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Roshni- The Light Of South Asia (Vol.2)
Rashmee Sharma launches the second edition of the coffee table book
What is common to Deepa Mehta, Russell Peters, Bobby Jindal, Indra Nooyi and Vikram Pandit and our very own CEO and Founder of ANOKHI MEDIA, Raj Girn? They are all a part of the second edition of Roshni: The Light of South Asia, a coffee table book that profiles 51 personalities in North America who have had stellar success and are an inspiration to South Asians across the world. After the remarkable success of the first edition of Roshni which came out in 2005 and featured 101 personalities, Rashmee Sharma is back this time as she profiles 51 South Asians across USA and Canada who have carved their own path to success.
The opinion of South Asians in North America has always been mixed. While a part of the world sees them as entrepreneurs and successful, the others have stereotyped them as convenience store owners and cabbies. Roshni, which means "light" in Hindi, illustrates profiles of South Asians who have battled myth, stereotype and many other obstacles to come out successful in the world. The underlying theme of Roshni is inspiration. The coffee table book is not just the professional resumés of these successful individuals but highlights the many ways these South Asians have been giving back, both to their country of origin and to the one they have adopted as home. These stars have discerned areas that they felt needed care and attention. As Rashmee talks about it, "If they couldn't find an existing organization to serve the need, they created one".
Hillary Clinton, Secretary of State receiving Roshni book
The idea to write the book struck Rashmee while she was teaching at the University of Washington in Seattle. During her classes, she was often asked stereotypical questions from students who perceived Indians as primitives. Rashmee did her research and shared with them about various accomplishments of Indians in all walks of life. She felt the need for a comprehensive platform that could feature inspirational individuals from diverse disciplines and thus Roshni: The Light of South Asia was born.
Rashmee herself could serve as an inspiration to many. Born in Delhi and raised in Jaipur, she was fascinated by the power of words and became an English department chair in Sikkim, India. After an untimely demise of her late husband who was in the military, she decided to move to the U.S to complete her PhD. It was a daunting task for a mother of two young children in an alien country without any support. She worked hard and became successful and there has been no looking back since then. Over the years, she has been an educator, journalist, published poet and author. She has raised her children well – her son is an attorney and her daughter, a physician. She thrives on taking challenging projects and enjoys every moment of her life.
Mrs. Pratibha Patil, President of India receiving Roshni Book at President's House India.
When asked how she selects the personalities, Rashmee mentions that she has a research panel which based on nominations, research and decide on those who will make the final list. "Since we have many disciplines in which to feature individuals, it becomes a tough choice when we have to put a cap on certain areas. Roshni is not a definitive 'Best Of' list. Instead, it is a chronicle of the contributions South Asians have made over many decades", she adds. The first edition of Roshni received an overwhelming response not only from the South Asian community but also from schools and mainstream community. The second edition is set to be launched this week, and has already generated a lot of interest. It will be available for purchase on Amazon.com and on the Roshni Media website.
BY SMRUTI DAS
Sources: Forbes, Roshni Media, Amazon, Twitter, and gov.lousiana.gov
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