Dr. Sudha Om Dhingra, a noted Hindi poet, writer and editor of Hindi Chetna, the only Hindi quarterly
magazine published in North America, living in Morrisville, North Carolina, has been selected by The
Sunday Indian News Magazine, published from Delhi, India, as among the top 111 women Hindi writers of
the 21st Century in the world. The Sunday Indian has published a special issue highlighting the works of
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Cary, NC
August 21, 2011
On Sunday, August 21st, Ekal Vidyalaya - RTP Chapter, in collaboration with the Professional Indian Association, organized a 5k Walk-A-Thon at the verdant North Cary Park in Cary, North Carolina. The purpose of the event was to raise awareness about and funds for non-formal schools that Ekal Vidyalaya Foundation operates in Indian villages.
People of all ages, from high school students to retired seniors, came out to participate in this event and show their support for Ekal’s mission of providing free education to underprivileged children of India. The event started with a brief introduction to Ekal by the President of Ekal - RTP Chapter, Mrs. Ragini Murarka. After the introduction, the participants were off and away on the Park’s trail. Ekal had setup a water break station at the half-way point and at the turnaround point on trail, where the walkers could hydrate themselves. The turnaround point of the Walk-A-Thon was at a gazebo overlooking a lake, so the participants could take in the beautiful scenery before turning back to return to the starting point. When the walkers returned to the starting point, they were treated to a delicious, home-made bhel-puri and ice cream, served by Ekal - RTP Youth Group volunteers.
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What started as an effort to address medical needs of Muslim women in the Triangle Area of North Carolina, quickly transformed into an interfaith free medical clinic catering to both genders. Founded by Muslim physicians and volunteers in 2007, Mariam Clinic has offered its services to the medically uninsured people in Wake and Durham Counties. In the process, Mariam Clinic has broken many negative stereotypes associated with Muslims and portrayed a balanced and accurate depiction of many Muslim community members. This is especially significant in the context of rising Islamophobia in the nation, which is definitely not helped by the fact that a large number of people, up to 69% Americans according to Pew Research Center, have never met a Muslim.
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 हिन्दी जगत की जानी- मानी कवयित्री, कहानी लेखिका, पत्रकार, रेडियो, टी.वी. तथा रंगमंच की कलाकार सुधा ओम ढींगरा के कहानी संग्रह "कौन सी ज़मीन अपनी" का विमोचन, यूनिवर्सिटी ऑफ नॉर्थ कैरोलाईना के तत्त्वाधान में प्रो. अफ़रोज़ ताज द्वारा आयोजित समारोह में संपन्न हुआ. सभा का आरम्भ श्री जान काल्डवेल की स्वागत पंक्तियों और हिंदी विकास मंडल की अध्यक्षा श्रीमती सरोज शर्मा के आशीर्वाद से हुआ. डॉ. अफ़रोज़ ताज ने सुधा ओम ढींगरा की कृतियों पर चर्चा करते हुए उनकी सीधी सरल भाषा में कहानियाँ लिखने के अंदाज़ की बहुत प्रशंसा की. उन्होंने यह भी कहा कि कहीं भी ऐसा नहीं लगता कि वे भारत से इतनी दूर बैठी लिख रही हैं. उनकी कहानियों में आधुनिकता के साथ- साथ परम्परावाद भी है. जहाँ एक और पंजाब के किसानों की बात करतीं हैं तो दूसरी ओर अमरीका के अत्याधुनिक परिवेश का चित्रण भी करतीं हैं. इस समारोह में हिंदी- उर्दू जगत के कई विशिष्ट व्यक्तित्व शामिल हुए जिन्होंने न केवल अपनी प्रतिक्रिया व्यक्त की बल्कि "कौन सी ज़मीन  अपनी" की बहुत सराहना की. प्रो.अफ़रोज़ ने कहा कि सुधा जी की रचनाएँ अमेरिका की कई यूनिवर्सिटीज़ के हिंदी कोर्स में पढ़ाई जाती हैं, इनकी कृतियाँ भारत में भी हिन्दी कोर्स में शामिल होनी चाहिए. रमेश शौनक ने सुधा जी की कहानियाँ को 'समाज की जमी हुई सिल' को तोड़ती कहानियाँ बताया और बिंदु सिंह ने " कौन सी ज़मीन अपनी " के नारी पात्रों पर चर्चा की. उनके अनुसार सुधा जी की कहानियों के नारी पात्र चुप रह कर प्रतिवाद करते हैं, शोर- शराबा नहीं करते. इनकी कहानियों की नारियाँ कभी भी अपनी परम्पराओं को नहीं भूलतीं, जो ग़लत है उसका प्रतिरोध करते हुए अपने आप को सक्षम और सशक्त बनातीं हैं | श्रीमती सीमा फ़ारूखी ने सुधा जी की " एग्ज़िट " कहानी को अपनी ही कहानी बताते हुए कहा कि इन की कहानियाँ हमारी आम ज़िन्दगी से बहुत जुड़ी हुई हैं. श्रीमती उषा देव ने पंकज सुबीर और अदिति मजूमदार ने अखिलेश शुक्ल की "कौन सी ज़मीन अपनी" पर लिखी समीक्षाएं पढ़ीं | अंत में सुधा जी की 'एग्ज़िट' कहानी का उन्हीं के द्वारा पाठ हुआ | रंगमंच और रेडियो से जुड़े होने के कारण उनके कहानी पढ़ने के अंदाज़ से लोग मन्त्र -मुग्ध हो गए | रात्रि -भोज के साथ सभा का समापन हुआ |
अदिति मजूमदार ( यू. एस. ए )
कौन सी ज़मीन अपनी का प्रकाशक है --
भावना प्रकाशन,
109-A, पटपड़गंज, दिल्ली -110091
दूरभाष --22756734
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North Carolina's first Punjabi social and cultural organization "Punjabi Unlimited" has been launched in the
Triangle Area. As its name indicates, Punjabi Unlimited endeavors to celebrate Punjabi art and culture beyond the divides of nationality or religion.
The membership to this organization is open for everyone, irrespective of whether they have Punjabi heritage or not. The grand opening of Punjabi Unlimited took place on December 25, 2010, at Seasons at Tandoor banquet hall in Durham, NorthCarolina
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सच कहूँ,
चाँद- तारों की बातें
अब नहीं सुहाती .....
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With one-fifth of Pakistan under water and twenty million people affected by the historic 2010 floods, many Pakistanis have risen to the challenge of helping the flood ravaged nation. One such group of individuals is the North Carolina based Pakistani American Anjuman's Flood Relief Committee (FRC).
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CELEBRATING CHILDREN’S DAY ON NOVEMBER 14, 2010:
A Review Article By Yash Garg, Heritage India Association of North Carolina, Inc
Photographs by Dr. K.P. Sandeep, Cary Photo and Video Studio.
A "Children's Day," as an event, is celebrated on various days in many countries around the world, in particular to honor and appreciate the children. In India, Children’s Day is celebrated on 14th November because this date marks the birth anniversary of legendary freedom fighter & independent India’s first Prime Minister, Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru. He became popular as “Chacha Nehru” among his little admirers. Nehru strongly believed that if the children of a country are provided developmental opportunities, they can uplift the nation towards greater prosperity. To quote his own wods, “Future India is in the hands of Today's Child.” It is not just a day of fun and fanfare, it has become a celebration of childhood and symbolic of Nehru’s love for children. The day is marked with a lot of activities for children in India; while parents buy gifts and new clothes for their children, high and elementary schools organize events and activities that their students enjoy.
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What is the defining characteristic of a woman? Is it her ability to nurture, or her graceful curves, or maybe her gentleness? I would argue that for most women, her defining characteristic, and her greatest asset, is her strength. Indian philosophy and religion, it seems, would agree; Shakti, a central concept in Hinduism, refers to the originating force of the universe, a force which is unambiguously female, both in philosophical discourse and in its physical representation as a goddess. Even colloquially, shakti is used to mean strength and power. But for all the reverence given to the strength of a woman in India, her strength is continually tested, continually broken down.
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The 2010 North Carolina Boogie Woogie Dance Competition was a gala event of artists from the entire state. Held at the Seby Jones Auditorium of St. Augustine’s College, the competition exhibited the dance achievements of more than 20 performers across a broad age range and dance styles. The Boogie Woogie competition strives to promote Indian culture abroad by recognizing the excellence in dance for the Indians in America. The passion and dedication inherent in each of the competitors clearly showed as they provided the city of Raleigh a small taste of the rich variety of disciplines present in Indian classical dance. A select group of classical dancers demonstrated that their talent was in no way lesser than their counterparts in India.
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