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RICHSAHYADRI
Mahatma Gandhi
A Story
Perseverance is not a long race; it is many short
races one after the other.– Walter Elliot
Mahatma Gandhi Ojas A.
Meeting a Legend! Soham A.
Donald Trump (One Man’s Thoughts) Vignesh M.
Mahatma Gandhi, the man behind the independence of
India, is ta prime example of perseverance and dedication
October 2016
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Spotlight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Culture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Politics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Science and Technology . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Editorial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
The RichSahyadri Team
Editor-In-Chief: Vignesh M.
Technical Designer: Ojas A.
Contributors:
Abhit Bhandare
Soham Apte
Yash Korde
Archita Kadam
Devin Pendse
Aayush Lalwaney
Riddhima Deshpande
Prachi Sadekar
SPOTLIGHT
OCTOBER 2016
RichSahyadri 3
Mahatma Gandhi: A Story
Ojas Amberkar
Bapu, known by his true name of Mohandas
Karamchand Gandhi, serves as the prime example
behind the legion of India’s Independence. His
various strides to achieve success to the passive,
non-violent movement proved to be what he is
most remembered for. Many know that Gandhi
was born in October 2, 1869 , and led India into
the biggest battle they ever had; fighting a war
without any weapons. Gandhi’s morals proved to
be what led to him being remembered, and due to
his courage and perseverance, he brought India to
its independence by fighting the hardest fight one
could fight.
By far, Gandhi’s most famous story was of the
Dandi Salt March. The Dandi Salt March was a
long standing boycott against the British tax upon
salt, for which the gathering of hundreds of people lead to a one hundred kilometer march across
the nation; Gandhi being at the very start of it.
After being imprisoned, he was well-known for
continuing the fight with a great amount of courage, fasting against any food given by the prison,
to show that he and the nation of India was
stronger than anyone saw it. Even though he was
criticized for his actions in and out of prison, using non-violence to fight, a famous quote that he
said truly resembled that he was nothing less than
a normal man, and that through his ways, this
revolt can be remembered as accomplishing its
goal through the passivity.
“Non-violence is the greatest force at the disposal
of mankind. It is mightier than the mightiest
weapon of destruction devised by the ingenuity of
man.”.
Swaraj, or self-rule, was Gandhi’s main goal to
achieve. As the British had controlled India in essentially ruins, independence was key. Rather, Gandhi’s
method of non-violence and no weaponry was the
true reason why he and India is remembered for this
fight. His literary works, economics, and overall
morals really proved to be significant against the
British and any fight he fought. Although lesser
known, his literary works inspired many, as it was a
fair way to run a country, which paired perfectly
with his idea of economics. But, his most powerful
idea was to eliminate the caste system against untouchables, and make it necessary to give respect to
everyone around, which is why he is considered the
Father of India, or Bapu.
Bapu’s fight, ethics, and perseverance are reasons
why he is most remembered. But, in fact, we should
be remembering him for a lot more, the most important being his behavior. Gandhi was more down–
to– earth than any man on the planet, and an inspiration to many. Through these examples of nonviolence, he sparked eras of non-violence fights and
leaders that emulate that, such as Martin Luther
King Jr. or Nelson Mandela, and will continue to
inspire more in the future. If Mohandas Karamchand
Gandhi’s name should be remembered in any way, it
should not be in vain or pain, but rather for inspiration to others, and also to ourselves.
CULTURE
OCTOBER 2016
RichSahyadri 4
Meeting a Legend!
Soham Apte
Recently, I was graced to meet and listen to the absolutely beautiful sitar playing of Ustad Shahid
Parvez Khan. He is, as of now, hailed to be the Present Greatest Sitar Player in the World, as stated by Rediff.com. The world-class musician was born in Mumbai on 14 October, 1958. Ustadji
was born into the Etawah Gharana and was immediately exposed to Hindustani Classical Music at
a very young age from his father Ustad Aziz Khan, son of Wahid Khan, another of the world’s top
class sitar talents.
As we sat not even a foot away from one of the greatest classical Indian musicians, it
was almost like his strings moved us, even though everyone was still. Everyone listening lost a
sense in time. All gazes were rested on the maestro in the very front of the room. The divine
strings made us all forget all hate and problems. This mythical force made us, the audience, close
our eyes. Darkness enveloped all of us. Normally humans push away this darkness, but this was
different. That night we wanted this darkness. No sight, just a sense of pure and utter tranquility.
Ustad Ji’s Sitar not only vexed and controlled everyone in that room, but also helped bring his
listeners to complete peace.
I am extremely lucky for this experience. It was definitely something that not even the
most complex, deep language can successfully explain. The heavenly music healed me and everybody else in that room. Truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Something I will never forget.
POLITICS
OCTOBER 2016
RichSahyadri 5
Hillary Clinton vs. Donald Trump: A Pros and Cons
Comparison
Prachi Sadekar
(CNN Politics and Forbes)
This election is inarguably one of the most
dramatic of all time. Both of the candidates, Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, have experienced
multiple bumps in their campaigns through the
revelation of emails and a rising number of sexual
allegations. This article highlights the pros and
cons of both candidates.
Cons:
1. The email scandal; with the continuing FBI investigation, many people are unsure whether or not to
trust Clinton when she deleted thousands of emails
from her private server.
Pros:
2. Her plan to increase taxes for businesses/
corporations could cause them to move outside of the
Unites States and decrease job opportunities for
Americans.
1. Experienced as a politician; familiar with the
policies and foreign affairs as well as understands
the challenges that the U.S faces through first
hand experiences
3. Because she is such an experiences speaker, the
way Clinton talks to the public or in interviews
seems very rehearsed and almost staged which, in
turn decreases the trust level of her persona.
Hillary Clinton:
2. Has developed plans ready to instated if elected
as president. Clinton knows what direction she
wants to move in for the country and knows the
best way to get it done.
3. Is familiar with all political leaders who know
of her experience and capabilities as a politician
when she serves as Secretary of State.
4. Being first lady has showed Clinton the pressures of being a president and the state of mind
needed to serve as commander in chief
POLITICS
OCTOBER 2016
Donald Trump:
RichSahyadri 6
Cons:
1. Trump has established himself as a powerful
business man and clearly has the mindset of success. He is well versed in the economic world and
understands how the economy needs to run.
1. Frequently changes his stance; Over the past few
years and even the campaign, Trump has switched
views on his plans to ban Muslims, his apprehensiveness at Obama's location of birth, and building a wall
on the southern border (a view that originally earned
him followers)
2. He is a new face to the political world. Voters
know that if they vote for Trump they won't get a
polished, white-washed presidents who is highly
influenced by Washington.
2. Trump is very brash and says whatever is on his
mind. This reflex could be detrimental when negotiating or discussing sensitive deals with international
leaders.
3. Trump has a mass following of people who
have growing concerns about the U.S economy
and they know that he is capable of fixing it for
them. This could actually help alleviate a large
economic problem for the U.S.
3. He is racist. Not only has Trump called Mexicans
'rapists' and accused them of bringing 'drugs and
crime' but he also suggested to ban all Muslims from
entering the country. This idealism goes against everything the United States stands for.
Pros:
4. Trump is known for being a liar. He has one of the
worst records from fact checkers that we have ever
thseen from major politicians. This characteristic
makes him seem untrustworthy to many voters.
Although not all positives and negatives of both candidates have made it to these lists, I hope that this
information will help you decide which candidate is
best fit to be the 45th President of the United States.
SCIENCE AND TECH
OCTOBER 2016
RichSahyadri 7
Here comes a Once in a
lifetime Supermoon
Abhit Bhandare
(http://www.cnn.com/2016/11/02/world/
supermoon-november-14-2016/index.html)
This month's supermoon will be the penultimate of the year, will be the biggest so far of the 21st century since 1948, as
the moon swings closer to the Earth than it has been in nearly 70 years. On November 14, sky watchers will be rewarded with a lunar close-up, the result of a coincidence between the moon’s elliptical orbit and the position of the Earth
and Sun., A super moon. We won't see its like again until 2034, so make sure you get a look. A "supermoon" occurs
when the moon becomes full on the same days as its perigee, which is the point in the moon's orbit when it is closest to
Earth. The term is borrowed from the pseudoscience of astrology but has been adopted by popular culture and astronomers. Supermoons generally appear to be 14% bigger and 30% brighter than other full moons. While such moons occur
around every 13 months, November's is a special one. When the sun, moon, and Earth line up in the sky, with the sun
on the opposite side of the Earth from the moon, it creates a full moon. According to NASA, this month's supermoon
"becomes full within about two hours of perigee—arguably making it an extra-super moon." in America, the November
full moon is known as a "Beaver Moon," because it arrives at the time of year when fur trappers would hunt the dambuilding animals.
People that will be able
to see the moon
EDITORIAL
OCTOBER 2016
RichSahyadri 8
Donald Trump Will Not Get The Indian-American Vote
(One Man’s Thoughts)
Vignesh Mulay
Disclaimer: The views presented in this article
“Ab ki Baar Trump Sarkaar!” It was a line heard
by Indian-Americans everywhere as Donald
Trump- the Republican Party’s polarizing 2016
presidential candidate- and his unforgettable
voice appeared on 20 networks ranging from Zee
TV USA to TV Asia. Trump’s goal: to reach the
ears of the over 3 million Indian-Americans living
in the United States- a population that has historically and overwhelmingly preferred Democratic
representatives. Trump hopes to change that fact,
believing his imitation of the beloved Indian
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s slogan from
2014 will appeal to the Indian population in the
United States. While some with Indians origins
can respect his business success and anti-Islamic
approach (I mean Hindus and Muslims have been
longtime adversaries), the large majority- the sensible majority- cannot ignore Trump’s evident
deceit and bigotry.
If there is one thing Indians are familiar with regarding government, it’s corruption. While the
present situation is constantly improving under
Modi, India has become known for fielding corrupt, manipulative, and fraudulent politicians
ranging from the likes of Lalu Prasad Yadav to
Suresh Kalmadi. Simply put, Indian-Americans
understand corruption and recognize that Trump
resembles many of the individuals who have hindered the progress of their own native country.
While I cannot say, by any means, that Trump
will be corrupt, we do know about his persistent
dishonesty and shady history, all indicators of a
presidency riddled with controversy: a story Indian-Americans have seen far too often already.
Besides his scandalous reputation, the exclusivity
of Trump’s supporters may actually the IndianAmerican population’s biggest concern. In all reality, very few Indian-Americans will have much
in common with Trump’s mainly white and uneducated fanbase (not a personal opinion, but a statistical fact per the Pew Research Center). Even
more so, Trump has not only managed to garner
one enemy but countless ranging from Hispanics
to African-Americans to Muslims to women to
the LGBT community to anyone with a decently
sized brain (a bit of a hyperbole and definitely a
personal opinion). Although there are those Indian-Americans who support Trump and we must
respect them, the overwhelming majority possess
values that do not coincide with Trump’s. IndianAmericans inherently follow principles like family, honor, placidity, and modesty and not misogyny, bigotry, and barbarity, all of which are fundamental elements of the Trump mindset.
(Continued….)
EDITORIAL
OCTOBER 2016
RichSahyadri 9
While I must admire Trump’s efforts to connect to this vibrant population, many Indian-Americans will
not consider the ad campaign to be more than an exemplar of tokenism which may paint Trump in an
even more negative light.
I realize that I cannot speak about the Indian-American community as a whole with any degree of absolute certainty, but I can say the probability that the Trump wins the preference of the majority of IndianAmerican voters is extremely low and that Indian-Americans- like always- should remain strong on
their belief in their values- unwavering and rock-solid, unlike Mr. Trump’s infamous hair.
I want to emphasize that this article is an editorial which means it serves to communicate the strong
opinions of a particular writer. These types of articles inherently cannot be totally without bias, however I never tried to make a claim without using factual data, drawn from research and actual examples
concerning Trump. I did not cite them all due to length restrictions but a quick google search should
provide you with plenty of sources- just make sure they’re credible.
February, 2016
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RichSahyadri | 10