San Diego Indian American Society (SDIAS)
This article is written as a promise made by India blog team when received sponsorship for this years Smule India Awards 2020 from Dr. Murugappa Madhavan (Founder of the organization). Here is a small piece of interview done with Dr. Murugappa Sir on the occasion of this year’s award celebrations.
Our esteemed patrons and their efforts to support the single cause of this year’s Award fellowship program can not be forgotten. Prof. Murugappa Madhavan of SIDAS and T. N. Arunagiri of Swaradigm Vocal training Institute, Mr. Manish Parikh (Treasurer of SDIAS), Mr. Raghu Rajagopal, Kalpana Konduri and Mr. Vidya Shankar. They had been the pillar of support for last year’s award fellowship program. The site wants to announce that the money was given based on personal relations these individuals had with the blog site and is given voluntarily by these individuals. This was the only funds the site ever raised and is distributed as of March 2021 of this year to the winners.
Dr. Murugappa Madhavan
A big thanks to Dr. Madhu for his open hearted offer to support the award fellowship program India Community members started. When approached for this reason he was as we knew was all kind and with a lot of love and care offered help in sponsorship. His organization here in California is a unique institution and we identified a partnership for our programs with SDIAS will be appropriate. The principles that SDIAS highlight are its commitment to values of what India as a country stands for. Gahndhiji’s principles of ‘Ahimsa’ is carried from India to USA and is given to a nation abroad where gun violence and lack of compassion to minorities is a serious problem. The activities of SDIAS stand for organizing cultural activities, financial help for students here in the USA. Professor Murugappa’s life is an example of a migrant coming to the USA and while pursuing career achievements how one can contribute in a significant way to the community. In many sense our principles are behind the encouragement of young musicians and propagate the traditions and culture of a great land with a wealth of culture that no other nation claims to possess.
Please tell us about yourself sir.
I came to the USA in the 1960s to do my PhD in Economics, with a Full-Bright Fellowship program. Although I did not complete that program to entirety due to accepting a prestigious position to work for the World Bank and later at various capacities like I was involved in establishing the very first Banking institutions in various parts of India as commissioned by the World Bank. (Few years later he obtained his PhD degree in Economics).
How did you start your work here in San Diego?
There was a lot of good will from many friends here in San Diego. When I introduced the idea of accumulating funds for scholarships to students many of my friends chipped in whatever they can. It all started just like that. But over the years the support from the local government and individuals has been monumental in maintaining what we are doing through these years.
Tell us about your views on Mahatma Gandhi and his principles in this time and age of the Indian community living in the USA?
The most important thought to bring here is how we can bring a leader’s great thoughts to a generation of youngster’s life. Gandhi lived in a very difficult place compared to anything an American can imagine. His life to me was an effort to bring people in India who believed in two vastly different religious ideologies. In that effort he displayed how one can be compassionate to a fellow human being and how one can forgive and live along with various problems. Looking at it the world’s present day problems are not very different from what he was facing. The whole point of SDIAS welcome page display Gandhiji is to project that values that the organization stands for.
So tell us more about SDIAS and its role in San Diego
You all should visit and read about the organization at our website SDIAS. The organization gives every year more than 100,000 USD as financial assistance to students at higher level studies locally and back in India.
Tell us more about SDIAS role abroad
Yes we do have partners in India where we provide financial help for local organizations in India. Also we organize visits from the USA to India for youngsters to get a direct feel and experience to work in rural India and I myself have accompanied many such cultural visits to India to educate more people about the rich culture and heritage of India.
What is your motivation sir? This is selfless work and a lot of your personal time.
This is what I am. I am born with this mentality. We all human beings have to help each other.
END NOTES
Professor Murugappa Madhavan’s life is a very illustrious one and we conclude this short interview and following is a comprehensive description of Madhu Sir’s life and achievements. Please do read it here.
Dr. M.C. Madhavan, PhD
Professor M.C. Madhavan, known also as “Madhu”, has had a very distinguished academic career for over sixty years and is involved in social and community development activities for almost seven decades. In February 2010, he was conferred Gandhi, King, Ikeda Award for Community Builder and Peace Medal by Morehouse College and Martin Luther King Jr. International Chapel, Atlanta. On January 6, 2011, he was honored in New Delhi with Distinguished Community Service Award and GOPIO Medal by Global Organization of Persons of India Origin. On May 27, 2014, KPBS Public Television and Union Bank honored him as a Local Hero in San Diego. World Affairs Council of San Diego honored Dr. Madhavan in March 2020 for his 50 years of association and leadership of the Council by establishing M.C. Madhavan World Affairs Council Scholarship.
He has a distinct honor of receiving a record five Fulbright Awards, including Senior Scholar award to lecture in Vietnam in the Fulbright Teaching Program of the Harvard University, Fulbright Senior Scholar award to lecture at University Putra Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Fulbright Senior Specialist award to advise University of Law and Economics, Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Fulbright Lecturer award to teach at University of the Philippines and Fulbright Fellowship award to study in the United States.
He has held visiting professor appointments at Indian Institute of Technology, Madras, National Institute of Bank Management, Poona, Madras School of Economics, Chennai and University Putra Malaysia. In 2002, he was a visiting scholar at International Monetary Fund Institute. In 2014, he was a visiting scholar at University of Taipei, Taiwan and also at QuanZhou Normal University, China
He is a Professor of Economics and Asian Studies Emeritus at San Diego State University. Besides being the founding chairman of the Asian and Pacific Studies department, he was also Director, Center for Research in Economic Development and Director, Center for Asian Studies. He was selected as the most influential professor of Economics, and also of Asia Pacific studies. He is also the recipient of Quest for the Best award. He began his academic carrier as a lecturer in economics in 1955 at Annamalai University, India.
In 2009, he established Annual India Study Abroad program for students from California State University system, known as SDSU – PSG India Study Abroad program, in partnership with PSG Group of Educational Institutions and GRG Trust of Coimbatore, India. He directed it from 2009 to 2015.
Professor Madhavan chaired the United Nations Development Program mission to India to study the Transfer of Knowledge through Expatriate Nationals and was a member of the World Bank Missions to Greece and Iraq during his tenure at the World Bank. He served as an advisor to Governor Sim Grinio of Iloilo Province, Philippines. He is also an international consultant.
He served the World Bank in Washington,D.C as economist in the Department of Europe and Middle East and assistant secretary of the Economic Committee during 1963 –68. He joined the Bank as one of the original members of the first group of young professionals and the first person from India. During the period 1960 –63, he was a fellow of the University of Wisconsin- Madison, and worked for Social Science Research Council, New York.
He has written extensively in the area of development economics and has delivered over 150 lectures under the auspices of United States Information Service, universities and civic organizations in America, Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, India, Malaysia, Mexico, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan and Vietnam. He is an invited contributor of over 60 articles to daily news papers such as The Hindu of India and San Diego Union-Tribune and occasional commentator on local television on world and national events.
His contribution to civic society organizations is significant. He may perhaps be remembered for a long time for founding the San Diego Indian American Society to establish Mahatma Gandhi Scholarship and Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Lecture program with the support of his friends in 1984. Over 600 outstanding students from San Diego Area high schools and 50 Community College students received over one million dollars in Mahatma Gandhi scholarships. Dr. Jonas Salk delivered the Inaugural lecture in 1984 and Raj Mohan Gandhi and Arun Gandhi the Silver Jubilee address in 2008. Distinguished Mahatma Gandhi memorial lecturers include Robert Blake and Nisha Desai Biswal, Assistant Secretaries of State for South and Central Asia, Indian Ambassadors, Pundit Ravi Shankar, United States Congressmen and Women, world re-known scientists, academicians and American Diplomats.
The society has also funded 30 projects in India benefiting the states of Bihar, Gujarat, Maharastra, Orissa, Tamil Nadu and various organizations in the San Diego.
Madhavan conceived Unity in Diversity program in 2004, Diwali-Festival of Lights in 2008 and Festival of Dolls –Navratri celebrations in 2015 and implemented them, with the support of Mingei International museum, San Diego Museum of Arts, many Indian American members of San Diego. San Diego City-wide 13th Annual Festival of Lights – Diwali celebrations and sixth Annual Festival of Dolls, Navaratri Celebrations will be held in Balboa Park on November 7, 2020, including cultural programs, exhibition of 55 large lamps representing various regions and religions and lighting of 1008 traditional lamps of India. The Seventeenth Annual Unity in Diversity-Festival of World dances will be held on March 20,2021 in Poway Center for Performing Arts.
He was elected to the chairmanship of the World Affairs Council of San Diego for two terms and has served on its Board for over 35 years. He was President of Tamil Nadu Foundation, United States of America and a life member. He is a founding member and advisor to the Mingei International Museum. He has held positions in many civic organizations, including Forum of the Arts, San Diego, Mayor’s Advisory Committee on Asia – Pacific Islanders and other regional and national level civic and professional organizations. He was the founding president of House of India in Balboa Park.
“In recognition of his outstanding contributions to America, pride in his ethnic heritage and concern for all people”, he was presented Honored American Award on September 20, 1987 in Washington, D.C by Americans By Choice. He was one of the first recipients of Asian Heritage Award presented in San Diego. Tamilnadu Foundation honored him for his distinguished service in its Twenty-fifth Anniversary celebrations held in New Jersey. In appreciation of his service to the Indian American Community, he was honored at the 50th Golden Jubilee Indian Independence Day celebrations held in San Diego and also by Federation of India Associations on January 25, 2015. He has also been honored by other organizations, including World Affairs Council for his service.
Dr. Madhavan was selected to appear in Marquis Who’s Who in America since 1995, featuring “country’s most accomplished and influential individuals”. This is the twenty- fifth time Madhavan has been included in the 2020 Who’s Who in America. Many other publications, both national and international, have also listed him.
During his student days at Annamalai University, he was headmaster of a night school to benefit students from an adjacent discriminated community. He undertook a rural development project, with the assistance of Indian Institute of Technology, Madras and Indian Overseas Bank, Chennai, from 1979 to 1984 to help three villages near Mahabalipuram in India. He is also involved in many other social service and civic related activities over the years.
On January 7, 2018, he initiated Smart Village-Kandramanickam development program with Jagat Shah of Cluster Pulse Economic Development and his friends in the village of his birth. He founded a Computer Training school on July 2, 2018 to benefit students. He is a trustee of the Manickanachi Amman temple, Kandramanickam.
