1. Mind set. The day people feel
that it's 'My country’, there will
surely be positive changes in
their approach towards every-
thing. The ‘chalta hai’ attitude
needs to be changed.
An end to moral policing . It’s
time to break free from the barri-
ers of moral policing and set a
code of moral conduct. The
government should shift its focus
to other important issues rather
than raiding pubs or indulging in
round table conferences to fix
the dress code for women.
The fight for the governance of
the political unit of India by sons
of the soil began from the end of
the 19th century. Nearly half a
century of struggle in many
different forms forged a nation
conscious of itself as being
"Indian". To this nation came the
supreme moment on August 15,
1947 . Since then this day re-
minds us about our identity,
honour and existence.
It’s time to look back and take
whatever we can for betterment
of our tomorrow. TOI did a poll
in which they asked for the
suggestions to fellow citizens.
Here's the list of proposed
changes.
Assessment and Account-
ability of MPs. The MPs and
politicians should be treated
according to their perform-
ance . All deserving candidates
should be rewarded, while a
bad performer has to bear the
brunt.
Overhauling of the education
system. The term ‘literacy’
s h o u l d b e c h a n g e d t o
‘education’. Basic concept which
is about making a living should
be changed to how to live and
lead.
Responsible youth. The youth
should become more responsible
towards their country and realise
the fact that no one else, but
they themselves are responsible
for the status of their country.
Responsible Media. “The
amount of footage given to ce-
lebrities like Chand and Fiza or
to Rakhi Sawant made me say
that. I think there are better
events/people to cover,” feels
Tariq Khan, an Indian techie.
Focus should be on responsible
and meaningful cinema.
6 3 r d I n d i a n I n d e p e n d e n c e D a y a n d Y o u n g I n d i a
Students and professionals from
India constitute a major section of
British society. They come from
India in search of their future, away
from their friends, parents and
home. We too belong to the same
category. Therefore we feel a need,
need for a friend, a family, and for
people with whom we could correlate
ourselves. This thought process
resulted into an instigation viz.
“Bharat Parivar”. The second step
and motivation was provided by the
University of Birmingham which
encouraged us to go forward with
this initiation.
The motive behind Bharat Parivar is
in itself quite “innovative”, some-
thing apart from demonstrating our
Indian cultural heritage to the world.
It is not just about organising cul-
tural events, trips, parties or get-
togethers. We are keen to provide
support, truly like a family to each and
every member of our group. We pro-
vide a platform to students who come
from India, help them in arranging
their temp/permanent accommoda-
tion, provide information regarding
local transport, food and entertain-
ment, jobs and Visa related assis-
tance.
Very recently we also established the
professional wing of this society with
the help of Indian alumni who passed
out from the University of Birming-
ham and organised several network-
ing events and discussions for current
students involving alumni and people
who are coming from India as profes-
sionals. By involving professionals
during several networking events,
many students have found part/full
time employment as well. We have
been able to establish association with
various organizations including ‘Telugu
People in UK (TPUK)’, IIT London
Chapter (London) and Indian Consu-
late (Birmingham). In addition to that
we have also organised social drives
such as Blood Donation Camp by invit-
ing UK National Blood Service, and
funds collection for flood relief in
Bihar.
At present we are working on the es-
tablishment of a Midland based union
of Indian students with the help of
Indian consulate Birmingham. The
union will provide a common platform
to all Indian students all across the
Midland and will work towards the
welfare of Indian students. In the
words of one of the students “I didn’t
even realise that I have come out of
7 ’ O C l o c k7 ’ O C l o c k7 ’ O C l o c k7 ’ O C l o c k
I n s i d e t h i s i s s u e :
B h a r a t P a r i v a r 2
N e w s D i g e s t 3
I n t e r v i e w s o f
F o u n d e r s
4
E d i t o r i a l a n d
B l o g
6
S p o r t s 7
C o l l a g e 8
A B h a r a t P a r i v a r N e w s l e t t e r
- A n I n d e p e n d e n c e D a y I s s u e
A u g u s t 2 0 0 9
I n t e r e s t i n g F a c t s
• India is the largest democ-
racy in the world, the 6th
largest Country in the
world.
• India never invaded any
country in her last
100000 years of history
• Algebra, Trigonometry,
Calculus, 'Place Value
System' and the
'Decimal System' were
developed in India.
• Sushruta is regarded as
the Father of Surgery.
Over 2600 years ago, his
team conducted surger-
ies like cataract, artificial
limbs, caesareans, frac-
tures, plastic surgery
and brain surgeries.
• India was one of the most
richest countries till the
time of British rule in the
early 17th Century.
Christopher Columbus,
attracted by India's
wealth, had discovered
America.
• There are 300,000 active
mosques in India more
than in any other coun-
try, including the Muslim
world.
• The largest employer in the
world is the Indian Rail-
ways, employing over a
million people.
• India exports software to
90 countries.
A F a m i l y B e y o n d T h e N a t i o n - B h a r a t P a r i v a r

2. Mustard, 10 Coriander leaves, 1 Green
pepper cut into pieces, 1 Onion
chopped, 1 Tomato cut into pieces.
Method: Boil the toor dal with 3 cups
of water (if possible then in a pressure
cooker). Add oil in a frying pan and add
channa dal, dhania seeds, hing, and red
chillies for a few minutes and then fry
them with the grated coconut. Grind
the above mixture with water. Fry the
green pepper in oil for a few minutes.
Boil the tamarind paste, water, salt,
turmeric, tomato and vegetables. Add
boiled dal and bring it to a boil. In the
meantime fry the mustard seeds and
onion. Add the above ingredients &
coriander leaves to the mixture.
ONION AND TOMATO RAITA (4-
6 Servings)
Ingredients: 250 ml Yogurt (plain), 1
small Onion, 1/2 tsp Salt, 1 small To-
mato, 1/2 tsp Chat Masala (optional), 3
-4 Black pepper (ground), 1/4 c Milk
Method: Beat yogurt and milk until
smooth. Chop onion and tomatoes and
add to yogurt. Add salt and pepper and
sprinkle the Chat Masala over, and
serve.
MANGO ICE CREAM (Very very
little effort...can replace Mango with
any fruit)
Ingredients: 250 ml Condensed Milk,
12 oz. Whipped cream, 250 ml Mango
pulp, 2 tsp Honey, 3 tsp sugar, 3-4
Cherries.
der, 1 tsp Cumin seeds, 1Bayleaf, 3
Cloves, ¼ tsp Turmeric, ½ tsp
Garam Masala, ¼ tsp Red chilli
powder, 3 tsp Olive or sunflower
Oil, a bunch of coriander leaves.
Method: Cut the cauliflower and
de-skinned potatoes into small
sized pieces and wash them. Heat
the oil in a frying pan and add
mustard seeds, bay leaves, carda-
mom and cloves. Mix around till
you get an aroma then add chopped
onions. Wait until the onion starts
to turn brown and then add
Garam masala, tur- meric,
red chilli powder. Put the cauli-
flower and fry in the oil and spices
for 2 minutes. Add ½ cup of water
and reduce heat to low. Cover
skillet and let cook for 5 minutes.
Arun K. Mishra
Check tenderness of vegetables. If
they are still too hard, add another
1/4 cup of water and cover again for
5 minutes. Salt to taste and serve.
For garnishing you may use finely
chopped coriander leaves.
my family and home. I found my own
people here, they are just like a family
and now my mom from India says
that: son why have your phone calls
reduced?”
All of the following recipes are spe-
cially modified according to the re-
quirements of students and can be
used for 3-5 servings.
Puriyaan (25 Puriyaan)
Ingredients: 500 gm wheat flour,
250 ml Water
Method: Put flour in a large bowl
with half the water. Blend the two
together until it holds. Beat and knead
well until it forms a compact ball.
Knead dough until it is smooth and
elastic. Knead and divide dough into
20-25 parts. Roll each ball into a
round shape circle (dia:10 cm).
Pour oil in a frying pan or Kadhai and
switch on the flame. When oil is hot
(can check it by putting a small dough
into oil) start deep frying puris and
take them out when the puris turn
deep yellow and orange in color.
GOBI ALOO (CAULIFLOWER
AND POTATOES)
Ingredients: 1Large cauliflower, 3
Medium sized potatoes, ½ large
Onion sliced, 1 tsp Mustard seeds,
2 or 3 pods Cardamom, 1 tsp Corian-
MUGHLAI CHICKEN WITH AL-
MONDS
Ingredients: 1" piece Ginger, 8-9
cloves Garlic, 6 tsp Blanched Almonds,
7 tsp cooking oil, 1" Cinnamon stick, 2
Bay leaves, 5 Cloves, 10 pods Carda-
mom, 2 medium sliced Onions, 2 tsp
Ground cumin seeds, 1/8 - ½ tsp Red
pepper, 7 tsp Yogurt, 1 small carton
Whipped Cream, ¼ tsp Garam Ma-
sala, 2-2½ lbs Chicken boneless, 2½
tsp Salt, Coriander leaves
Method: Grind the ginger, garlic, and
almonds with water. Heat oil in a non
-stick pan, and fry the chicken until it
turns golden brown. Keep it aside and
drain the oil. Heat some oil and add
the cardamom, bay leaves and cloves
and fry until the bay leaves turn
brown. Add the onions and fry for a
few minutes. Pour the paste from the
blender and fry for a couple of minutes
until the oil separates. Add 1 table-
spoon of yogurt and fry for 30 sec-
onds. Keep adding tablespoons of
yogurt and fry until you get a consis-
tent mixture. Add the chicken,
whipped cream and salt and cook
gently (low heat) for 20 minutes. Add
Garam Masala and coriander leaves
and cook for another 10 minutes.
SAMBHAR:
Ingredients: 1 cup Toor Dal (Arhar),
1 tsp Tamarind, 3 tsp Salt, a pinch
Turmeric, 2 tsp Channa Dal, 3 tsp
Dhania seeds, 1 pinch Hing, 3 Red
chillies, ¼ cup Grated coconut, 1 tsp
transportation, banks , medical system, national insur-
ance and so on. We assist them in finding temporary
and permanent accommodation (with the help of
University housing service and local residential lettings),
provide information regarding local transporta-
tion, food and entertainment, part-time and tem-
porary jobs, Visa applications & Home office
related assistance.
The motive behind Bharat Parivar is in itself
quite “innovative”, much vast and big, some-
thing apart from demonstrating our Indian
cultural heritage to the world. For any new
student arriving from India in this new coun-
try and environment it is a daunting task to
find his/her way through arranging accom-
modation, gathering information on public
At present we are working on a database which can
provide ‘essential living information’ to students
and professionals coming from India. If readers
require any information regarding any of the follow-
ing issues they can contact us on bharatpari-
var@bham.ac.uk or join us on bharatpari-
var@yahoogroups.com.
O u r s e r v i c e s f o r O u r F a m i l y M e m b e r s
B h a r a t P a r i v a r K i R a s o i

3. Method: Mix all of the pulp, condensed milk and whipped cream in a bowl. Put in the freezer for about 8 hours (You can make different shaped ice creams). Top with
cherries.
the right under a new system. Foreign-
ers will have to earn points to become
British citizens, according to the new
plan to be introduced by the Home
office. Applicants with "un-British"
behaviour or accused of unpatriotic
acts like protesting against British
troops, will be denied citizenship.
Immigrants will be denied passports if
they have a history of anti-social behav-
iour, even if they have never been
convicted. Under the new rule, 10 years
of stay in the country will be a prereq-
uisite for a person to get British pass-
port, instead of the present five-year
stay.
of tightening the immigration laws,
the government would introduce a
job readiness test from next year to
verify if applicants have the skill they
claim.
3. The Indian Government has come
up with a plan to register the stu-
dents going overseas for education. It
will come into force by the year end.
As per details available, 2,64,324
Indian students were studying
abroad at present; the largest con-
tingent of 1,04,522 was in the U.S. It
is followed by Australia (97,035
students).
4. Bangalore-based Suhas Gopinath,
23, who shot to fame as one of the
youngest CEOs in the world, has
added another feather to his cap. He
has been given the first 'Make a
1. Indian Government has decided to
increase the gross enrolment ratio to
15% by the end of 11th Plan and de-
cided to fund the studies of economi-
cally disadvantaged students. The
Government also extended the scope
of Section 80E of the Income-tax Act,
providing tax exemptions for educa-
tion loans to pursue higher studies in
specific areas, to cover all sectors
including vocational studies after
school.
2. In spite of attacks on Indian stu-
dents in Australia, the visa applica-
tions to the country refuse to decline.
Conceding that there are loopholes in
the Australian immigration system
which allows education agents to
market courses in cooking and hair-
dressing as a short-cut to Permanent
Residency (PR). As part of the process
Difference' award in Vienna for sup-
porting young entrepreneurs around
the world. Mr. Gopinath started
Globals in 2000 when he was 14 years
old from a cyber café in Bangalore. He
registered the company at San Jose,
California, as Indian laws did not
allow a minor to start a company. The
average age of employees is about 25
years at Globals.
However, the plan is to shift the head-
quarters to Bangalore as soon as the
construction work is ready. Gopinath
is based in India's Silicon Valley al-
though he travels around the world.
Globals already operates from about a
dozen countries, including Germany.
5. Britain plans to tighten the criteria
for granting citizenship and any immi-
grant judged unpatriotic will be denied
year to January 17, 2010, will bring
together over 250 magnificent objects,
many on loan to the UK for the first
time from India's royal collections.
5. Indian companies are investing in
UK to enter European market - In
view of the increasing criticism against
outsourcing in England and other
European countries, a number of
Indian companies especially those in
the IT sector, have begun to invest in
England to enter the European mar-
ket. Till now, over 400 Indian compa-
nies have set up shop in England and
are creating over 10,000 jobs for the
British youth.
7. Indians among worst affected by TB
in Britain - The largest increase was
seen among patients not born in the
UK, who accounted for 5,310 cases.
8. Britain and India share a global
vision and democratic values. UK and
India both play a proactive role in
international affairs. Both have a
strong interest in success of multilat-
eralism. Both play vital roles in the
UN, WTO, Commonwealth and range
of other bodies.
9. New UK visa rules for students;
Indian law students can now intern in
UK - In a significant ruling that will
facilitate Indian law students applying
for internships in UK legal firms, a
tribunal has held that refusal by a
India-UK
1. UK Indian women ‘aborting girls’ –
A study suggests that Indian women in
the UK are aborting unborn daughters
so they can have more boys. The Ox-
ford University study suggests 1,500
girls are "missing" from the birth
statistics in England and Wales from
1990 to 2005.
2. Wealthy Indians buying their own
British Empire - INDIAN billionaires
are the latest super rich big-spenders
pouring into Britain desperate for a
slice of prime real estate. Actress and
Big Brother winner Shilpa Shetty has
joined the chase and is looking for a
£3.5million flat in Primrose Hill.
3. UK and Indian teens battle over civil
liberties and terrorism at the world’s
toughest debating competition - On
the eve of the 7/7 anniversary the
Debating Matters Competition the
national champions of India and the
UK locked horns over the motion
‘Protecting the public from terrorism
should come before civil liberties’ held
on 5th July at London’s Royal Society
of Medicine.
4. Exhibition on world of Indian
‘Maharajas’ in London - LONDON: A
rare comprehensive exhibition on a
treasure trove of Indian royals and
their lifestyle will be organised at the
famous Victoria and Albert museum
which will run from October 10 this
firm to even consider applications by
non- non-European Economic Area
(EEA) nationals amounts to ‘indirect
racial discrimination’.
India-France
6. India’s French Connection - The
French revere their National Day on
July 14, which marks the storming of
the notorious Bastille prison in 1789,
to free political prisoners. This led to
the common man gaining human
rights and ultimately to the French
Revolution and the establishment of
t h e F r e n c h R e p u b l i c .
Symbolisms attached to that day are
significant. This year India’s Prime
Minister Manmohan Singh was the
Guest of Honour. While it might be
considered as a reciprocative action
because French President Mr Nicholas
Sarkozy was the Guest of Honour at
India’s Republic Day celebrations this
year, there has never been a foreign
Guest of Honour at France’s Bastille
Day.
Indians in Australia
10. Indian-origin Australians are
widely acknowledged as hard working,
ethical, honest with strong family
values. Indian Australians are well
respected at their place of work as
well: be it for their hard work or intel-
ligence. They have also been known to
be good, law abiding citizens by and
by and large. There are limited cases
of involvement in drugs, alcohol-
related crimes, domestic problems or
general law and order breakdowns in
the Indian Australian community.
11. The Youth Parliament Program of
Australia - This week-long residential
program is targeted at 15-18 year old
school students (Years 9 – 11), with a
view to getting them acquainted with
the country’s political processes. It
also provides a platform for the na-
tion’s youth to put across ideas on
issues that concern them. As they
voice their opinions as ‘lawmakers’,
they are heard by those who have the
actual power to make laws.
12.Indian attacks in Australia spark education
industry fears - There are fears that vio-
lence against Indian students could
damage Australia's reputation abroad
and its highly lucrative international
education industry.
Vivek Malik
Desh Ki Khabrein
Desi in Videsh
Saurabh
Kulkarni

4. feeling home sick. I felt a need, need for a friend, need
for a family, need for people with whom I can correlate
myself and there were many others like me who were
also thinking on the same lines. That thought process
was the first step towards something new. viz. “Bharat
Parivar.
BP is an independent society. Did you face any
trouble in its creation since there were already
some societies for almost the same purpose?
We started from UoB, where we already have few
groups who associate themselves with India, however
none of them work directly with, by and for Indians
coming from India and that's where we felt a need.
What do you think are the strengths and weak-
nesses of BP as it exists today?
Our main strength is there in our tag-line 'A Family
Arun is one of the
founders of Bharat
Parivar. He is cur-
rently pursuing his
PhD at the UoB.
Arun’s performances
at various events in BP
are known to put the
audience into an introspection and much
required thoughtful mode.
How did the thought of BP come to
you? Was it an Eureka moment or
something that you always wanted to
do?
I came here as a PhD student and truly
speaking I enjoyed this new environment at
first instance, but soon I got a shock, found
myself in some alien world and started
Beyond the Nation'. That makes us unique, which
shows the support, love, care we have here for each
other. Apart from demonstrating our Indian cul-
tural heritage to the world, we provide a platform
to students who come from India. , help them in
arranging their accommodation, provide informa-
tion regarding local transportation, food and
entertainment, part-time and temporary jobs etc.
Truly speaking, our weakness is present in our
typical Indian attitude: 'Chalta Hai'. I don't under-
stand, why are we so casual about most of the
things in our lives? We come here to learn some-
thing, then why don’t we learn it from these Brit-
ons? Let me assure you that if we have to move as
a nation, if we have to create a place for India in
today's world then we have to get rid of our casual
approach, otherwise soon there will be another
British Raj (or 'American Raj' this time).
we achieve what we set out for and to me this has been
achieved. The Alumni being in constant touch with cur-
rent members of BP would be highly appreciated and
vice versa.
Was there any time so far when you almost gave
up on BP? If so what got you through it?
There is no looking back.
What according to you are the areas of improve-
ment in BP as it stands today?
Bhaskar Thota is one of the founders of
Bharat Parivar. He is currently pursuing his
PhD at the UoB. He is one of the most active
members of BP to this day and has the
unique ability to proactively make new mem-
bers feel at place.
What according to you is the stage
when you as the founder would say:
'This is what BP was meant to achieve’?
BP was started with a motive to help Indian
students at the UoB and I think this motive
has been served till date. The success is when
I am really happy that year after year new stu-
dents coming to university are taking active part to
serve the purpose of BP. Understanding the re-
sources and scope of any organisation is very
important and making
use of them efficiently
and effectively is on the
shoulders of all the flag
bearers of Bharat Pari-
var.
upon an idea of forming a group to celebrate our festi-
vals and organize events we felt much at home and we
thought a similar homely feeling could be extended to
other students coming from India. I believed that BP
would be able to bring forth the feeling of a home away
from home, a feeling of belongingness which I gradually
experienced myself.
You must have noticed or heard the boys com-
plain that there are not many girls in BP. Do you
think there is a specific reason for this or well the
guys are just unlucky?
This question makes me smile :-) In the initial days, I
was practically the only girl around. Now I believe the
female membership has definitely increased since then
and there is equal participation from girls within the
working committee as well. Further efforts of including
events or discussions pertaining to topics which may be
of particular interest to girls could generate more par-
Panchi is one of the
founders of Bharat
Parivar. She is a
Management profes-
sional and is an
alumni of the UoB.
Panchi has been like
the spinal cord of
Bharat Parivar with her most silent but effec-
tive support.
Considering that all members of BP are
away from home, how much did you
think BP would be able to provide that
comfort and support of a family?
I was definitely apprehensive when I landed
in a place where I knew not a single soul.
Once I got to meet few fellow Indians I was
relieved and delighted. As we embarked
ticipation.
As of today has the progress been much
more than you had anticipated and how do
you think BP can be improved?
We definitely have come a good distance however
there are miles to go. In certain aspects the pro-
gress has outpaced anticipation such as the Guild
award that came our way. Much remains to be
achieved in terms of having more active participa-
tion and motivation amongst members to come out
with new concepts and ideas. We are very much
confined to the UoB and professionals in Birming-
ham. Active efforts need to be put forth to take BP
to more universities across the UK as well as to
Indians working in various parts of the UK. This
newsletter I hope would be a good media to serve
this purpose.
current membership of 15. I think BP can go all over the
UK if every BPian uses their networks to promote it out
of Birmingham. BP is already quite a famous and active
society in Birmingham and Liverpool but needs to work
hard for other parts of the UK specially targeting uni-
versities having more Indian students.
What do you think is (are) the best word(s) you
would use to describe BP?
An Indian Family miles away from India.
Nitin is one of the co-founders of Bharat
Parivar. He is currently employed at Liver-
pool and is still one of the DJ’s at some of the
Bharat Parivar events.
Being at Liverpool, how long do you
think it will be before BP at UoB goes
national?
The vision of BP going national is already on
its way. BP has successfully registered its
name at the University of Liverpool with
As of today what do you think needs to be
improved in BP as an urgent matter?
BP needs to improve towards establishing a proper
helpdesk system, preferably web-based, for helping
prospective students. BP
requires developing a
new approach to bring
closer Indian profession-
als and University stu-
dents living in the UK.
A Tryst with Family’s Founders Dhivya Raj

5. really turned out to be a more diversified Family. A
Family which cares and is ready to render any help
unselfishly. In short, a complete Family which makes
you feel at home. The success and credit for it goes to all
of you.
How long do you think before BP will go interna-
tional and what do you think are the measures
that should be taken to achieve that?
BP is already international. The society reflecting Indian
culture and values formed in UK definitely is not domes-
tic. Moreover its members are present all over UK and
India currently. What is important I believe is more
engagement. Every year new batch will join the group. It
is important how can we sustain the relationship between
all the new and old members?
BP newsletter is a good beginning in this direction.
More annual meets and interactions are required. There
should be more interaction between the group in UK and
Rana Dutta is cur-
rently employed at
India. Though not
many of the new
members have had
the opportunity to
mingle with him, we
have heard of him on
quite a lot of occasions.
Explain to us the journey of BP so far.
It has been an exciting journey so far for BP.
We started it from 68 Exeter Road, Selly Oak
where I used to stay with just 5-6 now mem-
bers of BP. However, all of you have given it
a new dimension. The mission of BP was to
reflect Indian Culture, Values, Unity & diver-
sity and Sense of belonging in the foreign
land. I believe, BP has been able to deliver
the objectives and the goals it had set. It has
the members who have come back to India. I think,
building a BP Parivar in India will help to shield
this gap to a large extent..
We have not seen you for a while. So kind of
like from a far distance what do you think
are the best and worst things of BP right
now?
Currently, BP activities are centered in UK. We
need to devise a mechanism how all the members
either in UK or anywhere can participate. More
engagement, sharing of ideas and activities would
be required. The journey does not end once you
leave UK.
Mr.Dutta has a special request for all the members
of Bharat Parivar, “I would like to form a BP in
India (Mumbai). I would request all the old and the
new members who have come back to India to get
in touch with me.
In 2 years did BP turn out the way you had ex-
pected, better or worse?
To be honest, in 2 yrs the progress BP has achieved is
beyond expectation. But as performance increases ex-
pectations, I am looking forward to a brighter and bet-
ter future of BP.
As of today what do you think are the strengths
and weaknesses of BP?
Strengths: a) All different people from different states
are taking active participation in different BP activities.
B) The healthy and fruitful cooperation among the BP
committee and general members. C) Very active BP com-
Sandeep is one of the co-founders of Bharat
Parivar. He is currently doing his PhD at the
UoB. Amidst his busy schedule, this is what
he had to say at the interview.
What was your vision when BP was
founded?
The main reason was to build a common
platform for new students who are coming
to Birmingham. Platform where they can
meet with each other, share their views,
ideas on different aspects, spend quality time
together during different cultural festivals.
mittee members and alumnus. D) Well planned and
systematic approaches towards common goal.
Weaknesses: A) Sometimes some BP members are
not well informed about the
details of different events. B)
Require active participation of
all the BP committee members.
C) Publicity and marketing of
our society is needed. D) Intro-
duction of new members in our
society needs to be revitalized.
Correspondent: Dhivya Raj
Calvin and his Dad
Strategic Advisor I: Bhaskar Thota
Strategic Advisor II: Arun K. Mishra
Following is what Amashika Amar has to say:
What motivated you to join BP and lead the stu-
dent organization at the University of Birming-
ham?
Before standing for the elections for Bharat Parivar, I
was clear that as a student outside India we should have
enough opportunities where we can come under same
platform, meet, greet, celebrate and support each other.
As the President, I tried to make sure with other com-
mittee members that we should popularize our events
and try to attract not only Indian students but others as
well.
The current student wing of BP at UoB consists of
approximately 45 students registered at Guild of
students, which is led by a nine members commit-
tee with 3 strategic advisors.
Chair: Amshika Amar
Co-Chair: Gopal Poruri
Secretary: Saurabh Kulkarni
Treasurer: Viraj Joshi
Health and Safety Officer: Vinodini Sanaga-
ralingam
Cultural Co-ordinator: Debasmita Sarkar
Event Manager: Vinpaul
Advertising Officer: Govind
PR Officer: Muthu
Strategic Advisor (Chair): Dhivya Raj
You have almost completed a term with
the group, from here where can you see
this group after sometime?
From here, I and we all wish to take Bharat
Parivar forward , even writing it down gives me
pleasure to think that we would aim to bring
students and professionals in U.K. under a plat-
form. This would im-
mensely help all mem-
bers to network with
each other, weaving a
system of support.
Bharat Parivar Student Committee at UoB

6. With great pride and immense pleasure we bring to you the very first issue of Bharat Parivar’s official newsletter “ 7 O’clock” on this
63rd Independence Day of India. Of more significance is the fact that today we are marking these celebrations on the very soils of a coun-
try which ruled over us for almost a century. We cannot however be content with this.
Great speeches glorifying the past and historical heroes mark the self-eulogy that we Indians bestow upon ourselves. There is the politi-
cally gone wrong “ India Shining” slogan, however no one can deny the evidences supporting the incontrovertible progress made by India - economic progress
through globalisation and liberalisation and socio-cultural metamorphosis into a more ‘new and open’, ‘secular’, and ‘more globalized’ society. Neither can one
negate the fact that India is one of the strong powers in the 21st century’s multi-polar world. However, a deeper insight portrays a completely different picture of
the plight of majority of our countrymen. The onus of bringing about positive and sustainable changes cannot be singularly and blindly placed on the hands of
corrupt politicians and bureaucrats. For a country whose 50% of population is below 25 years age, there are great responsibilities on the shoulders of today’s
youth.
Our Independence Day special issue instigates such a thought process through our cover story on 63rd Independence Day and Young India.
The very idea behind this newsletter stemmed on the fact that Bharat Parivar needs a medium for exchange of news, views, and opinions amongst its members
and a mouthpiece to reach out to a wider Indian diaspora. This first issue focuses on the foundation, progress and way forward of Bharat Parivar and further lays
out a palate of the eclectic flavours that would be on offer covering news from India, UK, Europe and around the world; opinions and discussions; mouth watering
recipes; cartoon clips; collages and the likes.
Hope everyone enjoys reading 7 O’Clock and supports us in our efforts.
Happy reading !!
Panchi Goswami
India, the 2nd most populous country and the largest democracy in the world celebrates its 63rd Independence Day this year, but the question is are we really
Independent?? I understand people will buy the argument that India has progressed a lot in all these years and has also become a challenge to the super powers
in the world. Still, there are certain flaws in the country, which if not rectified might halt the progress that has given India, new identity.
Initially we fought for our rights against the Britishers, now we have to fight against extremism, religious wars, terrorism, credit crunch,
political hypocrisy etc. So people post your opinion on how we can overcome all this and make India a better place to live and also a coun-
try that rules the world. The Indian youth need to contribute towards the development and play a big role in taking India forward. We
should also get rid of our casual attitude. The people in India have adopted the “used to” attitude and ignorance. So post your comments
for this discussion topic and we will have some interesting arguments and discussion.
Please send in your views to : editorialbpn@yahoo.com.
From Editor’s Pen
Today’s Indian Youth
Saurabh Kulkarni (Asst. Editor)
Bharat Parivar Sports Week
2009
Covered by: Bhaskar Thota

7. D’Souza displayed an outstanding performance through-
out the game and well deserved all the kudos he got.
As for our cheering, slogans like ‘Jeetega bhai Jeetega
India Jeetega’ (Will win Will win India will win) and
‘Bharat Mata ki jai’ (Hail Mother Land India) went up in
the air. We even had a very unique contribution from
Kapil Nagdev ‘Soda lemon ginger pop we want India on
the top’. By the end of the second day many of us lost our
voices most notably Sandip De who kept yelling in his
native language to the England team but I can guarantee
that not one of them understood what he said.
A day prior to the final match, Bharat Parivar got the
opportunity to meet the hockey team in person. Thanks
to the efforts by Shashwato Banerjee and Amshika Amar.
A bunch of about 20 members went to the Jarratt hall
after waiting at the fields for a while. We passed the mes-
sage to one of the non-players of the team that there was
a huge fan waiting for the team downstairs. Imagine our
surprise when we actually found them hesitant to come.
But they eventually did and we stood right there amongst
them. And if not for their jackets it would have been hard
to recognize that they were not one of us. As I said before,
their modesty and simplicity were displayed even at that
occasion and they are true heroes for that.
The captain of the hockey team Sandip Singh was ill and
Cricket has always been
the prime focus of our
students in Bharat Pari-
var. But they all showed a
different face when the
Indian National hockey
team arrived at the Uni-
versity of Birmingham on
25 July 2009. The team
was to face the England
team as their opponents
in ‘best of three’ matches.
Whether it was the love of
the game or the prospect
of meeting such high
profiled people, it is hard
to say but the Indian students were enthusi-
astic upon their arrival.
I had an opportunity to meet with them at the
formal welcome event held for the team at
the Barber Institute, University of Birming-
ham. What struck me first was their simplic-
ity and modesty. It was really hard to imagine
that national level players of the national
game of our country seemed like people you
just meet in the bus or at the bank in a queue.
They had no airs or rather were very good at
not displaying them.
Although there was an entry fee to watch the
matches, we Indians found a way to watch
the match with a better view and for no cost
at all. At the first game England beat India. A
disappointing start for all Indians. Nonethe-
less the number of Indians cheering the team
increased in the second match. Whether it
was the cheering or the team spirit no one
can say but India won the second match. The
match had its own exciting turn of events and
the members of Bharat Parivar shouted their
lungs out to get their voice of encouragement
across to the team. It is worth mentioning at
this point that the team’s goalkeeper Adrian
did not play at the games. But
he did come down to meet us.
Jignesh, Vinay and most oth-
ers were down and we took the
time to take our photographs
with them. The goal keeper
Adrian arrived a little later
after we had dispersed but we
came back and he received a
walk through round of ap-
plause. After his performance
in the second match he defi-
nitely deserved it. We wished
the whole team all luck for the
finals and left.
The next day was the day of the finals. We had more
students to cheer. The hockey team was not the only
one who had competition. We had competition from
the England cheering squad and we were deter-
mined not to lose to them. The match went on to
have an amazing start and India was leading. The
second half turned the whole series of events and
India’s defense went onto become England’s advan-
tage. Towards the end of the second half England
was leading thereby winning the tournament.
Disappointed yes…we all were. We did think that
India will win this match and that they had a good
chance at it. But when you look back at the whole
thing, the hockey team was a bunch of freshers
sparing a few experienced players. Their perform-
ance was amazing and truly commendable, be it as
the defense in the first match or the victory in the
second match. Whatever the outcome of the tourna-
ment was, they are our boys and we shall always be
proud of them.
Jai Hind!!!
A Day with the Indian Hockey Team
the favourite to win the competition. The stage was set for
the exciting final match between Shaswata and Satish.
Shaswata gave a very tough fight to Satish who was the
favourite from the beginning of the match but had to bow
down in front of the skill set which Satish demonstrated
to win the matches (21-16, 21-17, 21-18).
In the women’s singles Preeti and Amshika reached finals
winning against Ravjeet, Vino and Dhivya. Preeti lifted
the winning medal by an outstanding victory in straight
games 21-7, 21-5 and 21-4 against Amshika in best of five
games. The men’s doubles matches were most competi-
tive with all the four teams reaching the semi finals being
very good. The first semi finals were won by Satish/Ram
playing against Zaia/Yogi (21-17, 19-21, 21-16). The sec-
ond semi-final was won by Shaswata/Vikram playing
against Sandeep/Bhaskar (21-17,19-21,21-18). In the final
match Satish/Ram beat Shaswata/Vikram (18-21, 19-
The sports tournament organised by BP was
another feather in the success story of our
events. The tournament included Badminton,
Table Tennis and Cricket. The badminton, table
tennis tournament were held in the Munrow
Sports Center, UoB had 16 players in badminton
and 12 players in table tennis and two cricket
teams Unbeatable XI and Master Champs com-
peted.
In the men’s singles Badminton Group A, Vik-
ram topped the group with 6 points and Zaia in
second place with 4 points after overcoming
tough fights from Bhaskar and Sudhakar. In the
Group B Satish topped the group with 6 points
and Shaswata in the second position with 4
points winning over Yogi and Vinod. Satish who
topped the group B impressed all the players
with his skills in the game and was thought to be
21,21-17,20-22), this match saw some amazing
rallies to win points. The team which kept their
nerve under pressure had won and Satish’s contri-
bution to the victory of the team was crucial.
In the table tennis tournament Chintan reached
finals by beating Satish 2-0 in the semi finals and
Shaswata reached finals beating Sandeep 2-0 in
best of 3 games. The first two games were won by
Shaswata 21-19 and 21-17 where Chintan showed
good fighting spirit but at the end lost two games.
Chintan came back in the third game by winning 19-
21 however Shaswata got his concentration back
and won the 4th game 24-22 to win medal. Shaswata
won by 3-1 against Chintan. The Unbeatable XI and
Master Champs had a neck and neck fight in the
cricket tournament where the Master Champs
prevailed over Unbeatable XI to emerge winners.
Bharat Parivar Sports Week Roundup: Bhaskar Thota
Correspondent: Dhivya Raj

8. Bharat Parivar– A Family Beyond the Nation