamil Writers Association, here on Monday.

Speaking at the international conference on ‘Malaysian Tamil Literature: yesterday and today’ organised by the Department of Tamil Studies in Foreign Countries at Tamil University, Mr.Rajendran said that literature reflects the life and time of a community. “Through Tamil literature , we learn the valour, love, and dignity of the Tamil community,” he said.

The Tamil literary tradition in Malaysia is 150 years old. In the first 100 years, the Tamil literary works that originated in Malaysia talked about places such as Thanjavur, Salem, and Tiruvannamalai and lives of the people in those areas. Since1950, there was a renaissance and stories and writings reflected the life of Malaysian Tamils.

“I’m delighted to know that 15 to 20 students of Tamil University have taken up research on Malaysian Tamil literature. There is no point in us talking about our literature. You should study it critically and talk about it . Likewise, we should speak the fame of your literature,” Mr.Rajendran said.

He also called for making use of the memorandum of understanding signed between Tamil writers of Malaysia and Tamil University for exchange visits by students and teachers . “It has not gained momentum. Only one such bilateral visit has taken place; there should be more,” he said.

Malaysian Tamil Writers Association has been doing a lot for promoting Tamil literature in Malaysia. Annual conferences are conducted on short stories and poems and awards are given for best books. “We would like to meet the Chief Minister, when we visit Chennai next week”, Mr.Rajenderan said. M.Thirumalai, Vice Chancellor, Tamil University, appealed to the Malaysian Tamils to not lose their identity .

He also said that Tamil University has signed a MoU with Colon University of Germany for joint research and exchange visits by students and teachers. “We have also sent a proposal to UGC for starting a PG diploma in Diasporic Studies.”

While presenting books to the 35-member Malaysian delegation led by Rajendran , Mr.Thirumalai said that Malaysian youth should be introduced to modern Tamil literature. K.S.Senbagavalli, joint secretary, Malaysian Tamil Writers Association, spoke .

V.Rajeswari, Malaysian Tamil writer, Gunanathan Arumugam, secretary, Malaysian Tamil Writers Association, A.Karthikeyan, Head of Department of Tamil Studies in Foreign Countries, Tamil University, and S.Udhayasuriyan, conference co-ordinator, also spoke.

source: http://www.TheHindu.com  / Home> National> TamilNadu / by Special Correspondent / Thanjavur, November 27th, 2012

Misericordia University Honors Angela Asirvatham

Education, Nri's / Pio's, Records, All, Science & Technologies
                                                           Dr. Angela Asirvatham
 DALLAS, Penn., United States
  • Misericordia University recently honored Dr. Angela Asirvatham for excellence in scholarship, teaching and service to the campus and community.  Asirvatham, an associate professor of biology, was presented the Judge Max and Tillie Rosenn Excellence in Teaching Award, which recognizes outstanding contributions to student learning and development.
  • According to the Dallas News, the award is given annually to an outstanding faculty member elected by a vote of the students.Asirvatham joined the Misericordia faculty in 2003 as an assistant professor.
  • The Indian American holds a doctorate in physiology from the Department of Biological Sciences at Kent State University and a master of science degree in reproductive physiology from the Department of Animal Sciences, University of Wyoming.She also holds a bachelor of veterinary science, the equivalent to a doctorate of veterinary medicine, from the Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University in Chennai.
  • source: http://www.indiawest.com / Home> News> US Indian> News Dispatches / October 29th, 2012

Malaysia gov’t allocates money for Tamil schools football tournament

Education, Nri's / Pio's, Sports, World Opinion

Tamil school kids in Malaysia get funding for “Road to England” football tournament.

Kuala Lumpur:

Tamil schools in Malaysia received a boost on Friday after Prime Minister Najib Razak announced the approval of RM530,000 for a football tournament between the schools aimed at boosting integration and cultural projects for the minority group in the country.

Minister in the Prime Minister’s office G. Palanivel said that the goal of the “Road to England” tournament was to promote cultural exchange and give Tamil speakers in Malaysia the opportunities other Malaysian students had.

The football tournament will include 523 Tamil schools in the country and will see the use of some 10 venues across Malaysia, he said.

He said that 11 players from the tournament would be sent to “train and play at the Manchester United (MU) football club in England later this year.

“The objective of the project is to produce Malaysian Indian boys who can have football as a career with their standards on par with the English players on a long term.

“They can also contribute towards the standard of football locally when they return and represent the country in international tournaments,” he told a a press conference after handing over an allocation worth RM330,000 to 23 Indian non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in Selangor at a temple near Bestari Jaya.

The final training and selection of the 11 players will be done by former England International footballer Peter Barnes.

The “Road to England” tournament initiative is a collaborative effort between Peter Barnes Football Academy and the Malaysian Tamil schools headmasters council.

BM

source: http://www.medianet2.com / by admin / July 16th, 2012

Villas on the East Coast Road

Business & Economy, Nri's / Pio's

Rajeshwari Foundations Pvt Ltd has launched its first project, an exclusive villa development on the East Coast Road to the south of Chennai. The new entrant to the market has been floated by an NRI businessman based in Malaysia, Mr Anand Nagpal.

The project, Tropicana, coming up at Kanathur includes over 14 villas on a 1.85-acre plot. Each villa of 4,800 sq. ft will be on a 3,600-sq.-ft plot. The houses cost around Rs 4.75 crore each. Mr Nagpal said Rajeshwari Foundations has long-term plans in the real-estate market in the city. Tropicana is the first of many in the pipeline and is designed as a unique offering to give a taste of comfortable living space offered in modern cities abroad. The project is designed by Veritas Architects, Malaysia. All the statutory clearances are in place and the project was formally launched on July 5. The project will be completed in 18-24 months.

Interest subvention extended

Last week the Union Cabinet approved the proposal to extend interest subvention scheme on housing loans for the current year. The 1 per cent subvention on housing loans up to Rs 15 lakh on purchase of houses costing up to Rs 25 lakh and the guidelines for release of funds were approved on July 4, according to an official press release. A budgetary provision of Rs 400 crore has been made for the current financial year to implement the scheme. Following the extension of the scheme, the limit of subsidy for an individual borrower would be Rs 14,912 on loan of Rs 15 lakh and Rs 9,925 for a loan of Rs 10 lakh. The extended scheme will benefit all house loans borrower in the current financial year. The original scheme offered interest subvention on housing loans up to Rs 10 lakh, on houses costing a maximum of Rs 20 lakh was approved by the Cabinet in September 2009. The scheme was revised by hiking the limits in the past financial year and was approved by the Cabinet in October. The scheme has now been extended for another year. The National Housing Bank is the nodal agency for implementing the scheme through scheduled commercial banks and housing finance companies.

source: http://www.TheHinduBusinessLine.com  / Home> Features> Investment World / by Hindu Chennai Bureau / July 2012

A R Rahman to introduce Punjabi beats for Olympics

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Leaders, Nri's / Pio's, Records, All, Sports, World Opinion

Mumbai, Jun 30 (PTI)

 Oscar-winning composer A R Rahman, who is reuniting with Danny Boyle for London Olympics, will celebrate Indian influence in UK by incluing Punjabi track in the opening ceremony.

The 46-year-old has teamed up with Boyle, the artistic director of the games, for the gala ceremony.

“Clarifying the report on the Olympics track I am composing… It’s a track in Punjabi celebrating the Indian influence in the UK.

source: http://www.ptinews.com / PTI / by Staff Writer / July 01st, 2012

IIT professors to present innovation and incubation at IIT Madras

Business & Economy, Education, Nri's / Pio's, Science & Technologies

The IIT Madras delegation consisting of two-member team led by Director, Dr. Bhaskar Ramamurthi and Dr. Ram Nagarajan, Professor, Department of Chemical Engineering and the Faculty Advisor, Office of Alumni Affairs will be visiting Houston on June 18 and 19, 2012.

  Dr. Bhaskar Ramamurthi and Dr. Ram Nagarajan

The Team will be meeting with IIT Madras Alumni of North America (IITMAANA) and IIT Alumni of Greater Houston (IITAGH) members on June 18 evening to communicate “IITM Vision and Plans” to the alumni and solicit their input and support. This meeting will begin at 6:30 PM on Monday, June 18, at Mayuri Restaurant, 5857 Westheimer.

On June 19, at the luncheon meeting in collaboration with the Indo-American Chamber of Commerce of Greater Houston, Dr. Bhaskar Ramamurthi plans to address the business and entrepreneur community about the recent successes of IIT Madras innovation and incubation initiatives.

This gathering will take place at Narin’s Bombay Brasserie, 3115 West Loop South, Suite 110; (77027) on Tuesday June 19, from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM.

Later in the afternoon, at the “Academic and Research Collaboration” session, the Team plans to communicate IITM academic collaboration initiatives with the Deans and Faculties of Rice University, University of Houston, University of Texas, and Texas A& M University and solicit their active participation.

The IITMAANA, established in 1980, is a US based non-profit alumni organization that serves the needs of IIT Madras and her alumni in North America region. The Houston Chapter is actively pursuing Prof. S. Sampath Endowment Chair Fund Raising, the first of its kind “to honor the Professors who have made profound impact on the students during their days at IITM and beyond in a sustainable way”.

The IITAGH, established in 2004, is a non-profit organization that was created to meet three goals: to promote professional growth of its members; to provide a social network for IIT alumni and their family members to swiftly assimilate into the Houston community, and to give back to the local community.

The team’s visit is locally coordinated by Mallik Putcha, and Dr. Subba Viswanathan, Founding President and Director respectively of IITMAANA, and supported by Witty Bindra, President of IITAGH

source: http://www.india-herald.com / India Herald

Gov. Perry Appoints Kannappan to Key Texas Board

Leaders, Nri's / Pio's, Science & Technologies

        Sam Kannappan

AUSTIN, Texas, United States

Governor Rick Perry recently appointed Sockalingam “Sam” Kannappan of Houston to the  Texas Board of Professional Engineers Texas Board of Processional Engineers  for a term to expire Sept. 26, 2017.

The board licenses qualified engineers, enforces the Texas Engineering Practice Act and regulates the practice of professional engineering in Texas.

Kannappan is a professional engineer and senior design engineer for SNC-Lavalin Hydrocarbons and Chemicals. He is a member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, the Gas Pipeline Safety Research Committee, a board member of the Society of Piping Engineers and Designers, and an advisory board member of the Asia Society of Texas.

Born in Nattarasankottai in the Sivaganga district of Tamil Nadu, Kannappan is a past member of the Texas On-Site Wastewater Treatment Research Council. He received his bachelor’s degree from Annamalai University in India and a master’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Texas.

Kannappan is a prominent local Indian American community leader and one of the co-founders of the Sri Meenakshi Temple in Houston.

source: http://www.indiawest.com / Home> News> US Indian / by Staff  Reporter / June 15th, 2012

DISH Launches Four South Indian Channels from SUN TV Network

Business & Economy, Nri's / Pio's, Uncategorized

Englewood, Colorado: 

DISH Network L.L.C. (NASDAQ: DISH), the nation’s third largest pay-TV provider announced the launch of four more South Indian channels from SUN TV Network. Adithya TV, Gemini Comedy, Kiran TV and SUN Music bolster DISH’s rank as the leader in international programming with more than 240 ethnic channels in 29 languages.

“We are a leader in delivering TV channels from across India to those in the U.S. seeking news, music and entertainment from their home country,” said Chris Kuelling, vice president of International Programming at DISH. “DISH currently offers 92 South Indian channels, and the launch of additional SUN TV Network programming shows our continued commitment to serve the South Indian community.”

With presence in more than 27 countries, SUN TV Network’s CEO K. Vijay Kumar said this partnership will allow the company to further expand its reach in the international market.

“Millions of people around the world watch SUN TV Network channels,” said Kumar. “DISH dominates the South Indian market in the U.S., and we are thrilled to have the opportunity to bring our content to an even wider audience.”

Channel descriptions and DISH programming package availability are listed below.

Adithya TV: A Tamil channel with a lineup of rib-tickling comedy and call-in music request shows. Popular programs include “Anandam Anandame,” “Konjam Kapi Niraya Comedy,” “Kalakkal Comedy,” “Sarigama Padhani,” “Vaanga Sirikkalam,” “Jokaddi,” “Comedy Galata,” “Adra Sakka,” “Vaivittu Siringa,” “Sirikka Sirikka Sirippu,” “Jillinu Oru kadi” and “Idhu Thanda Sirippu.” Adithya TV is available on channel 693 in DISH’s Tamil Mosaic Pack and SUN Pack.

Gemini Comedy: A Telugu channel tailored to tickle the funny bone, Gemini Comedy broadcasts a variety of Telugu movies and comedy series including “Comedy Talkies,” “Kita Kitalu,” “Smile Raja Smile (with Rani’s),” “Kevvu Comedy,” “Navvandehe,” “Havva Ente Navva,” “Fun Bomb” and “Appam Bappam.” Gemini Comedy is available on channel 591 in DISH’s Telugu Pack at no additional cost.

Kiran TV: A Malayalam music channel that features a variety of song sequences and films, such as “Kiran Morning,” “Kiran Wishes,” “Darling Darling,” “Ningalakku Areyamo” and “Kiran Classics.” Kiran TV is available on channel 593 in DISH’s Malayalam Mega Pack at no additional cost.

SUN Music: A dedicated Tamil music channel, SUN Music captures the essence of song-based sequences from a vast library of Tamil movies and features a variety of popular programming like “Hi Kutties,” “Anbe Anbe,” “Vaazhthalam Vaanga,” “Star Times,” “Ladies Choice” and “Yendrum Iniavai.” SUN Music is available on channel 692 in DISH’s Tamil Mosaic Pack and SUN Pack.

source: http://www.IndoAmerican-News.com / Entertainment / April 12th, 2012

Short URL: http://www.indoamerican-news.com/?p=6368

Of ragas and rhythm

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Education, Nri's / Pio's

Trichy Sankaran, faculty of fine arts, York University, Canada, speaks to Diptiman Dewan about the Indian music studies programme

It was back in 1971 that Trichy Sankaran, faculty of fine arts, and the late Jon Higgins, started the South Indian music programme at the University of York, Canada.

On how it all started, Sankaran says, “Higgins invited me to join him to teach courses in rhythm, performance, theory, and also perform with him in concerts. The Higgins-Sankaran duo continued until 1978 when Higgins left York University and I took over the South Indian music programme as the chief director.”

Over the years, the holistic approach in teaching the programme has made a positive impact on the approach and understanding of rhythm of western performers, says Sankaran. Further, the introduction of adaptation techniques and concepts in the programme enabled western drummers (Jazz drummers in particular) to adapt to their own instruments.

According to Sankaran, the pedagogical style of teaching combines the best of both East and the West to create a holistic blend. His collaborations with Western musicians in performance, particularly with groups like Nexus, World Drums and Gamelan, among others, and contemporary world music ensembles have had far-reaching effects in the deepening of the understanding of Indian culture in Canada as well as in the evolution of the programme.

A course on Solkattu studies (spoken rhythms and patterns of hand-clapping used by classical South Indian dancers and musicians) created by him has influenced students from the undergraduate to graduate level over the years to take up teaching, performance, and research.

Says Sankaran, Indian music in general has attracted westerners for its melodic varieties, use of drone, rhythmic sophistication and improvising qualities while Carnatic music in particular, has been appreciated for its rhythmic character, enchanting melodies, and drum improvisation besides compositional structures.

Courtesy: http://www.Myeducationtimes.com

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / Home> Education> News / by Diptiman Dewan / April 11th, 2012

Karunanidhi criticises AIADMK

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Nri's / Pio's

Chennai:

DMK chief M Karunanidhi on Sunday criticised the AIADMK government for reversing his government’s decision to celebrate Tamil New Year on the first day of ‘Thai’ in January instead of “Chithirai” in April.

“By reversing DMK government’s decision, AIADMK government has ignored Aryans and their passion towards Tamil, including the interests of famous Tamil scholars like Maraimalai Adigal, V Kalyanasundaram and poet Bharatidasan,” he wrote in his party organ ‘Murasoli’.

“The decision of AIADMK government is an apt example for not respecting the interests of Aryans and their passion towards Tamil language,” he said.

After assuming power in April last year, Jayalalithaa government had reversed the change made by DMK government.

In 2008, the Karunanidhi government had passed a resolution in the assembly to shift the Tamil New Year to January 14, coinciding with the harvest festival of Pongal.

Karunanidhi, quoting verses of Bharatidasan said, “Tamil New Year day was celebrated on the first day of harvest festival — Pongal, as per the Aryans and not on the first day of Tamil month ‘Chithirai’.

“It is unfortunate that in the history of Tamil Nadu, there is a section of people, which is against ‘Tamil’ and even hate the word — Semmozhi.

“The AIADMK government reversed the DMK’s announcement (of changing Tamil New Year to the second week of April (instead of January). The resolution was immediately welcomed by BJP then. The intention of passing such a resolution can be understood now.”

Noting that Tamils living in Malaysia were still celebrating Tamil New Year in January, Karunanidhi said when his party passed a resolution to this effect, it was largely welcomed by many political parties including Congress, the Left, the MDMK and the PMK.

PTI

source: http://www.Zeenews.india.com / News / TamilNadu / April 09th, 2012