BJP vs TRS - Daily Pioneer

16 SUNDAY PIONEER, JULY 17, 2022

SUNDAY, JULY 17, 2022

P:5

P:3&4

P:8&9 BJP vs TRS

The memetictug-of-war

Jim Sarbh

dedicateshimself to saveenvironment

The Narcotics Control Bureauon Wednesday handed over

copies of its draft chargesto a special court under the

Narcotic Drugs andPsychotropic Substance Act and

also to several accused in thedrugs case it registered after theuntimely death of actor Sushant

Singh Rajput. The agency hassought to charge all 35 accused

in the case, including actor RheaChakraborty and her brother

Showik, for conspiracy topurchase, sell, transport,

distribute in high society andBollywood, finance drug

trafficking and/or consumptionof marijuana, LSD, and other

narcotic drugs and psychotropicsubstances.

PERSON

RHEA CHAKRABORTY

MOVIESONG

THANK YOU TRAILER

The makers of Thank You, dropped thetrailer of this Naga Chaitanya and

audience are going gaga over the video,especially the online that connects the storywith his real life incident — divorce withSamantha Ruth Prabhu. The film also starsRaashi Khanna, Malavika Nair, Avika Gor, SaiSushanth Reddy and is directed by Vikram KKumar, Banner Sri Venkateswara Creations.

PICTURE

Nagaland higher educationand tribal affairs minister

Temjen Imna Along is gaining alot of attention for his uniquetake on racism. Temjen Imna

Along said it is true that peoplefrom the northeast have smaller

eyes but their vision is sharp.At an event, the video of whichhas gone viral, the BJP leader

said there are many benefits ofhaving smaller eyes. "Becauseof smaller eyes, we don't get

much dirt inside the eyes. Andwe can easily sleep when some

long programme is going on,"the minister said amid

applause.

VIDEO

NAGALAND EDUCATION MINISTER ON SMALL EYES

Protestors hold Sri Lankan flags as they stand ontop of the office of Sri Lanka's Prime Minister

Ranil Wickremesinghe, amid the country's economiccrisis, in Colombo, Sri Lanka July 13, 2022.


02 #TRENDING

Resident Editor: B Krishna PrasadFeatures Editor: K Ramya Sree

Editorial: Shikha Duggal, Tejal SinhaDesigners: CH. Raja Kumar

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AKDI PKDI

Dharma production dropped the full song from Vijay

and Ananya upcoming starrer Liger. The song

Akdi Pkdi is a high-octane, upbeat and vibrant party

song. This perfect dance track from Liger was

composed by Lijo George-Dj Chetas while Dev Negi,

Pawni Pandey and Liji George crooned it with high

pitch vocals. Photograph: REUTERS

PROTESTS IN SRI LANKA

NAVEENA GHANATE

hief Minister KChandrashekar Rao dis-tributed copies of a booktitled ‘I am a troll’, writtenby journalist Swati

Chaturvedi, at a press conference onFebruary 13. He said that the bookrightly exposes the WhatsAppUniversity and trolling of the BJP.Little did we know then that, fourmonths down the line, the TRS partyand its supporters would taketrolling to the streets.

Over two weeks, billboards inHyderabad sprang up with varyingthemes such as Money Heist,Superman stealing gas cylinder, goodday biscuits, acche din, among oth-ers, taking a dig at delegates to theBJP’s National Executive Committee(NEC) meeting during their visit toHyderabad. The common threadrunning through these hoardings isthat they don’t name a person direct-ly. These memes don’t nameNarendra Modi, BJP or TRS. Likecartoons they are generic. Nobodyclaimedownership either. Forinstance, if we look at the MoneyHeist hoarding, it says ‘N Modi, weonly rob banks, you rob wholenation’. Here N Modi can be anyone,Narendra, Nirav or someone whomwe don’t know. Likewise, anotherbillboard was “Acche Din - Modiji’sfavourite bisket” (sic). Thelegends

and captions on these billboards arewritten with extremecareto obviatelegal tussles.

Prior to BJP’s NEC, anonymousbanners used to appear everytime anational leader of the party visitedthe local BJP office. Often therewould be questions on the Uniongovernment’s discrimination againstTelangana. Since the July 2-3 NECmeeting in Hyderabad, such hoard-ings have a dash of humour. Thingslightened up after LPG prices werehiked. “Superman gas cylinder lekeudgaya”, reads one billboard, suggest-ing a cylinder is now beyond thereach of the common man. Postersreading “Apna cylinder leke ud gaya”,“Modi Sir image graph is growingday by day”, “GDP (Gas daralapempu)” were setup acrossHyderabad.

If one goes out to determine thelocation of the billboard with memein the city, it may be difficult to find.For, usually it is a hoarding put upstrategically. A person who pulled outthis stunt, preferring anonymity, said:“Had the same things been sent as ameme, people wouldnot have react-ed, and they would not have gottenthat much attention. But since thememes were put up also as bill-boards, they gained traction. Thenumber of people on ground whohave seen the billboard may be veryless. The cost of putting up the bill-board depends upon the location andis a few thousands of rupees or some-

times lakhs. But on social media ithad a multiplier effect. The returnswere more than the investment. Itgained nationwide traction and evenin non-BJP ruled states. If there wasany party logo attached to it, thisreach would have been very limited.Recently someone put up our hoard-ing in Uttar Pradesh also.”

This memetic war is a moderntype of information warfare and psy-chological warfare involving thepropagation of memes on socialmedia. This was extensively usedduring US former President DonaldTrump’s election campaign. ThePioneer spoke to social media in-charges of both the parties whoengaged in this Great Meme War.

Sagar Goud, BJP Telangana TwitterIncharge, says: “TRS party has starteda new way of campaign against oppo-sition by putting up posters withmemes.But will this serve the pur-

pose of TRS? The answer is ‘NO’. Ittook a few hours for the oppositionparty to edit the hoardings. On theother hand, BJP just used TRS' pic-tures and edited within no time andcountered. For instance, within a fewhours of the Money Heist posters,some of the netizens modified it to Kfamily. They could circulate it amongtheir groups, who were unaware ofthis stunt pulled off by TRS. To beprecise, poster culture will not makeany difference in campaign; it justserves a purpose for one day. TRSparty memes might have been cov-ered by national parties, but it didnotreach the ground level where thepotential voter base is present whichmeans the campaign didnot serve thepurpose. This will be same across allpolitical parties. The choice of thememes was also bad. For example,Money Heist is known not even to 2-3% of population. Although I use

Netflix, I never saw a single episodeof it. The meme choiceis anotherthing which they should have consid-ered.”

Although the only objective of thememes on billboards is changing thethinking of the common man, thereis no direct benefit. Y Sathish Reddy,TRS social media state convenor,said: “Youth of Hyderabad are alwayscreative, innovate and ready to fightfor a cause. The idea to link MoneyHeist and what’s happening in thecountry was just brilliant. Not justme, but the whole nation has appreci-ated the thought and readiness tofight against the evil. I am sure thiswill be an inspiration to many morecoming in future. Leaving aside cre-ativity, the voice of Hyderabad wasjust a replica of the mood of thenation. Also, social media is no paral-lel world. What happens on ground isthe same thing that is being spokenon social media. So, if something getsa lot of attention, or instantly getsviral, it conveys the feelings of peo-ple...

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SUNDAY, JULY 17, 2022 IN FOCUS

C

Continued on Page 4...

BJP vs TRS

The memetic tug-of-war The memetic tug-of-war The memetic tug-of-war

Social mediaplatforms havebecome essential toolsof communication inpolitics. No wonder,efficient social mediawarriors are prized fortheir witty one-linersas much as the speechwriters who churn outreams and reams ofcampaign speeches.Amidst all this,Hyderabad hasheralded a trend ofhybridizing digitalcommunication andout-of-home. The

Pioneer looks closelyat the way memeswith catchy captionshave been mountedon billboards with far-reaching effects bythe Bharatiya JanataParty and theTelangana RashtraSamiti's cross-mediateams for politicalputdowns.

04

SUNDAY, JULY 17, 2022 IN FOCUS

Continued from Page 3... Similarly, ‘We rob banks, you rob

whole nation’ that attracted netizensisa replica of the reality on ground.After the creative protest ofHyderabadi youth, a lot of otherstates have followed the same path ofhaving hoardings around differentparts of the country. I am glad thatour very own Hyderabad is being aninspiration.”

However, the opposition BJPbelieves that TRS is running out ofsteam on the creativity front. WhenBJP put up “Saalu dora, Selavu dora”(enough is enough, goodbye KCR),the TRS copied the same theme tomake posters that read “Saalu Modi,Sampaku Modi (enough, don’t kill usModi)”.

Kishore Poreddy, BJP spokesper-son, says, “We don’t know whetherthis is the real meaning of the ‘repli-cation mantra’ chanted by the TRS.It only shows that there is a seriousdearth of ideas in their party. A bignumber of hoardings and flexiesthat came up at the cost of the pub-lic exchequer stand testimony forTRS party’s lack of innovation andcreativity. We only rob bank,” readone of the big hoardings purported-ly put up by the ruling TRS duringthe NEC meeting of our party inHyderabad on July 2 and 3.Grammatically, if someone wants torob one single bank, then it shouldbe ‘a bank’ and if they wish to roball the available banks in Telanganaor India, it should be ‘rob banks’. Idon’t know whether they canunderstand the difference betweenthe two. Later, some comic charac-ters roamed around holding plac-ards with the same grammaticallyincorrect slogans. It is a clearattempt to divert the attention ofpeople, who are vexed with corrupt,inefficient and family-ruled govern-ment. Looking at those placards,people remembered the saying,“Ulta Chor Kotwal ko Dhante.”

Every political party has a right topropagate its schemes and ideas, butit should be within certain limits of

decency and decorum. BJP saysevery banner, poster and hoardingindicates the growing frustration ofTRS.

TRS, however, believes that theparty has succeeded in pulling off amassive campaign, whichotherwisewould have been a cakewalk for BJP.

Krishank Manne, TRS socialmedia convenor, said: “While theguests inside the BJP NECmeetingwere those most loyal to PrimeMinister Narendra Modi, a series ofhoardings outside highlight voicesof everyday voters who are doneand dusted with the horrors of this

regime. These hoardings with sub-jective humour will make peoplethink of the issues while laughing atthem. The billboards were used tosend a blunt message to the PrimeMinister and his supporters whothink that they can get away by talk-ing anything or ignoring thepromises they have made to people.They put out a board outside theirparty office. We finished it by set-ting up ‘Bye Bye Modi’ posters as inpolitics we need to counter. Thesebillboards are relatable not only topeople of Hyderabad, but anywhereacross the country.”

“This is not new to see BJP bull-dozing the state government. Thequestion is why Hyderabad is underattack? It is because they do nothave a city like Hyderabad undertheir regime. They donot haveKolkata, nor do they have Delhi perse. So, they want to rule over a hi-tech state now. You would havenever seen any corporate leadergoing to meet the Prime Minister,but Hyderabad-based corporateleaders were invited. All in all, it isthe BJP’s desperation for power andmore power. They are not interestedin development. In these eightyears, we havenot heard anything inBudget for Telangana. On the other

hand, he goes to Gujarat andannounces a project worth Rs 2crore. Why the same doesnot hap-pen with Telangana? The PrimeMinister is running away from thequestions. And, if the BJP comeshere, then Adani will also enter. Asfar as the poster war is concerned inthe city, it was the BJP that startedit. They put up a big hoarding nearShyama Prasad Mukherjee building,the party headquarters at Nampally,which had the picture of the ChiefMinister with a slogan: “Salu Dora,Sampaku Dora” (enough of yourtrouble, boss). It is a very cheappractice! Our MLAs said that it wastotally unacceptable. Since the elec-tions are far, if you do it, then asretaliation we will also put Modi’spictures. And the retaliation we didis issue-based, if you see our strate-gy. If you see the poster saying “Byebye Modi” it simply means that wehave had enough now. People diedwhen you did the demonetization,during farm protest and theAgniveer thing also. So, the bannerswhich we are taking up are morethan a political war; it is about thegenuine problems that people faced.If we are doing a good day biscuitposter, then it is about those “achedin” that Modi had promised.”

TANISHA SAXENA

It all started with the BJP’s deci-sion to hold its two-dayNational Executive Committee

meeting in Hyderabad after a longhiatus. It was seen as a declarationof war in Telangana against theTRS led by K Chandrashekar Rao.BJP national president JP Nadda,Prime Minister Narendra Modi,Union Home Minister Amit Shah,Chief Ministers of 19 states, alongwith other BJP senior leaders,attended the meeting that washeld at Hyderabad InternationalConvention Centre.

To put the TS political situationin perspective, The Pioneerspoketo a cross-section of people inHyderabad.

Shiba Minai, political & socialactivist, says: “A name change ofthe city itself isnot a small task; itis the identity of the place andwhat people identify themselveswith, and it has history and a senseof belonging associated with theplace. Having said that, if a namechange was important, it wouldstill be okay, but here this namechange is clearly associated withtrying to establish supremacy ofpseudo Hinduism & not for anyother objective reason. Any kindof supremacy means you are aim-ing at oppressing someone some-where and that is a fundamentalproblem. The political atmosphereis changing at a very fast pace, and

it is almost scary. The capture ofthe north was easier-thanks to thelanguage, but now the BJP IT cellhas diversified to make this palat-able for the Telugu audiences. Somuch material is being made andcirculated in local languages to geta grip on every commoner. Hatespeeches are adding to it. The BJPis working hard to polarize,and wearenot too far away from that. Ithink TRS has a witty way of hit-ting it out on them and everythingelse that they are doing is the needof the hour. For instance, the 88RTIs filed asking for clarity onprogress of TRS government, thatis an out-n-out ploy to malign theparty, especially because BJP-runstates and even at the Centre theyhave done much lesser than ourgovt. Although, I feel TRS couldhave done a lot more, they havefocused on development a lotmore than the power at theCentre.”

“I moved to Hyderabad a yearafter the Telangana State wasformed. For the time close toseven years that I have spent inHyderabad, there is only one termthat comes to mind with the stategovernment: ‘inclusive’. And thereis a reason why the Mercer Qualityof Living Survey has named it thebest Indian city to live in consecu-tively for the past 5-6 years. I havelived in several metropolitanplaces for higher education andthen for work, but the level ofinclusivity I have witnessed in

Telangana State, primarily empow-ered by the state government, issimply unparalleled,” observesSahil Suman, corporate communi-cation consultant. He goes on totell how the state has always beenwelcoming under the present gov-ernment. “From language to foodto education to career prospects, Ihave found that very few citiesembrace individuals from all walksof life as warmly as Hyderabaddoes, making it a home away fromhome for migrants like us. In myopinion, the current TelanganaState government has done all itcould have to foster inclusivegrowth and they have only raisedthe bar higher with the establish-ment of one of India's largest start-up incubators recently. So, anyother political party will find it sohard to walk the talk as much asthe current govt does. At the out-set, I don't feel the Telangana Statewill get polarized majorly becausethe public here is much aware, andcitizens realize the value of theirvotes. KCR’s social media team arealways known for their witty andquirky social media posts and thistime it was no different. I love thefact that the CMO's PR team isvery much sensible while puttingout a piece of content in the publicdomain rather than randomlyposting anything which might leadto debates and backlashes. Theydeserve full credit.”

Advocate Ashok Mailapaka,Thorrur junior civil judge court,Mahabubabad district, TelanganaState, brings our attention to thefact that the TRS has been unable

to fully understand its citizens.There is so much more that peo-ple expect from them. He says:“The state would have been muchbetter if the party’s efforts werespent on development. There aresurely many loopholes in the sys-tem that heavily rest on the shoul-ders of the so-called MLAs. But itsurely doesn’t indicate that theBJP is crystal clear in its intent towork for our welfare. BJP party isspreading religious unrest. Now itwill give a complete blow to ourIndian Rajya. If you say cow pro-tection, our country is at the sec-ond place in the countries thatexport cow meat. Does that meanthat the BJP government isexporting so much beef without ahand? It has already privatizedhundreds of companies and vio-lated the very foundation ofdemocracy: the Constitution. BJPhas nothing to offer to the com-mon people now. Everything is forthe big bellies! There have beenseveral attacks on Dalits in BJP-ruled areas. We need people whodon’t come to power just to rule,but those who can genuinely feelfor the citizens.”

While the 2023 polls are stillfar, it will be interesting to trackthe political situation in the state.

Regardless of the tug-of-warbetween the BJP and the TRS,Hyderabadis are determined toprove that they are indeed smartcity denizens who care only forthose who deliver the goods.Their ‘alternative’, for that matter,is to shun parties that do not mea-sure up to their expectations.

What Hyderabadis feel:

05

SUNDAY, JULY 17, 2022 CELEB TALK

Jim Sarbh, who wasrecently seen in the

biological crimedrama Gangubai

Kathiawadi as HamidFezi, is turning out tobe an environmental

champ. How? The Pioneer finds it

out for you, in anexclusive interview

with the actor.

n the past few years, JimSarbh has increasingly dab-bled with films and webseries, something that he saysstems from the fact that heenjoys exploring the varied

roles coming his way. And now,Sony BBC Earth has joined handswith Jim Sarbh, who is coming tobe known as a key proponent ofsustainability and environmentalconservation.

When we exclusively askedabout his overall experience, heshed light, saying, “I thoroughlyenjoyed it because I believe in thecause. I think learning to live withour environment in a more sus-tainable manner is really our onlyoption for survival. A reverencefor life in general, and not merelya selfish, myopic human perspec-tive, would really change how wetreat all living things on this plan-

et. I believe education is the placeto start.”

When it comes to web series, hisOTT projects have reintroducedhim to his audience in a new way,something that couldn’t have beendone via his films, as he feels.Bollywood is a commercial beastfor him. It works on numbers, andno one can say anything aboutthose numbers.

Although now, he can surely saysomething about becoming a pio-neer as an environmental champi-on and say, “A champion can bemany things, but in this case, I ama young earth champion, someonefighting to represent and protectour planet, and with our planet, I

mean ourselves. I associate achampion with

determi-

nation, an indomitable spirit, anda clear vision for the future.”

Since his debut on screen, hisroles have included a war general,a drug peddler, a business brat, anaccounting teacher, and a scientist.Apart from films and series, Sarbhalso acts in plays and commercials.But to him, demarcations betweenfilms, series, plays, and ads do notexist. because he thinks they allinform each other. It’s just aboutapplying a similar thought processfrom one thing to the other. Whenwe moved back to our conversa-tion centred around this new envi-ronmental phenomenon, he knewhow children are the future of ourplanet.

But how much does he thinkthese kids are aware of what canand cannot harm the environ-ment? To which he says, “I think

they are smarter than we think.Their access to informa-

tion puts them in

the unique position to considersustainable ideas at a tender age.And whether they are aware ornot, it is our duty as the guidinggeneration to make them aware.”

The popularity of Jim Sarbh isproof that audiences care as muchabout substance as style. So, howdoes he manage to do his bit forthe environment despite busyshooting hours?

“I try to reduce my energy, plas-tic, and water consumption. I tryto walk and cycle to areas aroundme and avoid using the car. I enjoythe greenery around me, and Ihope to not only start schools oneday but also to really think abouthow I can help with reforestationand the clean-up of our water bod-ies,” he added.

The actor managed to leave animpression on us basically.Continuing, he had a message forall of us: “Pick yourselves up, try toeliminate plastic, try to conserve

water and electricity, take care ofyour old things, reduce, reuse,recycle.”

Evoking a sense of hope andinspiration in people through hisnew show's positive storytellingand insightful content, he and thechannel both see the younger gen-eration as they are the future cus-todians of our planet. Engagingwith young minds and encourag-ing them towards a sustainabletomorrow, they are going to rageconversations around conserva-tion.

Conserving our resources andfinding alternate means to it isimperative to ensure that nature’sbalance is maintained, and theyounger generations have beenbrilliantly vocal and aware of it. To drive the message home, Jim Sarbh will be a strong advo-cate of sustainability and environ-mental conservation, and we can’twait.

Shikha Duggal

I

et’s face it. Not all of usare blessed with a perfectsmile. Crooked teeth canrob the beauty of thesmile of your dreams. Not

just that, it can even take a toll onyour social life.

Traditional methods of correct-ing malocclusion include clunkymetal braces and wires. But what ifyou never had to be consciousabout your looks, eat whatever youlove, and have no wire cuts in yourmouth during the teeth straighten-ing treatment?

Clear aligners are the mostmodern solutions to the tradition-al problems of an offset smile. Wehad a chance to speak to the CEOof Illusion Aligners, SameerMerchant, who explained howthese aligners can save your mil-lion-dollar smile, the expectedmassive growth of the alignerindustry and much more.

It may come to you as a sur-prise, but almost 80% of the globalpopulation suffers from mis-aligned teeth. Statistically, the rateof malocclusion is skyrocketing.

Sameer shares, “Conventionalorthodontics leaves consumerswith very limited treatmentoptions for teeth straightening.Braces come with their own set ofcomplexities. The most obviousbeing appearance. Getting metalpieces stuck on your teeth formonths on end can be off-putting.It even restricts you from havingcrunchy and sticky food. Andthere is never a time when thebraces do not poke the soft tissuesof your oral cavity.”

He further added, “On the flipside, aligners are transparent,removable devices that fit on theteeth like a glove. They can treatquite a few malocclusions likecrowding, gaps, and bite-relatedproblems. Moreover, they areextremely discreet and it is quiteimpossible for an onlooker to tellif you are wearing one. No wonderclear aligners go by the name ofinvisible braces too. The patient isoffered a series of aligners thatthey wear in sequential order.Every aligner can be worn for aweek or two. They are speciallydesigned by a team of highly qual-ified orthodontists with the help ofdigital devices to achieve thedesired smile. Aligners areextremely kind to your gums,tongue cheeks, and lips. Theyblend in seamlessly. Aligners areextremely lightweight, crack-proofand stain-resistant. The wearer can

talk easily and eat all the food thathe or she desires without hesita-tion.”

Using aligners can extend thelife of your pearlies. Crooked teethare difficult to clean. They canharbour bacteria and plaque andincrease your chances of toothdecay. Straightening them out willfacilitate easy cleaning of yourteeth.

“You would possibly not believebut malaligned teeth can also be acause of your long-standingheadaches, back aches, ear pain, orjaw pain. Individuals with straightteeth seldom face these problems.Teeth straightening has never beeneasier than now,” Sameer exclaims.

Sameer says getting started onaligner treatment is very easy, andcontinues, “All you need to do isvisit a registered dentist, get yourteeth scanned, or get impressionsmade by the dentist of both thejaws. The dentist will also makesome quick photographs for inte-grating your smile with the treat-

ment plan. Then the collectivedata will be sent to the alignerproviders where a team of experi-enced orthodontists study thesmile and calculate the toothmovement digitally, as well as aftera thorough one-to-one dentalcheck-up. Lastly, when the treat-ment plan is formulated and gets agreen signal from the patient, thealigner production actually begins.A dentist always has your backduring the entire treatment pro-cess.”

Sameer also warned of fake adscirculating on social media onclear aligners. “A lot of people getfooled by attractive social mediaads providing teeth straighteningat a dirt-cheap price. Remember, ifit is too good it might not even betrue. Massively edited before andafter pictures too can be easy baitfor youngsters. Companies provid-ing kits for making dental impres-sions at home or providing at-home teeth scanning services byunder-qualified individuals can

bring a whole slew of dental prob-lems later on. Apps that deliverclear aligners just after the con-sumer uploads their smile picturescan be dangerous too. It can causetooth loosening and even loss ofpermanent teeth. The inability tobite down completely is also onemajor side effect of poor-qualityaligners,” says he.

The Dental Council of India hasstringent rules that prohibit any-body, but dentists to provide align-er treatment. It is best to nevertake a chance on health matters.Let us leave it for the professionalsonly.

Moreover, Sameer says dentalaligners market will witness mas-sive growth by 2028. A majorchunk of the Indian population isseeking dental treatment for cos-

metic makeovers. Clear alignersare minimally invasive and stillwork brilliantly.

Sameer says that the require-ment for aligners is increasingexponentially. “It is predicted thatthe clear aligner market may evenhit the mark of around 30 billionUSD by 2028, globally. The indus-try did experience a massive dipduring the pandemic, but since weare no more hiding behind masks,the market is picking up pace.This is promoting research teamsto come up with novel materialsand intelligent software systems toproduce extra efficient aligners.These directed efforts are madejust to upscale the convenience ofpatients and give them a comfort-able experience.”

So, what are you waiting for?Give teeth straightening a try andget that beautiful smile you havealways dreamt of.


06 HEALTH

l

Everyone deserves to have abeautiful smile, but hard luck. Manyof us might have those crooked tooth

and get distressed over using thetraditional metal braces to get them

right. The Pioneer speaks to SameerMerchant, CEO of Illusion Aligners,

who explains to us in detail about therevolutionary aligners that are not

only transparent but also removable

Set it right, discreetly!K. Ramya Sree You would possibly

not believe butmalaligned teethcan also be a causeof your long-standingheadaches, backaches, ear pain, orjaw pain. Individualswith straight teethseldom face theseproblems. Teethstraightening hasnever been easierthan now.

‘

‘

he analysis of handwritinghas been studied for almostfour hundred years. Well,did you know whether it hasa term? Yes, it does, and it's

called graphology.The Pioneer is breaking out to you

yet another educational piece onhow simply your handwriting cananalyse the behaviour and personali-ty traits of an individual. A well-known graphologist, Sudhir Kove,first clarifies who is a graphologistand says, “While the person may notbe here right now, their letters,diaries, signatures, and autographscan reveal more than just the writtenword on paper. This is the work thatgraphologists do!”

It is applied when there are ran-som notes, signatures, letters, andother bad things that are not foundin common scenarios. We even gotin touch with a penmanship influen-cer called Imran Baig, who is a spe-cialist in the art of writing by hand.

Speaking exclusively to us, hesays, “Graphology for a layman is allabout looking at somebody’s hand-writing and identifying thebehaviour of the person. But on alarger perspective, graphology actu-ally covers everything from letters topaintings and drawings. Any strokeon the paper can be evaluated, andthat’s what we do. People do havetheir own reservations aboutwhether this science works, or is iteven a complete science by itself, oris it pseudo-science. And we respectthat. People do have a right to dis-agree because that’s how the best ofeverything is created. People havequestioned all the possible aspects ofwhat science has to offer. There wasan era when online education wasalso questioned. Similarly, like everyscience that undergoes its pros andcons, the evaluation process ofgraphology also evolved. It’s been400 years since people have beenusing and practising this science.”

Different agencies use graphologyfor checking applications for jobs,recruitment procedures, compatibil-ity for marriage, career guidance,motivating different employees, andchild behaviour and development.

Sudhir continued, “Writing is apsycho-neuro-muscular activity,which means your body, brain, and

mind are involved when you write.Decoding the writing is about thephysiology and mentality of the per-son. When a person communicatesby way of speaking, only 15-20% ofbrain cells are activated, whereaswhen a person writes, nearly 85-90%of brain cells are activated. At thesame time, graphology is about sym-bology, which means via the sym-bolic formations your mind is mak-ing on the paper, we are able todecode the mindset of the writer.”

Graphology is about understand-ing the mindset of a person fromtheir handwriting. Each handwritingis as distinctive as a thumbprint.When analysing a handwriting sam-ple, some attributes to consider areletter size, spacing, connectivity,strokes, slants, movement, rhythm,speed, pressure, and margins.

For instance, while writing byhand, a left slant of the words canindicate defiance and resistance tochange. A slant towards the rightcan infer an outward-focused per-sonality with a keenness to excel.

He says, “Graphologists can alsohelp develop your personalitythrough personalised graphotherapy,which is a structured reprogram-ming of your subconscious mind toachieve life goals via handwriting.

While each suggested correction ispersonalised according to the writ-ing sample, generic changes likepractising writing on a straight base-line can bring discipline and focusto your mannerisms. Similarly, lessangular and more curved writingmay improve friendliness and drivea more positive perception. Thismay be done for 15-20 minutesevery day for several weeks to noticechanges in behaviour and personali-ty. What a profound insight!”

It was in 2006 when Sudhir Kovedeveloped a keen interest ingraphology. The digital shift duringthe pandemic helped him reach awider audience without spendingmuch and without a lot of infras-tructures required. Only via hisknowledge could they gain learningmomentum in the business. This hasbeen an industry-wide shift, and heand his team saw it reflected in theirenquiries and work too. When peo-ple began to provide testimonials forthe graphotherapy they hadreceived, and even his own studentsbegan to earn money through thecourses they had completed with hisacademy, he was able to see wherethey had progressed and the poten-tial they possessed. Other analystsand therapists are a big moment for

any practitioner of a craft, it seems! And then Imran showed us a con-

tradictory side to it. “Why peopledon’t have a proper approach isbecause they have not presented thescience the way it has to be. Peopleeven today think that graphology isall about matching the following. Ifyou write a particular letter in a cer-tain manner, you behave in a certainmanner. A certain t or a y is equal toa specific behaviour. But on a deeperlevel, handwriting analysis is basedon stroke formation. A stroke is anyline on the paper that has a startingpoint, an ending point, and a direc-tion and intensity. Once you under-stand this, then the way you look atgraphology will change. A trainedmedical professional can actuallyidentify the health of your heart andif you need any type of medicationor aid to be provided in a given sce-nario by reading the ECG. Secondly,if you look at the Richter scale,which is used to measure the impactof an earthquake, it is again nothingbut lines on the paper. If you look atany graph, the stock market, or anyevaluation, they are all lines onpaper. If those lines can be used,believed, followed, and practised inour day-to-day life, so is handwrit-ing analysis—the lines on the paper.”

Imran believes there is a strongconnection between the heart andthe pen and is on a mission to makeone million people fall in love withwriting and support them to forgetheir future using the power of thepen.

Sudhir further comments,“Graphology is based on situationalfactors. The science is the same, butthe way different analysts analyse itmay vary. Despite having no scien-tific foundation, it is a truth. It issubjective because no two humansthink and emotes alike, but just aperson’s body language gives awayinvisible communication aboutthem. Their handwriting and signa-ture are an analysis based on objec-tive facts. This is why trained andexperienced graphologists are notonly able to accurately read a personbased on their handwriting but sug-gest changes and corrections thatbring real-time results.”

Personality characteristics can beanalysed based on size, pressure,speed, spacing, slant, and other ele-ments. If it's a questionable practice,why in recruitment analysis of sam-

ples with a stretched-out expandedform of writing could mean that acandidate is entrepreneurial andneeds space to think? Similarly,applying high pressure while writingsignifies strong emotions and goodhealth.

Those with low pen pressurecould seem to be avoiding con-frontation and could be more intel-lectual. All these traits can be cross-checked via intelligence, personality,and aptitude tests. Why do doctorshave such a bad name for bad hand-writing? The answer lies in graphol-ogy, having too much on their mindand too little time to write.

However, they may have differenthandwriting outside of writingexaminations and prescriptions dueto the availability of time and abroadened mind space. Even thesmallest of factors can have a directbearing on your handwriting, all ofwhich are visible to the trained eye.

On a concluding note, Imran Baiginforms, “Handwriting analysis isnot handwriting. It is the mind writ-ing analysis because all of us writeletters, the blueprint of which isalready in our subconscious mind.When somebody writes, he is notthinking about how to form the let-ter. He’s just naturally writing.Handwriting analysis as a sciencehas some limitations also. Like wecannot predict the future or talkabout your past but we definitelycan find out who you are as a per-son. Your thinking pattern, yourfear, and defences, your strengths,how you make decisions, and howyou process information. Myapproach to practising graphologyand the reason why I fell in lovewith science is that the biggest assetin our life is our mind. I have seenpeople who are experiencing lowself-esteem and most of us do notunderstand what is low self esteem.We as individuals suffer from thisphenomenon where we think nothigh about ourselves, we run our-selves down, do not take opportuni-ties, do not take enough risks, andalways coming from behaviour ofwhy do this when I can’t even getthere anyways. When we make peo-ple realise all of this and how theirself-esteem is reflected in theirhandwriting, how they can makethose changes consciously and use avery powerful tool it is calledgraphotherapy.”

07

SUNDAY, JULY 17, 2022 FYI

One stroke One stroke One stroke & graphology can reveal your behaviour

The Pioneer throws light on the conceptof ‘graphology’, an analysis of handwriting.

We spoke to a graphologist and apenmanship influencer to learn more about

the concept in detail.

Shikha Duggal

T

0908 SUNDAY, JULY 17, 2022

Science teacher, lawyer and now

MLA from Dubbak, M

Raghunandan Rao speaks to The

Pioneer about running a school,

his face-off with Minister

Harish Rao, challenge to

Minister K T Rama Rao, and

arguing bail petition for MIM

chief Asaduddin Owaisi. In a

freewheeling interview with

Naveena Ghanate, Raghunandan

talks about why he chooses to be

like a giraffe, has one child, and

how winning by a small margin

counts.

I was born in the SiddipetGovernment Hospital and lived inthe same town. After graduation, Imigrated to Hyderabad. I had tomigrate because my wife ManjulaDevi was an employee in Allwynwatch division. She used to stay inPatancheru. I hail from a poor fam-ily. My father M Bhagavantha Raois a farmer. My village, with a popu-lation of 500, had a school, but onlyup to 2nd standard. After my sec-ond class, I moved to my grandpar-ents’ house, which was also thehouse of my would-be father-in-law, till 7th standard. My wife isdaughter of my uncle RamgopalRao, who was a teacher. We weremoulded by a teacher. I am disci-plined because of him. Thereafter,every year I was depending uponthe mercy of my motherBharathamma’s relatives, who usedto keep me for one year each forstudies.

Kept moving

I have three younger brothers viz.Venkateshwar Rao, Vijayender Raoand Nageshwar Rao. I was part ofABVP union in Siddipet JuniorCollege and Siddipet DegreeCollege. While I was pursuing mydegree course, my family’s financialcondition was not up to the mark. Iused to give tutorial classes during1989-1990 and earn Rs 500-1000per month. I then joined B.Ed in acollege in Belgaon, Karnataka. I gota gold medal in Psychology fromthe Karnataka University. I was astate-level shuttle player up to thedistrict level. Once, while playingshuttle, I lost balance and sufferedinjury on my leg, with my tendonrupturing. I underwent surgery andwas on bed for three months.

Gold medal in Psychology

People who are talkingabout me getting smallmargin should lookupon themselves. KTRin one TV channelinterview questioned“Dubbak we lost? Didwe lose by 1 lakh”. Iam asking: ‘KTR whatwas your majoritywhen you were electedin 2009 elections”. Itwas 171 and it is not

even regular votes, helost in public votesand got elected inpostal ballot where hegot 171 more.Employees voted justbecause you wereworking for theTelangana movement.That gentleman nowquestions me aboutmargin. Spirit ofdemocracy is even ifyou win by one vote,you are a winner. As

for people who arechallenging me, I amchallenging them thattheir majority will bereduced and they maylose also - be it num-ber 2 or number 3.They cannot come toDubbak and fight withme. But if the partypermits I will go to theseat of number 2 ornumber 3 or evennumber 1 and win;that is my courage.

Challenge to KTR

I am like giraffe

I have been a Science teacher. So,even in politics I cite two theoriesthat I like. One, Newton’s third law,which states that for every actionthere is equal and opposite reac-tion. Two, Darwinism, which,based on the circumstances andenvironment, highlights the strug-gle for existence and survival of thefittest. I always cite two animals:one, dinosaur; two, giraffe.Dinosaurs could not change itsbody structure according to theenvironment; so, now people go tomuseum or watch English movie tosee it. Whereas, giraffe, which usedto have small neck like donkey andhorse, when it lost its livelihood onground by being dependent onsmall trees, changed its physicalappearance by extending its neck.If you are in politics, you shouldadjust as giraffe and stick yourneck out. If you are rigid likedinosaurs, you will be eliminated.

Gave up govt job

I completed my B.Ed 1991 and wroteDSC. I got a job with a pay of Rs 1,200 per month. I was on probation fortwo years and my posting was inremote village Gangti, near Bidar inthe Narayankhed constituency. I gotmarried in March 1991 and did notfind it reasonable to travel to far-offvillage for Rs 1,200. Working in pri-vate school as a teacher, I used to earnRs 5,000 pm. Moreover, my wife usedto work in Patancheru. I used to runsmall schools and colleges in Siddipet.I own a school in Siddipet along with

four of my friends, who completedB.Ed, graduation and M Sc together.We all together started it and theschool, Gayathri Vidyalaya, is stillfunctioning in Siddipet. I worked in aprivate school as ateacher for acouple ofyears andstarted aschool inPatancherualso.

I am affectionate towardsmy parents. They want tostay in native village. Evenafter I became MLA, theywanted to stay there. It issad that Harish spokeagainst my father and fami-ly members that they takeAasara pension and mymom takes DWCRA loans.As part of the scheme, heused to get it and evenbefore I became MLA.Harish campaigned in the

election that sons are notlooking after father, so heis getting pension. We aretaking care of our parents.I never asked them whyKCR or Harish as to whythey are taking RythuBandhu. He stooped to anew low. My mother criedwhen this issue happenedand felt that these issuesshould not have beenbrought into publicdomain.

Police provoked me inJubilee Hills caseI have threats from differentregions, personalities andagencies. I intimated DGP ofTelangana and I am underpressure and especially afterthe Jubilee Hills rape case also.I always stand for the poor,women and dalits. There wasthreatening press meet by thepolice to Raghunandan Raowhich I cannot tolerate. A RSrinivas reached Jubilee HillsPolice Station and dismissedthe allegations against thepoliticians’ kin made by meand said that they are mean-ingless allegations. It hurt mevery badly, as I am a responsi-ble citizen of the country andbeing legislator I made certainallegations. DCP Joel Davissaid: ‘We don’t count all thosemeaningless allegations and ifsomebody does such, we willregister a case and prosecutethem’. What does this mean?Are you going to threaten me?

So, I thought if you havepolice power to threaten me, Ihave certain evidences.

I am getting lot of troublefrom TRS government. Theyare not giving single paise formy constituency development,including Rs 3 crore. Eventhough the government hasallocated money, our districtincharge Minister Harish Raohas taken all the money with-out my consent. Although Icomplained, there is noresponse. Let alone state fund,when the Centre gave NREGSfunds, from that also, BJPsarpanches are also not gettingmoney. I am fighting. There isa lot of pressure from the gov-ernment and they want toclose my mouth in one oranother way. I will be the voiceof the voiceless. Before myplunge in politics, I used tospend more time with my wifeand daughter. We used to goto movies or eat outside. I gotelected in by-election, so I

won’t have enough time also. Iam working hard, because ifKCR goes for early elections, Iwon’t even have the remainingtime.

One child

As teacher I was very pro-gressive. During lessons onpopulation, I used to elaborateon economist Thomas RobertMalthus’ theory. He believedthat the imbalance betweenpopulation growth and foodsupply would be corrected by

natural forces, such as earth-quakes and floods. There wascomparison between Chinaand India and I told my stu-dents in China the norm is twoparents and one child. At thattime, I was a bachelor and Iwas telling students you have tofollow China in population

control and become good citi-zens of India. A backbencherasked me if I would follow thesame. I replied, ‘Before mymarriage, I am promising that Iwill restrict to one kid’. I want-ed to be role model in any pro-fession. So I stopped with onekid - my daughter Dr Sindhu. I

am a strict father andthat made my daugh-

ter a disciplined child. Shecould get good rank in MBBSand PG. She is a gynaecologist.She is married to Dr ShravanTeja. I have two granddaugh-ters Kanishka Shishira andChaitra Arathika. They areaffectionate towards me.Whatever stress I get, I releaseall those by spending time withkids.

Happiest moment : Happymoment 10 Nov 2020.Do you read books : I gothrough my academic booksFavourite movie : For 30-40years, I have been watchingmovies. There are manyFavourite actress : FromSridevi to Rakul Preet, somany changed over the yearsFav actor : Allu ArjunSong you often listen : Taalikatte magudu ledani taral-inchukupoye mruthuvuaaguthundaFav color : Black

QQUUIICCKK BBYYTTEESS

LLB for brother

Then I completed LLBbecause my brotherVenkateshwar Rao wantedme to take up law. I am avery possessive brother andhe is close to me. Given ourrural background, we werealways afraid of urban cul-

ture. We both completedlaw at the same time. He is

a leading advocate atSiddipet and I used to

practice in Sangareddy.When I was running

my school, I got anopportunity to

work in Eenadu as a contrib-utor from 1995 to 2001.While practicing law, I usedto write legal articles. Myarticles were discussed in theAssembly - like lands whichwere assigned to poor up toan extent of 5,000 acres inPatacheru,Ramchandrapuram,Jinnaram mandals weregrabbed by an industrialhousing society. I wrote arti-cles and Yerneni SeethadeviHouse Committee wasformed with 32 MLAs, whoconcluded on my evidence-based reports.

Arguing for

Owaisi

I was not in BJPwhen I was arguingfor the bail petitionof Asaduddin owaisi.I did not work direct-ly with him.Somebodyapproached on behalfof him as all of ouradvocates failed toget a bail for him.After three dismissals

of his bail petition, Iwas the one who filedthe fourth petition,there I could succeed.Then he offered mefees which I declinedand asked him torespect the court. Iasked him to give themoney to the clientsin jail who cannotpay the fees. He paidsome amounts toKandi jail and gavesome amenities. It’s

anyatha sharanamnasthi , meaning Ihave no other optionbut only God. Theday the elephant thatwas caught by thecrocodile said any-atha sharanam nasthi,Vishnu himself came.It is the greatness ofHinduism and weshould be proud thatbeing a Hindu Raghudid something for theenemies also.

Mother cried over Harish’sstatements

KCR should be happy with

my progress

KCR gave me opportunity to workas district president four times. WhenI was suspended, I was district presi-dent of Medak. I was most aggressiveperson among the district heads. IfKCR is really my guru, he should feelthat his student is becoming brighterin life and he should bless me. Goingby the saying ‘Guruvu ni minchinashishyudu’; my guru ‘santhoshinchali’.Dronacharya was guru of Arjuna andduring the war he killed his guru.Dronacharya should feel happy thatArjuna won the war and not that hewas killed by his shishya. This shouldbe the motive. KCR will not praiseanybody, but he is praising me meansbecause there is subject and those arereal issues. My very first question wason state song using which we foughtthe agitation. On the very first day ofthe Assembly, I made CM respond.True spirit of democracy is not hurl-ing abuses.

Promise asfloor leader

Becoming afloor leader is nota big issue and Iam not after thepost. I will workfor party askaryakarta andwhenever time isripe, I will also getthe post. It was anelection promisegiven by RajaSingh and almostall our party lead-ers thatRaghunandan Rao

is a man who canquestion. Theysaid he is going tobe a “Prasninchegonthu” in theAssembly. Look atKCR’s face, when Icorner the TRSparty. Raja Singh,during his cam-paign in Chenguta,said ‘My Telugupresentation is notup to the mark, ifyou sendRaghuanna, he isenlightened personand good in

Telangana slangand will give anopportunity toquestion”. RajaSingh is giving memore opportunityto speak. As aScience teacher, allI will say todayis:‘You might be inlight, I might be indark, earth isround, things willchange. Today Imay be in bad situ-ation, things willchange, be posi-tive’.

Lost by a margin of 3 votes

In 2001 I became TRS member and in2013 I was suspended without beingasked to give an explanation due tomisrepresentations given by the cadre.I contested for MLC local bodies in2009 when TDP and TRS were inalliance and Mahakutami was formed.I lost by a margin of three votes. Istrongly believe that due to the closeassociates of Harish Rao only I lostmy election. It was an allegationagainst Harish and I directly told KCRand him. I told them Anna it is notright to betray people who are withyou and not good for you in the longrun.


10 AVENUES

he gaming industry is largerthan movies and musiccombined. By the mid-2030s, PwC predicts, one-third of all the jobs that

exist in the world today would turnredundant. Simply put, every thirdmember of the global workforcewould have to either reskill or riskunemployment.

Sombre predictions like these,rising cost of living, and sinkinginvestments in equities and cryptoalike paint a sorry picture for mostworking professionals. But notthose in the gaming industry. Noneof these fears seems applicable tothem as the demand for gamingtalent has continued to soar foryears, irrespective of market condi-tions.

In 2021, gaming in India gener-ated $1.8 billion in revenue from400 million gamers. By 2025, theseare expected to grow to $5 billionand 650 million respectively. Thenumbers seem huge but are really afraction of the global gamingindustry – touted to have generatedover $200 billion from nearly 3 bil-lion gamers last year!

These figures make the globalgaming industry larger than movies

and music – combined. As gamingbooms around the world, thegrowth of jobs within the gamingindustry has kept pace. Here aresome of the roles for which leadinggaming companies are always onthe lookout:

Game designer

Game designers ideate and con-ceptualise games. Think of them asarchitects who plan everythingabout the game: the characters, sto-ryline and progression, rules andmechanics, and economy. Theyvisualise the whole world withinthe game and articulate their visionto the others on the team.

When a new game is beingworked upon, designers visualiseprototypes and run experimentswith their team of developers andartists.

Game developer

A game developer is primarilyresponsible for bringing a designer’svision to life with the use of pro-gramming languages and gameengines. Game developers workvery closely with designers, artists,and audio engineers to stringtogether their work into a final out-

put using code.In the recent past, there has been

a massive surge in the demand forHTML5 game developers, asHTML5 games are device-agnosticand can be played without the needto install apps. Leading social appslike Snap and Facebook have dedi-cated sections for HTML5 games,and companies like Gamezop honethe skills of HTML5 game develop-ers in addition to distributing theirgames around the world.

Game artists and animators

All the beautiful art, graphics,and animations one sees that makeany game so enjoyable are the workof artists and animators. Theirwork provides physical structure tocharacters, props, and the environ-ment within a game.

Art and animation is a verydiverse fields and roles could befurther split into concept art, char-acter art, 3D modelling, and so on,all of which could be done by dif-ferent individuals within the team.

Sound engineers

Games have plots and characters,and the job of the sound engineer isto bring life to them and please our

auditory senses at the same time.These engineers use software andmusical equipment to create every-thing you hear in a game: ambientsounds, background music, soundeffects, and voiceovers.

Professional gamers and

streamers

Professional gamers are full-timecompetitive players who participatein gaming tournaments or esports.Professional gamers play for theirteams and are sponsored by brands.Esports are megaevents with hugeprize money and have staggeringviewership stats. It is estimated thatin 2022, over half a billion peoplewill watch their favourite esportsstars compete in these tourna-ments, either at esports arenas orover broadcasts.

Streamers can be professional orsemi-professional gamers whostream their gameplay over chan-nels like YouTube and Twitch. Theyoften promote brands during theirstreams. In India, one finds stream-ers promoting popular gamingbrands like SkillClash, MPL, andWinZO very frequently.

Gaming alliances

From Amazon to MX Player, andOyo to Samsung Internet – justlook around and you will see thathundreds of popular apps and web-sites have introduced games fortheir users. Each of these productshas a core proposition that hasnothing to do with gaming. Yet,using games these products buildmeaningful user journeys toimprove user engagement.

These non-gaming products donot build games in-house; instead,they turn to specialised game pub-lishers such as Gamezop to managethis offering for their users. Thosein gaming alliances represent thesepublishers to negotiate a deal withthe non-gaming products. They areresponsible for finding productsthat would benefit from addinggames and nurturing relationshipswith them.

Gaming ad sales

Gaming is interactive engage-ment and commands high attentionfrom the users. Add to that the factthat over 3 billion internet users aregamers – making them the largestand most diverse group on theinternet. Within games, brands canutilise advertising inventory onbanners, interstitials, videos (pre-rolls, mid-rolls, and rewarded), ornative units (such as in-game bill-boards or jerseys).

Whether the objective of anadvertising campaign is branding(reach, scale, viewability) or perfor-mance (app downloads, registra-tion, sales), advertisers with allkinds of goals and budgets can turnto the wide list of inventory optionsthat games offer.

Professionals in gaming ad salesrepresent the inventory that a gameor a gaming platform offers, high-lighting its user attributes and tar-geting abilities, and secure advertis-ing spends from brands.

Final word

Career opportunities in gamingare aplenty and the above list is notexhaustive. There are other inter-esting roles in the industry such asgame testers, game critics, transla-tors and interpreters, DevOps andother engineering roles, and thebusiness and marketing roles thatany content company would have.

The gaming industry in India hasmassive potential to generateemployment for millions. The gov-ernment also recognizes the signifi-cant contribution it can make tothe economy and taking cognisanceof this fact, has set up anAnimation, Visual Effects, Gamingand Comic promotion task force toaid its progress in India.

Want a job that can weather all market conditions?

(The writer, GauravAgarwal is the co-founder of Gamezop.Gamezop powersgames within morethan 4,500 apps andwebsites.)

t

TurntogamingTurntogamingTurntogaming

WHAT YOU NEED

11

SUNDAY, JULY 17, 2022 RECIPES

HOW TO MAKE:

STO

P,LO

OK

,CH

OC

OLA

TE!

STO

P,LO

OK

,CH

OC

OLA

TE!

STO

P,LO

OK

,CH

OC

OLA

TE! Who doesn’t like chocolate? Even

if one is not a fan of sweets,everyone loves chocolate, be it

milk chocolate or dark chocolate.Here are some unique recipes

that you can try making withsimple steps along with your

loved ones.

RECIPES COURTESY: VOLTAS BEKO

• Brush one side of each

bread with melted butter

and place the slices on a

grill pan in a microwave,

buttered side down.

• Sprinkle it with chocolate

and add a slice of bread to

it.

• Grill the sandwiches in

your Voltas Beko

microwave well until the

chocolate melts and the

bread is golden brown.

• Turn it once.

• Dust with powdered sugar

and serve warm.

CHOCOLATE PANINI

• Thick slices of

Hawaiian sweet bread

• Melted butter: 2 tbsp

• Semisweet chocolate,

finely chopped: 4-6

ounce

• Powdered sugar

” Pre-heat your microwave to 375 F” Thinly slice the sweet potatoes.” In a large bowl, toss the sweet potatoes in oil.Then add sea salt and cinnamon.” Arrange the sweet potatoes in a single layer onbaking sheets and cook in the microwave for 30-45minutes. Flip once or twice. You can cook all ofthem at the same time as it has a large turntablewith ample room for large size containers.” Melt chocolate for about 20 seconds in themicrowave. Re-microwave later to liquidify it ifrequired.” Once the chips are cooked, immediately dip intothe melted chocolate and serve.

” Sweet potatoes: 2 large ” Olive oil or coconut oil: 1 tbsp” Sea salt: ½ tbsp” Ground cinnamon: ¼ tbsp” Chopped dairy-free dark chocolate: ¾ cup

Dark chocolatesweet potato chips

WHAT YOU NEED

HOW TO MAKE:

CHOCOLATE PANI PURI

WHAT YOU NEED

• Puris: 12

• Roughly

chopped dark

chocolate: 1 cup

• Colourful

sprinkles: 2

tbsp

• Chopped wal-

nuts: ¼ cup

• Chilled milk: ¾

cup

• Chocolate ice-

cream: 2 ½ tbsp

• Sugar: 1 tbsp

• Cocoa powder:

2 tbsp

• First make a chocolate

milkshake:

• Add ¼ cup roughly

chopped dark chocolate

and 2 tablespoons milk,

mix together, and

microwave for about half a

minute.

• Once out of the microwave,

keep mixing gently till

there are no lumps.

• Add the melted chocolate,

sugar, cocoa powder, and

chocolate ice cream to a

mixer and blend.

• Add ½ cup roughly

chopped dark chocolate

and microwave for about a

minute, and mix to ensure

there are no lumps.

• Dip all puris in the choco-

late one by one, cover them

well, and place them on a

foil.

• Sprinkle the sprinklers on

it and refrigerate them in

your refrigerator for over

half an hour till properly

set.

• Once set, break each puri

from the center, and add

walnuts.

• Serve by adding a milk-

shake in it or serving it on

the side.

HOW TO MAKE:

As the first showers hit the city, it istime for you to buckle up with somerain gear which is sturdy yet stylish.The bright colours and bold motifson the umbrellas by India Circus adda dash of vibrancy to the gloomyweather.

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12

Walk thegloomymonsoons in style!

Streetwear Cosmetics is relaunchingwith a focus on high-quality productsbacked by the brand idea#NodoubtNoLimits. It aims to giveevery consumer the confidence tocelebrate their individual beauty andvalues.

The new range of products spansmultiple make-up categories, usingunique formulations extremely suit-able for the Indian skin type and insync with the aspirations of the high-ly aware new-age consumers whoembrace new ideas. It’s all new longwear stay-on foundation, which hasan oil-free formula, is sweat-free andlong lasting, will allow consumers toface the world confidently.

Street wear cosmeticsis back with a bang

Expanding its C series smartphone lineupfor Indian consumers, HMD Global, the homeof Nokia phones, on Tuesday added NokiaC21 Plus to its portfolio which comes in twostorage variants.

The 3GB+32GB and 4GB+64GB variantsare priced at 10,299 and 11,299, respectively,and are now available exclusively onNokia.com in dark cyan and warm greycolours.

The phone will soon be available acrossretail channels and other e-commerce chan-nels.

The smartphone comes with a 6.5-inchHD+ display along with a dual-camera setupwith HDR technology. It has different modeslike portrait, panorama and beautification toassist users in creating professional-lookingphotos.

Nokia C21 Plus comes with Android 11 andhouses 5050 mAh, which the company claimscan ensure three day battery life.

lobal tech company Lenovounveiled its next generation lap-tops in the Yoga, Legion andIdeaPad gaming series in thecountry. The Lenovo Yoga,

Legion and IdeaPad Gaming seriesstarts at Rs 1,06,990, Rs 1,44,990 and Rs84,990, respectively.

The 'Yoga' series comes in oatmeal,storm gray, and slate gray colours.

Meanwhile, the 'Legion' and the'IdeaPad Gaming' series are available instorm gray and onyx gray colours,respectively.

The Legion 5 series have a batterycapacity of 80Wh and reach up to 80per cent charging in just 30 minuteswith the included charger, the companyclaimed.

All the laptops are equipped with12th generation Intel Core processors,faster graphics, improved battery per-formance and sustainable design.

Affordable Nokia C21 Plusnow launched in India

Lenovo brings newYoga, Legion laptoprange to India

WHAT’S NEW

G

ossilIndialaunchedSTAPLEx Fossil -

the newest watchcollaborationdesigned in part-nership withiconic streetwearbrand STAPLE,helmed by cre-ative icon andstreetwear pio-neer Jeff Staple. Each timepiece is madewith stainless steel case (44mm) andunique terrazzo stone-inspired siliconecase jacket and straps (22mm) createdwith ground silicone. The STAPLEPigeon logo is printed on the casebackwith “STAPLE” embossed on the strap’skeeper. Each timepiece is encased in alimited-edition, collectible egg-shapedtin — further playing on the idea of“Fossil” and excavation — retailing forRs 21,495.

Alongside the three timepieces, STA-PLE x Fossil includes two limited-edi-tion black rPet straps, each interchange-able with 22mm straps. One features theSTAPLE word logo in white, and theother pictures the pigeon logo in arepeat pattern, both retailing for Rs3,495. Additionally, three exclusive STA-PLE x Fossil digital dials with the pigeonlogo will become available for Gen 6 dis-play smartwatches.

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ith 25 yearsof experi-ence inindian couture, this yearthe collection is

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The collection is named‘INDU’ — Inspired fromthe Banjara women andpaintings of AlphonsoMucha, the artwork in thecollection is set withromanticism, fluidity,drama and feminine glory.

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13

SUNDAY, JULY 17, 2022 MONEY MATTERS

he advent of the COVID-19pandemic has turned livesaround and reiterated theimportance of financial plan-ning in navigating medical

exigencies. The inception of thenovel coronavirus has clearly shownthat unexpected medical emergen-cies or any terminal illnesses can stepin at any point in time and severelyimpact the physical, emotional, men-tal, and financial conditions of indi-viduals and their families.

Diagnosis and treatment of criticalillnesses like cancer or a diseaserelated to the heart, kidney or liverlead to heavy medical bills, substan-tial hospitalisation costs, and ongo-ing rehabilitation expenses. Theabsence of an appropriate insuranceplan results in huge costs out ofpocket, depleting savings set aside toaccomplish future financial goals.

The increased susceptibility tocritical illnesses on account of seden-tary lifestyles today further accentu-ates the need for full-fledged healthinsurance plans. A conventionalhealth insurance plan offers limitedcoverage and falls short of other inci-dental medical expenses.

For such unpredictable medicalinsurgencies and terminal illnesses, apolicyholder should choose a criticalillness plan that offers comprehen-sive coverage and lump-sum free taxbenefit if diagnosed with critical ill-nesses. With critical illness plans,policyholders are well-positioned tomeet the medical expenses incurredduring treatment without partingwith hard-earned savings.

However, before choosing anappropriate policy, one should gainan in-depth understanding of certainimportant factors.

Know the key elements of thepolicy document

Ideally, one should read the fineprint of the policy document to getan in-depth understanding of thepolicy terms and conditions andwhat illnesses are covered and whatis not. It is also essential to be awareof the cost of treating critical diseasesand the waiting period to claim theamount. This awareness would helpavoid hassles when making an insur-ance claim. It is pertinent to checkwhether the policy offers coveragefor health check-ups, pre and post-

hospitalisation, and home careexpenses.

Additionally, a policyholdershould also check the survival peri-od, the claim settlement history ofthe insurance company, the premi-um amount and the sum insured.While choosing the sum assured, it iscrucial to consider the inflation rateas the treatment costs of serious ill-nesses are constantly increasing.

A perfect mix of a compre-hensive indemnity plan andcritical illness insurance plan

It is beneficial to strike a perfectbalance between a comprehensiveindemnity plan and a critical illnessinsurance plan based on the policy-

holder’s location and age. A holisticinsurance plan with a decent covercombined with an added critical ill-ness cover ensures comprehensivesecurity for the insured. A critical ill-ness plan is a fixed benefit plan pro-viding lump sum payment at thetime of diagnosis of the disease. Ittakes care of all the other incidentalexpenses not covered by the basicplan.

Tax savings and financialsecurity at a young age

Critical illnesses might appearremote and distant to India's youngand healthy population. However,the current state of lifestyle, baddietary practices, irregular exercising

regimes, and poor sleeping patternsmake them susceptible to severe ill-nesses.

COVID-19 was an eye-opener forall, and it was evident that there areno age barriers for medical emergen-cies. Buying a critical illness plan at anascent stage is vital to get high cov-erage at a low premium amount.Policyholders are also entitled to atax benefit on the premium amountpaid under section 80D of theIncome Tax Act, 1961.

Financial Security for all withan Individual Critical Illnesspolicy

An individual critical illness policyfor the entire family, includingspouse, parents, children, in-lawsand siblings, can help avoid hard-ships in future. When any member isdiagnosed with a critical illness, itprofoundly impacts the entire family.The financial burden of medicalexpenses in hospital and post-treat-ment care can be stressful. Hence, itis better to consider a critical illnesspolicy for the entire family.

Critical illnesses and other medi-cal emergencies can become a majorsetback in life if unprepared. It cantake a toll on the financial and emo-tional well-being of the entire family.While it is not possible to pre-emptsuch unprecedented circumstances,careful and calculated financial plan-ning can be helpful to a large extent.Critical illness insurance plans caneffectively manage the substantialeconomic costs of medical treat-ments and offer extensive support intimes of distress. Choose the rightpolicy and secure your future!

Be financially prepared for

a critical illnessa critical illnessa critical illness

FORUNPREDICTABLEMEDICAL

INSURGENCIES ANDTERMINAL ILLNESSES, APOLICYHOLDER SHOULDCHOOSE A CRITICAL ILLNESSPLAN THAT OFFERSCOMPREHENSIVE COVERAGEAND LUMP-SUM FREE TAXBENEFIT IF DIAGNOSED WITHCRITICAL ILLNESSES. WITHCRITICAL ILLNESS PLANS,POLICYHOLDERS ARE WELL-POSITIONED TO MEET THEMEDICAL EXPENSESINCURRED DURINGTREATMENTWITHOUT PARTINGWITH HARD-EARNED SAVINGS.

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(The writer, ParagVed, is the presidentand head of Tata AIGGeneral Insurance)

he Hindu almanac or Panchang holdsgreat significance among all Hindus,especially when referring to the auspi-cious and inauspicious days to conductauspicious activities. The Panchang pro-

vides details on a daily and monthly basis. Thedaily Panchang provides information about theTithi (day), Nakshatra, the auspicious andinauspicious timings of the day, etc. Themonthly Panchang shows 30 days, and these 30days are further divided into two Pakshas-Shukla Paksha and Krishna Paksha. While onePaksha of 15 days are called Shukla Paksha theremaining 15 days come under the KrishnaPaksha.

Understanding the difference between Shuklaand Krishna paksha is significant both reli-giously and astrologically. According to Hindutradition, certain specific dates, called as Tithi,are designated as auspicious times to performvarious religious acts. In the context of auspi-cious timings or Shubh Mahurat, Shukla PakshaTithi and Krishna Paksha Tithi are extremelyimportant.

What is Paksha?

Every lunar month is divided into twoPakshas. A Paksha is the lunar fortnight. It isapproximately 14 days. The literal translation ofthe word Paksha is “side”.

From the perspective of astrological occur-rences, Paksha refers to lunar phase of themonth. Every moon phase lasts 15 days andthus we have two Moon phases in a month.Astronomical calculations indicate that theMoon travels 12 degrees in a single day. It cov-ers one complete revolution around the Earth inthirty days. This moon phase that occurs everytwo weeks is beneficial for a variety of religiousevents.

Significance

The Vedic scriptures considered Paksha to bea significant factor when it comes to commenc-ing any auspicious events or work. Since thepakshas depend on moon phases, it also deter-mines the success or failure of a particular eventor work. Hence a date is fixed for auspiciousactivities only after considering both aspects.

What is Krishna Paksha?

Krishna Paksha commences between the FullMoon (Poornima) to the New Moon(Amavasya) when the Moon starts waning in itsform. Krishna Paksha is named after LordKrishna as Lord Krishna possesses a dull skincomplexion and hence the fading of the Moonis referred to as Krishna paksha. KrishnaPaksha lasts for a period of 15 days beginningwith Poornima, Pratipada, up to Chaturdashi.

The story behind Krishna Paksha

There are several stories associated withKrishna Paksha. One such legend mentioned inthe scriptures indicate the story of DakshaPrajapati and Moon. Daksha Prajapati hadtwenty-seven daughters who were all married tothe Moon. These twenty-seven daughters werein fact the twenty-seven nakshatras, and amongthese Nakshatra’s it was Rohini who was lovedthe most by Moon. The Moon was indifferenttowards the rest of his wives which annoyedthem. They complained to their father regard-ing Moon’s indifference towards them. Daksha

New ideas will come toyou. Maintain contact withgood personalities. Therewill be profits. Enemies willbe overcome. Showgratitude towards friends.

Lucky colour: Blue

Do not be greedy. Also,do not wallow in self-pity.Keep hopes high. Proveyourself at every chanceyou get. Do not mindwhat others say aboutyou.

Lucky colour: Red

You will successfullyfinish assigned tasks.Seniors will praise you.There may be a crush onsomeone close. Do notlet yourself be blinded byromance.

Lucky colour: Red


14 ASTROLOGY

YOURWEEKAHEAD

Do not be too open ortoo critical. You may bethe central figure inparties and publicgatherings. Rise abovestress and express yoursoft side to others.

Lucky colour: Pink

The person you like may not

reciprocate likewise. Be gentle with

yourself. There will be occasions to

display your skills. Turn challenges

into chances. Lucky colour: White

then reprimanded Moon andasked him to change his atti-tude towards others. Despitethis Moon’s attitude towards hisother wives did not change andhe began ignoring them. SeeingMoon’s obstinance in obeyingDaksha’s request, Daksha thencursed Moon that he woulddecrease in his size and bright-ness and would slowly lead tohis end. Thus began the phaseof Krishna Paksha.

What is Shukla Paksha?

We call the period from theNew Moon (Amavasya) to theFull Moon (Poornima) ShuklaPaksha. In other words, theShukla Paksha period isdescribed as the period of thewaxing moon or the brightmoon. When Shukla Pakshaends with the full moon, we seethe brightest and fullest Moonin the sky. Shukla in Sanskritmeans bright. It is also one of

the names of Lord Vishnu. TheShukla Paksha lasts for 15 dayswith every single day com-memorating a festival or event.These 15 days are calledAmavasya, Pratipada, Dwitiya,Tritiya, Chaturthi, Panchami,Shashti, Saptami, Ashtami,Navami, Dashami, Ekadashi,Dwadashi, Trayodashi, andChaturdashi.The legend behind ShuklaPaksha

After Daksha Prajapaticursed Moon, he began to fadeand near his end. To seek arelease from the curse, Moonworshipped Lord Shiva andperformed a strict penance fora long time. Pleased withMoon’s penance, Lord Shivaplaced him on his hair. Withthe blessings of Lord Shiva, themoon started regaining itsbrightness; however, the curseof Daksha could not bestopped and hence the cycle of

waxing and waning of themoon was divided into 15 dayseach. Thus, Moon began itsphases from Shukla Paksha toKrishna Paksha and vice versa.

Which Paksha is consid-ered auspicious?

In terms of lunar illumina-tion and energy, Shukla pakshais favourable for conductingauspicious ceremonies andevents, while Krishna Paksha isunfavourable. Therefore, anywork conducted during theShukla Paksha reaches a suc-cessful completion as opposedto those commenced duringthe Krishna Paksha.

Occasions like marriage, andother auspicious rituals such ashousewarming, house con-structions, etc. are thus per-formed during the ShuklaPaksha.

Astrologically, the periodbetween the tenth day of

Shukla Paksha and the fifth dayof Krishna paksha is auspi-cious. During this time, themoon's energy is at its peak,and this is crucial in predictingthe auspicious and inauspicioustimings or Muhurtas.

A Shukla paksha begins withthe new moon and ends withthe full moon, while Krishnapaksha begins with the newmoon and ends with the fullmoon.

Ekadashi Dates forShukla Paksha andKrishna Paksha

Ekadashi is considered a sig-nificant fast worshipping LordVishnu and is observed twicein a month, one during theShukla Paksha and the secondduring the Krishna Paksha.Given below are the ShuklaPaksha and Krishna PakshaEkadashi dates for the year2022.

A PEEK INTO THE

LUNAR PHASES

Don't feel embarrassed aboutyour emotions. Be calm whiledealing with dear and nearones. This will make youefficient. Friends will supportyou.

Lucky colour: Green

You will be energetic andrestless. Luck will favouryou in every step youtake. Don't mind if friendsshun you. Keep workingand success will beyours.

Lucky colour: White

Restrain your selfish instincts.Keep emotions in check. Hurtingothers will only hurt yourself. Tryto enjoy the beauty around youand remain calm.

Lucky colour: White

There may be manyenjoyable moments.There may be moneyproblems too, but donot overlook yourfamily. Maintaincontact with goodpeople.

Lucky colour: Red

Watch out forunsolicited romance.Do not feel insecure.Practice meditationto keep spirits high.Think beforespeaking your mind.Help others.

Lucky colour: Yellow

You may becomenervous. Everything willseem to be in disarray.Take a break, sit backand relax. Embraceyour uniqueness. Thiswill bring merits.

Lucky colour: Green

Maintain opencommunication inrelations. Do not letthings degrade. Facesituations calmly.Spend quality time withdear ones. Keep ego incheck.

Lucky colour: Blue

T

15

SUNDAY, JULY 17, 2022 ROUND-UP

GLOBE TROTGLOBE TROT

he widespread outrage over filmmak-er Leena Manimekalai's depiction ofGoddess Kali as a smoking deity inher documentary Kaali and TMCMP Mahua Moitra's subsequent

complimentary and complementary statementdescribing Kali as a meat-eating, alcohol-accept-ing Goddess are the latest examples of 'local'blasphemy gone awry. The saving grace is that,unlike in the case of former BJP nationalspokesperson Nupur Sharma's incendiary com-ments on Prophet Muhammad that had attract-ed international condemnation necessitatingNew Delhi's abject apology, these Kali-relatedblasphemous acts, relatively speaking, werechota mota with limited and localised damage.This is so, thanks to the differing perception ofblasphemy per se in Hinduism, Islam,Christianity and other religions as well as thebewildering diversity of laws con-cerning blasphemy and apostacy invarious countries.Blasphemy is defined as speech oractions considered to be contemp-tuous of God or of people orobjects considered sacred. It impliesprofane talk or the act or offenceof speaking sacrilegiously aboutGod. A person is naturally hurtwhenever something he holdssacred is defiled or desecrated. It ismorally wrong to hurt the religious sensibilitiesof others. Whether it endangers peace and har-mony of society is a different matter. Therefore,the freedom to profess, practise and preach one'sreligion is provided in the Constitution for all,including minority groups, in most countries. According to a Pew Research Center analysis, 79countries and territories out of the 198 studiedaround the world (40%) had laws or policies in2019 banning blasphemy. Twenty-two countries(11%) had laws against apostasy (the act ofabandoning one's faith). These laws were mostcommon in the Middle Eastand North Africa, where 18of the 20 countries (90%)in the region have lawscriminalising blasphemyand 13 of them (65%) out-law apostasy. Blasphemy lawswere on the books in 2019 in all five globalregions covered by the analysis, including 18countries in sub-Saharan Africa, 17 in the Asia-Pacific region, 14 in Europe, and 12 in theAmericas. Most of the countries with apostasylaws were in the Middle East-North Africaregion (13). Seven were in the Asia-Pacificregion, and two in sub-Saharan Africa. As of2019, there were no apostasy laws in existence inEurope or the Americas. Penalties for apostacyvary depending on the country. In Algeria, peo-ple who convert from Islam to another religioncannot receive inheritances. In 2019, Bruneiimplemented a law that allows death sentencesfor apostasy from Islam. However, among the 79 countries that crimi-nalised blasphemy, penalties varied widely, fromfines to prison sentences and in some cases lash-ings and execution. In Afghanistan, Brunei, Iran,Mauritania, Nigeria, Pakistan and Saudi Arabiaviolations of blasphemy laws can attract deathpenalty. Historically speaking, from the 17th centuryonwards blasphemy has become less and less ofa secular crime. There have not been any blas-phemy prosecutions in the United States since

1969. The last blasphemy prosecution inEngland was in 1977. In India, the 42nd

Amendment laid down the Fundamental Dutieswhich every Indian citizen is supposed to follow.It added the word 'secular' in the Preamble tothe Constitution, proclaiming India as a secularcountry. Alongside this concept of secularism,there also exists a section in the Indian PenalCode that places a restriction on such practice.Section 295A (deliberate and malicious acts,intended to outrage religious feelings of any classby insulting its religion or religious beliefs) is acognisable, non-bailable, and non-compound-able offence. It penalises insult to any religion.The punishment for such insult is imprisonmentup to three years and fines for any insult or slurmade with deliberate and malicious intent ofoutraging the modesty or religious beliefs andsentiments of any citizen in India. This insult

could be in the form of writing orspeech. Section 295A criminalisesonly those acts that are intentional aswell as malicious in nature. This lati-tude in the law has ensured that blas-phemous acts in India, except thoseconcerning Prophet Muhammad,are treated even by courts with kidgloves. This explains why, after a fewweeks of public protests and expertdebates over the scale of irreverencemirrored by blasphemous acts with-

in the country, the whole issue dies down everytime. Be it MF Hussain's sacrilegious paintingsdepicting Hindu Gods and Goddesses, door-mats with images of Hindu Gods that sold onAmazon, or Dravidian social reformer E.V.Ramaswamy Naicker's public destruction ofGanesha idols, the resultant outrage and damagewere local and limited to small geographiesbecause they all involved Hindu deities. It appears that the impact of blasphemy tran-scends borders only if it involves ProphetMuhammad. The violence that erupted follow-

ing the publication of Salman Rushdie's TheSatanic Verses in 1988, some of author

Taslima Nasreen's writings, thejihadist strikes that followed the pub-lication of certain cartoons by The

Jyllands-Posten in Denmark in 2005,and the 2015 slaughter in Paris triggered by

the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo belong tothis category. Blasphemous acts concerningProphet Muhammad have always had cross-border, far-reaching and multinational impacts,though many Islamic scholars agree thatMuslims wrongly assert that death or otherharsh measures are the only possible punish-ments for those who commit blasphemy. Thisbelief is erroneous according to both the Quranand the Sunnah. For, blasphemy is condemnedon moral and ethical grounds, but no physicalpunishment is prescribed for it in Islam.Amidst all this, the most worrying trend inIndia now is the use of blasphemy laws to putdown all forms of dissent and debate, exceptthose that are palatable to the ruling dispensa-tion at the Centre and in those states where itswrit runs. The quintessence of this trend is therecent arrest in Assam of Birinchi Bora, who,attired like Lord Shiva, and supported by afemale co-actor adorned as Parvati, appeared ina play that parodied the rise in prices under theNarendra Modi government. Given the politicalcharge in the play, its videos went viral, attract-ing blasphemy charge!

MURALI RAMASWAMY

Senior JJournalist

LIGHT THEESKO

Skipper Rohit Sharma on Tuesday roaredback to form with a brilliant half-century inthe first One Day International (ODI)

against England at The Oval in London.However, during the match, one of his trademarkpull and hook shots struck a young fan in thestands, which halted the game for a few minuteswhile she was attended by the medical team ofthe England cricket team. After the shot, thebroadcaster showed visuals of a man holding akid in his arms. Commentators also said that theball, which landed in the stands, had hit the kid.Once the game resumed, Rohit Sharma contin-ued his onslaught on the English bowlers as Indiathrashed England by 10 wickets in the first of thethree-match series in London. Now, a photo ofRohit Sharma meeting the kid has gone viral

online. According to a social media post, theIndian skipper met the girl, identified as 6-year-old Meera Salvi, after the match and apparentlygave her a chocolate.

While admitting to a “fragile” food sit-uation in his country, Pakistan’sPlanning and Development

Minister Ahsan Iqbal has thrown a warningthat India’s policies in Kashmir could have“potentially catastrophic consequences” fromanother conflict.

“If the tensions created by India’s currentpolicies in occupied Kashmir and aggres-sive postures are left unattended, it couldlead to another conflict in the region withpotentially catastrophic consequences,” hewarned at a news conference here onWednesday.

Listing a host of complaints about India’streatment of the union territory, he said, “I

emphasise the need to resolve the Jammuand Kashmir dispute in accordance withthe resolutions of the Security Council andthe wishes of the people of Jammu andKashmir.”

Ex-finance minister Rishi Sunak, thefavourite to become Britain’s nextprime minister, kicked off his cam-

paign on Tuesday promising “honesty”, inan increasingly testy and divisive battle tosucceed Boris Johnson. An initial 11 candi-dates put their names forward to becomeleader of the governing Conservative Partyand Britain’s next premier after Johnsonwas forced to say he would step downwhen support drained from him over aseries of scandals.

Only those who get nominations from20 of their 358 Conservative colleagues inparliament on Tuesday will go forward tothe first vote on Wednesday. The field willbe then be quickly whittled down a finaltwo, with Conservative Party membersmaking the final decision.

Transport minister Grant Shappsbecame the first to end his bid, throwinghis support behind Sunak, whose resigna-tion helped provoke the revolt by ministersand Conservative lawmakers that forcedJohnson to say he would resign last week.

Blasphemy: Bewildering varietyand varying impacts

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Pak minister warn ofconflict with India

Rohit Sharma meets the kidwho got hit by his six

Rishi Sunak launches UKPrime Minister bid

BJP vs TRS - Daily Pioneer

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