t didn't roquiro rookot soionoo to roaliso that tho

rosounding vordiot in Karnataka against tho BJP had

ovorything to do with tho quality o administration, tho
vonality o thoso assooiatod with tho party and tho vongoul
oonduot o thoso who olt that thoy had boon un|ustly
troatod by a oabal that drow its powor rom Dolhi. n short, it
was a protost against bad govornanoo and worso politios.
What ound strango throughout last Wodnosday or,
at loast until tho atornoon whon tho Supromo Court |udgos
provontod tho Congross rom oolobrating its ro-oonquost o
Karnataka was that tho BJP loadorship soomod
oomplotoly dismissivo o tho largor politioal mossago rom
its orstwhilo southorn bastion. Thus, a groat doal o
importanoo was attaohod to tho aot that at loast ono-third
o tho voto sharo o tho BJP was takon away by BS
Yoddyurappa's KJP somothing whioh gavo tho Congross
a natural advantago.
Equally, many o tho party's spokosmon (both oioial
and sol-appointod) mado groat play o tho party's rosoluto
oommitmont to prinoiplos. Pro|ooting thomsolvos as
martyrs, thoy paintod thomsolvos as haploss viotims o tho
battlo to oloanso tho party rom within.
Both argumonts nood to bo rubbishod. First, ovon
assuming that ovory voto or both tho KJP and tho BSP
Congross (tho outit loatod by tho bont and boautiul o
Bollary distriot) had gono in avour o a unitod BJP, tho
Congross would still havo squoakod through, alboit not so
oonolusivoly. Tho aot, ator all, romains that tho Congross
outpollod tho oombinod votos o tho BJP, KJP and BSP
Congross by a whopping six por oont.
Strossing tho oloar advantago tho Congross on|oyod in
popular votos is important, i only to domolish tho myth that
tho BJP's dooat was mainly on aooount o arithmotio.
Unortunatoly, arithmotio is
prooodod by politios and
tho aot that tho BJP
suorod a doublo-digit
trunoation in its voto sharo
suggosts that tho party
had lost tho matoh ovon
booro tho irst ball had
boon bowlod. t app-
roaohod tho olootion ully
mindul that viotory was
out o tho quostion and
that tho task booro it was to salvago an iota o sol-rospoot.
doubt i ovon that modost ob|ootivo was sanotionod
by tho rosults. From boing tho ma|ority party, tho BJP had to
bo satisiod with boing |oint runnors-up with HD Dovo
Gowda's Janata Dal (S). And, whilo Yoddyurappa ailod to
win moro than six soats, ho suooossully onsurod tho BJP's
dooat in somo 36 soats. Tho noodloss oud that rosultod in
Yoddyurappa walking out o tho party ho had holpod build,
rosultod in tho Mutually Assurod Dostruotion o both tho
BJP and tho KJP.
Tho BJP has oton boastod that thoso who havo lot tho
party havo novor prosporod. Thoy point to Kalyan Singh,
Uma Bharati, Koshubhai Patol and sundry othor odd-balls.
(Prodiotably, thoy don't montion Babulal Marandi whoso
party may woll omorgo as tho singlo-largost party in Jhar-
khand in tho not-too-distant uturo.) t is ontiroly possiblo
that Yoddyurappa will bo addod to tho list. But tho point
isn't so muoh whothor or not tho KJP has a long-torm uturo
or not. Tho largor quostion tho BJP has to oonront is
why mass loadors o tho staturo o Kalyan Singh and
Yoddyurappa woro orood to sook thoir ortuno outsido tho
so-oallod 'parivar'.
Tho thoughtloss oxplanation is that looal rivalrios aro to
blamo. Thorooro, Kalyan Singh's doparturo ator tho party's
poor showing in tho 1999 Lok Sabha polls and his romoval
as Chio Ministor is attributod to tho oombinod assault o
tho PSS and tho Brahmin-Thakur lobby lod by Pa|nath
Singh. Likowiso, Yoddyurappa's oxit is attributod to tho
unrolonting hostility o tho Bollary brothors who ontorod into
an unlikoly allianoo with Ananth Kumar. A sootion o tho
PSS also onoouragod this rit.
On tho aoo o it, both thoorios aro oorroot. Yot thoro is a
signiioant omission: Noithor Kalyan Singh nor Yoddyurappa
would havo olt it nooossary to aotually |ump ship had thoy
not olt totally soornod. Thoir sonso o dosporation
stommod rom tho roalisation that thoir looal oppononts had
tho unqualiiod baoking o tall oontral loadors against whom
thoy oould not win.
Tho hostility to Kalyan Singh on|oyod tho oomploto
patronago o Atal Bihari va|payoo who was thon Primo
Ministor and who novor oonooalod his Brahmanioal disdain
or tho outspokon Lodh rom Aligarh. Yoddyurappa was
not moroly oontosting Ananth Kumar and tho Bollary
monoybags, ho was rangod against tho poworul might o
LK Advani and Sushma Swara|. Would tho Poddy brothors
havo stood a ohanoo had thoy not roooivod onthusiastio
baoking rom Dolhi?
t was tho samo in Jharkhand. Babulal Marandi was
ully oapablo o ooping with Ar|un Munda and ovon having
an unoasy oo-oxistonoo, but ho mado up his dooision to
loavo tho BJP tho day Pa|nath Singh was appointod tho
national prosidont in 2006. Ho |ust know |ust as Kalyan
and Yoddyurappa know that ho oouldn't ight tho High
Command oulturo o tho BJP.
At ono timo, it ovon soomod that tho vory samo sot o
oiroumstanoos would drivo vasundhara Pa|o into orming a
rogional party. And, i Narondra Modi's ability to uso tho
systom to his advantago had boon ovon marginally loss
pronounood, ho too would havo boon hoading a rogional
party by now.
That, in a nutsholl, is what tho story o tho BJP's
Karnataka dobaolo was all about. Advani wasn't ighting a
battlo o prinoiplos in wanting to odgo Yoddyurappa out: Ho
was a oo-partioipant in a aotional battlo. Tho BJP's
dooimation in Karnataka is a triumph o his brand o vanity,
|ust as tho party's rologation to numbor throo in Uttar
Pradosh was a viotory o va|payoo's uppor oasto oonooit.
What tho Karnataka rosults suggost is not moroly that
pooplo oxpoot dooonoy and intogrity in publio lio. Far moro
important aro tho lossons to tho High Command brand o
politios. Unloss politioal partios movo ast, tho oliquos in
Dolhi will provont tho omorgonoo o authontio, rosponsiblo
grassroots domooraoy. Must tho BJP omulato tho Congross
so blindly and so slavishly?
BJP is in donial
ovor Karnataka
USUALSUSPECTS
SwAFAh 0AS0uFTA
What found strange
throughout last
Wednesday was that the
BJP leadership seemed
completely dismissive of
the larger political
message from its
erstwhile southern bastion
Fh8 Q hEw 0ELh
R
oad and Transport Minister CP
Joshi will also be in the driver's
seat in the Railway Ministry while
Telecom Minister Kapil Sibal will
have the additional charge of the
Law Ministry. The development
follows resignation of Pawan Kumar
Bansal and Ashwani Kumar from
the Union Cabinet on Friday.
Sibal, a lawyer himself, will
handle the Law Ministry for the first
time, while Joshi
had held the
Railway portfolio
temporarily last
year after the exit
of Trinamool
Congress nomi-
nee Mukul Roy.
Joshi was at
the Indira Gandhi
I nt e r na t i ona l
Airport, ready to
fly to Finland
when he got a
message that he was given the
additional charge of the Railway
Ministry.
Joshi, who was scheduled to lead
a delegation to Finland to sign an
MoU in the road transport sector,
cancelled the foreign visit in order
to assume additional charge on
Monday.
These minor tinkerings in Team
Manmohan are expected to be fol-
lowed by a mini Cabinet reshuffle
sometime next week to fill up some
vacancies caused by the DMKs
exit from the Government and
the need to place new nominees in
the departments being held as addi-
tional charge.
Sources said that Congress pres-
ident Sonia Gandhi will be meeting
senior party leaders soon to discuss
the reshuffle. Prime Minister
Manmohan Singh, who was virtu-
ally forced by Sonia to sack his pro-
tg Ashwani Kumar, will not be
part of the deliberations. Sonia's
political secretary Ahmed Patel will
brief the PM about the outcome of
the discussions.
Though Sonia has not com-
mented on the recent political devel-
opment, the party wants to make
sure that she is seen as the person
who compelled the PM to act
against the tainted ministers.
Congress president and Rahul
Gandhi never tolerate corruption and
that is why they took the resignations
of the two Ministers, Congress
spokesperson Bhakta Charan Das
said. The statement made clear who
is the boss in the UPA.
It is a different matter that
Sonia Gandhi was present at the
Congress Core Group meeting last
Sunday where the party decided to
back both Bansal and Ashwani
Kumar. In fact, when Bansal volun-
teered to resign after the CBI arrest-
ed his nephew in a job-for-cash
scam, he was asked to stay on both
by the PM and the party.
The Congress leadership will
need to explain to the nation why
they insisted on defending the two
tainted Ministers even at the cost of
paralysing the Parliament.
The party could not hold the
Opposition responsible for the
washout of the second half of the
Budget Session when it could have
avoided the stalemate by asking
these two Ministers to put in their
papers in time.
The exit of Ashwani Kumar is
unlikely to put the lid on the con-
troversy triggered by the vetting of
the CBI status report in the coal
scam by him, PMO officials and
Attorney General GE Vahanvati.
On the last date of hearing of the
case, the Supreme Court had
expressed strong reservation on the
role of the PMO officials who vis-
ited the CBI headquarters to peruse
the report. While the Government
has indicated it will stand by the AG,
it will be extremely difficult for the
PM to leave untouched these joint
secretaries in view of the SC's obser-
vations against
them. The SC
had observed that
the heart of the
report was
changed by these
two officials.
Meanwhile, it
emerged on
Saturday that in
his resignation
letter, Bansal
maintained he
was not aware
that his nephew was in contact with
Railway Board Member Mahesh
Kumar but he still thought it prop-
er to step down.
64-year-old Bansal, who was
made Railway Minister in October
last year, said he looks forward to an
expeditious investigation into the
allegations.
The CBI had earlier grilled
Bansals personal secretary Rahul
Bhandari, a 1997 batch Punjab
cadre IAS officer who is believed to
be privy to all the crucial decisions
taken in the Railway Ministry.
Related reports on P7
FkM kMk 8Ihh Q
0uR0A0h
I
nspector Badrish Dutt, post-
ed with the elite Special Cell
of Delhi Police and his para-
mour were found dead in a
house in Sector-52 in Gurgaon,
police said on Saturday.
Inspector Dutt, (45), who
was one of the best in techni-
cal interception, was shot in the
left temple from his own 9MM
service revolver, while Geeta
Sharma, (45), a divorcee was
shot in the right temple. Both
had died on the spot.
The gory crime scene was
discovered by Special Cell
sleuths who went to enquire
about Inspector Dutt when he
did nor respond to their calls
on his cellphone. They then
informed the Gurgaon Police
about the tragic incident.
It is said that Inspector
Dutt had a rocky relationship
with his family and had start-
ed living with Geeta Sharma
who had a flat on the second
floor in Ardee City, Sector 52.
Commissioner of Police
Gurgaon Alok Mittal said that
Inspector Dutt and Geeta
Sharma had suffered gunshot
injuries and the bullets were
fired from a very close range.
Turn to Page 6
FIhEE hEW8 8EVI6E Q hEw 0ELh
A
fter securing the resignation of Pawan
Kumar Bansal and Ashwani Kumar, the BJP
on Sunday announced the launch of its Jail Bharo
Andolan (court arrest programme) to take for-
ward its campaign against the ruling coalition.
This agitation programme would be carried out
between May 27 and June 2 with senior lead-
ers of the party courting arrest in different parts
of the country.
The Opposition party also stepped up the
attack on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh
claiming that Ashwani Kumar and Pawan
Bansal have been made scapegoats to divert
attention from the Prime Minister.
The Government has totally lost the moral
strength and it continues to survive on its
numeric strength. It is my suggestion to Prime
Minister Manmohan Singh that he should
introspect and decide what should be done on
his part to restore the faith of the people in the
entire political establishment. I think if he does
an honest introspection, he will find no
other option but to resign, BJP chief Rajnath
Singh said.
Turn to Page 6
kEh6IE8 Q SLAMABA0/LAh0RE/KARACh
F
ormer Pakistan Prime Minister and
PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif and his
rival Imran Khan of Pakistan Tehreek-e-
Insaf on Saturday night won from their
respective constituencies.
Sharif won the Sargodha seat from his
stronghold Punjab province and his
party was reported to be leading in 110
of the 203 seats for which trends were
available.
Polling was held for 272 seats in the
National Assembly.
Cricketer-turned-politician Khan
won Peshawar-I constituency even as his
party led in 32 seats.
Earlier in the day bombings and street
clashes left at least 32 people dead and
over 200 others injured as millions of
Pakistanis defied Taliban threats and
voted to elect a new Parliament and four
Provincial Assemblies.
However, Election officials admitted
on Saturday that they failed to hold free
and fair polls in the countrys largest city
of Karachi, where voting was marred by
two blasts and other incidents of violence.
The violent run-up to the elections
left at least 100 people, including three
candidates, dead in terror attacks after
the Taliban told Pakistanis to boycott
the elections.
Turn to Page 6
Related reports on P9
Delhi Police ace sleuth, lover
found dead in Gurgaon
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Farty t0 start 1aII
8har0 fr0m May Z7
Mini reshule execled
in Team Manmohan
nexl week lo ill u
vacancies caused by
0MK's exil
hkWkZ 8hkII: The head
o lhe main 0osilion arly
in recenl years, lhe Fakislan
Muslim Leagueh, is
considered lhe ronl runner
in lhe eleclion and hoes lo become
Frime Minisler or lhe lhird lime
IMkh khkh: A Fakislani crickel
legendlurnedolilician
who could have a
signiicanl imacl on lhe
vole. he ounded Fakislan
Tehreekensa, more lhan
15 years ago, bul ailed lo
gain much lraclion unlil 2O11
FE8IEhT k8II kII ZkkI: he is
nol running in lhe eleclions
bul as a ormer head o
Fakislan Feole's Farly,
which led lhe lasl
0overnmenl, he is a cenlral
igure in lhe arly's
elecloral ulure
8IIkWkI 8hTT ZkkI: he was
sel lo carry lhe lorch or lhe
Bhullo amily olilical
dynasly bul has largely
been absenl in lhis eleclion.
Zardari is loo young lo
arliciale in lhe eleclion
bul he had been execled
lo lay a key role in rallying volers
ThE kEY FIkYE8
10shI t0 4rIve 8Iys,
8IhaI ets laW MIa
T Congress residenl Sonia 0andhi will be meeling senior arly leaders soon lo
discuss lhe Cabinel reshule
T Frime Minisler Manmohan Singh, who was virlually orced by Sonia lo sack his
rolege Ashwani Kumar, will nol be arl o lhe deliberalions
T Sonia's olilical secrelary Falel will brie lhe Frime Minisler aboul lhe oulcome
o lhe discussions
T Though Sonia has nol commenled on lhe recenl olilical develomenl, lhe
arly wanls lo make sure lhal she is seen as lhe erson who comelled lhe
Frime Minisler lo acl againsl lhe lainled Minislers
8h8 T FM?
Published From
DELH LUCKNOW BHOPAL
BHUBANESWAR RANCH
RAPUR CHANDGARH
DEHRADUN
`Lale Cily VoI. 28 Issue 18O
`Air Surcharge Exlra i Alicable
EsIabIished 1B64
Rhl ho. 53400/91, RE00. ho. 0L C}05/1219/20122014
w08l0 9
h0A M0ST
vTAL FARThER
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AFTER M0hRE0A,
h0RA AwAS Y0JhA
uh0ER CA0 SCAhhER
www.dailypioneer.com
8F08I 10
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N
ot just for the Trekkies
but also for freshers, this
one is a delight through
and through. It is adequately old
world, charming, mixes human
emotions with the inimitable
Spock logic, explores the final
frontier with the same gusto and
also relives the Trek series in
right earnestness.
Add to that director JJ
Abrams yen for fierce pace,
drama and visual graffiti and
you have an unbeatable combo
that will soar the charts in a
vertical climb.
Though for oldies wedded
to William Shatner, Chris Pine
may come across as someone
rather over the board, much too
fierce to give finesse a chance, a
man hellbent on quick revenge
and a lad too young for the
position on the USS Enterprise,
there is no doubt that he too
takes you where no man has
gone before.
His journey is full of pitfalls
and a mission bypassing the
just explorers history of his
unit. And, the pace of this
spatial outing is set from the
very first frame in which Kirk
and Spock (Zachary Quinto) are
busy saving a planet and its
inhabitants in a haze of orange
a volcano bursting in the
background, Mr Spock almost
imploding in the heat and the
space ship rising from the ocean
for all to see. Even as you catch
your breath, there is a rescue
mission for saving Spock whose
vulcan lineage disallows him
from hiding the truth this
time about the laws contravened
by Kirk. The Kirk-Spock
relationship is syrupy more
syrupy than Spocks romance
with Lt Uhura.
It has humour, expectation
and, of course, a tantalising
clash between human
emotionalism and perceived
vulcan lack of sentimentality. Its
in this relationship that the
human side of Spock and the
superhuman side of Kirk gets
revealed. Around this central
pivot, there is also a groovy
villain, exploration of space and
a mission you get instantly
hooked on to.
It is, indeed, a techno-savvy
return to the good old days of
the USS Enterprise and a crew
you had loved so intensely all
those decades ago.
NEW DELH SUNDAY MAY 12, 2013 general 02
Altlougl every ossille care ano caution las leen talen
to avoio errors or omissions, tlis ullication is leing solo
on tle conoition ano unoerstanoing tlat information given
in tlis ullication is merely for reference ano must not le
talen as laving autlority of or linoing in any way on tle
writers, eoitors, ullislers, ano rinters ano sellers wlo oo
not owe any resonsilility for any oamage or loss to any
erson, a urclaser of tlis ullication or not for tle result
of any action talen on tle lasis of tlis worl. All oisutes
are sulject to tle exclusive jurisoiction of cometent court
ano forums in !elli/New !elli only.
00 00A 00NE [NeW Pe|ease): 0e||le, S|e|a, Sarral, V|sa|,
V||ar Aroa, Ao|se| C|rep|ex, R|lz, Rega|, 3C's, 8alrag||lz,
Erosore, C|rerax, 8alra, PVR P|aza, R|vo||, Pr|]a, Sa|el, C|l] wa||,
hara|ra, V||aspur|, Prasarl V|ar, E0V, Vaagur, 0pu|erl, 0T
Sa|el, Sa||rar, Vasarl Kurj}, 03S Ro|r|, V2K Ro|r|, P|lar
Pura}, Fur Vol| hagar, P|lar Pura, Luxr| hagar, Kar|ardoora},
Vov|e T|re Rajagarder, P|larPura}, Sal]arPale| hagar, Jara|
Pur|, heru P|ace}, 8|g 0deor, ho|da, Va|sa||, Kausaro|,
0.ho|da}, wave Rajagarder, ho|da, Kausaro|}, Sp|ce ho|da},
SRS, C|reras, 0a|ax|e, VVX, Slarx Va|sa||}, Jars|pra, Vov|e
Pa|ace, Vov|e Vag|c, V4u, SV wor|d, Vov|e wor|d & S||ver C|l]
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F0uP Tw0 KA 0NE [NeW Pe|ease): Aa|as, 0agar, Suprere.
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Eros 0re, PVR Sa|el, C|l] wa||, hara|ra, V||aspur|, Prasaral
V|ar, E0V, Fur Vol| hagar, P|lar Pura, Lajpal hagar,
Kar|ardoora}, C|re Vax, Vov|e T|re Rajagarder, P|lar Pura},
Sal]arPale| hagar, Jara| Pur|, heru P|ace}, 0T Sa|el, Sa||rar,
Vasarl Kurj}, 8|g 0deor, ho|da, Va|sa||, Kausaro|}, wave
Rajagarder, ho|da, Kausaro|}, SRS C|reras, Sp|ce ho|da},
0a|ax|e, Slarx Va|sa||}, V4u, SVwor|d, Jars|pra, Vov|e Pa|ace,
Vov|e Vag|c, Vov|e wor|d & S||ver C|l] 0.8ad}, Caudar] 0.8ad},
lrox & 0 C|reras Far|daoad}.
$h00T0uT AT wATALA: 0o|ca, PVR P|aza R|vo||, Pr|]a, Sa|el,
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Sal]arPale| hagar, Jara| Pur|, heru P|ace}, wave Rajagarder,
ho|da, Kausaro|}, SRS C|reras, 8|g 0deor, ho|da, Va|sa||,
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P|lar Pura}, Fur P|lar Pura}, Luxr| hagar, Kar|ardoora},
C|rerax, 8|g 0deor, ho|da, 0.ho|da, Kausaro|}, Sp|ce ho|da},
SRS C|reras, wave Rajagarder, ho|da, Kausaro|}, Jars|pra,
lrox Far|daoad}.
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PVR Sa|el, C|l] wa||, hara|ra, V||aspur|, Prasarl V|ar, E0V,
Vaagur, 0pu|erl, Fur P|larPura, Luxr| hagar, Kar|ardoora},
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V2K Ro|r|, P|lar Pura}, 8|g 0deor, ho|da, Va|sa||, 0.ho|da},
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P|ace}, Vov|e Pa|ace, Vov|e Vag|c, Jars|pra, Vov|e wor|d &
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0AN0AJAHuNA$APA$wAT| [8ho[pur|): Vol|, lars, Azadpur,
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|PE0T0P'$ 0uT - VA$ANTKuNJ
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Printed and pubIished by Chandan Mitra for and on behaIf of CMYK Printech Ltd., 2nd FIoor, Link House, 3 Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg, New DeIhi-110 002, and printed at Jagran Prakashan Ltd, D 210,211 Sector-63, Noida (U.P.). Editor: Chandan Mitra. AIR SURCHARGE of C 2.00 East: CaIcutta, Ranchi, Bhubaneswar, North Leh West:
Mumbai & Ahmedabad South: Hyderabad, BangaIore & Chennai. CentraI : Khajuraho, DeIhi TeIephones: Board No. 40754100/ 9871234271. Lucknow Office: 4th FIoor, Sahara Shopping Centre, Faizabad Road, Lucknow-226 016. TeIephones: 0522-2346443, 2346444, 2346445.
Tho noxt big blookbustor
80w IIMF
8FF II 00MI86
wTh MEEhAKSh RA0
t: 0I 0Iaemas &
0thers
8ate4: 8.5/10
0hrIs FIae, 8eae4Ict
00mherhatch, Lachary
00Iat0, karI 0rhaa, L0e
8aI4aaa, IIce Fve
Ia
8I8 I8Fk I8I0 08k8F88
0raateh
Ihe 8eI0ctaat
F0a4ameataIIst
Ia: rj0a ka00r, 1ackIe 8hr0ff,
8IshI ka00r, 8asha ha, mrIta
8Iah, 0eetI 8avaI
Ia: 8It hme4, kate 04s0a,
8hahaaa tmI, lIev 8chreIher, kIefer
80therIaa4, 0m F0rI, Meesha 8hafI,
aI0k 8IIIaer, 8eIsaa FIIIs
T
he story follows Yashvardhan (Jackie
Shroff) a real estate agent known to
be involved in illegal activities. The
police captures his right hand man Ajay
(Arjun Kapoor). In order to catch
Yashvardhan red-handed, the police
send a lookalike Vishal (Arjun
Kapoor who plays a double role). When
Vishal is planted in Yashwardhans
world in place of Ajay, the lawmakers
(Rishi Kapoor & Prithviraj) roll the dice
and a sequence of events unravel
something much more than what Vishal
had bargained for. He finds himself in
a predicament that puts him to the test.
Vishal joins into the crew and
become an informer, whilst Ajay is being
tortured into snitching all of
Yashvardhan's business secrets. It is
further revealed that Ajay and Vishal
were two twins who were separated and
now the Police is taking advantage of it.
T
he movie is set in 2011 in Lahore. At
an outdoor caf a Pakistani Changez
(Riz Ahmed) tells Bobby (Liev Schreiber),
an American journalist, about his
experiences in the US. Roll back 10 years,
and we find a younger Changez fresh from
Princeton, seeking fortune and glory on
Wall Street.
The American dream seems well
within his grasp, complete with a smart and
gorgeous artist girlfriend, Erica (Kate
Hudson). But when the Twin Towers are
attacked, a cultural divide slowly begins to
crack open between Changez and Erica.
Changezs dream turns into a nightmare:
Profiled, wrongfully arrested, strip-
searched and interrogated, he is
transformed from a well-educated,
upwardly mobile businessman to a
scapegoat and perceived enemy.
The Reluctant Fundamentalist is a
story about conflicting ideologies where
perception and suspicion have the power
to determine life or death.
T
he girl is cute, her family is cute, her
friends are cute, the film is cute,
dialogues are cute, the Shammi Kapoor
numbers are cute and the direction is cute
too. Gippi, the pleasantly plump teenager
who leads the loser group in her school, is
the butt of all unsavoury jokes, keeps falling
off chairs, hates to move on the playground,
resents all
lessons,
looks down
on boys her
age and is
the epitome
of teeny-
bopper
blunder,
somehow
takes your heart.
All the scorn around her barely pulls
her down and the way she shakes on
Shammi Kapoor numbers, or for that
matter, understands the angst of her
divorced mother who is forced to attend
her ex-husbands second marriage with a
straight face, makes her good currency for a
film so centralised on her that there is not
one frame without her in the entire film.
Sonam Nair , the debutant director, has
done well to catch the pulse of this genre of
film. She keeps it souffle light and yet
puncy, real and yet dreamy, fun and yet
poignant in a subtle kind of way. Gippi
warms your heart pretty well but it would
have been great if the fun episodes were
more than Nair unfolds in this one.
t: 0I 0Iaemas &
0thers
8ate4: 7/10
8Iya Ij, 0Ivya 00tta,
Iaaha 8hah, Faakaj
0heer, 8agesh
ashIsth
Ia
6IFFI
I
luminati Films keeps its promise to its
audience. It promised fun, and it
delivers fun. Yes, this first of the
zombies from Bollywood is surprisingly
hilarious. Yes, it is gross too but when
three buddies two
libidinous bewdas and
one a dutiful do-gooder
get together, what
else can you expect. But
here, the four-letter
words and all things
outrageous come
glossed in high tickle
value and thats what
makes Go Goa Gone a movie to laugh
aloud with.
Said Ali Khan may not be the
central character of this rather hatke
film, but as the Russian goonda mawali
high on hennaed hair, guns and an
accent you could give your life for, he
towers in his small and becoming
cameo.
Abandoned on an island off the
coast of Goa, lured
into its remoteness on
a rave party invite
thrown at them by a
sexy siren, both Kunal
Khemu and Vir Das
have a time of their
life but once they
wake up on the
abandoned beach, all
hell is let loose, what with friends-
turned-zombies baying for their blood,
flesh and even bones, if you may!
Its a roller-coaster dive into comedy
and no theres no fear factor.
Funny bone in lace
A leasantly
lum film
t: F8 & 0thers
8ate4: 6/10
8aIf II khaa, k0aaI
khem0, Ir 0as, F0ja
60ta
Ia
60 60 608F
small screen 0S
NEW DELH SUNDAY MAY 12, 2013
Hullabaloo in soap dish
I
f you thought, with the death of Rano
(for many it signified the triumph of
evil over good) everything supernatur-
al in Anamika would go out of the win-
dow, youre in for a shock. For starters,
good old Annie Gill is going to be back
with a bang, or with a candle, if you may.
In a typical Noorie-type-white- saree
clad ghost avatar, Gill will be back to
haunt you. The only difference will be
that Rano, the ghost, will only be there
in spirit while Shivani Surve as Chhavi
will replace her as Jeets love interest in
the serial. Sounds spooky? Gill tells you
that this twist isnt meant to spook you
but is aimed at tugging heartstrings.
Anamika is a love story. Rano and
Jeet can never really be separated. Ranos
heart will always beat for Jeet and shell
do anything to save him from the chu-
dail. Only this time, shell take Chhavis
help, Gill, who is busy shooting her post-
death scenes, tells you.
Does it not feel weird to be living one
day and spreading your charm around
to the next day when you are dead and
have to play a ghost meandering in the
background? At the end of the day, we
want our audiences to like the concept,
the show and its uniqueness. It matters
little whether Im being sidelined or my
screen time has reduced. If the creative
team feels this twist is going to capture
the attention of our faithful audience, Im
all with them. Shivani is a brilliant actor
and is very hardworking, says Gill, rub-
bishing rumours that she has been
replaced because of her attitude.
I get along well with everyone on
the sets and the creative director is a
friend. Theyve all liked me in this role.
Im saddened by the rumours. But, star-
dom comes in a package kabhie hasna
hai, kabhi rona hai, Gill says.
As for the show, Surve, best known
for her role in Agle Janam Mohe Bitiya
Na Kijo, is going to take centrestage and
will give stiff competition to Anamika.
Unlike Rano, Chhavi has a more fearless
and a pragmatic approach to life and will
not easily give-in to a supernatural
power. The chudail, at times, scared
Rano because she was a believer. Chhavi
doesnt believe in such things so it
makes it difficult for the chudail, Gill tells
you. Jeet and Surve will be a couple even-
tually, all thanks to Ranos efforts. Ill be
appearing on the show to guide Chhavi
and remind her that shes meant to pro-
tect Jeet from Anamika, Gill says.
W
hen Avika Gor re-
appeared on TV in a
fresh, bubbly new avatar,
audiences had a mixed
response. Some said, she fit
the bill while others criticised
her new look, saying she
looked too young for a nayee
naveli dulhan. But after she
dies as Roli in Sasural Simar
Ka, Gor has made some space
for herself as Jhumki. As Roli,
Gor may have lived all the
twists she has been shot
at twice, survived a near-
death experience when a
bullet pierced
through her heart and
has been pushed
in and out of
her khaan-
daan. But,
Roli has
always been in
control. My
scriptwriter
had this event
planned for a
long time but
we kept
delaying it,
waiting for
the right
time. Theres
going to be a
new turn of
events in the
serial when Prem
finds a Roli look-
alike in
Rajasthan. He
brings her back to
the house and
many things fall
in place. This
rusty Roli will
be quite a
match for the
villain, Gor
tells you.
With this
gaon ki
chhori avatar, Gor does a full-
circle and is back to dressing
up as in her Balika Vadhu
days. But thats something
Gor doesnt mind. Im happy
to be going back to my roots.
I love dressing up so more the
finery, the better it is. The new
role is going to lend a fresh
perspective to the show, Gor
says, adding that as an actor
shes blessed to have done
two different roles in
the same serial.
Not many actors
with my experience
get such variety in one
show, the 19-year-old
says. In her opinion,
doing multiple
shows is good. It
isnt possible for
a TV actor
to restrict
herself to
a show
w h e n
theres so
much more
she can exper-
iment with. I
dont think
participation
in any dance
reality show
demands a
d r a s t i c
change in
schedule.
Ive han-
dled a
f u l l -
f l edged
show while trying
my hand at danc-
ing in the previous
seasons of Jhalak
Dikhhla Jaa and it has
worked out well, Gor,
who was one of com-
petitors for the wild
card entry, states.
S
iddharth Shiv Shukla was as sur-
prised as you were when he was
told one fine morning that he was
going to get kidnapped by terrorists
front in Srinagar while on his hon-
eymoon. He was surprised but not
too shaken. After all, Balika Vadhu
has been all about a tornado of activ-
ity ever since Pratyusha Banerjee
made way for Toral Rasputra.
Shukla tells you that he prefers to
not be in a state of ennui. I get bored
easily. So changes are always welcome.
If the team thought it was a good idea
to shoot the kidnapping sequence,
who am I to question that?, Shukla
says. He adds that his kidnapping only
means much more work for him.
Im not going to take a break
from the show. My work hours are
only going to get tougher. As it is, I
shoot for 12 hours non-stop to have
bulk episodes ready. This kidnapping
will only increase my workload, he
says.
Shukla has already shot for a cou-
ple of advance episodes and he says
theres a lot more thrill that is going
to be unfurled in the coming weeks.
Ive wrapped up some advance
episodes and the plot is interesting.
Im sure the audience will love this
course were going to take, he tells
you.
An avid fitness enthusiast, Shukla
says his main purpose to accept the
Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa offer was because
hes keen to work out through rigor-
ous dance routines. Ive two left feet
and am in Jhalak purely to have some
fun. Ive already started practising
and it has been lovely till now, the 27-
year-old model-turned-actor says.
He adds that as reality shows have no
guarantee that youll last long, its
always advisable to guard your seri-
al job. Ive no intention to take a
break from Balika to fit the dates for
Jhalak. This is my bread and butter,
dance is just for fun, he says.
So now what, you ask him and
Shukla promptly tells you that the
onus is entirely on Anandi to find
ways to rescue Shiv from terrorists
who will be gunning for his blood.
F
or Drashti Dami fans who are
missing her on the show,
theres some good news that
awaits. The actress is going to
return to the serial much sooner
than you expected. She
was on a break for some
reason while the makers
were contemplating a
change of track. While
Dami is gearing up for
Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa,
the producer of the
show, Saurav Tewari
says he isnt worried
about her commit-
ment to wrap up the
show. Shes a very
hardworking actress
and a woman of her
word. She knows that
her role in Madhubala
Ek Ishq Ek Junoon is piv-
otal and, therefore, Dami has
committed most of her time for this show. We
encourage other actors to explore other oppor-
tunities on the soapdish and we were very gen-
uinely supportive about her joining a dance real-
ity show. She has got the talent. As for
Madhubala, we are toying with the idea of
a changed track. But now, it is too early to
comment. Lets just say, for the coming few
weeks, well just be testing waters. No con-
crete script has been decided upon as yet,
Tewari tells you.
He adds that in case an actor wants to
leave the show theres no contract that can
bind the person. But theres an under-
standing that the actor shares with the pro-
duction team. Its all a question of good-
will and actors on TV are matured people.
They know their responsibilities and act
accordingly. The same is expected out of
Dami, he concludes.
Rano is dead, Roli has been shol, Shiv has been kidnaed in Srinagar and Madhubala has disaeared - indeed, lhere is a sudden
hullabaloo in lhe soa dish. whal could be lhe reason or lhis lornado crossing all channels? s il lhe oaching by one arlicular
dance realily show where all aclors in queslion would be ulling on lheir dancing shoes? 0r, is il all surred by varying reasons?
0EEBAShREE M0hAhTY exlores
Gor booomos
gaon ki gori
0ealh ke aagey Jeel hai!
Sliv lionaeo
where Is Ma4h0haIa7
townhall 04
NEW DELH SUNDAY MAY 12, 2013
8WETk 8WkMI Q hEw 0ELh
J
antar Mantar, a prominent
architectural landmark in
the Capital, would soon regain
its age-old identity of an astro-
nomical observatory from
being merely a protest venue
in recent years.
Having suffered much
damage due to vandalism in
the name of protests, the struc-
ture is set to get a revamp with
the Archaeological Survey of
India (ASI) coming up with a
blueprint of the same.
Apart from improving its
condition, the ASI is also plan-
ning to make the astronomical
observatory fully functional. The
development also comes in wake
of a Delhi High Courts order for
the monuments preservation.
To start with, the ASI has
begun constructing a Visitor
Orientation Centre inside
Jantar Mantar. We have demol-
ished our office there and have
started the construction of an
interpretation centre at the
same place. The centre will have
audio-visual displays, narra-
tive panels, models and draw-
ings of different components or
instruments of the monument.
For those, this centre will act as
a comfortable place to know
everything about the observa-
tory, said Daljit Singh
Superintending Archeologist
of ASIs Delhi circle.
Meanwhile, the ASI has also
decided to prepare fresh docu-
mentation for the instruments
there. We are starting with the
exact documentation for the
curved graduation of astro-
nomical scales within a day or
two. This will be first done for the
Jayaprakash Yantra for mea-
surement of time. Further, the
stone that will be used for rede-
velopment will be chosen from
a variety of samples. Finding the
perfect stone is important as the
new ones have to match with the
already existing ones, Singh
said. The documentation, to be
carried out under the guidance
of renowned astronomer VN
Sharma, will only be accepted
after the committee gives the
consent for it, he added.
A meeting was held in
January 21 this year in which it
was decided to use lime, instead
of marble, for the restoration of
the instruments. Earlier we had
decided on using marble, but
later it was found that better
readings can be achieved if the
instruments are given lime fin-
ishing, said Singh. The ASI has
started preparing coordinate
drawings for different instru-
ments in the monument. Scales
of the Mishra Yantra will most
probably be made of marble.
Moreover, picture documenta-
tion for implementation in order
to restore the functionality of the
scales and marking as per the
original ones present on the
instruments shall be complete in
all respects within a month, said
a member of the committee for
Janatar Mantar restoration.
1aatar Maatar - a herItae hesIee4 hy r0tests
8WETk 8WkMI Q
hEw 0ELh
T
he significance of Jantar
Mantar has evolved from
being the citys oldest astro-
nomical observatory to being
the official protest venue for
all Indians. With its close
proximity to Parliament, this
eighteenth century monument
which represents the nations
scientific heritage, has also
been serving the people as a
site to make their voices heard.
However, Jantar Mantar
was not always the first pref-
erence for protests; it was
rather Boat Club, situated
near Raj pat h. The
Government, f rom 1993
onwards, declared Jantar
Mantar as the official
venue to stage protests
in the city. The deci-
sion
of shifting the place from
Boat Club to Jantar Mantar
was taken seeing the reper-
cussi ons of t he massive
protest carri ed out by
Mahendra Singh Tikait in
1988, said Jagdish Mamgain,
the author of Rang Badalti
Dilli and the president of the
Progressive Party.
Citing security reasons
for the shift in the protest site,
a senior Government official
said, Boat Club is just a step
away f rom t he Pri me
Ministers Office as well as
from the Finance, External
Affairs and Home Ministries.
So, it was extremely
unsafe to
allow any
such activity there. Also, it
used to severely affect the
cl eanl i ness of t he area,
which is of national and
international importance.
The protest of Bharatiya
Kisan Sangh which was led by
Tikait, is believed to have
shaken the Government in
October, 1988. The Capital
had seen the biggest protest of
its time. Tikait brought
thousands of agitating
farmers to the site and for
almost a week he had
held the place under siege.
He had polluted and
filled the place with an
Army of cattl e
along with
his pro-
testers who even started cook-
i ng food t here. A new
legislation was introduced
and protesting at Boat Club
was banned since then,
said a senior official of the
New Del hi Muni cipal
Council (NDMC).
Jantar Mantar was zeroed
in as a protest zone by the
Government because it is
near Parliament, yet it is not
so close that it would affect
the routine affairs of the con-
cerned aut horit i es. The
Government can easily take
notice of the demand of the
public from there, he added.
The Jantar Mantar since
then has been home to hun-
dreds of protests and dharnas,
the landmark ones being the
India Against Corruption
movement l ed by Anna
Hazare and the protest against
December 16 gang-rape.
Even politicians from dif-
ferent part i es l i ke t he
Trinamool Congress, BJP
and AAP have protested
and delivered speeches
there. The astronomical
observatory turned
protest site has near-
ly 200 protesters
around it on a
daily basis. But in
times of huge public
outcry, the numbers
swell up to even
thousands.
ue Io iIs rIose proximiIy Io FarIiamenI, Ihis 1B
Ih
renIury monumenI
has aIso been serving Ihe peopIe as a siIe Io make Iheir voires heard
VOX-POP
Duo to tho ongoing protost horo, wo havo to aoo lossos. As wo thrivo on pooplo working in
oioos in tho vioinity, salos doolino by noarly 50 por oont during protosts as our rogular
oustomors do not oomo duo to tho hoavy rush and ohaos
ANL, OWNEP OF A JUCE SHOP AT JANTAP MANTAP
Tho protostors don't oomo to oat. But at tho timo o tho Anna Hazaro's movomont it was good.
wo usod to mako proits
KESHAvAN KUTT, A DOSA SHOP OWNEP AT JANTAP MANTAP
Salos havo boon aootod massivoly. Thoro is a minimum slump o 15-20 por oont. Thoso protosts
havo now booomo a daily aair. At loast two-throo days in a wook roads romain blookod as a
rosult oustomors don't oomo .Wo aro groatly disturbod and aro ovon thinking o iling a PL, so
that tho oonoornod athouritos tako oognizanoo o tho inoonvonionoo thoso protosts aro oausing
and thoroby allot a dioront plaoo or protosts
SN KASHAUL, MANAGEP OF KWALTY PESTAUPANT
Thoro is no aoot on salos booauso our salos primarily doponds on how good a partioular
movio doos
AMT BHATNAGAP, BOOKNG MANAGEP OF PEGAL CNEMA
Protostors should bo not allowod in tho Jantar Mantar aroa. Thoy groatly add to tho traio |ams.
Evoryday thoro is somo protost or tho othor. Pamlila Maidan is tho bost or publio mootings and
domonstrations as thoro aro no markots surrounding that plaoo whioh would got aootod
JAWAHAPLAL MEHPA, OWNEP OF MEHPA BANDHU
AlWi| Si|| | Piu||
AS to give
structure a revam
AS to give
structure a revam
kk8hhk hk1khI Q
hEw 0ELh
T
he protests at Jantar
Mantar are taking a toll
on the business of not just the
traders of the nearby markets.
Traffic diversions and block-
age of roads are primarily
preventing people from going
to these markets.
Traders claimed they have
witnessed a slump of more
than 50 per cent in their busi-
ness during the last two years
especially after the anti-cor-
ruption movement by Anna
Hazare at the venue in April
2011. For most of them sur-
vival has become difficult as at
the time of the demonstrations
no one prefers to visit these
areas and the customers gets
diverted to other places.
However, the street ven-
dors and the street shops
surrounding the protest venue
have been reaping the bene-
fit of these protests. The dosa
shops at Jantar Mantar and
other juice shops register
excessively high sales during
the protests.
There is a dip in sales by
nearly 50 per cent when
protests are on. Roads remain
blocked due to protests.
Janpath was once called as the
queens way and there used to
be a lot of foreign tourists. Now
due to the frequent demon-
strations everything is in a
mess. It is affecting the daily
routine of the people as also
our business. Parking chaos in
the area also prevents visitors
from coming here said
Ashwini Kathpalia a dismayed
owner of a prominent confec-
tionary store, Depauls at
Janpath. Adding to that,
Gautam, owner of Leather
Smith Gallery, said Its not just
the sales that drop .There are
times when we have to literal-
ly shut down our shops
because protestors storm the
streets in huge numbers. There
is a constant fear that these rab-
ble rousers might even break
into our shops, he said.
The big and old establish-
ments too are not spared dur-
ing the protests as they said
their sale was also reduced by
at least 20 percent. During
protests our sale decreases by
15-20 percent. We are even
mulling legal recourse to get rid
of the perennial problem, said
a manager at the Kwality
Restaurant in Connaught
Place. However, big hotels,
like The Park and others said
such protests had no impact on
them as they had a different
category of customers who do
not get deterred by such activ-
ities. The area surrounding
Jantar Mantar is archeologi-
cally rich and once used to wit-
ness a lot of foreign visitors but
now the situation has changed.
S Nanda, the owner of imper-
ial stores and tailors, was grief
stricken as he said, Foreigners,
who were the mainstay of our
business at one time, have dis-
appeared. They dont choose to
come as they get frightened to
see the demonstrations; our
sales have dipped by more than
60 per cent.
Apart rom improving
its oondition, tho AS is
also planning to mako
tho astronomioal
obsorvatory ully
unotional. Tho
dovolopmont also
oomos in tho wako o a
High Court ordor or
tho monumont's
prosorvation
WHY J WAS B!LJ?
DISTINCT INSTRUMENTS WITHIN THE
OBSERVATORY OF JANTAR MANTAR:
Samrat Yantra: The Samrat Yantra, or Supreme Instrument,
is a giant triangle that is basically an equal hour sundial. It
is 70 feet high, 114 feet long at the base, and 10 feet thick.
It has a 128-foot-long (39 m) hypotenuse that is parallel to
the Earths axis and points toward the North Pole. On either
side of the triangle is a quadrant with graduations indicat-
ing hours, minutes, and seconds.
Jayaprakash Yantra: The Jayaprakash consists of hollowed
out hemispheres with markings on their concave surfaces.
Crosswires were stretched between points on their rim. From
inside the Ram, an observer could align the position of a star
with various markings or a windows edge.
Mishra Yantra: The Mishra yantras were able to indicate
when it was noon in various cities all over the world and
was the only structure in the observatory not invented by
Jai Singh II.
Slirs lake a
loll on lraders
Jaalar Maalar lacaleJ la lke maJera clly caaslsls al 13
arcklleclural aslraaamy laslrumeals. ll was hulll hy Makaraja Jal
5lagk ll al Jalur, lram 1724 aawarJs, as ke was glvea lke lask
al revlslag lke caleaJar aaJ aslraaamlcal lahles hy Mugkal
emerar MukammaJ 5kak. Tke rlmary urase al lke
ahservalary was la camlle aslraaamlcal lahles, aaJ la reJlcl
lke llme aaJ mavemeals al lke sua, maaa aaJ laaels.
landmark 05
NEW DELH SUNDAY MAY 12, 2013
khI8k FkVEEh Q
hEw 0ELh
F
ollowing the new ordi-
nances of Delhi University
(DU) in the new Four-Year
Undergraduate Courses the
universitys Academic Council
has approved a new rule of
Continuous Comprehensive
Evaluation (CCE) for the prac-
ticals in Science Courses.
Now the evaluation of
Science practicals will depend
50 per cent on the performance
shown through out the semes-
ter and 50 per cent on the end-
semester examination. Till now
the final assessment was based
on the practical and theory
exam conducted in the end of
the session. But now the assess-
ment will happen throughout
the year with the espousal of
CCE scheme.
The final result of the
practical paper will depend half
on the marks obtained in the
CCE under which the student
will be evaluated throughout the
session and half will depend on
the final practical examination
in the end. The CCE will com-
prise of the number of practicals
attended by the students and his
overall performance in the class.
The teachers will have to keep
a record of the student in their
presence and performance dur-
ing the practical classes
throughout, said SC Bhatla, the
head of Botany.
A Science subject paper is
of 150 marks in which practicals
constitute 50 marks. The theo-
ry paper is of 75 marks and 25
marks have been kept for inter-
nal assessment based on atten-
dance, projects and other activ-
ities. For the 50 marks of prac-
ticals, 25 would be given under
the CCE and 25 would be car-
ried in the final practical exam-
ination in the end-semester.
The CCE system which
was first adopted by the CBSE
will reduce the term examina-
tion weightage from 100 to 50
per cent. This will apply to the
practicals of both Discipline-I
Courses and Discipline-II
Courses. A committee com-
prising of the HoDs of Science
subjects had put this proposal
before the Academic Council.
There were also thought
to make the assessment of the
practicals completely CCE and
scrap the exams based but it
was later decided to keep it on
50-50 form. Professors had
concerns that students come
under pressure due to the prac-
tical examination and get very
less time to focus on the theo-
ry papers thus it will bring a
relaxation to them and also
urge to attend practicals to
those students who tool prac-
tical classes casually, said one
of the AC members.
8TkII EFTE Q hEw 0ELh
A
fter a spell of hot and
sunny days in the National
Capital, there is a respite in
sight with light rains accom-
panied by thunder and dust
storms expected on Sunday.
Thunderstorms and dust
storm will occur in parts of
the city tonight (Saturday)
and on Sunday along with
light rains, said an official of
the India meteorological
Department (IMD).
Meanwhile, with sudden
change in weather, the mercury
dipped to 36 degree celcius on
Saturday as the city witnessed
a low velocity dusty winds in
the evening.
The decline in maximum
temperature, which was three
degrees below normal and 4.6
degrees down from Fridays
40.6 degree C was due to a
decent cloud cover which occu-
pied the sky all through the day.
The official of the IMD
said sundays maximum and
minimum temperatures are
expected to hover around 36
and 25 degree Celsius. The
skies remained for a major
part of Saturday and maximum
temperatures settled three
notches below average at 36
degree Celsius.
The minimum was a
notches below average
at 24.6 degrees. The days max-
imum humidity was recorded
at 46 per cent.
Fridays maximum tem-
perature was 40.6 degree
Celsius, a notch above average,
while the minimum was 25.2
degree Celsius, average for this
time of the year. Humidity
levels oscillated between 29
and 46 per cent.
8TkII EFTE Q hEw 0ELh
T
he spurned stalker who
murdered the 17-year-old
girl Sakshi in her Munirka house
on Friday morning has been
arrested by South district police.
He was arrested from Baghpat
district, Western Uttar Pradesh.
Subhash alis Rohit (25) was
arrested within hours of his
escape from the spot. It has now
emerged that he wanted to com-
mit suicide after killing Sakshi
but could not do so as the bar-
rel of the country made gun that
he was carrying burst after the
first shot. Subhash, a school drop
out happened to be the cousin
of Sakshis sister-in-law and was
a frequent visitor to her house.
He was obsessed with the girl
and had even maintained a liai-
son with the girl despite objec-
tions from her family.
DCP, South district, BS
Jaisawal said that Subhash alias
Rohit a resident of Loni area in
adjoining Gaziabad was nabbed
from Ghitoli village of Baghpat
district on Friday night.
A pistol believed to be
used in the murder, blood
stained cloths and a mobile
phone was recovered from his
possession. The murder
weapon has been sent for bal-
listic examination, he said.
Jaiswal said that the victim,
Sakshi alias Pinki, a class XII stu-
dent in government school at RK
Puram Sector 5, had known
Subhash for the last few years.
She however, started to ignore
Subhash after she came to know
that he was a school dropout
after class 8 and worked as a
sweeper in Loni, Gaziabad, the
DCP added. Sakshis father who
works as a plumber in the
Jawahar Lal Nehru University
(JNU) had also scolded Subhash
many a times as he was not
happy with his ways. Sakshi was
a bright student and her father
wanted her to pursue her stud-
ies and make a career out of that,
a police officer involved in the
investigation said.
Sakshi had written her
Class 12 examinations and was
expecting her result. She was in
her on Friday room when the
incident took place. Subhash
was known to her and he also
knew that Sakshi was present in
her house They had met in a
marriage ceremony following
which their acquaintance grew.
However, when the victim came
to know that he is not as edu-
cated as her, she started drifting
away from him. This denial
angered Subhash and he decid-
ed to avenge his humiliation
the DCP said.
It appears that the accused
had planned to
eliminate Sakshi
after he found
that she was not
going to marry
him. Actionable
information was received
from victims friends, neigh-
bours about assailant after which
several raids were conducted in
various districts of Western UP.
The assailant was finally arrest-
ed from Ghitoli village of Bagpat
district from UP. He was brought
to Vasant Vihar police station
and put to sustained interroga-
tion and accused allegedly con-
fessed that he murdered Sakshi
as he wanted revenge.
8TkII EFTE Q hEw 0ELh
O
ne person was beaten to
death by his neighbours in
Jahangirpuri area in North
East Delhi on Friday night. A
minor altercation over spitting
turned into group fighting
which claimed one life.
According to police, the
deceased has been identified as
Arun, who lived along with his
parents in K Block,
Jahangirpuri. On Friday night,
when Arun was wandering in
the neighbouring A Block area,
he spat in front of Dharampals
house. Dharampal, who was
standing in front of the house,
objected Aruns act which trig-
gered a heated argument
between the both. Soon, argu-
ment turned ugly after some of
Dharampals acquaintances
joined him, said the police.
According to police,
Dharampal along with
his friends mercilessly
thrashed Arun. Arun
sustained severe injuries
all over his body which
caused his death.
Dharampal and one of his
associates too sustained injuries
in the fight. Soon after the
police was informed by a
neighbour a team of police
reached the spot and all the
three injured were rushed to
Babu Jagjivanram Hospital,
where Arun was declared
brought dead while two others
are recuperating.
Arun was hit all over his
body including his private
parts, which led to his death on
the spot. The injured are recu-
perating and their conditions
are stable, said a source post-
ed with the hospital.
Police said that they have
registered a case at Jahangirpuri
police station and investiga-
tions are on.
The investigation sleuths
have not recorded the statements
of the injured as they were not
fit to give statement. The
deceaseds postmortem report is
also awaited, said the police.
8TkII EFTE Q hEw 0ELh
U
nhappy over alleged
harassment of residents
by police in name of checking
unauthorised construction,
Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit is
likely to seek the Centres inter-
vention to direct the force to
concentrate on improving law
and order situation rather than
meddling in other issues.
Dikshit voiced her displeasure
about polices role in checking
unauthorised construction in
various areas, including in Lal
Dora areas, at a meeting attend-
ed by a number of her cabinet
colleagues and MPs.
The meeting discussed
various problems being faced
by lakhs of residents of Lal
Dora areas. The Chief Minister
has been critical of function-
ing of police following the
December 16 gang-rape of a
23-year-old girl.
In February, the Chief
Minister had even sought the
Prime Ministers intervention to
ensure better policing in Delhi,
complaining that the force had
failed to deliver on its promises
to improve womens safety after
the December 16 incident that
sparked a public outrage.
The Delhi Government had
last month taken an in-princi-
ple decision to regularise all
colonies which came up on
extended Lal Dora land.
Regularisation of the colonies
will help residents get their
properties registered and carry
out construction works after
approval of building plans. The
Chief Minister made it clear that
the police must concentrate on
improving law and order rather
than on the issues which come
under the jurisdiction of the
local bodies and other agencies,
officials who attended the meet-
ing quoted Dikshit as saying.
They said she favoured
clear demarcation of roles of
various agencies so that residents
are not harassed by more than
one agency on a single issue. The
Chief Minister told the meeting
that her Government may take
up the issue with the Union
Government. Officials said the
meeting also discussed abolish-
ing Rule 81 of the Land
Acquisition Act, which will
mean that villages in the nation-
al capital would no longer be
apprehensive of getting notices
under the provision.
The Chief Minister indi-
cated Government may bring a
Cabinet note for regularisa-
tion of colonies in extended Lal
Dora and to restrict use of Rule
81. As per existing norms under
the Act, no agricultural land can
be used for construction of
houses and other purposes but
lifting of the restriction would
pave the way for building flats
on these areas. The meeting was
attended by Urban
Development Minister
Arvinder Singh Lovely, PWD
Minister Raj Kumar Chauhan,
Chief Secretary DM Spolia and
MPs Sandeep Dikshit and
Ramesh Kumar besides a dozen
of MLAs. On the issue of shift-
ing of high tension power trans-
mission lines from densely-
populated areas, Dikshit said
the Government was mulling
policy to address the issue.
East Delhi MP Sandeep
Dikshit, while expressing his
deep concern over the delay in
commissioning of Munak Canal,
suggested a delegation of elect-
ed representatives of Delhi
should call on the Haryana
Chief Minister to impress upon
the need for immediate settle-
ment of the issue. The Munak
canal was constructed by
Haryana with financial assistance
of around Rs 400 crore from the
Delhi Government on the con-
dition that the national Capital
will be supplied 80 MGD water
from it. But later, Haryana
refused to supply the water to the
city. The meeting decided a del-
egation would soon meet
Haryana Chief Minister
Bhupender Singh Hooda.
New Delhi: Delhi Government on Saturday approved a long-
pending proposal to construct around 40,000 low cost flats in
the city for distribution among people belonging to econom-
ically weaker sections (EWS). The proposal was given a go
ahead at a meeting of Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board
(DUSIB) chaired by Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit.
The flats will be constructed at Savda Ghevra and
Bhalswa area of Jahangirpuri. A 100 acre plot is lying vacant
at Savda Ghevra while the size of the land at Bhalswa is around
102 acre. Around 40,000 flats for urban poor would be devel-
oped at these two sites, said a senior DUSIB official. The
DUSIB is the nodal agency for implementing the slum relo-
cation policy.
The meeting also approved four more projects for con-
struction of around 6,200 flats under Rajiv Awas Yojana and
in-situ re-development scheme for Jhugi Jhopri clusters in var-
ious areas. It also decided to distribute 14,000 low-cost flats
to slum dwellers by September as their constructions have
already been completed.
The flats were built by Delhi State Industrial Infrastructure
Development Corporation (DSIIDC) in Bawana, Narela and
Bhorgah area with financial assistance from the Union Urban
Development Ministry under the JNNURM scheme.
The meeting also gave its nod for construction of a working
women hostel at Jhilmil Colony in East Delhi at an estimat-
ed cost of Rs 3.74 crore. SR
8TkII EFTE Q hEw 0ELh
A
s long power cuts returned
to haunt the residents in
the sweltering heat, Delhi
Government on Saturday said
it was making sincere efforts to
make available enough elec-
tricity during the summer.
Senior officials in power
department said discoms have
tied up with various generating
plants for 6,100 mega watts of
electricity as they expect a rise
in demand in peak summer
months.
The current power
demand has been fluctuating
between 4,200 MW to 4,600
MW. The maximum demand
had gone little over 5,600 MW
last summer. The discoms are
not buying any costly power
from gas stations and liquid
fuel stations of NTPC and
have tied up with reasonably
cheaper sources in the interests
of Delhi consumers, said the
officials. Several areas in the
city witnessed power curs rang-
ing from one to three hours in
the last few days.
The Government of Delhi
is committed to ensure 24x7
power supply to the citizens of
Delhi, said the officials. They
said government has directed
the private power distribution
companies to attend to the
local faults so that power cuts
does not take place for longer
duration.
During summer, it is pos-
sible that due to ambient tem-
perature which keeps on rising
in summer, the machines, con-
ductors or wires are suscepti-
ble to incur tripping and faults.
Apart from this the Discoms
normally take few minutes in
changing over the lines and
supply wherever there occurs
any tripping on account of
technical reasons, he said.
New Delhi: In a move to go
green, the BSES Yamuna
Power Limited (BYPL) has
shifted to using solar power
in its offices. The power
distribution company has
installed solar panels at 9 of
its offices. Besides, it has also
i niti ated a Renewabl e
Energy Assi sted Pump
(REAP) project which along
with solar power is expect-
ed to generate nearly 450
KW of energy.
Solar panels will be
installed at the car parking
area of BYPLs head office in
Karkardooma and other
office locations. These will
generate over 355 KW of
solar power. In addition, 88
solar pumps will help it to
harness an additional 100
KW power, said Ramesh
Narayanan BYPL CEO. SR
Honours stuoents
can exlore anotler
sulject for masters
8TkII EFTE Q hEw 0ELh
A
body of an unidentified
woman was recovered
from Dwarka North area of
south west Delhi on Saturday.
The Police Control Room
received a call regarding the
body that was lying abandoned
in an isolated place around 4
pm, said a police official.
A team of police reached
to the spot. Her body has been
preserved at the hospital mor-
tuary for postmortem, he said.
Police said that there were
several marks of scratches all
over her body. Her clothes
were torn and hands were tied.
So far investigations have
revealed that prima facie, she
was strangled to death. Several
injury marks pointed that she
fought with the accused. The
postmortem report of the
deceased is awaited. The sur-
rounding area around the spot
was searched but no card or
paper found to get details on
her identity, said the police.
Police refused to reveal
more information and said
that the case is being probed
and it will be too early to say
whether it was a case of raped.
khI8k FkVEEh QhEw 0ELh
U
nder the new format of the Delhi University, student can
explore one more subject for masters apart from
Discipline-I Course, the major subject in which he/she would
be enrolled for the Honours Degree. The Discipline-II Course
which is compulsory to opt for after the Honours subject would
reserve another choice for the eligibility of a masters degree.
It could also be a package of two more subjects to study dur-
ing the four-year degree.
There are 20 papers of Discipline-I Course and six papers of
Discipline-II Course. After clearing the 20 papers of DC-I, the
student will obtain an Honours degree and take admission for
the masters in the same subject. But now if a student clears six
papers of the DC-II in a particular subject he/she will be eligi-
ble to do masters in it as well.
Earlier students were restricted to do masters in the same
subject which they did their honours in but now in order to
increase the flexibility the DC-II paper could be kept as second
option. They will be eligible to do masters in this subject only after
they clear all the six papers compulsorily in the chosen subject.
For example, a student with Physics as DC-I can opt for Chemistry
as DC-II and will eventually be eligible to do masters in either
of the subjects, said Virender Bhardwaj, an AC member.
A student who wishes to explore two different subjects
instead of doing all six papers in one subject also has the option
to divide it. In DC-II, a student has to do three papers in botany
and three in Zoology. However, the option for getting eligible
to do masters in these subjects will not be there. These options
have been given to give flexibility of choice to students in high-
er education. It was discussed in the Academic Council meet-
ing as well, he added.
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itting in front of
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heW eIhi: A ouryearold girl
was sexually assaulled by her
24yearold neighbour in his
house, olice said on Salurday.
The accused is on lhe run.
"The viclim lives in
Seemauri area in easl 0elhi.
her alher lold olice on Friday
lhal his daughler had been
hysically assaulled by a Fanna
lale in Thursday evening," a
olice oicer said.
her alher said lhal Fanna,
who is unemloyed, lured his
daughler lo his room. when
she relurned home, she was
crying. A case has been
regislered and leam has been
ormed lo nab Fanna. 5
u|iJ||i|iJ
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|uu|J i| W+||+
Govt says efforts on
to ensure zero loao
sleooing in city
isrom does
noI use poWer
iI suppIies!
Sleila slams olice for oling nose into illegal constructions
60vt t0 c0astr0ct I0W
c0st fIats f0r Fw8
Spurned man tries
to kill self, fails
MUNRKA MURDERER HELD N UP
CM wants clear demarcation of jurisdiction
00F f0r 00's scIeace c00rses
FOURYEAPUGPPOGPAMME
nation 06
NEW DELH SUNDAY MAY 12, 2013
Guwahati: Forest officials in
Assams Kaziranga National
Park found two carcasses of
one-horned rhinos from two
locations, officials said on
Saturday.
Park director NK Vasu said
the carcasses were spotted by
forest guards on Friday. Horns
of both rhinos were missing,
which indicates that it was a
case of poaching, Vasu said.
With this, the number of
rhinos poached this year has
risen to 19.
Forest officials said one of
the carcasses was found near
Borkata in Bagori forest range.
The other was recovered from
near the Noloni anti-poaching
camp in Agaratoli range.
Park officials said the rhi-
nos were killed a few days ago.
The Assam government
had handed over cases of rhino
poaching to the Central Bureau
of Investigation. Nearly 130
one-horned rhinos have been
killed by poachers in Assam in
the last decade. IANS
From page 1
The Taliban vowed more
attacks on Saturday. The threats
forced most political parties to
confine themselves to limited
public canvassing and to go for
appeals through electronic
media.
A staggering 75,000 securi-
ty personnel, including 5,000
troops were deployed for sensi-
tive polling stations in Taliban-
dominated restive areas in
northwest, to ensure smooth
voting. Whereas, women were
stopped from voting at some of
the polling stations in Punjab
and the Taliban stronghold in
the northwestern tribal district
of North Waziristan, reports
said. Not a single woman cast
her vote in Sahiwals polling sta-
tion number 15 where a total of
645 women were registered. It
is a tradition of the villagers to
bar women from voting, one
which was started by tribal
elders 35 years ago, the Dawn
reported. Sahiwal is located in
Pakistan's Punjab province.
The Election Commission
had extended the voting time by
one hour till 6 pm (local time)
as large number of voters were
seen standing in queues to
exercise their franchise.
A total of 4,670 candidates
contested for the 342-member
National Assembly while near-
ly 11,000 are running for the
four provincial assemblies in
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab,
Sindh and Baluchistan.
The main contenders are
the PPP, which has been ruling
the country, PML-N led by for-
mer Prime Minister Nawaz
Sharif and Pakistan Tehrik-e-
Insaf headed by cricketer-
turned-politician Imran Khan.
The Election Commission
termed the turnout as very
good across the country in gen-
eral without specifying the pre-
cise figure. The process of
counting of votes began as
polling closed and the trends are
expected by Sunday morning.
Malala Yousufzai, teenage
rights activist who was shot in
the head by the Taliban, also
appealed to people to exercise
their franchise, saying one vote
can change Pakistan's future.
While, former Prime
Minister and PML-N chief
Nawaz Sharif cast his ballot and
said he was confident of receiv-
ing good news about his vic-
tory. President Asif Ali Zardari
cast his vote for Pakistan's gen-
eral election through postal
ballot, the presidential
spokesman has said. Meanwhile,
Pakistan's right-wing Jamaat-e-
Islami (JI) party decided to
boycott the general elections
claiming massive rigging and
mismanagement at several
polling stations.
From page 1
He asked the Prime Minister and
UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi whether
any place was left for ethics and princi-
ples in politics or will ministers step down
only after the Supreme Court makes
adverse comments (against them).
The principal Opposition has
also decided to hold a meeting of its
national executive in Goa between
June 7 and 9 to draw future pro-
grammes against the UPA. The party
i s al s o prepar i ng a Vi si on
Document to inform people about
t hi ngs t hat a f ut ure NDA
Government would deliver.
Our campaign will be positive. The
vision document is being prepared and
when unveiled it will let people know
positives the BJP will deliver, Singh said.
The BJP chief also appealed to Uttar
Pradesh-based Samajwadi Party and
the Bahujan Samaj Party to withdraw
support to the UPA in the absence of
which they will be held equally respon-
sible for the misdeeds of the Congress-
led coalition.
After the DMK and the TMC walked
out of the UPA, the Congress-led alliance
survived on outside support from 43 MPs
of these two parties.
Singh also echoed Leader of
Opposition Sushma Swarajs view that
Parliament could have functioned prop-
erly and important legislations passed, if
the resignations of Bansal and Kumar
had come earlier.
We want the Food Security Bill and
Land Acquisition Bill to be debated and
passed with some amendments, he reit-
erated.
wu|| 1u|| |+|J i| + (uu uu|iJ + pulli| |+|iu| i| ll+|+|+J, u| S+|u|J+]
AP
V 1kYkk1 Q K0Ch
I
nvigorated by the imminent
assumption of office by a
Congress Government in
Karnataka and expecting sup-
port for their bid from the
Congress in that State, politi-
cal parties in Kerala lobbying
for Islamist leader Abdul
Nasser Madani, lodged in a
Bangalore prison as an accused
in the 2008 bombings case,
have started lobbying for
ensuring his release.
The first party in Kerala to
start pro-Madani lobbying is
none other than the Congress
leading the nine-party ruling
UDF and the strategy adopt-
ed to ensure the PDP chair-
mans release is pivoted on the
old method of raising issues of
his ill-health and the need for
compassionate approach to
his case.
Kerala Chief Minister
Oommen Chandy and State
Congress president Ramesh
Chennithala have already
made their intentions known
by saying they would do every-
thing possible from within
the limitations for helping
Madani. Muslim League, the
second biggest constituent of
the UDF, declared its support
to the attempts in this regard
on Saturday.
Observers feel that shock-
ing reversals in the
Prosecutions stand in the
courts could be seen now as the
minority cell of the Karnataka
Congress party has said that its
approach towards the matter
could be different from that of
the BJP. Dont be surprised if
strange things happen in the
Bangalore bombings case now,
said a senior lawyer of the
Kerala High Court.
Madani, 48, has been
lodged at the Parappana
Agrahara prison outside
Bangalore for the past 32
months as 31st accused in the
2008 Bangalore bombings case.
He was arrested on August 17,
2010 by a team of Karnataka
Police amidst a weeklong secu-
rity drama from Anvarssery, his
operational headquarters in
Kollam district.
We will ask the Congress
government in Karnataka (to
be installed on Monday) to take
a humanitarian approach
towards Madani. That has
always been our stand, Keralas
Congress party chief
Chennithala said in Alappuzha
the other day. Law will, of
course, take its course. But we
feel that there should be a
humanitarian approach, said
Chennithala.
Chief Minister Chandy has
already said that everything
possible would be done for
ensuring humanitarian help
for Madani from within lim-
itations. Chandy had a few
months ago discussed with
(outgoing BJP Chief Minister)
Jagadish Shettar to speed up
Madanis trial and to give him
due medical treatment.
Senior Muslim League
leader ET Muhammad Basheer
MP said in Chennai on
Saturday that his party would
hold discussions (with the con-
cerned authorities) on the issue
of Madanis release once a
Congress Government took
charge in Karnataka. Basheer
said the Muslim League would
hold talks with the Congress
leadership on the matter.
Analysts say that Kerala
could now see a rush of parties,
including those from the Left
combine, to declare support for
Madani and to demand
humanitarian consideration
for him. Such a campaign was
witnessed early this year after
reports about deterioration in
Madanis health condition.
The minority cell of the
Karnataka Pradesh Congress
Committee has reportedly
decided to consider the legal
steps that could be taken to
help Madani and to review the
position adopted by the out-
going BJP government on the
matter. It has also said that
appropriate steps would be
taken at the appropriate time in
the issue of Madanis bail.
According to sources in
the PDP, lawyers working for
Madani in Bangalore are con-
fident that the new Congress
government to be installed in
Karnataka might take some
positive steps. Congress
leaders in Bangalore have
already assured that they
would have a different stand-
point in the Madani issue from
that of the BJP, said a PDP
functionary.
The Kerala Legislative
Assembly had in 2006 unani-
mously passed a resolution
seeking the release of Madani
on humanitarian grounds from
the Coimbatore prison where
he had been lodged since 1999
for his alleged role in the 1998
Coimbatore serial blasts. He
was released on August 1, 2007
after acquittal in the case.
keraIa artIes start hI4 f0r Ma4aaI reIease
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T
he Trinamool Congress
continued to fire salvos at
the Congress holding it respon-
sible for unleashing a reign of
corruption.
Picking up from where
Bengal Chief Minister Mamata
Banerjee left on Friday vowing
at a public rally to uproot the
Congress both from Delhi
and Bengal senior Trinamool
l eader Saugata Roy on
Saturday said both former
Law and Railway Ministers
had mud on their faces.
On whether the Congress
had managed to repair some
of the damages in the Railway
bribery case and the CBI con-
troversy by getting Railway
Mi ni ster Pawan Kumar
Bansal and Law Minister
Ashwini Kumar to resign,
Roy said, they have resigned
a little late without grace and
with mud on their face
adding his party had always
pursued the issue because it
was against corruption.
The Chief Minister had on
Friday vowed to erase the
Congress from Bengal and
take all such measures neces-
sary to see the party lose in the
general elections.
Meanwhile, in an unre-
lated development Bengal
Panchayat Minister Subrota
Mukherjee on Saturday said
that the Government would
move the Supreme Court if
its appeal to throw out the
Calcutta High Court order
on conducting of panchayat
elections fell through in the
Division Bench.
On the single Bench order
asking the Government to
comply with all the direc-
tions of the State Election
Commission regarding the
holding of panchayat elec-
tions, Mukherjee said that
even God could not imple-
ment the un-implementable
order passed by the Court
adding if need be and if we
do not get justice even in the
Division Bench we will move
the Supreme Court.
Mukherjees statements
had implications of inordi-
nately delaying the rural elec-
tions, State Congress leader-
ship said.
Madani has
been lodged at
the Parappana
Agrahara prison
outside
Bangalore for
the past S2
months as S1st
accused in the
2008 Bangalore
bombings case
Lucknow: Eminent classical
singer and Thumri expo-
nent Girija Devi was admitted
to a hospital in Varanasi after
the 85-year-old took ill, com-
plaining of severe stomach
ache, family members said on
Saturday.
The Thumri
queen started
vomiting at her
Sanjay Nagar res-
idence in
Varanasi on
Friday evening.
She was taken to
Sir Sunderlal
Hospital at
Banaras Hindu
U n i v e r s i t y
(BHU), where
she was admit-
ted and several tests were con-
ducted on her.
Family members said that
Girija Devi had complained of
pain after which doctors
advised some tests which con-
cluded that she had infection in
the gall bladder.
Doctors say she was out of
danger and that a surgery
would be performed on her
after the bouts of vomiting sub-
side and the infection in the
bladder is
cleared.
Her disci-
ples and fans
made a beeline
to meet her.
Girija Devi
from the
Banaras gharana
(school) has
been credited
with preserving
and elevating
the Thumri
form of Indian
classical singing and her reper-
toire includes the semi-classical
genres Kajri and Chaiti.
She was awarded the
Padma Shri and Padma
Bhushan. IANS
Classioal singor
Giri|a in hospital
TMC ires resh salvos al Cong
Kolkata: In what could lead the June 2 Howrah parliamen-
tary by-elections to a photo-finish of sorts the State BJP has
nominated former State party president and a political
heavyweight professor Ashim Kumar Ghosh as its candidate.
Ghosh is likely to file his nominations on Tuesday a BJP
release said.
With the BJPs coming into the fray the Howrah polls turn
out to be a four-cornered affair with all the four major par-
ties Trinamool Congress, Congress, CPI(M) and BJP decid-
ing to try their lucks. PNS
shIm 6h0sh Is 81F caa4I4ate
Ia 0Wrah l0k 8ahha hy0II
From page 1
The weapon used in the
offence was also recovered from
the spot. Both the bodies have
been sent for post-mortem
examination and the exact tim-
ing of both the deaths would be
known only after forensic
experts give their opinion,
Mittal said.
Gurgaon Police is investi-
gating the case from four dif-
ferent angles. They are investi-
gating whether it was a suicide
pact by the duo? Whether one
of them first shot the other and
then committed suicide? Who
was the first to be killed? What
was the extreme provocation
that led the duo to enter into a
suicide pact and end their lives?
Police suspect that it was
Geeta Sharma who first shot
Inspector Dutt and then ender
her life. The trajectory of the
bullets on both the bodies indi-
cates this.
Police say that Geeta
Sharma had a shady past as she
was arrested by Delhi Police
Crime Branch on charges of
forgery. She had issued forged
verification letters on behalf of
the Intelligence Bureau (IB).
Geeta Sharma, who ran a detec-
tive agency from her house, was
in-fact released from Tihar jail
last week only.
Joint Commissioner of
Gurgaon Police, Maheshwar
Dayal said that both the bodies
were discovered from Geeta
Sharmas's house on Saturday
morning. Preliminary investi-
gations have revealed that the
incident took place between
one am to and four am on the
intervening night of Friday and
Saturday.
Police officials said that
Inspector Dutt and Geeta
Sharma were right handed and
the manner in which the bullets
have pierced through their tem-
ples indicates that it was Geeta
Sharma who first killed
Inspector Dutt and then shot
herself dead. Sharma had on her
right temple. Geeta Sharma's
body was found over the body
of Inspector Dutt's body. Geeta
Sharma was unhappy since
Dutt never visited her when she
was lodged in Tihar jail for three
weeks. It was here the seeds of
distrust were sown, police
sources said.
Inspector Dutt, who joined
Delhi Police in 1991 as Sub-
Inspector was one of the chosen
ones who were inducted into the
Special Cell in 1994. With the
demise of Inspector Dutt Delhi
Police has lost a ' Master
Investigator' who could crack
any code and track down
Internet Protocol (IP) address-
es, Voice Over Internet Protocol
(VOIP) and intercept calls
emanating from any part of the
country.
He was one of the ace
investigators who cracked the
dastardly December 13, 2001
Parliament attack case. He is
also credited with identifying
the hidden network of Indian
Mujahideen (IM) and many of
its operatives were arrested after
Special Cell launched the crack-
down on IM's Pan India net-
work.
Inspector Dutt was also
investigating the sensation hack-
ing of the two websites "ame-
thi.net" and 'raebareli.net.
Amethinet and raebareli were
created specifically to address
the constituents of the Congress
President Sonia Gandhi and
Vice President Rahul Gandhi.
Inspector Dutt was part of
the team under ACP Rajbir
Singh and Inspector Mohan
Chand Sharma and was instru-
mental in many successful oper-
ations. With his death, Delhi
Police have lost one of the wiz-
ards in deciphering codes of ter-
rorist outfits, one of his col-
leagues lamented.
!elli Police ace sleutl, lover...
Salem: In a shocking incident,
an 80-year-old woman was
allegedly raped by a 41-year-old
man following which she was
admitted to a hospital in a seri-
ous condition.
The woman, a widow, is
battling for life at a government
hospital here, police said on
Saturday.
The accused
Palanivel, a vegetable
vendor, of Malliyakari in
the district was detained
by the local people and
handed over to police who
arrested him and slapped a
rape case.
According to police, the
woman was living alone at
Gopalapuram in Malliakari.
Around midnight on Friday,
Palanivel, who has two wives
and four children, went to the
victims house and asked for
water, but she refused.
Suddenly, he forced his
way into the house, alleged-
ly raped her and bit her pri-
vate parts.
Local residents called
an ambulance and rushed
the woman to Attur
Government Hospital from
where she was shifted to
Mohan Kumaramangalam
Medical College Hospital here.
Doctors said the condition
of the woman was critical.
PTI
80year0I4 W0maa
rae4 Ia IamII 8a40
Aizawl: Thunderstorm and
landslides have claimed eight
lives, rendered 11 missing
and left 25 others injured in
the state capital, police said on
Saturday.
Nine houses in Laipuitland
locality here were swept away
in a massive landslide early on
Saturday morning, killing eight
persons, superintendent of
police (traffic) Lallianmawia,
who was supervising the rescue
work, said. Eleven persons
were missing and 9 others
injured in the landslide, he said.
Rescue work was underway
with volunteers and policemen
searching the debris for bodies
and survivors, he said. PTI
FIhEE hEW8 8EVI6E Q hY0ERABA0
T
elugu Desam Party suffered a setback on Saturday
with senior party leader and former Minister
Kadiam Srihari quitting the party in protest against
partys ambivalent stand on Telangana issue.
Srihari, who was also the party politburo member,
decided to resign after consultations with his follow-
ers in Warangal district. While TDP leadership was
shocked by the developments, other parties grabbed
the opportunity to woo the strong leader from Dalit
community.
Srihari was keeping a low profile in the party for
quite some time and did not participate in the recent
public meetings marking the successful completion of
the walkathon by party president N Chandrababu
Naidu.
TDP leaders from Telangana region specially
Warangal district were quick to condemn Kadiam
Sriharis resignation. Another Dalit leader of the
party M Narasimhlu said that Kadiam Srihari was a
covert agent of other parties in Telugu Desam Party and
had harmed the partys interest.
Former Minister and party MLA from Warangal
E Dayakar Rao said that any body who leaves the party
will damage himself and no harm will come to the party
by Sriharis resignation.
Other party leaders recalled that earlier another
senior party leader from Telangana region T Devender
Goud had also quit the party ahead of 2009 elections
but could not make any impact and had to return to
the party.
Many party leaders and MLAS have quit the TDP
in the recent past criticizing Chandrababu Naidus
unclear stand on Telangana issue. They include N
Janardhan Reddy and T Harishwar Reddy.
8ethack f0r I0F:
ka4Iam 8rIharI g0Its
arty 0ver IeIaaaaa
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J+J, !! |ii|
Ikh8 Q K0LKATA
P
olice have unearthed prop-
erty worth C750 crore so far
by quizzing chit fund-aided
Saradha Groups arrested pro-
moter Sudipa Sen and his top
aides, an official said on
Saturday. Six motorcycles with
red beacons and hooters alleged-
ly used by companys officials to
carry cash was also seized.
The bikes were found in a
garage of Saradha Group office,
police sources said.
Meanwhile, the Justice
(retd) Shyamal Sen inquiry
commission constituted by the
West Bengal Government to
probe the Saradha Group scam
and recommend ways of return-
ing money to the depositors, was
being flooded with complaints.
An official said around
60,000 complaints have been
received from investors and
agents, who have been pouring
in not only from across West
Bengal, but from adjoining
states as well. It will receive
complaints until June 29.
A commission official said
it was taking complaints not
only from investors and agents
of Saradha group, but also
from other such companies.
"This is as per the terms of ref-
erence."
With Sen being grilled in
police custody, the sleuths con-
tinued to find more assets.
We have so far unearthed
assets valued at C750 crore by
grilling Sen, said Deputy
Commissioner of Police Arnab
Ghosh of Bidhannagar
Commissionerate, which is
probing what is being regard-
ed as the biggest financial scam
to rock West Bengal.
During the day, police per-
sonnel from Joynagar in South
24 Parganas district interrogat-
ed Sen and his confidant Debjani
Mukherjee in connection with a
cheating case filed against them
by some depositors.
A couple of days back the
sleuths had summoned for
questioning a former official of
the Reserve Bank of India who
during his days with the apex
bank is said to have given
some undue facilities to Sen.
A police source said names
of some officers of Securities
and Exchange Board of India,
Income Tax department, banks,
and other central and state gov-
ernment agencies have cropped
up following Sen's interroga-
tion. Some of them have
already been questioned. We
are tallying their replies with
the information given by Sen.
Sleuths have also stum-
bled on 40 acres of land owned
by Sen in Shimla.
Sen, Mukherjeee and
another senior official of the
Group were arrested April 23
from Sonmarg in Jammu and
Kashmir, days after the Group
collapsed, unable to repay lakhs
of depositors most of them
poor people from villages and
small towns who had parked
their hard earned money with
its companies, lured by promise
of huge returns.
Already, a number of and
depositors of Saradha and sim-
ilar chit fund companies have
committed suicide, while
offices of a large number of
such dubious concerns operat-
ing in the state have been
attacked.
Even on Saturday, an office
of a chit fund company was
ransacked by depositors at
Pandabeshwar of Hooghly dis-
trict for allegedly cheating and
siphoning of funds.
Police unearth C750 crore
assets of Saradha chief
I, Shoheb Mohammad S/o
Jalaluddin R/o House 632,
Rang Mahal Ganj, Mir Kha
Chandni Mahal, Darya Ganj,
New Delhi-110002, have
changed my name spelling as
Shoaib Mohd.
PD(5338)C
I, Mohammad Suhil S/o
Mohammad Akil R/o House
No. 709, Gali Hakeem
SharifuddinHaveli AzamKhan
Bazar, Chitli Qabar Jama
Masjid, Delhi-6, have changed
my name Mohd Suheil Ansari.
PD(5339)C
I, Kurshid Atkar S/o Altaf
Hussain R/o House No. 2434,
Gali Abdul Qadir behind G.B.
Road, Delhi-110006. have
changed my name Khursheed
Akhtar for future.
PD(5340)C
I, Roy Sumita Sunil Kumar
W/o Ashok Kumar Mukharji
R/o B-144, Kendriya Vihar,
Sector-51, Noida, Distt. G.B.
Nagar, havechangedmyname
Sumita Mukharji for all pur-
poses.
PD(5341)A
CHANGE OF NAME
nation 07
NEW DELH SUNDAY MAY 12, 2013
Fh8 Q hEw 0ELh
E
xternal Affairs Minister
Salman Khurshid has said
that India has given a counter
proposal to China for Border
Defence Cooperation
Agreement (BDCA).
China has proposed some-
time back a proposal for Border
Defence Cooperation
Agreement...We have also given
our suggestions, said Khurshid,
who returned from his two-day
visit to Beijing on Saturday in
the backdrop of deep Chinese
incursion in Ladakh.
The Minister said that
India has also given a counter
proposal to BDCA and both
countries were examining these
proposals. Khurshid, however,
refrained from divulging any
further details on the Indian
proposal. He also clarified that
the proposals were not meant
to replace any existing ones.
Khurshid, said, for the first
time, China has shown sensi-
tivity towards Indias demand
for expanding mechanism to
deal with issues pertaining to
trans-border rivers.
Under BDCA, China had
proposed expansion of friend-
ly contacts and more commu-
nication between the troops of
the two sides on the ground,
which would help avoid any
misunderstanding or flare-up
along the Line of Actual
Control (LAC).
On the recent incursion by
Chinese troops in Daulat Beg
Oldi sector, Khurshid asserted
that he flagged the issue at the
three-hour long meeting with
his counterpart Wang Yi on
Thursday. Khurshid said both
sides had expressed satisfac-
tion over the fact that the
stand-off in Ladakh was
resolved peacefully through
existing mechanisms.
We said that we both need
to do analysis of why it hap-
pened. And while all this is
going on, we can improve our
attempts and our ability to
resolve the larger issue, which
we finally have to resolve, said
Khurshid.
We did not do any post-
mortem and we were not
apportioning blame, he added.
He said, India also flagged the
need to expand or set up a sep-
arate mechanism to deal with
issues pertaining to trans-bor-
der rivers.
Khurshid said the 16th
round of talks between the
Special Representatives on the
boundary question was sched-
uled to take place in the next
two months. He said China had
appointed the former Foreign
Minister and top diplomat
Yang Jiechi as the new SR to
succeed recently retired former
State Councillor Dai Bingguo,
who chaired the previous
round with National Security
Adviser Shivshankar Menon.
For the first time, India has
seen some movement with
China assuring that it was
committed to ensuring that
Indias rights were not harmed,
he said.
hEEk1 kMk Q FAThA
D
ropping hints at according special
status to Bihar, Union Finance
Minister P Chidambaram has said that
Bihar will certainly be declared a back-
ward State once a high level commit-
tee completes the task of revisiting the
criteria fixed for the purpose.
Chidambarams statement assumes
a special significance against the back-
drop of the fact that the Chief Ministers
claim for the special category will get
an unprecedented boost once the State
gets the backward status.
Chidambaram was in Bihar on a
one-day visit to attend two separate
meetings on proposed Nalanda
International University and State
Level Bankers Committee (SLBC) at
Rajgir in Nalanda district.
Later, he told newspersons in
Patna that the Centre would announce
constitution of a committee for the pur-
pose of revisiting the criteria fixed for
declaring a state backward in the next
few days. The sub-committee, to be
headed by the Chief Economic Adviser,
Raghuram Rajan, will be asked to sub-
mit its report in one month.
Sitting next to Nitish Kumar who
had earlier showered praise on the
Union Finance Minister for his pos-
itive approach on the special status to
Bihar, P Chidambaram said that he and
Nitish Kumar discussed various issues
pertaining to development of the State.
Speaking on the proposed Nalanda
International University, Chidambaram
informed that the Centre will spend Rs
2,154 crore over the next 10 years for
the growth of the university.
He said that ruins of the Nalanda
University should be declared as
World Heritage site and he will take
up the matter with the Union Culture
Ministry in this regard.
On banks performance in Bihar,
Chidambaram said that commercial
banks have started taking steps for the
growth of the State during the last few
years but still he is not fully satisfied
with their achievements.
In all, 750 new branches of com-
mercial banks will be opened in
Bihar during 2013-14 against 410 new
branches inaugurated during 2012-13.
Besides sanctioning education
loans to meet the growing demand,
banks have also been asked to dis-
tribute 11 lakh Kisan Credit Cards
among beneficiaries in the state.
On the chit fund scam in the
country, the Union Finance Minister
said that the government is ready for
a CBI probe into the scam, adding that
Kolkata High Court is already hear-
ing a case in this regard,
If Kolkata High Court agrees, the
government will order a CBI probe
into the scam. He said that state gov-
ernments have the responsibility for
monitoring activities of the chit fund
companies.
P Chidambaram also visited the
state Congress headquarters, Sadaquat
Ashram where the senior Congress
leader Prem Chandra Mishra sub-
mitted a memorandum to him, seek-
ing adequate grants for the centrally
sponsored schemes.
Fh8 Q hEw 0ELh
A
re the Railway and Law
Ministries in UPA-II jinxed
portfolios? It looks like if one
goes by the record that four
years of UPAs second avatar
has seen six Railway Ministers
and four Law Ministers.
On Saturday, a day after
Pawan Bansal put in his papers,
Surface Transport Minister CP
Joshi got the additional charge
of Railway Minister for the sec-
ond time. Mamata Banerjee as
the first Railway Minister of
UPA-II in May 2009 quit exact-
ly two years later in 2011 after
her party ousted CPI(M) in
West Bengal and the Trinamool
boss moved to Kol katas
Writers Building.
The Ministry remained
with her party and Dinesh
Trivedi was appointed Railway
Minister on July 12 that year.
Before he could complete a year
in the Rail Bhawan, Banerjee
made him quit in March 2012
for presenting an anti-people
Budget.
Banerjees trusted aide
Mukul Roy was brought in as
the Railway Minister on March
20 and exactly a year and half
later he had to resign following
Trinamools decision to walk
out of the UPA on FDI in
multi-brand retail issue.
The portfolio returned to
the Congress after a gap of 17
years with CP Joshi getting
additional charge of the
Railways in September 2012.
Considered close to Congress
general secretary Rahul
Gandhi, Joshi lost his addi-
tional charge of the Railway
Ministry to Prime Minister
Manmohan Singh camp fol-
lower Pawan Kumar Bansal.
Then Parliamentary Affairs
Minister, Bansal was shifted to
the Railway Ministry in
October.
In less than seven months
of moving into the Rail
Bhawan, Bansal got embroiled
into a controversy and lost his
job as Railway Minister on
Friday. This paved way for
Joshi getting additional charge
of Railway Ministry for the sec-
ond time in less than a year.
Similarly, Karnataka veter-
an M Veerappa Moily was
appointed as the first Law
Minister of UPA-II on 28 May
2009. Exactly two years later he
was shifted to the Corporate
Affairs Ministry amidst spec-
ulation that his party was not
happy with his performance as
the Law Minister.
Salman Khurshid who
repl aced Moi l y as Law
Minister in May 2011 was
moved out to External Affairs
Ministry exactly a year and
five months later in 2012.
Ashwani Kumar, another con-
fidant of Prime Minister
Manmohan Si ngh, was
brought in as Law Minister in
October 2012 but lost his job
on Friday after his continuity
became untenable against the
backdrop of SCs observation
in Coalgate. The Minister for
Communi cati on and
Technology Kapil Sibal, who
got additional charge of the
Law Ministry of Saturday, is
himself a lawyer.
k6hkhk 1YTI Q hEw 0ELh
A
fter picking holes in the
implementation of the
UPAs flagship rural j ob
scheme, MGNREGA, the
Comptroller Auditor General
(CAG) of India is now all set to
scan the functioning of the
C15,184 crore Indira Awas
Yojna (IAY) that aims to pro-
vide houses to poor families in
rural areas.
According to a senior offi-
cial in the Union Rural
Development Ministry, the
performance of the Central
rural housing scheme for the
period from 2008-09 to 2012-
13 being implemented in 28
States and five Union
Territories will be under the
CAGs radar.
The CAG will be con-
ducting field visits and field
audits as well as scrutiny of
records/documents pertaining
to implementation of lAY in 28
States and five UTs. Since the
Performance Audit envisages
physical verification by way of
joint inspection to be con-
ducted by the teams consisting
of audit officials as well as offi-
cials from the State
Governments, we have asked
them to ensure all cooperation
to the agency, he said.
Under the Centrally spon-
sored scheme, the funding is
shared between the Centre and
the State Government in the
ratio of 75:25. Under the
scheme, a rural poor family can
avail assistance of C75,000 to
construct a dwelling unit.
This is for the first time
that the housing scheme is
being brought under the lens of
the top auditor with Rural
Development Jairam Ramesh
showing his keenness to bring
transparency and cleanliness in
almost all the scheme under
his Ministry.
The CAG audit report on
MGNREGA, which was tabled
in Parliament last month has
brought to fore several irregu-
larities in the implementation
of the scheme where works
amounting to around Rs 4,070
crore were incomplete even
after one to five years of
launching.
The CAG scrutiny is also
likely to reveal lapses in the per-
formance and implementation
of the IAY across the country.
So far, the CAG had been
auditing the implementation of
the Central housing scheme
statewise. For instance, in its
latest report on implementation
of the scheme in Odisha, the
auditor has detected fraud and
several irregularities at the cost
of the beneficiaries.
Fh8 Q hEw 0ELh
L
aw Minister Ashwani
Kumar said on Saturday
that his decision to quit was to
put an end to unnecessary
controversy and in no way did
it imply any wrongdoing on
his part for changing the status
report of CBI in the Coalgate
scam.
Speaking to media a day
after he was asked to resign by
the Prime Minister, Kumar
sought to put the record
straight in order to suggest that
his resignation was fallout of a
political decision. However,
the Supreme Court had found
no fault on his
role in calling for
the CBI report
and making
amends, he reit-
erated.
Resignation
does not imply
wrongdoi ng,
Kumar told
reporters. I have
done so (resign)
to put an end to
an unnecessary
controversy in a
matter which is
before the
Supreme Court and in which
no adverse comments have
been made against me in any
manner whatsoever, said a
statement issued by him during
the day.
Kumar was under fire ever
since he was named by the CBI
Director in an affidavit in the
Supreme Court for calling him
over to share the contents of a
draft Status Report to be tabled
before the Supreme Court.
When the bench headed by
Justice RM Lodha enquired
about the nature of changes, the
CBI Director in yet another
affidavit pointed out that the
heart of the Status Report was
changed as desired by the Law
Minister.
The former Law Minister
said there are certain political
decisions that are considered
necessary and he did what the
Prime Minister and the party
high command thought was
appropriate. When resignation
papers are put they do not, by
any stretch of imagination,
imply any wrongdoing, he
said, when asked whether the
resignation substantiated the
allegation of wrongdoing.
There are certain political
decisions that are considered
necessary...No adverse com-
ments have been made against
meMy conscience remains
clear and I believe that I will
stand vindicated, he said.
To a question whether he
was made a scapegoat by his
Government, Kumar left every-
body guessing by his statement,
People of this country, my
friends who stood by me, many
of you in media and my
esteemed colleagues in the
profession know me for what I
am. I would rather let them
make a judgment.
Kumar said whatever the
Prime Minister and the party
High Command thought fit, as
a loyal foot soldier I have done
and I am proud of the fact that
I am a loyal foot soldier of the
party.
H e
defended the
PM and said,
It is preroga-
tive of the
P r i m e
Minister to
ask his col-
leagues when
to resign and
how to resign,
he said. Some
suppor t ers ,
who had gath-
ered at his
official resi-
dence, raised slogans in support
of Prime Minister Manmohan
Singh and Ashwani Kumar.
Kumars claim that the
apex court made no adverse
comment against him evoked
sharp reactions from
Opposition parties. What
should I say when a former
Law Minister, in spite of sting-
ing observation by the Supreme
Court and affidavit by the CBI
that no minutes were main-
tained, is saying there is no
adverse report, BJP spokesper-
son Ravishankar Prasad report-
edly told a news channel.
CPI leader D Raja termed
Kumars claims as indefensi-
ble. The CBI itself having
admitted there was a meeting
with the Law Minister in which
Joint Secretary-level officials
from the PMO was present. It
is not convincing that Prime
Minister is not aware what
this official was doing from
PMO. So there are many ques-
tions involved and this is not
going to be the end. A thor-
ough investigation will have to
go on, he said.
Fh8 Q hEw 0ELh
C
BI has sent intercepted
phone conversations to the
Central Forensic Science
Laboratory to identify the voic-
es of suspects in the C10 crore
railway bribery scandal before
it questions sacked Railway
Minister Pawan Bansal.
CBI sources
said the agency has
also sought the
opinion of CFSL to
identify the persons
who are part of con-
versations inter-
cepted by the
agency in its sur-
veillance exercise spanning
over two months in which
over 1,000 phone calls were
tapped.
The sources said the
agency is planning to question
Bansal soon and it wants to
ascertain his voice before that.
The CBI also plans to use
these intercepts to further its
investigation into the cash-
for-post scam in which the
nephew of Bansal, Vijay Singla,
and suspended Railway Board
Member Mahesh Kumar were
arrested.
Some of these tapped con-
versations were used by the
agency to seek the remand of
the accused arrested in con-
nection with the bribery scan-
dal. CBI has identified for clos-
er scrutiny 500 phone calls
from out of the 1,000
intercepted calls mainly
among the four arrested
accused.
According to the
tapes, these calls were
among four key players
in the scandal Kumar,
Singla and middlemen
Manjunath and Sandeep Goyal.
There were calls in which
Singla is purported to be assur-
ing Kumar that the work would
be done. Kumar was allegedly
assured that he will get the
lucrative post of Member
(Electrical) in return for pecu-
niary gratification.
Singla was in touch with
Kumar for elevation as
Member (electrical), consid-
ered a lucrative post.
PC hints at special status for Bihar
Aler M0hRE0A,
ndira Awas Yojna
under CA0 scanner
shWaaI 0ts 0a hrave face: '0I4 a0 Wr0a'
kIIWkY MIhI8TE8 IM T
Mamala Banerjee 2G May 2OOO 1O May 2O11
0inesh Trivedi 12 July 2O11 14 March 2O12
Mukul Roy 2O March 2O12 21 Selember 2O12
CF Joshi (Addilional Charge) 22 Selember 2O12 28 0clober 2O12
Fawan Kumar Bansal 28 0clober 2O12 1O May 2O18
CF Joshi (Addilional Charge) 11 May 2O18
IkW MIhI8TE8
veeraa Moily 28 May 2OOO 28 May 2O11
Salman Khurshid 28 May 2O11 28 0clober 2O12
Ashwani Kumar 2O 0clober 2O12 1O May 2O18O511
Kail Sibal 11 May 2O18
u|ui| |i|i||
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+] CPl R+|+
Fh8 Q hEw 0ELh
The Congress on Thursday
slammed the BJP for demand-
ing resignation of Prime
Minister Manmohan Singh
over coal block allocation scam
and said it was reflection of the
frustration of a party whose
agenda has been rejected by
the voters. Several senior
Congress leaders came out to
defend the PM, who is in line
of the Opposition fire after the
exit of Law Minister Ashwani
Kumar.
The Congress leaders
were obviously irked by
senior BJP leader LK
Advanis caustic
remarks that there
was no logic in the
Prime Ministers con-
tinuance.
Having decid-
ed to drop the Law
Minister who was protecting
the Prime Minister, then the
consequences should follow.
The consequence is that the
Prime Minister must resign
now, Advani said.
Rejecting the
demand, Union
M i n i s t e r
M a n i s h
Tewari said,
The logical
culmination
of the peo-
ples verdict
i n
Karnataka
should be a serious, sustained
and sober introspection of the
BJPs policies, politics and phi-
losophy over the past nine
years.
Seeking to turn the tables
on the BJP over its charge of
delay in resignations of Union
Ministers Ashwani Kumar and
PK Bansal, party spokesperson
Bhakta Charan Das asked,
How many months the BJP
had taken to decide over fate
of its former president Nitin
Gadkari, former Karanataka
Chief Minister BS
Yeddyurappa and former
Uttarakhand Chief Minister
Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank,
when their resignations were
sought after corruption
charges.
The BJP has nothing else
to do except demanding res-
ignations, he added.
Another party spokesper-
son Sandip Dikshit said there
was no question of the Prime
Ministers resignation and that
it is one of those fancy
demands of the BJP. It is total-
ly unjustified and uncalled for.
External Affairs Minister
Salman Khurshid also dis-
missed the demand and said,
This is a reason why people
in political life refuse to do
what is morally the right thing
to do because it is not taken in
right perspective. You see it as
a sign of weakness.
Congress general secre-
tary Digvijay Singh, while
describing the resignations of
the two Union Ministers as
appropriate, took a dig at the
BJP sayi ng t hi s has
never been the character of
the BJP.
uFA has gol 2 jinxed Minislries!
The CAG will
be conducting
field visits and
field audits as
well as scrutiny
of recordsj
documents
pertaining to
implementation
of lAY in 28
States and
5 UTs
E/|||+l A||+i| |i|i|| S+l|+| ||u||iJ |+| |+|J Wi|| C|i| S|+|
Cuu|ilu| Y+| 1i|i Ju|i| + ||i| i| Bi|i| u| ||iJ+] (|il p|u|u) Pll
ndia givos oountor proposal or
Bordor Doonoo Co-op Agroomont
8IlwIBRlBERY8080l
CB senos lone
intercets to C!SL
have done so
{resigned] to put an
end to an
unnecessary
controversy in a
matter which is
before the Supreme
Court and in which
no adverse
comments have
been made against
me in any manner
whatsoever
Cu| l+| B1P, J||J ||+||lJ P|
u|iu| |i|+| |i|i|| P C|iJ+||+|+| +|J
Bi|+| C|i| |i|i|| |i|i| |u|+| +| + P|
u|||| i| P+||+ u| S+|u|J+] Pll
moneywise 08 NEW DELH SUNDAY MAY 12, 2013
NFOCUS
FITI 8k1k1 Q hEw 0ELh
E
ven as agriculture forms the
backbone of development,
with 52 per cent of India s work-
force still engaged in agriculture
for its livelihood, farming
remains one of the most non-
lucrative occupation. All efforts
to attain food security and inclu-
sive growth seem to be going
down the drain as farm yields are
going flat and contribution of
agriculture to GDP is on a down
slide at 13.9 per cent.
According to the latest Food
and Agriculture Integrated
Development Action 3 (FAIDA)
report, India has not been able
to reach its potential in agricul-
ture produce and marketing.
Today, our country is the third
largest agriculture producer in
the world but at the same time,
it is a laggard in terms of yield.
Agricultural scientists say that we
produce only half of the poten-
tial yield but the silver lining
behind the dark clouds is that
processing could grow from Rs
1.1 trillion in 2011 to Rs 5.65 tril-
lion by 2030, while India s food
exports could grow from 1.4 tril-
lion in 2011 to Rs 7.72 trillion by
2030.
Most of the times, the poli-
cymakers have been adopting a
piecemeal approach. But the
need of the hour is mission
mode, to achieve the required
growth. As is obvious from the
prevalent state of affairs, where
the government is cash-strapped,
private sector investment is
important. Along with bringing
in public investment in agricul-
ture, there is a need for adding
incentives to agriculture.
While agriculture is the
largest source of livelihood for
the Indian workers, it is pitiable
that a farmer earns merely 30-40
per cent of the nations overall
average per capita income. There
are studies that show a distinct
shift by farmers to the high-value
portfolio in certain areas, where
demand-supply links have been
improved and high yield and
good quality of produce have
allowed successful exports and
meeting the domestic demand as
well.
But generally, it is a sad tale
of the farmers. There is an evi-
dent slowdown in per hectare
yields across most crops, poor
quality of seeds, insufficient
technology, ineffective exten-
sion services, lack of awareness
and adoption of best practice
methods among farmers and low
adoption of the latest technolo-
gy, adversely affecting yields.
Another major aspect which is
leading to flat farm growth is the
use of outdated practices and
inputs with low involvement of
organised sector and unfulfilled
export potential.
According to the FAIDA
report, by 2030, India s per capi-
ta income is expected to increase
by 320 per cent, with food con-
sumption going up to Rs 22.5
lakh crore from Rs 11 lakh crore
in 2010. Vegetables and complex
proteins will be consumed
increasingly but is the country
prepared for this? It is time pol-
icymakers encouraged agri
entrepreneurs, converging tech-
nocrats with agri-business ven-
tures and attained self-suffi-
ciency in food needs and nutri-
tional requirement of the coun-
try.
!arm otential
remains untaeo
According to the
latest Food and
Agriculture
ntegrated
Development
Action S {FADA]
report, ndia has
not been able to
reach its
potential in
agriculture
produce and
marketing
Ehk 8khk hET FIIT hkIVE8 T C1Z6.67 6E
Ih 1khMk T
Fublic seclor lender 0ena Bank's roil more lhan halved lo C125.G7
crore in lhe quarler ended March 81 o 2O1218 due lo higher
rovisioning and conlingencies.
The bank had reorled nel roil o C254.7O crore over lhe same
eriod (JanuaryMarch) o lhe revious iscal 2O1112.Bank's
rovisioning and conlingencies rose lo C841.O5 crore in lhe quarler
ended March 2O18 rom C2O1.11 crore over lhe revious quarler a
year ago.
Tolal income o lhe bank during lhe quarler under review (January
March) rose lo C 2,58O.74 crore rom C2,1GG.8G crore a year earlier.
For lhe ull iscal 2O1218, lhe nel roil o lhe bank rose marginally
lo C 81O.88 crore rom C8O8.14 crore in 2O1112.
Tolal income during lhe year rose lo CO,554.85 crore rom C7,87G.8O
crore.Shares o lhe bank closed al C O8.OO aiece on lhe BSE on
Friday, u O.O1 er cenl rom lheir revious close.
1k 6EMEhT Mk6h kTE hET FIIT Wh 30
F6 kT C66 6
Lower sales and higher oulgo on reighl have eroded JK Cemenl's
nel roil by 8O er cenl or lhe quarler ended March 81 al C5G.1O
crore.
The Kanurbased maker o building malerial had clocked C8O.84
crore nel roil aler laxes, minorily inleresl and share o roil o
associales in lhe corresonding quarler o lhe revious iscal, il said
in a BSE iling.hel sales o lhe comany died lo C7G8.81 crore
rom C 8O5.8G crore a year ago.
Tolal exenses, on lhe olher hand, wenl u lo GGO.G8 crore
comared lo CG8O.85 crore, mainly on higher oulgo on
reighl.Freighl charges rose lo C171.1O crore during lhe quarler rom
C148.47 crore, il said.
For lhe ull year 2O1218, JK Cemenl's nel roil, however, increased
lo C 288.54 crore rom C 177.88 crore in 2O1112.
The comany's board o direclors has recommended dividend o C
G.5O er share or 2O1218
NBREF
FTI Q MuSS00RE
S
tate Finance Ministers on
Saturday turned down the
Centre' s request to place
mobile phones and tablets in
the list of declared goods in
the GST regime, saying the
idea is untenable.
The Mi ni str y for
Communi cati on and
Information Technology' s
request for placing mobile
phones and tablets in the
declared goods list came up
for discussions at the meeting
and was rejected, Sushil
Kumar Modi, Chairman of the
Empowered Committee of
State Finance Ministers on
GST, told reporters after the
conclusion of a two-day meet-
ing of the Committee.
"The panel is of the firm
view that the idea is untenable
and no item should be kept in
the declared goods list in the
GST regime," he said.GST
panel says no to placing
mobiles in declared goods list
The Finance Ministers
have gathered here to sort out
complex issues such as tax
rates and exemptions under
the proposed indirect tax
regime.
Modi, who is also the
Deputy Chief Minister of
Bihar, said the GST network
would create a robust infra-
structure for effective imple-
mentation of GST regime.
The IT-enabled GSTN
will provide an interface to
stakeholders and avoid eva-
sion in indirect taxation sys-
tems.
The Empowered
Committee also set up two
important committees, one
to look into taxation of sugar,
textile and tobacco products,
and the other to draft GST
legislation.
Giving the latest VAT rev-
enue position of states, Modi
said Bihar was at the top with
30.5 per cent VAT revenue
gowth followed by Tamil
Nadu with 27.7 per cent and
Gujarat with 26.5 per cent.
However, the panel could
not take a call on revising the
lower VAT rate from 5 per
cent to six per cent, Modi said.
The GST panel decided to
hold a meeting of special cat-
egory states, including Jammu
and Kashmir, by the end of
June or early July to discuss
the implications of the pro-
posed GST regime on them in
view of the fact that they
enjoy a number of tax exemp-
tions due to their special cat-
egory status.
68I aaeI says a0 t0 IacIa
m0hIIes Ia 4ecIare4 004s IIst
Fh8 Q hEw 0ELh
T
he national capital witnessed
entry of as many as 13 major
global retailers in 2012, while
many more are expected to
enter the Indian market with the
Government allowing FDI in
multi-brand retail, according to
property consultant CBRE.
"New Delhi witnessed the
entry of 13 prominent global
retailers in 2012 as compared to
27 in Singapore and 51 in Hong
Kong," CBRE said in a statement.
The new entries in the
Capital was the same as Beijing
and Osaka, as per the CBRE
report on Retail Hotspots in Asia
Pacific.
As many as 24 global retail-
ers entered in Tokyo and 15 in
Ho Chi Minh City, said the
report that aims to identify mar-
kets which have been the most
successful in attracting retailers.
"Hong Kong, Japan and
Singapore top the list of cities for
new retailer entries across Asia
Pacific," report said.
"However, New Delhi
achieved more new entries com-
pared to other South East Asian
markets such as Bangkok, Kuala
Lumpur and Jakarta and has
been characterised as a matur-
ing/emerging retail market in
Asia-Pacific, similar to the likes
of Beijing, Shanghai and Ho Chi
Minh City," it said.
Commenting on the report,
CBRE South Asia Chairman
and Managing Director
Anshuman Magazine said glob-
al retailers are "slowly but sure-
ly" looking at India as a mature
and viable market to expand
their business.
"With Asia Pacific contin-
uing to lure international and
domestic retail chains, India is
poised to witness a retail revo-
lution. With the government
permitting FDI in multi-brand
retail, we can expect more
international retailers to seri-
ously consider the growing
consumer base here," he
added.
!elli witnesseo entry
of 13 new foreign
retailers in 2012
Fh8 Q hEw 0ELh
D
LF, a leading real estate
developer will raise up to
C1,888 crore through sale of 8.1
crore equity shares to institu-
tional investors on May 14.
The issue of shares via insti-
tutional placement programme
(IPP) is being done to meet mar-
ket regulator SEBI's guideline on
minimum 25 per cent public
shareholding by June 30 for pri-
vate sector listed companies.
The company has fixed a
price band of C222-233 per
share for its 8.1-crore share
offer.
In a filing to the BSE, DLF
said "the Equity Issuance
Committee of the Board of
Directors...Has finalised May
14, 2013 as the issue opening
and closing date.
"Further, the floor price has
been finalised at C 222 per equi-
ty share with price band of C222
to C233 per equity share," the fil-
ing added.
Last month, DLF's share-
holders approved the sale of
fresh equity shares to meet mar-
ket regulator Sebi's public share-
holding norms. Promoters have
78.58 per cent stake in the
company as on March 31.
!L! to raise
uto C1,SSS cr
via slare sale,
fixes rice lano
ThE FAhEL S 0F ThE FRM vEw ThAT
ThE 0EA S uhTEhABLE Ah0 h0 TEM
Sh0uL0 BE KEFT h ThE 0ECLARE0
0000S LST h ThE 0ST RE0ME
88hII kMk MI, 6hkIMkh I
ThE EMFWEE 6MMITTEE I
8TkTE IIhkh6E MIhI8TE8 h 8T
world 09 NEW DELH SUNDAY MAY 12, 2013
kF Q TuRKEY
T
wo car bombs exploded in
a Turkish town near the
border with Syria on Saturday,
killing at least 18 people and
injuring more than 22 others,
officials and media reports said.
Interi or Minister
Muammer Guler told private
NTV television that the explo-
sions hit the town of Reyhanli,
just across the border from
Syrias Idlib province. One of
the car bombs exploded out-
side the city hall while the
other went off outside the
post office, he said.
Guler said the number of
injured had risen above 22
people, but he did not specify.
There was no immediate
conf i rmat i on of Syri an
involvement. Turkey, which
shares a more than 500-mile
border with Syria, has been a
crucial supporter of the
Syri an rebel cause and
Ankara has allowed its terri-
tory to be used as a logistics
base and staging center for
Syrian insurgents.
At least 15 ambulances
were helping the injured, the
health ministry said. There
was no immediate information
on the identities of the victims.
Foreign Minister Ahmet
Davutoglu vowed from Berlin
that Turkey would act. Those
who for whatever reason
attempt to bring the external
chaos into our country will
get a response, he said.
kIF Q M0SC0w
T
he International Space
Stations crew prepared for
a precedent-setting spacewalk
on Saturday to try to stop
ammonia leaking into space
from the research laboratorys
power system.
During a spacewalk set to
begin at 1215 GMT, NASA
astronauts Tom Marshburn
and Chris Cassidy will try to
inspect and possibly repair the
ammonia leak that affected
the US segment of the orbiting
laboratory on Thursday.
Officials said the six-hour
spacewalk will set a precedent
because it will be conducted on
such short notice.
Good Morning, Earth! A
complex & vital day on Space
Station, as Tom and Chris suit
up and go outside to help fix
the ammonia leak, ISS com-
mander Chris Hadfield, who
will oversee the spacewalk,
tweeted from the space sta-
tion.Busy day!
In another message sever-
al hours later he said
Marshburn and Cassidy were
in the final stages of readying
the suits and airlock for their
spacewalk.
NASA has stressed that
the lives of a multinational crew
were not in danger but both
Russian and US space experts
called the leak serious.
While in open space,
Cassidy will wear a spacesuit
with red stripes, while
Marshburns suit will have no
stripes, NASA said. Both men
have worked together during
spacewalks before.
Hadfield will oversee the
suit-up of the flight engineers
and their duties outside.
On the ground NASA
astronaut Terry Virts and
European Space Agency astro-
naut Samantha Cristoforetti
conducted a simulated space-
walk in a large pool of water
known as the Neutral
Buoyancy Laboratory to help
refine techniques, the US space
agency said.
Appreciate the incredible
effort from the ground teams
helping us prep for the possi-
ble EVA tomorrow,
Marshburn said on Twitter,
using a specialist term to
describe extra-vehicular
activity.
kIF Q TEhRAh
A
strong earthquake of 6.2
magnitude hit southern
Iran early on Saturday, killing
one child and injuring at least
20 others in remote, moun-
tainous villages, state televi-
sion reported.
The US Geological Survey
registered the quake at 0738
IST, measured at 85 kilometres
(52 miles) southeast of the
town of Minab, located in the
southern Hormuzgan province
and off the Strait of Hormuz.
The quake was registered at
a depth of 36.44 kilometres
(22.64 miles), the USGS said.
A local emergency official
said a two-year-old died of seri-
ous injuries. The child passed
away on route to hospital,
Mohammad Shekari was quot-
ed by the ISNA news agency.
Irans top quake rescue
operations official, Mahmoud
Mozafar, said at least 20 people
had been injured.
Iran sits astride several
major fault lines and is prone
to frequent earthquakes, some
of which have been devastating.
Head of Irans National
Institute for Oceanography
Vahid Chegini said todays
quake was unlikely to spark a
tsunami in the Gulf or the Sea
of Oman.
The chances of a tsunami
because of todays quake are
remote as the quake was
inland, Chegini told the Mehr
news agency.
Mozafar, who heads Irans
Red Crescent rescue corps,
said rescue teams were dis-
patched to Hormuzgans
remote area hit by the quake.
Provincial emergency chief
Hossein Ranjbar told state tele-
vision that some 70 villages had
suffered severe damage in the
quake, which according to
Irans Seismological Centre was
followed by a series of after-
shocks, measuring between 4.1
and 5.2.
FTI Q CAR0
F
ormer Egyptian President
Hosni Mubarak on Saturday
appeared in court for a fresh
trial in cases related to
deaths of nearly 850 pro-
testers during the uprising
against his rule in 2011 as
well as corruption.
His two sons, Gamal
and Alaa, along with for-
mer Interior Minister
Habib El-Adly and six former
aides were also in court to face
the charges.
Mubarak, 85, who was con-
victed in the case in 2012 was
granted a retrial after he filed an
appeal citing procedural irreg-
ularities in the earlier trial.
Mubarak, who ruled Egypt
for nearly 30 years, came into
the courtroom sitting up on a
stretcher dressed in
white and wearing
sunglasses.
The first retrial
which was to start
in April fell apart
after the presiding
judge Mustafa
Hassan Abdullah referred it to
the Cairo Appeal Court,
reported Ahram Online.
Judge Mahmoud Kamel
El-Rashidi will now take over
the proceedings.
Ikh8lIk hV8TI Q M0SC0w
S
uspected ivory poachers
have slaughtered 26 ele-
phants in the Dzanga Bai
reserve in the Central African
Republic, the World Wide
Fund for Nature (WWF) said.
The reserve is known as the
village of elephants.
At least 26 elephants were
massacred in the Dzanga Bai
World Heritage Site in the
Central African Republic, after
17 heavily armed suspected
poachers entered the site on
May 6, the WWF said in a
statement.
Local residents have start-
ed taking meat from the car-
casses at the site, which has
been described now as an ele-
phant mortuary, wildlife offi-
cials said.
Dzanga Bai is a
unique site where
between 50 and
200 forest ele-
phants congregate
every day to drink
mineral salts pre-
sent in the sands.
Wildlife offi-
cials have warned
that more ele-
phants could be
killed by poachers.
The suspected
poachers are believed to be part
of a rebel force that seized
power in the violence-ridden
country in March.
kh kMk Q wAShh0T0h
D
escribing India as its most impor-
tant partner in Asia, the US says the
growing convergence in interests and
outlook has brought about unprece-
dented cooperation on issues ranging
from regional and global security to
counter-terrorism.
President Obama has called our
partnership with India a defining part-
nership for the 21st century, recalled
Assistant Secretary of State Robert
Blake during a talk at Boston
Universitys India Symposium in
Boston, Massachusetts, on Friday.
And as we go about the much-
talked about Asia rebalance, theres no
more important partner for the United
States in the region than India, he said,
according to a copy of the address
released by the State Department.
The growing convergence of our
interests and outlook has brought about
unprecedented cooperation on region-
al and global security, economics and
trade, education, science and technol-
ogy, clean energy, health, and coun-
terterrorism, Blake said.
Indias Minister for Human
Resources Development Pallam Raju
will visit Washington next week to lay
the groundwork for the Higher
Education Dialogue to be held with the
US-India Strategic Dialogue in New
Delhi next month.
We will work together to help
India achieve its ambitious goal to
establish 200 community colleges;
build the next cadre of Americas India
experts; and increase access to higher
education through innovative use of
technology, Blake said.
The commitment by both
Governments to emphasise higher edu-
cation collaboration underscores our
shared belief that education is the
lynchpin of the entrepreneurship and
innovation that will drive our knowl-
edge economies and growth and help
us meet new challenges.
While the US has long been a
favoured destination for Indian students
with over 100,000 new Indian students
coming to the US every year, India
ranks only eleventh among the desti-
nations for American students studying
abroad, he noted.
I want many more Americans to
experience the richness of Indias cul-
ture, the vibrancy of its young people,
and the dynamism of its economy,
Blake said.
The US official said he was very
excited that discussions like ours are
taking place at so many levels, because
both our countries can contribute to one
another, and frankly, can learn from
each other. IANS
26 jumbos massacred in
Central African reserve
GLOBE
TROTTNG TROTTNG
FIITI6Ikh8 EI8TE
I Ikh FEZ k6E
Tehran: ranian eleclion aulhorilies
say several new highroile
olilicians including hardliners,
reormisls, and allies o oulgoing
Fresidenl Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
have regislered or lhe June 14
residenlial eleclions.
8, kIhkh IFIMkT8
MEET h 8E6ITY Fk6T
kabuI: uS 0euly Secrelary o
Slale william Burns mel wilh lhe
Aghan Foreign Minisler in Kabul
on Salurday lo hammer oul lhe
delails o a key acl signed a year
ago lhal deines lhe ulure o lhe
uS commilmenl lo Aghanislan,
amid uncerlainly lhal eilher arly
will be willing or able lo kee lo ils
rovisions.
6 kIIIE Ih hEkVY
kIh8 Ih 6hIhk
8eijing: Six eole have died in
heavy rains which have ballered
soulhern and easlern China over
lhe asl ive days dislacing over
G,OOO residenls and deslroying
cros, oicials said on Salurday.
IhIkhIIh Mkh
8hT Ek Ih MkIkY8Ik
kuaIa Iumpur: A 8Oyearold
ndianorigin businessman has
been shol dead in lhe Malaysian
cily o Alor Selar, local media
reorled. M hagenlhiran, a car
reossessor, suslained lhree
bullels injuries on his body which
was ound al lhe lo loor o lhe
iveslorey building where he
lived, in Taman Selia Jaya area in
lhe cailal cily o lhe Malaysian
slale o Kedah on Friday.
8M8 kIII8 kIhkh
IhTEIIIEh6E III6E
kabuI: An Aghan oicial says a
bomb has killed a senior
rovincial inlelligence oicial al
his home in a remole norlheaslern
corner o lhe counlry. Mohammed
Zahir, sokesman or hurislan's
governor, said lhe rovince's
deuly inlelligence chie Fai/
Mohammed died on Salurday. .
WEIh 6hTVE8Y:
9 8k 6F8 88FEhE
urban: hine oicers o lhe
Tshwane Melro Folice in Soulh
Arica have been susended or
lheir alleged role in a conlroversial
wedding in an ndianorigin amily
earlier lhis monlh. Eighl oicers
were served susension lellers
while lhe ninlh oicer could nol
be served his leller as he is in
hosilal, local media reorled
Salurday.
IkkE FFE ETkIhE I
IkIh IIkE 1hh FkI II
ome: A Slovak slreel erormer
dressed in while aal veslmenls
has been delained and ined by
lhe olice in Rome or bearing loo
close a resemblance lo lhe lale
John Faul , lhe olice said on
Salurday. "The roblem was lhal
he looked a lol like Karol wojlyla.
he was delained or usuralion o
lille which is a misdemeanour," a
olice sokeswoman lold 05?.
hk1I8 FMI8E8 T 8E
FM I kII MkIkY8Ikh8
kuaIa Iumpur: Malaysian Frime
Minisler hajib Ra/ak, who was re
elecled lo a second lerm in oice,
has romised lo work or all
counlrymen regardless o lheir
race, religion, slale or olilical
views. " love my counlry and 'm
roud o how ar we have
rogressed. And know lhal by
working logelher as one nalion,
our besl days are slill lo come,"
he said in his blog.
Mk ZEh'8 kE
FhT IET6hE8 $66,300
8eijing: A rare holo o Mao
Zedong, Chinese Communisl
Farly icon, has been sold or uS
$55,8OO al an auclion signiying
his conlinuing oularily in China,
27 years aler his dealh. A holo
o Mao relaxing in a wicker chair
againsl a scenic backdro o
oular lourisl deslinalion Lushan
Mounlain has elched uS $55,8OO
al auclion on Friday.
l|Ji+ |u| i|pu||+|| p+|||| i| Ai+. uS
lSS | |u| p+W+l| |u ||] |u |i/ +||u|i+ l+|
kIF Q C0L0MB0
S
ri Lanka freed an
Opposition Muslim political
leader from jail without charge
after detaining him earlier in
the week under a tough anti-
terrorism law, his lawyer said
on Saturday.
Azath Sally (49), the for-
mer deputy mayor of Colombo,
was arrested on Sunday and
detained in police custody in
what the minority Muslim
community described as the
latest attack on them in the
Buddhist-dominated island
nation.
Sally, leader of the Muslim
National Unity Alliance, was
released on Friday after author-
ities revoked a 90-day detention
ordered by President Mahinda
Rajapaksa, who is also the
minister of defence, his lawyer
Shiraz Noordeen said.
No charges have been
pressed and he was released
after negotiations with the
defence ministry, Noordeen
said.
A vocal critic of Rajapaksa,
Sally is now in hospital fol-
lowing a hunger strike he
launched in protest over his
arrest under the Prevention of
Terrorism Act.
The United States, which
moved a censure motion
against Sri Lanka at the March
UN Human Rights Council
sessions in Geneva, earlier
asked Colombo to ensure the
opposition leader had access to
lawyers.
Local media reports quot-
ed unnamed officials as saying
Sally was accused of inciting
Muslims to take up arms
against the state a claim his
lawyer denied.
A+|| S+ll] p+| u| p|u| +| +
|upi|+l i| Culu||u u| S+|u|J+] AP
8etrIaI 0f exFytIaa
Fret M0harak heIas
Strong ran quako kills
ohild, oausos damago
18 killed in blasls near TurkishSyrian border
Pupl +||] + Wu|+| i||u|J i| + |l+| i| R]|+|li, |+| lu||] |u|J| Wi||
S]|i+, u| S+|u|J+] AP
Ia4Iaa W0mea
eaterIa
8ahraIa 0a
f0re4 vIsas
Ikh8 Q 0uBA
H
undreds of Indian
women, mainly from the
southern State of Andhra
Pradesh, are entering Bahrain
on forged visit visas to work as
domestic helps, a media report
said Saturday.
Unscrupulous recruit-
ment agents are helping these
women, who mainly come
from poor backgrounds and
are willing to pay a large
amount of money to work in
the Gulf nation, which is caus-
ing a major problem for
Bahraini families, the Gulf
Daily News reported.
These housemaids,
mainly from Andhra Pradesh,
are leaving India based on a
photocopy of a forged visit
visa, an official of the Indian
embassy in Bahrain was quot-
ed as saying.
This is not a valid visit
visa issued by Bahraini
authorities.
The official said
unscrupulous agents in India
make sure that these domes-
tic workers clear the immi-
gration process.
Once they enter Bahrain,
agents there give them legiti-
mate working visas.
The official said these
women mainly come to Bah-
rain to work for a short time.
Based on all the cases
we have dealt with so far,
these women start working
in Bahraini households ini-
tially and after three months
run away and come to us
saying they want to go back,
he said.
J4 |illJ, 9 ||+ppJ i| u+l
|i| +iJ|| i| C|i|+
k1M VkMk Q BEJh0
A
t least 34 miners have
died and nine others
trapped in two separate coal
mine accidents in China, offi-
cials said on Saturday.
Twenty-two miners were
killed and nine others trapped
in a gas explosion in a colliery
in southwest China's Sichuan
Province today, the country's
work safety authorities said.
The accident occurred in
the afternoon in Taozigou coal
mine, Luxian County in the
city of Luzhou when 108 min-
ers were working under-
ground, state-run Xinhua news
agency reported. Rescue work
is underway.
Earlier, 12 miners were
killed and two others injured
in a colliery gas explosion in
southwest China's Guizhou
Province, local authorities said.
The accident happened
on Friday in the Dashan coal
mine in Pingba County when
30 people were in the mine,
according to the Guizhou
Provincial Administration of
Work Safety.
Sixteen miners were lifted
from the pit but ten others
were found dead. PTI
FTI Q SLAMABA0
M
alala Yousufzai, teenage
rights activist who was
shot in the head by the Taliban,
on Saturday appealed to people
to exercise their franchise, say-
ing one vote can change
Pakistans future.
Its an honour for me to
share some words with my sis-
ters and brothers in my coun-
try, Malala said in a letter car-
ried by the Dawn newspaper.
If we want education, elec-
tricity and natural gas in our
country, we must take a step,
the 15-year-old said.
Lets vote for our country.
We never realised how much
powerful our vote is. One vote
can change our future, she said.
Pakistans landmark polls
set in motion the first democ-
ratic transition of power in the
countrys 66-year history.
Its our vote that chooses
which politicians will govern
our motherland. I request all
my sisters and mothers to
move forward, go to polling
station and vote. Its our right,
Malala appealed to the people.
And one day, a change will
come. All girls and boys will be
going to schools and there will
be peace everywhere, she said.
Malala was shot in Pakistans
conservative Swat Valley on
October 9 last year and was air-
lifted to the Queen Elizabeth
Hospital on October 15 for fur-
ther specialist treatment. She
received bullet wounds just
above her left eye. Malala has
undergone two successful oper-
ations to attach a titanium
plate and cochlear implant.
Lanla frees Muslim leaoer
lelo unoer anti-terror law
P+|i|+|i Wu|| li| up uu|iJ + pulli| |+|iu| W+i|i| |u +| ||i| 1u| i| |]J|+|+J u| S+|u|J+] AP
MaIaIa aeaIs t0 FakIstaaIs t0 v0te f0r chaae
Islamabad: A total of 180
million ballot papers weigh-
ing 650 tonnes were used for
Saturdays general elections
in Pakistan.
Security personnel trans-
ported the ballot papers to the
polling booths across the
country. Some 50 army heli-
copters flew for 347 hours to
transport the ballot papers.
Security cover had been
provided to five printing
presses where the ballot
papers were printed, a military
officer said on Saturday.
Meanwhile, Pakistan
Election Commission
Secretary Ishtiak Ahmad
Khan said that a foolproof sys-
tem had been put in place so
that nobody could steal the
ballot papers, the newspaper
reported.
There was no room for
capturing polling stations and
stamping ballot papers, said
Khan. PTI
uJ |u| pull. !8J || |+llu|
p+p| Wi|i| c5J |u||
Virat Kohli {99 off 58 balls] recorded his highest
score at the PL and Twenty20s against Delhi
Daredevils on Friday. His previous best was 9S
not out off 47 balls against Sunrisers Hyderabad lF60F
sport 10 NEW DELH SUNDAY MAY 12, 2013
I80I8
F8FMIF8
At the moment, the competition is pretty open. We
still have a fair chance of reaching the playoffs.
For me what matters is the remaining three games
and we face RCB on Sunday, which is a must-win
game for us. Hopefully, we can try and delive
KKR skipper Gautam Gambhir
88E TkkE8 FIE
Barcelona: Mercedes will slarl lhe Sanish 0rand
Frix rom lhe ronl row aler hico Rosberg osled lhe
aslesl qualiying lime ahead o leammale Lewis
hamillon on Salurday. hamillon had lhe aslesl limes
in lhe irsl lwo qualiying sessions, bul Rosberg jusl
edged him oul lo lake ole osilion in 1 minule,
2O.718 seconds lo lake his second conseculive ole.
"The race is very long and lo win il's nol good enough
lo slarl rom ole - you slill have lo have lhe aslesl
race car," said Rosberg, who inished ninlh in Bahrain
aler laking ole. "'m a lillle bil more conidenl or
lomorrow, bul lhe race is going lo be a comlelely
dierenl lhing." Threelime deending chamion
Sebaslian vellel will slarl rom lhird sol or Red Bull
ahead o Kimi Raikkonen's Lolus. "'m quile hay lo
be honesl because yeslerday and lhis morning
wasn'l really hay. we imroved lhe car and lhings
calmed down," vellel said. "l's a lough challenge and
lhe lires don'l lasl as well as we would like." The
degradalion o lhe Firelli lires has been an issue all
season, and drivers are slill largely unhay al how
quickly lhey wear oul.Ferrari has yel lo secure a ole
osilion lhis season, and il roved lo be anolher
ruslraling alernoon aler asl raclice limes in lhe
morning. Fernando Alonso and Felie Massa will slarl
rom ilh and sixlh, reseclively. Jenson Bullon's
misery conlinued as he ailed lo make lhe cul or lhe
lhird session. The Brilon will slarl back in 14lh lace
wilh leammale Sergio Fere/ in ninlh sol.
khhI, MkIhTk 8TIII kkMkhT
New Delhi: wilh our days lo go or lhe crucial
meeling belween ndian oicials and lhe nlernalional
0lymic Commillee, eorls lo ersuade acling 0A
Fresidenl vK Malholra and 0C member in ndia
Randhir Singh lo reconsider lheir decision lo ull oul
have nol borne ruil wilh bolh insisling on slaying
away. Malholra and Randhir had decided lo boycoll
lhe meeling came a day aler lhe 0C agreed lo
include hockey ndia 0eneral Secrelary harinder Balra
and Jharkhand 0lymic Associalion R K Anand in lhe
0A delegalion or lhe meeling, in addilion lo lhe our
member lisl submilled earlier.
8EEhk8hkkFVk Ih MkI IIhkI
Madrid: The world's lwo lo emale layers, Serena
williams and Maria Sharaova, will ballle il oul or lhe
number one ranking when lhey meel in lhe Madrid
0en inal lomorrow aler bolh came lhrough loday's
semiinals in slraighl sels. Currenl number one
williams sealed her lace in lhe inal in lhe Sanish
cailal or lhe second conseculive year as she
overcame sevenlh seed Sara Errani 75, G2.
Meanwhile, Sharaova will comele in her irsl Madrid
inal aler bealing Serbian Ana vanovic G4, G8.
kIIEYFT 8k8h IIhkI
Mumbai: Fourlh seed Ma/en hesham 0a Sabry will
meel second seed Mohd Ali Anwar Reda in an all
Egylian inal o lhe $ 15,OOO CC FSA Squash
Challenger al lhe Crickel Club o ndia here. n a
ulsaling second semiinal loday, Reda, conqueror o
ndian hoe Mahesh Mangaonkar in lhe quarlers, gol
lhe beller o his comalriol 0mar Abdel Meguid in a
lough ive game encounler lhal lasled O5 minules.
Earlier, ourlh seed Sabry loled lo seed Alan Clyne
o Scolland in our games in lhe irsl semiinal lhal
lasled ive minules shorl o one hour.
FkIE8 hEk T FkI8
New Delhi: 0n a high aler lhe beslever medal haul
al lhe Commonweallh Table Tennis Chamionshis
here, nine ndian addlers - ive men and our
women - will be leaving on Salurday or lhe world
Chamionshis in Faris slarling on Monday. Men's
leam will be led by Achanlha Sharalh Kamal while
Mouma 0as, who grabbed a silver and lhree bron/e
medals in lhe jusl concluded chamionshis, will
searhead lhe women's challenge. Reigning women's
nalional chamion K Shamini will also be a arl o lhe
squad or lhe evenl slarling May 18, aler she was
declared il.
8E8hkh kh 8Wkhh ET Eh E6kII
London: 0raeme Swann and Tim Bresnan were bolh
recalled by England in a 12man squad announced
loday or nexl week's irsl Tesl againsl hew Zealand al
Lord's ollowing lheir reseclive recoveries rom
elbow surgery. 0sinner Swann and seamer
Bresnan bolh lasl layed Tesl crickel in lhe series
clinching win over ndia in hagur in 0ecember and
missed lhe recenl drawn lhreeTesl series in hew
Zealand. however, hollinghamshire's Swann and
Yorkshire's Bresnan have bolh since roved lheir
ilness laying counly crickel lhis season.
FhE IIhI8h Zh Ih IIEkE
Pune: Slrikers James Moga and Boima Kareh slruck
a goal each as Fune FC osled a comorlable 2O win
over Failan Arrows lo clinch lhe second osilion and
lheir beslever inish in lhe League, here on
Salurday. Moga scored in lhe 8Olh minule while
Kareh ound lhe nel in lhe G5l minule lo hel Fune
earn lheir 1Glh win o lhe season. The oinls lally was
lhe highesl ever achieved by Fune who look lheir lolal
lo an alllime besl 52 oinls rom 2G games. Currenlly
Fune are level on oinls wilh chamions Churchill
Brolhers.
hITE 86 8EkT h6 Ih IIEkE
Kolkata: League lo scorer Ranly Marlins slruck
lwice as uniled SC drubbed 0h0C 81 lo end lheir
camaign wilh a ourlh lace inish al lhe Kalyani
Sladium on Salurday. The higerian slriker, who loed
lhe scoring charl wilh 2G goals, converled a 2Olh
minule sol kick and wenl on lo um in one more al
lhe break. hew Zealand recruil Kayne vincenl's header
in lhe 57lh minule sealed lhe issue or lhe urle
brigade while Lalmuanuia reduced lhe margin wilh a
reekick in lhe 7Olh minule or 0h0C. uniled SC
inished wilh a lally 44 oinls behind lhirdlaced Easl
Bengal while 0h0C remained on 81 oinls.
MIh FIkh8 T 8II h 866E88
Johannesburg: Russell 0omingo, who was on
Salurday aoinled as Soulh Arica's nexl head coach,
said he lanned lo build on lhe slruclures ul in lace
by incumbenl 0ary Kirslen. " know whal 0avid
Moyes is eeling," said 0omingo, comaring lhe
challenge o laking over rom a successul coach as
being similar lo Moyes' aoinlmenl lo succeed Alex
Ferguson as Manchesler uniled manager," he said. -
Fh8lkgenries
s s
i i
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g g
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s s
kMIT 6hkhkY Q M0hAL
F
rom here onwards, its
only a matter of mathe-
matical calculations and
assumptions for Kings XI
Punjab, while Sunrisers
Hyderabad continued to be in
the race for the playoffs as they
beat the hosts by 30 runs at the
PCA Stadium here on Saturday.
A good allround perfor-
mance by Sunrisers helped
them secure two precious
points from this match as they
share fourth spot with Royal
Challengers Bangalore with 16
points from 13 matches in the
points table.
Defending a modest 151-
run target, Hyderabad restrict-
ed Punjab to 120 for 9, their
lowest score this season.
Darren Sammy, who failed
with the bat, proved his effec-
tiveness with ball as he regis-
tered his best bowling figures
in IPL 4 for 22. Dale Steyn
also bowled effectively taking
two wickets for 20 runs.
Batting first after losing
the toss, Hyderabad were off to
a scratchy start with their
openers Shikhar Dhawan
and Parthiv Patel surviving
on their luck and poor field-
ing rather than will. Several
balls beat their bats and many
others took edges that landed
in the no-mans land. There
was certain tentativeness in
their footwork and flashiness
in handwork.
It was quite frustrating for
Punjab, a team playing for sur-
vival in the tournament, that
despite good efforts by bowlers
neither wickets were falling
nor runs were stopping. But
skipper Gilchrist, a highly
experienced player, knew if
they persisted with the same
intensity and made some smart
moves, success wasnt too far.
And it duly came with the
wicket of Dhawan off the first
ball of Harmeet Singh Bansal,
who replaced Praveen Kumar
after two fruitless overs by the
senior pacer. Dhawan (15) ran
out of luck as he pushed the full
length delivery straight into the
hands of Harmeet to depart.
What happened after that
was just a confirmation of
their struggles with the willow
throughout the league.
Dhawans departure opened
the floodgates as Hyderabad
were reduced to 52 for 5 in 8.4
overs from 28 for 1 in 4.1 overs.
The wrecker-in-chief was
19-year-old Sandeep Sharma of
Under-19 World Cup fame,
who made his IPL debut in this
match. Sandeep (3 for 21)
struck three quick blows to
Hyderabad, including that of
skipper Cameron White, who
came in the side in place of
regular captain Kumar
Sangakkara. Another wicket
in the form of Darren Sammy,
who failed to comprehend
Piyush Chawlas googly, put the
visitors in a state of bother.
But a good mix of patience
and aggression from Patel
he top-scored for Hyderabad
with 61 off 47 balls and a
19-ball 32-run cameo by
Thisara Perera down the order
helped Sunrisers recover well
from early blows. A 48-run
stand between Patel and Perera
from just 25 balls ensured
they have a good total on
board to defend.
Hyderabad started their
pursuit in right earnest with
Dale Steyn providing a break-
through in the first over.
However, Gilchrist and Shaun
Marsh managed to stem the
situation from turning into a
crisis with a cautious 44-run
partnership. The duo only
started to look set for a repeat
of last matchs performance,
where they added 102 runs in
a similar situation, when
Sammy removed them both
with the first two deliveries of
his spell. He took another
one David Miller in the
next over.
With the loss of all three
players around whom their
batting revolves, it was only
downhill for Punjab. Luke
Pomersbach (33 not out off 40
balls) and R Sathish (25 off 18)
tried to put up a resistance but
t hat proved i nsuf f i ci ent
against the best bowling unit
of this IPL.
Brief Scores:
Sunrisers Hyderabad: 150 for
7 in 20 overs (Parthiv Patel 61,
Thisara Perera 32 not out;
Sandeep Sharma 3/21) beat
Kings XI Punjab: 120 for 9 in
20 overs (Luke Pomersbach 33
not out; Darren Sammy 4/22)
by 30 runs.
FTI Q FuhE
M
umbai Indians inched
closer to earning a play-
off berth as they rode on a dis-
ciplined bowling performance
to eke out a five-wicket win
over Pune Warriors in a match
here today.
Mitchell Johnson led the
way with an economical fig-
ures of 2/8 off his four overs
before skipper Rohit Sharmas
patient knock of 37 off 41 balls
guided Mumbai to a win with
seven balls to spare at the
Sahara Subrata Roy
International Stadium.
Speedsters Lasith Malinga
and Abu Nechim Ahmed, too,
came up with impressive per-
formances, picking up two
wickets each. Off-spinner
Harbhajan Singh also
impressed with a spell of one
for 14, which included the
wicket of Yuvraj Singh, who
was the lone bright spot for the
Warriors with a 29-ball 33.
Chasing a modest total,
Mumbai were off to a disas-
trous start, losing opener
Dwayne Smith in the innings
first delivery, the batsmans off-
stump knocked over by Ashok
Dinda. Sachin Tendulkar
helped himself to a few bound-
aries before Ajantha Mendis
had the veteran batsman
caught at long-on by Manish
Pandey. It was the carom ball
and Tendulkar tried play it
over the bowlers head.
And when Dinesh Karthik
slog-swept a Yuvraj delivery
straight to the waiting hands of
long-off fielder Pandey, it
seemed Mumbai were intent
on making a heavy weather of
the chase. Ambati Rayudu
smashed a few quick runs
with the help of two fours and
a six, but he failed to see the
visitors through as Dinda had
him caught at deep square-leg.
Sharma, however, was
composed at the other end.
With Mumbai needing 13 off
the last three overs, their latest
million-dollar signing, Glenn
Maxwell, playing in his first
match, hit Dinda for a four and
six to make the scores level.
Sharma, after doing all
the hard work, got out to
Kane Richardson before
Harbhajan lofted the bower
over extra cover to complete
the chase.
Earlier, Johnson was the
standout performer with the
ball for Mumbai.
Electing to bat, Pune
Warriors were off to a poor
start as both their openers,
Robin Uthappa and skipper
Aaron Finch, departed in
quick succession. Johnson
once again struck early as he
dismissed Finch for 10 when
the Australian ended up hit-
ting a short of length delivery
straight to short cover, where
Dwayne Smith completed an
easy catch.
Malinga then trapped
Uthappa leg before for 11,
with the Pune scorecard read-
ing 25 for two inside five
overs. Yuvraj and Manish
Pandey shared a 59-run stand
for the third wicket to revive
Warriors sagging morale
before departing.
Yuvraj, who was recently
dropped from the Champions
Trophy squad owing to indif-
ferent form, finally found some
touch as he laced his innings
with one four and two sixes.
He found an able ally in
Manish Pandey, who came up
with a useful run-a-ball 29.
Pune, who were cruising
along at 84 for two, suddenly
slumped to 85 for five as
Mumbai bowlers pegged them
back with three quick strikes.
Pandey was the first to go as he
was caught at deep square leg
by Ambati Rayudu off
Malinga. Angelo Mathews (0)
could call himself unfortu-
nate as he took off for a non-
existent single and Sachin
Tendulkars direct hit found
the batsman a couple of inch-
es short of his crease at the
non-strikers end.
Harbhajan then landed
Pune a body blow when he had
the dangerous looking Yuvraj
trapped in front he had
failed to judge the line of the
ball. Warriors never recovered
from there and lost three more
wickets in the form of
Abhishek Nayar (11), Kane
Richardson (8) and
Bhuvneshwar Kumar (2) to cap
off a pathetic batting display.
Brief scores
Pune Warriors: 112/8 in 20
overs (Yuvraj Singh 33, Manish
Pandey 29; Mitchell Johnson
2/8, Abu Nechim Ahmed 2/27,
Lasith Malinga 2/27,
Harbhajan Singh 1/14) lost to
Mumbai Indians: 116/5 in
18.5 overs (Rohit Sharma 37,
Ambati Rayudu 26; Ashok
Dinda 2/35) by five wickets.
FTI Q RAhCh
I
nching closer to a playoff
berth, Royal Challengers
Bangalore will face an incon-
sistent Kolkata Knight Riders,
who woul d be eyei ng
revenge, when the two sides
clash in the citys first Pepsi
IPL game at the Jharkhand
Cri cket Associ at i ons
International stadium tomor-
row.
It is exactly a month since
the two teams clashed in
Bangalore where Chris Gayle
blew away KKR with a 50-ball
85 that was laced with nine
sixes. Riding on Gayles bril-
liance and some other notable
performers, RCB are among
the top-four in the points
table while KKR are lan-
guishing in the bottom half.
Both teams will go into the
match high on confidence
winning their last games.
While KKR comprehensively
beat a hapless Pune Warriors,
RCB pulled off a thriller
against the Delhi Daredevils
only last night.
For RCB, Gayles rather
quiet outings in the past few
matches would be a concern.
But that has more or less been
compensated by the likes of
skipper Virat Kohli, who was
quite impressive during his
58-ball 99 in the previous
match. Also finding his feet is
the fit-again Cheteshwar
Pujara, who would be expect-
ed to play the sheet-anchor
role given that he is not exact-
ly a big-hitter.
In fact, batting is hardly a
concern for RCB with pinch-
hitters like Moises Henriques
and A B de Villiers making up
the lower half of their line-up.
KKR, in contrast, have
been throughly exposed as a
brittle batting unit.
Though skipper Gautam
Gambhir found some of his
lost touch with a half-centu-
ry against Pune but that
would hardly make up for the
failure of others against a
team like RCB.
Veteran al l -rounder
Jacques Kallis has been strug-
gling and similar is the case
with expensive-buy Yusuf
Pathan, who has not been
able to justify the captains
continuing faith in him.
On the bowling front,
RCB came in for some thrash-
ing last night even though
medium-pacer Jaydev
Unadkat stood out with a
fiver in four economical overs
conceding just 25 runs.
But the likes of Vinay
Kumar and Henriques leaked
runs at 10 per over and that
would certainly be a cause of
concern for the team.
KKRs bowling, on the
other hand, delivered against
Pune but that can hardly be a
measure of how good they are
given that the Warriors are a
team in doldrums.
Given their current form,
RCB would start outright
favourites and it would be
interesting to see if KKR
manage to get the better off
their mighty opponent.
k8hI8hEk FhIT Q JAFuR
A
s the T20 Championship enters its
business end stage, while top teams
will eye to consolidate their position, the
middle-placed teams are aiming to reach
the top and the below-placed ones will
strive to avoid the last place.
Teams who will compete on Sundays
second match Chennai Super Kings
and Rajasthan Royals are sitting pretty at
the top spot. CSK are one first and
Rajasthan joint second on points.
The MS Dhoni-lead yellow brigade
have 20 points from 13 matches while the
Rahul Dravid-led side have 18 points in
equal number of matches.
But, CSK, who have already reached
the playoffs, are eyeing a win to ensure
that they will be among the top two teams
as the two top get an extra chance to qual-
ify if they lose the first playoff tie.
Also, because momentum in this
form of the game is very important. This
is a very important match for us. Another
couple of wins means we will acquire top
two berths. Also we want to carry
momentum of winning into playoffs. To
add to that, we are looking to be more
consistent. We had won seven games on
the trot but we
had a huge loss
against Mumbai
Indians. But, we made a strong comeback
against Sunrisers Hyderabad. So, tomor-
row, we have a tough match facing the
number two (joint on points with
Mumbai) team in the competition,
Steve Rixon, CSKs fielding coach told
reporters during the pre-match press con-
ference.
CSK have in their ranks Orange
cap leader Michael Hussey (574 runs) and
Purple cap donning Dwayne Bravo (20
wickets), who have justified their repu-
tations. CSK also have been served well
by Suresh Raina (458 runs), Dhoni (314
runs) while their bowlers Mohit
Sharma (13 wickets), Ravindra Jadeja, R
Ashwin (13 wickets), Chris Morris (12
wickets) have performed well.
But, the table-toppers have a tough
task against Rajasthan, whose fort
Sawai Man Singh Stadium is yet to be
breached in this season in seven match-
es. Rajasthan, playing at their final home
game, are on the verge of qualifying for
playoffs and a win in the Pink City will
not only ensure them a
top-four berth but also
their citadel will remain
unblemished.
Finishing on a high in
front of their home sup-
porters will be an extra motivating fac-
tor for them. Royals batters Dravid
(365 runs), Ajinkya Rahane (424 runs),
burly Australian all-rounder Shane
Watson (eight wickets and 413 runs),
Sanju Samson and Stuart Binny have
been in red-hot form.
Especially Dravids go-to-man
Watson, who had scored a 55-ball 100 in
the game against CSK at Chepauk, in the
teams last meeting, will be more than
eager to better his score so that he can
end on a winning side, unlike that tie
where his teams commanding score of
185 was chased down by CSK.
Bowlers in James Faulkner, the sec-
ond in the highest wicket-takers list with
19 wickets, have been the leading force
and with the support of Siddharth
Trivedi, Kevon Cooper (14 wickets) and
Ajit Chandila, are well-equipped to trou-
ble any batting line-up.
Get ready for this mouth-watering
clash.
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sport 11 NEW DELH SUNDAY MAY 12, 2013
You have been a revelation this sea-
son
Yeah, I have really enjoyed the IPL.
It has been a very good time (for
me) to learn a lot more, get a
bit more experience and I am
just thankful that I have done
well so far. I just want this
momentum and confidence
to keep going.
Most eye-catching aspect of
your game is your ability to
hit the ball a long distance. Is this
your natural game or did you make
some adjustments to suit Twenty20?
It is my natural game. Not quite like
what I did the other day. It is suited
for T20 cricket but, having said that,
I am not generally with one-day and
four-day stuff. I do like to hit the ball
a lot more.
Recently you mentioned that your
father gave you some useful advice
about batting. Did he also play
cricket?
He used to play cricket. He wasnt a
professional player. He used to play
just club cricket in South Africa. He
played for many years and thats why
he taught me from very young age to
enjoy my cricket. There is a saying
that goes as, "When its in the V, its
in the tree. When its in the arc, its out
of the park."
You have a very simple batting
style. You dont use those impro-
vised and fancy shots which com-
plicates batting.
Yes, I just try to keep my game sim-
ple. I think if its working, I should try
and keep it as simple as possible so
that there are not too many things in
my mind. I can stick to the game plan.
AB de Villiers is unbelievable that he
can play all the shots. Its really good
to think like that because you got to
react very quickly to change your
shots. But I think, for me, whats
working is to play straight and just
keep it simple.
How did you start playing cricket?
Its, as I said my dad used to play,
because of him. I used to go to the
ground with him, my brother and my
mother to watch him (father) play.
My brother and I used to play on the
side of the field. So I think I started
at a very young age, 5 or 6 years may
be, on the sides of the cricket fields.
I started cricket from there and then
when I went to school, I played a lot
of it. It was early in high school when
I started taking cricket seriously and
started thinking that I can do this after
school.
When you came to play IPL, what
were your expectations? What was
going through your mind?
I didnt have much in my mind. I just
came here to make the best of the
available opportunities and the
moment that I am in. So when I
reached here I wanted to do the best
I could and give the most I can to the
team. And I am very grateful that its
gone as well as it has.
What do you think worked for you
in the IPL this season?
I played a lot of cricket in the off-sea-
son in Yorkshire. Played for them in
T20 and it went really well. I think it
helped me gain confidence and work
on how to get myself in. I have been
working really hard on my first 15
balls and giving myself a chance to be
there in the middle. I think that has
helped me.
How has been the experience of
sharing the dressing room with
Adam Gilchrist?
Thats what I enjoy most about IPL.
It gives us an opportunity to mix with
good overseas players, guys who
have played unbelievable cricket.
For me, I am really happy to have
Adam Gilchrist with me and also
Darren Lehmann, they are very good
cricketers. I have learnt a lot from
them. Gilchrist has helped me a lot
with my batting in the two years that
I have been with him. Not too much
but just enough to guard me and help
me with certain things. The fact that
he is here if I have a question I can
go and ask him.
What did you ask him?
Its not really technical stuff. Its more
about what he used to think at a par-
ticular moment of the game during
his international career. Like how to
go about building an innings, how he
used to prepare himself, what all he
used to do and stuff like that. You can
put a whole lot of cricket together
from different people and then try to
work out what is best for you.
Do you idolise anyone?
I dont have any cricketing hero but
used to enjoy watching Matthew
Hayden. Thats it. My father is very
close to me. I really love my father.
Well, I love my family, all of them. I
am thankful to my parents me for giv-
ing me these opportunities.
Do you have any hobbies?
I have actually. Back in South Africa,
we call it Praai. Its like a barbeque. So
I like to have Praai with my family
and friends. And I lived in Durban
which is at the beach, so I started surf-
ing. I really enjoy surfing now.
8Y 1ITEhk hkTh MI8k
H
ockey needs maniacal geniuses
for the game to re- brand itself.
It also needs a more competitive
field, with surprise winners and
losers. While the game itself is
spreading its reach, its summit
structure invariably shows the famil-
iar faces. Australia, the Netherlands,
Germany and Spain are firmly
entrenched at the top. Could we see
hockeys Japan come from behind
and defeat world champions Spain?
This happened in soccer, but will it
happen in hockey?
The major hockey powers peek
down from the summit, bemused at
the toddlers and foot soldiers break-
ing a sweat. South Africa, Pakistan,
Argentina, South Korea, Belgium,
New Zealand and India- to name a
few- just arent able to crack the
citadels of the big four, and Britain
is able to do so only occasionally.
Unless something happens to shake
the status quo, Hockeys predictabil-
ity the one-dish taste of a multi-
national and multi-cultural sport
will undermine the game.
Take recent performances. 127
nations make up the FIH, but what
do they have to show? In the Hockey
World League Round 2 in Delhi,
India thumped Fiji 16- 0 and Oman
9- 1, while Ireland thrashed Fiji 13-
0. Many of the games witnessed
more process than contest. The idea
of a world league is good, but
presently the gaps between the
major nations and the minnows are
huge. Hockey needs not a circular,
but an elliptical orbit that makes the
game wander from its predictable
course, with zigzags, not straight line
results. What needs to be done?
One way would be to do one of
the three majors the Olympics,
World Cup and Champions Trophy
on grass on a rotating basis. The
next Olympics, the World Cup after
that, and the Champions Trophy
thereafter could be played on grass,
in turn. After all, the hallowed
Wimbledon, one of Tennis four ven-
erable Grand Slam tournaments, is
played on grass. This just might
introduce some flair and mystery
into the game.
But will the FIH take such a bold
step? Are the more successful teams
fearful of playing on grass? Or
worse, do India and Pakistan, who
have for long complained that the
Europeans killed grass hockey to
gain an unfair advantage on artifi-
cial surfaces fear that their real lim-
itations will be exposed- even on
grass? Like artificial surfaces, grass
too will be an equal challenge to all,
and could provide answers. What we
need is smart sceptics who can put
the game under rigorous scrutiny.
To their credit, teams like India
and Pakistan have faced their pro-
longed hockey decline with a steely
forbearance. They still ignite the pas-
sion, if not the performance. There
is a view, including in India, that
even on grass the Asians will be
worsted by the Europeans. Sadly,
opinion here is polarized between
the Europeans and India- Pakistan.
Will grass really matter? Since the
game has become physical and tacti-
cal, to match the Europeans, even on
grass, the Indians and Pakistanis will
need supreme fitness and a more
aggressive presence. This shift to
power play is not peculiar to hockey.
Even in badminton, Indian players are
becoming more successful because of
more aggressive play, with weight and
endurance training. Indias hockey
coach, Michael Nobbs often says that
Indian players need to put on weight
to develop a power game.
The other point is infrastructure
and system development. The Dutch
have at least 600 artificial pitches.
The Leiden Club, against whom the
Indian team played last week, has
2,500 members. Amsterdam alone
has 3 clubs with 8,000 members, and
18 pitches. The Dutch organize
goalkeeping camps for age 7- 12, and
a recent one watched by the touring
Indian team had 60 trainees. Delhi,
which boasts one of the worlds best
hockey stadiums, has only 5 artifi-
cial pitches, and no club system.
The reasons for the decline of
Indian hockey are complex, but
surely this can be reversed? India
needs litmus players who are willing
to run long tests. Nobbs wisely sent
a developmental team for this years
Azlan Shah tournament, taking the
longer view, and knowing that this
invitational tournament does not
add ranking points. Hockey Indias
moves to introduce uniform train-
ing methods right through the junior
and senior levels is a good course
correction. Out of these incremen-
tal steps the game can revive.
(The writer is an IFS officer.
These are his personal views, not
those of the Government)
6hkTSh0w
kVI MIIIE has sel lhe slage on ire wilh his exlosive balling. The Soulh Arican, who reresenls Kings X Funjab in lhe FL, surassed Chris 0ayle wilh
his 88ball 1O1 innings againsl Royal Challengers Bangalore. AMT ChAu0hARY lalks lo him aboul his erormance, exerience and more
CRCKET
C0hvERSAT0h
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played a lot of
cricket in the
off-season in
Yorkshire. Played
for them in T20s
and it went really
well. think it
helped me gain
confidence
k1EY 8k8 Q hEw 0ELh
I
t is a rare occasion indeed
that the Indian hockey
team manages to beat
mighty Holland in consec-
utive matches, that too in
their own country. But
under the able leadership of
Sardar Singh, the young
Indian team have accom-
plished that difficult feat.
The Indians defeated
the London Olympics silver
medalists 2-0 and 4-2 in the
two matches which were
supposed to be part of a
preparatory tour ahead of
the FIH mens Hockey
World League Round- 3
(Semi-finals) to be played
at Rotterdam, Netherlands
from June 13-23.
The new look Indian
team thus continued their
series of good perfor-
mances since the humiliat-
ing debacle at the Olympics
last August.
Of course, this was
only a friendly series and
the mighty Dutchmen
surely did not exert them-
selves as much as they
would have if the matches
had been part of an impor-
tant tournament.
But still, a couple of
victories against a big team
will act as a huge morale
booster for the Indian team
ahead of the FIH World
League which is also a qual-
ifier for the World Cup
2014 to be played in Hague,
the Netherlands.
In keeping with chief
coach Michael Nobbs post
London 2012 policy of
building a team of young-
sters keeping in mind the
2016 Olympics, the Indian
team once again featured a
host of youngsters.
The victories in Holland
indicate that the team the
youngsters, who were still
raw and relatively inexperi-
enced when Nobbs started
his Project Rio, are gaining
experience and maturity
and are starting to gel into
a formidable unit.
"It was a morale boost-
ing tour since we had a
series of good results against
a top team like Holland.
First we played a few match-
es against some Dutch clubs
in which we did quite well.
The Holland league is the
best in the world and those
matches helped us a lot in
acclimatising to the local
conditions and we man-
aged to play well against the
Holland team," striker SV
Sunil told The Pioneer.
"The matches were
tough, but this tour has
helped us a lot in our prepa-
rations for the Hockey
World Tour," he added.
Talking about the
improvement in the teams
performances after the
reshuffle post-London, Sunil
said," the team has changed
a lot since then. We have
been training hard and con-
stantly improving our per-
formances. A lot of planning
and strategesing has been
done."
Sunil was confident that
India will do well at the
HWL and qualify for the
2014 World Cup. "We must
qualify. We just have to do
it, there is no other option.
There is the Asia Cup after
the HWL which is also a
qualifier. But we want to
qualify at the HWL and
not wait for the last moment
to qualify," Sunil said.
'whea Ia arc, It's 00t 0f the ark'
To their credit,
teams like ndia
and Pakistan
have faced their
prolonged
hockey decline
with a steely
forbearance.
They still ignite
the passion, if
not the
performance
Hocley`s astures
coulo revive tle game
l| l|Ji+| |u|] |+| l||+|i| + u+l Ju|i| || l]|pi (u+li|i| i| |W l|i i| |||u+|] l+| ]+| |il P|u|u
IImse 0f
thIas t0 c0me
S||i|| SV Su|il |u|| i |ui+l
|u| l|Ji+ u |il P|u|u
Talktime
$18%+$96,1+$
After directing films like Tum Bin, Dus and Ra.One, Anubhav
Sinha is ready to take off as a producer with his much-talked about
film Gulaab Gang. He talks to MANJARI SINGH about the
film, the anxiety and the challenges faced
Q How did you turn a into a producer?
I always wanted to be one. Its been in my mind for six-
seven years. I had been working towards it. It finally happened
in 2011 when I set up my own company. I decided to work on
movies after Ra.One (October 2011) but I took break for a few
months because my mother was not well. Then, finally, two
movies happened in April 2012 Warning and Gulaab Gang.
Warning is about youth who get into trouble. I have cast new
faces in the movie and 90 per cent scenes have been shot
underwater.
Q What is Gulaab Gang all about?
It is about a group of women who fight injustice against
women but end up fighting women. I know a lot has been
written about how the movie is based on Sampat Pals (founder
of Gulaabi Gang) life. There are some similarities like women
wearing pink and in a way the movie is a tribute to her but it is
not entirely based on her life. I have never met her and I dont
know her story. The movie is a complete work of fiction. The
shooting ended on April 20, 2013. We are now looking for a
suitable date to release it. It may be around September or
October this year.
Q How did you convince Madhuri Dixit to do this
movie?
Madhuri was my only choice. It didnt require any con-
vincing. She liked the script and agreed to do the film. The
same goes for Juhi Chawla, although her role is negative,
something she has never done before. I just took three vis-
its to convince her to play the role.
Q Women-centric films are in these days. Is that the
reason why you made Gulaab Gang?
I started the film in November 2011 and thats when I
met Saumik Sen. I dont think either of the two movies,
Dirty Picture or Kahaani was released at that time. I have
made the film because I liked the story and the script; its
not made as a women-centric film. Moreover, you cant go
to the financer and tell him that just because a particular
film worked, your film will also work. I always cite the
example of Delhi Belly. It is one of the most unconvention-
al movies made till date it was a hit. Just because that was
a hit, one cant say all films of that kind will be hits too.
Q You have said that the movie has been difficult. Why?
Thats because theres no male protagonist in the film.
Dirty Picture still had Emraan Hashmi but Gulaab Gang
has only women. You might cite the example of Kahaani
but I know the problems Shujoy Ghosh (director) went
through when he made the film.
backpack 12 NEW DELH SUNDAY MAY 12, 2013
A very difficult
film to make
M0ther 0f aII 4IaI00es
8hkIIhI 8kk8Ehk Q
hEw 0ELh
T
he first recorded use of flowers in
cuisine finds was in 140 BC. As
time passed, their use increased. With
over 25 flowers being used in serving
culinary delights today, chefs are
experimenting with flowers once
again.
The use of flowers was prevalent
in Roman, Chinese, Italian and even
Hispanic cultures. Chinese made use
of daylily buds, the Romans used mal-
low, rose and violets. Italian and
Hispanic used stuffed squash blos-
soms and Indians till date use rose
petals in many recipes. A green
liqueur made in France during the
17th century uses carnation petals.
Using flowers for cooking in
India is a concept that has yet to catch
on. This is because we use them for
religious purposes. To use the same
flower and eat it doesnt seem to sit
with us comfortably. But the thought
of creamy hibiscus veloute, basil,
coriander, flower fondue and roasted
carnation vegetable tart, braised sweet
tomato with sunflower seed pesto
excites the Indian pallete, executive
chef Vimal Vikraman with The Grand
Mercure Hotel, Bengaluru says.
Therefore, it is not surprising
that chefs use it to create exotic
drinks, salads and main dishes. While
south India and West Bengal uses
banana flowers and pumpkin flowers
to make bhajiyas, the north has been
using rose petals to make gulokand.
However using marigold, hibiscus,
carnations or even violet is something
new.
For example hibiscus or marigold
with spinach makes for a great com-
bination. Blanch the spinach and set
aside. Saute onions and garlic sepa-
rately. Add the spinach and cook for
five to 10 minutes. When you are
about to serve add the hibiscus or
marigold flowers. Not only does it add
flavour to the dish, the red, yellow and
green have a great visual appeal, chef
Vimal tells you.
He warns that one should not buy
flowers for cooking purpose from
flower vendors. One must grow their
own flowers for cooking. The ones
that you get in the market have a lot
of pesticides. These are likely to do
more harm, he says, adding that
though he has yet to introduce a full-
fledged menu that have flowers, he is
willing to serve his customers a four-
course meal if given a days heads-up.
fest 0f IearaIa
EE8k8hEE MhkhTY Q
hEw 0ELh
F
or students of Whistling
Woods International
(WWI) in Mumbai, there is a
lot of action that awaits in this
installment of Cinema 100, the
next wave starting today. From
workshops relating to film-
making to panel discussions by
celebrities from all walks of life,
this fun-filled festival is going
to be one of its kind.
Last years response was
overwhelming. The students
got to learn a lot from all that
was discussed. This year we
have done many new things
with the modules. We are
screening Bombay Talkies as a
tribute to the film industry,
Meghna Ghai Puri, the presi-
dent of WWI, tells you.
Bol lywood showman
Subhash Ghais daughter
Meghna Ghai-Puri was recent-
ly honoured with for media
education. As the president of
this C70 crore film, television
and media arts institute, Puri
is wanting to expand the WWI
branches to Del hi and
Haryana.
It was Subhash Ghais
dream of starting a school
and so Whistling Woods
International was born. He
shared this dream with
Meghna while she was pursu-
ing a course in London. We
have always wanted to give the
best to our students. Through
special festivals such as this, we
are giving them the exposure
to mingle with renowned
artists in the industry. This is
like an on-job training, Puri
says.
The full-time faculty of
Whistling Woods International
is a body of academics and
industry professionals with
regular guest lectures by lead-
ing Indian and International
filmmakers, actors and tech-
nicians like Rakeysh Mehra,
Vishal Bharadwaj, Ashutosh
Gowarikar, Farhan Akhtar,
Ashok Amritraj, Shyam
Benegal, Farah Khan,
Naseeruddin Shah, Pankaj
Kapur, Ratna Pathak Shah,
Danny Boyl e, Rajkumar
Hirani, Nagesh Kukunoor and
others.
M
ain tumhari bacche ki maa
banne wali hoon is my
favourite maa-wallahdialogue.
The role of the maa has been
slightly sidelined these days,
but am sure they will be back
with a bang like they were in the
70s and the 80s. My vote for the
best maa goes to Rakhiji in Karan
Arjun. She was pragmatic yet very maa-like.
I am a typical maa ka ladla, but I am not all that
bigda hua. For a long time, my friends in college would
tease me by calling me mamas boy! And I loved it.
I miss my mother who is no more. I share every lit-
tle achievement or problem with her when we have
the talk every night before I fall asleep.
A||u| |+puu|, +|u|
M
aa ka doodh piya hai to
samne aa... is my
favourite. I dont remember
how many times I have
mouthed this dialogue in
my films. This is one line that
anyone, even a fresher can
emote. Mothers on the silver
screen are excellent supporting cast
to stars. Rohini Hattangadi is a very powerful moth-
er figure and Farida Jalal is the mom that every bac-
cha wants to have.
I share a very special relationship with my
mother. I am not a very emotional person so I find
it difficult to express my feelings to her. But she has
played a huge role in making me what I am today
in the film industry. Su||] ul, +|u|
M
aa... tum kitni achhi ho is the one for me.
Most dialogues on mummiyan are serious
and have a very high impact but this evokes
laughter. Why is it so much of a surprise that
a mother turns out to be good?
Funny, isnt it?
I have never had
reservations about play-
ing a character if a film
excites me. If today, I
am offered the role of
a mother, I will take
it up, depending on
what the script and
the role is. Being a
mother myself, I have
come to realise what
kind of sacrifices
and the immense
love that a moth-
er can show
towards her
child.
|+J|u|i
i/i|, +||
G
har mein maa
behen nahin hai
kya? is the simplest,
most direct yet most
meaningful dialogue
I have heard. Is there
any way else you can
question the intentions
of a pervert? I dont think
so. There are many lines from Bollywood
that stick with you but the ones around a
maa are always remembered.
Nargis is the quintessential maa but in
the modern format, I think, Reema Lagoo
is splendid. Nowadays, mothers are not the
typical becharis as they were portrayed
years ago. Today, the mother is stylish, has
her own life and doesnt mind having neg-
ative shades. The role has changed to keep
pace with the changing mores.
My mother, till date, is my best friend
and confidante. I feel jittery if a week has
passed and I havent seen my mom.
|+|+| 1u|+|, Ji||u|/p|uJu|
T
umhari maa meri kabze mein hai... is
funny and serious at the same time. It
is also a dialogue that can do with multi-
ple emotions. You can say it like a dham-
ki or be sad about it. What makes a maa
line popular is because many people relate
to it in their lives. I was a problem child and
hats off to my mother who had a lot of
patience in me. I am a pampered child.
For me, Lillete Dubey makes for the
perfect on-screen mother and aunty
material. She is smart and very practi-
cal. She is very good looking as
well. Bu||] ul, +|u|
A
cl|ug, dauc|ug, RJ|ug aud
hosl|ug comes ualu|a||y lo
Ta|aua Raja, 1|1 heha She|g|| |u
511e 4c||e |1]|e |1|1. Alle| a||,
he| molhe| Nadhu |s a |euowued
aclo| |u he| owu ||ghl, popu|a| |u
lhe lheal|e c||cu|l. howeve|,
wheu Ta|aua gol lo wo|| w|lh he|
|u 54|| (Nadhu p|ays Ram
Kapoo|'s molhe|), |l was |c|ug ou
lhe ca|e. Though lhe lwo sha|e
lew sceues, lhe lh|||| ol be|ug |u |l logelhe| ma|es Ta|aua
go ga ga. l was a|ways a pe|lo|me|. l sla|led dauc|ug as a
baby, lhau|s lo my mom. l d|d my l||sl slage show aud l||sl
mov|e (||v11 |1||} al age 8. See|ug my /eu lo| g|amou|,
my mom made my po|llo||o lo| mode||ug. Bul l gol uol|ced
by TV p|oduce|s aud |o|es pou|ed |u," Ta|aua le||s you.
Nadhu, cou|du'l have as|ed lo| a belle| daughle|.
Th|ough Ta|aua, l |e||ved my ch||dhood. wheu ch||d|eu
g|ow up, a molhe| shou|d p|ay a suppo|l|ug |o|e aud uol
|ule|le|e |u lhe|| alla||s," Nadhu |eca||s.
The duo |eceul|y shol lo| a spec|a| Nolhe|s' ay show
lo be le|ecasl ou loday aud lhe e/pe||euce, bolh sa|d,
was m|udbogg||ug. l |especl my molhe| so much lhal l
lee| ue|vous sha||ug sc|eeu space w|lh he|. She |s au
eslab||shed aclo|. 0u 's |e|11 |v|1s|1|, a show whe|e
molhe| ach|eve|s a|e houou|ed, l gol lo d|scove| he|
emol|oua| s|de as we||," Ta|aua le||s you. Nadhu had uo
|uleul|ou ol jo|u|ug 54||. wheu l d|opped by lhe sels lo
meel Ta|aua, lhe casl|ug c|ew lhoughl l wou|d do we|| as
Ram's molhe|. ll has beeu e/h||a|al|ug lo wo|| w|lh Ta|aua.
we have lhe same lempe|ameul. we a|e l||euds who g|ve
each olhe| space. wheu we l|ave|, we slay |u d|lle|eul
|ooms aud have d|lle|eul ma|e-up vaus loo," Nadhu says.
Bul, wheu Ta|aua ueeds adv|ce, she goes lo he|
molhe|. 0uce, l had lo p|ay a d|uu|a|d. l as|ed my molhe|
lo| he|p. She sa|d, 'l'm lhe queeu ol d|uu|eu sceues'. She
laughl me how lo gel lhal s|u| |u my vo|ce," Ta|aua says.
S
he gave us |aughle| ||ols |u
|e|| 5|1| |e||, /1|111
S11||1| |e aud uow |u v|1| v
? ou SabTV. Bul vele|au acl|ess
Shubha Khole's da|||ug daughle|
Bhavaua Ba|sava| ueve| wauled lo
be au acl|ess. A pel |ove|, she
wauled lo be a vele||ua||au. Bul
she gol pushed |ulo acl|ug. Today,
lhe seasoued acl|ess |s lhau|lu|
lhal she loo| lh|s ca|ee|
cho|ce.
ll was lhe
p|em|e|e ol Bha|al
abho||a|'s p|ay
5u||u1s Ju |u
wh|ch my molhe|
was lhe |ead. 0u lhe
opeu|ug day, a c|ew le||
s|c| |equ|||ug a
|ep|acemeul. l dec|ded
lo he|p oul. Ny molhe|
b||eled me aboul lhe |o|e.
The app|ause l gol l|om was
ama/|ug. R|ghl lheu, l dec|ded l
wauled lo be au acl|ess" Bhavaua
says. The molhe|-daughle| duo
has s|uce g|veu shows |||e /1|11
S11||1| |e aud
v|1| v.
Khole, ||d|ug h|gh ou a
Bo||ywood ca|ee| |u lhe GOs, |s
sl||| go|ug sl|oug al age 7O. She
says he| h|gh momeul" was
wheu Bhavaua gol au awa|d lo|
|e|| 5|1| |e||, Bhavaua. Ta|||ug
aboul he| molhe|, Ba|sava| says.
l had a ve|y sl|auge |e|al|oush|p
w|lh he|. wheueve| we l|ave||ed, l
had lo acl |||e he| molhe| aud
she |||e my ch||d. She wou|d be
uaughly aud do emba||ass|ug
lh|ugs. Al l|mes l had lo le||
he| euough was euough,"
Bhavaua |eca||s.
Bul whal ma|es he| |oo| up
lo he| molhe|? Th|ee yea|s ago,
we we|e do|ug a p|ay |u has||. Ny
molhe| le|| l|om a pa|apel. he/l
day, we had lo go lo Sh||d|. She
was bad|y |uju|ed. Bul, eveu |u
lhal s|lual|ou, she weul lo Sh||d|.
l cau'l lo|gel lhal day. Eveu uow,
she d||ecls p|ays, l do lhe
sc||pl|ug lo| ou| p|oducl|ou
house Shubhaug| Ka|amaud||,"
Bhavaua couc|udes.
Be il a seech, debale, comedy or a remade ilm - lhere is a maawali line lhal goes wilh every
occasion. These maa dialogues have become a arl and arcel o showbi/. Some o lhe linsel lown slars
soke lo 0EEBAShREE M0hAhTY aboul lheir avourile maawali line
A
clo|, s|uge|, dauce|, sly||sl - Au|la Kauwa| |s qu|le a
mu|l|las|e|. Be|ug a s|ug|e molhe| aud b||ug|ug up
Pooja aud Sh|vaua was a lough las| bul Au|la eujoyed
eve|y b|l. Nolhe|hood has beeu lhe mosl b|essed
e/pe||euce ol my ||le. w|lh my daughle|s, aud uow w|lh
my g|audch||d|eu, l'm |e||v|ug
lhe joys ol molhe|hood. Pooja
|s we|| eslab||shed uow aud
Sh|vaua |s a sly||sl w|lh ChBC.
l |emembe| lhose days wheu
Pooja was do|ug a Soulh
lud|au l||m aud l d|du'l la|e
auy wo|| lo| lwo yea|s
because l had lo accompauy
he|. Nolhe|hood |s aboul
sac||l|ce," she says.
Pooja lee|s she speuds
ve|y ||ll|e l|me w|lh he| molhe|,
he| gu|d|ug auge|. Ny mom
spolled my la|eul aud
uu|lu|ed me. l've was a ch||d
lheal|e aclo|. ll was a |ea|u|ug e/pe||euce w|lh he|," Pooja
says. lo| Au|la, mov|ug lo Numba| was a lough dec|s|ou
bul |l opeued aveuues lo| Pooja. wheu l came lo
Numba|, l had lo sla|l l|om sc|alch. l was do|ug 18
se||a|s aud a|so mauag|ug househo|d cho|es aud ch||d|eu.
wheu Pooja gol he| l||sl Bo||ywood mov|e Jv| |j1
J111uu |u|1||1| |1| (2OO4) by Rajsh|| P|oducl|ous l
was ve|y happy," Kauwa| le||s you. wheu lhe oppo|luu|ly
lo wo|| logelhe| |u S1sv|1| e111 ||uu| popped up, lhe
duo loo| |l up w|lhoul hes|lal|ou. lo| Au|la, |l meaul
speud|ug 2O days w|lh he| daughle|. Alle| Pooja's
ma|||age, we ha|d|y mel. Bul wheu we sla|led wo|||ug ou
lhe same show, we had a b|asl. The sels became Pooja's
11|j|1," Kauwa|, you |s lo do auolhe| se||a| w|lh Pooja
ou L||e 0K soou, says.
W
hen the talk is about the
quintessential maa in B-
town, how can one forget the
iconic dialogue which was
recently voted the most popu-
lar dialogue in Hindi cinema
ever (the poll was conducted by
a popular magazine in January,
2013). Javed Akhtar is proud to
be associated with the mere
paas maa hai line from the 1979
superhit Deewar. But the writer-
lyricist says he has cut the
umbilical chord with many of
his other dialogues long back.
I am a staunch believer of
moving on. Attachment is not
the most desirable thing. A
piece of writing is like a child
you have created. With time,
that child becomes an adult and
develops a personality all his
own. Just like how you would
not take credit for your childs
achievements, you dont, do so
for your dialogues too, Akhtar
says.
There have been times
when Akhtar hears a song
composed by him earlier and
doesnt remember its written by
him. It becomes embarrassing
when you compliment a song
and its composer without real-
ising it is you who created it. But
that is what my relationship
with my songs is. Many people
dont believe me but its true, he
tells you.
Having said that, Akhtar
doesnt deny that there is some-
thing about mere paas maa hai
which makes him come back to
this dialogue, every once in a
while.
Salim and I knew we had
to come up with something
very dramatic for the scene
where the brothers were meet-
ing for the last time. We creat-
ed 534 lines for this moment
before mere paas.... came to our
mind. It was almost spiritual, as
if the line presented itself to us.
Both of us were quite pleased
and so was the director but
none of us had imagined that
this punchline would be used in
so many more films, theatre,
speeches, comedy circuits etc,
Akhtar tells you.
Akhtar says this line,
when used by AR Rahman
in his Oscar speech became
most special. He just
didnt use the line
for the heck of
it. I know
how close
Rahman is
to his
mo t h e r .
Woh shabd
uske dil se
nikle thhe. And
that is what made
it so beautiful, he tells you.
Akhtar lost his mother on
his eight birthday. Safia Akhtar
was a writer and a voracious
reader while his father Jan
Nisar Akhtar was a poet. I was
a keen learner in school but
when my mother was alive, I
remember, I was very eager to
come back home to her. She
would often narrate a novel
to me. She knew how to
spice things up. I loved lis-
tening to her voice, her way
of story-telling which was
very intriguing. She died at
my maternal grandfathers
home in Lucknow and I
was brought up by my
aunt, but I wonder if
anyone can substitute a
mothers bond, Akhtar
says.
Alltar ootes on mere aas maa lai
Celebrily molherdaughlers may be commonlace in Bollywood bul one
seldom gels lo see lhese reallie jodis on Tv. Bul wherever lhey have
shared lhe lalorm, lhese maabelis have sel lhe show on ire. Tarana
and her molher work in Bade Acche Lagle hain while Bhavana Balsavar
and her mom Madhu ealure in 0ular 0u. SAh0EETA YA0Av soke wilh
lhese duos lo bring you a secial slory
Friends orever 'working logelher
is quile a arly'
Iat & lloom
We created
5S4 lines before
'mere paas maa hai'
came to our mind. t
was almost spiritual,
as if the line
presented itself
to us
Mom & Mo
M0thers'
0ay 8ecIaI
'|u| i |u| u| + |ilJ
sunday
magazino
F R O M T H E N S D E
0
Mr 80rmaI ets It Wr0a
ne year in, Iranois hoIIande
has aIienaIed mosI voIers,
anIagonised MerkeI and driven
droves oI Irenrh inIo exiIe

8WamI 0a saaayasa
8annyasa isn'I abouI Iiving in
a rave. ne ran'I geI IiberaIion
iI one doesn'I Iry Io seek
saIvaIion Ior oIhers
3
8eW car 0a the hI0ck
Iord's Ero8porI has been designed
WiIh India in mind. II Iirks many oI
Ihe boxes When iI romes Io drivabiIiIy
buI misses ouI in some oIher areas
l |ove oe|rg a ror
oul l le|| ever]ore |l's
le ardesl, oesl l|rg
ever. ll's so uroe||evao|]
reWard|rg ard l'r prell]
Zer aooul |l oul sore
da]s |l's jusl ard.
.ORGX_*[LL
Now Dolhi, May 12, 2013
wilh Congress regislering an imressive
viclory in Karnalaka, BJF has losl ils lone
baslion in soulh ndia. KESTuR vASuK
analyses lhe Assembly eleclion resull and
how il could aecl nalional olilics
T
he BJPs humiliating defeat in
Karnataka has raised more
questions than answers. How
could the party which regis-
tered such a spectacular victory
in 2008 be reduced to rubble five years
later? Will the BJP be able to make a
comeback in the 2014 Lok Sabha
election? Or, is it all over for the party as
far as its southern dreams are concerned?
It is pertinent to note that former
Chief Minister and Lingayat leader BS
Yeddyurappa, who built the party from
scratch in the State, has now become one
of the main reasons why the BJP is in such
a mess. Apart from the Lingayat vote split,
the consolidation of backward classes in
favour of the Congress has sounded the
death knell for the party. In Karnataka
politics, two steams of voters backward
classes and dominant communities
decide the fate of a political party. This
election has seen the consolidation of the
two groups in favour of the Congress,
thus eroding the BJPs base. Had the BJP
not retained some support in urban
centres, it could not have even got the
face-saving 40 seats which it holds
jointly with HD Deve Gowdas Janata Dal
(Secular). The party has won 13 out of 28
constituencies in Bangalore urban.
In 2008, many Left leaders among
Dalits formed a political platform in the
BJP to defeat the Congress. The division
of the Left and the Right among Dalits
has traditionally been exploited by
different political parties, particularly the
Congress. In 2008, however, the attitude
of the Left Dalits changed favourably
towards the BJP. Likewise, Lingayats
backed Yeddyurappa to bring the BJP to
power. Five years down the line, these
two support bases have eroded
considerably, causing a major electoral
debacle for the party.
No wonder, the BJP not only lost its
strongholds of coastal and Mumbai-
Karnataka districts but also Hyderabad-
Karnataka and Central Karnataka (which
are regarded as the hotbed of Lingayat
politics). Moderate faces in the BJP now
feel that the hardcore Hindutva agenda
pursued by some leaders in coastal
districts of Mangalore and Udupi has
eroded the partys vote base in the region.
An analysis of the voting pattern
clearly indicates that Yeddyurappas KJP
has become a major spoiler for the BJP,
which has got just below 20 per cent of
total votes. By garnering about 10 per
cent votes, the KJP has spelt doom for
the ruling BJP and catapulted the
Congress to power in Karnataka. This
time the Congress has improved its tally
to 121 from 80 in 2008, and secured a
handsome 36.55 per cent vote share in
the Assembly election. We have lost
more than 30 constituencies because of
the KJP, confesses a BJP insider.
Battered in Bellary and coastal
districts, particularly Dakshina Kannada,
besides yielding considerable ground in
other parts of the State, the BJP is
clearly devastated. In around 100
constituencies, Yeddyurappas
KJP and the BSR Congress of
B Sriramulu chipped away its
votes in no small measure.
The KJP and the BSR
Congress could win just
10 seats, but the damage
they have done to the BJP
is immense.
The anti-incumbency
factor and incessant
infighting within the BJP leading to as
many as three Chief Ministers in five
years, coupled with the perception that
some ministers were deeply involved in
corruption, added to the partys woes. The
BJPs first Government in the South was
thus seen in poor light, overshadowing
some of the development works it had
done in the past five years.
It is amply clear that Yeddyurappa
vowed to demolish the BJP for what it
did to him and he succeeded in his
endeavour. The Congress didnt have to
do much as disarray in Opposition ranks
was certainly to its disadvantage. As for
the JD(S), it could not become the
kingmaker, but improved its tally from
28 in 2008 to 40 this year. Though the
JD(S) tried hard to spread its influence
beyond its stronghold of the Old Mysore
region, it couldnt make any significant
breakthrough and was well below 58
seats it had won way back in 2004. Also,
to its disappointment, the verdict has
been decisively in favour of the Congress,
thus eliminating any role of the JD(S) in
government formation. People clearly
did not favour a coalition government;
they saw the Congress and not the
JD(S) as an alternative to the BJP.
According to Prof Suresh Misra of the
Indian Institute of Public Administration,
New Delhi, the Yeddyurappa factor has
loomed large over the BJP. It is clear that
Yeddyurappa has spoiled the BJPs party.
His influence remains strong among his
caste members. Looking at the poll
impact, it was a bad decision by the BJP to
throw him out of the party, says he.
Even the BJP leadership is divided on
the Yeddyurappa factor. Many feel that it
was a blunder on the part of the senior
party leadership to isolate Yeddyurappa
over the issue of corruption. A senior BJP
leader says on the condition of anonymity
that it was the ego of a senior leader that
destroyed the party in Karnataka.
Corruption was not at all an issue. A
senior leader simply made it an ego issue
taking a moral high ground on corruption.
Who is not corrupt here? We have not
only lost a great experiment in Karnataka
abut also an opportunity, says he.
Some party workers believe that the
BJP should have taken a leaf out of Sonia
Gandhis Himachal Pradesh experiment.
The Congress decided to go ahead with
Virbhadra Singh as the partys mascot in
Himachal Pradesh despite unsubstan-
tiated corruption charges levelled against
him by his adversaries. This gamble
worked for the Congress.
Yeddyurappas eviction from the BJP
cost the party about 20 of 33 seats it had
won in the Lingayat belt of Mumbai-
Karnataka in 2008. The BJP, which won
33 of 50 seats in the region then, has
now been reduced to a mere 13. The
KJP essentially split the BJP votes by
half in many of these constituencies.
While Yeddyurappas KJP could win
only two of the 50 seats here and the
Sriramulus BSR Congress none, the
two breakaway parties handed the
Congress victory in 31 seats 19 more
than what it had won in 2008.
The BJP, which swept Bagalkot,
Bijapur, Gadag and Haveri in 2008, has
virtually been wiped out in these districts,
winning only three of the 25 seats. The
BSR Congress, too, contributed to the
BJPs downfall, particularly in Gadag.
An analysis
of the voting
pattern clearly
indicates that
Yeddyurappa's
KJP has
become a
major spoiler
for the BJP,
which has got
just below 20
per cent of
total votes. By
garnering
about 10 per
cent votes,
the KJP has
spelt doom for
the BJP and
catapulted the
Congress to
power in
Karnataka
>> Z
sunday
magazino
mi11l it1iJ !
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MAhEATh0 T0ERS EARhE0 hM A L0h0hEL0
RESFECT Ah0 FAME AM0h0 Th0SE RES0h0 h
ThE vLLA0ES 0F KuMA0h. S0ME L0CALS
EvEh CLAM ThAT hE wAS A SAhT
Now Dolhi, May 12, 2013
W
hen I was young, I loved stories
about tigers and leopards. My
father would often tell me about
Jim Corbetts adventures in the
wild. Thirty years later, I still
remember the spell those words would create.
My eyes would focus on his lips incessantly
drawing pictures in my mind. But a regret
remained over the years: Of not visiting Jim
Corbett National Park. So, when my friend
Emelda rang me up asking if I would join her
with her husband Umarjit and kids to
Corbett, I got excited. For, it would not only help
me find some relief from the approaching sum-
mer heat, but also allow me to see the land
named after one of my childhood heroes.
Kashipur was our first stop. We had our
breakfast at a local food stall there. After driving
for two hours we crossed Ramnagar. From
there, the road traverses flanking along the
gorge of the river Kosi, the sorrow of Bihar. On
the way, we saw the famous Garjiya temple. The
road led us to a flat terrain and we saw a beauti-
ful village along the river. All the houses were
thatched and trees were laden with wild orchids.
The name of the village was Sunderkhal. The
beauty of the place, however, was occasionally
marred by man-animal conflicts. An old woman
told me how a tigress killed six people, includ-
ing five women, in 2010. I then realised why the
village was surrounded by an electric fencing.
At around 11 am we crossed Dhangari Gate,
the main entry of Dhikala. On the way, I noticed
a number of resorts and properties for sale.
Suddenly, a few spotted deer jumped down the
hill slope and we almost hit a calf. We stopped
the car and watched them disappear in the
woods. We were both worried as well as exited
with the encounter.
After 15 minutes of drive, we saw a wooden
hanging-board. On it was written The
Den. So, here we were finally at our
resort. The rooms were well-fur-
nished. We unpacked our bags,
went to the reception and enquired
about the safari jeep. Much to the
disappointment of Emelda, she was told that
the jeep wont be coming to pick us up. She
rang up the adventure club and shouted at
them. Finally, they agreed to send the vehicle.
The manager showed us the way to the dining
hall where food was served in a buffet style.
By the time we finished our lunch, the jeep
had arrived. On the way, the driver showed us the
spot where the tigress had killed her first victim
in 2010. He also said that the Government would
soon be moving the villagers away. Around 2.30
pm, we entered Bijrani Gate. A few locals were
trying to rent us binoculars. Meanwhile, Gaurav
Kulbe, our forest guide, checked the papers and
got into the jeep. He was young, energetic and
quite serious about his work. He told us how he
wished to visit the Northeastern States.
Gaurav took us to many places, and we saw
spotted deer, sambar, langur, turtle, monitor lizard
and a snake-eagle. When we reached the foothills,
we saw a golden mahseer swimming in the brook.
From there, the grassland started. We stopped at
the government rest house. Few vehicles were
already parked there. The boundaries were sur-
rounded by an electric fencing. At the centre of
the compound stood a gigantic silk-cotton tree.
Once our papers got verified, we started mov-
ing again. Driving a little further, we saw tiger
claw marks on the bark of a tree. So, we were in a
tigers territory! We stopped by a waterhole, wait-
ing for the animal. Failing to find him, we moved
into the grassland and again there were pugmarks
of a tiger near the riverbed. We were soon in the
middle of a vast grassland and could see a watch-
tower at Bijrani. A couple of trucks were parked at
the base of a hillock and we watched them from a
distance. Half-an-hour later, as
we were losing hope, a
tigress appeared and
a woman shouted: Oh!
there it is. Gaurav yelled at her to
maintain silence. We watched the beautiful ani-
mal for a few minutes and headed back.
As we were returning, I thought of how in
1936 Corbett attained the distinction of being the
first national park to be established in mainland
Asia. To recognise the contributions of James E
Corbett, the park which was earlier termed
Hailey National Park and then Ramganga
National Park was christened as Jim Corbett
National Park in 1957. I also remembered how
the park had been closely linked with tigers
this despite the fact that with about 600 species of
avifauna Corbett had been one of the richest bird
sanctuaries in the country. Corbetts tiger associa-
tion is understandable because not just the
endangered Bengal tiger resides here but also the
sanctuary has been the first to come under
Project Tiger initiative.
Next morning, we got up early for the ele-
phant safari. When we reach the Way Mark
Adventure office, a man took us to the stable. I
was a bit disheartened to see the size of the ele-
phant given to us for ride. It was the smallest of
all and I sarcastically asked the mahout if she
could carry us. He roared into laughter. On the
way, the mahout told us that Larli was the
youngest elephant they had. She was only 20
years old and would attain maturity at the age of
40. Soon we reached the riverbed; the Sitabani
forest was just across it.
The day was cloudy and pleasant. We saw a
sambar sitting under the bushes but wont just
run away. I had a feeling that something was
going to happen. Suddenly, cheetals and mon-
keys started making alarm calls. The mahout
guided the elephant towards the direction. Lo
and behold, we saw a big Royal
Bengal tiger. Hailing high his
head, he gave us a long
look. And then, he leaped across the
stream to vanish into the forest.
On our return journey, we saw some girls
cutting firewoods not far from the spot we saw
the tiger. When we reached the elephant stable,
there were many people awaiting us. They all
admired the tiger snaps we had taken. A kid
complained to his mother that they must buy a
good camera to click tigers. Before we left for the
resort, Emelda gave the mahout a tip of C200 and
bought some edibles for the young elephant.
In the afternoon, Umarjit and I had a canter
safari for Dhikala. We dropped Emelda and her
kids at the resort and headed for Dhangari Gate.
At the checkpost, we were informed that our
canter will arrive at 2.30 pm. We felt sorry for
ourselves that we skipped both breakfast and
lunch in order to report on time. With nothing
else to do, we went to see Corbett Museum.
There was, however, not much to see.
When the canter finally arrived, we were
shocked to see the kind of companions we had.
Some boys from Delhi were making a lot of noise.
Some of them constantly made false alarms of
sighting animals. They showed no respect for the
wildlife or people around them. If Wikipedia is to
be believed, every season more than 70,000 people
come to the park. I am sure most of them wont be
better than those I encountered that afternoon.
Worse, we had an indifferent guide and driver.
They wouldnt stop for any photographic moment
and the canter appeared more like a public trans-
port and the guide our conductor!
We stopped for a while at Dhikala. From
there, we saw Ramganga river, famous for
ghariyals and golden mahseer. But we saw noth-
ing from that distance. However, we sighted a
few animals crocodile, spotted deer, sambar,
wild boar, among others.
When we returned, Emelda and kids were still
playing in the lawn. We took our dinner and
retired to bed early. Next morning, I sneaked out
early and spent some time in the river. When I
returned, my friends were still at the breakfast
table. We took light food and went to pack our
bags. As we were taking our luggage out, we
had a sinking feeling: We were, after all,
going back to the madness of the city life.
Corbell has over GOO
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making il one o lhe
richesl bird sancluaries in
lhe counlry, bul lhe lace
remains invariably
associaled wilh ligers.
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lhe nalional ark and lells us
aboul his exeriences
footprints
tiger
Tracking
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I
n Shirahatti, the Congress got
44,738 votes while the second-
placed BJP candidate won 44,423.
The BSR Congress took away 26,791
votes; even the KJPs 3,841 votes was
more than the winning margin.
JD(S) president HD Kumaraswamy
acknowledges the role played by the
two parties in the rise of the Congress
and the consequent decline of the
BJP. The KJPs agenda was to divide
votes. This has been achieved as is
evident from the results, says he.
State BJP president Prahlad Joshi
agrees. Many factors have damaged
our interests. More than corruption, it
was differences of opinion and the
breaking away of a splinter group. The
party will try to address all issues
immediately, says he.
Within the BJP, there are many
takers of this viewpoint. Says a senior
party leader, Factional feud in the BJP
has affected governance. This, along
with political instability, has led to
loss of confidence in the BJP. Also,
corruption at the State level seems to
have overshadowed the corruption
charges against the Congress-led UPA
Government at the Centre.
Its not that the voters have
not rewarded honest representatives
BJPs Suresh Kumar and CN
Aswath Narayan have easily retained
their seats. But caste consideration
did play its part, especially among
those who were not exactly seen to be
honest. No less than 23 former
ministers, who held various portfolios
in governments headed by
Yeddyurappa and DV Sadananda
Gowda and Jagadish Shettar, lost
their seats. Even Deputy Chief
Minister KS Eshwarappa could not
retain his seat. He was pushed to the
third position in Shimoga.
The impressive Karnataka victory
has brought temporary reprieve to a
beleaguered Congress, infusing a bit of
cheer into an otherwise gloomy
scenario. But there has been admission
on the part of senior Congress leaders
that this victory, however significant it
may be, is more of an exception than
rule. People in Karnataka, after all,
have voted for a State Government. To
take a national meaning out of a State
election would be highly misplaced,
says a Congress worker.
Many analysts, too, caution
the UPA not to take the Karnataka
victory as a referendum on the
national scale. Message is loud and
clear that this election was fought on
local issues, a vote on the quality of
governance delivered by the BJP in
Karnataka. By no means, national
issues got any traction during
the campaign.
It is interesting to note NCP chief
Sharad Pawars comment on the
Karnataka election. He said that the
result would not set the tone for the Lok
Sabha election in 2014. Addressing a
rally in Satara, he said: Dont jump to
any conclusion because of the win in
Karnataka. The forthcoming elections
in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and
Chhattisgarh are more important and
pose a bigger challenge to the UPA. One
cant predict which way the wind will
blow with just one electoral victory.
Pawars comment may not appear
soothing to the Congress leadership,
especially at the Centre, but its a
realistic analysis of the political
scenario in the country.
Hano rises in Soutl
F R O M P A G E 1
sunday
magazino
s|it| l
BLAME huMAhS F0R ThE EXThCT0h 0F
MAST000hS. wE KLLE0 ThE B00EST MALES
whLE huhTh0 F0R F000, whCh LE0 T0
FTChE0 BATTLES AM0h0 Y0uh0ER MALES AS
ThEY C0MFETE0 T0 FLL ThE 0AFS LEFT
Now Dolhi, May 12, 2013
F
irst off, Ford really does not describe the EcoSport as a
sports utility vehicle (SUV). Vinay Piparsania, Ford
Indias Director of Marketing and Sales, describes the
car as an Urban SUV. It is not a big car; it does not
have the dominating sense that, say, its bigger sibling
from the Ford stable, the Endeavour, has.
0L8I6k k0 IkLI08
Ford has designed this car to fit into a very specific box, a box
that has to ensure that it is under four metres in length. It has
high ground clearance, which is what basically qualifies it to
wear the SUV moniker. As Ehab Kaoud, the chief designer of the
car, explains, the car has well-defined lines but does not have
overly complex ridges running all over the place.
The EcoSport clearly looks like a Ford with its big, almost
agape radiator grille. It also has a side-opening rear door, a
function necessitated by the spare wheel on the door. The
neatest feature on the exterior of the car is the fact that instead
of a big, ugly handle, the EcoSport has a button to open the
rear door which is embedded in the rear light cluster. This has,
however, meant the reverse lights have been pushed down and
integrated into the rear bumper.
Inside, the front of the car is a replica of the interiors of
the Ford Fiesta, which is a place to be. The major change is
that the EcoBoost-engined Titanium-spec car we were driving
had nice cyan-coloured dials and centre-console.
Rear legroom is acceptable when you subscribe to the belief
that the EcoSport is essentially a big hatchback on stilts. Luggage
space is also acceptable if you use the big hatch concept. Space
for a couple of smallish suitcases or one large suitcase. But the
roof-rails do come equipped with tie-down points to secure lug-
gage which you can store up there as well.
0I8ILI1
Ford wanted journalists to not just experience the EcoSport
but also the revolutionary EcoBoost engine that would be one
of the engine options on the vehicle. This one-litre three-cylin-
der petrol engine deserves the revolutionary tag.
In addition to the technical tweaks, Ford has also added a
turbocharger to the engine, upping the power output of this
engine to an incredible 125PS (123 horsepower). Keep in
mind, there are 1.5 litre engines on bigger sedans that do not
produce that much power.
So, how does the power come on? A bit gradually, to be
very honest. While there is no perceptible turbo lag, it does take
some time to get the engine to get to the higher ranges of the
rev range. That said, in city-driving conditions where most gear
changes take place at around 2,500rpm, the car does just fine.
Acceleration in third gear between 40-60 km/hour is impressive,
although on some uphill stretches you do need to downshift.
You have to keep on reminding yourself that this is a small
engine trying to act like a big brute of an engine.
If you, however, do want to put the pedal to the metal, once
you get going, the EcoBoost can surprise you. You can almost
reach an indicated 100 km/hour on second gear, and a few
aggressive gear shifts can get the EcoSport up and going,
although after some time the car seems to run out of breath.
Ford will also be coming up with another petrol option
(the engine on the Figo) as well as its 1.5 litre TDCi diesel that
does duty on both the Fiesta and Figo. The EcoBoost, however,
is the most powerful of the three and the only engine option
that we drove. The EcoBoost is also good on emissions,
being cleaner than all other engines in its class, deserving the
Eco tag there as well. Fuel economy is claimed at over 18 km
per litre in testing; but in a 150-km long drive in Goa, on
both open road and through crowded villages and towns, we
managed 11 km per litre but then again this was heavy
right foot driving. Drive sensibly and one ought to get 13-14
km per litre in real-world conditions.
Ford vehicles have historically been supple on the road
and true to form the EcoSport handles it beautifully. Fords
last attempt at a small Utility Vehicle in India was the Fusion,
and while sales were dismal, the 1.6-litre petrol engine version
of that car was a fabulous mix of fun and practicality.
The EcoSport does not disappoint, although again you
have to remind yourself that the high ground clearance does
have a negative impact on handling. But handling and riding
comforts are both impressive as is the fairly powerful air-con-
ditioner. All in all, a very solid package.
L6hk0L061
The EcoSport is also the first Ford to have the Microsoft Sync
system installed (on higher spec Titanium and Titanium +
models). Now, one should realise that gadgets and toys are as
vital in selling cars as performance. However, after having dri-
ven the Fiesta extensively, the Sync system on the EcoSport felt
very similar to the non-Sync system on the Fiesta.
Now, while Sync is all well and good, Fords Sync system is
nowhere near as smooth to use as systems on the luxury
German brands (Audi, BMW and Mercedes). While they are
not in the same price bracket, things could have been better.
The voice command system recognises Indian accents and
voices well enough, but trying to get music to play over
Bluetooth was a challenge. And a full-colour display would
have been so much nicer than the monochrome display. It is
not that expensive anymore.
Piparsania did clarify that Ford would have representa-
tives who would explain the entire Sync system for cus-
tomers, including how to sync devices and voice commands
and so on. Smart move, although I believe Ford can do more
with Sync (as it has done in the US market). Maybe in some
of its future products!
008L 0 L608F0
This is a question that several people have been asking, and
frankly, having driven both cars, it is difficult to find a com-
parison. Sure, it is likely that they will be in similar price
brackets and appeal to same kind of buyers. The Ford is defi-
nitely better put together, has far superior plastics and in the
EcoBoost at least, a better engine. But the Duster is much larg-
er and has much more luggage space, and might be more
practical for larger families, moving dogs and the like.
Some might even find the Fords look a bit too modern
while others find the Duster dowdy, although it will be inter-
esting to see what Nissan does when it comes out with a
rebadged Duster later this year. Both cars could easily do with
bigger engines, but it will be interesting to drive the EcoSport
with the diesel motor once it launches to do a fair comparison.
This is not a car or an engine designed for boy racers,
and Fords target buyer is a 30-something family man with a
single kid. And you know what? This car suits the target
market just fine.
M08kFI8 00 8 IF 80M88 00

l is advice lhal all good lravellers will know: "when in Rome,

do as lhe Romans do." Scienlisls, however, have ound lhal
humans are nol lhe only secies lo adal lo dierenl cul
lures and ood in an alleml lo il in - monkeys also coy
new hosls by swilching lo lhe local cuisine. The inding is a
rare examle o a henomenon called "cullural lrans
mission" in animals. l could also hel lo exlain lhe
origins o our own desire lo seek oul lhe local knowl
edge and cullure when we are visiling new laces.
Froessor Andrew whilen, an evolulionary sychologisl
al lhe universily o Sl Andrews who led lhe sludy, which
is ublished in lhe journal BRXT]RT, said: "0ur indings
suggesl lhal a willingness lo conorm lo whal all
lhose around you are doing when you visil a di
erenl cullure is a disosilion shared wilh olher
rimales." Froessor whilen and his colleagues
sludied wild vervel monkeys living in Soulh Arica.
F8 08 MkF I00 MF8IllI Ill
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acebook and olher social nelworking siles
may aecl your menlal heallh by causing sy
cholic eisodes and delusions, researchers
warn. As nlernel access becomes increasingly
widesread, so do relaled sychoalhologies
such as nlernel addiclion and delusions relaled
lo lhe lechnology and lo virlual relalionshis,
according lo lhe sludy. Comuler communica
lions such as Facebook and chal grous are an
imorlanl arl o lhis slory, said 0r uri hil/an o
Tel Aviv universily. n lhe sludy, a conneclion
was ound belween lhe gradual develomenl
and exacerbalion o sycholic symloms,
including delusions, anxiely, conusion, and
inlensiied use o comuler communicalions.
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cienlisls ound eole who are going grey build u hydrogen
eroxide in lhe hair ollicle, which causes hair lo bleach ilsel
rom lhe inside oul. however lhis could be reversed by "an anlioxi
danl" cocklail lhal allows "reigmenlalion" o lhe hair. The dis
covery o whal makes hair grey was aclually made whilsl inves
ligaling lhe skin disease vililigo. The condilion, which Michael
Jackson claimed lo suer rom, causes loss o inheriled skin
and hair colour. The leam, which included exerls rom
Bradord universily's School o Lie Sciences, blamed "mas
sive eidermal oxidalive slress" lhal leads lo lhe build u o
hydrogen eroxide. For lhe sludy, lhe research leam analysed
an inlernalional grou o 2,411 alienls wilh vililigo. The
alienls were lrealed wilh a drug known as seudocalalase
aclivaled via sunlighl. Researchers noliced lhal lhe ig
menl o lhe skin and eyelashes relurned. The same lreal
menl could be develoed lo allow "reigmenlalion" o grey
hair - or lo slo il going grey in lhe irsl lace.
Jle Big Bang to
cancer treatment
hew lyes o radiolheray lo lreal cancer are
being develoed by scienlisls who work on lhe
Large hadron Collider, reorls RChAR0 0RAY
I
t was built to recreate the condi-
tions of the Big Bang in the hunt
for the so-called God Particle,
but now the technology behind the
worlds biggest physics experiment
may also provide a new way to treat
cancer. Scientists working at CERN,
the home of the Large Hadron
Collider, are developing new types
of radiotherapy that can destroy
tumours while damaging less of the
surrounding tissue, helping to
reduce side effects. They have
begun a five-year research project
to test different beams of ions
electrically charged atoms for
their ability to kill cancer cells.
Engineers are carrying out a 14
million upgrade on one of the parti-
cle accelerators linked to the LHC so
that it can carry out medical resea-
rch. Physicists behind the project
hope it will allow them to produce
more effective treatments that can
be afforded by the NHS of Britain.
Stephen Myers, director of
accelerator technology at CERN,
said that they were already working
with a British company to build
smaller versions of the 250 ft long
ring needed to produce the parti-
cles so that it can be installed in
hospitals. We are hoping to devel-
op new types of cancer therapy by
testing all the different types of ions
like oxygen or carbon to see
which is the best, he said.
Current radiotherapies caused
collateral damage to the surround-
ing tissue and that makes it diffi-
cult to treat some types of cancer,
like eye melanomas or those that
are hard to reach. Low energy ion
beams can cause less damage as the
destruction of the cells is depen-
dent on the energy of the beam
and it can be focussed very precise-
ly onto a tumour, he explained.
This can allow patients to recover
faster and surgeons can destroy
more of the tumour, so survival
rates are much better. We would
like to see if we can bring every-
thing down to a regular sized from
and put one in every teaching hos-
pital in Europe, he added.
Current radiotherapy tech-
niques use X-rays and electron
beams that are fired into the body
to kill cancer cells, but can cause a
lot of damage to healthy tissues,
bringing unpleasant side effects. A
new type of radiotherapy which
uses beams of particles known as
protons is already starting to be
used and has been found to pro-
duce better results.
The protons can be focussed
with greater accuracy than current
radiotherapy methods, meaning
that doctors can target more of the
cancer without damaging the sur-
rounding tissue. However, proton
beam therapy, as it is known, is
available in just 32 hospitals
around the world and just one in
the UK the Clatterbridge
Cancer Centre, where it is used to
treat eye tumours.
Two more proton beam thera-
py centres are planned in Britain
with one due to be built in
Manchester and another in
London. However, it costs hospitals
120 million for a proton beam
therapy machine and treating a
patient can cost between 90,000
and 120,000 each.
Scientists at CERN are now
working with London-based com-
pany Advanced Oncotherapy to
develop smaller and cheaper proton
beam devices so that they can be
more widely available. Michael
Sinclair, the firms chief executive,
hopes to install at least 10 new
machines within the next five years.
He said that it could mean 12,000
cancer patients could receive the
new type of treatment.
He said: Proton beam therapy
offers a significant improvement
for patients with cancer than con-
ventional radiotherapy, but so far
the big problem has always been
the cost.
The machine developed by
CERN has significant clinical
advantages and will cost a third of
equivalent equipment that is cur-
rently available, he added.
This is a game-changer
bringing a more effective cancer
treatment to the masses, he pro-
claimed stressing the value of this
new development.
Britain contributes around
100 million a year to CERN, with
the bulk of that being used to pay
for the Large Hadron Collider.
Earlier this year, scientists
announced that they had discov-
ered a new type of particle that is
believed to be a Higgs boson the
elusive so-called God Particle that
is believed to give other subatomic
particles mass.
The 17-mile long particle accel-
erator, which is sited beneath the
Swiss French border, near to
Geneva, has now been shut down
for two years while it undergoes a
70 million upgrade.
It is fed by a number of small-
er particle accelerators which fire
atoms or protons into the LHC
for experiments. Engineers are to
convert one of these, known as
the Low Energy Ion Ring, or
LEIR, so that it can be used for
biomedical research.
As well as testing different
ions for their ability to kill cancer
cells, scientists will also use it for
experiments on how exposure to
radiation from space can affect
astronauts.
l| +il] ll|+p|
This is not
a car or an
engine designed
for boy racers.
Ford's target
buyer is a
S0-something
family man with
a single kid.
And you know
what? This
car suits the
target market
just fine
R E S E A R C H S P A C E
Ford's EcoSorl has been designed wilh ndia in mind. l licks many o lhe boxes
when il comes lo drivabilily bul misses oul in some olher areas, wriles KuShAh MTRA
T
hose of us in the media who
broke ranks with our col-
leagues and defied popular
perception of Prime Minister Man-
mohan Singh as a man of unim-
peachable integrity to describe him
as a glorified babu, weak and pusil-
lanimous, remarkably bereft of any
sense of honour and utterly
unscrupulous in a cynical and sly
manner, were rudely rebuked for
besmirching the reputation of an
honest man. That was during the
months when Manmohan Singh was
pushing the India-US civil nuclear
deal and displayed no qualms about
misleading Parliament repeatedly to
sidestep inconvenient questions from
the Opposition. The Americans kept
on shifting the goalposts; our oblig-
ing Prime Minister kept on insisting
that we were being sold an apple and
not a lemon as claimed by critics of
the nuclear deal.
Then came the infamous cash-
for-vote scandal when money was
used for purchasing parliamentary
support for UPA1 which had clearly
lost its majority after the Left walked
out of a perverse relationship. It did
not bother Manmohan Singh, touted
as a man for whom probity mattered
more than power, that he won the
vote but lost the trust of the people.
We reminded those flying the flag
for Manmohan Singh that our
description of him was not wide of
the mark; sadly, few were persuaded
that the Prime Ministers mask had
fallen off, exposing the face of a cyni-
cal politician for whom ends justify
the means. A second victory for the
Congress-led UPA in 2009 weakened
the case against Manmohan Singh
the image of a clean politician, we
were told, had swayed opinion in his
partys favour.
We will never know the truth
about that assertion and it would be
foolish to speak with certitude on
imponderables that influence the
outcome of an election. But what can
be said without fear of contradiction
is that by the time he took oath of
office in 2009, Manmohan Singh was
no longer an accidental politician but
a crafty practitioner of the politics of
cynicism. Between the summer of
2009 and that of 2013, the crafty
politician has become craftier,
although as during the tenure of
UPA1, he has got away with impuni-
ty by using the popular perception of
him as a man of integrity and hon-
our as a cover. That was till now.
Even as I write, the Prime Minister
stands disrobed of his fictional
integrity and denuded of make-
believe honour; his spotless image,
cultivated assiduously by camp fol-
lowers, most of them charlatans in
media, lies in tatters, smudged by
scams and stained by scandals,
beyond repair and resurrection.
If India has never before seen a
Government as steeped in corruption
as the present regime headed by Man-
mohan Singh, the nation has never
had to contend with a Prime Minister
so fallen that Lucifer would be envi-
ous. In her time Mrs Indira Gandhi
spoke of corruption as a global reality
and thus sought to put a gloss on it. It
could also be argued that she was not
particularly finicky about rules and
procedures being followed, nor was
she averse to undue favours or else
she would have asked Sanjay Gandhi
not to accept huge tracts of land for
his non-existent Maruti car factory.
We have also seen a Prime Minister
turn his office into a cash-and-carry
counter when Chandra Shekhar
occupied the post for a few months.
The Bofors scandal led to the down-
fall of Rajiv Gandhi; no Prime Minis-
ter had been called a thief before
that, unfairly as it may have been.
But what we are witnessing now
is incredibly stupendous and stun-
ning at once: A dithering, ineffectu-
al bureaucrat, to quote
The Washington Post, presiding over
a deeply corrupt Government. What
we have is a Prime Minister who
claims to be perpetually in the dark
about whats happening right under
his nose; scornful of accountability
and disdainful of responsibility.
When the Great 2G Spectrum Rob-
bery came to light, he said he was
not aware of what A Raja was up to
although that is not true. As we now
know, at every stage Raja kept the
Prime Minister informed of his deci-
sions and actions; at no stage did
Manmohan Singh remonstrate. We
also know that he has failed to act on
the findings of the Commonwealth
Games inquiry committee that he
had set up. All that and more pales
into insignificance compared to the
gargantuan Coalgate scam he held
charge of the Coal Ministry when
coal blocks were allocated to cronies
of the regime for a song, defying
both logic and rules. His claim, that
he was not aware of the loot, comes
as no surprise.
The story does not end there. It
continues with the Law Minister, the
Governments law officers and senior
officials of the Prime Ministers
Office and the Coal Ministry trying
to manipulate the CBIs investigation
into the scandal. Together they
changed the heart of the report the
CBI was supposed to submit to the
Supreme Court, detailing its investi-
gation and findings. The Prime Min-
isters response? Why, he wasnt
aware of the tampering with the
report, of course! And even after he
became aware of it, he brazenly
defended Law Minister Ashwani
Kumar, refusing to act against him
despite severe strictures by the
Supreme Court in the form of
scathing observations.
Just as the Prime Minister would
not countenance any demand to sack
his Railway Minister Pawan Kumar
Bansal whose nephew was caught
red-handed collecting cash for prize
postings. Even as the evidence
against the Minister piled up by the
day, Manmohan Singh refused to act.
Was it merely because Pawan Kumar
Bansal was loyal to him instead of
the Palace? Is that also why Ashwani
Kumar thought he could get away
with his shameful though amazingly
brazen attempt to whitewash the
Coalgate scandal? Lutyenss Delhi is
awash with stories, each more scan-
dalous than the other. For instance,
lurid details of alleged taped conver-
sations between Pawan Kumar
Bansal and his associates are doing
the rounds. As always, its difficult to
separate fact from fiction and that
path is best avoided.
What we do know is that it
required an incensed Congress presi-
dent to tell the Prime Minister where
he got off to get the two tainted Min-
isters out of the Cabinet. Friday
afternoons unscheduled visit by
Sonia Gandhi to the Prime Ministers
residence was followed by Pawan
Kumar Bansal and Ashwani Kumar
putting in their papers. For the
record, the meeting lasted for 15
minutes; the discussion could not
have been replete with niceties. That
Ahmed Patel made it a point to be
present when the two Ministers
came to hand over their resignation
letters has served to underscore the
fact that Manmohan Singh may be
the Prime Minister but he is not the
primus inter pares.
A person who has so debased
the Prime Ministers office and
become an object of ridicule within
and outside the Government and the
ruling alliance, not to mention his
own party, should put in his papers
too. But this would require summon-
ing a sense of honour and dignity
which is absent at the moment.
Manmohan Singh is incapable of
doing even that.
(The writer is a senior journalist
based in Delhi)
8hameIess reIme,
sIaeIess 0ffIcers
I00I8 I00 0 0I 0I000II008I
60tI
Reader response to
Swapan Dasguptas column,
Usual Suspects, published on
May 5:
What is the alternative? As
much as many would like the
UPA Government to go, the
question that wracks most
people is: Who will replace
the present Congress-led
regime? Narendra Modi
seems like the only choice, but
his partymen and senior lead-
ers LK Advani, Sushma
Swaraj etc will probably
not let him succeed.
And then, we have the so-
called secularists like Nitish
Kumar who, fearing a Muslim
backlash, will not support
Modi either.
I see another UPA
regime, with a weaker
Congress, in power for anoth-
er term, and we have to live
with that, thanks to the petty
politicking of some. If we suf-
fer in the process, so be it.
SG
Shun the regime: There is no
doubt that the Congress-led
UPA Government has
become a house of scamsters
with the 2G Spectrum
scam, Coalgate, Adarsh hous-
ing racket, and now the latest
rail scam. But hats off to its
shamelessness, the UPA
remains glued to power to
rake in some more illegal
moolah. The UPAs continu-
ance spells deep trouble for
the nation, and it has become
necessary that the curtains be
brought down on this dishon-
est and morally bankrupt
Government and election be
held expeditiously. It will be
be a while before the next
Government can put the
house in order.
Bal Govind
N0I00N0 I0 I00 00W tIlI08I
W0lI0 0l00l
Reader response to
Kanchan Guptas column,
Coffee Break, published on
May 5:
Lets hope good trolls win:
Delhis powerful, and their
supporters, have been using
vile epithets and targeting so-
called Hindu fundamentalists.
They want to keep the Twitter
playing-field uneven.
Ram Ram
No place to hide now:
OMG the TRP talks back!
Is the crib of every print and
TV hack.
Used to flinging at us a one
way barrage
Their supremacy is now a
lonely mirage.
Shoving down our throat
Sonias agenda
They are willing tools for her
selfish propaganda.
Unfortunately, we can now
challenge every byte
From this theyll get no
respite.
Indeed, so much distress has
been caused
That Rajdeep has his Twitter
account paused!
Crying like a baby over Twit-
ter bad behaviour
Even breakfast with Rahul
G has not been a saviour!
Not acceptable that we
should call a spade a spade
They subject you to a Twitter
blockade!
Blockade therapy is ineffec-
tive its been found
New handles sprout and RTs
abound!
Certainly Twitter is a very
cruel, leaky place
Leaves no corner for crooks
to hide their face!
Finally, will you all please
give us a break. We need
some sensible stuff.
Rati Parker
88l08l F8I0I 8W I0l000
60I08
Reader response to
Rajesh Singhs column,
Plain Talk, published on
May 5:
Lead from the front: If the
top leader of the nation is
weak-willed, irresolute and
unable to govern, little can
be expected of him.
Consequently, Prime
Minister Manmohan Singh
has become a mute spectator
to the shenanigans of his
Government which the
citizens of this country can
no longer tolerate.
Singh has turned out to
be a huge disappointment.
Rather than lead firmly from
the front, he has allowed
himself to be led, from
behind the scenes, by UPA
chairperson Sonia Gandhi.
Singh must draw
strength and guidance from
Sardar Patels life and his no-
nonsense stand on national
issues, rather than blindly
follow the diktats of his party
chief. His clean image and
the respect he commanded
has suffered severely in
recent times. He must act
boldly or quit.
Mahesh Kumar
The price of arrogance: In
his letter, Sardar Patel had
not only envisaged Chinas
threat but also predicted the
likelihood of tense relations
with our immediate neigh-
bours like Nepal, Tibet,
Bhutan, Sikkim (which was a
protectorate of India up to
1974). It was because
Jawaharlal Nehru was arro-
gant towards Sardar Patel
that he did not give due
thought to his Home
Ministers wise suggestions
or discuss the issue with him.
Anil Gupta
PLANTALK
RAJESh Sh0h
COFFEEBREAK
KAhChAh 0uFTA
PM las no sense of
oignity ano lonour
u
nscruulous olilicians have lheir way when lhey gel lianl subor
dinales or callous sueriors or even al limes a suine judiciary lo
do lheir bidding or endorse lheir blunders. ndira 0andhi could
imose Emergency because lhen Fresidenl Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed
signed lhe roclamalion wilhoul balling an eyelid. She could win judi
cial aroval or her wrongdoing because a ew judges, who came lo
be laler ermanenlly sligmalised or lheir weakkneed conducl, uheld
lhe murder o democracy and reedom lhal came wilh il, going lo lhe
exlenl o holding lhal Fundamenlal Righls could be susended.
Similarly, as Minisler or Law and Juslice, Ashwani Kumar could
make changes in a slalus reorl on a highly sensilive inquiry lhe
Cenlral Bureau o nvesligalion is conducling in lhe coal block alloca
lion scam because he could summon a bunch o sineless oicers
such as lhe Allorney 0eneral o ndia and lhe 0ireclor o CB lo arlici
ale in lhe disgraceul coveru. Frime Minisler Manmohan Singh con
linued lo deend him desile lhe serious breach o roriely lill he no
longer could. So, lhere is a comlicily lhal goes beyond one individual.
0nce everyone was caughl redhanded in lhe acl o docloring lhe
slalus reorl - lo lhe exlenl lhal lhe Sureme Courl said in anguish
and oulrage lhal lhe "hearl o lhe reorl" had been changed - lhe
blamegame began in righl earnesl. haren Raval, who was lhe CB's
lawyer and lhen Addilional Solicilor 0eneral, blamed Allorney 0eneral
0E vahanvali or summoning him lo lhe inamous meeling wilh
Kumar. he added lhal he was orced lo lie lo lhe aex courl in a bid
lo endorse lhe alse osilion vahanvali had laken beore lhe judges
on lhe maller. vahanvali washed his hands o lhe maller by claiming
lhal Kumar had called or lhe meeling which he merely allended. CB
0ireclor Ranjil Sinha did many hilarious lilos in lhe ensuing con
usion, bul inally ended u acceling lhal his agency was indeed a
"caged arrol" which was comelled lo seak lhe language o ils
olilical maslers. Kumar said only grammalical correclions were
done. The Frime Minisler, in whose inleresls resumably lhe enlire
eisode had been craled, remained mum as always.
when oicers ass lhe buck, il is a sure sign nol jusl o lheir inse
curily bul also lheir imolence. Raval could have olilely lold lhe
Allorney 0eneral lhal he would nol be comlicil lo a alenlly wrongul
meeling; vahanvali could have irmly lold lhe Law Minisler lhal il is
imroer or lhe Minisler lo call or lhe slalus reorl and make subse
quenl changes; Sinha could have oinlblank reused lo share lhe dral
slalus reorl on lhe robe wilh
lhe Minisler or any olher
0overnmenl servanl on lhe
ground lhal he was answerable
only lo lhe aex courl and none
else on lhal maller. Yel, none o
lhem slood u or whal was cor
recl, because none had lhe
slalure lo do so. Could Kumar
have dared lo ush his devious
lan i lhese oicers had shown
some resoluleness? he had
demanded lo have his way in lhe
ace o lheir rejeclion, lhe oi
cials could have lold him lhal
lhey would exose lhe deeds o
lhe Minislers beore lhe courl lo
which lhey were answerable.
l is inconceivable lhal a
Minisler, leasl o all a olilical
lighlweighl like Ashwani Kumar,
would have had lhe lemerily lo
summon lhe likes o Soli
Sorabjee or Fali S hariman or
harish Salve or Ashok 0esai or K
Farasaran, all o whom served as
law oicers in dierenl regimes
over lhe lasl ew decades and
scruulously mainlained lhe
slalure o lheir osls even as
lhey came under ressure. hone
o lhese genllemen would have
allowed, lel alone direcl, lheir
subordinales lo arliciale in
meelings lhal could comromise
lhe lrusl which lhe courl had
laced in lhem as law oicers.
Salve lold a lelevision channel
recenlly lhal, as law oicer lo a
revious 0overnmenl, he had
'running ballles' wilh cerlain
Minislries on how conlenlious
issues were lo be rojecled
beore lhe judiciary, bul none o
lhe Minislers ever lried lo armlwisl him or direcl him lo do whal was
imroer beore a courl o law.
Bul vahanvali (and Raval beore he quil aler being ushed inlo a
corner) and many olhers like lhem have in recenl monlhs been made
o less slern and more malleable malerial. 0overnmenl law oicers o
lhis kind consider lhemselves servanls o lhe regime ralher lhan lhe
roleclers o lrulh. For lhem, acls can be lwisled so long as lhal
serves lo orliy lheir osilion in 0overnmenl. 0ne musl remember lhe
lenglhs lo which vahanvali wenl lo jusliy lhe uFA regime's unlenable
osilion on lhe 20 Seclrum licence scam. worse, he had even gone
lo lhe exlenl o advising lainled Telecommunicalions Minisler A Raja in
his caacily as lhen Solicilor 0eneral. Raja had wrillen lo lhe Frime
Minisler on 0ecember 2G, 2OO7: " have already consulled. Solicilor
0eneral o ndia 0 E vahanvali", based on whose advice, he added, "
can go ahead wilh lhe allocalion o 20 Seclrum sace immedialely."
n acl, il was lhis yeoman service lhal vahanvali did lo lhe
0overnmenl which musl have weighed as one o lhe aclors wilh lhe
regime when il elevaled him as lhe Allorney 0eneral. he did nol lel his
olilical maslers down lhen; he has nol lel lhem down now. Bul he has
surely lel down lhe roession which has given him nol jusl his bread
and buller bul also recognilion. Somewhere down lhe line, he aears
lo have orgollen lhe higher ideals.
The less said aboul lhe CB 0ireclor lhe beller. As a maller o rule,
lhe robe agency has been headed by men who have roved lo be
exlremely subservienl lo lhe ruling disensalion. l's diicull lo remember
when we lasl had a 0ireclor who slood u lo his olilical maslers. Farl o
lhe reason or lhis sorry silualion could be lhal lhe CB is lighlly con
lrolled by lhe 0overnmenl, which can make or break lhe 0ireclor's career.
A lianl 0ireclor can secure a lace in lhe Raj Bhavan or as a member o
some conslilulional aulhorily, oslreliremenl. These are among lhe juici
esl incenlives or loeing lhe 0overnmenl's line. unorlunalely or him,
desile his slavish allilude lowards lhe regime, Sinha is unlikely lo be
rewarded in a similar ashion aler lhe series o lalesl iascos.
A 0overnmenl gels lhe oicers il deserves. A weak Frime Minisler,
wilh an even weaker sel o Minislers, quile a ew o whom like lhe
Frime Minisler have no olilical base and deend enlirely on lhe
largesse o lhe hehru0andhi amily or olilical survival, will never be
comorlable wilh inlreid oicers. For lhem, a havin Chawla is any day
a beller olion lhan a Th Seshan.
A person who
has so debased
the Prime
Minister's office
and become an
object of ridicule
within and
outside the
Government, not
to mention his
own party,
should put in his
papers too.
Manmohan Singh
is incapable of
even that
sunday
magazino
jitit
Now Dolhi, May 12, 2013
F E E D B A C K
Manmohan Singh has been shown his lace by Sonia 0andhi or his unlenable deence o Fawan Kumar Bansal
and Ashwani Kumar. Clearly, he is nol lhe _aX\dbX]cTa_PaTb. A man o honour would have resigned by now
A Government gets
the officers it
deserves. A weak
Prime Minister who
has no political
base and depends
entirely on the
largesse of the
Nehru-Gandhi
family, will never
be comfortable
with intrepid
officers. For him, a
Navin Chawla is
any day a better
option than a
TN Seshan
AShwAh KuMAR C0uL0 MAKE ChAh0ES h
A STATuS REF0RT 0h A h0hLY SEhSTvE
h0uRY BECAuSE hE C0uL0 SuMM0h A
BuhCh 0F TM0 0FFCERS LKE ThE
ATT0RhEY 0EhERAL Ah0 ThE CB 0RECT0R
M
an is the repository of sleeping
powers of various kinds. Kundalini
awakening figures on top of them.
Kundalini means one which is
sitting recoiled like a serpent
in a pit that is a source of massive energy. It is
believed to be rising up undulating and hissing
like a snake. This energy lies right below the
navel centre at the tip of the spine near the sex
centre. Every work of God is law-bound. Sex is a
power given to every living being for the purpose
of creation, reproduction and evolution. The
presence of such a big reservoir of power near
the navel centre empowers this centre.
Kundalini has been used, after strongly
awakening it and making it go upwards, to gain
paranormal powers and spiritual experiences
rather than spending it in sex. But a few points
contradict this theory: First, kundalini awakening
has nothing to do with spirituality, self-
realisation or God. It is only a storehouse of
massive energy in body that can be used for the
development of physical, mental or psychic
powers. Awakening of any of the above
mentioned powers only boosts ego. The desire
for power itself is desire for ego. After all, we
desire acquisition of power only for making
ourselves more superior or powerful than others,
to enslave others and foster our own ego.
Second, ego is the greatest hurdle in
becoming spiritual. So, the desire for awakening
kundalini closes the door of spirituality forever.
With the notion of kundalini awakening the
practitioner becomes egoistic. That is why
nobody from Lord Rama and Krishna to
Buddha and Mahavira ever tried to awaken it
or even talked about it. Third, the purification of
body and mind purifies the chakra and once that
is achieved, kundalini starts to rise on its own
accord, finding the way up free of blockage. It is
not to be led up. Last, Hatha yoga is the
experiment to lift kundalini forcefully. It is
harmful and causes mental abnormality and
physical suffering.
Kundalini awakening is entirely a personal
experience which does not benefit the larger
world. It in no way helps awaken or transform
the lives of thousand others. Hundreds of saints,
gurus, yoga teachers and sadhaks have claimed to
achieve this feat. But what contribution does it
make in the progress of society? Has it eliminated
even an ounce of poverty, penury, religious
dogmatism, corruption and immoralities?
Kundalini, in fact, is not to be awakened
because once awakened, it starts its journey to
upward chakras naturally. Kundalini awakening is
the outcome of awareness and self-realisation. As
we become aware and start liberating ourselves
from physical, mental and emotional blockages
(that we create out of our ignorance), and start
flowing with the spontaneous laws of nature our
being becomes pure and expanded, forcing the
kundalini power to rise up.
Man has always desired power to boost his
ego. If you believe that you will find God
through kundalini awakening, then please come
out of this illusion. Liberation lies in the
knowledge of the self; so, with your awakening
you start perceiving Him immediately in yourself
and in your surroundings.
First of all, the very idea of seeking God is
pointless. You do not search for your image in
mirror; the moment dust is removed, it appears
before you. So, honestly speaking, our search for
God is irrelevant. Our search for absolute bliss
gets over with either complete submission (by
complete dissolution of the I sense) or in the
supreme state of awareness where all our
ambitions, desires, expectations and ego
formations are burnt in the fire of knowledge.
We then live our lives with supreme awareness.
Ironically, we cant and wont get this
state with kundalini awakening. Also, if you think
kundalini awakening is a means of spiritual
experience or progress, then think over it again.
It is not a way to achieve spirituality because the
outcome of spirituality is love, celebration,
happiness, equanimity and devotion. In kundalini
awakening, one goes on to strengthen ones
individuality; that is why no one exudes love,
egolessness, spirit of celebration, equanimity and
devotion due to it. So, we will not achieve true
happiness and peace of mind even with
thousands of such awakenings.
If you experience anything good by following
the advice of your guru, then the reason is not
your guru but you yourself; after all, whenever you
rely upon a guru, then it is your unshakable faith
alone and not the grace of your master that
transforms your life. So, do not run after a guru in
the name of kundalini awakening. Make your faith
unshakable and then hang on to that. You will
have a lot of awakening on your hands anyway.
l| +u||u| i + ||uW|J |+|u|up+||
HDDENSOULS
AJT KuMAR BShh0
T
his is not the time for a long
lecture. But I shall speak to
you in brief about a few
things which I should like you to
carry into practice. First, we have
to understand the ideal, and then
the methods by which we can
make it practical. Those of you
who are sannyasins must try to do
good to others, for sannyasa
means that. There is no time to
deliver a long discourse on renun-
ciation, but I shall very briefly
characterise it as the love of
death. Worldly people love life.
The sannyasin is to love death.
Are we to commit suicide then?
Far from it. For suicides are not
lovers of death, as it is often seen
that when a man trying to com-
mit suicide fails, he never
attempts it for a second time.
What is the love of death then?
We must die, that is certain; let us
die then for a good cause. Let all
our actions eating, drinking,
and everything that we do tend
towards the sacrifice of our self.
You nourish your body by eating.
What good is there in doing that
if you do not hold it as a sacrifice
to the well-being of others? You
nourish your minds by reading
books. There is no good in doing
that unless you hold it also as a
sacrifice to the whole world. For
the whole world is one; you are
rated a very insignificant part of
it, and therefore it is right for you
that you should serve your mil-
lions of brothers rather than
aggrandise this little self.
With hands and feet every-
where, with eyes, heads, and
mouths everywhere, with ears
everywhere in the universe, That
exists pervading all. (Gita, XIII 13)
Thus you must die a gradual
death. In such a death is heaven,
all good is stored therein and
in its opposite is all that is dia-
bolical and evil.
Then as to the methods of
carrying the ideals into practical
life. First, we have to understand
that we must not have any impos-
sible ideal. An ideal which is too
high makes a nation weak and
degraded. This happened after the
Buddhist and the Jain reforms.
On the other hand, too much
practicality is also wrong. If you
have not even a little imagination,
if you have no ideal let guide you,
you are simply a brute. So we
must not lower our ideal, neither
are we to lose sight of practicality.
We must avoid the two extremes.
In our country, the old idea is to
sit in a cave and meditate and die.
To go ahead of others in salvation
is wrong. One must learn sooner
or later that one cannot get salva-
tion if one does not try to seek
the salvation of his brothers. You
must try to combine in your life
immense idealism with immense
practicality. You must be prepared
to go into deep meditation now,
and the next moment you must
be ready to go and cultivate these
fields. You must be prepared to
explain the difficult intricacies of
the Shastras now, and the next
moment to go and sell the pro-
duce of the fields in the market.
You must be prepared for all
menial services, not only here,
but elsewhere also.
The next thing to remember is
that the aim of this institution is to
make men. You must not merely
learn what the rishis taught. Those
rishis are gone, and their opinions
are also gone with them. You must
be rishis yourselves. You are also
men as much as the greatest men
that were ever born even our
incarnations. What can mere
book-learning do? What can medi-
tation do even? What can the
mantras and tantras do? You must
stand on your own feet. You must
have this new method the
method of man-making. The true
man is he who is strong as strength
itself and yet possesses a womans
heart. You must feel for the mil-
lions of beings around you, and yet
you must be strong and inflexible
and you must also possess obedi-
ence; though it may seem a little
paradoxical you must possess
these apparently conflicting
virtues. If your superior order you
to throw yourself into a river and
catch a crocodile, you must first
obey and then reason with him.
Even if the order be wrong, first
obey and then contradict it.
E/|p| ||u| Vi1|+|+|J+
p| i| !899
Sannyasa isn`t alout living in a cave
0ne can'l gel liberalion i one doesn'l lry lo seek salvalion or olhers, says SwAM vvEKAhAh0A
sunday
magazino
sji|ilJlil; l
000 S h0T uFSET ThAT 0Ah0h wAS h0T A
ChRSTAh, BECAuSE 000 S h0T A ChRSTAh! ALL
0F 000'S ChL0REh Ah0 ThER 0FFEREhT FAThS
hELF uS T0 REALSE ThE MMEhSTY 0F 000.
- 0ESM0h0 TuTu
Now Dolhi, May 12, 2013
:d]SP[X]X
awakening is not
a way to achieve
spirituality because
the outcome of
spirituality is love,
celebration,
happiness,
equanimity and
devotion. n
Zd]SP[X]Xawakening,
one just goes on to
strengthen one's
individuality
L
ife is not a bed of roses; rather its full of chal-
lenges. And true character of a human being is
manifested in his courage and ability to deal with
such challenges. Today, however, we tend to ignore this
truth and introduce ourselves to a whole new world of
pomp. Arent we running away from ourselves when
we pop a sleeping pill to keep worrying thoughts at
bay? Sleeping pills have emerged as a useful tool to get
over the uncomfortable issues of life, making one an
escapist. But there are other ways as well.
The conventional way of an escapist is to indulge
in drinking after coming home in the evening, when
the reality stares in the face. What will you say about a
large percentage of our populace getting addicted to
the Internet and its related appliances? A lot of time is
spent in this activity. A milder form of being in denial
of reality is watching excessive television; one tries to
keep the mind distracted. A small percentage keep
themselves surrounded by sycophants or hangers-on.
If these were not bad enough, there are many
takers of smoking. There are many who ignore defi-
nite symptoms of illness because they dont love
themselves. Then there is illicit sex which is not only
a health risk but also a direct attack on the self.
Gambling is not far behind when one is prepared to
fritter away hard-earned money.
All these symbolise weaknesses in human charac-
ter. So in the face of trouble, we tremble and fall prey
to wrong temptations. What we need to remember is:
No one can escape problems in this material world.
One has only two choices when faced with a prob-
lem. Either one does ones best and solves the prob-
lem, or be ready to face the consequences. There is
no third choice. If one takes the escape route by
indulging in liquor, drugs, illicit sex, etc, one only
compounds the problem.
What does a believer do? He has the all-powerful
God on his side. No problem is too big for the
omnipotent God. Lord Krishna has specifically made
a mention of this promise in the Bhagavad Gita when
He states, Having My consciousness you will cross
all impediments by My grace. With this assurance, a
devotee never avoids a problem and, invariably, is
able to solve it with Gods assistance. A devotee is
guided by his/her self. Such a person doesnt allow
fearful thoughts bother him or her. At the same time,
a devotee is blissful, satisfied and at peace with him-
self and others.
Therefore, if we wish to avoid escaping ourselves,
we can try to become true devotees of God. If that
task seems too daunting, we can at least become
good human beings. All attempts to make the self
better pays rich dividends over a period of time.
l| W|i|| i + pi|i|u+l u||||+|u|
you believe lhal Zd]SP[X]Xawakening can hel you achieve sirilual rogress, lhen
lhink over il again. Liberalion lies in lhe knowledge o lhe sel, says hK ShARMA
u|| |u| +W+]
||u| |+ll|
w
riling a shorl essay
aboul lhe imorlance o
riends and amily, or exam
le, can counleracl lhe dam
aging eecls o chronic
slress on our abilily lo com
lele lasks, researchers
ound. Slressed workers
could imrove lheir rob
lemsolving skills by wriling
a nole aboul somelhing
imorlanl lo lhem. highly
slressed eole erormed
almosl 5O er cenl worse on
a roblemsolving lesl lhan
a lowslressed grou, bul
lheir scores caughl u aler
carrying oul lhe wriling lask.
Frevious sludies have
shown lhal slress can harm
our abilily lo solve rob
lems, bul lhe simle exer
cise could hel chronically
slressed workers imrove
lheir crealivily and insighl,
and boosl lhe erormance
o underachieving school
uils, researchers said.
E
aling oily ish while
avoiding red meal can
hel revenl memory loss
in laler lie, a sludy sug
gesls. Feole who adhere
lo a Medilerraneanslyle
diel are 1O er cenl less
likely lo encounler rob
lems wilh lheir lhinking and
memory skills by lheir GOs.
Ealing oods rich in
0mega 8 ally acids, such
as ish, chicken and salad
dressing, and limiling lhe
amounl o red meal, salu
raled als and dairy rod
ucls we consume could
hel ward o condilions
like demenlia, researchers
said. The new sludy, ub
lished in lhe =Tda^[^Vh
journal, was lhe largesl lo
examine lhe link belween
heallhy ealing and "cogni
live unclioning" - a
grou o lhinking and
memory skills which
decline in some eole
during old age and are a
warning sign o demenlia.
B
abies o women who eal
junk ood while regnanl
will be more likely lo be
obese as an adull and will
be born wilh an addiclion lo
ally oods, Auslralian scien
lisls have concluded.
The sludy, ublished in
CWT50B419^da]P[, ound
babies o junk ood ealing
molhers have less sensilivily
lo oioids and are more like
ly lo overeal junk ood, even
in adullhood. l is lhe irsl
lime scienlisls have demon
slraled lhe longlerm imacl
o malernal junk ood con
sumlion during regnancy
and breasleeding. 0r Bev
Mhlhausler, rom Adelaide
universily, said lhe molhers
who ale junk ood imeded
lhe baby's abilily lo resond
lo oioids and orced lhe
child lo eal more sugar and
al lo achieve a "good eel
ing". She also said lhal junk
ood babies will ind il "er
manenlly" harder lo achieve
a heallhy body weighl.
NIIk6 6k
MkL 100 60M8 8L88
0IL1 fI8h 0
FLLk MLM01 L088
M0M'8 f000
h8I 6k MkL 0kL 08L8L
Lie is never a bed o roses and
lrue characler o an individual is
maniesled in his courage and
abilily lo deal wilh challenges
W
ith hindsight, it seems as if
Franois Hollandes trou-
bles started the day he was
inaugurated, on May 15
2012. First he was drenched
by a surprise storm as his open Citron
drove up the Champs-Elyses. Then, the
very same day, his Falcon plane was hit by
lightning on the way to Berlin, where he was
scheduled to meet Angela Merkel mak-
ing it possibly the first and last time the
German Chancellor has felt unreserved
sympathy for him. The new President had
to turn back before travelling to Berlin in
another aircraft. When he got there in
more pouring rain he missed a turn on
the airfield red carpet while reviewing
German troops, and had to be steered back
in the right direction by Merkels firm grip
on his elbow, a moment that presciently
symbolised their future relationship.
And everything went downhill
from there.
One year later, the man who had billed
himself as the normal President during
his victorious campaign against Nicolas
Sarkozy is breaking records for unpopulari-
ty. With 75 per cent against him, Hollande
is scoring the lowest approval ratings of any
President of the Fifth Republic since the
country started conducting polls.
Unemployment has risen by 11.5 per cent
since his election, reaching an all-time high
of 3.2 million. An estimated 1,50,000 young
people have left the country in search of
better prospects abroad: The only jobs cre-
ated in France have been in the public sec-
tor, usually in fields such as teaching that
are solidly controlled by Socialist voters.
Despite a widely touted austerity
drive, public spending stands at 57 per
cent of GDP the figure in Britain is 45
per cent and the countrys public debt
is about to reach 94 per cent of GDP. The
largest street demonstrations since 1984
when the country also had a Socialist
President, Franois Mitterrand have
brought more than a million people on to
the streets of Paris on two occasions (and
more are planned), to protest against
Justice Minister Christiane Taubiras new
law on gay marriage and adoption: Given
that France is a fairly tolerant society,
these were effectively a street referendum
against Hollande.
Frances very visible spat with Germany
is a good example of how Hollande man-
ages to make a bad situation worse. It is
hardly new for French and German
Governments to disagree on economic
issues; nor is it
unusual that its
leaders belong to
different political
parties. Yet,
mindful of the
European lever-
age afforded by
the French-
German axis, Valry
Giscard dEstaing, a conservative, was
excellent friends with the Social Democrat
Helmut Schmidt, while the Socialist
Mitterrand spoke in almost Gaullian terms
of his German counterpart, the Christian
Democrat Helmut Kohl. Even Jacques
Chirac never clashed with Chancellor
Gerhard Schrder in the way he did (as
Prime Minister) with Margaret Thatcher.
Hollande, however, still seems to man-
age France the way he managed rival cur-
rents during his long tenure as Socialist
Party leader, trying to play one against the
other while trying to keep everyone happy
by granting them some sort of concession.
This was in evidence at last years European
summit, where instead of sitting down with
Merkel to hammer out a viable compro-
mise, he tried to rustle up an alliance with
Spain and Italy behind her back, thinking
this would be enough to counter the
German position.
This may work in Corrze (Hollandes
constituency in central France); it doesnt in
the real world, a French diplomat com-
mented at the time. At the end of the day,
the Germans were annoyed, the French line
was all but absent from the final commu-
niqu and Angela Merkel and David
Cameron found themselves in closer
alliance than theyd ever been.
Recently, a trio of ministers including
the flamboyant Arnaud Montebourg,
Minister for Industrial Recovery, started
making increasingly belligerent statements
about German-imposed austerity, accus-
ing Merkel of egotistical intransigence
and calling for a democratic confrontation
with Germany, without being taken to task
by the President.
It didnt take long for Merkels
entourage, who are much savvier in the
ways of French politics than the French are
about Berlin affairs, to counterleak a
memo plausibly produced by the
Chancellors coalition partners, the Free
Democrats on France being Europes
biggest problem child, with a stalled econ-
omy and a meandering reform pro-
gramme. Merkel then gave a perfunctory
denial that she thought any-
thing of the kind.
The truth is that she is
incensed with Hollande, not least
because of her growing conviction that
the French President and his spin doc-
tors allowed the German-bashing because
they felt that it would displace domestic dis-
satisfaction with Hollande on to Germany.
Even the notoriously complacent
French press is now giving the President a
hard time. Is GrandPa (one of Hollandes
mildest nicknames) really up to it? asked
the news magazine LExpress on a recent
cover. Le Point called him Monsieur
Faible Mr Weak after Hollande con-
fessed that he hadnt believed the economic
crisis would last so long.
The country is drowning in an ocean of
discouragement, said Christophe Barbier,
the influential editor of LExpress. Its not
just the tax-avoiding rich, artists like Grard
Depardieu, businessmen everyone is now
tempted to leave for a better life elsewhere.
Young people feel they will never get a break,
a job, a sign of trust. Entrepreneurs have to
fend off red tape, rising costs and levies.
In April, to add to this toxic climate,
came the Cahuzac scandal: Frances Budget
Minister, the man in charge of fighting tax
fraud, was revealed to have a secret bank
account in Switzerland and in all likeli-
hood another in Singapore and to have
lied to the President and Parliament about it.
In the recent weeks, polls have given
Marine Le Pen, the far-Right National Front
leader, record numbers in a hypothetical
presidential election 23 per cent, well
above Hollande at 19 per cent, while
Sarkozy scored 34 per cent. Were Sarkozy to
stand, he would beat Le Pen easily in the
second round but the talk in France has
been of the dangers of Fascism, beginning
with the very real distrust of all politicians
and of the ruling class.
It says a lot about Hollandes tin ear
that he chose that very moment to compel
ministers to disclose their personal assets,
arguing for the virtues of transparency
against corruption. This may work in the
United States, where personal success is
admired: But in France, a country where
unregenerated Marxist thought still largely
holds sway, overlaying a centuries-old
Catholic mistrust of money, it prompted
Claude Bartolone, the Socialist Speaker of
the National Assembly, who is fighting
suggestions of a similar obligation for
MPs, to talk of voyeurism and envy.
l| +il] ll|+p|
sunday
magazino
itl|tJlitJl |
MRAh KhAh, F0RMER CRCKETER Ah0 A LEA0h0
FLAYER h FAKSTAh'S 0EhERAL ELECT0h, wAS
RuShE0 T0 h0SFTAL wTh A SKuLL FRACTuRE 0h
TuES0AY AFTER FALLh0 0FF A hY0RAuLC LFT AT
0hE 0F ThE FhAL RALLES 0F hS CAMFA0h
Now Dolhi, May 12, 2013
'8Y kWkY': MI6hEIIE
kT 8k8IhIh
M
ichelle Obama on
Tuesday returned to
the business of selling
her first book, and she
started by telling scores
of people waiting in line
at a popular bookstore to
buy away because
Mothers Day is coming.
Its a great gift, she
said of American
Grown: The Story of the
White House Kitchen
Garden and Gardens
Across America.
The book was pub-
lished about a year ago in
late May, and the first
lady did just one book-
signing event in
Washington about two
weeks afterward. She was,
at the time, taking part in
an even bigger sales job:
Campaigning around the
country to help Pres-
ident Barack Obama
win a second term.
If you recall, when the book came
out we were in the middle of this cam-
paign, or something or other, she joked
Tuesday. So we were a little busy.
With the election over and a sec-
ond term in the history books,
the First Lady ventured a few
miles north of the White House
to the Politics and Prose book-
store on a rainy morning to plug
the fruit of her first turn as a
best-selling author.
More than 175,000 copies
have been printed, according to
Crown Publishers, which does
not release sales figures.
The first lady said she wrote
the 271-page book for a bumper
crop of reasons: To tell the story of
her White House garden on the
South Lawn, to spread the word
about the history of community
gardening in the United States
and to start a conversation
about childhood obesity in
the US. So all of that is
part of this book, and
its trying to do a lit-
tle bit of everything,
she said. (AP)
Mkh 8E8 8Fh
T E86kFE 1kII
O
leg Topalov
was being
held on charges
of double mur-
der and arms traf-
ficking when he
became the fourth man in two decades
to escape the maximum-security
Matrosskaya Tishina prison in Moscow.
Authorities say Topalov, 33, could
only have used a spoon to dig the hole in
the ceiling of his cell, through which he
made it to the roof. From there, Topalov
was able to escape over the main fence.
Investigators have accused prison staff of
a dishonest or careless attitude to their
work that was made use of by the prison-
er Topalov, reports Sky News.
Topalov had been held since
October 2011 and his case was sent to
court last month, the Investigative
Committee said in a statement. (UPI)
EkIY hMkh 8EIh8 IhE h
khTEIFE 8kIh8
A
ccording to a recent article from
Science News, early humans enjoyed
dining on antelope brains. The findings
came from recently dis-
covered fossils in Kenya.
Experts believe the
hominids were trying to add
a side of fatty, nutrient-
rich brain tissue to
their diets. Research
cited in Science News
argues that human scavengers likely
waited for big cats to feed on the car-
casses before hammering at the skulls to
access the brain tissue.
Newser writes that this nutrient-
rich brain tissue may have helped homo
erectus support larger bodies, bigger
brains, and travel longer distances.
(Yahoo News)
Wk8hIhTh kkTE WEk8
WEIh Wh hE 8E
W
ith friends and family already
gathered for her graduation from
Washington State University, Cassie
Dotts thought it would be a good time
for another ceremony her wedding.
She married University of Idaho
fisheries science graduate Ben Ho in a
ceremony one recent day in Moscow,
Idaho. Then she received her doctorate
in veterinary medicine in the next days
WSU graduation in Pullman,
Washington.
The Moscow-Pullman Daily News
reports that Dotts wore her cap and
gown over her wedding dress for peo-
ple who wanted to see her as both a
graduate and newlywed.
The couple plans to
move to Dotts native
Nevada where she plans
to work as a veterinari-
an in Las Vegas. (AP)
E6hMY 6IkIM8
6hkIE8' VE 8hF
B
ritains weak
economy has
taken its toll on the
nations poshest
greengrocer with
Prince Charles forced
to close his organic veg-
etable store, citing
falling trade and rising
prices.
Prince Charles,
the heir to the
throne and a cham-
pion of the envi-
ronment, opened a store
near to his country
home Highgrove in
Gloucestershire, south-
west England, about
eight years ago after
converting his estate to
organic farming in 1986.
The store, The Veg
Shed, sold organic
vegetables and fruit
freshly grown on the
estates Duchy Home
Farm and became
known for selling edi-
ble but oddly shaped
organic produce that
would normally be
rejected by super-
markets.
But a spokes-
woman for the
prince said the
store had closed after
it failed to make a
profit as it was no
longer financially
viable. The produce
was invariably more
expensive than at local
supermarkets. (Reuters)
0ne year in, Franois hollande has alienaled mosl volers, anlagonised Merkel, driven droves o
French inlo exile and resided over a worsening economy, wriles AhhEELSABETh M0uTET
O D D L Y E N O U G H
Mr
Normal
gets it all wrong
Mr
Normal
gets it all wrong
The country
is drowning in
an ocean of
discouragement.
t's not just the
tax-avoiding rich,
artists like Grard
Depardieu,
businessmen ~
everyone is now
tempted to leave
for a better life
elsewhere. Young
people feel they
will never get a
break, a job, a
sign of trust
F
or weeks after a clash between
the Nigerian army and Islamic
militants last month in the remote
fishing village of Baga, it was diffi-
cult for outsiders to determine
what had happened. Residents
who fled to the state capital told
human rights organisations that
around 200 people had been killed
when the army went on a ram-
page, burning much of the village
of thatch-roofed homes and
shooting residents as they tried to
flee. There are several reasons why
this incident should be taken seri-
ously by the Obama Administra-
tion and other Governments.
First, while the incident may have
been exceptional in scope, such
abuses are not uncommon: In
fighting Boko Haram, a terrorist
group that has committed many
atrocities of its own, the Nigerian
army has repeatedly killed inno-
cent civilians.
Such abuses should matter in
Washington because the United
States is providing assistance to
the Nigerian army. Such aid
makes sense: Boko Haram, which
is believed to have ties to Al
Qaeda, is a serious threat. Howev-
er, under US law, aid cannot be
provided to forces that are known
to have committed human rights
abuses; more broadly, the United
States has a strong interest in
preventing practices that them-
selves foster extremism.
I
slamic militants in Nigeria
staged a five-hour-long prison
rescue on Tuesday, the Nigerian
military said, leaving 55 people
dead and underlining the insur-
gents persistent demand for
prisoner releases.
Shortly before dawn, sus-
pected members of Nigerias
Boko Haram sect stormed a
prison nestled in Bama, a village
in the groups northeastern
Nigerian heartland. The attack
ended shortly before noon, with
more than 100 prisoners freed,
and scores of people dead.
Tuesdays attack comes as
Africas most populous nation
debates a truce offer for Boko
Haram, and the concessions the
Government might make to the
sect. More than 3,000 people
have died in Boko Harams car
bombings, drive-by killings, and
gunbattles with police over the
past four years.
The release of prisoners is a
recurrent demand made by the
group. The group also demands
a wider implementation of
Islamic law in Nigeria and resti-
tution for damaged mosques.
Meanwhile, Nigerias mili-
tary has come under increased
criticism after a battle last
month in nearby Baga left as
many as 200 people dead, most
of them civilians, according to
local residents and aid groups.
T
he United States and Russia
agreed Tuesday to try to bring
together the Government of Syri-
an President Bashar Assad and
the opposition for peace talks,
signalling a potential break-
through in long-stalled diplomat-
ic efforts to end a bloody conflict
that threatens to destabilise the
entire region. The proposed peace
conference, announced by Secre-
tary of State John F Kerry and
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey
Lavrov after a day of talks,
appeared to reflect a softening of
Russias staunch support of Assad.
Lavrov said the US and Rus-
sia were committed to a deal that
would guarantee the sovereignty
and territorial integrity of Syria
and would follow the approach of
a diplomatic agreement worked
out by world powers last year.
Moscows softening position
may reflect a growing urgency in
finding a diplomatic solution at a
moment when it appears Syrias
2-year-old civil war could explode
into a regionwide proxy struggle
entangling the United States,
Israel, Russia, Iran and its neigh-
bouring states. The Obama
Administration has been threat-
ening in recent days to increase
its military role in support of the
rebels, and last week Israel struck
Syrian targets twice.
00afIIct Ia 8IerIa
FI0sIve eace
SSUESGLOBAL
R
ussia and the United States
announced on Tuesday that
they would seek to convene an
international conference within
weeks aimed at ending the civil
war in Syria, jointly intensifying
their diplomatic pressure on the
combatants to peacefully settle a
conflict that has taken more than
70,000 lives and left millions dis-
placed and desperate. Secretary of
State John Kerry, who was visiting
Russia seeking to find common
ground on the Syria conflict, told
reporters at a joint appearance
with his Russian counterpart,
Foreign Minister Sergey V
Lavrov, that the aim would be to
push the Government of Presi-
dent Bashar al-Assad and the Syr-
ian opposition to attend.
The announcement appeared
to signal a strong desire by both
countries to halt what has been a
dangerous escalation in the con-
flict, with evidence of chemical
weapons use, a surge in the num-
ber of civilians fleeing combat
and a refugee crisis that is over-
whelming Syrias neighbours.
Israeli aerial attacks on suspected
munitions sites in Syria height-
ened and further complicated the
tensions in the region. Kerrys
visit also came as the Obama
Administration faced increasing
calls to intervene in the conflict.
sunday
magazino
l|s i
hST0RAh hALL FER0uS0h hAS AF0L00SE0
F0R 'STuF0 Ah0 TACTLESS' REMARKS h whCh hE
MFLE0 ThAT EC0h0MST J0hh MAYhAR0 KEYhES
00 h0T CARE AB0uT FuTuRE 0EhERAT0hS
BECAuSE hE wAS ChL0LESS Ah0 0AY
Now Dolhi, May 12, 2013
M
ohsin Hamids latest
book, How to Get Filthy
Rich in Rising Asia, com-
pels you to forget your
routine worries and
engagements and dwell upon the kind of
society we Asians are living in, particu-
larly those of us who belong to the
Indian subcontinent. The book, even as
it is based in contemporary Pakistan, is
starkly realistic, and for the most part,
there is nothing in it that we Indians
cannot identify with.
The book, resembling a self-help
guide, documents a rags-to-riches story
of a nameless Pakistani boy who emerges
from his poverty-stricken surroundings
to become an influential business
tycoon. His journey from his bleak ori-
gins to someone who becomes a thriving
water industrialist is fraught with diffi-
culties and hardship that he circumvents
to emerge as a brilliant success story.
The protagonist wants to brush off
from his self the dirt and squalor into
which he was born and brought up, and
who stops at nothing when it comes to
becoming filthy rich. Both the protago-
nist and his lady love, the pretty girl, as
the narrator calls her, are blessed with a
Machiavellian streak that keeps stimulat-
ing them to advance further and further
in their pursuit of riches. This book will
strike a chord with all those who have
not had opportunities for proving their
worth and acquiring wealth. We run into
such people quite often who have no
hesitation in bending the system to
realise their dreams.
The male lead, in the novel, when
he is young, and still resides in village,
suffers from Hepatitis E, and his par-
ents, because they do not have enough
money to consult a doctor, whisk him
away to the city. Here he is admitted to a
school and taught by an inept teacher
who believes in corporal punishment
beating those students who know better
than to simply repeat after him. After
school he finds himself at university
where he joins an organisation whose
members are held in awe by fellow stu-
dents. However, the readers see him
gradually eschewing idealism and begin
working, first with a dealer selling
expired food products, and then starting
his own enterprise that sells bottled
water. He expands this trade by flouting
rules with impunity and bribing his way
through the red tape. His business
becomes no less than an empire and the
credit for it goes to his colluding liberal-
ly, and in an underhand manner, with
those wielding power and authority
such as Pakistans military, politicians
and bureaucrats.
Going by the title of the book, it
seems obvious that Asia is rising. The
question that may perhaps nag the read-
ers is to what extent is this claim genuine
enough. In spite of gaining freedom
from the colonial rule, the countries
constituting the so-called rising Asia are
ridden with all kinds of inequities at the
political, economic and social levels.
Countries like Pakistan have seen little in
the way of development and its large
population lives in abject poverty and
deprivation. They confront all kinds of
problems to quote just one instance
from the novel, the protagonists sick
mother is not even ensured adequate
medical treatment only because it is
beyond her familys reach.
Reading the novel is almost like bit-
ing into a slice of life, and on a number
of occasions, one identifies with how
things work in the rising Asian
economies, particularly in Pakistan
the rural and urban divide, dirt and filth
in both villages and cities, rampant cor-
ruption, threats of terrorism, nepotism,
poverty and despair, the all-powerful
military and bureaucracy which have no
compunctions about becoming party to
venality if it suits their interest.
One must concede that Hamids
experiments with how his stories should
be narrated are always refreshing. If in,
The Reluctant Fundamentalist, the narra-
tive was in the first person, then How to
Get Filthy Rich in Rising Asia has been
told by a second-person who addresses
the protagonist and instructs him on
what steps he should take on his path
towards achieving economic success.
Hamid dispenses with the names of his
characters; the characters in the novel
could be just anyone in the rising Asia
trying to realise their ambitions. The
reader is taken on a journey through the
protagonists life with each chapter find-
ing him a decade older and his business
growing from strength to strength.
The novel, if seen through the prism
of postcolonialism, reveals how little
things have changed in modern
Pakistan even as the British left the
country more than six decades ago.The
narrator in How to Get Filthy Rich in
Rising Asia, in the guise of an instructor
in a self-help book, guides the protago-
nist to come to city, become educated,
not fall in love, put aside idealism, court
violence, befriend a bureaucrat, patron-
ise military and get mired in debt.
Taking his advice, the main character of
How to Get Filthy Rich in Rising Asia is
able to ride the crest of financial success.
The problem is that Hamid does not
reveal anything new when he prescribes
the essentials to be followed in order to
become rich at least not to those who
reside in the subcontinent. Here it is
almost our second nature to bribe in
order to get the smallest of government-
related works accomplished. The book,
therefore, appears to be written for the
Western readers who are not so well
acquainted with the executive and finan-
cial workings of the state in the newly
emerging economies of Asia.
The novel, nevertheless, is a com-
pelling read and even as one does not
wait with baited breath for what occurs
in the end, one is fully absorbed in
the narrative recognising easily the situ-
ations that involve the central charac-
ters of this work.
n lhe early 1O8Os, lhe
young journalisl Ayi
Tendulkar wenl 0ermany lo sludy, and
married Thea von harbou, divorced wie o
legendary ilmmaker Fril/ Lang. when hiller
came lo ower, Tendulkar relurned lo ndia,
gelling involved in 0andhi's noncooeralion
camaign, and marrying 0andhian aclivisl
ndumali 0unaji. Their daughler, Laxmi Ten
dulkar 0haul, lraces lhe lives o her arenls
and Thea von harbou, againsl lhe backdro
o ha/i 0ermany and 0andhi's ndia.
N THE SHADOW
OF FREEDOM
Laxmi Tendulkar Dhaul
Zubaan Books, C495
NEW
ARRVALS
The book looks al lhe hilo
sohical and socioolilical
orces lhal are al work in lhe
ndian cullural soil. The
ocus is on some images conslrued bolh by
insiders and oulsiders relecling various
asecls lhal are relevanl or comrehending
ndia. The essays address lwo concerns:
0ne is aboul how crosscullural convers
alion on ndia should roceed, noling some
o lhe rimary issues and concerns; lhe
olher is wilh regard lo whelher ndia has a
core cullural image idenliiable among lhe
range o comeling images, and i so, how
lo concelualise ils counlerimage.
ON NDA
Anindita N Balslev
Sage, C650
The book slresses lhe
imorlance o lhe economic
aclor in shaing lhe
counlry's oreign olicy. while emhasising
lhe signiicance o lhe economic aclor, lhe
imorlance o olher aclors has nol been
ignored. The aulhor, however, has chosen
lo limil himsel lo lhe hehru eriod
because il was lhen lhal our oreign olicy
was shaed, ormulaled and imlemenled .
And lhe hehruvian olicy conlinued lo
survive even aler lhe dealh o hehru.
NDA'S FOREGN
POLCY
PC Jain
Vitasta, C525
The book seems lo be wrillen or weslern readers. l does nol reveal anylhing new lo lhose residing
in lhe subconlinenl when il rescribes lhe essenlials needed lo gel 'illhy' rich, wriles S0hAL FRAKASh
0w I0 6FI FIlII
8I0 I8 8I8I86 8I
M0hsIa amI4
Fea0Ia, C499
E
very new traveller to an unfa-
miliar land and its people is
baffled not so much by its flora
and fauna, climate and other
geographical novelties, as by
the difficulty in understanding the
prevalent social, political and religious
practices, customs, culture, traditions
and food habits of the habitants. The dif-
ficulty becomes more acute when the
land and the people are completely alien
to the visitors culture. With the passage
of time he is able to understand, at least
superficially, these new practices and
becomes familiar with them.
After a considerable time of interac-
tion with the natives and extensive obser-
vations of the pattern of their behaviour,
the visitor grasps the import of their
practices. He finds some family resem-
blances between the practices of his own
customs, culture and tradition, and the
ones which he comes across in the
unknown land. Still he finds it arduous to
express his experiences and observations
in a language which would convey to his
people back home the true nature, con-
tent and extent of the unfamiliar experi-
ences, traditions, and social, political and
religious practices of the aliens.
Jerry Toner, in his book Homers
Turk, argues that Western classics have
played a pivotal role in understanding
and communicating the ingredients,
nuances and subtleties of the new civili-
sation. He argues, When faced with
new world, it has often been to the old
world that they (Europeans) have turned
to help them understand such novelty.
These Greek and Roman classics,
according to him, provided models and
exemplars... a repertoire of rhetorical
styles, imagery, comparisons, tropes and
representative figures to enable the
travellers to come to grips with the new
civilisations and religions. He supports
his argument with the travelogues writ-
ten by several Europeans travellers and
historians from Jacobean to modern
Hollywood blockbusters, from the
Augustan to the post-modern.
The author has based his thesis on
the assumption that classical references
provide to the traveller the space to
form a more detached, more sympathet-
ic view of the newly encountered civili-
sation. Classics, according to him,
represented civilisation and itself was
believed to hold civilising powers. As a
consequence, he upholds that the clas-
sics acted as a prism through which
writers saw the object of their study, one
that refracted the images they saw. It
was because of these powers of the clas-
sics that the travellers used them as
mediations to translate the East into
familiar past in order to familiarise their
audience back home.
The Western authors believed that
the classics are the repositories of eternal
truths and used the classic texts for three
purposes. The first was to preserve polit-
ical conservativism. The second was to
push the claims of reform and revolution.
Finally, the third was to serve anthropo-
logical purposes to provide models
of objective history which, in turn,
helped in developing a heretical frame-
work for interpreting the religious other.
Homers Turk, as Toner agrees, is a
book about English images. The voice of
the Easterners, therefore, is largely
absent. Because of this shortcoming, the
theories in it are one-sided. They are
Eurocentric. For example, most of the
writings referred to in it conclude that
the Orient is childlike, juvenile and
irrational and that the Asiatics are
born to be slaves. They view Europe as
a sovereign princess and Asia as her
handmaid. Consequently, it is the task
of the English to teach it about liberty,
freedom and democracy. Too much
reliance on the reference to the classics
and treating them as final authority only
helps in propagating the stereotypes of
the orient and interpreting the foreign
otherness in irreverent tones.
For instance, too much dependence
on the classics led some readers to see
the East as exotic and dangerous as a
place of alluring sexuality. The ancient
perceptions of the East led many to
believe it as the place of loose sexual
morality, the idea being that the physical
heat of the place must result in human
beings of certain sexual proclivities.
Even with respect to the literature, the
classics some of which are as old as
Alexander claim that European talents
are far superior to the Asian talents.
Likewise, the accounts of Indian cul-
ture and civilisation in the classics are far
from true. They contain descriptions
which allege that there are some Indian
men that sleep in their ears, or men are
without ears; and, that there are ants
that mine gold in India. The descriptions
also contain libellous accounts as the
inhabitants of India have intercourse
with the women in the open and... eat the
bodies of their kinsmen. Besides narrat-
ing that it is a land where tough sophists
stand on one leg and hold logs over their
heads, they also claim that it is a land of
flowing milk and olive oil and that its
people lived to be over four hundred
years old but stayed young and beautiful
and had no disease.
European classical literature upholds
that Indian culture is static and
unchanging and has no sense of history
and, therefore, of progress. It maintains,
Hindus, at the time of Alexanders inva-
sion, were in a state of manners, society
and knowledge, exactly the same with
that in which they were discovered by
the nations of modern Europe. Nothing
could be more misleading. This kind of
misconception about Indian culture, val-
ues, traditions and literature led philoso-
pher-historians like JS Mill to conclude
that Indian history begins with the
arrival of the British. The British,
according to such historians, were need-
ed by India to lead it out of the perpetu-
al standstill in which it was trapped.
Nothing can be farther than the truth
then such inferences.
These travellers because of the influ-
ence of the Western classics not only
upheld that as compared to the advanced
West the Orient enjoys only primitive
existence. Regarding the locals as
uncivilised cowards, they also saw the
Orient as having had nothing but a
decivilising influence on the West and
the Orientals as antipathetical to an
Englishman. They believed that an East
Indian is worst of all the Orientals.
The depiction of the Orient in the
Hollywood blockbusters shows that even
in the present day the West has not been
able to shed the classic image of the
Orient. In almost all the flicks, the
Orient is shown as a hackneyed backdrop
an ossified society where nothing
changes, peopled by caricatures addicted
to exoticism, eroticism and decadence, fit
only to be oppressed by sadistic despots.
One may not agree with the authors
interpretation of the concept of classic as
a plastic concept, or the conclusions
drawn in the book. However, one has to
admit that the book is well-researched,
readable and accessible.
l| |1iW| i P|u|u| u| P|iluup|],
u|i1|i|] u| l|i
0MF8'8 I08k
1erry I0aer
arvar4 0aIversIty
Fress, $Z9.95
n Jerry Toner's 7^\TabCdaZ, lhe
voice o lhe Easl is largely missing.
Because o lhis shorlcoming, says
ASh0K v0hRA, lhe lheories in
lhe book are Eurocenlric
Hackneyed
vision
Hackneyed
vision
0ening u lo young and
osilive inluences, you gel
involved in silualions where
you can make a dierence.
Your concerns or eace,
reorm or change is
encouraged and you win
suorlers. 0eadlocks,
unair olicy, high
handedness o eole and
lhreals have you make
choices and lake lhe lough
slance. A sudden change al
work leaves you no lime or
any rearalion bul lhrows
you inlo il ull swing. Your
oen and lrusling nalure
lands you in a sol. A
romance elers oul as a
arly doesn'l slo ocussing
on individual needs and
doesn'l include you in lhe
big iclure. From now on il's
lrue riends or none al all.
Foor circulalion, chills and
cold sores bolher some.
8urprise oI Ihe Week You
give someone a shakeu by
culling lies wilh a surgical
recision
Tip oI Ihe Week Full yoursel
oul o lhe il beore eole
lra you
Iurky number 18
Iurky roIour Blue leamed
wilh grey
8esI day Monday
Iurky gem Moonslone
IdeaI Iood 0im sums
iII Io give Sconces and
lams
8esI Iime 1 lo 4 m
MediIaIion aid Annaurna
0evi
8IF8
March 21-April 20
You wail or a single beam
o lighl lo shaller lhe
darkness. l arrives al work
lhrough a ma/e o chaos,
comlicaled decisions and
conlroversy. Loose ends in a
rojecl have il all aarl.
Feole slir u slorms and
leave, and you are lel lo
clean u lhe mess, ick u
lhe ieces and lransorm
ailure inlo wins. Your
rowess is lesled in all sorls
o ways as a romolion
lands in your la as does a
osilion o considerable
aulhorily. Some are drawn lo
organised religion, culls,
grous or communilies. A
conlracl made in hasle is
undone in equal seed;
engagemenls are made and
broken in quick succession.
Muscular ulls, nerve
inlammalions and knols
bring local ain.
8urprise oI Ihe Week hew
riluals lake u all your ree
lime and sace leading lo
neglecl o amily
Tip oI Ihe Week Balance
ralher lhan being
over/ealous solves your
roblems
Iurky number 24
Iurky roIour Lavender
8esI day Friday
Iurky gem Amelhysl
IdeaI Iood Fine nuls
iII Io give woven clolh
8esI Iime G m lo midnighl
MediIaIion aid The lhree
sinners or ales - urd,
Skuld and verdandi
Silualions come lo a head
lhis week where you
conronl lhe myriad levels o
organisalion, workorce or
aulhorilarian slruclures. You
are easily byassed and you
won'l sil by and lel lhal
haen. having shouldered
olher eole's burdens, you
seek arecialion and
gralilude. The elile or lhink
lank o your key inslilulions
inslead adol a useand
lhrow aroach, making
everyone disensable.
Rebellion brews quielly as
you and olhers reuse lo ul
u wilh indignilies. Bul you
are also aware o lhe realily
and your limils, and so you
make wise and malure
decisions. Frequenl lravel
make lhe amily accuse you
o neglecl, bringing on guill
desile a lri's successul
oulcome. heallh concerns
or sel or loved one includes
cell delerioralion, raid signs
o aging or memory loss.
8urprise oI Ihe Week Be il
work or in romance; you are
slrung along and lhen
droed
Tip oI Ihe Week walk wilh
conidence
Iurky number G
Iurky roIour Carrol ink
8esI day Friday
Iurky gem Rose quarl/
IdeaI Iood 3P[ZPWP[fP
iII Io give Ferume
8esI Iime G lo O m
MediIaIion aid Lakshmi
Ashlollara
86III8I08
Nov 23-Dec 23
The home and worklace
oen lheir doors wide lo
diverse voices and in lhe
rocess you slruggle lo be
heard. 0ivisive orces al lay
ensure loo many oinions
break ralher lhan make your
career. Fromolions, sleus
and recognilion are
sacriiced lo lease a larger
lobby or aclion. while your
work and conlribulion will be
eulogised, you'll be execled
lo be a willing sacriicial
lamb. hol everyone lakes il
lying down and lhe week
oinls lo liligalion,
accusalions, slereolying
and olarisalion. Career
women make huge
breaklhrough bul wilh a lad
more conlroversy lhan
execled. Molion sickness,
verligo and insomnia bolher
some. Tris are circuilous
and raughl wilh worry.
8urprise oI Ihe Week 0ossi
is menacing and unlrue bul
leads lo conusion among
riends
Tip oI Ihe Week Slale your
osilion wilhoul losing your
lemer
Iurky number 1
Iurky roIour Coral red wilh
ivory while
8esI day Sunday
Iurky gem AdSaPZbWP
IdeaI Iood Red beans baked
or in gravy
iII Io give 0rganic aarel
8esI Iime 1O am lo 1 m
MediIaIion aid Brealhing
exercises, 0SXchP7aXSPhP\
Everylhing acquires a new
meaning lhis week - lie,
love, relalionshi and lime.
Suddenly, lhe arrival o
everylhing in ull orce leaves
you overawed. There is new
resecl, gralilude and a huge
alliludinal shil lhal has you
cherish all lhe resources lhal
are made available lo you.
The landscae changes
slowly - wilh new sources
o income arriving,
relalionshis being churned,
soolhed or orgiven, arrival
o aymenls long overdue
and unexecled visilors. 0ld
resenlmenls don'l hang
heavy or loo long and lhe
almoshere is lighlened as a
burden lils. Family
negolialions are slonewalled
by issues o malrimony,
roerly divisions and
decisions relaling lo
children. A ragile digeslion
hamers lravel.
8urprise oI Ihe Week
Common riends alleml a
eacemaking rocess
Tip oI Ihe Week Lel go lhe
asl and make way or new
ideas lo lake rool
Iurky number 11
Iurky roIour Cornlower
blue
8esI day Monday
Iurky gem 0al
IdeaI Iood Cheese
iII Io give home
urnishings
8esI Iime 2 lo 7 m
MediIaIion aid Sleeing
orm o vishnu
Somelimes hay,
somelimes snay, lies and
bonds mean lhe world lo
you lhis week. Family bonds
come in or an overhaul as
you wear lhe manlle o lhe
elder and seek lo rein in
wayward layers or siblings
who rebel againsl rolocol
or rules or chase lhe
olilically incorrecl dreams.
work brings on an unease or
rivalry and riendshis are no
longer lhe same wilh you
working or lhe same ol o
honey. Comelilion brings
oul lhe besl in youngslers
lhis week, illing lheir lrohy
case. nherilances are drawn
oul; you are air in disbursal
and in osilions o lrusl.
0uiel gelaways bring back
lhe energy and enlhusiasm.
Someone in lhe amily could
be ascinaled by occull and
riluals.
8urprise oI Ihe Week A
maniulalor blocks you in
lhe inal round lhrough
unair means
Tip oI Ihe Week A
humanilarian aroach will
clinch lhings or you
Iurky number 2O
Iurky roIour Charcoal grey
and while
8esI day Monday
Iurky gem Agale
IdeaI Iood 0rilled collage
cheese
iII Io give Silver
8esI Iime 8 m lo 2 am
MediIaIion aid Book o
0enesis, CWT7^[h1XQ[T
Things lurn oul beller or
you lhan execled as a slale
is wied clean and you ul
behind you ersonal slrie
and embillered memories.
The resonse o eole is
healing and lheraeulic as
you are broughl inlo
mainslream occualion and
encouraged. A roleclive
circle orms around you
sirilually and now onwards
you choose loving eole,
nurluring circumslances and
symalhelic riends lhal no
adversary can demolish. A
new slarl or singles sells
lhe end o abusive
relalionshis, a marriage or a
slarlling lurn o evenls. You
lhrow oul lhe old as you go
shoing or a new
wardrobe, lieslyle roducls
or luxuries. vision ailmenls
clear u.
8urprise oI Ihe Week
Somelhing you didn'l gel in
lhe asl lurns oul lo be a
blessing in disguise
Tip oI Ihe Week Counl lhe
miracles lhal arrive, nol lhe
hurdles you crossed
Iurky number humbers
ending wilh /ero
Iurky roIour Creamy while
8esI day Friday
Iurky gem 0iamond
IdeaI Iood :WTTa
iII Io give Candle slands
wilh lower molis
8esI Iime 1O am lo 4 m
MediIaIion aid ?aPhTa^U0]
D]Z]^f]B^[SXTa, ;^cdb
?aPhTa1^^Z
An inlerace wilh lhose you
leasl execl - old riends,
exbosses and colleagues,
eslranged amily and long
orgollen loves - il's nol all
aboul ury and orgiveness.
Middle ground is
accomlished lhis week
where you decide lo move
on consciously, and yel
sound more concerned
aboul lhe olher when you are
aclually more delached. You
lake baby sles inlo lhe very
arenas lhal lhwarled your
rogress in lhe asl.
Fredalors coy ideas wilh
imunily; oachers may
hover around new romances
and momenlarily da//le a
new love. Family execls you
lo lake sides in an ongoing
eud. You, however, are
slrangely orgiving o
someone wilh a dubious
background. Eye ineclions
bolher youngslers.
8urprise oI Ihe Week A new
and haslily lhoughl
riendshi comes back lo
bile you where il hurls
Tip oI Ihe Week 0on'l allow
emolion lo wash away logic
and common sense
Iurky number 15
Iurky roIour Lime green,
inks
8esI day Friday
Iurky gem Tourmaline
IdeaI Iood Fruil sorbels
iII Io give Arl jewellery
8esI Iime 8 lo G m
MediIaIion aid Conucius's
0oclrine o lhe Mean
You are reslless lill you ind
your goal or accomlish a
mission. Even i you are on a
hunl or lie's larger urose
lhe week has you acl alone.
0ualily work comes your
way, money hels you
eslablish your moorings as
new rojecls arrive like lillle
rals o hoe. hardshis
begin lo vanish one by one
as you raise lhe corus, lhe
leam and lhe resources lo
build back a dream. Lighl
and bree/y romances vie or
sace wilh some dark and
unleasanl ones. The amily
is redeined as eole move
lo dierenl locales. A child
could lake lime sellling down
in a new career, marriage or
lace o sludy/work. heallh
o a el warranls allenlion.
walch oul or eculiar
reaclions lo some o your
avourile oods even as your
body undergoes a ew
changes.
8urprise oI Ihe Week unruly
behaviour rom someone
young is uselling
Tip oI Ihe Week 0ualily o
relalionshis needs lo be
resecled inslead o
ollowing social mores
Iurky number 4
Iurky roIour Burnl sienna
8esI day Monday
Iurky gem hessonile
IdeaI Iood Coee liramisu
iII Io give Eleclronics
8esI Iime 4 lo 8 m
MediIaIion aid CWT6^^S
7TPac by The 0alai Lama
Trulh is a scaegoal al lhe
allar o convenience as
eole renege on romises
and back oul o
commilmenls. while aclual
monelary losses are ew,
il's romised gains lhal are
denied, leading lo
disaoinlmenls.
Remuneralion, roil,
remillances are whillled
down and exlricalion o
money rom eole lakes
orever. Sanily is drowned
oul in lhe din o image
making and dislorlion;
ercelions have aulhorilies
suorl rivals leading lo a
collase o your case.
Romance has you laying
lhe larger, suorlive role
lhrough reconcilialion,
remarriage or mending
bridges. 0ehydralion or
waler relenlion is
bolhersome. Children lose
somelhing due lo
carelessness.
8urprise oI Ihe Week A gil
is reused; a geslure alls
shorl o execlalion
Tip oI Ihe Week walch oul
or accusalions, bolh real
and alse
Iurky number 7
Iurky roIour Sky blue
8esI day Monday
Iurky gem Blue loa/
IdeaI Iood Blueberry yogurl
iII Io give Eyewear
8esI Iime 7 lo 11 m
MediIaIion aid sis, lhe
0oddess o lhe moon or
serenily and inluilion
You kee a door oen as you
exerience a shuller down
on some evenls. A backu
lan comes inlo oeralion as
you exlore new venlures.
Job oers kee you in lhe
cenlreslage. n lhe
excilemenl, you don'l look
back wilh loo much worry
over lhe delays due lo red
lae. You are conidenl il will
haen in ils own sweel
lime. You aren'l as cool in
ersonal relalionshis where
an imasse in relalionshis
aecls you more deely lhan
you lhoughl. You race lo
cemenl lhings, making
comromises along lhe way
as long as you know you'll
lasle a win. Some are rallled
by bribes, gral, shorlculs
and adversaries gelling asl
lhe inish line using nearious
means. nner slillness eludes
you lhis week even as you
seek eace lo do everylhing
or lhe amily and
youngslers, like higher
educalion and rearing
lhem or new innings o lie.
8urprise oI Ihe Week Thel is
likely in ublic laces
Tip oI Ihe Week Learn lo
move wilh lhe limes
Iurky number 8
Iurky roIour 0ahlia yellow
8esI day Thursday
Iurky gem 0olden loa/
IdeaI Iood ?^WP
iII Io give Books, ainlings
8esI Iime hoon lo 8 m
MediIaIion aid ?XcaP3^bWP
removal uja
You lake lime lo assess lhe
myriad choices lhal arrive al
your door. Al lhe hearl o lhe
maller lies accelance o
whal cannol be changed,
comromises, selllemenls
and lhen moving on wilh
leasl damage. Al anolher
level lies lhe exerience o
being acceled. Family is
inally al eace wilh some o
your decisions. Your good
angels work overlime lo save
you rom raud, lrickslers,
cous, enlramenl and
being caughl in legal lrouble.
Romance is raughl wilh
misunderslandings as
someone is lorn belween
lwo loves and a dierenl sel
o commilmenls; lhings
could be over much beore
you inally accel lhe acl.
hicks and culs make lhe
layield a cessool o woes
or young kids. Avoid horse
riding and advenlure sorls.
8urprise oI Ihe Week
Fremalure ublicily uls
some in lhe news or lhe
wrong reasons
Tip oI Ihe Week 0rive
cauliously as olhers could
land you in a lighl sol
Iurky number O
Iurky roIour Maroon
8esI day Tuesday
Iurky gem 0arnel
IdeaI Iood Beelrool
iII Io give handicrals in
bron/e and coer
8esI Iime O am lo 8 m
MediIaIion aid :P[ZP3TeX
<^^[<P]caP
lF0
July 23-August 23
I0808
April 21-May 21
6FMI8I
May 22-June 21
080F8
June 22-July 22
8008FI0
Oct 24-Nov 22
FI80F8
Feb 20-March 20
lI88
Sept 24-Oct 23
008I08
Jan 21-Feb 19
I860
Aug 24-Sept 23
0F8I0088
Dec 24-Jan 20
For personal appointments, call Meenakshi Rani at 011-29234653/29239636 or e-mail her at meenakshirani@vsnl.net
YOURWEEKAHEAD
MEEhAKSh RAh
G
oing by the hypothesis of
Indian philosophy, a sin-
gular force the force of
consciousness remains the dri-
ving spirit of the manifest phe-
nomenal world. Not acknowledg-
ing the existence of such a force,
although undetectable in scientif-
ic terms, it will be difficult to
explain the world process.
Because there has to be a force in
existence, which when unavail-
able to the body-mechanism, the
gross body meets its end. So long
as this very force remains opera-
tive within the system, all our
dynamic functions, including our
power of knowing, are on.
The force of consciousness
is believed to be all pervading
occupying every point of the
space thus maintaining contin-
uum all through the universe. It
implies that every point of the
space is in intimate and immedi-
ate connection with the rest.
Modern science, too, veers round
this concept; its premise, however,
being different from our philo-
sophic hypothesis. It is this very
continuum in existence which
holds the key to unity underlying
all diverse functionaries in the
universe and thereby their inte-
grated working. It also implies
that the reverberations of energy
excited at any point of space shall
be carried over all across with the
potential of comeback with add
on. It is on this very premise that
the law of karma, as propounded
by Indian philosophy, rests:
What you give to others comes
back to you in equal terms. For,
every action on ones part
involves playing with energy, be it
exciting a thought or getting into
any physical act, all powered by
the force of consciousness.
If the implication of the law
of karma remains present in ones
mind, one would refrain from
getting into an unbecoming act.
The truth, however, is that sel-
dom does any ordinary mortal,
caught up in the glare and glitter
of the seeming world, keep this
in mind. Such people get tempt-
ed to seek immediate gratifica-
tion of their desires, whatever
way it comes. But remember the
law of karma, being a self-auto-
mated process of nature, will
never spare you. Sooner or later,
you will get caught up in its bind
and with obvious consequences,
no matter how smartly you con-
duct yourself. And it does not
call for any third party vigilance
either. For, an ill-framed mind
has to invariably leave a trail of
his/her ill-conceived act, which
has to come to light sooner or
later. So, in effect, you become a
victim of your own making.
A case in point is that of
someone who came asking
whether he would be able to find
reprieve from the sword of law
hanging over his head. He had
secured a dignified position play-
ing all the foul tricks in his hands.
And now, not only he has lost his
credibility, but has to use his ill-
gotten money to secure his posi-
tion. Had he been conscious of
the implications of the law of
karma beforehand, he would have
been spared of its perils. A look
into his astrological chart would
throw light on the mans mental
propensities that drove him crazy.
The lagna, the fifth and the
ninth signs loaded with major
planets, read together with pow-
erful Jupiter in the 10th house
make him highly ambitious. The
adverse placement of Venus to
mischievous Neptune and the
Sun tempts him to adopt even
perverse ways to accumulate rich-
es. Jupiter placed opposite
Neptune makes him compromise
the value system. On top of that is
his inflated ego, coming as it may
with materially-driven fiery Mars,
placed adverse to expansive
Jupiter. That closes his mind from
visualising the fallout of mind-
lessly pursuing his whims and
fancies. And the result is there for
all to see. As soon as progressed
lagna closed up with headless
Ketu, and progressed meridian
became square to Rahu and Ketu,
the two karmic planets, the law of
karma struck upon him badly.
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+|J pi|i|u+l uu|llu|. w|i| |u |i| +|
5, B+|||, 1u|pu|+ E/||iu|, |W
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ASTROTURF
BhARAT BhuShAh FA0MA0E0
Which gemstone suits me?
Bindiya
Wear a copper-mixed gold ring fitted
with 6-7 carats worth of Aquamarine in
your ring finger. Wear it for the first
time on a Wednesday around sunset.
When do I get married?
Jyotika Sharma
A marriage of your choice seems to be
likely close to your 30th year.
By when will the pending court case
be resolved?
Mousami Banik
Time turns to your advantage from
June 2013. So just need to have patience
and face the challenges strongly.
How do I improve my focus and con-
centration on studies?
Sagar
You may have to come in person to
learn the technique correctly, so that
you get expected result from it.
READERSQUERIES
sunday
magazino
lJ|l \
BEh0 uhwAhTE0, uhL0vE0, uhCARE0 F0R,
F0R00TTEh BY EvERYB00Y, ThhK ThAT S A MuCh
0REATER huh0ER, A MuCh 0REATER F0vERTY ThAh
ThE FERS0h wh0 hAS h0Thh0 T0 EAT.
- M0ThER TERESA
Now Dolhi, May 12, 2013
Nature ano law of larma
He's so mellow, but he's very
alert too. He knows when
someone comes into the
room or goes out
~ Shakira
on her newborn
0a h0ar4 WIth 6ahhar
arheI aWyer's passion Ior
Ianguage goI her Io India buI
she reaIised IhaI WiIhin her
Was a movie buII. k reporI
3
M0m's the W0r4
Ior some, iI's MoIhers' ay
everyday! They Iake Iheir
moIhers ouI Ior movies,
IraveI, shopping as a rouIine
0
[)tIy f0r m0ms
There are a IeW apps meanI
onIy Ior moIhers. Irom Ihe
WerhaI app Io baby Irarkers,
Ihere is a IoI happening
tIe pIoneer
N S D E O U T
sunday
magazino
Now Dolhi, May 12, 2013

QA total of 2,161 children (1,102 boys and 962

girls) went missing from Delhi in 2012, of which
1,556 children were found and 603 remained
untraced in 2012. More recent statistics say, 733
children are missing till May, 2013.
QOut of the 10 districts, the two districts that had
the highest registered cases were the Outer District
with 549 children missing (427 found, 120 missing,
2 no record); and the North-west district with 465
missing, of which only 203 were recovered.
QOn an average, 18 children go missing in the
Capital daily, according to data gathered by
Bachpan Bachao Andolan and CRY.
The missing children statistics are staggering. The
issue continues to haunt the Indian political system.
For many States and politicians, it is not even prior-
ity. If we dont recover these children fast, most will
end up like Gudiya tortured, beaten and left to
die
Actor Anupam Kher at an
event on 100 years of cinema
W
ith every phone call, Mrs Vishnu
Tripathy from Sarita Vihar would
get excited. Otherwise confined
to bed due to paralysis, she would
come to life if the phone rang
Did she call? Have the police found her?, she
would ask her 35-year-old engineer son Arjun.
This would happen over and over again for years.
My daughter Nidhi was just four when she
went to school and never came back. This hap-
pened in 2010. Nidhi was going to a playschool in
the locality. On August 16, just a week before her
birthday, Nidhi went missing. Her school bus
stopped at the stand but to my wifes horror, my
daughter was not in it. Her school didi had no idea
where she had gone. We rushed to school, but she
was not there either. Since this was only a start-up
school, there was no provision of a CCTV. So we
couldnt tab Nidhis whereabouts.
We had no clue whether she had been picked
up from outside the school or something unto-
ward had happened to her in school itself, Arjun
tells you. The hapless family has lodged many
complaints against the schools negligence. We
have been begging the police to find my only
child, Arjun says, unable to stop his eyes from
welling up.
In the past two years, the Tripathys have done
everything possible to trace Nidhi hired a
detective agency from Lajpat Nagar IV to look into
the matter at a whopping cost of C2 lakh, bribed
cops, visited the police station a staggering 274
times and tried to find her themselves. But, Nidhi
is nowhere to be found. Now her traumatised
father tells you that he is hoping she is dead not
fallen prey to some sadistic pervert or the begging
mafia. My wife left me shortly after Nidhi disap-
peared. She requires constant medical intervention
and has been given 16 shock therapies till now just
to keep her mind in control. She doesnt remember
any of us and the doctor has advised us to leave
her alone. My father passed away on January 12,
2011, after a cardiac arrest. My entire life has fallen
apart. I have contemplated suicide many times. I
cannot rest till I find what happened to my daugh-
ter, Arjun, who works as a senior consultant with
an MNC, says. Workwise too Arjun has suffered
many setbacks.
In the wake of recent happenings in the
Capital, many parents of missing children have
resurfaced with their demand that the police find
their wards who they fear might or must already
have suffered Gudiyas fate.
The rape incident of five-year-old Gudiya has
thrown up a challenge for the police. We are inves-
tigating the missing children cases registered with
us. We fear that more than 66 per cent such chil-
dren may never be found, Satish Dhar, senior
inspector, Ashok Vihar police station, says.
He tells you that missing children cases are the
toughest to crack. In most cases, children run
away with a relative in search of a better life. While
some return to their parents after a few months of
self-exile, others never make it, Dhar says.
It might stagger you to know that eight chil-
dren go missing in India every minute, more than
90 per cent of them never to be recovered. The
apathetic police approach and a skewed law that
allows States to manipulate the definition of miss-
ing children to suit their personal agenda makes
this a grim situation.
Agrees Vijay Vaidya, a social activist from
Mumbai. His NGO Bepatta Vyakti Shodh Samiti,
has been working on rescuing missing children for
25 years. The number of children below five who
go missing is steadily increasing. It is depressing
when you cannot find a missing child. Part of the
problem is that the law on missing children in
India is inadequate. In the absence of a legal defin-
ition of a missing child, each State follows its own
rules. Also, lack of co-ordination between States
makes it difficult to track down such children. Law
enforcing authorities treat these cases in the most
shoddy manner. They are usually accorded low
priority by the police, who are required to focus
more on maintaining law-and-order and checking
other crime. In most States, the police do not even
register an FIR, preferring to merely putting the
name on their list of missing people. Without an
FIR, an in-depth investigation is never done,
Vaidya says.
Dhar, however, assets that the low priority
given to such cases is due to an altogether different
reason. Supposing, we get 100 cases of missing
children, we find that more than 20 per cent have
run away. In other cases, one of the parent is part-
ner in the crime. In 5 per cent cases, these children
are recovered from a relatives place where the
child had gone out of his/her accord. Such things
make these cases low priority, Dhar states.
He is currently in the pursuit of Meenakshi
(12) who used to live with her parents in
Pushplok, a ghetto near Ashok Vihar. According to
her parents, Meenakshi was last seen on January 1,
2013 when she had gone to a local sweetmeat shop
to buy some mithai. Her parents filed an FIR on
the January 2. As per the law, we waited for anoth-
er 24 hours before pressing our PCR vans into ser-
vice. Investigations revealed that shopowner Ram
Dayal had also disappeared the same day. His shop
was locked up and employees sacked.
We found out the whereabouts of Dayal in a
couple of days and were sure that we would recov-
er Meenakshi from him. When we arrived at his
house in Patna, his family was mourning his death.
Dayal had committed suicide by throwing himself
before a running train. His family had no idea why
he had done so. Local residents found his body on
the rail tracks.
We had hit a deadend on Meenakshi. But
Dayals wife called us a week later to tell us about a
letter he had posted to his family. In that letter, he
said he had committed suicide because of a mis-
take he had committed, Dhar recalls.
Nothing more to explain was there. It
remains a mystery what happened to Meenakshi
was she raped, killed, dumped by Dayal or was
there some other angle to her disappearance,
Dayal says. The case goes on, with no leads.
Most missing children belong to slum areas
and hail from Uttar Pradesh and Haryana.
Not always are these children forced into
human trafficking or prostitution. Sometimes
there are cases of brutal rapes and murders of
missing children. After the infamous Nithari inci-
dent where body parts of at least 31 children were
discovered from the drain of a house in NOIDA,
parents fear the worst about their missing child.
More than 86 per cent missing children cases
are reported from slums. These children are easy
target because there is almost no parental surveil-
lance. They tend to wander away and, in most
cases, go unnoticed. Parents fear going to the
police station to even record a complaint, Viji
Arora, director policy and advocacy, CRY, tells
you.
Sunitas 10-year-old son Sonu went missing in
2010 and, she recalls how lodging an FIR was the
most horrible experience for her. A house maid
hailing from Balia and living in Jehangirpuri,
Sunita went to the local police station to register
an FIR. After several visits, they registered the FIR
but asked me to reimburse their fuel charges. I was
shell-shocked. They said since they would have to
burn fuel in finding my son, I would have to bear
the expense, Sunita recalls. She could not pay this
money and has not heard from the police in the
past three years and her son is still missing.
In some cases, police apathy has proved fatal.
Families have lost a child because, they feel, the
police did not act on time. Banwari Lals 10-year-
old son Gaurav was brutally killed by their relative
S T A G G E R N G C O U N T
24-DAY-OLD
Y0uh0EST MSSh0
h 2O18 h 0ELh
72.8% MSSh0
ChL0REh BETwEEh
A0ES 1218
0uT 0F 51%ChL0REh
MSSh0 h 18 STATES,
82.G8% wERE 0RLS
M0RE ThAh 48%
MSSh0 ChL0REh
ARE F0uh0 0EA0
IE ChL0REh EASY FREY.
CAh BE TRAFFCKE0 F0R
LAB0uR, SEX TRA0E, MARRA0E
17YEARS M0ST
RECuRRh0 A0E F0R
ChL0REh T0 0SAFFEAR
25 CASES 0F MSSh0
ChL0REh REF0RTE0 FR0M
MALvYA hA0AR
Children from the lowest strata of society ~ those belonging to families of labourers and land tillers ~ were the worst affected
They have been icked u rom railway slalions, schools, bus
lerminuses & laygrounds - no lace is sae or our children,
esecially lhose in lhe O5year age grou. They become viclims o
human lraicking or roslilulion. Bul lhere are limes when lhey are
ound raed, killed and dismembered. The missing children's issue
is a serious one needing urgenl redress. n lhis concluding arl o
our series on brulal child raes, 0EEBAShREE M0hAhTY and
MAhJAR Sh0h lell you lhal in lhe absence o a roer law and
aalhy o cos, mosl missing children will never relurn home
08ll08l8 608l
000
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FARALYSE0 M0ThER
KEEFS Eh0uRh0 AB0uT
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F0R ARJuh, hE h0FES
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h0T SuFFERh0 h
CAFTvTY 0F S0ME
SEXuAL FERvERT
T
he country was one of
the fastest growing in the
European Union, having
introduced the euro a year
previously, and unemploy-
ment was steadily falling.
Prime Minister Jose Maria
Aznar had just been re-elect-
ed, and money was pouring
into infrastructure, business
ventures and creative indus-
tries.
There was a sort of
euphoria, he said. Everyone
was working, everyone was
happy there was such a
buzz in the air. I was 20 and
arrived as a student, and I
remember being struck by
how vibrant and energetic it
was and how different
from Colombia, where I
came from.
But fast-forward 13
years, and Mr Oliveros is
back in Bogota.
His business in
Barcelona failed a victim
of the harsh austerity mea-
sures, which forced
Spaniards nationwide to
tighten their belts. Managers
at the Smart Tapas bar he
owned in the citys Raval dis-
trict one of the oldest and
most vibrant parts of the
centre noticed that
instead of spending 50
(42) a night, his clients
would reduce their expendi-
ture to less than 10.
Then the customers
dried up altogether. In 2011
he sold up and moved back
to Bogota, becoming one of
the hundreds of thousands
of Latin Americans who are
leaving Spain and returning
to their homeland.
Earlier this week, data
released by Spains National
Statistics Institute (NSI)
showed that the number of
Spanish residents fell by
206,000 to 47.1m a figure
entirely accounted for, the
NSI says, by the fall in the
number of registered foreign
residents. The population of
native Spaniards grew last
year by 10,000 a smaller
increase than in recent years
only minimally offsetting
a fall of 216,000 in the num-
ber of registered foreigners.
The majority of those
leaving were from Colombia,
Ecuador or Bolivia lead-
ing to the first drop in popu-
lation in modern Spanish
history.
The reason for their
departure is clear. Figures
published by the NSI showed
that unemployment had
risen to 27.2pc the sev-
enth consecutive quarter that
the number out of work had
risen, and the highest level
since records began in the
1970s.
The latest statistics show
that the number of people
out of work in Spain is
greater than the entire popu-
lation of Denmark. Youth
unemployment is even more
catastrophic, with 57pc of
those under 25 currently
without work. There was
extraordinary growth in
immigrants from 2000 to
2009, which is reversing
quickly due to the economic
crisis, said Albert Esteve,
from the Barcelona Centre
for Demographic Studies.
Spain is less attractive
because there are no jobs.
Ramn Antonio Armijos
spent eight years working on
fruit and vegetable farms
near Almeria. But he has
returned home to Ecuador.
So have seven of his eight
brothers only one has
remained, trapped by his
mortgage in Spain.
I loved Spain but when
the work dried up I had to
return, said Mr Armijos, 36,
an engineer. There is far
more work in Ecuador now
and those who are left in
Spain are all thinking of
coming home.
Hundreds of businesses
are shutting down, such as
Mr Oliveross small compa-
ny, or closing their Spanish
operations. French electron-
ics retailer Darty is abandon-
ing the country, while those
that remain are making yet
more redundancies the
Iberia airline, Vodafone and
Madrids public television
station Telemadrid having all
announced plans to cut
thousands of jobs in the first
part of this year.
Conversely, the grim
economic picture contrasts
sharply with financial mar-
kets. Yields on Spains 10-
year bonds fell this week to
their lowest level since late
2010, as waves of liquidity
from around the globe have
brought down borrowing
costs and all but banished
last years fears that a budget
crisis would force Madrid to
seek an international sover-
eign bail-out.
But economists said that
Spains falling cost of bor-
rowing showed the discon-
nect between the markets
and the reality on the
ground. These unemploy-
ment figures are worse than
expected and highlight the
serious situation of the
Spanish economy, said Jose
Luis Martinez, from Citi in
Madrid. It also shows the
shocking decoupling
between the real and the
financial economy.
Mr Oliveros is certain
that he made the right deci-
sion to abandon the sinking
ship.
Colombia has so much
energy and drive now, he
said, speaking by telephone
from Bogota. His Spanish
wife, an actress, has found
plenty of work in Colombia,
while Mr Oliveros has been
able to return to his profes-
sion as a television director
and documentary maker.
The war of the 1980s is
over and the government is
making real advances in
improving peoples quality of
life. We have a far brighter
future here.
While Spains economy is
mired in recession, business
in Colombia South
Americas fourth-largest
economy is booming,
with annual growth rates in
excess of 4pc.
As Spain was once again
held up as a symbol of the
eurozone woes, Standard &
Poors rating agency on
Thursday lifted its foreign
currency rating by a notch,
praising the countrys stable
outlook and economic
promise.
We raised our long-
term foreign currency rating
because of the strengthening
pillars underpinning
Colombias economy, which
have reduced its vulnerabili-
ty to external shocks and
enhanced its capacity for sta-
ble long-term GDP growth,
said Joydeep Mukherji,
Standard & Poors credit
analyst.
President Juan Manuel
Santos, Colombias centre-
Right leader since 2010, has
continued his predecessors
pro-business stance and has
taken advantage of recent
years of favourable com-
modity prices in particular
coffee, gold and oil. Mr
Santos has made structural
changes in fiscal policy,
established a fund to save
above-budgeted revenues
from the commodities sec-
tor, and has promised to
develop its domestic capital
markets.
Standard & Poors noted
that these steps boost the
resilience of the economy in
the event of a sharp fall in
export prices or other exter-
nal shocks. For Mr Oliveros
and his friends, the contrast
with Spain is clear.
I know so many people
who are coming back, he
said. Previously, you could
work in the Spanish con-
struction industry and earn
2,000 a month easily, but
now those people are in
limbo. There are so many
problems.And those who
were perhaps thinking of
leaving will rethink. They
might go to study in Brazil
or the US. But certainly not
Spain.
Cuu||]. +il] ll|+p|
A
n attempt by members of
Greeces far-Right, anti-immi-
grant Golden Dawn political party
to hand out emergency food
rations to Greeks only was broken
up by police firing tear gas.
The party, which has attracted
widespread condemnation for its
xenophobic, racist policies,
attempted to distribute bread, eggs
and lamb to Greeks outside
Parliament in Athens Syntagma
Square, ahead of the start of the
Greek Orthodox Easter.
But the stunt ended in chaos,
with Golden Dawn members in
black T-shirts hitting riot police
over the head with rolled up Greek
flags and the police firing a volley
of tear gas.
The party had tried to push
ahead with the food handout in
defiance of a ban imposed by the
mayor of Athens, George Kaminis.
He had called the plan a soup
kitchen of hatred because only
people able to prove their national-
ity by showing a Greek identity
card were eligible to receive food.
It was arbitrary, racist and illegal,
he said.
Golden Dawn held a similar
event in Syntagma Square last year,
after which the mayor vowed that
he would not allow a repeat per-
formance.
During a day of acute tension,
Mr Kaminis alleged that a Golden
Dawn MP, Giorgos Germenis,
tried to punch him and that he
drew a hand gun.
Police said Mr Germenis had
moved menacingly against the
mayor and that they would investi-
gate the firearm allegations.
He was led away by security
officers. His punch reportedly
landed on a 12-year-old girl
instead, injuring her.
Around 200 party members
turned up in the square more than
two hours earlier than announced
and began handing out bags of
food after checking recipients'
identity cards.
Golden Dawn will stand
beside Greeks, it will stand by the
suffering Greeks whatever deci-
sions the immigrant-loving Mr
Kaminis takes. Greeks, keep your
heads high, happy holidays! We
will take our country back, said
Christos Pappas, the head of the
Golden Dawn parliamentary
group.
Scuffles broke out between
party members and riot police as
authorities tried to prevent the
partys truck from unloading its
cargo of meat and other goods.
Police used pepper spray to
force back party officials holding
Greek flags on thick wooden
sticks, and the truck was eventually
forced to move on.
Today the logic of violence, of
thuggery, of having my way was
beaten, said the mayor.
Syntagma Square will never
be used again by anyone to hand
out goods. Thuggery will not pre-
vail in this city as long as I am
mayor.
The party transferred the
handout to its offices in another
part of the capital, giving out free
potatoes and Easter eggs to hun-
dreds of supporters.
Golden Dawn rose from
obscurity last year, tapping into
resentment among ordinary
Greeks over the growing number
of immigrants in the country, and
feeding on the desperation caused
by six years of recession.
In elections last year, the party
won nearly seven per cent of the
vote and took 18 of Parliaments
300 seats.
Polls suggest the party is now
Greeces third biggest political
force. Party members display Nazi
symbols and have been seen giving
Nazi-style salutes but deny having
neo-Nazi sympathies.
But many of its members have
been implicated in vicious attacks
on immigrants.
Greece is an entry point for
large numbers of illegal immi-
grants trying to reach other parts
of the European Union.
In October, Parliament
stripped two Golden Dawn MPs of
their parliamentary immunities
after they were charged with
destroying property belonging to
immigrants at a market near
Athens.
Greeks are buckling under
harsh austerity measures imposed
by the troika of international
lenders which engineered a mas-
sive 270 billion euro bail-out to
save the country from economic
meltdown.
Last month Athens announced
that it will fire 4,000 civil servants
this year as part of the austerity
measures agreed with the
European Union and International
Monetary Fund.
The redundancies will begin a
savage round of job cuts in the
Greek public sector, with another
11,000 officials due to be sacked by
the end of next year.
Cuu||]. +il] ll|+p|
n dire straits
ThE 0ATA
RELEASE0 BY
SFAh'S hAT0hAL
STATSTCS
hSTTuTE
Sh0wE0 ThAT ThE
huMBER 0F
SFAhSh
RES0EhTS FELL BY
2OG,OOO T0 47.1M
- A F0uRE
EhTRELY
ACC0uhTE0 F0R,
ThE hS SAYS, BY
ThE FALL h ThE
huMBER 0F
RE0STERE0
F0RE0h
RES0EhTS. ThE
F0FuLAT0h 0F
hATvE SFAhAR0S
0REw LAST YEAR
BY 1O,OOO - A
SMALLER
hCREASE ThAh h
RECEhT YEARS
0us|rg over V||ar
Sa||ra's sor |s 'ver] a|erl. Te 30]earo|d s|rger gave o|rl lo er
l|rsl ard parlrer 0erard P|que's sor V||ar lour rorls ago ard |oves
see|rg oW e reacls lo le Wor|d arourd |r. Se sa|d: 'le's greal.
le's so re||oW, oul e's ver] a|erl, loo. ll's |||e e |roWs Wal's
go|rg or arourd |r. le |roWs Wer soreore cores |r le roor
or cores oul. le's sorel|rg. loWever, Sa||ra recerl|] revea|ed
se as lears aooul |os|rg er oao] We|gl. Se sa|d: 'You Worder |l
]ou'|| ever gel ]our ood] oac|. l'r sl||| a leW pourds over. 8ul l do
Zuroa. Ever dur|rg pregrarc], l d|d |l a|rosl lo le erd. 8ul roW
W|l :NK<UOIK, l dor'l ave l|re. wer l ave a da] oll l Warl lo oe
W|l V||ar.
A |arao|e alla|r
Rooerl Pall|rsor ard Kr|sler
SleWarl ave oougl a slaleol
learl |arao|e rac|re. Te
coup|e - Wo re||rd|ed le|r
re|al|ors|p al le erd ol |asl
]ear aller sp||ll|rg lo||oW|rg le
aclress' alla|r W|l d|reclor
Ruperl Sarders - sp|ased oul
or le s|rg|rg rac|re so le]
erjo] le|r lavour|le pasl|re |r
le corlorl ol le|r oWr |uxur]
ore, corp|ele W|l a slage ard
alrosper|c ||gl|rg. A source
lo|d Te Sur reWspaper: 'Te]
ool aoso|ule|] |ove |arao|e.
Te] used lo go lo oars Werev
er le] cou|d, oul rore oller
lar rol le]'d gel ass|ed o] peop|e. 'So Roo surpr|sed Kr|sler W|l
le|r oWr rac|re. ll's lopollerarge slull W|l ou||l |r d|sco ||gls,
a uge screer ard ever |ls oWr r|r| slage. Te source added:
'hoW le] ave |arao|e parl|es al le|r ore |r le Los Fe||z re|g
oourood ol Los Arge|es W|l a|| le|r lr|erds.
C]rus|] spoo|]
V||e] C]rus Was sla||ed
o] gosls W||e ||v|rg |r
Lordor. Te 20]earo|d
s|rger ard er lar||] rerl
ed ar aparlrerl |r le
Erg||s cap|la| dur|rg er
2009 Europear lour oul
le] ad lo rove lo a
ole| aller a ruroer ol
gosl|] ercourlers. Se
lo|d 8r|l|s +RRK ragaz|re:
'll Was ser|ous|] so lerr|l]
|rg. 0re r|gl, r] ||ll|e
s|sler - |l sourds craz] lo
le|| ]ou - oul se Was
slard|rg |r le soWer
ard a|| ol a sudder, l ear
er screar. l rur |r lere
ard le Waler ad soreoW l||pped lo ol oul |l Was sl||| ... ll Wasr'l
|||e le Waler ad jusl carged, le |roo ad lurred oul se adr'l
lurred |l ard |l Was ourr|rg er. Se Was rea||] red. 'l lougl l ad
seer a ||ll|e oo] s|ll|rg or le s|r| Walc|rg re la|e a soWer so l
le|l rea||] lrea|ed oul. l Was s|ll|rg lere le rexl r|gl ard ra]oe
l'r craz], oul l cou|d ave sWorr l cou|d see l|s ||ll|e oo] s|ll|rg
lere or le s|r|, ||c||rg |s leel.
SZZLERS
DSBELEF ZONE
For lerrorisls only
GUESTCOLUMN
hARRET ALEXAh0ER
tIe pIoneer
described the euro as a burning
building with no exits and so it has
proved for some countries in it
~ William Hague
sunday
magazino
l|it
!
Now Dolhi, May 12, 2013
GUESTCOLUMN
hCK S0uRES
S
audi Arabia is hoping to wean jailed al-Qaeda mili-
tants off religious extremism with counselling, spa
treatments and plenty of exercise at a luxury rehabilita-
tion centre in Riyadh. In between sessions with coun-
selors and talks on religion, prisoners will be able to
relax in the centres facilities which include an
Olympic-size indoor swimming pool, a sauna, a gym
and a television hall.
The new complex is the work of Prince
Mohammed bin Nayef s Centre for Counselling and
Care, a body set up seven years ago to rehabilitate
extremists jailed during a Saudi crackdown on the
local branch of al-Qaeda.
Just under 3,000 (Islamist prisoners) will have to
go through one of these centres before they can be
released, interior ministry spokesman General Mansur
al-Turki told the Press during a tour of the new centre.
Another centre has already opened in the western
port city of Jeddah, and three more are planned for the
north, east and south of the desert kingdom.
The new facility in Riyadh, however, is the first to
offer inmates a taste of luxury as an incentive to mod-
erate their beliefs.
Golden Dawn rose
from obscurity
last year, tapping
into resentment
among ordinary
Greeks over the
growing number of
immigrants in the
country, and
feeding on the
desperation
caused by six
years of recession
Soup or tho Grooks
AP
AP
FOODFORTHOUGHT
0heck y00r reIatI0ashI stat0s
There is always going lo be lrouble or a
coule i lhey're giving less lime lo lheir
arlner and seeking comorl in anolher's
arms. According lo a reorl, when a
coule don'l do lale nighl hone calls
and sweel good morning lexls anymore,
il's a sign lhal lhe romance is ading o.
lhey can'l kee a conversalion going, il
does show lhal bolh o lhem are losing
inleresl in each olher. lhey ighl lo seek allenlion, lhen il's obvious
or sure. a arlner can never make lime or his/her or lry lo make il
work, and don'l eel like ulling in lhe eorl, lhen il sells doomsday
or lhe relalionshi. Flirling may also have a backlash.
T
his is the age of
Equated
Monthly
Instalment (EMI)
EMIs. Almost all
of us buy things on
EMIs, they are easy
to avail and afford-
able. But there are
very few people who
actually calculate the
EMI that one should
be paying. Take an
example of the com-
mon norm that most
people follow while
buying a car on EMI.
One enters the show-
room, gives the repre-
sentative the figure of
the down payment and
the amount of loan they
want with the tenure
period. The representa-
tive rattles off the rate of
interest and after a few
punches on the calcula-
tor arrives at the EMI.
However, industry experts
say that one should not be so
trusting when it comes to EMIs.
That one must keep a few points
in mind while opting for the
EMI. Never get in the trap of
lower EMIs. Whenever one goes
for low EMIs the duration
increases which means in the
long run one will end up paying
a lot more interest to the banks.
This is a fact which banks dont
tell you, Abhishek Dwivedi Anti-
Money Laundering consultant
helping large financial institu-
tions implement standardised
and production AML solutions at
global level explains.
He also says that one must
check what the financial situation
and try to increase the EMI as
much as possible. If your finan-
cial situation changes and you
cant afford high EMI, change
your EMI to a lower value. A
bank should allow the customers
to change EMI as and when
required. While choosing a bank
make sure that the bank confirms
such flexibility, Dwivedi says
adding that increasing or
decreasing an EMI is not allowed
if the remaining duration is only
a year.
But despite a few catches,
going for an EMI is a better
option than doing part-payment.
This is because under certain cir-
cumstances an EMI works to the
persons advantage. For example,
on a loan of C20 lakh for
20 years with a interest
11 per cent if one
just increases the
EMI by C2,000 per
month, one can save a
total of over C8 lakh in the
long run on the interest
you pay to the bank. If
one were to save
this C2,000 for a
year, meaning 12 x
C2,000 = C24,000 and pay it as
part-payment after a year, one
can only save C1.62 lakh on inter-
est.
It is not just the saving aspect
that must be kept in mind. One
also has to keep in mind that ini-
tially, the interest is higher, since
more principal is outstanding. In
the later years, the principal get-
ting repaid starts increasing and
interest drops. Then there is pre-
EMI and zero per cent interest on
EMIs. Zero per cent interest is
mostly applicable on small
household items. These have a
rider clause like one to two per
cent processing fee (for a C12,000
product one will pay C1,200-
C2,400 processing fee). The fact
that one will pay some amount in
advance means that C12,000 will
not get divided into EMI. One
needs to pay the first two to three
months together and then pay
the EMI. Nothing comes for free.
Always remember to read the
fine print of such zero per cent
schemes, Dwivedi cautions.
Dwivedi, who has recently
released an Android App for
mobile phones called EMI Expert
Lite where users can benefit from
the tips, is quick to point out that
the only hidden rider on an EMI
is the failure of customers to
understand that for a longer
duration loan they pay very less
principal component for the first
few years. Banks generally dont
tell you this part and even if they
do, they do not advise to increase
EMI or lower duration which
means one pays far more princi-
pal component, Dwivedi says.
As for the pre-EMI, Dwivedi
tells you that no builder is going
to deliver the apartment on the
due date, there will be delays.
The customer should always
remember the golden rule for a
loan always try to reduce the
interest component as much as
possible. In pre-EMI one is only
paying interest component
whereas the priority should
always be to pay off the principal
component as soon as possible.
tIe pIoneer
My mom has been my friend, my
confidant & a source of strength
~ Prachi Desai
sunday
magazino
lJmil;
l
Now Dolhi, May 12, 2013
T
he AC Nielsen and P&G Thank
You Mom survey reveals that 77
per cent of mothers surveyed dont
talk about their unfulfilled dreams.
This year the campaign led by P&G
and its brands Ariel, Vicks,
Whisper, Pampers goes one step
further to realise a mothers dream.
These are her forgotten dreams that
she had given less importance to,
while realising her childrens
dream.
The campaign also hopes to
acknowledge a mothers dedication
towards the wellbeing of her family.
In its second year, as part of the
campaign, P&G joins hands with
children across the country to
enable their mothers to realise at
least one lost dream.
The survey said that while 87
per cent of the mothers surveyed
said that they would like to have
some free time for themselves, 79
per cent of children stated that they
would like to help their mothers
with daily chores, but they are too
busy at work to help out. A 55 per
cent of the children said that they
willingly dont contribute to house-
hold chores.
93 per cent of mothers also
said that they would like for their
children to realise their dreams and
95 per cent said that their chil-
dren's dream was their dream. 93
per cent agree that they would
want their children to fulfill their
dreams. while 77 per cent mothers
agreed that they feel a sense of loss
when reminded about their lost
dreams. The survey also said that
61 per cent agreed that they don
not realise their capabilities. 76 per
cent mothers stopped pursuing their
dream because of household work.
Commenting on the occasion,
Kainaz Gazder, marketing director
P&G India said We have always
strived to work towards touching
and improving lives of mothers.
Each brand of ours is committed
towards identifying the challenges a
mother faces.
A
son gets irritated when the mother asks him
to call her. Kaam karoon ya aap ko phone
karoon, is his refrain. The mother is crestfallen
as the son walks out of the house in a huff only
to return to grab the phone that his father hands
him. Once back in office in another city, the son
realises that his phone has been silent for hours.
Taking it out from the pocket he finds that it is
his mothers phone. Ma ko koi phone nahin
karta is his first thought and he immediately
calls his mother and tells her that he will call
every day from now on. This is an ad on TV by a
popular service provider.
While there are some children who may for-
get to be in touch with their parents and only
call on certain special days like Mothers Day,
there are many who dont wait for an occasion to
make their mothers feel special.
For 26-year-old senior event manager, Amit
Khurana, taking his mother out for dinner fol-
lowed by a movie is a fortnightly event. My
work keeps me away from home for long hours.
I seldom get time to interact with my parents on
a daily basis. Hence, I make sure that I take one
day every fortnight to take my mother out. We
talk and catch up with what is happening in my
life, her life and general family gossip. I also take
advice on relationship, where to invest and how I
have invested my money, Khurana says, adding
that the only reason why his father is not a part
of such dos is because he doesnt want to come
between the mother and son time.
Khurana is not alone when it comes to
spending quality time with his mother. For
Saurabh Roy spending time with family was a
done thing. As a child my parents and I would
go out for dinners on a weekly basis. So the tra-
dition has carried on with a slight difference. It is
now just my mother and me. We go for dinner
and talk of general things my work and her
work (she is the head mistress with a
Government school), the 27-year-old tells you.
It is not just dinners that the mother-son go
on. There is shopping as well. While most boys
may feel embarrassed to go shopping with their
mothers, this corporate lawyer with an MNC has
no such problems. There is no awkwardness.
My mother knows my choice and going with her
makes it easy for me. And it is not as if I dont go
alone. But seven out of 10 times, I am with her,
Roy states adding that he enjoys these outings
with his mother.
Agrees a freelance media professional. My
busy schedule keeps me tied-up most evening
with weekends being the busiest. The only free
time that I have is during the day. So, once in a
while I go shopping with my daughter. We spend
a couple of hours looking at the latest
fashion trends. In case she likes
something, I buy it for her, oth-
erwise, we end up having
lunch. Those few hours that
I spend with her are beau-
tiful, Sadhna Shrivastav
tells you.
Then there are some
who put in a lot of
thought in what to gift
their mother on Mothers
Day. Twelve-year-old
Mihika last year, gave a
duppatta that she had paint-
ed herself. I wanted to give
something that I had made. So I
bought the material and asked my art teacher to
print the design that my brother, Siddhant and I
had chosen. My mother loved it. So the time and
effort put into making it was worth the joy on
her face, Mihika tells you. And then there are
some who give their mothers their entire two-
year savings. It was not something great that I
did. My mother has sacrificed a lot for me. I
come from a very conservative family where
having a son is a must. So when I gave my moth-
er C3 lakh, she cried a lot. Bete ki koi zaroorat
nahin hai my mom had said. That was the
moment for me, Manjusha Singh says.
While it is easy for children to go out with
their mothers if in the same city, it becomes a
tad difficult to do something for the mothers
long distance. To make up for the lost time, there
are some children who take time out from their
professional lives to take their parents, especially
their mothers on a holiday. I believe parenting
is the most difficult job in the world more so
for the mother so, it seems rather meagre to
just name a single day as Mothers Day, as if for
the rest of the 364 days she doesnt really count.
Even if I forget Mothers Day, I try to give-back
in any way I can, when I can. I feel I am particu-
larly lucky that at 47 I still have my parents. Ten
years ago, I had no notion of any give-back; like
most children, I too felt parents were a given and
there to give. Nothing to fuss over or about.
Okay, they should remain in good health and
carry on as usual but that was about it. Now I
realise all that they have done for me from the
moment I was born, Manjira Dutta tells you.
So one of the things that she does at least
once a year is go on a holiday with them and
focus exclusively on them. She chooses a place
thats easy to travel to and move around in. This
is not intended to be one of those hectic, lets-
pack-activity-into-every-minute type of holiday.
This is their time, no husband, no children, no
sibling, no friends, just Dutta and her parents.
Till about six years ago, I would send them on a
holiday by themselves but, I realised, they were
more keen to be with me rather than be away on
holiday in an exotic place. When we are on vaca-
tion together its not like being at home. First, its
a refreshingly new environment where you are
waited upon; our space is magically cleaned;
food is just a call away; theres a pool
and spa to relax in; no doorbells; no
pressing domestic chores. And
best of all, there is absolutely
no compulsion or need to do
anything. We can sit back,
relax and just talk with-
out interruptions, and
be happy together,
Dutta says.
Mom's
the W0r4
while mosl children go
oul and celebrale
Molhers' 0ay wilh a lol o
anare, lhere are some
or whom lhis big day
comes almosl every
orlnighl. l means laking
arenls or a
holiday or a dinner dale
ollowed by a movie.
ShALh SAKSEhA
seaks wilh some such
children who make lheir
moms eel secial lhe
year round
Buying roducls or laking a loan or buying a car or home
on EMs may be a good olion, bul lhere are a ew key
issues lhal need lo be kel in mind beore oling or one.
ShALh SAKSEhA seaks lo exerls who lell you lhal lhe
calch lies in lhe acl lhal some cuslomers ail lo undersland
lhal lhe longer lhe loan duralion, lhe higher lhe
inleresl amounl he will ay
IMIk I EMI 6kI6IkTIh
EM = (L x ) x }(1+)^h/|(1+)^hj1
where
L = Loan amounl
= nleresl rale (rale er annum divided by 12)
^ = To lhe ower o
h = Loan eriod in monlhs
So i lhe loan is says C5O,OOO al 11% er
annum, reayable in 15 years, lhe EM will be:
EM = (5O,OOO x O.OOO1G) x
}(1+O.OOO1G)^18O/|(1+O.OOO1G)^18Oj1
= 458 x (5.1G184G/4.1G184G)
EM = C5G8
F Y0uR FhAhCAL
STuAT0h ChAh0ES
Ah0 Y0u CAh'T
AFF0R0 h0h EM,
ChAh0E Y0uR EM
T0 A L0wER vALuE.
A BAhK Sh0uL0
ALL0w ThE
CuST0MERS T0
ChAh0E EM AS Ah0
whEh RE0uRE0
A |u||| J|+|
6EIE8TkIk
M0thers'
0ay 8ecIaI
8hE Wk8 kIWkY8 ThEE I 8
My molher Mala, was very
young when she gol married,
she used lo model or ew
ashion labels in lhe uK. when
she became regnanl wilh me,
she gave u her dreams lo be
wilh me ulllime. Laler on, she
oened a boulique in London
and slarled her own clolhing brand which became
very oular. her brand was covered in mosl
ashion maga/ines lhere. Bul due lo her requenl
lris lo lhe uK lel my sisler and me on our own
and we didn'l do loo will in our exams. She was
worried lhal we mighl nol score well in our Boards
so she shul down everylhing and gave all her lime
lo us.
S+|+ ||+| W|u pl+]J Al|+ liW+|i i| 3W^^]SW;TVX
<P]iX[7d\TX]
MY MM, ThE Fkhk8TE
My molher, Fooja Raisinghani is
always game or advenlure, un
and even ranks. She enjoys
bullying eole lhe mosl. She is
a molher in mad limes and a
buddy in bad limes and never
says no lo our demands. So, il's
always un lo make lan as she
willingly jums in. She gave u on her successul
career lo give all her love and allenlion lo my sisler
and me which we can never ay back even i we
wish lo. 0n lhis secial day, 'll be laking her lo
Fune where all her siblings have galhered. Thal's
where her surrise awail her.
|+|i| R+ii||+|i W|u pl+] SiJJ|+|| R+||J|+
B|+|+JW+| i| Culu| BPbdaP[BX\Pa:P
k VEY hkh8h MM
My mom ndira Chora gave my
sisler and me lhe mosl crealive
ubringing. From lhe way we
were made lo eal, do homework
lo our exlra curricular aclivilies,
everylhing was laken care o by
her. The besl limes were lhe
mosl ordinary momenls which
my molher made so secial or me. She was a
working ulllime bul or lhe irsl len years o my
lie she gave u everylhing lo ensure lhal was
given a solid oundalion. Even now, can never
lhank her enough or all lhe allenlion and love she
has showered on me. This Molhers' 0ay, will
lake her oul or a lreal and some shoing lo
soil her and amer her. She'll be sending
lhe day wilh my sixmonlhold son who is
her avourile erson.
Ru||i C|up|+ W|u pl+]J
Pi+ i| :PbP\WBT
kIWkY8 8E ThEE I hE
when look back al lhe momenls
when was aboul
lo aller, my
molher, Sunila
Bhall was always
lhere or me. My
molher has been
lhere or me and my
sisler all our lives. her
ubringing has made me lhe erson 'm.
For her, doing even a small lhing like
been lhere or her whenever she needs
me, is whal she loves lhe mosl and
makes her eel secial. Molhers don'l ask or
suorl bul as children we should be lhere or
lhem.
|il B|+|| W|u pl+] |+|||+| i| / lV AP\PhP]
Parenting
is the most
difficult job in the
world ~ more so for
the mother ~ so, it
seems rather meagre to
just name a single day as
Mothers' Day. t seems as
if for the rest of the S64
days, she doesn't
really count
much
All alout IMs
A
propos Kink in us by Deebashree
Mohanty, Manjari Singh and Shibaji
Roychoudhury in Foray dated May 5,
2013. Pornographic videos and books that are
freely available in the market give people new
ideas and fantasies that they want to emulate to
stimulate their sexual life. Though there is no
harm in having fantasies, one should be mature
enough to know and understand that there is a
difference between a fantasy and reality.
M Kumar
A
porpos Not a grim picture by Chandrabhan
Prasad in Foray dated May 5, 2013. There is
no doubt that existence of caste system is bad
for any modern society. The fact that it is losing
ground in cities is good news. Dalits could not
prosper because they were not given the
opportunity to rise in life. No one can deny that
reservation has benefited them and they have
achieved success in every walk of life.
Unfortunately, the benefits of the reservation is
now going to people who have already made it
big in life. The Dalits who have already become
achievers should not take advantage of the
reservation policy. They should make way for
those who are still struggling. After
all, the benefit will go to people of
their own community. Another
important aspect is reservation in
promotion. Once the Dalits have got a
foot hold, they should compete like
the rest of the people from the general
category do.
Shailendra Kaul
T
his refers to Managing SPs tantrum
man by Tavishi Srivastava in Foray
dated May 5, 2013. The frisking at the
various US airports does go down well
with us who have ageold tradition and
culture of welcoming even our unsolicited
guests. The plea that Mohd Azam Khan
had on his mind the minority votebank
while taking exception to his frisking at
the Logan International Airport in Boston
cuts no ice as Khan already enjoys a huge
following in the community. But one
wonders why he was treated in such a
manner when he had been invited? Why
does the US treat its invited guests with such
suspicion? While we are not saying that we
should not be frisked, but at least the dignitaries
who are invited should be treated with more
respect.
Rukhsana Khan
T
his refers to Manmohan neither shaken, not
stirred by Hari Shankar Vyas in Foray dated
May 5, 2013. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh
seems to have mastered the technique of
shunning moral responsibility and
accountability of all the wrong-doings of the
UPA-II Government. Hence, the author is right
in quoting a knowledgeable leader that in his
political career of 40 years, Singh has never
morally owned responsibility in the past and is
not likely to do so now.
M Ratan
T
his refers to Politicians falling to new low by
Devi Cherian in Foray dated May 5, 2013.
Thanks to the corrupt UPA-II, sadly all
politicians are being painted with same brush. It
is not that we do not have honest politicians,
but they are over shadowed by their corrupt
colleagues. The problems lies at the top.
Bal Govind
T
his refers to Politicians falling to new low by
Devi Cherian in Foray dated May 5, 2013. It
is true that the nexus between the criminals and
politicians is on the rise and no political party is
an exception to this rule. People who now join
politics consider it as a business venture, with
calculations on return on investment. The
public can fend for itself is the motto of most
politicians today. Reforms in politics is possible
only if every political party follows a strict rule
when it comes to accepting new members
they should reject anyone who has a police
record.
Mahesh Kumar
T
his refers to Politicians falling to new low by
Devi Cherian in Foray dated May 5, 2013.
The writer has rightly said that honesty, it
appears, is a trait that leaders are afraid to be
associated with. If India is one of the most
corrupt countries in the world today, its credit
goes to our political class. The Ministers are
interested only in making money. One scam
after another clearly shows how shamelessly the
country is being looted by them.
Manoj Parashar
M
any senior leaders in
the Congress are not
happy with the way
Congress vice-president
Rahul Gandhi has been
conducting party politics. He
has given instructions that
the party leaders need to
visit their constituencies on a
regular basis and hold public
meetings. They then need to
submit a written report
which will be scrutinised at
different levels. This move,
which most leaders view as
babugiri, has not gone down
well among them.
It is said that Team
Rahul has prepared a five-
page form which all leaders
will have to fill. This has
been done to fix
responsibility at every level
from the State incharge to
State president to district
president. He has done so on
the advice of some partymen
who have pitched for fixing
responsibility. Also, there are
many leaders who
manipulate tickets for their
candidates. If they are
defeated, the onus of failure
is put on the organisation.
Rahul wants to change this,
hence, the filling of forms.
Meanwhile, he also
wants district and booth-
level workers to use social
media to keep in touch with
the voters in their area. All
of them have been asked to
open Facebook accounts so
that they are made aware of
party activities and remain
in touch with other leaders.
However, this move has left a
few veterans in a fix as they
are not so well versed with
technology. Some have,
therefore, roped in young
leaders to help them out of
this predicament.
TkkIh k 6E
While Rahul Gandhi is
busy motivating his party
leaders to keep in touch via
the social media, the I&B
Ministry has already started
recruiting volunteers to help
the Ministry advertise the
Governments achievements
online. These digital
volunteers will advertise
Government schemes on
Facebook and Twitter.
The Ministry has created
its own channel on YouTube
too. The channel has already
touched two lakh hits. Till
now, the Ministry has
recruited 1,200 volunteers.
But upbeat with the number
of hits, the Ministry has
relaxed its rules. This will
help the department recruit
more digital volunteers.
Till now, the UPA-II
Government and the
Congress was averse to the
use of social media. In fact,
Digvijay Singh had said that
Gujarat Chief Minister
Narendra Modi had
manipulated the social
media. And now, UPA-II and
the Congress are doing the
same thing.
MEETIh 8FEE
Rahul Gandhi was
made party vice-
president at the
Chintan Shivir held in
Jaipur in January. Since
then, he has been holding a
series of meetings. Already,
three rounds of meeting with
All India Congress
Committee (AICC) office
bearers, State officials and
party MPs have been held.
Though no direct outcome
of these meetings has been
seen or felt, the meetings
continue.
Rahul also met Delhi
Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit
and Delhis president JP
Aggrawal thrice.
Unfortunately, the conflict
between Dikshit and
Aggrawal continues. In
Madhya Pradesh, things are
no different. Three meetings
have been held in the State
Congress unit but groupism
in the party continues. He
has had three rounds of
meetings with the leaders of
Uttrakhand, Punjab and
Haryana but factionalism is
still there.
Despite this, Rahul has
not given up and continues
to hold meetings.
h kkMkI MVE
Parliamentary Affairs
Minister Kamal Nath has
failed to manipulate things
to the Congress advantage
in this Budget Session of
Parliament. In the Winter
Session of 2012, he had been
able to keep Bahujan Samaj
Party chief Mayawati and
Samajwadi Party chief
Mulayam Singh Yadav under
control by taking them into
confidence. But this time,
Mulayams stance towards
the Congress has not
softened. But a Kamal Nath
confidant said that the
Minister did everything in
his power to keep things in
control but if the situation
and circumstances are not
conducive, there is nothing
much he can do.
The Congressman was
referring to the fate of Law
Minister Ashwani Kumar
and Railway Minister
Pawan Kumar
Bansal. Bansal
was involved
in a
controversy
after his
nephew
was
arrested
for
taking
bribe to
ensure
a choice
posting
for a
railway
official, while
Kumar is under
fire for vetting a
Central Bureau of
Investigation report
on the coal scam.
Both the cases
came to light
unexpectedly. And
now, even
partymen are
distancing themselves from
the issue. If this was not
enough, even the Supreme
Court has made its
observations in both
cases turning on
the heat on
UPA-II. The
only two
alliance
partners who
have come
forward to
defend Pawan
Bansal are Lalu
Prasad Yadav
and NCPs DP
Tripathi.
Meanwhile,
the BJP is also at
loggerheads with
Nath. This is
because when
Sonia wanted one of
her partymen to give
an answer when Leader
of Opposition in Lok
Sabha Sushma Swaraj
was delivering a
speech, Nath who sits
just behind Sonia
interrupted Swaraj. This
did not go down well with
the BJP. It is another matter
that the House was in uproar
over the Bansal case and he
didnt get any sympathy from
his partymen.
8EhEIIT E8 T...
Who will be at a
disadvantage if the BJP-
JD(U) alliance breaks? Both
the parties are making an
assessment. The BJP has
sought help from a leading
election analyst and political
commentator agency, GVL
Narasimha Rao Lens.
Around 2,500 voters from 10
Lok Sabha constituencies in
Bihar were interviewed. The
survey revealed that the
benefit would go to the BJP.
Also, if the alliance
breaks, the BJP will
announce Gujarat Chief
Minister Narendra Modi as
its Prime Ministerial
candidate. And if JD(U)
doesnt form an alliance with
any other party, the BJP will
get 29 out of 40 seats in
Bihar, while the JD(U) will
only win two seats. Last time,
the BJP had fought on 15
seats and won 12.
However, if the BJP-
JD(U) alliance continues, the
NDA will get 33 seats out of
40. It means NDA will get
four more seats. The survey
also says that if JD(U) breaks
away from the BJP and forms
an alliance with Congress,
then the BJP will get 19 seats
and JD(U)-Congress alliance
will get 16. Of these 16 seats,
JD(U) will contribute 10 and
the Congress 6. In all the
scenario, Lalus Rashtriya
Janata Dal and Paswans Lok
Janshakti Party will not
perform too well.
8kME, 8kME
Three top Congress
leaders Sonia Gandhi,
Rahul Gandhi and Prime
Minister Manmohan Singh
gave almost similar
speeches in Opposition-ruled
States. The speeches centred
around on the amount of
money the Centre had give
to that particular State and
the how the said State has
misused the money.
During the Assembly
election campaign in
Karnataka as well, Sonia,
Manmohan and Rahul had
said something similar.
While Karnataka Chief
Minister Jagdish Shettar had
preferred not to react to the
speech, Narendra Modi had
given a befitting answer at
Belgaum.
Though many Chief
Ministers of non-Congress
ruled States came up with
their own strategies on how
to deal with what Sonia,
Manmohan and Rahul had
to say, Modis style was
different. Instead of using
words like donation and
alms, Modi said that the
Centre doesnt give money to
States as part of dowry. A
similar reply had been given
by Bihar Chief Minister
Nitish Kumar.
Even Mayawati had given
a befitting reply. While
campaigning for the
Assembly elections (on
November 25, 2011 at
Siddharthngar, UP) held in
UP last year, Rahul had said
that the there is an elephant
sitting in Lucknow and this
elephant is eating your
money.
The Congress is getting
nightmares about BSPs
election symbol elephant
driving them away,
Mayawati retorted.
l0ae raaer has
00 Ia hIs sIht
I
need to buy a horse. I have taught in a Delhi University
college since 1989, which means I have many well-wishers,
but not enough money. If wishes were horses, Id have owned
one by now. Why do I want a horse in the first place? I wish
to gift it to my boss. He somehow looks incomplete sitting on
a vice regal chair. A horse would befit his stature. Before I
forget, Id need a pair of guns too, perhaps the peacemaker
colt from another era. And a holster to sling them at the side,
to lend that edge to his swagger. With guns and a horse, he
can do with alacrity what he has set out to; ie, to clean this
messy town called Delhi University, rid it of vermin who will
not submit to his badge.
In two years time he will ride into the sunset, alone. He is
therefore in a hurry. He says he has to clean the mess before
he leaves. He does not trust the guy wholl take over from
him. Hes the quintessential lone ranger, the lawgiver who
trusts no human; his faith is rested only on the two things
that sling by his side. If he had
them that is. Which is why I
wish to gift him the horse, and
the guns.
My boss believes the
townspeople in this wild place
are lazy and petulant. They wile
way a few hours at the saloon,
then make a load of empty
noise in the town square. They
resist authority, corrupt young
minds, take back fat paychecks
and are basically naysayers.
Ironically they are, like him, all
lawgivers. They are his
deputies. This ought to be a
place where folks like to be in.
After all, its a town full of
deputies, which is why its
called Delhi (DU) And apparently people do filter in, com-
ing from all parts of the country.
Usually they hang around for three odd years, sometimes
five. If they have work to do beyond five years, they often end
up as deputies. The boss does not like things around here
(why does he hang out here then? But shhhh, I did not say
that). The boss wants change. At night he dreams the words
change, emblazoned bright across the horizon. He wants to
get there and grab change. He is insistent, childlike almost,
on change. It is his raison d'tre, the apotheosis of his being.
For using such language, Id get thrown out of DU. Weve
been asked to keep it simple. And well packaged.
The changes he wants are fundamental, or so he believes.
He wants to redesign entry and exit cards. If you want to do
everything and learn nothing you can enter. If you wish to
exit simply dumb, you can leave after two years. If you wish
to add some polish to your dumbness, you can hang out for
three. But if you wish to seriously stand out and not fit into
anything, except perhaps in some distant shores which have
peculiar entry policies similar to my bosss ideal, you are wel-
come to stay for four years.
The boss believes the towns not too crowded. The
deputies differ. In any case till date all lawgivers have only car-
ried harmless pens to go about their work, good for no more
than a threatening jab in the air. The guns Im trying to get for
my boss are intended to change the equation. Of course, some
of us will get guns too, after he has his set. But not everyone.
The ones who look up at the skies will remain holding pens.
The ones who go about with their heads bent will carry fire-
power. Guns are more useful in their hands. They never look
up. So they will fire at anyone when ordered to.
I greatly admire my boss. He is one of unwavering con-
viction. His will to power can kick-spur anything, like getting
a constitution for the town framed in two hours flat. He lis-
tens to none. He acts, then (at times) thinks. He is the need
of the hour. He is the Great One, he who has the final solu-
tion for DU. He is not a piffling fool. His motto: To give
good laws, you must be willing to bend a few.
lovo ndian ood and liko
ohiokon ourry. a dish is
namod ator mo, would
woloomo tho idoa
JAHA|0AN 0P|0KETEP 0hP|$ 0AYLE
wl0 SAYS TlAT lE w0uL0h'T Vlh0
lF Ah lh0lAh 0lSl lS hAVE0 AFTER
llV
Shooting this ilm was not oasy. t
was a risk. But it was an
inorodiblo oxporionoo booauso
was involvod in it sinoo tho
inooption
A0TPE$$ FPE|TY Z|NTA 0h l0w lER
L0h0 0ELAYE0 FlLV /9.7/46'8/9 wAS
A ClALLEh0E AS SlE lA0 T0 00h
VAhY lATS
Prior to tho NDA rulo not
ovon C3,000 ororo woro
spont on dovolopmontal work
in Bihar. Tho amount has now
rison to C26,000 ororo in
isoal 2012-13
8|hAP 0h|EF H|N|$TEP N|T|$h
KuHAP 0h TlE PACE 0F
PR00RESS lh llS STATE
Readers can email us on sundayio@gmail.com
Not many talers for Ralul`s aerworl
SUNDAYGUPSHUP
OUOTEARREST
hAR ShAhKAR vYAS
TALKTME
0EBRAJ M00KERJEE
C
orgress v|cepres|derl Rau| 0ard| as
oeer s|oW|] oul slead||] oeer ra||rg a
ser|es ol carges |r le parl]. To oeg|r
W|l, le parl] as appo|rled e|gl
spo|espersors. Te lear as oeer g|ver
a c|ear s|gra| or Wal carges are |r le
oll|rg.
Sources sa] lal Rau| |s go|rg lo
slop le pracl|ce ol g|v|rg |rdeperderl
carge ol Slales lo parl] |eaders. T|s
rears lal ever loug a gerera| secrelar]
W||| oe rade |rcarge ol a Slale, a secrelar]
W||| ass|sl |r |r rarag|rg le alla|rs ol le
Slale.
Al preserl, Voar Pra|as ard Sa|ee|
Ared, Wo ave oeer reappo|rled as parl]
spo|espersors, are |r carge ol lree Slales
eac. loWever, Rau| Warls lo slr|cl|] lo||oW le
oreraroreposl ru|e. ll |l cores |rlo ellecl, le] W|||
oe re||eved ol le|r add|l|ora| carge. A|so, |l le ru|e |s
lo||oWed lo le T, rar] rore |eaders W||| reed lo oe
accorrodaled |r le parl] orgar|sal|or.
lr le Wa|e ol le ru|e lal |s lo lo||oW, 0u|ca|r
S|rg Cara|, reroer, Wor||rg
corr|llee ol le A|| lrd|a Corgress
Corr|llee AlCC}, Soc|a| Jusl|ce ard
ErpoWerrerl V|r|sler 0ar| Rar
Sard|| ard Corgress |eader
Jagd|s T]l|er W||| a|so ro |orger oe
Slale |rcarges ol Purjao, Vega|a]a ard 0d|sa,
respecl|ve|].
Sources a|so sa] lal le ruroer ol gerera| secrelar|es
ard secrelar|es ra] oe |rcreased. Tere |s la|| lal le
ruroer ol Corgress wor||rg Corr|llee reroers ra]
oe cul sorl lo ra|e |ls Wor||rg rore ellecl|ve.
RESPONSESECTION
My mothor had trainod mo in
ovorything, oxoopt aoting. know
how to wash dishos and oook.
was told that you will lot down tho
amily ator marriago
A0TPE$$ KAN0NA PANAuT 0h l0w SlE
lS TlAhKFuL T0 lER V0TlER F0R
TEACllh0 lER 8ASlC LlFE LESS0hS S0
TlAT lF SlE 0ulT ACTlh0 SlE lAS Ah
ALTERhATlVE
tIe pIoneer
The most valuable possession you
can own is an open heart. The most
powerful weapon you can be is an
instrument of peace
~ Carlos Santana
sunday
magazino
lJ||lt

Now Dolhi, May 12, 2013

C|A|l| ll|ES l| C|RESS
My boss is of
unwavering
conviction. His
will to power
can kick-spur
anything. He
listens to none.
He acts, then
thinks. He is
the Great One,
he who has the
'final solution'
for DU
M
any may not term the story of Dalit
entrepreneur Devanand Londhe as a
success story. But this businessman from
Sangli district of Maharashtra has set up a
small factory in his village manufacturing
cotton gloves. These gloves are exported to
Japan. The reasons for setting up the unit
in his village were two cheap labour
and giving employment to local women.
Glove-making is an all-woman job and
Londhe employs 150 women.
A few weeks back, I was in his village.
I was told that more than half the women
in his factory were from the upper caste. I
want to inform the esteemed reader that
there is a sizeable Jain population in
Sangli. I was introduced to some of them.
I asked one Jain worker what made her
work for a Dalit? It took some time for her
to open up. But she finally told me the
reason why she was working for a person
from the lower caste. Paisa jati se bada ho
gaya hai, she said philosophically.
While there is no study done on the
number of upper caste people working for
lower caste, there is ample proof that there
are many people from the upper caste
who, for the sake of making more money,
have been working for Dalit entrepre-
neurs. TV anchor Ravish Kumar did a
show for a news channel, NDTV
Special Report on Security Guards in
Delhi. He interviewed many security
guards and asked them their caste as well.
Many were from the upper caste. In fact,
most of them were Brahmins, Bhumihars,
Thakurs and Rajputs from Uttar Pradesh
and Bihar.
Kumars programme appeared a few
years back. Wanting to know what the pre-
sent situation is, I have been trying to
track the trend on my own. Whenever I
hire a taxi, anywhere in the country, I
insist on taking the mobile number of the
driver. Not only this, while saving their
numbers, I ask them their full name. This
helps me identify their caste. For example,
if one is in Maharashtra and the drivers
surname is Kulkarni, it will mean that he
is a Brahmin. If the drivers surname is
Deshmukh, it means that he belongs to
the upper most caste.
After identifying that the driver is
indeed a Brahmin my question is always
the same Brahmin ho kar bhi taxi cha-
late hain aap? The answer now is pre-
dictably the same Kya karein saheb,
paisa to kamana hi hai.
Many tell you that since they couldnt
study or didnt do too well in school, they
had no option but to become taxi drivers.
A few years back, I was traveling from
Ranchi to Jamshedpur. The drivers sur-
name was Sahu. Generally, Sahus belong
to the Vaishya community, but in Orissa, it
is a caste that equals to Bhumihars.
Surprisingly, the driver knew my caste
as well. Not that I told him, but he gath-
ered it from my conversation that I was
having with a friend of mine who was
travelling with me. I had some work in
Jamshedpur even though three days later,
the Dalit Indian Chamber of Commerce &
Industrys (DICCI) Ranchi chapter was to
be launched. On our way back, we stopped
for tea at a roadside dhaba.
I was curious how the driver felt, dri-
ving two Dalits fromRanchi to Jamshedpur
and back. Aap ke passenger Dalit aur aap
Sahu kaisa lagta hai, I had asked the
driver. Saheb, aap mujhe Dilli le chalo aur
apna driver rakh lo, he had replied. At that
time, I didnt think much of what he had
said. But the conversation came back to me
in this present context.
While, once again, there is no study
that shows that people from the upper caste
are going for jobs that are considered to be
lowly just so that they can earn more
money, my observations suggest that
money is gaining prominence over caste. If
money is becoming bigger than caste, what
should the anti-caste crusaders be telling
the Dalit youth? The Dalit youth should
take to business in a big way. Moreso, by
those people who swear by Dr BR
Ambedkars name and follow his teachings.
Most Dalits will want to know from
where they will get the capital to start a
business? Getting a loan from a bank even
for people from the upper caste is difficult,
how will the Dalits get it? Well, the answer
is very simple from where did DICCI
members get money to start their busi-
nesses. I have seen many Dalits succeeding
in business without taking a bank loan.
Since I know hundreds of DICCI mem-
bers, I am aware of how most of them
started their business with small sav-
ings or borrowings from parents, relatives
and friends.
The amount of money and effort that
many Dalits spent in fighting the caste
order, without any success, can be used to
start their own venture. Not only will it
improve their lot, it will help the commu-
nity to fight the caste system more effec-
tively.
Wo oan't aord
suoh gonorosity
S
peaking after last weeks chastening local election results, the
Conservative Party chairman, Grant Shapps, set out his agenda to
regain popular support. He emphasised fixing the economy, sorting
out the welfare system and helping hard-working people to get on.
The Queens Speech last week, was a timely opportunity for the
Government to make progress on those fronts and, indeed, its last
practical chance to introduce any radical legislation in this parliament.
Ministers know that the stakes could hardly be higher. Despite
their efforts, the national debt is already at its highest level for 40
years. Because the annual deficit in the public accounts is proving so
hard to control, our debts are set to increase even further, peaking in
the next parliament.
How can we tackle this challenge? Well, in a way, Grant Shappss
comments were on exactly the right track. It is the cost not just of the
welfare system, but of the welfare State and in particular pensions
and the NHS that will threaten the public finances both in this par-
liament, and for decades to come. And what is chiefly responsible for
this process, which will imperil the economy and demand higher
taxes from the hard-working people he talks about, is the ageing of
the population.
Someone aged 65 who retires today has a one in six chance of
spending three decades in retirement. By 2035, the odds will be one in
four. This increase in life expectancy is a cause for celebration for
everyone but the Treasury, which is saddled with rising commitments
to retired people. Already, the basic State pension costs more than 70
billion per year, while the NHS spends roughly twice as much on pen-
sioners as on those of working age.
We got a taste of how difficult it will be to address these issues last
week, when Cabinet unity collapsed completely over the future of
three benefits for pensioners: The winter fuel allowance (which Iain
Duncan Smith suggested should be handed back by those who felt
they didnt need it), free TV licences and free bus passes. Their collec-
tive cost is nearly 4 billion annually. That is certainly a lot of money
it would pay for the entire police service in England and Wales for
three months of the year. But even a saving on this scale would be just
a first step.
On this score, Queens Speech last week, was a timely chance to
make some progress. It looks set, however, to be a missed opportunity.
The Pensions Bill will introduce a new flat-rate pension that will
increase at the fastest possible rate for years to come: Under the triple
lock, it will rise in line with whichever is highest out of inflation or
earnings growth and by at least 2.5 per cent a year come what may.
This will, in time, cost the Exchequer more than 10 billion a year.
Tories might reflect that one of the early reforms of Margaret
Thatchers Government was to impose a strict limit on the basic state
pension, so that it would only rise in line with prices.
The Bill on social care is much better. It accepts that government
cannot afford to pay for all of the costs of care homes. It tries to help
people provide for themselves by capping their payments (excluding
bed and board) at 72,000. But the Coalition is leaving unchallenged
the main NHS budget which, at more than 100 billion a year, is
six times bigger than social care.
Last week, Lord Warner of Brockley, the former Labour health
minister, argued that ring-fencing the health budget creates the illu-
sion that people dont have to change the way they deliver services.
Areas subject to cuts, such as the police, fire and rescue and local
Government, are using the financial pressure as a catalyst to update
their thinking. They are leaving behind expensive ways of working
and styles of employment that should have been culled years ago. The
NHS has barely begun.
The Government has to go further. Its ideas should include lower
and more realistic increases in the state pension. It should embrace
the idea that people must share some of the costs of the NHS as well
as social care. Professor Malcolm Grant, the chairman of NHS
England, observed last month that future Governments will inevitably
have to consider charging for NHS services unless growth returns
and at unprecedented levels. Other developed countries devote rough-
ly twice as much of GDP towards private payments for health care.
These countries are better prepared for the future and, in time, will
have far more freedom to reduce taxation.
Part of the problem in Britain is the strength of the elderly voting
bloc. Between 2005 and 2010, the number of retired voters increased
by nearly 10 per cent. At the next election, fully a quarter of the elec-
torate will be 65 or older; by 2050, it will be a third. Faced with these
numbers, any politician could be forgiven for kicking the can down
the road. Yet there is a new mood in politics. Figures such as Boris
Johnson or Nigel Farage are popular because they are seen to speak
honestly, warts and all. Voters want the right policies but they also
want authenticity and truth. And the honest truth is that the welfare
State can no longer honour the promises of the past.
Through no fault of their own, pensioners have received a level of
support that cannot now be afforded. And if ministers grasp the nettle
now, Britain will be in a much better place with families able to
prepare for their own future, higher levels of saving, and, eventually,
lower burdens on the taxpayer. If that was the message of the Queens
Speech tomorrow, we would all be better off.
Cuu||] +il] ll|+p|
M0aey matters
DALTDARY
ChAh0RABhAh FRASA0
GUESTCOLUMN
Ah0REw hAL0EhBY
T
he success in the Karnataka
Assembly elections has
charged up the Congress. But
what is important is whether the
fighting spirit exhibit-
ed by the party-
men will last till
the 2014 Lok
Sabha polls?
The battered
image of the
Congress as a
result of a
series of scams
in the UPA-II
Government has
left the party
leaders on
the defen-
sive. Most
of the
time, these
leaders are busy
shielding the
Ministers involved.
However, Karnataka
victory may be
shortlived as the chant
for Prime Minister
Manmohan Singhs res-
ignation is growing
louder daily.
Now, all eyes
are on the revival
package of the Congress, espe-
cially Uttar Pradesh, which has
been lagging behind on the poll
score. The Uttar Pradesh
Congress Committee (UPCC)
chief Nirmal Khatri was conspic-
uous by his absence even at a
time when the party was cele-
brating its victory at the UPCC
office. No wonder a party insider
remarked: Perhaps the PCC
chief is busy with more impor-
tant matters than celebrating this
win in Karnataka.
However, the
question doing the
rounds is whether
UP will be able
to do a
Karnataka in the
coming Lok
Sabha elec-
tions? Even the
expectations
seem to be far-
fetched since
nothing can revive
the sagging morale
of the partymen, who
have been subjected to a
persistent bashing at the
elections in the State.
Though the party
High Command had
appointed Khatri with the
hope of revitalising the
party ranks, much needs to
be done in this direction as
the mood of the party
workers remains
unchanged. The
sunken spirits of the
party workers added to
the infighting in the ranks has
more or less pushed the party out
of reckoning position in the elec-
toral ladder.
Worse still is the fact that the
visits by the partys national vice-
president Rahul Gandhi and sis-
ter Priyanka Vadra are mainly
restricted to Amethi and Rae
Bareli parliamentary constituen-
cies. Questions are being raised
as to why the top leaders are
ignoring the remaining parlia-
mentary constituencies in the
State? After all, every seat counts
in the upcoming General
Elections.
But so far, the UPCC is has
not even authorised to appoint
members of the partys district
committees. Recently, Priyanka
was in Rae Bareli for this pur-
pose. A disappointed senior
party leader remarked: If the
party High Command is over-
stepping and appointing district
committee members what then is
the role of the UPCC? Are the
Congressmen only there to show
their faces during the visits of
their top leaders? What about the
partys preparations for the 2014
Lok Sabha polls vis-a-vis the
other regional parties like the
Samajwadi Party and Bahujan
Samaj Party which have already
finalised their prospective candi-
dates, many of whom have start-
ed making preparations in their
respective constituencies.
A senior Congress leader
explained: Rahulji is personally
monitoring the poll process in
UP so it is now up to him to
select candidates for the elections
and bring back the party on
track. The journey from
Karnataka to UP to the Centre is
a fairly long one. One needs to
just keep the fingers crossed.
TkIE I TW khhI8
The 2014 Lok Sabha election
is likely to throw up many sur-
prises. If all goes well, the BJP is
likely to field the partys national
general secretary Varun
Gandhi from Sultanpur,
adjacent to Rahul Gandhis
Amethi seat. Earlier
Sultanpur, Amethi and
Rae Bareli were con-
sidered Congress
bastion. However,
now Amethi is
not a part of
Sultanpur
district.
It is
believed that
the BJP was
considering
of shifting
Varun
Gandhis
Lok Sabha
seat from Pilibhit
to Sultanpur so that
his mother Animal
rights activist and
founder of People
For Animals
Maneka Gandhi can
return to her home
seat in Pilibhit. The
contest will be
interesting if
Varun contests
from Sultanpur just
next to Rahul
Gandhis Amethi seat.
The people are now waiting
for the two Gandhis to confront
each other at the polls.
VE k 6F I 6IIEE
Politics, it is said, is discussed
over a cup of tea. But theses days,
it is the Coffee House in
the city which happens
to be the favourite
hub of all political
parties. So, cutting
across party lines
we find them all
gathered here.
Recently, a
book by a
senior jour-
nalist on
Lucknows
Coffee House
contributed in
reviving the erst-
while culture of the
place. Some of the
seniors frequenting the
place include veteran politi-
cians like four times Chief
Minister and former Andhra
Pradesh Governor ND Tiwari,
senior Cabinet Minister in the
Akhilesh Yadav Government
Rajendra Choudhary, sitting BJP
MP Lalji Tandon. Senior CPI
leader Atul Anjan and several
other former BSP leaders.
Of course, it goes without
saying that the hot topic of
debate is the coming 2014 Lok
Sabha elections and the poll pre-
paredness of various political
parties.
T
here are many things that
are annoying and confus-
ing the voter. A friend just
came back from Bangalore
after witnessing the plight of
the voter there. The common
man there is a upset and
doesnt care much for the
elections. A series of alleged
corruption charges during
the BJP regime has left the
public angry because it affects
their daily lives. It is not just
something that they read or
hear in the media.
In Karnatakas neigh-
bouring State, Andhra
Pradesh, former Chief
Minister, the late YS
Rajasekhara Reddy, was
known to work only if he got
something in return. The two
major national parties the
Congress and the BJP have
not risen for aam aadmi
expectations there.
The public, therefore,
voted for the regional parties
and felt that their grievances
were heard. The regional
leaders were approachable
and delivered what they
promised. Since they didnt
have to report to the party
High Command, they were
only answerable to the voter.
The Telangana issue has
left every one confused. No
one appears to know what is
happening. YSRs son and
YSR Congress chief
Jaganmohan Reddy will
sweep the Assembly elec-
tions. He rose to power using
the Congress as a stepping
stone. But the partys arro-
gance got the better of them.
Today, even though he is
behind bars, he managed to
sweep the by-polls. The
Assembly election will be no
different. Most people want
to know why the Congress
failed to give him a post and
getting him on their side?
The Chief Minister of
Andhra Pradesh doesnt have
much say in his State. His
Ministers are doing what
pleases them.
Things are no better in
Maharashtra. The Chief
Ministers Office is so scared
that a scam may come to
light that no file moves. But
that has not stopped corrup-
tion from taking place. So,
while their allies are sitting at
home and blaming their part-
ners, the States business capi-
tal is gradually sinking.
Lets take a look at what
is happening in West Bengal.
Chief Minister Mamata
Banerjee was always thought
of being incorruptible. But
the chit fund scam has
exposed her as well. The
involvement of her nephew
and her nominated Rajya
Sabha MPs have been caught
on the wrong foot. But in the
end, it is the common man
who suffers. Hearts bleed for
the maid who committed
suicide when her life savings
worth C30,000 vanished.
The people of the State
had voted for Mamata
because they thought she
would make sweeping
changes that will improve
their lot. The much-hyped
poriborton or proffered
change of Mamata has
proved to be a sham. The
chit fund sponsored media-
houses are closing down
rapidly. They were the ones
who had become her partys
mouth pieces. People
believed them as they praised
Didi 24x7.
The very same people are
today agitating because they
have lost their jobs. In the
midst of all this screaming,
the voice of the aam aadmi
has drowned. The people
once again have been left
with two choice the
Congress of the Left.
At the Centre, things are
no better. Whenever the
news of a new scam breaks,
the Opposition has only one
demand resignation of the
concerned Minister and the
Prime Minister. But when
their own Ministers are
caught, they are shielded.
With more and more leaders
being involved in scams, the
dilemma facing the voter is
whom should he vote for?
t lels in lrealing oown tle caste oroer
ULTAPRADESH
TAvSh SRvASTAvA
am aa4mI 4IIemma: wh0 t0 v0te7
wilh more and more Minislers being involved in scams, lhe aam aadmi doesn'l know who
he should casl his vole or. This has lel him angry and conused
DLLBLL
0Ev ChERAh
Will Karnatala win
lel Cong in !P?
tIe pIoneer Don't wait around for other people
to be happy for you. Any happiness
you get you've got to make yourself
~ Alice Walker
sunday
magazino
litJms
l
Now Dolhi, May 12, 2013
Though there is no
study that shows that
the upper caste is going
for jobs considered to
be lowly so that they
can earn more money,
there is proof that
money is gaining
prominence over caste.
The amount of money &
effort that Dalits spent
in fighting the caste
order can be used to
start their own venture.
Not only will it improve
their lot, it will also
help the community
fight the caste system
more effectively
ThE MAh 0h
ThE STREETS
T00AY S
TRE0 0F ThE
ELECT0h
FR0CESS. hE
Kh0wS ThAT
EvEh Th0u0h
ThE F0LTCAL
FARTES MAKE
TALL CLAMS,
h0hE KEEFS
hS FR0MSE
L
ife is not good for working
mothers who have to juggle
many things from an ever
competitive workplace to household
chores, there is lots for them to do.
Given this situation, apps designed
specially to suit working moms
needs could become instant super-
hits, a market entrepreneurs have
been eyeing for a long time. But very
few have explored this area till now.
For this Mothers Day, app ser-
vice providers are vying for your
attention with a huge
variety of appli-
cations, designed
for mothers, they
are hoping to cash
in on this vacuum.
We have been
trying to enter the
Indian space with
apps designed for
working
mothers.We are soon
going to be launch-
ing a special social
network on the
smartphone with fea-
tures for the benefit of mothers only,
Jitendra Singh from Gurgaon-based
Apps4u, tells you. He tells you that
his app, based social networking, will
help women be in constant touch.
When the talk is about being
connected even while being on the
go, Wechat, a voice and text messag-
ing communication service, has
craved a niche for itself. At present,
we have a little over three mil-
lion subscribers globally. For
Mothers Day, we have the
baap of all apps available free.
The app provides multimedia
communication flexibility
and convenience with text
messaging, hold-to-talk
voice messaging,
Video/Audio calling, broadcast (one-
to-many) messaging, photo/video
sharing, location sharing, and con-
tact information exchange for
starters, Rahul Razdan, president-
10c India Internet Private Ltd, tells
you.
He adds that for multi-tasking
working moms who are always on
the go, the ability to connect with
your boss, team and clients using
broadcast feature can come in handy.
With a one touch voice messenger,
working mothers can handle work
and home at the same time. Imagine
a scenario when the mother is
kneeding the dough for rotis. She
suddenly gets a call from office that
she cannot take. So what does she
do? Go to the persons contact and
send him a voice message. In two
simple quick steps, your work is
done, he says.
This app can be downloaded in
any OS and works with 2G and 3G
bandwith as well.
Then there is the Evernote, an
app that helps the mother remember
everything. This free service stores
all of your notes, ideas, plans and
photos in one easy-to-access plat-
form. Just store anything, access it
anywhere with a simple swipe, Anita
Gogia, 23 year old MBA student,
says.
For women who are conscious
about their fitness and dont find
time to hit the gym, worry not! With
the newly launched, My Fitness Pal it
is easy to monitor your BMI and also
keep a tab on the calorie counter. In
addition to tracking calories eaten,
this app also tracks your calories
burned.
Tracking a babys progress must
be one of the most painful jobs that a
mother needs to pay heed to. With
Total Baby app, mothers can now set
up reminder alarms. Milestones,
doctor visits, growth charts, and vac-
cines are just a few of the other
entries you can track while on the
move.
For women who like to don the
hat of a chef every once in a while,
there is a How To Cook Everything
app that one can take help from.
The app lets you browse 2,000
recipes and also features Bittmans
own picks. Users can vote on their
favorite recipes, and the most popu-
lar ones appear in the app in a fea-
tured recipes section.
Another awesome thing about
this app is that when you are brows-
ing the recipes, youll be given an
overview, a list of ingredients and the
steps to follow, Geeta Batra, a work-
ing professional, swears by this app.
CRYMPLECROSSWORD
TWTTERATI
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LAST WEEK'S SOLUTONS
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ACROSS DOWN
RAJNEESH
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S|ABA|A A/|l
E
xpanding its low-cost
smartphone series, Nokia
has globally launched Asha
501 touchscreen model
which will be available in the
market by June at around
C5,500 in India. We will
deliver Asha 501 in June to
millions of people, Stephen
Elop, Nokia CEO said.
Asha 501 is the first
device to run on the new
Asha platform. It has a 3-
inch QVGA TFT capacitive
display and includes 128 MB
of inbuilt flash memory and
includes a 4GB memory card
expandable up to 32GB.
The device comes with
Nokia Xpress Browser pre-
loaded, which compresses
Internet data by up to 90
percent. Asha 501 is the
next generation of Asha
smartphones. Weve created
new Asha platform. 80 per-
cent of world operates in 2G
environment and Asha 501
is customised to suit 2G
environment. Well expand
this family with 3G products
as well, Elop added.
The users will be able to
access Facebook through a
standalone app for free on
partner operator networks.
Its the first Nokia device at
such a low price point to use
a micro-SIM. The phone fea-
tures a 3.2-megapixel cam-
era, WiFi, a lock screen with
a glanceable clock and Nokia
says the Asha 501 offers 48
days in standby and 17 hours
of talk time. The device is
available in single and dual
SIM models.
A|i
Now, a new
Asla
B
ioshock Infinite is the third in the Bioshock series.
Set in the fantasy floating city of Columbia, you are
a private investigator who is hired to find the girl.
Like in real life politics and religion are a heady here in
Columbia as well. The girl has super natural powers and
you are on the run as the mark on your hand classifies
you as the false shepherd. While on the run you will
ally with the resistance called the Vox Populi who will
aid you to survive. The environment changes as the
game progresses, from bright and sunny to dark & mor-
bid with burning streets.
Like the first Bioshocks plasmids, you have
Columbias version which are called vigors. Vigors can be
thrown, or used to charge at impossible speeds or to
generate a shockwave to weaken the enemy and then
finish off with a regulation pistol. Due to the wide open
spaces, combat is varied.
Your enemies will come at
you from all directions and
interestingly in a dizzying
array of platforms (airships)
and distances (snipers). All
through this Elizabeth is with
you, tossing health packs,
opening doors etc. She also
pulls a few cool tricks.
A word of advice, be care-
ful with your upgrades and
ammo. As you will be forced to choose and when you
run out of ammo you will end up with an un-upgraded
weapon and that could leave you in a very awkward
position.
The game is beautifully made with lush landscapes
begging you to come and explore every nook and cran-
ny. Worth acquiring and playing.
|+|| |u|+||]
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There are a ew as esecially designed or moms. EE8k8hEE MhkhTY gives you a lowdown
tIe pIoneer
We are becoming servants in
thought, as in action, of the machine
we have created to serve us
~ John Kenneth Galbraith
sunday
magazino
jj ;
|
Now Dolhi, May 12, 2013
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NNEWS
M0thers'
0ay 8ecIaI
QWhat came first, your love for India
or your love for Bollywood?
My love for India. I was fascinated by
ancient India as much as I was with the
western classical world. Initially, I was
interested in the languages that the coun-
try had to offer, especially with Sanskrit.
Slowly, I was introduced to other philo-
sophical texts I read up a lot on reli-
gion, epics and kavya. I was never really
into cinema when I was a teenager, I
would just catch the occasional local
release. During my time there was no
DVD or VHS so we were restricted only
to the cinema halls.
QWhat made you take keen interest in
cinema?
I was far more concerned with litera-
ture and music. It was only when I came
to London for my studies that I started
visiting the National Film Theatre (now
the British Film Institute). That is when I
saw Satyajit Rays films which opened my
eyes to cinema and made me a mad
cinephile.
QHow about your love for Bollywood.
When did that strike you?
When I first visited India in 1981, I
wanted to see the great temples of Tamil
Nadu. Later, as my interest in modern
India developed, I realised that I needed
to learn Hindi and that the easiest way to
do so was through cinema.
I thought songs were the best way to
learn the dialect of a particular place.
And I simply adored Indian music, esp-
cially the songs directed by Sachin Dev
Burman and his brother, Rahul Dev. I
watched all the songs from Nasreen
Munni Kabirs film Mahal with subtitles
and was mesmerised.
I dont recall which was my first
Hindi film though. Probably Sholay. I
remember I was very taken aback when I
sat next to Amjad Khan on board a flight
in 1989. Look I am sitting next to
Gabbar! I exclaimed much to everyones
surprise.
QWhat made you a fan of Hindi cine-
ma?
Frankly, I was intrigued by the way
people talked about Hindi films. The
stars of the film and the magazines that
wrote about them fascinated me. I
realised that in Indian films it is the star
that is more talked about than the film
itself. There was a time when I used to
watch six-seven films in a month. Most
of them were recommended by friends.
Thats when I realised that I was hooked
to Bollywood.
After watching a particular film I
would hear what film historians like
Munni and Asha Kasbekar had to say
about it. I learnt a lot from these people.
When I was researching for my PhD in
Baroda, I saw Chandni and Agneepath
which were huge hits of the time.
QYou said you were a huge fan of
SRK...
I met Shah Rukh Khan for the first
time in Mani Kauls play titled the The
Idiot screened at the NFT. I must have
spoken with him for exactly 10 minutes
but at the end of the conversation, I was
totally in awe. I started following his
films from then on. Even the ones that I
had missed. At that time, I had very little
idea that I would end up writing about
Yash Chopra, Amitabh Bachchan and
that I would ever attend a conference
about SRK in Vienna.
QHow are Hindi films different from
English ones?
I always preferred spectacular gen-
res of cinema epics, musicals and the
works. Bollywood gives much attention
to spectacle, melodrama and music all
of which I love. I prefer English classics
but I like all sorts of Hindi films.
QHave you explored regional cinema
in India ?
Not enough. I have seen some super
hits from down South and a few bangla
films which were recommended to me
by my friends. I suppose I see more of
the art cinema made in languages other
than Hindi as these are on the festival
circuit. Ive seen some great Marathi
films also.
QWhy do you think Indian movies fail
to impress at the Oscar Awards?
The Oscar Awards choose a particular
kind of cinema. Biopics are hugely popu-
lar so the Indian co-production, Gandhi,
won 8 Awards. The Academy Awards
jury is not too keen of art cinema, but
Satyajit Ray won a lifetime Oscar Award
for his contribution to the film industry.
Nowadays, the quality of Indian cinema
has gone down a bit. I wont say they are
all kitch, but meaningful cinema are few
and far between.
Having said that I do believe that the
Oscar is not an absolute standard of
quality, so people should stop worrying
about it.
QHow has Indian cinema evolved and
has diaspora influenced it?
Cinema is ever-evolving. There are a
few films made every year just to please
the Indian diaspora but I dont see any-
thing wrong in that. Bhojpuri cinema has
emerged in part because of the main-
stream becoming too metropolitan.
QWhich is your favourite Hindi film
and why?
Thats impossible to determine. But if
I have to make a choice, then I will go
with Amar Akbar Anthony. Its mad,
funny, and occasionally serious. The
casting is superb and the music just bril-
liant.
QDo you see influence of the west in
Bollywood?
Indian cinema has always drawn a
lot from its western counterparts. Even
Phalke was inspired by a western film.
However, India remains one of the few
countries in the world that prefers its
own cinema to that of Hollywood.
Kudos to the filmmakers in Bollywood
who can take inspiration from various
films but in the end bring out an entirely
Indianised version. That is an art in
itself.
QYour take on role of women in cine-
ma
There is no single role that you can
identify women to. Each film is different
and within a film there are different roles
for different women. Mainstream films
are about sex and romance which may
restrict the role of the heroine but last
years hits such as Kahaani and English
Vinglish showed that films can explore a
female perspective too and get all the
moolah. More complex female perspec-
tives are seen in more realistic cinema
such as that of Shyam Benegal.
QWhat is your take on item numbers?
Some are like western music videos
which are all about sex and innuendo
and arent made for my age group.
Others are lively and entertaining. Some
are comical and I find them to be so.
QWhat fascinated you the most about
Yash Chopra and his movies the most?
Can you recall your last meeting with
him?
His directorial career spans four
decades and he has been a major pro-
ducer since 1973, consolidating his suc-
cess in the 1990s with a series of box
office hits. As such, he is a public figure,
not only in the film industry but also as a
representative of the industry to the
wider world. His name has come to rep-
resent a certain style, not only in film-
making but also in Indian culture itself,
where his name is synonymous with
romance, glamour and beauty.
I last met him in June 2012 when he
was wrapping up the London schedule of
Jab Tak Hai Jaan. We had organised a
lunch for his fans and I was a part of it!
QWhat is your next book about?
My book explores the nature of this
cinema which is often dismissed as
escapist entertainment, by thinking how
escapism and entertainment function
and are mobilised in these hugely popu-
lar films, which eschew realistic depic-
tions of the everyday, arguing that Hindi
cinema is the best and most reliable
guide we have to how Indians are think-
ing about life and the world.
QTell us about your next project cul-
tural history of the Indian elephant..
Im interested in elephants them-
selves but in particular in the way people
think about them. I am also looking at
the wider ways in which Indian culture
considers animals and what makes them
different from or similar to humans and
Gods.
I am quite excited about this project
and waiting to see how it shapes up. The
research work for this is going to be an
herculian task but I like to take chal-
RAChEL 0AwYER,
roessor o ndian
Cullure and Cinema al
lhe universily o S0AS,
uK, is lhe biggesl an
o Bollywood. The lale
Yash Chora and SRK
have been her good
buddies and Amar
Akbar Anlhony her
avourile ilm. Though
she says lhal women
are slereolyed in
loday's ilms, lhere are
a ew examles which
sland oul. 0awyer was
quile imressed wilh
lhe roles lhal aclresses
layed in
English vinglish and
Kahaani. She lells
MAhJAR Sh0h lhal
lhe 0scar Awards are
nol an absolule
slandard o qualily
MET ShAh RuKh
KhAh F0R ThE
FRST TME AT
MAh KAuL'S
FLAY TTLE0 ThE
00T, SCREEhE0
AT hFT. MuST
hAvE SF0KEh
wTh hM F0R
EXACTLY 1O
MhuTES BuT AT
ThE Eh0 0F ThE
C0hvERSAT0h,
wAS T0TALLY h
AwE 0F hM.
STARTE0
F0LL0wh0 hS
FLMS FR0M ThEh
0h, EvEh ThE
0hES ThAT hA0
MSSE0
tIe pIoneer
People talk about Bollywood being
very kitschy and just songs and
dances, and over the top and
colourful
~ Shah Rukh Khan
sunday
magazino
sj|iJl
i
Now Dolhi, May 12, 2013
0a h0ar4 WIth
Hindi cinema
in Meerut. For 15 days, the
cops kept telling the hapless par-
ents that he would come back.
Only after a lot of pressure, did
they agree to start a hunt.
We live in a jhuggi and it
takes a lot of guts for us to
approach the cops for help. But I
did so when my son did not return
from the playground. At first, no
case, not even a daily diary entry
was made by the station incharge.
And when they did so, it was too
late. Gaurav was no more, his
father tells you. He was asked to
pay up if he wanted the culprit
arrested! No arrest has been made
in this case.
Lal tells you that skewed laws
on kidnapping and missing chil-
dren make it a lost cause for par-
ents. They have to struggle against
the entire system to get their child
back, safe and sound and most-
ly they lose the battle.
Turned away by the cops and
nowhere else to go, families of
missing children have gone on to
the social media to post their
missing person reports online.
According to recent data released
by alexa.com, a global monitor of
online traffic, more than 10 such
reports have been circulated in
India every month. The mediums
are diverse with Facebook leading
the pack with over 1,600 missing
peoples reports being circulated in
just 2012.
One such case in point is that
of Ashish Wadia, 28-year-old
media professional with the news
channel Aaj Tak. Wadia posted on
Facebook, a report of his nephew
who went missing on
December 2, 2012.
The response he
got was over-
whelming.
Vivaan was
only three when he
was kidnapped and
killed by a con-
struction worker
who was my sisters
spurned lover. He
had threatened her
of dire conse-
quences if she did
not leave her hus-
band and child for
him. In December
2012, he kidnapped
Vivaan from the
park and eyewit-
nesses confirmed
that Raju was the
man. The police
nabbed him after
23 days. He had
confined Vivaan to
a small room in a
flat he was con-
structing barely 10
km from his home.
But the tip-off came too late.
Vivaan was found nine days after
he died due to hunger and thirst.
His body had shrivelled up and
decomposed. Raju would have
gotten away with minor punish-
ment had my FB friends not kept
up the pressure with an intense
online agitation, Wadia says.
Targeting high-risk areas
and stepping up surveillance in
special zones could help curb
such incidents. Children are at
high risk at train and bus ter-
minals. Those in the know
say that touts hang around
these places and kidnap
unattended children.
They are experts
at grabbing
them even if
their parents
are close by.
Why do
we assume that
if a child is cry-
ing near a couple,
he must be their son or
daughter? What is the harm in
enquiring whether all is well with
the child? If vigilant citizens ask
the right questions, many children
can be saved, Vaidya says.
There is also a more sophisti-
cated manner in tracing missing
children. Vinod Kumar Tikoo,
member of National Commission
of Protection of Child Rights
(NCPCR), feels it is high time that
India designated an anti-traffick-
ing unit to find missing children.
Theres no law as such but chan-
nels like an anti-trafficking unit
can help trace these children. We
need a concerted effort to make
things work, Tikoo says.
The problem of missing chil-
dren remains a global issue. The
US Department of Justice reports
7,97,500 children younger than 18
were reported missing in a one
year period of time studied result-
ing in an average of 2,185 children
being reported missing each day.
203,900 children were the victims
of family abductions while 58,200
children were the victims of non-
family abductions. 115 children
were the victims of stereotypical
kidnapping. These crimes involve
someone the child does not know
or a slight acquaintance who holds
the child overnight, transports the
child 50 miles or more, kills the
child, demands ransom, or intends
to keep the child permanently.
We can teach our children to
be safe, to not talk to strangers, to
be cautious, yet predators still
exist. In America, the majority of
child abductions come from with-
in the sphere of people the child
knows, such as a family member.
The greater cause for concern is
that there are cultures and regions
in the world where the value of
childrens lives are cheapened and
disregarded. Programmes to raise
peoples awareness about the dig-
nity of children could have an
impact, educationally. My paint-
ings of missing children aim to do
that to promote dignity and to
honour the fragility of childhood,
John Paul Thornton a reputed
American artist and educator, tells
you.
While the issue and law
remain quite the same, it is a fact
that the recovery rate of missing
children in the West is far greater
than in India. Due to the lack of
proper mechanisms we are not
able to trace missing children in
time, agrees Vaidya.
But there are a few who have
been lucky. Take the case of Irfan,
a 12-year-old boy from Nangloi
east in the Capital. He was one of
the very few lucky children who
returned safe. He had been kid-
napped by a tout and taken to a
remote Punjab village to work in
the fields as a slave. He toiled there
was over a year before being
found.
Today, he has restricted him-
self to his kucca makaan as he is
too scared to venture out alone.
And, he wants to stay away from
the media glare.
I was playing near my house
when two men came on a bike and
started asking for directions.
When I offered my help, they
gagged me with a piece of cloth. I
fell unconscious and the next
thing I knew I was in Punjab at a
sardars home. He made me work
all through the day and would reg-
ularly beat me up. One day, I man-
aged to break a window pane and
run away to Ludhiana. There, I
started working with a property
dealer. He was kind enough to give
me food and shelter and also a
salary. One day, he saw my photo-
graph on the TV and asked me
where I came from. I told him I
was kidnapped from Delhi. He
sent me back immediately. I could-
nt remember by address but I
managed to reach Nangloi. A
neighbour spotted me and took
me home, Irfan recalls.
65000 cliloren gone
|
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R+|l +W]| Wi|| A|i|+|| B+||+| R+|l +W]| Wi|| Y+| C|up|+
F80M FA0E 1
tIe pIoneer
They say he's an intelligent man,
speaks five languages. 've got a 15-
year-old boy from the vory Coast
who speaks five languages
~ Ferguson on Arsene Wenger
sunday
magazino
sj|l
\
Now Dolhi, MAY 12, 2013
I
can never forget that momentous day back
in 1999 when Manchester United staged
a stunni ng comeback to wi n the
Champions Trophy Final against Bayern
Munich and complete a historic treble in the
process.
With the Red Devils trailing 1-2 and just
three minutes left on the clock, it almost
seemed like Bayern had the trophy in their
hands.
But ManU did the unthinkable over the
next couple of minutes, with two goals in stop-
page time.
That is the image of Sir Alex Fergussons
Manchester United that will always stay in my
mind.
A team with indomitable fighting spirit,
never giving up till the last second, no mat-
ter how seemingly the situation may be.
This is also one of the qualities which have
endeared Manchester United to millions of
fans across the globe.
Over the years, there have been teams
which are more talented, with a superior
football philosophy.
Like FC Barcelona, who gave them a les-
son in the art of football in the Champions
League final of 2009. Or the Galacticos of
Real Madrid during the previous decade.
Several other European clubs, including
Bayern Munich, AC Milan and Inter Milan
have had as good a squad if not better
than United.
Even the Arsenal team of the late 90s and
early 2000s, studded with the likes of Dennis
Bergkamp, Patrick Viera, Emmanuel Petit,
Martin Keone and David Seaman along with
a young Thierry Henry with tons of speed to
burn were extremely formidable opponents.
But led by the never say attitude of Sir
Alex, the boys from Manchester surpassed
them all on more than one occasion.
With Sir Alex Ferguson stepping down as
manager of Manchester United at the end of
the current English Premier League (EPL) sea-
son, a glorious chapter in the annals of world
football will come to an end.
Like the end of the world, for those who
follow English football closely, the retirement
of Sir Alex Ferguson was always one of those
things its probably best to imagine never actu-
ally happening at all.
The sight of a grumpy, scowling old man
furiously chewing gum on the sidelines,
spitting out instructions to his players and the
occasional abuse to the referees and linesmen
has become something of a permanent fixture
in the world of football.
The announcement even forced
Manchester Uniteds share price down by 4.5
per cent to less than $18 on the New York
stock exchange initially but by the close it had
bounced back to $18.44 a 1.76 per cent
fall overall.
English footballs longest serving manag-
er will retire immediately after the Premier
League fixture against West Bromwich Albion
at the Hawthorns Stadium on May 19. It will
be the 2,154th match of Fergusons career
both as a player and as a coach.
Sir Alexs career holds true to the age old
adage that great players do not become great
coaches.
As a player, he was little better than
mediocre. He made his debut as a 16-year-old
for Glasgow based Queens Park FC in the
Scottish League. He played for the next 16
years, including a stint at Rangers FC before
becoming manager at East Stirlingshire in
June 1974 at the age of 32 - a comparatively
young age for a manager.
When he took over as coach at the
Theatre of Dreams on November 6, 1986
after a successful eight years at Scottish club
Aberdeen, Manchester United was hardly the
Goliath it is now.
The team had finished at a lowly 21st
position (second from bottom) in the
English League.
The fact that he managed to
turn around the team and led
them to a whopping 13 Premier
League titles and two Champions
Trophies over the next 26 years is tes-
tament to his football acumen and
managerial skills.
There are more than one way of rank-
ing football managers. First is the combined
weight of total trophies won.
On this count Ferguson will compare
favourably against the best with 13
English league titles, three Scottish
titles, 16 domestic cups and four
major European trophies.
He has both the Scottish
first division title and the Fifa
Club World Cup.
On his own hes won more tro-
phies than Arsenal, who first started
trying to win them in 1886.
Other than trophies, the other standard
measure of managerial achievement is the lega-
cy that he leaves behind. Ferguson has left behind
a lasting imprint at not one but two clubs.
First at Aberdeen, where his success in
wresting the ascendancy away from the two
giants of Scottish football Celticand
Rangers is a brilliant footballing story in
its own right. The team that beat Real
Madrid to win the European Cup
Winners Cup crowned the first great
Ferguson era.
After joining United, Ferguson has
repeatedly demonstrated his own
greatest strength, the ability to con-
tinue to learn and evolve even in
moments of triumph.
Apart from all the trophies, he
also had a knack of transform-
ing good players into extraor-
dinary ones. Be it the ever-
green Ryan Giggs, who con-
tinues to compete at the
highest level at the age of 39,
Davi d Beckham, Paul
Scholes or Wayne Rooney.
And of course, who
can forget Christiano
Ronaldo who spent
six years under
Fergusons tute-
lage before a
record transfer
to European
giants Real
Madrid.
He will
leave behind
a legacy, a glit-
tering era of
unbridled suc-
cess that will be a
benchmark against
which subsequent
generations of managers
will be judged.
Q Once ran a pub. Ferguson has
worked outside football, starting out
as an apprentice toolmaker and
shop steward in Glasgow and much
later running a pub that he renamed
Fergies with a downstairs bar
named the Elbow Room in mem-
ory of his physical style as a player.
QIntrigued by JFK. Gordon Brown
sent him numerous CDs about the
assassination of JFK. Ferguson
bonded with Brown over a shared
interest in US politics. Gordon sent
me 35 CDs on it, which was brilliant
of him, he told Manchester radio
station Key 103 in 2007. Ferguson
is fascinated with JFK. He said he
kept JFKs autopsy report by his bed.
He also has a copy of the Warren
Report signed by [the former US
president] Gerald Ford.
Q Gave the young Kenny Dalglish
lifts. When Ferguson was at Rangers
he gave lifts to a young Kenny
Dalglish who was hoping to be
signed. Fergie used to give us a lift
into town. He had such a big car,
Dalglish told the Guardian. When
Dalglish was picked up by city rivals
Celtic he was forced to play centre
back and mark Ferguson in a
reserve team game.
Q Told Alastair Campbell to get a
masseur for Tony Blair. Ferguson
was a big Labour donor and advised
Tony Blair on leadership. The idea
of getting a masseur for the election
battle bus may have been a step
too far, he later admitted. Better
advice was when he said: So long
as you can keep all your key peo-
ple in the same room at the same
time, youll be fine.
QNot the longest serving manager.
Ferguson was manager of
Manchester United for 26-and-a-
half years. The longest serving
league manager in Europe was
Guy Roux, who occupied the hot-
seat at French team Auxerre for 44
years, finally stepping down in
2005. Ferguson isnt even the longest
serving Scottish manager. Willie
Maley was Celtic manager from
1897-1940, clocking up 43 years.
QUsed to jump over walls as a boy.
He grew up in a poor area of
Glasgow where there wasnt much
to do apart from play football, fight
and jump over walls, known as
dykes. The dangerous ones had
names - the king, the queen, the sui-
cide, the diamond, the spiky,
Ferguson once said. Youd go to dif-
ferent areas of Govan to challenge
each other into jumping dykes
because it was very dangerous. But
you do that when youre a kid
because youve got no fear.
QFergie time is 79 seconds:
Fergie time is the widely held
belief by supporters of other
team, that if Man Utd are losing
after 90 minutes, the referee will
extend injury time long enough for
them to equalise or win. Last year,
the BBC analysed Fergie time. It
found that Man Utd were not
unique in being given extra
injury time when they were
losing, although it appeared
they got more than other
teams. Games went on 79 sec-
onds longer when Manchester
United were losing than win-
ning. Man Utds towering
achievement - securing the treble
with victory in the 1999 European
Champions League - was achieved
in Fergie time, when they reversed
a Bayern Munich lead, by scoring
two goals after the 90th minute.
Q The hairdryer treatment:
Players speak in awestruck tones of
what it is like to be on the receiv-
ing end of Sir Alexs temper. The
hairdryer for its sound and
heat became the chosen phrase.
Players talk of the moment when
an enraged Ferguson presses his
face close to the you and emits a
terrifying torrent of abuse. Former
Manchester United winger Lee
Sharpe has been credited with
inventing the term. David
Beckham said: The fear of get-
ting the hairdryer was the rea-
son why we all played so well.
He was a manager you wanted
to do well for.
when Sir Alex Ferguson
relires al lhe end o lhe
currenl season, lhe
curlains will come down a
memorable era or lhe
enlire oolball world. The
oulsoken Scol
lransormed uniled inlo
one o lhe biggesl clubs
wilh millions o ans
worldwide. AJEY0 BASu
lakes a look al his
memorable journey
To 'Sir'
WIth I0ve
Lesser lnown facts
alout tle lig man
6hI8TIkh
hkI
undoubledly one
o lhe grealesl
uils o Sir Alex.
The Forlugese
winger senl
around six
glorious years al
0ld Traord
beore swilching
over lo Real
Madrid. Ronaldo's
slinl al uniled
layed a crucial
role in moulding
him inlo arguably
lhe besl layer in
lhe world aler
Lionel Messi.
SR ALEX
FER0uS0h hAS w0h
18 Eh0LSh LEA0uE
TTLES, ThREE SC0TTSh
TTLES, 1G 00MESTC CuFS
Ah0 F0uR MAJ0R
EuR0FEAh TR0FhES
0uRh0 A 0LTERRh0
MAhE0ERAL
CAREER
Ykh I8
This welsh
midielder has been
wearing lhe red
jersey o uniled or
close lo 28 years. l
was Ferguson's
able guidance lhal
lurned a leel
ooled leenager
inlo one o lhe
grealesl layers
never lo lay lhe
world Cu.
Y kEkhE
Roy Keane was
one o lhe
oulslanding
layers o lhe
Manchesler uniled
under Ferguson
unli his dearure
in 2OO5. his
aroach lo lhe game was heavily
inluenced by Sir Alex.
FkI 86hIE8
Faul Scholes was one o
lhe several lalenled
youngslers lo come oul o
lhe uniled youlh syslem in
lhe mid OOs. The
ormer England
inlernalional has
senl his enlire
career al Manchesler
uniled.
S|+| W|u |u|
u|J| Si| Al/
WkYhE hEY
This lalenled bul hol
headed slriker rom a
working class
neighbourhood in Liverool
has been nurlured by
Ferguson who has ably
guided lhe youngsler
lendency lo indulge in
occasional bouls o
elulanl, aggressive
behavior.
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AP