20-26 June 2014
RNI No. HARENG/2011/39319, Postal Regn. No. GRG/35/2012-2014
Vol. 3 No. 44 Pages 24 ` 10
For the State they don't exist
PRAKHAR PANDEY
{ Abhishek Behl / FG }
write to us at letters@fridaygurgaon
F
or 80 per cent of the residents of New Palam Vihar the Colony is unauthorised, and despite the MCG Commissioner sending a recommendation to Chandigarh to regularise ‘Phase I’ of this Colony, the matter has been caught up in legalese. Desperation is writ large on the faces of these residents as they discuss the issue of regularisation in the office of the Councillor of Ward no. 1. They have been called for a meeting to discuss the future course of action, in the wake of recent developments. MCG has asked the Land Acquisition Officer (LAO) of HUDA to submit a report on the legal status of the land and the projects in the Colony. This is a crucial time and stage, as the Report by the LAO would be an important document on the basis of which a recom-
mendation could be made to authorise the Colony. Rishi Raj Rana, Councillor, assures the people that all smaller (sub)colonies within New Palam Vihar would also be regularised, but it is important for everyone to be united and to forcefully push for the common case. "We have been fighting for this issue for the last decade. A good development is that MCG has agreed to take the cutoff date of the Survey as January 1, 2014 (instead of 2009), as there has been massive urbanisation and increase in population in the last 4 to 5 years in the area," says Rana. His office is telling the residents that they will have to regularly gather and take deputations to the LAO office, to maintain the 'pressure'. The LAO would be requested to give regular, detailed reports to the residents, so that the mistakes of the past are not repeated and all objections to the authori-
Cosmopolitan’ Gurgaon – The (Old) Millennium City DLF Phase III, Sector 38 and Sukhrali Village residents protest and block roads, upset at the absence of water and power for days and weeks! It’s time for all Gurgaonites to descend on the roads and send this Administration packing. The only thing they get real on is real estate. Anyone and anything would be better than this sham of ‘governance’. Hero Honda Chowk finally (after almost a decade) gets a ‘solution’ – a traffic light!
sation of the Colony are take care of this time. The MCG has conducted a Survey in Sai Kunj, Sahib Kunj, Ganga Vihar, Prakash Puri Zone, Bhim Colony, Masjid Colony, Nihal Colony, Rattan Vihar Part 2, Vishnu Garden and other adjoining areas of New Palam Vihar . The residents allege that the entire exercise of regularisation of colonies has become a political game. This Survey is being conducted just in time for the upcoming elections. A Kashmiri migrant who has built a house in the Colony, says that the sword of demolition keeps dangling over their houses, despite them having lived here for two decades. "We were forced out of Kashmir and now the Northern Peripheral Road (NPR), to be built through this area, is threatening us. If this land and area was ‘illegal’, why did they let it be plotted and sold?" he asks. Another resident wants to know why the proposal for New
Palam Vihar Phase 1 has been rejected by the government. The residents are clearly angry; but even more than that they are disillusioned with the State. Councillor Rana asserts that they have reached a crucial stage in their journey and the government will have to regularise their Colony and other sub-colonies in New Palam Vihar. Referring to the rejection of Phase 1, he says that the RWA of the Colony had lost a legal case in the Supreme Court in the 1990s. As per that ruling, this area was defined as an illegal colony. He adds, however, that things have changed considerably in the last 20 years. "We have filed a case in the Court against that ruling, and on the basis of this we have issued notices to the MCG and all concerned officials," he informs. However, his assurances do not seem to be bringing much relief to the residents, who allege that government officials remain least bothered to help them. One of the locals says that despite the
Hai Ye Gurgaon Meri Jaan This is the state of our ‘master’ water pipelines: a HUDA pipeline bursts near Signature Towers, leading to over a dozen colonies being deprived of water for 2 days; this ‘master’ pipe has been repeatedly ‘repaired’ over the last few years (and twice in the last few days). The Senior Town Planner (STP) and the District Town Planner (DTP) of the Town & Country Planning Dept. (TCP) are (conveniently?) transferred a day before
the first meeting of RWAs/residents, builders and the Administration (esp. TCP) is to be held. The issues of the following colonies were to be addressed: Ardee City, Mayfield Gardens, Parsvnath Exotica and Uppal Southend. This Meeting would taken cognizance of the highhandedness and even illegal actions of the builders and would have exposed their alleged collusion with TCP; the RWAs had already submitted their lists of deficiencies and defects in their respective colonies. The DC, who was to chair this Meeting, has
State government introducing a law whereby basic amenities could be provided by the municipalities even to unauthorised colonies, it has not been implemented in their area. The roads inside the Colony are in a dilapidated condition, and kuchha; there is no sewerage system, and massive waterlogging takes place during the monsoon; the Colony looks like a glorified slum. The residents seem to have little hope that they will be able to improve their quality of life. An official of MCG says that the surveys for regularisation of colonies has been completed, and those colonies where more than 50 per cent of the plots have been constructed and adequate development work has taken place shall be considered for regularisation under the Municipal Act. The vacant plots in the internal areas of the colonies shall be considered as part of them. The residents will also have to pay a regularisation fee. Contd on p 7
conveniently postponed it, to a date after the new TCP planners take up duty. Why could the DC not convene the meeting without the STP? The builders would have been there; the data and status should have been there. Or is such information only on the laptops of a few privileged members of the Administration? The sham show in this City just goes on. Someone seems to have reached someone high enough…once more. Some people sure do not want to face the music. But they will have to, and soon…the elections are just a few months away.
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20-26 June 2014
RNI No. HARENG/2011/39319 Postal Regn. No. GRG/35/2012-2014, VOL.–3 No.–44 20-26 June 2014
Editor:
Atul Sobti
Sr. Correspondent: Abhishek Behl Correspondent:
Barnali Dutta
Sr. Photographer:
Prakhar Pandey
Sr. Designer:
Amit Singh
Circulation Execs.:
Sunil Yadav Manish Yadav
Manager Sales & Marketing: Sunil Kumar Dy. Manager A/cs & Admin:
Civic / Social ...
The Other Toll Plaza The levying of toll on the highways by private concessionaires has become a major operational nightmare in many parts across the country, with politics, poor toll management and lack of road maintenance making it an explosive issue – which is now being exploited even in State elections.
Shiv Shankar Jha
Consulting Art Editor: Qazi M. Raghib Editorial Office 213, Tower A, Spazedge, Sector 47, Sohna Road, Gurgaon 122001, Haryana, Phones: +91 124 421 9092/93 Emails:
editor@fridaygurgaon.com
...P 08
Social... The ‘Shram Daan’ Path
Wellness... The Cholesterol Balance
Until a couple of years ago the City Montessori School in Lucknow could boast of a fairly unique fame. It was one of the very few institutions in India that had been periodically selecting a couple of young scholars from its school and sending them abroad on brief visits as part of ‘students exchange programmes’.
Like many half-truths that spread without much basis, the very mention of the word ‘Cholesterol’ never fails to engender a twinge of fear - especially for populations vulnerable to Diabetes and Cardiovascular Diseases. Cholesterol is in fact essential for good health. That is why our body makes sure that it produces over 75 %
Spritual... Unravelling the Mysteries of Consciousness
Bon Vivant... Gotipua - The ‘Little Boy’ Dance Of Odisha
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Our conscious experiences are constantly shifting and changing, making us ‘multi-experience’ every moment. For example, while working in the kitchen garden our consciousness may be connecting with a conversation we have had earlier with a friend; the very next moment we may notice ...P
Friday Gurgaon (Weekly) edited, published and printed by Atul Sobti on behalf of Arap Media Ventures Pvt. Ltd. from 213, Tower A, Spazedge, Sector 47, Sohna Road, Gurgaon 122018, Haryana. Printed at Indian Express Ltd., Plot No. A8, Sector 7, Gautam Budh Nagar, NOIDA – 201301, Uttar Pradesh
The incredible sight of young girls somersaulting acrobatically over one another, or gracefully balancing the weight of their fellow dancers while forming pyramids and geometrical patterns, makes the audience wonder if the bodies of these ‘pencil-thin’ children have been crafted out of rubber.
...P 19
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G Scape....
Plus Other Stories.... Social
To give or not to give: that is the question......P 09 Political
Warming Up for the State Match........................P 10
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C ontents
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Embracing the Middle Path....................................P 16 Bon Vivant
Standing Up for Comedy........................................P 18 Global
...P 24
Whales and a mysterious 'Hidde' People.....P 20-23
C oming U p
20-26 June 2014
Epicentre Theatre Date: June 21 Time: 7:30 pm Ashaadh Ka Ek Din (Hindi/120mins) Director Mahesh Vashistha, Producer Rang Parivartan. Tickets at Rs. 350, 250 & 150 - available at the Venue. Suitable for 12 years & above.
Sunday Family Festival A spritually rejuvenating retreat for your entire family. Discussions on the timeless wisdom of the Gita, soul-stirring kirtans, Mantra Meditation, sumptuous mahaprasad and much more. Date: Jun 22 Time: 11:00 am - 1 pm Venue: 57A, Akashneem Marg, DLF Phase II
Trekking Location : Parvati Valley, Himachal Pradesh Hiking Route : Bhuntar – Kasol – Manikaran – Barshaini – Rudra Nag – Kheerganga Elevation : 2,960 m/8,825 ft. Best Season : May – Nov Level : Beginners Dates : June 20 to 22 Cost : Rs. 4,800 per person Alternative Treks Sarpass Dates: June 27 to July 2 (6 days) Cost: Rs. 8500 per person Hampta Pass with Chandertal Lake Dates: July 10 to 15 (6 days) Rs. 9,200 per person . For Bookings Contact:- Vrittant : +91 9811686613 ; Vini : +91 8130768313 E-mail at: campcave7@gmail.com
Punjabi Fever 2014 Aouraa Production presents Surj RDB Live in concert 2014 at Kingdom of Dreams Date: June 28 June Time: 07:00 pm onwards Venue: Kingdom of Dreams
Delhi's
Speed Sprint 06'14 Speed Sprint starts its 2014 calendar with an event in Delhi NCR. An all tarmac track as usual. Enhanced purse for fastest guys on the track. Zip: All cars for novice drivers Zap: Modified cars and all pro drivers Zoom: Bikers heaven
Are you fast enough? Date: Jun 22 Time: 7:00 am Venue: Gurgaon for more information: www.speedsprint.in
Culture-Scape
ACE Parenting Party Series - Gurgaon LEARNANDRISE Date: Jun 21 Time: 5:00 pm - 6:30 pm Venue: Central Blue Stone Sector 29, Gurgaon LEARNANDRISE invites you to the first talk session in the ACE Parenting Party Series: “FOOd” For Thought! A talk on Healthy eating habits by certified Nutrition and Lifestyle specialist - RITU MAGGO. Call to Register Now – +91 9873116449 | Email Us – info@learnandrise.com
The Art Exhibition 2014 A Conglomerateof Khazani Women's Vocational Institute (Khanpur Branch) Date: June 20, 21 & 22 Time: 11 am to 7 pm Venue: LokayatArt Gallery Hauz Khas Village, near Deer Park New Delhi
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Date: June 22 Time: 7.30 pm Just Kidding (Hinglish/75mins), by Vipul Goyal. He performs in 4 languages - English, Hindi, Java and C++! Tickets at Rs. 500 available at the Venue. Suitable for 16 years & above. Dance Date: June 24 Time: 7:30 pm Shivapriya - in celebration of Shiva and Parvati, by Rashika Ojha Abrol, disciple of Guru Saroja Vaidyanathan. Date: June 26 Time: 7:30 pm Sovanabrata Sircar & troupe present an evening of Dance. Stand Up Comedy Date: June 25 Time: 7:30pm Fight Comic (90mins/Hinglish) Singapore's most popular Comedy Show comes to India. Six top comics of Delhi have a go over six rounds. Tickets at Rs. 300 available at the Venue. Free Seating. Suitable for 18 years & above.
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20-26 June 2014
Evergreen Melodies of Asha Bhosle presented by Global Cultural Foundation.
Yuvraj & Virat at the Oakley – Disruptive by Design experience event.
Season's first Beer-Bucket Party
ITM University organised a two-day International Conference on emerging trends in Computational and Applied Mathematics. It was attended by over 80 delegates (including some from Malaysia and US).
H appenings
H appenings
20-26 June 2014
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Deals in: DLF, Ansals & All Huda Sectors Shop No. 115, 116, South City-1, Arcade, Gurgaon - 122001 email : dreamhomz_dreamhomz@yahoo.co.in
Howzatt HOG
H.O.G. (Harley-Davidson Owners Group) is the largest motorcycle club in the world. Roaring in on their mean machines, members of his exclusive group gathered for a night to relax and indulge in the fresh styles of beer brewed at Howzatt.
DLF Foundation organised a Blood Donation Camp at DLF Cyber City in association with Rotary International and SABIC India.
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20-26 June 2014
THE WEEK THAT WAS Looking at the seriousness of the communal strife, MP & Central Minister Rao Inderjit Singh has asked for paramilitary to be stationed in Mewat. The CM also endorses this stand. An 8th FIR is filed against State Minister Kataria in the ‘bogus votes’ case. BJP alleges that it has found out almost 4,000 cases of ‘multiple Voter ID cards’; the Party says many more cases would be exposed soon. Gurugram Gaurav Sanstha asks for Gurgaon to be renamed as Gurugram, as a mark of respect to Guru Dronacharya. A dowry death case of a teacher is filed in Malluhera Village; she was allegedly killed and then hanged; 4 separate cases of dowry harassment and ill treatment are filed. A biker is killed by a speeding truck, near Kherki Daula. A young worker kills himself by jumping in front of a train; a 13-yearold Class 5 student living in Chakarpur commits suicide by hanging himself. An FIR has been filed for a custody death at Bhondsi Jail. A man dies after drowning in a pond near Dhanwapur Village; he was allegedly drunk and had taken a bet. A woman hospital worker kidnaps a newborn boy from a house in Nathupur Village. A 15-year-old is held for raping a 5-year-
cashier of Rs 9.7 lakhs cash, at old girl in Sector 5; a 21-year-old youth gunpoint, near Naharpur. from Sukhrali Village is held for raping his 18-year-old girlfriend and threatening A hotel owner and his staff are assaulted and robbed of Rs 1.8 lakhs to kill her. by 3 men. A 17-year-old girl goes missing, is feared Bikers snatch a bag containing Rs kidnapped, from Ghosla Village. 1.39 lakhs from a Ghoshgarh Village The Women’s Helpline (1091) is flooded resident. with calls related to girls and women Two men snatch Rs 75,000 cash from a receiving obscene texts (over 20 cases a person in Sector 23. day). A dozen robberies take place in ‘new’ Parents of a newborn allege that their Gurgaon over the weekend. baby has been swapped at the Civil An Assistant Manager of an HR Hospital – saying their boy has been Consultancy firm is booked for replaced by a girl; they demand a DNA running a foreign jobs scam. test. A PCR van is set on fire by a mob, and the driver assaulted, MCG relieves 2 officials for involvement in illegal construction in when they see dead cows and Patel Nagar. blood in it; the police were The Civil Hospital runs out of rabies going to bury the cows. medicine. A traffic sub-inspector is assaulted 60 illegal hoardings are pulled down by a sarpanch near Bhondsi. by MCG. A blast at a power substation in Sector All marriage halls now need to be 23A leads to 5 people being burnt – 2 registered by June 30th. seriously. 5 ‘quack’ dentists are booked. As part of a regular outreach program, the Police Friday Gurgaon is also available at: Commissioner again meets Indian Oil Petrol Pump (Opp. Neelkanth Hospital, M.G. Road) local sarpanches. Paritosh Book Stall (Sikanderpur Metro Station) The Police Commissioner C.S.P. - Kanchan (Opp. Vyapar Kendra - C Block Sushant Lok-1) C.S.P. - Swamy (Sector-14 Market, Near Mother Dairy) awards 3 young men for their Deepak Book Stand (Bus Stand) bravery in catching a chain Nagpal News Agency (Bus Stand) snatcher. C.S.P. - Madan (New Railway Road) A luxury car dealer is booked Jain Book Stall (New Railway Road) for cheating a customer of Rs Rojgar Point Book Stall (New Railway Road) 40 lakhs by selling him a car C.S.P. - Sector-14 Market (Near Mother Dairy) that had been in an accident. C.S.P. - Dharampal (Sohna Chowk) 3 people rob a petrol pump Karan Book Stall (Railway Station) Shashi (Fuwara Chowk) Raw (Sohna Chowk)
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20-26 June 2014
C over S tory
07
For the State they don't exist Contd from p 1 PRAKHAR PANDEY
Pieces of land that are occupied by an industry and any area notified under the Land Acquisition Act, 1894, Forest Conservation Act, Environment Protection Act, Indian Works of Defence Act, Electricity Act and area covered under any other Central Act shall not be considered for regularisation under this ‘scheme’. Similarly, any encroachment on land owned by the Central or State Government , Boards, and Corporations of the State or Central government shall not be regularised. All the streets, parks and open spaces shall be vested with the MCG, he adds. Councillor Rishi Raj Rana says that New Palam Vihar meets all the requirements for regularisation, as almost 70 per cent of the construction has been completed on the plots, there are some roads and the streets have been laid out as per a plan. There are also schools, open spaces, small parks and even a private hospital to cater to the population of almost 50,000. The number of registered voters in this area is around 12,500, and they too are now asking why the government officials first allowed this Colony to spring up if it was to remain unauthorised forever. The reason for the mushrooming growth of unauthorised colonies is that HUDA, a government agency, has failed to come up with plots and apartments at a reasonable rate in Gurgaon, and the entire real estate
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development process has been handed over to private builders. HUDA is absent in the 58 new sectors of Gurgaon – a huge area. All this has led to people from the middle and lower middle class being forced to take up accommodation in ‘unauthorised’ colonies, and even the restricted 900 meters area around the Ammunition Depot. New Palam Vihar residents allege that the situation has been made more complicated by the Haryana government refusing to carry
out any development work or to provide any service to the unauthorised colonies. Rana says that with 80 per cent of this Colony in Ward No 1 falling in the unauthorised category, no service or amenity is being made available to the residents. It makes a mockery of their democratic rights. "People are living in pathetic conditions," asserts Rana. FG had first covered this area two years ago. Nothing has changed, apart from the construction of the main 40-feet road,
which is proving to be a boon for the residents. There are just a few streetlights, most of them dysfunctional and the collection of garbage is nonexistent. A local says that a large garbage dump on Bajghera Road remains unused, and garbage is strewn on the MCG land in the Colony - causing a foul smell in the whole area. The locals are eagerly awaiting the construction of a flyover at the Bajghera Chowk railway crossing. The two revenue roads - one from Sarai Village and the other from Prakashpuri Chowk - are in very bad condition. The authorities take the specious plea that these roads are within an unauthorised colony and so cannot be touched, says Rana. Another major issue for the residents is that there are open drains flowing through this Colony, which get flooded every monsoon and spread sewage water in the entire area. The authorities have taken no action to concretise these nullahs.
Despite major builders also coming up with complexes in this (well located) area, they have also not helped the cause of the residents as they are content with building islands of luxuries within and around these slum-like tenements. Residents allege that there would soon be unrest among the masses if they see that, within an overall colony area, one section of the population is getting all the benefits because they have money, while the others are being denied even their basic civic rights such as water pipelines, drains and sewage lines. Every monsoon brings the threat of disease also. The residents want an end to the uncertainty hanging over their heads; they want to live with respect in this Millennium City. Surely the Administration and civil society (hopefully all of us) are not waiting for the ‘unauthorised’ dam to burst.u
08 { Abhishek Behl / FG }
20-26 June 2014
The Other Toll Plaza
write to us at letters@fridaygurgaon
T
C ivic/S ocial
he levying of toll on the highways by private concessionaires has become a major operational nightmare in many parts across the country, with politics, poor toll management and lack of road maintenance making it an explosive issue – which is now being exploited even in State elections. Due to the lack of transparency on ratefixing (and especially the increases) and the inordinate time spent in toll-queues, segments of road users now even want a ‘ban’ on the operation of toll plazas. This problem has assumed a serious dimension in Gurgaon, which till a few months back had two toll plazas within a distance of 20 kms. - and that too within the municipal limits. After the removal of the Sirhaul toll plaza, the consortium of 5 banks (forming the new concessionaire - Millennium City Expressway Pvt. Ltd.) that now ‘owns’ this ‘toll road’, has brought in a new operator to manage the affairs at the Kherki Daula toll plaza. The new entity is a joint venture between Feedback Ventures and Brisa a Portuguese company with experience in managing tolls across the world. Vivek Rastogi, Managing Director, Feedback Brisa, tells Friday Gurgaon that all efforts are being made to ensure that tolling becomes a smooth affair, and the results would be visible in 3 months. After taking over the Toll Plaza in February, at the request of the Consortium, the Company had to initially collect the toll manually, as all the automation equipment and the network had been uprooted by the previous operator. Rastogi says that the situation has improved after they introduced the discounted monthly pass scheme, which has considerably reduced the expense for daily commuters. RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) tags have been introduced, and these would be made the standard toll payment system.. "We are trying to introduce automation in the entire process. We are also
improving the infrastructure at the Plaza, and repairing the road, to ensure that commuters have a great user experience," adds Rastogi. The ‘ideal’ time that should be spent at a toll plaza should be 25 to 30 seconds, but in India the average time is 4 to 5 minutes. Apart from the use of technology and automation, Feedback Brisa is trying to bring this time down and smoothening the operations by deploying trained toll collectors in uniforms and installing vehicle classification systems. In the coming months they should be able to better segregate the cargo and heavy vehicles, which will allow the daily commuters and office goers to move faster in their dedicated lanes. A serious problem for the toll operator is that the previous company had given exemption from toll to 32 villages in the vicinity. Rastogi says that there are thousands of vehicles having ‘fake’ registration addresses, and the owners are evading toll and taxes because of this . "We want the Administration to help us in weeding out the drivers/vehicles that are not genuine. We will soon carry out
The State Plazas: A study conducted by CRISIL in 2013 revealed that Haryana has 27 tolling projects for which bids are invited annually. Assuming an average length of 50 km per tolling project, the tolled length (for which bids are invited) of State highways in Haryana is about 1,350 km. All these stretches were built by the State government using a combination of its own funds and loan assistance from various funding agencies (primarily the World Bank). The estimated annual potential collection for these 27 tolling projects is around Rs. 100 crores . It was projected that additional 9-10 tolling projects may come up for bidding over the next five years. These projects are expected to provide for an additional tolling length of around 450 km. The toll ‘market’ in Haryana is therefore likely to increase to Rs. 170 crores by 2017-18.
a strong message that tolling is essential for development of road infrastructure in the country. The future of any Public Private Partnership (PPP) model depends substantially on how all the stakeholders contribute in the creation, operation and long-term management of these projects. At the local level, Rastogi says the people of the City also need to support their toll operator if they wish for better and improved services. Road users should realise their civic duty to pay the toll, to stay within designated queues and not to ‘abuse’ the road. The operator has challenging operational costs, apart from a huge upcoming investment. Just operating the streetlights costs Rs. 40 lakhs per month, as diesel gensets have to be run for half of the lights; the resurfacing of this Highway, which is scheduled, would require Rs. 100 crores. Some major entry and exit roads to/ from the Highway also need to be expanded. "We recently spent Rs. 4 crores to build a drain near the Toll Plaza, to proactively mitigate the problem of waterlogging," says Rastogi.
Panipat toll road, which is also managed by Feedback Brisa, is witnessing major unrest, with people not ready to pay the toll. Instead of discussing the issues and sorting these out through dialogue, the people here get into arguments with toll staff and indulge in violence, which causes further loss to the operator - and consequently to the government. "There is need for an Appellate Authority for the Highway tolls, and those not paying toll or creating trouble should be held legally accountable for their violations," Rastogi states. He adds that in Portugal, from where their partner company Brisa comes, the rules are strictly implemented; if someone jumps a toll, he is punished with a heavy fine. The difference that Feedback Brisa would bring to the table, he says, is that the Company works as a partner - not as a vendor. " We will implement rigorous processes and train the team to capture our due revenue from every ‘non-exempted’ vehicle passing the Toll Plaza. We are committed to bringing a ready-to-use suite of processes to deploy at the site. The Company also has
The Gurgaon-Faridabad Expressway, which is also being run by Feedback Brisa, is likely to witness improvements in the coming months too. RFID tags, along with better-trained staff and processes will help cut the waiting time and long queues at that toll plaza. Commenting on the (now shut down) Sirhaul Toll Plaza, Rastogi points out that the issue primarily was the inability (some say even disinclination) of the operator to manage the operations. This is despite there being a healthy 25 per cent tag users at Sirhaul. Rastogi rues that tolling has become a political issue, particularly in this election year. The Rohtak-
an effective risk mitigation strategy devised by experts," states Rastogi. He promises that the operations at Kherki Daula would improve considerably within the next 3 months – of course with the support of the residents, users and the Administration. Highways are investments, which need to be recovered from those that use their services. We, as residents, should be prepared to pay for services rendered – as presumably and rightly we demand for our own businesses and services. As civic and civil society we should not be looking for free lunches.u
PRAKHAR PANDEY
an exercise on the ‘authenticity’ of the vehicles passing through," he asserts. The issue of a local road near the Vatika township, which is being used by vehicle owners, particularly trucks, to avoid the toll, is also causing a loss of revenue to the Concessionaire. “This is a local road and the government needs to stop this practice as it is causing a major loss to the operator,” says Rastogi. The new operator has the franchise to levy toll for 9 years, though talks have already started to extend this period. The success of any toll plaza in India depends on the support given by the local government, as it has to send
S ocial
20-26 June 2014
To give or not to give: that is the question { Anita Jaswal }
H
oliday Homework, which has become a ‘tradition’ in our education system, is facing increasing criticism from parents and psychologists alike, who feel that holidays should rather be a time to bring out and/or nurture a child's creativity. Or, can homework be rethought so that it engages a child more effectively (and so is not seen as a burden). “During this summer vacation, Holiday Homework will not be about revising lessons, waxing eloquent about great leaders or completing lengthy assignments, but will be a fun-filled test of originality. Aided by the gradual changes that have taken in the education system, in terms of the adoption of a more practical approach and of interactive learning, the City’s schools are handing out innovative Holiday Homework this season,” says Neera Sirohi, Principal of St. Angel's School, Sector-45. “The School has been making efforts to turn the Holiday Homework – which has been seen as a drab and burdensome exercise - into a first-hand learning experience. We want our students to interpret topical issues and form opinions; we want them to develop analytical skills. This will also help to discourage parents (in fact make it very difficult for them) from doing their children's homework."
Renu Sondhi, ex-Principal, Central School, Bokaro City, says, “I am not suggesting that Holiday Homework be completely abolished because, to a certain point, it is an important part of the curriculum. Homework teaches students time management skills and develops their ability to work and learn independently. But the onus is on the teachers to try and make it a fun activity for the students. Beneficial Homework is one that stokes a student’s creativity and also boosts his/her interest in learning and studying new things. Homework will continue to be seen as a burden and a time waster if it does not give the students a chance to think for themselves. And anyway giving more Homework doesn’t necessarily equate to a higher achievement; in fact, if schools are regualrly teaching correctly, Homework as we see it today should almost be irrelevant.” Yi Ling Koh has been teaching in Singapore for the past 23 years. She visits Gurgaon twice a year, during her holidays, to be with her children and grand daughter. “Imagine a summer break with lesser Homework. A student would have time to have a ‘real’ life. They would not look weary, or carry a look
of dread on their faces! Kids would have the time to play outdoors and also help the community. By giving lighter Homework loads, the teachers would be offering their students the opportunity to pursue whatever interests them - maybe becoming the next rock-star or discovering something unknown to the world today. Learning for fun and interest might produce a more meaningful engagement than any assigned homework. Why not make the holidays a time for an ‘open project’ that can give the students some much-valued extra credit? Why not encourage students to volunteer during their holidays; they can learn a lot by performing community service. I remember visiting a group home during my holiday in high school and helping the kids wrap Christmas gifts for their families. This is a great experience, especially for this new generation, which seems to highly value civic involvement. Students learn differently when they observe the real world, and teachers should constantly inspire students to seek ways to learn from real-world experiences. Or, teachers can develop some holiday-themed games, in which a whole family can get involved. Above all, during summer holidays the kids need rest – it is a vacation! Everyone needs a mental breather, a break from the routine. This will aso ensure that the students return to school feeling re-energised.” Not surprisingly, a student has created a Facebook page titled, ‘Why do teachers give us homework over the holidays?’ It’s time to give him/her/them an answer. Maybe the views above will help.u
09
Main Kavi Nahin Hoon { Ashok Lal}
Ji haan…main kavi nahin hoon Mujh mein koi aisi baat nahin Jo kaviyon mein hoti hai Mujhe chakor nahin dikhta hai kabhi Mujhe nahin lagta ki chaandni bhi Kabhi doodh jaisi hoti hai Kyunki shayad sach-much Main kavi nahin hoon Ek raat main poonam ke chand ko Taak raha tha Uske mukhde pe bane hue Naak naksha nihaar raha tha Tabhi mera nau saal ka pota Mujhse aake yun bola Baba, humne science mein padha hai Ki chaand par bade bade 'craters' hote hain Woh telescope se dekh unka aakaar raha tha Baat uski meri bhi samajh mein aa gayi Kyunki shayad sach-much Main kavi nahin hoon Mumbai ke Juhu beach pe Ya Dilli ke Buddha Garden mein Filmi andaza mein Premiyon ko chipat ke baithe to Zaroor dekha hai Par unhen pedon ke chaaron ore Geet gaate aur bhaagte nahin dekha Kyunki shayad sach-much Main kavi nahin hoon Pyaar mein log dil, jigar aur jaan Ek dooje ko dene ki baaten karte hain Aisa to doctor bhi aasani se kar nahi sakte ‘Lal’ ka bhi yahi maanna hai Kyunki shayad sach-much Woh kavi nahin hai Ji haan! Main kavi nahin hoon.
Jugalbandi Youth Festival
ablsl1971@yahoo.co.in
10
20-26 June 2014
P olitical
Warming Up for the State Match
{ Abhishek Behl / FG }
write to us at letters@fridaygurgaon
W
hile the Modi wave played an important role in the success of the BJP for the Gurgaon Lok Sabha seat, apart from the personal following of Gurgaon MP Rao Inderjit Singh, the ensuing Vidhan Sabha polls will test the electoral strategy of every party at the hustings - including the winners in the national election. While BJP emerged as a clear winner from the Gurgaon Assembly constituency, getting a lead of more than one lakh votes, an analysis of how various people polled shows that even the Aam Aadmi Party and the Congress would be important players in Gurgaon - provided these parties give tickets to the right candidates, taking into account local factors and community considerations. Local non-BJP politicians assert that the Modi wave would not be as strong in the ensuing State polls, and they would be able to fight the BJP on a more even keel. The local populace wants action on many fronts: the regularisation of illegal colonies, the resolution of the 900 metres disputed area around the Ammunition Depot, more development work in the various ‘urban’ villages, extension of the Metro to ‘old’ Gurgaon, and the supply of adequate and uninterrupted water and power. An analysis of the voting pattern in the recently held Lok Sabha polls shows that AAP candidate Yogendra Yadav won many votes from ‘new’ Gurgaon and other urban areas. In fact, apart from the BJP, AAP is the only other party that managed to get votes from a majority of the polling booths. Only in unauthorised colonies is BJP likely to hold sway. The Congress is likely to face strong anti-incumbency in the State also, and this is also visible in the voting of the Punjabi dominated areas like Mianwali Colony, where BJP managed to get almost 75% per cent of the total votes polled. In Ashok Vihar, an unauthorised colony, BJP candidate Rao Inderjit Singh got 3,179 votes out of the 5,621 votes polled in different booths. The anger against Congress was palpable, as Rao Dharmpal, the sitting MLA, managed to get only 254 votes. In comparison, the AAP got 660 votes, a respectable number of for a new entrant. Residents of Ashok Vihar say that a large number of youth
Even in the posh DLF area the BJP managed to dominate, but AAP was able to secure a good number of votes. In the different booths of DLF (Phase I to Phase V), 9,388 votes were polled – for a change the people in this area came out to vote in large numbers. Yogendra Yadav got 2,085 votes (22%). voted for Yogendra Yadav, as they saw a ray of hope against corruption. INLD was not able to get its loyal voters to support Zakir Hussain, as experts opine that this election had clearly been polarised on communal lines. It is felt that since the Mewatis had ‘decided’ to vote en masse for the INLD candidate, the large Yadav population in Gurgaon, motivated by the Modi wave, managed to get many people in the Hindu community strongly behind Rao Inderjit. However, it would be wrong to define this election as completely polarized, as perhaps for the first time people in the country, including Gurgaon, voted for a political personality, going beyond their caste and community factors. In Rajiv Nagar, another unauthorized colony, the BJP led the pack with 65% of the votes. Rohit Jangid, a resident, said that though the people voted for BJP in the national polls, the fight would be tough in the Vidhan Sabha polls, as local people, local issues, and local affiliations will play a far more important role. "We will only vote for that candidate who will provide us water, power and other amenities," asserted another resident. The presence of a large young population and many first time voters will continue to give hope to the Aam Aadmi Party. Mahesh Sharma, a resident of Sector 14, said that this Lok Sabha poll was special, as people voted for
none other than Modi, and also Congress was facing strong antiincumbency. In Sector 14 there are many problems like water logging, lack of parking, and water and power supply woes, which did not come to the fore during the Lok Sabha polls. However, Sharma said that the issues of governance, poor performance by civic agencies and corruption in government administration would come to the fore in the Assembly polls. An earlier AAP supporter said that though he is disillusioned with the Party’s recent functioning, if an honest candidate with a clean image and no past baggage comes to fight in the Assembly election, he would still vote for AAP. Surprisingly, Chakkarpur Village and its vicinity, which has produced a number of second rung BJP leaders and also has followers of Rao Inderjit Singh, did not vote for Modi as enthusiastically as was expected. Out of the 6,450 votes polled in Chakkarpur and the adjoining booths, the BJP managed to get just a little more than half of the vote share – compared to almost 70% in a majority of the booths in Gurgaon. In fact this issue has also been taken up in the internal party meetings, and sources say that a report on the lack of interest shown by local leaders, and some differences over the entry of Rao Inderjit, was also responsible for this ‘poor’ show. The Aam Aadmi Party managed to get 1,190 votes in an urbanised village where a majority of people are locals; this seems to show the strong local support for Yogendra Yadav, who might have also got votes because of his Ahir community connection. Manish Yadav, a youth leader, said that the better than expected performance by AAP in Chakkarpur does not augur well for the BJP, as continuing infighting and conflict could hit the Party hard in the ensuing Assembly polls. Political insiders say that there are a number of local leaders who are still unhappy, as their
political future has been impacted by the entry of Rao Inderjit. Rao Narbir Singh, former MLA, Sudha Yadhav, former MP, Umesh Aggarwal, BJP leader and several others have allegedly not been able to digest the entry of Rao Inderjit Singh, who now has also expressed a strong desire to be projected as the Party candidate for the Haryana CM post. If this becomes a reality, then it is likely that Rao loyalists from across South Haryana would be strengthened and even get Party tickets. GL Sharma, a close confidante of Union Minister
Rao Inderjit Singh and a strong contender for the BJP ticket locally, said that if AAP fights the election in Haryana it would add an interesting flavor, particularly in Gurgaon, as it has secured good votes in this Assembly constituency. He however asserted that BJP under the leadership of Modi has become an unbeatable force, and if the Party is able to project a strong local leader like Rao Inderjit Singh from South Haryana as the Party's CM candidate, then no doubt BJP would win in a large number of constituencies. u
{ Abhishek Behl / FG }
write to us at letters@fridaygurgaon
S
ending a strong message and putting a show of strength on the occasion of Hindu Samrajya Sthapna Divas, BJP leader GL Sharma exhorted the people of Gurgaon and South Haryana to unite in the fight against corruption and the scam-ridden government of the Congress led by Hooda, if they want an end to the discrimination in employment and development, and to the land scams in the State. Sharma, addressing a well attended function organised by the Youth Club, Gurgaon, said, “If we want to get justice for Gurgaon, it is essential that BJP comes to power in Haryana.” He thanked the people of Gurgaon for making the Hindu Divas samaroh successful, despite a last minute heavy downpour. He asserted that it was for the first time that the BJP has got a strong response even in its ‘weaker’ areas. “We have got votes from all over – ‘old’ Gurgaon, ‘new’ Gurgaon and even in the strongholds of INLD. The times are changing,” said Sharma. The Chief Guest on this occasion was Union Minister Rao Inderjit Singh, who thanked the workers, supporters and activists of BJP. “Our agenda is to bring about equal development in the State (across districts), and ensure transparency and accountability in governance. We would be answerable to the public,” stated Rao Inderjit. He added that though people from Mewat had not voted in numbers for him, he would ensure that adequate development takes place in that area as well. The problem of the SYL Canal, which has remained pending for the last several years, would be taken up on priority, and ‘land deals’ that have become rampant in Haryana, would be reviewed, he said amid much applause. The head of the Gurgaon Youth Club assured the BJP leadership that the youth in the region would work towards bringing the Party to power. They also asked the Party to announce the candidature of Rao Inderjit Singh as the future Chief Minister of the State. u
20-26 June 2014
B on V ivant
11
The Futsal Challenge
A
IWIS Sports Marketing and Management successfully organised the first Indoor Futsal tournament, Challengers Futsal Cup (CFC), at Thayagraj Stadium, New Delhi on 14th June. 12 Teams participated – comprising players from corporates, the diplomatic community, students and NGOs. There were teams from Delhi, NOIDA & Gurgaon and the level of enthusiasm was remarkable. Team QDs emerged as the Champion after defeating Team Eurasia FC in a nailbiting finish. The other teams were: Radio One, FIS, Hyundai, Rebels United, TCS, Pandara Park FC, Total Football & Red Devils. CFC witnessed some great performances, which confirms that the standard and level of game will be very competitive in future tournaments. AIWIS Sports Marketing and Management aims to promote this tournament in multiple cities. Tournament supported by: Radio One, Live India, Wild Water, Kaden Boriss, Total Football and We & Football.
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S ocial
20-26 June 2014
In The Lap Of Nature
A Golden Pilgrimage
A
s the temperature soared high, my heartbeat also ran fast. Waiting for summer vacations made me crazy. But at last the day arrived for my escape to the lap of nature in Chail. I am a nature lover. I planned to go to Chail in Himachal Pradesh alongwith my familyin the second week of June. We went there by road enjoying the green pastures enroute. The urban life is completely different to the life led by simple people out there. I enjoyed my vacations there in clicking the scenic beauty of Himalayas. The bunches of redish yellow coloured peach in the orchids made my mouth watered. I visited Kali ka Tibba and Chail Palace of the King of Patiala. I was shocked to see the huge temple devoted to Maa Kali built at such a height. Beautifully designed and surrounded by green oak trees, Kali ka Tibba is unique and worth visiting. The Chail Palace designed in indo-western style has lot to attract the visitors. I also visited Kufri and Shimla. Nature has bestowed so much upon us but what man has given back. I appreciated the efforts of Himachal Govt. and the people for maintaining the green belt –so soothing. I immediately wrote the slogan in my diart: “ Don’t cut the tree, Its my humble plea”.
M
y heart starts jumping when I hear about vacations. I start planning what to do and where to go. This time my parents planned to go to my hometown in Chandigarh and Ludhiana. We went by train. It was very hot but the green fields on both sides passing by gave a cool feeling. I spent some time playing with my cousins and doing shopping. Ice-cream parlors had a thronging crowd to keep cool. After four days we planned to go to the Golden Temple in Amritsar. Being a Sikh, I felt pride to do my prayers there. It was very hot but there was urge of coming closer to God. Ramandeep Walia VI A
Madiha Bakshi VII A
Manav Responsibility
Checked just in time A
Check Dam for groundwater recharge, which will serve villages on the Haryana-Rajasthan border, was recently handed over to the community at a ceremony organised in Rawli village in Mewat. It has been constructed by the Sehgal Foundation, which received a grant from the people and government of Japan. Funded under Japan’s Grant Assistance for Grassroots Projects (GGP), the Project began in March 2013, with an estimated cost of about Rs 50 lakhs. The Check Dam has a catchment area of 0.65 square kilometers and the rainwater harvesting potential is 19 crore litres per year. Sehgal Foundation worked with the local villagers and mobilised them for participating in the planning, design and implementation, and now maintenance and monitoring, to ensure the Project’s sustainability. A project beneficiaries’ committee, named “Sukkal Khola Jal Prabandhan Samiti” (Sukkal Khola
Water Management Committee, has been formed and has 11 nominated members from the beneficiary villages. The villagers have contributed a corpus fund of Rs 45,694 for the operation and maintenance of the Check Dam. The inauguration was presided over by Chief Guest Tamaki Tsukada, Economic Minister, Embassy of Japan in India; Ms. Jane E Schukoske, of Sehgal Foundation, was also present. All the villagers also witnessed the commissioning
of the Check Dam. Salahuddin Saiphy, Program Leader, Water Management at Sehgal Foundation, said, “We expect that there will be about 6 meters rise in the groundwater table post the monsoon this year.” Ramlal from Rawli Village shared his concerns about the rapidly depleting water levels in the Village and the water sources going saline. He recalled the dropping water level in the 75 tube wells in their Village. The average groundwater level in the Village is around
M
anav Rachna International School (MRIS), Sector 46 organised the second batch of a Computer Literacy Program, as part of its social responsibility. Classes were taken by the Computer Science teachers of the School. Says Shweta Arya, a participant: “I feel very happy that I am learning computer at Manav Rachna School. My teachers are very kind and supportive. I learnt very much about computer functions. After attending this program I am more confident.”
80 metres and drops further in the neighboring villages. Because of water scarcity, agricultural productivity has suffered. Ramlal, who is also a member of the Sukkal Khola Jal Prabandhan Samiti, is confident about the expected
improvement in water levels and the resulting increase in farm yield. His tubewell experienced an instant rise of 8.5 meters from June to September 2013, when the structure could only partially harvest the monsoon. Three piezometers have been installed at four locations to monitor the increase in groundwater levels. The Check Dam would directly serve the 3,000 villagers in Rawli and, over a period of 7-8 years, will impact about 15,000 people in the neighboring six villages of Haryana and Rajasthan. The villagers and the panchayat (village council) of Rawli and Nangli villages in Firozepur Jhirka block of Mewat eagerly await the monsoon this year. u
PRAKHAR PANDEY
20-26 June 2014
The ‘Shram Daan’ Path { Barnali Dutta / FG }
U
ntil a couple of years ago the City Montessori School in Lucknow could boast of a fairly unique fame. It was one of the very few institutions in India that had been periodically selecting a couple of young scholars from its school and sending them abroad on brief visits as part of ‘students exchange programmes’. This ‘youth diplomacy’ deserves kudos, since such visits to foreign lands provide a much-needed exposure to students, to firsthand know and experience the new globalised world. Such programmes are now commonly endorsed by many schools, NGOs and the government. Unlike holidaying on foreign junkets, which they will soon also partake, the students today travel abroad to primarily take part in a wide range of social activities. They become a part of the local community service programmes, which enables them to imbibe organisational skills and develop some leadership qualities. The credit for such ventures globally could be attributed to the Dutch forum AIESEC, founded in 1948. AIESEC is an acronym (in French) for Association Internationale des E’tudiants en Sciences E’conomiques et Commerciales (International Association of Students in Economic and Commercial Sciences). While AIESEC has concentrated solely on students at the college or university level, others who followed suit have involved students from schools. In our City, Pathways World School, Aravalli, has proven itself to be a good platform for such ventures.
“The spirit of caring and sharing through our ‘Children for Children’ community service programmes helps develop the minds of these young impressionable students. The words of the great Chinese philosopher, Confucius - ‘I hear and I forget, I see and I understand, I do and I remember’ - appropriately reflect the essence of this worthy Project. Through such activities, students not only learn to reflect on and value their own lives with greater meaning and purpose, but also start developing a deeper feeling for the less-privileged lives, and want to reach out (whether through physical labour or via emotional connect). There will certainly be a long lasting impact of such experiences. By sacrificing a small portion of their personal time and lives they understand that ‘the very purpose of life is a life of purpose’,” said Dr. Sarvesh Naidu (School Director).
Under the banner of Round Square Collaborative Service Project, the Pathways World School has added a new dimension to voluntary community upliftment – which is well defined in Indian ethos as ‘Yog Daan’ or ‘Shram Daan’. This year the students took part in extensive needbased development programmes centred around sanitation. They included cleanliness and public hygiene drives, and provision of sanitation facilities at certain government schools in and around Badshahpur Village (six toilets at the Government Girls Senior Secondary School and two at the Primary Boys School). Besides, the students re-laid and paved a road leading to the School and also improved the drinking water area and equipment. They also whitewashed the front ground walls of their School and contributed to afforestation by planting saplings. The 8-day Project, which ended on 16th June, witnessed the participation of 35 students from schools across India and abroad – including the Millennium School of Dubai, the Assam Valley School, the Dhirubhai Ambani
International School, Mumbai and the Genesis Global School of Noida. Such social task orientation is very relevant in the present context, as it offers children hailing from affluent families the opportunity to learn and experience from the lives of the less privileged. Suketh Shetty of Class XI from Dubai observed, “A holiday is not always about having fun; this Programme is a good combination of fun and social service. We are trying to put our best feet forward. In my opinion a hygienic environment should be an important concern of any primary school.” With a chuckle he added, “I must not forget to acknowledge that my Hindi has improved, thanks to my active
S ocial
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participation in this project.” Anauska Dutta, a student from Assam, said, “The best thing I learned from this Programme is that the function of a schoollevel Exchange programme is to co-ordinate the experiences so that the students are able to truly enrich their lives. The students can return satisfied, knowing that they now have a better understanding and respect for other cultures. In our school, students between the ages of 15 to 18, who have a good grade point average and a desire to experience a new culture, are allowed to apply for an exchange programme.” The 2014 Project was based on village surveys that the students had conducted over the last 3 years. The students had designed a questionnaire on the health, hygiene and student enrolment in the identified schools. They discovered that girls had a much higher ‘drop out’ rate as they moved from Middle to Senior School – largely owing to the lack of access to toilets. The girls’ school targeted this year is by far the largest, as it caters to a catchment of 10 villages in the neighbourhood and a student population of 2,000 girls in the Senior Secondary category. It is a well-run school, well respected in the community, but has a dearth of toilets; there were only 3 toilets earlier! In the Boys Primary School, one of the older schools in Badshahpur, the Programme students have given the school a total face-lift - even painting the walls with messages, multiplication tables and related educational material. As importantly, they helped set up an all season access road to the school. Other initiatives have included: helping find employment for the local youth and sharpening their employable skills; providing mid-day meal kitchens and dining areas; setting up: computer labs equipped with inverters and laptops, multipurpose stage platforms and equipment for schools to host events, and soft resources such as libraries; teacher training and up-gradation programmes. Pathways Parent Partnership (the Parents’ body) also pitches in to help make the Projects successful - not just in implementation but even in the follow- through. Sunil Bhardwaj is the Service Programme Coordinator and CAS (Creativity Action and Service) Coordinator. Once a Project is commissioned, the School puts in place ‘essential agreements’ with the users, to revisit and constantly monitor the utility and upkeep of the facilities. u
14 Tap on each of these for sub-categories
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W ellness
20-26 June 2014
{ Jaspal Bajwa }
L
ike many half-truths that spread without much basis, the very mention of the word ‘Cholesterol’ never fails to engender a twinge of fear - especially for populations vulnerable to Diabetes and Cardiovascular Diseases. Cholesterol is in fact essential for good health. That is why our body makes sure that it produces over 75 % of its Cholesterol needs – mainly in the liver, and to an extent in all cells of the body. It is not only needed for metabolism; it is in fact critical for several important functions – like cell activity as well as for the production of bile and steroid hormones. These in turn regulate critical life-saving functions such as reproduction, production of energy, regulation of blood pressure, shaping of our body’s response to stress, maintenance of the salt-water balance and the proper functioning of the immune system. However, like many an interesting twist of Nature, Cholesterol has a ‘good’ side to it … and a ‘bad’ side. The ‘good’ Cholesterol (also called HDL – High Density Lipoproteins) enables an excellent ‘scavenging’ system, helping remove excess ‘bad’ Cholesterol and the deadly plaque that hardens the walls of arteries carrying our blood. Conversely, the villain of the piece is LDL (Low Density Lipoproteins). When the balance between the good and bad goes awry, greasy Cholesterol can accumulate, clogging the insides of blood vessels (this is known as ‘Atherosclerosis’, or hardening of the arteries). This process can be accelerated by chronic inflammation in the body from prolonged exposure to allergens and unhealthy lifestyle practices associated with sedentary, soft urban lifestyles; cardiac strokes and deaths are then usually just a step away. To maintain Cholesterol’s health-producing role and to prevent it from rudely hijacking our life-sustaining circulation system, it is critical that we remain sensitive to several negative factors. These include our genetic predisposition (not in all), excess consumption of LDL enhancing foods, an inefficient excretion of excess Cholesterol and a sedentary lifestyle. Even though the foods we consume may have only a modest impact on the total Cholesterol in the blood, it has been recommended that we strive to eat less than 200 mg of dietary Cholesterol a day. Rather than the total quantity of fats we eat, what really matters is the type of fat and carbohydrate in the diet.
Health & Vitality... Naturally!
The Cholesterol Balance
Importantly, foods that contain high amounts of Saturated fats and Trans-fats have to be avoided. Of these, Transfats are potent toxins; even small amounts in the diet can have harmful health effects. For every extra 2 percent of calories from Trans-fat, the risk of coronary heart disease increases by 23 percent! On the other hand, good fats (unsaturated fats) can improve blood cholesterol levels, ease inflammation, stabilise heart rhythms and play a number of other beneficial roles. Unsaturated fats are predominantly found in foods from plants. These fats are liquids at room temperature and can be ‘Mono’ as well as ‘Poly’ unsaturated (fats). Omega-3 fats are an important
example of polyunsaturated fat. Triglycerides make up most of the fat that we eat and are the body’s main vehicle for transporting fats to cells. However, an excess of triglycerides is to be avoided. Omega 3 fatty acids are noted for triglyceride-lowering power. To achieve the right fat & carbohydrate balance, cutting back on red meat, butter, cheese, milk and ice cream, and replacing these with healthy options, is called for. Most certainly these healthy options are not fried foods, high-fat/ high-salt fried snacks, biscuits and other baked goods, which
contain refined carbohydrates and hydrogenated oils. Healthy eating means consuming Plant foods, which are naturally fortified with plant sterols and stanols - which help block the absorption of Cholesterol into the bloodstream. In addition to fresh vegetables & fruits, other healthy options that are high on complex carbohydrates and fibre can be chosen. Instead of frying the food, it is better to bake, broil, roast, steam or stew.
Tip of the Week
Reading the ingredient lists of prepared foods and checking on the fat-use policy of restaurants is a very good habit. It is best to avoid foods that list Hydrogenated Oil or Partially Hydrogenated Oil or Margarine among their primary ingredients. These products contain a lot of Trans-fats. In addition, it is good to be wary of meat fats, palm oil, cream, butter, egg solids, lard, cocoa butter, chocolate or ‘imitation’ chocolate. ‘Low-fat’, ‘Reduced fat’ or ‘Fat-free’ processed foods are not necessarily healthy, as these can be higher in refined carbohydrates, sugars, starches
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and Sodium. Nature’s Wonder Food(s) of the Week: Healthy Cholesterol-balance Foods It is best to emphasise foods that have complex carbohydrates - such as fruits and vegetables, whole-grain products, beans, legumes and nuts that are low in calories and high in soluble fibre. Studies have shown that eating 4 or more servings of fruits and vegetables can lower LDL cholesterol levels. Choice of optimal cooking oils and high quality Omega 3 fats is also critical. In Ayurveda there are several herbs that have been used for centuries for heart health-health and lowering of cholesterol. The notable ones are – Arjuna (Terminalia) tree, Badranjbuyeh (Nepeta Hindostana) and Turmeric (Curcuma Longa). Sesame seeds are rich in phytosterols, which help reduce ‘bad’ Cholesterol levels significantly. Other foods that contain phytosterols include celery, lettuce, asparagus, spinach, tomatoes, ginger, squash and strawberries. Other examples of Cholesterol-balancing foods are: Dark green, leafy vegetables like spinach, Collard greens, methi and Swiss chard. Beans, lentils, peas are high in soluble fibre, high in protein and low in fat. These also contain Lecithin, which lowers Cholesterol. Other soluble fibre rich foods are isabgol, flaxseed, steel-cut oats & bran, barley and whole grains. Nuts are high in Mono Unsaturated Fats – good examples are almonds, walnuts, pistachio, pecans and hazelnuts. These are also rich in Vitamin E and Selenium. Pomegranate helps reduce Cholesterol plaque buildup and increases nitric oxide production, which reduces arterial plaque. Fruits with high soluble fibre are apples, pears, oranges, avocadoes and grapefruit. Pectin-containing fruits like apples, citrus, strawberries, raspberries, black berries, prunes, blueberries also help lower cholesterol. Raw carrots are another excellent example. Good plant sources of Omega-3 fats include Chia seeds, Flax seeds, walnuts and oils such as sesame, canola, rice bran and soybean. An excellent way to get omega-3 fats is by eating fish 2-3 times a week. Some examples of fatty fish are Salmon, Tuna and Halibut. Eating Garlic regularly reduces LDL (bad) Cholesterol and raises the HDL (good) level, due to its active substance called Allicin.u For Education purposes only; always consult a Healthcare Practitioner for medical conditions
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20-26 June 2014
C omment
Embracing the Middle Path
T EDITORIAL Atul Sobti
he PM’s choice of Bhutan as his first overseas destination, and his successful visit thereafter, is a good omen. As FG has suggested earlier, India would do well to tread the Middle Path. Economics, hard currency and hardball aside, we need to play the soft games also (and soft-ware and a soft touch is in our DNA). It’s time for an augmented game plan. Who better to awaken us and enlighten us than Siddharth, Gautam – the Buddha. Buddhism can be our force multiplier.
become world-class sites. Just the tourism potential is overwhelming (and Namoji has said that he would like to promote Pilgrimage Tourism). The Dharma-chakra of Buddhism is already represented in the Ashoka Chakra, a prominent national symbol. A big bonus of this engagement should be the better social integration of the Dalits, many of whom have embraced Buddhism. It should also occasion a needed, closer look at some ‘practices’ of Hinduism.
While Hinduism was perhaps the base for Buddhism, it (and the Indian govt.) needs to stop playing big brother. Nepal should be a lesson. Hinduism should happily accept the many good paths offered by Buddhism. In fact we in India need to celebrate Buddhism much more; we need to promote this homegrown way of life that has caught the imagination of the world. It does not have to be about the Dalai Lama only; a broader engagement would also take the issue beyond a TibetChina arena. Bodh Gaya and Sarnath should
We definitely need to integrate with Asia better. Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, South East Asia, Japan, Korea and even China have Buddhist leanings. Apart from helping improve relations with some immediate neighbours, Buddhism would be a great catalyst in our relationship with Japan – which has already signalled a ‘tilt’ towards India. Maybe even Nepal will get warmer – after all, the Buddha was born there. With Buddhism we can truly trod the Middle Path. Nirvana should still be achievable.u
Last week FG had mentioned that Modi seems to have a Water/ Jal fixation: for the first time India’s long coastline has been seen as a gateway to prosperity; there is talk of Ports-led Development, including the ambitious Sagar Mala project; of inland and coastal waterways; of a Ganga Project; and a National Maritime Authority. Even in Agriculture, Modi seems quite obsessed with irrigation and water. This week his first point of call outside Delhi was on board the INS Vikramaditya! Three cheers for the Navy.
Namoji, have you finally put a foot wrong? Have you finally had to react on ‘small’, local matters, which were being ignored in the face of ‘big’ proactive national steps? Have you not known of El Nino and an expected poor monsoon for some time now? Did you not know that with Governor’s rule the BJP at the Centre would almost be directly held accountable for Delhi? Have small steps been sacrificed at the altar of ‘special effects’, once the elections have concluded? How can you have talked of the need to tighten belts and of having to take painful, unpopular decisions if you have not first taken some positive common-man friendly decisions? It is a completely wrong sequence. Why did actions on prices and availability of food items have to wait for a push from the ‘outside’? Or was this just seen as part of some 100day or Budget plan? Going forward, if the pain referred to is something that will impact the common man adversely – like a fuel price increase – then the common man must first be provided a safety net (say, by way of some free fuel vouchers based on simple criteria – similar to the concept of free/subsidised LPG cylinders). As you well know, Namoji, it would be unwise to ignore Bharat while you go about (rightly) redefining India.
S piritual
20-26 June 2014
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Unravelling the Mysteries of Consciousness { Dr. Rajesh Bhola }
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ur conscious experiences are constantly shifting and changing, making us ‘multi-experience’ every moment. For example, while working in the kitchen garden our consciousness may be connecting with a conversation we have had earlier with a friend; the very next moment we may notice how uncomfortable our shirt has become, while mentally planning the weekend. This ever-shifting stream of thoughts can change dramatically from one moment to the next - but our experience of it seems smooth and effortless. What is Consciousness and from where does it originate? How does a universe composed of unconscious matter give rise to conscious entities such as you and me, capable of thinking, analysing and uncovering its secrets? These questions constitute the Consciousness conundrum, which is one of the toughest and most complex problems facing science today. Consciousness refers to an awareness of our unique thoughts, memories, feelings, sensations and the environment. Consciousness has been compared to a stream: unbroken and continuous, despite constant shifts and changes. Spiritualists, philosophers and scientists have been working hard for centuries to break the conundrum of consciousness, sub-consciousness, unconsciousness, the divided or multiple self, and bodymind dualism. However, psychologists may in fact be avoiding the problem of Consciousness, which made the mental realm so puzzling in the first place; and thereby ignoring the mystery that is at the heart of the nature of meaning and mind. Despite several centuries of research on the brain, communication through language or gesture remains the only way we can discover the conscious thoughts and experiences of others. But, if thoughts and feelings arise from patterns of neural activity in the brain, then it should be possible to directly decode such conscious experiences from brain activity alone. Recent advances in human neuron imaging raise just such a possibility, by showing that it is possible to accurately decode people’s conscious experiences based only on non-invasive measurement of their brain activities. Such brain reading abilities may transform our understanding of the brain and provide important new medical insights, but also raise important ethical issues concerning the privacy of personal thought. For each of us our own conscious mental world of thoughts and feelings is private. Consciousness is a subjective experience. For each of us the world intriguingly appears partitioned: comprising an inner world of a conscious subject ‘I’ who is aware, and an outer world manifesting the objects and things that we observe. This is known in philosophy as the subject-object split. While we are able to analyse phenomenon that occur (outside) in nature, it becomes virtually impossible to analyse the subject, the very Consciousness (inside) that makes us aware. This challenge is better illustrated with the help of an example. I go for a stroll in the garden, where I see a beautiful rose - an external object whose shape, colour and behaviour I can determine. But how do I observe the very awareness (within me) that is letting me observe the rose? In other words, how does one come to know the knower? Further, if a scientist friend of mine wishes to study my consciousness, she is faced with yet another dilemma – there is no real method or instrument by which she could get inside my head, so to speak, and experience ‘my experience of admiring the rose’. Because of these inherent difficulties, modern science - since its very inception in the 17th century in Europe - has for the most part omitted analysing the subjective or inner experience of Consciousness, and instead trained its energies on the objective (or the outer). Its focus has been on the universe of matter, comprising things that can be accurately probed, quantified and measured. However, an increasing number of scientists is starting to seriously
There is a tale in which the central character, who is evidently suffering from amnesia, is judged for an act that he cannot remember. According to the ‘view of self’, the man’s self, which is held in prison, is not the same self that has committed the murder of his wife and children. The self that he, the firstperson, is aware of, is not the same self that the judge or the doctor, the third-persons, perceive him to be. He now exists with a different set of memories and character traits and cannot remember his past experiences. He is not conscious of his actions and therefore he is not the same self who has committed the crime; he is another self in the same physical body. With an argument that claims that the self is separate from the body, we can say that the man in jail is technically not the man who has committed the crime. Hanging him in his amnesiac state would not be of much help, as the purpose of punishment is to help correct a person’s mistake as well as to act as a deterrent to others – both of which would not really apply or work in this case. The man would die in a torturous way, punished for actions that he does not and cannot remember. This would be akin to killing an ‘innocent’ man. If word (of his amnesiac state) did reach the people, they could question the effectiveness of the judicial system. The punishment will therefore not serve its purposes. A proper psychiatric evaluation and treatment should be performed on such a patient. When he does remember his wrongdoings, his death sentence should be commuted to imprisonment. It would also be hoped that the experience has taught him remorse. doubt whether the subjective experience of Consciousness emerges from matter – that is, from neurological activity in the brain. While the firing of neurons can explain the mechanism by which a sensation such as pain or smell is transmitted, it cannot fully account for the experience. Consider the activity of the brain during sleep. If the firing of neurons was responsible for generating the subjective experience of Consciousness, then the neurological activity in the brain of a person who is awake and conscious should be higher than when he/ she is in deep sleep and therefore unconscious. But this is not what scientists have observed. It turns out that neurons in the brain’s cortex are firing just as much, whether a person is awake or in deep sleep. So, while neurons are the necessary mechanism by which a sensation, such as the smell of a rose, is transmitted, for us to believe that neurological activity also endows us with the conscious experience or awareness of smelling the rose is surely a giant leap of faith. What scientists have perhaps been missing so far is that, besides matter and energy, there is a third and more fundamental reality in the universe – and that is Consciousness. This non-material field of Consciousness does not emerge out of the combinations of matter; rather, it exists independently, on it’s own, distinct and separate from matter. The consequences of science’s historical focus on matter have been double-edged. On the one hand, science has triumphed in unravelling many of the mysteries of the material universe, but these very successes have caused many (especially in the Western scientific community) to get locked into thinking that matter must be the primary and ultimate reality. They believe that every phenomenon in the universe can be fully explained by the laws and interactions of matter. Armed with this faith in the supremacy of matter, many biologists have, over the last few decades, made fresh attempts at ‘solving’ the Consciousness conundrum. They have begun their foray by discarding a belief held true for
thousands of years, by many religions of the world – that there exists a spiritual entity called the soul, which transcends matter and is the real source of Consciousness within all. These scientists have propounded ‘the matter hypothesis’, according to which the origins of Consciousness lie not within a living soul; instead, Consciousness, they believe, is most likely a by-product of interactions between atoms and molecules of matter. This hypothesis has been boosted primarily by one significant factor - the ‘disproving’ of the theories of creation by modern science. Modern science has reduced all living organisms, including human beings, to soul-less robotic machines, running on a pre-programmed code. Modern scientists believe that we, our joys and sorrows, memories and ambitions, and our sense of personal identity and free will, are in fact no more than the behaviour of a vast assembly of nerve cells and their associated molecules. In short, we are nothing but a pack of neurons. At a spiritual level, Consciousness is One, and all creations are its manifestations. In this elevated world there is no high and no low; all beings and the whole existence partake of the same sublimity, just like drops mingled in one ocean. Yet, it remains difficult or out of reach of human wisdom to comprehend and conceptualise this Consciousness. The truth is out there somewhere… or perhaps already inside us!u Dr. Rajesh Bhola is President of Spastic Society of Gurgaon and is working for the cause of children with Autism, Cerebral Palsy, mental retardation and multiple disabilities for more than 25 years. He can be contacted at rabhola@yahoo.com
Excuse me Krishna { Shobha Lidder } I seem always to be in a rush hour I light the wick lamp Put oil in it till it flickers Burn some fragrant incense Mutter my chants, mostly of my wants I am hyperactive, multitasking Hurrying, scurrying, worrying Of what I should do, not do, want to do My Boss is bossy, fussy My colleagues irritate me My juniors are so juvenile Always on the mobile I have my mother to meet & greet She is hostage to old age, loves to talk 19 to a dime, of old times A daughter’s odd jobs to be done She’s a supersonic busy one Achievers want to win it all when young Stories to tell my grand daughter n son Listen to their achievements Some time for community & its amenity I forget age is catching up on me Frequent visits to physicians for wellness schemes Krishna, tired exhausted I turn to you To say thank you I light a wick ‘diya’ & burn sandalwood stick I want to spend quality time with you But never do You are my Friend my God Guru. Writer, Journalist, Teacher, Trainer, Social Activist, Reiki Master, Pranic Healer
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{ Barnali Dutta/FG }
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mong the oft-heard adages, ‘Laughter is the Best Medicine’ is one that can be most universally applied. Humour provides an exclusive element of happiness to the state of mind of any individual. It’s all the more relevant in today’s overanxious times - laughter is a great stress-buster. It is also said that an element of wit enhances the wisdom. Humour and wit are today being wonderfully blended and served live. Comedy has moved from the written word to the spoken word; from
{ Alka Gurha } hen it comes to footwear, women are perhaps the most obsessed creatures on planet earth. A woman, they say, can carry a bag - but it is the shoe that carries the woman. More often than not, men buy shoes when they need them, but women can buy shoes just for pleasure. While growing up, girls learn to integrate heels (the shoe type) into their wardrobe. Even the most rebellious teens try to fit into their mothers’ high heels. Sometimes I wonder if estrogen has some karmic connection with our straps and soles. However, it is not mindless - this fetish of ours. A collection of shoes, like accessories, is an integral part of women’s wardrobes. We need mojaris for salwars, chappals for churidars,
We in India have to learn to laugh at ourselves more, rather than just at soon joined the comic expressions and TV and movies bandwagon. to live acts (like situations. We consider it Witty skits, often plays) – often solo. ‘inappropriate’ to make circuses, of short The tinsel screen duration made has given us our fun of sex, religion, our their presence felt. chuckles for decades history, and all our Today Kapil Sharma – be it Hollywood or hosts a popular show Bollywood (or other … ‘taboos’… woods); that was followed by the ‘small (though not any longer) screen’, wherein couch potatoes could laugh all day along with ‘live’ audiences of comedy shows. Desi humour came to the fore (in no small measure due to Adhikari brothers of SAB TV). Many mimicry artistes
Sole Mates wedges for trousers, stilettos for dresses, boots for winter, flip-flops for daily use, pumps for travel and ballerinas for a change. No wonder women worldwide own an average of seventeen pairs of shoes. The sole of the matter is about soul satisfaction. The anticipation of the joy (of buying footwear) can be more joyful than the actual buying. The entire exercise, of trying several pairs, fretting about the right size, and then exiting the shop leaving behind a war zone scenario, adds up to some sort of devilish contentment. For women, footwear is also age specific. While girls can carry stilettos with great élan, middle-aged women look for cushioned comfort and a signature style. It can be difficult for men to grasp this concept, as they can pretty much wear the same shoes at
– though certain critics term his presentation as ‘surreal humour’. Unfortunately the scriptwriters, as in films and TV shows, remain a neglected lot. In between, some conventional swear words end up in needless controversy. In this context, the participants
eighteen, forty or sixty. Maybe men can relate with the drooling at a sports car. Of course you want to own it, but even the thought of owning it can be joyous. Most women know that wearing high heels is not comfortable or even healthy, and yet they continue to wear them. Perhaps they feel more confident when ‘taller’. Some women revel in the attention it gets them. Heels can flatter some bodies by making them appear more slender – an appropriate ‘high heel posture’ can make a woman’s legs look longer and leaner. A study published in the academic journal Evolution and Human Behavior has found that women in heels appear more attractive (than those in flat shoes) – to both men and women. Strong women, they say, wear their pain in their stilettos. No matter how much it hurts, all they see is the beauty of it!u
PRAKHAR PANDEY
Standing-up for Comedy
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of a Stand Up Comedy, ‘Aisi Taisi Democracy’, a political satire staged at the Epicentre, were happy to share their views. Rahul Ram, a guitaristcum-composer of the Indian Ocean Band and also a social activist, opined, “Poetry with sarcasm is the base for our comedy. It’s an art to be able to recount a ‘serious or even scary’ story in a ‘funny’ manner. The Stand Up Comedian is a difficult act – though it seems disarmingly simple.” Ram added, “Our humour is much more ‘political’ and ‘middle class’ oriented. Morality, tradition and norms are ‘easy pickings’ – though we take them ‘seriously’.” Comedy has of course made its presence felt even on Facebook and Twitter. Commenting on these developments, Sanjay Rajora, a multi-faceted actor, writer and travel show host admitted, “I’m not going to claim that I know what’s funny to everyone; what anyone finds funny is very subjective. The audience is the real judge. Now-a-days everyone is looking for a laugh, as the daily chores are leaving many frustrated. An evening out, spent merrily and in laughter, is good medicine for the soul. Stand Up Comedy has come to stay.” Surprisingly, to a poser on his assessment of the comedy scenario in the country, Rajora, who had hosted the hilarious show What’s with Indian Women on Fox TV, responded that although he likes the presenters of most of the shows, he is no great fan of Kapil Sharma. On the sidelines of an event at Epicentre, the well-known writer, lyricist and Stand Up Comedian Varun Grover said, “Comedy is not like music, where you are asked to play the same song multiple times. Comedy is mostly an act of an instant witty reaction to a given situation; but you may not get a laugh every time for the same joke.” u
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Gotipua - The ‘Little Boy’ Dance Of Odisha { Meenu Thakur Sankalp }
Young boys start learning the dance form from the age of five, under the supervision of a Guru. They usually train in the Guru’s ‘ashram’ (residential school). The boys do not cut their hair, and tie up their long tresses in a knot adorned with flowers. The make-up includes white and red powder, a ‘bindi’ (circular design on a ‘girl’s’ forehead), a nose-pin and a serpentine design made of sandalwood paste - across the temple. ‘Alta’ (red paste) is used to decorate the feet; ‘gorachana’, a creeper-like design, is painted on the forehead; and a ‘tilak’ (long mark on the forehead) is applied. The traditional costumes of Gotipua include the ‘kanchula’ (blouse), ‘nibibhanda’ (embroidered cloth tied around the hips) and ‘pattasari’ (nine-yard ‘sari’). The jewellery is indigenous and reflects the flavour of East India; it consists of beads, armlets and necklaces. The dancers’ legs are massaged with ‘til’ (sesame) oil, to maintain the suppleness of their bodies, and they are fed ‘khichdi’ (rice gruel), yoghurt, fruits and rarified butter - in order to maintain physical fitness and an ‘appropriate’ body weight.
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he incredible sight of young girls somersaulting acrobatically over one another, or gracefully balancing the weight of their fellow dancers while forming pyramids and geometrical patterns, makes the audience wonder if the bodies of these ‘pencil-thin’ children have been crafted out of rubber. The mesmerised audience is then dumbstruck when it is announced that the ‘girls’ are actually boys (attired as girls). Gotipua, rooted in the traditional culture of Odisha, is a dance form that is performed by pre-adolescent boys. Gotipua is often referred to as the forerunner of the more famous dance form, Odissi - one of the eight major Classical dances of India. The name Gotipua has been derived from two words in the Oriya language, ‘Goti’ (meaning single) and ‘Pua’ (meaning boy); however Gotipua today is performed by a group of young boys. This dance form is devoted to the praise of Sri Krishna (in the form of Jagannath) and Radha. Historically traced to the village of Raghurajpur (near Puri), where dances were performed by ‘Maharis’ or ‘Devadasis’ (women-dancers dedicated as servants of God in temples). These dancers performed at the Jagannath Puri Temple Festival for about twenty-two days. But, with the dwindling number of dancers and the decline of the ‘Mahari’ tradition, combined with the orthodox resistance from the priests (who believed that 22 days included an impure period
{ Krishan Kalra }
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for women), young boys who had not reached the age of puberty were drafted for the dancing. Sri Chaitanya, the bard saint who came to Puri in the sixteenth century, introduced the doctrine of Madhura Rasa Upasana, which depicted the conjugal love of Krishna. As Krishna and Radha were inseparable, there was no gender discrimination in the dance, which suited the Gotipua tradition. Poets like Gopal Krushna and Upendra Bhanj, while attempting to publicise their poetry, patronised these dancers, who accompanied them on their trips to villages and towns. Parents took their poor and sick boys to temples or Gurukuls to make them learn the Gotipua dance. Gotipua dance focuses on ‘abhinaya’ and beautiful
expressions. The highlight is the Bandha Nrutya, which is an acrobatic presentation depicting the life of Krishna. The musical accompaniments are the ‘mardala’ (drum), ‘gini’ (cymbals), harmonium, violin and the flute. The boy dancers are also trained to sing; songs are sung in the praise of Lord Krishna. According to a fifteenth century text, there are more than twentyeight varieties of Bandha Nrutya. Movements in Gotipua include the ‘utha’ (rising up from the sitting pattern), ‘baitha’ (bending the knees and balancing the weight of the body on the waist), ‘thia’ (standing), ‘chali’ (singing), ‘buda’ (holding hands upwards in a trance), ‘bhasa’ (moving the body on both sides), ‘pali’ (backward dance
movements) and ‘bhaunri’ (a symmetrical revolving). The ‘nrutya’ (dance) is performed with intricate and acrobatic movements. The upper torso is kept fluid and the movements seem to be like gentle waves caressing the seashore. Gotipua dancers begin a recital with the ‘Sri Guru Vandana’, seeking the blessings of the spiritual Guru. The movement of the body and limbs on a particular ‘taal ‘(rhythm) is called the ‘arasa’. The movements also involve the ‘netra chalana’ (eye movement), which is performed without without any ‘greeba chalana’ (neck movement); the latter is performed separately. Every Gotipua dance also involves limb movements (angika), dressing up (aaharya), expression through words (vachika), and
The 500 Rupee Trip To Agra
y friend Vinay Chandra’s father was a typical ‘box-wallah’. In the mid-seventies he worked for an old British Company in Lucknow and cherished all the moral & ethical values imbibed by officers in such establishments. He lived by the rules. He had never cheated any one - not even the civic & public institutions – and hoped that his only son would emulate him. On one of their short holidays in 1975 – when Vinay was all of 11 years old – Mr & Mrs Chandra planned a trip to Agra. Their old trusted travel agent, Khushi Ram, was asked to buy 2½ First A/C tickets & meet them at the railway station on the day of departure. This was the practice they always followed. It saved Khushi Ram an extra trip & he would also escort them to their seats & collect his money. The Chandra family – as per their custom – arrived at the station well before the departure time of the train. Minutes ticked away & yet there was no
sign of Khushi Ram. Since the train had ‘arrived’, they checked their seat numbers from the reservation chart & settled down inside. “He must be on his way,” said Mr Chandra, almost to himself. The TTE too was not concerned. They all knew Khushi Ram & were sure that he would turn up. However, it was not to be so, and the train started on its journey. Mr Chandra resigned himself to buying new tickets, gave Rs 2000/- to young Vinay & asked him to go & get the tickets from the TTE. Our good man the TTE, had other ideas. “Why don’t we make a deal?” he told (more than asked) the kid. “Khushi Ram would’ve already bought the tickets anyway, so I don’t want you to pay double. Why should the govt. be paid twice? Why don’t you just give me Rs 500 and I’ll see you all out at Agra Station. Just don’t tell Chandra Saheb. He will create an unnecessary fuss.” Young Vinay was happy. He felt that he would save his dad some hard earned money;
expression of innermost feelings through gestures (sattvika). The only drawback of the Gotipua tradition is the very short ‘shelflife’ (six-seven years) of the dancers - before the boys reach the age of puberty. However, a few Gotipua dancers move on to learning Odissi; a considerable number also become teachers of Gotipua. Being one of the most acrobatic and flexible dances in the world, and unarguably a connoisseur’s delight, Gotipua has started to reclaim its rightful place in the dancing sphere of India. It is now also being actively encouraged and promoted by the State Government of Odisha.u The Writer is a renowned Kuchipudi Danseuse and Choreographer
and since the TTE had promised that he would provide them safe passage out of the station at Agra, there should be no problem. The TTE even agreed to take the Rs 500 only on arrival at Agra. The rest of the journey was uneventful. Vinay answered his dad’s query regarding the ticket truthfully. “It’s all taken care of”, he said. The Family Chandra was seen off into a waiting taxi at Agra Station & Vinay quietly slipped five notes into the TTE’s pocket. Once in the comfort of their relative’s house at Agra, and after a refreshing bath & a satiating meal, our young entrepreneur decided to announce the happy tidings. Fifteen notes were duly handed over to a shocked Mr Chandra, by a proud and beaming Vinay. He took pains to explain how he had saved a fortune. “Dad, I think I deserve a treat for this great achievement; it was my first test at negotiation skills.” The young boy indeed got his treat that night. He received a sound boxing of the ears, was given no meals, was locked up in the storeroom and sternly warned against any such misadventures in future.u
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China’s Baidu Googles Up { Stephan Scheuer/ Beijing/ DPA }
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rom its imposing grey headquarters in the north-west of Beijing, China’s Internet search giant Baidu is setting out to challenge Google’s global supremacy. The national flag flutters in front of the building’s main entrance, set between two banners bearing the Company’s logo. With 600 million Internet users, China has more web users than any other country, and some two-thirds use Baidu - which specialises in browsers for mobile devices. At the same time, thousands of government censors are employed to constantly filter the Internet traffic, and foreign services - such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube - are completely blocked. These official restrictions have contributed much to Baidu’s success in China. But the Company is now moving beyond its protected market; it launched a trial version of its search engine in Thailand a few months ago, and in mid-May opened a research centre in Silicon Valley. “We believe that search will become increasingly central to not only digital life, but in the real world as well,” says Kaiser Kuo, International Communications Director for Baidu. Search engines largely determine how surfers navigate the Internet, and with more Internet-connected devices appearing each year, it gives enormous power to the companies behind the engines. Born in New York, Kuo was once a member of the legendary Beijing rock band Tang Dynasty. Now he is putting across Baidu’s global vision. This is not an easy task, as the Company battles its image as the compliant partner of the Chinese authorities in censoring web content. After Google withdrew from China in 2010, in pro-
Chinese search engine Baidu is going global - with Thailand, Egypt and Brazil on its first list. But China’s answer to Google may have to first shake off its association with Chinese censorship. test against the censorship policies of the State, Baidu further entrenched itself locally. Today more than 99 per cent of its business comes from the home market. In the first quarter the Company saw its turnover rise 59 per cent, to 9.5 billion yuan (1.5 billion dollars). But Baidu’s story throws up a lot of questions too. The founder of the Company, Robin Li, developed a search algorithm for the US company Dow Jones in 1996, after studying in the United States. Three years later the Chinese government invited him to the 50-year celebrations of the People’s Republic. What passed between them has not been revealed, but many suspect that the authorities wanted him to set up China’s own search engine under the guiding hand of the central government. Li went on to found Baidu, along with his friend Eric Xu. Kuo insists that Baidu’s global expansion plans will not mean the export of Chinese-style Internet monitoring. “Baidu will respect the laws of every sovereign country in which it operates,” he says. In the case of Thailand this means that any attempt to insult the King is taboo. For its expansion,
Baidu is looking to countries that are at a similar developmental stage as China - gathering experience in Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Egypt, Brazil and Argentina, with start-up computer programmes and apps for smartphones. There are as yet no plans to expand into Europe, Kuo says. Baidu aims to bring national versions of its search engine onto the market, by country. The search engine for Thailand is still undergoing trials, Kuo says. “But we will make our searches available at the least in Thai, Arabic and Portuguese in the near future.” Analysing Baidu, team member Sarah Logan of the Australian National University says, “The Company will struggle to differentiate itself from the Chinese government’s foreign policies.” Baidu already stands accused of censoring content in Vietnam and Thailand (at the behest of Beijing), although the allegations have not been proven. However, it would be unfair to single out Baidu when it comes to government censorship. Strict controls on Internet use apply to all companies in China, including foreign firms. Microsoft’s Bing search engine has been filtering out many more search terms in China than Baidu, according to a survey of online censorship in China by greatfire.org. Bing rejects this allegation. Experts point out that Internet companies like Baidu have few economic grounds for censoring content. Blocking Internet sites and search terms requires input from paid staff, who are then not available for other work. More importantly, over-zealous monitoring is likely to put off users in what is sure to become a global battle for market share. u
Do robots dream of the beautiful game? { Cameron Mackintosh/Washington/ DPA }
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s sports fans celebrate the opening of the FIFA World Cup, another very different world cup is scheduled to take place late this month in Joao Pessoa, Brazil. But, at this competition the beautiful game will not be played by people from around the world - or people at all. Every year, teams of robot soccer teams from around the world are brought in to compete for the coveted RoboCup champions title. These robots all operate completely autonomously and are not controlled remotely by any human. Their built-in sensory systems allow them to locate the bright red soccer ball and move towards it on the miniature pitch. Professor Daniel Lee of the University of Pennsylvania showcased some of his soccer-bots in Washington at the
New America Foundation, a think tank. “To do robotics is a very interdisciplinary effort, and you need to have expertise in many different areas,” Lee said. “Mechanics, design, electronics, computations…there are a lot of different aspects that you need to bring together to be successful in this endeavour.” A wireless interface connects the robot players and allows them to co-ordinate their efforts as a team. Robots that fall over during the game are able to pick themselves up. Lee and his group of students will attend the RoboCup this year with DARwIn, their internationally successful team of robot players. The technology is impressive, but not new. Lee also showed off driverless cars capable of navigating city streets, as well as robotic helicopters that can fly in different formations. They will be on display at this year’s RoboCup. u
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My successor could be a woman… { Rome/ DPA }
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he exiled spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism, the Dalai Lama, said in an interview that his successor could be a woman - a first. But he added that she would have to be ‘very, very attractive’. “Of course, I have been saying it for years. If the circumstances will be right, a female Dalai Lama could be more useful to the service of Buddha Dharma,” the current holder of the Title, who is 78, told Italian daily Corriere della Sera. “If it will happen, this woman will have to be very, very attractive, with a nice face ... ,” he added with a laugh. The Dalai Lama was on a six-day visit to Tuscany, Ital. He was questioned about Pope Francis. The Dalai Lama said he saw the Catholic pontiff as a man ‘committed to make people sincere, honest and transparent’, and applauded his decision to dismiss Germany’s ‘bling bishop’. In March, FranzPeter Tebartz-van Elst lost his position as bishop of the western German city of Limburg after revelations that he spent an alleged 31 million euros (42 million dollars) on renovating his official residence. “As a pastor of the Church you teach humbleness and yet you live in luxury? The Pope considered this as a contradiction, as hypocrisy: preaching one thing and practicing another. This Pope follows the teachings with determination and transparency. I admire him,” the Dalai Lama said. Asked about the conversion to Buddhism by celebrities such as Richard Gere, Sharon Stone and Sting, the spiritual leader said he noticed that people often suffer from ‘great confusion’ after ‘changing their faith’. “If someone is really attracted by Buddhism, I tell them: think about it carefully, it is not a fad. If this person then concludes that Buddhism is really right for him or her, he or she is free to convert,” he concluded. u
Auction for Venice’s ‘haunted island’ called off
{ Rome/ DPA }
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talian authorities have called off an auction that offered a 99-year-lease on a ‘haunted’ island in Venice’s lagoon, after dismissing the top offer for it as too low, local campaigners said. Poveglia, like many isolated islands in the Venice lagoon, used to be a confinement station for plague victims, and was later the site of a hospital. Uninhabited since the 1970s, legends have it that it is full of ghosts. “It will remain in the hands of the State because a 513,000-euro (695,000-dollar) offer from Luigi Brugnaro, a local businessman, was judged not adequate,” the Association, Poveglia per tutti (Poveglia for all), said in a statement. This community group, which sprang up in revolt against the plans to ‘privatise’ the island, had submitted a rival bid for 472,000 euros, with the aim of turning the site into a self-governed public resort. “We decided not to try to beat the
offer, even if we had the means to outbid it by 1,000 euros, because we were counting on authorities to call off the auction altogether,” Lorenzo Pesola, a member of the Association, told dpa. He said Poveglia per tutti would now petition the central government in Rome to manage the site on behalf of the local community. Pesola said the Association cut off the Venice municipality from its plans 10 days ago, just before Mayor Giorgio Orsoni, who had supported the Poveglia per tutti initiative, was placed under house arrest on corruption charges. “It seems that it was a farsighted move on our part,” Pesola commented, insisting it was unlikely that Italian authorities would try to put Poveglia up for auction for a second time. The government is selling some of its assets in a bid to reduce Italy’s huge mountain of debt, standing at about 135 per cent of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) - against a European Union limit of 60 per cent. u
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aura Jonas looks wildly determined as she picks up a sledgehammer and smashes the windshield of a car - over and over until the glass is completely shattered. She then takes aim at the hood, and finally gives both the headlights a good hammering. “I’ve got to work off my aggression,” the 23-year-old remarks matterof-factly after her orgy of violence. This ‘experiment’ has developed into a nifty little ‘niche market’ for Miesen, the breaker’s yard firm. Positioned as an ‘AntiStress Event’, it lets people smash up old cars that are already destined to be broken up for scrap. The six young people in Laura’s group give it their all at the car dump. Once all the glass panes are broken, they start on the doors. “At work I didn’t do very well on a test,” Laura says, between swings of her sledgehammer. She also feels “very disappointed by a few people” she knows. The friends have actually organised the car-smashing orgy as her birthday present. Chunk of metal and rust continue to fly, and now shards of glass completely cover the seats. Then
{ Stephan Scheuer/Urumqi, China/ DPA }
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ith an attentive gaze the Chinese military policeman surveys the passers-by, a baton in his belt. Together with two colleagues he has used three large plastic shields to build a kind of wall on the pavement. “One can’t pray here,” he says. Muslims had increasingly begun to pray in public in the City. That is now forbidden. Nowhere in the vast country of China, with its population of 1.3 billion, are the differences between the majority Han Chinese and a minority (Muslim Uyghurs) more visible than in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. As in Tibet, there’s deep opposition on both sides. But while Tibetan resistance against the Central government is largely non-violent, the Uyghur conflict is often bloody. In March, Uyghurs armed with knives stabbed 29 people at the train station of in Kunming, You can south-western China. feel the tension on every street of the Muslim region’s capital, Urumqi. Many of the shops
comes the finale, of pushing the car over on its roof. A car smash is a common fund-raising attraction for community charities in New Zealand or the United States. It seems to have taken longer to catch on in ‘well-behaved’ Germany. Werner Miesen, 54, and owner of the scrapyard, says ‘car-smashing’ has become a ‘hit’. Whether it’s a bachelor party, a school graduation celebration or a birthday present, he takes in reservations from people all around Germany. And it’s not just young people either - he’s seen managers of large corporations and deserted husbands whacking away on his cars. But the oddest case was that of a young couple who booked a ‘romantic’ kind of car smash - by candlelight,” Miesen says. And the couple wanted some privacy. “So we parked some cars around them, to block off the view, and then left them alone.” A spokesperson of Berlin firm Entsorgung says, “Usually we are booked for bachelor parties.” Some of the smashing is filmed and posted on YouTube. However, the process is not so simple. Miesen says that a car must first be ‘prepared‘ for the occasion. For example, the air bags are first ‘triggered’, and all fluids are drained from the
Laura (centre-right) stands on the car hood as she hacks at a car windscreen to release her pent-up aggression - at the Miesen scrapyard in Gelenberg.
Friends of Laura overturn a junked car, helping her release her pentup aggression - at the Miesen scrapyard.
‘The Other Tibet’
A police van on patrol in Urumqi, the principal city of Xinjiang. China keeps raising police numbers in the Muslim area, but critics say that this exacerbates the conflict in the region.
A banner posted on a wall by government officials warns residents of Kashgar, a city in Xinjiang, against ‘illegal religious activities’ and the watching of ‘terrorist videos’.
have signs with Arabic characters rather than Chinese ones. The minority feels constantly constricted. A 22-year-old woman medical student walking through a clothes market says, “I feel like an alien in my own country. At the university I’m not allowed to pray, or wear a headscarf or a long dress.” She would like to study abroad, especially in Turkey, since the Uyghur language is similar to Turkish. She’s sometimes fearful. “The government
says the police are there to protect us, but I feel controlled,” she says. Armed soldiers guard the entrance to the building that houses the provincial government; in this dilapidated concrete building the top politicians ponder the way forward for Xinjiang. “We must realise that we are all Chinese. We’re a country and belong together,” says ViceGovernor Huang Wei. For years the Central government has been trying to resolve the conflict in Xinjiang with the help
Stephan Scheuer
{ Birgit Reichert/Gelenberg, Germany/ DPA }
Thomas Frey
Angry? Frustrated? Go Smash-up a Car
Two men pray at the Idgar Mosque in Kashgar, in the troubled Xinjiang region of western China. of economic aid - but the violent incidents do not stop. “We must try harder,” says Huang. But experts doubt whether it is possible to resolve the tensions in Xinjiang with money. On the contrary, researcher Zhang Lijuan, from the Xinjiang Normal University in Urumqi, blames money and economic growth for the conflict. “That creates imbalance,” she says. “Some people become rich very quickly and the others remain poor.” However, the economic aid from China’s rich cities has also shown positive effects. Lo-
doomed car. The customers are also required to wear protective goggles and gloves, and are given some brief instructions. “Especially watch out when smashing the side windows,” he tells a group, saying that he has witnessed a number of minor injuries. “Some had to be stitched up.” It was his son Stephan, 25, who came up with the carsmashing business idea, Miesen says. A car-smash session costs 100 euros (137 dollars) - a tidy bit of added revenue, since the cars were heading for the shredder anyway. “I never imagined that there would be so many people out there who would want do this,” says Annette Miesen, Stephan’s mother. And does it really help? “Oh, yeah. I feel really relieved, much better now,” says Laura Jonas after an hour of hammering away. With a smile she adds that she would like to be able to do it every month - though car smashing is a challenge. “The front windshield, of all things, was a challenge. I thought it would be a lot easier.” A friend, Bastian Laubental, adds: “It was a lot of fun. Where else can you pulverise a car?” Later, scrapyard boss Werner Miesen looks a bit reflective, while standing next to the smashed-up car. “I always feel a bit sorry for the cars,” he admits. u cal Han Chinese and Uyghurs have found good jobs. “There are really good opportunities for advancement,” says one 50-yearold bank employee. From modest beginnings in the city of Kashgar, she has worked her way up to the Central Bank of Xinjiang in Urumqi. Adaptation is often the price for a career though. To rise in government or a State enterprise, a Muslim has to ‘limit’ his/her practice of the faith. “You can follow your faith in the home or in your head, but not in public,” says ViceGovernor Huang. There are no prayer breaks for government employees. Muslims frequently complain that even when they’re in hospital as patients they’re not allowed to pray. Xinjiang has the highest per-capita ratio of mosques in China, Huang counters. According to official figures, China has 35,000 mosques and 45,000 Muslim clerics. Both sides must make sacrifices, the Vice-Governor adds. “For example, we Han Chinese here often do without pork,” he says blithely. But that is doing little to ease the tension…. u
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Lea Sibbel
Whales and a mysterious ‘Hidden’ people
{ Lea Sibbel/Torshavn, Faroe Islands/ DPA }
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ohn Vaagseid describes whale hunting the way other farmers talk about raising hogs. “This year the whales were a bit skinny,” he says. “That tells us that we should kill a few more, so that the others have more to eat again.” When you’re on the Faroe Islands, you find that talk quickly turns to whaling. Bus driver Vaagseid takes tourists and residents across islands via connecting tunnels. “You know the whales are coming when everyone starts racing,” Vaagseid says. That’s the moment when all the residents get out in the boats to try and herd the pilot whales to shore - in order to kill them. The restaurant Koks is located in the four-star hotel Foroyar, in the Faroes capital Torshavn. With a population A hiker looks down a steep slope to the sea, on the Faroe Islands.
of 20,000 it must be the smallest capital city in the world. Leif Sorensen likes to cooks and sells his catch from the Atlantic. “We eat whale-meat, the same way we did 100 years ago,” the cook says. “If we hadn’t caught any whales, we could not have survived on these islands.” The 18 islands, located in the North Atlantic between Scotland and Denmark, are part of Denmark, under international law. Since 1948 it has been an autonomous region within the Kingdom of Denmark, with its own parliament and premier. In the old days the islands would get two ferry loads of grain every week from Denmark. Karl Mikkelsen, 69, has long ago given up his career as a fisherman. Now he lives in the town of Gasadalur on the island of Vagar. Rugged cliffs on the west separate Gasadalur from the ocean. In the north, east and south, steep mountains surround the small town. Often the
Colourfully painted wooden homes scattered on a green hillside at Vestmanna in the Faroe Islands.
The land on the Faroes is often too steep to build or farm on, and roads like this are a challenge to construct and maintain.
Fish hung out to dry outside a Faroe Islands home. The islanders eat fish constantly both fresh and dried.
peaks of those mountains are shrouded in clouds. This makes the town breathtakingly beautiful, but at the same time lonely. It is precisely this isolation that had provided Mikkelsen with a livelihood. He was the mailman of Gasadalur - a tough job. Three times a week he would trudge the old postal route along the ridge of the southern mountain of Rogvulkollur, 464 metres above sea level, to deliver the mail to the next village and to make some purchases for the people back in Gasadalur. Some days it was so stormy that he had to lie flat on the ground when he reached the mountain pass; he
Per Morten Abrahamsen / Visit Faroe Islands
Boats docked in Torshavn, the Faroes capital. With 20,000 residents it is one of the world’s smallest capital cities.
could only proceed further by crawling on all fours. That situation continued until 2006, when a tunnel was completed, which established a direct road connection with Gasadalur. Mikkelsensis is now retired. The old ‘postal trail’ is still a great attraction for hikers. But they would be best advised to keep a close eye because, apart from the weather changes, mythical creatures are also said to lurk unseen. Randik Meitil can tell you all about the ‘huldufolk’ - the ‘hidden people’. This woman, with fireengine-red hair, often drives out from Torshavn to go hiking - sometimes all by herself. The ‘huldufolk’ are very similar to human beings, she will tell you. Schoolteacher Meitil points to a rock inside which the ‘huldufolk’ are supposed to be living. The Faroe islanders leave a cup of milk here, in order to curry favour with the ‘hidden beings’. A few years ago, when a street near the cathedral was being laid, the construction work had to make a detour around a large boulder, Meitil recalls. However, to the Faroe islanders this was unthinkable. They knew that this particular boulder belonged to the ‘huldufolk’. Vigar Hvidbro meanwhile has something else on his mind - the upcoming football match. Hvidbro is manager of the national football association. Football plays a big role in the national pride of the Faroe Islands, which has sepa-
rate membership in both the world football body FIFA and the European one, UEFA. People still talk about the 1-0 victory over Austria - an event that occurred more than two decades ago. The current problem lies in developing new footballing talent. “Many players go away to study and never come back,” complains Hvidbro. Simun av Skardi, however, did return. “We lived for 12 years in Denmark, but we were homesick,” says the German (Language) teacher. He relocated with his wife to Sandoy in the southern part of the group of islands. The landscape there is gentler than on the northern islands, av Skardi says. Atop the hills stand many typical Faroe houses, with grass-clad roofs. In front of the houses are lines on which fish, sheep meat and chunks of whale are hung out to dry. Just recently the inhabitants of Sandoy drove about 130 whales onto the shore. “In twelve minutes they were all dead,” the retired teacher says. The scene was probably similar to that of a painting on the wall of his study at home – of stranded whales in a sea red with blood. Most Faroe Island tourists, thankfully, are spared such images. Instead, what will remain in their memories are the lush greenery, the rough sea and the cloud-shrouded mountain peaks. u
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Wolfgang J. Dietich / Gerstenberg Verlag
Eric Carle Studio
A 'Miracle' - Life outdoes Art
different turn, and he became one of the most successful children’s books authors. Often Carle would look at the photo of the 'girl with a Mona Lisa smile'. across rivers and climbing mountains. This memory of the girl, whom he At the end he finds her, and they get never saw again, had planted the married. At the back of the book there’s seed for his book, 'Friends'. In April a picture of two small children hugging 2014 Carle (who turns 85 on June 25) each other. At the bottom, the caption experienced an 'Easter miracle'. A (in German) reads, 'Juni 1932' (June woman called up and said that she had 1932). “I was three years old, and so was read the published book (Friends) and the she,” Carle writes about the photo. “My girl in the picture might be her mother, German mother had taken the picture. Florence - who as a child had been called When I was six we moved away. We never 'Flo'. The mother is now 85 years old and saw each other again. I often thought has a photo that is nearly identical with about my childhood friend the one Carle has. In and wondered what happened the photo both the to her.” Carle was born of children are sitting German parents in 1929 in on the grass, the Syracuse, in New York state. boy in shorts and When he was six the family the girl wearing a relocated to Germany, a move white dress. Both they came to bitterly regret. “In are happily smiling. first grade in Germany, within The two photos were the first week, I received three evidently taken on the smacks on each outstretched same day, and have hand, by a mean and angry survived more than teacher,” he says. After that he 80 years. “We were began to hate and fear going to complete strangers. the German school. His father Eric Carle reads from And yet, there was a was drafted into the German 'The Very Hungry connection,” Carle army during World War II and Caterpillar' at a public related after a first barely survived his long years appearance in Hildesheim, telephone call with as a prisoner of war in Russia. Germany in 2009. 'Flo' - who now is Ms. After school, Carle enrolled for Florence Trovato. eight semesters under Professor Ernst “She seemed reserved, though surprised Schneidler at the Academy of Fine Arts and glad to hear from me,” he says. in Stuttgart. “Those years were the most “We discussed getting together and are formative and happy, and I will forever be looking forward to that event, which we thankful,” he says. Carle became a leading hope will take place in Syracuse.” He talent. After his return to the United finds the married surname of his States in 1952 he was hired as a graphic long-lost friend quite portentous. designer at the New York Times, then “Do you know that 'Trovato' (Italian) became an Art Director at an advertising means ‘found’? That is a miracle of its agency. However, his career then took a own!” u
Flo (left) and Eric (right) in the June 1932 photographs taken in Syracuse, NY. The image at left was kept by Florence Trovato's family; the image at the right was kept by Eric Carle’s mother.
{ Chris Melzer/New York/ DPA }
{ Manuel Gaona/Queretaro, Mexico/ DPA }
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one miners looking for precious stones do it the old 18th century way at an Opal-rich site in Mexico – using a hammer and chisel and praying to strike it rich. Finding Opal is a matter of luck, says Jesus Gomez, 40, who has spent much of his life hammering at the rocks in the hills of Tequisquiapan, in search of semi-precious stones. "You might wake up one morning and very quickly find an Opal and so not have to work for two years; but you could also work for an entire year and find nothing," Gomez tells dpa. Gomez says that he never received any formal schooling and that he spent some time as an illegal immigrant in the United States. Miners like Gomez spend all day fossicking for the elusive Opals - rare stones found only in Australia, Honduras, Mexico and the United States. "My father did it and now I do it," he says. Local miners like to tell
Searching for Opals the story of how some years ago the miners that had come with a US firm had studied the area using modern instruments and then blasted the hills open using dynamite. "They would come down carrying bags of precious stones; one day they got tired and left," he said. Gomez takes a rock and strikes it, breaking it open with ‘ease’, as if it were made of clay. Inside can be seen beautiful small blood-red crystals in the shape of tears."These are nature's gifts," he says with a big smile. Queretaro's Opal mines are located on the hills surrounding La Trinidad, a community about five minutes from Tequisquiapan. The mines are now a tourist attraction. To go up to the Opal mine, visitors have to walk on steep rocky footpaths for about 20 minutes. Once you get there, the view of the mountains makes it all worthwhile. Opals are described as semiprecious stones because they lack the purity of diamonds. "But they are the most beautiful
Manuel Gaona
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enerations of children around the globe have grown up with 'The Very Hungry Caterpillar', a most successful picture book by author Eric Carle, who is now in his mideighties. The colourful Caterpillar book teaches children to count. However, to this German-American
writer, his most important book is just a few months old. Titled 'Friends', it's a fictional book. However, it has led to a twist of fate that no playwright can possibly imagine. 'Once upon a time there were two friends who were always together' - the story starts out in typical Eric Carle fashion. One day the girl goes away… and the boy desperately searches for her, swimming
Hector Montes examines Opals in his workshop. Montes lives off the sales of the Opals he finds and also by charging tourists who visit his mine. Jesus Gomez hammers at a wall of rock as he seeks stones containing Opals at the La Carbonera mine in Mexico’s Queretaro state. The mine is developing into a tourist attraction.
stones in the world," says Hector Montes, the owner of one of the mines. He and his entire family live off the mine and tourism. He explains that the best Opals are those that contain all the
colours of the rainbow but they are the hardest to find. The next in quality and value are red Opals, followed by orange oxidecoloured ones. Montes says that the biggest Opal he ever found was the size of a lemon. With the money he received for it, he was able to buy a house. "When you find a good stone, buyers knock on your door," he explains. The Montes family exports stones to Germany and Japan. Opals from Queretaro are internationally famous because of their purity, beauty and abundance. When he is not searching for Opals, Montes and his family open their mine to visitors and tourists, who can become miners for that day. Tourists receive a hammer, a chisel and a blessing to find the stone, which will make them rich. "If you find a precious stone, it's yours; and if you find nothing, at least you would have forgotten city stress for a little while," Montes smilingly tells his visitors.u
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