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A monthly communiqué
October 2020 No. 10
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EDITOR'S NOTE
A team within IAGB led by IAGB vice president Vaishali Gade and IAGB Director Tanu Basu have been chiseling hard at the IAGB By-Laws by updating them and adding few new sections. By-Laws with all the edits will be circulated to all IAGB members soon. Two weeks after the circulation, IAGB will host its Annual General Body Meeting. Information regarding the date, time and venue will be communicated via all channels - email and social media.
Another IAGB team led by Supriya Shekar is working with the next generation of IAGB members in crystalizing the youth forum within IAGB. Stay tuned for more details on this initiative. After the highly successful business roundtable organized under the continuing civic engagement series, the Civic engagement team led by Prag Singh is focused on bringing more panel discussions to the IAGB forum. In short IAGB Directors and the leadership team is firing on all cylinders on multiple fronts. IAGB President Sanjay Gowda has earnestly started to focus on the planning and brainstorming of new ideas for celebrating India's Republic Day event, to be organized in January 2021.
IAGB continues to encourage all members and their family and friends to maintain social distancing and follow all CDC guidelines with respect to gatherings and social events. As the temperatures drop and holiday season approaches be aware of cases surging locally and nationally. We have to do our best to contain and minimize the spread of virus.
In regards to the upcoming US elections please remember friendships come before politics. While it is important to fully engage in civic responsibilities, respecting others' view points and agreeing to disagree without hatred and animosity is paramount. No matter who wins the election, accepting the results graciously and working with unity in building a better and healthier America is everyone's civic duty.
In this issue, you will find:
- From the Director's corner - Sushil Motwani
- Guest Column - The Artist in Me - Monisha Vaish
- IAGB Spotlight on Odisha Society of New England (OSNE)
- IAGB Youth Spotlight on EKAM
- IAGB in the News
- IAGB Upcoming events
- IAGB Community Partnerships
- IAGB Sponsors
- Our Media Partners
VOTE!!!
IAGB encourages every eligible voter to exercise their RIGHT to VOTE! Every Vote matters. Democracy is one of the most precious gifts. It can be protected and nurtured by making our voices heard at the ballot box. There are more choices to be made beyond the President/Vice President ticket. Read up and educate yourself on all the ballot choices in your precinct. Additionally, there are two ballot questions up for Yes/No Vote. Informed voting carries your vote an extra mile.
Please reach out to us at [email protected] if you need assistance of any sort in these difficult times.
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FROM THE Director's Corner
My Story of Obesity to a Wellness Life Style
--Sushil Motwani
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Exactly 30 years ago, (I was 18 years old then) my spiritual teacher/Guru and guide, Sri Sathya Sai Baba, told me something that I wish everyone could follow as a way of life towards the pursuit of wellness and happiness. In a 1:1 conversation with him, he told me to master the 5-Ds, which translated to:
1. Devotion – True devotion should be free from selfishness of any kind.
2. Discrimination – (not the racial kind) – the power of understanding the difference between what is right and what is wrong.
3. Dedication – The act of putting your whole towards a goal or desired outcome that you are directly involved and part of.
4. Determination – Increases your chances to achieve your goals; helping you stay motivated and continue striving towards the one thing you want to achieve.
5. Discipline – Making realistic/achievable goals and then setting certain rules around those goals; adhering to them at all times with little or no compromise
As a teenager, my first question to him was “Why is Duty not on the 5 D’s”, and he quickly responded that it is my “duty” to follow the 5’Ds. This statement struck me and stuck to me since then, and I have strived as much as possible to do my duty in everything that I have committed to do.
My story will focus on the last 4, especially the last 3 D’s above. On January 1st, 2020, the weighing scale pointed at 207 lbs. With my height at 5 feet, 9 inches, my doctor never said it to me directly, but my profile clearly stated “obese”. Over the last 10 years, I have worked out at least 45 minutes a day; 5-days a week, was very fit (by general mid-40s standards), but something was not right.
Since coming to the USA in 1995, through various forms of advertising, there are several things that I tried from Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig, etc., and they all worked for a short period of time. I did lose weight as part of those programs but none of the programs above was sustainable for an extended time. So, I eventually gained the weight back and more. On average, I have been gaining about 2-3 pounds per year. During all those up and down cycles, I was never below 180 lbs. in the last 25 years, which is considered “overweight”. Recently all the modern ways of losing weight from Keto Diet, Noom, Awaken 180 were cropping up in my social media feed; I was getting tempted again. But wait, these will work albeit temporarily and I would have to make drastic changes to my regular meals. What could I do that I would be able to sustain for the rest of my life? How can I lose weight without being on any popular weight loss program?
Instead of a new year resolution, in the month of January 2020, I set a goal, and remembered the D’s; the goal was to lose 30 lbs. by the end of the year 2020, and continue on a wellness lifestyle that I can sustain for the rest of my life. I did take a picture of myself when I reached my goal in 8 months (August 2020).
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But the lifestyle that I have chosen is sustainable, so I have continued to trend downwards towards my ideal weight. As of the end of October 2020, I am now 40 lbs. lower than my weight on January 1st, 2020, at 167 lbs. and I keep resetting my goals to realistic, achievable goals.
Now, the question from all of you must be what did I do? If I can do it, anyone can. All it requires is Discipline, dedication, and determination – and of course, the power of Discrimination to know what is good for your body and what is not.
· Less Sugar – You do not need to eliminate anything from your diet – just moderation/minimization.
· Eat at least 3 hours before bedtime – little or no carbs 3 hours before bedtime
· Avoid eating heavy dinners – especially important (Dinner should be the lightest meal of the day)
· Do not skip breakfast and lunch – Control the portions – especially if you eat restaurant meals
· Snacking between meals is perfectly alright, if it is not junk food like chips, instead eat some foods with high fiber like avocado, raspberries, blackberries, or protein snacks.
· Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate – There is nothing better than water, but coconut water is acceptable. Do not drink fluids infused with sugar, as it defeats the purpose of reducing sugar intake.
· Get enough sleep – at least 7 hours a day – Remember lesser you sleep the more hours you are awake and that makes you hungry and you tend to eat more. How many times have you felt like snacking at midnight if you are awake at the time? You get the point 😊
· Weigh yourself every day (at least 3 times a week) – first thing in the morning after your regular morning routine. This helps you keep a check on yourself and modify your habits accordingly if needed.
· Make time for yourself – exercise. At least 30-40 minutes of physical activity 6 days of the week, and that can just be going for a brisk walk. You can lose weight without exercise, but the combination of a healthy diet with exercise will help you lose faster and maintain your metabolism.
Is it fine if we cheat on our program occasionally? It depends how frequent is the “occasionally”. If you are doing a daily weight check, and you realize that your “cheating” caused an upward trend, (Upwards trending is gaining more than 2 lbs. over 1 week - not between yesterday and today). If it does trend upwards repeat what you did to lose and you will be back-on-track. If we keep the end-goal in mind, it is easy to reduce the frequency or urge to cheat often.
Losing weight is highly satisfying but making this a way of life is particularly important. Therefore, choose a method that works for you that you can sustain for the rest of your life. Please remember that following the D’s – especially Discipline, dedication, and determination is a mind game. Use your power of discrimination to control your mind.
--Sushil Motwani
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GUEST COLUMN
The Artist in Me
--Monisha Vaish
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“From as long as I can remember I have been drawn to the arts whether it’s theater/acting, dancing, or painting. However, just like most Indian children back then, I was told I should focus on my education and not distract myself with the arts. As a result, I never received any formal training in dancing or singing growing up. My artistic soul remained unsatisfied, but I continued to work towards becoming a good student. Then in high school I was able to pick up commercial arts as an extracurricular activity. Fortunately, I had a very nice teacher—she thought I was good in painting and encouraged me to continue my passion. However, yet again, when the time came to choose my college, I was sent to an engineering school although in my heart I wished to pursue fine arts and become a painter like MF Hussain. Oh well! I finished my computer science degree, got married, did my Masters, started working, had children, and never looked back on the arts.
But as fate would have it, when my kids were young, I had to take some time off from work and started teaching Bollywood dance to children in the neighborhood. Even though that stopped after I went back to work, the bug for the arts had bitten me once again. I started performing myself and was exposed to the world of theater. I didn’t know there was an actor hidden inside me, and I was fortunate to get some good roles. I was enjoying myself on the stage—finally my artistic soul was delighted and gratified.
Though there was one another side I had still not gotten back to: sketching and painting. In the year 2020, COVID struck us and our lives were brought to a screeching halt. Nothing was normal—we were constantly working from home, there were no performances, and no socializing, but it also gave me a much-needed break from my very busy life. And voila! I got back into painting through some online classes! I even created a Facebook page to showcase all of my artistic passions. Creating Mo’sART, my personal virtual art gallery, was a dream of mine, something I had been wanting to do but never got a chance to bring to fruition until now.
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Whether performing on stage in front of a large audience or creating an art piece in the silence of my home, art has the ability to immerse me completely. It is a creative, therapeutic outlet that rejuvenates me whenever I am feeling stressed. Additionally, there are a few things I have learnt in this journey: it’s never a good time, so stop making excuses and make time for yourself. Don’t try to be a perfectionist because there is no such thing. Do not compare yourself with others because chances are you will be better than others at some things and worse at other things. Besides, comparison brings bad energy and hinders creativity. And never take anyone’s uninformed advice to heart—toxicity will only prevent you from reaching your potential. So choose carefully who you take advice from and listen to people who will help you succeed.
I hope you enjoyed reading about the soul of an artist who is a business analyst by profession. :)
Please visit and follow Mo’s Art on Facebook!
--Monisha Vaish
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IAGB SPOTLIGHT
eNews edition shines SPOTLIGHT on an individual (or a team) who has (have) a positive and significant impact on the lives of New England residents and on community organizations.
This month we are shining the SPOTLIGHT on a community organization - Odisha Society of New England (OSNE) and for the first time - Youth SPOTLIGHT
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SPOTLIGHT: IAGB is proud to cover Odisha Society of New England (OSNE) under its SPOTLIGHT for the month of October edition. We met with and had an illuminating conversation with current OSNE President, Debadutta Behera.
IAGB: Welcome to SPOTLIGHT. Before I ask you about the organization OSNE, I would request you to enlighten our readers about the State of Odisha, its people, its culture, food and festivals.
Debadutta Behera: Odisha is truly the Eastern state in India – the land of Sun Temple in Konark. Historically the Utkal region stretched to parts of current day Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and even Madhya Pradesh. Because of that, culturally Odias have more common ground in taste, food habits, names, and general cultural norms with Northern India than as compared with Southern India. At the risk of stereotyping I would say that Odias are easygoing, laidback, and fun-loving people just like one of their favorite food – Pakhala Bhata which literally translates to water rice. The biggest festival that Odisha celebrates annually is the Rath Yatra festival in Jagannath Puri – one of the four ‘dhams’ (Badrinath, Dwarka, Rameswaram and Jagannath). This annual festival happens in and around the month of July. Lakhs of pilgrims gather in Puri to celebrate this festival. We do try to replicate the Rath Yatra in New England area also. Currently we celebrate in Connecticut & Rhode Island. There are only three Jagannath Temples in US as of now but there are many temples where one would find the idol of Lord Jagannath including (all) ISKCON temple in Boston.
IAGB: Are people from Odhisha as widely spread out like people from some states like Andhra and Gujrat?
Debadutta Behera: If you take me as an example, I was born and raised in Odisha but have travelled a lot within India before moving to US. I have travelled for education, sports and for my job across multiple states within India. So broadly speaking Odias are as prevalent as any other people from India. But beyond just the common people, I am happy to highlight to you about one proud Odia, Mr. Satya S. Tripathi, the current Assistant Secretary-General and Head of the New York Office of the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP). He happens to be a good friend of mine and has graced some of our events here locally. One of the IAGB past president Mr. Bijoy Mishra is also an Odisha native.
IAGB: Shifting focus to Odisha Society of New England, give us a brief history of its formation.
Debadutta Behera: Odisha Society of New England – OSNE is the only Odia association in New England Area. I say this specifically to distinguish from the fact that many regional organizations in New England area have multiple associations from the same local region. Another distinguishing factor about OSNE as compared to its peer organizations, OSNE is not a standalone entity but rather it is part of the national organization, Odisha Society of the Americas (OSA). OSNE is one of its 18 registered chapters in US and Canada. OSA, the umbrella organization is 52 years old. It started here in Cambridge, MA and now it has chapters as far flung as Chicago, Atlanta, San Francisco and many others all across USA and Canada.
IAGB: What is the governance structure of OSA and how does OSNE fit in it?
Debadutta Behera: The executive council of OSA consists of the President, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer. The Executive council is an elected body with elections happening on a bi-annual basis. The executive council plus all the chapter presidents forms the Board of Governors (BoG) for OSA which is the main governing body. All the funds raised by individual chapters are filed with the Treasurer for OSA under a single Tax ID. The governing body meets once every month virtually and each chapter presents its updates. Help and resources are shared across chapters if needed. Every chapter president and the Executive council member gets an equal vote in decision making.
Every year OSA hosts an annual convention at a different chapter location. This annual event is a 4-day, 3-night gala which is attended by OSA members from all over the country numbering in thousands. We have plethora of events ranging from cooking competitions, quiz, dances and many more. OSNE (RI convention Center) was the host venue in 2016. This event happens around the July 4th weekend. This year we were to congregate in Nashville, TN but due to the Pandemic we had to cancel our plans.
At the local level (OSNE) again, we have an executive committee. The EC consists of President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, Editor, Cultural Coordinator and Food Coordinator. These are elected office bearers. Additionally, we recruit volunteers for various activities such as cultural events.
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IAGB: What types of events OSNE organizes?
Debadutta Behera: Until last year OSNE organized four events annually - Saraswati Puja, Ganesh Puja, Annual Picnic, and Kumar Purnima. Saraswati Puja follows the Hindu calendar and happens around February every year. The annual summer picnic is often planned in Hopkinton State Park or Acton City Park. The planning for the picnic event starts very early for ease of venue booking. Ganesh Puja traditionally is celebrated around the last week of August or early September. The last event of the year is the Kumara Purnima which is always celebrated on the last weekend of October. Starting this year OSNE initiated a fifth event – Utkal Dibas. Odisha Day, also Odisha Dibas and Utkala Dibasa, is celebrated on 1st April in memory of the formation of the Odisha state as a separate state out of Bihar and Orissa Province with addition of Koraput and Ganjam from the Madras Presidency on 1 April 1936. For the inaugural celebrations we had invited the then CGNY Mr. Sandeep Chakravarty and Assistant to UN Secretary General, Mr. Satya Tripathi, which unfortunately was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
IAGB: What are some of the challenges OSNE faces in organizing its activities?
Debadutta Behera: Personally, my motto is: Be creative and bring everyone together. There is always a clash of ideas with more members participating but that is a two-edge sword. I do not consider volunteering as a no-nonsense job. I take it very seriously and encourage participation by sharing divergent ideas but also put in effort to make everyone see the common good and work in cohesion even when one idea takes precedence over others. Not all the OSNE event attendees are annual members. Some of them attend just one or two events in a year and they pay only for the attendance of that event which is collected to cover the expenses. Our bylaws prohibit raising funds from pure commercial outlets. We can raise funds only from cultural organizations and nonprofits. The annual OSA event has its own fund raising where they have a slightly wider bandwidth but still, we try our best to minimize the commercialization. Every effort is exerted only to promote Odia culture such as food, dance, music, art etc. We do invite celebrities with Odia background. In years past some of our celebrity guests have been luminaries such as Hariprasad Chaurasia, Krishna Beura, Rituraj Mohanty, Harihar Dash among others.
IAGB: Can you briefly tell us about yourself and your personal journey.
Debadutta Behera: I came to Boson area in January of 2000. I was married by then and we were parents too. My family joined me a year later. My wife (Nibedita), a graduate of NIT Rourkela also works in software industry like me. Initially the plan was to stay here for few years and go back to India, and as per my plans in 2008 I had made arrangements to go back to India. But at around the same time the world economy crashed and transitioning in that climate became an uphill task, so we continued here. My son (Bhabesh) now is at Temple University and will graduate this year. I had been active volunteer with OSNE for some years now and only this past election cycle I was nominated for the office of President. I would like to mention here that even though OSNE leadership team is an elected body, but as far as I am aware there never has been a contested election making it more like a selection process. It has been my pleasure to serve as OSNE president and also, I have been very fortunate to join hands together with other regional organizations including IAGB and contributing my part in making Indian Americans a proud entity.
For IAGB Team: Sanjay Kudrimoti
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YOUTH SPOTLIGHT
Youth of EKAM Boston Lexington Team
-- Supriya Shekar
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IAGB is so proud to bring you our youth community spotlight this month. We would love to recognize the compassionate youth of EKAM Boston Lexington Team who won the President’s Volunteer service award- Arun Kodumuru (Ekam Boston Youth Lead) , Rayhan Semy, Saanvi Mammai, Sreehita Bodepudi, Shreya Gajula, Sarah Semy, Farah Semy, Sejal Mammai and Yash Shastri.
Thank you for your selfless service and endless hours that you have put in making PPE (masks, disposable gowns, mask securers, face shields and greeting cards of appreciation) and engaging (online tutoring) the kids and for other outreach activities in the community during the Pandemic. We wish you the best in your future endeavors.
EKAM foundation is a not-for-profit (NGO) organization that works towards providing quality healthcare to needy children and mothers in India. The foundation was started on the basic premise that no child should be denied the right to healthcare. EKAM’s vision is to work for the well being of children and mothers; and thereby contribute to a reduction in infant, childhood, adolescent and maternal mortality rates. EKAM is a unique health care model, primarily focusing on neonates and infants.
Learn more or enroll as a volunteer and be a part of EKAM foundation:
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VIRTUAL WALK/RUN FEASTER FIVE DURING THANKSGIVING WEEK
--Sushil Motwani
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· Walk/Run or Use the Treadmill - Anytime between 23rd and 29th November 2020 (Thanksgiving Week)
· 5k or 5mile or both
· 1k for the Kids
· $5.00 of registration with code SUSH2020
· Track your run on the Active’s Feaster Five app or via your own timing device
But wait, there's more:
• All registrants will receive a bib, buff and medal
• 13K registrants will receive TWO epic finishers medals
• Access to a free 12-week conditioning as a registrant
• Couch-to-5K Program
If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out. Follow FeasterFive on Instagram @feasterfiveroadrace, and me @smotwani_loves_to_workout.
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IAGB hosts Business Roundtable Discussion with Community Leaders
--Sanjay Kudrimoti
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Our Panelists, Anu Chitrapu, President TiE Boston; Pam Randhawa, CEO & Founder Empiriko, Raminder Luther, Dean of Bertolon School of Business, Salem State University and Sushil Tuli CEO, Leader Bank discussed wide ranging topics such as investment in health care and education, bringing back manufacturing to America, politics of tariffs, debt, deficits and need for stimulus bill and ways to help out renters and many more topics. If you missed it, you can catch it on IAGB You Tube channel or IAGB Facebook Archives.
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- IAGB General Body Meeting - November 2020
- IAGB Republic Day - January 2021
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Newyork Life Insurance Company
At the heart of New York Life is a commitment to be there for the customers when they need -whether today or decades into the future. NY Life has delivered on that promise for nearly 175 years by investing wisely, growing a diversified mix of businesses, and remaining true to the mission as a mutual company, accountable only to their customers, not to outside investors.
People come to work at New York Life to contribute to the financial goals of millions of families and businesses each day. NY Life has a diverse, nationwide workforce that allows them to support the communities where we work. New York Life has a dedicated South Asian Unit for the past 20 years.
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At BMW of Sudbury, a Herb Chambers Company, we don't believe in providing the same old dealership experience, and we aren't interested in sticking to the status quo. We are committed to satisfying our customers' every automotive need, and we strive to create the kind of environment that they'll want to share with others. Come to this Massachusetts BMW dealer and you will find a wealth of chic and well-designed vehicles for your consideration. Browse our new 2018-2019 inventory and you'll find a large selection of new BMW models, including the ever-popular BMW X5 SAV®, BMW 3 Series sedan and BMW i8 coupe. We also have plenty of well-kept used BMW models for budget-conscious shoppers to browse, as well as trustworthy Certified Pre-Owned BMW vehicles.
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Indian Circle for Caring USA Inc., (ICC) is a volunteer non-profit organization focused on providing urgent or emergency guidance and support for our fellow community members and their families as they may encounter unplanned and unexpected events such as serious sickness, hospitalization, accidents, family crisis, and death / bereavement of a loved one. Started in August 2007, ICC has been actively building awareness in the community by working with existing social, religious, professional, services, media and other organizations as well as participation at various events. ICC has over 5,500 members and has received support of over sixty (60) organizations. In order to provide needed support to its clients ICC has built a bank of over 250 volunteers and established strategic partnership with several organizations. |
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Editors: Yogita Miharia & Sanjay Kudrimoti
IAGB Communications
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