Mind set. The day people feel

that it's 'My country’, there will

surely be positive changes in

their approach towards every-

thing. The ‘chalta hai’ attitude

needs to be changed.

An end to moral policing . It’s

time to break free from the barri-

ers of moral policing and set a

code of moral conduct. The

government should shift its focus

to other important issues rather

than raiding pubs or indulging in

round table conferences to fix

the dress code for women.

The fight for the governance of

the political unit of India by sons

of the soil began from the end of

the 19th century. Nearly half a

century of struggle in many

different forms forged a nation

conscious of itself as being

"Indian". To this nation came the

supreme moment on August 15,

1947 . Since then this day re-

minds us about our identity,

honour and existence.

It’s time to look back and take

whatever we can for betterment

of our tomorrow. TOI did a poll

in which they asked for the

suggestions to fellow citizens.

Here's the list of proposed

changes.

Assessment and Account-

ability of MPs. The MPs and

politicians should be treated

according to their perform-

ance . All deserving candidates

should be rewarded, while a

bad performer has to bear the

brunt.

Overhauling of the education

system. The term ‘literacy’

sh ou ld be c hanged t o

‘education’. Basic concept which

is about making a living should

be changed to how to live and

lead.

Responsible youth. The youth

should become more responsible

towards their country and realise

the fact that no one else, but

they themselves are responsible

for the status of their country.

Responsible Media. “The

amount of footage given to ce-

lebrities like Chand and Fiza or

to Rakhi Sawant made me say

that. I think there are better

events/people to cover,” feels

Tariq Khan, an Indian techie.

Focus should be on responsible

and meaningful cinema.

6 3 r d I n d i a n I n d e p e n d e n c e D a y a n d Y o u n g I n d i a

Students and professionals from

India constitute a major section of

British society. They come from

India in search of their future, away

from their friends, parents and

home. We too belong to the same

category. Therefore we feel a need,

need for a friend, a family, and for

people with whom we could correlate

ourselves. This thought process

resulted into an instigation viz.

“Bharat Parivar”. The second step

and motivation was provided by the

University of Birmingham which

encouraged us to go forward with

this initiation.

The motive behind Bharat Parivar is

in itself quite “innovative”, some-

thing apart from demonstrating our

Indian cultural heritage to the world.

It is not just about organising cul-

tural events, trips, parties or get-

togethers. We are keen to provide

support, truly like a family to each and

every member of our group. We pro-

vide a platform to students who come

from India, help them in arranging

their temp/permanent accommoda-

tion, provide information regarding

local transport, food and entertain-

ment, jobs and Visa related assis-

tance.

Very recently we also established the

professional wing of this society with

the help of Indian alumni who passed

out from the University of Birming-

ham and organised several network-

ing events and discussions for current

students involving alumni and people

who are coming from India as profes-

sionals. By involving professionals

during several networking events,

many students have found part/full

time employment as well. We have

been able to establish association with

various organizations including ‘Telugu

People in UK (TPUK)’, IIT London

Chapter (London) and Indian Consu-

late (Birmingham). In addition to that

we have also organised social drives

such as Blood Donation Camp by invit-

ing UK National Blood Service, and

funds collection for flood relief in

Bihar.

At present we are working on the es-

tablishment of a Midland based union

of Indian students with the help of

Indian consulate Birmingham. The

union will provide a common platform

to all Indian students all across the

Midland and will work towards the

welfare of Indian students. In the

words of one of the students “I didn’t

even realise that I have come out of

7 ’ O C l o c k7 ’ O C l o c k7 ’ O C l o c k7 ’ O C l o c k

I n s i d e t h i s i s s u e :

B h a r a t P a r i v a r 2

N e w s D i g e s t 3

I n t e r v i e w s o f

F o u n d e r s 4

E d i t o r i a l a n d

B l o g 6

S p o r t s 7

C o l l a g e 8

A B h a r a t P a r i v a r N e w s l e t t e r

- A n I n d e p e n d e n c e D a y I s s u e

A u g u s t 2 0 0 9

I n t e r e s t i n g F a c t s

• India is the largest democ-

racy in the world, the 6th

largest Country in the

world.

• India never invaded any

country in her last

100000 years of history

• Algebra, Trigonometry,

Calculus, 'Place Value

System' and the

'Decimal System' were

developed in India.

• Sushruta is regarded as

the Father of Surgery.

Over 2600 years ago, his

team conducted surger-

ies like cataract, artificial

limbs, caesareans, frac-

tures, plastic surgery

and brain surgeries.

• India was one of the most

richest countries till the

time of British rule in the

early 17th Century.

Christopher Columbus,

attracted by India's

wealth, had discovered

America.

• There are 300,000 active

mosques in India more

than in any other coun-

try, including the Muslim

world.

• The largest employer in the

world is the Indian Rail-

ways, employing over a

million people.

• India exports software to

90 countries.

A F a m i l y B e y o n d T h e N a t i o n - B h a r a t P a r i v a r

Mustard, 10 Coriander leaves, 1 Green

pepper cut into pieces, 1 Onion

chopped, 1 Tomato cut into pieces.

Method: Boil the toor dal with 3 cups

of water (if possible then in a pressure

cooker). Add oil in a frying pan and add

channa dal, dhania seeds, hing, and red

chillies for a few minutes and then fry

them with the grated coconut. Grind

the above mixture with water. Fry the

green pepper in oil for a few minutes.

Boil the tamarind paste, water, salt,

turmeric, tomato and vegetables. Add

boiled dal and bring it to a boil. In the

meantime fry the mustard seeds and

onion. Add the above ingredients &

coriander leaves to the mixture.

ONION AND TOMATO RAITA (4-

6 Servings)

Ingredients: 250 ml Yogurt (plain), 1

small Onion, 1/2 tsp Salt, 1 small To-

mato, 1/2 tsp Chat Masala (optional), 3

-4 Black pepper (ground), 1/4 c Milk

Method: Beat yogurt and milk until

smooth. Chop onion and tomatoes and

add to yogurt. Add salt and pepper and

sprinkle the Chat Masala over, and

serve.

MANGO ICE CREAM (Very very

little effort...can replace Mango with

any fruit)

Ingredients: 250 ml Condensed Milk,

12 oz. Whipped cream, 250 ml Mango

pulp, 2 tsp Honey, 3 tsp sugar, 3-4

Cherries.

der, 1 tsp Cumin seeds, 1Bayleaf, 3

Cloves, ¼ tsp Turmeric, ½ tsp

Garam Masala, ¼ tsp Red chilli

powder, 3 tsp Olive or sunflower

Oil, a bunch of coriander leaves.

Method: Cut the cauliflower and

de-skinned potatoes into small

sized pieces and wash them. Heat

the oil in a frying pan and add

mustard seeds, bay leaves, carda-

mom and cloves. Mix around till

you get an aroma then add chopped

onions. Wait until the onion starts

to turn brown and then add

Garam masala, tur- meric,

red chilli powder. Put the cauli-

flower and fry in the oil and spices

for 2 minutes. Add ½ cup of water

and reduce heat to low. Cover

skillet and let cook for 5 minutes.

Arun K. Mishra

Check tenderness of vegetables. If

they are still too hard, add another

1/4 cup of water and cover again for

5 minutes. Salt to taste and serve.

For garnishing you may use finely

chopped coriander leaves.

my family and home. I found my own

people here, they are just like a family

and now my mom from India says

that: son why have your phone calls

reduced?”

All of the following recipes are spe-

cially modified according to the re-

quirements of students and can be

used for 3-5 servings.

Puriyaan (25 Puriyaan)

Ingredients: 500 gm wheat flour,

250 ml Water

Method: Put flour in a large bowl

with half the water. Blend the two

together until it holds. Beat and knead

well until it forms a compact ball.

Knead dough until it is smooth and

elastic. Knead and divide dough into

20-25 parts. Roll each ball into a

round shape circle (dia:10 cm).

Pour oil in a frying pan or Kadhai and

switch on the flame. When oil is hot

(can check it by putting a small dough

into oil) start deep frying puris and

take them out when the puris turn

deep yellow and orange in color.

GOBI ALOO (CAULIFLOWER

AND POTATOES)

Ingredients: 1Large cauliflower, 3

Medium sized potatoes, ½ large

Onion sliced, 1 tsp Mustard seeds,

2 or 3 pods Cardamom, 1 tsp Corian-

MUGHLAI CHICKEN WITH AL-

MONDS

Ingredients: 1" piece Ginger, 8-9

cloves Garlic, 6 tsp Blanched Almonds,

7 tsp cooking oil, 1" Cinnamon stick, 2

Bay leaves, 5 Cloves, 10 pods Carda-

mom, 2 medium sliced Onions, 2 tsp

Ground cumin seeds, 1/8 - ½ tsp Red

pepper, 7 tsp Yogurt, 1 small carton

Whipped Cream, ¼ tsp Garam Ma-

sala, 2-2½ lbs Chicken boneless, 2½

tsp Salt, Coriander leaves

Method: Grind the ginger, garlic, and

almonds with water. Heat oil in a non

-stick pan, and fry the chicken until it

turns golden brown. Keep it aside and

drain the oil. Heat some oil and add

the cardamom, bay leaves and cloves

and fry until the bay leaves turn

brown. Add the onions and fry for a

few minutes. Pour the paste from the

blender and fry for a couple of minutes

until the oil separates. Add 1 table-

spoon of yogurt and fry for 30 sec-

onds. Keep adding tablespoons of

yogurt and fry until you get a consis-

tent mixture. Add the chicken,

whipped cream and salt and cook

gently (low heat) for 20 minutes. Add

Garam Masala and coriander leaves

and cook for another 10 minutes.

SAMBHAR:

Ingredients: 1 cup Toor Dal (Arhar),

1 tsp Tamarind, 3 tsp Salt, a pinch

Turmeric, 2 tsp Channa Dal, 3 tsp

Dhania seeds, 1 pinch Hing, 3 Red

chillies, ¼ cup Grated coconut, 1 tsp

transportation, banks , medical system, national insur-

ance and so on. We assist them in finding temporary

and permanent accommodation (with the help of

University housing service and local residential lettings),

provide information regarding local transporta-

tion, food and entertainment, part-time and tem-

porary jobs, Visa applications & Home office

related assistance.

The motive behind Bharat Parivar is in itself

quite “innovative”, much vast and big, some-

thing apart from demonstrating our Indian

cultural heritage to the world. For any new

student arriving from India in this new coun-

try and environment it is a daunting task to

find his/her way through arranging accom-

modation, gathering information on public

At present we are working on a database which can

provide ‘essential living information’ to students

and professionals coming from India. If readers

require any information regarding any of the follow-

ing issues they can contact us on bharatpari-

var@bham.ac.uk or join us on bharatpari-

var@yahoogroups.com.

O u r s e r v i c e s f o r O u r F a m i l y M e m b e r s

B h a r a t P a r i v a r K i R a s o i

Method: Mix all of the pulp, condensed milk and whipped cream in a bowl. Put in the freezer for about 8 hours (You can make different shaped ice creams). Top with

cherries.

the right under a new system. Foreign-

ers will have to earn points to become

British citizens, according to the new

plan to be introduced by the Home

office. Applicants with "un-British"

behaviour or accused of unpatriotic

acts like protesting against British

troops, will be denied citizenship.

Immigrants will be denied passports if

they have a history of anti-social behav-

iour, even if they have never been

convicted. Under the new rule, 10 years

of stay in the country will be a prereq-

uisite for a person to get British pass-

port, instead of the present five-year

stay.

of tightening the immigration laws,

the government would introduce a

job readiness test from next year to

verify if applicants have the skill they

claim.

3. The Indian Government has come

up with a plan to register the stu-

dents going overseas for education. It

will come into force by the year end.

As per details available, 2,64,324

Indian students were studying

abroad at present; the largest con-

tingent of 1,04,522 was in the U.S. It

is followed by Australia (97,035

students).

4. Bangalore-based Suhas Gopinath,

23, who shot to fame as one of the

youngest CEOs in the world, has

added another feather to his cap. He

has been given the first 'Make a

1. Indian Government has decided to

increase the gross enrolment ratio to

15% by the end of 11th Plan and de-

cided to fund the studies of economi-

cally disadvantaged students. The

Government also extended the scope

of Section 80E of the Income-tax Act,

providing tax exemptions for educa-

tion loans to pursue higher studies in

specific areas, to cover all sectors

including vocational studies after

school.

2. In spite of attacks on Indian stu-

dents in Australia, the visa applica-

tions to the country refuse to decline.

Conceding that there are loopholes in

the Australian immigration system

which allows education agents to

market courses in cooking and hair-

dressing as a short-cut to Permanent

Residency (PR). As part of the process

Difference' award in Vienna for sup-

porting young entrepreneurs around

the world. Mr. Gopinath started

Globals in 2000 when he was 14 years

old from a cyber café in Bangalore. He

registered the company at San Jose,

California, as Indian laws did not

allow a minor to start a company. The

average age of employees is about 25

years at Globals.

However, the plan is to shift the head-

quarters to Bangalore as soon as the

construction work is ready. Gopinath

is based in India's Silicon Valley al-

though he travels around the world.

Globals already operates from about a

dozen countries, including Germany.

5. Britain plans to tighten the criteria

for granting citizenship and any immi-

grant judged unpatriotic will be denied

year to January 17, 2010, will bring

together over 250 magnificent objects,

many on loan to the UK for the first

time from India's royal collections.

5. Indian companies are investing in

UK to enter European market - In

view of the increasing criticism against

outsourcing in England and other

European countries, a number of

Indian companies especially those in

the IT sector, have begun to invest in

England to enter the European mar-

ket. Till now, over 400 Indian compa-

nies have set up shop in England and

are creating over 10,000 jobs for the

British youth.

7. Indians among worst affected by TB

in Britain - The largest increase was

seen among patients not born in the

UK, who accounted for 5,310 cases.

8. Britain and India share a global

vision and democratic values. UK and

India both play a proactive role in

international affairs. Both have a

strong interest in success of multilat-

eralism. Both play vital roles in the

UN, WTO, Commonwealth and range

of other bodies.

9. New UK visa rules for students;

Indian law students can now intern in

UK - In a significant ruling that will

facilitate Indian law students applying

for internships in UK legal firms, a

tribunal has held that refusal by a

India-UK

1. UK Indian women ‘aborting girls’ –

A study suggests that Indian women in

the UK are aborting unborn daughters

so they can have more boys. The Ox-

ford University study suggests 1,500

girls are "missing" from the birth

statistics in England and Wales from

1990 to 2005.

2. Wealthy Indians buying their own

British Empire - INDIAN billionaires

are the latest super rich big-spenders

pouring into Britain desperate for a

slice of prime real estate. Actress and

Big Brother winner Shilpa Shetty has

joined the chase and is looking for a

£3.5million flat in Primrose Hill.

3. UK and Indian teens battle over civil

liberties and terrorism at the world’s

toughest debating competition - On

the eve of the 7/7 anniversary the

Debating Matters Competition the

national champions of India and the

UK locked horns over the motion

‘Protecting the public from terrorism

should come before civil liberties’ held

on 5th July at London’s Royal Society

of Medicine.

4. Exhibition on world of Indian

‘Maharajas’ in London - LONDON: A

rare comprehensive exhibition on a

treasure trove of Indian royals and

their lifestyle will be organised at the

famous Victoria and Albert museum

which will run from October 10 this

firm to even consider applications by

non- non-European Economic Area

(EEA) nationals amounts to ‘indirect

racial discrimination’.

India-France

6. India’s French Connection - The

French revere their National Day on

July 14, which marks the storming of

the notorious Bastille prison in 1789,

to free political prisoners. This led to

the common man gaining human

rights and ultimately to the French

Revolution and the establishment of

t h e F r e n c h R e p u b l i c .

Symbolisms attached to that day are

significant. This year India’s Prime

Minister Manmohan Singh was the

Guest of Honour. While it might be

considered as a reciprocative action

because French President Mr Nicholas

Sarkozy was the Guest of Honour at

India’s Republic Day celebrations this

year, there has never been a foreign

Guest of Honour at France’s Bastille

Day.

Indians in Australia

10. Indian-origin Australians are

widely acknowledged as hard working,

ethical, honest with strong family

values. Indian Australians are well

respected at their place of work as

well: be it for their hard work or intel-

ligence. They have also been known to

be good, law abiding citizens by and

by and large. There are limited cases

of involvement in drugs, alcohol-

related crimes, domestic problems or

general law and order breakdowns in

the Indian Australian community.

11. The Youth Parliament Program of

Australia - This week-long residential

program is targeted at 15-18 year old

school students (Years 9 – 11), with a

view to getting them acquainted with

the country’s political processes. It

also provides a platform for the na-

tion’s youth to put across ideas on

issues that concern them. As they

voice their opinions as ‘lawmakers’,

they are heard by those who have the

actual power to make laws.

12.Indian attacks in Australia spark education

industry fears - There are fears that vio-

lence against Indian students could

damage Australia's reputation abroad

and its highly lucrative international

education industry.

Vivek Malik

Desh Ki Khabrein

Desi in Videsh

Saurabh Kulkarni

feeling home sick. I felt a need, need for a friend, need

for a family, need for people with whom I can correlate

myself and there were many others like me who were

also thinking on the same lines. That thought process

was the first step towards something new. viz. “Bharat

Parivar.

BP is an independent society. Did you face any

trouble in its creation since there were already

some societies for almost the same purpose?

We started from UoB, where we already have few

groups who associate themselves with India, however

none of them work directly with, by and for Indians

coming from India and that's where we felt a need.

What do you think are the strengths and weak-

nesses of BP as it exists today?

Our main strength is there in our tag-line 'A Family

Arun is one of the

founders of Bharat

Parivar. He is cur-

rently pursuing his

PhD at the UoB.

Arun’s performances

at various events in BP

are known to put the

audience into an introspection and much

required thoughtful mode.

How did the thought of BP come to

you? Was it an Eureka moment or

something that you always wanted to

do?

I came here as a PhD student and truly

speaking I enjoyed this new environment at

first instance, but soon I got a shock, found

myself in some alien world and started

Beyond the Nation'. That makes us unique, which

shows the support, love, care we have here for each

other. Apart from demonstrating our Indian cul-

tural heritage to the world, we provide a platform

to students who come from India. , help them in

arranging their accommodation, provide informa-

tion regarding local transportation, food and

entertainment, part-time and temporary jobs etc.

Truly speaking, our weakness is present in our

typical Indian attitude: 'Chalta Hai'. I don't under-

stand, why are we so casual about most of the

things in our lives? We come here to learn some-

thing, then why don’t we learn it from these Brit-

ons? Let me assure you that if we have to move as

a nation, if we have to create a place for India in

today's world then we have to get rid of our casual

approach, otherwise soon there will be another

British Raj (or 'American Raj' this time).

we achieve what we set out for and to me this has been

achieved. The Alumni being in constant touch with cur-

rent members of BP would be highly appreciated and

vice versa.

Was there any time so far when you almost gave

up on BP? If so what got you through it?

There is no looking back.

What according to you are the areas of improve-

ment in BP as it stands today?

Bhaskar Thota is one of the founders of

Bharat Parivar. He is currently pursuing his

PhD at the UoB. He is one of the most active

members of BP to this day and has the

unique ability to proactively make new mem-

bers feel at place.

What according to you is the stage

when you as the founder would say:

'This is what BP was meant to achieve’?

BP was started with a motive to help Indian

students at the UoB and I think this motive

has been served till date. The success is when

I am really happy that year after year new stu-

dents coming to university are taking active part to

serve the purpose of BP. Understanding the re-

sources and scope of any organisation is very

important and making

use of them efficiently

and effectively is on the

shoulders of all the flag

bearers of Bharat Pari-

var.

upon an idea of forming a group to celebrate our festi-

vals and organize events we felt much at home and we

thought a similar homely feeling could be extended to

other students coming from India. I believed that BP

would be able to bring forth the feeling of a home away

from home, a feeling of belongingness which I gradually

experienced myself.

You must have noticed or heard the boys com-

plain that there are not many girls in BP. Do you

think there is a specific reason for this or well the

guys are just unlucky?

This question makes me smile :-) In the initial days, I

was practically the only girl around. Now I believe the

female membership has definitely increased since then

and there is equal participation from girls within the

working committee as well. Further efforts of including

events or discussions pertaining to topics which may be

of particular interest to girls could generate more par-

Panchi is one of the

founders of Bharat

Parivar. She is a

Management profes-

sional and is an

alumni of the UoB.

Panchi has been like

the spinal cord of

Bharat Parivar with her most silent but effec-

tive support.

Considering that all members of BP are

away from home, how much did you

think BP would be able to provide that

comfort and support of a family?

I was definitely apprehensive when I landed

in a place where I knew not a single soul.

Once I got to meet few fellow Indians I was

relieved and delighted. As we embarked

ticipation.

As of today has the progress been much

more than you had anticipated and how do

you think BP can be improved?

We definitely have come a good distance however

there are miles to go. In certain aspects the pro-

gress has outpaced anticipation such as the Guild

award that came our way. Much remains to be

achieved in terms of having more active participa-

tion and motivation amongst members to come out

with new concepts and ideas. We are very much

confined to the UoB and professionals in Birming-

ham. Active efforts need to be put forth to take BP

to more universities across the UK as well as to

Indians working in various parts of the UK. This

newsletter I hope would be a good media to serve

this purpose.

current membership of 15. I think BP can go all over the

UK if every BPian uses their networks to promote it out

of Birmingham. BP is already quite a famous and active

society in Birmingham and Liverpool but needs to work

hard for other parts of the UK specially targeting uni-

versities having more Indian students.

What do you think is (are) the best word(s) you

would use to describe BP?

An Indian Family miles away from India.

Nitin is one of the co-founders of Bharat

Parivar. He is currently employed at Liver-

pool and is still one of the DJ’s at some of the

Bharat Parivar events.

Being at Liverpool, how long do you

think it will be before BP at UoB goes

national?

The vision of BP going national is already on

its way. BP has successfully registered its

name at the University of Liverpool with

As of today what do you think needs to be

improved in BP as an urgent matter?

BP needs to improve towards establishing a proper

helpdesk system, preferably web-based, for helping

prospective students. BP

requires developing a

new approach to bring

closer Indian profession-

als and University stu-

dents living in the UK.

A Tryst with Family’s Founders Dhivya Raj

really turned out to be a more diversified Family. A

Family which cares and is ready to render any help

unselfishly. In short, a complete Family which makes

you feel at home. The success and credit for it goes to all

of you.

How long do you think before BP will go interna-

tional and what do you think are the measures

that should be taken to achieve that?

BP is already international. The society reflecting Indian

culture and values formed in UK definitely is not domes-

tic. Moreover its members are present all over UK and

India currently. What is important I believe is more

engagement. Every year new batch will join the group. It

is important how can we sustain the relationship between

all the new and old members?

BP newsletter is a good beginning in this direction.

More annual meets and interactions are required. There

should be more interaction between the group in UK and

Rana Dutta is cur-

rently employed at

India. Though not

many of the new

members have had

the opportunity to

mingle with him, we

have heard of him on

quite a lot of occasions.

Explain to us the journey of BP so far.

It has been an exciting journey so far for BP.

We started it from 68 Exeter Road, Selly Oak

where I used to stay with just 5-6 now mem-

bers of BP. However, all of you have given it

a new dimension. The mission of BP was to

reflect Indian Culture, Values, Unity & diver-

sity and Sense of belonging in the foreign

land. I believe, BP has been able to deliver

the objectives and the goals it had set. It has

the members who have come back to India. I think,

building a BP Parivar in India will help to shield

this gap to a large extent..

We have not seen you for a while. So kind of

like from a far distance what do you think

are the best and worst things of BP right

now?

Currently, BP activities are centered in UK. We

need to devise a mechanism how all the members

either in UK or anywhere can participate. More

engagement, sharing of ideas and activities would

be required. The journey does not end once you

leave UK.

Mr.Dutta has a special request for all the members

of Bharat Parivar, “I would like to form a BP in

India (Mumbai). I would request all the old and the

new members who have come back to India to get

in touch with me.

In 2 years did BP turn out the way you had ex-

pected, better or worse?

To be honest, in 2 yrs the progress BP has achieved is

beyond expectation. But as performance increases ex-

pectations, I am looking forward to a brighter and bet-

ter future of BP.

As of today what do you think are the strengths

and weaknesses of BP?

Strengths: a) All different people from different states

are taking active participation in different BP activities.

B) The healthy and fruitful cooperation among the BP

committee and general members. C) Very active BP com-

Sandeep is one of the co-founders of Bharat

Parivar. He is currently doing his PhD at the

UoB. Amidst his busy schedule, this is what

he had to say at the interview.

What was your vision when BP was

founded?

The main reason was to build a common

platform for new students who are coming

to Birmingham. Platform where they can

meet with each other, share their views,

ideas on different aspects, spend quality time

together during different cultural festivals.

mittee members and alumnus. D) Well planned and

systematic approaches towards common goal.

Weaknesses: A) Sometimes some BP members are

not well informed about the

details of different events. B)

Require active participation of

all the BP committee members.

C) Publicity and marketing of

our society is needed. D) Intro-

duction of new members in our

society needs to be revitalized.

Correspondent: Dhivya Raj

Calvin and his Dad

Strategic Advisor I: Bhaskar Thota

Strategic Advisor II: Arun K. Mishra

Following is what Amashika Amar has to say:

What motivated you to join BP and lead the stu-

dent organization at the University of Birming-

ham?

Before standing for the elections for Bharat Parivar, I

was clear that as a student outside India we should have

enough opportunities where we can come under same

platform, meet, greet, celebrate and support each other.

As the President, I tried to make sure with other com-

mittee members that we should popularize our events

and try to attract not only Indian students but others as

well.

The current student wing of BP at UoB consists of

approximately 45 students registered at Guild of

students, which is led by a nine members commit-

tee with 3 strategic advisors.

Chair: Amshika Amar

Co-Chair: Gopal Poruri

Secretary: Saurabh Kulkarni

Treasurer: Viraj Joshi

Health and Safety Officer: Vinodini Sanaga-

ralingam

Cultural Co-ordinator: Debasmita Sarkar

Event Manager: Vinpaul

Advertising Officer: Govind

PR Officer: Muthu

Strategic Advisor (Chair): Dhivya Raj

You have almost completed a term with

the group, from here where can you see

this group after sometime?

From here, I and we all wish to take Bharat

Parivar forward , even writing it down gives me

pleasure to think that we would aim to bring

students and professionals in U.K. under a plat-

form. This would im-

mensely help all mem-

bers to network with

each other, weaving a

system of support.

Bharat Parivar Student Committee at UoB

With great pride and immense pleasure we bring to you the very first issue of Bharat Parivar’s official newsletter “ 7 O’clock” on this

63rd Independence Day of India. Of more significance is the fact that today we are marking these celebrations on the very soils of a coun-

try which ruled over us for almost a century. We cannot however be content with this.

Great speeches glorifying the past and historical heroes mark the self-eulogy that we Indians bestow upon ourselves. There is the politi-

cally gone wrong “ India Shining” slogan, however no one can deny the evidences supporting the incontrovertible progress made by India - economic progress

through globalisation and liberalisation and socio-cultural metamorphosis into a more ‘new and open’, ‘secular’, and ‘more globalized’ society. Neither can one

negate the fact that India is one of the strong powers in the 21st century’s multi-polar world. However, a deeper insight portrays a completely different picture of

the plight of majority of our countrymen. The onus of bringing about positive and sustainable changes cannot be singularly and blindly placed on the hands of

corrupt politicians and bureaucrats. For a country whose 50% of population is below 25 years age, there are great responsibilities on the shoulders of today’s

youth.

Our Independence Day special issue instigates such a thought process through our cover story on 63rd Independence Day and Young India.

The very idea behind this newsletter stemmed on the fact that Bharat Parivar needs a medium for exchange of news, views, and opinions amongst its members

and a mouthpiece to reach out to a wider Indian diaspora. This first issue focuses on the foundation, progress and way forward of Bharat Parivar and further lays

out a palate of the eclectic flavours that would be on offer covering news from India, UK, Europe and around the world; opinions and discussions; mouth watering

recipes; cartoon clips; collages and the likes.

Hope everyone enjoys reading 7 O’Clock and supports us in our efforts.

Happy reading !!

Panchi Goswami

India, the 2nd most populous country and the largest democracy in the world celebrates its 63rd Independence Day this year, but the question is are we really

Independent?? I understand people will buy the argument that India has progressed a lot in all these years and has also become a challenge to the super powers

in the world. Still, there are certain flaws in the country, which if not rectified might halt the progress that has given India, new identity.

Initially we fought for our rights against the Britishers, now we have to fight against extremism, religious wars, terrorism, credit crunch,

political hypocrisy etc. So people post your opinion on how we can overcome all this and make India a better place to live and also a coun-

try that rules the world. The Indian youth need to contribute towards the development and play a big role in taking India forward. We

should also get rid of our casual attitude. The people in India have adopted the “used to” attitude and ignorance. So post your comments

for this discussion topic and we will have some interesting arguments and discussion.

Please send in your views to : editorialbpn@yahoo.com.

From Editor’s Pen

Today’s Indian Youth Saurabh Kulkarni (Asst. Editor)

Bharat Parivar Sports Week

2009

Covered by: Bhaskar Thota

D’Souza displayed an outstanding performance through-

out the game and well deserved all the kudos he got.

As for our cheering, slogans like ‘Jeetega bhai Jeetega

India Jeetega’ (Will win Will win India will win) and

‘Bharat Mata ki jai’ (Hail Mother Land India) went up in

the air. We even had a very unique contribution from

Kapil Nagdev ‘Soda lemon ginger pop we want India on

the top’. By the end of the second day many of us lost our

voices most notably Sandip De who kept yelling in his

native language to the England team but I can guarantee

that not one of them understood what he said.

A day prior to the final match, Bharat Parivar got the

opportunity to meet the hockey team in person. Thanks

to the efforts by Shashwato Banerjee and Amshika Amar.

A bunch of about 20 members went to the Jarratt hall

after waiting at the fields for a while. We passed the mes-

sage to one of the non-players of the team that there was

a huge fan waiting for the team downstairs. Imagine our

surprise when we actually found them hesitant to come.

But they eventually did and we stood right there amongst

them. And if not for their jackets it would have been hard

to recognize that they were not one of us. As I said before,

their modesty and simplicity were displayed even at that

occasion and they are true heroes for that.

The captain of the hockey team Sandip Singh was ill and

Cricket has always been

the prime focus of our

students in Bharat Pari-

var. But they all showed a

different face when the

Indian National hockey

team arrived at the Uni-

versity of Birmingham on

25 July 2009. The team

was to face the England

team as their opponents

in ‘best of three’ matches.

Whether it was the love of

the game or the prospect

of meeting such high

profiled people, it is hard

to say but the Indian students were enthusi-

astic upon their arrival.

I had an opportunity to meet with them at the

formal welcome event held for the team at

the Barber Institute, University of Birming-

ham. What struck me first was their simplic-

ity and modesty. It was really hard to imagine

that national level players of the national

game of our country seemed like people you

just meet in the bus or at the bank in a queue.

They had no airs or rather were very good at

not displaying them.

Although there was an entry fee to watch the

matches, we Indians found a way to watch

the match with a better view and for no cost

at all. At the first game England beat India. A

disappointing start for all Indians. Nonethe-

less the number of Indians cheering the team

increased in the second match. Whether it

was the cheering or the team spirit no one

can say but India won the second match. The

match had its own exciting turn of events and

the members of Bharat Parivar shouted their

lungs out to get their voice of encouragement

across to the team. It is worth mentioning at

this point that the team’s goalkeeper Adrian

did not play at the games. But

he did come down to meet us.

Jignesh, Vinay and most oth-

ers were down and we took the

time to take our photographs

with them. The goal keeper

Adrian arrived a little later

after we had dispersed but we

came back and he received a

walk through round of ap-

plause. After his performance

in the second match he defi-

nitely deserved it. We wished

the whole team all luck for the

finals and left.

The next day was the day of the finals. We had more

students to cheer. The hockey team was not the only

one who had competition. We had competition from

the England cheering squad and we were deter-

mined not to lose to them. The match went on to

have an amazing start and India was leading. The

second half turned the whole series of events and

India’s defense went onto become England’s advan-

tage. Towards the end of the second half England

was leading thereby winning the tournament.

Disappointed yes…we all were. We did think that

India will win this match and that they had a good

chance at it. But when you look back at the whole

thing, the hockey team was a bunch of freshers

sparing a few experienced players. Their perform-

ance was amazing and truly commendable, be it as

the defense in the first match or the victory in the

second match. Whatever the outcome of the tourna-

ment was, they are our boys and we shall always be

proud of them.

Jai Hind!!!

A Day with the Indian Hockey Team

the favourite to win the competition. The stage was set for

the exciting final match between Shaswata and Satish.

Shaswata gave a very tough fight to Satish who was the

favourite from the beginning of the match but had to bow

down in front of the skill set which Satish demonstrated

to win the matches (21-16, 21-17, 21-18).

In the women’s singles Preeti and Amshika reached finals

winning against Ravjeet, Vino and Dhivya. Preeti lifted

the winning medal by an outstanding victory in straight

games 21-7, 21-5 and 21-4 against Amshika in best of five

games. The men’s doubles matches were most competi-

tive with all the four teams reaching the semi finals being

very good. The first semi finals were won by Satish/Ram

playing against Zaia/Yogi (21-17, 19-21, 21-16). The sec-

ond semi-final was won by Shaswata/Vikram playing

against Sandeep/Bhaskar (21-17,19-21,21-18). In the final

match Satish/Ram beat Shaswata/Vikram (18-21, 19-

The sports tournament organised by BP was

another feather in the success story of our

events. The tournament included Badminton,

Table Tennis and Cricket. The badminton, table

tennis tournament were held in the Munrow

Sports Center, UoB had 16 players in badminton

and 12 players in table tennis and two cricket

teams Unbeatable XI and Master Champs com-

peted.

In the men’s singles Badminton Group A, Vik-

ram topped the group with 6 points and Zaia in

second place with 4 points after overcoming

tough fights from Bhaskar and Sudhakar. In the

Group B Satish topped the group with 6 points

and Shaswata in the second position with 4

points winning over Yogi and Vinod. Satish who

topped the group B impressed all the players

with his skills in the game and was thought to be

21,21-17,20-22), this match saw some amazing

rallies to win points. The team which kept their

nerve under pressure had won and Satish’s contri-

bution to the victory of the team was crucial.

In the table tennis tournament Chintan reached

finals by beating Satish 2-0 in the semi finals and

Shaswata reached finals beating Sandeep 2-0 in

best of 3 games. The first two games were won by

Shaswata 21-19 and 21-17 where Chintan showed

good fighting spirit but at the end lost two games.

Chintan came back in the third game by winning 19-

21 however Shaswata got his concentration back

and won the 4th game 24-22 to win medal. Shaswata

won by 3-1 against Chintan. The Unbeatable XI and

Master Champs had a neck and neck fight in the

cricket tournament where the Master Champs

prevailed over Unbeatable XI to emerge winners.

Bharat Parivar Sports Week Roundup: Bhaskar Thota

Correspondent: Dhivya Raj

Bharat Parivar– A Family Beyond the Nation