2005 - Manavi

NEWSLETTER
This issue focuses on the topic of
abandonment
VOLUME XV1, ISSUE 1
CONTENTS
July’s Women: The Untold
Story of Transnationally
Abandoned Women
By Anu Gurnani – 1
Hypocrisy and Betrayal
By Soma Dixit – 3
Film Review:
Paheli...A Fairy Tale
By Arti Kakkar – 7
Play Review:
Gehri Dosti with Benefits
By Shanti Wesley – 8
News from South Asia –
Mukhtaran Mai’s Story – 9
Manavi’s 20th Anniversary
Dinner – 11
Manavi Updates:
Advocacy – 12
Legal – 12
Ashiana – 12
Outreach – 14
Fundraising – 14
Manavi’s Participation in
India Day Parade – 15
Donor List – 19
SUMMER 2005
July’s Women: The Untold Story of
Transnationally Abandoned Women
By Anu Gurnani
Gita got married in India to Sunil, who was working in the U.S. on an
H1B employment visa, and joined him six months later on a dependant
H4 visa1. Though she didn’t know her husband for very long before
marriage, she trusted him completely once they got married because he
was now her husband. Not to mention he was very “well-qualified.” In
addition to being well-educated, he had a good job in the U.S. and came
from a respectable middle-class family.
Soon after joining him in the States, Gita saw a different side of Sunil. He
would get angry at the smallest of things. In his eyes, she could never do
anything right. Sunil was a very suspicious person, critical of Gita’s appearance, and questioned her every move. Gita could not legally work
on her H4 visa, so she was dependent on him financially. She had a
Master’s degree and wanted to look for a job with an employer who
would sponsor her H1B visa, but Sunil would not let her work. What
began as verbal abuse escalated into physical violence within a month.
Sunil threatened that if she called the police, he would throw her out of
the house. Gita did not want to jeopardize her marriage, and did not
know anyone in the U.S. with whom she could stay, so she did not call
the police, and hoped that Sunil would change for the better. As time
passed, things only got worse.
Two years later, Sunil arranged for a vacation to India for them both.
But once they arrived at the Indian airport, he told her he didn’t want
anything to do with her anymore, took her passport and return ticket,
and abandoned her at the airport. Gita had to call her family to pick her
up as she had no money to take a cab home. During the next two
weeks, Gita called Sunil but he refused to talk to her, and his parents verbally abused her over the phone. Sunil returned to the U.S., a few days
before the return date without Gita’s knowledge. Gita was devastated.
She called and emailed him numerous times but there was no response
from him. Soon, his home and cell phone numbers were disconnected
and she could no longer reach him. Gita’s H4 visa was expiring
* The views expressed in this publication are solely of the authors and
do not indicate the views or endorsement of Manavi, Inc.
at the end of the month and Sunil had not filed an
extension. Though her visa was valid for another
few weeks, without her travel documents, Gita
could not return to the U.S.
Transnational Abandonment 101
To the uninitiated, this scenario may seem extreme,
a rare occurrence perhaps. However, the reality,
from an Advocate’s perspective, is that it is far too
common. In the last few years, South Asian
Women’s Organizations (SAWOs) in the U.S. have
been receiving an increasing number of emails and
calls from women in South Asia who have been
abandoned by spouses residing in the U.S.
Advocates at SAWOs are contacted much more frequently by women in the second situation. In recent years, Manavi has seen an increase in the number of requests for assistance from women who
were forcibly or deceptively abandoned in their
home country. This number reached its peak when
in the month of July 2004 alone, we received a
number of requests from women who were abused
by their spouses while living in the States and later
abandoned in India. The title of this paper recognizes these women and the thousands of other
abandoned women that each of them represent.
What happened with these and other women who
have contacted Manavi included the following disturbing modus operandi that is commonly used by
abusive spouses:
The purpose of this article is to raise awareness
about the reality of transnational abandonment, a
largely under-recognized form of domestic vio- 1. The woman, sometimes with her child, is deceptively or forcibly abandoned in the home
lence, and to shed light on the complexity of the
country, often unaware that she was traveling
issues involved in such situations. I will briefly deon a one-way ticket
scribe the common abandonHer and the child’s
ment scenarios we have seen at What makes transnational abandon- 2.
ment
particularly
insidious
is
not
immigration
and travel docuManavi, then outline the barriers
only
the
deceptive
nature
of
the
act
ments, including passports and
abandoned women face, and
conclude with a glimpse into but the resulting immigration, finan- return tickets, are stolen or
some of the measures being cial, and legal barriers that geogra- tampered with to prevent reentry into the U.S.
taken by the Indian government
phy imposes.
3.
The spouse then aband South Asian advocates in the
sconds to the U.S. without the woman’s knowlU.S. to address this important, yet long ignored,
edge and goes into hiding
social issue. The most common scenarios involving
4. The abusive spouse files for divorce or annulabandoned wives include the following:
ment in the U.S. or home country
1) a South Asian man residing in the U.S. marries a
woman in his home country, takes dowry and hon- Women on dependent spouse visas, such as H4s,
eymoons with her, promises to bring her to the are most vulnerable to transnational abandonment
U.S. but never fulfills that promise. The woman is and are sometimes abandoned close to the expiraleft waiting, sometimes pregnant. The spouse files tion date of their visas.
for divorce or annulment in the U.S. or the home
Transnational barriers
country, and often remarries soon thereafter.
What makes transnational abandonment particuIn the last two years, the plight of these “holiday larly insidious is not only the deceptive nature of
brides” has caught the attention of the media, and the act but the resulting immigration, financial, and
it is estimated that there are thousands of aban- legal barriers that geography imposes. Abandoned
women trying to re-enter the U.S. face an uphill
doned brides in Punjab alone2.
immigration battle due to the fact that in most
2) a South Asian woman residing in the U.S. is forci- cases, the abusive spouse and/or his family takes
bly or deceptively abandoned in her home country away the woman’s passport. If she files a police
by her spouse, who returns to the U.S. and files for complaint in her home country to retrieve her stoa divorce in the U.S. or the home country. If the len documents, it can take months for the case to
divorce is filed in the U.S., the woman is usually be heard. Even if the woman manages to obtain a
unable to re-enter the U.S. to contest the divorce duplicate passport, she will still need the visa stamp
in the stolen passport to re-enter the U.S. Unfortudue to immigration and/or financial barriers.
nately, post-9/11, it has become increasingly difficult
2
with in their home countries, and the new realities
of a foreign land, they also find their spouses pracHypocrisy and Betrayal
ticing double standards. Social upbringing, immiby Soma Dixit
gration, lack of finances, attachment to her husband: all these factors put together create such a
“Is ghar mein meri doli aai thi aur is ghar se meri web around the woman that she is unable to unarthi hi niklegi” (I came into this house as a bride derstand whether she has become dependent
and will leave this house only as a dead woman). upon her husband or she simply loves and trusts
This brings to mind a very familiar scene from any him so much so as to leave the strings of her life in
commercial Hindi film where a traditional wife his hands. Usually women do not have separate
says this about her marital home. This scene sym- bank accounts from their husbands, and if they
bolizes that for women marriage is supposed to do, they do not have sole access to money in the
mean an eternal relationship. Till I can trace my bank accounts. Also the financial management and
memory back in time, I remember making jokes financial decision making of the household is in
about such scenes with friends, and sarcastically the hands of husbands, not because women cansaying that these women will never change! At the not do all this, but because they trust that their
same time I don’t remember any male characters husbands will do everything in their best interest.
Moreover, it seems to be a good division of labor
saying anything similar about their marriages.
for the husband– considering that he will not be
On the other extreme is the notion that two peo- able to keep up with an arrangement where he
ple who are married or are romantically involved would be doing household chores whereas the
should be with each other only as long as there is wife would be managing the finances. If the wife
love between them and they should part their questions this arrangement, the husband considers
ways as soon as one of them or both cease to love this defiance and in turn questions her trust in
the other. Wonderful, if two people felt the same him. I have come across several South Asian men
way about parting ways at the same time as they in the US who believe in traditional values for
felt about falling in love or getting married. But is their wives but western freedoms for themselves. I
it really fair to the other person if one decides to have also seen them become insecure if their
unilaterally end the relationship, simply because wives started to lead individualistic lives or just
talked about
they
found
someone else I have come across several South Asian men in the US who believe doing that.
But at the
or they feel the
in traditional values for their wives but western freedoms for
relationship is themselves. I have also seen them become insecure if their wives same time
adnot important started to lead individualistic lives or just talked about doing that. they
mired and
anymore?
Is
But at the same time they admired and appreciated other
appreciated
this individual‘Western’
women
whom
they
thought
to
be
independent
and
selfself
o t h e r
ity or selfishreliant.
‘Western’
ness?
w o m e n
whom
they
thought
to
be
independent
and selfMany South Asian women living in the U.S. find
themselves sandwiched between the two scenarios reliant.
mentioned above. They come to this country with
values instilled in them through social upbringing What can happen further in this relationship if the
about the importance of marriage in their lives. husband decides that he does not want to have
Simultaneously, their love for the husbands and anything to do with his wife anymore? Well,
tremendous faith in them, makes them dream big many women Manavi works with find themselves
about their happily married lives together in the in this predicament and are unable to accept the
brutal reality. Lack of family in the US, unfamiliarU.S.
ity with the legal and other systems, lack of finanSlowly as time passes by, these women’s dreams cial independence, involvement of children, are
begin to shatter and the reality begins to set in. just some of the factors that make the woman vulNot only do they find themselves conflicted be- nerable at that time. What should be remembered
tween the values they grew up with and lived is that these are external factors only. The internal
pain that a woman goes through when she finds
3
herself in this helpless situation cannot be even
imagined when she is faced with this reality. It becomes so hard for her to come to terms with the
fact that the same values that she thought would
keep her husband with her are now costing her
everything she had or everything she ever wanted
to have.
is seeking divorce. Most likely it will not matter to
the Court if the man himself made the eighteen
month separation possible by never making any
efforts to make the immigration of the wife to the
US possible, or by simply blocking her immigration
altogether. The question that arises for me then is
why do these men get married in the first place
and whether marriage is a joke for them. They get
married, use women to satisfy their sexual needs,
use them to do household chores, and then leave
or divorce them when they get bored with them.
After one cycle like this is complete, they shamelessly get married again, many times getting more
dowry from the new bride’s family compared to
the previous time. Another such cycle begins
again.
We at Manavi have seen South Asian women being abandoned in many ways. Sometimes they are
kicked out of their marital homes and sometimes
the husbands simply leave them and go away,
leaving them without any resources. Many such
women have barely lived in the US before they
are abandoned. As advocates, we find it frustrating that spousal abandonment is not
recognized as a form of domestic The question that arises for
violence in New Jersey. In fact, me then is why do these
when some women have tried to men get married in the first
gain entry into their marital homes place and whether marafter they were kicked out, their in- riage is a joke for them.
laws who owned the house have
They get married, use
called the police and filed harass- women to satisfy their sexment charges against them.
ual needs, use them to do
Many women who approach
Manavi for assistance say that they
don’t wish to be divorced from
their husbands and want to know
the ways of preventing the divorce
from going through. They explain
various reasons why they wish to
remain married, including that
household chores, and
Sometimes, transnational issues are
they love their husbands and canthen leave or divorce them
also involved with abandonment
not bear the pain of being sepacases, where the husband does not when they get bored with rated. Women find it hard to accooperate in the wife’s immigration them. After one cycle like cept that they will get divorced
this is complete, they
to the US or abandons the wife in
even if that is something they
the home country, rendering her shamelessly get married never wanted to happen. May be
completely helpless, so that she is again, many times getting they feel that Manavi will be able
unable to come back to the US more dowry from the new to exercise its authority and make
(transnational issues pertaining to bride’s family compared to their husbands change their minds
abandonment have been dealt with the previous time. Another about the divorce. And I would
by Anu in her article-July’s Women: such cycle begins again. like to believe that a woman’s
The Untold Story of Transnationally
hope that Manavi will be able to
Abandoned Women. In many cases,
make things ‘alright’ comes from
abandonment is coupled with other
drawing a parallel with her home
forms of violence as well.
country where sometimes family or community
members are able to make the husband stay in the
A man who abandons his wife is also easily able to marriage. Sometimes this might be made possible
take advantage of divorce law in the state of New by convincing him that because he got married to
Jersey, while it becomes very difficult for the wife her, the wife is his responsibility now and he canto stop the divorce from going through.* We have not just get up and leave the relationship. Even
seen women get understandably very upset and the legal system in India recognizes that a spouse is
question that if they got married in their home entitled to restoration of their marital rights if the
country, how is it possible that they can get di- other spouse has abandoned them. But when
vorced in the US and that their husbands can get South Asian women residing in the US are faced
out of the marriage so easily? In many cases of with the reality that they cannot prevent the diabandonment, a man has to only make the argu- vorce from taking place, they feel broken and bement in Court that he and his wife have been trayed.
separated for eighteen consecutive months (one of
the grounds for divorce in New Jersey), and so he
4
to obtain a visa to the U.S., and dubious circumstances such as spousal abandonment, make it
nearly impossible. For women on dependent visas, such as H4s, it becomes a race against time. If
they are unable to return to the U.S. before their
visa expires, they cannot re-enter the U.S. unless
the abusive spouse,
upon whom their status is dependent, extends
their visa.
Even if immigration is not a barrier, for example
with abandoned women who have Green Cards,
many women simply don’t have the financial resources to buy a return ticket and/or survive in the
U.S. on their own. As a result, women with permanent resident status who are unable to re-enter
the U.S. within the time required by U.S. immigration law end up losing their Green Cards.
To complicate matters, abandoned women served
with divorce or annulment papers filed by their
spouses in the U.S. do not get their day in court
because they are unable to return to the U.S.
While, in theory, the women can seek the help of
a lawyer in their home countries to respond to the
divorce summons, lawyers there are understandably unfamiliar with Family Law in the U.S, which
governs matters of divorce, financial support and
child custody, and varies from state-to-state.
Moreover, judges may require the woman to appear in court in person to contest the divorce or,
as an alternative, be represented by an U.S. attorney on her behalf. Due to immigration and financial constraints, most women can neither appear
in court nor hire a U.S. attorney. The divorce
then goes through ex parte (unilaterally) resulting
in the abandoned woman losing spousal and/or
child support that she may rightfully be entitled to
under U.S. law. Under Indian law, abandoned
women can file a charge against their spouses for
‘restitution of conjugal rights.’ While this charge
makes it difficult for the abusive spouse to initiate
divorce proceedings in India, it does not prevent a
divorce from being filed in a U.S. court. There is
no equivalent to this law in the U.S.
Other barriers to seeking help
Abandoned women also face tremendous resource, social and systemic barriers. To date, there
is a dearth of resources for abandoned women,
and most women are not aware of the few resources that do exist. As a result, many aban-
doned women and children, who may be able to
legally re-enter the U.S. if they had the right information and support, miss that window of opportunity.
Even if a woman does manage to return to the
U.S., many obstacles lie ahead if she does not have
the social support of her community both in the
U.S. and her home country. Firstly, the woman
would need a place to stay and a job to support
herself, and her child should there be one. Secondly, it can be very difficult to locate the absconding spouse, who may have relocated, quite
possibly to a different state. If the residence of the
spouse is unknown, courts cannot enforce a support order making it impossible for a woman to
receive child or spousal support. Unfortunately,
all too often, friends or community members who
may know the whereabouts of the absconding
spouse do not reveal this information to the
woman because “they don’t want to get involved.”
Unless accompanied by physical violence, abandonment is often not viewed as a form of domestic violence in systems including mainstream domestic violence and legal agencies. Hence, services available to other survivors of domestic violence, such as shelter space, may not be available
to abandoned women who return to the U.S.
Moreover, abandonment per se is not a crime in
the U.S., so women have limited legal recourse.
Lastly, abandoned women on dependent visas,
such as H4s, are not eligible for immigration remedies under the Violence Against Women’s Act
(VAWA) that are designed for abused spouses of
U.S. Citizens or Green Card holders. These harsh
realities make the outlook for abandoned immigrant women especially grim.
Looking ahead
Though there seems to be a recent influx of cases
of women being abandoned transnationally, this
phenomenon is not new by any means. It has
been going on for as long as South Asians have
migrated abroad. However, it is only recently
that this historically under-recognized issue has
caught the attention of government officials, the
media and public at large. Perhaps one important
reason that has led to this increased awareness is
that women are no longer keeping this devious
form of abuse private, and are reporting it to authorities in increasing numbers.
Abandoned
women are sharing their stories with each other
5
and organizing to ensure that their stories are
heard. Their efforts have finally captured the attention of the Indian government. In 2003, abandoned women from the Indian state of Punjab,
where there are record numbers of “holiday
brides,” met with a top government official to
speak out against the deceptive tactics of their
non-resident Indian husbands and urged the government to take measures to prevent such incidents in the future3. Many of these women have
children who have not seen their fathers in years
and in some cases ever.
More recently, in May 2005, the Secretary of the
Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs (MOIA), Mr. S.
Krishna Kumar, met with advocates from around
two dozen South Asian organizations in the
greater NY/NJ area to discuss domestic violence
and abandonment of women in our communities.
The advocates, including representatives from
Manavi, framed the issues involved including the
many hurdles faced by abused South Asian immigrant women. When asked what the Indian government is doing to address this critical social issue,
Mr. Kumar announced that the MOIA is undertaking a public awareness campaign to educate
women in India about the reality of domestic violence in the U.S., ways in which they are vulnerable, and the resources available to them. One of
the ways in which this outreach will take place is
in the form of pamphlets. The advocates present
at the meeting were encouraged to contribute to
this educational material.
3
2005, from http://www.littleindia.com/
february2005/DishonorAbandon.htm.
Deserted Wives of NRIs meet Swami. (2003,
June 16). The Tribune. Retrieved May 17,
2 0 0 5 ,
f r o m
h t t p : / /
www.tribuneindia.com/2003/20030619/
nation.htm.
Anuradha Gurnani (better known as “AnuG”) is
the Legal Coordinator at Manavi.
So let’s pick up the threads from the beginning of
this article. Is the individual more important or the
institution of marriage? I don’t have an answer to
this question. But this much I will surely say that
one individual cannot be more important than the
other, in marriage. Can individuality be justified
even if it means hurting and shattering the other’s
life? And is it fair to expect that the wife will suddenly unlearn what she learnt all her life about the
importance of marriage when she is suddenly told
one day that the marriage is over? And should the
institution of marriage be considered a joke by the
husband that he can abandon the woman at his
whim?
-----------------------------------------------------------
*Since it is beyond the scope of this article to discuss
family law as pertains to different US states,
In the U.S., South Asian women’s advocates have
my
discussion
was limited to New Jersey law as
identified a need to share strategies and resources
for assisting transnationally abandoned women. applies to divorce.
In response to this growing need, there will be a
workshop dedicated for just this purpose at
“Aarohan 2005,” the third national conference for
SAWOs, which will be hosted by Manavi from
September 9th – 11th, 2005. We believe that this
forum will be an important step toward arming
advocates with the tools to better assist women
facing this particularly insidious form of domestic
violence.
1
2
6
To preserve confidentiality, this example is a
composite of several women who contacted
Manavi.
Melwani, L. (2005, February). Dishonor &
Abandon. Little India. Retrieved May 17,
Paheli…a Fairy Tale
by
Arti
Kakkar
“ Mujhse pehle kisine nahi poocha mujhe kya chahiye, to mai kya bolu. Jab jaane waale ko nahi rok
saki to aane waale ko kaise roku?” (No one has
even asked me before what I want, so what can I
say. I couldn’t stop someone from going away,
how can I stop someone from coming?). Lacchi’s
response to the confession of a passionate ghost of
a puppet, in the film Paheli, represents the feelings
of many women in this patriarchal world. The
solitude of abandoned wives in the patriarchal setup has been depicted in many movies in the past
years, but Paheli seems to have highlighted the
emotional and physical needs of a woman
wrapped in humorous lustrous traditional clothing. The movie begins with Lacchi getting married
to the son of a businessman, who abandons her
for five years soon after marriage, to expand his
business and the ghost of a puppet taking his
place. Lacchi has no say in the matter but with
change of luck gets to choose to have a relationship with the
For years men have chosen
ghost who
e v e r y o n e women who are virgins or they
thinks is her think are virgins, not realizing
husband.
that there is more to a woman’s
sexuality than a layer of tissue.
The fulfilling
relationship
of Lacchi and the ghost illustrates the need for
healthy show of affection for partners, which is
usually a taboo in South Asian culture, especially
for women. For years men have chosen women
who are virgins or they think are virgins, not realizing that there is more to a woman’s sexuality
than a layer of tissue. Culturally, the South Asian
woman exudes sexuality, yet she is expected to
remain in a state of naiveté, starting from sari, kajal/surma, henna and many more traditional garments and ornaments that are specially designed
to augment sensuality. Yet, majority of men prefer
to want to believe that they are naive, at which
the question of their insecurity arises.
dialogue between the partners. Lacchi’s character
portrays this aspect beautifully. In contrast to Lacchi is Gajrobai (Lacchi’s sister-in-law) whose husband abandones her and leaves the house for an
absurd reason of losing his dignity due to a lost
camel race. During the colorful backdrops of traditional Indian household and the beautiful clothes
and jewelry, one feels the agony and loneliness of
Gajrobai’s character and the fulfillment of Lacchi’s
emotional and physical needs.
When people hear about a husband cheating, they
say that the wife couldn’t keep him happy; in contrast to the foul language a woman has to hear
about her character if she cheats. Luckily for Lacchi, and surprisingly for the audience, people accept the realWhen people hear about a hus- ity and confuband cheating, they say that the sion and no
wife couldn’t keep him happy; one questions
in contrast to the foul language her. I think
a woman has to hear about her this is where
the fairy tale
character if she cheats.
part of the
movie starts
because one can hardly imagine such unconditional acceptance of women in our culture. The
journey from the movie Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam to
movies like Fire, and Silsiley have conveyed messages of the upward movement of sexual rights of
w o m e n
i n
o u r
c u l t u r e .
The young generation often internalizes ideas
passed on by parents and others about relationships with context of insignificant concepts such as
virginity, rather than more meaningful concepts
such as communication, confidence, and healthy
thinking. But no matter how much the patriarchal
system wants to connect a woman’s innocence
and character with her virginity, the things are
changing for good. And hopefully will continue to
change. As a society, each one of us can make that
difference and Amol Palekar’s Paheli, a fairy tale
may no longer be just a fairy tale.
Generally speaking, ownership of sexual rights
seems to be the property of the males in our culture, who fail to realize the equality of both partners in a relationship. What should really happen
is that women should be in control of their own
sexuality, like men, and there should be open
7
his parents have chosen for him.
Gehri Dosti with Benefits
by Shanti Wesley
The title of Paul Knox’s series of five short plays,
Gehri Dosti (deep friendship in Hindi) makes me
think of the many times I’ve heard that term used
as a euphemism to describe a particular relationship between two men or two women: rather
than acknowledging the romantic, physical, or
sexual dimensions of the relationship, it’s easier to
describe it as a “deep friendship.” It allows us to
avoid the reality of relationships that do not fall
into a restrictive heterosexual pattern, relationships that challenge traditional definitions of gender, love, and sexuality. Knox refuses to allow his
audience to hide behind the euphemism, and his
five plays frankly present the often painful, sometimes humorous experiences of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered individuals in South Asian
communities.
“But you’re gay,” Bobby says incredulously when
he learns of Mahvi’s plans. “No, Bobby. You’re
gay. I’m just a man who loves men,” responds
Mahvi. While Mahvi’s response may initially
seem to signal his own reluctance to come out, I
think it’s actually an interesting comment on culturally specific labels and identity. Maybe “gay” is
more culturally specific than we realize, perhaps
it’s not a term that individuals from different cultural, social, or ethnic contexts want to embrace
in the same way that queer communities in the
west are able to. Maybe Mahvi, by drawing a distinction, is resisting the fact that his sexual preferences define his whole identity. He may be in
love with Bobby, but he also loves his family, understands his duty to them as a son, and puts honoring them above his individual happiness.
Eating Jain is connected to the next play, I Am
Mou, by the threat of violence just beneath the
surface. Throughout Eating Jain, Mahvi is worried
The play cycle begins with Loving Japamala, a that someone will walk in on Bobby and him, that
glimpse into the sweet, unlikely
they’ll be arrested, abused, or
relationship between Japamala, Maybe “gay” is more culturally raped if discovered.
Bobby
a young nun from Calcutta visit- specific than we realize, perhaps brushes this off as fear of embaring a convent in the South it’s not a term that individuals rassment, but it’s actually anxiBronx, and Tommy, a local man from different cultural, social, or ety about the very real possibilwho volunteers at the convent’s ethnic contexts want to embrace ity of a violent response to the
weekly soup kitchen. Japamala
in the same way that queer
discovery of a same-sex relationis drawn to Tommy because of
communities in the west are ship. While Mahvi’s fear is
what she sees as his dedication
never realized, I Am Mou
able to.
to and joy in doing God’s work.
proves the threat of violence to
She doesn’t know Tommy is gay, and, for her, the be very real.
fact is irrelevant since she has no expectation of
him reciprocating her feelings. Tommy, while not Mou is the story of two women in love, told
sexually attracted to Japamala, is touched by her through the words of N, her lover, Mou, and N’s
optimism, her ability to believe the very best of husband, P. Rather than acting out or depicting
him. The play’s strength is the sincere affection the action, the characters describe the action to
between two characters with widely divergent the audience directly in intertwining, intersecting
histories who nevertheless experience a strong monologues. For some, this may have a distancconnection with each other.
ing effect, but I found it to be an effective and
haunting way to describe horrific events.
I found the next play, Eating Jain, to be the
strongest in the show; the relationship it depicts N has followed the traditional path expected of
has real warmth, humor, and texture. Mahvi, a her as a wife and mother but has always felt
young Jain man, and Bobby, a New Yorker, are empty and disconnected from her life; “I was
on the night train from Calcutta to Puri. It ap- nothing to myself,” she confesses. We may inipears to be the perfect romantic getaway, except tially even sympathize with her husband P, carrythat Bobby hopes it’s the beginning of a new ing out his duty as a husband and father, bewilphase of their relationship, whereas Mahvi knows dered to find that he can forge little real connecit’s actually the end – after the trip, he’s planning tion with his wife. Completing this triangle is
to fulfill his familial duty by marrying the girl that Moumita, the new governess, with whom N be-
8
Mukhtaran Mai’s Story – an Inspiring Story
Mukhtaran Mai is a Pakistani woman from the small village of Meerwala, located in the Muzaffargarh District of Pakistan. Mukhtaran Mai was raped on the demands of tribesmen,
or by some accounts, on the orders of a panchayat (tribal council) of a local clan known as the Mastoi.
After the conviction of her attackers, Mukhtaran became a symbol for advocates for the health and security of women in her region, attracting both national and international attention to these issues. Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf awarded Mukhtaran a financial settlement which she used to build two
local schools, one for girls and another for boys. Some Western donors have also come forward with
contributions.
Mukhtaran testified that in June 2002 her adolescent brother Shakoor was suspected and accused by the
Mastoi of committing ziadti (rape, sodomy or illegal sex) or zina (fornication or adultery) with a Mastoi
girl, Salma, also known as Nasim. Mukhtaran's family proposed to settle the matter with the Mastoi by
marrying Shakoor to Salma, and marrying Mukhtaran to one of the Mastoi men, and - if Shakoor was
found to be at fault - to give some land to Salma's family. But this proposal was refused and zina for
zina was demanded as revenge.
Immediately afterward and less than a hundred meters from the akath, Mukhtaran was forcibly dragged
inside into a dark room with a dirt floor, where she was raped by four men. Her father and uncle were
kept from saving her, and were kept outside, by Mastoi men. After about an hour inside, she was
pushed outside wearing only a torn qameez (long shirt). The rest of her clothes were thrown out with
her. Her father covered her up and took her home.
A local Muslim imam (mosque prayer leader) condemned the rape in his sermon on the Friday after it
occurred and brought a local journalist to meet Mukhtaran's father and persuaded the family to file
charges against the rapists. Mukhtaran and her family went to the police station to file charges. In the
next few days and months, the story became headline news in Pakistan and the international world.
Mukhtaran's attackers, and the Mastoi of the so-called panchayat that conspired in her rape, were sentenced to death by the Dera Ghazi Khan anti-terrorist court. The court convicted six men and sentenced
them to death in August 2002.
In March 2005, five of the six men sentenced to death were acquitted on appeal by the Lahore High
Court, the highest court of the Punjab province. The Pakistan government decided to appeal the acquittal, and Mukhtaran asked the court not to order the release of the five men, who then remained in detention under a law that allows for a 90-day detention without charges. The Lahore high court ruled in
June 2005 that the rapists must be released. Just over two weeks later the supreme court suspended
those acquittals and ruled that the men, along with six more who were acquitted at the original trial,
would be retried.
Also in June 2005, shortly before she was scheduled to fly to London on the invitation of Amnesty International, Mukhtaran was put on Pakistan's Exit-Control List (ECL), a list of people prohibited from
traveling abroad, a move that prompted protest in Pakistan and around the world. Musharraf in a press
conference in Auckland, New Zealand revealed that he had ordered the travel ban to protect Pakistan's
image abroad. Musharraf said Mukhtaran Mai was being taken to the United States by foreign nongovernment organisations ("NGOs") "to bad-mouth Pakistan" over the "terrible state" of the nation's
women. He said NGOs are "Westernised fringe elements" which "are as bad as the Islamic extremists".
Then in June itself, Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz ordered Mukhtaran's name removed from the ECL.
However, it was reported by New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof, that as Mai returned from the
9
US embassy in Islamabad, after getting her passport stamped with a US visa, it was confiscated once
again, rendering her unable to travel outside the country.
On 29 June 2005, on his personal web site Musharraf wrote that "Mukhtaran Mai is free to go wherever
she pleases, meet whoever she wants and say whatever she pleases."
gins a passionate relationship. By recognizing and
acting on her desire for Mou, N finally discovers
herself. “My body was no longer my dungeon,”
N marvels, “It became, I became a temple …”
The play then explicitly articulates the violence
that Eating Jain only hints at - P discovers N and
Mou together one night and, soon after, arranges
for Mou to be gang raped and brutally murdered.
P tells us that he brings the knife that ripped Mou
open to N and rapes N while describing Mou’s
death to her. P’s murderous outrage, striking in
contrast to his earlier benignity, is an extreme example of the violence that threatens those who
transgress the restrictive boundaries of
“acceptable” or “normal” sexual behavior.
Two Men in Shoulder Stand presents violence of a
different sort – the damage that HIV/AIDS can
wreak on a body and on a relationship. Hasan is
HIV-positive and is dealing with his feelings of
guilt (he apparently became infected while cheating on his long-term partner, Sarath), despair, and
resentment. Sarath is the supportive partner who
refuses to allow Hasan to wallow in his negativity.
While I found the play a bit slow at times, it did
offer a nuanced portrait of a long-term relationship weighted with grief but still buoyed by affection and humor.
Tara Tara Didi ends the show on a note of hilarity; it spoofs the gender masquerades and multiple
couples of Shakespeare comedies like Twelfth
Night, As You Like It, and A Midsummer Night’s
Dream and sends up Bollywood potboilers about
long-lost siblings and multiple romances. Didi tells
the story of Ashu, a Bollywood starlet engaged to
Ravi, a nerdy mathematician whose sole purpose,
10
in her mind, is to supply her with a green card so
that she can move to the States and conquer Hollywood. Ashu instead rekindles a relationship
with Ayesha, a former neighbor. Ravi ends up
discovering bliss and his inner cool with Rabi, the
errand boy, who also turns out to be Ravi’s longlost brother. Even the old matchmaker Indira
finds love with the faithful house-man, Mr. Singh.
The piece ends with the classic Shakespearean/
Bollywood multiple weddings, and the local hijras
arrive on the scene to bless all the unions. Like
Nick Bottom’s troupe in Midsummer, the hijras
perform a hilariously cheesy play within a play
which teaches the importance of “honoring love,
all love, wherever it may be.”
Writer/director Paul Knox has structured his play
cycle shrewdly, drawing us in with the sweet connection between Japamala and Tommy before
offering up the richer, more complicated dynamic
of Eating Jain. I Am Mou is the dark center of the
show, and Knox does well to buffer this disturbing, experimental piece with more accessible fare.
The delightful Tara Tara Didi may send us home
smiling, but it’s a sign of the show’s effectiveness
that the pain and loss of the earlier plays linger
long after we’ve left the theater.
THE MANAVI 20th ANNIVERSARY
DINNER
MARCH 4, 2005
Shamita Das Dasgupta, Radha Hegde, Shashi
Jain, etc. – six women who came together in
1985 and started Manavi, counseling women in
difficult situations, and at times even sheltering
them out of their homes. 20 years on, Manavi
has evolved, grown, and now provides a whole
host of formalized services. However, the entrenchment of Manavi neither was nor is its goal
– for our continued existence signifies that the
problem that we seek to eradicate still exists.
Though strengthened by the long-term commitment of its members, the evening served to remind ourselves that the battle is far from won.
The evening was kicked off by Manavi Director
For 20 years now,
Manavi has had a Community Dinner event regularly. The regularity
and long history of this event has infused in it the
richness of tradition. Manavi, evolving out of
the community, comes together as a community
once a year, on this occasion, to reaffirm our
commitment and faith in the effort towards ending violence against women in the South Asian
community. New community members are welcomed, and often take on the torch, approaching the issue with renewed vigor and energy. It
serves, also, the vital purpose of raising funds
and resources for the work, a task for which
Manavi supporters never fail to appear.
Maneesha Kelkar, who introduced the speaker
for the evening, Seema Singh. Ratepayer advocate and member of the Governor’s Cabinet, Ms
Singh gave a powerful speech on the state of affairs for women and lent voice to the determination felt by all committed to the cause. A short
overview of Manavi was provided by Vinita
Jethwani, who has been staff, board member
and long standing volunteer at Manavi.
Anuradha Gurnani, Legal Coordinator of
Manavi, doubled up under the name ‘AnuG’ as
Emcee for the evening, and introduced Dorris
Garcia.
This year, being the 20th Anniversary of the birth
of Manavi, lent a special, warm as well as sobering aura to the event. We had the opportunity
to recognize the six founders of Manavi –
Dorris Garcia then walked up to the podium and
spoke with undistilled courage of the violence
she had undergone in her life, stating quietly and
firmly that after 23 years, she had decided that
11
Manavi Updates
Advocacy Collective Update
The bi-monthly Collective meetings
provide an open space for advocates to share
their experiences and insights, and allow staff
and volunteers to work together in addressing
any advocacy concerns that come up. Volunteer advocates are encouraged to share their
ideas and strategies within the Collective to enhance group learning. In early 2005, Manavi
staff received a two-part training on family and
immigration law, from attorneys at Legal Services of New Jersey. Since volunteer advocates
do direct service with women, this training was
very useful for them and they were given the
option to attend them.
Because of summer vacations, several volunteers are unable to attend the advocacy training
that was initially scheduled for July 2005. We
now plan to have this training in Fall 2005.
Volunteers interested in working as advocates/
counselors are required to attend this training.
During this training, volunteers are introduced
to critical issues in intimate partner violence,
and relevant resources and policies are shared
with them.
Manavi’s support group continues to meet on
the second and fourth Saturdays of every
month and offers women a safe and confidential space to come forth and share their experiences. Some of the discussions we have had
have included the topics of mothering, son
preference in South Asia, and a workshop on
relaxation and guided imagery. The potluck
party held towards the end of the year 2004
had a large turnout and was a huge success!
From January 1, 2004 to March 31, 2005,
Manavi has worked with a total of 327 women
who have approached Manavi for assistance.
Legal Assistance
Ashiana
Accompaniment
Support Group
Other Services
353
243
60
201
136
LEGAL COLLECTIVE UPDATE
In the last year and a half, Manavi advocates worked with women whose legal
cases involved restraining orders; spousal and child
support; divorce; child custody and visitation; international child kidnapping and transnational issues. In
a large number of cases of women on dependent immigration status, immigration was frequently used as
tool of control by the abusive partner.
Additionally, Manavi staff and volunteer advocates
worked on several complex cases including women
abandoned in South Asia by their abusive spouses. In
most cases, the women were abused in NJ by their
spouses, then forcibly or deceptively abandoned in
their home countries. The abusive spouse then absconded to the U.S. and relocated, making it impossible for their wives to contact them. The plight of
these women highlights the fact that abandonment is
a grim reality for many South Asian immigrant
women in abusive relationships.
The flagship of Manavi’s legal advocacy program is
the Legal Clinic, which was established in 1997 for
low income South Asian women in NJ who are in
abusive relationships and not legally represented.
The Clinic is held twice each month, alternating between New Brunswick and Jersey City, and provides
a crucial service by offering free half-hour consultations in a culturally sensitive and linguistically accessible environment with family and immigration law
attorneys.
Here are a few highlights from Manavi’s Legal Advocacy Program from 2004 to 2005:
The following is the breakbreak-up of hours for some
of the services that Manavi provided to
women:
Services provided
Individual Counseling
Advocacy
12
Hours spent
771
420
Quarter 1 2004
1. Four new attorneys signed up to volunteer at
Manavi’s Legal Clinics and receive referrals.
2. Sheila Jayaprakash, a women’s rights lawyer and
activist from Chennai, India, met with Manavi staff
for an information-sharing meeting where she discussed the rights of women under Indian law as well
as the many transnational legal issues we encounter in
our work.
3. The Legal Clinic screening process was updated and
formalized to ensure that women who have the least
access to legal information/resources are given priority at Manavi’s Legal Clinics. The process allows Advocates to consider factors such as income, immigration status, access to financial and legal resources, and
time-sensitivity when allocating Legal Clinic time.
4. The Legal Resource Center was created by Legal
Collective volunteers and interns. Printed legal material such as brochures, articles and training materials
was catalogued and filed to serve as a resource for
Manavi staff, volunteer advocates and the women we
work with.
Quarter 2 2004
1. In response to feedback from Legal Clinic attendees, the first Clinic each month was moved to a
weekday to accommodate women who cannot attend on Saturdays due to work or because it was difficult for them to attend the Clinic when the abusive
spouse is home. The added advantage of the weekday Clinic is that it also allows other Manavi staff
members to participate and enhance their legal advocacy skills. The second Clinic continues to be held on
a Saturday.
2. Legal Coordinator, Anuradha Gurnani, and former
staff member, Shanti Wesley, conducted a training for
the staff of the Middlesex County Family Court. Participants included Intake Staff and Probation Officers
who deal with domestic violence cases. The contacts
made with the Court staff are invaluable since Manavi
advocates often accompany women to the Court for
hearings.
3. A summer Legal Internship was launched at the
end of this quarter. The goal of the Internship is to
involve law students or graduates in Manavi’s legal
advocacy work. The Legal Intern will primarily provide support at Legal Clinics. In the future, interns
will work directly with women who call Manavi for
assistance under the supervision of an attorney from
Legal Services of NJ.
Quarter 3 2004
1. Anuradha Gurnani compiled a resource guide of
legal organizations in NJ for low income individuals.
The guide, which will be used internally by staff to
refer women to local legal resources, is organized by County and area of law (family or immigration) for quick reference.
Quarter 4 2004
1. A formal partnership between Manavi and
Legal Services of NJ (LSNJ) went into effect in
this quarter. As a result of this partnership,
Family Law attorneys from LSNJ’s Domestic
Violence Representation Project will conduct
one of Manavi’s two Legal Clinics each month.
Quarter 1 2005
1. Twenty-four Legal Clinics were scheduled for
2005. Attorneys were scheduled based on area
of law (family or immigration), preference for
Clinic location (New Brunswick or Jersey City),
and availability (weekday or weekend).
2. Attorneys Sherril Reckord, Monica Gural,
and Tim Block from LSNJ conducted a training
for Manavi staff and volunteer advocates on
domestic violence and family law in NJ, and
immigration law with an emphasis on the Violence Against Women’s Act (VAWA).
3. Staff members, Soma Dixit, Lakshmi Rajagopal, and Anuradha Gurnani conducted a
day-long training for attorneys and paralegals
at the LSNJ office in Edison. The training was
Ashiana Collective Update
Since January 2004, Ashiana has
had seven women and four children reside over the period of one
year. Residents have successfully moved towards independent living situations and some
have also purchased their own vehicles. Few
have joined school with the assistance of scholarships.
Manavi team of dedicated volunteers has supported the residents in various ways towards
safe and independent living, providing them
with groceries, interpretation, transportation, ,
housing assistance, and outings.
Ashiana Collective has also been active assisting
the Ashiana residents with computer courses,
13
ESL classes, and job counseling. Thank you Shubra, Madhavi, Irvi, Anjali, Sumi, Uma, Paras,
Hima, Lata, Nihar, Radha, Ritu, and Corina for
•
all the work you have done for Ashiana.
•
•
Please don’t forget that together we can make a
•
•
Outreach Collective Update
The Outreach Collective has been
continuously reaching out to the
South Asian community in order to
raise awareness about Manavi and the issues it
deals with. Simultaneously, we have also been
conducting cultural sensitivity trainings for mainstream service providers, so that they can better
assist South Asian women who have experienced violence in their lives.
Below are some of our Outreach highlights from
January 2004 – June 2005:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
14
Tabling at a Rutgers University volunteer
recruitment event, NJ
Speaking at Harvard South Asian Dance
Company Show, MA
Training for NJCASA’s (New Jersey Coalition Against Sexual Assault) WOCC (Women
of Color Caucus), NJ
Interview for BBC, NJ
Speaking at event organized by organization
called Women’s Rehabilitation Group, NJ
Talk for LGBT Community Center in NYC
Talk for a class on South Asian Diaspora,
New York University, NYC
Training for Women Aware, Domestic Violence agency in Middlesex County, NJ
Speaking at a Princeton University class, NJ
Two training sessions for Passaic County Domestic Violence Response Team, NJ
Meeting with officials from N. Middlesex
County Regional Domestic Violence Response Team Board Members, NJ
Training for Jewish Family & Children’s Service at Mercer County, NJ
Organized a talk by Flavia Agnes, a
women’s rights activist from India, NJ
Interview by journalist from GURLS magazine in India
Training for Middlesex County Family Court
staff, NJ
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Training for a service providing organization
called Catholic Charities, NJ
Interview for Bibi magazine
Presentation at WCBS-TV meeting with community leaders, NJ
Training for WAFA House (Islamic Center of
Passaic County), NJ
Tabling at Johnson & Johnson’s South Asian
group’s picnic, NJ
Radio show with WCNJ 89.3 FM
Television show with TV Asia
Manavi’s 20th Anniversary Fundraising Dinner
Celebration, NJ
Talk for Rutgers University Women’s Political
Caucus of New Jersey
Training for legal Services of New Jersey (LSNJ)
Tabling and presentation at MIT Spring Cultural
Show, Cambridge, MA
Tabling at India’s Best in America 2005 talent
show, NJ
Flyering at temples and South Asian stores, NJ
Interview with Star Ledger
Presentations at house parties, NJ
Meeting with Secretary, Ministry of Overseas
Indian Affairs, Consulate General of India Office, NYC
Presentation at a dance competition, NJ
One way of getting the community involved in
Manavi’s work is by encouraging people to volunteer at Manavi. Our volunteer program requires
people to attend an orientation session before they
begin their volunteer work. In 2004, we organized
four volunteer orientations in the months of March,
June, September and December. For the year 2005,
we organized a similar volunteer orientation in
April. Several enthusiastic volunteers joined the
Manavi family as a result of the orientation sessions.
Volunteers assist the staff with direct services as well
as outreach and fundraising, apart from office support.
FUNDRAISING/GRANTWRITING COLLECTIVE UPDATE
We are pleased to announce that the
fundraising/grantwriting collective has continued to
grow, and we warmly welcome new members to
our group. As always, our collective has focused on
raising funds for Manavi through a variety of strate-
Manavi Participates in India Day Parade
On August 14, 2005, the Indian Business Association held India’s Independence Day Parade on Oak Tree
Road area in Edison and Iselin, New Jersey, and Manavi participated in the parade, making its presence
felt in a big way. Enthusiastic and dedicated Manavi members marched along with the parade, holding
the Manavi banner and colorful posters, with powerful messages about anti-violence issues. The messages on the posters were loud and clear – ‘There is no Excuse for Domestic Violence’, and ‘Let’s Work
Together to End it’. Manavi members got a lot of support from other parade participants as well as
onlookers, who were intrigued but at the same time impressed at the slogans as well as Manavi women
who were carrying the posters with the slogans. At one point, a participant came towards the Manavi
group waving the Indian flag and chanting- “Manavi ki jai ho” (Long live Manavi). This was very encouraging to the Manavi contingent, as we were not too sure how the community and the leaders
would react to our presence at the parade. Overall, we were extremely happy to have done this important outreach, which gave huge visibility to Manavi as well as the issues we stand for.
15
gies.
We hope you can help Manavi reach its fundraising goals. Below are some ways you can help support our efforts:
Make a taxtax-deductible donation to Manavi. All
donations directly benefit our programs.
Inquire about employer match programs at your
workplace. Many employers will match all, or
some, of your donation to Manavi.
Donate to Manavi through United Way. Our reference number is 009648.
Encourage your community members to support
Manavi through individual donations, and to explore the employer match option as well.
community-based organizations such as Manavi, or
have foundations that support organizations in
which their employees volunteer. Inquire about
these foundations and pass the information on to
the Fundraising/Grantwriting Collective (contact
Lakshmi/Maneesha).
The fundraising/grantwriting Collective organized
Manavi’s 20th Anniversary Dinner on March 2005
(see article in this newsletter) which was a huge
success. We greatly appreciate the enormous efforts that went into organizing this event.
Many employers have foundations that support
no one needed to live like that, and that she deserved better. She spoke of the support she had
received from Manavi and the time she spent at
Manavi’s transitional home, Ashiana. Now, she
said, she had moved out, found herself a job, and
lived a life of freedom and safety. Holding
her voice steady, she reached out to the audience
saying “If I can do it, anyone can do it. No one
needs to live in violence and fear”. The audience,
moved to tears, stood up to give Dorris the ovation she richly deserved.
Mr Samir Sharma, DJ, provided a seamless backdrop with his choice of music, and later in the evening delighted and drew the audience onto the
dance floor with his inspiring dance numbers. The
indisposition of the scheduled stand-up comic for
the evening, while disappointing, provided us
with the opportunity to invite audience members
to come to the stage. This brought Ms Preeti
Mathur to enchant those present with the rendition of a Meera bhajan, and she was followed by
Mr Rajshekar Iyer, who providentially turned out
to be a stand-up comic himself and tickled the audience with his light and easy humor. Dinner was
a spicy event, and Mr Upendra Chivukula, (…)
stepped up to lend his congratulations to Manavi
and committed himself to its cause as a friend in
16
need.
250 people – members, friends and community –
lent their support by attending the event, held at
Chutney Manor restaurant on March 4, 2005,
and more than a dozen people came forward as
sponsors for the event. Manavi volunteers spent
gruelling hours helping in the organization of the
event and then turned up in force to assist in the
smooth flow of the evening.
When all was said and done, and people had
trailed home, satiated and spent, the contributions, sponsorships and generous ticket sales left
Manavi with a net amount of $15,000.
Thank you to all of the Manavi family and supporters – you help us keep the faith.
17
Letter from Doris – Ashiana (Transitional Home) exex-resident
I was a victim of domestic violence. My situation was so terrible. I left everything I worked
for over the years and got out. Claiming what was rightfully mine would have cost my life. I
had nowhere to turn. I reached out for help and Manavi came to my assistance. They offered
every possible resource. For me Manavi was a blessing.
I moved into their transitional home Ashiana, where I was safe while I rebuilt my life. Without having to worry about rent or utilities, which I could not afford. I had people to help me
through this difficult phase in my life. The Manavi staff did everything. They made calls,
found me a lawyer and I got divorced. With their assistance, I underwent a baby nurse and
computer training course. I had a counselor who would talk to me even outside of Manavi
office hours. I could not have done this without Manavi’s help. I’m still in contact with them.
My heartfelt thanks to members, staff and volunteers.
18
DONOR LIST FOR MANAVI
Manavi wishes to recognize those of you who have made donations to our organization. This list reflects
period January 2004 to June 2005. If you find mistakes or omissions in this list, please accept our
apologies and notify us.
Ajay Mathur
Ajit K. Kothari
Akhlesh K. Mathur
Akola Krishnan
Anika Rahman
Anil Hingorani
Anil K. Saksena
Anjali Khurana
Anjali Srivastava
Anne B. Ciemnecki
Anver M. Emon
APASHA
Apurva Shah
Arati Chaudhury
Archana N. Mankad
Arun & Kalpana Kumar
Arundhati Kulkarni
AT&T
AT&T Foundation
Barbara & Malcolm Sheinker
Charan & Uma Garg
Charanjeet Kaur
Charleen E. Hird
CMS Systems, Inc.
Communication Finance (CIT)
David M. Hindman
Durgesh Hajela
Elizabeth Van Iperen
Ellen L. Koblitz
Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund
FI-TEK, LLC
Gauri Modi
Gayle K. Stein
Gita P. Desai
Gitl Schaechter-Viswanath
Gopali Vaccarelli
Hema Jain
IBM
Ila & Ajit Kothari
Ilene Singh
Iltifat A. Alavi
Indira Mathur
Jawahar R. Gaddam
Jyoti Agarwala
Kamal Dua
Kameshwar D. Mathur
Kanak Dutta
Kanchan Patel
Kasturi Dasgupta
Kavita Goyal
Kid Potential, LLC
Krishna Hegde
Kusum & Sharadendu Heda
Lakshmi Challa
Lalita Arya
Lata Phadke
Liz Claiborne Foundation
M.R. Bhat
Madhavi Prakash
Madhuparna Sanyal
Madhuri & Ramchandra Joshi
Mahip & Anita Jalan
Mangal & Chanchal Gupta
Manju Bhatnagar
Manju Chandra
Marathi Vishwa, Inc.
Maria & Anthony Cutie
Maya Yajnik
Merck Partnership for Giving
Mona Srivastava
Monawar Hossain
Namrata Choudary
Neha & Gyan Bhatia
Nihar Sharma
Om & Joan Srivastava
Poornima Sudhindra
Popat & Guptaji Inc
Prabha Tandon
Prabhu Patel
Prakash S. Lothe
Pratima Rao
Preeti Mathur
Rahul & Ruchi Srivastava
Rahul Raizada
Rajal Mahesh Patel
Ram & Purnima Misra
Ranjana Mathur
Rash Behari Mathur
Renee J Mathur
Richard S. Gelfond
Ruchi Srivastava
Rutgers University
Sandra Woodward
Sanjay Ramkrishna Kedhar
Sarah & Ranjit Ahluwalia
Scott J. Stein
Shaheena Arshad
Shaila Patankar
Shaila V. Nayak
Shamita Das Dasgupta
Shehzad Hussain
Shirley Kowdley
Shri A or Nalini Kumar
Shripad B. Tilak
Smee Chatterji
Soami P. Mathur
Soma Mandal
Sukanya Mahadevan
Suman & Bal Goyal
Sunita J. Shenai
Sunita Mathur
Susan & Warren Nadler
Susan D Susman
Tamraparni Dasu
Teresa & Steve Chan
The J.P. Morgan Chase Foundation
The McGraw-Hill Companies
Theresa C. Wojekoski
United Way
Veena & Dilip Jalan
Vijay K. Jain
Vinita Jethwani
Yamini Lal
Zeenat Q. Malik
Rama Jain
19
An organization for South Asian Women
P.O. Box 3103
New Brunswick, NJ 0890308903-3103
Ph: 732732-435435-1414
Fax: 732732-435435-1411
www.manavi.org
manavi@manavi.org
YES! I WANT TO SUPPORT MANAVI’S EFFORTS TO KEEP ALL OF
OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS SAFE!
I will make a taxtax-exempt donation to Manavi in the amount of:
_____$35
_____$50
_____$200
_____$75
_____$100
_____Other
Please make checks payable to Manavi, Inc.
and mail to:
Manavi
P.O. Box 3103
New Brunswick, NJ 0890308903-3103