Garden State Cultural Association

REGISTERED OFFICE 23 Sinclair Road Edison, NJ - 08820, USA

Sandip Saha - Chairman, Liaison: Cultural

Shikhar Sarkar - Vice Chairman, Liaison: Hall Mgmt.

Pradip R. Das - Liaison: Public Relations, Fund Raising

Alok Mittra - Liaison: Recreation

Kumud Roy - Liaison: Decoration & Transportation

Rana Ray - Gen. Secretary, Liaison: Food

Vijeet Sarma - Treasurer, Liaison: Puja

In this Edition:

Message from Board

Plainfield High School & Garden State

Cultural Association - Pradip R Das

33rd North American Bengali

Conference (NABC) – Asit Ray

The Bahamas – Nature’s Beautiful

Paintings - Rumela Bandyopadhyay

Woman and her Riches: A Review of

Aparna Sen’s “Goynar Baksho” -

Arundhati Sanyal.

The Space between Us Book Review -

Adityadeb Sanyal (Riju)

Member News – GSCA PRC

The Wave – GSCA PRC

Message from Board

Warm summer greetings! Hope you have had a wonderful year so far.

At GSCA, we believe our success comes from the relentless efforts of our members and volunteers

complemented by the support from our patrons. On behalf of the Board, I thank you all for that. We just

had a fun-filled picnic at Mercer County Park on Aug 4. The weather was terrific, so were the barbecue,

food, drinks and the entertainment. Hats off to all of you for making it happen. With your help we also have

been doing and intend to do several important things this year. Firstly, we have made Philanthropy part of

our mission statement and working hard to make a difference in our community. Our members and patrons

raised funds for the Himalayan disaster relief and for supporting needy students. We have continued our

scholarship programs in local schools. Secondly, we have been working with other communities and non-

profits. Some of our members are actively helping such organizations. We are proud of them and sincerely

appreciate their efforts. For last few years, GSCA has also been actively involved along with other

community organizations in celebrating the India Day Parade.

Finally, I wanted to take this opportunity to remind you of our upcoming Durga Puja on Oct 12-13 at

Plainfield High School. We need help from each of you some way or the other and we sincerely believe that

your help will be there as always.

Best wishes to you and your family! Best wishes also to GSCA kids who have always been such great!

Shikhar Sarkar

Vice Chairman, GSCA

Plainfield High School & Garden State Cultural Association

Pradip R. Das

Who hasn’t heard of Plainfield High School? Fact is,, nearly all the patrons associate our annual, popular

Durga Puja with “Plainfield er pujo”.

GSCA’s association with PHS goes back over 20 years when in 1992, GSCA first hosted its Durga puja at the

Plainfield High School. Since then, GSCA has attempted to show its appreciation to the school in ways

beyond just paying the rental fees for the facilities, for instance, contributing to the Principal’s fund to help

meritorious students. Since last year GSCA adopted a stronger role as a direct contributor to the PHS Senior

Scholarship Program. In this role, we became responsible for the selection and nomination of students.

The purpose of these scholarships is to help these students with some of their college costs. This year twenty

two seniors applied for the scholarships; five were selected for interviews and three finalists qualified for the

awards.

The criterion for selection was based on a minimum GPA of 3.50 and some volunteerism requirements. In

addition, students were also given the task of writing an essay “An Event in My Life that Influenced Me the

Most.” Excerpts are provided from the winning students’ essays:

Erika Ruales, (ranked first this year in the senior class of 248 students, prospective major Architecture,

cum. GPA 4.50, accepted at NY Institute of Technology, Union County College, NJIT. Extra-curricular

activities: Art Club-President, National Honor Society, VIP (Volunteering Is Priceless) – Former VP, Science

Club, Tennis –Varsity).

“In my life, I have been inspired by many experiences and unique people. However, there is one event in my

life that has influenced me the most. September of 2011, I had the opportunity to meet President Rafael

Correa. I represented the youth who are not afraid of speaking about social concerns. The conversation was

about education, poverty, and social injustices. At the end of the meeting, he told me never to change the

way I am because I am part of the few people who are able to reach the stars. Nobody in my life has said

that to me. Instead, they have said that because of my background and heritage, I am not going anywhere

beyond high school doors. It amazed me how within a few hours he believed and trusted me. After meeting

with President Correa, I was inspired to achieve far more, no matter how many obstacles I have to confront

in my path to education.

He also encouraged me to search and believe in change. He is one of the only Ecuadorian presidents who has

stimulated economic growth and has decreased poverty rates. He motivated me to be someone that not only

succeeds but leaves a mark in history. Therefore, I always challenge myself to be the best. Like him, I want

to make a change. I want to be the first person in my family to graduate from college, make my community

proud, and represent and help all those people that have lived under the shadow of stereotypes.”

Greyly Lopez, (ranked third in the senior class, prospective major Civil Engineering, cum. GPA 4.12,

accepted at NJIT. Extra-curricular activities: National Honor Society-VP, V.I.P. Chemistry Club, Tutoring).

“I was about five years old when I lost my father to a car accident. Being young, I did not understand much

of what was going on at the time, though I knew that he had left forever. What is most regretful about the

incident is that I barely knew him. Though sad as it may be, I have grown from this experience and can say I

am the person I am today because of it.

On March 11, 2000, I wept for a person that I cannot remember today. I can vividly recall that rainy night on

which two men-presumably police officers, were at my front door, bringing bad news. Instances such as my

experience can do one thing only; make one take life less for granted. Not having my father has made me a

stronger person because I am one of the few who is able to say I made it this far with only one parent.

Talking with friends in school, I never felt out when we talked about our parents. I had always been proud of

my mom being a single parent because it makes a strong human being.

Although I was very young, I still wonder what my life be like if my father was still with us. I would imagine

that my family would be more fortunate, though that is not all that comes to mind. Would my family be more

united, or barely be able to talk to each other? Out of all the things I think about when I remember my

father’s death, the thing I wonder about most is how different my life would be now if he was still breathing

the air I breathe.

This experience has affected me in a both negative and positive way. One of the positive effects is that I can

remember my father any way I desire: I want to remember him as a well-built, honorable, and amiable man.

This event has also helped me become a strong student, and therefore I always strive to do well in school.”

Alexandra G. Svelling, (ranked seventh in the senior class, prospective major Chemistry, cum. GPA 3.91,

accepted at Univ. Of Maryland Eastern Shore, Washington College, Salisbury University, Wesley College,

FDU. Extra-curricular activities: Marching Band, Swim Team, Latin American Student Org.,

Science/Math/Book/Art/Robotics Club).

“What influenced me the most to go to college was my step-mother’s father becoming ill in 2004. On

weekends and some nights from 2004 to 2009, me and my parents would take trips to Pennsylvania visiting

my grandfather in different hospitals. Watching the nurses take care of him all the time and speaking to

different doctors really had me thinking about what I wanted to do in the future. I do like helping people so I

thought about it a while and that’s how I made a decision to pursue a career in the medical field. The only

way I can do that is by going to college and getting a degree. My grandfather influenced me to go to college

because he wanted what was best for me. My grandfather was employed by both Service Electric Cable TV

and Twin County Cable. After retirement, he worked as an outside plant engineer for Blue Ridge

Communications located in Palmerton, PA. In 1998, he was inducted into the cable hall of fame at Penn State

University as a pioneer in the cable industry. When me and my parents visited my grandfather he was

always asking me about school. It always made him feel proud when we would tell him good things. Sadly, in

March of 2009 he passed away. After losing my grandfather, I knew that one of his wishes was for me to be

successful in life. As a result, I am doing my very best to succeed and fulfill his wish.”

It was indeed a pleasure for me to personally interview and get to know these young, ambitious individuals.

Unlike last year, I could not be present at the school to be part of the award ceremony this year. However, at

the request of the Guidance Office at PHS, I had written the following message to be read on behalf of GSCA

and the Board.

“At the onset, let me apologize for not being able to participate in today’s ceremony.

To all Seniors present here today, Congratulations to all of you on your achievements so far, but remember,

this is only the beginning of your dreams for the future.

Education is a vital part of this dream of yours and I applaud you for wanting to pursue it further after high

school. Education is not only what you learn from textbooks and notes but the true hallmarks of an educated

person are, amongst others, discipline, patience, virtue, conduct and character. Education teaches us that

more than the standard of living, it is the manner of living that is important.

Pursue your dreams but always WATCH. Watch what?

For the W, watch your Words

For the A, watch your Actions

For the T, watch your Thoughts

For the C, watch your Conduct and Character

For the H, watch your Heart and Humility

It was indeed difficult for us to select the awardees for our three scholarships from such a talented pool of

candidates and wish we could award more.

The three recipients for GSCA’s scholarships for 2013 are

Greyly Lopez, Erika Ruales and Alexandra Svelling. ……………………………….”

India Day Parade 2013

GSCA Annual Picnic 2013

33rd

North American Bengali Conference (NABC)

Asit K. Ray

The 33rd NABC, popularly known as Banga Sanmelan of 2013 was held in Toronto, Canada on July 5, 6 and 7.

The venue was in Metro Toronto Convention Center at down town. The convention center has two wings,

North and South. NABC was held at the South wing. The convention center is enormous with five levels

connected by escalators. The NABC was organized and hosted by Prabasi Bengali Cultural Association,

Toronto. It was sponsored by Cultural Association of Bengal. We noticed a lapse in management, unlike

previous years, mainly because of visible lack of young volunteers. This seems to be a bad omen for future

NABC.

The participants seemed enthralled with the program quality as well as the variety of the programs featured.

The highlights of the program entailed the Opening Ceremony under the title, “Bengal’s Renaissance”

directed and choreographed by Tanusree Sankar, Kolkata—the Closing Ceremony included Bengal’s rich

contribution to India in music by three stalwarts like Salil Chowdhury, Hemanta Mukherjee and R.D.Barman—

grand finale by Indian idol, Shreya Ghosa l ,in an exclusive program after the closing of Banga sanmelan

since She sang Hindi songs also.

Other programs that captivated the audience were –--50 years of Bengali movie songs, Geeti Alekhya : by

Lopa, Jayati, Sujoy, Monomoy, Saikat, Sasha, Riddhi and directed by Joy Sarkar, Kolkata.---Kathak

Yatra”Sedin Theke Aaj” by Katha Dance Troupe, Minnesota---Kaushi Chakrabarty, daughter of Ajoy

Chakrabarty, vocal classical.---Dohar band,Kolkata---100 years of Gitanjali: song recitals by Saheb,

Kamalini and Jayati. This was a wonderful rendition of many untold stories about the obstacles Robindranath

faced in submitting Gitanjali to the Nobel Committee. In addition, there were modern song recitals by Saikat

Mitra, Lopamudra,Jayati, Monomay and others.

Current movies like Mukti, Shabdo, Namte Namte, Maach Misti, Hawa Bodol were appreciated by the

audience. The drama “E-Aboran” --directed by Dulal Lahiri and cast: Meghnad Bhattacharya, Locket

Chatterjee, Sakuntala Barua, Saheb Chatterjee, Uttam De and Dulal Lahiri –got a mixed review because of

rather sub-standard storey line. There were a multitude of dance programs, drama, poetry recitals by local

groups and Kolkata groups as well. There were a good number of literary seminars, reunion of Alumni,

Fashion show and Youth forum. Interestingly, I also met one astrologer from Kolkata who came as a member

of P.C.Chandra, Kolkata. He mentioned to me he had already many appointments lined up for him.

In conclusion, unfortunately, there was a tense moment following the closing ceremony. The hall was

blacked out and every one had to leave. The door was closed. We learnt NABC sold extra tickets for Shreya’s

program, which required additional seats. Right before the doors were about to open, there was a

pandemonium. About 5000 people formed several lines which went all the way back.

People, especially women were afraid of being stampeded when the door would open. However, the city

police and security guards hired by NABC did an excellent job in managing the crowd. And people came out of the hall around 2-30AM with broad smiles after Shreya’s mesmerizing performance.

The Bahamas – Nature’s Beautiful Paintings

Rumela Bandyopadhyay

Early morning, when I moved the curtain and looked through the window, I asked myself, “Am I dreaming?”

To make sure I came out to the deck of the cruise and I was speechless. Wow! Bluish green water

everywhere, meeting at the horizon with the clear blue sky. My life spent in India was with the red soil and

the green trees. I was a small town girl living in India and I enjoyed every bit of what nature had to offer.

Then when I came to U.S, I was amazed by the green landscapes miles after miles. When I went to Maid of

the Mist in Niagara Falls, my first impression was, May a Demigod’s kingdom look as splendid as this, if that

even exists. But I have never seen, or maybe didn’t notice, such a combination of the green color of water,

the narrow white beach, the clear blue sky and its reflection even more vibrant on a sunny day! All of those

first impressions of nature’s beauty were roaming in my mind.

Suddenly I was awakened from my flashback. One of my friends was telling me something with a serious tone. I couldn’t understand her over the sound of the waters moving past us. She came closer to me and asked, “Hey, did you sleep last night?” I said “Yeah, why?” Then, she said because that ship was moving so much. While we were talking about that we heard an announcement that there was a medical emergency and the ship had to start all of the engines to reach to the next island faster, Freeport Island. My friend and I were looking at each other in a state of little shock and we both knew that we are thinking about the Titanic, but without saying a word, we went back to our rooms to get ready for the day. Atlantis itself is a huge resort. People generally only go to Atlantis for vacation. It is so beautiful and there are so many things to try that you probably have never tried before. But as we were already there, we wanted to explore even if it was for a day. Five out of eleven families were going inside Atlantis and the rest were exploring the other activities. Sceneries; the beaches were so beautiful that instead of enjoying different activities, I was busy capturing the beauty of the beaches so that I can cherish them forever!

Last day, at the Norwegian private island, ship couldn’t be docked because of the shallow water so the ship

was anchored in the ocean and a mechanical boat, called a tender, carried us to the island. When we

reached the Island, I looked back and I was in awe by the view. Our huge white ship, decorated with painted

flowers, was anchored in the middle of sea green ocean under the prussian blue sky with some titanium

white scattered clouds here and there. I was completely captivated by this beautiful painting of nature. It

was truly amazing. It took a while before I realized that our group had gone way ahead. I started running to

catch up to them.

In that Island there was a bandstand, where people were dancing to live music. A man, sitting on a

wheelchair, was happily moving to the rhythm of the music. Two beautiful ladies beside him were dancing

and shaking his wheelchair to the rhythm of the music as well. I found it very interesting and liked the fact

that they were having fun together. They drew my attention for a while and then I started walking towards

my group. The excursions were getting booked even before we got off the island, but we were fully prepared.

My husband and my kids signed up for almost everything in advance: Parasailing, snorkeling, Wave runner,

etc. A couple of them were cancelled because of the weather conditions. I was kind of happy because I don’t

like rides, but I go if the situation demands. Wave runner is one of them. I thought it would also get

cancelled but it didn’t. My daughter went with my husband and my tiny little son went with me. I was scared

after imagining about every possible worst-case scenario. After a while, my fear disappeared and after I

finished, the journey felt like I woke up from a beautiful dream where I was riding a water scooter with my

son on the vibrant sea green Atlantic Ocean going towards the horizon. Big thanks to my family for forcing

me to try. I am feeling a sense of some kind of achievement.

Back on the ship, we were seated for dinner in one of the main dining rooms. At the table next to us, there

was a family of five with two beautiful daughters and a son on a wheelchair. I saw them on the beach

dancing together and they were feeding their brother ice cream. It touched my heart! I captured a picture in

my mind and captioned it “No person left behind”. May Almighty bless them! I said something to the mother

about how they probably appreciated the beaches, even on a rainy day, but the mother said that she doesn't

like it that much but they went because of their son. It's a reminder that each person I've met on this

journey had a different reason for coming on the cruise, and a different reaction to the experience.

I said goodnight and turned towards the deck, and as I do, I realize that I have my own reason for making

a return trip: Now I want to try snorkeling and parasailing and scuba diving on Grand Bahama.

Thank you

Woman and her Riches: A Review of Aparna Sen’s “Goynar Baksho” (2013)

Arundhati Sanyal

In this well-conceived film, the famed director works with a story by Shirshendu Mukhopadhay that spans

multi-generational representation of women in a single family from the pre-partition era of Bengal up until

the 1971 war of liberation that created the country of Bangladesh. Remaining true to the original narrative,

the action of the film revolves around a box of ornate jewelry that belonged to the beautiful and tragic

Rashmoni, the archetypal adolescent married to an aged Brahmin who dies and leaves the hapless child-

widow condemned to live the harsh existence of penance devoid of her possessions, her beautiful hair, her

desires to be loved and cherished. This dissonance between what woman is given as “female-wealth”

(Streedhan) and her complete deprivation from all that allows her a sense of humanity is explored in satiric,

comic fantasy as Rashmoni’s box of jewelry becomes the center-piece of the action and a symbol of how

women evolve through generations as revealed in their attitude towards this gold.

While for Rashmoni the jewels represented what she had lost yet what gave her a certain value in a family

fast losing its wealth, for the next generation of women there is a decided shift as each value the gold not for

its value as a possession, but in terms of what it can bring her in terms of individual achievement. Played

superbly by Konkona Sen Sharma, the next generation is represented by the entrepreneur who makes use of

the jewelry to set up her saree shop in the market and bring the family out of its economic slide by

transforming her husband into a business partner. This is the part of the film that is truly engaging as

Rashmoni and the daughter-in-law establish a working relationship based on mutual respect that transcends

the barrier of ghost/human; past/present; moral/immoral concepts and through refreshing comedy drives

home the theme of women evolving into new relationships and self-identities, even as the box of jewelry

changes hands through the years.

The film has a tight script, is superbly directed and edited, and brilliantly acted by the principals: Mousumi

Chatterjee and Konkona Sen Sharma.. A must-watch for all women who value their “stree-dhan” enough to

explore what it really means to be rich and self-sufficient in the truest sense of the term.

The Space Between Us Book Review

By Adityadeb Sanyal (Riju)

In Thrity Umrigar’s acclaimed novel The Space Between Us, the Parsi author sheds light on the relationship

between the upper and lower classes in Mumbai and the struggles of being a woman, regardless of class, in

an often harsh and patriarchal society. The novelist explores the parallels between the lives of two women

from very different parts of society. Bhima is an illiterate housekeeper whose granddaughter Maya is an AIDS

orphan. Serabai is a middle-class Parsi woman who pays for Maya’s college education and treats Bhima, her

housemaid, almost too well, yet manages to maintain a marked distance defined by class differences.

The novel starts out slow, but is difficult to put down as Umrigar effortlessly interweaves the story of Serabai

and Bhima and eventually brings the two seemingly disparate lives to a crossroads. Serabai, whose parents

never laid hands on her as a child, endures the misfortune of entering an abusive marriage with her

husband, Feroz, and his paranoid mother Banubai. Here, Umrigar examines the enormous burden of the joint

family system in India in which Serabai completely loses her independence as a married woman in her in-

laws’ home. For example, as per her mother-in-law’s wayward superstitions, Serabai is forced to stay locked

up in her room during her monthly cycle. Her once beloved Feroz adds insult to misery by refusing to

confront his mother about this problem and abusing Serabai physically. Bhima, too, saw the bloom fade from

her marriage. Initially enjoying a simple marriage with a respectful man named Gopal, her relationship takes

a turn for the worst when Gopal loses his hand in a factory injury. Gopal becomes a drunkard and runs away

with their only son.

As both Bhima and Serabai share their despair, they naturally become closer in spite of their inherent class

differences. Although merely the thought of Bhima sitting on her furniture or hugging her daughter disgusts

her, Serabai eventually finds comfort under the work-worn hands of Bhima following another fit of rage from

Feroz. In one of the most poignant scenes in the novel when Bhima rubs oil on her mistress’s bruises, Sera

surrenders her fears of touching her housemaid and almost wishes her husband could comfort her in such a

soothing manner.

Yet, the space between Bhima and Serabai widens again when Maya’s life is derailed by an underage

pregnancy, forcing her to drop out of college. This ill-fated twist dashes Bhima’s dreams of climbing up the

social rungs through the help of her daughter’s education. The story catches the reader by surprise when

Bhima discovers that it is Viraf, Serabai’s well-off son-in-law, who is the father of Maya’s aborted baby. Viraf

realizes that he has very little at stake as he is certain that Serabai will never take her housemaid’s word

over his, illustrating the power of economic class over the bond that Serabai and Bhima shared. Ultimately, it

is Bhima who pays the price, losing her job and Serabai’s respect. At the end, Umrigar uses powerful

imagery to depict Bhima’s shattered life, yet her proven ability to pick herself up again. Umrigar’s evocative

and supple prose throughout the novel reaches its pinnacle, consoling the readers by reassuring them that

Bhima and everyone else in Mumbai “will face a new day tomorrow”.

Alina Roy

GSCA Member News

We are proud of you

Debisha, daughter of Mr. Kausik Dey & Mrs. Rumela Bandyopadhyay, became NJ Symphony Concert

Mistress consecutively in 2012 Christmas and 2013 Spring Concert.

Ayush, son of Mr. Nilanjan Mukherjee & Mrs. Kakali Sinha, received Music Fest Gold Prize for 2013 during his

Piano recital, held in Princeton Hall at Westminster Choir College. Also got the opportunity to perform at The

Kosciuszko Foundation Recital Hall, NYC.

Ishan, son Mr. Rana Roy & Mrs. Tilottama Bose, graduated high school this year from South Brunswick High

School and is moving forward to University of Southern Mississippi, his parents' alma mater.

Anish, son of Mr. Tamal Roy & Mrs. Archita Roy, Graduated from North Brunswick High school and is going

to Study in Indiana University --- Kelly School of Business.

Alina, daughter of Mr. Narayan Roy & Mrs. Sharmila Roy, graduated from University Of Maryland on May

2013 with "Communication" Major, and was in the Deans Honor list.

Adityadeb (Riju), son of Mr. Tapas Sanyal & Mrs. Arundhati Sanyal, has received his B.S. degree with

Magna Cum Laude with major in Biology and HSSP. He will attend MD program at St George University,

Grenada.

THANK YOU

Ruma Bhattacharyya (PRC Coordinator)

Asit Roy

Kausik Dey

Pradip R Das (BOT Liaison)