A New Daily Is Born

South Asia Mail Inc. is proud to announce the publishing of the first and only South Asian Internet daily in North America for those interested in South Asia. Some cynics may ask: What is the need for such a daily? We will try to explain. First, South Asia (India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan) has a population in excess of 1.5 billion. However, very little is seen on significant developments in the area in North American news media unless such developments impact very directly and adversely on the life of people in Canada and the U.S. Therefore, it is very important that friends of South Asia in this continent should know about some of those developments in South Asia and their impact on North America and the world.

Second, many positive and welcome developments there are not heard about or understood in North America. For instance, how many in North America know that some of the countries in South Asia (e.g. India) are growing economically at close to 10% a year? In fact, often such developments are seen through coloured glasses. The U.S. President, George Bush, claimed recently that food prices all over the world is rising because growing Indian middle class is eating better meals these days. He did not even know that per capita an average American consumes five times as much food as an average Indian.

Third, many South Asians in the younger generation have no clue about what significant contributions South Asia has made to the world in general and in particular to North America. The Gandhian principles of non-violence and civil disobedience successfully developed and deployed in India by Mahatma Gandhi and equally successfully used by Rev. Martin Luther King surely must have saved millions of lives and billions worth of property in the U.S. It is not surprising, therefore, the presumptive Democratic candidate for President, Barack Obama, keeps a picture of the Mahatma in his office staring down at him. There are numerous other contributions (literature, yoga, meditation, music, dances, etc. etc.), whether acknowledged or not, have come from the sub continent to North America including millions of well-educated, enterprising and highly-successful immigrants from South Asia.

Fourth, younger generation South Asians have much fewer role models in Canada and the U.S.A than some of the others. In science, economics, governance, politics, and other fields it is necessary to spread the knowledge of what the current generation of South Asians has accomplished so that the younger generation can aspire to transcend such contributions and become even more productive in their respective fields knowing full well that here is a society that rewards achievements not entitlements. Several large corporations in the North America are now headed by South Asians.

Finally, communication between regions, language groups, and generations would be easier if there is a common forum that could be used for the benefit of all. We intend to provide such a forum for the benefit, not only of South Asians per se, but of their friends and well-wishers as well for the common benefit of humankind.

With these hopes, we humbly present our modest effort to South Asians, their friends and well wishers in North America. We hope you will support us in our efforts.

(John Samuel is managing editor of South Asia Mail and has been a senior public servant in the Canadian government. He founded and headed several community organizations and is currently an adjunct professor at Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada.)