High-rise Residential Condos in Atlanta

Lately, Real Estate has taken a happy turn in Greater Atlanta area. With all the hypes of ‘buyers’ market’, ‘foreclosures galore’, and numerous excellent properties in desirable areas sitting for months, make one to believe that there is a ‘glut of homes’ unable to sell fast. Billboards showing over 105,000 homes for sale, in Atlanta, and pundits mentioning numerous foreclosures allover the town, makes life difficult for sellers and their realtors.

But there has been a boom of construction, of numerous new residential subdivisions, Especially towhomes, as well as of office condominiums all around Greater Atlanta, and these properties are selling fast at (higher) prices unheard of before. Between 2000 and 2006, over 900,000 people moved to Atlanta, more than any other city in the United States. In addition, Atlanta is the third city, after New York and Los Angeles, to host the headquarters of maximum number of Fortune 500 companies. Lack of natural barriers like mountain and ocean, has made Atlanta to grow far and wide, and the expansion has no end in sight.

Recently, downtown, midtown, Buckhead and Vinings have seen the construction of multi-story, high-rise residential condo towers, which are selling fast at Manhattan (NY) and Beverly Hills (CA) prices. The demand for luxury homes in Atlanta has been more than in NY and CA in the last few years. In addition to several country clubs with million dollar homes and golf courses, in the suburbia, it is time that people own a second home in downtown, to participate in various entertainment and sports activities in the city of Atlanta. Braves stadium, Phillip Arena, Aquarium, Coca Cola museum, Olympic Park, CNN, World Congress Center, Georgia Dome, Apparel Mart, proposed Air Museum, Piedmont Park, Botanical Garden, High Museum, Symphony Orchestra and Civic Center are some of the attractions that people in suburbs visit in the weekends.

The traffic situation in Atlanta is getting worse day by day. More roads are needed. MARTA and the buses are not capable enough to carry people around. Thus there has been a trend that people who work and play in downtown, also live in downtown. Plenty of High-rise condo towers are thus being developed in several parts of the town, that attract buyers and investors from suburbs, as well as from larger metropolitan areas like New York, Los Angeles, Denver, Chicago, Houston and Miami.

I will try to enumerate a few of these buildings, that we know in and out and recommend our prospects and buyers, to consider purchasing one or more units in there, since the prices escalate upwards very fast, and the sellers/developers are not willing to negotiate on the price due to high demand for their properties. Most of these buildings/towers have not broken the grounds yet, and are not slated to be completed before the end of 2009 and 2010 or even later, hence their units are still being sold at lower pre-construction prices, and include attractive pricing and incentives. All these facilities have swimming pool, concierge service, guard controlled entrances, valet parking, gym, conference center, guest suites, few upscale shops for the residents and numerous places to go, in addition to work/offices, in walking distances. Plenty of restaurant, shops and entertainment will be available near by.

AQUARIUS, by Tuscany Corporation, across the street from GA Aquarium, at the corner of Luckie and Ivan Allen streets, a green building with wind turbines and solar panels to generate energy for residents, and deep underground state of the art parking, being sold for $300K (for one bed unit) through $2.5 million for a penthouse. It will be 35 stories high and will have a total of 120 residential units.

TERMINUS 10, in Buckhead, by Cousins properties, at the corner of Piedmont and Peachtree Streets, close to Grand Hyatt , Tower Place and Lenox Mall, in the financial district. Prices begin at $296K for a studio through $ 3.5 million for a Penthouse, with 32 stories having over 200 units.

THE ATLANTIC, by Novare Group, on 17th street in midtown, close to the Atlantic Station., and IKEA. It will have 37 stories and over 200 residences, with hotels, shops, restaurants, and lake around to keep a family busy for hours and days. Prices begin from $350K for a one bed room unit through $2 million for a Penthouse.

SKYLINE at LINDBERG, by MLC, at the corner of Piedmont and Sydney Marcus, across from Lindberg Marta Station/Headquarters, and GA 400 as well as I-85.Prices begin at $190K for one bed room units through $1.2 million for a Penthouse, and is being built by MLC of Chicago.

MEZZO, by Tivoli Properties, is in between midtown and Buckhead, close to Peachtree Battle Street, on Peachtree Street, with 94 units over 25 floors, ranging from $350K for one bed units through $2 million for a Penthouse.

TRUMP TOWERS ATLANTA, by Donald Trump Organization, NY, on 15th street in midtown, close to High Museum of Arts and Colony Square, is selling for $520K for a one bed unit through $1.5 million for a 2 bed unit, where Penthouses may be sold for $3 million through $5 million. Its two separate towers will have 47 and 38 stories with a total of 535 residences.

Most of these towers have the same set of attorneys, builders, architects and marketing organizations working for them, but all of them work in isolation, and are generally not aware of what kind of residences the others are selling. We, thus, took the time to contact each of them, and generated arrangements to sell any of the units in any of the buildings as Listing-, Selling- or Co-Op Agents, at the best negotiated prices, and guide prospects and buyers with relevant information and contracting paperwork through our offices.

God vs Science

The title, “God vs Science”, is a misnomer, may be naive and far fetched.
The correct title should be, ‘Christianity vs. Science” or “Bible vs Science”,
since genesis and Old Testament are involved. The statements like, “religion and science
will always clash”, and “religion without science is lame, and science without religion is
blind” are kind of childish. I have watched the debate of creationism vs evolution in
early 1970s in California (and wrote about it in those days) and the incorporation of
creation theory in biology texts then. The resurgence of new ‘intelligent design’ all over
the country now is really, “the old wine in new bottle”. It is more for gathering popular
votes for election, and less for intellectual pursuit of either religion or of science.
Over a billion Hindus, in India and elsewhere, who prefer to call their religion (way
of life) “sanatan dharma” (eternal religion) believe that God created the universe,
earth, and everything on it including human beings, and comes to help the mankind
again and again as incarnation of the Supreme Lord. He has been here at least nine times
in the form of fish, boar, lion, pigmy, Ram, Krishna Budha and others, --- like the
progression of Darwinian Evolution. In addition, believing in dharma, artha, kama and
moska ---- the attributes of duty, wealth, sex and salvation, Hindus do not consider sex
as sin, or God as single male, but always with a wife and consort. Hence no need for
feminism. Woman was, in Hinduism, not created from the rib of a man, but by the
same process, and from the same material, men were created with. In Hinduism, where
not only ‘humanism’ but everything, animate or inanimate is sacred. Science and
and religion are not antagonistic, but two faces of the same coin, and have no conflict.
Sanatan Dharma also considers all religions to be different paths to reach the same God.
The conclusion that God is lot more incomprehensible than any religion has ever
proposed, is brilliant, and is the basic tenet of Hinduism.

Grooming of PMs for India

Since 1947, India has had Jawaharlal Nehru, Lalbahadur Shastri, Indira Gandhi, Morarji Desai, Charan Singh, Chandrashekhar, Rajiv Gandhi, Indra Kumar Gujaral, Atal Behari Bajpayi, and Manmohan Singh as its Prime Ministers.
How long will Mr. Singh continue, and who will be the next Prime Minister ?
What kind of the Head of State for the Indian Union will be acceptable to the western world, especially USA, and who will be good for the country, India ?
Nehru was groomed and educated in England, fell for joining the British Commonwealth
and really never broke ties with the English masters. He even got his daughter, Indira Gandhi, and grand child(ren), Rajiv Gandhi, educated and groomed in British ways, who eventually took his position as heads of the state after his demise. Rajiv went further ahead and acquired a European spouse in Italian Sonia Gandhi.
Both Indira and Rajiv were killed in unfortunate circumstances by the Sikhs and the
Tamilians respectively. Lalbahadur Shashrti was kind of courageous, who aggressively fought Pakistan in 1965, acquired a vast tract of Pakistani territory, faster than Israel snatched Golan Heights and Gaza from the Palestinians. Shashtri died in mysterious circumstances in Tashkent, then USSR, after agreeing to return all the acquired land to Pakistan without anything in return. How can this be, without any consultation with the Indian Parliament, and Indian Government ? It is said, Indira Gandhi promoted this exchange, and hastened the process to acquire the position of Prime Minsitership. Shashtri’s widow, Lalita Shashtri and their sons, tried but could not succeed in getting any substantial enquiry done into the death of the Indian Premier.
It should not feel strange, if we compare the situations with late John F. Kennedy and
late Martin Luther King, Jr. in our own land, USA, and that of Yasser Arafat in Palestine
few years ago.
Indira Gandhi later fought Pakistan and helped create the new nation of Bangladesh. She freed Goa (from Portugese domination), and Sikkim (from Queen Ms. Hope)
and created animosity with Richard Nixon and Henry Kissinger, which eventually lead to the US-China dialogue, and setting up of China to counteract India in Asia and the world. Mrs. Gandhi, a widow, referred frequently as Iron Lady, in her later years expelled
IBM and Coca Cola out of India, antagonized Sikhs, agitating to form their separate country, Khalistan, as Bengali Muslims did in Bangladesh, and was killed soon
thereafter, when Ronald Regan was US-President.
Much later, came Atal Behari Bajpeyi, who sincerely started a peace dialog with Pakistan, especially Nawaz Sharif, the then Prime Minister of Pakistan. Both started
bus journeys into each others’ territories. If this peace process would have progressed,
a large arms race in Indian Subcontinent would have stopped, but also a huge weapons market would have been lost to the mercenaries. In the meantime Parvez Musharraf as Army Chief of Pakistan attacked India in Kargil, Kashmir, and banished Nawaz Sharif to Saudi Arabia. Bajpeyi and his Hindutva in India were also subsequently replaced with those of Sonia Gandhi, Manmohan Singh, and Abdul Kalam as Ruling Party Chief, Prime Minister and President, respectively. Since then, India (and Mr. Musharraf in Pakistan) has become the darling of the western world, with gifts of nuclear material, outsourcing of all kinds of jobs and the like. The fast economic development of India in recent years, will end up making it an economic colony like Vietnam, South Korea, Singapore and Hong Kong in Asia. But this may alleviate poverty and backwardness in India. Not only the so called high caste Hindus are being replaced from powerful positions, and places of high esteem by people of other religious denominations as well as Dalits in India, but the ideals of Indian Culture is fast changing to become western and alien, by the prominence of of Dalits, in Mulayam Yadav, Lalu Prasad, Mayavati and others. Mr. Prasad recently dropped his Yadav, and may seem being connected to late Dr. Rajendra Prasad, the first President of India, also from Bihar, in coming years, which advance Mr.Prasad’s political career further. Indira Gandhi took advantage of her last name, Gandhi, especially outside India, in being considered related to Mahatma Gandhi, the father of the nation. With his Muslim appeasement, friendly trips to Pakistan, denouncing Mahatma Gandhi for his faith in ancient sanatan dharma, and his humiliation of the upper caste Hindus, Mr. Lalu Prasad Yadav, should be the perfect candidate for becoming the next Prime Minister of India, which is getting fast westernised. Hence all the hoopla of enormous profits in the Railways, students from Kellog in Chicago running to him in Delhi for lessons, and his being invited by Harvard to preach the intricacies of management, all parts of grooming, to bring India further into the western fold.

Financial Planning

Financial Planning (FP) is both an Art as well as a Science. Several things are discussed and executed, in this area, based on emotions, feelings and beliefs. While others are decided based on hard facts of taxation, law, and financial expediency. Financial Planners
(FPs) practice very specific and individual styles of financial planning, which is as unique as the planners themselves. A Stock-Broker approaches the matter as ‘money management’ and invests the funds (with obvious risks) for higher gains. An Insurance-Agent is generally interested in setting up insurance plans to avoid future economic losses, and to avoid financial risks. But comprehensive financial planning (FP) goes much further beyond these narrow scopes of ‘money management’ and ‘insurance’. In
my opinion, the financial planning should be done with the following two aspects in mind
Risk Management, and 2. Investments.
Risk Management, obviously financial, consists of placing mostly insurance policies in force, where an individual or a corporation (business) transfers the risk of financial loss
to an insurer (Insurance Company), through payment of relatively smaller premiums, in comparison to the potential bigger, catastrophic economic disadvantages.
The following types of insurances should be planned to avoid losses : Disability-, Accident/Sickness-, Long term care-, Life-, Medical, dental, vision-, and property/casualty insurance.
Disability Insurance is also called income protection or dignity insurance. Due to sudden accident and illness, one can loose a job or reduce his/her ability to conduct a business,
resulting into financial loss, hence an insurance policy should be in place to compensate
at the time of such need. It normally covers the active, working life (from age 18 through age 65 or beyond). But a Long Term Care policy covers normally in older times (age 66 through death) against incapacitation or inability to conduct one’s living affairs like eating, transferring from/to bed, toileting and bathing, eventually paying for the expenses of nursing home or home healthcare services.
Medical insurance, including those for accidents, dental and vision-care, covers against sickness and for maintenance of good health for a productive life.
Life Insurance generally covers against premature death, in the form of temporary
plans (called term policies). This can be coupled with an element of investment, in the form of universal-, whole-, or endowment-policies to manage retirement expenses, and or long term care needs, including in stock market indices.
Property and casualty insurances are used to protect automobiles (boats, planes etc), homes, buildings and other structures. They also include coverage for liability, professional malpractice and numerous other things. For example, the ‘wrist’ of tennis star, Ivan Lendl, and ‘throat’ of famous Indian singer, Lata Mangeshkar, were insured for a specific sum, by Lloyd’s of London, against failing to perform.
Investments, require the generation of funds for immediate and/or future use by prudent
money management, through small periodic and/or lump sum contributions. This could be done for a comfortable retirement, education planning for children/grandchildren, for charity through foundations for specific causes, general savings for future use, and for immediate and future expenses of any kind, including transferring wealth to the heirs and future generations.
This brings into picture the borrowing for home purchase (residential mortgage) or commercial building(s), equipments, for hiring employees and facilities to live properly and conduct a business. It also results into repaying the loans in timely manner and at
profitable rates. This will require the services of a stcok-broker to invest funds in markets
through the purchase of stocks, bonds, mutual funds, REITs, ETFs, and the likes of these, domestically and internationally. A mortgage broker (may be a lender or a bank), should be consulted to make smart decisions about loans and their repayments. An accountant (CPA) should be consulted for tax matters, resulting into favorable tax planning, both for individual and corporate situations. An attorney is needed to set up wills, trusts and other power of attorney documents, for proper conduct of one’s affairs, financial or otherwise, in less painful ways, when one is alive and active and when one is gone and has to relinquish the control of things.
A competent Financial Planner, should be aware of the scope and workings of a stock-broker, insurance-agent, realtor, mortgage-broker, attorney and accountant, and should have access to all these separate ‘hats’, and be able to generate a team of professionals to conduct the practice of ‘financial planning’ effectively.

Estate Planning

What is an Estate, and what is Estate Planning ? Estate Planning is a part of Financial Planning, which takes care of things and finances after you are gone, and leave your estate for your heirs. Everything one owns : cash, investments, real estate, properties,
businesses, royalties all together make up one’s estate. People set up wills and trusts
to manage their estate after they leave for ‘heaven’. If you die without a will, you die ‘intestate’ and the State/Government will determine how to dispose of your estate.
A well documented Will (and trust) makes life easier for everyone, as specific instructions are provided in the Will to distribute assets to heirs and/or charity.
However, the State may still conduct a probate, to establish the validity of the will, and allow disposal of properties, afterwards. It is always a good idea to avoid probate.
Estate Planning is not only for super-rich. A person of modest means, with a house valued at $300K, and a life insurance policy of $1 million, and couple of hundred thousand in a pension plan, and a small business valued at $500K, will total to a estate of $2 million or so, and will trigger an estate tax of $800K, at 40% rate. Estate Planning, thus, helps in designing plans to minimize or eliminate this estate-tax after death, also called, ‘death tax’, or ‘success tax’, or ‘generation-transfer tax’ and is different from income tax.
This planning is done with the following objectives in mind :
1. provide fair and biggest possible share of the estate to heirs, 2. generate enough cash to pay for final expenses, taxes, and charity, 3. to save business or property for future generations, 4. to avoid, eliminate and/or hasten the probate process, and , 5. to avoid any discord amongst surviving family members and business partners.
The Planning is done by a team of experts, generally an estate planning attorney, an accountant or CPA, and a financial/estate planner for the benefit of the Client/Prospect and their immediate family members.
The basic things one needs for a sound estate planning are :
1.up-dated will, 2. correct beneficiary designations, 3. proper asset allocation, 4. adequate insurance program, like policies inside a trust, 4. powers of attorney for financial and health care issues, 5. a regular gifting program for heirs and charity, and, 6. following the changes in tax rules.
A bigger and more complicated estate normally needs several things in addition to the
facts mentioned above, which could be : 1. generation-skipping planning, 2. planning for
expected inheritance, 3. transferring assets tax-free to children and grandchildren, 4. survivorship or second-to-die life insurance plans, 5. qualified personal and charitable trusts, 6. family limited partnerships, and, 7. private foundations.
However, the most common form of estate planning technique is the creation of an ILIT,
irrevocable life insurance trust, and placing life insurance policies in the trust, so that the death proceeds, which are generally received income-tax free, can also stay out of one’s estate. This is designed based on the wishes of the owner of the estate, and their
decision to leave funds for : Family, Charity and Government, after their demise.
The grantor creates an irrevocable life insurance trust, trustee(s) purchase life insurance policies insuring grantor’s (and/or spouse’s) life, and become(s) the owner and beneficiary of the policy. At grantor’s death, trustee(s) receive insurance death benefit, and the Executor of the trust takes care of any probate, follows the spirit of the Will, and distributes funds amongst heirs, charity and the government (in the form of taxes), in the most efficient way (s) possible.

Deployment from Iraq

Why praise the Iraq Report, even discuss it ?
Hamilton, Baker and Gates are the architects of saving Regan from Iran-Contra scandal and possible impeachment. Baker goes further to help Bush win presidency through supreme court, against the wish of the people. When families sue the government of Saudi Arabia, whose members were killed in 9/11 attack by Saudi nationals, Baker is the attorney for the Saudis against the people of USA. Baker helped senior Bush attack Iraq
and help sell more weapons of mass destruction in the middle east. His numerous diplomatic trips to the region, in those days, might be to collect funds and line up clients for the stock markets and hedge funds, who knows. It is thus daddy’s friend now called to help the son. Hamilton did not find any fault with Bush administration in his 9/11 report, hence has been chosen again to prepare the Iraq report, which should be as worthless as the former. The Iraq report is as bipartisan as the Iraq war itself, supported by funds and mandates from democrats. After winning election, Sherrod Brown speaks like George Bush. In opposition he voted against the war, in power he wants the troops
to stay there for 18 months, while Bush wants for 24 months. Hence the natural bipartisan decision should be for 21 months, half way between 24 and 18. Harry Reid will even provide more funding and further troops, quite against the mandate the people gave democrats in November. Brown does not want to rock the boat, but enjoy the fruits of
his newly gained power.
Bush sounds more honest and upright, compared to democrats, in whatever he plans to do, hence is so successful over his opponents, though his plans may be disastrous for the country and the world. Colin Powell spoke the biggest lie at United nations showing the aerial photographs of trucks transporting mobile biological labs, is known since its inception, and now argues the opposite point of view, in the hope of getting traction on his political ambitions beyond 2008. His national tour to sell his book, in the disguise of
presidential candidacy is also well known. His political skills are far short of his ambitions, it seems. The great enthusiasm of white journalists, talk show hosts, and the people who have no say at politics, for Barack Obama, and the caution and disbelief of black and minority journalists and people, who have even lesser control on the political process, indicates that Obama may end up as Martin Luther King, Jesse Jackson or Harold Ford, at the best. With a middle name, Hussain, born of African father, in American Indian state of Hawaii, close to Japan and Asia, far away from the West, and raised in Islamic Indonesia, indicates that he should hide in senate and elsewhere for years to come. Being proved incorrect would be a pleasure, on this point.
Well, the spectacle is like the US tennis open finals between Jimmy Connors and John McEnroe where both will perform a brilliant game and entertain us. One of them will win, the loser will congratulate the winner and collect the second prize money with glee.
Both will leave happy without thinking about the spectators who provided all the funds
for the show. Let us enjoy the game of democracy, pay for it, and keep quiet since noise
will distract the players and lower their performance, eventually lesser fun for us.

Defined Benefit Plan, 412(i)

The defined benefit pension plan is the classic solution prescribed for older business owners and professionals with tax problems, who generate consistently high income.
It allows larger initial deposits (and tax deductions), and accumulates interest on those funds tax-deferred until retirement. There is a large population of aging baby boomers
who need to save big bucks in a short time. The 412(i) plan, because of its simple administration and high initial tax deduction is one of the most efficient retirement plans
A small older business owner can not ask for anything better for a pension plan.
In real language, it is a ‘fully insured’ plan, which is funded exclusively by insurance and annuity contracts. Insurance has been considered by some a less-than-effective funding vehicle, so what makes this version of defined benefit plan more attractive?
First, 412(i) plans play it safe, they involve no investment risk and they guarantee all benefits.
Second, because all values are guaranteed by contract, section 412(i) of the irc
(internal revenue code, hence the plan’s name), exempts such plans from the funding and filing requirements that complicate un-insured and split-funded
defined benefit plans.
Finally, and here is the real plus, the fully insured plan’s conservative funding
and investment assumptions tend to generate larger initial contributions and
deductions than regular defined benefit plans.
For example, the first-year contribution (to fund the maximum allowable benefit) for
a 60-year-old in a 412(i) plan can be 17% larger than that provided under a standard defined benefit plan. And the advantage is greater for participants with more years to accumulate deposits. As the attached illustration suggests, the 50 year old gets a 26% advantage.
A 412(i) plan is not for everyone. But the same people who would gain the most from a standard defined benefit plan would also find a 41(i) plan attractive. A small business owner who regularly generates plenty of taxable cash in his enterprises, should be the
most suitable person to adopt 412(i). The criteria should be :
A. Is a small business owner with one to five employees

B. Is over age 50.
C. Has a profitable business with a stable earnings history.
D. Wants to maximize contributions and deductions, avoiding IRS entanglements.
As with all qualified plans, there is need for competent plan design, careful installation
(to avoid those irs audits) and annual reviews (to keep the plan provision and coverage
in compliance). Enclosed is a chart showing how an employer earning $14,000 a year
can contribute almost $164,000 annually into the plan.
So, despite what we hear to the contrary, defined benefit plans are alive and well, and should be of immense value (as group employee benefit) in the senior market, where long term care, estate planning, post retirement medical and other benefits are so much preached.

Export of Terrorism

‘Iraq is not doing well’, ‘Talebans are back’, ‘Al-Qaida is regrouping’, we hear these and similar expressions again and again. Where is the center of all these terrorist activities ? In Pakistan of course. Which bothers us so much. We announce that Pakistan is our most valuable partner in fight against terrorism, and spend so much of money to improve its infrastructure, help cope it natural disasters, try pleasing its citizens, invite its dictators as messiah of peace to roam White House, Congress and the United Nations.
We announce that a terrorist ‘mini-state’ has been established in northern Pakistan with help from Al-Qaida and Taleban from Afghanistan and elsewhere and accuse Musharraf of duplicity.
In reality, the whole of Pakistan seems to be a terrorist ‘maxi-state’. The British designated the creation of Pakistan to humiliate and punish India, where Gandhi helped get rid of western slavery, and freed most of the country from England, Goa from Portugal (finalized by Indira Gandhi, much later), and Pondicherry (where Maharshi Aravind, kept away from British) from France. For such a huge transformation in human history, and the abolition of slavery, which finally resonated in African continent freeing
numerous countries (culminating into Nelson Mandela’s South Africa), in South America
against Spanish and Portugese rules, and in several South Asian countries from Dutch yoke. Nehru, the then Prime-Minister of India tried hard to get Gandhi a Nobel Peace Prize. He would not succeed, since the guilty West was still mad at Gandhi, who caused
the stop, of the loot and rape of benevolent nations, and impoverishing them further.
Well, King, Tutu and Mandela were amply recognized by the Nobel committees for fighting against apartheid, to right the wrong done to Gandhi.
Gandhi to enhance his image of Mahatma, gave into the vivisection of India in 1947 into two Pakistans, the eastern part finally separating as Bangladesh in 1971. Since Pakistan has been created, we have diligently tried to keep it away from democracy, and encouraged one dictator after another to create acts of terrorism in Kashmir, against India in general and Kashmiri Pandits in particular. We sold weapons (of mass destruction) to
both India and Pakistan, and instigated them to fight each other, as we have done repeatedly to Iran and Iraq, North and South Koreas, the two Vietnams, the two Germanys, Palestine and Israel, Nicaraguans (sandanistas and contras), to name a few.
The terrorist camps were established both in Pakistan and Afghanistan to perpetrate
violence in Kashmir, against India, for over 60 years. We helped Pakistan kill millions of Bengalis in East Pakistan, prior to the creation of Bangladesh, with help from India.
For the expansion of its real estate holdings, Soviet Union entered Afghanistan, and started countering the western dominance in Pakistan. And then we established and promoted the fanatic religious Talebans to fight the atheist communists, including the
management of madarassas, to fight communist Russians, as well as Hindu Indians.
This was further enhanced when we started helping and training the Sikhs in terrorism, to demand the creation of a separate Khalistan in Indian Panjab. Both Afghanistan and Iraq,
after becoming free, of unwanted elements, and adopting democracy and freedom, have
changed their names to Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and Islamic Republic of Iraq, like Pakistan did in 1947. The secular characters of both Iraq and Afghanistan have been lost under our watch. Encouraging Muslims to fight the Communists and the Hindus
in Afghanistan and Kashmir, and Jews to take on muslims in Arab lands has not proved useful in the long run. It has turned Islam antagonistic to Christians and the West. We need to get rid of it, sooner the better.
Getting rid of Soviet Union has not been enough, as several South American countries are falling in the fold of Cuba, and China is flying very high. It is smart to promote India
at this hour, even with nuclear material, to set up a deterrent against China and Iran (may be North Korea too). It should be timely for Indian leaders to approach George Bush, who is so determined and enthusiastic about combating terrorism the world over, for help in solving its Kashmir problem, in the coming two years, as no other American President in future will be willing to help, such a cause ever.

Consciousness in Plants

The question of consciousness in plants is often dismissed as absurd. But this neglect has deeper roots. Botanists, biologists consider it a subject of psychology, philosophy and metaphysics. Philosophers are busy with human consciousness, and physiologists and zoologists with those of animals, in addition to man’s. Yet there have been numerous people, philosophers, biologists, and psychologists, since time immemorial, making analysis of facts from wider angles.
But with all this discussion we reach to no decision. The fundamental existence of
indecision in all matters of learning is already there. In addition, lack of clear cut distinction between ‘consciousness’, ‘reflex-action’, and ‘instinct’ is a great bar. ‘Personal element’ of scientists is also a major factor in continuing this stagnation.
Instinct, reflex-action, and consciousness are interrelated. Definition of these concepts vary. Instinct is inherited, not developed by deliberate practice. It is a function of the body, and is executed spontaneously without being thought of or planned. Reflex-action is also spontaneous, but is not inherited. It is learnt by experience or executed from assumption by the unconscious mind. Consciousness is most refined, controlled by the organ brain, the seat of mind, situated in the head of animals. Consciousness is displayed with great coordination of body and mind. It brings another concept into picture, the intelligence, ability to correlate and take decisions, modify life and behavior with the change of circumstances and the environment. Consciousness is a trait of intelligent life.
We consider both plants and animals living. We call all animals conscious, but hesitate to label consciousness in plants. Life can not be realized without consciousness. We hesitate to admit consciousness in plants, because physical manifestation of consciousness through the movement of organs and production of sound, common in animals has no parallel in plants. But we all agree that plants possess sensitivity.

Charitable Giving

For the last several months enormous amounts of money has flown into charitable causes the world over and it is said that the appetite for ‘ giving ‘ is huge. This should help alleviate some of the problems of the world, especially in developing countries, and
support numerous noble causes at home.
Advisors need to present ‘Charitable Giving ‘ to their employer/groups clients, as the time is very favorable for such a discussion and the tax implications and benefits to the society at large enormous.
Below are some facts, I mention to my group clients on charitable giving, and for setting up a private foundation. Sometimes I make a few peanuts out of the giving program, but
most of the time the job is completely voluntary, and provides me with satisfaction of enhancing the cause of charity.
Charitable giving maximizes the support to the causes one cares about. Giving is one of life’s greatest satisfactions. It allows you to share your financial success with loved ones and establish a legacy to benefit future generations.
Before making a gift or donation, one needs to know some facts about charitable giving to maximize the benefits of the gift to the recipient and save undue costs.
Gifts are irrevocable. The donor must release all control and title over the asset for the gifting process to be complete. Gifts can trigger taxes. Gift taxes are levied on donor, not the recipient.
Most gifts are tax-exempt. Five gifts that do not trigger gift taxes are :
Any gift to a spouse, in any amount, because there is an unlimited marital deduction provision. Spouses should be US residents/citizens.
Gifts up to $12,000 (for tax year 2006) a year, per donor/recipient to any number of individuals. This is called annual exclusion. The gift should be available to the recipient for immediate use/possessions/enjoyment.
A spouse’s gift that follows the above rule to the same individual(s). The total annual exclusion to a married couple is, thus, $24,000. The IRS considers them to be split gifts -- $12,000 from each spouse.
Gifts to charities and/or political organizations. These may have ramifications, however, the wise donor uses caution with such gifts.
Paying medical and/or educational/tuition expenses for other person, especially when it is directly to the institution(s).
To qualify as a gift, transfer during one’s lifetime, of cash, securities, property or any other kind of asset should be permanent and irrevocable. Some gifts may require the donor to pay a gift tax. These could be :
Amounts over the annual exclusion of $12,000 or $24,000 to any individual in a single year.
Any gift of any size not available to the recipient for immediate
Use/enjoyment/possession.
C. Medical and/or educational/tuition expenses not paid directly to
Institution concerned.
If one makes a gift that is taxable, the IRS requires you to file a gift tax return, IRC form 709, and keep copies indefinitely. Filing the gift tax return does not mean one has to pay gift tax, which is at about 55% rate currently. Presently we all have a lifetime exemption equivalent to about $1 million. Hence large gifts will reduce our lifetime exemption and increase our liability to estate taxes at the time of our death, by the amount gifted. A future increase in exemption limits, a repeal of estate taxes, imposition of higher/newer state estate taxes and other provisions in the tax rules after the year 2010 are still undecided, and being discussed by the congress.
With proper planning today, one can realize immediate tax benefits, enhance the quality of life for loved ones, and increase the scope of some organizations, by gifting. Even with modest amounts, one can create a foundation or join many of the foundations already established for charitable giving programs. Creative gift giving can lower the overall taxes for the donor, and benefit loved ones and favorite causes. Gifts or transfers of assets to minors (UGMA/UTMA), children, grandchildren have been popular for a long time. New education and college savings plans have extended the scope of giving
even further. In addition to children/grandchildren, gifts can be designed to take care of
the long-term needs of parents/grandparents on a tax-deductible, tax-favorable basis.
To secure current and future income for yourself and loved ones and enable one to leave a philanthropic legacy, one can set up a tax-deductible annuity program. Many such legitimate and excellent programs are available. A qualified tax attorney, a financial planner, or a competent accountant can provide further insight into charitable giving.
The paperwork on these programs usually are simple and easy to execute. For complicated estates, charitable remainder lead trusts and other instruments may be designed to manage funds in tax-efficient ways to provide the maximum benefit to all concerned.

Celebrating Backwardness

Election of a woman as speaker in Washington, ever, and taking the oath on Koran by a Muslim lawmaker has been discussed all over the press in recent days. The infancy of the American culture is fairly well known. America does not have the long continuity from the past, nor a long history, which European countries can boast of. Even Asian,
Arab, south American and African nations have a long, history of their civilizations,
culture, social structure and the like, which USA lacks. Many things in the USA are
thus for the first time ‘in the last 200 years’, and it generally sounds funny.
The celebrated US democracy runs by a two party system, one more than the one party system of USSR, China, North Korea and what many other dictatorships manage.
There is no scope of a third opinion, but only the bipartisanship of the two. It is impossible to launch a third party, be it green, black or white. In bipartisanship it has to be blue or red, either democrat or republican, or ‘with us or with the enemy’. There is no
independent voice.
The massive drug use, even at the highest rungs of the society, sometimes as painkillers,
rampant Pre- and extra-marital sex, highest number of people inside the prison walls in ‘the land of the free’, scores of hungry and homeless people in ‘the land of the plenty’, evaporation of 50-75% of marriages into divorce, points out to the fact that some of our moral, social and cultural values need to be recalibrated.
We are the best in the world, on every count, compared to any country or any society
existing today, or in the past, may be a fact. But being ‘better’, may still be far from being ‘good’.
Sarojini Naidu, the brilliant woman, was President of Indian National Congress
in 1912, fifty years before Margaret Thatcher became Prime Minister of England.
India, Sri Lanka, many Muslim countries like Pakistan, Bangladesh, others like
Phillipines, Indonesia and Israel, all had their shares of numerous woman heads of state.
India with over 80% of Hindu population had several Muslim, Sikh as its President.
The German chancellor, the African head of state, in addition to those mentioned in Asian countries, prove that the ‘marble ceiling’ does not exist, but in the USA. Hence we still discuss, ‘Is the country ready for a Woman/Black President?’.
It is time to ask God to ‘help’ America, not merely ‘bless’ it.

Busher Dada : three for two.

Born in 1944, i finished, and graduated from, watching Hindi/Bollywood movies in 1960, when I turned 16, after a four year stint between 1957-1960. Since, I had already finished my undergraduate degree and had started my graduate studies, and had not much time on hand for entertainment, except occasional forays at sports, like soccer, cricket,
Badminton, carrom and tennis.
Since then I might have seen over a dozen or so Indian movies in the last 45 years, but have never enjoyed them, except those of Satyajit Roy, Shyam Benegal, Ismail Merchant,
Adoor Gopalkrishnan and the likes of them.
In the early 1970s, my younger brother, who lived in Bombay, far away from sleepy Bihar where I did, enticed me to see more of Hindi movies, which I simply declined.
I was reading Time, The Illustrated Weekly of India those days and will regularly come across, obviously propaganda material, from an Indian guy in Switzerland, promoting his mediocre brother to become a successful movie star in Bombay on Hindi screen, from funds in Switzerland. Indians get swayed away easily by things coming from the West.
This clever ploy made me to further resist, watching those movies and those actors. I have successfully managed not to fall victim to this slick misinformation.
The guy became successful movie star on Hindi screen but neglected his promoter brother in Switzerland, who vanished into oblivion for decades. He might not have received even the funds he expected to get from the deal of promoting his brother, in addition to getting into limelight, as ‘star-maker’. The brotherly love did not survive for long. Now the father needs to promote his son, and wishes to put him on the path he treaded so well. This is obvious in the traditions of Senior Bush to George Bush, Nehru to Indira, Rajiv to Sonia, Lalu to Rabri and numerous others.
The path seemed more difficult than imagined by the Big Star, hence the old Swiss brother is back into the equation, and a new set of propaganda initiated. Plenty of wealth is available now in India, compared to the days of 1970s, foreign exchange is not required to buy pages in Time, rather the work can be done in Mumbai itself now. The father says, ‘he could not have acted, as his son did’ and also insists, ‘this is not from a father, but from an actor’. This model actor-cum-father should be a rare find, but can be compared to the much maligned caste system propagated by Brahmins.
In addition to the son, we need to promote the daughter-in-law too, more the merrier. The
mediocre performance of the daughter-in-law is more obvious than that of the son and the father. I could be incorrect, for not being a movie critique. The mother is back in the game too. Father, mother and uncle are now a team, bent upon bringing glory for the son and his wife. Earlier there were one promoter brother and one actor to benefit from it. Now we have three promoters and two actors to be glorified. Based on the past promotion and propaganda, it should be rather easy this time, and may not take as much effort as it did back then.
Now comes into picture the 90 year old marketing guru, esteemed painter/artist, hiding in London, who plans to return (finding BJP discredited and gone, and replaced by friendly Congress and Dalits in power) to Mumbai. The court cases for offending Hindus by painting their deities naked, has started in Delhi, to help negate the wrath of sena in Mumbai. His young famous friend, ‘naked sarasvati’ is back on the silver screen too.
The latter’s dancing skills, thus, may delay the plans for the beauty-queen daughter-in-law to succeed quick, while the son may reach the podium faster.
After copying Hollywood for decades, without acknowledgement, the Hindi cinema even copied the name, and changed to Bollywood. A self respecting group of movie- makers/goers would have waited for bollywood to change its name to Humbai. But that
seems too much to ask for from Indians who fall fast for aping the West.
In my opinion, the previous generations of Indians, watched Hindi movies for just entertainment, and did not accept them in their lives. They were considered cheap and lowly. But the recent/modern generations try to imitate the movie-icons in their life-styles, hence plethora of love-scandals, broken-hearts, extra-marital affairs, romantic flings, divorces and remarriages, have become so common, as in the western world, which was not as rampant in India as it is now.
This stunt, more enjoyable to me than the Bollywood movies, made my Bengali friend to scream, ‘Ore Baba, Era to Busher Dada’, referring to the spin and propaganda George Bush has managed for the last six years or so to take the country into war in Iraq on false pretense.
No wonder, even after almost 100 years of film making, over a billion fans, numerous big-A actors and actresses, and the talent of others that releases highest number of movies
year after year, Bollywood has failed to receive even a single Oscar in any category ever during the 80 years of Academy awards.

Academic Stars

Being mediocre, and thrown out of academia, about 25 years ago, into selling insurance, investments and real estate, I enjoyed reading Ms. Melwani’s , ‘Academic Stars’ in Little India , Jan 2007, pages 10-28, very much. Teaching of English by Indians to the students of the west has been highlighted in the article, which made me to reflect on my days of learning English language in India. Back in 1950s, in sleepy, primitive Bihar, where I got most of my education, in our days the best students went into engineering, medicine, physics and mathematics. The second best studied biology, English literature, geography, economics and political science. Those who could not make into these opted for Sanskrit, philosophy, history, Hindi and Urdu. However, the bright and the best did equally well, irrespective of their chosen (and given ) fields of endeavor. Those who studied English literature were considered, in our times, snobs, aping the British, and trying to get into Indian Civil/Administrative Services, eventually to become a Burra Sahib in newly independent India, to acquire power, as district magistrate, over people, have plenty of chaprasis, mali, cook, aaya, nigh guard etc and perpetuate the mechanics of British raj
by pleasing the new masters, the politicians in power. Those English lovers, who did
not succeed getting into power, settled for teaching the English language at schools, college and universities. But those with nationalistic and philanthropic bent of mind studied Hindi, Sanskrit and Philosophy, tried to become a pandit, and dreamed of bringing the ancient Gurukul system of education back to life. But the latter did not succeed much, especially due to the neglect perpetrated on the Indian culture and Indian languages by these English loving students, the IAS/IFS/ICS officers, with help from power politicians. English becoming lingua franqua, of the world, eventually dominated all Indian languages and literature in India, especially with the growth of science and technology the world over. Indian literature (s) suffered, at the hands of English, Hindi the most.
No wonder to get recognition, and make money, in India and abroad, one has to write in English only, and get published in the west. Several schools have been established in the USA and elsewhere, out of India to impart education and conduct research in Indian culture and history, as well as in Sanskrit literature, many times with generous donations from the affluent Indians. But no where, in those 50 or so schools, I have found any Indian (a Hindu) appointed as professor of the subject, or for that matter in Buddhism, Jainism either. It should always be a white, Christian guy teaching Sanskrit and Indian Culture. What an anomaly. Can we find a Hindu, Indian teaching Christianity and Western Culture in American/British Universities ? Even in India ? It will be a great delight and education to find and know about one such case. While the same can not be said about Islam, even Sikhism, which always require an authentic teacher.
I have not read much of Amartya Sen, the Nobel laureate, featured in your article, expect
‘The Argumentative Indian’, which is very enjoyable and makes excellent reading, except its India bashing, here and there in various sections, coupled with venomous comments against BJP and its Hindutva. Has Sen written on the ills of the western society, its political system, especially of USA and UK, where he has spent most of his academic
life ? It will be interesting to know. This is true also for Arundhati Roy, obviously not featured in your piece, as she does not hold an academic position in the USA, whose brilliance is awesome, but her India bashing ( and speaking against USA) does not bode well for me. Ofcourse, recognition in the West comes from reciting Shakespeare, speaking against Hinduism and Indian culture. And not by admiring the Vedas and Sanatan Dharma, which were founded on the principles of self-upliftment, betterment of humanity, and not for prizes and materialistic glories, hence neglected by Indians in India and aborad. But the Indian culture and Sanskrit had its own adherents in Ramkrishna, Vivekanand, Aurobindo, CV Raman, Raman Maharshi, JC Bose, Tagore, Gandhi, Prabhupad, to name a few, who influenced the West so much . A report on these will bring a very noble but different, and proud perspective onbb India and the Indians.

Counting Votes

Florida is again advising Presidential Candidates of the Democratic Party, not to campaign in certain areas, especially dominated by Republican oriented CubanExiles. The 2000 election between Bush and Gore, made the comedians in our country quip, ‘Floridians do not know how to count’. While in India, they said, ‘American are poor in math and science, and do not know how to count the votes’. But the Britishcommented, ‘Now we know, that American never count votes, they just assume who won and announce accordingly. The first time they had to count, it was worse than a third world pseudo-democratic state’.And the situation in Ohio in 2004, was magnificently handled by John Kerry resulting in ‘no need to count’ as the British observed. If we put to heart, the real truth of thisHollywood-democracy and electioneering, things will look much simpler, and much ofthe heated discussions and activism can be avoided. In the United States of America, the big Corporations get together, and pick up someone from the street, put him (not her) in the Whitehouse, and announce, ‘Here is your President’, said someone. This seems so simple and smart.It would be so nice and transparent, if the CEOs of these Corporations assembled at Whitehouse or in the Halls of Congress and discussed the matter openly, with TV and Press available to give live/running commentary, and announced who our President would be, beginning in 2008 for four years. There is no need to have these meetings secretly, as the tradition has been lately. But the Super (really Supreme) Bowl of campaign, propaganda, debates, the TV ads, and the final election, will be missed by the Public and the Pundits, both, so much.

Burma : Full Circle

Burma, Myanmar is in turmoil. People are agitating. Monks are visiting with British Prime Minister, and pouring into USA. UNO is enhancing sanctions. But the Military Junta seems unaffected. Remember, Burma Shell, the British oil company having roots in Burma since ever. Chevron, has been flourishing there for last several decades. China, India and other nations want pieces of the pie too. The Military Government survives due to its connection to these capitalistic interests from all over the world, but once a while when things become unbearable for the people of Burma and they revolt, many countries start paying lip service, and shed crocodile tears, for the cause of democracy and freedom.The ultimate interest is to keep those in power, in Burma, who may help garner cheap labor to grow agricultural produce, manufacture cheap goods, let oil and gas flow freely out of ground, that are needed for our consumption, to give us time to play golf, and enjoy life.The granddaddy of this design were the British, who kept Burma and Andaman to tortureFreedom fighters in India for a period of 200 years. Some of the best of those, like, Bahadur Shah Jafar, Lokmanya Tilak, and Veer Savarkar languished for years and eventually died in Rangoon, away from their motherland, except the latter. The system still continues unabated, kind of refined over the British days.When we need a chief for UNO, it has to come from a small country whom we can manipulate, and use to bomb Korea, Vietnam, Kashmir, Iraq and may be Iran. The chief has to come from Korea, by replacing the one from India, and by ignoring China, the two most deserving countries with best candidates. Under the same tradition of keeping Burma in our pocket, and let ruthlessness run amuck,we picked up over three decades ago, U Thant from Burma for the position of Secretary General of UNO, because he was distributing free cigarettes to each and every member, all day long, almost everyday, for several years, during his tenure as permanent representative of Burma to the world body. That seems a great way to qualify for the job of promoting freedom and democracy in the world, and maintaining Kashmir, a bone of contention between India and Pakistan for over 60 years, to sell arms to both parties of the conflict, and promote the mantra of capitalism.


Arun Misra, formerly, professor of biology, is a realtor and financial planner in Atlanta.Address: 5005 Johns Creek Court, Alpharetta, GA 30022. Phone : 770/449-1796.Web : arunmisra.tripod.com E-Mail : misrausa@yahoo.com

Love Marriage

Over 25 years, ago when I used to teach college, had a two door hatchback to drive, and was living in a small apartment in a low income housing complex, in downtown Atlanta, our life was just beautiful, and our needs so few. We went places, even on long vacations in the hatchback, with three teen age children and wife. No one complained, except my wife occasionally, that the car was too small for five grown ups. The apartment had two bedrooms, and only one bath, consisting of a sink, and tub with shower, for five adults. The mornings were kind of difficult and an exercise in continence. We didn’t then know what a half-bath was. All the children were in school, using the free bus service. My wife finished college, got a job, and bought a brand new four door big expensive car, as her job was too far, 200 yards away from home. One American dream realized. I left academia, and started selling insurance, had the same hatchback with no radio and no air- conditioning. I was tempted to use the new car for my business, but did not succeed in getting it. Next the apartment seemed too small to my wife and she drove all over the town to buy a house. But it would take another 9 years to realize the second dream. I was so attached to my cheap place, and would not want to move out and shell out more money, which I did not have. My wife went ahead and rented another apartment, in the same cheap complex, and started living on her own with more space. I was still at the old place, with all the three children. My wife ran back and forth to cook at both places, and took care of both homes. We eventually, advised our son to move out and live with my wife while I stayed at the old place with the two daughters.
My brother’s family came from England for a visit, and wondered why we had two separate apartments, and not a bigger one. We explained, the apartments bigger than ours’ did not exist in the low income housing complex, and we, especially me, did not want to move away. Then came, a friend’s family from Virginia to visit, and spent a weekend with us, they asked for my wife and son, and I took them to the other apartment, where they were. My wife got mad, and wanted that I should have called her and asked to come to the old place, and may be stay there, as before, for the weekend. My friends thought, we were separating, which my wife suspected that they will, hence wanted to spend time all together at one place. But my friends, asked me anyway, ‘Apka Love Marriage Tha Kya’ , (was yours a love marriage) seeing us at two separate places, suspecting our marriage being dissolved.
Since a traditional arranged marriage, does not have a situation of separation, living separately and eventual divorce, hence the question on ‘ love marriage’, which is not expected to last very long anyway. Most marriages in India are still arranged, with the help of parents and seniors on both sides of the family. Divorce is still a taboo, and exception.
No one walks out of wedlock, as the decision for marriage involves numerous people from two families, and the society/village at large. It works like the US Congress, where you can vote a dissent, but once the opinions are counted, the majority wins, the so called ‘family-whips’ control the entire affair, and the matrimony, thus, can not be dissolved, without a long parliamentary practice. The process may not be pleasant for the divorcing couples, but most of the time they give in to the pressures, and the marriage is saved. Many a times it may end up in a unhappy marriage carried out for the benefit of children, as well as for the convenience of both sides of the family. And mostly due to the inconvenience, of going through the whole process again, if one wishes to remarry. All this made a lot of sense for me. Hence I tried to arrange the marriages of all three of my children, but did not succeed in either. My two younger brothers in England and India, both had ‘love-marriages’, as had our three children in USA. In my case, in remote Bihar, India back after finishing college, I came home for summer vacation, in the 1960s, and my father said to me, ‘you better get a hair cut, as we will take you to get married this weekend in a different town’. I was 19 then, had finished the masters in science, earlier than most of the students in my age group, and was considered bright, also had lived the city life for several years, where I was now teaching college for couple of months. But I had no courage to ask anything to my father, or to anyone else, hence got married to a 16 year old girl, from a far away place, selected through arranged marriage. People ask me, when did you see your wife first. I answer, four days after getting married. At the podium, the bride was under a veil. After the wedding we were separated, and allowed to be with each other, four days later on an auspicious day. We are still together, for the last 45 years or so, with plenty of turmoil, dissensions and heartaches. We did not separate, in spite of the numerous problems we have had, as it was not a ‘love-marriage.’

Char Ujle

Decades ago, when I started selling insurance, and asked one of my Indian tennis buddies, as to why he did not call me for his homeowners’ insurance, when he closed on his house last week. The reply came, ‘char-char ujle agaye’, which means ‘four white insurance agents came’, sent by his realtor (also a white lady). He did not explain, but I
understood that if a white agent comes to see an Indian client, the Indian agent has no chance of getting the business. This was from a friend with whom I used to play tennis almost every evening. What to expect from an unknown Indian prospect ?
This story has stuck in my mind for over 20 years now, and I have seen it being repeated time and again. Over 15 years ago, one of my good Indian friend and client, who allowed me numerous personal and business insurances for years, had remarked, ‘no Indian agent can come to my office or home, but you are an exception’. I thanked him for this gesture, but it did not seem as compliment, rather a sad state of affairs. It never sunk in that I was a good, competent agent but made me to ponder over the fact, how an Indian agent is treated by an Indian client, with disdain, who would run to a white competition so easily, and probably did business with me out of pity on a fellow Indian.
There is also a joke in Indian insurance circles, that if one has to pick up a check of one hundred dollars from an Indian client, the agent has to go to the clients’ home or office at least twice, the first time the client can not find his check book, and also has to take him to lunch for more than five or ten dollars one makes in commissions on the case, in the hope of getting more business in future. But if the same Indian client gives ten thousand dollars to a white agent, he will drive to the office of this white agent, and will politely stay in the line to deliver the funds to the agent’s secretary. In early 1990s, I encountered numerous Indians running with stacks of money or checks, in the lobby, elevators, or the parking lot, rushing to drop off funds to their white brokers in the same building, I worked at in Buckhead.
Whenever you go for lunch with an Indian prospect/client, the agent will always have to pick up the tab, no matter, if you have made or will make any fees/commissions from the discussions/transactions you conduct. But bring a white co-worker agent with you to the meeting, and the same Indian client becomes so generous, and will insist to pay for all three of you. This is so funny to watch.
In the last 20 years or so I have come to the following situation again and again. When an Indian starts entrepreneurship, opens a company, generally from his basement or the garage, I get a call to visit and discuss their insurance and investment needs. The guy will have no money to pay my fees, may not make it to better days, when I can expect to get paid for my time and work. An established agent ( me included), will not come, as they are chasing bigger fish. I receive plenty of thanks, but no money. Talk is cheap always comes to mind then. I have to spend lots of time explaining what kind of insurance one needs, which ones can be avoided to begin with, where to get them at the lowest price, and the new business owner feels so happy and obliged, and impressed with my expertise and acumen to get him/her settled in the business with so little. I feel proud helping some poor fellow and holding his/her hand in the process. Many do not succeed
and I consider it philanthropy. Those who do, a few years later they rent an office outside their homes, and put their spouse or a family member to answer phones and do clerical job. My job then becomes to fill various tax, legal and insurance forms, spend hours, all free of cost. Few years later, the guy makes more money, the spouse goes back to look after the children at home, and he/she hires a pretty white lady to run the office. This is a signal for me to go away, as a white secretary really controls the Indian business owner. She brings her boyfriend, father, brother, sister as the new insurance agent, as she can not understand me, and does not like my services. She relates better with her white folks.
The Indian guy has to move to white neighborhood, be friends with white people and get
business from them, as they control the system. I am shown the door. Like insurance agents, Indian brokers, accountants, office workers and attorneys are also replaced by their white counterparts in due course.
The owner of the business who used to call me ‘uncle’ and got numerous things done free, now does not return my phone calls. They will consider, at this stage, giving business to me as racism, nepotism supporting an Indian who might have questionable merits. Once you establish the insurance and investment plans for a company or an individual, as an agent, and get paid by commissions only, it takes years, even decades to make enough money for the time and energy you invest for the process, if they continue paying premiums and keep you as agent. Few agents, will contact a start up business but chase established companies, and steal your business and clients in seconds as Indian business owners fall for the company of whites so fast, and make them agents of record
and let them receive fees on the work you have done.
Many big, well established Indian owned companies of all kinds in town now have passed through these stages, dozens of them, through me, I well remember. I have tried to protest each such incident on the grounds of morality, decency and legality. I have lost every time. Can an Indian agent against such odds succeed in approaching a well established Indian business owner for their insurance and investment business? Impossible. Many of my larger Indian clients have asked me, ‘why don’t you have many white clients’? If a successful Indian avoids dealing with an Indian agent, will a successful white guy bring his/her business to a Desi agent ? Never.
Many a times I have been asked by affluent Indians moving to town, to find them an attorney and an accountant, who must be whites, on the ground that Indians/Desis are not very professional, and they may divulge the information on their wealth to fellow Indians. I have had plenty of white friends in every profession, but once they get a foot in the door they bring their own friendly insurance agent, which becomes more acceptable to these affluent Indians than me, and I am out. I have lost numerous such prospects.
A white pretty teller girl, with a little twinkle in her eyes, or an invitation to the game of golf, at a bank can get an Indian’s fifty thousand dollars in CDs with such an ease, I always wonder. But for an Indian broker or agent getting the same account will take ten visits, several years, and numerous lunches, in addition to donations to their Indian associations and temples.
Once an Indian is out of the boat and gets a car insurance from a white agent, for another five years he drives all his fellow Indians and family members to this white agent to establish a friendship, spending hours to cultivate the goodwill of this white American guy, for no financial gains. Once his insurance claim is denied, he will call me for help and promise me to bring all his friends to me, only after this disenchantment.
Similarly when I quote a premium, an average Indian will fume at the high cost, but if I send my white office secretary to collect a check, she will bring twice the amount, while I can not succeed bringing even half of that. What a misplaced generosity.
If I narrate my experiences from the real estate transactions and mortgage business, I will bruise many more egos and offend a host of more people. Thus I will save those for future.
This narrative is not to offend my friends, clients and fellow Indians, but to confirm and concede that majority of my clients in insurance, investments, real estate and mortgage have been people from Indian subcontinent. Their help and support has made me to receive numerous laurels and awards in my profession, and has put bread and butter on my table for over two decades, in a very consistent way. I still have some of my original clients of over 20 years, and still have plenty of support and help from the community. I have lived comfortably, raised and got my children educated well at the best schools, and have plenty of grandchildren to play with.
Finally, with plenty of thanks and appreciation to the community, I wish to point out that the journey I have taken, I wish were a little easier than it has been. But I have enjoyed it immensely, did fairly well and never regretted leaving academia in 1985.
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Arun Misra, a former professor of biology, during 1964-84, has been a finacial planner
since 1985,is involved with insurance, investments, real estate, mortgage and related businesses.
Address : 5005 Johns Creek Court, Alpharetta, GA 30022-5513.
Phone : 770/449-1796, Fax : 770/441-1365
Web : arunmisra.tripod.com, E-Mail : misrausa@yahoo.com

Mahatma’s Nobel

Press Trust of India, Delhi, has released that, ‘Nobel prize panel regrets not honoring Mahatma Gandhi’. We should congratulate the Nobel committee for admitting its mistake. However, we should take it as a lip service, devoid of any serious concern for Mahatma, or the causes he championed. Mahatma was proposed for the honor , but was denied Nobel prize, in 1937, 1938, 1939, 1947, and 1948, a total of five times. Mahatma
should have got this prize all five times, and a total of $5 million. If the Nobel Committee is sincere, they should install a very huge statue of Mahatma Gandhi, out in the open, in front of the building, the Nobel Museum, and inscribe on it, ‘We missed awarding prize to Mahatma Gandhi five times’. That should do it.
But we should never forget why Mahatma was not awarded the Prize to begin with.
Gandhi drove British out of India, and stopped the Europeans from enslaving people all over the world, and confiscating funds illegally and immorally, by cruel means, and by killing people in every corner of the planet. Mahatma’s example of freeing India from British rule, echoed all over the world and countless countries in Asia, Africa, south America and other places threw the yoke of slavery away, and became free.
How could Europe tolerate it, and endorse someone who exposed their guilt, meanness and hypocrisy. No wonder, Gandhi used to say, ‘ I love Jesus, but not Christians, for what the latter have been doing’.
The West freed Pakistan on August 14th first, before it did India on August 15th, and vivisected India in numerous segments to punish Gandhi. They freed South Africa last, where Gandhi started his work first. Isn’t it an irony of fate, for both Mahatma Gandhi and Alfred Nobel, that Nobel’s blood drenched, dishonest money ( from inventing, selling and amassing wealth out of gunpowder and dynamite, which has been the source of all conflicts and killings in the world for a long, long time), could not touch Gandhi’s honesty and integrity, even after repeated attempts.
During the time of the year when Nobel Prizes are announced, the UNO, celebrates a day of Peace on the birthday of Mahatma, October the 2nd, but proclaimed by a European, an Italian Sonia Gandhi, from India, far removed from Mahatma Gandhi’s ideals and heritage. It reminds of the Peace Prize awarded by Nobel Committee, many years ago, to the brilliant war mercenary, who started and managed at least five wars in Indo-china, Asia, India-Pakistan, Europe and South America, and still consults for the war in Iraq. The other recipient for this prize was nice, timid and honest enough, not to show up at the award ceremony.
Nobel season, will be followed by Thanksgiving, which we celebrate to tell our Indian folks, that after confiscating their land and property, over 500 years ago, and providing them with smallpox-laden blankets, we still wish to thank them for teaching us how to survive the cold weather, when we first arrived here. I wish we receive a Nobel Prize
for this magnanimity.

Clever Ploy for McCain

Why did all republican candidates, falter one after another, in favor of McCain ? Since they did not belong to the Old Boy’s network. Hence President Bush, Senior Bush and numerous others have endorsed McCain, so that the ‘Same Ol, Same Ol’ can be continued, no one comes forward to rock the boat, the tax cuts for the rich as well as deployment of troops in Iraq to keep our contractors profitable, stays in place.
Why do so many democrats like Kerry, Kennedy, Lewis are against Hillary Clinton ?
To help McCain get elected, and save the country from the embarrassment of being run by a woman, who is untested and could be unpredictable, may bring troops back home
on popular demand.
Do we treat women equally, and will we allow them to get into powerful positions? We should not, as our religion, the literal word of God in the Bible, tells us that women were created from the rib bone of a man, and are inferior to men and should follow men, not lead them. Hence the entire democratic party stalwarts are busy embarrassing Hillary, trying to get her out of the race, by supporting Obama. Why black Obama then, who has been meticulously trying to hide his middle Muslim initial, Hussain? Why are white Christians so generous with their money and support for black Obama ? Do we love blacks, have we changed, want to provide them with equal opportunity ? Are you kidding ? Do we want Obama in White House ? An emphatic No. We would have treated Obama like we did to Martin Luther King or to Malcolm X, or are doing to Lois Farrakhan, if we believed that he will win. Obama is serving a clever purpose, to get Hillary out of race, so that all whites, who still make the majority of the population will forget their differences, be it democrat or republican, get together and vote for their beloved white candidate, John McCain, and save us from the disgrace of having a woman or a black president. If John Kerry becomes the candidate for Vice President, with republicans, de ja vu, as he had tried to rope in McCain in 2004, things should become very simple. Poor John Edwards, spoke too much against the corporations and bothered them with litigations. He would have befriended the affluent and powerful once elected, but got swayed in impressing the poor and the masses at the cost of the rich. This is why republicans are voting in huge numbers for Obama and against Clinton. The two parties are the same, which was amply proved by Bill Clinton’s period, and is being exemplified by George Bush’s government. The two parties combine to put up a great drama to entertain and fool the public, and succeed very well at it. And the dream ticket of a woman and a black will be even an easier kill for the conservatives. The ‘country is not ready for it’, but if Hillary does not put Obama on her ticket, the blacks may
mass-boycott the election, as their candidate with so much of votes and delegates was ignored, and McCain reaps the benefit. On both counts, the clever ploy has put Hillary between a rock and a hard place.

Ralph Nader, Please Do Run

Amy Goodman interviewed Ralph Nader, on Democracy Now, at Link-TV on Monday, February 25th, as a third/green party presidential candidate for November 2008 elections. I will enjoy Ralph to be a spoiler, like he did cost presidency to Al Gore in 2000, as did Ross Perrot to George Bush in 1992. Hence, Ralph must run. Ralph can not win, but if he did, he would not be a bit different than any other US president. This can be said for
Dennis Kucinich too, who has been my favorite. But Ralph will be able to give some heartache, as well as plenty of stress to both democratic and republican presidential candidates, by just being in the race. He will speak, may not participate in debates, and, will express his ideas and programs, our country needs, which no one else will ever do.
Every republican candidate who proclaim that they will run the country different than George Bush, and every democratic candidate who say they are different than republicans and especially Bush, will do exactly the same George bush is doing, and/or Bill Clinton did. Once they win election, they become American President, busy fomenting and starting wars in different parts of the world, to sell weapons to both sides of the warring factions, and promote our crony capitalism, helping corporate America, which brought them to power. This will be followed by designing dictatorial regimes, supporting dictators, all over the world, by paying them huge amounts of money from public coffers, and inviting those dictators to the US Congress, and the UNO to preach us on peace and democracy, since these dictators are useful in controlling their masses, set up factories to produce cheap goods for our consumption, mostly by child labor, and keep us affluent.
Then they help get some illegal aliens into our country, to mow our lawns, be our maids, build our homes, do all sorts of dirty work, so that we have time to play (and watch)
golf and other sports, so religiously. He/she will try to topple democratically elected governments, and keep our armed forces in those lands, for hundreds of years, to promote our multinationals sell stuff to the poor masses, and bring us cheap oil, so that we can continue driving our SUVs. We will thus be free to set up discussion groups on human dignity, justice, world peace, and helping the hungry, the sick and the poor ; and practice things that destroy the environment and the world. Be it Ralph, Hillary, Obama, McCain, Huckabee, or someone else, we will never change, continue to be Americans, and will always have a President to help us achieve our goals. If this happens to change in January 2009, I strongly pray/wish it did, and I am proved wrong, we all, in the USA, will be much happier, may be less richer. Doesn’t this speak also, for merging the two parties into one, as they are one and the same, abandon the general elections, and get things decided by the party hierarchy and the local caucuses, saving huge sums of money and sparing the public, so much of hoopla and grief ? It makes us proud to live in a country,
that has no parallel in the modern world, USA is the best place in the world, no doubt; but some of the shameful things we sometimes indulge in, both inside our borders, and out in foreign lands, make me really sad.

Religious Terrorism

Nepal, the only Hindu country in the world just announced that they are going to become secular, since communists, the atheists, Buddhists, Muslims and others may feel offended in a proclaimed Hindu Kingdom. Their fears are unwarranted. Nepal will not admit, but they are following India, and will soon experience similar religious, sectarian and caste wars, so common on the south of the border.
The countries, ‘ Afghanistan’ and ‘Iraq’, did just opposite, even after the US invasion and after getting a lesson in western democracy and secularism, they have changed themselves into ‘Islamic Republic of Afghanistan’ and that of ‘Islamic Republic of Iraq’, similar to Pakistan and several Arab countries.
The western Christianity and democracy as well as the Islam and its theocracy, had controlled India for over five hundred years until the 1950s. Still its minorities, especially Christians and Muslims get a super preferred treatment in Indian political system, behave as pampered and obstinate children of the nation. The text books of history in India, even
after 60 years of independence are replete with incorrect facts, showing Hinduism and ancient Sanatan Dharma, inferior to Islam and Christianity, and in constant need of refinement by the foreign, alien ways of life and religions. Muslim Mullahs say, ‘ye
Hindu to aalu, timatar khate the, hamne inhe khane, rahne ka tarika sikhaya.’ The
Christian Priest will say, ‘these Hindus read tamasoma jyotirgamaya, they are in dark and need the light of Jesus to come out of ignorance. The history text books in the west about
India, its culture and religion, are full of mischievous inaccuracies, describing Hinduism
as witchcraft, cult, confusing and primitive. The recent California text book controversy and the court cases are well known. History books in Pakistan still preach to the masses
that whole of India was once theirs, under Babar and Akbar, and the dishonest British
gave much of it to Hindus.
Books in History, all over the world, including those used in free India, in its schools and colleges are full of malignant and denigrating remarks against Hindus. The history is
his-story, white mans’ propaganda against the noble, peaceful, scientific and brilliant Sanatan Dharma. The Christian West and the Muslim Arabs have propagated slander
and inaccuracies against India, Hindus and Sanatan Dharma for centuries. Hindus and Indians are not interested in maligning others and their religious beliefs, as it is against
the basic tenets of Hinduism, their religion and way of life.
But it is time, Hindus study the religious beliefs of Christians, Muslims and Jews and understand their true nature. We need not feel superior, as they do, but should have sympathy for them and encourage them to get out of their fanatic ways, and embrace the
brilliance of Sanatan Dharma, which they once belonged to, and got misled by vested interests and accepted the so called foreign religions and alliances.
The majority of south east Asia (China, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Japan, Sumatra,
Thailand, Myanmar etc) all embraced Hinduism and Buddhism. The aborigines in Australia and New Zealand, the red Indians in North and South Americas, the entire Africa, since ancient times, prayed to Nature Gods, and believed in simple, close to nature life styles. The Greek and Roman Gods and Goddesses, and their mythology,
as well as those of Mesopotamia and Babylon in ancient times were so much similar to
Indian culture and life styles. Judaism, Christianity and Islam have taken humanity
on the paths of strife and wars time and again.
Humanity is loathe to express its sorrow. Isn’t it time to invite those lost souls
back into the fold of Sanatan Dharma.

Russian Journalists

Many, many years ago when USSR was more vibrant, still a super power, and helping India develop its Steel Plants like those of Bokaro and Bhilai, numerous Russian Engineers and Journalists were posted in India for long periods of time. My late father-in-law, a judge in a court of law in Dhanbad, close to Bokaro Steel Plant in Bihar, came into contact with numerous Russians. The Russians, will repeatedly remind him, that as Communists they did not believe in God, and were atheists. But they have turned into Believers, during their stay in India. These Russians were convinced that the God existed,
If nowhere else, then definitely in India. The proof they provided for the existence of God was that there was so much of rampant corruption in all spheres of the society, people did not work, just passed time at their jobs, got paid for doing nothing, but the country (India) was doing fairly well. This could be attributed only to God running India through its invisible powers, hence he must exist. I wonder, in what ways can we extend this theory to explain, ‘India Shining’ now.
During the same 1960s, a group if Russian Journalists were invited to USA and were taken around the country, for explaining them the freedom of the press, democracy and journalistic power in the USA. After a stay of several weeks in this country, and watching various television shows, especially the news and views provided by journalists, listening to comments on the radio, reading numerous premier newspapers from various parts of the country, they were astonished to see that reporting of the news and journalistic comments were very similar all over the country and in the various media.
All the papers, radio stations, television programs had the same kind of news and similar views. There was no voice of dissent, and all media propagated the views of the Government. Hence they naturally asked, ‘what is the secret ?’. They said, in our country, the USSR, when you want journalists to reflect the viewpoints of the Government, you have to put them in Gulag, pull their nails off, torture them, and scare them with serious/fatal consequences. Only then they toe the lines of the Government. How can this be done in the USA, so easily, without any of such threats ? The Russians left us to conclude, that the so called ‘free press’ in USA is a propaganda, and is more subservient to the views of the Government and large Corporations than in most other places of the world.
Few months ago, a Russian Journalist has been accused to poison and kill another Russian Journalist by visiting the latter in a London hotel room. The US press is mad about this and wants to hang President Putin for his alleged involvement in the matter.
The expulsion of diplomats between UK and Russia, for not extraditing the accused Journalist from Moscow to London for a trial, makes us to believe that we value truth and justice much, and we are bent upon protecting the voice of dissent.
But the same USA and UK, which is fighting for a dead Russian Journalist, so vehemently, will not care when its own Journalist (Brad Will, on Oct 27, 2006) is killed by the rogue regime/police in a south American country, just south of our border, for filming/photographing the atrocities of the government officials and police against its innocent citizens demonstrating for their civil rights in a little known city, oxaaca in El Salvador.
Both incidents happened almost in the same weeks, and how much did we hear from our ‘free press’ on the death of our own slain, brave American Journalist working in the trenches, compared to the Russian Journalist enjoying the hospitality of the British Government in a posh, luxurious hotel room in London ?
And why every defector, be he/she a Sikh trying to propagate terrorist activities in Panjab
for the creation of Khalistan, a Naga leader from north eastern part of India agitating for
a separate Nagaland to break away from India, Italians and Danes stealing funds from the coffers of Indian Government through shady arms deals, and a host of similar people, who start trouble in their homelands, find refuse so easily in London, and the British protecting them so fiercely.
No wonder, John Pilger, British filmmaker/author, had to proclaim lately in Chicago, about our ‘brilliant and free press’, ‘ More you watch (our TV shows), and read (our newspapers), the less you know’, which Vandana Shiva has named, long back, ‘Subjugated Knowledge’

Smart Water

How many of us realize that possible carcinogens may leach out of the plastics in the bottled water, we so proudly drink so often ? And that, tap water is better and more tasty than the bottled water ? No wonder San Francisco, Salt Lake City and a host of other townships, have denounced and stopped the purchase of bottled water from city coffers.
Privatization and Capitalism are at extreme in making drinking water being sold by private corporations and not municipalities. When are we going to privatize sunshine,
like we did for healthcare ? In many Asian cities, like New Delhi, with polluted air, people flock to buy oxygen (better, pure air) to improve their lung function.
The recent admission, by both Pepsi and Coke, of filling their water-bottles, from city
and municipal tap water, and selling them to the public at seven thousand times profit,
advertising it to be better, cleaner and safer to drink than tap water seems very smart.
But this creates environmental and waste disposal problems of non-recyclable plastic bottles, in addition to utilizing millions of tons of foreign oil to make those bottles in the first place.
People in Keral, India first of all several years ago protested against this practice of selling bottled water by Pepsi, as well as Coke, established a smarter use of water resources for common man, and finally stopped this practice by Pepsi and Coke both.
Hence, Pepsi picks up Indra Nooyi of Indian descent, as its CEO, who may have connections back home and may successfully pull strings in favor of Pepsi, as well as
for Coke, in India as well as in China. Thus re-establishing the discredited Coke and Pepsi back in India. It also reminds us of another Indra (Indira Gandhi, the then Prime-Minister of India), who threw Coca-Cola out of India in late 1970s on the grounds of, misuse of water resources of the country (India), and filling its coffers with quick profits and transferring it to its headquarters in the US, without spending enough funds for social causes where it made the money (in India).
May be the decrease in the use of bottled water in USA and other affluent western countries will provide a lesson for India and China, the two most populous places on earth, to use water in its natural and smart form

The Conquest of Heaven

The current religious and sectarian strife, the world over, points to the fact that each religious group is trying to show their direct connection with the ‘heavens’ and make sure it stays under their control and is made available peacefully or forcibly to as many people as possible. Any such remark about Islam can be easily construed as ‘blasphemy’. When
the US media ridicule Islam’s concept of heaven and the availability of virgins there after death, it brings several other concepts to mind. Christianity considers sex as synonymous to ‘sin’. Wouldn’t it be natural to think then that there are different heavens,
Is the one in the islam then promoting sin by christian standards ?
Over 50 years ago, I remember, in remote India, my Brahmin/hindu father, who was more friendly to muslims than to his hindu bretheren, and was often ridiculed for it, will often ask, and make people laugh, ‘If Muslims go to heaven ‘, since hindus believed the muslim way of life was kind of undeserving to go to heaven.
About 30 years ago, working at a medical school in Illinois, I attended bible study during lunch once a week for several months, encouraged by my supervisor, a bright molecular
biologist and a devout evangelist, where only two of us will generally be present. He was amazed that coming from India and not knowing Jesus personally, how come I was so polite, nice and good. This is not a place to discuss the ignorance of average american towards the affairs of the world, but is definitely one of such examples.
The extreme tolerance ( which tends towards meakness and subservience) of Hinduism
(the so called Hindus will like to name their calling as Sanatan Dharma, the religion or way of life, that is present since time immemorial and will last for ever) can easily attend any religious service at a church, synagogue, mosque, gurdwara or temple believing God is omnipresent and has many forms, since hindus have several hundred kinds of gods and goddesses of their own.bbbbb
My supervisor at Illinois will many times ask me if I believed in resurrection of Christ. My apparent disbelief in agreeing to the fact that a person can rise from the dead made him to comment that he was so sorry, for a nice person like me would not go to heaven. This reminds me of a story I heard in India about Gandhi in late 1960s. When
Gandhi was fighting the british in India and began his movement in Champaran, Bihar, there was widespread belief that british police/army can not touch/catch Gandhi, as he will fly in the air. This added much to the following of Gandhi, but waned some, when several of his devotees saw him going to the latrine for his morning rites, and realized that Gandhi was like them.
It should also be added here what I heard from an agnostic american friend in St Louis in early eighties, when Attenborough’s movie ‘Gandhi’ received several oscar awards, that after many, many humdred years, this Gandhi will also walk on water.
Ghalib, the late Persian poet/philosopher who lived in India all his life, almost 400 hundred years ago, has a poem beginning with, ‘ham to jante hain jannat ki hakikat lekin…’ (I know the truth about heavens, but it (heaven) is a good idea to keep us engaged). Another revolutionary, Kabir, a muslim by birth, practicing customs of Hinduism, lived in Banaras (varanasi/kashi), one of the holiest places for hindus. It is also believed by hindus that if you die in Banaras, you will definitely go to heaven. No wonder elderly hindus flock to Varanasi to die there eventually and to have a claim on heaven. Kabir, who ridiculed going to mosque/temple for prayers, as gods did not live there in his opinion, left varanasi in the last days of his life, to die elsewhere ( really in
Magah, present day Patna, not considered to be a holy place), to avoid going to heaven.
My agnostic father whom I mentioned above, who enjoyed being friends with muslims, will also tease hindus, about several of their four or more headed gods and goddesses, asking which one of the hands these deities might be using for tending to their runny nose. Common hindus treat their gods as part of their family, and not an abstract concept as philosophers do, and can make these amusing remarks.
The discussion of Darwinian evolution and intelligent design or creation is often summed up by prophetic sayings, like ‘religion without science is lame, and science with religion is blind’ without realizing that this discussion in India happened about 50,000 years ago and was concluded in the following way. That God created the earth and has come upon it (earth) several times, as avatar or incarnation to help mankind in the form of fish, tortoise, boar, half man-half beast, pigmy vaman, warrior parashuram, rama , Krishna, lord budhha, in nine different forms so far. He will come again as Kalki (the tenth incarnation/avatar), in human form, riding a white horse with sword in his hand, which the new testament also talks about.
This makes me to postulate that the three wise men who came from east to celebrate the birth of the child Christ should be retold. Child Jesus, when he was 8/10, like a child Dalai Lama, who is located when the old Dalai Lama dies, as his reincarnation, went to
India, especially Kashmir to study the scriptures, and returned back as Christ around age 32, to the middle east, as a social reformer to inculcate spirituality in his fellow human beings with his message of love and service. The saying of lord Krishna, ‘sarvadharma
parityajye, mameka sharanam braja ( leave everything behind an come into my fold)’ in Gita helped Jesus define his moto, ‘no one reaches the lord without going through me’.
No wonder, why my 75 plus years old mother-in-law in India, who spends several hours
in front of hindu deities everyday, when asked what gift I bring her from USA will ask for a nice picture of Jesus Christ, which she can put in her worship room with other gods/goddesses.
Hindus will have no difficulty accepting Jesus as one of the incarnations of God, but will hesitate to agree that Lord Father is single and has no wife, that women were created from the rib of a man, the earth was created merely 6000 years ago, as well as about the virgin birth. Hindus have their own sets of queer incidents described in scriptures, but ridiculing them is no blasphemy. Vivekanand said, different religions are different paths to reach the same God. He likened them to vehicles ( like bike, car, train, bus, plane etc) for God realization. But things are not so simple elsewhere, as most of the other great religions of the world forbid worshiping other’s gods.These religions also claim only their right on the heavens, and do not believe any good in ways other than that of theirs. Mahavir and Budhha are revered by hindus as incarnations of god Vishnu. But Jains and budhhists , the followers of Mahavir and Budhha, teach their devotees, that these two (Budhha and Mahavir) came from heavens into the wombs of brahmin women on earth, but since brahmins were not good enough, the wombs were transferred into women from warrior caste (kshatriyas), hence both were born as sons of hindu kings. Both Budhha and Mahavir were contemporaray in the state of Bihar in northern India, over 3000 years ago. It is obvious, Budhha and Mahavir were mad at hindus, especially brahmins, as the latter controlled the society then, and were not leading a respectable life style. Hence Budhha and Mahavir succeeded in reforming the hindu society, and have
great influence in India and all over the world. But the story of their birth is kind of far fetched at the least.
Devotees of swaminarayan have been successfully building temples all over the world for the last decade or so, as did Prabhupad of Krishna Consciousness did in the last 25 years.
Devotees at Iskcon, internatiobnal society for Krishna consciousnous, consider Krishna as supreme and other hindu gods as kind of inferior. This Christian transformation of hindu god Krishna into the concept of one Jesus/Christ brought this sect so much popularity in the West. In swaminarayn temples, it is amusing to see hindu gods and goddesses like hanuman, ram and sita relegated to the position of security guards at temple entrance while swaminarayan incarnation and their human forms occupy the central position at the sanctum sanctorum.
If the hindu cnocept of sanatan dharma and vasudhaiva kutumbakam (world as one family) and the immense respect of nature can find a wider and favorable following in the modern world, we will experience greater tolerance between civilizations, lesser terrorism, and improvement of global environment; leading to more peace and prosperity for mankind.