REGISTERED OFFICE

23 Sinclair Road

Edison, NJ- 08820, USA

Pradip R. Das Alok Mittra Prasun Chakravarty Rana Ray Sandip Saha Vijeet Sarma Shikhar Sarkar

In this Edition:

Message from GSCA Chairman

Baishakhi Celebration

o Indrashis Basuroychowdhury

NABC 2012

o Tapas Sanyal

GSCA Picnic – An Experience

o Geetali Basu

India Day Parade

o Rana Ray

Hope (Less)

o Rini Bhattacharyya

A Service to the Humanity

o Debisha Dey

Welcome to another year with GSCA.

Originallly started in 2007, GSCA’s e-newsletter has

been successful in bringing to its readership the

various facets of GSCA activities and involvement

of GSCA members in the community and beyond.

This year has been highlighted with various

activities which are described in details in the

articles to follow.

GSCA started the year with its traditional Saraswati

puja (Spring Festival) in January at Woodrow

Wilson School, Edison, where the one-act play by

Sudipta Bhowmick was the main attraction and

very well appreciated by all.

GSCA hosted “Baishakhi” in May at South

Brunswick Señior Center where, for the first time, a

dance competetion was staged and judged for

selecting the best group to perform at GSCA’s

Durga puja celebrations in October. We were

surprised by the popularity which reminded us that,

to continue this successful approach, we will need

a larger venue.

Over Memorial Day weekend, GSCA participated in Bharat Sevashram Sangha’s new temple

inauguration ceremony. GSCA offered a free tea/coffee stall to attendees, and also some of its

members and their children performed in its ceremonial musical presentations.

In June, Prasun Chakravarty and myself, on behalf of GSCA awarded three scholarships to

seniors at Plainfield High School at a solemn award ceremony at the school. This was preceded

by a rigorous interview process in which the same two GSCA members participated in for

selecting the final awardees out of a pool of 25 applicants. This was an effort to expand and

make visible GSCA’s philanthropic activities, deeds aimed at giving back to the very community

which has been supporting us so long.

Later, we saw the successful participation of GSCA members at NABC (Bangasammelan) in Las

Vegas in July. A presentation honoring the 150th. Anniversary of Vivekananda was made to a

very appreciative audience. Kudos to a successful effort by members showcasing its talents

beyond GSCA events.

July 28th. was GSCA’s annual picnic which was well attended by 80 participants in spite of the

severe weather conditions which, at one point, threatened to spoil the party. The weather could

not dampen the spirits of the cricket enthusiasts nor the ones grilling hot dogs, sausages and

chicken. The dazzled looks of excitement on the childrens’ faces on receiving prizes from the

various children’s activities and competitions and the free mingling and “addas” amongst the

members were an attestation of the need to continue these types of activities for all members.

On August 12th., several members showed up on Oak Tree Road, Iselin, to respresent GSCA at

the India Day Parade celebrating India’s Independence day, organizad by India Business

Association (IBA). It was a colorful, music/dance filled event where the streets were lined with

admiring spectators. GSCA did get tremendous pubicity on that day and was another example of

GSCA’s involvement with the community.

Message from the Chairman

I am convinced by the enthusiasm that I have observed that programs such as the ones mentioned above are very successful and rewarding for the

participants without whose co-operation and encouragement it would otherwise not have been possible. At the same time, we, the members of the

Board, feel encouraged ourselves by the programs; each of us cherish the camaraderie and inspiration we gain as a result of our experiences. It is my

belief that the foundations on which the Association was formed, exposing our children to the rich cultural heritage of India, of fostering goodwill and

friendship amongst the members and the people of our communities, are being strengthened each year, and will continue to do so in the future.

On a sad note, let us remember the two beloved members and long time well-wishers of GSCA, Mr. Subrata Mukherjee and Mr. Manish

Bhattacharjee, who left us this year. We wish eternal rest for their departed souls.

My thanks goes out to all past contributors of GSCA’s newsletters as well as to those for this one as well. Let us look forward to another great year.

Stay involved and support your organization to the fullest.

- Pradip R. Das

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OCT 20th, 2012 1. Performance by Hidayat Hussain Khan 2. Performance by Lopamudra

OCT 21st, 2012 1. Performance by GSCA 2. Dance performance by Nritya Madhavi 3. Performance by Deboshree Roy troupe

GSCA DURGA PUJA 2012

The cultural program started on time with a piano recital by Bhaskar Mitra. This was followed by a Tabla Recital by Anirban. Audiences were spell

bound during these performances. GSCA members paid tribute to Viswa Kabi by presenting a series of Rabindra Sangeet. Anindita presented a

few numbers to keep the audience entertained. She was accompanied on Tabla by Narayan-da. Little kids of GSCA presented a wonderful skit

depicting how Baisakhi is celebrated in different parts of India. The program ended with a dance competition that had five schools participating.

The competition was fierce and performances were delightful. Audience enjoyed the competition thoroughly. Nritya Madhabi won the first prize

and the dance school of Indira Dixit bagged the second. Nritya Madhabi being the winner will now be invited to perform in our Durga Puja.

Another new concept was introduced this year. An exhibition showing craft work from different parts of India was displayed during the

celebration. The exhibition also included how Baisakhi is celebrated around India. Amazing works by little kids from our member-group were

displayed. This was very well received by the audience. Request to keep the momentum going came from everywhere. It is a well known fact

that Bengalis are connoisseurs of food and the most important item for them on any occasion is food. Here too it was no different. Great food

was organized by the food committee. Varieties of Indian snacks were provided to adults whereas kids enjoyed slices of Pizza.

Baisakhi – Celebration of New Year

If you happen to be in Bengal in mid-April you will find people wishing each other Subho-Naba-Barso.

If you happen to be at the Garden State Cultural Association (GSCA) during Baisakhi festival, you will

find yourself doing the same – wishing each other Subho-Naba-Barso. Every year GSCA tries to

recreate this festive mood of Bengal through Baisakhi celebration. It is a way to wish the Bengali

community here a “Very Happy and Prosperous New Year”. Baisakh, is also the birth month of Kabi-

Guru Rabindranath Tagore, and celebrations are held in his honor. People all over India and abroad

pay tribute to him through various cultural programs.

Continuing with the tradition, this year too GSCA celebrated Baisakhi at the South Brunswick Senior

Citizen Center. A variety of cultural programs including, songs, instrumental music, and dance were

organized to keep the audience entertained. This year a new concept, a dance competition among

local dance schools, was introduced. Response was overwhelming and for the first time in GSCA’s

history people, trying to pre-register, were turned down due to limitation in hall capacity.

Hall management did an excellent job in handling the crowd. During the performances chairs needed to be shifted to the main area for audience

to sit and enjoy, and they needed to be moved around during food distribution. Tricky moments came when dance competition was still in

motion while food was being served. Chairs had to be rearranged multiple times to accommodate the needs of the audience depending on the

event of the time. This was well handled by the committee.

Overall, Baisakhi was celebrated very well this time. More than 180 people attended and everyone enjoyed. Many were refused entry as hall

capacity was limited. Program lasted for more than five hours and audience cherished every moment. Memories from Bengal became alive.

Holding these sweet memories in our own personal corner we left for home after wishing each other a “Very Happy New Year”. We promised to

each other that next year we will celebrate Baisakhi with an even bigger zeal. To that end we will search for a bigger place where more people

can be accommodated to share the joy.

By Indrashis Basuroychowdhury

Banga Sanmelan NABC 2012 was celebrated from July 6 to July 8 at Paris Hotel of Las Vegas with a record attendance of seven

thousand five hundred and thirty (7530) people. Two large auditoriums Paris Ball Room and Paris Theater housed all the programs. With the

leadership of Cultural Association of Bengal (CAB), New York, Garden State Cultural Association participated in NABC 2012 as a partnering

organization along with several other cultural organizations throughout the country. Several GSCA members were assigned with important

portfolios at this NABC and they are

Indrasish Basu Roy Choudhury - Chair of Hospitality, Partha Sarathi Roy -Chair of Youth Program, Tapas Sanyal- Chair of Performing Arts

Program. GSCA members Mimi and Biswajit Sengupta, Souren Paul, Arundhati and Ishani Sanyal also helped at the registration desk for several

hours at the beginning of the event. Aditya Sanyal ( Riju) was assigned by CAB cultural secretary as the custodian of the Bengal Exhibition

Room. It was very pleasant to see a number of familiar faces from New Jersey in the pathways and hallways of NABC venue at Paris . It looked

as if the entire Bengali community from New Jersey was at Las Vegas Banga Sanmelan.

The following GSCA members attended this NABC: Indrasish/ Shimli /Anandarup/Moumita Basu Roy Choudhury, Biswajit/ Mimi/Ananya

Sengupta, Nilanjan Mukherjee / Kakali Sinha / Ayush / Rishav, Mahua Bose, Ria / Abir Das, Tapas / Arundhati / Aditya/Ishani Sanyal, Bidip Sinha and

family, Souren Paul, Partha Sarathi and Pallab Roy.

This Bengali Conference was unique in the way that the committee members were spread out all over the country and yet there was an

excellent demonstration of teamwork.

The spectacular opening ceremony directed by Sukalyan Bhattacharya included performers from various parts of the country. Under the

Performing Arts Program Committee, there were twenty three selected domestic performances received from about fifteen states including six

dramas.

Overseas artists included Pandit Jashraj, Aasish Khan, Rezwana ( Bonya) Choudhury, Kamalini Mukherjee, Rupankar, Sriradha Banerjee,

Somlata, Rupam Islam, Fossils band, Lakshman Das Baul, Torsha Sarkar, Suchismita, Dipankar De, Bratya Basu, Dr. L. Subramanium, Kavita

Krishnamurthy, Shankar Mahadevan et al. Youth Program included impressive items and attracted large number of young audience. Raj

Mukherjee, Deputy Mayor of Jersey City was a special guest invited by the Youth Program Chair. He led a discussion session.

GSCA presented “Adwitiya Vivekananda”- a composition of poems, songs, lectures by Swami Vivekananda to commemorate 150th Birth

Anniversary of Swami Vivekananda. Directed by Mahua Bose, the performers included Mahua Bose, Kakali Sinha, Indrasish and Shimli Basu Roy

Choudhury, Biswajit Sengupta, Arundhati, Ishani and Tapas Sanyal, Konya and Tonoya Badsa and several others.

The program staged at Paris Theater auditorium was attended by almost full house audience at prime time of Saturday and received

overwhelming applause from the audience. At the end of the conference, the committee members from various parts of the country embraced

one another. Banga Sanmelan at Las Vegas will be remembered by the attendees for many years. - By Tapas Sanyal

The GSCA picnic of 2012

This was my first visit to the Mercer County Park, a good 63 miles from my house! Our visitor from India, my husband, and I headed off to the

picnic on Saturday, July 28, 2012. The drive was smooth with no major traffic snafus. Once we reached the park we were lucky to spot a sign

posted by GSCA that directed us to the area within the park. We kept driving around and trying to spot our group amidst many picnic spots.

Finally, when we saw people playing cricket we were relieved that we had indeed found the right group.

As soon as we entered the area someone handed me a bingo card as the game was just about to begin. My husband and our guest shied away

from the group activity and went looking for food, after all, that to them was more interesting. The game went on for quite some time until

there were a couple of winners. Since I have a poor track record of winning anything I was convinced that I wasn’t going to have the right

number sequence anyway. Oh well!

I then gravitated towards the ‘breakfast’ food, which included samosas (meat and vegetable), jalebis, jhal muri with all kinds of fixings, donuts,

fruits, juice and tea. It made me feel nostalgic thinking about the old days in India. The food spread was fantastic! The sky looked ominous by

about 1:00 P.M. and it seemed like it could pour anytime and it did. There were few members at the barbecue grill trying to fire it up so that the

chicken and the sausages could be grilled. It was quite a task keeping the grill going amidst 30 mph gusting wind and torrential rain at the same

time. They tried to use a tarp to make a makeshift tent so that the grill could be protected. It needed many hands, quick thinking, and courage

to do all this. Hats off to the group!

In the midst of this chaos you could catch the drift of the smell emanating from the chicken as it sizzled on the grill. Several trays of chicken

were cooked and served to all with salads and chutneys. There were hot dogs for the younger crowd although adults had their share of this too.

It was amazing to see how heaps of barbecue chicken got consumed so fast! Well, I have to vouch, they were really, really good!

Raffle tickets were sold to raise money that was to be donated to a charity and also for prizes to be given away to the winners. People just

lounged around for some time while children participated in some games, but mostly people just gossiped as usual. They decided to announce

the winners of the raffle after lunch. Lunch, already? We just had all that food! Anyway, there was catered food for all: pulao, mixed vegetable,

chicken, gulabjamuns and more. People dug in as usual while some decided to pack it for later use. What the weather took away from the spirit

of the day was more than compensated by the food and the warmth of the participants. People were determined to make it a fun day and they

did.

- By Geetali Basu

INDIA DAY PARADE

In keeping with the tradition of engaging with the larger Indian community, 25 members of GSCA

enthusiastically participated in the Indian Independence Day Parade on the 12th of August, 2012.

The parade was organized by Indian Business Association and was held at Oak Tree Road. The day

itself was sunny and warm, reflecting the spirit of the event, the participants, and the onlookers.

The GSCA banner was held up by the children in our GSCA family. The adults followed them,

carrying both the Indian and the American flags with pride. One of the most exciting aspects of

this year’s parade was that GSCA was the first in the line-up and hence was captured quite well by

the media as well as other photographers. Our chairman, Mr. Pradip Das, was interviewed by a TV

channel. The event was well attended by a large crowd. The fun did not end with the parade! As

always, our visit to Oak Tree Road was enhanced by a delicious eat-out, arranged by Sandip Saha.

GSCA is looking forward to a larger presence next year, when members will possibly explore

creative ways to participate in celebrating India’s independence.

GSCA is looking forward to a larger presence next year, when members will possibly explore

creative ways to participate in celebrating India’s independence.

- Rana Ray

Hope(less)

Hope: seeing their enemies drop dead to the ground,

not a breath of life in them

Hopeless: realizing that for every enemy soldier that falls,

ten noble ones go down with him

Hope: meeting a soldier,

who is willing to die to save their life

Hopeless: knowing that the next BOOM!

might be his last

Hope: Fills those who stand alone,

like air fills a balloon,

the knowledge that this battle of conflicting forces will soon come to an end

is like a gift on Christmas morning; it’s Hope.

Hopeless: Makes it seem as if the world is a tornado of despair,

dying to suck them in,

watching bodies brutally burn, makes it all seem never ending; it’s Hopeless.

Hope: seeing the horde of busses,

determined to take them away

Hopeless: facing the fact that they won’t be riding away on one,

not now or ever

Hope is a feeling of expectation and desire for a particular thing to happen Hopeless is accepting that it never will

(Based off of the Genocide in Darfur, Sudan)

- Rini Bhattacharyya (Age 15)

How I Can Serve Humanity

Humanity… It is an eight-letter word that is ignored in the social world. Here in America, I see most people worried about their appearance,

whether Beyonce is having a party for her baby girl and whether or not you are invited, or worried about all the jobs that are being lost in

many states. What I don’t see it people thinking about what they can do to help humanity. A lot of people don’t even know what it means!

They think, “Oh, humanity is just… us people doing what we are supposed to do.” Well, that is not exactly what humanity means. Humanity

is just being humane, or kind, nothing too macho. Yet people don’t seem to be humane to others when they are in an everyday situation.

To serve humanity, I think we should make people aware that there is a thing such as kindness and it will help you reach very far. I was

watching a show one day called “Restaurant: Impossible”. It showed how a famous chef and entrepreneur could make a restaurant go

from drab to fab. The only thing was, when he tried to improve the restaurant, he acted very poorly. He went around, ordering people to

help with the designing and construction, but he never did any work himself. He was the dictator among all of the slaves working under

him. Had he tried to work nicely with the people having trouble with the restaurant, more people would probably want him to improve

theirs. Kindness really does help people around, and shows how much you care for others around you.

Swami Vivekananda once said in Bengali “Those who serve mankind (and any other living being) are serving God.” But, a question arises.

If we are to serve a person or a group of people, who do we serve? In my opinion, I am saying that we should help anyone who is in

desperate need for assistance no matter what. When people think of helping, they think of helping, they think of assisting people who they

know of. But the thing is, not everyone you know is in need of help. Some strangers are in need for help, too. So when an unknown beggar

comes up to you and asks for money, don’t be frightened. Just give the dollar, say “You’re welcome,” and just continue your stroll. After

people are aware of what humanity actually is, they start improving their humane self. What some people do is go to their place of worship.

Christians and Catholics go to their local church, Muslims go to the mosque, Jews go to the synagogue, and Hindus go to the temples. They

can pray to the gods or God, and listen to the priests or monks worship them.

Humanity, as I said before, is not being recognized throughout the country as I have noticed. But now, with your help, we can make

people aware of kindness and make people kind in the process. Slowly, the people of this country will hopefully visit their places of worship

and will recognize the value of kindness and virtue. After accomplishing that goal, people will start to help other people, like the beggar or

an unknown person. And so, the question arises: What are you planning to do to change America’s view on humanity?

- Debisha Dey (Age 13)

RUMA Bhattacharyya (CO-ORDINATOR)

GEETALI BASU

KAUSIK DEY

PUBLIC RELATIONSHIP COMMITTEE

GARDEN STATE CULTURAL ASSOCIATION