India First Redesign Option

3India First | April 18-24, 2009

2

FROM THE EDITOR’S DESK

Orissa borders on the Bay of Bengal. The eastern part,close to the sea is more prosperous, with a lot of touristlocations and religious places. The western part is a

hilly and forested area, generally drought prone. It is a pre-dominantly tribal belt. However, the western part of the statecontains enormous volumes of iron ore and other mineralsthat promises to herald a major industrialisation of the state.

It is a culturally rich state. The Bhubaneswar-Puri-Konarkgolden triangle is the pride of the state.

Traditionally, Orissa descended from the historical king-dom of Kalinga. The script for the Oriya language derives fromthe Kalinga script which is one of thedescendants of the Brahmi script.Orissa is well-known for handicrafts.Sambalpuri and Kataki sarees in hand-spun cotton and silk or tussar, havetraditional Hindu and Buddhistdesigns on them. There is filigree workin silver that you will find in Kataka.You will also find fine tribal work inbrass and other metal-wire. Pattachitrais traditional painting on palm-leaf orraw silk.

Eat the rasagullas from the dhabasor the little snack stores set in freeways,it comes in yellow white and browncolor and are very delicious. Taste chena pod, another tradi-tional sweet-meat from Orissa. If you enjoy spicy food andused to Indian cuisine, you can try out the local Oriya cuisinmade out of Sea food (like Fish, tiger prawns and crab curryprepared with exotic spices). Its a foodie's paradise.

There are several good hotels in Bhubaneswar, such asTrident Hilton, Hotel Mayfair, and Hotel Swosti Plaza. You canalso get decent accommodation at the [OTDC] hotels all overthe state in tourist locations. In the smaller towns, try and stayin the Forest Bungalows or Inspection Bungalows, mostly runfor government officials on tour, but provided to others whenvacant. The people of Orissa are known for their hospitality. Itis largely peaceful( Till date, their has never been any largescale violence on communal grounds), and the society is verytolerant and accepting towards other cultures. However, theState, for reasons historical, economic and political,hasremained isolated from the country's mainstream and hencehas not been able to take in it's stride the tremendrousprogress the Indian people have achieved in all spheres,including those the social sphere.

(Sanjay Hans)

Editor & PublisherSanjay Hans

Consulting EditorKG Sreenivas

Associate EditorsPrashant K Nanda

Aroonim Bhuyan

Senior CorrespondentByomakesh Biswal (Bhubaneswar)

CorrespondentsUpendra Panda (Jajpur); Siba Tripathy(Phulabni); Naresh Patnaik (Keonjhar);

RL Patnaik (Gajapati); HrusikesMohanty (Berhampur); Kanhu Nanda(Jagatsinghpur); Saroj Mishra (Puri);

Sukant Sahu (Baripada); SumanMohanty (Cuttack); Basant Rath

(Nabrangpur); Ajit Nayak (Sambalpur);Satya Patnaik (Koraput); Sunil

Panda (Boudh); Suvendu R Mohaptra(Bhadrak); Rajkapoor Barik

(Nuapada); Manoj Kar (Kendrapara);Sanjit Sahu (Redhakhol); Arabinda

Panda (Salepur); Srijay Baral(Konark); Ratnakar Dash (Malkangiri);

Satish Sharma (Rourkela)

News EditorAninda Dey

Copy DeskNandini Banerjee, Bijaya K Das,

Anindya Rai Verman, Anil Varghese

Art DirectorShajan C Kumar

Design TeamMithun Mukherjee, Ashok Kumar,

Kuldeep Malkoti, Inderjeet Chaddha

Editorial & Marketing Offices4th floor, Lalchand Market Complex,

Station Square, Unit-3, Bhubaneswar-1, Orissa.

Marketing & SalesPramode Kishore MohantyOffice: 2373454, [email protected]

Printed and Published by Sanjay Hans

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Printex, 442, Saheed Nagar,Bhubaneswar.

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Your story on Rahul Gandhi, TakingCharge (April 17), was a refreshingread. Not just because it was wellwritten and researched, but also,for the first time, an inheritor of apolitical legacy — unlike so manywho have come and gone — seemsto put it to some good use.

—Abhinav Anand, Bhubaneswar

If Saturn was just exalted, onewould always take the easy way outand be more diplomatic in general.Retrograde Saturn is a little moreskeptical and slow and gains morethrough obstacles/disruptionrather than a building process.Retrograde exalted Saturn is astrong placement but it gives slowresults over a longer period of time,in comparison to a direct exaltedSaturn. Saturn will work morestrongly in one's advanced.

—Amith Rahul, Kattak, Orissa

Whenever I see the games Pakistanand the US play vis-a-vis terrorismin India, I think of a Kannadaproverb—”Nee sattante maadu, naaattante maadteeni ( You pretendlike dead, I pretend like crying).”

—Ram Shankar Sha, Chala

Saturn’s Navamsa placement inCapricorn gives it a rigid spine andstrong material inclinations. Itmakes it a worldly planet. In a wayit can be seen as a corporate place-ment. Saturn is in Cancer with Ketuin the Nakshatramsha and gives it asoft under belly from a pastlife,dedicated to homely/maternalissues. It works by being receptiveto other’s needs. Saturn is in aShashtiamsha called Lakshmisha

meaning Lord of Laxmi (wealth).This makes it a good financial plan-et which promises financial gainsin its periods.

—Ram Shankar Sha, Kattak

If you read my book on the LunarNodes you will find that eventhough Rahu is debilitated inSaggitarius it has the capacity togive good results because Rahunever does in Jupiter's sign.

—Ram Shankar Sha, Bhubaneswar

Try to mix the pada lords with theNakshatra lords like you would mixthe energies of two planets in con-junction. For example if Venus is in fourth pada of Ardra, than Rahu-Jupiter (Pisces mode) conjunctionsort of energy would be relayed by Venus will make things work in abetter way.

—Harshita Choudhary,•Mukthimarg

If you read my book on the LunarNodes you will find that eventhough Rahu is debilitated inSaggitarius it has the capacity togive good results because Rahunever does in Jupiter’s sign.

—Ram Shankar Sha, Bhubaneswar

We should also remember that itwas his rath yatra that started themarginalising of the Muslim com-munity, starting with the attack onthe Babri Masjid in 1992. As homeminister, he did not inspire muchconfidence. Instead of lposignthose questions, he should beanswering them himself

—Aitha, Bhubaneswar

MAIL OF THE WEEK

“‘Team RG’ sounds as impressive as the BJP’s‘India Shining’ campaign. I hope it is not all-pomp-no-substance yet again”

S•Mahapatra, Bhubaneswar

Send in your feedback to:The EditorIndian FirstBhubaneswar, Orissaemail: [email protected]

Here, for the right reasons

““A period of retreat is coming to an end. If you have been ableto get away from it allmuch the better but if you have.

—Amith Rahul, Cuttack, Orissa

ContentsCOVER STORY

Under the Scanner8

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18

54

56

IF X-Rays the 157 candidates in the fray forthe 21 Lok Sabha seats in Orissa to find therichest and poorest, the most educated andthe least, those with outstanding loans andcriminals seeking electoral sanction

POLITICS18 Professional Touch

From engineers to MBAs to bankers toeye surgeons, a lot of young profession-als with little political experience arestanding in the 2009 elections.

BUSINESS28 India Inc’s Wishlist

Hit by a demand slowdown and overallmeltdown in the global economy, IndiaInc has its wishlist ready for the nextgovernment with sector-specific policyreforms and tax sops.

CAREER34 Say it with flowers

Floriculture is one of the fastest growingindustries in India with enormousemployment opportunities. Bestowedwith diverse soil and climatic conditions,India is the perfect garden to grow awide variety of flowers.

.

CINEMA42 ‘Ollywood needs NROs’

Former superstar Aparajita Mohantyfeels the need for marketing Oriya films outside the state, among non-resident Oriyas.

SPORTS 54 Movers in checkers

Padmini Rout started making her moveswhen she was nine. Now, a formidablechess player in the junior internationalcategory, she is confident of winning theGrand Master title in three years.

FEATURE56 Second Home

Yoga centres, ayurvedic spas, eateriesserving Indian food. The Hindu-majorityIndonesian island of Bali is a secondhome for Indian tourists.

AND MUCH MORE

5India First | April 18-24, 2009 4 India First | April 18-24, 2009

16 Orissa Scan30 Business capsule 38 Science and health53 Books & Ideas 58 Travel 61 Astrology 62 Newsmakers

6 India First | April 18- 24, 2009

KNOW YOUR STATE | FILM AND TELEVISION INSTITUTE

By Byomakesh Biswal

With an array of high-tech equipment andexpertise needed, film-making is an expensive

art to pursue. The Biju Patnaik Filmand Television Institute of Orissa,ever since its inception in 1998, hassucceeded in making the art a littlemore affordable.

At a reasonable fee, students getto work with the most sophisticatedequipment, making the institute

perhaps one of the cheapest filmschools of its kind in the world.

A cinematography course wasbeing offered by BhubananandaOrissa School of Engineering(BOSE) before some generousassistance from the World Bankpaved the way for the setting up ofthe institute. Although the insti-tute is still housed inside BOSE,located in Cuttack, it has beendeclared autonomous.

Comprising separate televisionand film wings, it has video and film

editing facilities, studios for recordingmusic and dubbing, and top-of-the-line cameras. It has churned out finevideo editors, sound engineers andcamera persons — some of whomhave made a mark in Bollywood.

In a short time, the institute hasmade a name for its academic rigour,exhaustive curriculum and hands-on training. It is the ideal destinationfor Oriyas who aspire to pick up essential skills in film-making butcannot afford to venture outside the state.

MILESTONES

AWARD

Supreme Court Judge Arijit Pasayatreceived the prestigious Kalinga RatnaAward for the year 2009 on April 11.Governor Muralidhar ChandrakantBhandare honoured him at the 28thannual function of the Sarala SahityaSansad at Sarala Bhawan, Cuttack. The award consists of a silver bust ofgoddess Sarala, a bronze plaque and a citation.

RECORD

By sheer determination, Bijaya KumarMohapatra, 40, has fulfilled his dream ofrecording his name in the Limca Book ofRecords for publishing a magazine in 60languages. Mohapatra set off on themarathon effort in 1990 with the publica-tion of Suna Bhauni in Oriya and subsequently the Loving Sister inEnglish in 1992. He was undeterred by financial difficulties.

HONOUR

Padma Bhotra, a tribal woman whobelongs to Devla village in Nabrangpur,is the brain behind a self-help group(SHG) that provides employment towomen. Members of the SHG areinvolved in farming and marketing theirproduce in market. For her selfless ded-ication, Padma has won severalawards, including the Best Volunteer ofthe Year award from the United Nations.

MECCA OF MOVIEMAKINGMECCA OF MOVIEMAKING

98 India First | April 18-24, 2009

COVER STORY

By Jatindra Dash

Orissa is almost a metaphorfor poverty, but many ofthose who seek to rule itare far from poor. Most of

its 21 Lok Sabha constituencies hasat least one millionaire in the fray inthe ongoing elections, with someboasting of several. A survey hasrevealed that as many as 27 of the157 candidates taking a shot at aParliament seat are self-declaredmillionaires, and dozens more arenear-millionaires. The survey, car-ried out by the Orissa wing ofNational Election Watch, alsoreveals that the dismally poor haveperhaps now realised the impor-tance of political power. The sixpoorest candidates have zero assets–– both immovable and movable.(See Box: 5 Richest… & Poorest)

While the focus of the survey ison matters financial, including theoutstanding loans against candi-dates, it also categorises them interms of education, caste and crimi-nal records, throwing up interestingfindings.

But first, a look at the richest andpoorest. Former Congress party MPand Biju Janata Dal (BJD) candidatefrom Puri, Pinaki Mishra, clocks inas the richest candidate. The affi-davit he has filed with the ElectionCommission records that he has

moveable assets worth Rs 65 lakhand immovable assets of Rs 29.04crore, taking his total wealth to animpressive Rs 29.69 crore. His assetsinclude Rs 4 lakh in cash, Rs 27 lakhin bank deposits and shares worthover Rs 6 lakh in at least four com-panies. He also owns a HyundaiTerracan SUV, a Mercedes Benzworth Rs 15 lakh and jewelleryworth Rs 7 lakh.

Dhananjaya Sidhu, the Congressparty candidate in the Keonjhar LokSabha constituency, is the secondrichest, with moveable assets of Rs12.67 lakh and immovable assetsworth Rs. 26.9 crore, taking his totalworth to Rs 27.03 crore. Sidhu has abank balance of Rs 6 lakh and main-tains only Rs 30,000 in cash. Heowns land and buildings worth

more than Rs 21 crore.Coming in third is industrialist

and BJD candidate for theKendrapada Lok Sabha seat,Baijayant ‘Jay’ Panda. He has totalassets of Rs 17.75 crore. The assetsof the 45-year-old Panda, an engi-neering and management degreeholder from Michigan University,include agricultural land worth Rs 2crore, non-agricultural land worthRs 1.4 crore and buildings worth Rs3.88 crore. He also has fixed depositsof nearly Rs 70 lakh, besides bonds,debentures and shares in about 17companies. The worth of theseassets is about Rs 6 crore.

Joining these three in the Top 10Richest Candidates Club areBikaram Keshari Deo, the BharatiyaJanata Party (BJP) candidate fromKalahandi, the place most famouslyassociated with Orissa’s poverty,starvation and backwardness,Bhartruhari Mahatab (BJD, Cuttack),Sangeeta Kumari Singh Deo (BJP,Bolangir), Nityananda Pradhan(BJD, Aska), Kalikesh Narayan Singh

India First X-Rays the 157 candidates in the fray forthe 21 Lok Sabha seats in Orissa to find the richestand poorest, the most educated and the least, theoldest and the youngest, those with outstandingloans and criminals seeking electoral sanction

Deo (BJD, Bolangir), SurendraKumar Agarwal (Ind, Bargarh), andDr Gopal Chandra Kar (BahujanSamaj Party, BSP, Cuttack). (See Boxfor details)

What is common to most mem-bers of the Top 10 RichestCandidates Club is that they eitherhave huge landed properties orpalatial buildings –– or both. Forinstance, Mishra, a top notchSupreme Court lawyer who quit theCongress last month to join ChiefMinister Naveen Patnaik’s BJD, haslanded properties and buildings val-ued at more than Rs 25 crore inBhubaneswar and Delhi.

If you take the Top 20 richest can-didates, the BJD boasts of six in thelist, while the Congress has five, theBSP –– Uttar Pradesh Chief MinisterMayawati’s party that claims to rep-resent the poorest of the poor –– hasthree, the BJP 2, the SamajwadiParty of Mulayam Singh Yadav one,and independents two.

But expand the list to the Top 100richest candidates, and the Congress

party steals a march over the BJDand leads with 21 –– that is, all itscandidates figure in the list. The BJP,too, overtakes the BJD, with 17 of its21 candidates in the Top 100, whilethe BJD has 15 of its 18 in the list. Asmany as 14 independents figure inthe list, and the BSP chips in with asignificant 11.

The number of millionaires in thefray is disquieting for many, and apointer to the role money plays inan election even in a state as poor asOrissa. Says Ranjan Mohanty, theconvenor of Orissa Election Watch(OEW): “It is, in fact, scandalous.And these are only their declaredassets. I am sure that the number ofactual millionaires contesting ismore than double the number thatis in our list.”

Interestingly, however, when yougo to the other end of the spectrum,not a single candidate from thethree main parties –– the Congress,the BJD or the BJP –– figures in theBottom 10 Poorest Candidates Club,or even the Bottom 20 list. Among

5RICHEST...RICHEST...

...& POOREST...& POOREST

1. Pinaki Mishra Constituency: Puri, Party: BJDMovable Assets: Rs 65,00,000 Immovable Assets: Rs 29,04,00,000Total Assets: Rs 29 crore+

2. Dhananjay SidhuConstituency: Keonjhar, Party: INCMovable Assets: Rs 12,67,000Immovable Assets: Rs 26,90,61,258Total Assets: Rs 27• crore+

3. Baijayant PandaConstituency: Kendrapara, Party: BJDMovable Assets: Rs 10,47,53,630Immovable Assets: Rs 7,28,00,000Total Assets: Rs 17• crore+

4. Bikram Keshari DeoConstituency: Kalahandi, Party: BJPMovable Assets: Rs1,05,92,000Immovable Assets: Rs 4,22,00,000Total Assets: Rs 5• crore+

5. Bhartruhari MahatabConstituency: Cuttack, Party: BJDMovable Assets: Rs. 1,75,55,909Immovable Assets: Rs. 3,35,17,952Total Assets: Rs 5• crore+

1. Jerum DungdungConstituency: Sundargarh, Party: BSPMovable Assets: 0, Immovable Assets: 0Total Assets: 0

2. Debasis Ranjan DashConstituency: Balasore, Party:Samrudha Orissa Movable Assets: 0,Immovable Assets: 0 Total Assets: 0

3. Debananda SinghConstituency: Cuttack, Party: INDMovable Assets: 0, Immovable Assets: 0Total Assets: 0

4. Pravakar NayakConstituency: Kendrapara, Party:Kalinga Sena Movable Assets: 0,Immovable Assets: 0 Total Assets: 0

5. Bibhuti Bhusan MajhiConstituency:Jagatsinghpur, Party:BSP Movable Assets: 0, ImmovableAssets: 0 Total Assets: 0

See next page for the next 15 richestand poorest candidates

UNDER THESCANNER

The Congress, BJDand BJP dominate

the list of the Top 20richest candidates.

But not one of theirLok Sabha aspirants

figure in the list of the 20 poorest

candidates

India First | April 18-24, 2009

the fray –– that is the loans, etc, theyhave taken from banks and othergovernment and non-governmentallending institutions. The list isheaded by Yashbanta Narain Laguri,the BJD candidate from Keonjhar,who has liabilities of Rs 1.5 crore,and Surendra Kumar Agarwal, anindependent from Bargarh, whoseliabilities top Rs 1.43 crore. Theother 18 people on the list have lia-bilities of between Rs 49 lakh and Rs8 lakh. Happily, though, as many as

92 of the 157 candidates owe nomoney to any institution.

OEW’s survey is worrying when itcomes to the criminality of candi-dates. Of course, active politiciansoften get embroiled in petty casesas part of their street-level activism.Which is why the OEW has made adistinction over those charged withwhat it terms “serious IPC counts”.These include crimes ranging fromwaging a war against the country, toassaulting the President or theGovernor, to sedition, bribery, rape,adulteration, etc.

As many as 33 –– about 21 per-cent –– of the candidates contestingin the ongoing elections to the LokSabha in the state have some kindof criminal case lodged againstthem –– as many as 70 cases in all.Twenty of them have been chargedon “serious IPC•counts” –– althoughwhat these charges are has not beenmentioned. The Top Five amongthem are Sangeeta KumariSinghdeo (BJP, Bolangir), who isaccused in three cases; SudamMarandi (JMM, Mayurbhanj), whois accused in two cases; PrafullaKumar Sahu (Republican Party ofIndia-Athreya, Bhubaneswar), twocases; Arun Dey (NationalistCongress Party, Balasore), two cases;and Jnandev Beura (BJP,Kendrapara), two cases.

Interestingly, Tathagata Satpathy(BJD, Dhenkanal), a media baron,

the poorest 20 candidates, seven areindependents, and four are fromthe BSP. The Kalinga Sena chips inwith three and the Jharkhand MuktiMorcha (JMM) with two.

The six poorest candidates havedeclared in their affidavits to theElection Commission that they havenil assets –– zilch, nothing. Theybelong to the BSP (2), the newly-

floated Samrudha Orissa (1), theKalinga Sena (1), and independents(2). In fact, the Bottom 25 candi-dates have no immovable assets todeclare — that is no land or flat orhouse. Babuli Mallik of the OrissaMukti Morcha (OMM), at No. 20,has Rs 55,000 as moveable assets.

OEW has also compiled a list ofthe liabilities of the candidates in

11India First | April 18-24, 200910 India First | April 18-24, 2009

PASS OR FAIL

◆ There are only 2 PhDsin the fray among the 157 candidates for the 21 Lok Sabha seats

◆ The honours go to 61-year-old Dr KishoreChandra Maharana (Ind)from the Berhampur constituency and the 54-year-old Dr HamidHusain (BJD) fromBargarh

◆ Graduates form thebiggest chunk of candi-dates – 60 of the 157, followed by post-gradu-ates at 34

◆ As many as 44 candidates have not gone beyond school

◆ There are two candi-dates who are just 5thpass, and 2 who have notgone beyond 8th grade

◆ The number of professionals in the fray isrising, up to 11 comparedto the single digit in the 2004 election

GETTING YOUNGER

◆ Average age of candidates is 49.3 years

◆ Average age of candi-dates of the three majorparties is higher

◆ BJD fields more elderstatesmen: average age of52.9; for the Congress it is52.4 years, and BJP 50.8

◆ Independents are younger than party candi-dates: average age of 47.6

◆ There are 10 candidates in their 20s. Two are just26: Ajit Kumar Nayak (IND,Kandhamal) and UpendraMajhi (BJP, Koraput)

◆ The oldest candidate, at80, is Kshitish Biswal of theCommunist Party of India-Marxist-Leninist (Liberation)

◆ The bulk of the candi-dates are in their 40s, fol-lowed by those in the 50s

Rank Name Constituency Party Moveable Immovable Total

Assets (Rs) Assets (Rs) Assets (Rs)6 Sangeeta Kumari Singdeo Bolangir BJP 1,30,17,379 3,26,71,425 4,56,88,804

7 Nityananda Pradhan Aska BJD 32,56,692 2,30,90,000 2,63,46,692

8 Kalikesh Narayan Singh Deo Bolangir BJD 2,59,88,172 0 2,59,88,172

9 Surendra Kumar Agrawal Bargarh IND 1,89,73,514 0 1,89,73,514

10 Dr. Gopal Chandra Kar Cuttack BSP 1,27,91,963 45,80,000 1,73,71,963

11 Jual Oram Sundargarh BJP 73,11,470 97,00,000 1,70,11,470

12 Santosh Mohanty Bhubaneswar INC 5,14,109 1,64,54,000 1,69,68,109

13 Balhansagar Bolangir BSP 9,35,000 1,60,00,000 1,69,35,000

14 Domburu Majhi Nabarangpur BJD 2,40,000 1,62,15,000 1,64,55,000

15 Rabindra Kumar Sethy Jagatsinghpur INC 44,10,000 1,04,00,000 1,48,10,000

16 Ranjib Biswal Kendrapara INC 75,33,261 65,37,750 1,40,71,011

17 Nakul Nayak Kandhamal SP 21,52,576 1,13,31,500 1,34,84,076

18 Narasingha Mishra Bolangir INC 59,80,984 64,50,000 1,24,30,984

19 Chita Ranjan Munda Keonjhar IND 3,00,000 1,20,70,000 1,23,70,000

20 Papanna Mutika Koraput BSP 70,000 1,22,00,000 1,22,70,000

... Next 15 in the Top 20 Rich-listRank Name Constituency Party Moveable Immovable Total

Assets (Rs) Assets (Rs) Assets (Rs)6 Akshya Kumar Mohanty Bhubaneswar BSP 0 0 0

7 Susanta Kumar Jena Bhadrak IND 500 0 500

8 Arun Jena Balasore JMM 3,000 0 3,000

9 Pabitra Gamango Berhampur BSP 4,500 0 4,500

10 Lachhaman Majhi Keonjhar JMM 10,000 0 10,000

11 Udayanath Jena Jajpur IND 10,000 0 10,000

12 Basanta Kumar Behera Bhubaneswar KS 14,600 0 14,600

13 Prafulla Kumar Sahu Bhubaneswar RPIA 15,000 0 15,000

14 Pravat Kumar Barapanda Puri IND 25,000 0 25,000

15 Pramila Behera Bhubaneswar IND 25,368 0 25,368

16 Bijayananda Mishra Bhubaneswar LJP 26,800 0 26,800

17 Narendra Hansda Mayurbhanj IND 32,000 0 32,000

18 Ajit Kumar Nayak Kandhamal IND 35,500 0 35,500

19 Babuli Mallik Jajpur OMM 50,000 0 50,000

20 Priyabrata Garnaik Dhenkanal KS 55,000 0 55,000

... Next 15 in the Bottom 20 Poor-list

Election officials at a polling booth during the first phase of elections on April16. Ten of 21 Orissa Lok Sabha and 70 of 147 Assembly seats saw polling.

are inspired by Chief MinisterPatnaik, a man whose personalintegrity –– or erudition –– is notin doubt. They would like to seemore people like him enter thepolitical arena. Unfortunatelythough, Patnaik, who is contestingfrom the Hinjili Assembly constituency, has to live with therealities of contesting elections inIndia. As he told his erstwhilepartner of 11 years, the BJP,winnablity is the ultimate test in ademocracy. And the sad fact is thatmost often, it is the man with themoney and the muscle –– and notnecessarily the educated and erudite –– who are capable of win-ning at the hustings.


has the largest number of cases reg-istered against him –– 13. However,none of them fall in the category of“serious IPC•counts”. Presumably,they are related to his newspaper,Dharitri, the second-largest Oriyalanguage daily.

In party terms, the BJP takes thelead among the 33 candidates withone or the other criminal casesagainst them. Ten of its candidatesfigure in the list, while six Congressnominees and five from the BJDalso find themselves in it.

All these candidates have, ofcourse, only been charged so far.None of them have been convicted.Under Indian election laws, onlycriminals convicted in crimes thatattract a jail term of at least threeyears are actually barred from con-testing elections.

However, Gobind Narain Agarwal,a political analyst and advocate inBhubaneswar, is all for more strin-gent action against candidates withserious charges against them.“Given the fact that the legal systemprocesses cases in such a slow man-ner, even those who have beencharged with serious crimes wouldperhaps serve three or four terms inthe Lok Sabha before they are actu-ally convicted –– if ever,” he says.According to him, there should becertain crimes –– the really seriousones –– where even those who havebeen only charged should be barredfrom contesting elections.

If the presence of those withcriminal cases is a worry, so is thelack of quality education amongthose who seek to represent theirpeople in the Lok Sabha. There areonly two PhDs in the fray among the 157 candidates –– 61-year-old DrKishore Chandra Maharana, anindependent contesting from theBerhampur constituency, and the 54-year-old Dr. Hamid Husain, theBJD candidate from Bargarh.

Although graduates form thebiggest chunk of candidates — 60 ofthe 157, followed by post-graduatesat 34 — the really worrying part isthat as many as 26 candidates havenot gone beyond 10th standard, and18 others have not studied beyong12th standard. Two candidates have,in fact, not studied beyond class 2,

while two others made it only so faras class 5.

“This is a sad reflection of thekind of people politics is attracting.We need more educated peoplekeen to join the political process,but for that to happen, we need toensure that the role of money andmuscle power is considerablyreduced,” says OEW’s Mohanty. He,however, has seen an improvementon this front over the 2004 elections.“The number of professional peoplewho are contesting has gone up.”

There are many in the state who

Of Criminals and ContestantsRank Name Constituency Party Age Serious No of Cases No. of Cases Total

IPC in in which in which Counts Accused Convicted

1 Sangeeta Kumari Singhdeo Bolangir BJP 47 3 3 0 3

2 Sudam Marandi Mayurbhanj JMM 43 3 2 0 2

3 Prafulla Kumar Sahu Bhubaneswar RPIA 65 3 2 0 2

4 Arun Dey Balasore NCP 63 3 2 0 2

5 Jnandev Beura Kendrapara BJP 44 3 2 0 2

6 Ranjib Biswal Kendrapara INC 38 2 3 0 5

7 Rabindra Kumar Sethy Jagatsinghpur 54 2 3 0 3

8 Nakul Nayak Kandhamal SP 46 2 3 0 3

9 Kamala Kanta Pandey Kandhamal IND 64 2 2 0 2

10 Chandra Sekhar Tripathy Dhenkanal INC 60 2 1 0 2

11 Surendra Kumar Agrawal Bargarh IND 37 2 2 0 2

12 Kalikesh Narayan Singhdeo Bolangir BJD 34 2 2 0 2

13 Bhakta Charan Das Kalahandi INC 52 1 4 0 4

14 Subash Chandra Nayak Kalahandi BJD 62 1 1 0 1

15 Radharani Panda Bargarh BJP 48 1 1 0 1

16 Sunil Kumar Agrawal Bargarh BSP 37 1 1 0 1

17 Dhananjay Sidhu Keonjhar INC 43 1 1 0 1

18 Parameswar Sethi Jajpur BJP 40 1 1 0 1

19 Ratha Das Bhadrak BJP 54 1 1 0 1

20 Sradhanjali Pradhan Balasore BSP 40 1 1 0 1

21 Tathagata Satpathy Dhenkanal BJD 53 0 13 0 13

22 Dr. Debendra Mansingh Puri INC 59 0 1 0 2

23 Rudra Narayan Pani Dhenkanal BJP 50 0 2 0 2

24 Bibhuti Bhusan Mishra Cuttack INC 57 0 2 0 2

25 MANSID EKKA Sundargarh IND 63 0 2 0 2

26 Nakula Majhi Kalahandi BSP 66 0 1 0 1

27 Dr. Gopal Chandra Kar Cuttack BSP 63 0 1 0 1

28 Niladri Behari Panda Bargarh KOKD 29 0 1 0 1

29 Bikram keshari Deo Kalahandi BJP 57 0 1 0 1

30 Jual Oram Sundargarh BJP 48 0 1 0 1

31 Yashbanta Narayan Laguri Keonjhar BJD 38 0 1 0 1

32 Mahameghabahana Aira Kharabela Swain Balasore BJP 55 0 1 0 1

33 Nityananda Pradhan Aska BJD 65 0 1 0 1

Total 37 66 0 70

The campaign is still on for the sec-ond phase of polling in Orissa, to beheld on April 23.

◆ There are 41 generalcandidates, 36 from thescheduled castes, and 25from the Scheduled Tribe inthe list of 157 Lok Sabhacontestants

◆ The BSP is, for the firsttime, contesting in as manyas 18 of the 21 seats

◆ As many as 5 of theCongress party’s 21 candi-dates do not have PANnumbers; 6 from BJP andonly 1 from the BJD

◆ If you take the Top 20richest candidates, the BJDboasts of six in the list, whilethe Congress has five, andthe BJP 2

◆ The BSP has three can-didates in the list of Top 20richest candidates; MulayamSingh’s Samajwadi Partyhas one

◆ Not a single candidatefrom the three main parties–– the Congress, the BJD orthe BJP –– figures in theBottom 10 PoorestCandidates Club, or eventhe Bottom 20 list.

◆ As many as 33 –– about 21 percent — of thecandidates have some kindof criminal case lodgedagainst them: a total of 70cases in all

SURVEY NUGGETS

has prepared several radio jingles toreach out to voters.

Both the BJP and the Congress arebanking heavily on technology toreach out to Gen X voters. Severalcandidates like Oram (BJP) and AlokJena (Congress) have launched web-sites to be in touch with their sup-porters and ensnare new ones.Baidyanath Sing, an independentcandidate, has blogs and websites tomake his campaign more person-alised.

As it is the first election after thedelimitation exercise, candidateshave had little time to reach out totheir new voters. Therefore, they areincreasingly depending on new tech-nology and devising new mediastrategies to make themselves heard.

“There is no other way than tech-nology. As three new segments wereadded to my parliamentary con-stituency, reaching out personally toeach voter is an improbable proposi-tion altogether. I am relying heavilyon personal advertisements throughlocal cable operators. I am also dis-tributing CDs and DVDs containingmy poll promises both in the form ofspeeches and songs,” says TathagatSatpathy, the BJD candidate from theDhenkanal Lok Sabha seat.

Plastic has had a bad run this sea-son with the Election Commissionbanning its use for campaigns. TheCommission has also directed politi-cians to refrain from defacing publicor private buildings by sticking paperposters or painting election graffiti.

“There is a sense of fear amongcandidates about littering anddespoiling public places. There is aclear directive that if a candidatedefaces something, he will have toclean it up at his own cost,” says aBJD leader.

Parties have also hired a numberof special vehicles and paintedthem with their colours and sym-bols. “Mobile vans decked withparty symbols have been usedacross the state,” says Binay BihariPatnaik, a businessman who lendsbig vehicles to political parties fortheir campaigns.

Call it compulsion or innovation,political parties have turned person-al to woo voters during this poll sea-son in Orissa.

By Prashant K Nanda

Several small traders havecome to Orissa from Delhi,Gandhi Nagar and Raipur tosell caps, pens and head-

bands with symbols of political par-ties on them. The business, howev-er, isn’t as good as expected and spe-cial mangalsutras are the worst hit.

“I have brought over two dozenitems — from hand fans with partysymbols to caps and badges. Thebusiness is slow but the worst hit isthe mangalsutra,” says Lal Parchani,a trader from Raipur.

“I had brought over 5,000 suchitems for each political party — theBJP, the BJD and the Congress — asactivists had told us that womenwould like them the most. But thereality is all of these items havebeen unsold,” Parchani tells IANS.Each mangalsutra is pricedbetween Rs 30 and Rs 35, saysPankaj Kumar, another trader, whohas come from Sadar Bazar inDelhi. “But where is the customer?”he asks.

“I am selling materials related tothe Congress party. People inBhubaneswar told me that the man-galsutras will been in great demandand I brought in around 2,000 ofthem. But I have sold just 60 in thelast 14 days. We had speciallyordered these imitation jewellerymangalsutras with party symbolsfrom Mumbai,” he rues.

The traders say that the womenin Orissa are laughing at these

‘political mangalsutras’. SaysKamala Rani Behera, who was bar-gaining for some Congress caps: “Imay be a political supporter but willnever sport these party mangal-sutras. It seems so weird.”

The traders say the overall mar-ket for election materials in Orissahas been rather dull. “During theelection season, I transact businessof over Rs 600,000, but this time itwill not touch even Rs 100,000,”Binay Patnaik, who collaborateswith traders from Gujarat andLucknow, tells India First.

Sitting amid colourful bundles offlags, posters and other articles likepens, badges, head bands anddummy voting machines bearingthe Congress symbol, Kumar says:“I have brought materials worth Rs1 million but have done just 50 per-cent business.”

“Of the 400 (dummy) votingmachines, 100 were sold and of the10,000 badges with Sonia Gandhi’simage, a little over 2,000 were sold.But we had a good time sellingCongress caps. Of the 37,000 caps,over 30,000 have already been soldand the credit goes to the hot sum-mer here,” he says with a smile.

Parchani, who has sold over20,000 caps embossed with theBJD’s conch symbol, agrees: “TheCongress and BJD caps are in greatdemand. But the BJP caps havecome a cropper.”

“Election Commission’s ban onplastic too has dampened our busi-ness,” Parchani adds.

Candles, rings, bindis, man-galsutras were on sale aselection campaigns bore afestive look, indistinguish-

able from that of a wedding. It’salways been this way, some mightargue. But elections have now cometo resemble that ubiquitous ‘GreatIndian Fair’. This time round, besidesthe conventional party flags andposters of leaders, anything onecould possibly imagine — kitchenaprons, wrist bands, ear rings,watches, T-shirts, caps — with partysymbols and smiling faces of leaderson them were on sale.

The election blitzkrieg seems tohave broken new ground to reachout to the voter. “These are innova-tive ideas to bind our supporters ofall age groups,” says Prof KailashAcharya, spokesperson of the stateunit of the Congress Party.

While mangalsutras, kitchenaprons, wrist bands, rings, bindis,lockets, ear rings and badges wereused to woo the fairer sex, caps,badges and T-shirts were used tosnare young men who sported themto look funky during rallies.

“Kitchen aprons are in greatdemand as it has two benefits — oneduring election, and the other after itin kitchens,” says Banka Bihari Rout,a BJP supporter.

“Ear rings, wrist bands, lockets andT-Shirts are in demand as flauntingthem has becoming the new fad thiselection season,” says Rajiv LochanSahu, a BJD supporter, adding thatconch-marked wrist watches were afavourite this time too.

In view of the scorching heat thisseason, political parties distributedtens of thousands of caps to theirsupporters. “We also gave our sup-porters curd sharbat and waterpouches,” says Samir Dey, a BJP can-didate from Cuttack-Barabati assem-bly constituency. Besides voters alsogot hand fans and umbrellas.

Parties and candidates have beenprocuring these election knick-knacks from Delhi, Lucknow, Raipur,and Gandhi Nagar in Gujarat. Thematerials, mostly bought in bulk, arelater sent to the candidates. But thereare candidates who customise them,depending on the constituency andthe dialect their electors speak.

“There are several candidates whoprefer to prepare their promotionalmaterials in their dialect — a candi-date from Sambalpur or Koraputmay not like to take on material pre-pared by the central office,” saysArya Kumar Gyanendra, anotherspokesman of the Congress.

Take the example of Juel Oram.This national vice-president of theBJP has produced several cassettesin local dialects to spread his party’smessage and seek votes in the tribalSundergarh district.

Seduction by technologyBoth the BJP and the Congress tooare banking heavily on technology toreach out to Gen X voters. Severalcandidates have launched websitesto be in touch with their supportersand ensnare new ones. An inde-pendent candidate has blogs andwebsites to make his campaign more

personalised. Leaving no stoneunturned in reaching out to themasses, parties are vigorously relyingon technology this time. Blogs,SMSes, e-mails and recorded voicecalls are all in circulation.

The BJD has turned out to be thetech-savviest of all. The party hashired a city based advertising firm —Sanket Communications — to helpthem devise their campaign.

The firm has put out a series ofstrategically crafted print and visualadvertisements to highlight theachievements of the Navin Patnaikgovernment. Taking note of thereach of FM channels, the party too


ELECTION 2009 | ORISSA

INNOVATIVE CAMPAIGNSInnovation drove electioneering in Orissa. Mangalsutras, bindis, badges, caps etal were used to attract voters, say Byomakesh Biswal & Prashant K Nanda

Both the BJP and the Congress are

banking heavily ontechnology to reach

out to Gen X voters. Several

candidates havelaunched websites to

be in touch withtheir supporters andensnare new ones

A typical mobile poster van being readied for the campaign

MANGALSUTRAS? NO, THANK YOU

IANS

The Supreme Courton April 13 wit-

nessed a fresh twist,when a Hindu tribalorganisation demand-ed parity withChristians in terms ofcompensation for vic-tims of the Kandhamalriots of 2008. TheSupreme Court, before which the state had promisedto expedite relief and rehabilitation work, issuednotice to the Naveen Patnaik government on an appli-cation filed by NGO ‘Kui Sanskrutik Parishad’ throughPadmanav Pradhan alleging discrimination in com-pensation. The petitioner said that Kuis did not getadequate relief and rehabilitation despite being vic-tims of the mob violence that destroyed villages in theaftermath of the killing of Swami LakshmananandSaraswati in December 2008.


NEWS CAPSULE | ORISSA THIS WEEK

In western Orissa,it is water, both forirrigation and

domestic consump-tion ,which holdscentre stage in poli-tics. In the recent past,unhappy farmershave agitated severaltimes, demandingadequate water supply. The Hirakuddam which was constructed to controlflooding, and irrigate agricultural fields,has failed to supply water to fields inthe dam’s command area.

To add to the woes of the villagers,the new industrial units in the regionhave started laying pipelines to draw

water from the reservoir.The farmers’ struggle,

which had assumed vio-lent undertones, forced thegovernment to announcethat not a drop of watermeant for irrigation wouldbe given to industrialhouses. But this has failedto assuage the protestors.

More recently, a Sambalpur basedcivil society organisation, ManavAdhikar Seva Samiti, along with WaterInitiatives Orissa, asked participantsat a workshop organised atKusumdihi in the Rengali block, toprepare a charter of expectationsfrom politicians.

Nuclear-capable Prithvi-IImissile successfully test fired

Two more Ultra Mega PowerPlants planned in the state

India on April 15 successfully testfired a new version of nuclear capablePrithvi-II ballistic missile, which infuture could be used by the IndianArmy as a tactical battlefield weapon.With a range of 250 miles, the missilewas launched from the Integrated TestRange at Chandipur-on-sea nearBalasore.

Orissa Heritage Dayobserved in BhubaneswarThe Bhubaneswar chapter of theIndian National Trust for Art andCultural Heritage (Intach) organ-ised a “Heritage Walk” in thecapital on April 15 to markOrissa Heritage Day and VisuvaSankranti. The walk was flaggedoff at the entrance of the Kedar-Gauri temple by senior Intachmember, Gunanidhi Mohapatra.Over 100 students, artists andpoets took part in the walk.

The Centre plans to set up two newUltar Mega Power Plants (UMPPs)in the state. Those projects are pro-posed to be set up in locations closer to the sea and will have agenerating capacity of 4000 MWeach. Though the locations have notbeen identified, five possible locations have been short-listed,namely Kirtania (Balasore),Dhamara (Bhadrakh), Paradeep(Jagatsinghpur) Astharanga (Puri)and Ganja (in Ganjam).

The state government on April16 asked collectors of allcoastal districts to remain

alert as a severe storm developing inthe Bay of Bengal could intensifyand make landfall, officials said. “Wehave alerted the collectors of allcoastal districts,” Additional SpecialRelief Commissioner B. Baral told

India First. According to the meteor-ological office in Bhubaneswar, thecyclonic storm ‘Bijli’ forming overthe central and adjoining southeastBay of Bengal has now moved in anorth-westerly direction. ‘Bijli’ isnow lying centred over west-centralBay of Bengal, about 330 km south-south-east of Gopalpur.

The system is likely tointensify further andmove in a north-north-westerly direction furtherfor some more time. Rainor thundershowers arelikely to lash coastalOrissa and a few places ininterior Orissa in the next48 hours. Strong winds atspeeds of around 70 kmper hour are likely to pre-vail off the Orissa coast.

Baral said local cau-tionary signal No 3 hasbeen hoisted at the portsof Gopalpur, Puri,Paradeep and Chandbaliand fishermen have beenasked not to venture intothe sea.

Ten Central Industrial SecurityForce (CISF) personnel and four

Maoists were killed in a major gun-fight after extremists attacked theDamanjodi bauxite mines on April12. The Maoists had earlier killedthe Samruddha Orissa Party candi-date Somnath Madkami nearChitrakonda in Malakangiri lastweek. Another BJP leader NandaKartami was killed by the Maoists afew weeks ago.

As expected, the Maoists havestruck in the Naxal-affectedMalkangiri district during the firstphase of polling itself. The Naxalsset on fire at least three booths inKalimela and damaged many EVMs.Earlier, they had threatened to cutoff the hands of those who dared tovote defying the Naxal orders.

SHORT TAKES

— Compiled by Bijaya Kumar Das

At least 35 candidates contestingin the first phase of assembly

elections on April 16 in the statehave disclosed nil assets, a volun-tary body Orissa Election Watch(OEW) said on April 15.

The state will elect 121 membersto the state assembly and 21 mem-bers to Lok Sabha simultaneouslyon April 16 and April 23.

About 12,650,750 voters willdecide the fate of 72 candidates for10 Lok Sabha seats and 599 candi-dates for 70 assembly constituenciesin the first phase.

“Thirteen candidates who havedeclared nil assets are contesting the election as independents,” OEW coordinator Ranjan Mohantytold India First.

35 ASSEMBLY CANDIDATES DECLARE NIL ASSETS

The Prithvi-II missile taking off onits test flight at the IntegratedTest Range, Chandipur.

The developmentfinancial support to

Orissa by NABARD hastouched an all time highof Rs. 2,043 crore during2008-09 posting agrowth rate of 68 percent over the previousyear.

Disbursement of short-term loans to variousbanks rose from Rs 625 crore during 2007-08 to Rs1,258 crore during 2008-09.

The State Cooperative Bank (OSCB) availed of ashort-term loan worth Rs 1,205 crore, registering106 per cent growth.

Refinance was provided for capital formation inagriculture and allied sectors, non-farm sectoractivities, and for investment in the services sectorto commercial banks, RRBs and cooperative banksto the tune of Rs 411 crore.

Adhunik Group’s AdhunikMetaliks plans to set up an all

weather commercial port atBarunei Muhan in Kendarapadadistrict.

It will be located near Jambu, 30kilometres north of Gahirmatha.

The proposed port will have a13 metre draft and will have allfacilities to handle 80,000 DWT to100,000 DWT sized vessels.

The cargo will mainly consist ofcoking coal, iron pellet exports,thermal coal, semi finished steeland container, and finished and

raw fertilisers. The company willrequire about 800 acres of land forthe project, according to a company statement.

CISF men pay their respects to theircolleagues who died on April 12.

WATER, A POLL ISSUE IN WESTERN ORISSAMAOISTS CREATE MAYHEM

ADHUNIK METALIKS PLANS 30 MN TONNE PORT

COASTAL DISTRICTS ON ALERT

ORISSA SECURES RECORD AID ‘KUI’ OUTFIT SEEKS COMPENSATION

Pradeep Majhi, an e-commerce entre-preneur, has a lament. Sixty-two yearsafter independence, his home in west-ern Orissa doesn’t have a single gov-ernment college – and over 50 percentof the people are illiterate. “This hurtme a lot,” says Majhi, who decidedthat criticising politicians was theeasy way out. To change things for thebetter, he felt he had to take theplunge himself and be counted. He istoday the Congress party’s candidatefrom the Nabarangpur Lok Sabhaconstituency.

Each visit home was painful forBaidyanath Sing, an IT professional.“I saw many talented students notbeing able to complete their studiesdue to poverty,” says Sing. Egged on byfriends who bankrolled him to “play abigger role”, he, too, took the plunge.He is today contesting as an inde-pendent candidate from the KaranjiaAssembly constituency in Orissa.

Pradeep Majhi. BaidyanathSing. Names that voters inOrissa might not have heardof the last time the state

went to the polls. They are peoplewho gave up lucrative careers toenter politics in a bid to bring abouta change in people’s lives.

But they are not isolated cases. Asimilar story is unfolding all overIndia as the country goes to the pollswith an increasing number of pro-fessionals, many of them without

any political background, enteringthe poll fray.

These are people who had morelucrative choices in life but chose acareer in public life. Many of themare standing in the 2009 electionswhile others of their ilk are busyingthemselves with managing theaffairs of the political party they areassociated with.

Majhi has a political background.His father was a Rajya Sabha MPfrom the BJD. And this was one ofthe reasons his family was againsthis move to enter politics and thattoo on a Congress ticket.

Unlike many of his tribalbrethren, Majhi had the privilege ofgetting a good education despite allthe difficulties in Nabarangpur.

After completing his graduationfrom Jeypore in Koraput district, hewent to Delhi to pursue an LL.B

degree but left the course midway.He then completed a course in e-commerce from NIIT and started ajute business in cyber space.

But somewhere, deep in his mind,the plight of Nabarangpur and itspeople kept rankling him. And thedesire to serve the public grewdespite the uncertainties that areposed by a career in politics.

“I had a stable income. In politicslife is uncertain everyday. I havetaken a decision to fight it out

among tens of thousands of my ownpeople. It was a difficult decisionbut the cause was greater,” he said.

So it was that he decided to facean interview organised by Congressgeneral secretary Rahul Gandhi lastyear in the course of a talent hunt torevive the Indian Youth Congress.

He was appointed one of the 13secretaries of the IYC as part of theNehru-Gandhi scion’s plan tolaunch a recruitment drive torevamp the youth wings of the

Congress.So how was it that he, ason of a former BJD Rajya Sabhamember, joined the Congress?

“I joined the Congress as I believethere is a future there,” Majhi, 33,said. “Rahul Gandhi has a lot of faithin me and has made me a secretaryof the Indian Youth Congress.”

Majhi believes his education iswhat would set him apart fromother politicians of the area.

“As politicians are not well edu-cated, they have failed to under-

stand different schemes of the cen-tral and state government. Unlesswe know about the governmentfunds, we cannot utilise them. Ithink my education will help mehere,” the young politician said in amatter-of-fact manner.

It was a similar concern aboutthe economic condition of his peo-ple that drew Baidyanath Sing topolitics.

Sing used to sell vegetables to payhis school fees and support his par-


COVER STORY

From engineers to MBAs to bankers to eye surgeons, a lot of young professionals with littlepolitical experience are standing in the 2009elections, says Aroonim Bhuyan

ProfessionalTOUCH The Professionals Party of India (PPI) is the brain-

child of a group of young professionals in Punewho believe that the only way to bring welfare in

India is to get immersed in the country’s governance.In its website, it describes its vision thus: “The vision

for the Professionals Party of India is to ‘Improve theQuality of Life of Every Indian’.”

The party was formed in September 2007 and wasregistered with the Election Commission in July 2008.

Besides Pune, the party now has chapters in Delhi,Mumbai, Ahmedabad and Bengaluru.

Making its election debut this year, the party has putup two candidates, both from Mumbai.

Mona Patel Shah, an opthalmic surgeon, is standing from the South Mumbai LokSabha constituency.

Born in Nagpur on January 14, 1971, Shah shifted to Mumbai at the age of one.After her schooling at the Walsingham House School and Queen Mary’s School,Mona attended St. Xavier’s, Jai Hind, Grant Medical and the Topiwala NationalMedical Colleges.

She now has her own eye surgery practice in South Mumbai and is a consultingsurgeon at three of the city’s eye hospitals. She is also an assistant honorary eye sur-geon at the Municipal Eye Hospital of the BMC.

The other PPI candidate, Rajendra Thacker, is standing from the North Mumbaiseat.

A well-known businessman, Thacker was born in Dhanbad, Bihar on December 5,1957, where he completed his schooling from the Khalsa High School. He graduatedin commerce from Burhani College in Mazgaon.

He then went to Chennai where he completed acourse in Accountancy and passed the IntermediateExamination of the Institute of CharteredAccountants, Chennai and was awarded the A+grade. After working for a few years in Mumbai andTirupur town of Coimbatore, he started his own busi-ness in Tirupur.

Thacker returned to Mumbai in 1994 andimmersed himself in his business and served theFederation of Retail Traders as Secretary for fiveyears. In 2002, he took over as the secretary of theMumbai Mahanagar Vyapari Seva Parishad, a posthe holds till today.

PARTY FOR PROFESSIONALS

These are peoplewho had more

lucrative choices inlife but chose a

career in public life.Many of them are

standing in the 2009elections while

others are managingparty strategies

Mona Patel-Shah

Rajendra Thacker

ents. He went on to geta bachelor’s degree inelectrical engineeringfrom RegionalEngineering College,Rourkela (now NIT,Rourkela) and an M.Tech fromIndian Institute of Science,Bangalore.

With an educational backgroundlike this, it was not tough to get a jobin India’s Silicon Valley. He alsoenjoyed a stint as a lecturer in anengineering college.

But he was far from satisfied asthe plight of the people in his con-stituency continued to haunt him.

“I realised that people in myhome district needed somebody to

lead them and show them ways to abetter life for themselves and thenext generation. I offered to dothat,” Sing said.

Improving the economic condi-tion of people is but one of the rea-sons behind a rising number of pro-fessionals in India entering politics.

Take Meera Sanyal, 47, whoserved as ABN Amro Bank’s Indiacountry head before deciding to

stand as an independentcandidate from MumbaiSouth Lok SabhaConstituency, a Congressstronghold representedby Milind Deora.

It was the November26, 2008, terror attackin Mumbai that

spurred her into action.Sanyal had one option – like mil-

lions of others, criticise the systemand the government and acceptwhat fate metes out.

“The other was to think whether Icould contribute to making a differ-ence in any manner. I felt ‘Yes’ andso I decided to take the plunge,”Sanyal said, even as she cam-paigned with a crowd of supportersunder the blazing Mumbai sun farfrom the airconditioned comfortsshe was used to.

Infrastructure, public transport

and security are the key issues onher agenda.

Security is also a key issue, amongothers, for Mona Patel Shah, a 39-year-old opthalmologist who is alsostanding from Mumbai South.

Shah is standing on aProfessionals Party of India (PPI)ticket, a new political entity formedby a group of young professionalsfrom Pune that was registered withthe Election Commission last year.

The eye specialist is undeterredby the lack of resources, financial orotherwise, that candidates from major, cash-rich, political par-ties enjoy.

“I am using my own resourcesand friends and well-wishers arehelping out,” Shah, who schooled inWalsingham House School andQueen Mary’s School in Mumbaiand attended St. Xavier’s, Jai Hind,Grant Medical and the TopiwalaNational Medical Colleges, said.

She is targeting a unique con-stituency – traditional non-voters –and her campaigning method too isdifferent from others.

“I will not go for huge banners,posters or advertisements. Instead, Iwill depend on word-of-mouthpublicity, which I feel is more effective.”

Opthalmology is the link that

connects Shah with Pratibha Rao inHyderabad.

Like Shah, Rao too is embarkingon a similar mis-sion with a similarzeal from the

Jubilee HillsA s s e m b l y

seat in

Hyderabad, on a ticket from LokSatta, a political party that is makingits debut in Andhra Pradesh theseelections.

Rao, along with her opthalmolo-gist husband, had set up the LVPrasad Eye Insititute in Hyderabadin 1986 after a 12-year stay in the US.

But public life beckoned.Rao does not believe in saying

things are bad and leave it at that.She could either be a part of theproblem or part of the solution. Shedecided to be a part of the solution.

“We are trying to redefine politicsand change the political culture,”she asserted.

“We are saying what good poli-

tics is allabout. Itshould beabout educa-tion, not aboutgiving awayfree TVs. It isabout healthcare, not about freerice. It is about making people standon their own feet and to enablethem to take care of themselves,”Rao said.

Change. That is the biggest catch-word that is spurring this new breedof politicians into action.

“I am a passionate believer ofchange and I also believe that Indiarequires a lot of change right now,”


Krishna Byre Gowda (seen here inblue shirt with Rahul Gandhi), son ofveteran Janata Dal leader C Byre

Gowda, is among one of those early birdswho left a regular professional career tojoin politics and made a mark in his newvocation.

After completing his school and collegeeducation in Karnataka, he did his post-graduation in international affairs fromAmerican University in Washington. Hethen worked as a project associate at theEthiopian embassy in Washington but laterreturned to India to run his own agriculturalfarm in Bangalore. Thereafter, he workedas a project associate with DevelopmentAlternatives Inc., a Washington-based com-

pany whose mission is “to make a differ-ence in the world by helping societies andeconomies become more prosperous, fair-er and more just, safer, more stable, moreefficient, and better governed”.

But politics beckoned and he joined theYouth Congress. In 2007, he became theKarnataka Pradesh Youth Congress presi-dent, a post he holds till today.

“However, I am not what some peopleconsider to be the typical politician,” hestates in his website.

“In fact, I think I’m more like you: I’meducated, young and progressive. Both mywife and I have postgraduate degrees.Mine is in international relations and hers isin computer science.”

Byre Gowda says that he wants to pro-vide leadership on the dominant concernsfacing this constituency.

“I stand for promoting the economy, sup-porting freedom of expression and creatingthe right infrastructure for living and working,”he says.

“I know this is what you also identify with,and I am not surprised that we think alike.”

He believes that with over 70 percent ofIndia’s population under the age of 40, peo-ple want a fresh perspective and new solu-tions on age-old issues.

Byre Gowda first stood for the KarnatakaAssembly elections on a Congress ticketfrom Vemagal in Kolar district in 2003.

\He was reelected for a second term andin the 2008 state elections he stood from theByatarayanapura Assembly seat inBangalore, where again he was victorious.

This year, he is contesting the Lok Sabhaelections from the Bangalore South seat.

India First | April 18-24, 2009

‘BEEN THERE, DONE THAT’Krishna Byre Gowda is among the first young professionals to quit a good career and join politics

Pradeep Majhi, 33.

Congress candidate from

Nabarangpur Lok Sabha

seat.Gave up an e-commerce

business in Delhi to work for

the welfare of the people of

Nabarangpur in Orissa.

Janardhana Swamy, 34.

BJP candidate from

Chitradurga Lok Sabha seat.

Was lead engineer at Sun

Microsystems in Silicon

Valley, US, but is back to

work for the upliftment of the

people of his native place.

Baidyanath Sing, 38.

Independent candidate from

Karanjia Assembly seat.

Gave up a career in IT to

show the people of Karanjia

ways to create a better life for

themselves and the next

generation.

Pradeep Majhiknows that in politics life is

uncertain. But hedecided to fight itout among tens ofthousands of his

own people. It was adifficult decision but

he believes thecause is greater

ment work. We mustderive schemes that willspecifically benefit lowand medium farmers.”

And like others of hisbreed in these elections,Swamy firmly believes thatit is the youth who can achieve this.

“Educated masses and today’syounger generation must getinvolved actively in politics to bringinternal change, face and solveregional issues, blend with elderstatesmen, politician(s) and alsowith the government,” he stated in awebsite message.

Interestingly, many of theseyoung professionals also got familysupport while entering politicsdespite coming from an apoliticalbackground.

BJP’s Bora admitted that his fami-ly had initial apprehensions whenhe decided to take the plunge.

“But at the same time, they couldsee that it was a step taken out ofidealism and a desire to make a dif-ference for the larger common good.So they have been extremely sup-porting,” he said.

Mridul Gogoi, a managementgraduate, entered politics at thebehest of his father, a retired govern-ment servant.

Gogoi, who was recentlyappointed as one of the13 secretaries of the

Indian YouthCongress in thecourse of a talenthunt launched byRahul Gandhi, hadjoined the Congressin 2000.

An interestingsidelight of his life is that he had

participated in Kaun BanegaCrorepati in 2007 and got a specialaward as the best participant.

“Both my parents, especially myfather, encouraged me to join poli-tics. He had said that good peoplewere needed in theIndian political sys-tem and the time forgood political leaders —visionaries —will definitelycome in Indiaand these peoplewould lead thecountry on thepath of develop-ment,” he said.


stated ProdyutBora, the nationalconvenor of BJP’sIT cell.

Bora is not con-testing in theseelections and isinstead concentrating on the party’scampaign on the digital platform.He believes being part of the systemis what will help him achieve the“change” that he craves for.

“The other way of bringingchange is being part of a system.And bringing about systemicchange in a holistic manner has animpact countrywide. Now, politics isa platform that provides one anoption of bringing about systemicchange,” Bora said.

Bora is not the only B-schoolproduct working behind the scenesthese elections. In the rival Congresscamp, Kanishka Singh, an MBA from

Wharton School of Business,University of Pensylvania and a for-mer investment banker and SachinRao, a graduate from the Stephen SRoss School of Business in theUniversity of Michigan, form thecore of the much-touted TeamRahul Gandhi.

These young professionals, most-ly coming from an apolitical back-ground, believe that change is needed — and fast — and they are

not shy of changing sideseither if they felt that thatwould quicken the process.

A case in point is RanjanChoudhary, standing on aBJP ticket from theMohanlalganj Lok Sabhaconstituency in UttarPradesh. An IIM Lucknowgraduate, he worked in

Powergrid Corporation and then

ANZ Bank in Melbourne. The 39-year-old also had a stint as visitingfaculty in Monash University,Melbourne, before deciding to takethe political plunge.

Choudhary was one of RahulGandhi’s core team members butopted to go for BJP as he felt thedesired results were not achieved.

“I had very high hopes fromRahulji. But somewhere I felt thatmy objective of youth empower-ment stands defeated in the party. Imade up my mind to leave it,” hesaid. Now, his agenda is clear:“Providing jobs with a special focuson making youths self-reliant is oneof my top priorities. Health, educa-tion and police reforms are also my priorities.”

Way south, in Chitradurga,Karnataka, a US-returned chipdesigner is concentrating onimproving the economic conditionof the people in his constituencywith special stress on technology asa tool for agricultural development.

Janardhana Swamy, 39, and a sonof a retired schoolteacher, did hispostgraduation in electrical com-munication from the IndianInstitute of Science, Bangalorebefore working as lead engineer inSun Microsystems in the US.

But now he is back to his rootswith a mission. “Technology is notbeing properly used in the develop-ment of agriculture,” said Swamy.

“We have to use whatever tech-nology is suitable for our develop-

Elections 2009 have seen the country’stwo biggest parties – the Congressand the BJP – take the help of some

bright young professionals with diversebackgrounds in running their respectivecampaigns. You may not have heard of themor seen them much in the media but theseare the behind-the-scenes people who areworking overtime to boost their leaders’prospects. One team sits at 12, TughlaqLane helping Rahul Gandhi chart out theCongress strategy. The other team seats at

26, Tughlaq Crescent helping the BJP primeministerial candidate LK Advani’s campaignthrough various media with special empha-sis on the internet.

26, TUGHLAQCRESCENTProdyut Bora is thenational convenor of theBJP’s IT cell. An IIMAhmedabad graduate,Bora worked with con-

sultancy major Hewitt Associates beforebecoming vice-president for business devel-opment in Digital Talkies, India’s first digitalfilmmaking company. He incubated a soft-ware company for six years before joiningthe BJP in 2004.

Mallika Noorani works in a multinationalbank in Mumbai and has taken a three-month sabbatical to manage the content ofLK Advani’s website.

Zorawar Daulet Singh, who studiedinternational relations at the Johns Hopkins

University, is helping the Advani campaignwith his inputs on international affairs andother strategic issues.

Robin Rappai quit a 20-year-old careerin the software industry to start an organicfarm near Coimbatore. He has temporarilyrelocated to New Delhi to help in the BJP’scampaign and looks after all technical mat-ters of the Advani website.

Banu Chandar worked as a manage-ment consultant with PriceWaterhouseCoopers but now helps in the BJP cam-paign with research work.

12, TUGHLAQ LANEKanishka Singh is an MBA from WhartonSchool of the University of Pensylvania and

worked as an invest-ment banker at LazardFreres & Co. in NewYork prior to beinginducted in RahulGandhi’s team. He isseen as the eyes and

ears of the Nehru-Gandhi scion and is theperson who looks after all of the 39-year-oldGandhi’s agenda and schedule.

Sachin Rao worked in the softwaresolutions sector prior to getting an MBAfrom Stephen S Ross School of Business inthe University of Michigan. He worked on aproject under renowned management guruCK Prahalad before returning to India andjoining the Centre for Civil Society. He has

now been entrusted with revamping theyouth wings of the Congress — the IndianYouth Congress (IYC) and the NationalStudents Union of India (NSUI).

Jitendra Singh is one of the twoCongress secretaries assigned to TeamRahul Gandhi. A scion of the Alwar royalfamily, he did his higher studies in the UKbefore coming back to India. He helpsSachin Rao in revamping the IYC and willcontest the Lok Sabha elections from Alwar.

Meenakshi Natarajan did a postgraduation in biochemistry and adegree in law before entering politics. She isthe other Congress secretary assigned toRahul Gandhi’s team and reports to SachinRao on affairs of the NSUI.

2009: Time for the young TurksYoung professionals are aiding the Congress and the BJP behind the scenes

Educated masses and today’s youngergeneration mustget involved

actively in politics tobring internal change,face and solve regionalissues, blend with elder statesmen,politician(s) andalso with the government

Meera Sanyal, 47.

Independent candidate from

Mumbai South Lok Sabha

seat.Was India country head of

ABN Amro Bank but decided

to stand in the elections after

26/11.

Ranjan Choudhary, 39.

BJP candidate from

Mohanlalganj Lok Sabha seat.

Worked in ANZ Bank in

Melbourne and was visiting

faculty in Monash University

before joining the Congress

and then shifting to the BJP.

Pratibha Rao.Lok Satta candidate from

Jubilee Hills Assembly seat.

After returning from US, she

founded the LV Prasad Eye

Institute in Hyderabad but

entered politics to redefine

the system.

Janardhana Swamy is concentrating

on improving theeconomic conditionof the people in his constituency withspecial stress on

technology as a tool for agricultural development

By TG Biju

Guess what the people of twoconstituencies in Kerala wantto know from political parties?

Not so much about regional ornational issues, but the parties’stance on the Palestinian issueand the India-US nuclear deal.

Voters in Malappuram andPonnani — where SunniMuslims are in a majority —also want to know what can-didates have to say aboutPresident Hugo Chavez ofVenezuela and his Iraniancounterpart MahmoudAhmadinejad, whom theyadmire for their anti-US stance.Candidates contesting from thesetwo north Kerala constituencies aregrilled more often about these issuesthan on what they will do for thedevelopment of the areas..

“Anti-American leaders Chavezand Ahmadinejad are heroes inMalappuram,” said Faisal Mariyad,who grew up in Manjeri inMalappuram district. Political lead-

ers campaigning for the ruling LeftDemocratic Front and the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF)are trying hard to convince votersabout their stance on issues likeimperialism and the Gulf War.

Though the area is a strong-hold of the Indian Union MuslimLeague (IUML) — a key partner in theUDF — in 2004, the Communist Partyof India-Marxist won from Manjeri.IUML leader MK Muneer told IndiaFirst over the phone: “Raising pan-Islamic issues for the election cam-paign among innocent... people hereis a dangerous trend.”


POLL POURRI

By Azera Rahman

Want to know if the candi-date you plan to vote forhas a criminal record?

Thanks to the efforts of a recentlylaunched “No Criminals” campaign,you can do that now either by log-ging on to their website or sendingan SMS. Just over a month old, thecampaign, whose goal is to purgepolitics of crime, is gaining momen-tum, especially among youngsters.

Guru Murthy, one of the coordi-nators of the campaign, says that theidea is to give a voter more rightsthan just casting the ballot. “As citi-zens of this country, we have morerights than just voting. We have the

right to select the right candidate —someone who has a clean recordand will actually work for the welfareof the masses.”

To find out if a candidate in a par-ticular constituency has a criminalrecord, one can send an SMS to567678 typing NC (space) (pincode

of the place) and get registered withthe campaign. Thereafter, the senderreceives an SMS giving details of anycriminal record of the MP. Or onecan log on to the campaign’s websitewww.nocriminals.org and follow asimilar procedure.

According to the National ElectionWatch, a group of election observers,six major political parties havealready fielded at least 63 Lok Sabhacandidates who face criminalcharges or have a criminal past. TheBharatiya Janata Party leads the listwith 28 such candidates. There are13 from the Bahujan Samaj Party, fiveeach from the Congress and theSamajwadi Party and two from theCommunist Party of India-Marxist.

Log on to log criminals out of politics

By Kavita Bajeli-Datt

Guess what? Kerala, Bihar andChhattisgarh are the stateswith the highest percentage

of women legislators with criminalrecords while Assam, Jharkhand andRajasthan are some of the cleanest,according to a study.

About 13 per cent of women statelegislators and 14 per cent of MPs inthe 14th Lok Sabha had criminalrecords, says the study, by PRSLegislative Research, based on affi-davits filed by candidates with theElection Commission up to 2007. Thesurvey shows that 83 per cent womenlegislators have criminal records inKerala while the figure is 25 per centfor Bihar and Chhattisgarh.

The survey names seven women

MPs with criminal charges, and top-ping the list is Bahujan Samaj Partychief Mayawati, who had beenbooked for cheating, forgery andcriminal conspiracy. There are twofrom Kerala — Communist Party ofIndia-Marxist members P Satheedeviand CS Sujatha — booked for unlaw-ful assembly and rioting.

Better halves are playing a key role inthe election campaign in Jharkhand.

The wives of former Chief Ministers ArjunMunda and Madhu Koda have takencharge of their election campaigns whileMrs Shibu Soren is expected to follow suitas her husband recuperates at the AllIndia Institute of Medical Sciences(AIIMS), New Delhi.

Munda’s wife Meera is wooing the vot-ers, particularly women, during rallies.Munda, who is contesting the JamshedpurLok Sabha seat, takes on sittingJharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) MPSuman Mahto, the wife of slain MP SunilMahto. Meera walks several kilometresdaily to interact with people and apprisethem of the work done by her husband.She has addressed more than 15 rallies inJamshedpur so far. “The wife is thestrength of her husband. I am proud to bethe wife of Arjun Munda, who has done alot for the people,” Meera told India First.

Koda’s wife Geeta addresses rallies inrural areas. “My husband is a grass-rootsleader and I try to impress on people thattheir problems will be solved if he is elect-ed,” she said. JMM chief Soren’s wifeRupi is likely to step in for the purpose.She has been seen with him at electionand party rallies. — Nityanand Shukla

Congress candidateRaninder Singh is the

13th descendant of thePatiala royal family and iscontesting elections fromthe Bathinda constituency

in Punjab. And he is being accompaniedby another royal — Jigme WangdiWangchuk, uncle of present Bhutaneseking Jigme Khesar Namgyal Wangchuck.Singh, son of former Punjab Chief MinisterAmarinder Singh, is pitted against AkaliDal’s Harsimrat Kaur Badal, wife ofPunjab’s Deputy CM Sukhbir Singh Badal.Belonging to the youngest democracy inthe world, Bhutan’s royal descendantseems to be taking first hand lessons.

Congress GeneralSecretary Rahul

Gandhi gave a toughtime to his security menat Fort Maidan, inPalakkad, Kerala, this

week. As soon as he finished his speech,Rahul carried a little boy down the podi-um and shook hands with a few women.He then handed the child back to hismother and went back to the podium. Butthe police did not take any chances.Palakkad Superintendent of Police VijaySakhre said: “He wanted to meet some ofthe people. The boy was frisked (beforeRahul could carry him).”

The economic downslide has hit LokSabha candidates hard in Gujarat.

Businesspeople reeling under the impactof recession are shying away fromextending their usual offers of free food,volunteers and money for the electioncampaign. “Candidates have been askedto take care of expenses from their ownpockets by the political leadership. Thecontribution from traders is either very lit-tle or nil particularly in rural areas. Thediamond cutting and polishing units inSabarkantha are in a very bad shape andhave no money to give us,” HimmatbhaiPatel, a Bharatiya Janata Party worker inSabarkantha district, told India First.

‘RESCUE GIRLS, THEN ASK FOR VOTES’

Save our girl children from theclutches of traffickers, and thenask for votes — this is what

angry villagers of three Chhattisgarhconstituencies tell candidates whenthey come canvassing for votes.

Hundreds of poor families of threeLok Sabha constituencies — Surguja,Korba and Raigarh — want to knowwhy human trafficking is unabatedin their area. A large number of girlsand even boys from poor families inthe three constituencies leave home

to seek employment in the metros,mainly as domestic help. However,many of the girls return home aftermonths, and some after years, torecount tales of sexual exploitation.

When candidates went toKamleshwar and Narmadapur vil-lages, located in the Surguja con-stituency’s Mainpat area and inhab-ited mainly by Urao and Manjwartribes, they were accosted by angryvillagers. “We have been living inextreme backwardness and povertyfor decades and human traffickers,taking advantage of our situation,have forced several girls of theMainpat area into prostitution out-side the state,” said Badru Mandawi,52, a resident of Kamleshwar village.

“We have told the candidates ofthe BJP and the Congress... to firstfind a permanent solution to humantrafficking,” he added.

— Sujeet Kumar

CRIME ALWAYS PAYS FOR THESE WOMENIn Jharkand, betterhalves go full throttle

‘THIRD SEX’ WANT TO VOTE, BUT FOR WHAT

Twirling a lock of hair, Suleiman (namechanged) who goes by the name

Sulekha, stared at a pocket mirror andsighed: “I want to vote, but what good will itdo to me? How will it help my community?”

Sulekha, a eunuch from Seelampur,east Delhi, is one of the 7,000-odd mem-bers of his community in the nationalCapital. “I do not have a voter card. How

can I when I don’t even know my identity?”“They need representation in the govern-

ment, in decision-making to make progressin society,” said Malti Mehra, heading thetransgender community project for NGOSahara for the last eight years. Eunuchswant policies that acknowledge their exis-tence, protect them from police harassment,and provide jobs. — Shweta Srinivasan

N-deal, Palestine main issuesRoyal booster: Cong candidategets Bhutanese support

Rahul breaks security ring, carries around 'frisked' boy

Recession hits Gujarat too, no freebies from business class

The trial of the lone terroristcaptured in the Mumbai ter-ror strike, Mohammed AjmalAmir Kasab, started this

week amid high drama with hiscounsel Anjali Waghmare beingremoved on grounds of “professionalmisconduct”. Kasab, the primeaccused in the November 26-29Mumbai terror attack, which killedmore than 170 people, was present inperson for the first time in the SpecialCourt at the Arthur Road Central Jail.

Kasab demanded a Pakistanilawyer to represent him, but wassnubbed by the court. However, if thePakistani government or his familymembers wished to engage an Indianlawyer, they were free to do so,Special Judge ML Tahilyani said.

The Pakistani national, sporting ashort beard and dressed in a greyshirt and jeans, sat through the three-hour proceedings along with the twoco-accused, Lashkar-e-Taiba mem-bers Fahim Ansari and SabahuddinMohammed. The entire court lapsedinto silence as Kasab stepped in froma special corridor connecting his cellto the courtroom. He did not have amicrophone and spoke in short sen-tences in Urdu, all of which washeard in complete silence.

Keeping in view the sensitivenature of the trial, the Special Courtwas likely to appoint a senior lawyerin consultation with the Sessions

Court Bar Council. The issue of alawyer for Kasab has been a trickyone. After several delays, the courtappointed government Waghmare,but revoked it on grounds of “profes-sional misconduct” and “conflict ofinterests”. Waghmare was removedfor agreeing to represent one of thevictims of the Mumbai terror attackswho is also now a listed witnessscheduled to depose in the matter.

Nearly, 500 personnel of MumbaiPolice, State Reserve Police Force,Indo-Tibetan Border Police and thejail’s own internal security put inplace a tight security cover.

SHORT•TAKES


NEWS CAPSULE | INDIA THIS WEEK

The Supreme Court ordered BharatiyaJanata Party’s Pilibhit candidate VarunGandhi’s release for two weeks frompreventive detention in Uttar Pradesh’sEtah jail — where he was held for mak-ing speeches allegedly vilifying Muslims — to enable him tocontest the Lok Sabha elections. A bench headed by Chief Justice KG Balakrishanan, however, stipulatedthat Varun Gandhi will make noprovocative speeches disturbing communal peace.

Three people have been arrested andthe police are looking for three more inconnection with the gang rape of a USnational studying in Mumbai. Accordingto the Trombay Police Station, the victim,a student of the Tata Institute of SocialSciences, located in Trombay, had lodgeda police complaint of gang rape.According to the police, she had report-edly attended a small party outside thecampus along with two of the accusedwho later invited her to their house. Theother accused were already presentthere and they raped her, the police said.

Star cricketer Sachin Tendulkar’s wax statue for Madame Tussauds being unveiled in Mumbai


Varun out on parole to contest elections

Kasab’s trial amid drama

Three nabbed for gang rapeof US student in Mumbai

MASTER BLASTER IN HALL OF FAME

LALU HELD, RELEASED INCOPTER LANDING CASE

Railways Ministerand Rashtriya

Janata Dal (RJD)chief Lalu Prasadwas arrested andreleased this week inan ‘unsafe helicopter

landing’ case in Garwah district ofJharkhand. Lalu was arrested followingan Election Commission (EC) notice.The minister’s helicopter landed at apublic rally venue instead of a helipad inGarwah on April 7, said an official.

Later, Lalu told the poll panel that hispilot did not get the geographical coordi-nates in time. “Lalu Prasad has filed inhis reply that the information about the (geographical) coordinates (of land-ing spot) was not received on time.That’s why the helicopter landed in the school premises,” Deputy ElectionCommissioner R Balakrishnan toldreporters in New Delhi.

The EC had issued the notice to LaluPrasad, saying that the unsafe landingwas a violation of the Model Code ofConduct. The district administration hadlodged an FIR against Lalu Prasad andthe pilot, Jagjit Singh. The pilot wasarrested and released on bail the sameday. The RJD chief had come toGarwah to address the rally for hisparty candidate Nagmani, who iscontesting for the Chatra LokSabha seat.

Kolkata Knight Riders co-owner ShahRukh Khan has apologised to Sunil

Gavaskar for hitting back at the legendarycricketer’s criticism of the multiple captaincy

theory mooted by his team coach JohnBuchanan. Shah Rukh said that he had sentan apology letter to Gavaskar.

“I have not said anything againstGavaskar. My comments were for people whodon’t understand cricket and are still tellingme how to run the team. I wanted to have abreathing space to try something new. I havesent him an apology letter, in case, Gavaskarfelt offended because he was in America atthat time,” Shah Rukh said before leaving forSouth Africa. The actor added that he hasgreat regard for the cricketer.

SHAH RUKH APOLOGISES TO SUNNY

Members of the Sri Rama Sene, thegroup that hit the public eye with its

attack on women at a Mangalore pub, triedto disrupt a seminar of Indian and Pakistanijournalists in New Delhi before beingpushed out.

The Sene members, who were seated inthe audience at the India InternationalCentre (IIC), shouted slogans againstPakistan. The seminar, “Is Media JingoismFanning the India-Pak Problem?”, hadbeen organised by the Foundation forMedia Professionals and some Pakistanijournalists were also invited.

Owning responsibility for the act, SeneNational General Secretary Binay KumarSingh said: “Everything was pre-planned as

we wanted to disrupt the seminar.” Headded that around 30 members of thegroup were present. “Speakers at the semi-nar were making comments against Indiaand they were relating India with the recentterror attack on a police academy inLahore. How can one listen to it? Pakistanhas become a global problem and war isthe only solution,” Singh added.

The speakers included noted authorArundhati Roy, columnist SwapanDasgupta, Nirupama Subramanian (TheHindu correspondent in Islamabad) andAmit Baruah, the Hindustan Times ForeignEditor. Security officials along with someIndian journalists caught hold of the Senemembers and pushed them out.

Rama Sene disrupts India-Pak seminar

India test-fired the nuclear-capable surface-to-surfacePrithvi-II missile from a test range in Orissa on April15, according to defence sources.The missile, tested from the Integrated Test Range of

Chandipur in Balasore district at 10.21 am, has a rangeof about 350 kms, officials said.

Prithvi is India’s first indigenously built ballistic missile.

It is one of five missiles being developed under India’sIntegrated Missile Development Programme.

Prithvi has a range of 150-250 km and is capable ofcarrying a payload of between 500 kg and one tonne,including nuclear weapons.

Two versions of the missile have already been inductedinto the Army and Air Force.

NUCLEAR-CAPABLE PRITHVI TEST-FIRED IN ORISSA

IANS

sops available on exports to spurgrowth. Section 10A of the IncomeTax Act exempts payment of tax onincomes from any newly establishedfirm in a free-trade zone while sec-tion 10B extends a similar sop onincome from any newly established100 per cent export-oriented under-taking. An extension in the validityof sections 10A and 10B till 2010 and rationalising excise, service taxand surcharge on direct taxes willhelp industry cope with falling profits, said the NationalAssociation of Software and ServiceCompanies (Nasscom).

“Since ours is a skill-based indus-try, we need constant upgradationof the education system so that wehave enhanced capacity and capa-bility to service the world,” NasscomPresident Som Mittal said.

He also hoped for a people-ori-ented regular budget from the nextgovernment— one that will focus ona unified taxation system with mini-mum tax burden on the commonman apart from increased allocationto infrastructure and social sectors

like education and health. “Wewould appreciate a uniform taxregime with a common goods andservices tax,” Mittal added.

For the automobile sector, whichhas had a good run in the pastdecade, continuity in policy is themain plank. Beyond that, the repre-sentative organisation — the Society

for Indian AutomobileManufacturers (SIAM) — does nothave a long wish list. “We want thenext government to continue withthe auto policy spelt out in 2002,”said SIAM Director General DilipChenoy, explaining that it calls forautomatic approval of foreigninvestment up to 100 per cent withno minimum investment criteria.

Similarly, the gems and jewellerysector, which has seen some large-scale job cuts in recent months, alsohas its own set of demands. Itaccounts for exports worth $21 bil-lion and employs some 1.3 millionpeople, of which some 800,000 peo-ple are in the diamond-cutting andpolishing trade.

“This sector gives good businessevery year. The next governmentshould stress more on this industry,

especially to help the workers whohad to be laid off,” said VasantMehta, Chairman of the Gems andJewellery Export Promotion Council.

Representing industry at large,the Associated Chambers ofCommerce and Industry of India(Assocham) said that the next regu-lar budget should introduce thegeneral sales tax system and removeirritants in the present value-addedtax regime.

“Service tax has become a mas-sive money-spinner for the govern-ment. It would be even more so asthe economy moves to seeing high-er percentage of its gross domesticproduct (GDP) come from services,”added Assocham. “It must be recog-nised that any further increase inthe rate of taxation would dissuadecompliance and compel tax avoid-ance innovations by trade, especial-ly at the grass-roots level, due to thecomplexity of collection andbureaucratic harassment in remitting it.”

The chamber also urged politicalparties to refrain from offering free

power and foodgrains like wheatand rice at highly subsidised rates,saying such freebies could stunteconomic growth in the long run.

India Inc, in fact, has its fingerscrossed as the election processkicks off. It is hoping, as a best-case scenario, for a stable govern-ment — whether of the UnitedProgressive Alliance or theNational Democratic Alliance.

Its worst fear, however, is a morelikely outcome of the elections: agovernment that depends on toomany small parties with competinginterests. This is a scenario wheregovernance could take a back seat, something that is not likely to help the Indian economy at atime when decisive action is what is required to ride out the slowdown.

Hit by a demand slow-down and overall melt-down in the globaleconomy, India Inc has

its wishlist ready for the next gov-ernment with sector-specific poli-cy reforms and tax sops on top ofthe agenda to tide over the crisis.At the same time, it wants politicalparties not to waste their timepromising freebees and insteadfocus on development — sincethat is what, the corporate sectorfeels, will touch the lives of peoplein any meaningful way and even-tually fetch them votes.

Industrialists also complain,albeit privately, that the electionbugle had already added to theircup of woes with political partiesclamouring, coaxing and sometimeseven threatening them to cough up

for “party funds”. They want thispractice too to end.

As revealed by a recent analysisby the Centre for Media Studies, aNew Delhi-based think tank thatanalyses communications andmedia trends in the country, thetotal expenditure for the upcomingLok Sabha elections will be aroundRs 10,000 crore. “The ElectionCommission’s expenditure alonewill be about Rs 1,200 crore,” said N Bhaskara Rao, founder of the cen-tre. “And out of this Rs 10,000 crore,a fourth would be financed byunaccounted money.”

Coming to specific sections of theindustry, the ailing export sector,which in October witnessed adecline for the first time in a decadedue to the contraction in globaltrade, has sought an exemptionfrom paying income tax for fiveyears to deal with the turmoil.“Since the export sector is anemployment-oriented industry, weshould be exempted from payingincome tax for five years,” said ASakthivel, President of the

Federation of Indian ExportOrganisations. “We want a separatepolicy for the export sector that canbe drafted after the governmentanalyses what the global market sit-uation is. The policy should takeinto consideration what other com-peting countries are doing,”Sakthivel told India First.

According to the federation, pro-moted by the Commerce Ministry,the export sector lost about 500,000jobs during the third quarter of thisfiscal and it was imperative to for-mulate a separate policy to helparrest this ominous trend.

Another sector that has been asignificant contributor both to freshjobs and exports in the past, theinformation technology (IT) indus-try, wants the service tax schemes tobe simplified and an extension of


POLITICAL INVESTMENT

WHAT SPECIFIC SECTORS WANTvThe ailing export sector has soughtan exemption from paying income taxfor five years to deal with the declinecaused by the economic meltdownvThe IT industry wants the servicetax schemes to be simplified and anextension of sops available on exportsto spur growthvFor the automobile sector, whichhas had a good run in the pastdecade, continuity in policy is themain plankvThe gems and jewellery sector,which has seen some large-scale jobcuts in recent months, wants the nextgovernment to especially help workerswho had to be laid off

Hit by the slowdown,corporate Indiawants the next government to getits act together fast,writes ArvindPadmanabhan

India Inc’s WISHLIST

The export sector,which last year

witnessed a declinefor the first time ina decade due to the

contraction in global trade, has

sought an exemption from

paying income taxfor five years to deal

with the turmoil

Despite plungingsteel prices,

Indian-born steel czarLakshmi Mittal with anet worth of $19.3 bil-lion remains theworld’s richest soccerclub owner in the

Forbes list of soccer billionaires.“Anybody can buy a ticket to a soccer

game; these moguls own the teams onthe field,” the American business publica-tion said about the top soccer 10, pickedup from its list of the World’s Billionairespublished in March. “Last year, theworld’s 10 richest owners of professionalsoccer clubs had a combined net worthof more than $150 billion. Then the econ-omy tanked. These days, the top 10 havea cumulative net worth of less than $90billion,” Forbes said.

Mittal bought a stake in the London-based Queen’s Park Rangers in 2007,joining Formula 1 tycoons Flavio Briatoreand Bernie Ecclestone as owners. Theclub, currently playing in England’sChampionship League, hopes to win apromotion to reach England’s top league,Forbes said. “It almost certainly won’thappen this year. As of April 6, QPR was10th in league standings.”

“Lakshmi Mittal, operator of the world’slargest steel company, is the richest —despite his team not being worth all thatmuch. Mittal is a stakeholder in Queen’sPark Rangers, a team that doesn’t evenplay in England’s top league.” In its annual ranking of the world’s richest people, Forbes had named Mittal at theeighth place. — Arun Kumar


NEWS CAPSULE | BUSINESS

By Arun Kumar

The US government has askedGeneral Motors to get ready for apossible bankruptcy by June 1

even though the troubled automakerinsists it can restructure its business onits own. Citing unnamed people “withknowledge of the plans”, the New YorkTimes said that the goal is to prepareGM for a fast “surgical” bankruptcy.

Members of President BarackObama’s automotive task force spentlast week in meetings and on confer-ence calls with GM officials and itsadvisers in Detroit and Washington, itsaid. The automaker already has beengranted $13.4 billion in federal aid andits managers have insisted that thefirm’s image should not be damaged.

The preparations are aimed atassuring a GM bankruptcy filing isready should the company be unableto reach agreement with bondholdersto exchange roughly $28 billion in debtinto equity in GM and with the UnitedAutomobile Workers Union, which hasbalked at granting concessions with-out sacrifices from bondholders, TheTimes said.

Obama, who was elected withstrong backing from labour, remainedconcerned about potential risk to GM’spension plan and wants to avoid

harming workers, the daily said citingunnamed people. One plan under con-sideration would create a new compa-ny that would buy the “good” assets ofGM almost immediately after the car-maker files for bankruptcy. Less desir-able assets, including unwantedbrands, would be left in the old com-pany, which could be liquidated overseveral years.

British Telephones to shed10,000 more jobs: NewspaperBritish telecom giant British Telephones(BT) is planning to shed a further10,000 posts from its workforce. Thejob cuts come on top of around 10,000jobs already culled, mainly among con-tract and temporary workers. TheSunday Times, citing unnamed sourceswithin the firm, reports that the groupwould announce the redundanciesalong with planned cost cuttings at itsannual report next month. The paperreported that the firm was now at a lowpoint since privatisation by MargaretThatcher in 1984 with a pension deficitof around £8 billion.

Hotel chain major ITCWelcomgroup will hire around4,000 people in the next fouryears, taking the total number ofemployees to 14,000, a top officialsaid this week. “Our new starhotels that are coming up inBangalore, Chennai, Kolkata,Hyderabad and New Delhi require additional hands,” AnilSharma, Vice-President (HumanResources) of ITC, told India Firstover the phone.

Employment generation in the coun-try fell to 49 per cent during January-March, largely due to slow growth inthe services sector, according to asurvey. “The Assocham placementparameter Index (the body’s index formeasuring employment generation)has shown a steep fall of 49 percent,” the Associated Chambers ofCommerce and Industry (Assocham)said in a statement.

Just three months after it gotentwined in corporate India’sworst frauds, the government-

appointed board of SatyamComputer Services this weekapproved a bid by Tech Mahindra toacquire 31 per cent stake in thecompany for Rs 1,756 crore at Rs 58 per share.

Though the 48,000 employees andmore than 300,000 shareholderswere visibly excited, Tech Mahindraadmitted that the crisis-ridden ITfirm’s liabilities would add to thechallenges usually associated withan acquisition. “We have taken on achallenge and we will make it work,”Mahindra and Mahindra groupVice-Chairman and ManagingDirector Anand Mahindra toldreporters in Mumbai. Mahindra saidthat merger and acquisition deci-sions were taken in the best interestof shareholders. “We will try to makeit as less painful as possible.”

Tech Mahindra Vice-Chairman,Managing Director and ChiefExecutive Vineet Nayyar also admit-ted that the ride was not going to be

smooth. “Satyam’s revenues havedipped from $1.8 billion to $1.5 bil-lion and may come down to $1.3 bil-lion in the next quarter,” he said.Satyam faces the threat of paying upto $1 billion as damages to Upaid, aUK-based IT company. Apart fromthis, a dozen-odd class action suitshave been filed against it in the US.

SHORT TAKES

Zimbabwe’s new coalition government hasdecided to withdraw the country’s worth-

less currency from circulation for at least ayear and rely exclusively on other hard cur-rencies, according to newspaper reports.

Economic PlanningMinister Elton Mangomawas quoted in the state-con-trolled Sunday Mail as say-ing that the Zimbabwe dollar,whose value was sent crash-ing by an official policy of theformer regime of PresidentRobert Mugabe to print hugevolumes of cash to keep upwith state spending, “will beout at least for a year”.

“We resolved there will be

no immediate plans to introduce the moneybecause there is nothing to support its value,”he said. In January, when it took Zimbabwe$20 trillion to equal $1, the government adopt-ed international hard currencies like the US

dollar and the South Africanrand as legal tender along-side the local currency.

Inflation running into per-centage points with 15zeroes had made trade inZimbabwe dollars impossibleand business was alreadyconducted predominantly inhard currencies, albeit tech-nically illegal. “Our focus is toensure that we first have avibrant industry,” he added.

NO ZIMBABWE CURRENCY FOR A YEAR

STEEL CZAR MITTAL TOPSOCCER BILLIONAIRE

REBOOTED, BUT VIRUS OF RISK

Karam Butalia, former global head of pri-vate equity at Standard Chartered, took

home a £16-million pay packet before leav-ing last year, making him the best-paidBritish banker, according to a newspaper.

Butalia, 55, received about four times asmuch as Standard Chartered ChiefExecutive Peter Sands, the Sunday Timesreported this week. Butalia, who is based in

Singapore, is believed to have secured astring of lucrative private-equity deals dur-ing his six years at the bank.

Butalia, who took an MBA at HullUniversity in Britain in 1994-95, boughtstakes in one of China’s biggest construc-tion firms, an Indian engineering company,as well as China’s biggest pen maker, theSunday Times said.

£16 MN-BONUS FOR INDIAN-ORIGIN BANKER

Rickshaws powered by solar energycould be your next mode of transport,

courtesy of a Commonwealth initiative.The Commonwealth Business Council

(CBC) has set up an incubation hub in part-nership with the Indian government to devel-op cutting edge energy-saving technologies.

The hub, which also involves the IndianInstitute of Management-Ahmedabad, theUK Carbon Trust and British Petroleum’s

Alternative Energy Group, will work on tech-nologies that will be designed for Indian cityand rural living as well as transport.

By involving academics as well as industry,the hub will be able to get ideas commer-cialised quickly, CBC said. “Our new incuba-tion hub will get ideas from everywhere,including Indian entrepreneurs. Hopefully, thishub can get these ideas backed and com-mercialised quickly,” said CBC Director

General Mohan Kaul. “I look forward to seeingthe first solar powered rickshaw,” he added.

SOLAR RICKSHAWS: INDIA, BRITAIN SET UP ENERGY HUB

ITC Welcomgroup to hire 4,000 in four years

‘Job creation nearly halvedin first three months’

BANKRUPTCY LOOMS OVER GM

Mahindra and Mahindra group Vice-Chairman and ManagingDirector Anand Mahindra

Technology Made EasyBy SUNIL SAXENA W

hat will be your reaction if youwere told to type 74.125.45.100to log into the Google website or68.180.206.184 to access Yahoo?

You may do it once; you may even do it twice.But after that, I am sure you will give up.

Human minds are not configured tomemorise strings of numbers separated bydots. But computers are. They talk to eachother using these numbers. These are theirnames by which they identify and commu-nicate with each other. These machine

names or numbers, which areknown as IP addresses, are madeup of four octets, whose valueranges from 0 to 255. Each IPaddress is unique, and can bethe name of only one computer.

To get a better understand-ing, you can compare IPaddresses to door numbers.When you search for a term onGoogle, your computer sendsyour query to this IP address,because this is the computerwhere the Google website lives.It’s the same with Yahoo too.

The IP addresses may be per-manent or temporary, but eachone is unique. You can imaginethe confusion if this was not so.The Internet would be like acountry without addresses, whereyou had to be extremely lucky toreach your destination.

The authority that ensures thatevery computer has only onename when it connects to theInternet is the Internet AssignedNumbers Authority, popularlyknown as IANA. It has built a hier-archical system to ensure thatthere is no overlapping or dupli-cation of numbers, and that thereis a record of each IP addressbeing used on the net.

IANA has also set up regionalbodies to look after different con-

tinents. Thus, for India the IANA body thatallots IP addresses is Asia Pacific NetworkInformation Centre. It is through this organ-isation that Internet Service Providers inIndia like BSNL, Airtel or Reliance obtain theIP addresses that they then allot to theirIndian customers.

The IP addresses can be temporary or per-manent, according to usage. For instance, abroadband user is allotted a permanent IPaddress. This IP address then becomes theidentity of this user’s computer. The othercomputers know the destination whereinformation is to be sent.

For instance, when this user based inDelhi types Google.com in the search bar, hiscomputer first locates the machine name ofGoogle.com. It then sends a message to thecomputer where Google resides saying hisboss wants to visit Google. This message maybe routed through hundreds of computersbefore it reaches Google but Google knowswhere the message has come from. Itresponds by sending a message back to theIP address of the computer. The connectionis made, and communication begins.

But not everyone in India is lucky to havea broadband connection. There are lakhs ofIndians who use a dial up connection toaccess the net. In these cases, the serviceproviders, like BSNL, provide temporary orfloating IP addresses to the user

Thus, the computer of a Chennai resident,who has a dial up account with BSNL, will beallotted a temporary IP address by BSNL themoment he logs onto the net. This gives theuser’s machine an identity to talk to othermachines on the net, and to fetch requestsmade by the user. This identity lapses themoment the user logs out. The floating IPsenable ISPs to serve a large number of usersas against the fixed IPs whose usage isrestricted.

So, next time you log on to the net, try andidentify the machine name of your host.

(The writer can be reached [email protected])

‘IP’: Numbers machinesuse to talk to each other

The IP addresses maybe permanent or

temporary, but eachone is unique. You

can imagine the confusion if this

was not so. The Internet would

be like a country without addresses,

where you had to beextremely lucky to

reach a destination of your choice


What is floriculture? What is thecareer graph like?Floriculture is the art and science ofgrowing flowers. With the fast grow-ing per capita consumption of flow-ers, floriculture has emerged as a bigindustry, with immense employmentopportunities both in the domesticand export markets. There are vari-ous opportunities. You can becomean entrepreneur, or a consultant forproduction and marketing and so on.Pay packages start from Rs 15,000 to50,000 per month.What is the basic eligibility?There are two options available topursue a course in floriculture. To docourses in floriculture, as part of thecurriculum of the UG Degree pro-grammes, B.Sc (Hort.) or B. Tech(Hort.), one needs to clear a Plus-Twoor a Higher School Certificate fol-lowed by Common Entrance Test.And for the Master’s programme, youshould have a B.Sc. (Agri) or B.Sc(Hort) degree.What are the courses available in thefield? What is the course fee?For B.Sc (Horticulture) it will take 4years (8 semesters) and will cost youRs 5,150 per semester while a B.Tech(Horticulture) course will take 4 years(8 semesters) at a cost of Rs 30,150per semester. The B.Sc (Agri) will take4 years (8 semesters) at a cost of Rs5,150 per semester while an M.Sc.(Horticulture) with research speciali-sation in floriculture will take 2 years(4 semesters) at Rs 5,000 per semes-ter. A Ph. D (Horticulture) withresearch specialisation in floriculturewill take up to 3 years (6 semesters)at Rs 6,000 per semester.Is a degree mandatory?No. Basic knowledge and skills can

be acquired by undergoing trainingin commercial floriculture from insti-tutions like TNAU (open distancelearning) and HTC, Pune.Best institutes in India and abroad?In India TNAU (Coimbatore), IARI(New Delhi), PAU (Punjab), YSParmar University (Solan) are amongthe best institutes. The PracticalTraining Centre (The Netherlands),Flower Council (The Netherlands),and Galilee College (Israel) are someof the best foreign institutes.What is the contribution of floricul-ture to the Indian economy?The industry plays an important rolein India’s economy. Floricultureexports in 2006-07 stood at Rs. 650crore (approx) and projections forthe year 2010 are estimated at Rs.10,000 crore (Floriculture Today,March 2009).

What have been the initiatives takenby the Government?The government is providing signifi-cant assistance to help grow the indus-try. Many organisations have been setup. The National Horticulture Mission(NHM) has made subsidies availableto small growers for poly house con-struction for cut flower production.Likewise, the National HorticultureBoard (NHB) provides subsidies forproduction of high value flowers whileAPEDA provides subsidies for infra-structure including cold storage.Nationalised banks lend financial sup-port for commercial floriculture ven-tures. State agriculture universitieslend technical support through train-ing to growers and entrepreneurs andState horticulture departments helptechnology transfer to growers.

What is floriculture all about? Howdoes it make a good career option?Floriculture deals with growing andmarketing of flowering and orna-mental plants. The field is entirelycommercial and has huge potentialin the domestic as well as globalmarkets. It is a success story andhas huge scope. You can expecthandsome financial rewards also. Afresher can expect a minimum ofRs. 10,000, going up to Rs. 50,000depending on the experience andpotential you have. Is a degree mandatory?It is always good that you do a

course in thefield for thebasic knowl-edgerequired butit is notmandatory.You can opt

for floriculture as a professionalcareer option if you have the incli-nation. Best institutes/colleges in Indiaand abroad?Lots of good colleges are availablein the country. HorticultureTraining Centre, Pune, is one of thebest, which has amazing facilitiesand offers efficient training pro-grammes. If you want to pursueyour studies abroad you can lookfor institutes in Holland. It’s anideal place for the field. What key skills do you require?Essentially knowledge and interestin the field. And if you have an agri-cultural background, it is like theicing on the cake.Which countries does ProfessionalAgrotech Co., export flowers to?We export flowers to countries likeBritain, Holland, Italy, Japan andAustralia. We especially deal in roses.

Floriculture is a disciplineof horticulture which dealswith the science of culti-vating flowers. One of the

fastest growing industries in India,it provides enormous opportuni-ties for employment. Bestowedwith diverse soil and climatic con-ditions, India is the perfect gardento grow a wide variety of flowers.

In recent years, there has beentremendous growth in the indus-try powered by growing interna-tional demand for flowers. Exportsof floriculture products stood atRs 340.14 crores in the year 2007-08. India exports flowers to coun-tries like the United States, Japan,Britain, the Netherlands andGermany. Therefore, the industryalso earns vital foreign exchange.

The states which make majorcontributions in the sector areMaharashtra, Karnataka, AndhraPradesh and Haryana. Today,approximately 160,000 hectareshave been brought under floriculture.

The government has also takenup significant steps to help growthe industry. A direct subsidy upto 50 percent for pre-cooling andcold storage units has been madeavailable. Eleven model floricul-ture centre units and 20 tissue cul-ture units have been establishedby the Ministry of Agriculture.Moreover, import duties on cutflowers, flower seeds, tissue-culturedplants have also been reduced.

The field is vast and ample

opportunities are available. Onecan grow flowers for the domesticas well as export markets, runnurseries, be a farm manager orlandscape manager, and work forgardening and landscaping advi-sory services. However, marketingis a key function and those withexperience and aptitude can makethe most of it, with flowers!

CAREER | FLORICULTURE

Floriculture is one of the fastest growing industries with enormous opportunities, says Jyotimala


Say it with flowersM Jawaharlal, Professor & Head, Department of Floriculture and Landscaping, HorticulturalCollege and Research Institute, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, spoke to India First

BN Raskar, Managing Director of Professional AgrotechPvt Ltd, spoke to India First on floriculture. Excerpts:

‘Floriculture in India a success story’

‘It’s the art and science of growing flowers’

You can grow flowers for domestic andexport markets, run nurseries, become afarm manager or landscape manager

What you can become

The pay package normally starts fromapproximately Rs 15,000 and can go up toRs 50,000 per month

What you can expect

You need to have sound knowledge offloriculture and market intelligence(domestic and international)

Key skills

Bestowed with diverse soiland climatic conditions,India is the perfect gardento grow a wide variety offlowers. Floriculture exportsin 2007-08 were worth Rs 340.14 crores

Tamil Nadu Agricultural UniversityCoimbatorehttp://www.tnau.ac.in Ph: +91-0422-5511200431222, 431821

Indian AgriculturalResearch Institute (IARI)Pusa, New Delhi www.iari.res.in

The PunjabAgriculturalUniversity (PAU)Punjab.Ph: +91-161- 2401960http://www.pau.edu/

Dr YS ParmarUniversity ofHorticulture &ForestryHimachal Pradeshwww.yspuniversity.ac.in

Centre for DistanceEducationNorth-Eastern HillUniversity, Shillong,Meghalaya www.nehu.ac.in

Department of Botany Hislop College,NagpurPh: +91-712-2532004, www.hislopcollege.ac.in

School ofAgriculturalSciencesYashwantrao ChavanMaharashtra OpenUniversitywww.ycmou.com

Polytechnic Schoolof Horticulture,Junagadh AgriculturalUniversity, JunagadhPh: +91-0285-2670204 www.jau.in

WH

ERE

TO S

TUD

Y


GADGETS

Light for lifeJust like yoga and meditation, light therapy can makeyou feel better, increase energy and even help you sleep.Using the right wavelength of light, you can trigger youractive hormones, claims Philips.

The goLITE from Philips is a breakthrough in lighttherapy that provides the blue light our body needs(called bluewave technology).

Studies have shown that low-intensity blue light (470 nm,the kind emitted by goLITE) is twice as effective inmanaging our body clock compared to other sources of light.

Bluewave not only makes light therapy easier comparedto traditional white light, but is also less harmful for theeyes because of its lower intensity. Bluewave technologyproduces no UV or near-UV light and has passed ocularsafety tests as well as all government and industrialocular safety standards. Now, you can avail the benefitof light therapy within 15 minutes. Price: Rs 15,000


1Printing wizardSony’s DPP-FP97 portable printer is thelatest in India.

This model can print photos in about 45seconds. Other features also include autotouch-up, which can be used to editphotographs with the touch of a button.This printer also uses technology thatcorrects white balance, focus, exposureand red eye — all from the 3.5-inch LCDscreen right on the unit.

DPP-FP97 depends on memory cards andSony’s Memory Stick Pro formats forloading images. Price Rs. 7,000

Shocking gadgets These gadgets are fake but the nasty jolt isreal. Available in PSP, iPod and laser pointerversions, the devices can shock aunsuspecting user. Careless handling ofthese gadgets can give you the shock ofyour life. The laser pointer is actuallyfunctional, but dare not mess with the othergadgets. There’s also a fake car alarmremote available in the market. Thesegadgets are cheap and widely available atroadside stalls.

Price: Rs 100

3

Scientists have developed a simple and highlysensitive test to detect and quantify ricin, a

highly lethal toxin with potential use as a bio-ter-rorism agent. Ricin, a protein extracted from cas-tor beans, can be in the form of a powder, mist,

pellet or solution. When injected or inhaled, as little as one-half mg of ricinis lethal to humans. No antidote is available. The most notorious ricin attacktook place in London in 1978, when Bulgarian dissident Georgi Markovdied after being stabbed with an umbrella that injected a ricin-coated pelletinto his leg. The ricin assay was developed in the lab of Vern Schramm,professor at Albert Einstein College of Medicine and study co-author.

You are chatting animatedlywith someone on a dating web-site, but the moment you catch

a whiff of his odour, you decide he isnot the one for you — never mind hisgood looks or similar tastes.

Dating websites like Basisnote, astart-up company, will soon permityou to match your odour profile withthat of your prospective partner andwill help you decide whether you findthe smell pleasant or not. “If every-thing fits, you have the same inter-ests, lots to talk about, but you can’tstand their smell, then a love affairdoesn’t stand a chance,” explained

biologist August Hammerli, whofounded the company.

If the flirt partner has also enteredtheir smell profile, you can find outwithin seconds whether you wouldlike their smell. All of this works bytaking a saliva test which can be car-ried out easily at home. It works witha chromatographic process, similarto a pregnancy test. The result: asimple digital code which can beentered into an online profile.

It takes no longer than 20 sec-onds. Hammerli continues:“Obviously, smell is by no meansthe only factor in choosing a part-

ner. However, our test makes it ameasurable component.”

The company is developing thetest together with Mathias Wegner,head assistant at the Paul Schmidt-Hempel chair at the Institute forIntegrative Biology, Switzerland. Thetest will appear in the market thisyear in cooperation with an onlinedating provider.

Mice check their potential matingpartners by smelling them. The factthat humans do the same on a sub-conscious level was first proven inthe nineties by biologist ClausWedekind at the University of Bern.


SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY HEALTH & MEDICINE

Scent of aPARTNERThe simple procedure involves taking a saliva test which can be done at home

Genetic defect may help develop male contraceptive

Agenetic aberration that seemsto prevent some males fromfathering kids could be instru-

mental in developing a male contra-ceptive. Although female oral contra-ceptives developed over 40 years agohave been very effective in familyplanning, no similar contraceptivehas been developed for males.

Surveys conducted by theMedical ResearchCouncilReproductive BiologyUnit, Britain, suggestthat men would bewilling to use a phar-macological contra-ceptive besides con-doms or vasectomy ifone was available.

“We have identi-fied CATSPER1 as agene that is involvedin male infertility, afinding which couldlead to future infer-tility therapies thatreplace the gene or the protein. Butperhaps even more importantly,this finding could have implicationsfor male contraception,” saidMichael Hildebrand, study co-author. He is postdoc-toral researcherin otolaryngologyat the Universityof Iowa (U-I)College ofMedicine.

The researchteam, whichincluded scien-tists from theUniversity ofSocial Welfare andRehabilitationSciences, Tehran, dis-covered CATSPER1while studying geneticsof families in Iran withrelatively high rates of disease-causing gene mutations.

Although the team’s research withIranians focuses on identifyinggenetic causes of deafness, collect-ing genetic information from thissource allowed the researchers toidentify two families where maleinfertility, which was not part of a syndrome, appeared to be inherit-ed. The affected men’s infertility was diagnosed with a routine

semen analysis. Focusing on a

group of genes thathave been implicatedin male infertility inmice, the researchersfound that mutationsin both Iranian fami-lies occurred in a single gene calledCATSPER1.

Harvard Universitystudies on mousemodels that lack theCATSPER1 genereveal how sperm isaffected when the

protein is missing or abnormal, saidan U-I release. These findings werereporting in the April 2 online edi-tion of the American Journal ofHuman Genetics.

The boon of infertility Teen sues sperm bankfor 'defective' dad

Baby born from 21-yr-old sperm

Fertility specialists heralded the birth of a baby girl whowas conceived through in-vitro fertilisation at their lab

with sperm frozen 21 years ago, a world record. ChrisBiblis, 38, of Charlotte (US) was treated for leukemia fromage 13 to 18. In 1987 at 16, his family encouraged him tofreeze his sperm even though there was no treatment formale infertility at the time. It was not until 1992 that thefirst baby was born from intracytoplasmic sperm injection,a breakthrough fertility technology in which scientistsinject a carefully selected healthy sperm cell into a humanegg in the lab.

IN S

HOR

T

Fast, accurate test detects lethal drug

CATSPER1 is agene that is

involved in maleinfertility, a

finding whichcould lead to

future infertilitytherapies that

replace the geneor the protein

Whom to blame if the sperm from asperm bank leads to complications

in children? An American teenager whowas born with a genetic disorder called Xsyndrome, causing mental impairment,has filed a suit against the sperm bankthat her mother used to conceive her.

Thirteen-year-old Brittany Donovanfrom Pennsylvania is suing the spermbank, Idant Laboratories, New York, aftera judge gave her the go-ahead to pursuethe case under product liability lawsapplicable to manufacturing defects.

Brittany does not have to show thatIdant was negligent, only that the spermit provided was unsafe and causedinjury, according to NewScientist.

“It doesn’t matter how much care wastaken,” says lawyer Danile Thistle, whois representing the teenager. Geneticstests on the girl confirmed that sheinherited the genetic defects from herbiological father. But in Pennsylvaniastate, where she was conceived, shecould not pursue the case since a ‘bloodshield law’ gives impunity to sellers ofhuman bodily material from product liability suits.

As New York State does not grantsuch impunity to sperm sellers, federaljudge Thomas O’Neill has allowedDonovan to pursue the lawsuit in NewYork, according to the magazine. Sincethis is the first case of its kind in USmedical history, sperm banks fear that“this could open the floodgates” for othersperm recipients to sue them.

Idant Laboratories claim themselvesto be the oldest and largest semenbanks in the US, pioneering semenbanking and developing the technologyto ship frozen semen all over the world.

The group also claims to maintainone of the largest human semen banksin the US.

— Shudip Talukdar

From Kendrapara to Geneva,it has been an extraordinaryjourney. The eldest son of abus driver, he lived with

seven of his other siblings and hismother in a one-room thatched ten-ement. Penury was never far fromthe family and the little boy trudgedfour kilometres back and forth fromIcchapur School, always finishing hishomework at school. He joinedKendrapara College to do science. Bynow he was putting in nearly 18hours of study. Soon his father fell illand the young man had little choicebut to work alongside college to fendfor the family. He passed out of col-lege with a BSc (Honours) in physicsand joined Utkal University for apost-graduate degree in the subject.It wasn't easy. There was little moneyand he was the only source of sup-port to his large family. He took toprivate tuitions to make both endsmeet. Not one to be deterred, hedecided to pursue an MPhil at UtkalUniversity. Soon after, he got an offerto go to Japan for a PhD in experi-mental high-energy physics. A localjournalist raised funds for his trip.

Once he left India, there was nolooking back. He joined the BelleExperiment at the NationalLaboratory of High Energy Physics(KEK) and finished his PhD in a littleunder four years. His thesis “Study ofCharmonium Production in the BelleExperiment” was published inPhysical Review Letters with morethan 50 citations. He got several

lucrative postdoctoral offers fromwell-known American universitiesand he chose to join the University ofPennsylvania to work on BABARexperiment (a collaboration ofaround 600 physicists) at theStanford Linear Accelerator Center.Subsequently he moved to theUniversity of Iowa as a scientist towork on the Atlas Experiment.

Meet Dr Prafulla Behera, today amember of the elite team working onthe Big Bang experiment at the pres-tigious CERN (EuropeanOrganisation for Nuclear Research).His has been a story of sheer grit andiron, a story he seems to have fore-told with little else than with unfor-giving hard work.

“My source of inspiration has beenthe principle of honesty. It maysound old fashioned but honesty is

the best policy. This has been myguiding force of my life,” says the 36-year-old Behera in all humility.

Talking about his being includedas a team member in the Big Bangexperiment in an exclusive interviewto India First, Behera says, “I amindeed happy to be part of an exper-iment the world is watching.”Though he says that it may be tooearly to talk about the benefits of theexperiment, he takes considerablepride in what CERN has come to rep-resent. “CERN is responsible for theinvention of the world wide webwhich has created employmentopportunities for millions aroundthe world. This invention also pro-pelled the IT revolution,” he says.

The experiment involves a collab-oration of more than 2,000 peoplefrom 37 different countries andBehera has been a part of the projectsince 2006. Since late 2007, however,he has worked full time at CERN.

For Behera, it is a combination ofhuge logistical, managerial, intellec-tual and cultural challenges. Tenyears after having left Orissa, Beherais today a formidable scientist doingcutting-edge research at the frontiersof physics in one of the world’s top-


PRAVASI ORIYA

most laboratories of science.Asked about what the universe is

made of, the young scientist says,“Ninety-six percent of our Universe ismissing! Much of the missing matteris the stuff researchers call dark mat-ter.” To an enquiry about the kind ofuniverse we inhabit, Behera says,“Many physicists think the universehas more dimensions than the four

we are aware of. In fact, gravity doesnot fit comfortably into the currentdescriptions of forces used by physi-cists. It is also very much weaker thanthe other forces.” At a level wherephilosophy, metaphysics and princi-ples of matter converge, he adds,“One explanation for this may bethat our universe is part of a largermulti-dimensional reality.”

Refusing to be drawn into a debatein Europe and the West vis-à-vis theposition of the Catholic Church onthe Big Bang experiment, he howeverscotches fears of annihilation thathad gripped some sections of publicopinion before the experiment tookoff. “The experiment is safe for us.There is no need to panic.”

Asked about what the Orissa gov-ernment could do to encourage thepursuit of science in its universities,Behera says, “It would be good if thestate government can provide schol-arships which will allow students tospend some time researching atinternational laboratories. OurUniversities should be encouraged toparticipate in experiments at labora-tories like CERN. To derive real bene-fits, we need to have our own labs atuniversities where we can do cutting-edge R&D. Without the government’sinitiative, it will be very difficult for our universities to stand on their own.”

From Kendrapara to Geneva,Behera has indeed arrived with a bigbang. Honesty, he says, has been thefulcrum of his universe. To the youngin Orissa, he says, “I would suggestthat we should be honest to our-selves and to others as well. Weshould stick to our duty without wor-rying about the result. The resultsentirely depend on our work.”

AN EXTRAORDINARY

JOURNEYAbject poverty did little to deter him. From a littleknown village in Kendrapada to the CERN labaratory (Geneva), Dr Prafulla Behera today is atop notch scientist at the frontiers of physics, says Bijaya Kumar Das

It would be goodif the state

government can provide scholarshipswhich will allow students to spend sometime researching atinternational laboratories

(Top)Dr Prafulla Behera near the Atlas detector — a massive particle colliderand a part of Large Hadron Collider in Geneva, Switzerland. (Above) Beherawith wife Babita Behera and two kids — Bishwaprakash and Prityush.

Ask Dr Behera What happened in the Big Bang? Whatwas the universe made of before thematter we see around us was formed?The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERNwill recreate conditions that existed duringthe first billionth of a second of the BigBang. At the earliest moments of the BigBang, the Universe consisted of a searing-ly hot soup of fundamental particles —quarks, leptons and the force carriers. Asthe universe cooled to 1000 billion degrees,the quarks and gluons combined into com-posite particles. The LHC will collide leadnuclei so that they release their constituentquarks in a fleeting Little Bang. This willtake us back to the time before these parti-cles formed, recreating the conditions earlyin the evolution of the universe. The debrisdetected will provide important informationabout the earliest state of matter.

INDIA FIRST

MILESTONE MOVIESvAstaraga v Jaiphula v Phula Chandan v Sata Micha v Jaga Hatare Pagha v Chaka Bhaunri v Mamata Mage Mula v Puja Phula v Sahari Bagha v Sankha Sindura v Ei Ta Dunia v Tunda Baida v Danda Balunga v Udandi Sita v Pua Mohara Kala Thakurav Thili Jhia Heli Bahu v Bidhira Bidhan v Mamata Ra Dori v Chakadola Karuchi Lila

dence. And though the movie wasnot a major hit, it was a gooddebut.” Phula Chandana, in whichshe played the leading role, is herfavourite movie.

However, Aparajita took sometime to acclimatise to the new envi-ronment. The transition from hermiddle-class background to theglitter of fame and success was toorapid to handle. “I took some timeto shed my shyness, but I quicklygot used to fame and success.”

Soon, reel and real life wouldmerge. In several movies, Aparajitawould play opposite her husbandUttam Mohanty, cult figure in Oriyacinema. Their movies like Jaiphula,Janani, Jaga Hatare Pagha, MamataMage Mula, Puja Phula, SahariBagha, Sankha Sindura, PuaMohara Kala Thakura and ThiliJhia Heli Bahu set the cash registersringing.

In spite of her personal success,the limited appeal of Oriya cinemahaunts her. “The budget of our filmsdoes not even touch the crore markand the returns are not encourag-ing,” she says. Aparajita is for mar-keting Oriya films outside the state,among non-resident Oriyas (NROs).Recounting her travels in India andabroad, the actor says that Oriyas inthe United States and Britain, andthose in Delhi, Andhra Pradesh,Gujarat and West Bengal present agood market for Oriya films.

Although the state film industryhas “done well to catch up with thetechnological advances in produc-tion”, it still lags in marketing,Aparajita feels — observationswhich would stand her in goodstead once she “turns to directionafter some years”.

Until Oriya cinema reaches theNROs, Aparajita knows it will be thegoodwill of rural Orissa that willsupport the industry. In fact, evenas she leads a life of luxury,Aparajita feels a deep connected-ness with her rural audience, whichtrudges mile after mile of dustyroads in bullock carts to watch herat theatres. “I’d love to be oneamong those villagers. After all,they are the people who have lovedand supported me through all theseyears so unconditionally. They arethe ones who decide whether myfilms are hits or not.”

Three decades of striving to giveher fans glimpses of another world— an escape from the usual drudg-ery — has taken her deeper intoeveryday realities. She remainsgrounded as ever and fame hasfailed to corrupt her. “I have anunquenchable thirst for perform-ance; I am never satisfied with myacting. Everyday, I come back homeand assess my work,” Aparajita says.


APARAJITA MOHANTY

By Prashant K Nanda andByomakesh Biswal

Contentment means thedeath of an artist, she says.Though for three decades,her life was entwined with

the reel world, a veteran of 120 films— mostly Oriya and a few Bengali —still strives for perfection.

For her fans, Aparajita Mohantyhas been synonymous with the tra-ditional Oriya girl — elegant, charm-

ing and cultured. The elegance withwhich she once romanced herheroes and set a million hearts racing is still evident. From being asexy college student to a sobbingdaughter-in-law, she has alwaysmesmerised the viewer with the easewith she slipped into varied roles.“The moment I put make-up on, Ibecome the character,” she quips.

Although dancing and acting fas-cinated her from an early age, actingwas to be Aparajita’s calling after she

watched the shooting of SisirMishra’s movie Sindura Bindu in1974. Her cousin Mahashweta Roy,then the reigning star of Ollywood,inspired Aparajita to try her luck inthe world of cinema.

However, the first opportunity tostep into the sets came only in1981, when Aparajita was still incollege. “It was a godsend,” sherecalls. “Sharat Pujari, the directorof Astaraga, was a little apprehen-sive about me despite my confi-

The budget ofour films does

not even touch thecrore mark and thereturns are not encouraging. Oriya filmsshould be marketedamong non-residentOriyas. Our film industry still lagsin marketing

‘OLLYWOOD NEEDS

NROs’

INDIA FIRST

She is known for her shock value and Rakhi Sawant is nowplanning her ‘swayamvara’ — picking a groom and tying thenuptial knot with the chosen one — on a reality TV show.

Rakhi will choose from among 15 grooms on NDTV Imagine’snew show Rakhi Ka Swayamvara and and will take the help ofviewers to decide on her perfect man. The timing of the showhasn’t been announced yet. The first-of-its-kind show will traceRakhi’s journey from selecting a groom to the wedding ceremony. “I want to solemnise my marriage in the presence ofall my fans who have been supportive of me throughout andwhat better way than getting married on national television,”Rakhi said, commenting on her decision to marry this way. “I amlooking for a companion who is warm, affectionate, someonewho can dance a little bit, who respects women for who they are,and above all who is punctual. Even Sita had her Swayamvara, sowhy not me?” Rakhi says this is the right time for her to settledown. “Every young woman dreams of a perfect marriage. Thereis a right time in your life to get married to become a wife and amother. I’m a cultured Indian woman with good values and Ihave reached a stage where I need a companion with whom I can share my love, joys, sorrows and success. For me that time is now,” she said.

Kareena Kapoor is finally going to play a full-fledged role in Saif AliKhan’s home production Agent Vinod. She wants the spy drama to be

hot and says even the posters will be designed to portray them asBollywood’s “coolest hot pair”. It is being said that in the beginning,Kareena’s role in the film was relatively less substantial than Saif’s. Whenquizzed, Kareena said: “Do you think I’d agree to be part of the film if myrole was not as exciting as Saif’s? I mean, can you imagine what wouldhappen? But Saif and I will be smouldering hot in Agent Vinod. Even theposters will be designed to highlight us as the coolest hot pair.”

—Subhash K Jha

45India First | April 18- 24, 200944 India First | April 18- 24, 2009

SILVER SCREEN | BOLLYWOOD

No movies yet withmy dad please

Rakhi plans her ‘swayamvara’on reality TV show

Saif and I will be smouldering hotin ‘Agent Vinod’: Kareena

By Subhash K Jha

Those who want to see Sonam Kapoor and her dad AnilKapoor together on screen will have to wait for a longtime. The Delhi 6 girl thinks Kapoor senior looks far

younger than his age to play a conventional father in aBollywood flick. The buzz around tinsel town is that there’s apivotal role in Anil’s home production — of Sonam’s father —that he was supposed to play. But Anil is not doing the filmtitled Ayesha. “Do you really think he looks like my Dad? No!He doesn’t. He looks far younger than his age. And that’s why Iwouldn’t want him to play my father. The role in Ayesha thatyou’re mentioning didn’t suit him. My dad can’t play the conventional father,” Sonam, who has acted in Saawariya andDelhi 6, said. Earlier, Anil had been offered a role in Delhi 6with Sonam, but both father and daughter decided against it.

The work of India’s greatest filmmakerand one of cinema’s greatest auteurs,Satyajit Ray, will be showcased in aspecial series by the prestigious FilmSociety of Lincoln Center in New York,from April 15 to 30. Featuring over 20films, with six in new 35 mm printsfrom the Academy Film Archive, ‘FirstLight: Satyajit Ray from the ApuTrilogy to the Calcutta Trilogy’ focuses on what is roughly the firsthalf of Ray’s career, when he brokeout internationally as an importantnew voice in the world of cinema. Raywon the Honorary Oscar for LifetimeAchievement at the 1991 AcademyAwards “for his rare mastery of the artof motion pictures and for hisprofound humanitarian outlook”.

Satyajit Ray’s films tobe showcased in NY

Who will play Jessica Lal? Aamir directorRajkumarGupta’s next filmis based on thesensationalJessica Lal murder and hehas approachedKareena Kapoor to play one of the twoprotagonists. But so far he hasn’t beenable to finalise anyone for the leadroles in No One Killed Jessica. “I didapproach Kareena Kapoor initially toplay one of the two protagonists. Butnothing more can be said about thecasting right now,” Gupta said. JessicaLal was gunned down in a New Delhirestaurant in April 1999. ManuSharma, son of a former minister, isserving a life term for killing her. “All Ican say at this moment is that the filmand its script which I’ve just completedis inspired by a headline that I saw inthe Times of India in 2006 which said,No One Killed Jessica (when all theaccused in the sensational case wereacquitted). It immediately set me thinking,” he added.

Varma’s ‘Rakta Charitra’about Paritala Ravi

Ram Gopal Varma is all set to tell a real lifestory about Paritala Ravi, a murderaccused and one of the most feared

individuals in the blood-ridden faction politics of Andhra politics, through his filmRakta Charitra. “The film is a biographical tale ofParitala Ravi who was a prime accused in quite afew murder cases. In fact, he had also survivednumerous assassination attempts, the most brutal of which was way back in 1997 when abomb explosion near Rama Naidu Studio inHyderabad killed 26 people, but he survived,”Varma said. Highly excited about the venture, the director insists that this is one of the mostfascinating stories he has ever come across.“Rakta Charitra is the story of a man’s phenomenal rise to power and a story of themost intense blood curdling conflict betweentwo individuals. Moreover, the story is also theultimate statement on the oft-heard disastrous consequences of a fatal mixture of caste, crime,family feuds and politics,” Varma said. The director is planning to make it into a two-partfeature film spanning over five hours. The twoparts would be called Rakta Charitra-Iand Rakta Charitra-II.

ITSY BITSY Many film actresses have arrived with a bang. Much adulation follows... andthen there’s silence. Either films stop coming their way or they bid adieu to thesilver screen. Here’s some of them who have walked into oblivion


SHORT SUCCESS

Bhagyashree Not all actresses are luckyto begin their careerswith a blockbuster hit.But Bhagyashree’s firstmovie Maine Pyar Kiyawas a runaway box-officesuccess. But the weddingbells rang soon andBhagyashree walkedaway from stardom,which came her way withunbeckoned ease.

Gayatri Joshi Ranked among the top five inFemina Miss India 1999,Gayatri Joshi made her debut opposite Shah Rukh Khan inAshutosh Gowariker’s Swades.But after charming audience with her innocentlooks, she hasn’t been seensince in any other movie.

Pooja BediAfter working in movieslike Jo Jeeta WohiSikander and Phir TeriKahani Yaad Aayee, thegorgeous actress was seldom in the limelight. Though hercreative skills are evidentin her two books and hertalk shows, films are nothappening for Pooja Bedi.

Sneha UllalHer blockbuster Lucky andher resemblance toBollywood’s most beautiful actress AishwaryaRai haven’t quite provedlucky for her. Not seen for awhile now, the petite anddainty Sneha Ullal has along journey ahead.

Sophie ChaudharyWell known for her remixnumbers, actress SophieChaudhary made her debut in David Dhawan’sShaadi No. 1. But she didn’t get the kind ofresponse needed to make it big in Bollywood.

Pooja BatraPooja Batra started hercareer with the block-buster Virasat. But thesuccess, followed by someitem numbers, cameosand side roles, was tooshort-lived to sustain her in the long run.

Sandali Sinha After making a mark in Tum Binand Pinjar, model-turned-actressSandali Sinha wasn’t seen in anysignificant role and has disappeared from the scene altogether.

Gracy SinghGracy Singh got into moviesafter she was discovered inthe TV serial Amanat. But itwas Gauri’s character inLagaan that became a megahit for the fresh face on thebig screen, followed by the super-successful MunnabhaiMBBS. Now, it has been quite sometime sinceshe has shown her talent.

Preeti JhangianiDespite movies likeMohabbatein and LOC,Preeti Jhangiani is stillremembered as the ‘ChuiMui’ girl in her albumopposite Abbas. The famewas good while it lasted,but she hasn’t quitestruck again.

YUMMY MUMMY


SILVER SCREEN | MUM’S THE WORLD

Kate Winslet Kate Winslet has two children, daughterMia Honey from a previous marriage, andson Joe Alfie Winslet Mendes with film-maker husband Sam Mendes. She stillpulls off power-packed performances.

Karisma Kapoor With her straightened hair and subtle make-up, Karisma, now themother of a beautiful daughter, spells class. Though matrimony andmotherhood meant a retreat from films, when last reported, producers were queueing up for dates from the svelte mom!

KajolKajol was never ‘good-looking’ in thetraditional sense of theword. And her muscularforearms and unflatter-ing hairstyles did littleto change that image.Now Kajol has lostoodles of weight. She’sgot a child but thebulky figure has disappeared and shelooks absolutely ravishing.

Motherhood is a state of mind and not a road downhill! Which means a woman needn’t get bloated— or to be politically correct, become ‘horizontallychallenged’ — just because she has a few ‘little’things in tow now. IF presents the yummiest ‘mommies’ of Hollywood and Bollywood

Katie HolmesKatie Holmes has a daughter, Suri, with Hollywood superstarhusband Tom Cruise. ‘Mother’Katie continues to be a powerfulstar actor.

Angelina Jolie Angelina Jolie and partner Brad Pitt have six children.While Maddox Chivan Jolie-Pitt, Zahara Marley Jolie-Pittand Pax Thien Jolie-Pitt were adopted, Shiloh NouvelJolie-Pitt and the twins Knox Léon Jolie-Pitt and VivienneMarcheline Jolie-Pitt are their biological children. Yet Jolieof brand ‘Branjolie’ is among Hollywood’s hottest stars!

Jennifer Garner Jennifer Garner has twodaughters, Violet Anneand Seraphina RoseElizabeth, with husbandBen Affleck. Now, expect-ing a third child, Jenniferis still much sought after.

Madhuri Dixit Madhuri is now MadhuriDixit Nene, married and amother of two. Madhuri,who rocked an entiregeneration and was thefamed muse of M FHussain, continues to bean icon of style. What’smore, her new look hasher sporting jeans andstylish t-shirts.

Malaika Arora-KhanShe of the Chhaiyya Chhaiyyafame is known for her fabulousbody, which she has maintainedeven after motherhood. Herhusband, actor Arbaaz Khan,once said, “She balances work,home and kid beautifully.”Mummy Malaika is quite a sizzler.


SILVER SCREEN | HOLLYWOOD

Miley dismisses wedding rumours

Johansson trying to shed extra pounds

Finally, Paris finds her man

Teenage sensation Miley Cyrus has dismissed rumours that she is toexchange vows with her model-singer

beau Justin Gaston. The rumours surfacedafter the 16-year-old Hannah Montana starjoked about an engagement during a radiointerview, reports contactmusic.com. Cyrussparked rumours she is set to marry the 20-year-old after Los Angeles DJ RyanSeacrest asked her on radio whether sheplanned to spend the rest of her life withGaston, to which she replied, “If he gets apretty ring.” She later took to her Twitter.compage to deny the claims, insisting, “I am notgetting married! I’m 16 and super focussed on my career and just living life! I was kidding Seacrest.”

Socialite Paris Hilton has declared her love for newboyfriend American TV personality and baseball playerDoug Reinhardt, insisting he’s the man she’ll marry. The

news came after Hilton, infamous for her relationships, wasforced to deny recent reports suggesting that her new beaupopped the question to her on a dinner date. But she insistsshe will wed Reinhardt one day, reports contactmusic.com.“He’s going to be my husband. We’re best friends. It’s not likewe just met. We’ve known each other over the past year. I wasin a relationship before and we reconnected. I’m really in love and really happy,” she said.

Actress ScarlettJohansson is trying to shed

extra pounds with thehelp of Tracy Anderson,who is Oscar winnerGwyneth Paltrow’s personal trainer.Johansson, once knownfor her hourglass curves,works out every day withPaltrow and Anderson,reported dailymail.co.uk.She is trying to get intoshape for Iron Man 2 inwhich Paltrow also playsa pivotal role. In the past,Anderson has alsohelped singer Madonnaremain fit.

Cruise to spend $1 mn on Suri’s education

Kate Moss to bringout cookbook

Lohan ‘twits’ againstex-girlfriend

Hollywood singer-actress LindsayLohan, who recently split with her

DJ girlfriend Samanta Ronson, haslaunched an internet rant at her, accus-ing the 31-year-old of cheating on her.

Lohan, 22, made a string of accusationsagainst Ronson on her private Twitteraccount with messages directed at thelatter’s profile, reports the Daily Mailonline. “I was right all along. Cheat...Being cheated on does wonders to you.I’m doing this publicly because you andyour friends call [US magazine] People.So you win, you broke my heart. Nowgo away. I loved you,” she wrote.

Eminem pens ode to Detroit

After conquering the catwalk and stormingthe high street with her designer clothes,British supermodel-turned-designer Kate

Moss is bringing out a cookbook. Moss, 35, hasbeen inspired to write some recipes by StashaPalos, the step-daughter of her good friend andbillionaire businessman Sir Philip Green, reportsMirror online. Stasha Palos has penned a cookbook of traditional Jewish meals made simple. After trying out a few on her boyfriendJamie Hince, Moss wants to do something similar. “Kate recently cooked Jamie a slap-upJewish meal following kosher techniques fromStasha. She loves her easy-to-follow recipes. It’sall she’s been taking about,” said a source.“Stasha is due to release her book thisyear and Kate has been testing out therecipes... Her (Moss’) friend DaviniaTaylor has been helping and Kate isalways on the phone to her pals for tips.She is buzzing about the idea of being the firstsupermodel to release a cookbook.”

Hollywood actor Tom Cruise wants his two-year-old daughter Suri tohave a well-rounded upbringing. So he is spending $1 million onher education. Suri will turn three on April 18 and both Tom and his

wife Katie Holmes, who want her to be an all-rounder, have made arrangements not only for her basic education but have also invested indancing, foreign language and art classes. “It doesn’t matter what Suri isdoing, Tom wants her to be able to do it better than any other child. All parents think their kids are special, but Tom and Katie firmly believe thattheir daughter is gifted,” chinadaily.com quoted a source as saying. “Suri hasshown interest in dancing, so Tom and Katie are encouraging her as muchas possible. She practises ballet, tap and modern dance for hours every day.She also has private gymnastics lessons and is learning soccer,” he added.

Rapper Eminem has paid a musi-cal tribute to his native city Detroit

that has been hit hard by recession.Detroit has been hit harder than mostUS regions as the economic crisisdeepens and threatens the Michigancarmaking industry. But Eminem isoffering hope to those fearing theworst in the form of a hard-hitting newpublic service announcement, reported contactmusic.com. “Detroit.There is a resilience that rises fromsomewhere deep in your streets. Youcan’t define it but you can feel it; youcan feel it overflowing from the people

who call you home. Yourname still carries withit the idea of a nationbuilt on steel,

muscle and sweat.You became the

city that carried a

country,”reads the

song.

Remember your coffee house days when youmeasured life in coffee spoons and talked aboutconquering the moon. Well, now it’s time to re-visit those high aspiration times when revolution

seemed round the corner and utopia anything, but animpossible dream.

Coffee House is a small, unosten-tatious, yet meaningful film aboutdreaming big, seeking change andmaking a difference. Naturally, intoday’s high-voltage electioneer-ing, the film comes as a topicalreminder of the power of the com-mon man. Ostensibly inspired bythe life and times of noted theatreactivist Safdar Hashmi who died abrutal death in the 1990s, the filmfocuses on the valiant attempts ofAshutosh Rana and his street the-atre group to change the system and make it moreaccountable, inclusive and humane. Apart from hisnukkad natak, Rana also runs his wife’s (Sakshi Tanwar)newspaper but steps back when the business interests ofthe paper come into conflict with his voice-of-protest edi-torial content. This, however, is a minor point of conflictbetween the much in love husband and wife, who are thefocal point of the ensemble cast which assembles in theneighbourhood coffee house for its daily adda-baazi ses-sions. The coffee house not only witnesses a robustexchange of ideas on society, politics and ethics, it also

becomes a platform for showcasing contemporary India’smajor problems.

The theatre group includes a live-in couple who breakup when the ambitious young girl is seduced by corporatehoncho Harsh Chhaya into a richer, more glamorousworld of TV journalism. Also present are a group of senior

citizens with their own share ofproblems (neglect and lack ofrespect from their offspring), andthree conmen who pull a fast oneon corrupt bureaucrats.

Eventually, all the assorted cof-fee house regulars (read decentcitizens, desirous of change) cometogether and begin a home-spunrevolution. This naturally rattlesthe ruling politicians who are notready to face the new Indian whocalls himself a Hindustani instead

of a Hindu, Muslim, Sikh or Isai. And therefore, it’s time forthe goons to rush in....

The film scores mostly in its performances by actorswho may not be big stars but are big in talent. Like Ranawho plays a consummate activist; Chhaya who perfectsthe art of genteel exploitation; Vinod Nagpal who touchesyou with his oldie ‘emotional fool’ act, and Tanwar whomakes a smooth switch from the ever-wailing Parvati(Kahani Ghar Ghar Ki) to a woman of substance. Don’t golooking for regular naach-gana and gloss, and you willfind substance and a soul. — Subhash K. Jha


COFFEE, SUBSTANCE AND SOUL...

FILM REVIEW

COFFEE HOUSE (Drama) Cast: Ashutosh Rana, Sakshi Tanwar,

Harsh Chhaya Direction: Gurbir Singh Grewal

Critic’s Rating: «««

By Madhushree Chatterjee

American writer and filmmak-er Sadia Shepard came toIndia to find her roots

and understand her heritage— a mix of Protestant, Jewishand Islamic culture. She leftwith 18 diaries full of experi-ences that blended to form a book.

The Girl from Foreign: A Search forShipwrecked Ancestors, ForgottenHistories and a Sense of Home tracesthe Jewish heritage of Sadia’s grand-mother as a member of the smallBene Israel community in Mumbai,her unusual love story and a secretwedding to a Muslim from Pakistan.It was presented by the AmericanCentre, Penguin Books India andThe United States-India EducationalFoundation at the American Centrein New Delhi last week.

“The Girl from Foreign is a veryAmerican story about a search forroots. When I was 15, I learnt thatthere was one story I had neverbeen told. Nana, my grandmother,was not a Muslim like the rest ofher family in Pakistan. In fact, shebegun her life as Rachael Jacobs, amember of a tiny Jewish communi-ty in India which believes itself tohave descended from one of thelost tribes of Israel, shipwrecked onthe Konkan coast nearly 2,000 yearsago,” Sadia told a packed house.

Many members of the BeneIsrael tribe live in Mumbai — hav-ing made their mark in Bollywoodand in the armed forces. But thechunk of the Gen Next has migrat-ed to Israel.

“I had the fortune to be raised by

mygrandmother whoflew to Boston, where myfather Richard and mother Samina,a Pakistani from Karachi, lived. Shecame to help my mother cope withchildbirth and stayed back,” Sadiasaid. Her grandmother, rechristenedRahat after converting to Islam,would “open up at times” to recounther days in India. “When she spokeof India, her voice and speech wouldchange. As a result, India became akind of mythical land for me.”

“Before her death in 2000, sheextracted a promise from me that Iwould visit Mumbai, the city of herbirth, which I managed to do in2001.” Sadia’s grandmother elopedwith a Muslim man from Pakistan, afamily friend, at 17. “She hid hermarriage for 10 years till the birth ofher child. My grandfather built her ahouse at Worli facing the sea. It wasnamed Rahat Villa after her.”

The house was the focus ofRahat’s dreams, “it was a symbol ofloss — the home she left behindafter partition”. In Mumbai, Sadiachronicled her experiences indiaries. “First one, then three andthen 18 — the diaries piled up. OnceI went back to New York, it becamethe source of my book.”

Istrongly believe that not one Indianshould go to bed hungry. Access toemployment and other benefits in the

corporate sector must be available toevery citizen.

Economic Reforms in South EastAsia, the book that I am reading current-ly, has strengthened my belief. Besides,the book mentions the negative impactof globalisation. I have always been a little sceptical of the concept. Even more so now with the book, whichdetails the impact of globalisation oncountries like Bangladesh, India, SriLanka and Indonesia.

Some aspects of the phenomenonhave been really devastating. The joblosses, the lurking shadow of pink slips and a growing insecurity in themiddle class are grim realities.

As a reader, an editor and a politi-cian, I have observed the people of ourcountry closely and feel that theydeserve a better life. As a politician, Ireach out to people and as a philoso-pher, I ponder over their plight. It hurtsto see people suffer whether they be invillages or cities.

The book will be an eyeopener toanyone who is concerned about theplight of the poor. After reading thisbook, I believe that programmes like theNational Rural Employment GuaranteeScheme cannot alleviate poverty.Perhaps, we need a better programmeand the best of guidelines and proce-dures in place to ensure that it is imple-mented properly.

— Prashant K Nanda


BOOKS & IDEAS

I am reading...{ }TATHAGAT SATPATHYBJD MP, DHENKANAL

IANS

Mosaic of CULTURES

Competition in 2003. She thenwent on to win tournaments atstate and national levels beforedoing her country proud.Deservedly, she was awarded theRajiv Gandhi Prativa Puraskar in2005 as well as the prestigious BijuPatnaik Sports Award.

On the chessboard, Padminiloves to be on the offensive, oftenplanning five to six steps inadvance. She prefers the “Sicilianattack”, and idolises former attack-ing Grand Master and world cham-pion Mikhail Tal.

Coming to family support, theteen queen says that it’s her parentswho have helped her reach thislevel. “I only concentrate on thegame and the rest is taken care ofby my parents,” said the player,who is mostly accompanied by hermother on international tours.

Her current coach is ShekharSahu, a former international mas-ter who quit his secure job as a

manager in a Mumbai bank to turnto full-time coaching. “Padmini is abrilliant player,” he says. “I am sureshe will become a Grand Master inthe next few years. She has every-thing but the exposure to make it tothe bigger league. The lack of spon-sors is the main problem.”

In everyday life, as during achess game, Padmini has foundherself encountering numerous

obstacles and making the all-too-familiar manoeuvres. She initiallyovercame a dearth of qualitycoaches by reading several bookswritten by former greats to get “apeek into their minds when theywere playing certain games.” Shehad her classes and exams to nego-tiate and sponsors to convince, sothat she could participate in asmany tournaments as possible.Padmini finally got a sponsor aftersix long years in competitive chess.

Balancing studies with chess isanother major problem. Padminihad to take personal tuition for herrecent standard X board exams.Now, it seems the way forward iseither chess or studies.

“As one moves up the rungs ofthe game, one has to devote at leasteight to ten hours a day. So it willbe very difficult for her to pursueher studies alongside. She willprobably want to complete stan-dard XII and then get neck-deepinto chess,” says Sahu.

Luckily for Padmini, her parentsagree with Sahu as she readies foranother gruelling day.

Simple, ordinary momentscan knit together a master-piece. Padmini Rout, theteenage chess sensation, is

one. When she was younger, sheused to make frequent trips to herancestral village along with herparents. What began as a mereobservation soon turned out to bean addiction as Padmini tooimmersed herself in chess like herfather and uncle.

Now ranked first in the country,third in Asia and tenth in the worldin the under-16 category, she iseyeing the pinnacle of the game. “I

will be a Grand Master in the nextthree years,” says a confidentPadmini. Her trophies and certifi-cates stacked up in her house seemto nod in agreement.

She has already posted fourmajor international wins, includingthe World Youth ChessChampionship in Vietnam last year.For two years in a row — 2005 and2006 — she was the Asian YouthChampion. She also became theyoungest international master fromOrissa when she won the WorldJunior Girls’ Championship atYerevan in Armenia.

It was her father Ashok KumarRout’s contagious passion for thegame that Padmini simply couldn’tavoid. Later, it was his tutelage thatsustained her interest in the game.She recalls making her first moveson the chessboard when she wasbarely nine just to give her fathercompany. Few years on, there’sbeen a reversal of roles. “Now, Ibeat my father in every game,” shesays. It is now her father who givesher company. As for him, he doesn’tmind his new-found helplessness.

Outside her home, Padminishone first at the Telegraph School


SPORTS | PADMINI ROUT

Padmini Rout startedmaking her moveswhen she was nine.Now, a formidablechess player in thejunior internationalcategory, she tellsPrashant K Nandaand ByomakeshBiswal that the GrandMaster title is onlythree years away

CLEVERMOVESn She won the 2005

Asian YouthChampionship, held inNew•Delhi

n In 2006, in Teheran,she became the AsianYouth Champion forthe second consecutive year

n She won the under-14gold at the 2006MelbourneCommonwealthGames

n She was crowned theunder-16 champion in the 2008 World Youth Chess Championship,Vietnam

n She became Orissa’sfirst Woman FideMaster

n She is also Orissa’syoungest InternationalMaster

(Left) Padmini Rout with her world championship trophy and practisingwith her coach Shekhar Sahu

INDIA FIRST

Ranked first in thecountry, third in Asia

and tenth in theworld in the

under-16 group,Padmini has alreadyposted four majorinternational wins,including the 2008World Youth ChessChampionship in

Vietnam

MOVER IN CHECKERS

and Balinese food is not a rare sight.Among the more popular ones areQueen’s Tandoor and Gateway ofIndia. They serve a range of delica-cies — right from tandoori chicken,mutton and lamb sizzlers to korma,naan and dal, even samosas andmango chutney, all hot favourites oftourists. And there are also restau-rants where one can learn how tocook Indian cuisine! One amongthem is a restaurant in Ubud, thecultural capital of Bali, where manytourists stay.

As one travels through Bali, ahuge statue of Arjuna in his chariotstands tall at the criss-cross of thenarrow roads mostly filled with two-wheelers. Lined on either side of theroad, one is bound to see a numberof yoga centres — some withstrange names like Internet Yogaand Steam Yoga centre — filled withlocal Balinese folk and foreigners,

eager to de-stress. But it’s not just in these centres

that yoga is taught. At Gurukul, anall-boys residential school in Bali,yoga is a part of the curriculum likeany other subject. And so isSanskrit. Hendra, a Class V studentin the school, said that although hefinds Sanskrit difficult, he likesdoing yoga. “Some of the Sanskritwords are so difficult to pronounce.I like mathematics more. I also likedoing yoga,” said Hendra as hewashed his clothes in the gurukulstyle school, where garden-grownvegetables are cooked, there is abiogas plant for fuel and studentsdo their own chores.

There is also the GandhiMemorial International School, abranch of its more famous counter-part in Jakarta, which was set uprecently. Somvir, an Indian academ-ic who teaches Indian aesthetics atUdayana University and has beenliving in Indonesia for the past 15years, said that there are a numberof takers for the course.

“It’s difficult to put a concrete fig-ure on the number of studentsbecause that depends on the batch.But normally there are easily 40-50students in each batch,” Somvir,who also set up the Bali-India foun-dation, which teaches yoga, Sanskritand Hindi, told India First. A beautyparlour named Ratna and a popularmall Ramayana there make one feelthe “Indian” connection even thou-sands of miles away from home.

At the close of 2007, the number

of Indian visitors to Bali stood at21,909, up 71.27 per cent from theprevious year, according to a com-munique issued in New Delhi by theIndonesian culture and tourismministry last year.

There has been a steady increasein Indian arrivals to the exoticisland. In 2003, the number ofIndians who visited Bali was a mere4,554. The subsequent year, thenumber logged a quantum jump of42.03 per cent to 6,468 and in 2006,it was 12.79 per cent.

In all probability, the driver ofthe cab that you hire from theairport to the town will be aSanjay or a Ram. As you hit the

road, you will cross several yogacentres, ayurvedic spas, restaurantsserving pure vegetarian Indian foodand even a mall named Ramayana.

Welcome to Bali, the steamy, pul-sating, culturally-vibrant Hindu-majority island in a Muslim-majori-ty nation. This tiny Indonesianisland, about 1,000 km from Jakarta,is famous for its exotic beaches,pristine lakes, beautiful temples and exciting nightlife amongtourists who flock here. Andalthough locals admit that there wasa slight dent in tourism after the ter-rorist bombings in 2002 and 2005,

normalcy has since returned. Almost 93 per cent of Bali’s popu-

lation of three million is Hindu.Hinduism spread across theIndonesian archipelago in the 14thcentury through the trade route andalthough it lost its status of statereligion during the 15th and early16th century, when the new sul-tanates expanded, Hindu kingdomspersisted in eastern Java and Bali.

But while the Hindu rituals inIndia and Bali are not exactly thesame — Balinese Hinduism forinstance lacks the emphasis on thecycle of re-birth — the “Indian con-nection” in the everyday life of aBalinese is quite striking.

For instance, spotting a restau-rant serving Indian or both Indian


BECKONING BALI

Yoga centres, ayurvedic spas, eateries serving Indian food... the Hindu-majorityIndonesian island of Bali is a second home for Indian tourists, says Azera Rahman

Almost 93 per cent of Bali’s populationof three million isHindu. Hinduism

spread across the Indonesian

archipelago in the14th century through

the trade route

IANS

(Above) The Indian gurukul-styleschool in Bali. This restaurant in Ubudserves both Balinese and Indian food

By Bijaya Kumar Das

On the outskirts ofBhubaneswar, stands arocky outcrop —Dhauligiri or Dhauli hill

— a mute witness to the historicKalinga war.

The small hill is surrounded bylush green paddy fields stretchingup to the horizon. It was here thatEmperor Ashoka, appalled by thesuffering and death of soldiers,renounced war and embracedBuddhism.

THE PEACE PAGODA: On top ofDhauli hill, you will see an alluring,dome-shaped, white building calledShanti Stupa or the Peace Pagoda.

Shanti Stupa is a Buddhist struc-ture built jointly by the JapanBuddha Sangh and the KalingaNippon Buddha Sangh in 1972.

The stupa, a symbol of theBuddhist precepts of peace andnon-violence, contains the holy

relics (a fragment of the tooth) ofLord Buddha. It is said that the wis-dom tooth was divided into smallfragments and distributed all overthe world.

The stupa also houses Buddhistmonk Nichidatru Fuji’s preachingson Emperor Ashoka.

Just walk around and you will dis-cover four large idols of LordBuddha in different postures adorn-ing the exterior walls of the stupa —meditating (east), attaining salva-tion (west), blessing (north) andpreaching (south).

ROCK INSCRIPTIONS: TheAshokan rock inscriptions at thebottom of Dhauli hill is anotherattraction. The hill also houses ahuge elephant cut out of the rockcarved in indigenous style.

The rock inscriptions containvaluable information on the post-Kalinga war situation, and Ashoka’sinstructions to his administratorsregarding sound administration.


TRAVEL

THE CAVES: Udayagiri andKhandagiri face each other acrossthe road, honeycombed with caves.The Khandagiri caves can bereached by going up the steps nextto the entrance to the Udayagiricaves. Most of the caves are num-bered. Caves 1 and 2 are known asParrot caves because of the birdscarved over the doorways. Cave 3,known as Ananta Cave, featuresbeautifully carved figures of ele-phants, women and a bird carryingflowers. Cave 7 has fine carvings ofthe nine Jain Tirthankars. There are33 rock cut caves in all — 18 inUdayagiri and 15 in Khandagiri.

It is believed that the magnificentsandstone caves were excavated byJain and Buddhist ascetics in the2nd century during the reign of KingKharavela of the Chedi dynasty.

There is a beautiful Jain Temple atthe top of the hill. From here, youcan see the Daya river meanderingsmoothly at the foot of the hill.

OTHER PLACES TO VISIT

LINGARAJ TEMPLE: Lingarajtemple is one of the oldest templesof Bhubaneswar. It is believed tobe built by king Jajati Keshari inthe 11th century AD. The Lingarajtemple is located in a spaciouscourtyard covering over 25,0000square feet, and is bounded by for-tified walls. The temple compoundhas three compartments, one eachfor Goddess Parvati, Lord Ganeshaand Lord Karthikeya. The maintemple has pillars with beautifulcarvings.

BINDUSAGAR LAKE: Lying to thenorth of the Lingaraj temple, theBindusagar lake is a popular touristdestination. Every year, the idol ofLord Lingaraj is brought to the lakefor a holy bath. People believe the

holy water of Bindusagar lake hashealing powers, and a dip in it wash-es away sins.

Mukteshwara Temple: This 1000years old temple is located in theheart of the state capital and nearthe Lingraj temple.

RAJARANI TEMPLE: Built some-time in the course of the 11th centu-ry, the Rajarani temple is set in openpaddy fields, and the entire struc-ture exudes grace and elegance. Thetemple is one of the most beautifuland best specimens of the earliertype of North Indian style of templearchitecture.

The temple is remarkable for theabsence of any presiding deity. Thetemple's name is supposed to bederived from the red-gold sandstoneused in building it — Rajarani beingthe local name for the stone.

STATE MUSEUM: The very firstglimpse on entering the OrissaState Museum transports you intothe world of past, reminding you ofthe history and cultural traditionsof the state. This museum atBhubaneswar has an amazing col-lection of copper plates, coins,stone inscriptions and sculptures.You’ll be astonished to see raremanuscripts written on palmleaves. The museum also housesage-old bronze tools, and tradition-al and folk musical instruments.

THE TWINHILLS

OF PEACEKhandagiri provides an enthralling view

of Bhubaneswar from its summit. You can

see the airport, the tower of the

Lingaraj temple andfurther away, Dhauligiri

How to get thereAir: Biju Patnaik Airport is just 6 kilo-meters away from Bhubaneswar.Regular Indian Airlines flights are avail-able to Hyderabad, Nagpur, Calcutta,Delhi, Varanasi, Bombay and Madras. Rail: Dhaulgiri and Khandagire arewell connected by rail to all major tourdestinations of the country. Road: Bhubaneswar is on the NationalHighway No. 5 linking Kolkata (480 km)to Chennai (1225 km). There are fewbuses specifically plying to the cavesbut there are plenty going by the near-by road junction. Otherwise you canalso avail private cars and taxis fromBhuwaneswar station.

Best Time to VisitBhubaneswar can be visited round theyear, but the ideal time, especially for vis-itors from colder climes, would be fromOctober to March.

AccommodationWith numerous hotels as well as theOrissa Tourism DevelopmentCorporation’s Panthanivas, Bhubaneswaris well equipped to accommodate everytype of visitor.

Khandagiri Caves

Peace Pagoda


I’ve been in a relationshipfor about 2 months nowwith a really nice girl but wehave nothing in common,

and I don’t think I love her. Shetells me she loves me and I don’tknow how to respond. How do I tellher without breaking her heart?

You shouldn’t feel guiltythat you cannot give thisyoung lady the sameresponse. Because it

wouldn’t be honest. And it would-n’t make sense at this point. Youtwo are simply dating. But I under-stand your predicament. She hassaid it. And you don’t know what tosay in response. So I think unfor-tunately you are going to have totalk. Tell her that you really likeher and have enjoyed spendingtime together so far — but thatyou aren’t where she is right now.Assure her that you want to stillsee her and only her (if that is thecase), but that you just aren’t readyto say those words yet. If she can’thandle that sort of truth from you,then she just may be a little tooimmature to handle a mature and‘real’ relationship.

My boyfriend and I havebeen seeing each other fortwo months. I like him alot. And this is the first

relationship I’ve been in, since mydivorce. We have a problem havingconversations though. I mean, alot of things that he says are notintelligent. I like CNN. And he likesthose Japanese cartoons. It embar-rasses me when we are in front ofmy family and friends. I don’t wantpeople to think that I have starteddating beneath me. But I don’twant to dump him because of this.What do I do?

Well you are being a snob.Honestly, I don’t see any-thing wrong with that.But, if you rather date men

who can talk politics and notembarrass you in front of others— then that’s who you shouldchoose. But to choose someonewho doesn’t possess those quali-ties, and then bash him is not thesmartest decision. Live by yourstandards. Don’t go beyond andthen ask someone what to do? Thefact you haven’t been in a relation-ship for a long time might haveprompted you to enter into thisrelationship, so you will eitherhave to let this man go and wait tomeet someone else. Or you candecide that you can change whatyou normally go for, not hold itagainst him, and enjoy the rela-tionship. The only person’s opin-ion that matters right now isyours. If you see something won-derful about this man, who careswhat others think. Even if he slipsup in front of your friends. Askyourself what is more important— companionship or family wide approval?

I need your advice. Thereis this guy in my schooland I think he’s really cute.Of late, I’ve become really

attracted to him. A few days ago, I saw him in the hallway andhe stared at me twice. I was reallyhappy that, for the first time, he noticed me. Does this meanhe’s interested in me or something else?

He either absolutelynoticed you and is inter-ested in you, or he saw you

staring at him and was wondering,“hey, why is this girl staring at me,

all crazy?” I would go with the firstcase. I think he is interested, or heprobably wouldn’t have given youany eye contact. The next thing todo is to smile and speak the nexttime you catch him looking. Hemay be wondering the same thingabout you — whether you areinterested. Smiling and speakinggives him the “okay” to talk to you.

I recently told a man how Ifelt about him. We wentout a few times. He told methat he had been in a rela-

tionship, and that the girl hasn’tcompletely severed the relation-ship with him. He hasn’t given mea straight answer but shows inter-est in me now and then. Should Iask directly, or just move on?

I would recommend thatyou ask directly. My rea-soning is this. If you justmove on, it will be over for

sure. If you ask directly, you willhave to take a risk of rejection.But taking a risk is actually a goodthing. Because if you ever gettogether with someone and startdown the path of a long-termrelationship, what still comes upto block love is where we stop our-selves — because we won’t takerisks. So taking the risk is actuallygood. Don’t run away from thefear of rejection. If you take therisk, you may be rejected, but, atleast, you will know for sure. Andnot least of all, only if you take therisk is it possible for him to say“yes” and you just might havewhat you desired. No guarantee,of course. But then that’s why it is called ‘taking a risk’. Unlessyou speak up, nothing will hap-pen and you will continue to feel troubled.

RELATIONSHIP

Psychologist Sanket Mahapatrahas answers to all your relationship problems

Q

Q

A

A

A

Q

Q

A


Noted astrologer Anil of Think Astro tellswhat the stars have in store for you in thecoming week

STARTREK

AriesRomance will comethrough involvementwith fund-raising organ-

isations. Don’t give your heart tooreadily. Your fun loving approachwill be admired and appreciatedby others. Your lucky day this weekwill be Wednesday.

Taurus Don’t let peers distractyou or push their workyour way. Don’t be afraid

to say what’s on your mind. Youremotional state will vacillate.Romance may be better than youever thought possible. Your luckyday this week will be Sunday.

Gemini Your tendency to take ontoo much will end infatigue. New hair, new

outfit, new you. Set your goals andstick to your guns. Pleasure tripswill be most enjoyable and shouldlead to new and lasting friend-ships. Your lucky day this week willbe Saturday.

CancerNew interests are preoc-cupying your time. Makeplans to meet again in

the near future. You may need agood friend to lean on. Someoneyou work with may be trying tomake you look bad. Your lucky daythis week will be Wednesday.

LeoYou need to look intoways to change your self-

image. Travel could be in order.You have more than enough onyour plate already. You will findyourself tied to the phone. Yourlucky day this week will beWednesday.

VirgoYour talent will be recog-nised. Your ability to dodetailed work will dazzle

those who are less creative. Don’tmake financial contributions inorder to impress others. Try to ironout any friction over money withyour mate or conflicts could pre-vail. Your lucky day this week willbe Thursday.

LibraUpdate and review yourpersonal investments.You may find that some-

one you live with may be irritable.Take time to listen to the problemsof family members. This could bethe cause of a dispute that mayresult in estrangement. Your luckyday this week will be Monday.

ScorpioYour ability to dazzleothers with your uniqueand innovative ideas will

attract attention. Losses are likelyif you have left your financialaffairs in other people’s hands. Youcan stabilise your situation if youcompromise. Your lucky day thisweek will be Sunday.

Sagittarius Talkingto those you trust andrespect will help you

sort out any problems. Exerciseprogrammes will be effective. Getdown to business and do the workyourself. Travel will also be veryinformative. Your lucky day thisweek will be Monday.

CapricornYou can discuss yourfindings behind closeddoors with your boss. Be

aware that joint financial venturescould fall apart. Romantic oppor-tunities will flourish through travelor communication. A friendshipmight suffer if money becomes anissue. Your lucky day this week willbe Saturday.

AquariusYour mind will be wan-dering to exotic destina-tions. Work diligently

and you will get ahead this week.Nagging has never been some-thing that you could tolerate, andit’s once again driving you into alonely state of affairs. Take time tomake physical improvements thatwill enhance your appearance.Your lucky day this week will beTuesday.

PiscesYou may be offeredhigh earning oppor-tunities. You will dobest to entertain

those you wish to close dealswith. You can expect the fur to flyat home. You may need a physicaloutlet to relieve your tension. Your lucky day this week will beTuesday.


SPOTLIGHT


Hemi’s trystArtist Hemi Bawa, who washonoured with the Padma Shrithis year, feels that the award isa recognition of her art and atribute to the artists’ fraternity.The 61-year-old artist sourcesher subjects from everyday lifeand etches them in glasses, amedium that reflects her art andpersonality. The artist, however,is not switching to large formatart like many of her contempo-raries. Born and brought up inDelhi, Hemi has been paintingsince childhood. Hemi’s formalbrush with art began in 1962.She was conferred a nationalaward at the Chitra KalaSangam in 1968. She has sinceexhibited all over the countryand abroad. In 1996, she wascommissioned by Coca Cola tocreate a sculpture for theOylmpic Games. The eight-foothigh Coke sculpture is at thecompany museum in Atlanta.

The artist usually works withbroken sheet glass — the kindfound in broken window panes.Hemi ’s studio is located in anindustrial hub at Faridabad, on the outskirts of New Delhi.

Daring Duo

PSainath, a journalist who chronicles rural India and the poor andtells stories that would otherwise never be told, and Karan Thapar,whose incisive interviews with politicians and policy-makers almost

always makes news, won the top honours at the third Ramnath GoenkaExcellence in Journalism Awards in New Delhi on April 13. Sainath, RuralAffairs Editor of The Hindu, received the Journalist of the Year Award for2007-8 for print and Thapar for broadcast from the Chief Justice of India,Justice K G Balakrishnan .

The awards celebrate excellence in journalism, recognise courage andcommitment and showcase outstanding contributions and individualsevery year. The awards were instituted by The Express Group as part of the centenary year celebrations of founder Ramnath Goenka.

Sharp Shooter

World record holder Gagan Narang clinched a bronze medal in the10-metre Air Rifle event in the ISSF World Cup at Changwon,Korea on April 10.

Gagan shot 594/600 in the qualification round and took the eighth andlast position. Keeping his cool in the final, Gagan came back strongly tofinish third with a score of 102.7 points and overall tally of 696.7 points.The gold and silver went to Chinese shooters Zho Qinan (597+103.3 =700.3 pts) and Cao Yifei (595+103.6 = 698.6 pts).

Gagan won a gold medal in the Afro Asian games, 2003 in Hyderabadon October 26, 2003 in men’s 10-metre air rifle competition. He had wonan air rifle gold medal at the World Cup 2006 and followed it up with abronze at a similar event in April 2008.

India First Redesign Option

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