Jackson Free Press

When I meet Satnam Sethi, 69, he is sitting at a long holiday dinner table, crowded with children and grandchildren. He steps away for a moment to reflect on the long journey that led him to Jackson.

"When I first came here, the people were so welcoming, and the land reminded me of Punjab," says Sethi. "It seemed like a piece of heaven on Earth."

So Sethi stayed for the next 40 years, raising his three children and becoming a prosperous businessman, with holdings in restaurants and hotels. It's hard to grasp that Sethi was born a world away, in 1937, as a British colonial subject in Punjab, India.

"There was no Pakistan then," Sethi says, referring to the partition that split Punjab in two. "There was only one India."

Sethi came to the U.S. at age 26 under a National Science Foundation assistanceship at Oregon State, where he earned a doctorate in biology. He spent the next 30 years in Greenwood before settling in Madison.

Now, Sethi is working with other members of the Indian community to mount this year's Taste of India. The event, which will feature Indian dance, music, dress and food, will raise money for the new children's museum in Jackson.

"It helps us pass on our traditions to our children," Sethi says, "and also shows them it's important to be socially involved. You can bring your community together and give back at the same time."

The event is also a great way for non-Indians to learn about a country with a rich diversity of cultures. Sethi notes that although India is only a third the size of the U.S., it has 23 different languages. "When I go from north India to south India, I can't even understand the language," he says. "We can only understand each other because we all speak English."

A Taste of India will showcase some of that diversity, with culture and food from all over India. "Food from the north is different from food in the south," Sethi says. "It smells and looks different. It tastes different."

There are 600-700 Indian families in the greater metro area, and Sethi hopes that non-Indians will come to enjoy the fellowship and learn more about their neighbors. "These are hard-working, patriotic people," Sethi says. "And we have a lot of fun."

A Taste of India comes to St. Andrew's Episcopal High School Commons in Ridgeland on Saturday, Dec. 2, running from 5-10 p.m. Tickets are $20. Call 601-898-2024 for reservations.

Previous Comments

ID

82548

Comment

this is a great story... "a piece of heaven on earth." What a compliment for Jackson. It can't get any better than that.

Author

for_the_people

Date

2006-11-30T08:37:57-06:00